davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
The Facts About Coal

The full truth Of the present coal
situation is difficult to arrive at be-
cause conditions of the trade are so
complex and far reaching. Yet, as
far as they can be gathered, salient
facts appear to be as follows:
Old-line or regular companies were,
as usual, shipping anthracite here in
considerable quantities when toward
the close of the summer mine work
ers went on strike which they
cuphemistically called a vacation" :"
The strike stopped coal from coming
to market. By the time the men
went back to work the government
ordered the old-line companies to
rush all the anthracite they could to
the Northwest and to Canada, be-
cause ice would stop navigation in
the Great Lakes about the middle of
November, after which the North
west would get no more.
Then it is alleged, some Of the So
called "indepcndent" operators and
sales agents not under obligation to
supply the Northwest seized the on
portunity to jack up prices for coal
which they were sending to New
York, New England and other East
ern states. Retail merchants an
pealed in vain to old-line concerns
These regulars continued to quote
prices of from SO to 50 ton at the
mines, bat were unable to send coal
here, for the Northwo stern and
Canadian needs had not been met
Whereupon, according to retail mer-
chants, independents had the
hardihood to demand almost 100 per
cent more at the mines than was
being quoted by regulars, who, how
ever, had no coal to srare. After
this came the orgy of mounting
prices to retailers, which is said to
be still in progress. A very limited
amount of anthracite can be OBJ
tanned, retailers say, but at prices
almost prohibitive.
The Attorney General is under
stood to be Investigating the mat
ter" 1t is said that he has experts"
going over accounts of old-line COM
panies to see whether they are prof
lteering. Possibly some of them are.
But if Mr.. Palmer really means bust
ness he will broaden his investigation
to include the independents" and
the chains of sPeculators who are
selling over and over again from
one to another trains and cargoes of
anthracite which the public needs.
Months ago the administration
was warned that the present situa-
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
Time Servers in the Navv

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir; The Tribune is doing an excel
lent and patriotic service in exposing
the demagogue who has so long dis
graced the Office Of Secretary Of the
Navy. Unfortunately, your analyses of
his bufoon-like acts and partisan ac-
tivtes, of his assaults on the morale of
the navy inevitably bring up the ques-
ton, "Why was he allowed to follow his
chosen and vicious path without pro-
test?"
The answer is that he surrounded him
self with time servers who either lacked
the courage to speak up in defense Of
the service and its glorious traditions or
who preferred the material benefits of
subscrviency to the respects Of their
colleagues. In SO doing they have
harmed the navy almost beyond rem
edy and earned its lasting contempt
Years of good administration will be
required to restore it to its former con-
dition, physical and moral, so deadly
are the blows they have encouraged its
worst enemy to infct. NAVY.
New York, Oct. IS, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
By
Heywood Broun

fancy names they call themselves now
bunch of rich grafters, living on the
ignorant workmen! Not going to
have any of those fellows butting in
and telling me how to run my bust
ness! | stand for freedom and consti
tutional rights. If any man don't like
my shop, he can get up and git. Same
way, If l don't like him, he gifts. And
that's all there is to it. | simply
can't understand all these complica-
lions and hoop-tedoodlcs and govern
ment reports and wage scales and God
knows what all that these fellows are
balling up the labor situation with,
when it's all perfectly simple. They
like what | pay 'em or they get out
That's all there is to it!'
Perhaps the gospel of Gopher Prairie
can best be summed up in the philoso-
ply which is assigned to Champ Perry
and Mrs. Champ, the oldest inhabi-
tants:
The Baptist Church (and, somewhat
less, the Methodist, Congregations and
Presbyterian churches) is the perfect
the divinely ordained standard in
music, oratory, philanthropy and eth
les. We don't need all this new-fan-
gled science, or this terrible higher
criticism that's running our young men
in colleges. What we need is to get
back to the true word of God and a
good sound belief in hell, like we used
to have it preached to u.s.
THE Republican party, the Grand
Old Party of Blaine and Mckinley, is
the agent of the Lord and of the Bap-
tist Church in temporal affairs.
"All Socialists ought to be hanged.
I" Harold Bell Wright is a lovely
writer, and he teaches such good
morals in his novels, and folks say he's
made prett' near million dollars out
of EN-
People who make more than ten
Thousand dollars year OF less than
eight hundred are wicked.
europeans are still wickeder.
1T doesn't hurt any to drink glass
OF beer on a warm day, but anybody
who touches wine is headed straigbt
for hell.
virgins are not so virginal as they
used to be.
Nobody needs drugstore ice cream;
pie is good enough for anybody.
The farmers want too much for
their wheat.
The owners OF the elevator com
pany expect too much for the salaries
they pay.
There would be no more trouble
or discomfort in the world if everybody
worked as hard as pa did when he
cleared our first farm"
Naturally, we expect to come back
to Main Street in some detail. We NAV
even have 10 admit that there are re-
spects in which it might be better, but
1T is good enough for US to declare
unqualifedly that Main Street is an
achievement of the first rank and prob
ably IS important a book as ANYBODY
is likely to see this season. In fact
this reviewer is almost ready now to
depart in peace.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
The Diary of Our Own Samuel penv.

