Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-10
Fortunate for Country
That Bills Were Not
Enacted Into Law
His Declaration
United States Senate Saw the
Same Objections That Mr.. Pc
tiers and Other Far Seeing
Statesmen Saw-A Statement
On Alaskan r. r., Currency
And Antitrust Bills

At Bucksport. Monday evening, a
very large and interested audience
listened to Hon. John A. Peters, rep
resentative in Congress from the
Third district of Maine, and Hon.
Scott Wilson, attorney general of
Maine. The feature of the evening
was the reply of Congressman Peters
to Mr.. Pattangall, Cyrus w. Davis and
the Democratic dailies of Maine, re-
garding his votes in Congress on the
anti trust bills, the Alaska railroad
bill and the currency bill. Mr.. Peters
answer was so plain and satisfactory
as to put the criticism OF position
upon the other foot. 1t was evident,
after hearing Mr.. Peters explanation
OF the bills and their weaknesses, that
most people of Maine would consider
the country fortunate in not having
a Congress made up of men like Mr..
Pattangall and d J. McGillicuddy who
would vote for such measures as
passed the national House. Fortu-
nately the u. S. Senate looked at these
measures as did Mr.. Peters and other
far seeing Republicans Mr.. Peters
said, III substances:
| notice that Mr.. Pattangall and his
supporters are anxious to know why
l voted as | did in the House of Rep
resentatiYes on certain public ques-
lions, especially the antitrust bills,
the Alaska railroad bill and the cur
rency bill. 1t is impossible to give in
any brief space all the good reasons
for voting for or against these meas
ures, but l am very willing to give
some which it seemed to me at the
time to be sufficient, and do now, on
further reflection.
Mr. Pattangall, according to the
newspapers, appears to criticise my
voting against the antitrust bill. AS
a matter of fact there were three anti
trust bills:
The FIRST one. called the trade com
mission bill, voted in favor of
The second, called the Clayton bill
= was opposed to, because it contained
when it passed the House some very
obnoxious, unreasonable and un-
American provisions, which would be,
in my judgment, very harmful to
legitimate trade and commerce. l am
opposed to legislation generally favor
ing trusts and | thoroughly believe in
the value and efficacy of the so-called
Sherman antitrust law, a Republican
measure in suppressing the evils con-
sequent upon trusts. The Clayton bill
was opposed to; because it left to a
commission to say what should be
unfair competition" in business; be-
cause it contained provisions, which
would make a merchant dealing in
certain commodities subject to a fine
of $4,000 and three years imprison-
ment for refusing to sell to a customer
on the ground of financial instability,
if it turned out he was mistaken and
the customer was solvent; because it
contained provisions preventing the
manufacturer from selling his goods
to any one dealer on condition that he
should not handle any other goods of
the same kind, which l believe inter
feres with legitimate freedom of con-
tract and because it contained many
} other vicious provisions, which / hope
will be eliminated in the Senate or in
conference before the bill is finally
, passed
The third trust bill, called the Hep
burn bill | object to in the form in
: which it left the House, on the ground
that it contained provisions which
would implicitly put the government
in to guarantee stocks and bonds of
2 corporations which is a feature which
| do not believe even Mr.. Pattangall
would favor and which l hope will be
eliminated; and that bill l understand
has been pigeon holed by the Demo
Gratis in the Senate, probably for the
reasons mentioned.
l am surprised to find so much in
terest taken by the Democratic lead
ers in the Alaska railroad bill. !
doubt if the people of this State are
SO much interested in building a rail-
road in Alaska as the Democratic
leaders would like to have inferred
If they were interested in it they
never manifested such interest by any
communications to me. AS | look at