4
The Commoner.
AUGUST 20. lJOf
i
Mr. Burnliam Is now. For the most part It Had
possession of the machinery of government. It
dominated the supremo court, even, and when
It got the infamous Drod. Scott decision it
thought, just as the arrogant Lincoln banker
thinks now, that it had 'put them to sleep for
ever.' But the American people proved them
selves greater than the slave power, and taught
the world, in the end, that it is possible for an
enlightened public sentiment to be better law
and better morals even than a decision of the
supreme court. Let Mr. Burnham and his po
litical banking associates have their little day
of triumph. Let them swell and exult and strut
around in the peacock plumage that Judge Van
doventer has furnished them. The idea of a
guaranty of bank deposits is sound and just,
conditions demand its application, and the peo
ple are for it. That means It is going to pre
vail. Mr. Burnham is neither going to 'put it
to sleep forever,' nor 'give a body blow' to the
people. Ho only thinks ho is. And tho time
may come when he will find that tho people,
as well as he and his bank, can engage in this
little game of 'giving bbdy blows,' and if it
over does come he will bo surprised to find how
hard a blow an aroused and indignant peoplb
can strike."
EDWARD P. HUGHES, of Wheeling, W. Va.,
writes to The Commoner to say that the
poem entitled "In Virginia1" and printed in The
Cdmmoner of Juno 25 was written by Harry
Curran Wilbur, of Jacksonville, Fla. Tho fol
lowing is taken from tho Wheeling Register:
"A Wheeling friend of Harry Curran Wilbur,
of Jacksonville, Fla., who was a reporter for
the Register a few years ago, and city editor
for a time, lias recelyed a' letter from him in
which Mr. Wilbur states that his famous poem
'In Virginia' won for him a bride. It was
while Mr. Wilbur was on the writing force of
tho Register that he- wrote 'In Virginia.' It
w'as one of his regular Sunday contributions
of Verse, and first ctpp.eared In this paper on
Sunday, May 24, 19,03. The poem was re-published
in a number of newspapers, and later
Was read by; Col. Robert White of thisr 'city,
during an address which lie 'delivered in the
city of'IticnmOncl. It was afterwards published
in every paper of prominence In the south.
Among the many letters which Mr. Wilbur re
ceived concerning tho poem, was one from a tal
ented young lady living In 'a prominent city of
.Virginia1. The result was a correspondence
which continued for several years, and finally
led to marriage a short time ago. After a Bhort
wedding toiir, Mr. and "Mrs. Wilbur went to
Jacksonville, where Mr'. Wilbur Is now engaged
in editorial and special work for the Times
Union. Mr. Wilbur's letter contained. the addi
tional information that his brother was married
to a sister of Currants bride. In the meantime
the popularity of 'In Virginia' has been growing
It has been included in a book of poems, it has
been set to music, it is used in descriptive
phamplets by a Virginia railway, and it has been
copyrighted and will' pay a handsome royalty; to
the author." '' ' ' '
THE OMAHA World-Herald prints this edi
torial: "That Senator Aldrich has wanted
free' raw materials from the beginning of the
fight over the tariff bill Is the assertion made by
the Washington correspondent of the New "York
Bun It is an assertion very easy to believe.
'And the reason ia simply given by tho Sun man
in these words: 'As a matter of fact, however,
and nobody knows this better than Mr. Taft,
Mr. Aldrich Is not opposed to admitting certain
classes of raw materials free of duty. On the
other hand his inclination is to let these pro
ducts of foreign countries enter the United
States with few restrictions or no restriction
at all, in order that American manufacturers
will have the advantage of buying them cheaply
for manufacture Into the finished product.' Why
then, did Senator Aldrich appear to stand, in
tho senate, with those senators who opposed a
reduction in duties affecting raw materials?
