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Commoner.
VOLUME 6, NUMBERT
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The Commoner
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Uxouaiw h. Mjitcamtb
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THE COMMONER. Lincoln. Neb
, .After all the "man with, the muckrako"
stirred congress quite a bit.
' Senator Spooner's reply to Senator Bailey's
great speech seems to have exhausted itself in
the preliminary advertising.
The French having perfected a new battleship,
destroyer it is up "to some other country to , per
fect a battleship destroyer, .destroyer: .''',
- .. .? i"
A scientist says that automobiling will cure
insomnia. Perhaps; but trying to get the auto
mobile causes the disease in the first place.. :
In 1890 the man who spoke of a federal judge
as President Roosevelt spoke of Judge Humphrey
was called "anarchist," "agitator," "traitor," and
a few other choice names. They did it then
to earn their pay; they refrain from it now in
order to retain their place on the payroll.
The democratic national committeeman from
Nebraska, James C. Dahlman, has just been
elected mayor of Omaha by a majority approxi
mating 3,000. He Is the first democratic mayor
elected in Omaha in sixteen years. He promised
the people a thoroughgoing democratic adminis
tration and his word is good.
The Milwaukee Sentinel claims that the dry
dock "Dewey" continues to smash all slow pro
gress records. In its enthusiastic republicanism
the Sentinel has overlooked the progress of re
publican revision of the tariff. Compared with
republican tariff revision the drydock "Dewey"
makes a San Francisco relief train look like it
was going backwards.
The house bill to remove the revenue tax
from denatured alcohol is now over in the sen
r wP S11J? !nt comra!.ttee of which Senator Nel
aiiT'ff1?1,18 chairman. Senator Aldrich
is the father-in-law of John D. Rockefeller 1?
Free denatured alcohol will be a severe blow
to tho Standard Oil company. Puzzle: wX
will become of the house bill to remove the
revenue tax from denaturized alcohol?
PREACHING VS. PRACTICE
A,f0,T eeks ag0 Mr- John D- Rockefeller,
3;., told his Sunday school class that a lie, either
spoken or acted, was never justifiable, and he
animadverted at length upon tho wickedness of
ylng. The other day young Mr. Rockefeller vis
ited a Connecticut town and registered at a hotel
as "John Davidson." True, that is , the young
mans name, but just the same ho registered it
m 1 iUe?lirpoTs.e of deceivingUeople and hiding
his identity. It was one of hose "acted lies"
which young Mr. Rockefeller s severely repro-
bated a few weeks ago. It is with sorrow., and.
anguish that we call tho attention of the Sun
day school class to this lapse from virtue, and we
beseech its members, to immediately wrestle with
their erring teacher and give him every needed
assistance in getting back into the paths of 7tue
and truthfulness, It is, sad to see such prominent
examplars of our youth lapsing, and we dq not
intend to witness it without rising in protest.
JJJ
WHERE THE ELKINS' LAW IS LAME
In imposing a fine upon the railroad men
convicted of granting rebates, Federal Judge Be
thea at Chicago expressed regret that the im
prisonment clause had been repealed. Judge
Bethea said: "If there was a provision for im
prisonment in the penitentiary much more might
be accomplished."
It will be remembered that the imprisonment
clause was repealed by the Elkins law, and we
were assured that a mere fine would make the
law much more effective. But these so-called cap
'cains of industry have just as much dread of
prison bars as the ordinary mortal has. As Jere
Black .said in discussing the violations of law
committed by the railroad magnates of his day,
if these men knew that a continuation of imposi
tion oh the public meant imprisonment in jail
"they would no more rob a shipper on the rail
road than they would pick a pocket in a prayer
meeting."'
JJJ
DANGER OF ARBITRARY POWER
. The danger of conferring unlimited and ar
bitrary power upon men has been emphasized by
occurrences at San Prancisco during the reign
qf terror in that city. It is now generally con
ceded that .tlie troops were altogether too reckless
in their shooting, and that a number of innocent
people were killed by over-zealous militiamen. No
one will deny the necessity of extreme measures
under circumstances such as confronted the peo-
pie of San Francisco. All civil authority was ')
destroyed for the time being, and' even martial'-',
law was not given control. Under such condi
tions it was necessary togive unusual power to
the troops on guard, and doubtless their pres
ence prevented many horrible crimes. But, as
might have been expected, the granting of such .
unusual power resulted in tho death of nianv in
nocent people at the hands of men only toooady
to exercise power without discrimination. TJhere'
is the danger in granting unlimited power to fall!-.-'''
bio men. - t'
JJJ
HOW CAN THEY EXPLAIN IT?
