USA > Indiana > Lake County > The First Hundred Years (1938) > Part 38
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ARTHUR BRISBANE
Arthur Brisbane is dead. One that was as well known round the world as any man of late years. He not only had an active mind, he also had an active body. Time to him was valuable and he made the best possible use of it. He was ever on the move and made good use of his observations and information. He conveyed that to the public in a forceable, direct manner that everyone could understand. He had the characteristics of all great men: ambition, determination and a stick-to-it-ness that always brings success to those who possess these qualities. Not going outside of the United States of America we have Wash- ington, Lincoln, Beecher, Burbank, Edison, Brisbane, Ford, and many others that left their mark in the world through sheer pluck and energy. They were not asking for a five day week and a six hour day. They were interested in what they were doing and time was too short to do what they wanted to do. They could think of more things to do than they had time for. They are the men that move the world in the right direction. They are not asking the government to take care of them but are able to take care of themselves and give an abundance to the rest of humanity and still there is not everything done that needs to be done. The harvest is ripe for more workers. These young men and women that are looking out on the world and saying there is nothing left for me to do are blind to their oppor- tunity and have not the vision that is necessary to accomplish big things.
In every field of life there is a crying demand for a Moses to lead us out of the wilderness. Especially in religion and politics. Wake up young people and tackle the job. It is not that the young people have nothing to do, the job is so big that they have not the courage to even make an attempt.
We have talked to young college graduates who were at a loss to know what to do on the subject of better government and cleaner public conditions so as to give everybody an equal chance in the race of life. Urge upon them the necessity of an active participation in public affairs, both religions and political. But it does not seem to appeal to them. They are looking for someone to give them something to do rather than to go out in the world and create a job for themselves. If they are going to be a hireling all their lives they will never make a Washing- ton, Lincoln, Beecher, Burbank, Edison, Brisbane or Ford. The road ahead is not going to reach a height without courage and determination. Some one and many a one has got to have these qualities if we are going to maintain our present form of government.
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RECALL POTTAWATOMIE TRAIL DAYS AT OLD-TIMERS' REUNION
With several among them friends for more than half a century, 21 Lake county "boys and girls" held an old-fashioned "way back when" gathering in the home of Dr. F. A. Malmstone, Griffith physician and surgeon, yesterday afternoon.
Sam B. Woods, father of Mrs. Malmstone, was guest of honor and the occasion was the 81st birthday of the widely known Lake county agriculturist and civic leader, whose father filed on land near Gary just a century ago in March of this year.
That farm is still the property of the man who added a year to being an octogenarian yesterday.
Remember "Planned Journey"
Among those present to extend their best wishes to Mr. Woods and to meet friends of long standing again, were men and women who have left their mark on every phase of the county's history and development.
They were men and women who remember when one "plan- ned a journey" to Michigan City-and treked over the Pot- tawatomie trail.
They knew a stretch of dunes and wastelands that now is Gary.
Indians were no novelty to them and hardships of pioneers in a "prairie" state are among their keenest memories.
These memories were exchanged, informally.
Honors of being the stripling at the party went to Rev. J. U. Leasonby of Gary-who perforce had to admit that he has only seen the sunrises and sunsets of 73 short years.
The "debutante" of the day was Mrs. H. F. Kaske, R. 1, Hammond, only 71 years old, while the recognition as the oldest person attending was accorded to William G. Woods, age 85, a brother of Sam B. Woods.
Live Total of 1,650 Years
The hour of reminiscence centered mostly about the "birth- day dinner" table, with short talks by several of the guests in offering felicitations to Mr. Woods.
Preceding the dinner, "Praise Be To the Lord From Whom All Blessing Flow," was sung, and Rev. Leasonby offered a prayer and thanks. These were the only formal touches.
The spirit of the get-together was that when a group has lived exactly 1,650 total years, an average age of 78 years, 208 days-there is plenty to talk about without introducing the possible tedium of prepared addresses.
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And this group found there was sufficient for several hours of pleasant conversation.
For instance three of the group recalled that they had voted for the same president-once.
It was for James A. Garfield, and the voters were A. M. (Murray) Turner, Hammond; John M. Beckman, also of Ham- mond, and L. A. Southworth, Griffith.
Rev. Leasonby recalled that 10 years ago next June, he and the guest of honor clasped hands across a stone sunk on the Woods farm commemorating that Sam and William Wood's father filed on that land within a few months now of a century ago.
"There is to be a celebration, a barbecue, that was our pledge and we promised each other that neither would die before next June," said Rev. Leasonby.
But-that's another story !
January 1937 LET'S STRIKE !
