Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-27
ATTITUDE OF
DEMOCRATS
EXPLAINED
JOHN SHARP WILLIAMS MAKES
STATEMENT
TELLS HOW PARTY WILL STAND
ON ROOSEVELT MOVES
Mississippi Leader of House Declares
Democratic Vote viii Go to Seven
Republican Measures and
Certain Plans
BY Associated Pre,@.


sentative John Sharp Williams of Mis-
sissippi Democratic leader in the
house, today issued to the press
written statement defining the attitude
of the Democratic party in the house
toward legislation urged by President
Roosevelt in his message to congress
at the present session.
The statement describes what Re-
publican legislation the Democrats will
support, what they will oppose and
what concessions they demand on the
part Of the majority as the price of
refraining from an organized filibuster
throughout the remainder of the ses-
sion.
Mr.. Williams says:
I'm 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 twen
ty-five Republican house votes in ia
vor of them. These, conjoined with the
solid Democratic votes, will put them
through"
Those They Favor
Mr.. Williams notes the following
measures as the one which will com
mand virtually the solid Democratic
vote within constitutional limits"
The complete publication of campaign
contributions.
Prohibition of child labor in the District
of Columbia and the territories.
An employers liability law, drawn to
conform to the recent decisions of the
supreme court.
Federal liability to government employees
law to prohibit the issuance of njunc-
tions without notice to the party enjOined.
Removal of the tariff wood pulp and
printing paper.
Imposition of a federal charge for every
water power right granted a navigabe
stream.
Those principles and measures urged
by the president with which Mr.. Will
liams. as minority leader takes issue,
are enumerated as follows:
The penalizing of the boycott.
The right of the attorney general to nomi-
nate receivers when common carriers are
thrown into the hands of a receiver.
Modification of the sherman antitrust
law so to permit within limitations the
maintainance of trusts and the making of
trade agreements between combinations of
capital.
appointment of a commission to prepare
data for revising the tariff.
Mr.. Williams frankly states that he
does not know whether a majority of |
the minority favors the creation of a
permanent waterways commission.
Views on Child Labor
Referring to the presidents declara-
tion that child labor ought 10 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.. Will
liams says:
"Child labor ought to be prohibited
throughout the nation. but the states
are the sole authorities having consti- |
fnfiOn11 n
Commending the president for his |
recommendation for the immediate
enactment of an employers liability |
law. Mr.. Williams says:
There is no excuse for delay on the |
part of the Republican members of the |
house judiciary committee to report an
employers liability law. Their delay |
at least arouses. if it does not justify, |
a suspicion that they are having a lot
of useless hearings simply for the pur- |
pose of using that bill as a buffer to /
prevent serious consideration of other
bills before the committee.
After quoting the presidents declara-
tion that nothing should be done to
legalize a blacklist or boycott that
would be illegal in common law" Mr..
Williams says:
1T is a sad commentary upon this
utterance of his that while the federal
courts have held that boycott is a
COllDlIdllOl III restraint Oh lIdue, anu
therefore illegal, they have virtually
upheld the employer in his assertion of
a right to blacklist.
Right to Discharge
Because one federal court went so
far as to say that because the en-
ployer had a right to discharge without
giving any notice at all, therefore, he
said, the employer had a right to dis
charge if the discharged man was a
member of a labor union. 1t is a poor
rule that does not work both ways.
Another decision of a federal court
the decision by Judge Gould-has gone
so far to say that a labor mans news
paper should not publish the names of
a firm under the heading We Don't
Patronize.' A man mas a right to pat
ronize or not to patronize anybody,
according to his own free WILL and he
therefore has the right to publish those
whom he does not patronize."
The presidents recommendation of y
law to place wood pulp on the free list,
with a corresponding reduction upon
paper made from wood pulp, when they
come from any country that does not
put an eport duty on them,' meets
with MIR. Williams approval, except
that ii does not go quite far enough.
Not only wood pulp ought to be placed
on the free list he says. but print
paper ought to be placed there also.
The publishers will not be very much
benefited by the placing of wood pulp
upon the free list if there be only
slight reduction of the duty upon the
print paper"
Mr.. Williams says THE presidents
preparation for tariff revision by con-
sideration at the hands of a commits
sion composed of members of the house
and senate, and so-called experts is
both cumbersom and useless. The very
best possible tariff commission is il
commission consisting of the repre-
sentatives of the people selected by the
people in the interest of the people"
en- ACT EAY PTSEARV1