The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-25
WIckERsHAM IN THE ROLE Oh
SAM PATCH.


Many years ago there was a man
by the name OF Sam Patch who did
many wonderful things and was in the
haoit OF taking risks that tho ordinary
run would not attempt because they
seemed to be "agin human nature"
On one memorable occasion Sam Patch
jumped over Genessee Falls and man
aged to escape without breaking his
neck. When he was asked for an
explanation OF his foolhardy adven-
ture he replied that he had jumped
over the falls just to show that some
things could be done as well as
others 1t appears to De in the spirit
of Sam Patch that Attorney General
Wiekersham has been Grating around
me country on the powers of the
Government to regulate the course of
trade
We do not think for a moment that
the Attorney General was speaking in
other than a Pickwickian sense when
ne urged in one OF his speeches last
week that Federal Commission be
created for the purpose OF fixing tn.
prices of articles of interstate COM
merce Why not? If the Interstate
Commerce Commission can saw what
the railroad shall charge for haulin,
sooos from one State into another.
why should not some other Fedora,
Commission say what the peon,a ~
corporations doing business in ono
state shall charge for the goods they
sell TO the people or corporations T.,
another State? Thousands OF noo,,a
Ia the North and East are directly
interested, for example, in the nrtca
OF cotton. They cannot afford to INV
as much for it as the people who
make 1t think 1t Is worth. If tbay
cannot buy 1t for less than tho crow
efs ask Tor It, the mills in New
England and elsewhere VIII be com.
PEELED TO shut down and thousands of
operatives depending upon their dahl,
wage for tbnir daily bread will
he thrown out OF employment
10 the injury of all persons
hV'Ag IN the forbidden sections of tho
country. 1t is the same with tobacco
and peanuts and corn and wheat and
All The rest OF the products of the
heids as ii is with the products of
the mines and forests. or so much OF
uheSe products as are in any way i
part OF the Interstate commerce Of
the country. The plan suggested nv
Judge Gary. OF the Steel Trust. which
the Acknowledgement appears TO have
appropriated for his own use Is that
the Government should fix the prices
OF iron and It's products. and Wicker
sham. in spirit OF humor, because
he spoke with such seriousness. would
better his instructions and make the
sauce that would be good for the
goose good also for the gander.
If Wickershams advanced ideas on
the subject do not cause the plain
people to Stop ana think a bit OF
whittier we arc drifting nothing will
Instead OF more Government inter
ference with the course OF trade. the
country needs less Interference. What
is needed is not more restrictions, but
BREATH anu ever !.
understands plan is really very
clever way of bringing the case home
to the people, 20 the cotton planters
who grow cotton. the tobacco planters
who grow tobacco. the rice planters
who grow rice, and all the rest of
those who are engaged IN the ordl,
nary AFFAIRS of the farm and planta-
ton. We may call Wickersham any
thing we like, but 1t must be admitted
that he is following the lead of the
othef great political leaders and econ
onnists OF the day; that Sam Patch has
none the better OF him in his effort
to make our interstate commerce sub
iect 10 Federal supervision 10 tho ex-
tent of having the Government fix all
the prices OF the things we make TO
sell that we cannot sell 10 our imme-
date neighbors.