Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-03-06

Especial Washington Letter.
~ NE Of the strongest men of the
house of representatives is
Henry D. Clayton Of Alabama.
He is studious, capable, cour-
ageous and industrious. He is a very
handsome man, a fact not to be over
looked in estimating mans chances
for political promotion. Clayton is one
Of the leading members Of the judiciary
committee of the house. In the debates
concerning the trusts no man distin-
guished himself more than this stall
wart son of Alabama. His speech Of
ten hours length was full of good
things. l wish l had room for more
than the following excerpts:
There Is no organization on earth where
the rule Of majority carried to brutality
IL so we'll exemplified as in the case of
your party. Your party has created these
trusts and now protects them. The trusts
have fed you during the campaigns, they
have furnished the money that has paid
your election expenses, and the Repub-
ltcan party is an wise as the two animals
mentioned in the Scriptures:
1.-THE OK knoweth his owner and the ass
his masters crib"
you will see that this bill as presented
here today will never become law. And
while the gentleman from Maine [Mr. Lit
tlefeld] seems to be SO tender of his own
record I want to call attention to the fact
that at one time in the process of his evo-
luton he favored the exercise in some
way Of the taxing power against trade
monopolies, for he introduced into this
house bill proposing to levy tax upon
the watered stock Of these corporations.
But evolution goes on, and the taxing
clause is entirely abandoned in the bill
which Is presented to this house today.
49, Mr.. Chairman. this great Republican
party has been in power for six years, has
1t not? Yes, you have been in power or
the trusts have been.
Mr.. Olmstead-We have no more power
now than you had in 1885,
Mr.. Clayton-You have full power. We
did not have it. / confess that my knowl-
edge of evolution and natural history is
so limited that / can hardly distinguish
the difference between the trusts and the
Republican party. You belong to them,
and you know it. You "fry the fat out
Of them In every campaign, but there may
| come day when platform declarations
and campaign promises will not purchase
place and power.
Mr.. Chairman, there are some of us
who dissent somewhat from the view of
| the president that trusts are the legiti-
mate result of commercial evolution. We
believe that the trusts. as they exist to-
day. have come from either some federal
legislation or federal privilege. permission
or liberation, in cases where congress has
ample power to enact remedial laws But
| the trusts are here. and we should legis-
| late to control them.
You are backed up by the consolidated
and organised greed of the country. The
party to which I owe allegiance recog-
nizes all legitimate occupations. 1t en-
courages the accumulation of wealth. 1t
is proud Of the progress of the country.
but 1t IL mindful Of the great interests Of
the wage Garner, the taxpayer and the
small mantle man of moderate means
and the consumer. This party believes in
the fundamental doctrine of equal rights
to all and special privileges to none. 1t
believes we should give every man fair
showing In the race Of life Enforce the
laws against trade conspirators and let
| the era OF real happiness come In our In
dustrial progress
The eloquent gentleman lMr. Powers]
who opened this debate has spoken enter
tainingly and regretfully of the growth of
socialism. All, gentlemen, cease content
ing yourselves with deploring that growth.
Remember that every time lamp is
lighted in the cottage Of the poor tribute
has been exacted and poured into the
Golfers of the Standard OIL monopoly. Do
something. Throw away your artful ex-
CuSSS. kAUdHuOH SuDteTIuSeS ana
some of your petty promises. Avaricious
commercialism ought not to continue more
and more to control you.
The government must be not in theory
only, but In fact, for the people. Constitu-
tional authority you have. When will you
cease trifling? We owe it to the country.
| to ourselves, to humanity to make eff
fective use OF the power to regulate COM
merce and all other lawful power neces-
| sary. Why longer reject the suggestions
OF the attorney general and Of your breth-
rem on this side of the house? Let US see
to 1t that Justice Is done between the very
rich and the very poor and to the great
middle class Most of US here belong to
| neither of the extremes, but are, claim,
and with becoming modesty, / trust, of
that great mass Of self reliant. independ-
Ont people who toll with brain or hand or
| with both and who are at once the bull
| wark and hope Of the perpetuity Of Amer
lean institutions. Let US not be controlled
by the trust potentates. who. however
commendable 1t may be, build monu-
ments to their selfish selves in the form
OF libraries or great universities with
corps of sycophantic professors and who
also vainly endeavor to bribe God Al
mighty by giving magnificent structures
of stone called churches.
This 1s q government in some sort by
the states, In another sort by congress, by
the federal government. and in Its last
analysis 1t 10 government by political
parties. Speed the day when the party
big enough and brave enough will be cho-
sen to enact and enforce legislation to re-
strain these conspiracies and combina-
tons against the welfare Of the people
and party that will, In the language Of
z great Justice OF the supreme court of
the United States, prevent 1.-THE submer-
Genoe Of the liberties Of the people In q
| sordid despotisn Of wealth."
AirahiIa ntn$,,y
Wonders will never cease. While
that eminent performer, Rev. Wilbur
3. Crafts, has been whooping it up to
very large and hilarious extent
around Washington as to the ruinous
effects of the prospective donning of
the senatorial toga by the Hon. Reed
Smoot Of Utah, because. forsooth, the
aforesaid Smoot is Mormon prophet,
the Rev. 81. L. Hutchins discovers that
polygamy is flourishing in Connecticut.
So 1t appears to mere "looker on in
Vienna" that not only is eternal vigi-
lance the price of liberty" but it is also
the price of monogamy. That emf
nent Missouri philosopher, Mark Twain,
remarked that human nature is strong
and that most of US have a good deal
Of 1t in us, fact that the good DR..
Crafts would do well to make note Of.
He also would do well to make note of
the further fact that, while the Hon.
Brigham n. Roberts, being Demo.