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JUNE 8, 190G
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hero one sees bo'th the mystery of creation and
the manifestations of the Father's loving kind
ness. Hero man finds a witness, unimpeachable
though silent, to the-omnipotdnco, the omniscience
and 'the goodness of God.
Gopyright. ' '
JJJ
MICHAEL DAV.ITT
Michael Davitt died at Dublin near midnight,
May 29. Mr. Davitt was born in County Mayo,
March 25, 1846. One newspaper writer referring
to Mr. Davitt says:
"The lesson enshrined in Hugo's 'Jean Val
jean' for uplifting the submerged in all civili
zations was the gospel, in a measure, that was
followed by Davits He might, indeed, be
called the IriBh Jean Valjean. Hugo's grand
hero had his soul centered in the welfare of
Cosette. Erin was the Cosette of Michael
Davitt, and through years of painful suffer
ing, imprisonment, contumely and degradation
he wrought courageously, unceasingly, for the
creating of better conditions in the storied
land that was the idol of his hopes and
dreams."
In every land, wherever men have aspired to
liberty, the name of Michael Davitt is known and
loved. And today men of every race pay loving
tribute to the memory of this great Irishman.
Thomas Brennan, a well known Omaha business
man, was one of Mr. Davitt's most intimate
friends. Mr. Brennan pays to his dead friend and
to liberty's great champion this beautiful tribute:'
"Michael Davitt's life i3 the modern his
tory of Ireland, and to him more than any
man of his day, Js due the Improved condi
tion of 'die Irish people. He was the greatest
organizer that existed in any country since
Carnot's time. He was the greatest teacher
Ireland has produced since Thomas Davis
died, and he was the most practical Irish re
former since Wolfe Tone cut his own throat
rather than let the English government hang
him. His was a life of- sacrifice and selfc
denial Every moment' of that life was .der ',
voted to the redemption of his people, to their-
material and intellectual advancement. H
"'""TiTgone, bu'T11i&-'Se,GdSi-TCras sown Is bearing
fruit, and a redeemed Ireland will some day ;
realize that on Memorial day, 1906, one of herj -A
greatest sons ' passed away from this earth',?
and the whole world will realize that humanity
lost one of its greatest lovers when Michael
Davitt ceased to breathe."
JJJ
A GENERAL DEFENSE
The New York Tribune, republican, says that
the opinion discharging from custody George W.
Perkins will "harmonize with the opinions of
most persons who try to form a fair judgment of
financiers Instead of joining in demagogic or at
least imreasoning outbreaks against them1."
The Tribune adds:
"No judicious, person, however much he
might condemn'the custom of contributing cor
poration money to political campaign funds,
. ever supposed that Mr. Perkins acted fr6m
evil motives in the transaction about which
he testified before the Armstrong committee.
He clearly had no thought of stealing the
money or converting it to his own uses or do
ing anything but contribute It, on behalf of
the company and under instructions, to a
cause which he believed it was the com
pany's best Interest to promote."
We believe the Tribune has had much to say
by way of condemning Andrew Hamilton, the
insurance lobbyist, but what the Tribune ,says
in defense of Perkins' contribution to the repub
lican campaign fund may be said in defense of
Andrew Hamilton and every other corruptionist.
The insurance magnates who poured out their
policyholders' money for the purpose of buying
legislatures and preventing legislation inimical to
their interests "clearly had no thought cf steal
ing the money or converting it to their own use,
or doing anything but contribute it on behalf of
the company, and under instructions, to a cause
.which they believed was the company's best in
terest to promote."
JJJ
A FORCEFUL REMINDER "',
The revelations in the meat packing industry
serve to recall a few incidents that occurred dur
ing the Spanish-American war. It will be remem
bered that" during the progress of that short war
The Commoner.
it was charged that "embalmed beer' was being
fed to the soldiers. Immediately a storm of de
nunciation arose, and those who declared that
embalmed beef" was a part of the army ration
were denounced as "little Americans," "yellow
journalists," and oven worse. The soldiers who
dared to complain were called "malingerers,"
"coffee coolers," "berry pickers," and ovory other
term of contempt. The idea that the beef pack
ers would be guilty of such a crime was scouted.
The soldiers who complained that they were being
poisoned have now plenty of evidence to vindi
cate their complaints. A trust that would seek
to profit by selling poisoned food to the public
to helpless women and little children certainly
would not allow patriotic sentiment interfere to
prevent further profit from selling "embalmed
beef" to the soldiers. The veterans of the civil
war who had their experience with paper-soled
shoes, shoddy uniforms and cast iron muskets,
furnished by rascally contractors, are in a posi
tion to prove that there are men who never al
lowed their declared patriotism to interfere with
their graft. .
JJJ
"OIL"
The Lincoln (Nebraska) Star, a republican
paper, takes the Omaha World-Herald to task
because that paper condemns the acceptance by
the authorities of the state university of John
D. Rockefeller's gift of $66,000. The Star refers
to the World-Herald's criticisms as "foolish," and
adds:
"Neither the university, nor any one con
nected with it, now or hereafter, is under
any obligation to respect Mr. Rockefeller's
views, political, civic, economic or religious.
'Tainted money' it may be that comes through
Rockefeller,fchut if he took it wrongfully from
' the people," as the World-Herald doubtless
would argue, then no one has a better right
to receive the money than the people for
their universities or other public institutions."
sturdy defenders of honor and they most mater
ially assisted In op'onlng the path to tho pros
perity which blesses tho nation today. Mr. Till
man may seek to mako partisan capital out of
what the banks did tori yenrs ago, but the more
closely the facts are studied tho higher they will
stand in tho estimation of sensible and patriotic
men."
