Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1904-03-08
BILL IS INEFFECTIVE.
WADE MEASURE CONSIDERED OF
NO PRACTICAL VALUE BY
COMMITTEE.
lowan Should Have Placed Evidence
Before Attorney General - Martin
Resolution to Bring About Action
Against Beef Trust.

[BY H. j. MAHIN.1
Washington Bureau Of the Courier.
Washington, D. c., March 4.
Judge Wade, the lone democrat from
the second district, and his erst while
famous beef trust bill, seems to be left
nigh and dry in a most ridiculous po-
sltion of ineffectiveness by the action
OF the house this week in adopting the
Martin resolution calling for an invest
igation of the beef trust.
The Wade bill and the Martin reso.
luton differ widely. Judge Wade
wanted law enforced which has al.
ready been enforced and wanted the
beef trust convicted of action for
which it has already been convicted.
The Martin resolution asks that an
Investigation be made of the trust and
il it be found to be continuing opera
tions which were stopped by injunction
OF the court a year ago the owners and
managers be declared in contempt OF
court and punished accordingly.
Attorney General Prosecutes.
The beef trust question is a simple
one after all. The trust was convict.
ed by Attorney General Knox on test
imony and evidence gathered by the
New York Herald in 1902. An injunc.
tion was issued. The complaint is now
made that the trust is operating as it
did before this injunction was secur.
ed and if this is true the men who con.
troll the great packing houses are
guilty of contempt of court and sub
ject to heavy penalties. The attorney
general has not the power under the
constitution to go out and gather evi'
dence against anyone. His duty is to
prosecute when evidence is furnished
him that the law is being broken. This
is what he did when the Herald gather
ed evidence and by his prompt and
thorough action the beef trust was
squashed. Now if anyone will furn.
ish the attorney general with evidence
that the trust is again operating he
will convict them of contempt of court
and make the leaders in the trust
liable to much greater punishment
than they were before When the de-
partment of Commerce and labor was
formed Col. Hepburn and others who
were instrumental in constructing the
department put in clause which gave
the secretary of this department the
authority to go out and gather evidence
of law breaking when requested to dc
so by congress. The Martin resolution
requests Secretary Cortelyou to in.
vestigate the beef trust and the house
has passed that resolution.
Wade Bill Not Given Thought.
AS far as can be learned the Wade
bill was not given a thought even by
Judge Wade's colleagues on the com.
merce committee when this beef trust
matter was taken up. The bill is SC
absurd that Mr.. Wade's colleagues
could not take it upon themselves to
attempt to shoulder it.
In the first place it is a fact that
Judge Wade did not know that an in
junction had ever been issued against
the beef trust when he drew up his
bill He was told that after the bill
was drawn but made no effort tc
change the bill. The latter was plain
ly introduced purely for the purpose oi
furnishing Judge Wade notoriety and
a chance to make speech attacking
the trust. Neither the bill nor the
speech suggested any feasible plan fol
stopping the operations of the trust
which of course is what the farmers
and stockmen desire considerably
more than to see the beef trust attack
en- in speeches.
Should Give Evidence.
Judge Wade, though declaring thai
it was his purpose to come to the ai6
of those among his constituents who
were being oppressed by the trust die
not go near the department of justice
to see what Mr.. Knox had to say. The
day that his bill was introduced the
Courier correspondent called at the
departm ent of justice to ask about the
matter and was told that If Judge
Wade had any evidence that the trus
was breaking the law he had only te
present it to have the trust prosecut
ed Immediately. Judge Wade soor
learned what the attorney general hat
said but nevertheless he carefully
kept away from the department o.
justice. Attorney General Knox de
clared that he had three complaints
about the beef trust recently and hat
promptly answered them all advising
the complainants that if they would
furnish the evidence to back up theil
assertions that would stand in cour
he would Immediately proceed agains
the trust and prosecute them to tht
end. He never heard from his cor
respondents again.
Judge Wade in his speech SCENE et
to have plenty of evidence at hand t
convict the beef trust but he has no
as yet laid any of it before the attorney
general.
Martin Makes Proposition.
Representative Martin on the othel
hand declares that he can direct Sec
retary Cortelyou how to get evidence
that will convict the trust of contemp
of court. 1t must be remembered tina
neither the attorney general nor {
private individual can force any one
to allow examination of books or docu
menus that might incriminate them
but this power is given to Secretary
Cortelyou and when he investigates the
beef trust they will have to show hin
anything that he wishes to see ant
furnish him with all the data that ht
asks for.
The Wore& NoJd