Dennett Testifies in "Dick to Dick" Scandal

The House Committee on the Interior Department Expenditures heard testimony from Land Office Commissioner Fred Dennett today in what has been called the "Dick-to-Dick" scandal in Washington.  The scandal began several days ago when it came to light that Charles Taft may have asked his brother, the President, to remove Controller Bay in Alaska from the Chugach National Forest at the request of Richard Ryan, likely promoter of the Guggenheim interests in the territory, though Ryan has denied the allegation.

The story came to light in the July 7 Washington Times when the paper reported the discovery of the "Dick-to-Dick" letter by newspaper writer, Miss M. F. Abbott.  The letter sent last July from Ryan to then-Interior Secretary Richard Ballinger, a known Guggenheim collaborator, purported that Ryan would approach Charles Taft in order to change the president's opinion of Ryan:

Dear Dick: I went to see the President the other day about this Controller Bay affair. The President asked me whom I represented. I told him, according to our agreement, that I represented myself. But that didn't seem to satisfy him. So I sent for Charlie Taft, and asked him to tell his brother who it was I really represented. The President made no further objection to my claim. Yours, DICK.

Several months afterward, the President did remove Controller Bay from the National Forest through a secret Executive Order.  The order was sent to the General Land Office six days after it was issued.  That delay, between October 28 and November 3, 1910 allowed Ryan to get his paperwork together to establish a claim to enough property in Controller Bay to establish supremacy in the area.

Ryan has denied that he part of the Guggenheim Syndicate, a group led by Daniel Guggenheim, who are trying to establish control to coal fields in the Chugach National Forest.  After another scandal which led to Secretary Ballinger's resignation, their claims to the coal fields were rejected.  Controller Bay would be the natural harbor from which to ship material to and from the coal fields.  Ryan instead claims that he represents a competitor to the Guggenheim's in Alaska.

Commissioner Dennett's testimony focused on the legality of surveys conducted by the Ryan group shortly before the Executive Order was issued.  Unsurveyed lands are not subject to entry, and Dennett would comment on whether surveys conducted illegally could be submitted to the Interior Department.  The surveys had been approved, and were the basis on which Ryan submitted his claims.

In a related story, both the President and the current Interior Secretary, Walter Fischer, are back in Washington to deal with this growing scandal.  Both the Taft and Fischer deny knowledge of any "Dick-to-Dick" letter.  Secretary Fischer further stated that he and his staff searched all the files in the Interior Department and could find no such letter.  In fact, he believes that no such letter exists.

Miss Abbott's article on the Controller Bay scandal can be found in the May 21 issue of Collier's.

Link: House Committee Starts Hunt for "Dick-Dick" Letter [The Washington Times]
Link: The Latest in Alaska: Controller Bay and Its Control of the Alaskan Situation [Collier's]

Taft Promotes Arbitration Treaty in Atlantic City

The President was in Atlantic City, New Jersey to give a speech at the convention of the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor at the Million-dollar Pier, a sea-side amusement park in the resort town.  The main hall at the Pier was filled to capacity with 14,000 spectators there to see the President speak.  Another hall nearby was filled with 6,000 more who were at least able to see the Chief Executive, even they couldn't be at his speech, but they did see Booker T. Washington speak.  At the main, after being introduced by the Christian Endeavor President, the Reverend Francis Clark, President Taft spoke at length about the impending arbitration deal with the country of Great Britain and how treaties just like around the world could reduces the changes of war in our lifetime.  Here is a section of his speech published in the Washington Herald:

We have ameliorated in many ways the ancient cruelties of war by Red Cross agreements, and by the immunity of private property on land from destruction. Now we are agreeing upon what is called the Declaration of London, which, if confirmed, as it seems likely to be, will take away from war on the sea those principles of lawful piracy that have always characterized in a naval war the dealing with the private property of the citizens to our enemies.

By negotiations and mediation and the formation of arbitration agreements wars in the last decade have been stopped in Central and South America in a most gratifying number of instances. I am glad to say that today we have reached such a point in the negotiation for a treaty of universal arbitration with one of the great European powers that we can confidently predict the signing of a satisfactory treaty.

Just today four great powers, England, Russia, Japan, and the United States, signed a fur seal treaty, by which we agreed in effect to abolish the shooting of seals at sea in order to preserve the valuable herds on the land and to allow them to propagate in such a way as to maintain the fur seal industry and to secure for human use the valuable furs that such seals furnish. It is the beginning, I hope, of useful game laws for the open ocean, which has heretofore been subject to the wanton and irresponsible use of men of every nation. It is the settlement by treaty of a controversy that has troubled these four nations for several generations, and it out to be the cause of great congratulation.

The arbitration treaty heretofore with Great Britain and other countries has excepted form the causes which may be arbitrated those which involved the vital interests of either party or its honor. The treaty which we are now closing with Great Britain eliminates those exceptions and provides that all questions of international concern of a justiciable character shall be submitted to the arbitration of an impartial tribunal, and that whenever differences arise befoer they are submitted to arbitration at all they shall be taken up by a commission composed of some representatives from each government that shall investigate the controversy and recommend a solution without arbitration, if possible, and then shall decide whether the issue is capable of arbitration, and if so the arbitration shall take place.

In this way the treaty in one sense, instead of making arbitration necessary, interposes mediation of a year between the happening of the differences and the bringing of the matter to arbitration, with the growing possibility that the ruffled feelings of the nation may be smoothed out by time, that the differences maybe adjusted by mediation instead of judicial action, but holding judicial action as the ultimate resort to prevent war.

I am exceedingly hopeful that other countries beside Great Britain will accept the form of the treaty or one like it, and that we may have half a dozen treaties with the European countries looking toward arbitration of international differences. This will not abolish war, but it will provide a most effective and forcible instrument for avoiding it in many cases.

Of course, war between Great Britain and the United States, between France and the United States, and between Germany and the United States is quite remote, but the adoption by other great countries of arbitration and mediation as a means of meeting all controversies must have the most healthy moral effect upon the world at large, and must assist all the friends of peace in their effort to make it permanent.

To this audience and this great society with its world-wide influence I do not hesitate to appeal to give the tremendous might of its support to such a cause.

Link: Thousands Hear President Taft Predict Peace [The Washington Herald]
Link: Taft Sure of Arbitration Pact [The New York Tribune]

Heat Wave Kills 500

According to the Bisbee Daily Review today, the heat wave that has gripped this country from the Great Plains to the East Coast has claimed the lives of at least 500 people, with at least 1,000 more hospitalized from heat-related symptoms.  The current wave began on July 1 and is only today expected to abate somewhat, with cooler temperatures definitely coming to the eastern seaboard tomorrow.  The torrid wave has led to numerous record high temperatures throughout the country, such as 108° F at street level in Chicago, 110° F in Lincoln, Neb., 113° F in Junction City, Kan., 95° F in Boston, 92° F in New York City, 108° F in Concordia, Kan, and 98° F in Washington, D.C.

At least 431 people have died from heat exhaustion so far in this heat wave, with another 80 drowning in their attempt to beat the heat.  The increased death rates in many cities have caused over-capacity at city morgues.  In Chicago, Express Trains are being used as makeshift morgues to process the heat wave victims.  This morning's New York Tribune reported that over 100 have died in that city from the heat wave so far with more expected today.

