The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-10-24
IMPROVING
WATERWAYS



foundation. The Secretary Of Agri
culture has repeatedly announced tia
in his opinion the money should he ex
pended for the distribution of seed
actually rare and valuable The Law
specs qans Sugls!ldoidds iQ iIss,, ssg.
-lnls ssalSuoo anq 'Aou laene lagl ol :
and then sends out car load after ca
load of the commonest variety Of corn
pumpkin, squash and turnip seed. Thi
is no fault ot the Department Of Agri
culture. So long as Congress insists
on these 4o,OoOoO0 packets of seeds
the Department win continue sending
them out. Butt takes no pride il
being forced to represent as new va.
rieties. seeds which have been on the
Market thirty years.
'The seedsmen are not against the
distribution of really rare and valuable
seeds, but ar determinedly opposed to
the government giving away to any one
who wants them, and to great many
who do not, hundreds of tons of stand
ard varieties OF seeds. even at the risk
Of appearing selfish. Strange to say
the seed merchants resent Congressman
what they have for sale. If the Con-
gressmen bought the seeds themselves
would not object, forr there would be
nothing to object to, Everyne knows
that the Congressman who are the
loudest in behalf of the horny-handed
farmer. who has cookie burs in his
Tennessee, describes them, when free
seeds are to be had at the expense of
the government would laugh at the
suggestion that they personally buy
what seeds they wanted to give away.
Representative Gaines, the great free
seed leader, after giving a great guam
tity of seeds to one of his constituents
who distributed them to persons who
fed him anda his horse, turned down
the request Of poor widow in his
district rather than spend twenty-five
or fifty cents in purchasing her the
seeds she asked for. When the SEQ
dealers heard of this case they contrib
uted enough seed to last the woman
for life. The woman had no horse and
no vote. If Mr.. Gaines could have OBJ
tanned the seeds for her at the expense
doubtless sent them to her. The action
of the Farmers National Congress fol
lows that Of the National Grange and
is being supported by hundreds of
Oranges and Horticultural Societies,
Farmers Clubs, etc In the face of
this conclusive evidence that the far
mers want new seeds instead of prize
penny packages Congress will have to
get a new excuse If it continues this
practice. The seed dealers are deter
mined to fight the popcorn and radish
seed distribution until the government
either abandons it, or takes over the
the seed business of the country. If
we are going to give the farmer his
seed, let us do it right, and give him
all his seeds and then buy the railroads
and haul his products to market free.
That program ought to appeal to Mr.
Gaines.n 4
The Supreme court is faced by some
new and knotty problems in the case
of Sheriff. John T. Shipp of Hamilton
county, Tennessee. who is charged
with contempt of court. along with
number of his deputys, in not prevent
ing the lynching of a negro named Ed.
johnson. tried and convicted of rape.
A number Of citizens are also charged
with contempt in being members of the
mob. The case is novel in that the Su-
preme Court has original jurisdiction
and as contempt is question of fact
and not of law, testimony may be ad-
duced. Counsel for Sheriff Shipp and
his deputies contend that Johnson had
no appeal to the Supreme Court, and
therefore Justice Harlan erred in
granting the appeal. Consequently, as
johnson was not under the protection
of the Court no attempt can be made
out. In case the Court overules this
point, his counsel will endeavor TO
prove that the Sheriff did what he
could to protect the prisoner, and
therefore was not in contempt. Coun-
sci for the other defendants rest upon
the contention as to the appeal and
also offer sworn statements of their
clients that they had no hand whatever
in the lynching Of Johnson. They
accepted as conclusive and if the court
is not satisfied then the defendants
must be prosecuted for perjury.
Such prosecution would take the case
out of the hands of the Supreme Court.
it is believed. Counsel assured your
Correspondent they would have little
difficulty in defending their clients
against a charge of perjury. Should
the Court decide that Johnson's appel
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