Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1915-09-18
ON THE FIRING LINE

We have long and sorrowfully sus-
pected that Marse Henry Watterson Of
the Louisville Courier-Journal had
reached the age for quiet Oslerization.
But that the Colonel should overlook
the fact that the blood of Europe has
insulated the industries of this country
from the perils of the Democratic tariff
for-revenue-only policy, shows that he
has indeed reached his dotage. In a
recent editorial he declares:-
"The cry of the Republicans when
the Democrats tackled the tariff was
that pauper labor and cheap factory
products from Europe would paralyze
American industry and pauperize
American labor. The United States
has for the last year led the world in
exports. Despite a lack of adequate
transportation facilities of normal times
this county has marketed much of its
normal products, and has marketed at
good prices products that are not in
normal times sent to Europe. Although
it has not sold cotton normally, the
country stands for the first time in its
history within about 20 per cent of
Great Britain's export figures in times
of peace"
If Colonel Watterson will study the
export figures for the period September
1914 to June 1915, when "war orders"
began flowing into this country, he will
learn that we exported munitions of
war to the value of 81 FOG, 900, 900, COM
pared with 1891, 100000 for similar
period in 1894. On these same COM
modities our exports fell off for the
first eight months of the calendar year
1914, January-August, $62,645, 900. In
gratitude, thy name is Watterson!
Several newspapers speak of the
raising of the F-4 as a remarkable
achievement in naval engineering.
Jesse! But the South Bend Tribune
thinks more remarkable achievement
would have been the taking of steps to
prevent its sinking. Says the Tribune:
"The announcement that the ill-fated
crew of the F-4 came to their deaths
through chlorine gas generated from
sea water sweeping into storage bat
teries of the submarine is confirmation
that at the time the inefficiency charge
was made conditions in regard to the
American undersea boats were not
what Secretary Daniels claimed them
to be. Judging by his more. recent
activities, the secretary himself has
come to a realization of that fact" Too
late, however, SO far as the victims are
concerned, to do more than give them
burial with full honors.
Capitalization in government, popu-
lation, business and wealth, are the
inevitable tendencies of civilization.
The greatest menace is Capitalization
in government, either National, State
or Municipal, weather executive or
bureaucratic dictatorship. Let the
people of this country insist on a
government by law rather than of men,
otherwise popular and representative
government will inevitably be destroy
ed.
In the year ended June 30, last, the
Northern Pacific Railroad lost over
81, III, 900 In gross revenue but cut ex-
penses almost 100000. That saving
in expenditures will long be remem-
bered by the half fed and poorly clad
families of the men in the Northwest
who lost their jobs. Like war, an in
dustrial depression brings suffering
not only to men but to their dependent
women and children.
There is no idle curiosity. 1t works
overtime.
A man seldom exhibits his temper
till he loses it,