But all is not lost.  Heavy rains in the Great Plains and Midwest have brought some relief to those regions and those storms are slowly making their way east, hopefully clearing out the high-pressure system by the weekend.

Link: Three are dead; Heat Wave End to Come Friday [The Washington Herald]
Link: Fourth Day of Heat is Marked by 43 Deaths [The New York Tribune]
Link: 500 Killed by Heat; 1,000 Prostrated; Others Driven Insane in Many Cities [The Bisbee Daily Review]

French Postpone Official Response to Agadir Crisis

With French President Armand Fallieres and Foreign Minister Justin de Selves on their way to the Netherlands for an official state visit, it is unlikely that France will send an official response to the crisis in Morocco before he returns, though the dissatisfaction in Paris is increasing, according to the New York Tribune.  It is also clear that Germany isn't backing down at present.

The trouble began on July 1 when the German gunboat Panther arrived in the southwest Moroccan port of Agadir.   Official statements from the Kaiser's government have referred to this move as a necessary one to protect German citizens in the city from unrest in the country following similar moves by the French and Spanish to both protect their citizens and to prop up Moroccan Sultan Abdelhafid.  However, according to the Washington Herald, reports from the nearby port of Mogador suggest that the region around Agadir is "calm and tranquil."  Instead French, British, and Russian officials believe that this move is the first step in establishing the port as naval base for the German High Seas Fleet. 

If successful, this complete a trifecta of recent diplomatic coups by the German Empire including the establishment of naval base on the Mediterranean at Alexandretta in Syrian Turkey and the concession for the Berlin-to-Baghdad Railroad.  A port at Agadir would also help Germany compete in the markets of South America.  The Tribune pointed out in their article today that the voyage from Kiel, Germany to Buenos Aires is only 60 hours longer than trip from New York to the Argentine capital.

The New York Tribune's sources in Berlin seem to confirm this suspicion:

The step taken in Southwestern Morocco is merely to place Germany in a position to negotiate the best advantage in order eventually to obtain her long coveted naval depot and coaling station at Agadir, which has always been a favorite project of the Emperor William.

With the warship Panther already sent to Agadir, German officials now await the French response, though that is unlikely to come before they have consulted with their allies, Great Britain and Russia.  The Germans stated they would not remove the gunship until the French and Spanish expeditions to quell the uprising have been withdrawn.  The move has been viewed favorably in the Spanish press, though Spain has partnered with France in Morocco.  According to the Tribune's sources in London, the Spanish sought German intervention in order to force France to agree to a partition of Morocco among the great powers.

Link: French Protest to be Delayed [The Washington Herald]
Link: Germany Stands Pat; French Bourse Shaky [The New York Tribune]

Tremor Shakes San Francisco

In the biggest test to date of the rebuilding project in San Francisco, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake shook the city yesterday.  However, from all reports in the papers we watch, there doesn't appear to have been major damage or loss of life from the earth tremor.  There is some evidence for cracked and out of plumb walls, but nothing like the great calamity which struck the city five years ago.  The quake was felt as far away as Tucson, Arizona and Seattle, Washington.  In Carson City, Nevada, a hearing at the federal courthouse was adjourned outside after the lawyers had fled the building.

While nerves were certainly frazzled by the great shock of the earthquake and with the loss of telephone service, people began to gain some courage as the hours passed and it became clear that this would not be another 1906.

The mean time clock at observatory of the University of California was stopped by the quake for the first time since the great earthquake of 1906.

Link: Subdued Terror Grips Thousands in San Francisco [The Washington Times]
Link: Earthquake Again Jars San Francisco [The New York Tribune]
Link: Tremors Rock Pacific Coast [The Bisbee Daily Review]

Charges Filed in Wire Trust Case

Indictments were handed down yesterday in New York against nine wire industry associations.  They have been charged with violating sections one and two of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.  Eighty-three men from thirty-five companies were named in the indictments, officers in the alleged illegal pools and combinations said to have the power to fix prices.  Included among them are Edwin Johnson, Jr. of New York who was named in each of the nine indictments as a supervisor and treasurer in the combinations, and William Palmer, who was named in seven of the indictments.  Palmer is the President of the American Steel and Wire Company, a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation, and is a director in the Steel Trust.  Herbert Satteriee, a son-in-law of J. P. Morgan, was also indicted, along with Frank Gould, president of the Old Dominion Iron and Nail Works, and Charles Morgan, a Republican Party Committee member from Connecticut.

The associations named in the indictments are: the Bare Copper Wire Association, the Wire Rope Manufacturers, the Underground Power Cable Association, the Weatherproof and Magnet Wire Association, the Horse Shoe Manufacturers' Association, the Telephone Cable Association, the Fine Magnet Wire Association, the Rubber Covered Wire Association, and the Lead Encased Rubber Wire Association.

The defendants have been charged with:

Entering into an unlawful combination and conspiracy to wrongfully and unduly restrain business, trade, and commerce in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Anti-Trust Law...

That all the times mentioned in this indictment the aforesaid corporations produced at their various factories in the aggregate 95 per cent of the entire amount of . . . steel wire product . . . consumed in the United States, and by association and co-operation they possessed the power to control and fix the price therefor within the United States;

That because said corporations, all such times, have been and, in fact, now are separate and distinct from each other, their said interstate business, trade, and commerce should have been and should now be conducted by each of them strictly on a competitive basis, and would have been and would so be conducted but for the unlawful combination and conspiracy by and among the aforesaid individuals . . .

As an example of the types of arrangements had, the New York Tribune looked at the case against the Bare Copper Wire Association. The Feds allege that on June 1, 1908, the defendants met in New York to form an illegal combination, which they used to conspire to restrict business and trade until the association was disbanded in November 1909.  The Feds allege that the association were to cause and procure the corporation to purchase, at arbitrary and non-competitive prices to be fixed and determined by the defendants, the raw material from which to make bare copper wire.  The prices were lower than they would otherwise have to pay or that corporations not in the association had to pay.  The bare wire that was manufactured was then sold at non-competitive prices that were higher than what it would otherwise had been sold for.

The Tribune had some reaction to the indictments from the defendents.  The supposed supervisor of the combinations, Edwin Johnson, is in Europe and could not be reached for comment but a person close to him at his office in New York said that Johnson was just the supervisor, and not the originator.  The counsels for the various companies involved signed off on the agreements and it wasn't until work had reached them that the government was investigating their associations that they began to be dissolved.  He went on to say that the associations were nothing more than social gatherings and no business was discussed at these parties among business associates.

The penalty provided by the Sherman Law is imprisonment not to exceed one year, $5,000, or both.

Link: U. S. Jury Indicts 83 Men, Officials of "Wire Trust" [The New York Tribune]
Link: Wire Trust Men Indicted by Jury in Combine Pact [The Washington Herald]
Link: Wire Trust Charged with Big Conspiracy [The Bisbee Daily Review]

Upcoming Smith Report to Show Extent of Steel Trust

It is expected that on Saturday, President Taft will submit a report to Congress by the Commission of Corporations, Herbert Knox Smith, on the extent of the Steel Trust and its effect on the steel industry. The expansive report is the culmination of a 5-6 year investigation conducted by the Bureau of Corporations.  The Washington Times suspects that the timing of the report's publication and submission to Congress is intended to allow it to share some of the public credit for dealing with the massive corporation.

