JANUARY 12, 1906
....
"WHILE NEWS IS NEWS"
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat says that "the
democratic papers are again telling stories about
the alleged discord between the president and
that body (the senate)." The Globe-Democrat in
sists that "the republican line is solid" and that
even on rate regulation there will be no serious
difference between the president and the republi
can senators.
Let us see. The last we heard from Senator'
Foraker was the reiteration of his charge that the
railroad rate program, asfcoutlined by Mr. Roose
velt, is "a democratic measure." If there are no
differences between republican senators and
the president with respect to the railroad question,
then, accepting Mr. Roosevelt's program at its face
value, Foraker, Elkins and their associates have
surrendered.
If these gentlemen have, in fact, surrendered
then the Globe-Democrat has missed an oppor
tunity for providing its readers with a mighty
interesting piece of news.
If on the railroad question "the republican
line is solid," then somebody has surrendered.
And the Globe-Democrat ought to "print the news
while news is news."
JJJ
A FAITHFUL EMPLOYE
Raymond Lynch, known wherever printers
work as "Judge" Lynch, has just retired from the
employ of , the Louisville Courier-Journal after
service upon that paper for seventy years, lack
ing one month. Mr. Lynch wanted to round out
the full seventy years, but ill health prevented.
The management of the Courier-Journal, in recog
nition of his long and faithful service, gave Mr.
Lynch a pension which will amply provide for
him during the rest of his life. Mr. Lynch began
work with the Courier when he was fourteen
years old.
The Commoner makes mention of this for two
reasons, first, bepause such long and faithful serv
ice is. unusual, and second, because the action of
the Courier-Journal in making acknowledgement
of that service is an example that other employ
ers could follow with benefit to themselves. It
is impossible, almost, for a man to realize the
changes that have taken place since the day Ray
mond; Lynch entered the Courier-Journal office
as "devil." And in no other branch of industry
has the improvement been more radical than in
the printing trade. From the old handpress and
inkball to the modern web press; from the old
candledip and hand composition days to the mod
ern linotype machine; from the old postchaise
with its slow delivery of news to the modern
press association that flashes the news of a day
around the world in the twinkling of an eye ; from
scattered newspapers and few books to the mod
era newspapers and magazines and multiplied
books these changes have all been wrought since
Mr. Lynch first picked up a stick and rule. Sev
enty years ago 500 an Hour was the limit of speed
on a newspaper press; today that many a.miurte
is quite common. The span of Raymond synch's
industrial career covers the most wonderful era
in the world's industrial development.
' , JJJ
WHY NOT PLATT?
Mr. Brackett, a ' member of tho New York
legislature, introduced a resolution calling upon
Chauncey M. Depew to resign his seat in the
United States senate. After a heated debate, the
resolution was, for the time being, withdrawn.
In a newspaper interview Senator Depew says
he will not resign.
During, the debate in the legislature Mr.
Depew's friends made quite a point when they
demanded to know why the resolution did not
also insist upon Senator Piatt's resignation.
Perhaps tho explanation is that the author
of the Depew resolution concluded that there
would be small chance for the adoption of a res
olution calling for the resignation of Senator
Piatt in a legislature that was recently organized
with the aid and approval of the Piatt machine.
JJJ
THE MORAL LAW
Andrew Hamilton, the life insurance lobbyist,
declares that -of the $800,000 expended by him in
his lobby work, not one dollar was expended con
trary to the moral law. It is fortunate for the
country that the Hamilton idea of morals does
not generally prevail. The idea that the use of
money to debauch legislatures and corrupt judges
is not contrary to morals would, if generally ac
cepted, make government a farce and reduce the
People to abject slavery. There was a time when
many thoughtful men believed that the Hamilton
code of morals prevailed generally, but recent de-
The Commoner.
ifZT C Vmt' ?ftcr " a majority of the
people are honest and will insist that public
business be honestly cared for. It required a
Z1 Z mU,tl?,!ed Per8cc"ns, to arouse
the tt a lllImS aenso of the fact that
the Hamilton code of morals prevailed In high
aioused they took speedy action with the result
that a great many men who had long posed as
statesmen, patriots and "defenders of national
honor were exposed to public contempt. Tho
Hamilton code of morals will bo ably defended by
the Amalgamated Association of Porch Climbers,
the Burglars' Benevolent and Protective Associa
tion, the Sandbaggers" Mutual Association,
and kindred organizations. But it will be
scored by men who believe in tho moral code
handed down upon Sinai and who are trying to
live upright and pure lives.
JJJ
PUBLICITY EASY
Referring to former Governor Odell's threat
to "disclose how a large sum for campaign pur
poses was raised last year at the president's
personal request," a New York paper says that
Mr. Roosevelt will unquestionably welcome pub
licity. This paper points out that in his recent
message to congress the president said:
But if it is possible to secure by law the
full and verified publication in detail of all
the sums contributed to and expended by the
candidates or committees of any political
parties, the result can not be but whole
some. In the light of this statement this New York
paper concludes that Mr. Roosevelt will welcome
any assistance which Mr. Odell can give in turn
ing on the searchlight.
Well, Mr. Roosevelt does not really need to
wait for Mr. Odell; nor need ho wait for tho
passage of a law requiring publicity with respect
to campaign contributions. Mr. Roosevelt's 'post
master general is chairman of tho republican
national committee. He can "turn on the search
light." While ho can give all information pos
sessed by Mr. Odell, he can doubtless tell many
things of which Mr. Odell is in Ignorance.
