Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-02-06

down through the list of the Demo-
Gratis who happen to hold ranking
places at present on several commit
tees.
Trust Regulation the Test.
The recent activities of President
elect Wilson in trust regulation mat
tiers while he is still governor of New
Jersey are held by the members of his
party in Washington to forecast his
course as president of the United
States. No Democrat in Washington
denies that his party looks upon com
ing legislation in regulation of big en-
terprise as being Of much more i'm
portance to the party and to the coun-
try than tariff, currency or any other
legislation
The Democrats say that If the trust
problem can be solved to the salts
faction of the people of the United
States, to the doing away with mo-
no corresponding lowering of wages.
the Democratic party can survive mis-
| takes in other matters of legislation.
No one knows yet definitely just
how the administration and the new
congress, which is to be controlled in
both branches by the Democrats, will
approach the subject of the regulation
of big business, but definite state
memt concerning what it is sought to
| be accomplished has been made by
| President-elect Wilson Just how the
accomplishment is to be reached has
not yet been outlined and will not
| be probably until lawyers like Senator
| O'Gorman and other Democrats of
! long legal experience shall have given
| the incoming administration their
| views, and the advisers of the admin
| istration from what may be called the
! political and the economic sides Of
things have added their views to those
| of the lawyers
Wants to Restore Competition.
| Mr.. Wilson, the Democrats say, after
| hearing the advice from both sides
and after studying the question him
| self, will try to make sure what laws
will stand the test of constitutionality
and then will recommend legislation
to meet the end desired. The presi-
dent-elect has said specifically that he
wants to restore competition. This
means a different course OF procedure
| from that which some of the econo-
mists of the country have recon-
mended.
There are today in congress eight
or ten representatives and senators
with experience in the law and in eco.
Monies generally who are giving their
time to the study of the big business
problems. These men have learned
| the Sherman antitrust act by heart
! and Judging from what has been done
| by the present administration, they
have concluded they know what can
| be accomplished and what cannot be
accomplished in existing laws.
! These Democrats who are engaged
in the study of trust legislation have
| given a good deal of attention to the
recommendations of the Progressive
party as to the methods of handling
/ big business. It is known, of course,
| that former President Theodore Roose-
Welt is in favor of establishing an in
dustrial commission for the purpose of
regulating big business, much as the
| interstate commerce commission now
regulates the traffic between the states
as conducted by common carriers.
Some of the Democrats believe that
when antitrust legislation finally is
evolved by the Wilson administration
and is given consideration in congress
it will take on the form of combina-
| ton between the Roosevelt plan and
| the plan of those who think that the
! Sherman law if enforced to the letter
will produce the required competitive
results. 1t is said that the Demo
Gratis intend to make the imprison-
ment penalties more severe and to try
| to make them cover more ground"
! everything develops down there, a
/ hair fell from the tail of horse down
/ there one day and fell into stream of