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The Commoner
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 29
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justification In procooding incllvicltially against
ihn nfllnnru nf t)in Atnhlann. TntiAVn nrwl Ratlin.
Fo railway for contompt when neither the in-
I terstato commerco commission or tho Bpecial
j counBel you havo employed have determined a
Binglo fact of any kind Iroyond tho holding of
their offices tending to implicate any one of thoso
oillcers."
But now, according to Mr. Roosovelt's in
timate friend, Kohlsaat, Paul Morton himBolf
confessed tho fact to Mr. Roosevelt. Yot after
that confession Mr. Roosevelt not only appoint
ed Mr. Morton to tho cablnot but refused to
penult proceedings to ho commenced against
him, on the chargo of robating, on tho theory
that thoro was not sufficient ovidenco to justify
suspicion against Morton!
If Mr. Kohlsaat has not made a terrible
i mistake then Mr. Roosevelt did something more
I than blunder In tho appointment and in tho
idofonso of Paul Morton.
,. , oooo
''" NO BANGER OF TANIO
There is no danger of a panic. Those who
are predicting it overlook tho fact that tho
world's volume of monoy is increasing. Rising
prices follow an increase in tho curroncy and
It is impossible to havo a general panic whon
prices are rising. Of course, there will bo re
adjustments in special cases where speculation
raises prices above the normal level but we may
expect a steady incroase In the level of prices
and a continuation of prosperity as long as tho
volumo of money increases more rapidly than
population and business.
The trouble is not with wealth production,
but with distribution. Tho trusts are bleeding
the public; the tariff barons are extorting from
consumers and tho railroads are overcharging
patrons, but theso things can be remedied now
easier than ever bofore. The trusts can bo
dissolved and they will employ more peoplo and
sell moro goods under competition; the tariff
can bo reduced and the wage roll and the out
put increased; railroad rates can be reduced and
the patrons can use the money thus saved in
buyincr what the manufacturtYrn linvn in eoiv
.?.ow is tno timo to dissolve the trusts, re-
; no. throat of panic should' scare the public!
OOOO
MR. WATTERSON'S IDEAL CANDIDATE
Mr. Watterson seems to think that a man
'Who talks and writes is not available for the
presidency. 'He says that a sentence defeated
Blaine and that a letter defeated Clay. A nat
ural inference is that to fee a successful candi
date ono mu-1, avoid editorial work, lecturing,
letter -writing and tho use of sentences. Of
course, speeches are not to be tolerated and
votes on public questions have some elements
of danger in them.
The Commoner protests against these re
strictions for they would make Mr. Wattdrson
himself unavailable arid that is in itself suffl-
cient to condemn his position. Mr. Watterson
writes a brief editorial occasionally and some
times lectures who ever gave these as a reason
for questioning his availability? And do not
La Follette and Dolliver and Landis lecture?
Must tho door be closed against them? Folk
and Tillman and Champ Clark lecture also and
they have Increased rather than diminished their
popularity by so doing. A man whose position
is sound and whose sympathies are with the
people is not apt to render himself less avail
able by championing the rights and interests of
the masses-, and a man whose sympathies are
against tho people will be found out even if he
nover writes or speaks a word. , His sponsors
indicate his position if ho refuses to reveal it
liimsolf.
But Mr. Wattorson's suggestion is an in
teresting one. How would it do to get up a
futurity race, pick out the candidates at birth
and train them for the nomination? They could
be reared in seclusion, tillowed to talk only to
their trainers and be brought out at the proper
. age with a guarantee that they had no record
to embarrass the party.
Btft, after all, it is fortunate that we have
no such system, for supposo Mr. Watterson
had been put in training for tho position, what
iuo uiu worm woiua nave suffered!
It is better as it is. The country has had
the benefit of his brilliant editorials and of his
delightful lectures (public lectures as well as
those addressed to individuals) and he still has
his chance for the presidency.
The old way is the best let each do his
duty as ho sees it and speak as he thinks and
then tho voters can select tho ono most avail
able for tho work to be done.
It was once thought right for one to spend
his life in seclusion, preparing hirnsolf for futuro
bliss, but it is a selfish view of religion which
ignores tho needs and claims of others to our
constant servico; and so one who is selfish
enough to avoid participation In the discussion
of public questions for fear of injuring his
availability is not likely to commend himself
to a party composed of earnest and patriotic
mon.
Colonol Watterson has written letters, and
editorials, sent telegrams, used sentences, mado
speeches and delivered lectures he has even
used harsh language in criticising public men,
and in tho opinion of some he may have mado
mistakes but in spite of all theso he would poll
moro votes than any namby pamby, colorless
candidate who tried to conceal hh3 views.
Moral cowarrticevis the greatest weakness a
man can have it is more disastrous than either
error or indiscretion.
"INDESTRUCTIBLE"
Condemning Governor Glenn of North Car
olina for his determined stand in defense of the
laws of his state the St. Louis Globe-Democrat
(republican) says: "Certain things took place
a few decades ago which have made tho Ameri
can government an 'indestructible union of
indestructible states,' and that verdict will not
be overruled in Raleigh or any other state
capital."
The Globe-Democrat would doubtless be
very happy if, by a few waves of tho bloody shirt,
it could distract public attention from the evils
of monopoly. "Indestructible union of Inde
structible states" describes our dual form of
government. But a few months ago corporation
newspapers were protestingagainst the exercise, -by
the federal government, of power over the
Corporations. Then, in their view, it was not
such n thoroughly "indestructible union." But
recently it has been demonstrated that the power
of the states may be used In a practical and
effective way for giving relief to the people and
monopolists, with practically one voice, uphold
the plea that power over corporations be cen
tralized in the federal government. Whenever
a federal judge seeks to annul the laws of the
state in the interests of corporations and the
authorities of the state enter protest the cor
poration organs have much to say of "inde
structible union of Indestructible states."