I wrote to Henry Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture, in re- lation to agriculture compared to other industries, claiming the price of everything was becoming too high to be healthy. In- stead of trying to put the price of farm products up in com- parison with other products, why would it not be more in line with good sound business management to bring the other fel- lows down on an equality. If the farmers got a big crop in the future it would be impossible to keep the price of farm crops up so that we could do business with the other fellows and we would be repeating what we had between 1919 and 1929. I re- ceived a letter and a lot of printed matter from the Agricultural adjustment Administration (A. A. A.) United States Depart- ment of Agriculture. The letter is as follows :
Mr. Sam B. Woods.
Griffith, Indiana.
Dear Mr. Woods :
Secretary Wallace's Office referred to us for reply your letter of December 27 and the newspaper clipping which you enclosed, stating that you believe prices of industrial products should be brought down to the level of farm prices and that high protective tariffs for keeping prices above those of other countries will lead to ruin.
We found your communication very interesting and appre- ciate your bringing your views to our attention. Enclosed are several publications dealing with agricultural and industrial prices and containing Secretary Wallace's opinions on tariffs and
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farm imports and exports. We believe you will enjoy reading this material.
We are glad to know of your interest in the welfare of the American people and appreciate the thought you have given the problems confronting the nation. You may be sure that the Department of Agriculture is carefully watching changes in the agricultural and industrial fields in order to be able to plan effective programs.
Very truly yours,
Paul R. Preston, Chief, Correspondence Unit, Division of Information.
The printed matter goes into the question at different angles.
We quote from agricultural conversation : A National Farm policy :
"(1) Safeguard soil against exploitation.
"(2) Enable agriculture to provide for the family of the farmer a living standard comparable to that enjoyed by the other three-fourths of the country's population.
"(3) Enable agriculture to contribute its share to the busi- ness and industry of the nation through possessing an adequate and stable farm buying power.
"(4) Supply the nation with food and fibre in abundance, but not in such excess as to penalize the farmer and through him the national economy."
Now you factory workmen, do you find anything wrong with that? If we are to have a regulated economy, we will have to regulate the farmers so they won't produce too much so that you fellows cannot buy it too cheap. Of course you want a five- day week and a six-hour day, but you are willing to give the farmer the privilege of working as long as he wants to. The longer the better suits you, for the longer and harder he works the cheaper your eats will be. In this thirty-hour week proposi- tion they have exempted the farmers and the cooks.
Now what would these thirty-hour fellows do if it were not for the farmers and the cooks? To show them what a very important part of the population of this United States the farm- ers and the cooks are, I propose we go on a strike and sit down until they confess that they cannot get along without us. And if our Governor of the State of Michigan has done-that he will feed the strikers while they are on a strike-I propose the taxpayers go on a strike. It is time the taxpayers were striking. We have pleaded in vain for justice and consideration, but they can't understand common sense and reason as well as they do brute force. Let's strike !
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THE STRIKE
This country has to be run by law and order. It cannot be run by mob rule because the mob has the votes.
Those strikers sitting down in General Motors plant have no more right there than a man in your house who you have had. a difference with and cease to employ. He says "I will sit down in your house and stay here until you agree to what I want." What do you think you would do about it? Throw him out if you were able and if you were not, you would get the sheriff to do it, and you could get an order from the court to do that thing because that fellow had but one vote. But when there are many voters the governor of the state and the president of the United States are very timid and careful about offending many votes. These voters have a right to their opinion and they have their vote, but that does not change the law. If the law is not to their liking and they have enough votes they can elect a representative to the state legislature, or a congress- man who will change the law to suit them.
But that law must not conflict with the constitution, which is the fundamental law of the land and which says in the pre- amble, "We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tran- quility," etc. How about insuring domestic tranquility in the striking business? Following are powers vested in Congress (Article 15) "To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrection and repel invasion."
Why do they not call out the militia to suppress insurrection ? Because the insurrectionists have so many votes back of them. It is mob rule instead of a rule of law and order. We are mov- ing toward no government-brute force.
In last night's speech Wm. E. Borah said the people should rule on the Supreme court. If they did not like the laws they should be changed. But the laws of the land must stand until they are changed, and it is the duty of the governor of the state and the president of the United States to enforce the laws as they are. The president's stand on the constitution determined by the Supreme Court is very similar to Estil, when he was prosecutor in regard to the liquor laws. He wanted to satisfy the saloon keepers and he proposed to "stretch" the law in order to give them what they wanted.
We either have law enforcement or mob rule. Mob rule does not give equal rights to all and it is no government.
Here again it is about time for people to get interested in politics and inform themselves on the questions of the day so they can vote intelligently at the next election for a govern-
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ment that will give each and every one an equal chance in the race of life.
CAPITAL AND LABOR
There must be a captain to every ship. You can't have a mob running any business. When I was farming I did a lot of hard work to find out what manner of farming was best adapted to the location, soil, climate and markets. When I decided on producing milk for the town market I studied to know the best breed of cow for that purpose and whether to keep up the herd by continually buying cows or by raising calves and disposing of the older cows.
