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The Commoner.
Dec. 26, 1903
11
l:
SIDNEY SMITH ON AMERICA
Karl von Herrmann, writing in the
Chicago Record-Herald, makes Inter
eslng reference to "What Sydney
Smith, thought o Americans eighty
years ago." This writer says:
In. all that has been said and written
about America's tcommercial invasion
of Europe I have failed to see any
reference to the celebrated sneer gra
tuitously hurled in our directipn by
Sydney Sm.ith, when, in the Edinburgh
Review for January, 1820, he pro
poundpd that famous and temporarily
embarrassing question, "Who reads an
American book?" after figuratively
making sorry hash of our ondest
hopes.' Mr. Smith was reviewing Adam
Seybert's "Statistical Annals of "the
United States," and seized the, occa
sion to lambast this puny little'hd.tlon
to the best of his not-to-be-desplsed
ability. Granting, for the sake of
crowing louder afterward, that ie in
nowise treated us unfairly in consid
ering ua as We were then, m and that
possibly we deserved worse than we
got, one cannot but wish that he nlight
return to his former haunts for a1 per
iod long enough to enable him to re
peruse his own pompous balderdash
concerning the U. S. A., in the light of
things as they are. This is what the
gentleman had to say eighty-two years
ago:
"Such is the land of Jonathan and
thus has it been governed. In his
honest endeavors to better his situa
tion, and his manly purpose of resist
ing injury and insult, we must cordial
ly sympathize. Wo Tiope he will al
ways continue to watch and suspect
his gov irnment as he now does ''re
membering that it is the constant ten
dency of those intrusted with power to
conceive that they' enjoy. . it by their
own merits and for their own use, and
not by delegation and for the benefit of
An Unsubsidizsd Newspaper.
In a republic where the policies of
the government are shaped and con
trolled by the people through the pow
er of the ballot it is of the first Import
ance that every citizen exercising the
right of franchise should keep hiinself
thoroughly acquainted with political
affairs.. He should realize' the respon
sibility he owes to himself,' Mb children
and future generations, to use his bal
lot judiciously and intelligently. He
must read and study, then act' cour
ageously. The money power of the
country has realized the powerful in
fluence of the press and either owns or
controls almost every large newspaper
in the United States. Much of the
truth is kept from the people or they
are wilfully deceived by the publication
of only half the truth. Every public
man who dares to champion the cause
of the people is soon the target for
slander and ridicule by all the pluto
cratic press. He is lied about and villi
fied until his influence is destroyed and
the public plunderers continue their
work unmolested. Howeverj there is
no rule but has its exceptions, and so
among newspapers. The Independent,
published at Lincoln, Neb., the na
tional paper of the people's party, has
always been true to the cause of good
government. It discusses every issue
of state or national importance, in a
fearless, unbiased and scientific man
ner, and denounces wrong and injus
tice wherexer found, Everywhere it is
recognized as the most fearless cham
pion of the rights of the plain people,'
It deserves the support of every pa
triotic citizen interested in good gov
ernment Write.for free sample copy,
or, better still, send 10 cents for three
months' trial subscription. Address
your letters to The Independent, Lin
coln, Nob.
others. Thus far we aro the friends
and admirers of Jonathan. "But ho
must not grow vain and ambitious, or
allow himself to be dazzled by that
galaxy of epithets by which his ora
tors-and newspaper scribblers endeav
or to persuade their supporters that
they aro'tho greatest, the most refined,
the most enlightened and the mpst
moral peoplo upon earth. The effect
of, this is unspeakably ludicrous on this
side of the Atlantic and even on the
other, wo should imagine, must bo
rather humiliating to the reasonable
part of the population. The Americans
are a brave, industrious and acute peo
ple, but they have hitherto given no
indications of geflius, and made no
'approach6s to - the heroic, either in
their morality or character. They aro
.but a recent offset, Indeed, from Eng
land, and should make it their chief
boa'st, for many generations to come,
tthat they have sprung from the same
race with Bacon, Shakespeare anu
Newton. Considering their numbers
indeed, and the favorable circum
stances in which they have been
placed, they have yet done marvelous
ly little to assert tho honor of such a
descent, or to show that thoir Eng
lish blood has been exalted, or refined,
by their republican training and in
stitutions. Their Franklins, and
Washingtons, and all the other sages
and heroes of their revolution, were
born and bred subjects of the king of
England and not among the freest or
most valued of his subjects. And, since
tho period of their separation, a far
greater proportion of their statesmen
and artists and political writers, hayo
been foreigners tfvaft-CYer qccurredbq
fore inx-the -history of any. civilM
and educated people. -During the thirty
or i forty years of their independence
they have done absolutely nothing for
tho sciences, for the arts, for literature,
or even tho statesmanlike studies of
politics or political economy. Confin
ing ourselves to our own country, and
to the period that has elapsed since
they had an independent existence, one
would ask, Where are their Foxes,
their Burkes, their Sherldans, thoir
Windhams, their Wilberforces?
