The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, July 05, 1901, Page 7, Image 7

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Commoner,
Coal Produc- An interesting showing con
tioii of the corning our coal production is
United States. made ' by the New York
World. In 1899, the United
States -wrested from Great Britain the lead in
the coal production of the world. In 1900,
this country more than doubled its lead in this
production. Pennsylvania furnishes a large
proportion of the coal, but it dctes not, how
ever, liave a monopoly on the coal mining in
dustry. The World says:
. 'The new returns from Washington show that
twenty-six states and two territories contribute
to the coal output of the country. Of the 267,542,
444 tons mined in 1900 Pennsylvania contributed
136,724,006, of which 67,107,660 tons were anthra
cite. The state's net gain of 2,150,000 tons was due
entirely to an increase in the yield of soft coal, the
coal trust having effected a decrease in the other
kind.
Next in line is Illinois, with an output of 25,
153,929 tons. Then come West Virgmia, with 21,
980,430 tons, and Ohio, with 19,105,408 tons. No
other state reaches the 10,000,000 mark.
Toying with The Boston Journal thinks
the Con- the opponents of imperialism
stltution. should be thankful because of
the Supremo Court's Porto
Kican decision. The Journal Bays that had
the court held that the constitution followed
the flag and extended ov.er our new posses
sions, it would be impossible to alienate any
of these islands in the future. This is so, ac
cording to the Journal, because there is nothing
in the constitution that warrants the surrender
' of any territory or any people once formally
pronounced American.
Will the Journal take another look, at the
constitution and discover if it can any author
ity therein, either direct or implied, for the
government of subject peoples?
For people who are so ready to ignore the
constitution, so quick to set themselves above
the constitution, the imperialists are very
prompt to rush to the constitution to find pro
hibitions against doing that which they do not
want to do, and authority for doing that which
they want to.
In flemory ' At 0 o'clock in tho evening of
of Rizal. December 30 of each year, in
the churches of the Philippine
Islands, the bell is given an extra stroke as a
tribute to the memory of Jose Rizal. Decem
ber 30 is the anniversary of the execution of
Rizal. He was a Filipino patriot and was
born m Luzon in 1801. Rizal was a well edu
cated man and the author of several books
whose purpose was to give to the world a better
acquaintance with the Filipino people and
to invoke a larger sympathy for the wrongs
they had suffered. Ho persistently agitated
the Filipino cause throughout Europe and in
1887 went to Hong Kong where he organized
the Filipino League. He returned to Manila
in 1892 where he was arrested on the claim
that tho Spanish officers had found seditious
documents in his possession. On December
80, 1896, Rizal was executed by the Spanish
authorities on the charge of being a traitor.
In the shadow, of death Rizal said: "What is
death to me? I have sown the seed others are
left to reap."
Mr. McCutcheon, the newspaper correspon
dent, sayB that when the Filipino bells are
tolled on the evening of December 30, the peo
ple pay reverent attention and say: "That is
to the memory of Rizal." The sacrifices made
by this man were made for tho love of his
native land. His people aspired to liberty;
their aspiration was his aspiration. He went
to his death cheerfully and with a clear con
science, and ever since the day of bis execu
tion his memory has been enshrined in tho
hearts of his countrymen.
- Now. after all these years the United States
of America have succeeded to the sovereignty
of Spain, and the Filipinos of today are fight
. ing for liberty against this country as the Fili
pinos of Rizal's time fought for liberty. It
must be a gloomy task for the American when
lie listens to the tolling of the Philippine bells
on December 30 to reflect that the seed sown
by Rizal, the patriot, has not yet been reaped,
and that the harvest has been prevented by tho
action of a nation that has always pretended to
be the greatest of all champions of liberty.
If we are to continue in tho possession of
tho Philippine Islands tho American people
will learn more of the history of that territory.
The pathetic story of Rizal will belong to ub,
but it will not be pleasant to listen to that sad
tale so long as we deny tp the Filipinos of to
day, the liberty fpr which they and their fathers
so long fought.. ... , , . . lw) ..J?
