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The Commoner.
3
tIL 20, 1906
'V;y'
"fftr vySjWrfov ivgkiM9nwnr'v,','Y7,w - v
Rur behalf, and as a matter of economy It might
cneaper to put tne juatus on tiio.pu.yiwi ""
Lo aunnress tnem hv foron of arms. iis Biuuiy
Ebwever, Is probably due as much to his being
the head of the church as to . his flguting
R-qualities.
we sailed from Maibun to the Bornean coast
In order to take a steamer for Singapore, and as
we are studying colonialism, It was probably for
tunate that wo did, for we found a few foreigners
developing North Borneo with Chinese coolies, the
natives being lost sight of entirely.
At Sandakan there are thirty-eight English,
two Germans and two thousand Chinese, but
,-we searched in vain for a native. In and about
Kudat, another Bornean port, there are twenty
two Europeans and ten thousand Chinese, and
here we found only a few of the original inhabi
tants. At Labuan there are about twenty-five
foreigners, and the local business is In the hands
of the Chinese and East Indians.
I refer to the plan of development adopted
in those parts of Borneo at which our steamer
stopped because they throw light upon the colo
nial question with which we have to deal. Hav
ing described briefly, but as fully as space per
mits the conditions as I found them In the Philip
pines, I shall devote the next article to a discus
sion of the policy which should be pursued by the
United States in regard to them.
Copyright.
THE INDIANA PLATFORM
The platform adopted by the Indiana re
publican state convention is particularly inter
esting because of the fact that in Vice President
Fairbanks Indiana has a candidate for the repub
lican nomination in 1908.
The Indiana platform favors the regulation
of railroad rates "in such manner as to prevent
any discriminations and insure equality of ser
vice to all upon just and reasonable terms." It
insists that such regulation "must be effected
so as to operate justly upon the shippers, the
common carriers and the body of the people,"
but it fails to say where the Indiana republicans
stand gn the vital question, "Shall the rate as
fixed by the commission remain in effect until
final decree of court?"
The platform is particularly strong for "the
time-honored republican doctrine of protection,"
and declares that the republican party is "the
friend of the protective policy through good and
evil report," adding that it "can be trusted to
make changes in tariff schedules whenever more
good than evil will result." A very general de
mand is now being made for changes In tariff
schedules. This demand comes not only from
democrats, but from a considerable number of
republicans. But the republican congress Is deaf
to the appeals of the people, and we have the
right to infer that in the Indiana republican view
the tariff barons, rather than the people, are to
be the judges of whether tariff revision will re
sult itfmore good than evil.
The platform approves such reciprocity witu
other nations as will increase our foreign trade
"without injury to American industry." And
from the record of the republican party we nave
the right to infer tnat tne tariff oarons m tnis
untry, rather than tne people, are to ue tne
ages whether any particular reciprocity propose
n will work injury to American industry.
h Tho rVintform favors the enactment of laws
Rrmfonf Mi a nennle aealnst "the encroachments
of combined capital," but adds: "We realize that
capital must combine In a lawful way successfully
to conduct our modern industries, and we believe
in protecting it in its legitimate functions." Mr.
Roosevelt is indorsed for "rigidly enforcing the
anti-trust laws,", and his administration Is ap
proved and applauded in all its details.
Altogether the Indiana platform Is a thor
oughly "let well enough alone" affair and indi
cates, It may be assumed, the lines upon which
Mr. Fairbanks prefers to fight in his campaign
for the presidency.'
JJJ
FAITHFUL IN SMALL THINGS
' -RonfrnHv Thft Commoner snoke of a Louis-
ville printer who had worked for more than a
t half-century on tne uouner-journiu uuu cuieu
r n n nPTinlnn. His faithful discharge of his
i duties was recognized by his employers and he
W can look forward to a restful old age. Atten
t tion is now called to the death of Richard C.
Jackson of Kansas City, anotner man wno was
faithful in small things. .
Mi TnoirRnn was connected witih the post-
I office department and had spent upwards of
forty years in the postal service, furmg tnose
forty years he rendered faithful and efficient ser
vice, and won many promotions, nut wuun no.
died only a few knew ho had passed away. HIa
fame was not world-wide. Instead of being
known to thousands, he was known only to hun-"
dreds. But the hundreds who knew him knew
that ho was a faithful employe. And it is-to
such that the world owes its greatest debt of
gratitude.
The world has been benefited by men who
by some manifestation of unusual ability have
conferred great good upon society. But the good
thuB conferred is small when compared to the
benefits given by the faithful thousands who,
in their limited spheres and in quiet way, faith
fully perform the duties imposod upon them.
The Man of Nazareth recognized this great truth
and gave expression to it when .he gave tho
parable of the talents: "Thou nast been faith
ful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things." Men who have gained wealth
fend station may think that men like Richard
Jackson were failures in life. But men who meas
ure life by service rendered to tne world will
believe that these men have achieved success
because they were faithful in the discharge of
"every duty that came to hand.
JJJ
CAN IT BE7
An' Orient, Iowa, reader directs attention to
the March 15 issue of "The Iron Age." "Refer
ring to "the steadily increased supply of gold"
the Iron Age says:
"As this precious metal is the world's
standard, it follows if its production increases
beyond commercial and financial needs for it
as currency or the basis for currency that
there can be but one result, and that a fall
ing in the value of gold itself as a purchas
ing power, which can only bo shown in one
way, since gold is the standard tho rise in
the value of those things which it buys. Un
like the useful metals, the discoveries of
new bodies of precious metals seem to be
proceeding faster than even the actual de
mand, so that the possible scarcity of the
useful metals, on one hand, and the grow
ing supply of gold, on the other hand, prom
ise to change and possibly, for a time at
least, arreBt that downward trend in prices
which has. been so marked for so many years
and which finds so many striking illustra
tions in the hardware market."
