The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-07-12
Fourth Time Pou i:
Standard Bearer.
Speech of Hon. Edward W. Pou
Accepting Nomination for Con-
gress, Made by Acclamation.

| OllOWlnS is the speech OF hon
Edward w. Pou, the able young Rep
resentative in Congress from this
| (Fourth) district, accepting the nom
ination which was given him last
week for the fourth time, by acclama
ton. Addressing the convention Mr.
Pou said:
Mr.. Chairman: ~
The people OF the United States
numbering more than eighty millions
elect to their House of Representa-.
tives in Congress three hundred and
eighty-six members. To be one OF
those three hundred and eighty-six
men is to represent in the making OF
laws about two hundred thousand
free and Independent people. TO as
pire to membership in that great as
sembly is an ambition worthy of any
citizen. To be designated to repre-
sent such large number OF the people
of our beloved country is to be the
recipient of an honor than which
under our Constitution and our laws
th ere are only two more important.
To be the candidate of a political
party which stands for what is moral
and what is good, which represents
so largely virtue and intelligence,
only makes the honor greater when
conferred
Proud Of the constituency [ have
represented for nearly six years, proud
of the party to which [ owe my allie
glance today, with implicit faith in
the righteousness OF it's principles, |
accept the nomination which the
Democrats of this district have con-
ferred so unanimously and promise
here and now to support the right
and oppose the wrong as God shall
will permit me to say that during the
years | have been your representative
in Congress I have tried to prove my
appreciation of that great honor by
being faithful and true to the interest
of all the people OF my district, re-
gardless OF party, of condition or
station in life.
Gentlemen: We have just passed
through one of the most eventful ses-
sions of Congress in all the history OF
our country and | am proud to be
able to say that every law passed
which tends to remedy any existing
evil or wrong received the hearty sup
port of every Democratic member OF
the House of Representatives.
When the President decided to rec
ommend that Congress pass law
enlarging the powers OF the Inter
State Commerce Commission, he was
compelled to adopt one of the planks
in the Democratic platform. He
found no demand for that legislation
in the platform of his own party, and
but for opposition in his own party
Congress would have passed u far
better and stronger bill, and | hon
estly believe that but for the fact that
the President knew he could depend
upon the support of Democrats in
Congress, without danger of desertion
or treason, there would have been
no railroad rate legislation at all en-
acted by the fifty-ninth Congress. 1t
required seven months to pass the
| bill which is now a law. If the enact.
ment of just legislation respecting
railroad rates had depended upon
the votes of Democrats in Congress,
a better law could have been passed
in seven days.
The President asked for Democratic
support. 1t was given to him in
stantly, but rather than see the pas
sage OF the bill made to depend upon
| Democratic support the President
consented to sacrifice one Of the best
and most important features OF the
bill and in order to unite the repre-
sentatives of his own party in vain
effort to secure credit for this legisla-
tion he broke faith with his Demo-
cratic allies and took to his embrace
representatives of the Oil trust and
the steel trust, which have grown
rich discriminating against our own
people and violating the law.
Every effort to weaken this legisla-
tion came from the Republican side.
The only opposition was found lurk-
ing on the Republican side. Senators
who owe their seats to the support
| of the Steel Trust and the Standard
Oil Trust, stood as firm as the rock
of Gibralter in opposition to this leg
islation until the President and the
leaders of his party yielded to their
demands, then bill was passed
which is good as far as it goes, but
which is only a step in the right di.
rection. When l heard men known
to be opposed to anyrate legislation
vote in favor of the bill l felt that
after all the people had not won a
very signal victory.
!, l respect the President highly. ]
have supported him gladly when
believed he was right, land that was
when he was Democratic), but it was
a humiliating disappointment to see
him break with Tillman and Bailey
and other Democratic Senators
whose cooperation had been solicited
by the Presidents own friend and
J emissary, and form new compact
with Aldrich and Knox, whose course
/ indicated that they represented moth
ing but the interests of the railroads
And, gentlemen, l warn you here
and now that the vast army of pas
sengers and shippers of this country
l need not expect very much from iegis
: lation which is supported by the rep
resentatives of corporate interests
I But the President has at least done
, this: He has raised the issue anG
the principle is established. The
+ railroads of this country are public
O servants. Let no man hereafter pro
ceed under the delusion that thes,
public servants can be used to crusl
r one community and build up anoth
5 er, to give to the Steel Trust and th,
l Standard Oil Trust rebates which
/ the small shippers must make good
: If those who are engaged in the bust
ness of carrying passengers ant
4 freight suppose that these agencies
r of commerce can be used either fol
: the purposes OF extortion ordiscrimi
nation the sooner they divest them