Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-06-16
Senator Owens Says Tariff Bill
Was Written for The Rich.
MAKES THE POOR PEOPLE POORER
Oklahoma Member Opposes Measure
in Its Entirety and Says That It is
Contrary to the VIII Of the Ameri-
can People.

WASHINGTON, ID. L. June 10
Charging that the matters OF monop-
oily in the United States were IN con
troll. that the tarin bill was written
to serve their purpose To make the
rich richer and the poor poorer. ana
10 benefit the few at the expense Oh
the many, Senator Owen today helu
the attention of the Senate for several
hours with q speech replete with de
nunciation Of the Republican protec'
tive tariff policy and of the majority
members OF the Finance Committee.
Responsibility for the unrest OF the
country he laid at the door or Inc
recent giant mOnopolies, engendered
and sheltered by the prohibitiVe
tariff"
Senator owen opposed the OIL In
it, entirety because he said IL was
contrary to the will of the American
people, when ! point out the una
voidable effect Ct extreme poverty as
the necessary complement of unlimit-
ed wealth in the hands of the few ac-
cumulated under the shelter OF the
law" he declared. Il wish ii distinct
" understood that the dark picture OF
human misery which the truth com
rels me 10 portray breathes from me
no shirt OF pessimism, because | am
an optimist. recognize the immedi-
ate dawn of better things and an
early remedy"
Among the reasons assigned by him
for being an optimist. Senator owen
said that he believed that the Ameri-
can people. who loved liberty. who be.
lieyed in self government, who be-
lieyed in mercy and charity as well
as in industry and providence, will
see to it that this government Is so
conducted by their representatives
that in the future there shall be no
more equitable distribution of the
proceeds of human. labor; that we
shall change the presenf' policy, whose
inevitable tendency is the useless, the
vulgar, and insane enrichment or the
few at the expense of the misery and
sorrow and of the physical and spirit
ual degeneration Of millions of men.
women, and children who are now
submerged by the commercial devices
of Harmon" In his opinion, he as
serted. the bill should not pass be-
cause il violated the pledge OF the
Republican party and of the Republi-
can leader during the last campaign.
The Republican party platform, he
declared was ''unequivocal," and its
reasonable and natural Interpretation
was plain.
Senator Owen. reverting to the de
bates in the Senate on the tariff. said
that when he had sought to ascer-
tain why the difference in the cost OF
ha
not been compiled as a basis for the
drafting OF the bill. Senator CALM
ger rises in his place anc soiemniy
advises me that my inquiry is ABB
surd'" He would not. he said ques-
tion the intelligence of Mr.. Aldrich
nor would he reply to him in kind,
but. he said, Il appeal from him to
the American people. who will not hold
him guiltless for his callGus and re
prehensible conduct in this matter"
The failure CT Mr.. Aldrich and his
colleagues to furnish the Senate with
the difference in cost of production AT
home and abroad. be bitterly denounc-
ed remarking that the request has
been met with "supercilious indiffer-
ence" He charged that Mr.. Aldrich
had withheld information upon that
point. and that he had refused to
Senator Daniel and to other Demo
cratic members of the finance commit
tee the privilege of having the samu
information that he himself enjoyed
and that when his attention was
called to this unjust and unconsti-
tutional conduct, he justifies it by
quoting from an evil precedent OF
Democratic origin and seemed to think
he had fully answered for this breach
Of duty" Senator Owen cec.ared
that a Democratic precedent was no
more respectable to himself than =
bad precedent from any other source.
1T is possible" he exclaimed, that
men of nobility and character. that
Senators Of intelligence and moral in
tegri;y, have refused to compile the
difference in cost of production al
home and abroad on the items Of
the Dingley bill for our present guild
ance because they intended to break
faith with the American people and
did not dare to make the truth mani
fest by compiling this damiug evil
dence Of their betrayal Of their party