The Detroit times. [volume], February 03, 1912, LAST EDITION, Image 12

About The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
—t Biittf Jgimr nin rr |Mi win and aMtf • «*wapap*e
wHh • of MOO that is takan home and read In
the family, than to have that of one with a circulation of a
milHea that la only looked at and thrown Into the gutter.—
MAYOR GAYNOH, OF NEW YORK.
U IF YOU WANT COAL, LET US ROB—
YOU,” CRY OF IHE POOR RAILROADS
' ijiiif i
Vo dookt in the beat of faith, the tame, we believe, at prompted his
ElßpMrt of the late lamented Thompton-Hally-du Pont-$6,000 street rail*
n j settlement plan, Andrew H. Green, Jr., general manager of the Solvay
frpQSH oompany, hat volunteered to explain for ut the reasons for the
pm—it coal shortage in Detroit.
Hr. Green's explanation finds him squarely on the corporation side,
as he was in the franchise campaign.
He says the railroads are short 50,000 cars.
This fact is due, he says, to the failure of the railroads to have ac
aamnlated sufficient funds under present freight rates to pay for new cars.
The railroads have also been un iblc to show sufficient earnings undei
present rates to enable them to borrow the money to build these cars.
In other words, if the interstate commerce commission had permitted
the railroads to increase their rates at the time they wanted to increase
them, some months ago, the present coal shortage would not exist.
Then says Mr. Green in conclusion:
“Perhaps it would be well to let all the railroads become bankrupt,
which is a >tnte they are approaching, and the people will then believe
what the railroad men say when they assert they cannot live and expand
nder present conditions."
This is Mr. Green’s view, given, as we have said, honestly and no doubt
about that part of it
Our own explanation, which we would like to have accepted as our
«wn honest belief, also, is that the railroads are using too mafiy cars just
VI this time for the purpose of giving us a coal shortage; which is to say,
IVSTtSse railroads have PLENTY of oars, hut REFUSE to use them, in the
hope that the view expressed by Mr Green will meet with the acceptance
of enough people to have its effect upon the future course of the interstate
commerce commission. , „ _
If a shortage of cars actually exists, we believe that a railroad like the
Michigan Central, which Mr. Green pictures on the verge of bankruptcy,
Mild arrange for a few coal cars the same as it has arranged for a $15,000.-
000 tunnel and a $15,000,000 depot.
We are afraid Mr. Green will not be able to arouse much sympathy for
the poor Michigan Central hereabouts.
There are too many poor people in this city who need its sympathy,
of whom by fireless hearths, are the victims of dividends on watered
stock
The coal shortage is the old corporation ruse,
r We wonder when these institutions will wake up to an appreciation
of the fact that their only hope lies in dealing honestly with the public?
We wonder if Just good, plain common sense will ever tell them that
the public is not going to PAY for concessions from public service corpora
tions when these concessions are the public’s due for the money it pours
into the coffers of the private service corporations?
The railroads holds back coal on us because we won’t let them over
ehn|o us for carrying it—for an object lesson.
•The Detroit United railway, whose cause Mr. Green championed with
so much vigor, holds back extensions that are needed by a growing city,
mid refuses to give us decent servioe or to grant us a reasonable rate of
ibre until we promise to shoulder the heavy burden of expense of founda
tions and pavements between its tracks.
Is it any wonder that the sentiment in Detroit is so overwhelmingly
for municipal ownership of the street railways, and against Mr. Green’s
portion as a corporation sympathiser.
Rf j, any wonder that the sentiment over the whole country is for the
nwumment ownership of the railroads ?
There is only one solution.
Only one wny to get extensions as they are needed.
Only one wny to get coal in the coldest month of the year,
i / that is by the acquirement and operation of the public utilities
by the PEOPLE.
The widespread sentiment for public ownership and operation is far
0 f understanding than the position of men like Mr. Green, themselves
at Gw head of corporations conducted on honest and legitimate lines who
pent* in the mistaken notion that it is up to them to defend any and all
corporations, however soulless and merciless, and despite the fact that the
«y«a of these corporations are forever so fixed on Wall-st. and the stock
ticfar Ant they do not take account of crowded, cold and poorly ventilated
itnot ears or of poor people’s empty coal bins.
