The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1911-04-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Special Washington Correspond
ent of The Times.
BY Clyde q. Tavennsr.
Washington, April "A. On the da.
the present Congress was called t
order the writer happened to be seat
ed beside H. p. Martin, secretary o
the American Anti Trust league. Jus
after Speaker Champ Clark had con
cluded his now-famous opening ad
dress, Mr.. Martin turned towards mi
and said:
There is a deeper meaning to thi.
occasion than most of the~spectators
are aware. am not speaking from
a partisan viewpoint. What allude
to is that this is the first time in fort,
!, years-the first time since the trus1
problem has been acute in this country,
that there is a real, out-end-out anti.
trust majority in the House of Rep
resentatives.
Mr.. Martin was well qualified to
give an estimate Of the body of men
before him. For fourteen years he
had labored among the old members
OF Congress, and well knew how each
of them stood on the trust question.
Then he had closely examined the
records of the new members, and had
ascertained their attitude on trusts.
House Its Own Master.
The fact that a majority of the
members of the new House stand for
the passage of the reciprocity meas
ure and the farmers free list bill is
evidence that the House is no longer
controlled by the tariff trusts.
Lumber, for instance, would not 60
on the free list if Big. Business was
still in control. Heretofore the lumber
interests same interests and in
dividuals that are alleged to have
elected and retained Lorimer in the
Senate-have been able to prevent
lumber from going on the 'freevlists g
The fact that wire fencing and other
steel manufactures are placed on the
free list, and that a sweeping investi-
cation of the steel trust will soon be
begun under the Stanley resolution
is positive assurance that the steel
barons are no longer able to dictate
what bills shall die in committee and
what bills shall be enacted into law.
It is evident also that the implement
combine has lost its grip on the
House, because agricultural imple-
ments, including plows, harrows,
reapers, binders and mowers, appear
on the farmers free list.
Nor is the beef trust still in COM
mand. If it was dressed meats would
continue to be taxed, instead of going
on the free-~list, as provided in the
Democratic program.
Trusts Not in Saddle Now.
Until Until this session of Of Congress the the
lumber trust, steel trust, implement
trust and beef trust have had easy
sailing. They have had but to con-
tribute generously to Republican cam
paign funds, receiving in return at
the hands of the Republicans suffi-
cient protection to give them monop-
olies on American markets and to
enable them to collect from consum-
ers in excessive1 prices not only the
amount of their campaign contribu-
tions, but handsome profits in addi-
ton thereto.
Men will always pay thousands to-
politicians or to party funds in the
hope of getting back millions. Tariff
for revenue not only tends to prevent
monopolies and the consequent arti- ],
fical prices, but cuts off leading
cause Of political dishonesty and /,
corruption.
Sherman Wise Old Owl.
Vice-P President Sherman makes an
IDEAL presiding officer of the Senate !
From the viewpoint OF the Old Guard.
He knows how to sidetrack progress
live legislation, and his heart is in the
work.
An instance: When the resolution
providing for the direct election Of :
.,naaod Il, Aha un,aao hs, a Y