''WJp'
The Commoner.
6
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 14
ijPtfVPWVWipyi
K&UIX4ylN I v-i 1UO
AFTER THREE weeks of considoration tho
Payne tariff biU paused the houso of reprc
Bontatives by a vote of 217 to 161. The Asso
ciated Press report says: "One republican, Austin
of Tennessee, voted against the measure and four
democrats, all from Louisiana Broussard, Es
toplnal, Pujo and Wickliffe votd for it. An
attempt by Champ Clark, tho minority leader,
to recommit tho bill with instructions signally
failed. The day was filled with excitement from
tho moment the session began at noon until tho
minute of adjournment. Tho members wore
keyed up to tho highest pitch, and a practically
full membership remained on duty throughout.
Tho final vote demonstrated the capacity of tho
republican organization to get together. The sit
uation with respect to lumber was greatly re
lieved to thovropubllcan leaders when it became
manifest that tho advocates of the proposition
placing it on tho freo list wove in tho minority.
Because of tliat fact, Mr. Fitzgerald of New York
charged that a midnight deal had been made last
night whereby free lumber was to bo voted down
and the rates on barley and barley malt in
creased, and this notwithstanding tho denials
of Messrs. Mann of Illinois, and Cushman of
"Washington, who offered tho barley amendments.
Tho general public was greatly interested in the
proceedings and tho galleries were packed. Both
tho diplomatic and executive reservations like
wiso wore fully occupied, Mrs. Taft boing among
thoso present. When the bill actually- was
passed tho republicans cheered lustily, some
dancing up and down the aisles and patting their
fellow members on tho back."
TO PASS the Payno bill did not require the
time consumed in passing its predecessor,
tho Dlngloy bill. The Ass Delated Press report
says: "Whilo more consideration in point of
time has been given by tho houso to the Payne
bill, it was passed in fewer days than the Dlng
loy bill was acted upon after being reported to
tho houso. The Payne bill was introduced on
March 17, reported to tho house by the ways
and means committee on tho following day and
was under general debate for sixteen days. On
Monday of the present Tveek the rules commit
tee reported a special order whicli closed tho
general dlBcusBlon and provided, for tho consid
oration o the bill -under tho live-minute rule.
Chairman Payno handled the bill on tho floor and
divided the time in such a' way that only para
graphs affected by committee amendments and
the amendments permitted by tho special rule
had been considered whon the time to vote on
tho measure was reached. The Dingley bill was
under considoration in tho houso for two days
longer than the Payne bill, but tho house was
not in session as long each day as during tho
consideration of the latter measure. All during
the general debate on the Payne bill the houso
sat for ten and one-half hours each day, thus es
tablishing a record for that body. Mr. Olmstead
of Pennsylvania presided as chairman of the
committee of tho whole houso on tho state o"
tho union throughout tho twenty days that were
given to tho bill."
CONCERNING THE changes in the bill as it
camo from the committee tho Associated
Press says: "One of tho principal changes af
fected in the Payno bill since its introduction
was tho placing of petroleum on tho free list
This involvod a more seriously contested fight
than any of tho other amendments. Speaker
Cannon during tho debate to reduce the duty
took the floor in defense of the higher rato of
duty. Although an amendment to place oil on
tho free list was lost yesterday, a similar amend
ment offered by Chairman Payne today was car
ried. Among the other important amendments
that have been made since tho bill camo from
committee wore thoso striking out the provision
for a duty on tea and tho 'countervailing tlutv
proviso on coffee. The elimination of the max!
mum duty of 20 por cent on coffee, contained
in the maximum section of tho bill was also sm
nlAcant. To tho freo list were added evegrefn
seed lugs, clover and nut oil, which is used in
making varnish. Tho patent law provision in
ended to retaliate for the new British patent
law, was stricken out on account of -an intern?
tional convention. Tho so-called 'joker' in tho
cotton cloth schedule, which it was claimed
would increase the duty of tho Dingley bill sev
eral hundred per cent, was corrected, tho proviso
for the method of counting threads in the cloth
being made the same as in tho present law. The
section restricting the contents of packages of
tobacco was amended to conform with the pres
ent law in order that union labels may not bo
excluded from such packages. The drawback
section was added to so it would not be taken
advantage of for the purpose of speculating in
grain, and tho Philippine free trade provision
was amended so that rico will not bo admitted
free from the islands. The countervailing clause
on lumber was stricken out, but a strong effort
to place lumber on tho free list did not succeed.
Tho duties on barley, barley malt, charcoal, iron,
pineapples in crates, saccharine, medicated cot
ton and cotton collars and cuffs, as originally
in the bill, were increased. To retaliate against
Turkey, which country prohibits the importation
of American filler tobacco, a proviso was in
cluded in tho tobacco schedule increasing tho
duty on filler tobacco from any country which
prohibits the importation of the American to
bacco. Tho internal revenue law was also amend
ed so that raisers of tobacco will not have to
pay a manufacturers' license in order to dis
pense of their leaf tobacco. There were several
technical changes in the steel schedule, princi
pally downward, and lace curtain and netting
machines were included in tho proviso, which
permits the entry freo of duty of laco machinery
prior to May 1, 1910, Hides, hosiery and gloves
were left as reported by the committee, hides
remaining free and an increased duty being pre
sented for gloves and stockings."
