davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
What the Telegrubhevs Haze
Stirred Ub

thing that can prevent it "then the gov
ernment cannot be- too prompt in inter-
vening." and the same thing was said
by "The Grand Forks Herald"
Not few newspapers express the view
that strike would bring nearer govern
ment ownership or at least control of the
telegraph lines; but not many papers ex-
plicitly favor such an outcome On the
contrary, the tendency is to favor leav-
ing the telegraph business in private
hands as long as the public interests are
satisfactorily served.
"The New York Times" rejects owner
ship, bat favors regulation:
Government ownership is not the rem
edy for refusal by either side to submit
to the award of the War Labor Board A
better alternative would be for Congress
to take jurisdiction of the matter and regu-
late the working of unions of publ>s utility
employees as now it regulates the working
OF public utility. corporations"
It is suspected in some quarters chat
both employer and employees are playing
their cards to bring about government
ownership or control. The Tribune said
on that point:
"There is suspicion that both the tclee-
raphers and the companies are willing
that the government should solve the diff
Guilty by taking the lines under control"
That some sentiment exists at Wash
ington in favor of government action is
evidenced by the fact that a bill has
been introduced in the House for taking
over the telegraph companies by the gov
ernment on the same basis as the rail-
ways.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
put 1t Is Easy to
- Vituperate

Proiteer, contends "The Outlook
"is a derogatory term applied to one who
successfully attempts to take advantage Of
his country's necessity to make money for
himself 1t is right and just that as thus
understood it should be q term of reproach
The man who is profiteer must be in these
days either grossly ignorant or scoundrelly
By this time there can remain only a very
small number of people who are ignorant
of the acute necessity under which this
country is laboring; and there are never
many scoundrels. The proflteers, there
fore, must constitute an extremely small,
an almost negligible, minority of the people.
There is, however, considerable and
far from negligible number of people who
are making profits as IA consequence Of
the war. To call most Of these people prof
iteers is demoralizing misuse of Ian
guage. They are making profits because
they are producing things or rendering SER
vice of special value at this time, and they
are receiving the monetary returns that
are inevitable at time when such goods
and such service in demand"
But, having got pretty clearly in mind
what is meant by profiteering and what
essentially constitutes profiteer, one is
free to concentrate upon the proved Of
fender. "The 'profiteers' who enrich
themelves inordinately at the expense of
the American people these days are not
the true friends Of their country" de-
clares "The Scranton Republican,"
"They deserve to be exposed"
Yes, deserve it richly, for, in the
words of "Capper's Weekly" sthe profit
eering to which the people are being
subjected and are SO helpless to pre-
vent ID the blackest phase Of our part
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

wide area should not, in the words Of
"The Oklahoman," "deter this govern
ment from aggressively undertaking tho
task of seining the sharks" AS for pun
ishment, this paper, voicing a pretty
common sentiment, urges that 'the peni-
tentiary should await the profiteer and
the way thereto should not be obstructed
by legalistic quibbling."
The Tribune, writing particularly Of
the form of protteering which insists
upon disregarding of the food regula-
tions, suggests ga dishonor list" And
upon it should be written, as a permanent
record, the names of all who are convicted
during the war of proiteering and wilful
Stacking"
Thus would they taste the full bitter
ness of moral indignation
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

country. Militant labor American
ism is the triumph of Mr.. Gompers's re-
markable career"
Recently "The London Morning Post"
stated that it isn't only the magnitude
of the American war effort which is "be-
yond challenge" For there is also "the
earnestness of it--a fact even more en-
scouraging." And the paper adds:
"To that earnestness no more convincing
testimony could have been given then the
bearing of the American labor mission,
which has just returned to this country
after paying visit to France. Indefatiga-
BILE efforts have been made to induce the
representatives of American labor to asso-
ciate themselves with the movement for an
international conference, in which the
enemy shall have part. To the bitter dis
appointment of most all of those who
have sought to array labor in opposition to
the war, those persuasions have been in
vain. They see that "a world peace
is to be obtained only by fighting and de-
feating the real enemy to such peace and
not by parleying with him in the gate.
America, indeed, has got into her stride"
''The New Republic" prints a highly
interesting letter from Professor Arthur
o. Lovejoy, of Johns Hopkins University,
who accompanied the labor mission to
Europe. While censuring the ''tone and
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

