davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
Editorial Section.
The Car Shor tage Inquiry.

1t would be unsafe to undertake 80
forecast the result Of the hearing I'd
commence in this city tomorrow by the
Interstate commerce commission. Two
of the members Of that commission are
here to inquire concerning the failure
OF the railroads to render satisfactory
service to the northwest public. They
are brought here by such knowledge of
conditions as has been made public thru
hi Journal during the past two
weeks. They want further information
and to this end have sent agents into
the field to develop facts and present
them at the hearing. Congressman Mar
shall of North Dakota, at the request
of the commission, has also been en-
gagged for week collecting informa-
tion. g-.. s,aN
That deplorable condition of things
exists is no longer disputed. Whether
1t could have been avoided, and how, is
what the commission wants to know. It
is not clear that after it has developed
the "why' that it can declare the
"how.' It may not be within the
power of the interstate commerce com
mission by any official order to compel
such, Improvement of the railroad SER
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
Iceland's New FLAG.

Denmark seems by no means to have
settled "the Icelandic question:, by its
recent concessions to the elsie Of snow
and fire. The islanders seem deter
mined upon eventually obtaining prac.
teal independence, with the common
kingship of Frederick as the only bond
to Denmark. The latest movement is
for an Icelandic flag, thus paralleling
Norway's demand for "clean tiag,,
in the days before the crisis, when ultra
patriots flew a flag from which the
Swedish cross had been removed. The
flag proposed for Iceland is a white
cross on a blue field. If this were a
local flag and bore upon it evidence of
Denmark s sovereignty, the point would
doubtless be yielded at Copenhagen.
But as it is supposed to be. the .intens
ton to use the flag as national symbol
in all waters, the project may be We.
toed
Another symptom Of insular indie.
.pe l1E n, is the dropping Of the move.
ment to erect a statue to the late King
Christian at Reykjavik, on the ground
that the first monument to be erected
on Iceland's territory should not be
in honor Of a Danish king, but. rather
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
EllIi7t1li 1alllf

vice as theEsituation requires, but there
are other influences available which are
quite as potent in the long run as any
power that may be possessed by the
Interstate commerce commission. Pub
lie opinion, common sense of what is
fair and right, the universal judgment
as to whether the railroads have been
rendering reasonable services and have
been meeting legitimate demands as far
as possible are factors in this case.
Theories of railroad operation will
also be made the subject Of inquiry,
and more will be known as to whether
the practice of economy in operation
has been carried to an unreasonable ,ex-
tent at the expense Of great loss and
suffering on the part Of the people. It
will be worth while to develop the facts
along this line and to lay them before
the public whether it appears that the
interstate commerce commission has
any power to compel better service by
official order. If the case is clear, if
it appears that economies in railroad
management have been carried to an
unreasonable extreme and they are to
blame largely, if not entirely, for pres
emit conditions, the public will find the
way to do the rest.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
What Other People Think
First High School Class,

