Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-03
PERKINS FLAYED
BY SENATOR B0RAH
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN TWO
LEADERS RESULTS IN SOME
RED HOT CHARGES.

y
George w. Perkins, nestor of the pro
gressive party, took occasion to attacl
Senator William Y. Borah of Idaho TO
the latters speech at Columbus, Ohio
on Thursday he invited a controvers!
which is likely to emphasize thu
L. chasm that divides the progressive
republicans from the third party.
For some time past Senator Borah
who was one of Col. Roosevelt's mos
active supporters in the preconventioI
fight at Chicago, has been the principa
| attraction at the republican get to
gether' dinners and meetings through
out the country. The senator from
Idaho has been friendly to Col Roose
welt and has made no secret of his de-
sire to have the colonel accept the
republican nomination in 1916. But the
senator from Idaho has not subscribed
to the progressive movement. He has
been attacked vigorously by the bull
moose leaders.
The senator turned on his assailants
lat Columbus, ,criticising especially
former Senator Beverage and George
S.. Perkins. Mr.. Perkins resented the
references to himself and wrote let
, ter to Senator Borah.
In his letter Mr.. Perkins denies that
he believes monopoly is the proper
thing with little regulation
81 am not in favor of monopoly
says Mr.. Perkins in his letter The
progressive party recognizes that there
have been and are evils existing in the
industrial corporate affairs and it be-
| lieves that these evils can be elimi-
mated and hereafter prevented precise
! ly as evils have been eliminated and
prevented in the railroad and banking
world by governmental regulation Of
interstate railroads and banks"
Regarding the International Har-
vester Co. he declares he believes it
is treating labor, consumers and COM
petitors fairly and honorably: that it
has been and is expanding and not re-
straining trade" ~.
Borah Replies to Perkins.
In a caustic reply Senator Borah
pays his compliments to Mr.. Perkins
and what he conceives to be the lat
ter's attitude toward monopoly
incidentally Senator Borah refers to
Mr.. Perkins connection with the Inter
national Harvester Co., which he de-
nOunces as the most unconsCiOnable
and shameless mdnopoly' and which
he suggests Mr.. Perkins organized,
and says it was intended to and did
sufficiently control this industry and
dominate it, and out of which you took,
as am informed, between IS 900 900
and $7,0o0,o I
Mr.. Perkins letter was disclaimer
that he was defending monopoly On
this point the senator passes out the
following to the bull moose leader:
IF you did take out that amount,
who paid it? Ultimately, the farmers
of this country. And how were you
able to make them pay you between
100000 and $7,OOO,OOO for what you
did? Simple through the power of
cruel and brutal monopoly"
Assaults Treatment Of Workers.
Senator Borah described another
monopolistic characteristic of the har-
vester trust as the inhuman way In
which it worker and treated its en-
ployes.'
Senator Borah then quoted from the
report of the state factory investigat-
ing committee of New York, showing
that the women receive from IS to 81
week and telling Of the piece work
system and the night shifts for women.
Commenting on the disclosures in the !
report, Senator Borah said:
"ihis is only slight indication as
to what this report shows as to the
repulsive and inhuman and hellish
treatment which those women receive
at the hands Of this combination. |
When your attention was called to
this, you are reported as saying: This
night work has been rendered neces- |
To- oIVy 0f ho
ment's perfectly unreasonable attitude !
toward large corporations.
Brands Perkins UnfceIinc Master.
Now, sir, If you will ltake into con-
sideration the tremendou, fortune
which you took out of this combina-
ton, the oppressed and distressed con-
dition and poverty stricken wage of
it's employees, and your crisp and cyni-
cal comment; it occurs to me that you
not only have here all of the character
istics and workings of a monopoly,
but you have it's utterly unfeeling
master" -. 800
Senator Borah then reviews the his.
tory of the organization of the steel
trust and reminds Mr.. Perkins of his
connection with that organization
through the firm of J. P. Morgan &
Co., which, according to Senator
Borah, took $62.00O,O00 out as profits
for devising a plan by which competi-
ton was destroyed.
Charges Other Trust Operations.
The senator also Identifies Mr.. Per
kins with the organization of the New
York. New Haven and Hartford system
to dominate the transportation of New
ganization. Senator Borah says:
1T was, Mr.. Perkins, criminal
transa ction, the men who manipulated
it to get the benefit of it. were just as
much violators of the law as the man
who holds me up on the street and
takes my purse. If I do you an in
Justice In assuming that you haG any
part in this, or that you received any
benefit from this nefarious and in.
famous transaction. no one will act
moro click1y than myself in cOrropfinp