Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-03-08

convened. Roberts, like Littlefeld, heid
the certificate Of a sovereign state az
member of the American Congress; az, ~
had as much right under thc 0on ..,u ,,I"cr
individual who held a certliicate. but VIZ
yellow journals made terrible row os yer
il and claimed that ii would undo :tii .Io
morals in the country. About inc Only
thing like it that l now think OF was
when Madame de PompadoIr inuuc' In, IN
worthless scamp OF n royal lover. Lou,.
Ky; to i rsfHss 10 rom nJ Jones in French
because it was an immoral work ana cal
culated TO ticmoralize the ladies' ;lnm . 80,
tlcmen of the French court. Inc W"hisn
were up in arms. a million OF them. ana
the result was that Congress outraSeu
the Constitution at their command LII
tlefeId refused to do that. He held that
Roberts was AS much Il COngresSmah-
elect as any of them; that he Should DC
sworn in, and then, II found unfit Tor
membership. he should be expelled.
Maine on that occasion stamped him as
an eloquent orator. an able constltu-
tional lawyer, and u fine debatcr. ms
name was on everybodys lips Tor Gays
afterwards, and while he was Overthrowii
in the vote. he was by every one con-
sidcred victor i'm the debate.
Mr.. Littlefelds next prominent appear-
ance i'm Congress- was the summer OF 1871.
when he delivered mis- famous srcech on
the subject OF trusts. which became a
leading campaign document circulated ny
the Republican party that year: There
are two great questions in American poll
ties the people have never PASSED unon
dirCctly-the trusts and the Philippines.
In 1876 silver coinage was paramount ~,
| 1870 prosperity aided tho Republicans and
,lisir,lst of Bryan crippled the Democrats.
In 1904 the personality Of Theodore Roos"-
welt overshadowed everything else. I ~
trusts and the Philippines were both side
issues IN 1900 and 1904. They are apt to be
side issues. perhaps dead issues III 1905.
The trusts gave Mr.. Dinslcy q great
deal of concern. He saw the economic
wisdom of the principle on which they
are founded: but he also saw how they
arc distorted and 1t used to wiring his
out and ask why they would not put up
with reasonable profit. He would as
| we'll have argued with the wolf for eat
ing the lamb on the preteXt that the lamb
had muddied the water of the branch
from below. Moderation is not an eco
monte virtue. Given monopoly, ard eX-
tortion is as sure to follow as any other
sequent comes from an antecedent. Ii
may not be so forever, and surely a mod
crate profit is the best policy for the
trusts-there is more profit in it to them
| in the end. for it destroys competition and
maintains the monopoly. but our trusts
altruistic standard. They. are like the
fellow who cut the goose open to get the
are in politics. That is why the trusts
| are in politics. Nobody but the demagO-
CUES want to keep these things in politics.
1t is a menace to the country. We are to-
day headed straight for state socialism.
Perhaps that will be the paramount issue
in 1908. If so. this country will undergo
Il strain even greater than that OF 1897
and that is not good for the people nor
for their government.
Mr.. Littlefield is a very ready man. and
perhaps there is not a collegiate in Con-
Sress from New England who has as fine
command of language as he. or who can
construct better sentence. ! take this
at random from the trust speech of 1900:
1.-THE prevailing phase of modern bu;
ness development undoubtedly involves
the aggregation of extensive capital. 1t
contemplates small profit and large vol
umcs of sales. 1t also requires the con-
solidation of separate interests, and these
work out economies. This condition of
things has advantages and is subject to
disadvantages. The advantages are that
the consumer today. with this pecu-
ceives and buys his goods cheaper than
he ever did before. The disadvantages
are that 1t eliminates individual competi-
ton and tends to sink ndivdualism in
the great aggregate of corporation"
Thomas r. Reed had no more ardent adj
mircr than Littleficld. who led the forlorn
hope of st. Louis i'm 1896 and went down
with the greatest Republican then living
and the greatest m:,n then in public life.
Like Reed. MIR. Littlefield does not believe
in colonies ou the other side of the world
and he would draw out OF. that business
if possible.
On the tariff question Mr.. I.ittiefield Is a
standpattcr. The tariff was fashioned by
his predecessor in Congress. and is trim
med to the entire satisfaction of the State
of Marine.
When the next tariff discussion is pulled
of in the American Congress: l.ittlefcld
will be - mighty fine man for the Rcpubli-
CARS to have standing around.