davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-02-15
Elliot Oscar has been laid up dur.

Elliot Oscar has been laid up dur
ing the past week with an injured
knee which he hurt when jumpin g
off a high place into snow drift.
Mr.. and Mrs. Louis Kinstler were
pleasantly surprised at their farm
home west of the city last Saturday
evening when two sleigh loads of
people from this city went out to
spend the evening with them. A
very pleasant evening was spent by
all attending.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-02-15
Lecture Was Fine

The lecture given by William
Lloyd DAVIS at the Congregation.
al church in this city last even
ing was we'll attended and was
thoroughly enjoyed by the audi
ence. Mr.. Davis is a fine speak
er and his subject was most
entertaining. The lecture was
given under the auspices of the
High School,
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-02-15

Tim Kearns was injured at the
box factory the latter part of last
week when a fiv-back from one of
the machines struck him on the jaw
cutting quite cash.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-02-15
Postal Fund Growing

There is now or deposit in the
savings department of the Wash
burn Post office over $4,000, and the
fund is gradually growing larger.
Persons of foreign birth are the
heaviest depositors.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-02-15

Mrs. Wiley of Duluth was here
Tuesday and Wednesday with a
complete line of masquerade suits
for the 0 wis masquerade.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-02-15

Attorney J J. Fisher transacted
business at the court house Tues
day.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-02-15
Notice to the Public

All outstanding personal proper
ty taxes on cows, horses, pianos,
etc. must be paid before February
25th. Unless same is paid on or be
fore the above date the goods will
be sold for taxes.
Nels Lee, City Treasurer.
Sheriff John Mcdonald transacted
business at Iron River the first part
of the week.
Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Schura were
here from Dupont, Wash. Monday
to attend the funeral of Mr.. Schura s
sister Mrs. Ed. Williams.
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Hopeless to Attempt
Control of Trusts.

1t is utterly hopeless to attempt to
control the trusts merely by the anti
trust law, or by any law the same in
principle, no matter what the modifica-
tions may be in detail. In. the first
place, these great corporations cannot
possibly be controlled merely by a sue
cession of lawsuits. The administrative
branch OF the Government must ex-
ercise such control.
The PrePOsterous failure of the
Commerce Court has shown that only
damage comes from the effort to sub
stitute judicial for administrative
control of great corporations.
In the next place, a loosely drawn la W
which promises to do everything would
reduce business to complete ruin II 1t
were not so drawn as to accomplish al
most nothing. =,
AS construed by the Democratic plat
form, the antitrust law would. IL II
could be enforced, abolish all business
of any size or any efficiency. The
promise thus to apply and construe the
law would undoubtedly be broken, but
the mere fitful effort thus TO apply II
would do no good whatever, would ac-
compiish widespread harm, and would
bring all trust legislation into contempt.
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Policy Out of Keeping
With All Progress.

Such policy is utterly out of keeping
with the progress Of the times and
gives our great commercial rivals in
Europe-hungry for international mar
kets-golden opportunities of which they
are rapidly taking advantage.
\ very much wish that legitimate
business would NO longer permit itself
TO be frightened by the Outcries of
iIlegitimate business into believing
that they have any community OF TN
terest.
Legitimate business ought to UNDER
stand that its interests are jeopardized
when they are COMPOUNDED with those
Of illegitimate business; and the latter,
whenever threatened with Just control,
always tries to persuade the former
that 1t also Is endangered. AS a matter
OF fact, IL legitimate business can only
be persuaded to look COOL -headedly into
our proposition, It Is bound to support
us.
There are a number of lesser, but
still important. ways of improving our
business situation. 1t Is not necessary
to enumerate all of them: but l desire
to allude to two, which can be adopted
forthwith: Our patent laws should be
remodeled; patents can secure ample
royalties to Inventors without our. per-
mitting them TO be tools OF monopoly
or shut out from general use; and a
parcels post, on the zone principle,
should be established
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Possible to Remove
Disturbing Element.