October 17-Lay late, going last
night to Englewood, and played GRO
ouet all the morning, and in the after
noon beat f. Davis five setts with great
ease, and then played upon my con-
certina, the harmonies of which still
elude me- Mistress Ncysa having on
& beautiful green tye, l did admire it,
and she gave it me, and so, with A..
Woollcott and my wife, home in my
petrol Wagon, and read a few pages
in S. Lewis's "Main Street." which I
enjoyed more than all else I have read
N a long time.
lS-Early up, and had a good break
fast, which our new handmaid Ellen
cooked, Of some grapefruit, and eggs
and bacon, not crisp enough, and
coffee, very fine. SO to my office,
where till late, and so to Sally Farm
hams for minute, and found Mistress
Ethel Grant there, and had some
merry talk. Home, where NJ. Glass
and Mary Caroline come for dinner,
our Ellen doing well enough with the
chickens and peach pie To J..
Wise's, and won $40 at cards, and had
q dozen sandwiches, very fine, but NJ.
Glass and I did find his cigarres a
little drier than we liked Home, and
found my wife asleep, but walked her
to ask how she liked the play "Bab,"
and she said, Fine, but don't wake me
up, so | did not, but could not sleep
till near T.
19-Late to the office, and worked
all day at my STINT, and in the eve
ming to see "Hitchy Koo,' with great
anticipations for merry night. My
Lord Woodrow very angry at Mr.
Harding.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
Cheap Leather and Dear Shoe:

To the Editor of The Trlb bune.
Sir: While we have paid SIS for a
pair of So shoes we have been told by
the retailers that this price was the
result Of the wicked profteering Of
the leather companies. Now that
leather has taken great drop tie
president of the retailers advises that
even at the present low price of
leather it will only make difference
Of about 35 cents in the price of
pair of shoes. Even poor old neglected
Truth can be dragged in once in
while to serve a purpose. but do YOU
thlnk the bruised and battered public
have such short memories as he naive
ly assumes? MARY HUNTER
Mount Vernon, n. Y, Oct. IA, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
Offended Majesty

PRESIDENT Wilson'S letter to Sen
tor Harding carried at least the i'm
plcation that the so-called Logan
law might be invoked against Ameri-
can citizens presumptuous enough to
discuss foreign relations even in
formally with the officers or agents
of another government. The Logan
law prohibits such intercourse, writ
ten or verbal, with an intent to in
flucnce the measures or conduct of
any foreign government, or any Off
Ger or agent thereof, in relation to
any disputes or controversies with
the United States, or to defeat the
measures of the government of the
United States"
So far as discussion of the League
Of Nations covenant is concerned
there is evidently no dispute or con-
troversy between our government
and any foreign government. The
only semblance of q dispute arises
from the fact that the Administra-
ton has pictured the major Euro
pean powers as hostile to the Senate
reservations, whereas many Euro
pean Statesmen have disclosed quite
the contrary opinion The offense
limited at, therefore, probably CON
sists in having attempted "to defeat
measures Of the government of the
United States"-the Presidents eff
fort to coerce the Senate into accept
ing his draf of the treaty being in
terprcted as such measure.
Is the President, singly and solely
"the government? Mr.. Wilson
more than any of his predecessors
has sought to inculcate and enforce
that doctrine. The Senate is CO.
ordinate branch of the treaty-mak-
ing power. Its members would seem
to have the right to gather informa
ton at least informally ly-as to the
attitude Of another government
toward pending treaty. But Mr.
Wilson denies this. He perempto-
rlly classities Senator Harding as "a
private citizen" intruding into {
sacred domain into which it is Grim
lnal for such an outsider to enter.
Snator Harding can take care OF
himself. The White House threat
of prosecution for l6so majestic necc
not trouble him. The President
knew about Viscount Greys con
Versations with Senators while the
covenant was under discussion. But
he didn't order any arrests. There
is little prospect of Harding's incar
ceration.
There are others, however, against
whom warrants may be written out
and served. The Right Rev. VIII.
lam Anderson, Methodist Episcopal
Bishop of Ohio and Kentucky, told II
Marion last Sunday night how he
talked in England with Lord Hal.
dane and Mr.. Balfour about Ameri-
can reservations, and found that
they were not opposed to them. This
is clear case of infraction of the
Logan law, if the Presidents con-
struction Of it is correct, and the
Bishops conversation, developing
skepticism as to utter suficiency OF
the covenant as it stands, tended to
defeat "a measure of the govern
ment."
There are also the ingenious Of
fcials Of the League to Enforce
Peace, who, according to the coun-
sci of the Kenyon committee, held
communication with Lloyd George,
Lord Robert Cecil, the German
Chancellor and others regarding the
initiation Of both the United States
and Germany into the League of
Nations. They violated the Logan
act, says the committees counsel,
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

