LAD#30: Schenck vs. US

On March 3rd in 1919, Charles Schenck filed a case against the United States of America. The trial was based upon the content of mail shipped by the socialist party in the late second decade of the twentieth century. They claimed that this went against the espionage act of 1917. The chief justice claimed that the defendant was trying to cause the insubordination of the United States armed forces during the Great War. Schenck was a secretary of the socialist party and he sent out over fifteen thousand pamphlets that encouraged young men to dodge the drafting process. The judge ruled against the defendant. The defendant did not have the right to express freedom of speech against the draft. This case established the "clear and present danger" test which lasted until 1969.

LAD#29: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

In 1916, the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act was passed by congress as a way for the government to regulate child labor and interstate commerce. It banned the sale of any items produced in a facility that employed children. In the beginning, this law was deemed unconstitutional because it was thought to overstep the boundaries that the government had set regarding regulation of interstate commerce. The campaign for ratification of a Child Labor Law Amendment was momentarily stalled by those who opposed it, using the opoinions of states' rightists and the idea that this act was a communist-inspired plot. It was not until 1938 that the Anti-Child Labor movement was victorious with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

LAD #28: Wilson's First Inagural

On Tuesday March 4th, 1913, Woodrow Wilson gave his first inaugural address. A majority of congress had become the democratic party. This meant that the fate of the president now rested in the hands of the democrats, leading to some questioning on the part of Wilson. The growth of his political party may have also been interpreted as a warning that the democrats would be pressing the plans and views on the american people. Wilson said that America had squandered a great deal of what it had gained and did not stop to consider the outsome for nature in the long haul. While the nation was very proud of its recent industrial achievements, it disregarded the possible effects on the population. The government had forgotten the people that it was working for, and became private for selfish reasons. Wilson claimed that the job of the typical American was to cleanse, reconsider, restore, and correct the evil without impairing the good. He wished to purify the processes of life without weakening them. America, according to Wilson, had been in such a hurry to be great that they had been heedless. Wilson asked the country to support him and help to bring about change. He wanted to revitalize the nation. The tariff of the nation violated its taxation principles and put the government in the hands of private companies. Reformation was what America needed at this time, not destruction. Wilson summoned all men to come and help him with mustering the forces of the party and humanity and with them at his side, he knew he would not fail.

LAD #27: Clayton Anti-Trust Act

The Clayton Anti-Trust act was designed to try to break up the bad trusts in the United States in the early 1900s. It places many rules and regulations on big business. Businesses could not discriminate against customers. If they did discriminate, the company could be charged. Businesses could also not sell the same item for different prices based upon who was buying it. It was deemed illegal to accept bribes and/or give special deals to select customers or accept a better price. A merchant cannot sell another man's products. If someone is injured on the job, they are allowed to sue the company. If anyone violated these terms,j the could be fined up to $5000 and imprisoned. It was put into effect to decrease the powers of businesses in order to increase the power of the people. It provided for healthy competition and economic prosperity for all.

LAD#26: MLK's "I Have A Dream" Speech

On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gives his famous speech for freedom. He begins by talking about how the slaves were freed by Abraham Lincoln years ago, but blacks are still not truly free. Men and women were issued a check for freedom, but now that check comes back with insufficient funds. He wants to keep pursuing justice along with the members of the Civil Rights Union of America. King and all of his followers demanded a change and freedom. They wanted freedom now, rather than later due to the procrastination of their oppressor, the white man. They would rather see change immediately than a slow change over time. He hopes to obtain equality through a larger non-violent movement. He urges blacks not to have hate in their hearts and not to turn to violence, guns and fists. To him, violence means fighting and unnecessary deaths and cruelty. Blacks must not let these incidents lead them to hate other races and nationalities. With this speech, he speaks out and fights against racial discrimination. The blacks are still fighting for equality and freedom, and will continue to fight until they are content with what they have accomplished.

LAD#25: Dawes Act

The Dawes act was an act that would allow Native American individuals to own their own land within reservations. The land that was to be given out had to do with your age and whether you had a family or not. In the case that there was not enough land for all of the native americans on a certain reserve, the government took many precautions. The Native Americans were given the right to choose what part of land they wanted. When and if two indians chose the same piece of land, it would then be divided into 2 separate pieces and the rest of their land would be in a separate location. If they didn't choose their land within 4 years, an agent would choose for them. Even it a native american did not live on a reservation, they would still recieve their piece of land. All land would be patented and protected by the government. The natives could now be punished for breaking any law, but also protected by the law. Any native american not associated with a tribe had the opportunity to become an american citizen.

LAD#24: Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech

Bryan's cross of gold speech addressed the matter of whether silver should be freely coined at a 16:1 ratio with gold. The speech is opened by Bryan saying that people live and die, but principles are forever and that each day of our lives, we choose which principles to live by. At this time, a group of democrats, called silver democrats, took control of the party and slowly traveled around the country and pushed for the free coinage of silver. The men of the country did not choose to side based on their own personal opinions, but rather the views of their appropriate party. Bryan states that the businessmen of the northeast had too much given to them and they did not think enough about the needs of the common man. He argues that the farmers and miners are just as good as the New England businessmen. He fights for the common man, just like the rest of the country (besides the northeast) because they need the silver to help pay off their debts. He believed that the income tax was good for people and that it was the government's job to be in charge of coining money. A lot of people cared more about the gold issue than the tariff at this time. He urged that we stray away from the gold standard and move towards using both gold and silver.