The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-31
Senator Mapp
Would Strengthen
the Antitrust Bill
Penalty Of 81, 900 to S..
600 or Confinement in
J all Not Exceeding
Twelve Months for
First OHense.

Senator Mapp's determined fight to
preserve the force OF the anti trust
bill was partially successful In the SEN
ate yesterday when the house amend
r,ent weakening the act by reducing
the penalty was stricken out. Deter
mined opposition to the original PEN
alties provided forced the patron to
reluctantly withdraw the jail sentence
as a requirement for the hrst offense
and make the punishment Of the second
offense discretional, In part, with the
jury
AS adopted, the penalty for the hrst
cffense Is a hne Of from $1,000 to $1,000
or confinement in jail not exceeding
twelve months. The original language
imposed the Jail sentence without pro-
vtso. For the second -offense. the Jury
can impose the same fine with a Jail
sentence not exceeding twelve months.
or can pronounce the offense = felony
ana sentence offenders to the peniten-
tiary for from one to ten years. There
renitentiary, for the second offense.
Senator Addison offered substitute
r,Aking the sentence discretionary
with the jury In both 6rst and second
cffenses Tho senator from Lynchburg
spoke with deep feeling on the sub
1ect, holding that placing too drastic
penalty would result in no convictions.
TIE S4IQ tu1N HIS 1C1CHcG WAS only Oh
those small offenders who did not fully
realize the enormity OF their act. say
Ing that IL the meat packers OF Chi
cago have done what IL attributed to
tfem. they should be placed In the
electric chair.
Senator Buchanan was the nrst to
oppose the penalty amendment. char
acterfxing II ~ the '4most drastic pro-
vision ever heard ON this hoor" The
senator from Smyth laid great stress
ON the fact that many offenders would
J, be '.respectab1e citisens'' who would
!, he bsoksn. b&yond redemption by the
! stigma Of even "Gva minutes" IN jan.
/ - - H. AtAta wA1lA~sndsss ~ the
/ third Gna3fation.
Hla contention that the act lnAds II.
legal what has heretofore been legal
was denied b. senator Knapp, who cited
| the Kenyon bill which prohibits the
same combinations ~ which the state
! measure Il aimed. He admitted that
he himself had been : violator Of the
rrovisiotis Of tho act He Expressed
com plete sympathy with the motives
actuatins the patron Of the bill. but
declined to support It the penalty was
made too heavy.
I'm other words.~ said Senator
Leedy, 'you approve the bulldog. bu:
would like to have his teeth pulled"
Senator Buchanan thought the $1,000
nIe $3.50 pteSes &ooo esip ~
which Senator Leedy replied that 1t
would only be q good license tax on
the large Offenders.
The amendment striking out the re-
crirement that labor and agricultural
o. Plantations exempted from the pro-
visions Of the bill might not have capt.
tai stock was not taken up. as long
debate IL expected, The bill will be
given priority over everything except
! tax measures on Tuesday and Senator
Drewry will speak against this amend
ment 1t that time.
! Senator Buchanan paid hts respects
to this clause yesterday. however. say
| Ing that he did not see why the farm
ers were excepted and that II was IN
comprehensive" to him and "explatn-
liable only on, the grounds Of political
sxpsdienoy." He said he knew Of In
stances IN this own county whore FARM
EN- would allow cabbages to rot In the
fields rather thsn sell them below .
price agreed upoA.
Senator Knapp yielded part Of Ms
ground only undsr protest. insisting
| that spaEo esnfsnca BE written into the
hIll TOR IT, nooona oRanaAl II VIII
nNsog aGRoa - xA1ke thts huGhing
stock vdtA ~ veWy men 10 afe trying
ii reach.- ~ ow1E They ara the ones
~ vim And some means Of
Av1il1Ae e6en9ao&xsa ek tie Discretion
arg a1Sn6o 4 The bill y 70 passsd.
what ~ coal dealers care about .
1000 Ane, II ths reports are trues
| when they srs rsaptng such enormous
rroats from IL ma9sssr
n the hiIl 10 20 become Law In III
present efficient shape. the house OPP
ponents o. any formidable punishment
VIM have 70 BE- brought into line. II
d almost certainty thGt the senate
Iwn pass Il without further serious
nNnnndmanta