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MAT 1, 1909
The Commoner.
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of this kind with which to contend elements
against which the American people are at pres
ent struggling with no seeming success the
economic ruin of the Philippine islands and tho
premature death of the political ideal3 of the
Filipinos are a' sure prediction. I say this not as
a' mere opinion of mine. I am here voicing tho
feeling of my people expressed through their
representatives. After the Philippine ils
ands become independent, free trade would bo
more advantageous to both countries. The
United States would be able then to reimburse
herself through the commerce that would bo
established between the two countries, for all
the expenditures consequent upon the occupation
of the islands and the Filipinos would be in a
better position to develop the resources of their
country. Therefore, taking advantage of this
opportunity offered by the close connection of the
political aspect which the question bears with
its economic viewpoint, I ask in the name of
my people better still, I request in the name
of the 8,000,000 inhabitants of the Philippines
imploring in the most respectful attitude, that
congress adopt a resolution granting to thr Phil
ippine islands their independence, if not now,
at least after a definite number of years. In
this way the American people will sanctify the
noble work of liberating . the Philippines as it
liberated Cuba and other countries. (Ap
plause.)' "
THE HOUSTON (Texas) Post printed an in
teresting dispatch from Austin, Texas, as
follows: "Tho state of Texas enjoyed its final
triumph in its litigation with the Waters-Pierce
Oil company when Sam Sparks, state treasurer,
received from the attorney general $1,718,009.14
in payment of the penalty assessed against the
defendant company, Mr. Davidson a few minutes
prior to his release of the money, having re
ceived from former Judge E. B. Perkins of
Dallas and N. A. Stedman of Austin, represent
ing the company, $1,808,483.30, from which
amount he deducted $90,474.16, the county at
torney's fee. As in every other phase of the
fight against the company, the payment of tho
fine was accompanied by a blare of trumpets.
Just-about noon, the quietude of Austin was
disturbed by an automobile race between H. A.
Wroe and Captain James E. Lucy, In the car of
the former being the enormous amount of mon
ey. In this car were Vice Presidents Wroe and
Roberdeaux of the American National bank, and
J. W. Hoopes of the Austin National bank, N.
A. Stedman and his private secretary, Max Bick
ler; Judge E. B. Perkins and George S. Mat
thews, sheriff of Travis county. In the machine
driven by Captain Lucy were himself and Vice
President W. H. Felts of the Austin National
bank. The automobile of Wroe first collected
one-half of the money which was held by the
American National bank, and then the second
half which had been deposited with the Austin
National bank, and immediately the two ma
chines opened wide their throttles and the speed
limit of the city of Austin was violated. Upon
reaching the gates to the capitol yards, one ma
chine went to the right, the other to the left,
both machines reaching the state house entrance
at about the same time. The occupants, with
the money in traveling bags, hurriedly left the
cars and entered the office of Sam Sparks, state
treasurer, where it was turned over to Attorney
General Davidson."
IN CONNECTION with the Houston Incident
the New York World says: "It is probable
that a solemn rite performed the other day at
Austin, Texas, escaped the eyes of most Ameri
cans. There are some ceremonies which all
should see or note, and this was one of them.
An automobile containing several armed men
and a bulging coffee sack drew up in front of
the office of the state treasurer. The bag was
carried into the building and opened. Its con
tents were counted, a receipt was written and
delivered and certain entries were made upon
the cashier's books. The fine of $1,808,000 re
cently inflicted upon the Waters-Pierce Oil com
pany by the state courts and fully sustained by
the supreme court of the United States had been
paid. Fines larger than this have been as
sessed, hut they have not been collected. When
Texas prescribed the penalty which it deemed
just for the violation of its anti-trust laws most
people probably thought that there would be
gome escape for the offender. Our skeptics and
cynics should not fall mentally to digest tho
fact that this colossal fine, the largest ever paid
In this country, was adjusted by the monopoly,
just as accounts are sottled by poor men in tho
police court, with cash. As an examplo of ox
act justice this proceeding was and must con
tinue to bo very impressive. It possessed much
interest also as a financial transaction. No bank
and no group of banks in tho vicinity could fur
nish tho currency needed, and arrangements
had to be mado at tho nearest sub-treasury.
Stage money and promissory notes would not
answer tho purpose. The fine was paid in bills
of large denominations. Works of art can not
clearly show tho methods by which monopoly
filches millions from the pockets of the people,
but a painting setting forth the sceno when this
princely restitution was mado would bo worth
a place among tho treasures of tho republic."