According to the Times, the report will detail the business practices of the $1.4 Billion trust, how it has stifled competition within the steel industry, and how it has affected related industries such as coke, railroad transportation, and cement.  For example, the steel trust has bought up cement companies in order to prevent it from seriously competing against steel as a building material.  The Times compared this to the buying up of the beet sugar industry by the Sugar Trust.

According to the report, the Steel Trust was formed by a collection of iron, steel, coke, coal, and railroad companies that were combined by J. P. Morgan at the request of the owners of those companies.  Faced with intense competition from Andrew Carnegie who planned to build his own railroad to the Atlantic tide line, which would have made his Carnegie Steel Company as powerful as US Steel is today.  Carnegie would sell his company to US Steel in 1901.

Link: Steel Trust Mightest of All Combines [The Washington Times]
Link: Report of the commissioner of corporations on the Steel industry [Google Books]

Guggenheims Lose Alaskan Coal Claim

On the order of Interior Secretary Walter Fischer, Commissioner Dennett of the General Land Office (GLO), dismissed the claims by Clarence Cunningham to coal fields within the Chugach National Forest in Alaksa near the Bering River.  The action by the Interior Department comes after a scandal that led to the dismissal of the head of the Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, and more recently, after an intensive congressional investigation, the resignation of Fischer's predecessor, Richard Ballinger.   According to the extensive Washington Times article, the decision is seen as a vindication for Pinchot and several members of the Interior Department including: Louis Glavis, who first brought attention to the possible illegality of the Cunningham claim; Overton Price, Pinchot's assistant, and Alexander Shaw.

In 1909, shortly after Taft took office, Louis Glavis sought the attention of Foresters Pinchot and Price regarding the Cunningham claims.  During his tenure as an investigator with the General Land Office, Glavis determined that claims, thirty-three in total, had already been combined and optioned to Daniel Guggenheim, a member of a rich, industrialist family, for the J. P. Morgan-Guggenheim "Alaska syndicate."  Once patented, a $5,000,000 company would be formed to process the claim, of which half the stock would go to the Guggenheim for a measly $250,000.  Stephen Birch, managing director of the Guggenheim interests in Alaska, told Congress last year that the claims were worth at least $500,000,000 and that additional claims in the Chugach National Forest could be worth billions.

However, such an arrangement, to combine individual claims even before patents are awarded, is illegal.  That is exactly what Glavis telegraphed to Pinchot in early July 1909.  Glavis also believed that then-Interior Secretary Ballinger was involved in the scheme, as he had previously favored trusts in water power cases while he was Commissioner of the GLO.  Ballinger had replaced Roosevelt's interior secretary, James Garfield, who had been seen as a friend to the conservation movement and the progressives in the Republican Party.  After convincing Pinchot and Price of the claim's illegality, they urged Glavis to take his case directly to the President.  He did so by giving Taft a 50-page report at the President's summer home in Beverly, Ohio.

Shortly afterward, on September 23, 1909, Taft sent a letter to Secretary Ballinger to fire Glavis, implying that Glavis was vindictive, untruthful, and incompetent.  Taft based his letter on a memo sent by Oscar Lawler, the assistant attorney general for the Interior Department, though it was reported that it was based on a letter from Attorney General Wickersham, but his department's report was not submitted until December.  While Taft wrote a letter to Pinchot that the matter would be dropped, Glavis in November 1909 wrote an article in Collier's Weekly about the situation in Alaska and D.C. titled, "The Whitewashing of Ballinger: Are the Guggenheims in Charge of the Department of the Interior?"  The article led to the Senate investigation.  Pinchot was later fired as well after he sent a letter to the late Senator Jonathan Dolliver, praising Glavis as a "patriot" and a faithful public servant, and said that the president had been deceived.  The letter was read into the Congressional Record.  The letter was in violation of an Executive Order forbidding subordinates in a federal department from communicating with congressmen directly and not through a superior. Pinchot's lieutenants at the forest service, Price and Shaw, were dismissed shortly afterward, though not denounced, as Pinchot had been by the administration.

The situation came to a head during the joint congressional investigations last year.  Glavis, despite intensive grilling by pro-administration Senators Knute Nelson and Elihu Root, was a strong witness, denouncing the actions by Ballinger and vindicating Pinchot and his subordinates.  His testimony swayed public opinion away from the Interior Secretary.  A stenographer working for Ballinger by the name of Kirby testified that Ballinger was in correspondence with representatives of the Guggenheim syndicate.  He had also seen Lawler and Ballinger burn the notes that served as a basis for Lawler's report to the president on the coal claims and Glavis, which served as a basis for the President's letter firing Glavis. 

The damning testimony (and brave testimony as it saw that young man get fired over it), and the fact that the Lawler memo to Taft was found by the committee, was enough to make it clear that Ballinger's tenure as Interior Secretary was untenable and after the end of the last congress, before the new Democrat-led House was seated, Ballinger resigned.  Ballinger would have had to resign earlier, but the final reports (yes, reports as the Democrats and Progressive Republicans wrote one report, and the pro-administration congressmen another) have still not been published [or have they], and it was expected that the new Democratic House would vote to release them.

To this point, the claimants had been waiting for the patents to begin working on the claim.  Secretary Fischer's decision means that Cunningham can't get the patents and therefore he can not turn the lands over to Guggenheim.  Fischer has also gone on to vacate nearly all the coal claims in Alaska, though Taft has stated that the Guggenheim's should get something for the millions they have invested in the territory.  This is seen as a major victory for the conservation movement that has been spearheaded by former President Roosevelt.  It should also be remembered that Pinchot was appointed to the new Forest Service by his close, personal friend, Theodore Roosevelt.  It remains to be seen how much an effect this case will have on next year's Presidential race, particularly as it seems more and more likely that Roosevelt may challenge his successor.

Link: Coal Claims in Alaska Lost by the Guggenheims [The Washington Times]
Link: Congressional Investigation Final Report

Arizona Delegate Cameron Asks Senate to Remove Recall

Arizona's Delegate to the U.S. Congress, Ralph Cameron, asked the Senate Committee on Territories to remove the provision allowing for the recall of judges from the proposed Arizona State Constitution.  The article giving voters the ability to recall judges has been opposed by the Taft Administration and by Conservatives in Congress.  Taft has already promised to veto any Arizona constitution with recall included.  With Arizonans wishing to be admitted to the brotherhood of states, Cameron told the Senate Committee that voters in his state would be willing to drop to recall provision.

It looks like that despite Cameron's plea, the Committee will submit the constitution's in modified form to the voters of New Mexico and Arizona, however, committee member Knute Nelson (R-Minn.) did note that Arizona's constitution lacked many of the legal protections for Latino citizens and residents that are contained within the New Mexico constitution and that Arizona sought to disenfranchise them.  Still the move would put Arizona one step closer to statehood.

During the hearing, there was a clash between Cameron and his predecessor, Mark Smith.  Cameron stated that Smith had "cast reflection" on his bid for Arizona statehood, but he had "pursued the only course open to [him]."

Link: Cameron Asks That Recall Be Eliminated in New State [The Bisbee Daily Review]

George V Formally Crowned

The Washington Times this evening provided the first reports on today's coronation of Great Britain's King George V and Queen Mary.  George V has been king since May of last year when his father and predecessor, Edward VII, died, so the coronation of the British monarch is more formality, but it provided England an opportunity to present regal splendor to the whole world.

