The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-12-02

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equally in. Besides it would in
crease the amount OF mail and there
fore increase the receipts Of the Post
Office Department. In concluding
he said: "Lst us have free delivery
ter the people in tho country and
villages or else stop free delivery in
the cities, because every man in the
city is near enough to get his mail in
few minutes walk"
/ noticed that when an effort Was
made to slip bill through Congress
under the innocent title Of . defini-
ton OF what constitutes contempt be.
fore the court, that Senator Butler
was the first man to expose the hid
den meaning and the real purpose
behind the bill. He showed that tho
effect of the bill was to increase the
powers of the Federal Judges in i'm
prisoning men for contempt and
that 1t would )sgalize the monstrous
and outrageous action Of the Federal
court in imprisoning Debs without q
trial by jury. This bill had been re-.
ported unanimously by the Judiciary
Committee of the Senate, q commit
tee made up entirely of lawyers and
a committee composed Of seven Re-
publicans and six Democrats. If
there had been q Populist on this
committee it is safe to say that this
bill would never have been reported
unanimously. AS l understand it, it
is in committee meetings that bills
are scrutinized and carefully con-
sidered, section by section. while in
open session of congress other men,
bers, on account of press of other
business are usually forced to ac-
cept the report and statements of
the members of given com mittee
with reference to q given bill that
they report. While Senator Butler
was not on this committee, his &C.
ton shows that he not only carefully
examined the bill when it was re-
ported, but that he is a better law
yer or else a better friend to the
people than those who are on the
committee. He promptly offered an
amendment to the bill expressly de-
claring that in the case described in
the bill every man should have q
trial by jury before being imprisoned
on charge of contempt. He pres
sed his amendment so vigorously
and exposed the dark and hidden
purposes of the bill with such force
that no one attempted to reply to
him and the amendment was adopted.
In this connection I wish to call at
tention to the fact that few months
afterwards the Democratic party in
national convention endorsed this
amendment of Senator Butler's in
their national platform though they
did not give him credit for it but at
tempted to claim it as their own in
spite of the Record.
wish also to call attention to the
fact that he was the first Senator to
introduce an amendment to the con-
stitution providing for an income
tax. Others it seems, had been sat-
is6ed to criticise the Supreme court
in declaring the income tax law un.
constitutional, but no one had taken
any action to remedy the wrong
Under the rules this amendment
went to the Judiciary Committee
the same committee referred t<
above, and the Record shows tha
Senator Butler has made frequent
efforts to get report from that com
mittee on his amendment but ha
not yet succeeded. Why have moi
the Democrats on that committee,
forced a report on this amendment
They could get minority report a
least so as to bring the matter befor
. open Congress.
r l wish also to call attention to tn,
: fact that Senator Ransom spen
, twenty-four years in the Senate ant
s never, so far as remember, did o
attempt to do anything for the peo
pie of this State except to get {
, few river and harbor appropriations
, He did many things against the in
, terests Of his people; namely, b
, voted in 1892 to re-charter the infa
Q nous banking system; again whel
q he voted to repeal the Las
8 silver law on the statute book
{ under the dictates of Cleve
: land and in order that b
$ might distribute Offices fro,
Cleveland's pie-counter if for no othe
O consideration. But the Democrat
|, press of this State has never crit
t cised him for those things; they hav
t been as silent about them as the
:. have about the many good thing
IS that senator Butler has done. Bl
@ We all remember how they would al
y nounce with great headliness an
flourish of trumpets every itt
20 appropriation that he got for q riv'
,s or mud creek. Now what does Il
d record showi That Senator Butl'
" secured larger and more appropri
tions for the rivers and harbors
L. this State in the last River and Ra
B. Dor bill than Senator Ransom ev
N secured. If Senator Ransom was d
T. ing q great thing for his State
20 getting these appropriations, th'
% why haven't these papers told the pc
,e pie what a great thing Senator B,
is Ter was doing by getting more al
ne larger appropriations
i l wish also to call attention to t
ut fact that Senator Butler now has pc
ut ding before Congress two importa
ed bills to perfect and improve our pt
ID tai system: One providing for t
" esta blishment of postal telegral
q which would break up the oppre
,s. i've Western Union Telegraph n
ed nopoly and place a telegraph or
u telephone at every post-ofice in
on United States, and enable the pj
x pie to send a telegram for ten Gel
ng anywhere over the country, inste
he of from twenty-five cents to one d
le- lar and over, according to the d
in tance, as we now have to pay.
Dr.. has also introduced postal savir
ng bank bill providing for the establis
il ment of Postal Savings Bank at
is cry money order post-of6ce in
for United States where the people {
ice deposit their small savings, from {
He cent up, receive interest on the Sal
L