•lory About a Tooth.
Ray Cos«. 13-year-old Ohio boy, shot
Llmaelt through the noae while trying
to ahoot ost an aching tooth, and the
n«W9tai>er wits are making fun about
It. flouda allly. too, doesn’t it? But.
hold on. Mr. Man! you were just as
■illy when a boy.
Do you remember that time when
too hod the whole second class,
nrimary grade, following you about in
oary of that loose ’ milk tooth that
waa Jumping about in your jaw ’ Os
course you do. Why, doggone It, you
wore ae proud over that tooth which
ths"«*Sr W» didn't have that you
fairly strutted borne from school and
yon counted that boy blessed above
hla followa whom you “let feel how
loose tt waa.”
Silly? Why, on the way home,
Tommy Smith persuaded you that
the painless way to pull a tooth was
to tie one end of a string to the tooth
and the other end to a stone and-let
Tommy Smith give the stone a good
throw. Remember how that stone
raised ron on your toes With I ywl»
and came untied and left you with
that tooth Just dancing the can-can
tn ▼our face? ’Course you do.
And when you got home, holding
your Jaw with both hands. Bister
1 sTltt convinced you that the only
painless way to draw s “milk tooth"
JSTtc tie one end of a /tring to it
and t’other end to s door knob, and
Ut Sister Mary slam the door when
you weren’t looking. And you know
tnigfcty well that you looked, and
when the Jerk came and that tooth
■ still stuck, you opened your face with
roars «o that you couldn t look at
Why. it wasn’t an hour later
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before Brother Willie came in and
converted you to the belief that the
only way to painlessly pull a “milk
tooth” was to tie one end of a string
to it, t’other end to a brick, and let
Brother Willie drop the brick into
the well without your knowledge.
Remember how the heaven and the
earth smacked together when that
string snapped and that tooih went to
putting in extra licks. ’Course you
do. And! you kicked little Willie,
kicked little Willie plenty and promis
cuous, and mother came out, grabbed
you by the arm and started for
1 awful place. the dentists, where you
knew a strong man with horrible
pinchers atood veamlng for sore
teeth to come along. And lo! on the
way, that tooth dropped out, and you
fain would gambol like a lambkin
that bad escaped the slaughter.
Silly? Why, man. you were twice
as silly as that Ohio boy. for it Is a
fact that one can get rid of a tooth
by firing a rifle bullet against it, while
the schemes you once tried were all
based on credulity Age gives us wis
dom only as we progress through
, failure aud suffering.
| Alas! a whole lot of us are even
‘yet trying to get rid of what hurts ua
by tying an old piece of string to It
, and letting others do the rest.
Our Insane population la increasing
faster than our country’s population,
the one being 25 per cent, and Ihe
other oly 11 per cent. The proportion
of the insane to population is much
smaller in the West than in the East,
and much smaller, too, in the South
than In the North. The eager, stren
juous life in coftgosted districts leads
to mental trouble.
Editorial Page of The Detroit limes
OUTBURSTS OF EVERETT I'RUE.
<F “ r Utl-HUH!! / HARDLY KNOW I
I'lßfir ITT THINK ABOUT THIS I
IT'S A LONG STAAIGHT W£-(
WHHT S0 m THINK I,BOUT H
! THIS LONG- STAAIGHT ONt .
YOU TCSrCNINS SNOOT !!!
From Another Point of View
Cincinnati reports a record attendance upon the Hoboes’ convention.
Or should we call it, a bumper crowd?
• • • •
Wherever Col. Watteraon headed for, he seems to have been successful
In putting himself beyond reach orthe telegraphs.
» • • •
A dentist in Baltimore pulled two kooU teeth for a ball player by
mistake before getting the one that ached. Three out.
• ■ « •
Possibly none of our business, but who wishes “to thank the Free
Press again “for space on its first page in this revival of the “statements.’*
• • • •
A movement is on foot in England to suppress gambling, which, we
will bet. will not include another movement on foot known as the sport
of kings.
• • • •
On the other hand we have no way of telling definitely whether the
gTound hog went back because he saw his shadow or because he saw the
price of eggs.
