The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-04-03
WILLIAMS GIVES
MINORITY VIEWS
,yru BEARD TO LEGISLATION
DEMANDED IN MESSAGE TO
PRESIDENT.
DEMOCRATS TO STAND BY HIN
n, Some Measures, But They VIII
Vigorously Oppose Many
others.

in the House of Representatives, 10
night issued a statement defining the
attitude of the Democratic party in
the House toward legislation urged by
President Roosevelt in his message
10 Congress at the present session
The statement describes what Repuo-
lican legislation the Democrats will
support, what they will oppose and
what concessions they demand on the
mart of the majority as the price OF
Staining from an organized fliDus-
iCT throughout the remainder Of the
session.
Mr. Williams opens his statement
by saying:
Some things in the Presidents re-
cent message are so Immediately I'm
portant to the interests of the entire
country as to pass the bounds OF par
tisanship, and to make it excusaole' II
not necessary, for me to say some
thing concerning them with the view
Of assuring the President himself and
reasonably inclined Republican mem
hers of the House and the country, OF
the support and endorsement or the
opnosition of the Democratic minority.
In SO far as the things urged by the
President are good things would like
the country to know that all he has to
do is to deliver twenty or twenty-five
Republican House votes in favor OF
them. These. joined with the solid
Democratic votes, will put them
through"
Mr.. Williams notes the following
measures as ones which will com
mand the solid Democratic vote within
constitutional limits"
To compel publication of campaign
contributions.
Prohibition of child labor in the Dis
trict of Columbia and the Territories.
An employers liability bill, drawn to
conform to the recent decisions OF the
Supreme Court.
Federal liability to Government en-
ployes.
A law to prohibit the issuance OF in
functions without notice to the party
enjoined.
Removal of the tariff on wood pulp
and printing paper.
Imposition of Federal charge for
every water power right granted on
navigable stream.
Those principals and measures
urged by the President with which
Mr.. Williams, as minority leader,
takes issue, are enumerated as fol-
lows:
The penalizing OF the boycott.
The right of the Attorney Generai
To nominate receivers when common
carriers are thrown into the hands OF
9 receiver.
The modification Of the Sherman an
thrust law so as to permit within linn
itation the maintenance Of trusts and
the making of trade agreements be-
tween combinations of capital.
The appointment of commission
to prepare data for revision OF the
tariff
Mr. Williams frankly states that ne
does not know whether majority OF
the minority favors the creation OF
permanent Waterways Commission
Referring 10 the Presidents declara-
ton that child labor ought to be pro-
hibited throughout the Nation, and his
recommendation that Eat least model
child labor bill should be passed Tor
the District Of Columbia" Mr.. VIII
liams says:
Child labor ought to be prohloited
throughout the Nation; but the STATES
are the sole authorities having constr
tutional power to prohibit. II those
who would protect the children OF the
land and through them the genera
tons to come. would waste less OF
their time in the useless agitation Tor
invalid and unconstitutional Federal
legislation and would devote more OF
their time In the several States, II
would be better for all But the Pres
ident is right in saying that we can
act for the District OF Columbia and
for the territories as wen and that we
ought to DO It."