The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-29

house of Congress and a committee was
appointed pursuant to its recommenda-
tions. That was the so-called Stanley
committee. One member of that commit
tee, Martin W. Littleton, who represented
New York city district, after the COM
mittee had been sitting for some weeks
arose to a question of personal privilege
and made the statement upon the floor
of the House in which ne said that there
was maintained in the city of Washing
ton an organization styling itself the
American Antitrust league" and that
this organization was masquerading under
this name for the purpose of beguiling
earnest workers for reform and at the
same time serving the sordid and mercen-
airy appetites of its representatives in
Washington"
Mo. Littleton furthermore mentioned
upon the floor of the lower house of Con-
gress the name of Henry d. Martin, as
serting that this Mr.. Martin was the die
tator of the American Antitrust league.
He stated again that when he, Lttleton,
was appointed a member of the Steel com
mittee he found this Martin in the office
of the chairman of the committee pre-
pairing matters for investigation by ne
committee, discussing the affairs of the
Steel corporation and in the confidence of
the staff of the chairman's office"
Mr., Lttletons speech was made long
before there had been testimony on the
witness stand which tended to show that
David Lamar prepared the Steel corpor-
alton investigation resolution, or that Ed
ward Lauterback had shown this resolu-
ton to j. P. Morgan and to executive Off
GERS of the Steel corporation before it was
introduced into Congress- Testimony
upon the witness stand appeared very
closely to connect the Mr.. Martin whose
name Representative Littleton mentioned
1 a..I 1.
with Edward Lauterback and with David
Lamar.
Attracted Widespread Attention
The Stanley committee and especially its
chairman We're enabled in the course of
the investigation which they carried on to
attract widespread public attention. But
it was not until some four months after the
Stanley committee began it's investigations
that the administration of President Taft
apparently began to change its opinion
respecting the legality of the organization
and operation of the United States Steel
corporation.
In the complaint brought by the govern
ment there was an allegation which in
plain English asserted that President
Roosevelt had been "bamboozledr by
Judge Gary and Henry c. Frick that
the Steel corporation was assured Of
Roosevelt's approval of the contemplated
company. This allegation was subse-
quently stricken out. President Taft is
reported to have said that he had no
knowledge that the allegation had been
incorporated in the bill of complaint, but
it has been an open secret among busi-
ness men and among many of theleading
republican politicians that 1t was this al
legation which finally pursuaded Colonel
Roosevelt to accept the leadership of the
progressive party, he being convinced that
it's insertion in the bill of complaint was
proof of the hostility of the Taft admin
stration toward him. The prosecution by
the Taft administration of the Steel cor
poration alienated many business men
from the republican party and, in the
opinion of well Informed politicians, ex
plains part of the strong support which
Colonel Roosevelt gained when candidate
for President last year and also the sup
port which republican business men gave
to Woodrow Wilson. If this be a correct
understanding, there can be traced back
to the resolution said to have been written
by David Lamar and confessedly at one
time in the hands of Edward Lauterback
the wreckage of the republican party at
the presidential election last year There
remains only to complete this strange his
tory the decision of the supreme court in
the proceedings against the United States
Steel corporation.