Evening times-Republican., 1914-01-15
CERTAIN TO BE DiscoNTENr
AMONG DEMOCRATS OVER Ac.
TON DETERMINED UPON.
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CLUB
FOLLOWERS INTO LINE
Effort to Repeat Accomplishments in
Tariff and Currency Legislation Like.
'y 70 Be Met With More Determined
Opposition-Not All Democrats in
Favor Of "seft Pedal" Application.
Especial Correspondence.1

Washington. Jan. 15.-Informal dis
cussion of the trust question among the
house and senate democrats and such
consideration as has been given the
subject in the house judiciary COM
mittee have developed the fact that
there are the widest sort Of differences
Of opinion in the party as to what
ought to be done.
President Wilson will send his mes
sage to congress on this subject with
the certainty that he is sending it to
body in which the ideas as to what
should be done with respect to the
trusts and corporations are greatly
varied. Scarcely any two republicans
agree among themselves as TO what
should be done with the trusts but
inasmuch as the republican party does
not have the responsibility for legis-
lation now. these differences are not
accentuated The progressive party
platform calls for regulation by a
government commission. In the dem
want to go slow. others to go fast and
of thought as to what sort of laws
should be enacted when enactment
does come.
Demand to "Soft Pedal"
More than this. the democrats in
congress and the administration is be-
ing subjected TO the utmost pressure
20 a
with the trust situation. Recently. at
least one powerful democratic news
paper which has been supporting the
administration thru thick and thin has
come out for a soft pedal policy.
1t has gone out from the White
House that there VIII be nothing ex-
treme or radical in the way of trust
legislation. And the department Of
Justice !s setting out on a policy OF
negotiation with combinations for their
reorganization.
1t is not impossible that before con-
cress gets thru with the enactment OF
trust bills the democratic contingent in
house and senate will find itself much
worse divided than it was over tariff or
currency. Powerful factors in the
democratic membership are anxious to
see radical trust legislation enacted.
House Committee Divided.
The house judiciary committee dem
ocrats are divided on the question.
Chairman Clayton wants to go slow In
dealing with the trusts. Some OF the
other democrats on the committee want
radical legislation. Congressman WEBB
of North Carolina. has bill Of his own
designed to make the Sherman law
more stringent in various respects. In
fact, Individual democrats Of the COM
mittee will introduce a number OF bills
embodying their views
Some of the leading senate demo-
Gratis are going on record against ac-
tion on the trust question now. some
DAYS ago. Vice President Marshall
spoke out in favor of giving the coun-
try a chance to digest the tariff and
currency bills and passing over at
tempts to enact trust legislation for the
present. This idea finds strong sup
port among many Of the democratic
senators.
Discomfort Is Certain.
1t is supposed the president will be
able to map out program to which he
can force the democratic caucuses in
both houses to give their assent. In
this way. he can undoubtedly dominate
the situation and dictate the legisla-
ton to be enacted. But this will not
prevent lot of democratic discomfort
over the program. II. as intimated. 1t
is to be mild one. Moreover, pro-