To the Editor Of The Journal.
read with more than ordinary inter-
est the account of the recent High school
alumni meeting in your Saturdays issue.
see that C. D. Harmon claims that the
first class graduated from the high
school was in '6S. That was the first
class graduated in the regular commence
ment fashion, but how about the classes
prior to that date who completed the pre-
scribed four years course and were
thereby prepared to enter eastern coll
leges? Do they not deserve some recog-
milton? Some Of US have not forgotten
the proud and happy day when the first
schoolhouse in Minneapolis was COM
pleted. It is safe to say that no grand
edifice will ever be erected in this city
that will appear so majestic and impos-
ing in our eyes as did this our first
schoolhOuse. The date of its opening
was 1858, and the location the block
where the city hall now stands. It was
built of brick and contained ten rooms.
Two Of these were set apart for the use
OF the first Minneapolis high school. The
hrst principal was Professor George B.
Stone, one of the noblest men that ever
graced the profession. The pupils had
come from all over the country, and all
with different books, and it was no easy
task to classify and arrange them, but
Erolessor Stone was great organizer.
quietly and without apparent effort the
work was accomplished and almost before
| we realized 1T Minneapolis had one of the
best and most thoroly disciplined graded
schools in the country The first class
-, graduated in 1862 and consisted of five
members, Frank Coo1baugh, now an
Episcopalan clergyman; George Pond,
son of Gideon Pond the celebrated In
dian missionary; George Jewett, Lewellyn
| Morgan and myself. Two of the class,
Frank Coolbaugh and George Pond, en-
tered colleges.
The closing days of our school life in
the old high school were stirring ones.
We were in the midst of the Indian out
break and the pangs of civil war. One
OF our number, Lewellyn Morgan en-
| listed and served thru the war; and dur
hing G. A. R. week it was a happy priy-
| llege to behold him proudly marching. at
the head of the Vermont delegation. We
| nave always claimed the honor of being
! the first class graduated from the Min
neapol1s high school. tho we have no di-
plomas to show for it. We hope the
alumni will at least allow us to becoms
| honorary members of their association.
Mrs. Charles Cooley.
1874 West Fourteenth street.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
Scattering the Reichstag Tribe.

The more the German crisis is studied
the more momentous does it appear, not
merely for the future of the fatherland,
but for the peace of Europe. While
the refusal of the reichstag to vote ad-
ditional appropriations for prosecuting
the colonial wars in southern Africa is
the immediate occasion for the crisis
produced by the imperial order for dis
solution, it is we'll understood that much
more is at stake than the kaiser IS colo
NAL policy. Behind it all looms the ir-
repressible conflict between autocracy
and democracy. : $780,
The reichstag occupies a rather anon
alous position in the German scheme Of
government. Elected by popular vote,
it has control of appropriations and may
veto the kaiser s, plans for legislation.
But still it possesses no real function
of government-making, as that function
is exercised by the British house of
commons, for instance. The German
ministry is responsible, not to the reich
stag, but to the kaiser alone. When
the reichstag declined to approve fur
Their expenditure Of German blood and
German treasure to subdue the fighting
| blacks, William the Sudden wired to
his .chaneellor from his hunting lodge:
'This is fine sort of government;
scatter the whole tribe to the four
winds.''
That was royal and magnificent. But
1t may prove the sorriest step the i'm
pulsive kaiser has ever taken. It means
a final break with the clerical, or CEN
ter party, which by it's numbers and
compact organization has won COM
handing position for the German Catho-
lies. The center has been an invalu-
able ally in helping carry out the i'm.
perial plans, but it is now hopelessly
estranged. The greatest danger to the
autocracy, however, lies in the steady
growth of the socialist party of the
left. At every election Of recent years
1t has gained new seats and its leaders
are confident that, in spite of the stir
ing appeals that will be made to Ger
man pride and German patriotism in
the new elections, they will make dec
sive gains.
1t the new reichstag proves more OBJ
durate than the old one, the kaiser will
be IN far worse case than if he had not
forced the issue. Such result will
mean long step toward the establish.
ment of true parliamentary government
in Germany. It was by their control
Of the nations purse that the English
commons of England forced from un.
willing kings the successive concessions
that rounded out parliamentary liberty
in that country. The reichstag's con-
troll of the budget may yet give it the
whiphand over the kaiser and his
bureaucrats. When the day comes that
ministry cannot stand in Germany I'm.
less in accord with the majority of the
sreichstag, there will be changes in the
attitude Of Germany toward the other
powers that will prove of far-reachinp
| consequence. ...5.<
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
A Way to End Injustice.

