davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
TAFTS BLUNDERS

MIR. TAFTss blunders would not be
V1 conducive to national peace of
AiA mind if he were in office. AS 1t
is, the mistakes of the Republican
presidential candidate are extremely
useful to the public. All of us have a
right to know all that may be known
concerning the personality, the charac-
ter, the characteristics of citizen who
is an aspirant for the Office of chief
executive.
Mr. Bryan is we'll known, and favor
ably known, to his fellow countrymen.
President Roosevelt and he are the
most popular men in the United States,
and, in the wide world, they are the
best known Americans. Both are men
of remarkably high character, of
positive nature. Mr.. Taft is also
man of high personal character, but
unlike either Mr.. Roosevelt or Mr..
Bryan, he is of a negative nature, and
in attempting to guard himself in his
utterances he Is cautious and reserved
to the point of being ridiculous (as in
the celebrated "God knows" instance),
cratic proposition of extraordinary
force he resorts to hearsay evidence.
In a debate conducted on rigid rules
Mr.. Taft would not have been allowed
to make such a statement as the fol-
lowing, which is being quoted eagerly
by Republican papers as if it were
anything but meaningless words: II
am told that law requiring insur-
snce of bank deposits was in force In
New York, and that the result was
that when a panic ensued, the tax
having been improperly calculated,
there were not sufficient funds to pay
the loss, but this I have only on the
authority of a we'll known writer on
the subject"
This utterance challenged scrutiny,
and students Of economics who wished
to find what foundation there was for
Mr.. Tafts flimsy and unsatisfactory
statement discovered that the Repub-
lican candidate had been reading ex-
tracts from "A History of Banking In
the United States" by John j. Knox
who for many years served in Repub-
lican administrations as comptroller of
the currency. What was called the
safety fund system" of New York was
adopted in 1929. Mr.. Taft forgot to
quote Mr.. Knox's statement that 'It
was owing to defects in the practical
application rather than in the principle
of the safety fund act'' that the sys-
TEN did not produce the results it
should have produced.
The plan was adopted by Vermont in
1881, and legal safeguards were estab-
lished which had been omitted in New
York Mr.. Knox, the authority re-
ferred to by Mr.. Taft says 'the safety
fund law in Vermont proved satisfac-
tory in it's operations and raised the
standard Of banking throughout the
state"
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
TREASON

N UBLIC Indignation against those
who arc responsible for the graft
- scandal in San Francisco will be
heightened by the news that two in
dictments have been filed against
Ruef's attorneys, in which they are
charged with attempted jury fixing.
The desperate straits to which the de-
fense has been reduced would seem to
indicate that Ruefs lawyers from the
first have feared they had lost cause.
Fortunately for our civilization, jury
tampering is seldom successful. Even
when 1t is accomplished without detec-
ton at the time the offense is COM
mitted, it is almost certain to be dis
covered later. Like murder, it will
out" Americas jealous guard over
court proceedings and court procedure
has been one of the distinguishing
marks Of the history of the United
States. At times when it has seemed
as if a demon of dishonesty had taken
possession of public officials-now in
one city, now in another-the judiciary
and the jury system have always re-
mained above reproach, and .conse-
quently above fear of criticism. Jury
fixing is nothing more nor less than
treason.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
American Boys Have Lost
Taste for Seafaring Life

moved. The sailor is the only work.
ingnan in Christendom who Is not per-
mitted to quit his job when he pleases.
The sailor who deserts his ship in port
may be arrested and taken back in
irons. He Is not entitled to the benefits
OF the thirteenth amendment. The mas
ter on the voyage may have broken his
part of the contract in a dozen ways,
by taking the ship out undermanned,
by not giving the men sufficient or de-
cent food, by various cruelties, but that
does not give the sailor release. True,
he may have the master arrested in
port of call for cruelty, but then what
happens? The sailor is locked in Jail as
a witness and the accused master is re-
leased on bonds. In most cases the
master is acquitted or, If found guilty.
Is fined; and In any event the sailor
must complete the voyage in the same
ship and with the same master The
joys of the homeward voyage under a
captain whom he had accused NAV be
imagined, says the San Francisco Bull
letin.
The problem is easier to state than
to solve, but certainly ship subsidies
will not solve 1t. Meanwhile the ships
of the American navy are manned with
plowboys from the Mississippi valley.
A sailor sldom enlists in the navy. for
there are no American sailors. The
crews are not full, desertions are nu-
merous, and there is no second line to
take the place of the men who may
be killed in battle. The wise heads in
the navy have long perceived that the
most serious difficulty Is not to get
ships but to get crews.
In that respect we are in the same
case with Russia and worse off than
Britain. which trains sailors in It's vast
merchant marine, and Japan, whose
hsheries employ more than half a mil
lion seasoned mariners.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19

