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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1901)
vrwyw i vW The Commoner. 10 r E Outside the Constitution. ff The satisfaction with which the re publicans receive tho Porto Rico de cision throws much light on their 'theories and plans of expansion. Our colonies, whethor in Porto Rico or tho Philippines, although held as part of the territories of tho United States, 'are denied tho rights and guarantees ' of the constitution of the United Stat , es. Tho constitution doesn't go with tho flag. Is not this of itself an ad- mission that the colonial policy must ho a failure and a danger from" the American standpoint? What do tho people of this country want with ac ' qulsitions of territory with many mil lions of population, to which we deny the principles and safeguards of gov ernment under which the union has mado such extraordinary progress? Wo can impose on them taxes without representation, and diiferent from those imposed on tho people of tho United States. We can deprive them of tho fundamental rights of a liberty loving people Wo can substitute tho edict of a viceroy or a court-martial for tho habeas corpus, and abolish freo press, free speech, tho right of publi meeting, the right of represen tation and self-government generally. To be sure we may not do all these things, but no constitutional protec tion stands in tho way. We can do them if we want to do so, and if po litical and personal interest tempts us to the oppression, as it has tempted and carried other people. The decision of the supreme court does not compol us to adopt a despotic colonial system like that Grea't Britain applies to India, but does not as to Canada and Australia; but it invests congress and the president with the authority to do so. The constitution will not stand in their way. They are as freo to do go as King Edward and his ministers in India, or tho czar in Siberia. It seems to us tho grave questions here presented must In tb nature of things compel the people to study closely and thoroughly in the light of their own future tho possibili ties that may attend the adoption of a system of colonies deprived of con stitutional rights and guarantees. It is un-American and at war with all the traditions of our government. This colonial question is precipitated by the supreme court decisions, and will en ter largely into the future of Ameri can politics and government. The ju dicial decision does not in any way af .fejjt the expediency or the morality of a colonial policy. Justice Brown ad mits that this must be "finally decid- 1 " 1lf 4-1 A ut -. 1 ja cu ujr wju AuiBnwn peopie, ana tur ther he says this "distinctly foreshad ows tho possibility" that the decision may bo to permit our new acquisitions and their people to "form independent governments." The vital questions aro of the future. Pittsburg Post. Party Degeneracy. Political parties come Into existenco for the purpose of incorporating cer tain ideas into tho public policy of tho nation. They are born with a program which generally rests on some moral idea, economic or political policy. To tho extent that these ideas represent tho concensus of the community and aro ;honestly lived up to the partv grows in strength and influence and oxqrcises a wholesome moral as well as political influence upon the nation. So long as a party is vitalized by an idea, whethor in the majority or not, it is usually clean and aggressive. On the other hand, it is as natural as for the seasons to follow each other that political parties will sterilize and declino in character and influence in proportion as moral ideas and vital principles cease to bo their controlling motives. A party is born with a pro gram and dies when tho program is exhausted, unless a now program is ev.olvod. Success tends to beget self confidence, which grows into conceit, and is followed by indifference to prin ciple and high standards of public policy. Leadership through ideas iy gradually converted into dictatorship through the distribution of rewards and punishments from the "flesh-pots" of patronage. The republican party appears to bo nearing, if it has not already reached, this stage. When it was born, in 1856, it camo with a mission. Its program was national unity, human freedom and equal rights. It led the forces of civilization against the last remnants of the slave system in Christendom. It placed itself upon the basis of moral ideas and human rights, first in the form of resisting the extension of the iniquitous system of human slavery. This soon involved the further step of defending tho principle of national unity, which made the United States a nation instead of a federation of petty sovereignties. Inspired with the moral and politi cal righteousness of its policy, it neither wavered nor weakened, but rose to tho occasion with every in crease of responsibility. It then com-i