Charlevoix county herald., 1915-06-12
ON THE FIRING LINE

The Post Office Department takes its
place as typically managed Demo
cratic institution by announcing def
icit of six and half millions for the
last six months of 1914. POSTMASTER
General Burleson attributes the postal
deficit to the war;" adds the official
statement. How useful the war is to
the Democrats! With seeming self
complacency they lay at its door all the
evil results of their own maladministra-
ton. We suppose that if Mr.. Burleson
should some morning slip on banana
skin as he was making his way to the
office, he would at once denounce some
one of the warning nations for having
placed it there.
The President declares that if private
capital does not supply adequate lines
of shipping to South America, the
Government will have to do it, Private
capital would be readily forthcoming
for such an enterprise if there could be
any surety of profits, or even if there
could be any guarantee that it was not
to be hampered and ridden with an
excess of governmental and legislative
interference and regulation. But, as
things now are, whoever puts his
money into transportation enterprises,
virtually puts it into the hands of
Democratic bureaucracy to manage.
Those industrious agents OF the pres
ent national administration who are so
jealous in proclaiming the restoration
of good times should adhere to facts.
The placing of few orders for railroad
cars and locomotives seem to have
thrown them into such an ecstacy Of
JOY that they blind themselves to the
actual situation as shown by COMPARE
sons. The Boston News Bureau points
out that in the first four months of 1914
the railroads bought 1850 cars and 476
locomotives, while in the same period
of the present year they bought only
10,047 cars and ga locomotives. This
shows the kind of revival of business
we are enjoying as basis for all the
shouting of the defenders of the Demo-
cratic regime.
If it is proper for the Democratic
press and members of the Democratic
administration to shout themselves
hoarse in laudation of the alleged
achievements of the Democratic party,
why is it improper for Republicans to
show the failures of that party and the
misleading nature of its political
propaganda?
Secretary of Agriculture, d. F. Hous-
ton, urges enactment of laws in all the
states to protect sheep from the depre-
dations of dogs. But why stop there?
There are three well-known enemies of
the sheep-death, dogs and Democracy.
Since the Department of Agriculture
has long supplied remedies against
sheep diseases and now proposes pro-
lection against dogs, why not aid
further by pointing out the seriousness
of the menace Of free wool? More
sheep have shed their blood on the
altar of free wool than ever lost it
through the depredations of dogs.
The degradation of Congress in these
latter days of the "new freedom" has
been made the subject of comment by a
writer in LaFollette's Magazine, who
points out that the Democratic machine
that dominated the House in the sixty
third Congress was the worst ever. And
then he goes to show that "the lower
branch Of Congress has descended to
the 'shoes-soled. while-you-wait level in
legislation. 1t is all done by few
leaders.
Attorney General McReynolds held
that the five per cent rebate was in
operative. The Customs Court having
no consideration for partisan necessi-
ties, says it is operative not only for
our ships, but for the ships of all the
most favored nations. Mr.. Underwood
put the rebate section in his tariff bill
as bluff. Now the bluff has been
called, and it will cost 500, 100000
When man tells a joke to half "a
dozen women and they all laugh but
one, that one is his wife.