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The Commoner.
VOLUME 6, NUMBER 5
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MAYOR WEAVER, of Philadelphia, has form
ally declared for municipal ownership under
mtmicipal civil uorvlco law. Newspaper readers
have rocenlly become familiar with Mayor Weav
er's record. Concerning him tho Chicago Record
Herald says: "Mayor Woavor has been mayor
of Philadelphia since 3003, and at the last No
vomher elections nldod in wrecking the vicious
Durham machine at tho polls. Ho also vetoed
the infamous gas loasc, tho flglit on which roused
tho roform element throughout tho state. Mayor
Weaver is an Englishman by birth and 43 years
of ago. Ho has been a resident of this city since
1809. By hard work ho gained an education, and
la a lawyer of marked ability. For a time he
served as district attorney and won distinction
for procuring convictions in all tho fraudulent
olection cases that ho prosecuted. Mayor Weaver
is a dovout Baptist and teaches a Sunday school
class. Ovor his desk in the city hall are the
lines: 'For tho cause that "needs assistance, for
tho wrong that needs resistance for tho future in
the distance, all the good that I can do.' "
SENATOR PATTERSON of Colorado, who re
cently spoke in tho senato in support of Mr.
Roosevelt's Santo Domingo treaty, was subjected
to considerable criticism at the hands of his demo
cratic colleagues. The democratic caucus had
agreed to oppose tho treaty. Mr. Patterson in
troduced in the sonato a resolution declaring
that caucus dictation Interfered with the public
duty which a senator was expected to discharge.
A dolmto marked with bitterness followed on this
resolution. Mr. Patterson was arraigned by Sen
ator Bailey and other democratic senators, tho
sonator from Texas saying that there was but one
proper recourse loft to Mr. Patterson and that
was to change parties.
MR. PATTERSON DEFENDED his position on
tho ground that caucus dictation "stripped
senators of every element of independence, and
is liablo to force them to disgrace their high
offices or sond them into oblivion." He declared
that such n course brought the senate down to
the level of an ordinary political meeting. Ho
said he had always believed that in public offlce
men were more important than platforms, and
declared that tho caucus rule did not provide
for tho conscience of tho senator, adding that
a senator should be true to his own convictions
constituting himself a monitor of which he should
stand in awe.
CENATOR BAILEY, of Texas, took issue with
O Mr Patterson and the debato at times was
extreme y personal. Senator Bailey said that thl
SUmembaersao7lLdeifined "! llUty of
us lnomoois of the democratic party and that
t must bo for Senator Patterson to determine
lis duty as a senator in contra-distinctlon to his
duty as a membor of the partv Cnn! f?i,
then took up tho defense 'of G S5SS s?s em
and read an account of the proceedE of tiE
fTt& syenSoCh Horn WW -afn'onuL eel
ioi uie sonato. He asked Mr. Patterson if im
considered the same objections w ich he h?S
Zd ?h Tat?Hul caucuses t0 appTy to causes
m 210., chow,Ins oC candidates for the , Se
no ' nffr rGI)lie(1 tlmt thQ two cat cusos we, e
TN HIS SPEECH defending his noqiMnn qA
Mr. Roosevelt's "Life of Bontnn quotet flom
tion of Andrew Taolmnn Vt , V n characterlza.
headed," anrslato ? hot
it to Mr. Patterson in 5 ll( h? woul(1 eave
dent Wild re com Sim Pl.
senator's eompnrisS o h L?oU ' ?,?Plld0
Senator Bailey assorts ,?' l? Jekson.
.bolted tho last domocrnti7 ai,lGrsn lmd
offices, and Mr. Pa Kn S?5"8 .fol' Denver
f .. iBiJueu.mat the report
iJKSHttrfSS?
was entirely correct, saying that the democratic
organization on that occasion was simply the
tool of tho utility corporations of tho City and
that those corporations nominated both the re
publican and democratic tickets.
LATER IN THE DEBATE Senator Bailey
charged that Mr. Patterson had participat
ed in . the democratic senatorial caucus in 1903
in which the rule binding senators by a two
thirds vote of the caucus had been adopted, and
that Mr. Patterson had voted for the resolution.
Mr. Patterson said that the vote was cast with
out due reflection and that circumstances could
not prevent a change of course when, after duo
Investigation, ho became satisfied that tho de
mand of the caucus was in conflict with his
sense of justice, and antagonistic to his duty as -a
senator.
ATTORNEY GENERAL MOODY has taken part
in the beef trust case on trial before the
federal court at Chicago. The attorneys for the
packers sought to introduce a letter written by
President Roosevelt to the attorney general, and
lie called "upon Mr. Moody to produce the original
of that letter. Mr. Moody consented to the in
troduction of a copy presented by the attorneys
of the packers with the understanding that it
should be subject to revision when compared with
the original. After reading the copy Mr. Moody
said that the statement made by Mr. Roosevelt
to the effect that the department of commerce
and labor had assisted the department of justice
in the beef trust case was not correct. He asked
permission to explain what he meant, but was
not given the opportunity. The packers' attor
neys placed great reliance upon Mr. Roosevelt's
statement that the department of justice obtained
material aid from the department of commerce
and labor by reason of Mr. Garfield's report. If
they are able to show that Mr.. Garfield promised
them immunity, and also that the department of
justice depended upon the Garfield report, the
proceedings against the packers will be dis
missed. '
TN A NEWSPAPER interview given after the
1 adjournment of court Attorney General
Moody, referring to his remarks concerning the
statement contained in President Roosevelt's
letter, said: "What I meant by inaccuracy was
that the lawyers for the defense had placed an
inaccurate construction on the words of the presi
dent. They seemed to believe the letter meant
that the department of justice was aided by the
department of commerce and labor in the grand
jury investigation. That construction is not right
I have no objection to the introduction of the docu
mentit is a copy of the. original."
