The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-02-04
MEAT BOYCOTT
SWEEPS ON.
Movement Started In Washing
ton Covers Country.
GOVERNMENT TO PROSECUTE.

/
They Do Not Find Out-The APP
preaching Election May Start Some
thing--Taft Hopes Cannon and Aid
rich Will Put Through His Program.
| Washington, Jan. 27.-It is evident
that the high prices boycott has
caught on" From a cloud mo lar
ger than a mans hand" it has grown
until it overshadows the nation. So
far as can be judged, the little move
ment that started in this city did no
more than suggest it to the rest Of the
country, but that was enough. Public
sentiment was ready and needed only
the one word to start it in motion. 1t
was like the box Of finder spoken of
by Carlyle which was waiting for the
spark. DR.. Scharf and his Anti Food
Trust league furnished the spark. In
the beginning DR.. Scharf was boy
cctting alone. Now everybody is at it.
He started out to enlist 1000, 900 house
holders In his movement. If present
progress continues he will soon have
10000 00-not only so, but the gov
eminent is starting suit against the
beef trust in Chicago. Investigations
are buzzing about like flies on a warm
spring day. If enough of these probe
tests get going somebody may find
out something. Congress might even
get some inkling Of the truth, though
that Is perhaps too much to expect. If
any congressional investigation ever
found out anything actually l never
heard of it. Congressional investiga-
tons are chiefly valuable for not find
ing out the truth themselves and for
soaring other people off from finding
1t. If congress ever discovered any
thing derogatory to the trusts, for ex-
ample. it was by accident and then
there was a mighty scurrying to keep
it from getting to the public.
Election Coming On.
In the present instance the people
who have to eat, which includes pref
ty much everybody except the corpora
tons that live on what other people
eat, are raising all kinds of trouble and
writing to their congressman to know
what is the matter. The congressman
on their part have to be reelected next
fall. they are making motions like
men doing something. 1t all looks
WELL but does it mean anything? Will
not the people. as has so often hap
pened before, fuss around for awhile
and then forget all about it? As soon
as they become used to the high prices
will they not settle down and pay
them meekly in the good old way?
That is what the trusts think. In the
meantime congress will make a noise
like an investigation, which will be
prolonged till after election, and then
some report will be made that may
mean anything or nothing. This line
of talk may sound pessimistic, but is
only the result of experience.
Taft Hopeful of His Program.
The president and his friends are
happy over the prospect in congress. !
He and they believe that he is to get |
his program through and that Cannon |
and Aldrich are going to help. In fact, |
he is said to have received direct as |
surances to that effect Early in the |
session Uncle Joe outlined what would |
be the probable course of procedure I
that the house would rush the appro- !
priation bills through early in the ses-
sion and then would be free to take up |
the presidents policies. In the mean
time the senate could amuse itself as |
it saw fit. Then after both houses had |
the appropriations out of the way |
they would pass the conservation |
measures, commerce bills, postal saw
ings bank act and others insisted on
by Mr.. Taft. That is a joyous pro-
gram, and doubtless the president has
been promised all this and more. The
only disquieting thing about it is that
1t Is ali in the future. Growing at this
stage Of the game Is like the rooster
who gets rid Of his cockadoodledoos
before the fght. Afterward he is not
able to crow IL he would. Many
things happen In the windup Of a SEES
sion to sidetrack legislation. Nobody
knows how II has been done, or IL
they do know they will not tell. but
everybody is certain that something
has happened and that whatever 1t is
is a-plenty. The only real tangible
thing that has yet been put over by
this congress is the tariff bill.
New Job For Roosevelt.
After nominating Colonel Theodore
for everything else some of
his old companions in arms have
struck on the happy thought Of max
ing him the head Of the Spanish War
Veterans. As he has not yet had
chance to decline this Office. hope is
expressed that he will accept Up to
date Colonel Roosevelt has been sug-
gested FOR president. United States
senator, governor, congressman, speak
er Of the house. mayor OF New York.
boss Of the Panama canal. president Of
Harvard or any other college that he
would stand for, prizefight referee. ed
ltor Of a muck raking magazine or any
thing else that his admirers could
think Of that was not nailed down and
that there was even the remotest
chance be would consider This thing
Of putting a man into every position
under the sun when he Is not looking