Ry such action we shall certainly be
able to remove the element of contr1pu-
tory causation on the part of the trusts
and the tariff toward the high cost OF
living. There will remain many other
elements. Wrong taxation. including
failure to tax swollen inheritances ana
unused land and other natural re-
sources held for speculative purposes Is
The modern tendency to leave the
country for the town is another eiement.
and exhaustion OF the soii anG p1bH ptbe
nrodncts of the soil make up another
element, as I have already shown.
Another element Is that OF waste ana
extravagance, individual and national
No laws which the wit OF man can de
prosperous IL the average indivldual
lives in such fashion that his expendi-
ture always exceeds his income.
National extravagsnce-that In, the
expenditure of money which II not
vsrranted--we"ean ourselves CONTROL
and to some degree we can help In
doing away with the extravaganza
caused by international rivalries.
These are all definite methods pN
which something can be accomplished IN
the direction of decreasing the cost or
living All taken together Will NOT tu,lS
meet the situation. There are In 1t ele-
stand. We can be certain that the rem
edy proposed by the Democratic party
IN a uuack remedy. 1t is just as en-
phatically a quack remedy as was lhe
1uack remedy, the panacea, the uni
versal cure-all which they proposed SIX
mare what they now say with what they
said i'm 1886,
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Urges Elimination
Of Middleman.

The elimination of the middleman by
agricultural exchanges and By the use
of improved business methods general
ly, the development of good roads, the
reclamation OF arid lands and swamp
lands, the improvement in the product
ivity oS farms, the encouragement %
all agencies which tend to bring peo-
Pile back to the soil and to make coun-
try life more interesting as we'll as
more profitable-all these movements
will help not only the farmer but the
man who consumes the farmers pro-
ducts.
There il urgent need of non-partisan
expert examination into any tariff
schedule which seems to increase the
cost of living. and, unless the increase
thus caused Is more than countervailed
by the benefit to the class of the COM
munity which actually receives the pro-
lection II must OF course mean that
that particular duty must be reduced.
The system of levying a tariff for the
protection and encouragement of Amer
lean Industry so as to, secure higher
wages and better conditions OF life for
American laborers must never be per-
verted so as to operate for the impoV-
The Washington times., 1912-08-06

Through concentration we may have
the economic advantages coming from
magnitude of operations. Through
cooperation we may limit the waster
or the competitive system. Through
control by commission we may secure
freedom for fair competition, elimi-
nation OF unfair practices, conserva-
tion OF our natural resources, fair
wages, good social conditions, and
reasonable prices.
Concentration and cooperation in
industry in order to secure efficiency
are worldwide movement. The
United States cannot resist It. II we
isolate ourselves and insist upon the
subdivision Of industry below the
highest economic efficiency. and do
not allow cooperation, we shall be
defeated in the worlds markets. We
cannot adopt an economic system less
efficient than our great competitors,
Germany, England. France, and Aus
tria. Either we must modify our pres
ent obsolete laws regarding coricen-
tration and d'co- operation so as to con-
else fall Behind in the race for the
worlds markets. Concentration and
cooperation are conditions impera-
lively essential for industrial advance;
but IL we allow concentration and CO.
operation there must be control in
order to protect the people, and ade-
quate control is only possible through
the administrative commission. Hence
concentration, cooperation, and con-
troll are the key words for q scientific
solution of the mighty Industrial
problem which now confronts this
nation"
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
What Was Being Told
Sixteen Years Ago.

Only sixteen years ago they were tell
ing us that the decrease in prices was
fatal to our people, that the fall In the
production of gold, and, as a conse-
! quence, the fall in the prices OF COM
modities, was responsible for our ills.
Now they ascribe these ills to diametric-.
ally opposite causes. such as the rise
in the price OF commodities.
1t may we'll be that the immense out
nut of gold during the last few years
Is partly responsible for certain phases
OF the present trouble-which is an in
structiye commentary on the wisdom
OF those men who sixteen years ago in
sisted that the remedy for everything
was to be found in the mere additional
output of coin. silver and gold alike.
There is mo- more curious heiuaiOn
than that the Democratic platform Ii
n progressive platform.
The Democratic platform, represent
ing the best thought of the acknowl-
edged Democratic leaders at Baltimore,
IL purely retrogI essive and reactionary.
There is no progress in 1t. 1t represents
an effort to go back: to put this nation
of a hundred millions, existing under
modern conditions. back to where II
Continued on Ninth Page)
The Washington times., 1912-08-06

