New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-21

in the message: others professed TO find
no bad in il. Only in one or two in
stances was it criticised for not going far
enough. The majority OF Senators com
mendei it as conservative in tone and
free from hostility 10 business.
81 think It was an able message ano
well written, as all the Presidents mes
sages are" said Senator Lodge. u agree
with him as 10 the need of legislation on
all the points he suggested, and II the
legislation is drawn I'm the spirit which
he professed TO desire | cannot but believe
that II will be beneficial. But II the laws
designed 10 meet the recommendations or
the President are framed by the destruc-
tive radicals who exist in both Houses
they are capable Of doing infinite damage
to business. 1t all depends on how the
Presidents recommendations are carried
out i'm the laws"
"1he message Was q good one said
Senator Kenyon. one of the more ad-
vanced Progressives. Il was particularly
impressed with the Presidents recon-
mendation that guilt be made personal.
Had the criminal side of the Sherman
law been enforced from the start We
ould not have had 50 much troble.'
so far as the Presidents message went
il was excellent" said Senator Norris,
another extreme Progressive. IF he had
gone further and recommended that when
a dissolution decree is ordered the court
shall have the right TO collect from the
dissolved corporation all the profits 1t
made while operating illegally the remedy
would have been complete"
Comments made by other Senators were
similar in tenor. the unaninlity of opinion
being so striking that. If the majority
leaders in the two houses adhere to the
programme he formulated and succeed in
holding the radicals in check, II is not
probable there will be much difficulty in
passing the laws.
Parties to Work Together.
Counting on this non-partisan support,
majority members of the Senate Commit
tee on Interstate Commerce purpose TAX
ing the Republicans into their councils
as soon as the groundwork for the legis-
laton is laid. In the present temper of
the Senate 1t is not probable that there
will be much parliamentary conflict over
the bills, or that great amount of time
will be consumed in debating them. So
confident are the House and Senate lead
ers that no delay will be encountered in
putting the Presidents programme into
effect that predictions are already made
that Congress will pass the antitrust
legislation and the appropriation bills.
transact the other urgent business before
il, and be able to adjourn by June l.
Discussing the Presidents message
Representative Mann, formerly Repub-
lcan chairman of the Interstate Com
merce Committee, said.
"Of course, / am very much pleased
with so much of the Presidents message
as relates to the issuance of stocks and
bonds by railroads. ] put that proposition
through the House once over the opposi-
ton Of the Democrats, and will be glad
to support the President in it now. The
Interstate Trade Commission is really an
Of Corporations, which I had the hcnor
first to suggest and put into law, and l
have advocated increasing its powers
"Other propositions of The President
will require careful consideration, but his
message goes far toward favoring the
powers of the general government at the
expense of the state governments, and is
the strongest nationalistic message ever
sent to Congress. 1t Will be a bitter pill
10 our Southern states rights friends.
who have Tor years consistently opposed
every proposition favored in the message.
but hope the Republicans will get behind
the President on some OF the propositions
and help him enact them into law"
After the Oil Trust.
Prosecution of the Standard oil Com
pany and complete dissolution OF the
alleged oil trust is the aim OF the ad-
ministration, and to this end there will
be legislation to supplement the legal
weapons which the Attorney General al
ready believes he has available, and. pos
sibly. contempt proceedings against the
officials of the corporation.
Attorney General McReynolds has never
been satisfied with the results OF the
decree dissoving the Standard OIL into
thirty-four companies, and has insisted
that the territorial system OF handling oil
products, something which the United
States Supreme Court permitted to exist,
is one OF the worst evils OF the monopoly.
Legislation. probably modifying. II not
eliminating. the possibility OF the rule OF
reason" principle, will be attempted, even
though there is serious question as TO the
constitutionality OF such measure, In
view of the opinion of the court OF last
resort.
Ex-Attorney General Wickersham made
an investigation TO ascertain whether
there had been an effective dislntegration
Of the Standard Oil Company under the
provisions OF the dissolution decree. and
IL is understood that he was convinced
that the spirit OF the dissolution had been
violated, but the Department of Justice
had not finished its inquiry when the
change OF administrations took place.
Mr.. McReynolds has continued the in
vestigation. and In his opinion there is
need OF further action TO effect COM
plete dissolution.
Contempt proceedings may be Instituted
even before Congress has enacted the
desired legislation, as 1t Is maintained
that the mandate OF the Supreme Court
has not been obeyed. Onicials of the
standard OH Company Of New Jersey and