has the right and power to restrain
him in the public interest. 1t really
restrains him also in his own inter
est. The prime need to-day is a
stabilization Of occupancy. And oc-
cupancy can be stabilized without
material hardship to the landlord.
He can go into court in any case in
dispute and have n judge determine
what is fair and reasonable rental.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
Sailor Boys in the Empty Seats

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The fleet is back again and the
sailor boys are glad Of chance to fill
UP your automobile. These young fel
lows are gentlemen from all parts of the
United States. Show them our parks.
monuments and public buildings, and let
them feel the hospitality of New York
J. HOWARD COWPERTHWAIT.
New York, Oct. IS, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
Calvin Coolidge Says
(from his address before the Re
publican Commercial Travellers
ClN6, Boston. 4 nI 10. 192Ol

(From his address before the Re
publican Commercial Travellers
C}nb, Boston, April 10, 1920
1t will do no good for the nation to
ask for an increased compensation in
money with the expectation that it NAV
find itself thereby able to purchase the
same amount Of food, clothing and
shelter and the other necessaries of
life that it had before the war These
materials are not in existence. They
were used up in the great contest.
They cannot be recreatcd by having
money. They can only be brought int
existence by the effort of production.
he great thing to-day is for each indi-
vidual to think Of himself in terms of
the nation, for if each of us attempts
to escape his part of the burden of the
work that effort will result in nothing
but general disaster.
The value of money lies in the use
to which it can be put. 1t is of little
use in itself, as was told US bv the
Greek fable of the man who found ev-
erything he touched turned to gold.
We can go on increasing all kinds of
compensation, but we shall find in the
end that the gradually increased COM
pensation will be worthless because it
will not buy anything.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

because they ignored the monopoly
claimed by tho President over rela-
tions between the United States with
other nations. Will Mr.. Wilson ar
raign them in a Federal court? Or
will he shrink from an experiment
which might explode his congenial
assumption that he and the United
State government are one and in
divisible, as inseparable and mex
tricable as he had once hoped to
make the covenant and the treaty?
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
The High Cost of Strikes
High Praise for Mr.. Olds's Plea fu
Increased Production
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