Lawson Purdy's utterances on the
subject Of taxation are always illumi-
mating, and those given in T lie
Journal today from his Columbus
speech will be of peculiar interest in
this state just now, when we have
wiped out constitutional limitations
and are preparing to reform our tax
system according to modern and scien-
tiflc principles. Mr.. Purdy is presi-
dent Of the department. of taxes and
assessments of the city of New York
and a missionary in the cause Of tax
reform. His voice was heard in our
state capitol during the memorable ex.
ira session of 1902, and now Minnesota
has come around to what he then advo.
Gated, almost absolute removal Of re.
strictions from the legislature on the
subject of taxation.
In Mr.. Purdy's speech he makes a
point worthy Of attention, in favor of
the theory of local option in taxation
This plan, which has been put in par,
tial operation in the state Of Oregon
parcels out the state revenue needed
after special taxes are collected, to the
several counties. 1t is not divided &C.
cording to assessed valuation, but &C.
cording to the amount of tax paid in
each county for. local purposes. Mr..
Purdy9 calls it a "political income
tax Under such system it makes
no difference to the state at large what
the assessment of any particular coun-
ty may be, or how its taxes are raised.
A state board Of equalization is super
fuous. AS Mr.. Purdy points out, this
system puts an end to conflicts be-
tween the city and the country over as
sessments.
This has been one Of the most griev-
GUS evils in the old system, and consid-
cradle feeling has been aroused here by
the action of a state board on which
Minneapolis has only one representa-
tive, making what local business men
consider an unjust assessment of their
properties. Local government in this
regard would wipe out all such fric-
tion. It would even permit each county
tox determine how to rate different
classes of property, and where the bur
den should be made lighter or heavier.
Minnesota is raising more money for
state purposes each year by special
corporation taxes, and state authori-
ties are predicting that before long a
direct levy for state purposes will be
unnecessary. Mr.. Purdy calls atten-
ton to the fact that a tax raised solely
by arbitrary levies on special interests
will go up or down with the rise and
fall3sof business activity. It will
change regardless of the states needs,
and It needs to be supplemented BY a
direct levy that will give the. necessary
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
A Dream or a Memory?

To the Editor of The Journal.
In your publication of Dec. 9 you crit.
lclze Mr.. Bryan for merely picturing out
historical fact. You say:
MT. Bryan is back at the charge that the
president has stolen democratic issues with a
picture In the Commoner showing a republican
boy taking bite out Of a democratic boy,s
apple. The bite is labeled Income tax Mr..
bryan has very distressed time with those
made any use.
am curious to know what benefit it
is TO L n u n a to persist in max
ing such unfair and misleading state.
ments.
h ] ourn al knows better than
most of its readers that the democratic
party did not only dream of an in
come tax, but that the last democratic
congress passed an income tax law That
was in 1884, and it was declared uncon-
st1tutlonal by the votes of suprema
judges appointed to that position by re-
publican presidents.
or that law and the subsequent de-
cision President Roosevelt in his recent
message to congress has the following to
say:
The question is undoubtedly very intricate
delicate and troublesome The decision NJ III,
court was only reached by one majority. It IN
tne law or the land and Of course is accented
as suen and Loyalty obeyed by all good citizens.
court as Whole in coming to a conclusion.
when considered together with the previous de-
clslons on the subject. may perhaps Indicate tbs
possibility of devising a constitutional income
tax law which shall substantially accomplish
tne results aimed at. The difficulty of amend.
ing the constitution Is so great that ONLY real
necessity can justify resort thereto. Every
enort should be made in dealing with this
subject, as with the subject of the proper con-
troll by the national government over the use Of
corporate wealth in interstate business to devise
legislation which without such action shall at
tain the desired end but if this fails, there win
ultimately be no alternative to a constitution,I
amen dment.
After reading the above portion Of the
presidents message it Is evident to mn
that the president views the decision OF
the supreme court with suspicion, ana
while not wishing to openly criticize thu
court, knowing that no good could pos
sloly come OF it, he has plainl written
between the lines his personal views Of
the decision.
mus has one more democratic "drean,'
been stamped with approval by a repub-
l1can president who prizes his democratic
honesty above republican perfidy.
Lake Park, Iowa. Ira l.. Brefle.
But that democratic dream" NAV hav,
been only recollection. An income tar
was collected in this country during the
war; and it was imposed by a republican
congress.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
The Station Agent.
o the Editor Of The Journal,

