The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1908-02-07
(Special to The Messenger

tn congress on the relations OIL cdpl'"i
and labor and Of corporations and the
public. again was the theme OF discus
sion in the house Of representatives
today.
90 great was the demand for ume
that the general appropriations Dill
which is the pending business, was eA-
tended to tomorrow for four hours.
Interest in today's proceedings cen
tered in a speech by John Sharp VIII
liams. the minority leader, who while
lauding the president for some Of his
continents expressed the belief that
others were dangerous.
Mr.. Williams spoke for nearly TWO
hours. His remarks on b
question prompted a lengthy III Gus
sion of that subject by MFR. Hill, OF
Connecticut in which he opposed me
Aldrish financial bill.
Other speakers were Messrs. Boygne,
of Colorado; Nye Of Indiana, and Ma
con of Arkansas, the latter urging the
passage of his bill prohibiting dealings
in futures in a~gricultu al products.
AT 4:57 o'clock t. mouse adjourn
ed.
Taking for his text the Presidents
recent message. which vas SO thor
ou"h,,y discussed yesterday, Repre-
sentative John Sharp Williams, Of
Mississippi, at the opening Of the
house session today, said he disagreed
with Mr.. Hepburn's statement of yes
terday that the message met with the
approval Of the entire American peO-
pie.
Indeed he said, there are things
in it sensational, federalistic and dan
gerous to the American republic"
Mr.. Hepburn, he declared a threat
ened the Big Four, OF the house-the
speaker and Messrs. Payne, Dalzell and
Sherman-when he asserted that the
house would pass the remedial legis-
lation the president had recommended.
He hoped to see the standard Of re-
belion raised by Mr.. Hepburn and he
said he hoped to see some Of the
things spoken of the message enacted
into law. He was not a hero worship
per and, therefore, he would consider
the message without any regard to
the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt" from
whom the message emanated.
j. Il shall consider it" he said, amid
loud democratic applause, Just as II
it had been a message emanating in the
past from Grover Cleveland or William
Mckinley or a message which more
nearly resembles it IN it's substance
enc to emanate in the future from the
Hon. William J.. Bryan"
Mr.. Williams said that the message
was not deserving OF an all around
eulogy upon the part Of any one man
who loved democratic institutions.
There We're, however. many good
things in it, He did not think, lie said,
that the democrats would endorse that
part of he message which recommend
ed restoring to the railroads the power
to pool, or which advocated federal
licensing of corporations, or which de-
clared it useless to attempt to punish
the men, the flesh. the beings, who
violate the law in the name of corpo-
rate authority.
AS to the corporations Mr.. Williams
declared they would never be properly
punished until you visit the punish
ment upon the flesh and the blood
whose brains and by whose acts the
violations take place"
He referred to Pail Morton. former
secretary of the navy and asked: Did
he get out of the cabinet to go to a
prison after a confession of a long
continued violation of these very
laws?"
mo-" he said. but instead he jump
ed into a lucrative position in private
life with a letter of recommendation
from the president of the United
States"
Mr.. Williams insisted that a D
alton as such could not commit a
crime and therefore he advocated
Furnishing the responsible heads Of the
corporations Punish one," he said.
"and you will not have to punish any
more"
Mr.. Williams referred to the Aldrich
bill as the railroad bond credit
strengthening bill"
Again reverting to the message Mr.
Williams received more applause from
the democrats when he said it's omis-
sions were more significant than it's
commissions. He has talked" Mr..
Williams said about predatory wealth
and rich and powerful criminals and
how important it is to shackle cum
ming; and yet he said, with the ex-
ception of a little insignificant utter
ance about putting the works of art,
wood pulp and paper on the free list,
"he has never raised his voice against
the very poison that lies at the heart
OF your republican, entire sys-
tenn"
Mr.. Williams agreed that If given
fha ncxrar Tho frof fhiur &ho 1apan-