The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-16
|MONOPOLES
ARE SCORED
Repubs' Protective Tariff
Is Denounced.
SENATOR OWENS SPEECH
Measure Contrary to VIII Of
American People.
The okisAoma Senator Says Tariff Ban
Was Written To Serve the Rich
And To Benefit

/ that the masters OF monopoly In the
United States were In control: that the
tariff bill was written to serve their
purpose to make the rich richer and
the poor poorer, and to benefit the few
at the expense of the many. senator
Owen today held the attention OF this
Senate for several hours with q speech
replete with dennnctation of the Re-
publican protective tariff policy and
Of the majority members OF the FL
nance Committee.
Responsibility for the unrest of the
country he laid at the door of 1.-THE re-
cent giant monopoiies, engendered and
sheltered by the prohibitive tariff."
| Senator Owen opposed the bill In its
entirety because he said II was contra
ry to the will Of the American peo-
| pie.
when point out the unavoidable
effect of extreme poverty as the neces-
sary complement of unlimited wealth
In the hands OF the few accumulated
/ under the shelter OF the law" he de-
ciared, az wish 1t distinctly understood
that the dark picture OF human misery
which the truth compeis me TO portray
breathes from me no spirit OF pesssim-
ism, because I am an optimist. REQ.
ognize the immediate dawn Of better
things and an early remedy"
7 An Equitable Distrfbution.
| Among the reasons assigned by him
| for being an optfmist, Senator Owen
| said that he believed that the Ameri-
can people, who loved liberty. who be-
iieved In self-government, who beiiev-
ed in mercy and charity as well as In
Industry and providence, will see 70
/ Ii that this government is so conduct
ed by their representatives that In the
future there SHAH be more equitable
distribution OF the proceeds Of human
labor; that we shall change the pres
emit policy. whose inevitable tendency
is the useless. the vulgar. and insane
enrichment Of the few at the expense
of the misery and sorrow and OF the
physical and spiritual degeneration or
millions of men. women. and children
who are now submerged by the CONF
mercial devices of Harmon In his
opinion. he asserted. the bill should
not pass because IL violated the pledge
Of the Republican Party ana OF the
Republican leader during the last cam
paign. The Republican Party platform
he declared, was "unequivocai." and lite
reasonable and natural Interpretation
4 was plain.
Senator owen, reverting to the de-
bates in the Senate on the tariff said
that when he had sought TO ascertain
why the difference IN the cost og pro-
duction at home and abroad had not
been complied as a basis for the draft
Ing Of the bill. Senator Gallinger
rises in his place and solemniy adj
vises me that my inquiry is absurd .
He would not. he said, question tina
he reply to him in kind. but. he said.
II appeal from him to the American
| people, who viii not hold him guilt
less for his calious and reprehensfble
conduct in this matter"
"supereilious IndlfTerenee.s
A. A.aW -
colleagues to furnish the Senate with
the difference in cost OF production at
home and abroad. he bitterly denounc-
| ed, remarkfng that the reuuest has
been met with "supercilious indifrer-
ence." He charged that Mr.. Adrian
had withheld information upon that
point and that ne had refused TO Sena-
tor Daniel and 20 other Democratic
members OF the finance COMMITTEES the
privilege OF having the same fnforma-
ton that ne himself enjoyed and that
when his attention was called to "this
unjust ana unconstitutional conduct.
he Justifies II by quoting from an evil
precedent Of Democratic origin and
seemed to think ne had fully answered
for this breach OF duty"
Senator owen declared that a bad
Democratic precedent was no more re-
4 spectacle TO himself than a bad pre-
cedent from any other source.
''Ts II possible" he exclaimed. athat
men OF nobility and character, that
Senators OF intelligence ana moral In
tegrity, have refused TO compile the
Il difference in cost OF production at home
ana abroad on the items OF the Ding
ley bin for our present guidance be-
Gauge they intended to break faith with
the American people and ala not dare
TO make the truth manifest by COM
piling this damning evidence OF their
49, 1t klaNN- ado 1nA-
Republican leaders. he declared. occu-
pied a position absolutely ana utter
| indefeusible." While they might not
have been hypnotized. he said, they
had been overwhelmed with the pow
err OF suggestion enveioping them and
creating The atmosphere ana controii-
ing environment established by a
and fascinating representatives OF the
high-tarifr benehciaries."
Wages lowered.
Senator Owen further charged that
the high tariff had lowered the wage
Of American workmen. He devoted
considerable thought to this question.
furnishing innumenable statistics TO
support his contention. "rhe monopo-
list" he said 'canrot ana does mot
consume his profit. So that the result
is that the capital OF monopoly In roll
] ing up like a huge soowba1l. picking
up every opportunity onered by God
to mankind in our natural resources
and labor, the creator OF wealth, Lam
guishes and grows weaker as the
creature OF wealth grows stronger and
exercises q natural bat unrestrained
appetite by acquiring the title TO ev-
cry visible and invisible resource" He
favored the growing organization Of
workingmen. Mouopolies, he said. pre-
ferred unorganized labor; "They pre-
| fer that labor should be helpless and
| incapable OF making effective any de-
mand for it's comfort or convenience
or for its rights" He maintained that
the law should firmly and unhesitRt
ingly demand and require Of labor, or
ranixed or unoRgani3ed strict obedi-
ence 20 the law, 'sout II should also
demand and require OF monopoly con-
sfderate and decent treatment Of labor
and it's rights both as producer and
consumer"