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The Commoner.
u
April 4, iooa
The Ohio legislature has repealed the Gar
field "corrupt practice act." The Ohio legislature
Is overwhelmingly republican in both branches. It
-will bo noted that the Ohio republicans do not
want any limitations placed upon their methods.
The St. Paul Globe is confident that Attorney
General Knox will do his whole duty in the
prosecution of the merger case. The St. Paul
Globe is owned by Mr. James J. Hill, the head and
front of the merger. Puzzle: Tell what the St.
Paul Globe conceives the attorney general's duty
to be.
If Mr. Hill Is so anxious to find a naturalized
citizen to run for governor of New York why does
ho not urge the name of Norman E. Mack? Mr.
Mack was born in Canada and could not interfere
with Mr. Hill's presidential aspirations. Mr. Mack
is a successful business man and owner of one of
the best democratic newspapers in the United
States. Possibly, the fact that ho supported tho
ticket in 1896 would, in Mr. Hill's opinion, make
him ineligible, but it would commend him to the
rank and file.
The opponents of the direct election of' sena
tors argue that the senate was intended to pre
vent sudden and inconsiderate changes in the
laws, but that is secured by the six years' term
and by the fact that a third go out every two
years. The present method was agreed upon as
a compromise to conciliate those who, like Hamil
ton, favored independence, but distrusted the peo
ple. No one can oppose the popular election of
senators without questioning the intelligence and
integrity of the voters.
When the government becomes a bond pur
chaser the price of bonds goes up. When tho
government bids for steel, for stone, for ma
chinery or for ships the price goes up. The price
of silver is the only thing that does not respond
to increased demand, according to tho advocates
of gold monometallism. The law of supply and
demand has been repealed insofar as it refers to
silver by the dictum of the" gold gamblers, and
there are thousands of farmers and wage-workers
who believe it to be all right.
The Morning News of Danville, Pa., gives a
report of a letter written by Mr. Wm. J. Longen
berger, a member of company A, 15th U. S. in
fantry, to his mother who lives in Danville. He
says that the dead bodies of the Filipinos "lay
around on all sides, unburied, in various stages
of decay." He adds that when a Filipino dropped
"our boys always shot him seven or eight times
bo that he was covered with blood from head to
foot." What will be the ultimate effect of this
kind of warfare on the people who engage in It
or advocate it?
Well, well, it seems that the McAllister resolu
tion only had fourteen friends in the legislature
and they were doubtless gold democrats. Mr.
Hightower, a member of the house of representa
tives, wrote a letter to the Commercial Appeal ex
plaining that the resolution was called up at the
close of the day when not more than a dozen mem
bers were present. When the resolution was re
considered next morning only fourteen voted
against reconsideration and the resolution was
withdrawn. Will the eastern papers tell the truth
and withdraw their commendation of the legisla
ture's action?
A reader of The Commoner asks whether the
government has carried out all the stipulations of
the late treaty with Spain referring especially to
the provision that "congress shall declare the
civil rights and political status of the inhabitants
of the Philippine islands."- No, the civil rights
and political status of tho inhabitants of the Phil
ippine islands have not been declared, and the de
lay seems to be due to the fact that the republi
cans are not willing to recognize them as citizens
and dare not describe them as subjects; and yet,
they are loth to let them have their own inde
pendence and work out their own destiny.
Some of the republicans complain that the edi
tor of The Commoner is trying to make an Issue
out of the prop sition to elect senators by tho
people. Y.e is trying to persuade a republican
senate to adopt a resolution already passed by a
republican house a resolution which, if passed,
will take the question out of politics and leave it
for each state to a.t upon, but It may not be out
of place to suggest that the question will become
a campaign issue if the republican senators defy
the well-known wishes of the people on this sub
ject and attempt to keep the senate in control
of the corporations by continuing the election
through legislatures.
The newspaper dispatches relate an interest
ing story concerning a Minnesota logging party.
One of tho workers in this party
Venerable was aged sixty-five, another
Leg seventy-eight, another seventy-
Roiicrs, Mne, and one of the horses used
by the party was twenty-threo
years old while the other horse was twenty-ono
years old. The dispatches say that these vener
able loggers did all the work necessary in tho
construction of their camp and banked 100,000 feet
of pine. These accomplishments prompt the Now
York World to say: "What would a mere
youngster do in rivalry with veterans liko these,
and how tho sturdy Gladstono In his years of
ripened strength would have enjoyed swinging tho
axe in such company."
ZSy2y '
Not
"Worked up"
Sentiment.