I had to hire help to do the work on the farm and I ex- pected this help to work in harmony with my plans. I decided on certain crops, planted at certain times, cultivated accord- ing to my ideas of proper cultivation-these crops to be gather- ed and stored according to my ideas. They were to be mixed with commercial feeds and fed to the cows and calves in order that they have a balanced ration at the lowest cost for pro- duction of the best milk. It was a long process and necessitated the working together of all if the business was to be successful.
I could not have some hired man telling me that I should have a different breed of cows, or grow different erops, or that they be fed differently from the way I was feeding them.
I am writing about farming because I think I know some- thing of it. In any business there are innumerable details that have to be thought out and knit together to make a perfect whole, which spells success for the business.
The head of the United States Steel Corporation, Myron C. Taylor, and Sloan and Wm. S. Knudsen, of General Motors Corporation, have given much time and study in working out in detail the business of the immense plants in order that every- thing will work together smoothly to a complete finish when they can employ thousands of men and women at good wages.
This idea of John L. Lewis and his followers demanding sole bargaining agency with General Motors Corporation is absurd. If they got everything they are asking for, inside of one year Labor would suffer for it because Labor cannot suc- ceed unless there is general success. That mob trying to run the big corporation would surely make a botch of it. If John L. Lewis and his bunch know so much about how to run things, why do they not build a big plant and show how it should be done? If they have not the money or capital, there is plenty in the country that they might obtain if they can prove that they possess this superior knowledge on how to do things.
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Some years ago, on the corner of 6th and Broadway, Gary, a fellow was standing in an auto haranguing. A crowd gathered and he was telling them that they should own the mills and run them; that they did the work and it was their right to own and control them. I looked them over and concluded that there was not much capital back of that crowd. They looked as if they had spent what capital they had for beer and whiskey.
Some years back a number of us milk producers were not satisfied with our share of what the consumers paid for milk. We bought out a milk depot in Gary to distribute our own milk. We could furnish the money and the milk and we had to hire organized union milk wagon drivers for fear of consequences- that is having the plant blown up or something else that would put a crimp in the delivery. Our main trouble was we could not get a manager to successfully run the business and the upshot of it all was that the drivers were getting the cream and we farmers the skim milk. We quit and got out of it, and that is what the Steel Corporation and General Motors are going to do if they cannot manage their business with a profit.
Thousands of people in moderate circumstances have stock in General Motors, United States Steel and other large indus- tries, and are depending on the income from this stock for a livelihood. Labor cannot hog the whole thing. We must have right and justice all around.
Under Lewis Labor is beginning to find its strength. He knows politics and politics gave Roosevelt the majority of the votes. Labor now is like the big interests were when they paid the campaign fund. They want their money's worth.
Under the Republican administration the big interests acted the hog and threw the country into a depression. Now labor thinks they are in the saddle and they are going to ride a willing horse to death with the support of the Democratic administra- tion.
It really is too bad that in this glorious country of ours we do not have enough common sense to be fair, just and honest enough to give everybody an equal share of the world's goods so we could have a plenty and prosperity.
February 1937 "ON OUR WAY"
Roosevelt seems to be "on our way" to be the big boss of the whole business. Our honorable Mr. William Schulte, con- gressman from the first district of Indiana prided himself dur- ing the former session of Congress that he was following the President. That is, he was doing the will of the President like
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the majority of the members of Congress. When Mr. Roosevelt had some "must" legislation to be passed it was adopted just as he dictated. But when it came to the Supreme Court they used their own judgment and decided that many of Mr. Roose- velt's "must" laws were not constitutional. They did not ac- cord with the fundamental law of the land-the constitution of the United States, and therefore could not operate. Mr. Roose- velt is very ambitious and wants things to go just as he wants it and if the court does not decide his way he will have to have a new court that will decide for him. So he proposes that Con- gress allow him to increase the number of the Supreme Court justices from nine to fifteen. He knows that he can appoint six new members who will be agreeable to his way of doing things and that he will be in sole control as boss or dictator.
The whole plan and purpose of our government was to keep away from this very thing. We are supposed, under our con- stitution, to have three separate and distinct divisions of govern- ment, each of which acts as a check or balance to the others. But Mr. Roosevelt is just like any other man itching after power. He does not like laws interfering with his plans. He claims that he has the power "by the mandate of the people." That means we suppose, that because he got such a large majority of the votes the people have confidence in him and are willing to let him run the whole show. But who are the people who elected him ? Huey Long's followers, Townsend's $200.00 per month for all over sixty-five followers and Father Coughlin, who was going to lead ten million voters to vote for Lemke, and in the end they mostly voted for Roosevelt. The whole caboodle want to get something for nothing. This is a mighty dangerous con- dition for a democratic government.
