The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-04-14
TARDY RETRrBUTIoN.

TARDY RETRIBUTION.
John I. Metcalf was arrested in
Spokane recently and lodged in Jail
10 answer charge of disloyalty.. He
was caught with suit case filled
with bolshevist literature, some of it
actually reasonable. He is being
held for trial. '
= The arrest of Metcalf brings to
memory sad affair In which he
was the principal actor more than
25 years ago. Metcalf was mem
Der of the legislature of the state of
Washington when United States
senators were elected by the legis-
lature There was hot contest on
for United States senator with Wat
son C. Squires, of Seattle, million
aire, and Judge Calkins, of Tacoma,
a poor man of great ability and who
would have been shining light in
the senate, as the opposing candi-
dates. Old timers will remember the
bitterness of the fights between Sc
attic and Tacoma, which were nearer
the same size and Importance then
than now.
The vote was being taken in the
legislature and when Metcalf's name
was called he arose in his seat hold
ing $500 in crisp new bills, which he
said had been paid to him to vote
for Calkins, and he walked forward
and laid the money on the speakers
desk and posing as a paragon of
virtue" tried to make speech telling
how he and several others had been
bribed by Judge Calkins, the poor
man, to vote for him and against
Squires, the Seattle millionaire.
- Metcalf never finished that speech.
Members of the legislature were for
tearing him to pieces and it took sew
eral policemen to escort him to his
boarding house. But the evil had
been done. Spuires was elected and
Judge Calkins soon died of broken
heart He took sick soon after the
episode and never recovered. An in
vestigation by the legislature follow
ed and the story was shown to be
fake gotten up for the purpose of de-
feating Judge Calkins, who seemed
to be in the lead. Metcalf was ex-
PEELED from the legislature in dis
grace and he disappeared from view
for many years. Later he bobbed up |
and again regained some prominence
in politics and was hailed before the |
supreme court for violation of one |
of its orders. He was constantly in
trouble and sunk to the level of a
bolshevist and is now working with |
the |. w. w. and the bolshevik ele-
ment 1t is to be hoped that he will
be convicted and given long term
in a federal prison. He has already
done too much mischief to be per
mitted to continue at large. 1t is to
be hoped that retribution, which
seems to have been slow in his case,
has at last overtaken him.
"a "a IA
Congressman Longworth and Con-
gresham Mann may continue to call
each other "reactionary' with every
assurance that the people will believe
them Enterprise (Ore) Record
Chieftain.
70 - "a
The kaiser said, What shameful
fears
Pm now compelled to feel;
/ stacked the cards for thirty years
And then mussed up the DEAL
Washington Star.
- p "a
1t is said the former kaiser looks
old and broken. A living image of
some sections of Belgium, as it were.
Free Press.
"a "a "a
The German fleet is now giving
the Allies more trouble than it ever
did when it had the run of the Kiel
Canal.-Rome Sentinel.
Anyway, Heinie, you will find an
indemnity about as cheaep as kais-
er.-Greenville Is. c. Piedmont.
p "a "a
It's funny with what JUNCTION Re-
publican directors to league of ma
lions quote democrat who seems to
share their opposition, when they re-
iect the views of democratic ma
ority which favors and supports the
PROPOSAL Kootenai Valley Times.