N
GOVERNOR SHAFROTII of Colorado has
Or signed a bill, passed at tho recent sosslon
of tho Colorado legislature, providing for pay
ment by the state of a share of the election ex
penses of candidates. This is tho first state to
pass such a measure. Referring to this measure
tho Denver News says: "Colorado takes a step
far in advance of other states by enacting this
law, which Is one of the most drastic ever draft
ed on the question of elections. Slush funds can
be eliminated if the law is onforced. Corpora
tion officials will find themselves facing tho pen
itentiary if they violate it. Candidates found
guilty of receiving campaign contributions from
sources other than those provided in tho law also
will see the inside of prison Colls. Under tho
new law which was introduced in tho senate by
Senator Campbell and in the house by Repre
sentative Weiser, the state gives each party in
the next general election 25 cents for each vote
cast for governor by that party at the last elec
tion. One-half of this goes to tho county chair
men, according to votes cast. The only other
contributors can be the candidates themselves,
and their contributions are limited to 40 per
cent of the first year's salary, or 25 per cent
of the fees in case tho office to which they as
pire is on that revenue basis. Under the new
law the-political parties will receive the follow
ing amounts for campaign expenses at the next
election: Democrats, $32,229; republicans,
$29,708; socialists, $1,970; prohibitionists, $1,
384.50. Total cost to state, $05,291.50."
COLORADO'S NEW law provides that tho
treasurers of the political parties must give
a bond to the state treasurer for the full amount
of their contribution to the state. The News
says: "Violations of the law by corporations
or individuals in making contributions to cam
paign funds, or by candidates or political leaders
in receiving such contributions is made a felony,
punishable by imprisonment for not more than
two years, or a fine not exceeding $5,000, or
both. Governor Shafroth, who put this exceed
ingly advanced and sweeping piece of legisla
tion into about six hundred words, commented
on the bill as follows yesterday: 'It is the first
law passed in any of the states of the union
which attempts to remedy the evils arising from
excessive and interested contributions to cam
paign committees and candidates. The sums
authorized in this bill are sufficient to conduct
a campaign in a reasonably economical manner,
being about the sums expended by the various
campaign committees at the last general election
in this state, as shown by the sworn statements
of the chairmen of the respective committees.
The tendency of this measure will be: To pre
vent corporations and interested parties, by con
tributions, from placing a political party or its
candidates under obligations for proposed legis
lation or state favors. To prevent campaign
committees from expending large sums In the
employment of thousands of workers at high
prices on election day, resulting almost inva
riably in the workers casting their votes
in favor of tho political party employing
them. To prevent the bribery of voters. A lim
ited campaign fund prevents the use of any part
for other than legitimate purposes. To place the
political parties on as near an equal basis, con
sidering the numerical strength of each, as pos
sible. I am confident that this measure will
greatly tend to the purity "of elections.' "
SO MUCH discussion has been caused by the
brief and incomplete reports of the pope's
recent remarkable expressions on woman's suf
frage that the New York American has re
ceived from its Rome correspondent the exact
words of what tho pope said on April 21, speak
ing to a delegation of the Union of Italian Catho
lic Ladies. On that occasion tho pope said:
After creating man, God created woman and
determined hor mission, namely, that of being
man's companion, holpmcot and consolation. It
is a mistake, thoroforo, to maintain that woni
an s rights are the same as man's. Women in
war or parliament aro outsldo their proper
sphere, and their position would bo thodospora
tiou and ruin of society. Woman, croated aa
man's companion, must ho remain undor tho
power of love and afTectlon, but always undor
his power. How mistaken, therefore, is that
mlBguided feminism which seeks to correct God's
work. It Is like a mechanic trying to correct
tho signs and movements of tho universe. Scrip
ture, and especially tho three epistles of St.
Paul, omphaslzes woman's dependence on man,
her love and assistance, but not hor slavery to
him. Woman's duties, however, are not con
fined within tho household's walls. She has a
great social mission; a place In every charltablo
cause; work to perform on behalf of tho sick,
the suffering and tho criminal; tho protection
of women and children. In this great and com
mon action women should unlto and should
strive to secure tho means necessary to oxorclso
tho apostolic Injunction of social charity." .
THE MEN who, elected to congress as demo
crats, bolted their party will bo Interested
in tho resolutions recently adopted by tho "Dem
ocratic Union of tho City of Now York:" "Tha
last democratic national convention held at Den
ver mado tho following explicit and uncondi
tional pledge honorably binding on every candi
date accepting tho democratic nomination fo?
congress last year. Tho house of representa
tives was designed by tho fathers of the consti
tution to bo tho popular branch of our govern
ment. As controlled In ecent years by tho re
publican party, It has ceased to bo a deliberative
and legislative body, responsive to tho will of a
majority of Its members, but has come under
tho absolute domination of tho speaker, who haa
entire control of its deliberations and powers of
legislation. Legislative control becomes a fail
ure when one member in tho person of the speak
er is more powerful than tho entire body. We
demand that tho house of representatives shall
again become a deliberative body, controlled by
a majority of tho people's representatives, and
not by tho speaker; and wo pledge ourselves to
adopt such rules and regulations to govern tho
house of representatives . s will onablo a ma
jority of its members to direct its de
liberations and control legislation. Six rep
resentatives from Now York having to
choose between a telephone order of instruction
sent from Tammany IIq.ll on March 8 and their
obligation to the democratic party and to their
democratic constituents who elected them, be
trayed their trust and voted against the adop
tion of the new rules framed and in favor of
continued control of the house of representatives
by Speaker Cannon. In the present plight of
the democratic party in New York City a state
ment of tho purely commercial reason which in
stigated this treachery Is inopportune but it illus
trates tho corrupt relation which the present
control of Tammany bears to the democratic
party and tho absence of all political relation
to democratic policies, pledges and aspirations."
THE DENVER NEWS prints the following:
"This is just a little story of mother lovo,
and its heroine Is not the mother of any of
Colorado's famous sons. She Is only Tip, who
lives at Reudi, away over on tho Frying Pan
river, where she has brought up some of tho
prettiest families of Scotch collies that any collie
mother in Colorado can boast of. But Tip is a
thoroughbred and that Is just the reason that
most of her children are taken from her when
very young. They aro much In demand and she
is seldom fortunate enough to seo any of thern
grow to maturity. It has not been long since
Tip's mistress, Mrs. H. A. Brown, gave away
the last of Tip's most recent family and Tip's
heart was more deeply wounded by the loss
than it ever had been before on a similar occa
sion. She was in the depth of her mourning
when her friend Puss, the mother of five kittens,
was killed by a handcar on tho Denver and Rio
Grande railroad, which passes in front of her
home and Tip's. The sorrow of the motherless
kittens appealed so strongly to Tip that she at
once adopted the entire family. Tho kittens
have now grown up to cathood under Tip's ma
ternal care and have had little reason to regret
the change of mothers."
Of course, If you can not afford to buy flour
you can eat corn meal.
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