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managers, but in compliance with the law of the
land?
The president touches very lightly upon the
tariff question. Ho does not even say, as he said
in one or two former messages, that reciprocity
and protection are "twin measures" or that "reci
procity is the handmaiden of protection;" nor does
ho pay to the protective system those high sound
ing tributes so common with republican states
men when dealing with that subject. Indeed,
when one remembers that the tariff question is
now occupying a conspicuous place in public
attention, it is somewhat difficult to believe that
tho non-committal reference- to the tariff was
written by the same hand which penned the clear
cut and frank statements, in the same message,
referring to railroad legislation. By reading be
tween tho lines one might conclude that tho pres
ident is opposed to tariff revision at the present
time and that ho is In favor of reciprocity in
what might be called homoeopathic doses. When
tho president says that it would, in his judgment,
be well to endeavor to bring about "closer com
mercial connections with other peoples of this
continent" one is justified in concluding that Mr.
Whitney of Massachusetts was not far wrong
when he represented the president as being in
favor of freer trade relations with Canada.
Tho president pleads for "the element of
elasticity to our currency system." He says that
"banks are the natural servants of commerce,
and upon them should be placed, as far as practi
cable, the burden of furnishing and maintaining
a circulation adequate to supply the needs of
our diversified industries and of our domestic
and foreign commerce." Here, also, tho president
-fails to make himself entirely clear, although
many people will suspect that he advocates some
sort of an asset currency, perhaps such a system
as that which Secretary of the Treasury Shaw
has publicly favored.
His reference to the merchant marine, while
not explicit, so far as his own preferences are
concerned, will be fairly interpreted by the cham
pions of tho ship subsidy as an indorsement of
their measure.
Tho president's references to elections are
interesting. His recommendations that contribu
tions by corporations be forbidden and that con
gress as well as the state legislatures forbid the
use of money in connection With any legislation
save by the employment of counsel in public
manner for distinctly legal services," are w'ise.
So, also, is the renewal of the recommendation
contained in a former message that a statement
of the expenditures for nominations and elec
tions, and also a statement c all contributions
received be made public. The president over
looked one vital point in making these recom
mendations. The law should require that every
contribution made for campaign purposes be pub
lished, say thirty days prior to election day, in
order that the people may determine the charac
ter of the forces behind the respective candidates.
One of the general recommendations made in
the message will appeal to the American people
generally. This is where President Roosevelt
recommends that the suggestion made seven
years ago by President McKinley, to the effect
that congress make provision for the care of the
graves of the confederate dead be acted on. Pres
ident Roosevelt adds: "The first need is to take
charge of the graves of the confederate dead who
died in northern prisons." It is to be hoped that
congress will act .promptly on this recommenda
tion. The old-time wounds are very nearly healed
and nothing would so tend to the completion of
the healing process as a provision by congress
of suitable care for the graves of our southern
brothers. On Memorial day the men and women
of the south strew flowers on the graves of the
boys in blue, w" He tho men and wo-ien of the
north strew flowers on the graves of the boys in
gray, Among the masses of the American peo
ple today there are "tears and love for the blue
love and tears for the Cu." This sentiment
might well find expression in an act of congress
complying with the president's recommendation:
for do we not know that "they banish pur hates.,
forever when they laurel the graves of our dead'"
JJJ
WHY?
The Sioux City' Journal, a republican paper '
says; "A very gopd place to initiate reform is
with the congressmen's mail. No doubt there
has been improvement in that regard, but the
chance for betterment is still open " Then ho
Journal offers a list of "Dont's" from which the
Don't offer the
postomce.
Don't offer to divide with him the flrsf
month's salary for a place. St
Don't ask him to represent a claim that
the congressman money for a
The Commoner.
would not have standing In a justice court.
Don't ask him to try to beat the civil service
commission.
Don't ask him to be accessory to a fraud
on the pension office.
Don't ask him to correct a record by law that
has never had correction in morals.
Don't appeal to him to support a measure
because there is a graft in it for a constituent.
Don't ask him, in any kind of language, to
bo a grafter.
Once upon a time there was a member of
the Nebraska legislature who had the habit of
intimating in his speeches to the assembly that
he had been "approached." This gentleman be
came famous as "the approached member." On
one occasion after his fame in this line had been
established, this gentleman, addressing the house,
intimated that an attempt had been made to
purchase his vote on the pending measure. An
other member addressing the speaker asked per
mission to submit a question to the "approached
member." The speaker replied that the question
might be put with the "approached member's"
consent. Consent being given the other member
with marked deliberation asked the "approached
member" this question: "What is there about
you that makes everybody try to bribe you?"
Silence prevailed and, greatly discomfited,
the "approached member" took his seat. The very
pertinent question cured him, for that session, at
least, of his habit of making public reference to
the many alleged attempts to corrupt him.
Some of tho "Don'ts" offered by this repub
lican newspaper recall this mor,e or less inter
esting story, and suggest the question: "What
is there about a republican congress that it is
necessary for a republican newspaper to request
that men having axes to grind refrain from efforts
to corrupt the members of that body?"
JJJ
SYMPATHY
Harpers' Weekly says that one afternoon re
cently there entered a hospital in the poorer
quarter of Philadelphia a little girl of about eight
years, bearing in her arms a fox terrier "whose
forefoot had been crushed by a heavy wagon
To the attendant who tells the story tho little "
girl explained that she desired to have the doc
tors "fix the doggy's foot." The physicians were
for refusing the case at first, but, in view of the
great distress of tho youngster, they finally per
mitted their good nature to get the better of them.
