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The Commoner.
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THO COMMONER, LlncelH, Nek.
Perhaps those Baltimore and Pittsburg bank
ers 'did not wig-wag to Mr. Shaw in time.
Under tho circumstances no one is surprised
lit tho charge of "graft" in the navy department.
The "let well enough alone" cry does not ap
peal to" the coal mine operator. He wants more.
"Stand pat" and "stay put" are the argu
ments of those who have no real argument to advance
Mr. Knox's opinion in tho Littauer case is
about as peurile as. his boasted attacks on the
trusts.
Now if Texas scientists could only discover
a ' method of grafting yellow; fever on the boll
weevil!
- An Englishman named John. Lever announces
"that he will make an effort to pry the America
cup loose.
Is there any department of the government
that dare stop forward and declare tnat It is fre
from "graft?"
If Mr. Carnegie is still determined to die poor
he might trtfde those steel bonds for steel pre
ferred at pat.
Doubtless Mr. Hanna howled "calamity" when
his attention was called to that lobby -article in
Frank Leslie's Monthly. --
It seems high time that tho people sent a
few-more senators to Washington to "lobby" in
the interests of tho masses.
; " Tho supply ot dummy directors is' still large,
-bSit-the promoters are experiencing increasing
- difficulty in finding dummy investors.
' V' Mr. Schwab's part in the shipbuilding trust
seems to have boon to furnish the water while
the other fellows furnished the ships.
Mr, Cleveland says the, day of opportunity is
not yet past. Is it possible that Mr. -Cleveland is
anticipating another chance at a bond deal?
People who advocate letting the trusts alono
until they swamp themselves overlook the fact
that many of the victims are unable to swim.
- It seems that when a trust fails to secure in
justice In a court of law it cIoscb its mills as a
"warning to-tho people not to Interfere with trust
graft.
'
Congressman Curtis stfys that certain Indians
-have leased tHo same land to nineteen different
people. This is what comes of permitting tho
Indians to associate too intimately Tvlth officials
' of the land department.
Mr. Chamberlain's tariff speeches are listened
"to over tho telephone wires by hundreds of peo-
' pie. Mr, Chamberlain is not wise. Over here the
tariff advocates also use wires, but they pull 'em
'instead of talking over em. t
The Commoner
Tho press reports tell ns that "Senator Alli
son was visibly agitated." Tho senator must havo
found himself losing his equisite balance on the.
fence..
"Wo must uphold President Roosevelt and
his policy," shout the republican bosses. But not
ono of them can tell us what the "president's pol
icy" is.
-
Mr. Bristo'w's report does not specifically men
tion tho namo of Perry Heath, but undoubtedly
Perry ,Heatk knows that Mr. Bristow had him
in mind. '
V
It has been several days since Mr. Postmaster
General Payne "Just laughed." Is it possible that
Mr. Payne has amputated his abnormal sense of
humor?
Of course, if a democrat occupied the Whit '
house now the republican organs would have
. other reasons to advance why so many banks are
being closed.
Secretary Hitchcock "admits there -Have been
frauds in the land department." And Secretary
Payne is wondering why Secretary Hitchcock
didn't "just laugh."
When Captain Kidd wanted a subsidy .for his
ships he took it without any pretense of doing t
for the benefit of the public. Even Captain Kidd
hesitated at some things.
Mr. Knox would havo us think that Con
gressman Littauer is innocent of intent to milk
the government because the statute of limitations
operated about a year ago.
Now that it is over perhaps Mr" Hanna's
friends will Jidmit that his "notes of warning"
were what they would call "calamity howls" if
uttered by their political opponents.
Tho wily Turk Is quito well aware that his
dreams in his guarded tent will not be disturbed
as long as the guards quarrel in low tones about
tho division of the prospective swag.
Attorney General Knox decides that a re
publican maintains his party standing and honor
providing he can keep out of jail "until the statute
of limitations operates as a bar to prosecution.
While the cutting down of the trotting and
pacing records goes bravely on, the cutting down
of the grafting record in the government depart
ments seems to be at a standstill.
Count Cassini says' Russia and Japan will not
fight. He also said that Russia would evacuate
Manchuria. These statements indicate that the
count is a genuine diplomat.
Perhaps President Roosevelt is averse to ex
posing all the' rottenness in the departments at
once because it might result in leaving the jani
tors with altogether too much to attend to.
Mr. Knox seems able to prove that there has
been no fraud in his department. The legal de
partment of tho government makes no attempt to
conceal its purpose to let the trusts go right' on
with their robbery.