Again the reason is simple, and is thus given
hy the Sun: 'Mr. Aldrich was forced to asBumo
a different attitude with respect to raw materials
by tho difficulties which ho encountered in the
senate In attempting to make a tariff bill which
would satisfy enough republican senators to in
sure its passage.' And Mr. Taft, the Sun goes
on to say, knew of this from the beginning, and
Bo all the time had confidence In Aldrich. H
know Aldrich, in ordeit to get what he wanted
tor the manufacturers1,1 Was obliged to mako con
sessions to the senators representing 'the pro-
ducers of raw material. But there would como
a time, in conference, when tho promise of tariff
revision downward could be 'redeemed at tho
expense of raw material, without in any way
Injuring tho big protected Interests! Tho Sun
says: 'Now that tho tariff bill is in conference
tho president, following & determination reached
long ago, is seeking to bring about by personal
appeal and persuasion what Senator Aldrich Is
credited with having attempted to accomplish,
but failed to accomplish on -account of diverse
opinions among republican senators represent
ing widely separated constituencies whoso ma
terial interests differed radically.' It is a rather
sordid story thus unfolded by a newspaper that
is friendly to both Taft and Aldrich. To got
the tariff for the benefit of tho manufacturers
kopt high enough it was necessary to moke gen
erous concessions to tho raw material senators.
Then, when everything is fixed, tho raw ma
terial senators aro to bo betrayed in conference,
while the trust senators hold on to everything
they have gained. Not only that, but they ro
ceivo more, since free raw materials is exactly
equivalent to increased tariff protection on the
finished product, so far as the trusts' profits
are concerned. The progressive republican
Register and Leader of Des Moines sums up
tho situation succinctly in saying: 'The not re
sult will be that the little part of the swag
which was coming to tho western states like
Iowa' In tho tariff on hides will be taken away,
while-the manufacturers of tho east will have
higher rates than ever were put into a tariff
bill beforo, with no drawbacks in the way ,of
reciprocity deals, which no republican tariff bill
in recent years has omitted. And taking tho
tariff off hides will be cited everywhere to show
that we have had revision downward, and tho
pledge of the party has been manfully and cour
ageously kept.' "'
WHO ARE the "men of action" to whom Mr..
Roosevelt recently referred? A writer
from Collier's Weekly says: " Mr, u Roosevelt's
thoughts on Tolstoy have naturally aroused at1
tention, since their publication in the Olitldok'.
'I doubt if his influence has really been Very'
extensive among men of action.' Just who is
this man of action? Mr. Roosevelt and others
have been busily and reverently creating credit
for him, but what man is he? The man of action
has. a slight smack of the man of destiny. Ho
is of faint kin to the man in the iron mask. Mr, .
Roosevelt makes him the; final test for Uterar
turo as well as for other values, imagine some
such fragile growth as 'The Eve of St. Agnes'
brought to the man of action. 'This. will, never .
do,' says he. 'I rather like it,' he declares of
some bouquet of Tennyson. A few years ago the
man of action was the great financier, running
insurance or railroads. An obscuration took:
place and several heroes resigned, died pr be
came insane. About every other uentury tho
worship of 'action' returns to trouble this world
with the notion that there is some, virtue, in ac
tion for Itself. With it enters the companion
idea that 'action' consists In keeping busy In
the external world. It means detonatipn, run
ning about, jostling, talking, redistributing
atoms. A man of our acquaintance Is a physi
cian who is forever working at experiments in
an unfrequented office. He would blinfc among
a tennis cabinet or at a gathering of politicians.
He Is unhappy in 'rough house' gayety. Dis
coveries and certain adaptations which he has
madehave lessened the death rate among babies.
The man of action with bristling boys and busy
ways, would deem the little doctor a feeble soul.
He is not masterful. He clatters not about his
victories. Mr, Roosevelt sheds no light when
he condemns the world-figure and world-influence
of Tolstoy. He is right, we believe, in put
ting high value on his fiction, wrong in failing
to appreciate the inspirations which the great
Russian has been to a world which so easily tires
of difficult, spiritual, patient and long-continued
work."
THE WASHINGTON correspondent for tho
Kansas City Star, a republican paper, tells
a story of "how a little flattery and a motor
car tamed one of the wildest of the progressives
that ever got a seat in the Cherokee Strip in
the Benate just at the right hand of the vice
president." The Star correspondent says: "You
really would not believe that it could be done
so easily, unless you happened to recall that
member of the house from Minnesota who was
nominated and elected on an anti-Cannon plat
form, and was taken into camp by the house
organization within two weoks of his arrival In
Washington and bofor the light on the rules
had been pulled off. Cos I. Crawford is tht
namo of tho sonator Co I. Crawford of South
Dakota, elected as a progressivo to displaco that
wicked reactionary, Sonator Kittrodge. Whon
Sonator Crawford arrived in Washington ho was
a flory tariff revisionist. Bristow and LaFollottc,
who Bat near him, woro his companions, and
ho voted with them in rovolt ngainst tho finance
committeo overy thno ho got a chanco; also
ho went over and dragooned his colleague, Son
ator Gamble, into voting for downward rovision.
