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Show !W CHRISTMAS. ST K npHERE is more significance in the coming of Christmas this year i A than there has been since the soft radiance of the star of Bethle- W hem heralded the emancipation of the world, and the day of universal Br" peace and good will that has been so long in the coming. JgfiL The last thrones are crumbling and falling away, men are giving f(flL a higher allegiance to God and no longer acknowledge the right of Wm kings or priests to rule them. twr The world is still a long way from redemption, but at this Christ- P mas time, men are drawn nearer together than they have been for Ek years, and just as in the beginning of The Great Republic the uplift- K ing of our standard was a new dawn to the world, so the light of our flag" in the mighty conflict that has just come to a close has meant a If dropping of the chains in all civilization, and such mercy as has not p come since the resurrection on Calvary. K A former editor of this journal, one, of its founders, wrote in his H$ last Christmas editorial two years ago : f . "Sometimes the farmer starts his plough and turns over the sur- Jffis face of his clover field, for the time converting what was a winsome, ft fruitful pasture into what seems to be a desert. I "To the ignorant and blinded it might seem to be a great misfor- 1 tune, but it is made clear that the farmer's design is to bury the I clover where the nitrogen that has been gathered by its roots from jfi r the sunbeams and the air may be assimilated by the soil and thus I m&: gather more strength to bring forth another harvest; the wisdom of tgtf m;; work is made apparent. !1 "The plowshare of an awful war has been turning over the fields I of Europe for two and a half years and converting them into deserts. Men cannot comprehend any design in the mighty mutilation, sorrowing sor-rowing millions look on dazed; millions of wives and mothers with hearts broken and eyes wept dry have no longer the strength to pray, so awful is their sorrow. "It is as though all the ministers of mercy had fled the earth, and all the ministers of destruction had been let loose to devastate the earth, the air and the deep s. i and usher in a reign of chaos. "And still last night wat as serene as was that night when over Bethlehem the star shone down and anthems of praise and of good will to man rang out upon the world and called all the agents of harmony har-mony to join in the mighty praise and peace service. "It is not impossible that after the storm passes, it may be seen that the so-called divine right of kings shall have passed away; that the old rule that 'men are nothing and a man everything' has been reversed, and that never again can less than a hundred men awaken a storm that can cause some thousands of brave men to died daily for weeks and months and years without abatement. fc "But contemplating those horrors our countrymen should, with humbled and grateful hearts, bend in gratitude today to sing their praise service and peace service ; to exult in the freedom that is ours, fc that a generous harvest has been given us ; that no premonitions of 1. if sorrow shadow our skies ; that our nation is moving on with growing i, ' majesty and power ; taking on new prestige every year, becoming ''w ; . more and more the world's concernment and hope. . "Surely ours ought to be a grateful people and with the Christ- f' mas morning with united hearts, with all the accompaniments of a organ and choir, sing anthems of Peace and Praise." At the time the above was written, the United States had not 1 Jj i) A entered the conflict, but what it contained was somewhat prohetic, H .and the conclusions are as apt today as when the article was written. jH We are on the eve of a great conference for the peace of the H world which will be held in that historic hall in Versailles where an H end will be put forever to the tryranny of kings, for men have learned H that none has a right to control body and soul, and that the only H sovereign to be obeyed is the law they themselves create, and that HI they are as good as the next one, no matter how exalted, so long as H they do what is right. H With the coming of Christmas, the harbinger of Peace, the charm H does not wear off with the friction of the years, and in the joy and H hope the day engenders, who is there who cannot feel the thrill that H comes when the Infinite bends in blessing to his children? H And what a wonderful day is Christmas to the little children, and H what reunions and greetings and feastings there will be this year. H There is no other festival that compares with this day of days, no other to which the hearts of men so readily respond, no other in H which the memories and traditions mean so much to poor mortals H here below. M In the homes where the father, brother, son or sweetheart will JM not return, those bereft will be deeply saddened by their memories and H the thoughts of what might have been, but they must tryto bear the H burden bravely in the thought that the supreme sacrifice was made for them and for native land, and that through it in part, the nations H shall have ceased to learn war. M And in the putting aside of animosities, the linking of closer M friendships, and the renewing of hope they should find a sweet en- H chantment on this Christmas day. M PINCHING THE CABLES. THAT the Wilson administration is using the war as a pretext M rather .than a reason for extending government control over in- H dustry and public utilities was very clearly shown by Senator James H E. Watson of Indiana, the day before congress adjourned for the