• • • •
The fact that President Taft deems an investigation necessary to
arrive at the causes of the high cost of living, Aiggests that he may have
signed the Payne-Aldrich tariff law without reading it.
Insult to Injury
Joseph E. Wldener. the Philadelphia
horseman and collector, told a horse
story at a dinner In New York.
"There’s a grocer out Elkins way,”
said Mr. Wldener. "who Is notorious
for his wretched horseflesh.
"The grocer s hoy Is rather a reck
less driver. He drove one of his mas
ter's worst nags a little too hard one
dav and the animal fell ill and died.
•* *\ou’ve killed my horse, curse you!”
the grocer said to the boy next morn-
Ing
"Tm sorry? boss, J ‘*~“Tttw-4aA-_faltered.
” ‘Sorry tie durned” shouted the gro
cer. ’Who's going to pay me for my
horse?*
“'l'll make It all right, boss.' said
the hoy, soothingly. "You can take It
out of my next Saturday's wsges.”
New York Tribune.
Uniform Divorce Folly.
Pacific coast society is rattled. It
may even be specifically alleged that
Pacific coast society Is disgusted,
frightened and horror-stricken.
Some time, somewhere, somebody
invented the Interlocutory divorce de
cree. The main Intent of this decree
was humane and merciful. Your wife
drags you into court for smelling of
cloves, throwing your boots into the
china closet and standing her and the
children on their heads. But the
■court finds that she is not wholly
without blame. Bhe has nagged
smelt cloves when there weren't any,
wasted your income on dressmakers,
golf sticks and bridge. It’s likely Just
a matter of temperaments, says the
court to itself, and so It virtually en
ters a decree of separation In expecta
tion that you’ll get tired of Itvlng
apart and make up. Often this works
out, to the advantage of society and
the children, if any.
But, In many, many eases the par
ties have let the Interlocutory period
run out and then married someone
else without more ado. And now
comes the California supreme court
and decides that the entry of the limit
of probation by a court clerk is not
but that the owrt must for
mally enter a final decree, and thU
vitlhtes a whole lot of-marriages.
It is mighty embarrassing to attend
a social function with Smith’s ex-wifa
on your arm, mother of a baby of two
of yours at home, and meet Smith
with your ex-wife on bis arm, mother
of triplets by Smith, the whole quar
tette ready to yell over a sHprenve
court decision to the effect that tho
domestic eggs must be unscrambled,
to paraphrase an expression of good
Deacon Pierpont Morgan. Then, too.
H is awful to feel that you are buying
food, clothes, Teddy bears and .all
day-suckers for a flock of children
whose parentage Is “Interlocutory.’*
“It is & wise father who knows his
own child” may sound philosophic, all
right, but when half of society is
pointing such an adage at the other
half, the mercury In the thermometer
of social up-lift does not rise very
high. *
This interlocutory matter, of good
intent, like other miserable failures
in the law's endeavor to regulate the
relations between man and woman,
proves, generally, to be merely a good
Intention used to pave the domestic
hell, and It is surely laying a pave
ment that would put Caesar. Napo
leon and other eminent old road build
ers to shame. Yet. we hear that the
American home is the foundation
stone of our civilization.
Repartee Hot Off the Griddle.
Mrs. Robert 8. McKee, daughter of
President Harrison, is a great believ
er in woman suffrage, and whenever
she has the chance she steps right up
to the bat and lines out a hot argu
ment 1n support of her position. One
day she was having such a discussion
with a prominent New York lawyer.
"Now. my dear Mrs. McKee,” In
stated the attorney, "R woud be ail
right to have woman suffrage if the
educated and brilliant women like you
went to the polls. You and your kind
know all about public questions, and
your votes would undoubtedly be of
great good to the country. But you
tvould not derive any benefit from
having the Ignorant and uneducated
woman voting. Imagine the ab
surdity of your cook voting and at
tempting to solve the great Issues of
the rlafi"
“Unfortunately.” replied Mrs. Mo-
Kee, with a tragic air, “he does!**—
Popular Magazine.
, The Cat’s Mistake.