policy, but II has also demonstrated
that in the application Of that policy
certain clearly recognized abuses have
developed.
1t In not merely the tariff that
should be revised. but the method of
tariht-making snd of tariff sdminis-
tration.
Wherever nowadays an industry is
to be protected II should be on the
theory that such protection will serve
to keep up the wages and the stand
ard of living of the wage-worker in
that industry with full regard for the
interest OF the consumer.
To accomplish this the tariff to be
levied should as nearly as Is scien-
tihcally possible approximate the DIFF
ferential between the cost OF production
at home and abroad. This differential
is chiefly, II not wholly, in labor cost.
No duty should be permitted to stand
as regards any industry unless the
workers receive their full share Of the
benefits Of that duty.
In other words, there Is no warrant
for protection unless a legitimate share
Of the benefits gets into the pay en-
velope of the wage-worker.
The practice of undertaking q general
revision Of all the schedules at one
time and Of securing information as to
conditions in the different. industries
and as to rates Of duty desired chiefly
from those engaged in the industries.
who themselves benefit directly from
the rates they propose, has been DEM
futile. 1t has afforded opportunity for
practically all Of the abuses which have
crept into our tariff making and our
tariff administrat ton,
The Washington times., 1912-08-06

erishment of those whom 1t was in
tended to benefit.
But, in any event. the effect of the
tariff on the cost Of living Is slight; any
householder can satisfy himself of this
fact by considering the increase I'm price
of articles, like milk and eggs, where
the influence Of both the tariff and the
trusts is negligible. No conditions have
been shown which warrant us In believ-
Ing that the abolition of the protective
tariff as a whole would bring any sub
1t would certainly cause unheard of i'm
mediate disaster to all wage workers,
all business men. and all farmers, and
in all probability would permanently
lower the standard of living here,
In order to show the utter futility OF
the belief that the abolition of the tariff
and the establishment Of free trade
would remedy the condition complained
OF, all that Is necessary is to look at
the course of industrial events in Eng
land and in Germany during the last
thirty years. the former under free
trade, the latter under a protective sys-
tenn.
During these thirty years It is a mat
ter Of common knowledge that Ger
many has forged ahead relatively to
England, and this not only as regards
the employers. but as regards the wage
earners-in short, as regards all MEM
bers Of the industrial classes.
Doubtless, many causes have COM
bined to produce this result: Ii Is not
to be ascribed to the tariff alone but.
on the other hand, 1t is evident that 1t
could not have come about II a pro-
among many other causes Of the high
roat <,f Ux,fp
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Non-Partisan Board
To Solve Problems.

The reports Of a permanent, expert,
and non-partisan tariff commission
would at once strike a most powerful
blow against the chief iniquity OF the
old .log-rolling method Of tariff-making.
One Of the principal difficulties with
the old method has been that 1t was
impossible for the public generally. and
gress not directly connected with the
committees handling tariff bill. 20
secure anything like adequate and im-
partial information on the particular
subjects under consideration. The re-
ports of such a tariff commission would
at once correct this evil and furnish to
the general public full, complete, and
disinterested Information on every sub
ject treated in a tariff bill.
With such reports It would no Longer
secret or to jam 1t through either house
of Congress without the fullest and most
Illuminating discussion: The path OF
the tariff "joker" would be rendered in
finitely difficult.
AS further means of disrupting the
old crooked, log-rolling method OF tariff
making all future revisions OF the tarin
should be made schedule by schedule as
changing conditions may require. Tnus
way OF the trading votes which has
marked SO scandalously the enactment
of every tariff bill of recent years.
The tariff commission should render
renorts at the call of Congress or OF
either branch of Congress and to the
President. Under the Constitution. Con.
gress is the tariff-making power. II
should not be the purpose in creating a
tariff commission TO take anything away
from this power of Congress. but rather
to afford wise means of giving to
Congress the widest and most scien.
tnc assistance possible. and of fur
nishing Il and the public with the full
est disinterested information.
only by this means can the tarifr bt
taken out of politics. The creation OF
such permanent tariff commission, and
the adoption of the policy Of schedult
Accomplish this highly desired object
than any other means yet devised.
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Agrees That Trusts
Are Responsible.

