The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-05-17
Washington Letter.

price of raw cotton sold by the pro-
ducer to the manufacturer, at maxi
mum of zoe pound, twice as much
as was received for it before the war.
This was H. R. No. 11,517. On the
very same day, Representative Goodwin
of North Carolina, introduced bill,
H. R. 1882, fixing the price of cot
ton from producer to manufacturer at
a minimum of 40c pound. (See page
5726 of the Congressional Record }
On the following day Senator Rams
dell wired to Senator Overman, from
New Orleans, as follows: Report
from Washington that Emerson, of
Ohio, introduced House bill to fix price
of cotton 20 cents, causing demorali-
zation in all branches in the cotton
market. After conference with our
cotton friends and bankers here, l
urge you to. make public statement
that no bill fixing price of cotton could
pass unless it fixed prices on all arti-
cles made from cotton, including tex
tiles, also on all products of the farm,
also on manufactured articles of all
kinds. upon the same basis" (See
Congressional Record, page 5729).
AS to whether Senator Overman
publicly made such statement is not
recorded. He might have treasured
Senator Ransdell privately. The fact
that Ransdell depended on Overman to
tell the Senate what it could do, and
could not do, and that Overman's as
surances would be all that the people
of Louisiana required, shows to what
a pretty pass our representative gov
ernment has arrived.
1t was along about this time that
one William Hunter, hailing from
Williamsport, Indiana, who was run
ming farm on the outskirts of New
Orleans, was stripped by citizens of
that town, according to reports in the
press, tarred and feathered, and sub
jected to all sorts of revilements.
Hunter had refused to buy bonds in
the Third Liberty Loan through New
Orleans banks, claiming he had
bought bonds through his home bank
in Williamsport, and the day follow
ing his damnable treatment at the
hands of New Orleans mobocracy, his
bank in Williamsport wired assurances
that he had some time before purchas-
ed $4,000 worth of bonds in the Third
Loan.
1t was along about this time, also,
that the New Orleans Stock Exchange
telegraphed to Secretary McAdoo,
giving as an excuse for the poor show
ing of that city in subscribing to the
Third Liberty Loan, the fear of price,
fixing legislation provided for in the
Emerson Bill. Did these people know
or did they not, that Goodwin had pro-
vided for a maximum of 4Oc pound
Godwin's bill was word for word, and
not for not, a replica of the Emerson
Bill, except that it substituted. 4Oc
minimum for zoe maximum. Did
someone wire New Orleans relative to
the Emerson Bill, and remain mute
with respect to the Goodwin Bill, which
was introduced within five minutes
after? And did that someone do this
in order to manipulate the cotton mar
ket?
There is certainly something decid-
edly fishy in all this. 1t ought to be
looked into. 1t presents four facts
for consideration. First, that the
time would appear to have arrived
when certain people in the South be-
heve that one or two Democratic |
chairman in the Senate can make the
Senate obey their whim. Second, that
a man from the north, engaged in
productive enterprise in the South has
been criminally treated and subjected
to the vilest indignities for an omis-
sion of which he was not guilty, and
he apparently has no redress. Third,
that New Orleans has presented re-
markable example of Southern chiv-
airy, and fourth, that the man who
sent that wire was, through gross
negligence or design, guilty of treas
enable act in obstructing the sale of
Liberty bonds, provided, of course,
Orleans excuse for her poor show
ing at that time was acceptable.
=
Mayor Hylan of New York is re-
ceiving a sharp criticism because he
shows a disposition to appoint men
10 Office in his administration who will
be subservient to him. The New
York World has been especially Sc
we're in its comments upon the mayors
policy, which, so far as it relates to
recent changes in the health depart
ment, is characterized as "raid to
seize the health department of New
York for the spoils it might yield"
Yet Mayor Hylan is only following
he example of the greatest Democra-
tic executive of them all. President
Wilson has consistently followed the
practice Of surrounding himself with
men whom he knows will be subser-
yient, regardless of whether they have
been especially fitted for the job or
rot. We can hardly believe that the
physician whom Mayor Hylan has
.hosen to be his health officer is less
for the place than DR.. Har-
y Garfield is for that of fuel admin {
select only one COMPARE ,