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The Commoner.
JULY 2 S; 1,
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Manila for their health; they must not only bo
paid as much as they would bo paid at homo for
the same work, but more. The salaries thero
are higher than the salaries paid for tho samo
work in this country, the member's of the Phil
ippine commission, for instance receiving moro
per year than our cabinet officers. Not only
are the salaries high, but the officials requiro
larger expenditures for tho protection of their
health and the health of their families than they
do at home.
Tho high pay of the American official re
siding in the Philippines leads to an increase in
the pay of natives, or there is a discrepancy
between the pay of the two -classes which is at
once noticed.
If the Filipino is paid the same as the
'American, the expense of the government is still
further increased; if, on tho other hand, tho
Filipino receives less than the American for the
same class of work which is tho fact dissat
isfaction is the result. An attempt has been
made to conceal this difference in pay by giving
moro than one office to the American. For in
stance, the members of the commission receive
$5,000 per year each as members of the com
mission; then the American members of the
commission are given $10,000 each as heads of
departments. This is merely a device to avoid
the payment of high salaries to the native mem
bers of the commission. The Philippine gov
ernment could be conducted by Filipinos for
at least a half less than it can be conducted
by Americans, and the Filipinos would bo bet
ter satisfied with their own administration than
with ours.
The Filipinos can justly contend that tho
'American congress does not understand tho
needs of the Filipinos as well as a native gov
ernment would, and that the resident Americans
do not stay long enough to identify themselves
with the people. No matter how well-meaning
congress may be, it can not have tho knowledge
necessary, and no matter how upright in inten
tion the resident Americans may bp, they lack
the .sympathy with the people which is neces
sary to successful administration. Those who
are wisest have the least faith in their own
ability to govern others and the least confidence
in their lack of race bias. Jefferson, when in
.vitgd to frame a constitution for a French col
ony which was locating ori""one of the rivers of
the south,, replied that no one outside of- their
own community was sufficiently acquainted with
their history, their traditions andtheir habits
of thought to frame a constitution for them,
and yet what the wisest of statesmen in tho
ripeness of his wisdom hesitated to attempt for
a people coming to the United States, some
fledgling statesman would confidently undertake
for people of another race in a distant part of
the globe.
A colonial policy denies to the Filipinos
that experience which only participation in gov
ernment can give. Thero is an educational ad
vantage in self-government; responsibility sobers
and trains. Other things being equal, he does
-best from whom we expect most, for each one
desires to win the commendation of his fellows.
Some insist that we must govern the Filipinos
until their capacity for self-government is de
veloped. If we must govern them until they
catch up with us, we have an endless task be
fore us, for, assuming that we are now ahead
' of them, how can' the gulf be closed unless they
advance more rapidly than we do? And how
can they makemore rapid progress in the art
of self-government if they are not allowed to
exercise their powers at all, while we strain
ours by governing both ourselves and them?
oooo
A i STILIi WAITING
I ! Hereinafter will be found a Chicago Trib
une article entitled, "Time for Action." It will
be seen that the promises made by the street
car companies have riot been kept. The "strap
hanger association" which wanted compro
mise so that its members could sit down ought
to have another meeting. . The people of Chicago '
.were buncoed and even the Tribune is finding
it out but the Tribune did its part of the bun-coelng:
TIME FOR ACTION
"Chicago has waited longr for its improved
utreet car service. The people who live in the
second city of the United States have endured
.with surprising patience-transportation facilities
which have been inadequate in every particular.
jThey have heard with fequal patience all sorts ot
excuses for the backwardness of the- street "car
companies. A hostile administration, the un
settled condition of tho franchises, prospective
re-organ lzation of one of the companfos, each of
these has been used to tho llmiL The peoplo
are getting tired of inaction. Tho question of
general Interest is, when is tho street car servico
of Chicago to bo improved?
"There have been a few signs of activity
here and there. Some streets have been torn
up where tracks were being repaired. An occa
sional new car has appeared among tho old fash
ipned ones and some of tho older ones havo boon
repainted to give tho effect of newness. But
practically nothing has been done, at least so far
as the people can see, toward that ontlro re-construction
of tho street car system of Chicago
which has so long been promised. Tho summer
days are passing swiftly by. The best time for
oiltdoor work sees nothing accomplished. Tho
excuses no longer have force. It Is time for
action.
It would be a gratification to know just
what the companies are planning to do for tho
city. There is a board of supervising engineers
which has been given large powers, 'ihat board
should make a statement for the information of
the people. Thero are things tho citizens have
a right to know. They are asking questions.
"When are the street car companies going to do
something? What sort of changes are to bo
made? Are there to be high grade cars in Chi
cago such as are used in other cities? Is there
to be more frequent service? Is the running
time to be reduced so as to bring outlying dis
tricts into closer connection with the heart of
the city? When is the long promised rb-routing
.to be accomplished? These and similar ques
tions are being asked every day, and, so far as
is apparent, no satisfactory answer is heard any
where. "Chicago wants something tangible. It
wants a trustworthy statement from the super
vising engineers of what is intended. It wants
that right away. If it has a dependable declar
ation front these men whom it can hold respon
sible it will be moro willing to wait until new
rails can be secured, to wait until the car man
ufacturers can supply the needed equipment, to
make every possible allowance that ought to bo
made. But it will not be content with inaction
or with an entire lack of reliable informatl6n
about what Is to be done and when it is to be
done. Three months have passed by since .the
future was assured by the result. of the springy
elections: It is high time, that the peoplo .know
what they may expect." .