upon Mr.. Wilson's messages to the con-
vention, and noting that 'tto organized
labor in the present situation, he insists,
the interests of the United States must
always be first," goes on to say:
"Here and there hostile and disloyal IN
fuences have sought to mislead and corrupt
certain elements Of American labor by
spreading false doctrines and by other sim
ister methods. Against them President
Gompers has given warning hardly less
forcibly than President Wilson. Whatever
causes interruption of industry weakens the
United States at the critical period of its
existence. Whoever stirs up class dissen-
sions or incites labor troubles needlesslv is
unfriendly to the American people and the
cause to which they are irrevocably COM
mitted."
Government ownership, once held to be
such bug-bear, appears to have grown
quite popular. The Tribune's corre-
spondent, in his report from st. Paul,
reclared that:
"organized labor considers itself an organic
part of the government of the United
States. 1t feels free to summon the govern
ment to take its part in industrial disputes.
1t feels 1t has the ear Of the White House.
and it will confidently threaten the re-
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
WHO Is a
w Prohteer?

But now one returns to the question
of liability. Who is profiteer and who
is not? The question is not exactly
simple one to answer. Recently The
Tribune wrote:
"Let US stone the profteer to death.
That will be just and good. He has no
defence in morals. Comel Let us be at
it. Each of US will take a stone and go
forth into the highways and dispatch the
wretch, whoever he is, wherever he may be
found.
"But, 10! what do we see?
"Every one of us has stone. The rich
man has one for the greengrocer, who
has one for the middleman, who has one
for the truck gardener, who has one for
his hired man, and all the way down
to the newsboy at Brooklyn Bridge, who
has one for the apple woman
"Then are we all profiteers?
"In one sense, yes; in another sense, no.
"There is lot of Misunderstanding in
this matter; also much misrepresenta-
ton, some of it in ignorance, more of it
in malice"
And "The Baltimore Sum-" which goes
firmly on record with the assurance that
"the indignation expressed by Senator
Borah is abundantly justified" and that
ga great many swine are roofing for
themselves under cover Of the flag, while
pretending to be roofing for Uncle Sam,"
is quick to point out that
"there is another end-and an end which,
in the aggregate, is the bigger-that 1t Is
extremely difficult, if not impossible, for
the government to control or supervise.
And that is the end represented by the
masses of the American people, by the In
dividual units which make up our popula-
tion. It is all very we'll to be indignant
with the big fellow who is profiteering. But
are you profteering or parioteering, Mr..
Small Man? Don't try to get rid of your
own responsibility by putting the, blame
wholly on others.
"You may not be capitalistic profiteer,
! landlord profteer, q wsr-contractor profit
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
What The Call"
w Has to Say

1t is interesting to note the reaction Of
"The New York CALL" the Socialist
organ:
'While the working class Of Europe is
slowly cropping its way to unity Of views
and action, the organized workers of thk
country still remain under the Leadership
of men who can only echo the dull slogans
of reactionary press. Mr.. Gompers and
his associates selected Minnesota as the
place for the annual meeting of the A. F.
OF L. this year. state where litsle freedom
Of thinking, freedom Of press and speech
remain. Through the junker press he pro-
claims that Socialism is German and part
of the German propaganda At the same
time Secretary Morrison reports nearly
1000 strikes within seven months, involv-
ing over 100000 workers. Every striker
has been charged with being pro German
by the same press that carries Mr.. Com
pers's attacks on Socialists which always
provoked an indignant whine from that
gentleman. Yet those strikes indicate that
the mass of the organized workers are
restless, that they are thinking, that they
do not intend to be made the goat in an
era Of profiteering"
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