The day's events began at dawn with a morning salute that transitioned into rain showers.  Luckily, just as the King and Queen were getting into the royal carriage at Buckingham Palace, the skies began to clear and the rain ended.  Despite the inclement weather, hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the streets along the procession route, including many hundreds who camped out overnight to ensure that they got the best spots to view the British royal family.  The parade passed by St. James Park, under Admiralty Arch, then back down past the Parliament building and ended at Westminster Abbey where the coronation took place.  Accompaning the gold and glass encased carriage, pulled by eight white horses, were the Royal Line Guards and the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Kitchener.  The royal carriage was the last to leave Buckingham Palace, after first the foreign ambassadors, royalty, and envoys, and then the royal family. 

For your viewing pleasure below is a moving picture of the procession to Westminster Abbey. 

Guests began to arrive at Westminster Abbey before 8 a.m. this morning.  Among the Americans in attendance include the president's brother Charles P. Taft, J. P. Morgan, and U.S. ambassador Whitelaw Reid.

The arrival of the royals at the Abbey is said to have been a splendid occasion, with the Queen and her flowing train encrusted with jewels, King George's more austere robes, and the 15-year-old Prince of Wales wearing the insignia of the garter leading the princes and princesses into the abbey.  The King repeated his oath before the Archbishop of Canterbury, which no long used many of the anti-Catholic language seen in earlier British coronations.  From their the ceremony progressed through various steps, including the official recognition of George V as king by those assembled and then the paraphernalia of kingship were given to him, such as the king's ring, an orb, and a sceptre before finally be crowned.  After the king was inthroned, the Queen-consort was crowned.

After the ceremony, another procession followed from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace along a longer route so that more Londoners could see their newly crowned King and Queen.

Link: George V Crowned Ruler of Kingdom [The Washington Times]

Tafts Celebrate Silver Anniversary

Sunday evening, more than 7,000 guests attended a White House event celebrating the 25th wedding anniversary of President and Mrs. Taft.  This morning's edition of the Washington Herald proclaimed the gala as the "Greatest Social Function in Washington's History."  The attendance figure of the party was certainly greater than any event at the White House in many years.  The celebration was also noted for its abundant use of artificial lighting from a great number of incandescent light bulbs.

President William H. Taft and Mrs. Helen Herron Taft were married on June 19, 1886 in Cincinnati.  Their 25 years of marriage have produced 3 children: Robert, Helen, and Charles.

A highlight of the feast was a reception line that queued up before 9 o'clock.  Despite the rigors of organizing the anniversary party, President and Mrs. Taft seemed enthused the entire night, despite the two hour line.  The was especially astonishing for Mrs. Taft, who had been ill in recent months.  There were many notables among the guests, including representatives of Presidential families back to the Lincolns.  Former President Roosevelt could not attend, but his double, Robert Crain, was.  "When did you get here?" asked the President before realizing his mistake.  The President's aunt Delia Torrey was also in attendance, escorted by Robert Taft.  Like the President and the First Lady, she was also seen to be full of energy throughout the event, despite her age.  It took the combined efforts of the First Children, Robert, Charley, and Helen, to keep the First Aunt out of trouble.

Also in attendance to the anniversary gala were ambassadors from many nations.  Noted in the Herald were ambassadors from France, Germany, Italy, and Great Britain.

Link: Greatest Social Function in Washington's History Celebrates Taft Anniversary [The Washington Herald]

Bryan Comes Out Against Gov. Harmon

The Washington Times reported this evening that William Jennings Bryan, the so-called Great Commoner and three-time loser for president, has come out against Gov. Judson Harmon.  Harmon is considered one of the top three contenders for next year's Democratic nomination for the Presidency, along with Speaker Champ Clark and New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson.  In today's edition of The Commoner, the magazine quoted Bryan from the Liberal of Creighton, Nebraska, as calling Harmon the "candidate of the interests."  Bryan further accused Harmon of being the "candidate of the commercial criminals, among whom the supreme political issue is continuance of their 'divine right to rule.'"

Readers may remember a couple of weeks back when Bryan attacked Speaker Clark after the vote to continue tariffs on raw wool, which Bryan opposes.  While Clark wasn't directly involved in the caucus vote on the wool schedule, he didn't exactly work to stop it either and he is actively committed to its passage in the wider House.  Bryan threatened that Clark's chances of winning the nomination next year would depend on the caucus vote and that Woodrow Wilson was "doing good work in New Jersey."

When Bryan was in Washington for the wool tariff vote, he stated that he would not be for Harmon and that he regarded him as "reactionary."  With this new gauntlet thrown down, Democrats in Washington now expect Bryan to be more vocal in his opposition to the Ohio Governor.

Is all lost for Harmon in 1912?  Ohio's Lieutenant Governor Hugh Nichols recently visited a number of prominent New York Democrats to gauge their support.  New York is likely to be a pivotal state in next year's convention, and Harmon supporters are confident that the state along with much of the east coast, save New Jersey, will swing their way, depriving Wilson of much support.  Clark remains a determined wild card, with strong congressional support.  Wilson has the least support in Congress of the three main candidates, but he is coming on strong, according to an unnamed Democratic Member of Congress, who was quoted in the Washington Times article.

Link: Bryan Comes Out Strongly Against Governor Harmon [The Washington Times]

Former Honduran President in Washington to Denounce Loan

The Former President of Honduras, Policarpo Bonilla, is in Washington this week on what he calls "private business" and to lobby against a bill that would loan $10,000,000 to Honduras.  However, some Central American diplomats in the Capital express doubts about his stated goals for his US visit and believe that he intends to procure arms for his fellow Latin American liberal and ousted Nicaraguan President, Jose Santos Zelaya.

Bonilla arrived in Washington last night and is staying at the Arlington Hotel.  He told reporters this morning that, "I come here simply as a private citizen of Honduras.  I am opposing the loan [from the U.S. to Honduras] because Honduras gets nothing out of it.  The profit is all the bankers who will handle the bonds.  They are secured by the United States, which makes them good as American gold and worth at least 120.  The bankers get them for 88, and the rake-off-that is what you call them, is it not?-is all for the bankers; Honduras gets nothing."

Bonilla was President of Honduras from February 1894 until February 1899, serving one term.  He founded the Liberal Party of Honduras which has close ties with the Liberal Party in Nicaragua, of which Zelaya was a member of before he resigned in two years ago as a result of instability in the country that required the deployment of US Marines to the Mosquito Coast to protect the lives and property of foreigners.  Zeleya and Bonilla are also close friends.  Diplomats from Central America believe that Bonilla may be in the U.S. to buy arms for Zelaya, who could be trying to foment rebellion.

If Bonilla is in Washington for something other than the Honduras loan issue, he hasn't worked to hard on it.  In addition to talking with reporters at his hotel, he was seen reading a magazine article on coffee raising all morning.

During his discussion with a reporter with the Washington Times, Bonilla offered praise for former Secretary of State Elijah Root: "Mr. Root, he is a great statesman.  South Americans think very highly of him.  I knew him when I was here four years ago.  At least I shall call on him to pay him my respects."

