The Tomahawk., 1922-03-02

- SS>sS' III 0Se7 wy 0-'\S''
Minis act farmers and other shippers
are paying rates which will give pei
cent on So million shadow dollars
or in other words, that the rate pay.
ers are actually paying a guarantee
of II per cent to the New York, On.
tario, and Western railroad.
MELLON CALLED LAWBREAKER
Andrew Mellon, secretary of the
treasury, denies the charge made By
Senator Watson of Georgia that he is
ineligible for the office Of secretary
of the treasury and guilty of a crime
in attempting to hold it. The law
which Senator Watson refers to pro.
hibits the secretary of the treasury
from engaging in any kind of business
or commerce.
| Secretary Mellon, of course, is a
near Millionaire in his own name ana
closely connected with many of the
great corporations Of the country. Mel
| Ions defense is that he complied with
the law when he resigned from active
| control of these companies and re-
er, but it would seem that if a man
holds large blocks of stock in rail-
roads, mining companies, or manu-
| featuring concern that he would be
necessarily engaging in business and
commerce. He would at least have to
direct the hired men who are put in
| charge in place of himself. 1t is also
| a fact that the spirit of the federal
law is to prevent just such office hold.
ers as Secretary Mellon, who could
| make their office valuable for the
great private interests which they pos.
| sess. President Grant appointed A.
T. Stewart of New York, leading mil
| lionaire of his time, as secretary of
the treasury and Stewart resigned
three days later when this federal law
was brought to his attention.
Our readers will recall the great
noise which Wall Street made year
ago when Assistant Treasurer White
made statement that North Dakota
bonds were good bonds. The Wall
Street interests then declared that this
| constituted violation of the federal
law forbidding any one in the treasury
department from having any relations
with or taking part in sales of bonds
Evidently Wall Street can strain at
| glats and swallow a camel, when the
camel is its own beast of burden.
:"
KENYON, ALSO
In these days of lip service to the
constitution it is surprising how little
the constitution is regarded between
friends, as the Tammany politician
said many years ago. The appoint
ment of Senator Kenyon as Judge
raised point along this line, which is
interesting if not so important as that
of the case of Secretary Of Treasury
Mellon.
!! The federal constitution directly
says that member of Congress shall
not be eligible for any office which
has been created or the salary of
which has been increased "during the
time for which he was elected" The
salary of circuit judges have been in.
creased since Senator Kenyon was
elected to the senate.
Attorney General Daugherty wiggles
away from the constitution by holding
that the trainers of the constitution
meant term instead of: time and that
since the salary increase took place
during Kenyon's first term in the SEN
ate, the provision will not bar him
from serving as judge
The fathers of the republic must
have been an ignorant lot if they did
not understand the difference between
time and term and used the word time
when they meant term
WORK BETTER IN DEBT
There is no reason for business
men and bankers to grieve over the
farmers situation" says President J.
X. Mccormack of the Union Security
Company of Spokane, "for," says Mr..
Mccormack, "the farmer will farm
more and farm better when he is in
debt However, the thing must not go
so far that it curtails operations"
This gem of banker philosophy was
delivered before a gathering Of whole
sale credit men in the state of Wash.
ingtop. The point of view should not
be surprising except that large bank.
er should state the working creed of
the big financiers Of the country in
such an open manner
The great argument for labor defa.
ton in Big Business circles was not
that of reduced cost so much as that
labor was getting too independent and
ought to be given lesson. The de-
f1ation Of, farmers also had back of It
the same general motive, the fear that
growing business independence among
farmers would lead them into lines of
thought and action dangerous to Big
Business control. The present della.
ton will clean out many farmers and
reduce them to the status of tenants
or hired men in town and country.
And those which survive will be bur.