While waiting for an easy-going republican
congress to pass a publicity law, let Mr. Roose
velt "call upon his postmaster general to take
the American people into his confidence. Let
him tell them where the republican party obtained
its campaign funds.
It might also be well for tho president to
insist that the chairman of tho republican na
tional committee, now serving as a member of
his cabinet, shall restore to the policyholders of
various insurance companies the money em
bezzled from those policyholders for the use and
benefit of the republican party.
JJJ
"DEFENDERS," INDEED!
Remembering how some of these money-mad
men posed during the presidential campaign of
3896, how they assumed for themselves a mo
nopoly upon the virtue and the patriotism of
the country, and how some of our own neighbors
gave indorsement to these high-sounding claims,
it is interesting to consider with some degree
of particularity the revelations of this day.
It would require a great many chapters for
the telling of the whole story. But in order
that one may be impressed with the rapidity with
which these exposures concerning tho "defenders
of national honor" and the "representatives of
integrity" crowd upon one another, let him care
fully read the daily newspapers of December
31 1905.
Glancing over a newspaper of that issue we
find considerable attention paid to these "de
fenders of national honor."
For instance, we are told that:
The federal grand jury in session at Chi
cago returned indictments against several of
these "defenders" holding positions in connec
tion with one of the great railroad companies,
twenty-six accounts being named, and the charge
being that they had violated the anti-rebate law
One of the most conspicuous of these "de
fenders" having died, it developed that during
the early days of his career he had been im
prisoned as a convict In a state penitentiary,
and that during all the days of his imprison
ment his wife had displayed great devotion. It
further developed that soon after he was released
from prison he deserted that faithful wife, and
the next thing that was heard of him he turned
up in the city of Chicago with a brand new
wife and became one of the noisiest assailants
of the democratic party and one of the most vehe
ment champions of "national honor." It de
veloped further that JuHt before ho diod this man
was preparing to desert tiln second wife and
to Install In his homo a third favorite. Apologia
Ing, as we must, for making any roferonco what
ever to tho dead, It la cortalnly not out of place,
when It comes to tho discharge of a duty to the
Hying, to direct attention to thin rcvolatlon of
what wo mako bold to nay has come to be a
characteristic of some of thiconsplcuous assail
ants of the democratic party and pompous "do
fenders of tho national honor."
In the same Issuo of this publication, tho
faithful wife of one of thoso "defenders of na- '
tlonal honor" living at Boston tells tho story of
her husband's perfidy and describe tho groat
embarrassments to which she has boon put In
tho protection of her simple rights.
In tho same Issue a San Francisco dispatch
informs us that as soon m the president of one
of the great trusts of this countrya man who
on his own account has posed as "a dofondor of
national honor" and to whom republican news
papers have pointed as a model for tho young
men of tho countryobtains a divorce from the
wife who during tho days of his poverty was evor
faithful to him, ho will proceed to wed an
actress.
In the samo publication great pains Is taken
to deny a report that tho organlzor of one of
tho groat trusts will soon marry a variety show
performer.
"Defenders of national honor," Indeed!
JJJ
WHERE LOBBYISTS FLOURISH
In his final message to tho Ohio legislature
Governor Herrlck recommends that tho lobby bo
abolished. Commenting on this the St. Louis
GIohe-Domocrat says: "This is excellent advice,
not only In Ohio, but to all of the states, and to
congress as well."
It Is greatly to bo feared that the Globe
Democrat has not weighed Its words well from
tho g. o. p. standpoint If Governor Horrlck's
advice were to bo followed where, wo ask tho
Globe-Democrat, would Its party bo? What In
fluence would It wield In the senate? Imagine
if you can what small Influence wm- e
wielded In the senate if Senator Nelson W.
Aldrich should bo forever prohibited from
representing Standard Oil and United States
steel Interests In that body. If all lobby
ists were driven from the senate, pray toll us
how Senator Thomas Piatt could protect the ex
press company interests. And what would be
come of railroad Interests If that genial, If some
what subdued, lobbyist, Chauncey M. Depew, were
to be suddenly shorn of his opportunities? And
if it were possible to prevent tho sugar Interests
from having lobbyists wearing senatorial togas
what would become of two or three gentlemen
who now draw senatorial salaries with charming
regularity? Surely the Globe-Democrat did not
realize tho real Inwardness of Its declaration, or
realizing it sought to make what the sportively
inclined would call "a grandstand play," for If
its declaration were put Into practical effect It
would leave tho republican side of the United
States senate looking like the ancient and dilapi
dated last year's bird's nests of which we have
so often heard.
JJJ
BUT THE ROCK IS CRUMBLING
One of the insurance companies whose presi
dent has confessed that it has been a regular con
tributor to republican campaign funds, uses a cut
of the rock of Gibraltar as a sort of trade mark.
R. T. Davis of Thompson, Mo., directing atten
tion to this fact sends a clipping from the Stur
geon (Mo.) Leader news columns as follows:
The great rock of Gibraltar Is crumbling
and the rotting masses of the rock must bo
continually bound together with huge patches
of masonry and cement.
Mr. Davis also sends another news clipping
as follows:
The Hungarian chemist, Brun, says he
has discovered a liquid chemical compound
which renders certain kinds of matter proof
against the effects of time. He says it 8
doubles the density of nearly every kind of
stone and renders it water proof.
Mr. Davis suggests that this particular insur
ance company should bo a ready purchaser of
this preservative.
It seems to be slowly dawning upon the
minds of several West Point and Annapolis cadets
that the idea they must be cowards and bullies
in order to be soldiers and sailors Is an erron
eous one.
m
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