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The Commoner.
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Nfe.
Speaking of that Panama deal, what did Theo
dore Roosevelt say about "shackling cunning?"
General Grosvenor is preparing for winter by
expunging a -few cold statistics from his system.
What is a treaty obligation -when there is a
chance to divvy up $50,000,000 of the people's
money?
Mr. Cleveland is being widely mentioned be
cause he ceclined an invitation which he was not
in the least danger of receiving.
Senor Bunau-Varilla has kindly consented to
let Panama ratify that canal treaty. M. Varilla
seems willing to divide the Itship.
Philadelphia's republican administration has
just given absolutely free a franchise worth mil
lions of dollars. The Philadelphia taxpayer is an
easy proposition.
The Houston (Tex.) Post has moved into a
new building which is handsome enough, to house
the Post. This means that Houston has another
magnificent building.
The administration organs are working over
time trying to find something equally good as
"gone democratic" to apply to the increasing num
ber of business failures.
Mr. Rockefeller may have "been able to read
Miss Tarbell's story without flinching, hut if he
saw that portrait without experiencing a pang he
is indeed without feeling.
L
Oklahoma might stand a better show for
statehood if It could show up a canal graft that
would appeal to the gentlemen who have the re
publican policies in charge.
Colombia seems to be laboring under the de
lusion that respect for treaty obligations is due
from an administration that believes in "benev
olently assimilating" with the sword.
, Of course the 75,000 textile workers whose
wages have been reduced from 15 to 25 per cent
should continue to be willing to "let well enough
alone" rather than be denounced as "agitators."
Secretary Shaw is billed to sound the republi
can "keynote" at a banquet in Chicago on Feb
ruary 14. This means that Mr. Rockefeller and
Mr. Morgan will soon get busy with their tuning-forks.
It seems that what Mr. J. Plerpont Morgan
thought to be a fine and healthy growth of finan
cial impregnability was only a very soft and
luxuriant crop of wool lor Mr. Rockefeller to
shear.
It must he said in Senator Dietrich's favor
that he quickly returned to Nebraska to face the
indictment for bribery. A much better known
republican senator did not dare to return to his
state for upwards of twelve months for fear of
being arrested on a similar charge.
The Commoner
Rockefeller's oil is selling at 20 cents a gal
lon. This is twice as much as it was worth when
steel common was selling at twice what steel pre
ferred is selling at now. Query: Does Mr. Rocke
feller look anything like that portrait of him in
the December McClure?
The republican Lincoln (Neb.) Journal says:
"Sometime Nebraska will boost a big man into
the United States senate just to let the nation
know that we have big men in this state." This
is a roundabout way the Journal has of admitting
that Nebraska will send a democrat to the senate.
Colombia proposes to give us the canal con
cession free if we will retrace recent steps. What
a delightful old innocent Colombia is. What
chance is there for a rake-off if there is no op
portunity for spending the people's money. Co
lombia might make an offer double the one made
by Panama.
An eastern financier who vociferated loudly
against "rotten money" and "dishonest dollars"
in 1896, started for Europe a few days ago. He
was halted at the pier and hustled off to a dun
geon. After making sure of having "money good
in Europe" he proceeded to steal some for the
purpose of spending it across the pond.
Thomas E. Watson, in his "Life and Times of
Thomas Jefferson," says that Mr. Jefferson was
"just the Kind, of man the
stranger would apply to, a beg
gar hunt up, a cynic shun, a bi
got hate, a sharper pursue, a
scholar delight in. a. natriot
trust, a neighbor love and impose on, a shyster
outwit, fellow statesmen respect, and enemies
ridicule as often as they hate."
Watson's
Description
of Jefferson.
The Washington Star relates this interesting
tale: "I'm afraid there is a great deal of dis
honesty in some of these trust3,"
said Senator Sorghum, sadly.
"But you have always defended
the trusts," exclaimed his friend.
"Yes. Of course, you exnect a
trust to take advantage of the public. But when
the men who organize the deal get to taking ad
vantage of one another- that's dishonest."
Altogether
Too
Dishonest.
Perry Heath declares that malice is behind
the arraignment of his administration by Mr.
Bristow. That is usually the de
fense made by a man caught in
the act. It reminds one of the
schoolboy's plea, "I ain't been
a-dom' nothinV Heath's de
fense reminds the Joplin Globe of something that
must not be lost sight of, and that is, whether
or not malice is behind .the Bristow report, it is
quite evident 'that there was a whole lot of graft
before the report.
Before
and
After.
'
The Cinch
vs.
