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Commoner,
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.
Vol. 4 No. 39.
Lincoln, Nebraska, October 14, 1904.
Whole Number 195
The
WHERE THE BEEF
TRUST STANDS
It is not at all surprising to learn that Mr.
Armour has announced that the packing house
magnates" aro enthusiastically in favor of Mr.
Roosevelt. The Roosevelt administration made
a great bluster in its pretended campaign against
the beef trust. Civil proceedings were commenced
and injunction writs were obtained but as ia
well-known since then the impositions on the
cattle-raiser and the exactions of the beer
consumer have been more markea than Before
those proceedings were commenced. The public
has obtained no benefit whatever from Mr. Roose
velt's proceedings against the beef trust and so
it is not at all difficult to believe that Mr. Armour
and his associates will make conclderable effort
to aid in Mr. Roosevelt's election.
It has been urged that there is great difficulty,
in bringing under law a trust that is represented
by a single corporation, but this can not be urged
in defense of the administration's failure to pro
ceed in a determined way against the beef trust.
The beef trust, under whose impositions the
people are now suffering is not represented by a
single corporation into which a number of other
corporations have been merged. It might properly
come under the very charitable definition pro
vided by some trust magnates of "community of
interest." In truth, however, it is covered by
the definition In the Sherman anti-trust law and
may properly be termed a "conspiracy."
Every definition provided by the Sherman
anti-trust law covers the beef trust. It is a "con
tract," it is a "combination," it is a "conspiracy.'
Under the law the agents of every packing house
are liable to fine and imprisonment. Under that
law the meat shipped from one state to another
is subject to confiscation by the fedpral author
ities. And whatever may be the difficulties at
tending the enforcement of the federal anti-trust
law against other trusts, there is no conspiracy
in existence that can be required more readily to
yield to that law than this beef trusi if Mr. Roose
velt's administration was really determined to
enforce the law and to destroy tftis conspiracy
against the welfare" of the people.
JJJ
Dissolve The Partnership
In a speech recently delivered, Edward M.
Shepard demanded "a dissolution of the partner
ship between the great corporat'ons of the country
and the United States government, a partnership
most unworthily . illustrated by the transfer of
Mr. Cortelyou from the head of the "department in
supervision of the corporations to the chairman
ship of a national committee which is in large
part dependent upon those very corporations for
its pecuniary support"
The Wall Street Journal, commenting upon
Mr. Shepard's remarks, makes no effort to conceal
its indignation and says, in effect, that it is out
rageous for anyone to say that there, was any
connection, between the fact that Mr. Cortelyou
was secretary of the department of commerce and
labor and the fact that ho was made chairman of
the republican national committee.
Even" the WalUStreet "Journal will, we think,
admit that the appointment of. Mr. Cortelyou under
the circumstances was, at least, not wise. Wo
know that it was promised that under Mr. Cor
telyou's administration of the department of com
merce and labor, a thorough investigation would
he made of the great trusts of tho country. Wc
know that since Mr. Cortelyou was transferred
we have heard little or nothing of those boasted
investigations. We read also in newspaper dis
patches that the great trust magnalec havo, one
after the other, declared in favor of Mr. Roose
velt. We aro now told that tho Morgans and tho
Rockefellers are working shcildor to shouldor in
tho offort to elect Mr. Roosevelt and that oven
Mr. Armour, of the beef trust, has recently an
nounced his devotion to Mr. Roosevelt's cause.
JJJ
Killing the Spaniard
Those who feel disposed to defend President
Roosevelt from the charge of boasting of killing
a fleeing Spaniard will cease to defend when
they read the deliberate report of the transaction
. published by the president in. his book, entitled
"Tho Rough Riders" (page 138),'Lieutcnant Davis'
first sergeant, Clarence Gould, killed a Spanish
soldier with his revolver, just as tho Spaniard
was aiming at one of my Rough Riders. At about
the same time I also shot one I was with Henry
Bardshar, running up at the double, and two Span
iards leaped from the trenches- and fired at us,
not ten' yards away. As they turned to run I
closed in and fired twice, missing the first and
killing the second. At the time I did not know
of Gould's exploit and supposed my feat to bo
unique."
