LAD #27: Clayton Anti-Trust Act

It described to start as a law to coincide with existing laws against the restriction of commerce and monopolistic practices. In Section 2 it states that in any territory of the United States, if a product has its priced discriminated against the consumer for the purpose of hindering commerce and building a monopoly is illegal. This is not to be misinterpreted and all those who vary prices for the consumer based off of grade, quality, or quantity of the commodity sold and have their prices based off of the practices of fair competition. Also, those selling one on one goods with a selective customer policy shall not be effected unless otherwise restraining trade. In Section 3 the issue of preferential commercial relations and outlaws all leases and sales of contracts for the exclusive ability to sell the specific good. As a result, no rebates, agreements, conditions, or fixed price rates are permitted between these companies. This is permitted if the lessee is not involved in the industry with which he is leasing, and if he/she is then if the relationship effects non member partners detrimentally and attempts to provide a monopoly it is outlawed. Lastly, Section 7 states that no corporation may own or sell stock with another corporation in commerce with it that tends to relate the companies substantially and start a monopoly.

LAD #26: Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech"

Dr. King leads off by immediately bringing up the Emancipation Proclamation and how it supposedly "freed" the slaves, while to this day the "Negro" is not free. He uses an analogy that the black population has come to Washington to "cash a check" written by the founding fathers and outlined in the unalienable rights guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence. But in essence this check has bounced as America has failed to give up these rights to the population. Continuing on he believes that the bank is not bankrupt, that justice can be lent out and that is why they were marching on Washington that day. His eloquence flows on by stating that it is time to deter gradualism and bring about the rapid change that democracy was founded on, to provide the security of justice to the undermined population. He states somewhat  out of person that this is the beginning and that the Negro's rights will be pursued vigorously until they are fulfilled as the molders of our nation had ensured. Still though, he advocates his policy of civil disobedience so that they may not drink "from the cup of bitterness and hatred". He states that no black man must be satisfied until his rights are guaranteed and protected. He says those who were victimized and are left slumming in the ghettos, remain and protest, as how is the protest to take place from the heart of the injustices? Then he states his dream of the American dream. His dream that someday the Declaration will be verified, and that men of color and white men may share a table, that Mississippi might be an "oasis of freedom", that he children might not be judged by their skin, that racist Alabama might allow kids of white and black to walk hand in hand down the street, and that the Lord might take pride in every valley and hill of this free land. He says yes this is my dream! This is the dream that shall bind the brotherhoods together so that the America may join together and sing the true meaning of "My Country Tis of Thee", which he proceeds to end his speech with in song.

LAD #25: Dawes Severalty Act of 1877

The Dawes Act, approved on February , 1887, was enacted as a continuation of the policy or creating and populating Indian reservations. In order to carry out this goal, the government set up a set of procedures that would allot tracts of reservation land to families themselves for "ownership" while the lands still fall within the domain of the United States. The Dawes Act aimed to populate these reservations in a more cooperative manner by giving one-quarter section to each head of family (and descendants), one-eighth of a section for either any person over eighteen years of age or any orphan younger than eighteen, and one-sixteenth of any other person younger than eighteen who may have been born prior to the creation of Presidential allotment of lands for reservations. Many other beneficial aspects were enacted such as a set of grazing lands when an allotment became specified for that purpose. In order to keep the peace lines were to be drawn by those receiving the allotments along the specified boundaries, and if these were not drawn in four years and agent of the government would step in a etch the boundaries himself. Land purchases were not deemed final though, as the United States retained control over them in an event of need. Citizenship was granted to the Indians to ensure that they would not be discriminated against and held basic American rights despite being on these purchased reservations. This act however did not apply to all such as the many displaced nations under Jackson's administration as well as those from the Seneca Nation or within New York. Also, the act contains no protection of Indian lands from being traversed by railroads, telegraph lines, or other public uses as decreed by Congress.

LAD #23 and #24: The Populist Party Platform and "Cross of Gold" Speech

#23: The Populist Party rose as a reaction to the big business practices and pro-business government policies of the late 1800s. Its platform was a claim to support the common man of America or agrarian society. The preamble is an attack on how big business has thwarted the hopes of safety or advancement of the poor urban work. They also call for a currency backed with silver, as it allows for poorer Americans to become better off and it allows for agricultural products to have more success in the market and consequently supports a strong contingent of the population. They hope to embrace the democratic process in American government which had long been lost to the corrupt and monetary government that taken control during this Gilded Age.  In their second section they declare there policies and standing, followed by resolutions. they stand for a legal unionizing of labor forces, coinage of silver and gold in currency at a value ration of 16:1, and also the government ownership and operation of the railroads, telephone, and telegraph. Also land should never be monopolized by alien owners for the purposes of business speculation, but should belong to the rightful owners and used to create wealth that rightfully belongs to the creator/ laborer. They also resolve for a free and fair ballot, fair and liberal pensions for ex-Union soldiers, and stand for an overall sympathy with labor organizations and pleas (shorter workday, better pay, better conditions).  


#24: In William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech to the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1896, he successfully integrated the values of the Populist Party, most notably concerning the platform of bimetallism, the concept that both gold and silver should be coined by the U.S. mint. Bryan clearly states that the Democratic policies are not supposed to be an attack upon Republican policies, but only an attempt to reassert a government for the common person and all for the economic interest of all. Then the true defense of Democrats is formulated as Republican claims against bimetallism as it would hurt the American economy are hypocritical as Republican policies had destroyed the "common economy" of agrarian and poorer society. Also, the Democratic graduated income tax law is defended as in order to be supported and protected by any government, each must pay their own fair tax to support the government itself, a basic democratic principle. In terms of the national bank, Bryan surprisingly coincides with the party's drastic platform and sees the bank as something not beneficial for an American economy. The government should control the currency not the banks, and he considers himself Jeffersonian in this ideal. In the end he bashes the Republicans for running on a platform the gold standard with McKinley, but internally working a deal for a bimetal backing. Why would one say the gold standard is the correct practice when the aim is to replace it? He ends by stating it could be due to a European influence over an American government, and successfully brings Populist support under the Democratic umbrella.

LAD #22: McKinley's War Message

President McKinley's war message to Congress called for the immediate intervention of America forces to end the civil hostilities between Cuba and Spain. He asked that this should be done for the sake of all humanity so that the atrocities suffered by Cuba might be ended. The war also was deemed a detriment to American trade and investment and he urged any sort of intervention as opposed to none. He even called for neutral intervention in which the United States serves as a biased mediator, as long as formal annexation of Cuba is avoided. If we should come to arms he would support the rebels to save them from the horrific punishments of which they have been victims. Intervention justified a four step process. The first two ask for the government to recognize the close proximity that war would merit and that the United States respect these human rights so as to not gain hostile neighbors. Thirdly, the United States is called to arms when its values are challenged and it as a nation is affected. Lastly, as the United States is so intertwined with the ongoings in Cuba, it is hard to ignore how the United States is being called to action, including the events of the USS Maine as justification.