“Your cat made an awful noise in
the back garden fast night, and”—
“l*m awfully sorry, Mr. Houston,
but since he ate the canary he thinks
h#* can sing.”—London Opinion.
Poor Father.
“What Is Billy Hardatjt doing these
days*** asked Smlthers.
“Oh, he's working his son’s way
through college.” said little Blnks.—-
Harper's Weekly.
Foreseeing Death
John Rtealy, of Columbus, seemed
In good health on this particular Mon
day. Three days later he went to the
undertaker's and made arrangements
for hie own fuueral. He named the
pallbearers, and disposed of his prop
erty. Ha notified the funeral director
that he would be expected to take
charge of his corpse ou Friday. And
the corpse was ready. He did not
commit suicide—he simply died.
Such stories are uot very uncom
mon. Sometimes the great Event of
all human lives is nol so accurately
dated, but so often that among those
familiar with scenes of dissolution the
thing creates no surprise; the soul
about to depart knows that the sum
mons ts coming.
It may be that our nature* are so
grossly attuned that only the most
fateful waves of destiny can make
them to vibrate. It may be that the j
Future tries to tell itself to us at all i
times and that «« might bear if we
only had the organs with which to j
take in the message. Zera Colburu j
knew mathematics by . instinct. He '
could, as an infant, solve the most 1
complex problems In an instant—but
when he came to learn mathematics
as a science, he forgot it as a gift.
Blind Tom. the Inspired idiot, felt his
way througir the mazes of the most
complex music, as Coburn, the inspir
ed infant, felt his way to tho answer
of Hie most Intricate problem in
mathematics.
These minds felt out accomplish
ments, as Htealy'a felt its way to a
knowledge of hys coming death. Per
haps there is a Something within us
which always knows the future, but
I cannot tell us. There are rays of
! light which our eyes cannot see, and
sounds too low and sounds too higu
for our ears to hear. So there may
be messages from the Infinite —-won-
derful. ineffable messages—always
eweeping our beings, but in waves
which our intelligence la too narrow
to register. A prophet may be simply
a person with a broader range* of im
pressibility than we common people
possess.
Michigan the Best.
To live, and where; Is question great,
In town or country, or what •tate.
Wberw many kinds ot work and J*** 11 * 1
Shall help the pocketbook and health.
So we this go* J advice will give.
In Michigan’s the place to live.
Why? Cause of great variety.
The like of which nowhere you see,
Its soil*, its factories, and its OT «*
That bring the markets to °ur doors.
So many things that profits give,
In Michigan's the place to live.
And such great lakes, on three sides
With water's ct€lt nntttl 10
Where steamers glide and barges sail.
Competing traffic with the rail.
Now this true statement we will K> e.
It pays in Michigan to live.
dhe has a thousand mtles of shore.
Perhaps ’tla less—lt may be more.
Which needs no fences ttwreabout
To keep Block In. or stray ones out.
Now why not take the advice we give.
In Michigan to come and live.
Where Inland lakes on highland plane
Uv hundreds laugh In glad rtifr *| n ’
1 here shiners you may catch with Jo>.
Like father caught, when but aJ»oj.
These charms, w'ith others we might
give; •
In Michigan, come, fish, and live.
And fruits, well say, these great fresh
36a!!
Temper the wind* to soothing breese
'j hat shield the bud and save the bloom
For happy wife and thrifty groom.
These fruits you’ll have to sell and
give.
In Mlcnigan’a the place to live.
And best of all. the people here
Will welcome you with help and cheer,
fin you will find twill surely pay
To say, right now, well go that way
Mongst friends that good advice did
give.
And In grand Michigan we ll live
—J. J. Snook.
Rochester, Mich., Jan. It. 19H
About People.
Presidential candidates may come—
and go; Democrats may name anew
candidate, or W. J.
Bryan every four
years, but Col.
John I. Martin of
St. liOuis goes on
forever as the
sergeant-at-arms of
Democratic nation
al gatherings. For
20 years he has
held sway over au
dience and dele
gates aa grand
rhttrf bouncer. ..ntt
be will be In Balti-
more with tinkling COL. MARTIN,
bell, corao June 25th next.
