Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-01-04
From Washington.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette
washington ID. c.. Jan. 1.


day made answer to the brief OF the
"beef trust" asking that the restrain
ing order. issued against the trust at the
instance of the United States by the
Circuit Court for the northern district
Of Illinois, be set aside. The Govern
ment's contention in the case is that the
leading meat packers have combination
TO control the meat trade, in VIC
lation of the antitrust law. The trust
appeals to the Supreme Court on the
main ground that no open combination
of the packers has been shown, and If
the antitrust law is given the con-
slruction placed upon it by the Circuit
Court. then the law is a violation OF the
c institution.
Congress today received the report of
The "Amcrican Merchant Marine Com
mission" composed Of members of the
Senate and the House, who Logan their
inquiry on lIarch 90, 1904, with view
to reporting to the Congress what ex-
PLANTATION, if any. is desirable for the
development OF the American merchant
marine and American commerce. Sena-
tor Gallinger presented the report in the
Senate, Representative Grosvenor in the
House. The report covers 81 printed
pages. As an answer to the difficulties
which the question presents, the COM
mission offers a bill, entitled "To pro-
mote the national defense, to create a
force of naval volunteers, to establish
American ocean. mail lines to foreign
markets, to promote commerce, and to
provide revenue from tonnage. " The
measures proposed contain the follow
ing provisions: "The Secretary of the
Navy and the Secretary of Commerce
and Labor shall cause to be made an en-
rolIment of officers and men employed
in the merchant marine and the deep
sea fisheries of the United States who
may be capable of rendering service as
naval volunteers in time of war. The
men shall be enrolled for three years. "
Representative Baker, of New York, in
a resolution introduced in the House to-
day, gets after Secretary of the Navy
Morton with a sharp stick. The resOlu-
ton recites that traffic manager Biddle
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe,
according TO his testimony before the
Interstate Commerce Commission grant
ed q secret rebate to the Colorado Fuel
4 Iron Company, that Morton who was
then the head of Sante Fe's traffic de-
partment has since said that "what Mr..
Biddle did. was exactly right" therefore
provides the resolution, "Resolved, that
the Attorney General be, and he is here
I,requested TO Uniform the House whether
the act of Mr.. Paul Morton, in allowing
the said rebate, is not in fragrant viola
ton of law, and what steps, if any, have
been taken to prosecute him, crmnally,
for his said act. ="
Representative Baker of New York,
in resolution introduced in the House
today, quotes the President as saying
that, in the prosecution Of the smoke
law viola;ors OF the District Of Columbia,
lit would seem wise to go to the very
limit of the law and arrest the head of
the company again and again at the
shortest possible intervals" The stop
page "of the present robbery of the peo-
pie by the beef. coal and steel trusts,
and the Standard Oil Company" Baker
holds to be more important, and his
resolution provides "that this House
respectfully asks the President whether
he has taken up, with his Cabinet, the
criminal action of the aforesaid combi-
nations, and also whether he has in
structed his attorney general TO 90 to
the very limit of the law and to arrest
the heads Of these companies again and
again at the shortest possible intervals
to the end that permanent relief may be
obtained for the people for the exactions
of these combinations. " In another
resolution, Mr. Baker provides "that
this House respectfully asks the Prcs-
dent whether it is in harmony with his
message of December (denouncug
the rebate SYSTEM, and also conducive
to the public interests TO retain Mr..
Norton as Secretary Of the Navy"
Senator Hepburn, of Idaho, called at
the White House this morning TO talk
with the President about the land fraud
cases that have developed in his State.
81 know that there is an attempt being
made by certain persons to connect me
in some manner with the scandal" said
the Senator, "and | want to say right
now that | will not stand for it. They
had better look out. ! always choose
my backgrounds and when ] go into
fight usually come out on top. | have
never had any connection with the parties
res ponsibe for the frauds, either direct
ly or indirectly; in fact have done my
utmost to expose them" Secretary
Hitchcock of the Interior Department |
had talk with the President about the
idaho cases during the morning but said
At the conclusion of the interview that |
be had nothing TO give out for publica-
lion.
Mr.. Stone, introduced in the Senate
Oday, a resolution directing the judiciary |
to investigate the subject of
he use of money in Federal elections,
md report at the first session Of the 5Sth
Congress, what legislation it deems
lescessary to prevent Or suppress bribery
md corruption in such elections The
is furthur directed TO inquire
nto the charges made by Thomas W.
lawson, that he and other capitalists
lad raised la s., 900, 600 corruption fund,
md used it to promote the election of
he republican candidates for President
md Vice President in 1896, in five