ujiiTWIt! T W.TVVr$Jpiiy
iiiuipihjimij'WWimipii'i " uiwmpiw'mp
gnauj
W
8
The Commoner.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER la,
ftp r----T7,v
JRCCURBeNT oprca jlf
THE WASHINGTON (D. C.) Post in its issue
of May 5, says: "Governor John A. John
son of Minnesota will bo nominated before tho
Denver convention to head tho democratic ticket
by Representative Winffold S. Hammond of tho
Second congressional district of Minnesota, tho
man who defeated for congress former Repre
sentative James T. McCleary, one of tho repub
lican leaders during his service in tho house.
Hammond nominated Governor Johnson for
both his torms as governor of Minnesota, and
both times Johnson swopt a normally republi
can state into tho democratic column. 'Unques
tionably,' ho said yesterday, 'Johnson will carry
a largo proportion of the southern states in tho
convention.' "
o
THE FOLLOWING is an extract from an edi
torial that appeared recently in tho Lin
coln (Nob.) Journal (rep.): "It has been in
formally agreed among tho people here that
Lincoln is to bo pollto and non-partisan tliis
yoar. When democrats from outside came to
Lincoln in 189G and again in 1900 they found
tho town plastered with McKinloy pictures. ' It
was so humiliating to Mr. Bryan that he pre
ferred to go away to see the leaders of his party
rather than have them come here to see him.
Now a gonoral fueling of tolerance and good
nature Is in tho air, and when the democratic
statesmen come they will be received with tol
eration. A part of tho change will bo due to
business conditions, but most of it comes from
the reaction from the extreme partisanship that
prevailed here eight and twelve years ago."
FORMER CONGRESSMAN Perry Belmont was
t much pleased at the unanimous report of
tlio publicity bill, and said: "That theofllcials
of tho New Yor.lt Metropolitan "Street railway
-would have boon- indicted under the legislation
onactod since the last presidential election in
tho state of New York mainly through the per
sistent efforts of the Now York branch of tho
national publicity law organization, Is proved
by tho action yesterday of the New York grand
jury in deciding to make public the evidence
before them in regard to political contributions
with the statement that they deserved condem
nation although there was nothing to show hat
a crime had been committed under tho law as
it existed at that time. More effectively than
tho potitlon presented yesterday to congress by
our organization do these developments demon
strate the responsibility that . ill rest upon that
body should it fail to pass the bill favorably
reported this morning requiring tho publica
tion of contributions and of expenditures by
Sii5.nand nsressional campaign commit
tees in the coming presidential election."
FORTY-FIVE Japanese newspaper men who
,, oerC ma!InS a tour of the world, called
upon Speaker Cannon recently. Tho Associated
"Sliln.-18" Bt?ry of the meeting with
Uncle Joe:" "Tho spokosman of the party in
formed the speaker of the pleasure it gave them
to meet him, and referred to their itinerary
which ho said would carry them to London,
f0arHSn.Dfnrl an otUor Eopean capitals. Re!
ferrlng to tho circumstances that there were
some newspapermen in tho party tho speaker
elifUf ,A,g00d deal of Slighter when he n
qulred if their practices were like those of some
American journalists. 'Journalism makes the
whole world kin,' ono of them remarked, while
another assured the speaker that they Jove?
sent anything but 'real news,' covering what
actually happened. 'If that is true,' the spel er
humorously remarked, 'you can settle many in
ternational questions by founding that kind of
journalism in tho United States and the hni
in the world ' Not quite cure that ho had Kn
understood tho speaker pursued his point sav
tag: 'I mean do you newspapermen of Ninnon
write things two at once that havont' happened
one way at all, so that tho whole buslnSE? will
be fresh for contradiction the next day? Tel
mo. A wrinkled forehead, then a sudden liSl
ening of the countenance on the part of 8th
spokesman for the visitors and he Sal 1 Lake
permission to correct for the honorable great
gentleman. Japanese newspapor men study
news hard so he shall bo understood excellently,
then write those things very Intelligent, very
honest, thank you.' Tho speaker sighed. 'I sup
pose,' said ho, bending a kindly eye on the in
tense faces of his callers, 'I ought to address
you all as 'boys'?' This was clearly incompre
hensible. The spokesman glariced around upon
his brother editors. 'Pardon me,' he said. 'I
politely inform the honorable sir we are not
boys in Japan.' 'I see,' hastened the speaker,
'and I will explain. In this country we speak
of all good newspaper men, all real newspaper
men who know their business, as 'boys,' it's a
term of compliment and sometimes of endear
ment.' Tho explanation straightened itself out.
Tho compliment was accepted with exquisite
grace of word and bow and the newspaper men
of Nippon took their polite departure."
WILLIAM D. HAYWOOD, for many -years
secretary-treasurer of the Western Fed
eration of Miners and organizer of that body,
has been removed from all official connection
with that organization. Shortly after the' JBoise
trial Haywood was relieved of his duties as secretary-treasurer
and was succeeded by Ernest
Mills. Haywood, however, continued as a mem
ber of tho executive board and as an organizer.
On April 25 Vice-President Mahoney gave offi
cial notice in tho Miners' Magazine that Hay
wood had been removed from the executive
board and his services as organizer in the field
terminated. Since tho first of the year Hay
wood has been putting in his entire time mak
ing socialistic addresses throughout the country.
,His removal from all official connection with the
Western Federation of Miners is an indication
of a change of policy in tha management of that
organization.
NOT "ALL heroes receive modals, nor do all
heroes have monuments erected to'' them.
