The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1910-12-15
NEWS NOTES OF
NATIONS CAPITAL
Especial to the Silver State.)

WASHINGTON, Dee. 15.-Christ-
mas is almost here and while there has
been talk a-plenty and rumors innum-
cradle, congress has not accomplished
any more real work than the wise
prognosticators said it would. The
argument always holds that the ses-
sion is young, but the amount of work
pressing upon the attention of the leg
islators is very great and much of it
must necessarily be left undone when
the fourth of March comes.
Even before the session had opened
the insurgents had made demand on
the president that he practically capi-
tulate to them before they would agree
to allow anything he was interested
in to go through. They felt that they
had the whip hand, and they seemed
to feel inclined to press their advan-
tage to the limit. just what the out
come will be is not certain. The an
nouncement made from Beverly last
summer that the president had decid-
ed to give the insurgents their place
at the pie counter and divide equitably
with them the federal patronage of
which they had been deprived gave
heart to the progressiveso until it
was denied that the announcement was
authoritative. 1t seems that the pri-
vate secretary to the president had
given out the "news' and that the
president promptly declared that there
was nothing in it. The insurgents were
hurt Their showing in the November
elections made them feel that they
could insist upon recognition. The
country, and particularly Washington,
wonders whether the president will
have to edo business with the in
surgents or not accomplish anything
at ALL
In the meantime the program in the
house and senate is jogging along un-
der the rules, and the big machine of
government seems to have settled
down to a more or less humdrum
routine. Things may become more live
ly after the New Year.
The Power of the Speaker.
One of the interesting problems con
fronting the Democratic majority is
regarding the power of the speaker
While the Republicans are IN power it
is vicious and wicked thing for the
speaker to be invested with autocratic
authority. AS soon, however, as the
Democrats secure control, Il turns out
to be wise and benign provision foi
the speaker to have such authority as
is necessary to enforce the rights and
privileges of the majority. 1t may be
good thing theoretically for com
mittee on committees to be given
charge of the work which under the
Republican regime was in the hands
of the speaker. But after all, when
one comes to think OF it, as Demo
crat, of course, it may be seriously
questioned whether a committee on
committees is the proper thing, after
ALL Mr.. Cannon, with very compre-
hensive power bestowed upon him,
was czar; Mr.. Clark in the posses
sion of similar powers believes that
he would be a very benign despot
Somebody once said that the best
form of government was an enlight-
ened despotism. There seems to be
general idea that this is the form of
government Mr.. Clark is in favor of
The Sugar Trust Prosecution.
Who is a trust? Is trust an i'm
personal (if not an intangible) entity
without legal rights, or is it an aggre-
CATION of widows, orphans, charitable
institutions and innocent investors
who are at the mercy of few bold
manipulatorsa If a trust "goes
wrong,' who shall be punished-the
bold manipulation or the "innocent in
vestors?''
The prosecution of the American
Sugar Refining company, generally
known as the sugar trust, by the gov
ernment has brought out the informa
tion that the Havemeyers no longer
have any interest, or but a very small
interest in this corporation. 1t is stat
ed apparently on good authority, that
at the death of the late Henry O.
Havemeyer very few shares of suga,
stock were found in his estate, and il
is stated that Horace Havemeyer has
retired from the company and that this
ends the interest of that family in the
trust This lends emphasis to the
statement by some financiers that most
of the big corporations in this country
are controlled by men who have but
very small interests in them. The man
ner in which some manipulators Sc
cure control of large properties and use
them for their own advantage is some
what instructive to people who invest
their money in so-called securities. II
appears that nearly all of the officials
of the American Sugar Refining com
pany are men who had no connection
with it at the time the government in
augurated its prosecution, and the
question unavoidably presents itself
whether they are to be prosecuted fol
the alleged sins of their predecessors
and whether the 10000 or 10000 stock
holders are to suffer for those alleged
sins. Tn other words the suggestion
/ is made that there is question who
will suffer, if anybody does, because of
l the prosecution. In the case of this
company, as in that of most other big
corporations, the stock is held to a
large extent by widows, trustees
executors, administrators, guardians
of minors, religious orders, philan-
thropie organizations, banks and in.
vestment companies, colleges, schools
Libraries and institutions of similar
character. The capital of this cor
poration is $90,000,000, of which more
than 4-5 000 900 is in the hands az