AN ASSOCIATED Press dispatch under dato
of Washington, April 9, says: "It was ad
vertised in c. local paper Thursday that there had
been found in tho collection plate of the tfloscoe
Methodist Espicopal church near here, after the
services last Sunday night, a $10,000 bill and
the church officers think tho donor made a mis
take. The yearly collections of the church do
not average much more than that amount, and
the officials in the advertisement say they will
return tho money to the. owner if he wants it
back and can prove he inadvertently dropped it
into the plate."
NEBRASKA WILL have no state-wide pri
mary this year. Under a law enacted at
the recent session of the legislature political
parties are not permitted to nominate candi
dates for judges, regents of the state university
or school officials. All such candidates must go
upon the ballot by petition and without party
designation This year Nebraska will choose
judges of the supremo court and regents of the
state university and, therefore, a primary elec
tion will be unnecessary. Each party will hold
a convention July 27, whicli convention will
select the state committee. Each county will
be entitled to at least one delegate in
this convention and the state committee
will apportion the number' of additional dele
gates to which each county is entitled in ac
cordance with the vote cast at tho presidential
IN GIVING his approval of the daylight si
loon bill Governor Shallenberger of Near as
ka made tho following statement: "Senate emi
No 283 is a regulatory amendment to ?he pres
ent Slocumb law, which has stood for twenty
live years upon our statute books as an examnlo
of reasonable liquor legislation for tho sate
The Slocumb law was passed at a time when
public opinion was excited upon the liquor nues
ton much as at present, and because of the fact
hat it was a decided step in-advance of afy
thing before enacted, it has remained intact
through the years past as a model of teguS
tory legislation. Tho tide of further limitation
and restriction of the liquor traffic has recent y
risen so high that a great many states liavo
lately taken action upon it, some enacting coSn
ty and others -state wide 'prohibition. Nebraska
through this amendment, has elected to apply
further restriction to the liquor traffic by limit
ing the time that liquor may be sold to thoso
hours universally admitted to be the least ob
jectionable of the twenty-four. The plan pro
posed in this amendment for the entire state
has been tried In the capital city of Lincoln, and
both 'wets' and 'drys' alike commend its effect.
Business thrives in this city and the hotels and
places of amusement claimed most to be affected
are being continually improved and constantly
crowded Tvith patrons. It is admitted upon all
sides that in this city it has had the effect of
eliminating much of public rancor from the
liquor question. This amendment has much
opposition in the two Omahas, because business
men are fearful that it will affect trade and com
merce adversely, and for the further reason that
it limits to a certain extent the policy of 'home
rule' upon this matter. I believe, however, that
experience will justify the law, and that our
large cities will find that their prosperity does
not depend in any way upon two or three extra
hours for the sale of liquor. If the law is as
wholesome in its effect as I believe it will be,
it will give solid standing ground for those who
believe in strict regulation as the best way to
handle this question."
ATTORNEY GENERAL Wickersham has given
an opinion that the national banks of Kan
sas have no right to participate in the assess
ments and. benefits of the bank depositors' guar
anty funds under the provisions of a recently
enacted law by that state, on the same terms
and conditions as apply to the state banks. The
decision says that only an act of congress can
confer such powers upon national banks Referring-to
this opinion the Associated Press says:
"The attorney general quotes from an opinion
of Attorney General Bonaparte in the Oklahoma
guaranty case that a national bank could not
lawfully enter into the plan contemplated by the
act, because it involved essentially a guaranty
to the depositors of all state banks in Oklahoma
and other national banks which might accept
the terms of the act, that their respective de
positors should be paid in full. This objection,
he says, is not avoided in the Kansas law. The
attorney general says he is strongly 'of the opin
ion that a national bank is without corporate
power to expend its moneys to provide insurance
that its depositors will be paid in full. It is
indisputable, he says, that the assets of a na
tional bank deposited as a condition to accept
ing the benefits of the act are subject to for
feiture in case Tt shall fail to comply with the
requirements of the state bank commissioner
under the act. He holds that 'such a contract
as is proposed is wholly without the-powers of
a national bank and would expose its charter to
forfeiture under section 5238 of the revised
statutes."
T.-IE COMMONER is asked to give publicity
to a statement made by Antonio De P
Araujo, a Mexican citizen who with other com
rades has been confined in tho federal prison
at Tombstone, Arizona, on the charge of vio-
?r!?e2ftpaLty laWG Arau3's statement
is addressed "to the American people" and fol
lows: It is hard to be sentenced as an innocent
man to a Jong torm of imprisonment in a stranire
Ifinciryrnvilf " ' ?? ?jWFto$.
I find myself. But I have no regret and I ad
dress you in no spirit of despair. I havo felt
from the first that if the American peopfe knew
the truth about my case I would not now be '
in a convict's cell. But the American neonle
do not know the truth. In fact but few of them
know anything at all about my conviction Th
silence of the press v. as a part i of the consnlraw
to destroy my activity by sending me to prison
For some time there has been trouble ta Mertco
growing out of the awful condition of the people
For this the administration cf Diaz, backed by :
American capitalists, is responsible. Mysflf and '
comrades- of the liberal party were opposed to '
the administration. We urore persecuted spied '
upon and. hunted down until we haS to' leave '
-the country. When we landed on this sidloff
. Vrrwflf"w W - '".