nianaed the indorsement and admira tion of the best minds of every raco and nation, and earned the title of "tho party of moral ideas.' Then it was progressive and inspiring, pure and elevating, a leader in progress, patriot ism and civilization. It saved tho union, blotted out slavery, and made the United States a nation. Under its leadership for a quarter of a century the nation experienced unparalleled in dustrial development and prosperity. New states were added in the west and new industries in the east. During this period we passed from a compara tively insignificant agricultural coun try to the foremost industrial nation of the world; showing greater progress in wealth, population, intelligence and popular welfare than ever marked the history, of any other people in double the length of time. Here the republican party reached tho end of its program, and instead of developing in ideas and statesman ship commensurate with the progress of the country it began to fossilize. It became self-satisfied and indifferent to the high principles it had made historic, and began to bask in the sun shine of office and to rely on the favor of patronage for success. Thus, instead of entering upon a new era of high statesmanship, the repub lican party entered upon the stage of degeneracy and sterility. Already great leadership has practically disap peared from its ranks, and in the place of leaders are now mere ''boss" dicta tors, deriving their power from tho control of patronage. This substitu tion of dictators for leaders has prac tically obliterated political principle A STIMULANT. Ami ix Sorry Friend to Some Systems. "Coffee acts as a stimulant to me. I can for a time accomplish considerable moro work, but then I am dull, spiritless, nervous, weak and irritable. Coffco acts like a slow poison on my father, giving him inward pains and a feeling of being generally upset. Continued use always usod to make him ill. Ho usod to be very fond of the bever age and was in the habit of drinking it two mornings, say, then skipping a few days and taking it two mornings again. If he .took it the third morning he was invariably sick. It is two years now since wo' had the first package of Postum. We have been using it over since, to our very great benefit. A lady ,friend who is the wife of a prominent clergyman in New Haven (whoso name I am not at liberty to give) was a complete nervous wreck from the use of coffee. About a year ago she be gan tho use of Postum and continued in it. Six weeks after starting she had lost all her former nervousness, had grown plump in tho face, and her health better than it had been for yoars. Sho is a splendid walking advertisement, and is most enthusiastic in tho praiso of Postum, tolling all of her callors of its merita and urging them to try it." Kate Auston, Hamden, Conn. from tho policy of the republican par ty. It Is no longer "the party of moral ideas." Tho Monroe" doctrine, which was the guiding principle in our in ternational relations, has been prac tically forgotten, and under the rud derless policy of "drift" a republican administration has committed the na tion to a colonial system utterly for eign to our traditions, habits, exper ience and interests, and justified on neither economic, moral nor political grounds. It has saddled us with the government of several groups 6f semi barbaric peoples, which will 1)0 a per manent burden upon tho nation, creat ing new sources of patronage and cor ruption, leading to fraud, maladmin istration and political degenerftcy, to tho distraction and discredit of the na tion. Moreover, the national admin istration is so encompassed by tho de generate dictatorship of local bosses that dishonesty "and corruption by fed oral officers cannot bo suppressed. Tho threats of tho local "boss" paralyze tho hands of the president himself Extracts from Gunton's Magazine. flemory for Faces. Many a good story is represented by the simple charge "tp experience," in tho ponderous ledgers of Chicago. Here is one: A gaunt Texas giant walked into the office of a.big law firm in Chicago and introduced himself as an ex-governor of Texas and a member of a well known firm of Waco, correspon dents of the Chicago firm. A fright ened law clerk steered him into the private office of the head of the col lection department. The collection lawyer is a lean, dark keen-eyed, gim let sort of man with a searchlight ex pression on his face that has been known literally tb draw money out of tho pockets of dilatory debtors. Now the collection lawyer had a slight personal acquaintance with the ex governor, so that when, after a pleasant half-hour's chat, his visitor asked for a small loan, saying he was a little short of the amount necessary to see him through, he was cordially asked to name the amount desired. The Texan gave a draft for the amount of the loan. The draft was sent out in due course, but was re turned with