Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-12-16
DAVIS Wakes EN- Up
new SENATOR FROM ARKANSAS
TALKS ON TRUSTS.
sherman Law Ineffective. Under II
Trusts Have Grown Arrogant,
The Tariff Is the Mother of Trusts.
Land Law Breaking riagnates in
Jail, SAYS the Senator,

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. .l2.-Passion.
ate ordtory marked the progress of the
senate yesterday. Senator Davis, OF Ar.
kansas. who when elected declared that
he would attack the truets immediately
after taking his seat, fulfilled his promise,
The speech was filed with sensational
declarations. He was given a careful
hearing by senators, and the galleries
were we'll filed throughout the time he
held the floor.
Senator Davis spoke Of the Sherman
anti.ttust law. "Hss it proven effectu.
aI?" be asked. "Has it destroyed q
singletrust? Under its operation have
they not grown stronger, defiant and ar
rogan(? Almost Tor seventeen years the
Sherman antitrust law has been upon
our statute books, more than fonr times
as long as it took the North to wear out
the South upon the bloody fi+lds of bat.
tie. Nearly seven years Of Mr.. Roose.
velt's strenuous term has passed, with all
the machinery Of the government at his
back. with the great power Of the chief
executive in his hands, yet ask, will
some republican senator upon this floor
tell me Of one trust that ever has been
tanned, much less destroyed?"
Senator Davis recalled Mr.. Havemey.
er's Statement before the industrial COM
mission that "the tariff 10 the mother of
trusts" "Under the operation of this
system," he said, "fifty-one men in the
United States-multi millionaires, if you
please-have amassed total fortunes OF
$3, POS ,000, 900. Of this John Rockefeller,
the oil king of the world, leads with
5000, ,OOO, 900, and Andrew Carnegie, the
steel king Of the world, follows with half
this amount"
The secretary of commerce and labor
has calculated, he said, all the property
owned by $4,000, 900 American citizens is
$lO7 1000, 900, SO that these ifty-one
citizens own one-thirty.fifth of the entire
wealth of the nation.
"What an alarming concentration of
wealth; what an alarming centration
OF power" he declared. "How shall this
condition be changed? How shall this
government be saved? One way, and
one way only; that is kill, destroy, an.
nihilate the source OF all this evil-the
trusts.
"What is needed today by the trust
of this Union, in order to make
them respect the law and obey its solemn
mandates, is that they be treated like
ordinary felons; that the strong arm of
the law be laid against them just az it
would be against horse thief or anyone
else charged with crime.
LAND them in the penitentiary place
felon stripes, the doxology of misspent
life.' upon them, and you will see the
trusts are busted and the people will get
relief"
Speaking of the great expense of the
government, Senator Davis said:
"Our president, and speak of him in
The most respectful terms. besides his
salary Of $4,000 year, and say that is
not excessive, is paid by this congress
b25, 600 year for travelling expenses, and
approximately $4,000 annually for liv-
ing expenses. All, Mr.. President, this is
enormous. This is unreasonable. The
president of the United States has five
believe. 1t is true that he
should live in accordance with the dignity
of the position, the greatest executive
Upon the face of the earth, but, Mr..
President. have the president skinned
\ city block in the matter OF family. II
have eight children, and it does not take
$4,000 for my living expenses No, sir
he greatest president that ever lived
Upon this earth. in my judgment, was
Old Hickory Jackson who rode his
horse to the White House, dressed in a
'uit Of bluejeans."
The senator denounced stock gambling,
and said he would do away with gam.
bling in cotton, grain and the necessities