The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1909-03-27

But Stevens county is just now wondering if it
will be noticed in the big issue, or whether it will
meet the same fate as of old in having it's space
given to the sand hills of Spokane county, the
Big Bend Idaho, Oregon, or some other section.
The Spokesman-Review has recently issued a
beautiful folder, showing 20 haftone views of
fruit and fruit-rasing sections of the northwest.
British Columbia, Hood River Ore, Bonners
Ferry, Idaho, Lake Chelan, Yakima and Walla
Wala were given prominent mention and views,
but the very richest section tributary to Spokane
the Columbia river valley in Stevens county-was
not mentioned at all. Of course this is all very
pleasing to the residents of this county who help
to support the Review and desire some help in re-
turn, but there is something radically wrong some
where 1t may be the fault of the people of this
county. If so, it is time they were taking some
action, in view of the large number of visitors who
will come west to the exposition this summer. If
the Review itself is at fault it might be explained
on the same theory as that practiced by the Great
Northern raway-the business here is a certainty,
so what's the use of doing anything
Time will tell whether it pays railroads or news
papers to watch Stevens county, for the people
who have made their homes here are likely to have
as good memory as those who are urged by various
real estate schemers to exc out meager living
on poor soil in other places in the west.
p>S
A southerner, hearing great commotion in his
chicken house one dark night, took his revolver
and went to investigate.
Who's there?" he sternly demanded, opening
the door.
No answer.
Who's there? Answer or I'll shoot
A trembling voice from the farthest corner:
Deed sab, dey amt nobody hyah 'ceptin' us
chickens. Everybodys Magazine
r~S
Judge Anderson of the federal court of Illinois
decided that the Standard Oil Company had
violated no law in receiving rebates from railroads
This is the case wherein the Standard Oil Com
pany was fined $29, 600, 900 by Judge Lands, and
which was lauded by the republican papers as an
evidence Of the good faith of the republican ad-
minstration to control the trusts. 1t is plain
ly evident that the whole matter was political
hoax, seized upon with avidity by the republican
campaign managers to fool the people into a belief
that the administration really would and could do
something to protect the public Now that the
fiasco is ended the public may retain the recollec-
tion that the Roosevelt policies are Tafts poll
cies" and the Standard Oil and it's like may again
go on their way rejoicing
For many years this farce has been played for
the amusement and mystifcation of the workers.
Now it is over The big stick" has turned out
to be slapstick. The workers have been amused
and diverted, voted right, and the farce is be-
ing taken off the boards.
This decision by Judge Anderson does not stand
alone. 1t comes almost simultaneously with the
decision of the Missouri supreme court declaring
the two-cent fare law unconstitutional, affirmation
of the decision against Gompers, Mitchell and Nor
rison. and the announcement from Washington
that the remainder of the cases against the trusts
are to be dropped.
During campaign time the government wore the
mask and played its little part in preventing the
political revolt of labor Now that the election
has passed and labor has voted as it's master
wished, the mask is dropped, and they are getting
back to their regular work of protecting the
interests All this will, of course, increase the
respect of the people for the republican party.
It should at least serve to expose the useless
ness, hopeessness and general farcica charater of
the entire campaign of trust busting and trust
regulation. Not single trust has been disrupted,
not single abuse remedied. It has now been
% years since the interstate commerce law was
enacted. The one principal object of that law was
to stop rebating Next to this it is aimed to pre-
vent further railroad consolidation. After gen.
GRAFTON of operation of this law, under republican
administrations, the railroads of America are con-
solidated until their owners are the most powerful
industrial rulers on earth, and now it is announced
that this decision of Judge Anderson renders it
impossible to prosecute for rebating.
This decision is of vastly more Importance than
is indicated by the sum Of money involved. Com
ing as it does at the end of the Roosevelt adminis
tration it has a tremendous moral bearing upon
conditions and seems to mark with entire appro-