The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-27
NEEDED LAWS
CAN BE PASSED
:. IN QUICK TINE
Only 20 or rs Republican
Votes Necessary to At
tain the Result.
JOHN SHARP WILLIAMS
GIVES OUT STATEMENT
DEMOCRATS IN LOWER HOUSE
OF CONGRESS WILL VOTE AS
A UNIT FOR REFORM.

Washington, March 26.-Representative
John Sharp Williams (Mss.). as leader of
the minority i'm the house of representa-
tiyes. today issued to the press a writ
ten statement defining the attitude of the
Democratic party in the house toward
legislation urged by President Roosevelt
in his messages to congress at the pres
ent session. The statement describes
Vhat Republican legislation the Demo
Gratis will support, what they will op-
TpOse, and what concessions they demand
Won the part of the ajOrity as the price
of refTaining from an organized fiIibus-
ter throughout the remainder of the ses-
sion. Mr.. Williams says:
In so far as the things urged by the
president are good things, l would like
the country to know that all he has to
do is TO deliver twenty or twenty-five Re
publican house votes in favor of them.
These, conjoined with the solid Demo
craric votes, will put them through"
Bills Favored by Democrats.
MI Williams notes the following meas
ures as the ones which will command
virtually the solid Democratic vote with
In constitutional limits:
To compel publication of campaign con-
tributiOns
Prohibition of child labor in the Dis
trict of Columbia and the territories.
An employers liability law drawn to
conform to the recent decisions of the
supreme court.
Federal liability to government en-
ployes.
Removal of the tariff on wood pulp and
,printing paper.
4 Imposition of federal charge for every
e water power right granted on a navi-
gable stream.
Measures Opposed.
Those principles and measures urged by
the president with which Mr. Williams
minority leader takes issue are emu
merated as follows:
The penalizing of the boycott.
The right of the attorney general 10
nominate receivers when common car
riers are thrown into the hands of a re-
Modification of the Sherman antitrust
law so as to permit within limitations the
maintenance of trusts and the making of
trade agreements between combinations of
capital
Appointment of a commission TO pre-
pare data for revision of the tariff.
Mr.. Williams frankly states that he
does not know whether majority OF
the minority faVors the creation of per-
manent waterways commission.
Prohibition of Child Labor.
Referring to the presidents declara-
ton that child labor ought to be pro
hibited throughout the nation and his
recommendation that at least a model
child labor bill should be passed for the
District of Columbia" Mr. Williams ss vs..
throughout the nation, but the states are
the sole authorities having constitutional
EsSwer to prohibit. If those who would
sDtect the children of the land and
through them the generations to come
would waste less OF their time in the use
less agitation for invalid and unconstitu-
uonal federal legislation and would de
vote more Of their time in the several
states il would be better for all. But
the president is right in saying that Wo
can act for the District of Columbia ard
fspfk n-Sa
ought to do it,
No Excuse for Delay.
Commenting the president for his rec
ommendatiOn for the immediate re-enact-
ment of the employers liability law"
MIR Williams saws:
There is no excuse for the delay on
the part of the Republican members of
the house committee TO report an en-
plOyers' liability law. THEIR delay at
least arouses if il does not justify a
suspicion that they are having a lot of
Useless hearings simply for the purpose of
Hsng that bill buffer to prevent
serious consideration OF other bills be-
fore the committee For example the
Clayton bill to put an end to temporary
restraining orders of court inValidatng
state laws. and the various bills there
pending to recognize the police powers of
the states in dealing with alcoholic slim
ulants when introduced into prohibition
territory. I have given notice in the house
thdt no REGISTRATION snail De enacted Dy
unanimous consent until an employers
liability bill is at least reported for the
consideration Of the house"
6iaekIists and soycotts.
After quoting the presidents decIar.
alton that nothing should be done to
legalize a blacklist or boycott thai
would be Illegal at common law" Mr..
Williams SAYS:
ut is a sad commentary upon this utter
ance of his that while the federal courts
Continued on Page 2.