Can it bo possible that these men who so
boldly maintain the quantitative theory In this
day were the same ones who in 1896 denounced
that theory as absurd?
In reading some of the republican confes
. slons of the day democrats must pinch them
selves in order to be assured that they are not
dreaming, but are really perusing republican edi
torials of 1906 rather than democratic arguments
of 1896.
JJJ
TESTS
A French scientist claims that by fixing a
comfortably padded leaden plate over the ear,
and passing an electric current through It he can
produce "all the characteristics of a smile." This
scientist may find in America numerous tests
for his scheme. He might try it on:
The managers of the Watch Trust and
other tariff barons while engaged in reading the
speech delivered recently in the house by Henry
T. Rainey of Illinois.
The republican reader who, after condemn
ing Judge Humphrey's decision in the beef trust
case is confronted with Attorney General Moody's
decision in the Paul Morton case.
The men who, during the recent campaign,
shouted loudly for District Attorney Jerome un
der the impression that he meant what he said.
The American voters who in 1896 regarded
the insurance and trust magnates as "defenders of
national honor" and are now sufficiently wide
awake to see through a stone with a hole in it.
The policyholders of the Equitable who imag
ined -that Thomas F. Ryan paid $3,000,000 for
Equitable stock which provided a legitimate in
come of $3,500 per year merely for the concern
-he had for society and the deep affection he bore
the policyholders.
The men who insisted that if the packers were
discharged through the blundering of Garfield,
Garfield Would be retired from the public service.
The men who accepted seriously the repub
lican pledge that that party would revise the
tariff whenever the public interest required re
vision. The men who believed that the republican
plea "let well enough alone" wasv made with
patriotic purpose rather than in the interest of
those bent upon plundering the public.
The men who, while admitting that figs can't
bo gathered from thistles were made to believe
that a political party obtaining its campaign funds
from special interests could be depended upon
to protect the public welfare.
The farmer on tho treoless plains of tho west
who is compolled-to pay tariff tribute to tho lum
ber trust on tho one hand and the barb wire Xenco
trust on tho other hand.
The laboring man who must pay a tariff tax
in order to avoid tho competition of pauper-made
European goods while compelled to suffer tho
competition of tho importod European pauper.
Tho newspaper editor who advocates a high
protective tariff while paying tribute to tho news
print and wood pulp trusts.
The republican mombers of the lower house
of congress who must beg a tyrannical speaker
for tho small privilege of advancing tho Interests
of the people whom thoy ropresent.
JJJ
' AT THE WRONG END
Tho Chicago Chronicle rejoiced In - tho
thought that the president would "admin
ister a rebuke" to certain writers "who have
prostituted their cleverness" by accepting sub
sidies for blackguarding people In the pages of
certain cheap magazines." "We can Imagine the
Chicago Chronicle's pleasure In the thought that
President Roosevelt would attack the magazine
writers who have exposed graft in high places.
Just now the owner of the Chronicle Is living
under something of a cloud, the result of tho
awakening of the American people to a realizing
sense of the wickedness of certain forms of high
finance and political manipulation. Some people
may believe that Lincoln Steffcns, Ray Stannard
Baker, Thomas W. Lawson and others have been
guilty of "blackguardism," but a vast majority
of tho people are of the opinion that Messrs.
Stefflns, Baker and Lawson have only made short
excursions Into the broad field of graft exposure.
President Roosevdlt should attack the matter
at the other end, and instead of denouncing the
writers who have been exposing graft and politi
cal chicane, use his whip of cords on the baclca
of the men who have already been exposed.
JJJ ."'":
ELECTIONS AND LEGISLATION
If a corporation has the right to appropriate
money to aid the republican party to win olec- '
tions when the officers and trustees regard re
publican victory as essential to the corporation's
welfare, why has it not the right to give money
for use in the legislatures of the various states
in order to defeat legislation which Its officers
regard as detrimental to the interests of tho cor
poration they serve?
Corporations are creatures of law, and are
created for certain specific purposes. For the
best of reasons their activities must be confined
to their legitimate sphere. Men serving as trus
tees for a corporation whose stock is owned by
democrats as well as by republicans, have no
right to vote away money for the benefit of a
partisan political party. They do a wrong to
their stockholders but they do a greater wrong
to tho public generally, because the corporation
which, as a rule, grows into a powerful concern
must be barred from political activities If popu
lar government Is to be preserved.
JJJ
No APPEAL FOR GOVERNMENT
A Deshler, Nebraska, reader writes: "Will
you kindly explain in your paper haw it was
that Judge Humphrey could dismiss the case
against the packers so that it could not be ap
pealed? Why could not that case be appealed
tho same as any other? I will be grateful if you
will show what authority he had to dispose of tho
case."
The case under consideration was a criminal
proceedings, and In such cases there is no ap
peal for the prosecution. Had a verdict of guilty
been rendered against the packers they would
have the privilege of taking an appeal to a higher
court.
"THE BRIGHTER DAY"
The Prisoners' Aid Department of the Sal
vation Array has begun the publication of a lit
tle newspaper with the title of "The Brighter
Day." The newspaper is unique In that it is
. the only paper published for circulation among
the inmates of prisons, reformatories and jails.
Its aim is to help the unfortunates and make
easier the task of battling with the world. The
little paper is filled with good cheer and seems
well calculated to perform the mission for which
it was founded. Tho Commoner wishes It un
bounded success.
r-j r '
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