where their Arkwrlghts, their Watts,
their Davys? their Robertsons, Blairs,
bmiths, Stewarts, Paleys and Mal
thUse's? their Parsons, Parrs, Bur
noys or Blomfields? their Scotts,
Campbells, Byrons, Moores or Crabes?
:their Siddonses, Kembles, Keans or
0'Neils?T-their Wilkies', Laurences,
Chantrys? or their parallels from our
little island, who, in the course of the
last thirty years, have blest or de
lighted mankind by their w8rk, inven
tions or examples? Insofar as we
know there is no such parallel to be
produced from the whole annals of
this self-adulating race. In the four
quarters of the globe, who reads an
American' book? or goes to an Ameri
can play? or looks at an American
picture or statue? What does the
world owe to American physicians or
surgeons? What new substances have
thoir (Jhemists discovered? or what old
ones have thoy analyzed? What new
constellations have been discovered by
the" telescopes of Americans? What
have they done in mathematics? Who
drinks out of American glasses? or
eats from American plates? or wears
American coats cr gowns? or sleeps
in American blankets? Finally, under
which of the old tyrannical govern
ments of Europe is every sixth man a
glave, whom his fellow creatures may
buy, and sell, and torture?"
It would be vastly instructive and
entertaining to take the trouble to an
swer this document piecemeal, but it
would require a whole series of large,
fat volumes and what's the use?
Verily, times have changed since
grandpa was a little boy!
Copper Cures '
Consumption
New Treatment for Consumption
Indorsed by Member of British
Tuberculosis Congress4 'Anti
dotum Tubcrculose" (the Cop
per Cure) Marvel of the Medi
cal WorldHope for All, No.
Matter How Bad Off.
Benefits Congressman Dingley's 5on
and Cures Others of Quick, Gallop
ing and Fast Consumption in Their
Own Home -Any One Can Receive
FREE. Specially Written Books
Which Explain Exhaustively the
Cure and Prevention of Consump
tion by "Antidotum Tubcrculose"
Let Every Reader of The Commoner
Writithc Company at Once.
Ar"BSSSSV7SBHHS'SSSSStt. BBJ
O. K. BUCKHOUT.
Chairman Kalanazoo Tuberculosis Remedy Co.
(Ltd.); Member of British Tuberculoid
Congress; Member International As
sociation for the Breventlon
of Tuberculosis
Consumptive! need not worry about their fu
turo tiny more, as the long-looked.for cure for
consumption has at last bpn found, and a care
it now just as cure as In tho simplost disease.
Toxatisfy yourself of this yon bare only to write
tho Kalamazoo Tuberculosis Remedy Co., Hi
Main bt., Kalamazoo, Mich., of which the chair,
man is Mr, O. K. Buckhout, a noted member of
British Tuberculosis Congress and also of the
International Aosocintion for tho Prevention of
Tuberculosis, composed of world-famous men
who have mado consumption its euro and pre.
vention a life study. This euro is something
entirely now and is called "Anti mtum Tubercu
losis," or tho Copper Cure, and ia tho only dis
covery wo know of that absolutely kills all tu
berculosis germs which cause consumption, as
unless this is done, tho diseoseennnot becurod,
As tho name of tho rotnouy tells, its chief ingre
dient is. eopper, wbicli metal has at last boon
found to bo tho deadly enemy of the consump
tive gorm. "Antidotum Tuberculosis" Is the
original copper euro.
xou can toil 11 you nave consumption hy the
coughing and hawking, by continually 'pitting,
'specially in the morning, when you throw yel
low and black mattor, by bleeding from the
lungH, night sweats, flat chost, fover. weak voice,
peculiar fluvhed complexion, pain in chest,
wafting away of the flesh, etc. Find out bow
tho Copper Cure kills the germs, then builds up
tho lungs, strengthens tho heart, puts flosh on
the body and muscles on tho bones until the
consumption Is all gone and you are again a
strong, healthy, robust man or woman.
