Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-01-08

0CAHfteis Undermined tHat the dQullt
istration, or at any rate the house
| committee on judiciary, viii use out
side legal counsel in preparing tbs
business regulation laws which viii De
passed ultimately by congress. AS has
been said in other dispatches, it nc
longer seems to be the intention of the
Democrats to push antitrust legisla
| ton as rapidly as they pushed the
tariff and the currency. The majority
in congress, sanctioned by the admin
istration. apparently has made up its
mind to give hard study to the bust
ness problem in view.
President Wilson's chief advisers on
antitrust legislation are to be Attor
ney General James C. McReynolds
Representative Henry D. Clayton
chairman OF the house committee on
judiciary; Louis Brandeis, who is
acting at present as the legal adviser
Of the interstate commerce commits
sion in the matter of freight rate hear
ings; Joseph E. Devies, the commits
sioner of corporations, and Samuel
Untermeyer of New York.
Democratic leaders have been show
ing sharp interest in what has been q
virtual acknowledgment that the men
who have been named above will be
those principally to be consulted by
the administration in framing such
minor antitrust legislation as it may
care to be sponsor for this winter and
for the larger legislation which is to
be the work of the future.
Conferences of Experts.
For some time conferences have
been held with Mr.. Davies, Mr.. Inter.
meyer and Mr.. Brandeis as the princi,
pals. At these conferences antitrust
legislation has been talked over in a
general way and some specific recon.
mendations made by one or the other
of the trio have been given considera,
ton. These conferences have been
held with the knowledge of the presi-
pent and with his sanction, but there
is nothing thus far to show that either
Mr.. Untermeyer or Mr. Brandeis will
be employed by the government and
paid by it as actual counsel in the
work of framing antitrust laws.
The man who actually will do the
work has Woodrow Wilson for name
1t is known that he is to follow the
course which he followed in tariff and
currency legislation. He received ad
vice from all sides, which he took and
studied, made up his mind, and then
fixed upon what he considered the
fundamentals. In the tariff and in the
currency Mr.. Wilson never moved
away from the base of his fundament-
ais, and all the changes which were
made in either bill were minor ones
suggested by members of congress or
by cabinet officers, and sanctioned by
the president. The country can make
up its mind that when Mr.. Wilson
fixes his business fundamentals he
will stay with them.
Brandcis the Most Radical.
Mr. Brandeis is perhaps more radi-
cally inclined than any OF the other
men who have been comforting on anti.
trust legislation In behalf of the ad.
ministration and who later will act as
ington that Mr. Brandeis will be given
charge of the specific work of suggest
ing how guilt can be carried home to
the person Of the man who commits
an offense. In other words, Brandeis
viii try to show the president how to
make guilt personal"
Mr.. Untermeyer is not thought to be
as radical in some of his views as is
Mr.. Brandeis. Mr.. Davies, the COM
missioner of corporations, is neither a
radical nor an extreme conservative.
He is sort of middle Of the road man
Mr. McReynolds' beliefs are known
through his long service as a public
official. He was in the attorney gen
erals department before ne became its
chief. He believes in giving business
"a show for itself" provided it can be
made certain that 1t intends to obey
the law. The president and Mr.. Nc
Reynolds seemingly think very much
alike.
Judging from what Democrats in
congress are admitting III the last few
days, it would not be much of sur
prise if before Mr.. Wilson gets through
with his program for 1914 legislation
it should be shown that he has marked
leanings toward the plan Of the Pro
gressiye party to regulate business. 1t
may not be that the president will
recommend the creation of body like
the interstate commerce commission
to look after big business affairs, but
there is a growing belief here that he
will come as cloce to it as he can with
out giving full opportunity to the Pro
gressives to say he has become con-
vert to their views.
The one definite thing which
has been proved within the last few
days is that the Wilson administration
is seeking a means to make good the
promises of the Democratic platform
and to do it without upsetting the bust
ness of the country.