Of the war" But this paper adds that
"a reckoning is coming. Public condem-
nation, if all else failed, would force a
reckoning. And so it may be confidently
stated that the days of the profiteer
are numbered"
Cover in England" declares "The
Cleveland Plain Dealer" "they are trail
ing the profteer. They call him the war
vampire, and say very unpleasant things
about him." In fact, as "The Dayton
Journal points out, call nations have
their profiteers. None of them has sue
ceeded in eradicating the pest. Ger
many alone, our hated enemy, seems to
have found the right and proper way to
deal with them" But the fact that the
profteer has his habitation over a very
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
NHE danger Of a national strike Of
telegraph operators, which has
l. been a disturbing and threaten

TT ME danger Of a national strike Of
q telegraph operators, which has
n been disturbing and threaten
ing factor for some time, has
caused the press of the country good
deal Of concern. 1t is recognized that
blame attaches to both sides to the con-
troversy, but the majority of the news
papers regard the Western Union as
chiefly to blame inasmuch as it refuses
to recognize the right of its men to Or
ganize themselves into union, besides
paying them too low salaries. "The
Western Union," as "The Portland Ore
gonian" expressed it, "is welded to the
old-fashioned notion that its affairs are
its own, and it will make its own rules,
hire and fire it's men as it pleases, and
render an accounting neither to state
nor to Federal government"
"The New York World" censured both
sides:
"On the part Of employers there is OBJ
stinacy not only, but provocation. On the
part of employees there is disposition to
force the lighting, regardless of patriotic
considerations"
The supreme Importance of preventing
the strike has been generally recognized.
This feeling was put by The Tribune
thus:
IA strike of telegraphers, even for one
day, cannot be permitted to take place. If
necessary to prevent it, the government
would hardly hesitate to seize the tele-
graph lines"
"No strike should be permitted" wrote
"The Virginian-Pilot" (Norfolk, Va.);
if government Intervention be the only
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
MERE is local story, writes "The
Cleveland Plain Dealer" to the

MERE is local story, writes "The
Cleveland Plain Dealer" to the
Il effect that two men in a street.
car were discoursing upon the great
struggle, when one Of them said: "The
war has been godsend to my plant"
and the other, chuckling, replied: eff it
lasts two years longer I'll be on Easy
Street" Whereupon, as the story runs,
woman stood up and smote both men
grievously with her umbrella, exclaiming
as she did so: eff that's what the war
means to you, this is what your remarks
mean to mev'
There seems to be no real consensus
OF opinion as to how one would define
the practice of profteering in the large
sense; but for the moment it is suffi-
Gent to note that in the opinion Of the
woman passenger with the umbrella the
s"o men whose conversation she ever
neard were profteers. They were war
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

to pay part of his profits to keep his Gus
toner going, is the right way to get through
the war"
"The Springfield Republican" finds
profteering defined precisely enough by
Senator Borah, who said the profiteer
was "the man who is taking advantage
Of his country's condition, of it's perilous
situation, to gather extraordinary prof
it's and to increase enormously and I'M
justly and unfairly his individual and
private gain"
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
\ merican Labor Delegates
~ Are the Shrewder


While Professor Lovejoy admits that
Henderson and his associates are "try-
ing to keep the wage earners faithful
to the war" by means of this conference
project, he concludes that "the political
psychology underlying the methods Of
the American labor delegates is the
shrewder and the sounder of the two.
Not only does talk of conference divert
che minds of many from the business in
hand, but it also is interpreted by many
as favorable to the programme Of peace
by negotiation"
"The New Republic" itself reaches
different conclusion, holding that the
American mission showed lack of po-
litical insight and proper evaluation
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
s. \ m | Pro6teering or
~ Am | Patrioteering2"

