The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-12
ISSUES ARE PLALNL Y STATED
SPEAKER BYRD,S ADDRESS

Lord but yet the same predatory in
s:inct which led the robber barons to-
plumber the commerce of the Rhine has
by the deliberate and sustained policy
of the Republican party been clothed
with theasanction of law, and the peo-
pie themselves have been persuaded to
yield TO the steel Trust and other
tariff-fed combinations, the power of
exacting tribute which, IN less So
phisticated age. was taken by the
strong hand.
The. United States Steel Company, Is
tion of the tariff-born trust.
Created by charter of one of the
minor states of this Union, 1t bestrides
the Industrial life of the nation like
a colossus. Its revenues are nearly as
much as those of the Federal govern
The incomes of powerful nations.
II exercises over innumerablc de-
pendent industries tyranny from or
greatest railroad and the smallest
blacksmith's forge, it exacts tribute.
1t keeps the American flag from the
ocean. because it has artifcially en-
HANGED the price Of ALMOST everything
which goes to the building of ship.
More than half of its capitaliza
ton is based not upon what 1t owns
itself. but upon what the law em-
! powers it to take from others.
In other words, it has capitalized its
power to tax the people of this ma
ton. and the dividend paid upon its
OF the annual value of its delegated
power of taxation.
With cynical contempt it repayss, the
e espti by selling S its products to
Foreigners for less money than it
exacts from home customers.
Challenge the Abuses.
Ii is these abuses which the Demo-
lacratic party must challenge. 1t is this
tsbattle- ground which promises success.
Napoleon Bonaparte said that he
found the crown Of France lying upon
the ground, and he picked 1t up with
his sword.
Next November the reins of national
government will be lying upon the
| party can pick them up.
happy. They are anxious and fearful.
They must now admit that a panic is
! not peculiarly Democratic insti.u-
I ton.
The sordid standards. which they
have exalted and the unequal pros
/ perity to which they have so often
pointed with pride have crumbled
| They are suffering from the inevi-
table results Of many years Of high
/ living and low thinking.
/ They have come to realize in part
/ the. slow results of those policies by
/ which they have sought to debaucn
| the nation. Even their President they
do.not contemplate with unmiNed joy.
4
!. President Roosevelt is the fact that he
lis undoubtedly patriotic in spots
+ Emotionally. he is a patriot, but
/ practically he Is a Republican.
4 This dual personality necessarily de-
yelops some strange inconsistencies.
/ The President has exploded an alarm
ling amount Of powder, but he has
/ bagged very little game.
4 In one of his emotional, and. there
fore. patriotic moments, Nhes employed a
5Democratic lawyer 70 prosecute the
wicked railroad rebaters.
I lowered that the wickedest rebater was
la member of the Presidents Cabinet.
Then the, President ruled that Mr.; Nor
ton ton should not be pnished but that
Fe- Railroad should be fined,
The result of this surprising appli-
| cation Of the principle of the square
malefactor an immunity bath and to
shift punishment to the shoulders of
investors in corporate securt-
I ties.
4 lie compelled the Beef Trust to clean
4 up. but 1t was mt the expense of tan
Ipayers, and resulted In an increased
\ price OF meat
Roosevelfs Failures.
With all his incessant clamor. the
President has not interfered with the
/ lie has not relieved the nation Of a
4 single monopoly. He has not punished
h a SINGLE nalefactor OF great wealth.
! EIe has not alleyiated in the smallest
i degree the industrial tyranny. under
J which#this nation groans. He has put
4 all forms of corporate enterprise un-
4 der suspicion. but ahe has not put
4 fear Of the law into the heart ot a
i single highly-p placed criminal.
/, He recognizes the ills which The
i country suffers, because of Republi-
4 can legisla ton, yet he has set his face
\ against any.tretorm of the tariff He
jErecogniZes the evils OF Il swollen rOr-
4 tunes. but Instead of putting Ntlle AK
4 TO the root OF. privilege and preventing
1.-THE accumulation of 4 tax fed fortunes,
Il fortunes which exceed II certain limit.
II Y & In short, tho President has aroused
n 3reSentment and H usplciOn. He htl,;