plete ticket will go far toward rem
edying political evils in municipal af-
fairs. Judge Works characterizes the
present system of nominations by eau
Gus and conventions as a pronounced
failure.
A somewhat cynical critic OF popular
self-government once made the sneer-
Ing remark that nations, states and
municipalities are governed as we'll as
they deserve to be. He meant, of
course, that If the people choose to
commit representative government to
misrepresentation men they have them
selves to blame. 1t is becoming more
and more apparent however, that the
complicated machinery Of modern poll
tics as well as the machine not infre-
quently cheats the people out Of actual
representative government. The efforts
of charter reformers and advocates of
direct primaries are aimed in the direc-
ton Of making popular representative
government a practical and practicable
possibility. II rule and with 1t respon-
sfbility are restored to the people the
problems of government will be simpli-
fed and will be much more easily
solved.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
LIVING AND WAGES

4 CCORDING to a report of the bu-
u reau of labor, the retail prices of
- food in 1907 were higher than
they had been for eighteen years. If
the Republican theory had been borne
out in practice there would be plenty
of employment for everybody and full
dinner pals in spite of the advance
But the retail price of food was 20.6
per cent higher in 1907 than for the
period 1890 to 1899. Therefore, a slight
advance in the wage of employed
men was more than gobbled up by
the huge advance In the prices of
the foodstuffs necessary to human
existence, and the advance in the price
of foodstuffs is due to the fact they
are controlled by the unscrupulous
robber trusts. The trusts have been
fattening on the labor of the United
States and these creatures of Repub-
lican privilege are to a great extent
responsible for the actual destitution
and suffering which came with hard
times.
Then there was a chance for the
trust magnates to justify the existence
of their combinations by coming to
the rescue of society and providing
food for the unemployed, or supplying
it at such low rates that the cost of
living would have been reduced. In
stead of that the combined corpora
tions which control the food products
of the United States raised the price
over 20 per cent The motto of the
trusts is, I'VE must make our profits,
even though the nation perish"
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
CIVILIZATION

TN A newspaper dispatch from Chi
cago is this: "Penniless, aged and
l. without friends or relatives, Mrs.
Anna Cunningham arrived at Calvary
cemetery in Evanston after having
walked $50 miles from Red Wing,
Mimi, to view, probably for the last
time. the grave of her husband. When
she arrived at the grave, Mrs. Cum
ningham fell on the little green mound
unconscious. When she had recovered
sufficiently to talk she explained that
she left Red Wing last June. She had
no money, but felt she must see her
husbands grave before she died"
Here is Republican prosperity YER
sion of John Anderson, My Jo." The
original revised in accordance with the
facts in this case would read: "John
Anderson, my 10 John, we've climbed
the hill together; now we must totter
down and We'll sleep together at the
foot If we can afford it. But, even If
1 have not the railroad fare, I'll try
to come to you If have to walk every
step of the way"
What's the matter with civilization
which puts Darby in one part of a
poor house and Joan in another; which
at the almshouse door arbitrarily puts
asunder aged couples whom God hath
joined" or, if it graciously permits
them to retain their liberty, reduces
them to such extremity of poverty that
hot hn oil ND I1n
survivor wishes to visit his grave she
must walk? And If she is of the right
kind she WILL walk, though 'twere
ten thousand mile" and mock this
orha roiYa civilization.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19

