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VOLUME 5, NUMBER 24
The Commoner.
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Some strange Equitable tales go with the
Equitable Mr. Hyde.
Secretary Taft seems to have reposed quite
successfully, too, on the Shaw presidential boom
lid.
That royal wedding in Germany caused al
most as much stir as a divorce in the New York
"400."
It does look as if the Equitable policyholders
would be settled a long time before' the Equita
ble's squabble is.
Is it possible that Norway's action is the
forerunner of a regular South American system
of ' revolutionizing in Europe?
.Mr. Blgelow broke" down when he reached
.tbe-.doors of the penitentiary. A lot of his dupes
were broken up a long time before.
The senate committee on railroad rate in
vestigation hopes to have its report ready as soon
as the railroad managers have collaborated.
If Japan insists on a billion dollar indemnity
will she take a few Russian grand dukes in part
payment to the amount of thirty cents each?
Unanimous consent is asked that Secretary
Morton be allowed to retire from the cabinet: Aro
thore any objections? The chair hears none.
'The St. Louis Globe Democrat declares that
"money is no shield to guilt." Perhaps not, but
a lot of rascals have found it a very convenient
disguise.
King Oscar received only $130,000 a year for
reigning over Norway, and that is $2,000 a year
less that Paul Morton is to receive for managing
the Equitable.
Governor Hanly of, Indiana believes that the
anti-pass law was made to be enforced, and the
public officials are tearfully bidding farewell to
the pasteboards.
Japan has won because of thorough organiza
Vc?nnQ ocrocy has a great battle da.ted for
1908, and right now is the time to begin the work
of .thorough organization.
, I am determined to turn every rascal out "
declares Mayor Weaver of Philadelphia. If he
succeeds Philadelphia's democratic majority will
be something enormous.
Secretary Shaw says that no one is autho
rized to announce that he is a candidate for the
presidency. The secretary believes himself amply
able in the line of vocalization.
Even the most suspicious people must admit
now that President Roosevelt meant it when he
said he would not again accept a republican nomi
nation for president. His declaration that ho
would buy canal supplies in the cheapest market
Byes ample proo: that he never will: -
The Commoner.1
t
Protectionists who disagree "vitb Secretary
Taft's ideas on purchasing canal supplies will
doubtless be referred to Mr. Roosevelt's remarks
on free trade a few years ago.
The "standpatters" and the "no shelter" dis
putants might wait until President Roosevelt is
through with Russia and Japan and then ask him
to take charge of their dispute.
It is beginning to strike the most sanguine
that the prosecution of the railway managers
who violated the rebate law is about to exhaust
itself with thundering in the index.
Doubtless General Gosvenor.has figures at
hand to prove that the opponents of the "stand
patters" are materially aiding in making the
general's re-election extremely difficult.
The Atlantic Monthly declares that "eating
is no joke." There are several thousand people
in this country who would laugh heartily on
receiving an invitation to a square meal.
Henry James says the English of American
newspapers is appallingly bad. Perhaps, but it
makes more interesting reading than the "splen
didly good" English of Mr. James' novels.
With a fine eye for future possibilities the
Houston Post remarks that if the railway mana
gers do not meet the people half way the people
will yank the railway magnates all the way.
St. Louis wants $100,000,000 from Uncle Sam
to broaden and deepen the Mississippi. What,
and add some more to the charges for the longer
haul over the bridge by the terminal company?
The report that President Roosevelt favors
a red-headed man for president reminds us that
Mr. Shaw will soon be in a position to suit
unless Mr. Taft quits pesticating "with the Shaw
boom. ' w
The newspapers that are so roundly de
nouncing President Shea of the Chicago Team
sters' union for accepting bribe money should
turn a little of 'their attention to the liberal ad
vertisers who put up the bribe money, if any
was really up.
Cutting
Government
Red Tape
President Roosevelt has appointed a commit
tee to investigate and report on what changes
are needed to place the execu
tive business of the govern
ment upon the most efficient
and economic basis. It other
words, President Roosevelt
wants to sever the immense tangle of red tape
that is wound roun,d the business of the govern
ment. Surely the committee appointed has a
job before it in comparison with which the job
of stable cleaning tackled by Hercules. sinks into
insignificance. If the committee succeeds in its
mission, however, it will be entitled to the thanks
of the people. Uncle Sam is entitled to better
returns for his money than he now gets from the
clerks and bureau officials who occupy elegant
suites and offices in the magnificent buildings n
Washington. The more red tape the president
cuts the better he will please the people who
are footing the bills.
Deserves
Punishment
the More
Speaking of the Bigelow case the Milwaukee
Sentinel says that "considering his "age, habits
ut me, anu tno Honorable po
sition from which he fell, that
penalty (ten years) is heavy
enough to suit evsn vo of
1 ,, - . , vindictive enemy he could
have." But what has his -habits and liis former
honorable position to do with it? If anything
at all It should have added to his sentence!
There is entirely too much mawkish sentiment
evidenced every time a man like Bigelow is
punished. Men who have the advantage of high
position, and all that sort of thing, have even
less excuse than the average man for sinning.
They know better,, which is not always the case
with the poor criminals caught in the act. The
better a man's opportunities for realizing the dif
lerence between right and wrong the more de
serving he is of punishment when he does com
mit a sin. There is no vindictiveness manifest
by the general public against Bigelow, but a
renovated public sentiment is growing very tired '
of pleas in extenuation made for aristocratic, edu
cated and prominent men who have been cauehf
stealing from the public. " Ught
It is too much to .hope that th ,.. .
against our present barbarous methods of c 1
keep
Agitating
Reform
hrniinp- tho Vntiiu - -. . uei
have any appreciable effect
this year. A system that is
the result of two or thrPO 1
erations of indulgence is not
to be wiped out in a year or two. But the pro
tests should continue, for in. good time reform
Vill come. Common sense will triumph sooner
or later, and when it does the Fourth of Jul
instead of being a day of blood and slaughter and
noise, will be a day of intelligent rejoicing over
the winning of independence. As it is now. the
day is looked forward to with dread by people
who are old enough to appreciate its dangers,
and looked back upon with sorrow by those who
have foolishly toyed with the dynamite cracker
and the deadly blank cartridge.
There is a queer situation in England
queer from the standpoint of American politics.
For three years the govern
Very ment has been trying to hush
Refreshing up a scandal growing out of
Sight the administration of the war
department during the Boer
war in South Africa, and involving the loss of
$35,000,000 through corruption and graft in the
handling of war supplies. But both parties in
Great Britain insisted on a full and fair investiga
tion, and the result is some disclosures that
catch numerous people of high degree. The
party in power was just as anxious to hae an
impartial investigation as the minority party.
This is so contrary to what has been happening
in the United States during the past seven or
eight years that it is postively refreshing. Look
ing back upon the postal scandals, upon the trust
investigations and the transportation disputation
it is. easy to see how different- things are over
in the "right little, tight little isle."
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