Salt Lake Telegram | 1903-02-07 | Page 3 | Littlefield Traces Trusts to 2300 B. C.

LlTTLEFIELD TRACES TRUSTS TO 2300 B. C.j - WASHINGTON. Feb. ".-General debate de-bate on the anti-trust bill closed in the House shortly before 6 o'clock this evening. .The debate had proceeded since 10 o'clock in the morning. More interest in-terest was aroused as it proceeded and the closing speeches by Mr. De Armond (Deni.. Mo.) and Mr. Littlefleld (Rep., i Me.) were delivered to crowded galleries gal-leries -and to a very full attendance on the floor. . The closing, however, was devoid of brilliant pyrotechnics and sensational clashes, f Mx. Littlefleld closed the debate for the majority. He said that no one seriously se-riously believed that withhe Constitutional Consti-tutional limitations a bill could be prepared pre-pared that would fully and adequately meet the situation. But he believed the committee had presented a "fair, reasonable rea-sonable and Constitutional measure." and as such he hoped it would address itself to the members of the House. Mr. Littlefleld created much amusement amuse-ment by reading a most extravagant denunciation of-oombinattons and then announcing that the Extract was not from the speech of any gentleman on the other side, but from a speech of I Sir John Culpepper, delivered in the I British Parliament 262 years ago. "They had them then," he said, "Just as we have them now. I call your attention to the fact that there was no protective tariff In those days." He traced the history of combinations combina-tions back to 2200 B. C. to shew, he said, that combinations had always existed ex-isted and that there had been an outcry out-cry against them. He showed further, he said, how old and how difficult the problem before Congress was now. Speaking of the bill. Mr. Littlefleld said it was not contended that the publicity feature was a specific or cure-all cure-all for monopoly, but only that Jt was a step tn the right direction, helpful to the public In the three connections where corporations touched the people. -namely, as investors, creditors, and consumers. In reply to a question. Mr. Littlefleld said he did not believe Congress should penalize over-capitalization. To do so, he said, would produce panic But publicity, pub-licity, he Insisted, would acquaint the people with the facets and the evils of over-capitalisation would be gradually corrected. -