THOSE anxious patriots who urge
ship subsidies as a means oi
building up the American mer-
chant marine and thereby creating q
seafaring class from which the crews
OF our navy may be recruited have
caught the stick at the wrong end.
snip subsidies would probably In
crease, at the taxpayers expense. the
NUMBER of bottoms flying the American
nag, but they would not increase by
one man the number of American sea-
men. The subsidized merchant marine
would be manned by aliens. But 1t
would do the nation no good to main
tain, by subsidies, a large merchant
marine-as ii 1t were a vast ileet OF
private yachts-unless American mer-
chant ships were to train a hardy race
OF American seamen. 1t Is immaterial
to the producer of goods for export and
to the consumer of imported goods
whether they are carried under the
American or some other flag IL ali the
profits of the vessel are to go to for
eigners and IL the vessel, whether
American or not, does not give employ
ment to Americans.
owners of subsidized American ships
would not pay out the subsidies IN
higher wages. The wages IF seamen,
except In the coastwise trade, are de-
termlneu not Dy nationality, but BY
the port, and are regulated by world
wide competition. Adventurous young
Americans can do better on land than
they can do at sea, and for that reason
do ret become sailors. There will be
no American seafaring class until the
American mariners can earn American
wages in deep sea ships.
But even good wages will not attract
the American boy to the sea until the
conditions of servitude which obtain
in the forecastle shall have been re-
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
CITY GOVERNMENT

NORMER JUDGE JOHN D. WORKS
in his address to the Los Angeles
Il realty board on the subject of the
proposed amendments to the city char
ter pointed out that the system of
electing councilmen by wards had been
proved a failure not only in the ex-
perience of Los Angeles but in that of
almost all the large cities Of the United
States. He added that men are now
serving on the city council and many
others have been elected in the past
who certainly would not have been
chosen by the voters at large. Judge
Works is of the opinion that if the
amendment proposed is adopted a bet
ter class of men will be selected to
govern the city. He is also of the opin-
ion that the direct primary provisions
by which one hundred voters will NOM
mate a candidate for office or a COM
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19

Interviews with leading citizens show
there is a decided sentiment in favor
of the selection of Southern Califor-
nian to succeed Justice Mcfarland on
the supreme bench. Three of the pres
ent justices come from San Francisco.
and Justice Mcfarland also was a res
ident of that city. Judge Trask voices
an opinion which seems to be general
when he says: There should be an
other representative Of Southern Cali
fornia on the supreme bench because
of the peculiar questions affecting this
section"
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
Mr.. Bryan Should Be Elected
as a Matter of Principle

NaE Bee would advocate the elec-
ton of William ]. Bryan for
= president in this campaign as a
matter of choice of candidates and
also of principle. whether or not there
were any prospect or chance of his
election. AS between Bryan and Kern
and the national Democratic platform
on the one hand and Taft and Sherman
and the national Republican platform
on the other, this paper is Of the opin-
ion that there is no room for choice
on the part of any independent news
paper or voter sincerely attached to
what has become known as Roose-
veltism, but which would be more
properly called Organism. for the rea-
son that the Democratic candidate
was the first to advocate the distinc-
tive policies which have become iden-
titled with the present occupant Of the
White House.
Although it is undeniable that the
nomination of Taft was due to the per-
sonal and energetic campaign con-
Quoted by President Roosevelt to that
end, the fact has become plain to every
body since the Republican ticket was
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
BARGAINITIS

~ UR sympathies are with the old
man who has been removed to q
" padded cell because of bargain
tits, which is the acute form Of bar
gainmania. This disease, in its chronic
or subdued form, is we'll known in the
United States. It's victims make
practice of visiting the great stores on
certain days, and after indulging in a
hand to hand conflict with other VIC
Tins they beat retreat, bearing away
triumphantly tooth brush or a marked
down postage stamp. But the victims
are generally women, who on account
of their superior strength of mind never
allow the disease to get the better of
them completely. Aged Herbert Kun
ster's daughter tempted her father to
undertake a shopping expedition. In
glowing terms she depicted to him the
joys of bargain day. He became en-
thusiastic. "I'n go with you and buy
a fall outfit for you," he said.
A few hours later a pale and des-
perate looking old man might have
been seen paving the air and gurgling
fierceIy: LET me at him! No, lady,
that was mine first. Here, gimme my
change. This Is marked S4.99, and you
owe me a cent. Madam, take all have,
but spare my bunion. Won't half
dozen of you kindly get off my left
foot?"
Shopping is a pleasant and exciting
pastime, and when the shopper is in
earnest and really buys things, it is
good for trade. At the same time. our
heart melts for the aged man who is
now gibbering and squeaking because
he was attacked by the disease in
acute form. His daughter is sobbing
into a tear-soaked handkerchief. From
time to time she eXclaims: MY p-p-
poor old dad! bod CAST the luck, why
didn't he wait until after he had b-b-b-
bought me that fall outfit before he
went c-c-c-crazy?"
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
OVERTHROW MACHINE


