The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-04

| Without Representation In
Tyranny" His Subject-Dwelt on
American Rule i'll Philippine Isl
and-Discussed Fedora owner
ship of Railroads., but Was Tn
decided Whether it Would not be
More Beneficial to the People to
Fight Corporations.
Norfolk, Va, May 30.-The anniver-
| sary Of the passage by the Virginia
House of Burgesses on May 80, 1865, C
Patrick Henry's famous resolution
against the British stamp act, was
celebrated as Patrick Henry Day at
| the jamestown exposition today with
figure in a speech delivered in the
! convention hall on the exposition
grounds before 1000 people on the SUBJ
| ject: Taxation Without Representa-
tfon is Tyranny"
The exercises were opened with the
| singing of the Star Spangled Banner
I by a chorus of $50 school children fol-
! lowed by an address by President Har-
4 ~ oL. ItOI sc 1uChSi, VI luC eApOo1IIOH
company, on the career of Patrick
Henry.
Following the reading by President
Tucker Of the original stamp act rs-
olution. DR.. Philip Aylett Fitzhugh, Of
New York. great grandson of Patrick
Henry was introduced and given a
hearty greeting by the audience which
arose and cheered the venerable de-
ssendant of Henry. The singing of
yankee Doodle by the chi1cren was
followed by the singing of Dixie
which brought forth great applause.
| Congressman Frank T. Lassiter, of the
Fourth Virginia district in introducing
EMr. Bryan referred to United States
Senator John w. Daniel, which val
the signal for wild cheers for the Vir-
ginia statesman.
Mr.. Bryan dwelt on American rule
in the Philippine islands declaring we
are making laws for the government
of the Filipinos under which We would
not live ourselves and compared the
American rule Of the Filipinos to the
British rule of the American colonies
prior to the revolutionary war. He
said that while he had frequently said
in the north that the black nan was
taxed in the south without represent
alton he had likewise said that the
white men Of the south are themselves
living under the same laws which they
| made m Affect tho ,1horO
He said that of the two systems of
taxation, direct and indirect, the d.
rect plan is by far the safest. He a v
ored strongly the income tax.
The speaker discussed federal own
ership Of railroads., but said after all
he wondered if more was not to be
gained for the people by discussing
and fighting the corporations.
Continuing Mr.. Bryan said:
What is the effect Of our new rate
law which was so hard to get? There
are two effects so far. One is it stop
ped rebates, that is good, but what was
the pecuniary effect. Why, the rail-
roads kept the money they paid to the
favored shippers, that is, the railroads
got more money put Of this. What was
the other effect? 1t stopped passes.
What did hat do? It gave to the rail-
road the money that the fellows used
to save hat rode on passes.
$50 far we have increased the rev
enues of the railroads and that is all
that that law has lone so far; and
when the various states said, well now
we have given you this advantage by
stopping rebates and passes We vii
reduce passenger rates and make you
divide with the people, and in some
of the states they have reduced pas
senger rates; the railroads in some
:, cases are so u%ngratful for what has
been given them that they go into the
court to try to keep the people from
having the benefit of the two-cent ratt
law"
"All over this land We have seer
this struggle between the people ant
r the corporations and we see in thi:
50 country today On railroad questions
a In 1896 the democrats platform de
=, clared for railroad regulation. It dit
50 in 1900: it did so in 1904, but, N!
: friends. after ten years of effort oil
our part we had TO wait until the re
= publican president had to take tn
= lead on the subject ard then had tn
I fight of his life to get the bill through
the senate or house. At last in or
; der to make it a republican measure
; the president was forced to compro
: mise with representatives of the rail
: roads in the United States senate.
think, my friends, if an allowed t
/ talk on taxation, I ought not to for
} get the taxation this country is bear
ing today, because We do not regulat
the corporations as we ought to regu