When the former Honduran president is finished with his trip here in Washington, he expects settle down.  "No more politics at all.  I shall make my future home in New Orleans as a practicing lawyer, making a specialty of South American affairs in a legal way."

Link: Bonilla Here Just to Oppose Honduran Loan [The Washington Times]

Administration To Move Against Steel Trust

Following the successful prosecution of the cases against Standard Oil and the Tobacco Trust in the Supreme Court last month, it is looking increasingly likely that the Taft administration will move against the Steel Trust next. According to an article in today's Bisbee Daily Review, the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Corporations are finishing up their investigations into possible Sherman anti-trust law violations by the steel trust and could send the report to Taft within ten days. Attorney General Wickersham and the head of the Bureau of Corporations, Herbert Smith, have already visited the President to explain the substance of the report, but Taft is unlikely to take action, such as sending the report on to the Stanley Committee in the House.

In this matter, the Republican White House and the Democratic House seem to be in accord on taking action against U.S. Steel. The Stanley Committee has also been investigating the allegations that the Steel Trust has violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and have so far heard testimony from two executives on the board, Elbert Gary and John Gates. Elbert Gary is one of the key founders of U.S. Steel, along with J. P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and Charles Schwab.

The report from the Justice Department was held back in order to incorporate lessons learned from the Standard Oil and Tobacco Trust cases. The decisions in those cases were delivered last month, and both the Justice Department and the White House have been reading the decision carefully. The federal government in the case of Standard Oil succeeded in having the trust declared an unlawful monopoly, and the Supreme Court ordered the company to be broken up and dissolved within six months. However, the Supreme Court also inserted a "rule of reason" into their decision, declaring that the intent of the Sherman Law was to go after unreasonable monopolies, opening up a subjective element into future cases prosecuted under the anti-trust act.  A similar decision was handed out against the American Tobacco Company.

There is one potential hitch in the government's case. During testimony given to the Stanley committee on June 2, Gary testified that U.S. Steel and then President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Elijah Root had a "gentleman's agreement" regarding the formation of the current massive monopoly. During the banking crisis of 1907, U.S. Steel agreed, at the behest of J. P. Morgan, to buy the Tennessee Coal & Iron Company at a price higher than it was worth in order to stop a growing financial meltdown. Roosevelt consented to the purchase, even though it would make U.S. Steel a virtual monopoly, in order to save the United States financial system. He also stated that the American Iron&Steel Institute was attempting to steer a course between the "archaic" Sherman anti-trust law and "the old-time method of destructive competition, in order to operate for the public welfare."

Link: Three Forces Move Against the Combines [The Bisbee Daily Review]
Link: Sensational Roosevelt Exposure by Gary [The Bisbee Daily Review]

Ice Storm Disrupts Communication

Yesterday a series of ice and electrical storms disrupted telegraph communications. This disruption of service lead to news papers being incomplete, a great delay in personal correspondence, and ultimately to huge delays in the rail network. Because dispatchers for the Rail Roads were not able to get location information or give out order trains ended up sitting where they were until communication could be restored.

This disruption in service ultimately was the result of the hierarchical structure of the telegraph and rail networks. In both cases single avenues of communication are maintained. This means that when the single line is cut everything stops. This hierarchical structure is not necessary however. if we decentralized the telegraph lines, meaning there were many more lines going to a great diversity of places there would be some inherent redundancy in the event of line failure. Rail Roads on the other hand could run shorter distances more frequently, meaning that centralized dispatchers would not be necessary, as local dispatchers could take care of their own region and work together via a central planing committee with each other for longer travel. So while longer travel might slow down if telegraph lines failed, it would not come to a complete stop.

These types of problems are really a result of the hierarchical world we currently live in. If we chose to decentralize authority, these problems would be greatly mitigated. In a world with out hierarchy we would not only be more resilient to disaster but would live freer lives, with No Gods and No Masters.

Great Storm Cuts Off South And West [The New York Tribune]

Movie of George V's Coronation Coming to New York

There is a report in today's New York Tribune suggesting that filmgoers in New York City and Chicago will be able to watch the coronation of Great Britain's King George V not long after the event itself on June 22 at Westminster Abbey in London.  George V became king-emperor last May when his father, King Edward VI, passed away so the coronation is largely ceremonial.  The event however will still be well attended by the people of Great Britain and by dignitaries from around the world.  The moving pictures of the event will receive a speedy processing onboard a train, with early footage being shipped over to Paris so that it can play there by 9 P.M. the same day.  Footage from the rest of the ceremony and related events are expected to play in London that evening as well, while other European cities should have the moving picture within three days.

Here in America, the film of the coronation will be put onboard the swiftest steamers and trains so that Americans will be able to witness the spectacle of a British coronation without having to be there very shortly after the .  The last coronation, of Edward VII in August 1902 was the first to be photographed let alone filmed, but the movie technology of even just nine years was quite primitive compared to the direct color cinematograph that will be used in three days time.

We will have full coverage of the coronation of George V next week.

Link: Coronation in New York [The New York Tribune]

Perversion of the Revolution

The peoples revolution in Mexico is dead. According to the Washington Herald Madero and Reyes, both leaders in the revolution, have been arguing about who should be in charge until elections can be held. Both want to be provisional president, but it appears that Madero will be, as he has the backing of 30,000 troops while Reyes only has 11,000. Madero however has made a "generous" offer and suggested that if Reyes retracts his candidacy for president he might become secretary of war.

Apparently after the revolution nothing has changed. The same self serving capitalist scum is still in charge. The decisions are still being made the same way, in back door deals enforced with armed troops. The result is the same, an oppressed people. Comrades we must not stand for this! The revolution was started with such high hopes. With ideals such as equality for all Mexicans, a fair share for everyone, and the average person truly having some control over their own life. This however is not what has happened. These so called "leaders" usurped the peoples revolution, and in the process have dishonored and perverted all that was fought for. Comrades we must remember this! This is what happens with government. No government can ever be truly free, they all use force against their own people and result in the same self serving capitalists in charge. The only way to combat this is to do away with government entirely! That is the only way to ensure that all people are free, that all people get a fair share, that all people are truly equal. Remember this travesty comrades, and when the time comes, ask your self how shale you build a world of Anarchy and Equality?

Reyes Is Offered Secretary's Post

Temperance Crusader Carrie Nation Dead at 64

From my old hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas comes a report that Carrie Nation, the hatchet-wielding crusader for the prohibition of alcohol and for temperance, died last night at 8:05 P.M. at the age of 64.  She had been living at Evergreen Sanitarium at the corner of Limit and Maple Ave. in the First City since January when she suffered a nervous breakdown while giving a speech at a park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  Reportedly, the breakdown was the result of stress from a lawsuit she filed against a lecture bureau for allegedly failing to pay her for services rendered.

No family was with her when she died.  She has no children and was a divorcee at the time of her death.  The only people with her where her physician Dr. A. L. Sumalsky and a nurse.  She left no messages for her family or followers.

