New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-04
HILLS COAL PLANK DEPJDED
PoPuLlsr Ex-sENAToRs SAY aH1r1
BUG AND sERENo E. PAYNE
SAYS "BUNC0NLPEr

Ex-senator Marion Butler OF NORTH c.,
and ex-senator r. t. Pettigrew Of So
kota. united at the Fifth Avenua - "a
night IN saying that the coal plank I'm r. 80
Ocra'c state PLATFORM was. under the -,
stances the hollowest kind of "a fraud W
Butler and Pettfgrew are PopuIists ana 80 %
to be able TO recognize a Popu1is+ - - OusnO
they see it p''NA "hen
senator Hill put that plank into the ~.
form Just for the sake of CATCHING a g.. -
s@iu MI bu'ier' H'll is demagogue. ana yo,,
oe"eNe anything he says or does. Trha
pia"A III i'SeH Is all right so far as n goos
~ '''4i.'i's aIohe 10 does not mean much n
Just reaches the edge of the broad gepara1 -
ton of government ownership 90 49, queS-
ments of commerce. In itself coal 10 No.
strument OF commerce, but if the govarnr,a..
owned the instruments of commerce s,oL =
the means OF communication, which i,o,,,
the telegraph and telephone the r,aa,u =
transportation, such as railroads and the -,
OF exchange such as banks. then there vo,,I4 -
no trouble over the coal strike - y
would have been settled long ago 7ba -
would not have happened, as the Sova~....".
would have been in shape to prevent noroDo
lies Standing by itself however. it is difsc,1+
to see how anything immediate or practical can
be accomplished by Mr.. Hill inserting a nIarL
like that in his State platform '"
When Mr.. Pettigrew was asked about the
plank he said dersiveIy. bill never meant
IT, 1t is all humbug to catch votes at a
time when people are distressed over abnormal
conditions / believe with Deverv that when
you play cards with a man like Hill YOU need
10 nave the spots stick out so plainly ON the
back side that you can feel them with a pair
OF boxing gloves"
After delivering themselves Of these opinions
uie TWO PopuliSt eX-SendtOrs, Who now are in
terested in gold mining, went upstairs to study
UP means of preventing themselves from be-
coming mUti-mIonaires.
Congressman Serene r. Payne chairman of
the Ways and Means Committee when asked
thought about the plank in the Democratic
State platform calling for government owner
ship of anthracite coal mines. said:
1T is difficult TO discuss seriously a PROPOSE
ton that is palpably a piece of buncOmbe.
That coal plank is not a serious declaration and
it was not intended as a serious prOnOuncement.
II was meant as a thing 70 get in on, and not to
stand Bryan Put into his platforms about
everything that anybody wanted, with an idea
of suting everybody. He got so many things in
them however. that sensible people distrusted
his Utterances and condemned the man and the
platform at the polls. This coal plank Is worse
than anything Bryan ever attempted. There is
no governmental machinery by which the mines
could be seized and manned at an early date.
The government in times Of seizes coal Tor
the use of its steam vessels. giving a certificate
wherever the seizure is made
The theory upon which the government acts
Is that in times of war such seizure is justified
as a public measure But the government does
not turn around and barter with the goods II
sezes That is what is involved in the PROPOSE
ton TO seize the mines by right Of eminent do
main. The government would at once set itself
up as a public seller of coal seized from private
owners But, as I said before, IL is difficult 20
bring ones self to discuss the coal plank sert-
ously 1t is buncombe.