0 the Editor or The Tribune.
Sir: You are to be congratulated
upon the fearless, fair and clear way
in which your articles on The High
Cost of Strikes" have dealt with each
particular case, and especially as /,
applies to building cost Your state
ments are correct and the facts have
not been overdrawn.
Having served as an employer
member" of national board I was
given an unusual opportunity, through
the great number Of cases which came
before the board, to observe the work
ings of organized labor say organ
lied labor" because the records Of The
board will reveal the fact that prscti-
cally all of the cases were brought be-
fore the board by Representatives Of
labor unions, who frequently were not
employees of the company complained
of. In many instances only few EN-
ployees, sometimes less than per cent
of the entire force, were party to
or seemed to have any knowledge Of
the demands.
The records Will also show that In
probably 50 per cent of tho Industrial
cases the wages had already been in-
creased more than 100 per cent, and o.
a time when living costs had only in
creased about CT per cent. You are
bringing out the narrow-minded, short
sighted and selfish policy Of the union
leaders in way which should prove
beneficial.
Curtailment of production is evm
more serious, if possible, than the
wage rate. The union policy Of limit
ing production might be likened to tns
individual living beyond his income AMI
going in on his principal. Eficlsne!
and greater productive effort are. o.
course, what is necessary maintain
control of our own markets and 1917
portion of the markets OF the world
A high average of fairness, honesty
of purpose and good sense is found ID
American workmen when they are no.
subjected to prejudicial influence ana
they can be appealed to successfully.
think that some manufacturers wn'
have made announcements of reoos'
ton of price in their goods have msa'
an error in stating that labor Will wv
be reduced In order TO bring down
the prices and place the goods "i''"
reach of the masses and 10 open ne'
strata Of trade, labor must not 0p'
be more efficient, but, as the LIVING coz
is reduced, laSor's rate must a.so y
reduced, and | think workers would q
pect this. unless they are le4 70 oe"s''
otherwise. l, of course. hope that w
will not go back to the pre-war is's
In addition to the workmen's con''''
ton, the manufacturer must socep'
modest margin of profit and me "'''
chant must eliminate profiteerlng' >.
This is a good time TO tell the ~nV''
story to the public. including the "0'-
ing people, and let them realize ms
they must contribute to the redu'"S
in cost by being more ehc'en' %
possibly accepting gradual reou'''
in wages as the living cost u reo''~
They can be made 10 see the ma''s'
the right light, although the amour,
ments to date would tend 70 es"'"
the belief that they should not eAP''
reduction in their rate.
ENGINEER
New York, Oct. IA, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
In Two Weeks

The quick march of the calendar
through the days Of the fast-hying
October gives notice that Election
Day is less than two weeks distant.
Final appeals are being made. The
campaign is practically over. The
great body Of the electorate, having
made up its mind, is not likely to
change its opinion.
A few words in retrospect. The
canvass has been remarkable for its
ouietncss. The lack Of a clearly
recognizable paramount issue and
of candidates Of commanding per-
sonality sufficiently explain this abb
sence Of excitement.
Mr.. Wilson, as the dictator of his
party, said that he wanted a ref
erendum on the league issue. But,
having sounded the trumpet, he led
no charge. Neither from him nor
from his understudy has come any
definite word as to what is his pro-
gram.
The controversy as to the league
obviously concerns Article X. At
times the Presidents position has
been that, the article should be ac-
cepted as written. But, apparently
afraid of going to the people on this
issue, he has played cuttletish-has
said that, of course, there is no OBJ
lection to proper" reservations
thus lodging the crucial question.
So the pendulum has swung back
ward and forward, and there is and
can be no referendum. Whoever is
chosen President, there will be no
clear mandate.
The course of Mr. Cox has, been
remarkable for it's wabhliness. He
was nominated as wet and as un-
connected with Wisconsin, Then
he journeyed to Washington and
switched to Wilson. Not finding the
results good, the next shift was to
bring forward the campaign fund
issue as dominant. When this fell
flat Mr. Cox went back to the
league, and since has oscillated be-
tween being q reservationist and an
anti-reservationist. Where he now
stands no one can confidently say.
1t seems case of anything to get
elected
On the other hand, Mr. Harding,
who has been league reservations
ist, has stuck to the course he
marked out in his acceptance speech.
He voted twice for ratification with
reservations, but as to the future
he would make no precise promises.
He was still in favor of an associa-
tion Of the nations for peace, but
what could or should be done de-
pended on our allies, on the Senate,
on events yet to happen. He did not
propose to repeat the President's s
blunder and appear with an un-
changeable scheme. To his mind
this would be certain not only to
beat the present league, but any
other. Great effort has been made
to misrepresent Senator Harding,
but he has refused to bulge.
On the other issues the President S
party has made pitiable exhibit
1t practically admits all the grave
charges brought against it. It's ex-
travagance, its ineficiency, it's sur
render to the will of one man who
so distrusts his fellow creatures and
the public as to be unwilling to ad-
wise with anybody-these things are
undenied. 1t is with reference tc
them rather than the league issue
that the electorate has made up its
mind--has the fixed belief that eight
years of Wilson is enough for one
generation.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
The Coming ower