If memory Is not at fault, The Times approved
tho prosecution of hoads of insurance companies
for contributing to campaign funds, the money of
th.olr policy holders. If thoso bankers aro to bo
regarded as "sturdy dofondors of honor," then
with what reason shall the heads of Insurance
companies bo prosecuted?
JJJ
HE FORGOT IT
While Representative Dalzell, of Pennsyl
vania, was delivering a tariff speech In the house
he was Interrogated by Representative Under
wood of Alabama. The following is taken from the
New York Herald's report:
"'Can you name,' said Underwood, 'a
place In the world whore steel rails are pro
duced at less cost than Jn Pittsburg?'
"I think not,' said Dalzell.
" 'Then can you name a place in the world
where pig iron is produced as cheaply as it
is in Pittsburg?' said Underwood.
" 'I think not,' said Dalzoll.
"'Then,' persisted Underwood,, 'why
should the country put a protective tariff upon
either steel rails or pig iron?'
"'I will come to that later in my speech,'
said Dalzell.
..."But he never did come to it." ,
Yet in the same speech Mr. Dalzell said that
the republicans would welcome the tariff issue in
the republican congressional campaign.
JJJ
.-rrf.- "D'SHONEST DOLLARS'!-- , ,v .
xae nion;u American Review prints several
-.-
In the same' issue of the Star there is an
other editorial entitled "Syracusian Anarchy."
The first riaracranh of that editorial -follows r
"Chancellor Day, of Syracuse university. V2lla""?.!eAhincoi ai!: .'
-aeemB tier.fntlv Ho.-. ni3Mri.A icv.riv "wihuuhim. ii uuoamuiw, anu saya: " rnearu-
the head of a university ought to show to
the multi-millionaire who furnishes oil to
keep the wheels from creaking; but when it
' comes to the expression of his sentimenta the
doctor seems somewhat hazy."
Nebraska, as well as Syracuse, was furnished
"oil to keep the wheels from creaking," but
in the 'opinion of this republican newspaper Ne
braska is to be exempt from criticism. It will
occur to a great many people that the Star is
not only "somewhat hazy" in the expression of
its sentiments, but that it is "not at all clear
on the sort of loyalty the head of a university
ought to show to the multi-millionaire."
JJJ
THE EIGHT-HOUR SILL REPORTED '
Despite the efforts "of the republican majority
of the houe committee on labor the eight-hour
bill has been favorably reported for passage and
it is believed on all sides that it will pass the
house. The representatives of the labor organi
zations of the country have been struggling for
many months to get this bill out of committee,
but the republican majority frustrated them. On
May 29 the committee was in session listening
to an argument presented by ex-Representative
Payson of St. Louis. The majority members had
grown a little careless and as a result only three
republicans were present. Three democrats were
present Representative Hearst, a member of tho
committee, who was thought to be in San Fran
cisco, suddenly walked into the committee room.
That made a quorum, with three republicans
and four democrats present. Immediately Rep
resentative Hunt of Missouri, democrat, moved
that the committee go into executive session. This
, the committee did and immediately the bill was
J favorably reported. Representative Gardner, of
Massachusetts, was the only republican member
voting for a favorable report on the bill. This Is
the bill which President Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor has long sought to secure
a favorable report upon', but his efforts have been
foiled by the republican majority.
JJJ
"STURDY DEFENDERS."
Referring to Senator Tillman's expose of bank
assessments for the . benefit of the Republican
campaign fund- in 1896, the Pittsburg Times (Re-
publican) says: "The head of the banks were
xftcVW,Sorr.HQwmuch money can a man1 'hon
estly darn? Who knows? Who can tell?" " "
Perhaps no one, exactly. But we do know
that every dollar ho acquires through special
privilege witfiiri tho law or without the laSv is
a dishonest dollar.
And while waiting until our sociologists de
termine just "how much money a man can hon
estlyearn" would It not be well for the Amorican
people to set themselves resolutely to the task
of "preventing the accumulation of what they
.know to be dishonest dollars those dollars that
through unjust laws are taken out of the pockets
of the many for the enrichment of the pockets of
" tho few?
JJJ
SOMETHING LIKE-IT AT HOMESTEAD
-In his speech on the tariff question Represent
ative Dalzell of Pennsylvania, said: "We rpad
our tariff lessons in tho blazing light of open
furnace doors, amid the noise of industrial activ
ity and with the sweat on our brows that we coin
Into wealth. And God help the man or the party
that would put out thoso fires, silence the music
of that noise and send the workman home to a
foodless and hungry household."
Let us see. The McKinley tariff law Svas on
the statute books In 1892 when the Homestead
strikes were given to history. There was con
siderable "noise of activity" In those days, but
it was something different from "industrial activity."
JJJ
A FAMILIAR SOUND
'
George F. Baer, president of the Reading
Railroad company, has at last admitted that there S
is something out of gear In the business world's
machinery. He speaks about "the evident lower
ing of American business ideals," but hastens to
add: "Our rules Qf conduct appear In sharp con
trast with those of the other great railroad cor
porations of the land. We not only possess that
common honesty that it is disgraceful not to
have, but in our management we have always
held fast to that integrity which is the only
standard for men and corporations of the land.
They will not find us as others."
Does any one doubt that Mr. Baer really be
lieved what he said when, ..he announced -that he,
was a;','trustee of God?"- - .' A ' .
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