Don't doubt this, for'the very same discovery
benefited A. H. Dingley.a son of Congressman
Dinglcy of Dingley tariff Bill fame, who went
West aud South for relief and didn't get it, and
came back with death .atari n him in the face,
and was betfefl.t,d by Antidotum Tuberculosis
after all else bad failed.
Bo don't give up hope, and don't spend yoar
money in travel Attend to it right away, for
consumption sproads to other members of the
family. If you hat 0 consumption or 'oar you
are predisposed to it write tonight to the Ka!a
mazoo Tuberculosis Kemedy Co.,UH Main ttrpot,
Kalamazoo, Mich., and thoy will send yon iilus
tratod nod scholarly books freo of charge telling
you fnlly how the Coppor Cure will euro you io
your own home In a very short time.
An Abortive Cleveland Boom.
The democratic "reorganizes," who
so signally failed to demonstrate their
strength and influence in the rccenl
congressional and -state elections aro
making a desporato offort to "rojuven- '
ate" Mr. Cleveland as a .presidential -possibility.
It is pointed out that ho is tho only
democratic nomlnco elected to tho .
presidency since tho war, and it is"
gravely contended that no other man
of the present day can win as a demo
cratic cndldato.
In tho flrBt placo tho contention is
unsound. It is nicro assertion to say
that the democratic party contains but
one man in whom tho country has suf
ucient confidence to make him presi
dent. If It were true, then his elec
tion would boa personal triumph and
would signify' nothing for democratic
principles; and if that be tho condi
tion wo should surrender tho party
name and disband, for If wo have noth
ing more cohesive than Mr. Cleveland's.,
personality wo do not desorvo suc
cess and we cannot endure after ho
passes away. All of which is the rank
est nonsense.
In the second plrfce the election o
Mr. Cleveland, conceding for ttie mo
ment that ho can be nominated; will
mean the certa'liT'aiTfi speedy revival
of populism atid the disintegration ofC
democracy. The anti-Cleveland dem
ocracy is not identical with populism,
but the two elements entertain in
common an unyielding hostility to, th .
greedy money interest which Mr2wT
Cleveland represents as truly as Mr.
Hanna represents it and more than
Mr. Roosevelt represents it Indeed,
it is plain to see behind the Cleveland
movement a design to commit both
parties to a Wall street policy arid to
antiqlpate a possible anti-trust cam
paign by Roosevelt with a positive
pro-trust campaign by Cleveland.
It is true that Mr. Cleveland is
strong in certain quarters of the east,
aid it is true that the party needs
help from thoso quarters. But Mr.
Cleveland would win, if he should win
1 t all, not by reason of his democracy,
but by reason of the policies on which ,
he is in a state of antagonism to dem- .
ocracy. r
The Cleveland promoters are count-,
ing upon a solid south, and thoy would '
likely receive it in the election, thouch
this must not be too confidently as-,
sumed. It is altogether possible that'
a revival of populism and a coalition
with the republicans might cost ono
or more southern states. But one thing f
may bo assumed for a certainty, and f
that is that Mr. Cleveland carniot bof
nominated by the help of a singles
southern state, and the south has a
right to protest against the false ex-i
pediency of a nomination which will.'
wreck the party and expose this sec- l -tion
again to the terrors of nonulism.
If Mr. Cleveland is unselfishly de-
sirous of democratic success he will'
hasten to forbid the use of his name' v
in this connection and then throw
thp weight of his personal following
to tho cause of the party under such
leadership as the party may choose.
Houston Post fc-
TO CUKK A COJ.D IN ONE DAY
Take Laxative Brorao-Qniuine Tablets. This v
signature? TV , oa eTery box, 25c.
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