South Ameri- Tho New York World points
can Trade out that the total exports of
Important. South America in 1900 were
valued at $450,000,000 and
the total imports at $350,000,000, using round
figures. Of the total exports $93,005,134 were
sent to the United States. Of the total im
ports $38,945,721 were sent from tho United
States. The balance of trade, therefore, last
year was $54,719,413 in favor of South Amer
ica and against the United States."
The World asks "Of the total foreign com
merce of South America, amounting in value
tp $800,000,000, why is less than one-sixth
with this country and more than five-sixths
with other nations?" The World's answer is
that wo have "neglected the only outlet for
our commercial energy through the unfortu
nate combination of accident and blundering
which has sent us to oriental opium dreaming."
But may it not also be true that as we have
grown nearer and nearer a policy of imperial
ism we have grown farther and farther from
our South American friends?
A Menace m
to Business.
J. Pierpont Morgan is re
ported to have on foot the or
ganization of an Anglo-American
bank with a capital of $1,000,000,000.
The scheme contemplates the abolition of -all
financial agencies now engaged in Anglo
American business. It is intended that this
bank shall not only dominate the banking bus
iness between America and Europe, but that it
shall dictate the financial operations of the
world. Some idea of the immensity of this
bank will be obtained when it is known that
the aggregate capital of the 04 national banks
in Now York is only $100,000,000. Tho bank
of England has a capital of $72,705,000. Tho
bank of Franco has a capital of $80,500,000.
The capital of Mr. Morgan's proposed bank
will be much larger than tho combined capital
of tho bank of France, the bank of Berlin, tho
bank of Spain, tho bank of England and tho
government bank of Turkey.
Can any thoughtful citizen contemplate tho
proposition that such a bank bo established
without being fearful of tho results upon tho
general welfare of tho public?
Another Great Tho London Statist, in a ro
Achievemcnt. cent article, provides tho ad
ministration politicians with a
great campaign card. The Statist says:
"The crops promise to bo poor in tho greater
part of Europe and there is a prospect that Franco
and Germany will have to buy more wheat than
lately.
"It is safe to conclude that tho United States
will either export a larger quantity oven than in
recent years, or, if tho weather of June and July
injures tho crops, she will bo able to sell at much
higher prices.
"So far as Europe is concerned, it is desirable
that tho American crop should bo very large.
It seems certain that in either ovent tho balance of
indebtedness will bo increasingly against Europe
and in favor of tho Unitod States.
. "Therefore, it is not an unreasonable conclu
sion that the volume of money, needed in tho au
tumn to conduct tho vast business which, it seems
likely, will be beyond all comparison greater than
ever before, enhancing rates greatly, will result in
a largo drain of gold to the United States"
It will now bo in order for tho republican
newspapers to pay another high tribute to tho
MoKinlcy administration. Of course if tho
price of wheat goes up because of a large Euro
pean demand, the administration is to be given
the credit for the crop shortage abroad.
Is It all Caution When the Cuban Commission
In the Cuban visited Washington they were
Affair? told by Secretary of War
Root that the Piatt amend
ment was the law of the land, that the presi
dent was powerless to change that law, and bo
fore the executive could obtain authority to
act in the premises the Piatt amendment, as a
whole must be adopted. "
The Piatt amendment as a whole has been
adopted, and now the Washington dispatches
say that the administration counsellors have
concluded that it would not be wise for the
president to act in the matter of withdrawing
the troops from Cuba, even after a government
shall be organized there, until he shall have
submitted the question of American evacua
tion to congress. It is stated that the presi
dent has "fully made up his mind that he will
not act upon his own responsibility in the
premises."
Is it possible to regard all this as mere
caution and a desire to conform to tho laws
and the equities of the situation?. Are not the
people justified in suspecting that there is a
vast amount of insincerity and hypocrisy in
the administration's attitude on the Cuban
question?
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