long H session. Owing to the rush of work incident to the close of the ses- H sion, the speech was not printed in the Record at the time but has H been published since. The particular subject to which the senator H directed his remarks was the order of the president taking over the H cable lines, which order was dated November 2, but not made public H until November 18. Preliminary to discussion of that act, the sena- H tor commented upon the taking over of the express companies about H the time the armistice was signed. Said Senator Watson : H "It is passing strange that during all the time of storm and stress, H during the period of unparalleled congestion of the railroads of the United States, during the time when we were transporting millions of soldiers from one portion of the republic to another; to the camp. to the cantonment, to the training stations, and to points of embark- H ation, while an incalculable quantity of munitions and of food and of H equipment were being transported by the railroads, and while this H congestion was unprecedented in the history of this or any other coun- H try, it was not thought essential by the president to take over the express companies in order to relieve that congestion or to carry on the transportation of the country. Now, when the Hun is at our H mercy, when Germany lies prostrate at our feet, when the last cloud I of war is sinking below the horizon and the sun of peace fills all our I ., M B skies, he has taken over the express companies of the country for H operation by the general government." H Senator Watson recalled the statements of Democratic senators B when the control bill was under consideration that there would prob- K ably be no need to take over the telephone and teelegraph systems fl and certainly not the cable lines. He then said: B "Now, after all this declamation, and after every hour of emer- ' gency has passed, and after peace has come upon us, and after war M has taken his wrinkled front from the presence of the world, we have Mf the president of the United States violating, as I believe, the letter w and the spirit of that law by taking over the cables for governmenttal m ; operation. B "It is exceedingly significant, that this action comes just at the M time when the president is about to visit a foreign country. I am not M , going to quarrel with the decision of the president about going abroad. M i But it is singularly significant that just at the time he is about to g6 M abroad he takes over the cables, after having declined to take them M over during all the years of war and all the time of storm and peril, (i and when every necessity for his having taken them over has ceased m if, indeed, any necessity for such action has ever existed." M Senaton Watson challenged any senator to give a reason for the M ' taking over of the cables but not even a Democrat would rise to de- Hj fend the president's action. Senator Watson continued: H "It is quite significant that the president is taking with him on B this trip George Creel, master of the republic's instruction. With Hj t George Creel at that end controlling all the messages and Burleson at H his end controlling all the sources of information, the country may m well be warned that they may take at least with a grain of salt what- M J ever is published as to what happens at the peace conference." H - THE NON-PARTISAN (?) LEAGUE PROGRAM. THE NEW NORTHWEST, "official paper of the city of Missoula," and official organ of the Non-Pa rtisan League for Montana, out- Hrr - lines fairly the political program of this party. H It publishes the call to battle to carry the state two years hence, H attributing its failure at the recent election in Idaho and Montana H to "combination of circumstances." 1 i D. C. Dorman, state chairman of the league, says of the prospect H j in 1920: "We do not anticipate a drouth, war or pestilence followed HL by a heavy snowstorm on election day." H He is right in stating that as a political organization they had H nothing to lose, as they started with nothing and he claims "over 100 H officials elected. Among these officers were twenty or more legis- H latois, and a supreme judge." The rest are county officials. I Careful analysis shows fourteen out of ninety-six representatives and four out of forty-three senators endorsed by the Non-Partisan League in Montana were elected but some of these are sound business men. . The league at first claimed the election of Riddick to Congress H but Riddick repudiated the league openly and it branded him as H' worthy of the support of no consistent leaguer. H The league lost the election of Jack Hall, a member of the Public H Service Commission who had always attacked capital and catered to H s radicalism as a public official. fThe business elements of the state supported Lee Dennis, who had a good record as county treasurer and recorder at Great Falls, and on a square issue he won by five thousand. iHere was a public official who for years has taken the position that big business was always managed by robbers and corporations by qut-throats and he was let out. Dorman and the New Northwest offer a radical program of denouncing de-nouncing all war profiteers in spite of the fact that they are paying 80 per cent excess war profits tax. K They offer power to the farmers at one-fifth what it costs to H produce it now without considering the effect that would have on the I ' labor employed in producing power. They denounce the state officials of California as conspirators and enemies of labor for conviction of Mooney and the bombsters who blew up the preparedness parade. Mm '' ! In