The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-11
PROBLEM BIGGER
THAN POLITICS
Underwood Says Industrial Situ-
alton Should Not Score Any
Party's Ends.
OFFERS NO PAnAcEA
Leader OF House Democrats Is
Eulogized by Nicholas
Longworth.
to The Times Dispatch. ]

Especial to The Times DIspatch.l
( New York. December l0-A notable
assemblage. including many prominent
statesmen gathered last night al the
"aloorf-Astoria on the occasion of
the thirteenth annual dinner OF the
pennsylvania Society. given in honor
OF the Ways and Means Committee of
the Sixty-second Congress.
Just before the members OF the or
sanization sat down detail of the
held band from the Seventh Regiment
oil New York, escorted the thirty-one
! guests OF the evening to their seats,
/ while the flags OF thirty citios and
counties OF Pennsylvania were borne
into the large dining room to the
strains Of the national anthem.
j Colonel Robert Medus Thompson.
president of the Pennsylvania Society,
presided. Before he proposed a toast
10 the President of the United States.
| the seventh Regiment field band detail
) again appeared in the van OF a pro-
cession, led by Governor John K. Tenor.
OF pennsylvania, who presen ted q mas
siVe oliver loving cup to Mr. Thomp-
son for his services In onnection with
the erection of the William Penn mo-
mortal in London.
Among those present were Repro
! sentative Oscar w. Underwood. Repre-
sentative John Dalzell, James Ber-
tram. w. g Hammond. Lincoln Dixon.
the Rev. james II. Darlington. Dorsey
w. shackleford. MaJor-Generel Fred :
erick D. Grant. William g. Brantley.
representative Francis Barton Harri-
son. Senator Boies Penrose. L FL.
Weaver, Mayor Rudolph Blankenburr.
OF Philadelphia: Representative Mich
olas Lonsworth. John N. Reynolds,
representative Samuel w. Mccall. E. J..
Hill. the Rev. Ethelbert Talbot. James
Z. Needham, Representative Henry T.
Rainey, William Hughes, Representa-
tive Andrew J. Peters, Cordel Hull.
John Wanamaker, Henry Phipps and
William McAdoo
oscar w. Underwood, a possible can
didate for the presidency in 1912. was
the first speaker.
Has No Panacea
I have been asked to give some ex-
preston OF my Vows concerning the
industrial situation in the country as
involved in the existence of our rrea,
manufacturing corpsrations, and in
the utigauons which have been insti-
tuted against them on the ground tina,
they are vtolators of the Sherman
law" said Mr.. Underwood.
Wish TO say at the outset that
have no panacea to suggest for the
situation, and do believe that q
little reflection and the recourse &c
some old-fashioned ideas will be o,
real service to us. 30
There Is nothing. however, In an,
such solution for men OF either poll.
tlcai party to try 10 make capital GU,
OF 1t Is too big and momentous a
question for that A nation which. In
us Judicial and executive brunches
has not only not lnterfered with. but
! on the other hand. promoted, or. al
least. tolerated the creation OF these
corporations, must not act preclpltate-
~, but thoushtfully and conservative.
~ In dealing with them.
Nor are we to seize upon. the ars,
remedy proposed for a treatment OF
the symptoms OF the trouble by rush.
ing OH to demand new Legislation be.
lore understanding what we need, II
we need anything.
You have only to read the recent
message of tho President on the sub
1ect 10 understand what have In mind.
AFTER very clear and lawyer-like ex-
position of what the Sherman act has
been construed to mean. he PUSHES on
+. 10 suggest Indefinite additional legisla-
tion TO correct the very abuses which,
IN another part OF the message, IT is
asserted can be reached and prohibit ed
by the act as IL is now Interpreted.
1t is notp roper for all of us, ire
spectiVe OF party, to insist the time
has come for US to join together in put
ting nm end TO the profitIess agitation
ana proposals Tor tlnkering of the law.
! AS the necessity arises, we can from
time to time enforce the act as II now
Is. without fear or favor but without
any disposition to get political ca pital
out or what we may be called upon TO
90. Then. as we have more knowledge
or the scope ana effect OF tho act, from
the decisions of the courts and from
: the results of recent dismem bermcnts,
and. more Important still. as new con-
aitiohs grow up under fair tariff
/ and finer public spirit shall have de.
| Veloped. as IL Is Enthusiastically develop
ing, which shall condemn utterly un-
! 1alr business methods, shall learn the
/ precise direction in which we are to
/ go, and shall not have to drift aimless-
+! ly about. exposed to grave peril, under
the direction of any one who. without
chart or compass or the experience
which will enable him to take observa-
costing the direction of safety for us.
! Experience the Pilot.
Let our pilot be experience and &C.
cnrate knowledge and high resolve.
and not party eXpediency or misdirect-
| ed energy, whether proceeding from
good or bad motives, and. above all
this. let us not proceed upon a crude
i guess. Leaps in the dark are generally
/ bad experiments"
| Other speakers were Representative
John Dalzell, who responded to the
toast. The Commonwealth of Pennsyl.
! vania"; the Hon. ~ Mitchell Palmer,
| ~ esterday. To.Day and o-Morrow'';
the aon. Rudolph Blankenburg, The
! City OF Philadelphia: Representative
! Nicholas Longworth, who In dis
| cussing the Committee on Ways and
Means and tariff, sprung surprise on
| tho diners by eulogizing Representa-
tive Oscar Underwood In terms that
might be used to good effect in a
nominating speech at n national con-