The bloody shirt will not serve In this day.
The union is indeed indestructible but so is the
state; and we must not forget that solemn con
stitutional warning: "The powers not delegated
to the United States by the constitution or pro
hibited by it to the states are reserved to the
states respectively or to tho people."
OOOO
STEEL MAIL CARS,,
While the. railway mail clerks do not feel
free to urge important improvements in the ser
vice there seems to be unanimity in the desire
for the adoption of the steel mail cars, and the
desire is a reasonable one. Most of the colli
sions are head-end collisions and the railway
mall clerk occupies a position of danger. Ex
perience seems to have demonstrated that the
steel car is safer than the car made of wood
and it is perfectly natural that it should be pre
ferred by these men who spend so much of their
time upon the road. And why not provide tho
mail clerks with the best and safest cars that
can be constructed? The amount paid the rail
roads for carrying mail in excess of what should
be paid would soon replace all the wooden cars
with steel cars, but the change will be delayed
as long as the railroads can control the senate
and house. ... s
oooo ;
"AFTER THE ELECTION"
Will any anti-trust republican be deluded
by tho administration's assurance, given through
Senator Hopkins of Illinois, that tho tariff wllf
bo revised "after the presidential olection?"
Will any one be deluded by the claim that
the republican party may be depended upon to
give the people' relief on the trust question qr
on the tariff question, or on other questions in
which it is to the interest of those who provide
thG republican party with campaign funds "to
maintain present conditions?
Republican leaders can not claim that tho
failure to provide relief was due to oversight
Democratic members of the house of represent
atives met in caucus on June 27, 1902, and
adopted resolutions in which it was charged that
the republican majority In congress "Is dominat
ed and controlled by the trusts and monopolies
which havo the great industries of our country
in their grasp." These resolutions charged that
the republican party refused and failed "to bring
In any measure to suppress tho trusts or to
favorably report any of the numerous anti-trust
bills introduced) by democratic members during
this session." Then the democratic members
resolved:
"We favor the immediate passage of a
measure to amend the present anti-trust
law, so as more fully to protect trade and
commerce against unlawful restraints and
monopolies, und also a measure to reduce
the duties on all articles and commodities
manufactured and controlled or produced in
the United States by a trust or trusts, so as
to destroy such illegal combinations, and
to reduce the rate of duty on any article
or commodity manufactured in the United
States and sold in foreign country more
cheaply than in the United States.
"We oppose the adjournment of con
gress until the measures mentioned above
have been enacted into law."
Tho republican congress adjourned.. The
anti-trust law was not amended. Nothing was
done to more fully protect trade and commerce
against unlawful restraints and monopolies;
nothing was done to reduce the duties on articles
and commodities manufactured and controlled
or produced in the United States -by a trust or
trusts, so as to destroy such illegal combinations;
nothing was done to reduce the rate of duty on
any article or commodity manufactured in the
United States and sold in a foreign country
more cheaply than in the United States.
The republican congress clearly showed
that the arraignment made by the democratic
caucus was justified. In the refusal of this con
gress to provide the people with any of the re
lief demanded, the republican congress provided
proof, if, indeed, proof was necessary, that the
republican party "is dominated and controlled
by the trusts and monopolies which have the
great industries of our country in their grasp."
OOOO ,V v
"' FILIPINOS AND CUBANS i'W V
Should we treat the Filipinos" as we' have
treated the Cubans? That is the only American
plan. It recognizes the principles of our gov
ernment, is in harmony with the wishes of the
Filipinos, is justified by their capacity, and is
consistent with our commercial interests If
the Cubans wpre entitled to liberty and inde
pendence, so are the Filipinos; no line can be
drawn between the rights or the capacities of the
two peoples. (The recent insurrection in Cuba
has been cited by- some as an evidence that they
are incapable of self-government, but that argu
ment can have no weight with us, since we had
the greatest civil war in history.)
The Filipinos desire self-government. That
has been disputed, hut our observation in differ
ent parts of the islands convinces us that there
5 n,5lvIsLon amonS the people as to the de
sirability of Independence; some ask for it im
mediately, some, are willing to wait a few years,
but all demand it and expect it as the ultimate
solution.
Now, as to their capacity; this is the ques
tion upon which the controversy turns' There
are two theories, and there is a material differ
ence between them. One is that capacity for
self-government is a cultivated rather than a
natural quality; the other is that capacity for
self-government is an inherent quality, subject
to development, to be sure, but a thing that
does not have to be grafted upon the parent
scaiic.
The first is the theory of kings. They must
assume incapacity upon the part of the people
in order to justify their own usurpation. Once
admit the doctrine that people below a certain
levela level never yet defined are incapable
of self-government, and you confess that gov
ernments rest upon force and force alone, for
-the king never admits capacity for self-government
until the people compel. a recognition of
their demands.
i. ,The slcond theory Is the one adopted by
or forefathers. They assumed the capacity for
self-government as a starting point, and believed
that experience in government would develop
the people. The advantage of our form of gov
ernment is that it suits itself to the capacity of
the people; they can make it as good as they
deserve to have. It is not that all are equally
capable of self-government, for there are degrees-of
capacity in people, whether for business
or government, but, -as a rule, people can go-
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