"The Baltimore Sun" would like every
man and woman, every child, even, who
is old enough to realize what the world
is confronting, to ask himself this ques-
tion daily:
"Am proftcering or am patrioteering?
Am I subordinating my own pleasure, my
own luxury, my own indulgence. my own
vanity, my own selfish qualification to the
supreme object Of winning the war, or am
I putting myself Ueber Alles?"
The Importance Of being quite clear
in the matter Of definition Is felt by
other writers. Thus "The Hartford
Courant," which sees the fupdamental
Interpretation of the term based upon
conception of honesty, then declares:
IAN honest deal by which the govern
ment gets what it needs and the maker gets
paid we'll for furnishing 1t. and then has
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16


backing the war is the satisfac-
tory impression made by the
convention Of the American Fed
.r.tion of Labor, which was opened at
st. Paul on Monday. "Ninety-nine per
cent Of President Gompers's Speech"
autographed The Tribune's correspondent,
twas an eloquent statement Of the deter
mination of the federation members to
stand loyalty by the government and see
the war through until German autocracy
is overthrown.'
The keynote of the speech was given in
the words: "For the cause of freedom
and Justice we will give everything"
In line with this Mr.. Gompers dwelt
on the Importance Of laborHs cooperation
in the winning of the war. He even init
mated President Wilson had delayed the
declaration of war on Germany until he
had labor lined up in support Of it.
The same thing was emphasized in the
report of Secretary John P. Frey, Of the
labor mission to England and France,
respecting the attitude of labor in all
Allied countries. "Outside of a small
but noisy pacifst minority" he said, ''the
will of the working classes in Allied
countries is to continue the war resolute-
ly until victory is won."
President Wilson kept in close touch
with the St. Paul convention. In tele-
gram to Mr.. Gompers he expressed great
satisfaction over "the patriotic support
which the members of your organization
have given to the war programme of the
nation in the last year not only in the
trenches and on the battlefield, where so
many of our younger men are now in
uniform, but equally in the factories and
shipyards and workshops of the country,
where the army is supported and sup
Piled by the loyal industry of your skilled
craftsmen"
And he added:
"We are facing the hardships of the cru
cial months of the struggle. The nation can
face them confidently, assured now that no
intrigues Of the enemy can ever divide our
unity by means of those industrial quarrels
anu CLASS discussions winch ne has tried so
diligently to foment. In these days of trial
and self-sacrfce the American workman is
bearing his share of the national burden
nobly. In the new world of peace and free
dom which America is fighting to establish
his place will be as honored and his service
as gratefully esteemed"
On the other hand, a disappointing i'm
preston is made by the strike statistics
given out by the secretary of the fedora
tion The Tribune's correspondent sum-
married the figures thus:
During the last seven months, since the
last report was issued, there have been. the
report says, 922 strikes, involving 140,O42
workers, at a total cost of $1,397,687. as
against l,4l7 strikes, involving 194,8O2 men,
at cost of $2,430,933 for the previous
Twelve months. Allowing for the shorter
period of time, this shows about 12 per cent
more strikes, involving Is per cent more
men, at about the same cost"
one OF the most interesting develop
ments at the convention was a project to
send Mr.. Gompers to Europe to combat
paciflst movements in England and
france; and this was another disappoint-
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
\ bandoning the
n Party Truce

That the situation in the British Labor
party is not altogether satisfactory was
further evidenced by the news cabled to
The Tribune by Mr.. Draper. its London
correspondent, and printed on Monday.
Mr. Draper reported that the party is
about to reverse it's policy of unqualified
cooperation with the government. The
executive committee will recommend at
the annual party conference on June 26
that the party truce be forthwith aban-
doned.
The meaning and Importance of this
decision were thus outlined by Mr..
Draper:
Broadly, the British Labor party has had
two objectives-frst, to shorten the war
through negotiation, and, second, to organ
ize Labor government for Great Britain.
Any advance toward peace would prove Of
nestimable assistance to labor in obtaining
it's second objective. The prime mover in
the present campaign is Arthur Henderson.
Working with him are Sidney Webb and
Ramsay Macdonald"
The conviction that the time had ar
rived for such breach, Mr.. Draper fur
ther indicated, grew out of recent bye
election in which candidate for Parlia-
ment, running on a platform of peace
by negotiation, polled 5000 votes and was
beaten by only few hundred votes.
Mr.. Draper considers it almost certain
that the conference of June 26 will adopt
the recommendation of the executive COM
mittee, and adds that "this will furnish
striking evidence that British labor in
tends to work for an international meet
ing to discuss peace"
In regard to this development in Eng
land and the position of the American
Federation The Tribune wrote:
"What may be called the Socialist point
of view which permeates the British Labor
party was frankly challenged by members
of the American labor mission, who ap-
parently made a greater impression upon
public opinion in England than upon the
radical laborites. With these there is now
clear break. 1t was inevitable The Amer
lean Federation of Labor thinks with it's
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

