The Washington times., 1907-12-11
Challenges Friends of
President to Show Sim
gle Tanned Trust.

Glorying in the fact that he was VIE
lating a long established precedent,
which imposes silence upon new mem
bers. Senator Jef Davis OF Arkansas,
nephew OF the President of. the Confed~
crate States of America, and who has
had seat in the upper hall of Congress
just nine days. delivered a speech this
afternoon which fairly sizzled. 1t was
not only his maiden effort in that body,
but il was the first set speech, by any
Senator in the Sixtieth Congress.
It was in advocacy Of the destruction
OF trusts and the placing OF felon's
stripes upon rich malefactors- He de-
clared that a prison sentence staring
John D. Rockefeller in the face would
make him a law-abiding citizen. He
stigmatized wall Street spectators as
gamblers and thieves. and charged them
with precipitating the recent money
panic.
He criticised the annual salary OF
President Roosevelt, which he put at
sl13.OOO. He said he did not need that
sum to live on. And I've got the Pres
ident skinned a city block In the matter
Of a gamily," he exclaimed. Il have
eight children; he has only five"
Ricicules Roosevelt Policy.
He ridiculed the Administration
antitrust policy. and challenged any
Republican Senator to name a trust
which Roosevelt had even tanned In
his seven years OF octopus hunting"
In contemptuous tones. Davis declared
that unless conditions change. IT will
not be long before American statesmen
are wearing knee breeches. with brass
buckles and powdered wigs and bowing
down to semi-royalty."
His speech was upon a bin which he
introduced shortly after the opening cs
Congress, making any attempt TO regu-
late and control prices a conspiracy,
punishable By a heavy fine ard long i'm
Drisonment. It further provides for the
revocation OF the company's charter.
and permits recovery Of the purchase
price.
Challenges All to Debate.
with emphasis, he challenged any
Senator from Cape Cod to Kalamazoo
who may oppose the bin, or laugh IL
10 scorn, to meet him in debate any
where. at any time"
It was in his very opening sentence
that he hurled defiance to Senatorial
custom.
1T was not my purpose" he eX-
planned. when I became a member OF
this honorable body. to retain my seat
IN silence until my hair should have
| become gray IN the service, or until
should have grown out OF knowledge
Of my constituents, or lost my identity
/ with them. I propose TO present quick
! ". fearlessly, and as intelligently as
can, some OF the living. burning dues-
tions that are today before the Amert
can people
The new Senator then jumped right
| into his assault upon corporations and
Mammon. in whose service he declared
no man ever earned a million dollars
Are trusts good thlngs?'' he inquired
/ "If they are, then IN tho name OF the
toiling masses Of the earth, in the name
OF the men who eat bread. as God
| commanded. in the sweat OF their
! brows, / beg that we have more OF
then. II they are bad things. and we
are honest in our expressed convictions
and sincere in our public declarations
then I ask Is there any member who
will object TO their destruction?
Trusts Should Be Destroyed.
Are we In earnest when we so be
fore the American people and tell them
that trusts are bad things; that trusts
| ought TO be destroyed; that trusts ough
to be wiped from the face OF the earth
/ Then answer the people, why this bill
| shouldn't become a law. Does it inter
| fere with vested rights?
mo man, no corporation, has a vesteC
| right in the power TO do wrong" ex
/ claimed the Arkansan IN a voice tha
!
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