Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-10
MoAdootlllnu tho Coal Criaia,

We should like to know ana we arc
| quite sure that the American people
would like TO know, few things about
this characteristic bit OF McAdoodiing;
1 Tor example:
/ Why does the former secretary OF
the treasury, now private citizen en-
gaSed in movie exploitation, butt into
the coal controversy this time?
! Why aid he not, as secretary of Ae
| treasury, do something To correct the
| sCandalous conditions which then pre-
vailed? He tells us that in May, 1918,
/ he discovered that by examination Of
J income take returns that mine owners
/ were making shocking and indefen-
! siole profits" out OF the helpless public,
! Was he himself shocked? If SO, why
I didn't he do something's Why didn't
! he say something? Why didn't he In
/ form the president, the fuel admin
istrator, the general public, that tho
! people were thus being goused by
conscious profteers? So far as tho
world knows, he never emitted peep.
! He sat mute as the provcro!al clam,
1 and watched that great wrong being
I done, He could not have been more
coniplaisant ii no had been-as Of
coutsehe cauldn't have been - in
cahooIs with the profiteers. He Kept
! mute about IT until now, a year and \
| half after date. And now with an air
OF virtSs which would have made poor
old Pecksniff green with envy he
! para5es himself into the limeliSht with
a demand that the wicked operators
be mu,cted Of their "indetensible'
sa!ns of two years ago. If those
rro.iteering gains of 1917 are indefen-
sibie In 1918. they were indefens!ble In
| 1911. II this man has the slightest
excuse for condenlnirS them now. he
was under an UNNECESSARILY greater
! n oral obligation to condemn them
then. when his condemnation would
, have been erectual for putting n stop
10 such rascally oppression OF the
public.
II Il was desirable, for the public
good. that these scandaious returns,
showing shocking and indefensie.e
profits gouged out OF American people,
should be made public. or should be
open TO inspection" which Is all the
iaw permits, why did not Mr.. McAdoo,
as secretary Of the treasury. the
moment he discovered their infamous
character, report upon them 70 the
president and have the president issue
the necessary order, and himself make
I the rules and regulations for It's
execution, according to law!
Instead, he kept mum. To let the
profiteers gouge and extort to their
hearts and purses content He let
the people suffer under extortionate
! prices for one of the prime necessaries
Of life. And now, years after. when
! there Is chance to pose as Tie
friend Of the striking miners, who have
may votes, and as the champion of the
rice-oppressed people, who have
| many more votes. he McAdood!es IN
his most strident strain against tho
| mine owners. who have comparatively
| few votes. That is self MADE
record. We venture modestly to sus-
| gest 1t as 4 scenario for a hve-reei
! film.
| OF course. II may be that the mine
owners and operators did make those
enormous profits in 1917. And it may
be that they can we'll AFFORD to pay
| miners higher wages without raising
the price Of coal to the people. we
are not disputing either OF those
| propositions. The truth or the faisity
of them has. however, not the slightest
! bearing upon the disgraceful dereiic-