To the Editor Of The Journal
In your issue of the 7th you make a
very practical hit in your, editorial or,
"Underpafd Postoffice Clerks It struck
me that you might also make a good
editorial along the same line on under
paid railroad agents and operators. II
is certainly shameful, the manner in
which they are treated. To Illustrate =
orlng to mind man in that capacitv
VINO has worked for the Milwaukee, svs-
tenn eighteen years, one whose work ia
or the BEST receiving $50 a month. and
has charge, without any assistance. OF
the freight, ticket, telegraph, baggage
ana express work, the duties of which
require his attention from $50 am. tin
~ or IL o'clock at night. 1t is very evil
aent that man that is efficient in all
these departments has got to have Soma
ability, and it requires much time and
service to become such, and with tbe
present cost of living a man with a fam.
NY dependent on him has no chance "a
exist and make both ends meet. They
can pay a laborer on the construction
gang S2.75 per day, but $3.50 for the
agent is the best they can do. There !.
no wonder why men in this line of WORK
are SO scarce. "A Subscriber.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
What Next2

70 the Editor of The Journal
l confess to certain degree of adn,ir.
alton for AIDES exquisite nonsense ana
OF late he has been writing some ..donen
Tor the Saturday Evening Post thai 10 -
fairly high literary order. But II doc.
give me great pain to read his desecna.
tons Of such hallowed romances an
Maud Muller and rip Van wink,s :.
and as he has just commences ~.
butchery along this line I presume he
will continue his quasi-humorous icono-
clasms on most of our classical folklore.
Where is he going to stop? Soon, per-
haps, we shall read that AIDE or some
ingenious prototype has prepared for
the saffron-hued supplement an up-to-
date version of the journey of the Three
Wise Men to Bethlehem or a Sides split
ting modernization of the Search for the
Holy Grail, with all the consummate ART
istry and all the vernacular of the street
and barroom blended. and served siz-
cling hot for the Sunday supplement-
readers.
It seems to me that there is abundant
material in this ''vale of wrath and
tears to keep the Sunday supplement-
humorists going without thus desecra ting
the best legendary In our American IT.
erature. Daniel Whetstou.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16


The board Of education Of Chicago has
ordered high school principals to prohibit
frat" members from participating in
high school athletics, or representing the
student body in any official way. The
rule also prohibits fraternities from
meeting in the school buildings. In a
former effort to enforce similar rule
the board OF education was stopped by
an injunction. Since then, however,
there have been court decisions that
seem to give the board the power It
seeks A committee of school principals
which has made three years inyesti-
cation OF high school fraternities and
sororities, recently pronounced them
"undelnocratic in their nature, democrat
ling in their tendencies, and subyersive
of good citizenship" The action Of the
board looks like the doom Of the .'frats''
In Chicago.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16

to some national character Of the golden
days when iceland was free and indie.
pendent. = u - ,- -
A more serious matter, because it af-
fects an important industry, is the
movement to treat Danes as outland-
ers'' as regards fishing in Icelandic
waters. This is resented at Copenhagen,
in view Of the fact that Danish
cruiser has been maintained in Ice
landic waters to protect the native
fishermen from encroachment of for
eigners.
Altogether, it is evident that if Ice
land is to be retained as can INSOFAR
able part of the Danish monarchy
questions such as these must be handled
with deftness.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
Consistent, Perhaps, but Inhuman.

