Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 287, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1913 — New Canning Industry in Washington Causes Hibernation. [ARTICLE]

New Canning Industry in Washington Causes Hibernation.

Fairmont, Wash., Nov. 28, 1913. By M. L. Pass, Staff Correspondent. Special to The Rensselaer Republican. History repeats itself and with a vengeance, too, sometimes. The years 1896 to 1899, inclusive, I spent in Grundy county, lowa. In 1897 occurred the inauguration of the lamented McKinley and almost immediately various democrats invented (?) a very cute joke. It ran like this: “Well,” some dem would say, “we are going to have a new canning factory in our little burg under this, new administration.” Of the uhinitiated would ask: “What /do you expect to can this time of year?” . With a big haw, haw, they would answer! “We have to can up this republican prosperity, it’s getting stale.” Well, canning factories*and other factories did start and they kept on going. All over the land They canned, canned, canned To beat the band. And now we are in the very same condition which they said would occur, but their promises at that time were false, as we well remember. Prosperity here in Washington fcegan to assume a long green aspect last July when the logging camps and sawmill camps began shutting down, and by Oct. 20th all the shingle mills were down and out indefinitely. The “canning” factory had started here and in droves the workers were canned, canned, canned. What are the workers doing? Why, hibernating, of course, waiting for financial legislation, trust legislation and for the well hidden virtues of the recent tariff bill to assert 'themselves. Since all there is to do in Washington is to hibernate, here goes. ■'Good night, wake me up in the spring.”

Martin L. Pass.