The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-09-21
Our Washington Letter.
(By Clyde H. Tavenner, special
Washington correspondent of The
Ronnrfor

|
Washington correspondent of The
Reporter.)
Washington, Sept. 16.-On the
tenth day of May, 1902, the govern
ment filed petition for an injunc-
ton against the beef trust in the
federal court at Chicago. On July
5th, 1911, the packers, after having
obtained forty-two delays and post
ponements in the intervening nine
years, again pleaded not guilty, and
for the forty-third time their trial
was postponed, this time until Nov.
goth of this year.
The status of the beef trust prose-
cution, therefore, is exactly where it
was the day the first papers were
filed nearly a decade ago. The much
heralded prosecution of this gi-
gantic trust-a prosecution which
has been directed by one republican
attorney general after another-has
amounted to less than nothing.
Every man, woman and child in
the country is convinced that the
trust operates in violation of the law,
both statute and moral, and yet moth
| ing has been accomplished in the
alleged campaign to stop these viO-
lations except the disbursement Of
thousands of dollars in fees for
special trust busting" attorneys.
"Big Stick in New Roll.
What the people of Arizona really
have to do to obtain statehood, is a
story that the American people have
never fully heard. Information has
gone out over the wires from Wash
ington that President Taft will per-
nit Arizona to enter the union by
simply striking the "recall of the
Judiciary" provision from it's consti-
tuition.
But only when these facts are con-
sidered can the full significance of
the Presidents action be grasped:
First, that the people of Arizona
by vote of three to one declared in
favor of the recall.
Second, that in order to obtain
statehood the people of Arizona must
60 to the polls again and vote against
principle of government that they
have already voted in favor of, and
which they believe to be right.
By thus coercing the people to
vote against thing which their best
judgment tells them to be wise,
threatening to withhold from that
people, unless they vote as the chief
executive dictates, rights to which
they are justly entitled under the
constitution, President Taft has COM
mitted himself to an action which is
without precedent in the history of
the American republic.
Tho proci6ont coi6 tn tho noO.
pie of Arizona, in effect: "No mat
the recall of judges is wise or not;
unless that majority goes to the polls
and pretends that it is against the
recall, I will deprive the people of
Arizona of statehood. Yes, l will
deprive the people of Arizona of
statehood whether they are entitled
to it under the constitution or not,
unless they vote not the way they
may desire, but as l command them
to vote" "..,.,
: While this method of forcing the
people may be compatible to the
mental workings of an executive with
a judicial temperament" isn't it
after all making a farce out of rep
resentative government?
President Makes Another Mistake.
1t is difficult to see how President
Taft's $4,000 mile swing around the
circle can end in anything but a sorry
spectacle for himself.
If he tells the people the truth
about how he vetoed the honest at
tempt of both branches of congress
to reduce the high cost of living in
this country; how upon taking Office
he filled his cabinet with men con-
nected with the law breaking trusts,
and how he tried and nearly sue
ceeded in secretly giving Alaska
away to the land grabbers, he will
discredit himself
If Mr.. Taft juggles with the facts
in the slightest degree, the insur-
gents, swinging along in his trail,
will point out his misrepresentation
with such truth and logic that the
President will be more discredited
than if he had remained at home.
The record of the Taft administra-
ton is not one that can be debated
with any credit to the President.
The President has only himself, and
men like Aldrich, Guggenheim, Pen
rose and Lodge, to whose advice he
listened exclusively, to blame.
Shoddy Woolens.
The wool trusts practice of cheap
ening the quality of it's product. while
at the same time maintaining prices
at the highest level ever known, is
drawing the fire of the medical ,
journals all over the country.
Through these journals physicians
are protesting against the lack OF :,
warm and enduring underclothing
which causes the spread Of injurious
diseases. Women and children suf-
fer most from this form of greed.
The medical journals are demanding
4 repeal of the high protective dut-
to 100 per cent on
the commoner grades of wool-recog-
nizing in these high duties the source
IF the evil of which they complain.
See Taft's Defeat.