pudently rampant" The profteers might
be that, this Senator felt, but they were
a whole lot of other things calling for
more strenuous language. In fact, the
profiteers were miserable scavengers
and blood-sucking tarantulas traficking
at the expense of the government"
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

eer, merchant profteer, a grocer profteer
or butcher profteer. But il you are prof
iteering in other ways you axe just as bad
as they are in principle, If not in degree,
portunity."
Thus it is seen that the question,
"What is profiteer?" must be carefully
weighed by any one anxious to see real
justice done.
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

manner" of the mission, or at least its
chairman, in treating with the labor
leaders on the other side, Professor
Lovejoy expressed himself as "confident
that the effect of the visit has, in the
main, been wholesome, bracing and clar-
flying"
New-York tribune., 1918-06-16

ing incident, for it seemed to reveal a
stronger demand for a negotiated peace
on the part of the labor elements of those
countries than had been believed to ex-
list. This step was recommended by the
labor commission sent several months
ago by the federation to England and
France. The purpose of the proposed
mission Of Mr.. Gompers would be "to
squelch the plan for a conference be-
tween Allied and German labor groups.
which, the mission found, now dominates
the international policy of the labor
forces in England and France"
The commission found that in both Eng,
land and France majority of the Social
istic leaders favor some form of confer
ence with German workingmen. 1t was
for the purpose of combating such con-
ference with German Socialists that the
commission was sent abroad; and the
mission of Mr.. Gompers would be merely
to continue it's work.
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1918-08-23
A STRIKING CONTRAST.
Entering the United States Senate anS
the House OF Lords.

Entering the United States Senate ans
the House OF Lords.
: When a senator is electe! in the
United States he sends has crelen-
tials on in advance. They are pre-
sented by his colleague, read from
the desk and fled in the secret RVS
Office unless some objection is
raised, when they are sent to the
committee or privileges ana cleo
tons for examination. When SEN
ater elect appears he steps quietly
up to the clerks desk, escorted by
his colleague, takes an oath to sup
port the constitution of the United
States and is then led to desk on
the outer row, which h;s eolleagIs
bas selected for him, where he re-
ceives the congratulations Of bis
friends and introductions to tho
senators who care to make his ac-
quaintance lie looks as wise "a
may be and waits for adjournment.
when he goes TO the secretary's Of
fee, writes his autograph in a big
red book for the use OF the cashier
and draws his mileage.
In the English house of lords tie
proceedings are very different. X
newly created peer enters that his
toric chamber in a robe of scarlet
velvet trimmed with ermine, at
tended by two fellow peers, who act
as his sponsors and escorted by the
black rod, as the sergeant-as-arms
Is known, and the garter king at
arms, arrayed in q gorgeous tahard.
The procession marches around,
making low bows to the empty
throne and to the presiding officer,
who is the lord high chancellor,
from different parts of the gilded
chamber, to which that imposing
person gravely responds. When the
new peer reaches the throne he
kneels reverently and places upon
the empty chair, where his majesty
ought to be sitting, the patent Of
nobility. he has received from his
sovereign. He is then led to tie
woolsack, where the e-lar3 Nancall9r
administers to him the oath. IFis
sponsors next lead him 10 TIC prop-
er bench, where be takes b. seat
for q moment Then all three rise
and bow three times at the vacant
throne and three times to The pre-
siding officer The lord high chan
cellor then leaves the woolsack ard
comes down 10 shake hands with tho
new peer and welcome him to the
house. The other peers come also
aud tender their congratulations.