Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-12-12
DAVIS ROASTS The TRUSTS
Arkansas Senator Takes First 0ppor-
tunity to Speak at Washington.
REJECTS FOOD FROM MAMMON
Spectacular Address Made I'm Favor
of His Bill DOinE Away
with Combinations in
Trade.

WASHlNCIONs Dec, Ex-senator JeIIer-
son Davis OF Arkansas went to the capitol
today carrying large dress suit case fnled
with documents he wished to have on his
desk for reference during his speech on
trusts. He was at his desk almost an
hour before noon and before the arrival Of
any other senator
When Senator Davis secured the floor
and began his address all Of the senators.
both republicans and democrats. were in
their seats ana they gave strict attention
to his remarks. The galleries were filled
with spectators
Senator Davis delivered a passionate ad-
dress After declaring that his bill. rigor-
ously enforced. would kill the trusts, with
dramatic effect he challenged any senator
to step forward and contest the issue with
him.
Senator Davis began by declaring that It
was not his purpose to restrain his seat
in the senate. until his hair shall have
grown gray before taking his work actively
in that body
II undertake to say" ne continued, that
If this bill is enacted into law. and fear
fully and honestly executed. trusts win be
wiped from the face of the earth and no
bnger win we feel their grinding and
destroying grip on the arteries OF trade
and commerce"
A domestic corporation found fixing the
price OF any article would, by his bill. he
said, have its charter forfeited and a
foreign corporation guilty of such an act
would not be allowed to do business in the
United States.
Congress should not hesitate in its work
OF destroying the trusts because OF any
fear of unsettlng business, he continued
He spoke of the Sherman antitrust law
Has II proven effectual?" he asked Has
it destroyed a single trustG
The Hands of Mammon.
All, Mr.. President, it was stated by
the metropolitan press before entered this
august body, fippantly too. that before
had been In the senate six months the
trust magnates would have me feeding out
OF their hands. l may share crumbs with
a Lazarus, but swear TO you today, by
every God in the calendar, that ] shah
When we look to the leading cause for
this great wealth upon the part OF these
to their formation, 10 the formation OF
trusts, we are compelled to go no further
than republican authority itself and take
the great sugar king, who has gone to his
reward, be II good or bad, who has gone
to that land and that cline where st.
where money Is of no value.
He read Mr.. Havemeyer's statement be-
fore the Industrial commission that "the
tarir Is the mother OF trusts"
Under the operation Of this system Of
government" he said, "hfty-one men in
the United States. muiti-millIonaires. II
you please. have amassed a total fortune
OF es, ,295, 100000. OF this fifty-one, John D.
Rockefeller, the OIL king of the world leads
with S6OO.OOo,oOo Andrew Carnegie. the steel
king Of the world. follows with half this
amount
Wealth of the Nation.
The secretary of commerce and labor
had calculated, he said, all the property
owned by se.o000O0 American citizens is
$1O7, 900, 1900, so that these ffty-one citi-
gems own one-thirty-ffth of the entire
wealth of the nation.
! He declared that while he is an alarmist
he is not an anarchist or a socialist He
favored imprisonment for rich law break
ers.
There is too much gold" he declared; /;
there is too much glitter; there is too
much gloss; there 10 too much Of tinseI,
ami 1 say. sir, that unless times ana con-
ditions change It will not be long before
the American statesmen will be wearing
knee breeches with brass buckles and pow
dered wigs and bowing down to semi
royalty"
Speaking OF the great expenses of the
government, Senator Davis said;
Our president and I speak of him in the
most respectful terms. besides his salary
| of $4,000 a year, and 1 say that that is
not excessive, is paid by this congress
$4,000 year for travelling expenses, and
approximately $4,000 annually for living
expenses. All, Mr.. President, this is Ienor-
nous. This Is unreasonable, The president
| of the United States has five children /
believe. 1t is true that he should live in
accordance with the dignity of the position
whicfr he oocupies-the greatest executive
| on the face of the earth, but Mr.. Presi-
| dent, have the president Skinned a CITY
block IN the matter of family. I have
eight children, and 1t doesn't take $4,000
! for my living expenses. No, sir the great
est president that ever lived upon this
earth, that was ever inaugurated in this
capital, In my Judgment, was "Old Blue
Jeans, old Hickory Jackson" who rode
| his horse TO the White House dressed IN
a suit of blue jeans
He denounced stock gambling and said
he would do away with gambling in cotton.
grain and the necessities of life.
| uInRAROyC nEEINfAI Ehass1 =,