The Washington herald., 1913-03-16
A. MITCHELL PALMER. WILSON'S SPOKESMAN
in THE HOUSE, TELLS ABOUT TARIFF PLANS
With Charles M. Schwab, and Discusses Sher-
man Law-Would Put Trust Heads in JAIL
BY JAMES b. MORROW.

By JAMES b. MORROW.
Washington, March 1.-THE duel be-
tween Charles NJ. Schwab, the suave spe-
cialist in metals and money, and Alex
ander Mitchell Palmer, Quaker lawyer,
living out in the country, began in 1905
The same Mr. Palmer. be it understood.
who could have been Secretary of War
in Woodrow Wilson's Cabinet, and who
will be one OF the real pillars OF progress
sion in the new administration Needing
a little enthusiastic support, Schwab call
ed to the l100O workers in his steel mills
at South Bethlehem. They poured forth
alacriously, rolling up their sleeves ener-
getically.
Figures cannot be given with precision,
but persons who ought TO know say that
about 80 per cent of Schwabs reinforce
ments went over to' Palmer when they
reached the polls. However that may be-
Palmer-A. Mitchell, to write it down as
he writes it himself-came to Congress
from the Twenty-sixth District Of Penn
sylvania. Likewise, he came in 1910. BY
1872 the habit was chronic, and he came
again.
The Schwabian argument was that
Palmer antagonized the status quo, eco
nomically. The Palmerian reply was that
Schwab extorted the consumers of steel
rails, armor plate, and so forth. Concilia-
ton was unthinkable after Palmer said
that Schwab, with a primary investment
of only 100000 in cash, had. by adding
his profits thereto. built up an establish
ment capitalized at Sl5,O0o 900, on which
dividend of 10 per cent, o. S.5oo.o0. was
paid annually. In the meanwhile, Palmer
asserted, Schwab's workmen. for the most
part, were receiving no more than Is cents
an hour for their labor.
ThuS the duel 6ercely ppened .flve years
ago has continued. On the one side, an
ocean of money. On the other, an ocean
of words and a tongue brutal as hatchet-
Now the phrase, "a Quaker lawyer. may
suggest a benign theeing and thoulng
person wearing baggy trousers and a
countenance like a missionary. More
over, to habituate him out in the country
scarcely gives a potent and sophisticated
touch 10 the picture. 4 soda biscuit
label however does not reduce the eX-
plosive and tearing powers of can OF
nitroElycerin-
He Looks Like a Statesman.
Nor is Mr.. Palmer entirely composed
of voca bulary. He has plenty of ability
and large supply of atmosphere. Men.
and women, too, it may be. say that =
is stylish and handsome. Physically. he
is built like a public character, resem-
bling except that his complexion is fair
and not, dark. such masters in politics
as Stephen A. Douglas. Samuel J. Ran
DALI and William Mckinley. There is
nothing crude about his presence, his
manner, nor his language. He has prac-
ticed law in a town of only 1900 inhabi-
tants. located north of Philadelphia, but
has developed financially into director
Of banks and of gas, water, and electric
railroad companies
sham
genuine. Mr. Palmer, by his personality
and his intellectually. becomes conspicu-
Gus in all of his environments. 1t was
so in college and at the bar OF Eastern
PENNSYLVANIA. It has been so in the
House of Representatives. He was made
a member of the Ways and Means Com
mttee during his first term as a law
maker. In his second term he wrote
tariff bill covering metals, including such
products as are manufactured at South
Bethlehem by Mr.. Schwab and his asso-
ciates He will write the metal schedule
Of the tariff bill, which the Democrats
are to pass at the coming special session
Of Congress. Furthermore, he will de-
bate it South Bethlehem, no doubt, will
gain fresh prominence.
Persons depending on iron and steel
for their bread and butter and. indeed,
all men and all women who live by labor
TO know the facts about Mitchell Palrtf
II better times dawn, he will, in part, be
responsible. II bad times come, he will
rightly be censurable. Besides, he is to
be President Wilson's confidential agent
and official spokesman in the House of
Representatives. Moreover. the duel with
Mr.. .Schwab is TO go on indefatigably.
They Sailed With William Penn.
will hs Md
on May 4. His ancestors came from Eng
land with William Penn in the sailing
ship Welcome. The Palmers, there
fore, are old and historical settlers. Many
Quakers are rich. They are frugal. in
dustrious, and very good at bargains.
Mitchell Palmer's father sent him to
Swarthmore College, being man in COM
Portable circumstances.
Once educated" the son told me, Il
was to look out for myself. Nothing was
said, perhaps. bearing directly on the
subject, but l sensed the feeling of the
family and, further, bad an assortment
Of personal convictions. Novels have
been written picturing domestic life
among the Quakers. Fathers in such
stories are commonly described going
around with rods in their hands and
stern expressions on their faces. l am
birthright Quaker. that is to say, both
my 1atneT ana InOIneT were HlelIlDtTS VI
the denomination. ! also married into an
,Id-time Quaker family. No gentler or
sweeter men ever lived than the Quaker
husbands and fathers of Pennsylvania
and other Eastern States. I know all
ibout them.
We'll, to return to my own case, i bor-
rowed money of college friend and took
a course in shorthand. Then ! studied
law while holding the ONCE Of court Ste
nographer. While thus engaged I was
hired to sue a man for $50. He had pur-
chased some firewood and had procrasti-
mated in the matter of its payment The
cause was tried before a Justice of the
peace. I won rather easily. The fee, I
Informed my client, would be S.. That
was more than twenty years ago. The fee
Is still uncollected. though my first client,
and honor him as such. tells me every
lime / see him that he means to pay 1t.
waIIoped as q Young Lawyer.
oI was admitted to the bar at the age
of twenty-one. and was Immediately
taken into partnership by John b. Storm,
who had served three terms in Congress
nnd had a large and lucrative. practice.
Unfortunately for him aud our clienrs.
his health was bad. A great deal of busi-
ness consequently came into my manage
ment The experience was excellent for
me, IL for no one else. had to try cases
against men who had been active and
successful lawyers for years. Often 1
was heaten. Defeats. however. are fire.
auently of value to the victims, in that
they promote industry and improve tao
tics, and are Christening to the spirit.
Some things can he learned In no other
way. / was walloped good and hard by
q lawyer, who, tc my growing consterna-
tion turned up in nearly every big case