Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-01-07

and, have sometimes thought, their only
concern is for the producer They are so
much afraid of hurting him that they close
their ears to every voice save his, and as
sumo that, knowing what he wants, he
will not ask for more than he deserves.
THE echoes of the platform of 1908,
which contains the pledges of the Repub-
lican party, have become so faint in their
councils that they are drowned in the cries
of impoverished manufacturers. On the
other hand, the progressives remember that
we promised the American people that the
duties on imported competitive commOdi-
ties should be measured by the difference
between the cost of production in this and
rival lands, and that we made the promise
in order to give at once protection to the
producer from unequal competition and
protection to the consumer from avaricious
extortion.
I'VE know that in many fields of indus
try home competition had been substan-
TALLY destroyed. We intended to subject
our home production to the fear OF foreign
competition if prices were raised above a
fair and reasonable profit"
After referring to the attitude of opposi-
ton by the standpatters with respect to
the proper regulation of interstate COM
merce and their resistance of other popu-
lar measures for which the people of the
country had long been appealing, Senator
Cummins continued
Joseph G. Cannon was then, as now,
tic most conspicuous member VI the ma
tional House of Representatives. In all
those years | never heard of single ut
terance from him that could by any posi-
bility be construed into friendliness toward
the cause that was struggling on through
all these difficulties.
"Aldrich was then, as now, one of the
leaders of the Senate of the United States,
and if any standpatter can discover a soli-
tary expression upon his part that helped
the movement to its final frution would
be glad to have it pointed out
Hale, Payne, Dalzell were then, as now,
prominent in the Congress of the United
States But challenge the memory of all
who hear me to recall one single sympa-
thetic word in the interest of the people
in their struggle with the railways.
Capt. j. A. T. Hull was then. as now,
the chairman of one of the principal COM
mittees of the House and man of wide
influence throughout the country, and yet
| never saw him lift an ounce to raise
from our shoulders the burden we were
then carrying.
Congress, in 1890, adopted what is
known as the antitrust law. 1t is clearly
seen, however, that it needs amendment.
The spirit of the statute is to preserve the
force of competition in business.
81 have referred to these things in order
to call your attention to the fact that the
standpatters are not helping to solve the
problem. They content themselves with
the constant reiteration of the fear that if
we touch any of these things we may
overturn the fabric of commerce and may
destroy the prosperity for which all lovers
of human kind are seeking.
When it is proposed to further regulate
railway rates they shudder lest we may
hurt the railways. The proeressives shud-
der lest they may not be able to help those
who are suffering the injustice of rate sys-
TENS that are admittedly indefensible.
81 am quite ready to admit that pro-
gressives sometimes try to do things that
are unwise, but without them, nothing
would be done, wise or unwise. If the
standpatter can justify his existence by
the consciousness that he sometimes pre-
vents the accomplishment of an unjust
thing by standing pat against every on
ward movement, he may demonstrate
his right to rule the affairs of a great
country"