Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-23
Position of Mr.. Henry E. Davis on
Political Issues.
PLEA FOR M'KINLET'S REFLECTION
An Address Delivered Last Night
at Masonic Temple.
THE QUESTIONS DISCUSSED

distinguished member of the District bar,
Mr.. Henry E. Davis addressed a throng
Whlch hlled Masonic Temple, and which
was apparently evenly divided between the
two great parties on the issues of the day.
1t Is doubtful If Mr.. Davis ever did so much,
and that so well, to sustain his reputation
as an effective and eloquent orator as he
did last evening. He spoke at the invitation
of the local Sound Money and Good Govern
ment Club, and as sound money democrat
as one of that band which met at Indian
apolis four years ago, and which, declared
Mr.. Davis, has rendered this country a SER
vice which can never be forgotten.
1t, was as such democrat, that Mr..
Davis spoke last evening, and not as he ex-
pressed it as one of the imaginary kind
such as was nominated at Kansas City. 1t
was as follower of Thomas Jefferson the
greatest of American expansionists, said
Mr.. Davis, that he spoke last evening, and
not as one who, processing to be a true
democrat, refuses to follow the father OF
the democratic party.
Mr.. Davis paid a high and graceful trib-
ute to President Mckinley, saying among
other things:
ITO whose keeping shall it the country
be intrusted? To Bryan and his cohorts, or
to the tried and proved administration OF
William Mckinley. who has met, with sig
MAJ lnteingence, courage and patriotism,
the pressing and difficult problems of the
past three years? l say to William McKin-
ley, and not to William Jennings Bryan,
with his exploded prophecies, ruin and sup
preston of gold payments behind him, and
his fanatical purposes before him.
introduced by MIR. Perry.
Mr.. Davis was introduced by Mr.. r. Ross
Perry, another distinguished member of
the District bar, and as Mr. B. II. Warner,
the president of the club said in presenting
Mr.. Perry as the presiding officer of the
evening, man noted for his public spirit,
his honorable purposes, and the highest in
tegrity Mr.. Perry warmly received,
and in few complimentary words intro
duced the speaker of the evening, saying
he would speak of topics which go right to
the heart of the nation and in which the
people of the national capital are perhaps
more deeply interested than those of any
other locality.
1t was several moments before Mr.. Davis
could proceed with his remarks, owing to
the very enthusiastic manner in which he
was received and prominent in the ap-
plause was the cry of the students of the
National University Law School, of whose
faculty Mr.. Davis is a member. Mr.. Davis
referred to the fact that he was born and
reared within a short distance of the plat
form on which he stood, and was born in
family whose democracy was of the truest.
The quadrennial trial at the bar of the
place the grand assiZe is sitting upon the
great action of ejectment. The parties to
the action. he explained, the defendant
William Mckinley, with his party behind
him, standing for something, and the plain
tiff. or plaintiffs, are what, Mr.. Davis said
he had been at some loss to properly desig-
nate, but had concluded that they could be
most properly termed the 'pan-anti-com-
bine."
The issues at this great trial. according to
the pan-anti-combine continued Mr. Davis,
are trusts, militarsm and imperialism, but
there are many more than those he added
some of which the enemy are endeavoring
to conceal. Mr. Davis then went on to
discuss the question of trusts and the
greater part of his address was devoted to
that subject. The platform of the Kansas
City democrats, he stated. INDUCES In a
long and vigorous denunciation of trusts
but omits the trifling detail of stating Just
what trust is. Mr.. Bryan's statement
recently that If elected he will destroy
every private monopoly in the country, was
referred to by Mr. Davis who invited at
tention to the fact that Mr.. Bryan had not
yet told the people how he will do all this.
Mr.. Davis alluded to Mr.. Bryan's letter of
acceptance, in which he stated that he
would select an Attorney General a man
who, without fear or favor, would prosecute
trusts and also to his statement that the
tariff creates and protects trusts Does
he not see" asked Mr.. Davis, that his
(Bryans) proposed remedy furnishes an
al gument in this form? The tariff makes
manufacturers, manufacturers give employ
ment to labor, but manufacturers also pro-
ducc trusts; therefore, in order to destroy
trusts. 1 will destroy manufacturers, al
though by so doing 1 turn the laborinS men
engaged in them out into the streets"
Question of Trusts.
Referring to Mr.. Bryan's plan for the
regulation of trusts, Mr.. Davis invited at
tention to the fact that the United States
Supreme Court has repeatedly decided that
Congress can exact no license in the states
except as incident to the collection Of reve-
nue.. Touching legislation respecting trusts,
Mr. Davis charged that while the demo-
cratic party has lodged the issue, the re-
publican party, on the other hand, has, in
the enactment of the Sherman antitrust
law of July 2, 1890 placed on the statute
books an effective remedy. This law, he
added, has been sustained by the United
States Supreme Court. and quoted several
decisions Of the tribunal to sustain his as
sertion, and finally, he declared, the court,
in Arlington Pipe and Steel Company VS..
United States, 175 U. S., 211, decided De-
cember 4, 1899, unanimously held among
other things that under the commerce
clause of the Constitution Congress may
enact such legislation as shall declare void
and prohibit the performance Of any con-
| tract between individuals or corporations
| where the natural or direct effect Of sucn
| a contract shall be when carried out, di-
| rectly and not mere incident to otner
| and innocent purposes, to regulate to any
| extent Interstate or foreign commerce.
Before this decision was rendered. said
Mr.. Davis, President Mckinley had de-
| clared that there must be some way of
| regulating trusts, and the Supreme Court
| has sustained him. The meaning of this
| decision. said Mr. Davis, is too plain for
discussion. it being that If the ak is to
he laid at the root Of the tree as Mr.. Bryan
| would have 1t, 1t belongs to the states to
| do the chopping But. he added, the demo-
cratic party will not have it SO, and he re-
| ferred to the amendment which the demo-
| Gratis at the last session of Congress pro-
nosed to the Sherman act of 1890 This
amendment, of which, Mr.. Bryan Is the
author. Mr. Davis characterized as one OF
| the curiosities Of legislative literature. No
| marty as such, he declared, stands for
MONOPOLY, and the republican party, he
added, is the only one. which has endeavor-
| ed along rational and constitutional lines,
| to settle the vexing problem.
Bryan's Cry Of Milftarism.
Referring to Mr.. Bryan's cry of militar-
ism. Mr.. Davis asked if any one believed
| that any man wearing the uniform Of a
United States soldier would turn his gun
against peaceabls American citizen. II
is difficult, said Mr.. Davis. to take Mr.
Rrvan's talk about militarism seriously
| for he exnlained Mr.. Bryan distinguishes