. What this country needs is an open door, to
each of the federal departments while a strong
omopratic boom is sweeping out the aforesaid
departments. And the doors should be unusually
wide in order to permit of easy egress.
We are informed by the administration press
that it is "unlikely that any senators are in
volved" in the land frauds. However, this may
be only another way of saying that it is unlikely
that any of the senators will be exposed.
It seems that the Chicago reception to Mr.
Cleveland was planned, executed and delivered
by Mr. Eckels. The attendance was small, but tho
papers said that isOO millions were represented at
the table. This was a delicate observance of the
proprieties. Mr. Cleveland feels more at homo
with money than with men.
Sultan Abdul Hamid's naval manager man
aged to steal $100,000,000 which the sultan
thought was .being invested in new battleships.
But there are some gentlemen in the departments
at WSton wno could Perhaps equal the rec
ord if they had equal opportunity. Several of
them seem to haye made a good start ' '
.''., "' , Y0UJME 3, NUMBER
BENNETT WILL CASE.
Mr. Bryan's Arcumf n
If your honor please, tho counsel who .
ent me in this case, you will remember, cam?? 1
it after the direct examination in i?! :
these facts were brought out; and, therefor,
felt that it was incumbent upon me to rcsoon. ;
y- - "0mCUI, uj. contestants' counut ,. "
. x um uot prepared to d
cuss the, law points.-and thoce will be preset
rr 1T AlAiTrfVri T,.i- T vl . . "" fl
w.u. attw, uui i uo want to deal wi, ..
facts. . "'
As the court has heard all the testimony it '
is unnecessary to remind him that there has hL
nothing in the presentation of tho evidence to
justuy us in tno expectation that the will would
be attacked on the ground of undue influence, and
therefore, the evidence in this case on that Buk
ject rests merely upon my testimony. If we had
known that this point wou.d be raised we would
have been prepared' to present testimony on this
point.
Mr. StoddardI submit, if your honor please,
tnat tnat is a very improper statement for coun-
sel to make. Air. Bryan has had ample oppor
tunity as a witness. I submit when counsel Is
dealing with lacts it is very improper to say that j
ho has evidence which he has not prepared.
Mr. Bryan I wish to call the court's atten
tion to the fact, and the court having heard the
testimony only needs to have his attention called
to the fact that there has been no intimation P tt
this contest would be made upon the lines which
his speech indicates, and therefore, we had no
notice of this phase of the question, and conse
quently I can only speak of tk9 evidence of the
one witness who has been examined, and that was
myself. "
I would much prefer to have this testimony
discussed by some one else; but, as the court
knows, the hearing went on before I had con
sulted counsel, and went on for the reason that I
gave at the time, that when this bequest was
brought out, I desired at once, without and delay,
to have the entire story of my relation with Mr,
Bennett given to the public.
And I must" say, your honor, that I am nofc
surprised at the manner in which this case Is
conducted by the counsel for the contestants; I
am not surprised at the language that has been
used by him; I am not surprised that he has
sought to draw from the facts in tho case tho
inference that he has;
It was becav 0 I believed that his conduct was
not inspired by the .motives that inspire the
lawyer generally that I wrote the letter that 1
did to tha widow of the best friend I have ever
had. . .
I want to speak of the relationship between
us as shown by the testimony, Counsel suggests
that inducements were brought, indirectly, he says,
to the making of this bequest He conveniently
forgot to remind the court of what has preceded
the making of the will. .
The court will remember that there was oi
fered In evidence the first letter I ever received
from Philo S. Bennetta letter written prior
to the election of 1896. just at the close of tno
campaign a letter in which he Identifies himseu
to me by describing himself as one of the com
mittee and saying that ho rode with me in w
carriage. I testified that I 'could not nave re
called tho face from the name, although wueu
I met him afterward, I remembered him asn
whom I had seen. Before I knew him except
this casual way, ho manifested-an Interest in w
principles N for. which I was contending, an
terest that I am not surprised my friend n
fails to comprehend. I want to find the first .lew
if the court will pardon me a moment. U
ter of 1896 was handed Mr. Bryan and read aiuu
by De'ir Sir: ('You will notice that this latter
is not even addressed to a "friend," not even
"Mr. Bryan." ') Dear Sir: The betting to uu
to one against you in this state at tho pres
time, but notwithstanding that fact, 1 tf
pressed with the feeling that you will win, 0 rf
you are defeated, I wish to make you a tu M
?3,000, and if you will accept the same, it
be a genuine pleasure to me to nana u.
any time after the 10th of May. 1ant
"You kavo mado one of the fmst f m
fights.on Tecord for a principle aeaIn7,.; and, if
bined money power of tho whole country,
you are not successiui now, you