Carrie Nation became world famous as a result of her "Hatchetations" on saloons in Kansas which broke the state's ban on the sale of liquor.  In 1889, she started a branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in Medicine Lodge, Kansas.  Initially her advocacy for the prohibitionist cause was benign, preaching in front of saloons, serenading saloon   patrons, and pointedly calling them sinners.  On June 7, 1899, she used rocks to bust up Dobson's Saloon in Kiowa, Kansas along with two other bars in town.  Between 1900 and last year, she attacked 30 saloons with her infamous hatchets, including an famous incident in April 1901 when she busted several bars in wet Kansas City, Missouri.  She was fined $500 for the attacks but the fees were waved if she never returned to the city.  With the hatchets she destroyed the saloon's stock of liquor, bar paraphernalia, and mirrors, often receiving attention from the law.  She also preached against the use of tobacco products.  More recently she appeared in vaudeville shows to mixed reviews.

Link: Carrie Nation's Life Chapter is at an End [The Bisbee Daily Review]
Link: Carrie Nation, Saloon's Enemy, Ends Long War [The Washington Herald]

Capitalist Conspiracy!

Comrades we are being conspired against! According to today's Bisbee Daily Review the capitalists are conspiring to fix prices and ensure their profits. In testimony before the house today it came out that Steel Men had been going to a series of dinners. These dinners, called "Gary Dinners" were used to maintain prices for steel, and to coordinate efforts between the different syndicates. This was confessed to openly in the House! They aren't even bothering to hide it anymore! If these capitalist pigs are willing to plot to maintain profit share what makes you think they would stop from plotting against us? After all we are their biggest obstacle to them maintaining their profits.

We comrades are what stand in the way of these greedy pigs. If we leave them to their own devices they will conspire against us and next thing we know we will be even more under their boot heal. No comrades we can not allow that. We must stand up to them! We must make they know we are in charge and we will not be taken advantage of! We must make they know that we the people own this world and nothing will stop us from claiming it! We are free comrades, there is no reason we should submit to these pigs. Instead we must band together and strive to build a better world free of capitalists and their puppet states. For this is the only way we will be able to live in Anarchy and Equality.

Gary Tells About His Dinners [Bisbee Daily Review]

Severe Earthquake Strikes Mexico City

Tragedy struck Mexico City yesterday morning as a major earthquake shoot the Mexican capital.  According to the article in today's Washington Herald, at least 166 people have been killed, many of them soldiers and women who were within a barracks that collapsed in the suburb of San Cosme.

The quake struck at 4:28am local time and aftershocks continued to be felt up to 6am, though more are expected throughout the day and into the night.  The initial jolt is reported to have only last a few seconds, shorter than the tremor that devastated San Francisco five years ago.  Thousands of people in the capital are reported to have fled, include many insurrectos who were in town to see the arrival of former rebel leader Francisco I. Madero.  In another suburb of the capital, Huipulco, a church collapsed killing five and injuring dozens more while parishioners were attending an early morning mass.  Despite the omen, many more thousands attended special masses yesterday evening, praying that God will forgive them for the recent internal disruptions in the country.  Many people in the country, particularly supporters of the recently deposed President, Porfirio Diaz, believe the earthquake was "divine retribution" for the rebellion.

It is the judgement of God for driving out Diaz.  Beware lest a greater visitation comes!  Beware!

The panic was made worse by the early hour of the quake.  Shortly after the first shock, thousands of people, still dressed for bed, filled into the streets, making it difficult to move around.  This lack of space to move about made the panic even worse and people began to fight and struggle with each other.  Witness reported the quake to have a undulating motion, not unlike being "on board a ship in a mighty ocean swell," according to the Washington Times.

Link: Earthquake Rocks Mexico City Hundreds Killed [The Washington Times]
Link: City of Mexico Severely Shaken by Earthquake [The Washington Herald]

Love And The Law

What is love? How does it relate to marriage? In the Washington Herald today a notice was put out that 1500 marriages performed under William Stacey were in fact illegal. This court ruling seems to stem from a charge of Stacey marrying a 24 year old man to a 15 year old girl against her parents wishes. While that act is despicable it does raise some interesting questions. Such as just what business is it of the state to be involved in marriage?

Comrades marriage is an agreement between individuals, usually those in love. There is no reason the state needs be involved! All the state does is tax you for the "privilege" of being with the one you love so long as it falls with in their definition of love. Comrades it is no ones business other than those in the marriage, man or women, white or black, rich or poor. None of it matters, all that matters is that they want to be together. So why do you continue to allow the capitalist state to dictate to you your own relationship? Instead comrades know your own life, and talk with the one you love, for it is there that the marriage happens, not in a court house. Remember, allow No Gods Nor Masters control over your relationship, keep that control safe within your treasured love.

Weddings Ruled To Be Illegal [The Washington Herald]

Detroit Tigers Win Series Over Nationals

It has been a while since we talked about baseball here on the blog, so I thought today, with not much in the news today, we would take a quick look at what is going on in the majors starting with the Washington Nationals.  The Detroit Tigers brought their star outfielder Ty Cobb and their first place record in the American League into town for a four game series, of which the Tigers won three, though on Friday, the Nationals brought the bats to win 14-7.  Yesterday though, the Tigers blew out the Washington 5-1 thanks to a stingy performance by Tigers pitchers Ed Lafitte who gave up only six hits, of which five were hit in the first three innings.  Ty Cobb finished the game three for four with an RBI off a single in the first as well as a stolen base when National pitcher Bob Groom tried to pick him at first, but the throw went wild and Cobb was able to reach third.

With the loss, the Nationals continue to dwell near the cellar of the American League and are only a 1.5 games ahead of the last place St. Louis Browns.  The winning team, Detroit, continues its dominance of the league, now with a 35-12 record and 6.5 games on top of the Philadelphia Athletics.  The National League pennant race is much closer, with three teams (the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies) within a half game of first place.

Next up for the Washington Nationals are the Cleveland Naps, who are in sixth place and had a poor showing against the Athletics over the weekend.  It is possible that veteran Naps pitcher, Cy Young, may throw in one of the four games, though he just starting to get over an illness that has had him confined to his room for much of the season thus far.

Link: Final Game of the Series Goes to the Tigers [The Washington Herald]

Slaving

According to the Washington Herald yesterday a man was arrested on charges of White Slavery. It appears that Fleming Bowers was arrested after bringing his 17 year old wife to Washington D.C. and than leaving her in a boarding house which may have been a brothel as well. When she learned of this she apparently broke down crying and insisted the police be called. But the real question is how is this any different from any other marriage?

All marriages are a form of slavery. The man is legally superior and socially is invested with far more rights and control than the women. This creates an uneven relationship that is coercive in it's very nature, resulting in the man being the master and the women being the slave. So why should we be so surprised to hear that a man took the next logical step and chose a way to put his wife to work for him?

This form of relationship is the start of many of societies woes. It is only by forming truly equal relationship that we can raise children who think of all people as equals. We must work on creating relationship that are a joining of willing equals. Of two people coming together because they want to, where no person is above anyone else. Only than will we see all parties in a marriage happy and productive. It is only than we will see a society formed from the bottom up that has no Gods and no Masters.

Nabbed On Charge Of White Slavery [The Washington Herald]

Gov. Wilson Visits with Capitol Hill Democrats

New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson stopped at Washington today, capping a 9,000-mile tour of the West with earlier stops in Oregon and California. A number of Democrats paid a visit to his hotel New Willard to see the possible Democratic front-runner. Wilson told his guests that he approved a recent actions by Democrats in the House and believes that the next election will see a possible obliteration of party lines. So many visited the hotel that his suite became an effective reception hall and that he had little time to talk with all the visitors wanting to at the very least shake his head, or pick his brain on the news of the day.