Chloroform, instruments and bandages were pro
duced and a neat operation was performed, the
child bravely assisting.
"Now," said one of the doctors, "you may
take the dog home with you."
The little one's eyes widened. "Oh," she ex-
plained, "it ain't mine! I jest found it, an' I think
you oughtor take care of it"
And off she went leaving the dog in their
custody.
That is a very pretty story and one which
should be read to children and to folks generally
The men and women of the future will be
kind to one another if the boys nd girls of to
day are taught to be considerate of dumb ani
mals and sympathetic with their afflictions.
JJJ - :
LOAFING AS A FINE ART
General Smith IT. s. A., popularly known as
"Hell Roaring Jake" -Smith, is now upon the ,
retired list. Recently he sailed Tor Europe, and
before doing so said he was going over there to
loaf because it was impossible to loaf scientifically
in this country.
General Smith is evidently a very careless
observer. Loafing has become a fine art, to say
nothing of having become a science-in this
country. Scores of bank examiners, numerous
examiners of insurance companies, directors in
banks and industrial corporations, government
officials, city officials charged with V ?oSt
for the interests of the people-these and hun
dreds of other instances that might be mentioned
all prove that loafing is scientifically followed in
this country, and demonstrates that General
Smith in traveling far under a very badly mis
taken npjjon of. prevailing conditions.
Scientific loafing as practiced by a bank ex
aminer in Illinois resulted in the loss of hundreds
of thousands of dollars to confiding men and
women who trusted Mr. Spaulding
Scientific loafing on the part of insurance
commissioners in New York resulted in hundreds
of thousands of policyholders being systematical?
ltLZTy insurance Js an S
Scientific loafing on the part of public offl
cials charged with guarding the welfare 0f the
.VOLUME B, NUMBER 47
people has resulted in giant romT,tf
feed and fatten upon thf public 10ns lhat
Indeed, Scientific loafers who Hv nn
toil of their fellow and spendTheir uutSe
frivols pleasures are almost too ti? J
General "Jake" Smith has spent i,i ,
hours to poor advantage if he knows 0 ml
about his own country. We have mom 1 e
tific loafers to the thousand of popuTat on n'
almost any other country on earth " than
JJJ
, TAKE THE HINT
Two cattle barons charged with tho nwi
.fencing of 212 000 acres of Uientlft
?Th?f1(la2 C.0Imty' Neb" pleaded euWy before tl e"
United States court at Omaha and were son encod
to pay a fine of $300 each, and to remote for
six hours in the custody of the United Sta es
marshal. Referring to this judgment and speak
ing to a representative of the Associated Press
Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock, said:
You can say that I am surprised and
indignant. The punishment is utterly inade
quate. The indictment was the result of
four years of determined effort and the ex
penditure of thousands of dollars by the de
partment. We had selected the largest oper
ators in the hope that the result would be a
warning to those engaged on a smaller scale.
That the case was a strong one is evident by
the fact that the men pleaded guilty. The
result is discouraging but we shall not cease
our efforts. They have promised to tear down
their fences and if they do not keep the
promise they will be indicted again and again
until they learn that laws are made to bo
obeyed. We will not let up.
Those who have been tempted to give their
support to the plan of trusting railway rate reg
ulation with life-term judges may find in Secre
tary Hitchcock's comment a valuable hint. For
f6ur years the interior department had worked
on these cases, and after all of their efforts
the result was a paltry fine and six hours in
tho company of the marshal.
No wonder Secretary Hitchcock is disgusted.
It will be strange, however, if in the light of
such experiences as these the American people
consent to an increase in the number of life-term
judges in a vain effort to obtain relief in the
matter of railway rates.
JJJ
TARIFF REVISION
Curtis Guild, Jr., governor-elect of Massa
chusetts, has written to President Roosevelt a
letter in whicli referring to the hard fought elec
tion in Massachusetts Mr. Guild says that in his
judgment the republican ticket would have been
overwhelmingly defeated if the republican plat
form had not contained a plank favoring immed
iate tariff revision.
Mr. Guild says that he deems it his duty
to inform the president of the real condition of
public feelii in Massachusetts and he urges
the president to incorporate in his message a
suggestion favorable to tariff revision.
What Governor Guild says of public senti
ment in Massachusetts may be said of public
sentiment in other states. The people have be
come thoroughly weary of a high protective tariff,
and every day they are growing more and more
restless under the impositions placed upon them
because of the shelter which the trusts find in
the tariff.
QUITE A JOKE
A former clerk in the Equitable testified be
fore the insurance committee that Thomas B.
Jordan, the controller of tho Equitable, had the
habit of writing, for the benefit of the society s
lobbyist, his comments on bills as they wore in
troduced in the legislature. It was brought out
that concerning one bill that provided that stock
holders should have the right to examine the
books of the company, Controller Jordan wrote:
"Of course we are opposed to this," and the New
York Tribune's report savs that just then "the
unconscious humor of this aroused a general
laugh."
But there does not appear to be any humor
in it for the policyholders, nor are the risibilities
of policyholders generally aroused in the light or
tho fact that even after all these investigations
the same disinclination with respect to publicity
exists among the insurance chiefs.
JJJ . hv
Mr. McCurdy doubtless felt less of a jar
taking two steps to come down.
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