Then ono Elihu Root took a hand. Sonator
Root, as everybody knows, is a loader of tho
American bar. It Is generally understood that
ho could make a quijrtor of a million a year
in law prnctico and novcr bat an eye. Also,
ho has been a sturdy supportor of Sonator Aid
rich on almost every schedule. Being a now
man, Mr. Root, too, was assigned to the Chero
koo Strip. His seat was next to Crawford's.
Of courso you can't help getting somewhat ac
quainted with a' man who sits by you nine hours
a day for week after week. Tho progressives
noticed that Root and Crawford woro gotting
chummy. They had great faith in Crawford.
'Ah, hn, they said, 'Coo will bring Root into
tho fold. Ho will mako a groat progressivo out
of our cx-BQcrotary of state' Then tho Now
York senator began inviting tho sonator from
South Dakota to go out in hiB motor car and
to tako luncheon with him. Crawford began
to get a littlo distant toward his former chums.
You can't expect a man who is going around
with Elihu Root to pay a great deal of attontlon
to plain senators. Thon Crawford began to
vote with tho committeo. Senator Root had
explained to him how necessary it was to work
with tho organization and how it would never
do for him to ruin a brilliant career by going,
off with a lot of wild horses liko tho progresr
sives. Print -paper camo i p, and while South
Dakota was supposed to bo committed to tho
proposition of free pnper, Crawford voted with
tho committeo, On the income tax ho did the
same thing, Then tho cloakroom gossips camo ,
out and voted Crawford tfo saying that ho had
decided it ,would not do to train with 'Pops
like LaFoJJetto and Bristow,' which is supposed
to mark tho final stagA.ln tho. journey to.,thal(
ppiltlcal-condition, which., tho east describe , a ,
'safe and sane..' " , . . , '
A LITTLE brown hen died in New Jersey
recontli and tho New York Evening Sun,
printed, thjs editorial: ,. "Cynthia, tho little,
brown hen ,of Essex county, In Now Jersey, has;
gone to roost in the shadows. No longer can
her perdrisian form be seen In her accustomed,,
range, scratching blithely among tho flower
starred, dew-spangled herbage of Cedar Grove,
wherein she was reckoned easily the leading,
citizen. For she never neglected that humbler
duty of scarifying the turf, after tho manner
of all good hens, even though her professional
duties engrossed a' double share of her useful
day. It is now more than a year ago since,
littlo Cynthia began, laying two eggs a day.
Her fame spread swiftly, but she simply blushed,
and remained on her job. Real estate agents
grew rich, local landowners bought bonds, tho
whole community waxed fat, directly through,
the undaunted ovulation of little Cynthia. Comr
muters flocked to Cedar Grove, bought chickens,
and erected chicken houses in every part of
that fair village, all burning with tho generous
hope that so magnificent an example might in
spire their own hens . to equally glittering
achievement. But It became apparent that littlo
Cynthia's duplexity of action could be credited
to no mere influences pi climate, surrounding,
food or associates. As the man said about in
describable and unimaginable ingenuity in pro
fane swearing, 'You can't learn. it; It's a gift.
So with Cynthia; her over-production was a
trait of character; special endowment; a gift
of tho hen-god. Now, with as little warning
as she camo, has Cynthia gone.. No more,
youths, will Cynthia serve you as the object
of a' Sunday afternoon pilgrimage. No more,
sweet maids, will Cynthia's praise be whispered
among dairy restaurants. Her head is under
her wing, her nest is cold. Tears, commuters,
gracious tears, and wreaths of eglantine upon .
her grassy mound. Little Cynthia is dead. No
sleep so beautiful and calm, so free from trace
of pain, so fair to look upon. She seems a .
creature fresher in memory than the first of
her twin daily boons; not one who has lived
and suffered death. And when they buried her
the little town had seldom seen a worthier
funeral."
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