Gov. Wilson toured Western States for the last month, making speeches like a man who is personally campaigning for the 1912 Democratic presidential nomination. At a stop in Portland, Oregon last month, Wilson praised the state's primary election system of choosing their delegate slate and insinuated that he might considering adopting a similar system for New Jersey. He told reporters at the same stop, when asked about his 1912 plans, "I certainly have not the audacity to seek the nomination, but no man is too big to refuse it." Today's "presidential" reception certainly gives one the impression that Wilson is personally looking to unseat Taft next year.

Among the first visitors was the former publicity man for William Jennings Bryan, who tried and failed to win the White House for the Democrats in three of the last four elections. The public relations adviser's presence with Wilson isn't a surprise given Bryan's tilt toward Wilson's camp following the wool tariff caucus vote in the House. Soon, visitors from the House showed. In response to a question from to Rep. John E. Raker (D-Cal.), Wilson stated that he was in favor of the initiative and referendum, "if political, economic, and civic ills can not be cured by other means."

Among the points that Wilson wanted to drive home among the assembled politicians was that party lines may be blurring as the next campaign season approaches. "I suppose my political views are pretty well known by this time. I may say, however, that one thing struck me, particularly during my journey through the West. That is, the political trend everywhere now seems to be the abandonment of the old party lines."

The governor went on further to support a tariff for revenue only, in contradiction to Bryan's desire for free raw wool, a man who seemed to be leaning toward the Princeton man. However, he seemed to give himself an out by stating that free raw wool was still a principle tenet of the Democratic Party.

Men everywhere seem to be of the same mind. The next election is going to mark the partial obliteration of old time party lines. It is going to be a campaign of men and measures, rather than a campaign of parties.

The people are going to vote for a man whom they believe will cary out the things for which they stand, rather than a man who professes to represent the principles of one of the parties. There is a mide distinction, you know,. between principles and measures.

I approve of the manner in which the Democratic House is conducting itself. Its performances have been creditable, fulfilling the pledges made.

I think the attitude of the Democratic caucus with reference to the revision of the wool schedule is justifiable. The resolution adopted by the caucus is satisfying. It recites that a revenue tax on wool is the practical and possible thing at this time.

It does not mean the abandonment of the principle of free raw wool. But, the Democrats are not revising the entire tariff; the revision is schedule by schedule, and the question of revenue must enter, hence the necessity, for the present, of a revenue tax on wool. If a wholesale revision had been in progress the situation might have been different.

The parade of Democratic notables will wind up this afternoon as Wilson returns to New Jersey tonight to finish his lengthy trip west.

Link: Wilson Approves of Work Done by Democratic House [The Washington Times]

Hand and Glove

The hand in glove relationship between the capitalists and the government has been made blatantly clear today. According to the Bisbee Daily Review Elbert Gary of the U.S. Steal Trust recently testified in public saying that the Office of the President approved the acquisition of Tennessee Coal and Iron by U.S. Steal in a move to ensure the survival of economy. By approving of this acquisition President Roosevelt made it blatantly clear that the well being of the capitalists, those who would lose most in a market crash, is more important than so called fair competition. More over by ensuring the survival of a strong pro-capitalist economy Roosevelt was ensuring that there was no chance of a socialist revolution during the difficult times that might have happened.

Mr. Gary went on to make some interesting pro-socialist comments about how all production needs to be controlled by the government. While on the surface this might appear to be good for the workers cause nothing could be further from the truth. What Mr. Gary is purposing is not a true socialist revolution. He want production to be controlled by the present capitalist government. This would if anything make life more difficult for the workers. The halls of government require the availability of copious amounts of wealth. This is how one gets into government. Even if a poor person was to attempt to gain access their campaign and ultimate success would be financed by a capitalist, meaning they would be compromised. This is the problem with government. This is why while there is a state there can be no true workers revolution.

To this end comrades I urge you to resist the "socialists" such as Gary and instead focus on bringing anarchism. For it is through anarchism that our true freedom will develop. It is through anarchism that true socialism will flow. It is through anarchism that we build a better world, one devoid of Gods and Masters!

Sensational Roosevelt Exposure By Gary [Bisbee Daily Review]

Fissure in the Democratic Party after Wool Tariff Vote

Yesterday, the Democratic Party Caucus in the House of Representatives voted to reduce the tariff on import of raw wool and clothing.  The bill had been proposed by Representative Oscar Underwood (D-Ala.), Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.  The duty on raw wool will be reduced from its 44.31%, from the Payne-Aldrich tariff, to 20%, equivalent to 3-5 cents per pound.  The tariff on manufactured products made from wool, like yarn, clothing, blankets, and ribbons, have also been reduced.  For example, the duty on women's and children's dress goods have dropped from 102.85% to 45%.  Chairman Underwood expected the tariff to reduce federal revenue from wool products by $1,400,000 to $40,556,200.  The wool schedule was also put on an ad valorem basis.

The caucus was quite heated as William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic Presidential candidate in three of the last four elections and self-proclaimed leader of the Democratic Party, advocated strongly for no duties on raw wool.  Previous tariff schedules under Democratic congresses had no raw wool duties.  In an editorial in his weekly newspaper, The Commoner, on Tuesday, Bryan criticized Democratic leaders in Congress as protectionists, same as the Republicans:

The Democratic voters have a right to insist that the protectionist Democrats shall be as honest as the protectionist Republicans. The Republicans want protection on wool because they believe in the principle of protection; but let not Democratic advocate of a tax on wool masquerade behind the pretense that he is voting for a revenue tariff. Let him not add hypocrisy to the sin which he commits against his party.

There is no reason a few sheep raisers should be shown favoritism at the expense of all who wear woolen clothing.

If the Democratic party is to be Aldrichised, let the change of policy be made with audacity at least. The man who does wrong boldly may mislead a few, but the man who does wrong by stealth and then tries to conceal it by equivocation confesses his consciousness of guilt and cannot hope for a following.

It may be well to remember that the voters of all parties are braver than politicians.

The Democratic voters know that all needed revenue can be raised in less oppressive ways, and they know that the argument that the tariff on wool is proposed as a revenue tariff is merely subterfuge employed because those who employ it are ashamed to say that they favor protection.

Bryan's harsh comments toward House Democrats had a deep effect on the Caucus but not the one he intended.  Underwood stated that free wool would deplete the Treasury's coffers too extremely, and that the country could ill afford it after 15 years of "Republican extravagance."  He further stated that free wool would be disastrous for the country economically and the party politically.  In the end, the party caucus voted to support the new wool schedule unanimously, preferring Underwood's tariff to Bryan's leadership of the party.  The tariff is likely to sail through the House now.  House Speaker Champ Clark, while not openly advocating the schedule, has given his commitment to see its passage.

Yesterday's vote could have an impact on the race for next year's Democratic presidential nomination.  Bryan is still well regarded in the West and Plains states, and his endorsement could carry sway with those delegates if he doesn't run himself.  However, with last year's endorsement of the Republican candidate in the Nebraska gubernatorial race due to the prohibition issue, he is not likely to see the same support he has had in previous conventions, if yesterday's comments by Rep. Underwood are any indication. With this caucus vote, Speaker Clark is likely to be hurt in his run for the White House.  Before the vote, Bryan, in a veiled threat, said that Clark's chances at the nomination "would depend on the caucus in Washington."  Bryan in the same statement also gave a boost to presidential hopeful, Woodrow Wilson, saying, "Gov. Wilson is doing good work in New Jersey."

