Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-02-21

In New York City on the hight OF
February LIST more than 600 members
of the Ohio Society in that city met
for their annual reunion. Among the
honored guests was Senator ]. B. For
aker, OF the Buckeye state, who was
the principal speaker. Senator For
aker spoke plainly in pointing out
what, to ais mind, had been the
course of the recent disturbance OF
the business activity and prosperity in
| the country
Senator Foraker said, in part:
THE sentiment of the evening,
| Ohio in industry and commerce, is
| the equivalent of the United States in
/ industry and commerce. Therefore,
| | regard myself as licensed to spcGn
of Industrial conditions offthe whole
/ country. Just now it is not Satisfac-
| tory. Until three months ago there
| had not been a day for ten years when
any man seeking work could aot ind
| Il. Most of this time there was more
work than there were laborers 30 per
form it.
Last August prominent manu-
| facterer of Cincinnati annuonceu uaat
! the crying need of the city was 10000
more wage workers than could be
| found. What he said of Cincinnati
might have been said OF any other
| large city in the land. 1t is different
now A few days ago an officer Of
one Of the mercantile agencies of that
city Stated that there were on that
| day, according to their reports, more
than 10000 idle men in Cincinnati.
I'VE have been reading in the news
| papers for the last week how, in a
number of large cities, great numbers
| of the unemployed have been calling
in bodies upon mayors to make known
| their want OF employment and to So
| licit work and help. The statement
was made in the newspapers few
| days ago that there are today approx
| imately $4,000 freight cars and 5000
locomotives standing idle, represent
| ing an investment of more than $780,
| 000, 900, and that there are more than
| 900 unemployed trainmen, dis
| charged train crews of the idle equip.
ment
This is a serious situation, and re.
| sponsibility should not be lightly IS
| signed. Y ct we should know the
| cause If We would find a remedy.
| Doubtless there were many causes
| that contributed in some degree-for
example, oyertrading, overexpansion
OF credit, oyercapitalization of new
organizations, high prices Of stocks, OF
labor and of materials.
YAH these had a share, but the
chiefest of the causes may be sum.
med up in the one word, undertaking.
cnieftest, because it was the iIuluul,
precipitating, first cause of all the
mischief that followed. For more
than three years now there has been
a perfect saturnalia OF that kind of
literature.
$.Magazine articles, newspaper
items, court proceedings, Official in
yestigations, speeches in and out of
congress. and even afficial reports and
documents have literally ebounded
with most virulent attacks on lIU--.
of the great business enterprises OF
the country. Railroad, insurance, and
industrial corporations have all been
subjected to the assaults.
l. For some of the criticisms there
was just grounds, but even in sucn
cases there were gross exaggerations
of such inflammatory character as to
lead to general discussion and to
arouse an almost universal distrust
of business methods, with correspond
ing determination to smash every
thing that seemed to be unduly pros
porous.
In this way regular crusade was
started against not only the wrong,
doors, but the innocent also. OF
course, nobody SO intended, but that
does not change the fact. The ban OF
Suspicion rested on all, and success
was no longer an evidence of integ-
rity, skill, capacity, and energy, but
only a sign of some kind of crooked
ness, which must be unearthed and
punished.
THE disease was infectious. 1t
spread to Congress and to all the
state legislatures. Rate bills, anti
trust bills, and all kinds oF regulative
measures, filled with unreasonable
restrictions and requirements, penal
ties and punishments, were poured in
to the legislative hoppers.
Most of the proposed measures per
ished on the way to enactment, but
the mere introduction and the discus
sion of them in the newspapers add
ed to the demand for something to be
done, and helped TO make what was
done worse than it otherwise would
have been. In Washington and in
State capitols, statute after stauuTe
was ground out and put. into opera
ton. The modest force Of fewer than
geo special government inspectors and
agents was increased to an army of
more than 5000 men, who were sent
in every direction to turn on the light
and delve and probe Tor facts on
which to base indictments and prose
cutions
The Department OF Justice cared
for help, and it was generously sup
piled in the form of special counsel
and large appropriations to pay for
their services.
| Attorneys general and prosecuting
attorneys of the different States, inn
bued with the spirit of the times, set
their respective places OF machinery
in motion.
1T finally came to the point where