Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-12-11
TOday's Telegraphic News
Jeff Davis's Speech.

Jeff DaVtSs Speech
Washington, d. O., Dec. 1l.-Glory-
ing in the feet that be was violating a
long established precedent which i'm
poses silence upon new members, Sena-
tor JEFF Davis, of Arkansas, who has had
a seat in the upper ball of Congress just
nine days, delivered speech this alter
noon which fairly sizzied. 1t was not
only his maiden tffJrt in that body, but
it was the frat set speech by any Senator
in the Six;ieth Congress.
1t was in advocacy Of the destruction
of trusts aud the placing of felons stripes
upon rich malefsctors. He declared
that a prison sentence staring John ID.
Rockefeller in the face would make him
a law-abidipg citizen. He sUgmatiz,d
Wall street spectators as gamblers and
thieves, and charged them with precipi-
tating the recent money panic.
He criticized the annual salary OF
President Roosevelt, which be put at
$4,000. He said he didn't need that
sum to live on. "And Pse got the
President skinned a city block In the
matter Of family" be exclaimed. 81
have eight children; he has only dve."
he ridiculed the administrations anti
trust policy and challenged any republi-
can Senator to name trust which
Roosevelt had ''eyen tanned" In his
seven years Of octopus hunting. 10
contempiuous tones Mr.. Davis declared
that "unless conditions change, 1t will
not be long before American statesman
are wearing breeches with brass buckles
and powdered wigs and bowling down to
semi-roysliy." His speech was upon
bill which he introduced shortly after
the opening of Congress, making any at
tempt to regulate and control prices a
conspiracy, punishable by heavy fine
and loug imprisonment. 1t further pro-
yides for the revocation of the company's
charter and permits recovery OF the pur-
chase price.
With emphasis, he challenged any
Senator, "frOm Cape God to Kalamazoo"
who may oppose the bill "or laugh it to
scorn" 10 meet him In debate "any-
where, at any time"
at was not my purpose" be explain
ed, "when / became member of this
honorable body to retain my seat in
silence until my hair should have be-
come gray In the service, or until |
should have grown out of the knowledge
Of my constituents or lost my identity
With them. l propose to present quick
ly, feariessly and as inteiligently as |
can, some Of the living, burning ques-
lions that are today before the American
people,"
The new Senator then jumped right
into his assault upon corporations, and
mammon in whose service he declared
no man ever earned million dollars
honestly.
care trusts good thingsi" he in
quired. eff they are, then in the name
of the toiling masses Of the earth, in the
name of the men who eat bread, as God
commanded, in the swaet of their brows,
| beg that we have more of them. II
they are bad things and we are honest
in our expressed convictions and sincere
10 our public declarations, l ask, Is
there any member who will object to
their des'ruction No man no corporation,
has a vested right in the power to do
wrong. No remedy which means ouly
their destruction can be too drastic.
Anything short of destruction, any TEN.
PORTING, any palliation Of this great
wrong will not satisfy an outraged pub
lie and will not bring the relief desired.
The trust evil is cancer sore upon the
body polite just as upon the human
body. The only remedy is q surgeons
knife. Out it out by the roots aud de-
stroy the yirus. 1t is the bounden duty
of Congress TO act. II we don't destroy
the truss, then tremble for the public;
I tTemble for the government ITSELF"