The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1910-11-03

or Representatives June "a,
l9lO-The Attitude Of the
Republican Party Toward
the Farmer and the Working
Man-Shall Men be Impris-
oned for Striving in Har-
mony to Better Their Con-
dition and Secure Higher
Wages?
Following is a speech delivered in
Congress bv Hon Edward W. POu on
June 24th, last as taken from the
Congressional Record showing the
attitude OF the Republican party to-
ward the farmer aud working man.
Mr.. Pou said:
Mr.. Chairman: Before the fall Of
the gavel ends this session of the
SiXty-first Congress | wish to call at
tentiOn to the attitude of the party
in power with respect to prosecutions
under our sO-called antitrust laws.
Before the next regular session con-
venes the people OF the nation will
have decided at the ballot box
whet her the next House of Repre-
spntatives shall be controlled bv the
party which is in control now.
In the first place | think it can not
be denied that the party in power
prefers to hold the Sherman law as q
suspended sword over the head of
organized labor. Until very recent
years nobody ever dreamed that a
law drawn to make monopoly illegal
could be so construed that labOring
men could be sent to Jail for uniting
in a common demand for higher
wages. 1t is said that the Trainer of
the law himself declared that it had
no such purpose, and We all know
how President Roosevelt urged that
it be amended.
The party in power has had a
working majority in this Chamber
and in the Senate since the first day
of this Congress. You can not go be-
fore the people and plead lack of
power or opportunity. You have
both now. Ii you permit this law to
remain as it is, if hereafter men shall
be put in prison for peacefully Y striv-
ingin harmony to better their cOndi-
ton and secure higher wages, the
country will know where to put the
blame.
And today the attitude OF the same
party was made manifest in another
respect. We all know, Mr. Chairman,
who are the real leaders of the Re
publican party in this Chamber. We
know that the distinguished gentle
man from Illinois (Mr. Bou tell is
one of these leaders.
Today he has suggested that the
Farmers Union, composed, | am told
of more than 100000 farmers, is
as liable to prosecution under this
Sherman law as the members of the
beef trnst or meat trust. Our dis
tinguished friend sees no difference ir
an organization of 100000 farm
ers uniting to procure a fair price fol
tue commodity which they produce
and less than q dozen capitalist:
putting together their great fortunes
in one common fund to control the
price of something which no one o
them ever turned hand to produce
Did anybody ever hear Of the farm
Ters of this Nation expressing any
body? Who ought to be permitted
anyway, to fix the price of bale o
cotton, for instance, unless it he tht
man whOprOduces it? Isubmit thai
is right which no power can tak'
away. When have the farmers eve
yet been able to secure such prices
for their product as has made any
considerable number of them rich?
How many farmer millionaires-
men who got their millions from
what they actually prOduce-has tht
gentleman from Illinois in his State
" How many farmer milliOnaires o
this kind has he heard of in the en-
tire Nation?
If the gentleman from Illinois wa
serious in his suggestion, and certain
ly he seemed to be serious, the cOun
q try should know what the attitud
of his party is with respect to thi
great question. II he was not serious
in his suggestion of the liability o
the Farmers Union to prosecution
then his purpose must have been tt
ridicule the efforts of those wht
would bring to Justice the great con
Germs which are believed to be viola
ting the law. 1t is not denied tina
} somebody gets exorbitant profits ou
> OF many things the people are forcet
to buy. A committee of Congress
has been spending much time in at
tempting to fix the blame.
!. Every housekeeper in the lant
knows that something is wrong. TIL
G workers of the Nation may expect t,
. be prosecuted if they unite to ge
higher wages, and now it is suggest
ed that the Farmers Union should b
prosecuted also Whether the rea
violatOrs OF the law, the men whOr
- President Roosevelt so vigorousl
denounced, are to be prosecuted, W
are not told. Surely they are doin
business at the same old stand tC
day.
Recent history has made manifes
the intention of the party in power
Supplemented by the suggestion tc
day of the gentleman from Illinoi.
nobody need be left in doubt (AI
plause on the Democratic side.)
Not Sorry For BIunder.
. ''lf my Friends hal1s+