The Washington herald., 1907-04-17
AT THE HOTELS.

One OF the leading lawyers Of Montana
Mr. John J. Mediation, OF Butte. is at the
shoFeham He was chief counsel for the
millionaire mine owner. Heinze. through
out the long years Of litigation between
sim and the Amalgamated Company.
which was compromised in New York a
little over year ago. after a conflict OF
intense bitterness and replete with sensa-
tional incidents.
There was a serious fear lately. said
Mr. Mediation. that Butte was going 70
be the scene Of great labor disturbances.
but. happily, that danger has been ayerted
and fve-year contract has been made
between the companies and the miners.
which is satisfactory TO all parties. For q
long period our miners have been getting
uniform wages Of $3.50 a day; under the
new agreement their pay is advanced to
s. and to remain al that figure as long as
copper brings IS cents and upward. There
are over 5000 men In Butte working
underground. and including the employees
in the smelters, there is a local monthly
pay roll TN excess Of 100000.
'"fhe disbursement Of this large sum
makes Butte an exceedingly live town. II
has now 50 00g Inhabitants, and is grow
ing az a swift gait. A good many Of the
miners are thrifty and take care Of their
money. I know Of some who. even with
big families have lived on theiF wages
Iand managed 10 accumulate considerable
property. A larger element, however,
consists Of young men who have no
/ thought Of tomorrow. and who spend
/ every dollar as quickly as it is earned.
/ There were not sufficient votes in ths
II a--e. . -salH
tion which the lower house adopted.
/ favoring the election Of United States
+ Senators by direct popular vote" said
! Congressman II. Burd CasseI. Of that
| State. at the Shoreham.
For one. am glad that our legislature
/ did not go on record as advocating popu-
/ lar election Of Senator's. The plan has
nothing TO commend II, and those who
/ shout wildly for its adoption would soon
{ see that they are cheTishing dream. The
{ method that has been in use in this ma
( tfon ever since Il was founded IS good
enough 10 retain. Senators elected by the
| voters would be no improvement over
those chosen by our legislatures. The
! governors or States are elected by a pop
/ uiaT vote. yet nobody would argue seri-
! ously that our United States Senators. as
/ a body Of men. are inferior intellectually.
/ or any other way, 10 the chief executives
OF States. The other end Of the compar-
/ ison might be more truly made It seems
20 me that the Constitution Of the fathers,
though an oid-fashioned document. has
I served its purpose nobly and Is still serv-
/ ing it. Sensible and conservative men
VIII hesitate a long time before they VIII
consent to have it changed"
1T looks 10 me as though we were
getting TO be a nation Of gamblers said
Mr.. William ST. John, Of Atlanta. Ca,
at the Raleigh.
while in the town Of St Augustine.
Fla. last week I heard a youngster OF
twelve ask his mother for s. After the
boy had gone she turned to me and in
quired If I could guess for what purpose
her son wanted the money. Wants a
pair Of skates I said. at a guess. Bless
YOU. no, he is crazy 10 invest in mining
stocks. Everybody in this burg has the
miniug-stock bug, and even the children
are infected Two or three Of our citizens
were reported 10 have made small foT-
tunes through such investments, and the
whole town IS mad with a desire 10 get
rich quick
I found out that the woman was tell
ing the truth. St Augustine is only
sample town. The people everywhere
have caught the mania for speculation, rs
il is politely termed but in plain English
gambling Is the right word. Southern
farmers. not content with producing cot
ton at a big price. must go 10 dealing IN
futures. and the habit Is on the increase.
7 in spite of all the warnings they have
had. Il is only a question Of time when
the innocent vino engage in it will be
cleaned Of their capital. but all the ser
mons in the world viii not cause them
q TO quit before the cleaniug-up process
has been thoroughly performed.
The United States government took
Sl6.C19,J50 as its share Of the indemnity
which the Chinese government was forced
TO pay the different powers for damages
caused by the Boxer outbreak a few
/ years ago. said Dr +. A. Converse. Of
san Francisco. at the Arlington.
The $6,O000o0 turned over 20 this
country was far in excess of any real
, damages inflicted on Uncle SANS sub
lects. Il was in all seriousness a case
I where it was shame 10 take the
/ money But the deed was done. and now
! there is a magnificent opportunity OF
/ -squaTing an act Of injustice and doing q
noble and mercifUl beRefacti0n at one and
, the same time. Those millions. or d good
.
manity, be returned 10 China TO help
save the lives OF 100000 starving
wretches in that afflicted land This, if
done. would be an object lesson III the
: basic principles of Christianity thar
p would do more 10 promote the gospel in
heather lands than all the missionaries
- We may send 10 the Orient In the next
! fifty years.
ut would also show the rest OF the
world that the American people are not
so blinded by the love Of gold that they
cannot rise 20 sublime heights when
$ there is necessity TO do works of charity
E on a big scale. II would even be worth
Caliing Congress in special session 10
, make such a use Of money that this nation
acquired i'm no praisewOrthy way. and
does not need
7 prefer Bryan 20 Roosevelt. not only
because I am a democrat. but because /
think the country would get more real re-
form with Bryan in the White House, "
said Mr.. Alexander Konta. one Of the
best known business men Of St. Louis. at
the Shoreham.
AT the same time, justice demands that
4 the President should be given credit for
p the many good things he has done. His
] achievements have been of permanent
a value and his cOuntrymen appreciate him
e thoroughly. The pessimistic talk we
. sometimes hear from men who imagine
b they have been hurt by ROoseveits poll
a cies is driveI-sheeT nonsense. My opinion
b as a man Who has knowledge of world
condition5-Saving done business in many
countries in my time-is that America has
not fairly started on the road Of pros