The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-01
Cummings Rips
McLean's G.. O. P.
Argument to Tatters
Continued from Page ~

Continued from Page ~
'I have listened with close and re-
spectful attention to the address of the
brilliant senator from Connecticut. l
have been much impressed by many
Of the things that he has said. But in
all frankness I must be permitted to
suggest that there are two outstanding
things about his address which seem
to be strikingly significant.
'In the first place, throughout all
his speech I do not find one word Of
praise, one word of commentator, or
even one word of sympathy for the
man who has had placed upon his
shoulders more burdens than have
fallen to the lot Of any president since
Abraham Lincoln. Surely, Senator,
something must have happened in the
three and q half years during which
the ship of state has been guided
through troubled waters that entities
the President to some small word of
praise, even from political opponent.
He is your President, Senator, and he
is my President, and he is President Of
the United States and is entitled at
least to the sympathy of his fellow
of the history Of the world
"And the second thing that I no
ticed about the address of the dis
tinguished and adroit gentleman is
that he appears to be entirely uncon-
scious OF what has been going on in
the world during the last decade. He
seems to be entirely unconscious Of
those impulsive forces which are NOV
ing men to demand a larger share Of
life and of liberty and Of happiness in
the world. He seems to be oblivious
to the great social movement that has
been going on in America during these
recent years. He seems to have fail
ed to understand that the Republican
party had become SO welded to the
privileged classes of America and so
under the domination of men like
Reed Smoot and Boies Penrose and
Gallinger and Barnes and Murray
Crane and Aldrich and the rest that it
was utterly incapable Of serving the
people OF the United States. He seems
to have forgotten that in 1912 the Re-.
publican party broke into two parts
because it's leadership had become so
corrupt that the forward looking Re-
publicans could tolerate it no longer.
'"The Democratic party has been en-
trusted with power and under the
leadership of our great President we
have put through a program Of pro-
gressive legislation which the senator
in his opening remarks has not even
touched upon. What we have been
trying to do in America was to bring
the government of the United States
up to date. The Republican party has
utterly failed to appreciate the neces-
sity for progressive legislation.
And most curiously under the lead
ership of our great and progressive
President, these measures of reform
received in almost every instance Re-
publican support.
eft ts an interesting thing to note
the votes in the Senate and in the
House upon all these progressive
measures Of legislation
Mr. Cummings then enumerated
various pieces of progressive legisla-
ton, passed under this administration,
all Of which received Republican sup
port in both houses. The list includ-
ed: The Ship Purchase Bill, the Sea-
mems Law, the Clayton Antitrust
Act, the Philippine Bill, the Agricul
tura1 Extension Act, the War Revenue
and Tariff Commission Act the Child
Labor Bill, the Anti-Injunction Act,
the Federal Trade Commission Act, the
Good Roads Bill, the Income Tax
Law, the Rural Credits Bill, the
Warehouse Act, the Workmen's Com
pensation Act and others.
s1T,Ia Tndorol pocarxa nj y.ooo;unI
Republican support. It is astonishing
to me that the Senator would go
through his opening address without
act Of legislation that has been passed
in America in a generation continu
ed Mr.. Cummings.
1.-THE Federal Reserve Act released
the currency system of our country
from the nightmare of a panic that
has brooded over it since the Repub-
lican party has been in power. We
have had panfcs in this country every
once in a while because of our made
quate currency system. We had a
panic in 1878 brought about by the
failure Of Jay Cooke & Co. We had
a panic in 1884 when Ward & Grant
failed. We had panic in 1893 when
Barring Brothers went to the wall
1--WE had panic in 1907 when Mr..
Roosevelt was president and it was
brought about by the attempts Of Mr..
Heinze to corner the copper market
of the world. The Knickerbocker
Trust Co. became involved and it
went into bankruptcy and within 48
hours the national banks Of America
had ceased to pay out money.
There never has been a panic in
America, there never has been a panic
in America, except when the Repub-
lican party was in power or Republi-
can laws were on the statute books,
and I challenge the Senator to dis
pute it.
"They talk about the panic Of 1903
when the Republican tariff law was
still upon the statute books and be-
fore the Democratic law had even
been passed. In 1907 they had undis-
puted control Of all branches of the
government and yet suddenly and
swiftly, like a typhoon in the China
seas, came this cataclysmic disturb
ance Of the financial system of
America.
''The Republican boast and boast
and boast that they understand the
business of the country. I say to you
with all seriousness that they have
neglected the business of this country
for more than a generation. I say to
you that the great prosperity of our
country ought to have come to us
wears before If our Republican friends