Had it not been for Senator Spooner
the senate would probably have adopt
ed a few days ago, a resolution ex-
pressing the view that our government
ought to unite with the governments of
Europe in an inquiry as to conditions
in the Congo Free State and the truth
of the charges Of outrage, mutilation
and murder of the natives committed
by the agents Of the rubber companies
operating under concessions granted by
King Leopold of Belgium. liz
Senator Spooner suggested that it
might be well to consider whether the
proposed resolution was not calculated
to involve this country in European
controversies, against which the senate
had recently resolved while considering
the Algeciras incident.
By refusing to respond to the appeal
which the sufferings Of the people Of
the Congo make to the civilized world,
we may be consistent with some recent
ly declared intentions not to NEEDLE in
affairs which belong to the nations Of
Europe, but we shall be guilty of shut
ting our ears to the most pitiful APP
peal of defenseless and cruelty wronged
people that has ever been made by the
weak to the strong.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
THE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL.

and the r.' summary discharge Of the one
who W .. refused to testify before the civil
service & ornmission. The case viii prob
ably be appealed and it VIII be settled
oy theSeourts whether theEunion or the
clvh service commission runs the FIRE
department. Meanwhile the Chicago pa
pers are indulging in a good deal Of spec
ulation as to what would be the result II
the IRE department should be called upon
to put out q fire in an unfair or boy
cotted institution. s#
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16

something of the same spirit of waste
ful extravaganza seen in the denudation
OF the pine forests of this country is
noted by Professor j. E. Todd, former
STATE geoiogist of South Dakota, In the
constantly heavy drafts made upon the
wonderful artesian basin underlying a
large portion of the sunshine state. In
an article on the northwest news page
or this issue Professor Todd shows that
the subterranean waters are being wasted
and that it Is only question of time
when they will subside. Special interest
attatches> to that part of his statement
which relates to state regulation and
control so that the life of the great basin,
so necessary to the well-being of the peo-
pie OF the prairies, may be prolonged.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
THIS DATE IN HISTORY
DEG. is.

DEG. Is.
1653-cromwell became lord pro-
tector.
1773-cargo Of taxed tea destroyed
at Boston.
17s2-Abbott Lawrence, founder OF
Lawrence Scientific School. born.
Died Aug. 1s. 1855.
1s35-Great fire In New York;
s2o,ooo,ooo property loss.
1s62--GeneraI Burnslde's army re-
moved to north side OF Rappahan-
mock.
1892-charIes de Lesseps arrested
for completely In Panama canal
frauds.
fs97--vvilliam Terriss. an eminent
English actor. murdered.
1s01-lsthmian canal treaty rati-
fled by United States senate.
feo2-Franchise granted Pennsyi-
vanIa railroad for great tunnels un.
der North and East rivers. New
York.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16
WHERE LOVE is

When come home at night, and she,
My wife, with old-time, girlish art
Meets me- and folds her hand in mine
And says: ''The day was long, dear heart"
Then does my day again grow bright,
And life once more seems strangely sweet
While all the cares that thronged my way
Have turned to blossoms at my feet.
What matter that across the way
My neighbor dimes on princely fare?
dine on herbs with love and-Her,
king-what do I know Of care?
Florence Jones in Men and Women
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16

Nippon was matched against China In
Chicago and won out. A Japanese in
Chicago lost money in a gambling den
in. vain to get it back he forged some
checks on a bank and passed them on his
Chinese hosts, and when he was brought
into court, gloated over his revenge A
jury Of; Americans, studying the equity
Of, the case rather than the law, let
him go
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16

They have unionized the school teach
ers In Chicago and the firemen and they
are trying to unionize the police. Some
Of the advantages Of this move have been
shown in the insubordi nation of teachers
a perpetual discord and strife In the
school board. An evidence Of the in
creased efficiency Of the fire department
is found in the refusal OF one member to
testify with regard to the performance Of
another because both belong to the union
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-16

elasticity. The special interests should
all be made to pay, but some of them
might well be left to the tender mer-
cles of localities, rather than appro-
priating them all for state revenue.
OF course, these are questions too big
to be settled at any one session of the
Legislature. They would be fruitful
subjects for the consideration of a tax
commission.