Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1914-03-12
BoRAH AND PERKINS
Says Idaho Senator Must
Make Next Move.

It's Senator Borah s move, saws tbe
noise Statesman. He accused George
w. Perkins, the Bull Moose leader Of
oeihg monopolist, of having made
$o,ooo,0OO to $7,0O0,0OO in orpaniz;no
the harvester trust, that he thriyes on
the profits of a business that undern, We
its laborers and that he has been 40
soclated IN various nefarious industrial
enterprises.
Enter Perkins: He declares not one
or the statements is true. The Nav
York Times of March adds that "he
interposes denials, disproofs, alibis and
other adequate answers, accompanied
with counterchecks uuarrelsome. inso.
much that he makes the senator an OBJ
Ject OF pity rather than of resent
ment.' mat s rubbing it in; and, of
course, Perkins indorses it.
Senator Borah, at the proper time.
will no doubt present proof of his ac-
cusations, so far couched in general
ties. 1t seems to be up to him, for
Perkins reply has evidently created a
favorable impression in many quarters.
1t certainly did in the New York Times
office. The Times proceeds to discuss
the controversy in the following man.
ner:
''But what becomes of the senatorial
privileges Cannot man from Idaho
be permitted to keep his record straight
with his constituents, and to see to it
that his political fences are in prime or
der? Senator Borah is ambitious, and
the necessity of winning and holding
the confidence of the people lies heavy
upon him. He must not be so radical
as to alarm the Republicans, nor vet so
reactionary as to scare away the Pro-
gressives.
$50 why shouldn It he, as Mr.. Per-
kins puts it, make pussyfooted speech
at New York banquet and sail into
big business hot and heavy in Ohio two
weeks later? If Mr.. Perkins was out
for the nomination in 1915 he would I'M
derstand these things better.
"The use the politicians make of the
and business interests for
their private ends has it's serious side,
however. Mr.. Perkins assumes from
Senator Borah s letter that he is in
favor of breaking up the Steel corpora
ton. We do not know how the Idaho
senator stands upon that question, but
certainly there are many senators and
many congressman who would, with
great pleasure, read dissolution decree
with respect to that concern. Yet, as
Mr.. Perkins points out, the consequence
es Of dissolution would fall very heavi-
ly upon the large percentage of Steel
g employees who are own
ers of its shares. "In the month Of
January just passed. says Mr.. Perkins,
"42,393 employees subscribed as sepa-
rate individuals for an aggregate of
over $4,000 shares Of stock in that com
pany.' The establishment and sue
cessful delelopment of this plan for
giving the men in the mills a share Of
the profit is very largely the work of
Mr.. Perkins, as he reminds Senator
Borah Tt may be doubted whether any
senator or congressman with an eve
chiefly to his own political interests
takes thought about the harm he may
be doing-not to the capitalists-but to
The wage earners who are measureably
dependent for comfortable living up
On the activity of business and the gen.
sral prosperity of the country
Then it throws in the following by
way of good measure: "Mr. j. j. Hill
said the other day that this is a big
country and it takes good many men
10 hold it down. There are men in
Washington, many men, who are doing
their best to hold it down, who are
70 the extent of their abilities and their
obstructing the return of
The harm inflicted upon
The working class, upon the common
people, by the agitators and demago-
CUES of politics is and has been i'm
neasurably greater than any injury due
% the extortions of the trusts -
So Senator Borah's next move may |
not only be in the direction of Per
xins. but in the direction of the Times.
His reply will be awaited with in
;erest, containing as it will, of course,
facts and figures to sustain his sweep
ng charges against Perkins, and per
,rational burst anent his classification
oy the Times as demagogue and 20
Lord!) a pussyfoot and trimmer!
Perkins and the Times have given
Senator Borah golden opportunity.
Imagine the Congressional Record