The coroanut palm has one pecu
liarity. It never stands upright.
There is a Malay maxim to the effect
that “He who hath seen a straight
encoanut palm will surely live for
ever.
WASHINGTON. D. C.. Feb. 3.
I learn that there have been several
quiet conferences in New York be
tween Col. Roosevelt and the man
ager* of LaFollette* campaign. As
laiPollette'H campaign la directly -of 1
filially and openly to the defeat o{
Taft, the only Inference la that Kooae-'
velt 1* 'willing to contribute to that
result. If the fact ever geta out that
these conferences have been takli..;
place, it will take several bulletins
from the White House to reassure
the public as to the “cordial relations”
which at ill exist between the dear
colonel and the dear Mr. Taft.
• • •
In the so-called news service issued
by the Southern Commercial congress,
It is announced that the powder trust
is considering an appeal from the un
favorable decision of a lower court.
"If, however,” It Is added. * tne pow
der people find further litigation un
profitable they may not take the ap
peal." Litigation “unprofitable?" Is
that the answer to what the rich cor
poration does with the courts?
• • •
Tlitt flghi of the express companies
against parcels post is now going for
ward und the two principal aliases
under which they are working are
"The American League of Associa
tions." , and the "National Retail
Merchants’ association.”
• • *
A bill for a parcels post—a genuine
parcels post; not one confined merely
to the rural free delivery routes—will
soon be reported from the senate com
mittee on puetofllr.es. under the au
spices of Jonathan Bourne. Jr. The
Oregon senator has been holding a
series of hearings on this subject.
, They are not the kind of hearings de
signed to consume time and head off
action. They are the kind of hear
ings designed to lay the foundation
for legislation. A Bourne bill will be
a genuine parcels posi bill, and un
less the Democrats hump themselves
in the house. th<* Bourne bill will take
the lead. The time is nearly here for
the creation of a genuine American
parcels post, and it Is doubtful if the
powerful Influence of the express
companies and railroads can much
longer head off this reform.
• • •
The Indiana political situation is in
teresting. The patronage which was
wielded singly by Senator Beveridge
while he was in Washington has been
transferred to Col. Harry New. an old
time, old-school politician of the Mark
Hanna-Perry Heath regime. Harry
New' has informed the postmaster
brigade that they must throw Bev
eridge and Join with the discredited
I T
** Inti
The Wilson Situation
There is a steadiness of purpose
which is strength, and there is an im
movability of literalness which Is
death. "A foolish consistency,” as
Emerson said, "is the hobgoblin of
little minds: adored by little state
men and philosophers and divines.”
The man w'bo says he never changes
is either fossilized or mistaken. What
change has taken place in Gov. Wil
son indicates, in our opinion, merely
the ability to recognize facts. The ap
plication of his intellect to conditions
has destroyed the confidence of those
who wish to maintain the established
order. Nothing more astounding had
happened recently than the way that
the Carnegie pension matter was
handled against him. We should like
to ask publicly, merely for informa
tion, whether Nicholas Murray Butler
was the one who gave out that story.
If not, we shall be glad to try again.
The story not only made political use
of private Information, but practically
served notice on all Instructors of
youth everywhere. His change on the
initiative and referendum has been*
shared by many open minded observ
ers. He believed that all government
devices should be organic—should be
the result of face-to-face discussion —
and William U’ren reminded him that
deliberation In our legislative commit
tees had become fictitious, while in
Oregon it had been possible to pro
duce a satisfactory amount of debate
and consideration among the voters.
As to the Joline letter, It Is another
examptw of plutocratic me of a nat
ural eventSsAt that time he was ex
pressing. casually and privately, the
belief Bryan was too fertile
in creating issues. He realized then,
and perhaps realizes even more now,
the immense value to the country of
Mr. Bryan’s uncompromising
troversv -with Senator Smith, Mr. Wil
son refused to promise anything In
return for Smith's acceptance of him
as a candidate. As to the break with
Col. Harvey, Gov. Wilson has never
charged that Mr. Ryan or Mr. Morgan
had any influence whatever on Col.
