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The Traveler… Oklahoma ship sinks… suing from beyond the grave…
January 6, 2014 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I journeyed through Omaha, Nebraska, via The Omaha Daily Bee of January 6, 1914. The issue had the report of the oil tanker Steamer Oklahoma splitting in two and sinking south of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Several of the crew had perished in this disaster while others were rescued by other ships.
Another article is one of the Supreme Court handing down a decision permitting Miss Florence Schenck, who had died just a few hours earlier, to prosecute a suit against Charles H. Wilson to vindicate her good name. Mr. Wilson had induced her years earlier to marry him in a ceremony in England. She later found that he already had a wife living in England as well and was suing for damages.
~The Traveler
The Traveler… finally ratified… income tax a reality…
February 4, 2013 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, by the way of the Deseret Semi-Weekly News, February 3, 1913. There I found that on this very same date, the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution had just been ratified by the voted received from the Wyoming legislature. This amendment now established Income Tax as a provision of the Constitution.
This passing, which required a three-quarter of the Union approval, took a long time to occur as Alabama was the first state to ratify the amendment and that was on August 10, 1909!
Now with this information, enjoy your remaining seventy (70) days of the tax season. April 15th will be here before we all know it!
~The Traveler
“A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy…”
– Alexander Tytler 1787 (disputed origin)
The Traveler… the monolopy is ended… hoping for better sailing ahead…
December 17, 2012 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to San Francisco, California, by way of The Call dated December 17, 1912. There I found that the Federal Supreme Court had ruled to destroy the monopoly that was created by six railroad owned coal companies in the Pennsylvania anthracite fields which had purchased the output for all time of “independent” mines. They were shown to be in “undisputed control”. This was the first time the Supreme Court successfully used the “Essential Facility Doctrine”, and resulted in significant restraint on monopolies.
The sports page had boxer Frank Moran preparing for upcoming matches, against Gunboat Smith, Luther McCarty and Al Palzer. Frank Moran retired ten years later after 66 bouts and then entered the career of acting in which he played many roles of gangsters, bartenders, guards, cops, bouncers, etc.. He retired from that in 1957 at the age of 70 and died ten years later from a heart attack.
Did you ever read a novel about all the mysterious and unusual murders on a ship at sea? This issue has a report of “Death Stalks On The Korea’s Trip” which would read right out of a novel. This would be one cruise that this traveler would not wish to participate in! Check it out!! (see report)
~The Traveler
The Traveler… Taft is notified… have we learned yet?
August 6, 2012 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to Farmington, Maine by way of The Franklin Journal (August 6, 1912). There I found that “President Taft was formally notified Thursday of his nomination by the National Republican convention at Chicago.” This would be a year in which a four-way presidential election occurred — Republican, Democratic, Progressive and Socialist.
In part of the acceptance speech, “…the president launches into a bitter attack upon ‘those responsible for the popular unrest’ of the present day… Votes are not bread, constitutional amendments are not work, referendums do not pay rent or furnish houses, recalls do not furnish clothing, initiatives do not supply employment or relieve inequalities of condition or of opportunity…” (see below). Here we are in another election year, 100 years later, with what sounds like the exact same issues…
~The Traveler
The Traveler… seeking Governor Wilson… the cats meow…
January 9, 2012 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to January 9, 1912. While reading The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Massachusetts I discovered that not unlike many in 2012, scores of citizens were also looking for the right man to run in opposition of the President in the upcoming presidential election. The headline read “Democrats Turn To Gov. Wilson As Man to Defeat Mr. Taft”, with the subheads, “Decide They Must Nominate Radical to Oppose president, as Conservative, and Thus Avert a Third Party”, “Find Him Popular” and “National Committeemen Surprised to Discover Sentiment Among Rank and File for New Jersey Candidate”. It is interesting to see history playing out many of the same themes over time.
I realize that Christmas has passed, but a small article on “Presents Given To Cats and Dogs” caught my eye. I know that pampering of four-legged friends is very trendy now, but I did not know that it was “cats meow” then as well!
~The Traveler
Few things change in politics…
September 24, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
It’s interesting how, in some aspects of life, few things change over hundreds of years. Complaints about politicians not focusing on substantive issues was a problem back in 1790, in just the second year of the American federal government, as this article from the July 3, 1790 “Pennsylvania Packet“ of Philadelphia, clearly shows…
The Traveler… Standard Oil dissolved… now that makes sense…
May 16, 2011 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled into The Christian Science Monitor dated May 16, 1911 and found that after being in court cases for over four and a half years, the Standard Oil case had been ruled on by the U. S. Supreme Court with the decision being for the dissolving of the company due to anti-trust practices. This issue includes a photo of the Supreme Court justices and a text block with the charges against the company.
Another article in the issue dealt with need for new street lamps in Florence, New Jersey. The election for the gas commissioners and appropriation for the lamps were to be held in May, however, there was no board to conduct the election. How’s that for politics?
~ The Traveler
The Traveler… election time… one horse tail…
November 4, 2010 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Our elections have been over for a couple of days, however I found that not the case 100 years ago. In the November 4, 1910 issue of “The Call” from San Francisco, the governor race was heated with the report of a rally of 7,000 people. “Johnson Hurls Lie Direct in Teeth of Detractors and Lays Bare True Meaning of Battle” is one of the sub-headlines. It seems that politics has not changed…
But the deceit and lies does not stop in the political arena. A man traded a mule under the guise of a “shaved tail” horse. Afterward he began to laugh about it, to the point he could not stop laughing. This continued for hours to which a physician was called in. Finally after 12 hours of laughing, they resorted to electric shock therapy which did stop the laughter. This may truly be a case of who really got the last laugh in this deal!! ~The Traveler
Same concern over 100 years ago…
August 30, 2010 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
While listing an issue of “Judge” magazine, the political satire publication popular for the three color political cartoons in each issue, I noted the back page of an 1888 issue has a caption: “Goods Will Be So Much Cheaper–But what will become of all the American Industries?” The print (see below) shows the opening of the “Protection” flood gates with “European Pauper Manufactures” pouring upon American industries, shown in disrepair.
With one of the concerns of the American economy today being the flood of manufactured goods from foreign plants and the flight of American industries to off-shore sites, I find it curious that an identical concern was a focus 122 years ago. This political cartoon could well appear in a newspaper today.
“Electioneering”… Little has changed…
October 31, 2009 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The piece shown is from the front page of “The Massachusetts Centinel” of Boston, March 31, 1787. Although written over 222 years ago it doesn’t seem as though much has changed with “electioneering” (see below).