Yes, it is a unique feat to kill a fleeing sol
dier, and more unique still to speak of it with
levity and boasting. The taking of human life io
an awful responsibility and however the customs
' of war may justify it when necessary, who but a
military enthusiast would speak of it as tho presi
dent does?
JJJ
"Others"
Occasionally some well-disposed person, speak
ing of some worthy cause a college, a hospital -or
a reform says: "If I only had a million I would
enjoy helping." But not having a million ho
gives nothing.
' Giving ought not to be confined to the rich;
it Is as necessary to moral growth as exercise
is to. the body. Selfishness leads one to spend '
money on himself stinginess leads one to re
fuse to spend even for himself, while generosity
leads one to share his means with benevolences
which appeal to him. There aro few who do
not know the pleasure to be derived from giving
to members of the family and to friends; the
satisfaction is scarcely less when tho gift is to
unknown recipients who come within the influence
of some educational or charitable Institution.
Every heart should attach itself in some definite
way to tho world's needs, and without waiting,
for great wealth or for death set aside a part of
each year's income for the happiness and help
of those less fortunate. "Others" is the word that
Is sometimes carved upon the hospitable hearth;
it is also the word that marks the crossing or
the boundaries of selfishness and man's entrance
unto fellowship with the outer world.
A STRONG PLEA
FOR SILENCE
Attention has been called to tho attempt on
the part of tho republican campaign management
to create prcjudico in this country on Judgo
ParUor'a position on tho question of imperialism
by tho well-worn claim that agitation of this
subject tends to stir up "Insurrection" In tho
Philippines. Under date of Manila, October C, tho
Associated Press carried a cablegram which, un
questionably, is a campaign document rather than
a piece of legitimate news. Tho' cablegram Is a
follows:
A mass meeting of tho Filipinos Is to bo
held Sunday at tho National theatre. The call
for tho meeting states Its purpobe to be "to
take some definite action upon the popular
,desire, to-wlt, tho giving of our sincere sup
port and sympathy to tho American commis
sion on Filipino Independence in its efforts to
attain tho end we desire. It would bo inex
plicable, and even Improper, for Filipinos to
fold their arms and remain passive at a time
when the very best elements of American
society are working ardently in order that
our native land may attain its ambition."
Fiery orators will speak, tho principal one
being Sandlco, a former member of Aguin
aldo's cabinet and who in 1899 signed tho or
der for the massacre of all Americans and
other foreigners In Manila. Tho government
will not Interfere.
An editorial appearing in the Chicago Record
Herald, a republican paper, of September 28, pro
vides complete answer to this method of campaign
ing. Tho Record-Herald's editorial comments
upon Governor Wright's statement (hat tho con
tinued discussion as to the capacity of the Filipinos
for self-government is having its effect in ths
Philippines and is making tho task of self-government
more difficult than It would otherwise bo.
The Record-Herald quotes from Governor Wright'
letter tho following paragraph:
Tho agitation In tho United States for
Filipino independence and the spoken and
written utterances of prominent men there
' who are urging it are all brought here and
published In the native newspapers, and aro
being made tho text for editorials insisting
that tho Filipino people are now leady to be
come an independent nation? The effect of
all this is distinctly injurious. Its tendency
is to restore tho influence of tho old insurrcc- .
tlon leaders and to mako them active in
preaching tho old propaganda. This In turn
has the effect of demoralizing and weakening
' the more conservative and thoughtful Fili
pinos. Tho comments made by this republican pa
per upon this "plea for silence" are so appropriate
that they aro printed in full. The Record-Herald
says: "This is in effect a plea for silence, and it
is one of a very long series which goes back to'
the assumption of authority by tho United State
in tho islands. In the whole series a reproof is
conveyed to tho people who do the talking here,
and whatever the form of the communication,
whether It appears In a. letter of Information far
the president or as a direct appeal to American
to hold their tongues, It comes to the same end
It would stop discussion, or, fa'iling in that, cast
odium upon those who keep on proclaiming tht
capacity of tho Filipinos for self-government and
who lteep up the agitation for independence. Ths
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