A few days ago a party of Wyoming cowboys
presented two fine cinches to President Roosevelt,
tua ue accepted tnem with every
expression of pleasure. It will
be remembered, however thai-
T,he Flag:. nen a little American girl of
., , French parentage tried to pre
sent a silk American flag of her own making to
our strenuous executive he refused to accept it,
and returned the flag to the would-be donor with
a formal note of declination. The Washington
Post offers in explanation of the cinch incident
that the president is not overlooking cinches of
any kind these days.
Senator Teller relates a good story by way of
illustrating his opinion that the Colombian dele-
TMi.r sates n0 have C0Jne to see if
leii.r s something cannot be done to get
Gooa Panama back into their coun-
Story. J7 are wasting their time.
. , . Senator Teller says thai these
delegates remind him of a justice of the peace be
fore whom he once tried a case. According to the
SJtorU Tw SUit Was over m old debt ?o?sS
plies The defense was that the bill was paid.
The justice was a pompous old chap, who knew
UK IaW f i r wc nad fished, the justice said:
The court knows all about this case. The court
nS JSf dat F witnesses lua got to say and
the talk of the lawyers. The court will not de
cide the case just now. The court will take the
"ji-.
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 47
case under advisement for three days and n.
'court will then decide the case in favor of 59
plaintiff.'" or of the
The Wisconsin IpfRlnfitfo ,.. . ,
ington a resolution in favor of electing senaS
v'xIf Le xais s well
but this much needed refenn
will not be brought about until
senators are elected who wn
t-ciiuiL 1U a. majority of t,Q
senators now wearing togas prefer dealing with
legislatures to taking their chances before h
people. No man should be elected to the nv oi-i
senate who will not pledge himself to favor' tLo
election of senators by popular vote
Popular
Election
of Senators.
As was predicted the Panama junta rati
fied the treaty without debate and in time to
acuu it uuck me uav u was re
ceived. But this is" not at all
strange. There is notbina to
discuss. The ten million dc!-
Tnrc to fill tliayn J !. - . ,
business for the Panama patriots, and thev a-e
naturally in a hurry to get their hands on te
'SS?T" Thf w?nder is that they did not sooner
ratify the treaty without waiting to see what
other provisions it contained.
Pasamans
are In a
Hurry.
What would the administration say if Colom
bia should ask that this Panama imbroglio be
reierred to The Hague tribunal?
This country Is responsible m
large measure for the establish
ment of that tribunal, and if it
.. It Js in the right in this Panama
matter it certainly could not hesitate to submit
the case. But is there a thinking American citi
zen who, in view of all the facts, believes that
the position of the United States would be in
dorsed by an unprejudiced tribunal?
Would
The President
Dare?
Will Hanna
Now do
HI Part?
During the Ohio campaign Senator Hanna's
favorite slogan was, "For God's sake keep on let
ting well enough alone!' Sice
the Ohio election more than -'
000 employes have been thrown
out of work hy the closing down
of factories nnrt shnns. ThP.A
20,000 men should drop postal card reminders to
Senator Hanna every day. They followed his ad
vice and voted to let well enough alone, ana now
they should persistently demand of the senator
that he make good on his end of the bargain.
It is now stated that" Servia wants to borrow
$20,000,000. If the financial managers of that ua-
. r. happy country are wise they
, ine iAamca aea not ong- oe without the
For money. If they can produce a
Servians. canal concession, or "sometciog
equally good," all they need to
do is to prove that it offers an opportunity for
strenuous dissipation of good United States money,
and the administration at Washington will do ihe
rest If the Servians can show that it will be pos
sible to violate a treaty obligation and ignore
justice, so much the better for them.
It is reported that one of the murderous young
bandits recently captured in Chicago Is willing
to confess to several crimes if
assured that the rewards "will
be paid to his mother. His con
cern for his mother is ?ery
touching, indeed: but it is con
siderably belated. How much better it would
have been for both mother and son if the sen had
thought more about that mother's welfare and
happiness before he engaged in robbery and mur
der. Any mother would prefer a good son to a
fortune secured at the expense of that son's
lionor.
Coacarned
Wberi
Too Late.
Who Says
Wood
1 all Right?
Secretary Root declares that General Wood is
all right." The secretary may have said it with
the belief that his say-so wojm
settle it, but his remarks enly
recall a little story. During tte
piesident's recent campaign
trfn across the country, it hap
pened that his, train stopped at a little station
while he was at dinner. Secretary Wilson stepped
to the platform and said: "My friends, 1 v-snt
to introduce to you Secretary Hay. He is one of
our great diplomats,, one of our self-made men,
and I am sure" "Oh, that's all right," shouted
a man in the crowd. "We know who Hay is, oul
who in thunder are your
41
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