an article copied from The Public on the front page of the New Northwest (issue of Noyf 28), they encorse this sentiment in large type as follows : "We know England's share in checking the sweep of the French revolution, so that its work is now only being completed. Is America to play the role today that England played a little more than a century cen-tury ago? The determination of the role that we are to play in the world is in the hands of our democratic agitators and organizers." Airing such sentiments Dorman and Craighead ask the patriotic farmers of Montana to come through with another $16 each for the next two years to the number of 25,000 to 40,000 members for the cam- paign o 1920 in these stirring words : ' "How many are ready to renew your pledge? Have your an- J swer (and your money) rqady when the organizer calls." S THE KIDDIES' DAY. CHRISTMAS is the children's day above all others of the year. j They go to sleep on Christmas eve with the miser's dream of a " fabulous fortune to come on the morrow ; with the dawn their dream materializes and their babble fills the morning with gladness. Such T? surprises, such goodies, such immense treasures. jk Santa Claus is a saint in truth to them and they do not for a ' moment question h's absolute divinity. After the years, the echoes come back now and then to memory, and for a moment the intervening interven-ing seasons with their dissolutions are forgotten, and the loveliness of that fair home with its caresses, its music and its dainties causes men and women to forget that their eyes are growing dim and that their hair is whitening. The benediction of the Christmas days of childhood remains a saving grace to many in later years. When all was innocence and joy, the knowledge of the world's harsh ways withheld, and there was . i nothing but fulfilled desire. w Men go out from perfect homes with such a reverence for their J j sacredness that seldom do they fail in any achievement needed to make a good name. j The children should be taught what it is that singles Christmas out from every other day. Give them all the gifts possible, and fill the day with light and joy so that the impression may always remain. FIT FOR A KING. ' ' m BY the inensive employment of some 300 workers the presidential j quarters on the George Washington, formerly of the North Ger- man Lloyd, were placed in a fit condition to receive their august guest. S Mr. Wilson's suite of rooms was done in dark mahogany and grey, J while in Mrs. Wilson's apartments pink was made the dominant color j with the mahogany. The entire main deck was glassed in that the i rigors of North Atlantic breezes may not penetrate and inflame the 1 presidential throat. Of course the fitting up of this ocean White F House for a few days' occupancy by Mr. Wilson cost a sum of money. 1 But what of that? We are in the midst of a big sale of war savings stamps, and it will take only a few thousand of them to pay for the Jl improvements. M . . ,-Ja LEGISLATURE ALMOST UPON US. J USUALLY a state legislature as a whole is uncongenial to the $ whole spirit and purpose of its existence. Let us hope that the M one which is about to invade the capital will be different, and if not an m improvement in its entirety over preceding legislatures, let us pray that it will not be guilty of anything akin to the acts that character- t ized the assinine session of two years ago. We have taken a careful survey of the personnel of those who J will constitute Utah's next legislative body, having in view their 1 records for integrity and ability, and from week to week during the I coming session we will present a resume of everything pertaining to 'J them and their work. M . W"r- - ," JmUM LJl.-zTTTTjy?'?"'" """" " ' """" r""" "". m u'ifciii timajjmmmmumtmtnSU P Fearsome as We are of an avalanche of freak laws, and the usual IF, attempts to cripple the leading industries of the state, we will give ! m this legislature the benefit of the doubt in advance in the hope that m, it will prove safe and sane, and attempt to make a constructive It rather than a destructive record. i W There is no lack of opportunity for some real legislation that ' m; will materially benefit the state, but if the majority overlook it and J W follow the precedent of waste of time and money, the members will ft face such mistrust, and impatience as has no legislative gathering in H years. m THE BADGER BANKS. ' W A SIDE from numerous conferences, the outcome of which has not I p). jljl been made public, as well as more or less semi-official investi- FJ&L' gating, nothing of a startling nature respecting the failure of the iwra Bingham banks has come to light during the past few days. nm Depositors in the Citizens' Bank of Bingham are anxiously await- illi nl information as to whether or not the Utah State National Bank Jill will be held responsible for various loans made by its former vice- flm president of money sent to him by the Bingham bank, and if so when Jr w mace good. They are awaiting the return of the governor, for naturally the )m matter will be passed up to him. From all information obtainable, ' B we believe that the Utah State National will be obliged to put up the : P money, and in that event the Citizen's depositors will lose little or I nothing. Er The daily papers are doing nothing whatever to enlighten the ' EL, public in regard to the situation, and though authentic news is some- wf what scarce, we believe that we will shortly be in a position to ac-, ac-, f quire enough more authoritative information to make some very in teresting reading. ; ' In the meantime the plot thickens, and it looks