Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-12-24
SENATOR
DAVIS
SPEECH


lows:
Passionate oratory marked the
proceedings of the senate today.
Senator Jeff Davis of Arkansas, who
when elected declared that he would
attack the trusts Immediately after
he took his seat, fulfilled his prom
ise although he was few days late
In doing so.
The speech was filled with sensa-
tional declarations and was given
with that vigor for which the Ar
kansas senator is famous In his own
state. Quaint phrasin, pointed de-
nunciation and evidences of intense
emotion characterized his remarks.
He was given a careful hearing by
senator's and the galleries were well
filled throughout the time he held
the floor.
Beginning shortly before o'clock
he spoke for a little more than an
hour. At the close OF the speech the
senate went into executive session
and at 2:10 o'clock adjourned.
AS he proceeded he showed great
and his voice trembled. His
words rang with resounding effect
throughout the chamber.
Speaking of the annual approprl-
ations for the expenses for the gov
ernment, amounting to 5000, ,OO0,-
900, he turned to Senator Beveridge
and added; pile IL up on this floor
and let my good-looking young
friend, the senator from Indiana,
start to count II. He would be as
old as Methuselah before he could
count half of It."
"Everying." declared Senator Da-
Wis, "is in a trust except acorns. and
Holy writ" he said, "admonishes
us to go into the vineyard and work.
| have found nothing in the good
book that warrants any OF rus going
INTO the vineyard to corner all the
grapes"
"The president" he said "has ta-
ken of the dollar the words In God
We Trust It's time to take It off.
wonder whet the grand old party
Is going to put on the dollar?"
This panic was started by these
rust magnates and stock gamblers
N order that they might take from
.ho cotton producers half OF their
he added.
81 am for the under dog, Senator
he said. addressing the
senator from Mississippi. who sat
,cfore him. whenever you hear OF
, dog fight Just say JEFF Davis Is for
he under dog"
He read some statistics from the
Standard OH and. stepping out into
he center aisle, stamped his foot and
aid: "The Standard oil Is the old
le-trust of the country, II is the
rust that has all the paraphernalia
md earmarks of a trust. dislike
he Standard Oil. | hate the smell
II coal oil. Petroleum makes me
lck Oh, sir. something ought to be
one 10 curtail the growth of this
Monster trust--John ID. Rockefel-
or's trust-the great Standard oil |
rust"
Senator Dayls began by declaring
hat it was not his purpose to remain
n his seat in the senate until his hair
hall have grown gray before taking
p his work actively in that body. |
10 proposed TO present quickly, fear
assly and as intelligently as he
night, some of the living. burning |
uestions before the American peo-
lie. IL was for that reason he had
etermlned to speak upon his bill
D suppress trusts, pools, eombina-
Ions and eonspiracies.
81 undertake to say" he said.
that If this bill is enacted into a
aw and faithfully and honestly en-
Orced, trusts will be wiped from the
ace or the earth and no longer VIII
70 feel their grinding and destroy
lg grip on the arteries of trade and
A domestic corporation found fix
lg the price of any article wonld,
y his bill he said, have its charter
orfeited, and a foreign corporation
uilty of such an act would not be
llowed TO do business in the United
tateJ.
"The trust evil" said Senator
avis sis a cancerous sore upon the I
ody polite. Just as upon the hu-
ian body, the nnly remedy, the only
treatment Is the surgeons
nife. Cut it out by the roots, de-
roy the virus before the whole body !
olitic is affected and destroyed"
fefOn0racc ohnnId not hesitate in I