Senator Hoar recently said that the action of
the house of representatives in passing unanimous
ly tho resolution for a constitu
tional amendment providing for
tho election of senators by tho
people, was "half a joke," and
the senator added that tho peti
tions which senators had received in behalf of this
measure had all the appearances of a "worked up
sentiment." Tho Now York Evening Post says
that Senator Hoar evidently does not at all ap
preciate the condition of public sentiment on this
change in the method of electing senators. "Tho
truth is," says the Post, "that the feeling in favor
of the change has been growing steadily among
intelligent and thoughtful men during tho last
dozen years until a great many who at first op
posed the innovation have come to favor it"
It will be remembered that during the debate
on the ship subsidy bill Senator Clay of Georgia
claimed that many Chinese were
An employed among tho crews of
Open American vessels. Senator Han-
Fraud, na challenged this statement
and demanded proof. Senator
Clay promptly produced the proof in tho form of
testimony given by the captain of a Pacific steam
ship. That seems to have been sufficient for Sena
tor Hanna and his associate "patriots" and they
made no more contention on this lino. Yet when
Senator Patterson offered an amendment to the
ship subsidy bill providing that no part of tho
bounty should be paid to a ship that employed
Chinese crews, Mr. Hanna and his associate "pa
triots" voted against the amendment. If repub
lican leaders were so anxious to provide protec
tion to American labor, it would seem that they
would 'manifest their interest at least to the ex
tent as suggested by Senator Patterson. The New
York Journal describes this bill 'in a few words,
when it says: "The ship subsidy bill is on open
fraud. Its real and only purpose is to pick tho
pockets of the American people in the interest of
the millionaires of the shipping trust."
The Philadelphia Ledger asks: "If senators
were elected by the direct vote of the people, would
the people vote any better than
Election of they do now?" There are many
Senators by men who have persuaded legis-
the People. latures to elect them to the sen
ate who could not muster a cor
poral's guard of supporters if required to submit
their aspirations to the popular vote; but If sena
tors were elected by the direct vote of the people
and the people did not make improvement in the
senatorial timber over that chosen in many in
stances by legislatures, the responsibility would
rest with the people, tho fault would be theirs,
and they would pay the penalty. And we have a
right to believe that they would correct their er
rors at the first opportunity. One thing must be
evident to every one, and that is that legislatures
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havo elected to tho senate men who would not
have dared to aspiro to that high position If th
election had depended upon tho popular vote.
A Washington dispatch to tho New York'
World under date of March 20 says that J. Pior-
pont Morgan recently held a
Reducing conference with Secretary Shaw
the and Senator Hanna "relatlvo to
Surplus. reducing tho treasury surplus."
Observing persons, will cheer
fully concede that if Messrs. Morgan and Hanna
were permitted to havo their own way there would
bo little doubt as to tho speedy reduction of tho
treasury surplus. The ship subsidy bill which
had, wo believe, the Indorsement of both of thesa
eminent republicans, whon enacted into law, will
play an important part in tho accomplishment of
tho object sought so zealously by Messrs. Hanna
and Morgan; and if anything remains to bo don
it may be depended upon that these gentlemen
will promptly provide suggestions which, If as
promptly adopted, will speedily disposo of the
treasury surplus problem.
Trouble piles upon trouble with 'Uoo" Cham
berlain, England's colonial secretary. Criticised
by Englishmen, denounced by
This is Irishmen, condemned by tho
indeed "Too Boers, he has now been repu-
tMucii." dlated by London's fashion plat
publication. This periodical,
known as the "Tailor and Cutter," boldly charges
that there is altogether too much "conservatism"
in Mr. Chamberlain's dress. According to this
eminent authority, tho Chamberlain coat lapels
are "plain, heavy, and disfigured by a long, gap
ing breast-pocket, like some ugly wound calling
for assistance." Mr. Chamberlain's vest is de
nounced as being "quite out of harmony with his
coat," and his trousers are referred to as being
"wide and unshapely." In the language of Artc
mus Ward, "this is too mutch, too mutch." Mr.
Chamberlain is, after all, simply human, and
there are limits to his capacity for woe.
In a speech delivered in the United States sen
ate April 7, 1871, the late Senator Morrill of Ver
mont had something to say of
The Trick the real strength and glory of a
of a state. In his speech Senator
Showman. Morrill said: "When Alexander
retreated from India ho caused
to be made and scattered arms much larger than
his men could use, and higher mangers and
heavier bits than were suitable for his horses, to
impress foreign nations with an exaggerated idea
of his greatness. But this trick of the showman
is now only remembered as a folly. We shall fail
to impress the world by playing the giant abroad
and the pigmy at home, or by spreading great
American flags abroad while those at home, torn
and tattered, fail to command respect and obed
ience, or by sendirtg our symbols of power where
they will be surrounded, not only by a Babylonian
confusion of languages, but where we can have no
directing and constructive power over the char
acter of the people. To be strong we must have
the love of a thoroughly amalgamated people, and
something more than mere local patriotism. Real
strength does not consist so much in power to
conquer the world as In power to resist the world,
even wealth is much less often found by going
abroad after new subjects than by search at homo
for and diligent use of such as we already possess.
Wo may also virtually extend our territory by
extending our knowledge of that we now have,
and cultivating its present resources, its natural
affinities, and its future possibilities. The glory of
a state does not consist merely in the magnitude
of Its extent, but largely In a fit correspondence of
all its parts and the mutual respect and habitual
affection of its people."
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