a little cloudy II in the west for those who were responsible for the wreck. I f J MERCHANTS' BANK INVESTIGATION. HpHE grand jury investigating the affairs of the defunct Merchants' A Bank has returned several indictments, and in this connection, it is well to bear in mind that an indictment does not necessarily mean that whoever may be indicted is guilty. If indictments are returned, those indicted will have a fair trial, there will be no hasty judgments or conclusions, and the public should reserve decision pending the handling of the matter by the courts. For the sake of argument, admitting that none of the men involved in-volved is guilty of anything criminal, they are morally responsible to the depositors, who expect nothing more than a square deal and as nearly a satisfactory settlement as is possible under the circumstances. OUTLOOK FOR BUILDING GOOD. 'Tp HE prospects for the lumber industry and the building trades for JL 1919 are better than at any time the past year. All over the country comes news of increased building activities as restrictions are removed. Industrial and residence building programs for the coming year will take an increasing demand for lumber. The movement will be slower in the small towns and cities and the country than in the large centers of industry, labor will be more plentiful as it returns from the shipyards and munition works and will have to be employed. It is doubtful if lumber and building material will be any chefaper, but building hardware and metal will come down. Good building lots are certain to advance in price and with foreign for-eign demand for lumber opening up it will not fall in value. It is a patriotic duty for all who plan business or residence building build-ing in 1919 to make immediate preparations. r It will help keep the city and country prosperous and that is the I j best guaranty for industries and encouragement to returning fighting I I men. I OILY POLITICS. H SINCE 1909, the oil industry of the nation has been at the mercy of H political bickering of so-called conservationists and socialistically H inclined politicians. No thanks are due these gentlemen that the H U. S has been able to secure the abnormal oil supplies so necessary H for industrial and military purposes. H Even the war failed to break the strangle hold of so-called con- H servationists, on the oil industry and in the face of a growing month- jH ly oil shortage additional lands showing indications of oil have been H withdrawn from development in Wyoming and other states while H no relief has been granted to operators with capital invested in good H faith on lands before withdrawal. H We face the reconstruction period with its increasing demand H for all kinds of oil supplies,' with the oil land question still unsettled. H Our present oil fields are being exhausted and new development H is discouraged. H Surely we have legislators in congress with brains' enough to H draft legislation which will permit development while at the same H time protecting the public interest. H Economical and needed development is true conservation. H H CLASS LEGISLATION. TAX everybody to give special benefits to particular classes, seems H to be the political fad of the hour M Make everybody pay higher freight to double the wages of the M railroad brotherhoods. M Tax everybody to pay the telephone or telegraph bill of some- one else so politicians can make rates and play politics. M Tax everybody for state-owned mills, elevators, stockyards and M packing plants to enrich the farmers. M Anything you don't like have the government take it over, (so M long as it isn't your business), and furnish some class a service at a M higher or lower price as best suits the case and let the customer or the taxpayer pay the bill. Cannot fair-minded and uncorrupted Americans unmask these M policies of paternalism? M Where will this system stop ? M Shall the American republic go down under class legislation or M will it stand for fair play and justice and a square deal for all? M F t 1 p H FERRIS WHEELS. B RUMOR has it that Scott Ferris, of Oklahoma, was the man who M induced the president to issue his partisan appeal for election of a Democratic Congress. If so, it is not the. first time Ferris has led M the president into unwise utterances. Ferris is Chairman of the Dem- M ocratic Congressional Committee and also Chairman of the House M Committee on Public Lands. It was he who fought that portion of M the water bill which provided the plan under which the government M might retake possession of water power plants constructed under M license from the government. At his instance the president wrote M a letter to Chairman Sims, of the Water Power Committee, denounc- M ing the plan, and making statements which did not accord with the M facts. The house passed the bill including the provisions to which H Ferris and the president took exceptions. The leading Democrats of H the house refused to follow the president. It is easy to believe, ther H fore, that Ferris led the president into his latest blunder. H H During the height of the "flu" epidemic it is said that everybody H in San Francisco was compelled to wear a gauze mask on the street H or anywhere that they came in close proximity to other people. Out- H side of the hospitals the only place in Salt Lake that such a rule was H enforced was on the floor of the Salt Lake Stock and Mining Ex- H change. The State Board of Health declir ed toruruany chances with H that aggregation, presumably determined that the brokers, with lit- H tie to do in their regular calling, should not "slip anything over" on H each other. WM |