"In a democratic government demagogues obtain ascend- ency by catering to the vote of the incompetent and ignorant. To do this they penalize and ultimately destroy the competent and thrifty upon whom the incompetent must depend."
I am not saying that we have not had wrongs before where a few got the greater part of the wealth of the country in their hands by unfair means. But two wrongs do not make a right. We are in a position now where labor is getting big wages, but will not be satisfied until they are allowed to run the other fel- low's business. Everybody expects big pay for little work and some of them want the pay for no work at all. The people who are trying to carry on any kind of a business at all are being taxed beyond endurance. The majority of the people do not seem to be concerned about the situation. In fact they do not care. Most people are too lazy to make an effort to understand
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the situation. I was talking to a man the other day and asked him for his opinion on a vital issue of the day and his only re- sponse was, "I don't know"; and from his attitude I gathered that he cared less. Why should he bother himself about those things? It was really beneath his idea of a gentleman to bother about such things. Some one else could take care of that. And you may be sure that some one else will take care of that if you do not-probably to you or your children's sorrow.
This is the month of February, the month in which Wash- ington and Lincoln were born. Washington made this country free and Lincoln kept it free. And now, when a great danger is approaching and the safety of our government is threatened, many can sleep right through it all and never be disturbed until it is too late. But, for our own lack of interest now and lack of action, our liberties will be lost; and to regain them we will have to have war and bloodshed. Most people have got to be struck by lightning before they wake up. And then the damage is done. This country does not run itself. It is a government of the people and if a majority want something that is not practical, and will not work, this democratic government will have proved itself to be a failure.
William Wirt, of Gary, is a good manager of schools and a very capable student of public affairs. He is very much con- cerned in the present situation over the lack of true knowledge in regard to our public affairs. He is a thorough believer in teaching in our schools the science of government so that the coming citizens will be interested in the welfare of their country and be capable of voting and managing our country intelligent- ly. We should select officials for our different public positions who are educated and capable of holding the office to which they aspire rather than some "back slapper" whose only qualifica- tion is his ability to gather the votes of the ignorant masses.
RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM
A friend of mine was interested in last week's article "Al- ways With Us" where we raised the question of the incom- petent being in the majority. He gave me the article written on the above subject which sustains my idea. The article is a Con- vocation address delivered at Colgate university by its president, George B. Cutten on September 20, 1934. The article follows :
"I believe in rugged individualism and the ruggeder and the more individualistic the more I believe in it, and I'll tell you why! The rugged individualist is the only one who has any- thing to contribute to the flock. He is a rare bird and nothing
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should be done to suppress or to discourage him. You know phosphorous was not lying around loose when most people were thought of, and adipose tissue even in these times is more abun- dant than gray matter.
"But that is not the only reason for my belief. There is an experiment which proves that I am right, and an experiment of such length and breadth that its results cannot be questioned. For something over a million years,-biologists are not certain of the initial date,-old mother nature has been experimenting, and has come to the undoubted conclusion that rugged individual- ism is the most successful brand of biped and that the rugged individualist is worth saving. She is very careful of those who lift and very careless of those who lean. When nature has de- cided that an individual is a confirmed leaner, she hurries to get rid of him forthwith lest he should contaminate the race which she is so carefully trying to develop.
"When an ignoramous starts to monkey with an experi- ment he is very likely to juggle the wrong test tubes. Not being very strong mentally we thought we knew, and that nature was obfuscated. She was unkind, cruel, unchristian, and we'd show her. We have! We've taken better care of the idiot than we have of the genius, we have coddled the moron and starved the intelligent. Those with the divine spark we've neglected, while we lavished money and training upon the pinheads. Modern medicine and modern philanthropy coupled with a maudlin and irrational sympathy have turned back the clock and started the race on the return journey.
"We thought we were kind, but, of course, we were only stupid and petty. We saved a minute part of present suffering to propagate a vast amount of future desolation and woe. We have saved the feeble minded that we may increase his kind as the sands of the sea; we have saved the insane that we might have more insane; we have taken care of the indigent that we might have more indigent of whom to take care.
"If we are to permit modern medicine and modern philan- thropy to keep the unfit then we must insist that these unfit shall not be permitted to pollute the racial stream. Nature never intended to be unkind to the individual, but the only sure way of protecting the race from the debilitating effects of the unfit was to get rid of him. Perhaps we can continue the benefits of weak ideals, but if not, let's follow the sure way of mother nature. If we are to save the race and still retain the unfit, the broad- est application of sterilization should be introduced. We have some responsibility for posterity and we should be kind in the large rather than in the small.
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DOES LEWIS WANT TO BE PRESIDENT? March 1937
"Peace on earth and good will to men." "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." "Love is the fulfilling of the law."
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