Harvey, but when he was- asked
whether the colonel’s support was
hurting him or not he answered In the
Saturday, February 3,
1912
Jim Hemenway— and Fairbanks ois
ganlzation. Thia discredited, reaction
ary, down-and-out political layout l*
to deliver the delegates in the next
national convention. Nominally, they
ure to be for Taft, but a blood oath
lias been taken that when the proper
moment cornea Taft la to be thrown
over and the Indiana vote delivered
for Fairbanks. Now, if the Democrats
will only nominate Dix, aud we cau
have a Fairbanks va. Dix campaign,
with ice houses for headquarters and
ice-wagon parades—won’t that be
lovely?
• • •
The power of Senator Penrose in
Pennsylvania 1* tottering. Hugh
Black has announced that he will sup
port a Roosevelt movement in Penn
sylvania. Thia is moat significant.
Black speaks for Y'are, who was the
bitter antagonist of Penrose in th«
recent Philadelphia fight where Pen
rose was overcome by Blenkenburg.
Penrose Is nominally for Taft. It Is
known, however, tjiat he has been
wavering for some time, undecided as
to whether to join the or
the Rosevelt movement. He Is not
genuinely for either, but feels that
Taft’s fortunes are hopeless and It
would be worse than foolish for hlnv
to couple his own political fortunes
to those of Taft. The announcement
by Black Is embarrassing to Penrose,
who would naturally have been for
Roosevelt himself. One tiring is cer
tain. nnmelv. that the big delegation
from Pennsylvania will not be a Taft
delegation.’
• • •
The great number of railway acci
dents is admitted by all experts to
be due to the poor quality of rails, it
is said the rails during this recent
cold spell have been crunching like
w’ood under the wheels of the heavy
locomotives pulling heavy freight
trains. Incidentally, there has been
,«ii .i\\fu 1 toll of killed and Injured.
But why the ilfluftclent rail? Louis
Brandeis answered that before Sena
tor Clapp's committee when he told
the story of the Inefficiency of the
steel trust. The steel trust has not
kept pace with the development of
the railroads. Cars and engines have
been growing heavier every year, and
the pounding on the rail more severe,
but the rail has remained what it was
when the steel trust was organized.
The late Mr. Harrlman complained
that the railroads were unable to se
cure decent rails. Nobodv knew bet
ter than Harrlman, but Harrlman did
not tell what Brandeis has told, that
the monopoly of prices is the real rea
son for the Inefficiency of the steel
trust and the badness of the rails.
Sincerely, RATH.
affirmative. That is a fact, and the
rest about coldness and ingratitude is
rhetoric. „ The development of Gov.
Wilson in the arena of actual con
temporary conflict grew out of his ex
istences at Princeton. He learned
that the university was to a large ex
tent a rich man’s club. It is located
about halfway between Broad-st. and
Wall-st. Its board of trustees contain
some very fine men, but a majority of
one on critical measures votod for
what the governor deemed special priv
ilege. His struggle to make the uni
versity more democratic ted President
Wilson to a sharper realization of the
forces that control so much of life.
He passed on to the seat of pow’er tn
New Jersey, and the struggle with
the machine there brought out the
same principles. He sees his former
friends of the wealthy class turning
one by one against him, and using
their adroitness to misinterpret hia
every act. The Republicans have a
number of strong possible candidate*.*
Mr. Hughes has made a statement so
definite that it probably will stop ail
consideration of his name, in spits of
the fact that be would make a tre
mendously strong run and a sound and
powerful president. Col. Roosevelt
ahd Senator LaFoilette have behind
them long records of tested courage,
wisdom, and usefulness. Senator Cum
mins is an able man, and there are
other Republicans who might be suc
cessful dark horses. Iu the Demo
cratic party the situation Is altogether
different. There the whole light 1*
centered on Gov. Wilson. He is the
one candidate of whom the special
interests are afraid, because they
think he mav be both nominated and
elected. What they may later do
among the other candidates is uncer
tain. Their first business Is to am
T sr “
Onals expand with heat to a great
er degree than any other precious
stones. They are frenuently lost be
cause the expansion forces open the
gold bands in which they are set.
The gyroscope applied to a camera
for taking moving pictures doe3 away
with the necessity for using a tripod.