The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-31
FEDERAL
owaERsHlP
Trend !. Mr.. BrYan's
= Speech.
TT 8 RAIL ROADS BENEFITED
Ty.s. RAILROADS BENEFITED
Claims New Rate Law Has Helped
Systems.
Closes Patrick Henry Address mt Nor
folk with Pleasing Grafton I'm
Reference to the Reunitlng
of Country.

sary of the passage by the Virginia
of Patrick Henry's famous resolution
against the British stamp act. was cell
ebrated as Patrick Henry Day at
Jamestown Exposition today with Will
liam Jennings Bryan as the central
figure.
The exercises were opened with the
singing of the Star Spangled Banner by
chorus of $50 school children. this
being followed by an address by Pres
ident Harry st. George Tucker, OF the
exposition company, on the career OF
Patrick Henry.
Following the reading by President
Tucker of the original stamp, act res
olution, DR.. Philip Aylett Fitzhugh. of
New York, great grandson of Patrick
Henry, was introduced and was given
a hearty greeting by the audience
which arose and cheered the venerable
descendant of Henry. The singing OF
Yankee Doodle" by the children was
followed by the singing of Dixie"
which brought forth great applause
Congressman FH3k 7, Lassiter' OF the
Fourth Virginia~District In introduc-
ing Mr. Bryan, referred to the United
states Senator John W. Daniel. which
was the signal for wild cheers for the
Virginia statesman.
Mr.. Bryan dwelt on American rule
in the Philippine Islands, declaring
that we are making laws for the gov
eminent of the Filipinos under which
we would not live ourselves. and COM
pared the American rule OF the Filipf-
nos 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 man
was taxed in the South without repre-
sentation, he had likewise said that
the white men of the South are them
selves living under the same laws
which they made to affect the negro.
He said of the two systems OF TAXA
tion. direct and indirect, the direct
plan is by far thu safest, He Favored
| strongly an Income tax
The speaker discussed Federal own
ershfp OF railroads, but said that after
all he wondered If more was not TO be
gained for the people by discussing and
hghting 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 II
stopped rebates--that is good; but what
was the pecuniary effect? Why, the
railroads keep the money they paid to
the favored shippers; that is. the rail-
roads got more money out of this what
was the other effect? 1t stopped
passes. What did that do? 1t gave
the railroads the money that the fell
lows used to save that ride on passes
so far. we have increased the rev>
nue. of the road and that is all that
law has done thus far; and when the
various States said, Well, now that we
have given you this advantage by
stopping rebates and passes, We VIII
reduce passenger rates and make you
IL nd In ~
the States they have reduced the pas
senger rates, the railroads in some
cases are so ungrateiul for what has
been given them that they go into the
court to try to keep the people from
having the benefit of the 2-cent rae"
"All over this land we have seen this
struggle between the people and the
corporations, and we see 1t in this
country today on the railroad ques-
ton. In 1895, the Democratic plat
form declared for railroad regulation.
1t did so in 1905 1t did so in 1901. but,
my friends, after ten years of EFFORT
on our part we had to wait until
Republican President had to take the
lead on the subject and then he had
the fight of his life to get his bill
through the Senate or the House
cat last, in order to make Repub-
lican measure, the President was forced
to compromise with the representatives
of the railroads in the United States
Senate, / think, my friends, If l am
allowed to talk on taxation, l ought
not to forget the taxation this country
is bearing today, because We do not
regulate the corporations as We ought
When l find a man who is constantly
talking against the Government own
ership of railroads, believe he is go
ing from his own interest
well, We have not reached that
ouestion, but we have reached the
question Of Dur railroad management.
and l have sometimes felt tempted to
suggest that the man who spends his
time talking about the Government
ownership of railroads could better
spend his time in protecting the masses
from the greed of the corporations of
today"
Mr.. Bryan expressed his apprecia
ton of the kind things that had been
said about him in his Introduction, and
said he was proud to be son Of
Virginian.
IT know there is no distinction"
said. EQUAL to being a son Of Vir-
ginia, but a grandson comes next to
it,"
Referring to Mr. Lassiter's reference
10 Senator Daniel for the presidency,
Mr. Bryan said:
II don't know whether my good
friend expected me TO use thiS occaS-
ion to join in the nomination of the
candidate for president or not: 1 will
saw this that l join with him in the
admiration he has expressed for Vir-
einia's son and statesman. And have
said time and time again that sections
should not control the selections of our
candidates In fact. two and halt
wears ago. at st. Louis / seconded the
nomination of a man from Missouri,
an ex-Confederate soldier. when Vir
oinia voted for a New York man. And
I have insisted that the time has come
when the Democracy of the Union
should be taken in the, whole Union,
and that it's selection should be made
without regard to the state in which
a man lives.
81 appreciate the fact that ma
iority Of our electoral votes come from
the south. but don't want the people
of the South to forget that a majority
of our Democratic votes come from
the North. We have more Democrats
in the North than you have in the
south, and you must not be too harsh
with us II we have also the misfor-