N THE opinion of The Herald res
olution adopted a few days ago by
= the Democratic executive commit
tee of Los Angeles county took the
longest step which has been made for
many day in the direction of elimi-
mating the Republican Southern Pacific
political machine from the politics of
this state. The resolution, which was
unanimously adopted. is as follows:
BE 1t Resolved, That the legis-
lative candidates of the Demo
cratic party for this county be re-
quested and instructed by this
executive committee to pledge
themselves that in the event that
they are elected to the legislature
and it develops that the Demo
cratic party is in the minority in
the legislature, they will not, in
the election of a United States
senator, lose their votes by cast
ing a nominal vote for a Demo-
crat for that position, but will
cast their votes for any honest and
able Republican who is a candi-
date and who is known to be free
from corporation influences"
If the decent citizens of the state
Of California, of all parties, are in
earnest about ridding the state of the
domination of the Southern Pacific po-
1t4tooI v,ooch;oa tbo,y mill bau xuitl,
qualification and approval this action
on the part of the Democratic county
executive committee. They will see in
this action the pointing of a way, and
in the judgment Of The Herald the
only way, which leads surely to the
escape Of the politics of the state from
the intolerable oppression of the cor
rupt and corrupting Southern Pacific
political machine which has saddled
the state with board of railroad COM
missioners, an attorney general and a
governor who will not enforce the laws
of the state which they are sworn to
enforce when the enforcement of those
laws clashes with the interests of the
Southern Pacific company.
There must be in the county of Los
Angeles many honest Republican citi-
zens who value the obligations and op-
portunities of their citizenship and the
welfare of their state above the merely
partisan claims of any party to their
allegiance.
In view of the adoption of this reso-
luton and of the further fact that the
Democratic candidates are running
upon a platform which pledges them
to vote for the suppression of the race
track gambling which is now demoral-
izing and disgracing our state and
which is permitted to exist by the
grace of the Southern. Pacific Repub-
lican machines control of past state
no decent Republican citi-
zen who values the welfare of his state
above the formal claims upon him of
a party organization should hesitate to
cast his vote for the honest, able and
representative citizens whom the Dem
cratic party of Los g county Of
fers at this election as candidates for
senators and assemblymen.
When men reach that point in their
devotion to the obligations of citizen
ship which enables them to take the
stand for good government as opposed
to corrupt party machine control that
the Democratic executive committee |
took in passing this resolution, then,
and not until then, will we see the end |
in California of the power of the
Southern Pacific political machine.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
SAYS SoMNoLENT VOTERS
MUST AWAKEN TO SITUATION

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17.-IEditor
Herald: 1t has been decided to lay off
the 1925 a day man every now and
then in order to keep within the ap-
preparation, and we can't raise the
appropriations without raising taxes,
and right there is the danger line
there the voter will awaken and kick.
Why don't Mr.. Voter wake. up and
kick when he sees the city paying the
expenses of a junketing trip of some
snapholder who tours the country and
takes a vacation at the taxpayers ex-
pense under the flimsy pretext of in
vestigating how other cities do things?
Rotten! But as long as the somnolent
voter snores on undisturbed by the
petty grating of his servants. whom he
elevates to the position of masters
upon election, he may expect to be
robbed. Pity the county Of Los An
geles can't use the recall. F. @. @.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
WILL VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS
TO OVERTHROW THE MACHINE