1t is also asserted that the trusts are
responsible for the high cost Of living.
have no question that, as regards GER
tain trusts, this is true. also have no
question that 1t will continue to be true
just as long as the country confines it.
self to acting as the Baltimore platform
demands that we act. ..... ...
This demand is, in effect, for the
States and National Government TO
make the futile attempt to exercise
forty nine sovereign and conflicting au-
thorities in the effort Jointly to suppress
the trusts. while at the same time the
National Government refuses to exer-
else proper control over them. There
will be no diminution in the cost OF
trust-made articles so long as our Gov
ernment attempts the Impossible task
of restoring the fint-lock conditions OF
business sixty years ago by trusting
only to q succession OF lawsuits unoer
the antitrust lava method which II
has been definitely shown usually re
suits to the benefit Of any big business
concern which really ought to be dis,
solved, but which cause disturbance ana
distress to multitudes OF smaller con-
Germs. ..,.,,r
4, less they do 1t wastefully: as In certain
forms Of mining and lumber1ng-cannot
permanently increase the cost or living;
or which, without limiting production
take advantage Of the lack OF govern
mental control and eliminate competi.
tion by combining to control the market
that cause an increase in the cost OF
living. 800 .
There should be established at once
as have Elsewhere said, under the Ma
tionaI Government an interstate indus
trial commission, which should exercise
full supervision over the big industrial
into which an element Of monopoly en-
ters. -, tat. .,,
necessaries of life the commission
| should not shrink. II the necessity IS
nroyed of going to the extent OF exer-
cising regulatory control over the con-
ditions that create or determine monop-
\ nIy nrtces
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Quotes From. Book
By University Head.

An important volume entitled "Concen-
tration and Control has just been is
sued by President Charles r. Van Hise,
of the University of Wisconsin. The
University of Wisconsin has been more
influential than any other agency in
making Wisconsin what 1t has become,
a laboratory for wise social and indus
trial experiment in the betterment or
conditions. President Van Hise Is one
of those thoroughgoing but sane and
Intelligent radicals from whom much or
leadership is to be expected in such
matter. A..
his endeayor is to turn the attention OF
his countrymen toward practically SOW
ing the trust problem OF the United
states. In his preface he states that
his aim Is to suggest a way 10 gam the
economic advantages OF the coneentrao % ,,nao
20 guard the interests of the public ana
10 assist in the rule of enlightenment,
rea son, fair play, mutual consideration
and liberation. ...s
competition as an economic principle
has become too destructive to be per-
mitted to exist, and that the small men
must be allowed to cooperate under
penalty of succumbing before their big
competitors; and yet such cooperation
Vitally necessary to the small man, "
criminal under the present law. lie
says:
with the alternative before the busi-
ness men of cooperation or failure, we
may be sure that they Will cooperate
Since the law is violated by practically
every group of men engaged in trade
from one end OF the country to the
other, they do not feel that in COMBINING
they are doing a moral wrong. The
selection of the individual or corporation
for prosecution depends upon the arbi-
trary choice of the Attorney General
perhaps somewhat Influenced by the
odium which attaches to some of the
vlolators of the law. They all take their
chance. hoping that the blow will fall
elsewhere. With general violation and
sporadic enforcement of an impractic-
able law, We cannot hope that our peo-
pie will gain respect for It,
"In conclusion, there is presented as
the solution Of the difficulties OF the
present Industrial situation, concen :
tration. cooperation, and control
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Protective Tariff
As q Principle.