While the new tariff has reduced the duties on wool, it looks like the vote could have major repercussions going into 1912.  The race on the other side is definitely heating up!  A split in the Democratic Party can only boost President Taft's chances at being re-elected next year.

Link: Wool Schedule Revision Bolts Bryan's Desires [The Washington Herald]
Link: Democrats Clash Over Free Wool [The Washington Herald]

What Is Revolution?

Diaz is finally gone, but his perverted minions remain. According to the Bisbee Daily Review, Diaz set sail for Europe yesterday. Supposedly, he was greeted by fanfare and cheers from those on ship when he boarded. His removal from Mexico, however, does not mean Mexico is free. So far, only 4 states have been turned over to their new governors under the Madero Regime. The remaining are filled with officials who say they have not yet received "Official Orders" to turn over their states, and as such, they will not do so. This means that huge swaths of Mexico are still under control by a military still loyal to Diaz!

Comrades in Mexico, please hear me. Diaz was not the largest problem you had. He was only the figurehead to a corrupt capitalist state. The real problem lies with the petty capitalists: those who would sell out their own people for a little power, such as those in the Diaz-loyal army. It is these individuals you must remove. It is these individuals who are truly standing in the way of a free Mexico. It is these individuals who are truly class traitors.

Comrades, Madero can do nothing to make you freer. If anything, following him is a step backwards. If you truly want to be free and equal, you must throw off leaders and live in a state of anarchist bliss. This is the only way. By removing those Diaz-loyal governors and troops, you are one step closer, but that isn't the end. You must remove Madero as well. You must remove anyone who would claim the right to lead you and force you to comply with their dictates. For you see, comrades, revolution is a state of mind, not a state of nature. By refusing to submit to those who would force you to do anything, you are living in a state of revolution. Through revolution you make yourself truly free, and you create a world of No Gods and No Masters.

Diaz Sounds Warning Note [Bisbee Daily Review]

Ray Harroun wins Endurance Car Race at Indy

In a nail-biting finish, Ray Harroun won the 500-mile, international endurance race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway yesterday. Ray Harroun finished the race driving a car from the Marmon Motor Car Company, the #32 car. Ralph Mulford, in a Lozier, No. 33, finished the race in second while driving a Lozier and David Bruce-Brown, in a Fiat, finished third. Ray Harroun finished the race in 6 hours, 41 minutes, and 8 seconds, giving him an average speed of an astounding 75 miles per hour, and that includes pit stops.

This new 500-mile race replaces the series of shorter races that had been run at Indianapolis in recent years.

The last twenty miles of the race saw the most exciting action, as Joe Dawson contended with the top three finishers for the lead but he was forced to pit to deal with tire problems. Harroun, Mulford, and Bruce-Brown were bunched together for the latter parts of the race, and Mulford and Bruce-Brown switched places several times, but they never managed to pass Harroun. The leaders were within a lap of each other going into the last 10 miles, and many at the track put their bets on Mulford to overtake Harroun. The closest competitor to the lead pack was Ralph de Palma in a Simplex, and he was ten laps behind the leaders. Despite the desperate jostling for second place, Harroun captured the win.

The Memorial Day race began in spectacular fashion with a show of aerial bombs and daylight fireworks.

After the race, Harroun announced that the endurace race would be his last, stating that the races had become too dangerous, plus he was hungry.

I had to stop only four times for new tires. My engine gave me not the least bit of trouble. The track was fierce. In the last 200 miles it was like a sheet of glass and I never knew how long I was going to be able to keep her on the course.

The mental strain of the first 100 miles, due possibly to the accident that killed poor Dickson, was much greater than the last 100, even if the finish was in sight then. I'm glad it's over, and I'm glad I'm alive. No more for me.

Mulford was more enthusiastic: "It's Great! I enjoyed every minute of the race. It was like a continual picnic. I never thought of danger. I'm ready to start again tomorrow for another race of the same length."

Link: Harroun Wins Big Motor Race in Record Time [The Washington Herald]

The Threat That Is the 4th Of July

Comrades the statists are at it again. They are trying to show you pretty bobbles, and fancy acts, all with the goal of proving how "great" their oppression is. With the nearing of the 4th of July, the traditional day the American regime celebrate it's "independence", the plans for shows of might and spender are on the rise. According to the Bisbee Daily Review the massive celebration planed in Bisbee can no longer be contained to one day, and now will include the 5th of July as well. This spectacle will include not only competition for prizes but also troop movements! It is these very "celebratory" acts however that highlight the abusive nature of the statist cause.

Comrades this spectacle is no celebration, it is a reminder of the power of the state and no more. The competitions for prizes are no more than the begging of the hungry at the feat of Nero. The troop movements no more than the flash of the Praetorian Guard. These events are carefully crafted, to show you the supposed strength of the state and hide it's weakness. To convince you to submit willingly to the Caesars. Yes comrades we are no freer than those poor souls thousands of years ago made to submit to the Caesars. The only difference is the state has gotten better and making you think submitting is the right thing to do.

Comrades this is not the world we were promised. We should no more submit to the state than we should cut our own throats. We must stand up to the state. We must show them we are strong. To this end comrades turn away this disgusting display of raw power. Don't be drawn in by the bobbles and shouts of the statists. Don't be dazzled by the flash of armed troops or the smell of the bread. Instead comrades remember what this all is, a threat. A threat that if you don't submit they will send those troops against you, and deny you the very bread and gold the capitalists hold in their hands. Remember comrades that what you would be celebrating is your own conquest by the capitalists. So turn away, refuse to even acknowledge that this travesty of a spectacle is going on. Instead put your energies into helping your neighbors, working together for a common cause, and advancing a world where we can all live in Anarchy and Equality.

Will Extend 4th Of July Celebration [Bisbee Daily Review]

Train Wreck in Nebraska Kills Twelve

A wreck along the Burlington railroad occurred early today, killing twelve and injuring many of the remaining passengers. Considering the state of some of those injured, it is likely that the death toll will rise. Among the victims include members of the Omaha and Denver minor league baseball teams, though none were killed. The wreck also caused the steam pipes in several cars to burst, badly scalding many passengers.

The wreck occurred two miles west of Indianola, Nebraska. Passenger train #12, eastbound, was supposed to stop at Redwood to take on some siding, but it kept traveling east. It collided into the westbound #9 train, which was traveling at fifty miles per hour. The engine crews of both trains were killed instantly.

The Burlington company, from their corporate offices in Lincoln, Nebraska, released the eight of the names of the dead yesterday:

A.A. Hissabeck, Holdrege, Neb.; Robert Shepherd, traveling salesman, Holdrege, Neb.; Engineer John H. Hyder, of No. 12 and his fireman, W. J. Dameron, both of Lincoln; Engineer W. T. Lahey and his fireman, A. J. Olsen, both of Lincoln; Express Messenger Fraser, and Express Messenger Friar.

Link: Twelve Killed in Burlington Wreck, and Many Injured [The Washington Times]