Too often the heroism of every day life goes
unmentioned, and too often heroes in overalls
aro overlooked in our anxiety to pay tribute to
heroes in military trappings. Tho Little Rock
(Ark.) Gazette tells of a hero in overalls, but
through a regrettable oversight fails to mention
his name. Two men, both members of the same
brotherhood, were employed under a local agent
on an Arkansas railroad. When the recent finan
cial flurry was on in full force tho agent was told
to discharge one of the men. One employe was
unmarried, and he was entitled to the job by
reason of tho longest service. The other man
had a wife and four small children. The agent
called in tho two men and explained the situa
tion. "I must discharge ono of you." he ?nH
"All right, Bill," said the unmarried man turn!
ing to his comrade. "It's you for the job, ''cause
you've got a wife and a houseful of kids Me
to the road, 'cause I've got nobody but myself
to take care of, and I can tramp it to another
job " Then this hero in overalls shook hands
with "Bill," drew his time and walked away lob
less and homeless, just as if he had performed
the most common act in the world instead nf
having put into practical effect a great lesson
in brotherly love and helpfulness? n
SPEAKING IN the United States annnt q
ator Culberson of Texas charCedfifnfSn"
railroads intended to put into eS IH th?
increase of freight rates and that PrSSf PaI
Roosevelt and tho interstate commerce com
mission had approved of the nlnn TT u?m
ton dispatch to the Omaha World HfBhlns"
"Senator Culberson laid T the mtte? bSora
senate with tho intlmatli n Sat n, J , Sfe tho
increase rates in tho circumstances had X'ned
tho character of a scandal Ho bm i auamea
charged that the president ana"" Tntertato
commerce comm sslon had acrenrt . . .
is- no sign of action. I have here newspaper
articles charging that with the assent of tho
president and the commission rates are to bo
raised all oyer the country. Here is an account
of the meeting of tho Eastern Trunk Lino asso
ciation at its office in Liberty street, New York
yesterday, at tho end of which a statement was
issued that arrangements were perfected for
putting advances into effect. All these articles,
which I wish included in the record, intimate
the consent of the president. Chairman Knapp
of the Interstate commerce commission is said
to have said in a recent address that this pro
ceeding would bo attained. Such a series of
advances, agreed on by the railroads, would bo
in violation of tho Sherman Jaw. Ono of theso
articles says tho advances will take hundreds
of millions annually out of the pockets of ship
pers. The Illinois Manufacturers' association
and great numbers of shippers organizations
throughout the country have protested against
the advances. There has been no denial of tho
alleged plan, either from the White House or
the commission. In view of these things I in
vito the attention of the commission on Inter
state commerce to tho necessity of early action
in favor of the bill which 1 have introduced,
aiming to give power to prevent such things.' "
MR. HARRIMAN'S recent deal in Erie is well
illustrated by a little story recently started,
and which has traveled so rapidly that its au
thorship has been left behind. The story goes:
L . .a snrewd business man?" asked Jones.
That's what he is!" replied Smith. "Blank can
buy a porterhouse steak, incorporate it, pay the
butcher in common stock, sell the preferred
stock, hypothecate tho bonds, and then eat tho
steak. If there is any better illustration at
hand of Mr Harriman's Erie deal it has not
been given to a waiting public.
,TN AN. ARTICLE printed in the Chicago ec
JL ord-Herald relating to an interview- with
Judge E. H. Gary, chief of the steel trust, Wil-
;JamT?,.xC5rH8 says: "Judse Gary tells me that
tue United States steel corporation did a busi
ness of $757,014,767 during the year 1907, with
SiKfiS1?!!.0'.!!!0'964'878' C0Ipared with
$156,624,273 in 1906 and $119,787,6.58 in 1905.
J.neso are stupendous figures. They are al
most incomprehensible. They surpass the trans
actions of the government of the United States
11?' f6167!' every otner government on earth.
After deducting the usual allowance for depre
ciation, replacement and other charges the net
prollts of the company were $133,244,929 of
which $35,385,727 was paid out as dividends on
the preferred and common stock.' The sum
of $18,500,000 was sot aside for the new plant
at Gary, Ind., and $35,500,000 for additional
property, new plants, improvements, etc., else
where. The total production of the company in
17 E? tlJ6V22 ,fDS of finished sfee?
1,733,814 tons of rails, 13,099,548 tons of
ingots and 10,818,960 tons of pig iron. The
SSb R?l 1 ?n7 Cman.y amounted to $160,-
In f907 which was divided among
1906 of $13,000,000 in the pay roll and 7,723
S vTber f emPloyes- The profit-sharing
hi 94 Rfl?e coniPany was taken advantage of
by245,82! mployes, who purchased an aggre-
fnHci '!!?&" v5 the pany's stofk at
a price of $87.50 per share."
THE AMERICAN Newspaper Publishers' asso
ciation in session in New York Cltv Anrii 2?
adopted these resolutions: "The American Newi'
paper Publishers' Association, compXg rrt
!nHa.tiveS,ldaily nwspapers published in every
section of tho country and gathered In annual
ZnP;0teSTtS ag2inst tbe subterfuge just
dvinbSi)elaHe,Cannon Representa
SL Payn? and D1?11' creating a committee on'
bS??n?97' and thereby bl0ie the Stevens
w S f?ee,paPer an free pulp; We charge
SriVYn ??VlCe Was nspired ln Da aith. Sin!e
2n?v .Dcemb-?p' 1907' a committee of this
Z?Z Hf? been clamorInS at the doors' of. tho
ways and means committee for an opportunity to
show the power of illegal combinations, o paper-
m
u jQiiisJjbfi ,