The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-19
MARSHALL SPEECH
AROUSES PROTEST
New York Dinner Talk Did
Not Make Hit
VIEW IS TOO RADICAL
Question Is Now Being Asked How
Far the Vice Presidents Utter
ances Agree With Views
of the President
VIEW is TOO RADICAL
By @. e. STEWART


Washington, April 1S.-(Special lit cam
not be said that the vice president of the
United States made any very big hit with
his Jefferson dinner speech delivered in
New York last Saturday night. The New
York papers declare it to be the utter
ances of an ''alarmist" and characterize
1t as foolish" The New York Times
points out that 1t has been the custom
of our vice presidents to refrain from
public discussion of burning questions"
| and intimated that this would be a good
rule for Mr.. Marshall to follow.
Speaking of the vice presidents warn
by will may be taken away by the repeal
of statutes, the Times says:
1--WE may as well talk of the red Indians
coming to their own again or of the bears
and the wolves eating up the people of
the country as to talk of such an over
throw of our social and political institu-
| tions as Mr. Marshall projects upon the
country from the depths of his not too
profound imagination. When you once
begin to inquire what would happen if
everything was destroyed, you may as
| well give your ldIlCJ litc ltii II WOulQ
be as well for Mr.. Marshall to give his
fancy period of repose."
World Also Disagrees
The World also takes the vice president
to task, and says he should make no
more speeches of such demagogic flavor
3" he should realize that such
speech incites class hatred without re-
forming class discrimination. Such an ap-
peal to the predatory poor only helps the
predatory rich. y Mr.. Marshall
would be doing great deal better to be
at work in washington proving the pro-
testations of the past by exerting his
moral influence in the Senate to secure
the passage of one tariff reduction scfled-
ule than to be making speeches in New
York questioning the right of father to
bequeath his property to his children
Mr. Marshall, however, is undismayed
by the unfavorable comment and the ami
mated discussion he has aroused by the
introduction of his revolutionary IDEAS
He declares that he was not expressing
opinions of his own, but was merely sum
ming up the sentiment which has been
expressed to him by many honest finan-
ciers, lawyers, miners and laborers, men
he had met ON the street cars, on trains
and in all walks of life. He has received
letters from wealthy men commencing his
speech on the possibilities of the future,
and from them and men in humber walks
of life MIR. Marshall has gathered that
there is growing sentiment against the
enormous profits made by the combina-
tions of great capital of monopolistic ma
ture and the promotion profits realized In
such deals as. the consolidation of the
Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad COM
ration.
Action Of Bar Association
Mr.. Marshall points out that it was the
State Bar association of Illinois at one
time recommended that a large part of
estates revert to the state. II have never
recommended such a thing" he says, but
have simply pointed to it to show that
the power to inherit and to devise are
simply privileges given by the state to its
citizens. Men of judgment have expressed
to me the opinion that If a vote was taken
on a proposition to make all estates over
the sum of S10O, 900 revert to the state upon
the death of the owner-the 100000 being
exempted-it would carry two to one"
Mr. Marshall believes that much of the
discomfort and disgust throughout the
country at economic conditions has been
brought about by the exorbitant protect
ton. 1t was first defended on the ground
that the revenue was needed to pay off
the war debt, he says; next the defense
was on the ground it was needed to build
up our infant industries, and still later 1t
was defended as being necessary for the
protection of the workingmans wages.
And finally 1t is put forward as neces-
sary to make up the difference in the
cost of production at home and abroad
with a reasonable profit for the manufac-
turer
urr;x, rI,AtI
difference between the manufacturer VINO
comes to the government for help in MS
business and the poor man who goes TO
the workhouse to ask for help.
"The question is being asked why the
government should be expected to guar
antee profits to the manufacturer when
il does not guarantee the dli1erence IN
the cost of food at home and abroad 70
the consumer with an extra dollar for
rainy day.
"The people were told in the last cam
naign that trusts were natural evolu-
tion. and that the only way to deal with
them was to regulate them. Inc people
are tired of being told such things. what
thew want is the kind of opportunity that
formerly existed in this country.
Fear to Enter Business
Mr. Marshall then pointed out men OF
his acouaintance who had limited capital
but who feared to enter business along
certain line of manufacture because they
would have to compete with trusts who
made the Same goods, and that they had
ben warned that the trusts would drive
them out of business
To one important question uppernost IN
tho minds of many is whether or not Mr.,
Marshalrs utterances--considered most
radical-in any way reflect the views OF
tho administration. The Presidents views
on trust problems have not been exactly
along the line of thought presented py
the vice president. Mr.. Marshall's Speech
~ course. was largely in the nature or a
warming TO big business to 'be good II
tbev did not want to bring all the frlgnt-
f,,l nossibilities he depicted down upon
their heads. What would be of far more
interest TO big business right now would
he an indication of what might be expect
Cd from The department of justice, ana
wbather or not Attorney General Mercy
nolds looked at the situation from the
same angle as the vice president
II is more than probable that they VIII
have 70 wait and see. The administration
saems to be taking one thing at tima
Tariff reduction is the first thing, and Will
come To an end before trust legislation IS
taken nm. and likely before there is much
action from the department of justice.
unless If be to follow up suits already be-
- r., .l,a meantime they will have the