The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-27
GUNS OF ORATORY
WILL BOOM FORTH
Democrats and Insurgents to
Take Up Great Trust
Question.
(By Roderick Clinord.)

(By Roderick Clihord.)
WASHINGTON. November 27.-The
guns Of oratory in congress. from both
Democratic and insurgent sources, are
to be turned during the approaching
session on the administering OF trusts
and great combinations by judicial
construction.
While Wall Street is now congratu-
lating itself upon the action OF the cir
cult court which approved the plan OF
dissolution OF the Tobacco Trust, var
lous elements in Congress ALREADY are
unlimbering their batteries to be turn.
ed on the very policy which brought
about their decision. There are men,
bers of Congress, both in the Senate
and the House, who feel that the
courts are gradually taking to them
selves too much jurisdiction in the in
depreciation OF the antitrust laws. and
that as a consequence the courts are
becoming legislative as we'll as judi
cial bodies.
Mutterings Are Heard.
The first mutterings were heard in
Congress when the Supreme Court
read the words reasonable" and "un-
reasonable" into the Sherman anti
trust law through the decisions In the
There Is developing sentiment in the
national legislative body for amend
mends to the Sherman law that will
make its meaning understood beyond
question, removing every loOphole
through which the courts can order
different construction. On the other
hand, there Is certain school OF
statesmen who believe that the Sher-
man law must remain untouched and
that amendments at this time will re-
vive the entire controversy that has
reaged about the construction of the
law for the past twenty years.
Senator Bristow, the Kansas insur'
gent. Is one member of the Senate
who does not approve OF the present
policy OF the Department OF Justice as
It relates to great industrial corpora
lions and the trusts. He declares that
the policy of the encouragement in
regulating these combines by judicial
DEGREES Is utterly indefensible and
wrong.
Senator Bristow pointed out that as
. result of this policy. which is some
thing new in the governments rela-
ton to big business concerns that are
recognized as violators Of the anti
trust law are enabled by change Of
form, to get in under the shelter Of
the law in such manner as to make the
courts sponsors for them. Senator
Bristow does not believe that the
American people will tolerate any
such policies. If the trusts are guilty
OF violations of the law, the Kansas
senator and quite number Of other
legislators believe they should be
made to suffer the consequences and
should not be permitted to come into
court and agree to decree which
merely changes the form OF their eX-
istence, without Furnishing for past Of
lenses.
What 6ristow Thinks.
While Senator Bristow is not ready
at this time to make a definite an
nouncement as to the legislation he
will propose for the regulation of
great industrial concerns and big bust.
ness generally, he has no hesitation in
saying that the subject is one of grav-
est importance to the American peo-
pie and that the subject of trust regu.
lation Is still one Of the paramount
issues Of the country. That legisla.
ton of a carefully considered sort is
still needed Is the opinion Of the sena'
tor from the insurgent state Of Kan.
sas, and he believes that the coming
session of Congress will see the trust
question pushed into the foreground,
along with reduction OF the tariff.
What Senator Bristow says Is sig
niflcant of more that is to follow along
this line during the approaching SEES
sion. When the progressive Republi-
cans held their recent conference in
Chicago. the regulation of the trusts
through the courts came in for con-
siderable attack. That the progress.
sives at both ends of the capitol will
not hesitate this winter to score such
means Of regulation Is assured. They
will be afforded a lever for doing 50
by the Anal ruling Of the circuit court
In the tobacco trust dissolution case.
the independents claiming that the
dissolution plan does not measure up
to the Sherman law and that in conse-
Quence the courts have robbed that
law Of much of its efficiency. The