Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-13

aE OTTUMWA "A. CQURIEl
ton before either II ours. Cut the
tisthmian canal and it is nearer from
New York to Hong Kong via Nicaragua
than from Liverpool to the same point
via the Suez.
We must have the largest merchant
fleet ever kissed by ocean breezes, and
these carriers of international COM
merce must be built of American ma
terial, in American yards, by Ameri-
can labor. They are to be manned by
American sailors, fired by American
coal, or more probably OIL and they
are to float the Stars and Stripes.
4 Whether this will be accomplished
through direct aid or by American pa
triotism and by American energy
cannot say. Whether this consumma-
ton shall be contributed to by states
men or achieved by financiers is imma-
terial compared with the Importance
of the thing itself. American wealth,
American energy, plus Hawaii which
is ours, plus the Philippine Islands,
which are Ours, plus the isthmian ca
nal, which We surely will construct,
plus merchant marine. which we
surely will build, transfers the sover-
eighty of the Pacific ocean from the
Union Jack to the Stars and Stripes.
If the door set ajar in the spring of
/ 1898 by the unanimous vote of both
houses of congress ever swings wider
ION its hinges. the United States will
Ipolice not only the street on which it
lives, but the entire. western hemis-
lphere and with it all countries and all
islands washed by the Pacific
A. B. Elliott, of Whiting, Monona
county: Grain prices will be top.
notchers this year. 1t depends on
Kansas and whether the existing
drouth is broken. If rain comes soon
the Kansas wheat fields are saved, but
;Iif it is delayed many days Iowa will
have to feed the country it's wheat.
The present drouth in Iowa is discour-
aging, but it is too early yet to tell
how much damage has been or will be
done. The recent high winds undoubt,
edly uncovered or blew out much
grain; how much We cannot tell until
the rain comes and the shoots appear
above ground.
Grain prices will be high this fall
however, higher than for many years
past. Wheat went up over two cents
on the market yesterday; corn went up
almost three cents and oats advanced
more than cent The markets this
year are fully ten cents more than
they were this time two years ago and
almost five cents more than this time
last year; the advance will be proper
Itionate in the fall prices.
II -
i Attorney General Knox:-On April
IA, this department directed w. A. Day
at Washington, in his capacity as spe-
cial assistant to the attorney general,
to examine into, so far as practicable
the public charges to the effect that a
combination of large meat dealers in
the United States had been effected
contrary to the provisions of the laws
of the United States.
/ Preliminary examination resulted in
instructions to Day and Bethea, United
States attorney at Chicago, April z, to
prosecute simultaneously in Chicago
and the east more particularly, an ex-
animation into the allegations, and
proofs alleged to exist in support
! thereof.
4 From their reports am satisfied
that sufficient evidence is in hand up.
on which bills in equity for injunction
can be framed to restrain the combi.
nation mentioned from further proceed.
ings under their agreements, which
clearly appear to be in restraint Of in.
lterstate trade. / have therefore, in
compliance with the law which pro.
vides: st shall be the duty of the sew.
eral district attorneys of the United
States in their respective districts un-
der the direction of the attorney gen.
eral, to institute proceedings in equity
Ito prevent and restrain violations of
this act" / directed the district at.
torneys of Chicago to prepare bill
for injunction against the corporations
or persons who are parties to the com.
bination mentioned to be filed in the
United States circuit court for the
northern district of Illinois.
General Frederick Funston-What
said at the banquet of the Colorado
Sons of the American Revolution last
Saturday night made distinction be-
tween two classes of people: the first,
the demagogues who did not believe
what they were saying; the other, the
class of people to which the senior
senator from Massachusetts belongs
who did believe what they were say
ling, were practically sincere, but were
suffering from overheated conscious
ness; that is, they were too sincere.
Instead of criticising Senator Hoar
to pay him compliment on being sc
sincere, intended to keep off the sub
ject entirely. but General Hale's in
PRODUCTION was such that it compelled
! me to say something on the Philippine
war.
In regard to my leave of absence. in
order that might attend the Middle
sex club banquet at Boston, made
the application one evening, but de
partment matters came up next morn
ing that made it impossible for me tc
leave here. Therefore 1 telegraphet
withdrawing my application made the
night before and before the war de
partment had time to act upon it.
, The banquet of the Middlesix club in
Boston is to be given April 26. had
received within one week ten tele
grams, three in one day, urging me
tn attend Senator Lodge was very