Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1903 — WHAT CONGRESS DID. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WHAT CONGRESS DID.

WORK OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH BODY OF LAWMAKERS. What Has Been Accomplished in th* Way of Legislation—Opinions Differ as to Most Important Acts—Some Consider Body Too Conservative. Washington correspondence;

TVO OW that the FlftyJLvl sevent h American vivl Congress is a thing of the past, It takes but little more than a glauce in retroIgC’’ spect to show that it was a hard-work--sj||§l lug "body which acifPfa complished much in the way of legislaBRgigftj tiou regarded by the TRaStf majority of people ns being in the main ajßsX. unsen national and salutary. HKVTPTI Opinions differ as II 11 r *° the most imperil U ’ taut work of the

Fifty-seventh Congress, the antitrust legislation being thought by many to hold the first place. As far as anti-trust measures are concerned, the advance has been marked. First came the beef trust excitement. Then the railroad merger forced sharp public criticism, and then, to increase the public’s hostile feeling against the trusts, came the coal strike, which, perhaps, more than anything else called attention to the vast power of the big corporations. Congress Acts. Congress heard and acted. The Department of Commerce and Labor was established, and Senator Nelson’s amendment providing for a bureau of publicity was adopted. This bureau has authority to insist 011 the bulking public of the operations of all great corporations. Legal authorities have held that the Sherman anti-trust law did not go far enough. It was this 'feeling that made the Fifty seventh Congress pass a special act making more rapid the progress of suits against the trusts under the statute as it exists. Attorney General Knox, acting under the power newly given, has put forces into action to expedite the Knits against the railroad merger in the Northwest. Touching this matter of railroad combinations. the Elkins bill, which has become a law, is of interest, it provides heavy fines for the giving or receiving of rebates. It has been charged that discriminating rebates were the menus of building up monopolies like the coal trust and the Standard Oil Company. Congress, as one of the first acts of the session, passed a Kill suspending the tariff on coal of all kinds coming from foreign countries.

Fight on Immigration Law. Congress did not go as far as was expected in the matter of the immigration law. The alien measure is considered to be of little value. The bill as passed by the House contained educational features by which it would have been possible to bar from the country undesirable foreigners. The Senate killed the educational clause. The law as it stands is merely ail improvement on the old statute in that it strengthens the administrative power of the former law. Measures of importance to our eastern possessions have become laws as the result of the work of the last session. A Currency system was provided for the Philippines. Another act promoted the efficiency of the islands’ constabulary, and ■till another has for its object the extradition of criminals from one island to another. An appropriation of $’1,000,000 was made to relieve the distress among the inhabitants of the Philippines caused by ravages of disease among the water buffaloes, upon which tlie inhabitants depend for agricultural work. Hawaii is Interested in the passage of an not for the redemption by the United States of Hawaiian silver money, and in the appropriation to pay judgments growing out of the destruction of property in the suppressing of the bubonic plague. The bankruptcy law lias been ntrended nnd a large number of bills of interest to different localities have been passed, together with several private pension bills. A new building to cost $1,500,000 was authorized for the Department of Agriculture. The omnibus public building measure was the cause of differences between the House nnd the Senate, but the conferees finally reached nil ngreemnt and $750,000 was added to the new Chicago postoificc appropriation, an amount believed to bo •uffleient to finish the structure.

Killed Ship Eubekly Bill. While the Fifty seventh Congress did much in an affirmative way, it negatived several measures tlint wore strongly urged. The ship subsidy bill, which had powerful influence back of it, was killed. The statehood bill, after a long light, was shelved, Mr. Quay, oue of Its chief sponsors, deserting its cause. The tariff was left alone. Senator Aldrieh’s treasury plan bill was killed during the last hours of Congress. Certain clauses of the measure had aroused the hostility of bankers, and this, coupled with the long fight over statehood in the Senate mid the Democratic filibuster, killed the bill. The Lodge Philippine tariff measure also went down to defeat at the Inst moment. The tobacco nnd sugar interests fought the bill from the start. Lllluokalatil, once Queen of Hawaii, but now n resident of Washington, will not get the $200,000 voted to her by the Sennte to compensate for property taken by this government. The House refused to give the dusky queen a cent. It was stated in the lower branch that the lands for which she demands payment never belonged to the crown, hut to the state. The measure known as the anarchy bill was passed quickly and without serious opposition. It provide* for the protection of the President from assassination, and fixes punishment for those who attempt his life. The militia bill pnssed by Congress marks an advance in ail previous legislation touching’ the armed forces of the several States. It provides for the general organization of the militia of the United States and put* it on a footing to make It quickly available when its services may be required by the government. Patronise thoee who advertise.