] believe in protective tariff, but I
believe in 1t as principle. approached
from the standpoint of the interests
OF the. whole people, and not as a bun
die OF preferences to be given to fav-
ored individuals. In my opinion, the
American people favor the principle of
a tariff to be established primarily in
the interests OF the wage worker and the
consumer. The chief opposition 20 our
tariff at the present moment comes
from the general conviction that GER
tain interests have been improperly
favored by over-protection. I agree
with this view
The commercial and industrial eX-
perience of this country has demon
strated the wisdom OF the protective
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Work Of Nation
Would Be Ineffective.

The worst of the big trusts have. al
ways endeavored to keep alive the feel
ing in favor of having the States them
selves. and not the nation. attempt to
do this work. because they know that
in the long run such effort would be
ineffective. There is no surer way to
prevent all successful effort to deal
with the trusts than to insist that they
be dealt with by the States rather than
between the States and the nation on
the subject.
The well-meaning ignorant man who
advances such a proposition does as
much damage as II he were hired by
the trusts themselves. for he IL playing
the game of every big crooked corpora
ton In the country.
The only effective way in which to
regulate the trusts II through the ex-
ercise OF the collective power OF our
people as q whole through the gov
ernmentaI agencies established by the
Constitution for this very purpose.
Grave injustice Is done by the Con.
gress when 1t fails to give the Ma.
tlonal Government complete power In
this matter; and still graver injustice
by the Federal courts when they en-.
deavor in any way to pare down the
right of the people collectively to act In
this matter as they deem wise; such
conouct does ltselr tend TO cause tht
creation OF a twilight zone in which
neither the nation nor the States have
power.
Fortunately, the Federal courts have
more and more Of recent years tended
to adopt the true doctrine, which Is tha
all these matters are to be settled by
the people themselves; and that the
conscience of the people, and not tht
, preferences of any servants of the peo
| pie, Is to be the standard in deciding
what action shall be taken by the peo
! pie. AS Lincoln phrased 1t: ''The (ques
| tom of national power and State rights
! as principle is no other than the prin
| ciple of generality and locality. What
ever concerns the whole should be con
fded to the whole-to the General Coy
| the State should be left exclusively t
\ tho Qfafa
The Washington times., 1912-08-06
Must Be Applicable
To All Concerned.

What is needed Is the application to
all Industrial concerns and all cooper
ating interests engaged in interstate
commerce in which there Is either mon
opoly or control Of the market OF the
principles on which we have gone in
regulating transportation concerns IN
gagged in such commerce. The anti
trust law should be kept on the statute
books and strengthened SO as to make
against every big concern tending to
monopoly or guilty Of anti-seciaI prac-
tees
At the same time, q national indus
trial commission should be created
which shouId have complete power to
requisite. and control all the great In
dustrial concerns engaged in inter
state business - which practically
means all Of them In this country.
This commission should exercise over
these industrial concerns like powers to
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
and over the national banks by the
Comptroller Of the Currency and addi-
tional powers IL found necessary.
The establishment Of such commits
dividual rather, than merely, the cor
,poration. just as We now do with
banks, where the aim OF the Govern
ment Is, not to close the bank, but to
bring to Justice personally any bank
official who has gone wrong. This COM
mission should deal with ell the abuses
Of the trusts-all the abuses such as
those developed by the Government suit
against the Standard Oil and Tobacco
trusts-as the Interstate Commerce
Commission now deals with rebates. II
should have complete power to make
the capitalization absolutely honest and
put q stop to all stock watering.
Such supervision over the issuance
Of corporate securities would put stop
to exploitation of the people by dis
honest capitalists desiring to declare
dividends on wstered securities. and
would open this kind Of industrial prop
erty to ownership by the people al
large. 1t should have free access to
the books Of each corporation and
power to find out exactly how 1t treats
its employees. its rivals. and the general
public, 1t should have power to com.
pei the unsparing publicity Of all the
acts of any corporation which goes
wrong