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 1S.-[Editor
Herald]: Will you permit Republi-
can and Lincoln Roosevelt Lacquer to
say a word or two In favor of the
Democratic cause? Let me state at
the outset that l intend, God willing,
to vote g. straight Democratic ticket
November 3.
Previous to the Republican national
convention in Chicago / had favored
the candidacy of Taft. I had hoped
that the Roosevelt policies would stand
out plainly In the platform and that
a Republican reformer of the stamp of
Governor Cummins of Iowa would be
Taft's running mate.
But what happened? A. twin broth
er of the Cannon stamp was nominate
ed for the vice presidency and the
anti-Roosevelt.
In the face of all this. in the face
of Taft's denunciation Of the bank
guaranty plan, in the face of the s. p.
machine victory over the Lincoln
Roosevelt league in this state. what
can an honest voter do? There is
nothing that / can see to do but vote
the straight Democratic ticket and ad-
minister a singing rebuke to the Re-
publican party, the party that has
wandered as far away from the party
of the immortal Lincoln as the east
is from the west.
The protestations Of the esteemed
Express Notwithstanding, know of
at least two Lincoln -Roosevelters who
will not support the Republican NOM
inees--myself and fellow workman,
whom I have converted. And I think
there are others. I shall do my best
to see that there are others. My al
legiance to party is not strong enough
to allow me to swallow machine
program when the opposing party puts
up good. clean. anti-machine candi-
dates. I cannot understand why
should wait two more years for an
other try at the machine when there
are anti-machine candidates now in
the field for whom I may vote.
I trust the independent Republicans
will carefully consider their course be-
fore casting their ballots next Novem-
Der. p. Fl. JOHNSON.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19

named at Chicago that Taft does not
In reality stand for Rooseveltism,
Which in its essence is a determined,
aggressive. fighting spirit of reform,
directed mainly against the corruption
OF government and of legislation by the
trusts. the railroads and the financial
powers commonly designated as Wall
Street. Taft's speeches since the cam
paign opened have been remarkable for
their evident Lace of any disposition
to attack the great abuses which
Roosevelt has been warning against, in
season and out of season for years
past, says the Sacramento Bee. The
Republican nominee has busted him
self chiefly with efforts to find fault
with the positive reforms and proposed
remedies set forth in the Democratic
platform, and with apologies painfully
weak and wholly unsatisfactory for the
failure of the Chicago convention to
give even so much as nominal adj
herence to the chief reforms which
President Roosevelt has vainly strived
to wiring from the unwilling Republi-
can majority in both houses of con-
gress.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19

Both the Los Angeles and the Poly
technic high schools will be crowded,
and unfortunately some pupils will be
crowded out. Why doesn't the board
of education invest in few big tents,
and conduct overflow schools in a style
that would be regarded by our eastern
contemporaries as truly Californian"
Is there any necessity for waiting,
waiting. waiting until solid buildings
are erected? Buy tents. hire a few ex-
ira teachers or redistribute the present
force, and let the good work of educa-
ton go on in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
Political Points
Floundering

On no question are the Republicans
foundering more hopelessly than on the
proposition that the government levy
a small tax on deposits in national
banks for the purpose of insuring de-
positors against loss. The plan Is so
obviously a good one that no man
will state his real objections to it; they
would prove conclusive argument In
its favor. The Republicans object to it
because 1t will make all banks so safe
that the big banks that now control
the money supply of the country would
have much less advantage over smaller
banks than they have now.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19

BY refusing to attend banquet with
Mr.. Bryan and deliver an address
Judge Taft has missed a trick. Even
If his advisers reasoned that he had
nothing to gain by speaking at the
same guest-table with his great op-
ponent, they should have remembered
he had a great deal to lose by refusing
to speak. Taft has our sympathy. His
campaign is being mismanaged most
miserably. Mark Hanna has no sue
cessor in the Republican party.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-19
Cannon

Mr.. Cannon as speaker-it matters
not whether he has done so from con-
viction that every reform Is wrong and
every robbery practiced by tariff pro-
tected manufacturers or timber barons
or dishonest packers and Gamers and
right-has so discharged the duties of
his high position as to block progress
and foster graft.-Louisville Courier
Journal