as never
seriously enforced until the coming in of the Roosevelt Administration,
when the great prosperity brought about under the McKinley
Administration tended to the formation of vast combinations which
seriously threatened the country. The people do not seem disposed
to consent even to its amendment, much less its repeal; and yet we
all realize that if strictly enforced as construed by our courts,
it would materially affect the business prosperity of the nation.
The people take the same attitude towards the Sherman Law as they
take toward the anti-pooling section of the Interstate Commerce
Act; they will allow neither of them to be tampered with by Congress.
There has been considerable dispute as to the paternity of the
Sherman Anti-Trust Law. Senator Hoar claims he wrote it; it bears
Senator Sherman's name; and my own opinion is that Senator Edmunds
had more to do with framing it than any other one Senator.

It was during the first and second session of the Fifty-first
Congress that the Federal Election Bill, so-called, or as it is
familiarly known, the "Force Bill," was discussed. It was in charge
of Senator Hoar, and occupied the attention of both sessions for a
long time. The Republicans seemed determined to force it through,
but the Democrats from the South were bitterly opposed to it,
resorting to all sorts of tactics to kill or delay it.

This measure I never considered much of a "force" bill. I could
never see that there was any force to it, but on the contrary,
considered it a very mild measure, and gave it my support. The
opposition to it was so bitter and strong and so skillfully managed
by the late Senator Gorman on the part of the minority, and it
stood for so long a time in the way of other legislation, that one
after Senator Wolcott arose in his seat and, very much to the
astonishment of every one, moved to lay it aside and take up some
other bill. The motion carried, and that was the last we heard of
the Force Bill.

The McKinley Tariff, the Anti-Trust Law, the Sherman Coinage Act,
and the Federal Election Bill were the important bills passed before
this Congress.

Notwithstanding the magnificent record in the way of legislation
made by the first Congress under the Harrison Administration, the
Democratic victory was so complete that at the beginning of the
first session of the Fifty-second Congress, which met December 7,
1891, there were but eighty-eight Republicans in the House, as
aga