A Riverside Drive Chantey
Give to me the open sea, sailing
under Peary,
Farragut or Febiger or Francis
Drake!
Troll lay Of Baffin's Bay, Michi-
gan or Erie,
Huron or Superior or some such
lake.
Put me under Captain Dunn or
even General Harbordl
Let me hear the chantcys that
the seamen' sing!
Oh to slack leeward tack and jibe
her hard-a- -starboard!
And, oh, the lass is lovely when
the fog bells ring!
How I crave the cruel wave and the
billow bounding!
How love the capstan and the
marlinspike!
But the jargon Of the tar, the nau-
tic note resounding,
Best of all about the sea are what
| like.
Mine a homo upon the foam, on
pinnaces or cattleships!
This, my hearty lubbers, is the
sort Of thing
I can write when all the night the
Rivers full Of battleships
Keeping me from slumber when
the fog bells ring.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
A Lifelong Democrat
To the Editor of The Tribuna

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Now is the time to strike and
uphold "Americanism against Wilson
ISM" The first vote l ever cast for a
Presidential candidate was in 1872 for
Horace Greeley; and now in 1920, being
a lifelong Democrat my grandfather
cast his first vote for the defender Of
New Orleans against the English that
Democratic President, Andrew Jack
SOM, I viii wear the button for Har-
ding and Coolidge.
WILLIAM OSBORN.
Stelton Heights, N. J., Oct. 1s, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

Though not solicited by the Re-
publican party, the correspondence
between the "United States" and
Senator Harding is greatly appreci-
s4ted. Another letter to a public
character from one about to become
private citizen would be welcome.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

"His friends could give no reason"
says The Stamford Advocates cynical
reporter, "why he should have COM
mittcd suicide. He is SINGLE"
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
New York, Oct. IA, 1920
"A Statue Speaks

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: 1t was with a great desi
pleasure and satisfaction that | reso :
Interesting article, "A Statue spes,',,
in The Tribune OF October II. "''e
that it could be published fer "eeA J
more so that "all the people nls'
read it. J.JR
Yonkers, N. Y, Oct. IT, 1920. :.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

Every time Cox manages to get
a one-man top up over his cam
paign Wilson comes along and sits
under it.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
His Only Hope
(From Tho N-asatngton po,

From The Washington Poso
II worst comes to worst, Harding can
remain Senator and Cox can keep on
governing. but Gene Debs simply has to
win in order to pardon himself out.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

Nobody exhumcd the perfect name
for that League Of Nations edifice in
Geneva, but n. D. has a notion that
the White House. from 1912 to 1920,
will be known as Chateau Theory.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
Said | to a Stenoeranber.

0'7u % d otVHUBTapner:
The lyric loveliness of you
Brings back an olden dream to me
Of far -Egean skies of blue,
And gardens by perfumed sea-
And then she spoke; my dreaming
fled
How getthatway she said
C. w w
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
Whom Are Your Said Cyril"

tFrom Francis Wierman's THE Women OF
Our Block" in The Smart Sctl
dreadful old witch, whom wa
suspected had delivered her daughter into
the Chinese laundryman's power
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

If Mr.. II. Bell Brown can spare US
moment, we should like him to write
review of Mr. George Matthew
Adams's up" "a Little Book of Talks
in How to Wake Up, Get Up, Think
Up, Climb Up, Smile Up, Cheer Up,
Work Up, Look Up, Help Up, Grow
Up 1t shows, Mr.. Brown might tell
u.s. the silver lining, and it shows
that this "old" world, he might add is
a pretty good place after all.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
The Purr of the PekinRese

Sir: AS George w. Monroe used to cry,
II hate to have a preacher holler at me"
so | hate to have poet shoot rhymes at me-
Still, Carroll Lcja's "Purrblind' was so
we'll worth reading that l glad to have
inspired it. The dog 1 described was a
Pekingese, and was' portrayed from life.
Any one who owns, Is owned by, a
Pekingese knows that this remarkable ami
NAL actually purrs making sound unlike
any other dog. In fact, the Pekingese has
so many of cats best qualities that one
might almost believe that the Chinese had
managed to cross the cat and the dog.
"Purr" is the only word to describe the
the-well, the purr of Peke in moods Of
contentment or rapture. RUPERT HUGHES.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-20
RECESSIONAL

Habits of fathers, piled of old
Changed by law to courthouse stuff,
Find US in one short year grown cold
Cider and pop are quite enough;
1t seems we have, without regret,
Learned to forget, learned to forget.
G. N. C.