HP HE I HEPBURN RAIROAD rate hill passed
X the house February . The vote scored 346
yeas and 7 nays. Those voting against the bill
were Littlefleld (Maine), McCall and Wees (Mass )
Perkins and Southwick and Breeland (New York)
and Sibley (Pennsylvania) all republicans. In
closing the debate on tho measure Mr. Henbura
said that the bill was intended to and di so fa?
as It could be made, comply specifically with the
recommendations of President Roosevelt on t e
rate question. It gives the interstate commerce
commission authority, when a rate has heen com
plained of as "unreasonable" by a shipper to
investigate that rate, state whether, or not it is
unreasonable, and if found to be unreasonable
to name a rate which is to bo just and reasonable
and fairly remunerative, which is to be the max
mum rate to be charged. This rate so fixed is to
go into effect thirty days after it is announced
by the commission, subject during that time to
bo set aside or suspended by tho commissi or
by the courts. After it has gone in o effect it
s to remain the rate for three years. The opinion
has been expressed by those who have StM
Dated in the debate that the rate may also bo
reviewed by the courts and if fon , iJ , ? ,
conflict either with the terms if he act or w. !!
the constitution by being confintnvv . Vl,th
net aside by the courtTnothei imnortanTnf
Jiro is the definition of the w ds Swd" Si
"transportation" in a manner to ineffe a i aux-
u 3 eS2OvfVi
mmmrrsiM
iliary instrumentalities of the common carrier and
to bring them within the control of the commis
sion. This power to name a reasonable rate
and the inclusion of the auxiliaries within tho
jurisdiction of the commission are said to be the
new features. All other provisions are modifica
tions of existing law. They Include publicity of
railroad methods, which is to be aided by pre
scribing a system of bookkeeping, and enlarging
the commission to seven members and Increasing
salaries of members to $10,000 a year.
SENATOR TILLMAN recently presented to the
senate a' petition from the Red Rock "Fuel
company of West Virginia complaining that the
Baltimore & Ohio company had refused to permit
the petitioner to connect its tracks with those of
the Baltimore & Ohio. Referring to this petitioji
Mr. Tillman called attention to the fact that the
time the petition was presented Senator Elkins
had said that there was a remedy under the state
laws of West Virginia. Mr. Tillman then pre
sented a letter from Governor Dawson of West
Virginia complaining of the difficulty in adminis
tering the laws. The governor added: "It amy
be that the Pennsylvania Railroad company does
not legally own a controlling part of the Baltimore
& Ohio company or the Chesapeake & Ohio Rail
way company or the Norfolk & Western Railway
company, but I have no doubt that an investiga
tion will show that the Pennsylvania ' Railroad
company practically controls these three great
lines which traverse West Virginia and which
are the only means whereby the products of this
state, including coal, can be shipped to either the
lakes in the west or other markets in the east.
Hence it is a fact that West Virginia today is in
the grasp of a railroad trust which practically
says what part of the state shall be developed
and what shall not be developed, how' much coal
shall be shipped out of the state, to what points
or ports it shall be shipped and when it shall
be shipped. Of course it makes its own rates and
we are helpless. The Pennsylvania railroad 3
very largely interested fn the production or ship
ment of bituminous coal; it will naturally look
after its own interest and the interests of the
people along its lines in, Pennsylvania and else
where first of all, and therefore the-, interests of
West Virginia are subordinated to the interests
of these others and our railroads upon which
we are dependent are controlled by an alien cor
poratlon practically in competition with us."
HTHOMAS W. LAWSON recently paid a visit
X , ,t0 Governor Johnson, of Minesota, and per
suaded the governor to co-operate with him In
the effort to place the control of New York
Life and the Mutual Life Insurance companies in
the control of their policyholders. After an ex
tended conference with Mr. Lawson, Governor
Johnson expressed the opinion that Mr Lawson
fniu Ctl'd ?P his sleeve that wI astonish the
folks." Mr. Lawson said that the committee In
charge of this work will be GovernT Johnson
Governor Broward, former Attorney Genemi
Monnet of Ohio, and Fremont Older of San Fran
cisco. Other names will be added later InvS,
Sd fhltheJias enou Proxiei to control the
vote in the New York Life and the Mutual T Iftf
The New York Life's meeting will bf held AnSfi
7 , and the Mutual's meeting win be held JuntPl4
Mi. Lawson says that he is anxious to col- So nnn
ore75,000 men on hand where he caf tolHo
"--
GOVERNOR CUMMINS, of Iowa has fnrmmi
t announced thaf he will be a' Cand!?Wy
a third term as governor. Natlond Si te fS?
enter Into the Iowa contest" GovernJ cZminl
being a pronounced tariff revisionist : "mm,u,s
editor of the Sioux City Journal ami u E J p ?'
predicted that the contest wm be one of
goat heated political fights which XkplSS
HTHE COUNTESS BONI DE CASTELLANE
1 formerly Anna Gould,' daughter nfw
Gould, has filed a petition in thoPSach courts
asking for a divorce and the custody of ier two
children. Efforts at recortciliatlon have been
made, but declaring thaf she: ,aaa beon patient
(Continued on Pago 7) r "V
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