The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-07-01

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arose as to the admission of Roberts
as member of the house from
Utah. Roberts professed and prac-
ticed polygamy. On the moral phase
Of the question Judge Griggs said in
opening his speech g Coming
as I do from that section where, in
the language of the gentleman from
Indiana, honor is religion, where gal
lantry is law, and virtue the high
ideal of beautiful womanhood, it is
unnecessary for me to indulge in a
philippe against Roberts or dta-
tribe against the horrors of polyga-
my. The opinion of the Southern
people on this question is as firmly
fixed as christianity itself. and there
| Is no member here from any one of
the states of that section, or indeed,
from any section, who believes or
will vote that a polygamist ought to
hold a seat in this house" The SEN
timents expressed in these early
speeches was the best sentiment of
his district and the South. The pa
triotism which they so eloquently
proclaimed was as wise as it was
lofty. The gifted eloquence with
which his sentiments were expressed
ranks with the best specimens of
forensic eloquence in our history
and marked him at the threshold of
his career as one of the foremost
men of his party anywhere in the
country. These words spoken when
and where they were, if his life had
ended then, justified this monument
to his memory.
I have said that the election of Nc
Kinley in 1896, the passage in 1897
of the Dingley tariff, the complete
overthrow of the democratic party
under Mr.. Cleveland, presented new
issues growing out of new conditions
that were to be largely worked out by
younger generation of men. The
Dingley tariff was prohibittve tar
if as to whatever was or could be
manufactured in this country, and
under it monopoly fourished as
green bay tree. The interstate COM
merce commission had power to say
that rate was unjust, but no power
to fix or enforce just rate. Indus
! trial concerns combined with trans
! portation companies to fix rates,
grant and receive rebates, to enrich
themselves by destroying rivals in
business, whether men or cities. The
| Sherman antitrust law was dead
letter. No attorney general of those
days gave it a thought. Mark A.
Hanna, the Blue Beard of American
politics, was in the senate and was
premier in McKinley's councils. The
fact that he had nominated and
elected Mckinley on the two issues
of the tariff and the gold standard
insured the supremacy of Wall street
in conjunction with the tariff barons.
The Spanish war came on and fur
nished the pretext for appealing to
the patriotism of the country, and
while the new generation busted it.
self with the sports of foreign war
the interests fastened their fangs
deeper into the vitals of the masses.
The rural mails were delivered on in
frequent schedules under the infamy
of star route contracts; INSCRIPTIONS
publishers and advertisers weighted
the mails at the peoples expense
with all manner of publications from
the North American Review to patent
medicine almanacs, carried at loss
to the people of seven cents per
pound. All the taxes were levied on
consumption, and the burden fell
most heavily upon that class of the
people least able to pay. Army and
navy contracts had their share of
corrupt exactions. The annexation
of the Sandwich Islands in the inter-
est of sugar producers under a guise
of tie national defense presented the
question of the assimilation of alien
and semi-civilized peoples in nom
contiguous territory. The Treaty of
Paris included sovereignty over the
Philippines, 10000 miles across the
seas and embracing 100000 OF
aliens, chiefly Malays and mainly
savage. These presented the prob
lem first to be conquered, then CIV
ilized, then absorbed or assImilated.
Mckinley defended these departures
from cur traditional! policy with a
phrase, "Who will haul down the
fag?" and masked the purpose OF
spoilation with another phrase, Be
Inevolent assimilation. All of this
is history and is now seen by look
ling backward. But to Griggs, then
Just 81 years old, with such equip
ment for public service as we have
seen, it was all looking forward. He
must act, and quickly, and without
precedent; he must act under the dis
couragement of party minority, but
must act withal to stand the test
of right-nationaI honor, the ulti-
mate welfare of his country. Meas
uring to the responsibilities upon him
he must be a statesman. The war
for independence presented issues