OOOO
MISREPRESENTING MUNICIPAL OWNER
SHIP In this issue The Commoner reproduces
from the Richmond (Va.) Evening Journal an
unusually Interesting parallel column .showing.
In one column appears a Wheeling, W. Va.,
dispatch to the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch
setting forth at length the alleged failure of
municipal ownership of the water plant at tho
town of Martins Ferry, Ohio.
In the other column is the clear and ex
plicit statement made by James M. Blackford,
mayor of Martins Ferry.
An immense literary bureau has been or
ganized for the purpose of beating down the
rapidly -growing sentiment In favor of municipal
ownership of public utilities, and it Is plain that
this literary bureau does iot hesitate to misrep
resent. It will be remembered that not long
ago a statement purporting to come from Lin
coin, Neb., was printed in various publications
and in this statement it was claimed that Lin
coln had failed in its attempt at municipal own
ership of the water plant.- Mayor Bjrown, of
Lincoln, issued a statement which will doubt
less be remembered by Commoner readers. He
pointed out the great advantages derived by
the public through Lincoln's ownership of ito
water plant.
Newspaper editors should exorcise greater
care In the publication of such material. The
literary bureaus of the speclal interests' would
be impotent if every newspaper In the land ad
hered to the motto of the old Salem Register,
and if editors were as careful in scrutinizing
the "copy" furnished by the literary bureaus
of a lawless element as they are in the exam
ination of communications offered them by tho
"Pro Bono Publico" of their immediate neigh
borhood. OOOO
l v IN CHICAGO
Mayor Dunne was defeated for re-election
as- mayorv of Chicago, .largely through the in- -fluence-
of President Roosevelt who cast" the
weight of his influence ponthe side of Mayors
Busse. Every- Chicago dally newspaper with;--
perhaps, ono or two exceptions, opposed Mr.
Dunno and advocated tho election of Mr. Bubho,
and claimed that they took this stand because
tho election of Mr. Busso meant a "greator and
bettor Chicago." Tho "business olomonUi" wore
appealed to with especial emphasis. Now that
Mayor Busso is in office it might bo well to,
note what his newspaper supporters say abdut
conditions In Chicago, thorcby pointing out somo
of tho "business olomouts" that aro profiting''
under his administration. Tho Chicago Record-
Herald tells tho story under glaring headline
that read thusly:
"Gambling Now Open; All Qamon
Flourish Roulette, Craps, Policy, Faro and . ,'
Handbooks Operated Throughout Chicago'.-.
No Protonso at Socrocy Resumption of i
Play, Magical in Its Way, Rejuvenates
Spirits of tho 'Kings.' "
Tho school board, which under Mayor
Dunno was made up of men and women whoso
chief Interest was the upbuilding of tho public
school system, has been put under the manage-
ment of men Interested chiefly In political and
financial manipulation of educational matters,
these men being appointed by Mayor BUbbo as
a part of tho "reform" program.
OOOO
THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
As this copy of Tho Commoner may bo road
by somo one not familiar with tho details of tho
primary pledge plan, it Is necosaary to say that -according
to tho terms of this plan every demo
crat is asked to pledge himsolf to attend all of
tho primaries of his party to bo held between
now and tho next democratic national conven
tion unless unavoidably prevented, and to secure
a clear, honest and straightforward declaration
of tho party's position on every question upon
which tho voters of the party desire to speak.
Those desiring to bo enrolled can either writo
The Comm-nor approving the object of tho or
ganization and asking to havo their names en
tered on the, roll, or they can fill out and mall
tho blank pledge which is printed on page 12.
OOOO
TRY IT '
Tho .,Chicago Record-Herald Bays: ."A ,
Washington report states that hcreattorwhomf
a trust is attacked, the) government will ask for
tho appointment of receivers to dissolve it' re-'.'
distribute tho assets and the business 'and re
store tho suppressed competition. Tho policy of
imposing fines and ordering re-organizations is
said to have yielded slight results, and slnco
corporations can not he arrested tho only altern
ative is receiverships."
But the corporation officials may bo arrest
ed. The administration might give that "varf
simple plan a trial.
OLD DAYS AND BYWAYS . -,;
O, the old days and" the byways when tho world .
was fair and young, i
And tho wandering thro' highways with the'sor-';
rows still unsung! ' '
The dear days, now the dead days, and th:
sweetness of the land, - j p ";- '
When, together, we trod love's ways, blossom
. ' bordered, hand In hand.
O, the dead day and the byways, ; "
Lost In throbbing, restless highways-- , 7
How the heart goes back In day dreams how
it tries to understand! '
Then-you came with roses, blushing, and your-
eyes looked into mine,
And your lips were crimson, flushing, and their
nectar like old wine!
But the songs of youth, th by lasted till the gor-
, rows came to blight - "
When tho hope of years was blasted and th
pathway grew as night.
0, the old days and the hoping,
Lost forever in the groping
How the years grow briefer, fleeting and-tli9
dreams are lost in flight. " '
1
O, the silences and dreaming dreams that
faded like the mist
That rolls landward from the ocean, by the
glory sunbeams kissed
Dreams that died like tender blossoms that in
yonder garden grew,
When the faring North wind chilled them
every blossom that you knew! ' -
O, the old days and the byways,
Bring them back,! -Fori would my ways-
Might: be ways, dear heart,, to guide' me safely.'.'
.,. . - .back to home, and .yon, " ' '-"
Will F. Griffin in Milwaukee Sentinel.
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