the statement that there was no such bank in Texas. It was sent to the Waco firm and again it doubled back on its own trail, this time accompanied by a letter saying that neither member of the firm had been In Chicago since 1896. The col lection lawyer tried hard to explain how his visitor could so closely resem ble the ex-gpvernor and could know so much about the ex-governor's, busi ness; also, what is still more inexplic able, how a great, hulking granger could so neatly "do" a sharp city law yer like himself, whoso "gift" is re membering faces. It was then that a flat issued forth from the collection department to the effect that any person wanting money must be identified by at least three persons in the office. Tho joke lost nothing in the telling and tho opera tion left a pleasant, spicy taste in the mouths of the other members of the firm. The aroma of high grade cigars pervaded the atmosphere of the office for a week. That was a month ago. Yesterday a small, dark, bearded man hurried into tho collector's office and greeted him familiarly by his first name. A few preliminary remarks led up to a request for a loan of ?50. The col lector gasped a little, excused himself on the plea that he wanted to send an Important tologram, rushed into the office of the senior member adjoining his, and stated his predicament. "Wish you would como in here and tell mo who this man is," ho said, hur riedly. "Ho wants some money and his face is as familiar as my own, but for tho life of mo I can't place him. I hate like fury to ask his name, be cause he seems to know me so well." Tho senior member looked up mis- Astonishing Binder Twine Offer. ' Ifyouncod bindor twlno for this season's crop, and want tho highest grade bindor twine mado, oithor Stnndard, Sisal or Manila, and you want to rocoivo an astonishingly low prico offor, an extraordinary iuducomont for you to send to Chicago for your .twlno, cut this notice out and mail to Sears Roebuck & Co., Chicago, Illj, and you will recoivo by roturn mail, post' paid, sumplos of tho highest grndo Standard, bisal and Manila, togothor with a most extra ordinary offor, Including a special prico that will moan a big saving to you. chievously. "Maybe it ia tho governor of " he began, but one of the col lector's withering glances cut short hia remarks. He hurried back to his of fice, clutching a yellow telegram blank in his hand. Ho sat down, held his pen aloft and gazed searchingly into his visitor's face. Then a great light came into his eyes and he wrote, absent-mindedly: "Hanged if it ain't brother Charlie." By tho time the senior member saun tered leisurely in tho collector was standing at the cashier's desk counting out a handful of bills to his brother, who was hiding a Bmilo of triumph behind the brand new beard which had so misled his gifted relative. Now the trial lawyer and the junior member are wondering at the confiden tial relations which have sprung up between the collection lawyer and tho senior member, and at tho low, remin iscent chuckle in which the senior member occasionally indulges. Chi cago News. Great Stock Country. No better cattle and sheep country in America. Cheap lands, pure, run ning water, and flowing wells, fine cli mate, no malaria, plenty of. hay. Wrij;e for information to J. C. MORROW, O'Neill, Neb. Don't Neglect Writing Home. Boys, young men, young women, who are away from home, write to your parents. Write to them often. Tell them about your plans, your life, your disappointments, your successes, all about your affairs. Neglect it, and the day will come when their death will cut you off from the opportunity. A young man of this town has re cently received from his mother, en closed in a letter, the following: If you've a gray-haired mother In the old home far away, Sit down and write the letter You put off day by day. Don't wait until her tired steps Reach Heaven's pearly gate, But show her that you think of her . Before it is too late. If you've a tender message, Or a loving word to say, Don't wait till you forget it, But whisper it today; Who knows what bitter memories May 'haunt you if you wait? So make your loved one happy Before it is too late. We live but in the present, 'A The future is unknown;. Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is all our own. The chance- that fortune lends to us May vanish while we wait, So spend your life's rich treasure Before it is too late. The tender words unspoken, The letters never sent, Tho long forgotten messages, The wealth of lovo unspent For these somo hearts are breaking, For these some loved ones wait; So show them that you caro for them Before it is too late. Rural Visitor, Fremonf, N. C, Mabel's mother was showing her a brood of chickens hatched in an incu bator. "They aro poor little orphans," said tho mother. "An' is that the or phan asylum?" asked Mabol, pointing in wonder at the incubator. -Current Literature.