A recent bulletin from the bureau of labor
presents some statistics that would keep the tariff
"standpatters" busy with explanations were it not
for the fact that tariff "standpatters" never ex
plain anything. The bulletin shows that the cost
of living has increased 29.2 per cent since 1897,
and that most of the commodities upon which
the increase in price has been made are sold -more
cheaply for export than for home consump
tion. The tariff "standpatters" may not now deem ,
this matter worthy of attention, but the men who
work for a wage that has not increased in pro
portion to the increase in the cost of living may
take a notion to do some voting at coming elec
tions. JJJ
THE CHAIRMAN KNEW
The Kansas republicans in state convention
assembled reaffirmed their devotion to the high
protective tariff, but the voters of Kansas will
not forget, that W. R. Stubbs, chairman of the re
publican state committee in calling the conven
tion to order said: J'We know that the greatest
robber in this country today is the great steel
trust; made possible by an unreasonable protec
tive tariff. I believe that reasonable and conser
vative resolutions should be passed along this"
line." -
WASHINGTON CITY LETTER
Washington, D. C, May 7. South Carolina
has more farmers in congress than any state in
the Union. Both of the South Carolina senators
before they, were sent to Washington wer6 com
pelled to make their living by tilling the soil.
Senator , Latimer, however, in recent years has
been engaged in other pursuits and is reputed
to ,have gotten, together more of this world's
goods than his colleague, Mr. Tillman in the upper
branch of congress, Two of the members of the
housje of representatives from South Carolina
also record .themselves in the congressional di
rectory, as farmers. They are Mr. Aiken and
Mr. Ellerbe. But the former has had a side busi
ness, for he, is a fine shorthand writer and before
coming to congress earned good pay in report
ing for the courts.
Colonel John H. Bankhead of the Sixth Ala
bama district, who was recently defeated at the
primary by Capt. Richmond, Pearson Hobson has
never had any other occupation except that of
farmer. His, district is particularly agricultural
but the voters preferred the naval hero and de
cided that Capt. Hobson should represent them.
Representative Pollard, of Nebraska, writes
himself down in the directory as a farmer and
in addition records the fact that he has a 200
acre apple orchard.
"Always lived on a farm," is what Col. "Lon"
Livingston, of the Atlanta district of Georgia
says about himself in the directory. Several
other members of the house put themselves down
in the directory as "farmers and bankers." They
are Mr. Hull of Iowa, Mr. McKinley of Illinois, and
Mr. Reeder of Kansas. Mr. Reeder states that
he has the largest irrigated farm in his common
wealth. Some of these other combination farmers and
business men are recorded as follows: Repre
sentative Sibley, of Pennsylvania, manufacturer
and farmer; the same is true of Mr. Gordon Lee
of Georgia; and tho Hon. James W. Wads worth,
chairman of the house committee on agriculture
commonly called by his friends in-that body
Farmer" Wadsworth, owns immense landed es
tates, but his principal business is breeding fine
stock, horses, cattle and sheep.
"By occupation he is a farmer." That is
Z l?f nfhexr?0nv m Y' C?cks' of the Fhst dis
trict of New York writes in the directory about
himself. Mr. Cocks represents the district in
which President Roosevelt has his legal residence.
He goes on to tell that the district is normally
democratic by about 2,000, but notwithstanding
that fact he managed to pull through two years
ago by a plurality of 329.
A few days ago Ex-Senator James L. Pugh,
of Alabama, for the first time this session visited
the august body of which he was an honored and
influential member for eighteen years. Mr. Pugh
was a member of the house, of representatives
as long ago as 1859. There is now no man in
public life at Washington who was in either
branch of congress when Mr. Pugh was first sent
here by his constituents. The nearest ono to
him is Senator Allison of Iowa, but he did not.
come to Washington until about the middle of the :
civil war, having been first elected a member
of the house of representatives from, his state.
Senator Allison is in his 78th year. Ex-Senator
Pugh is going on 87, and although he had an at
tack of illness last winter he seems to be fully
recovered and his friends would not be surprised
if he were to round out another decade.
It is a remarkable fact that the two most
venerable men in the senate are from Alabama,
faenator Pettus will be" 85 his next birthday and'
Senator Morgan will be 82. Among the other
venerable senators are the following: Messrs.
Tel er of Colorado, who will be 76 on May 23;
Sr.lom Z I11Inois. 77 in November; Frye of
Maine, 75 on September 2; Piatt of New York,
73 on July 15; Depew was 73 last month; and
Proctor of Vermont, will be 75 on June 1. All
? "J,86110 named are actively engaged in
legislative duties except Mr. Depew.
.. Inasmuch as Captain Hobson has announced
that his sole desire in getting into congress is
to work for the construction of a stupendous navy
to cost anywhere from one to two billion dol
larsit is appropriate to mention that the am
bitious young retired officer will have a hard time
as a democrat getting on the naval affairs com
mittee of the house even should his party con
trol that body in the next congress. Until the
big stick" policy of the government is sent to
the rear large appropriations for the navy will
be made. Business concerns, of course, are deep
ly interested, and it is natural that they should
want to get as many contracts as possible. Older
members of the house will demand to be appoint
ed on the naval affairs committee, and the chances
for Capt. Hobson are looked upon as being rather
slim to land on this committee.
ALFRED J. STOFER.
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