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NOVEMBER 5, 10
The Commoner.
(CCURR8NT
ORGS (
rv-ev r"- i.
UNDER THE headline of "The Wisdom of
Silence," the Success Magazine prints the
following story: "The late Judge Silas Bryan,
the father of William J. Bryan, onco had sev
eral hams stolon from his smoke house Pie
missed them at onco, but said nothing about it
to any one. A few days later a neighbor came
to him. 'Say, Judge,' he said, 'I hear'd yew
had some hams stole t'other night.' 4Yes ' re
plied the Judge, vdry confidentially, 'but' 'don't
tell any one. You and I are the only ones
who know it.' "
THE PHILADELPHIA Public Ledger (rep )
prints a letter from the Canal Zone in
which tho writer severely criticises the condi
tions there. The Public Ledger says: "Thero
is a spirit of dissatisfaction among the workers
on the Panama canal, especially among the
civilians who have been employed there almost
from the beginning of operations. This is
voiced in a letter to tho Public Ledger, written
KiA. "J111, occupy1 an oflicial position, who
withholds his name from publication, declaring
he would be dismissed immediately if it became
known lie was the author of the communica
tion. It is tho rule of tho army officers, sup
ported by a system of espionage, according to
this writer, that has given rise to rumors that
Governor Blackburn would not return, but
would send his resignation to tho president.
Governor Blackburn Is now In Washington.
Good, capable engineers, it is asserted, havo had
to stop aside, to be superseded by army officers.
It Is recited that A. C. Harper of Bellofonte, Pa.,
the first engineer to go to the Isthmus when
fever was the order of things and sanitation
was unknown, was informed when about to
return from a vacation that his 'services were
no longer required.' Another, Holcombe, who
put in tho water works and sewers, was placed
in the position of necessarily resigning by hav
ing his department abolished. Tho letter points
out that army officers were few and far between
in 1905 and 1906, when fever was raging, but
now they are everywhere and all-powerful. Tho
condition presented is such as suggests tho need
of an investigation by the war department, and
there is a possibility that this may result from
the reports which Governor Blackburn is to
present to the authorities in Washington."
THE "GRAND OLD MAN" of Japan has been
assassinated. A cablegram from Harbin
says: "Prince Hirobumi Ito was assassinated
at the Tsaitsagan railway station hero today at
the moment the Japanese diplomat was ac
knowledging tho noisy welcome that had greet
ed him as he stepped down from the coach that
ho had occupied in the railroad train. Smiling
and bowing, he turned to make his way toward
tho Russian finance minister, M. Kokovsoff, who
was awaiting him on the station platform sx few
paces distant. Suddenly a half dozen revolver
shots fired in quick succession, were heard, fol
lowed by the cries of thoso standing near the
prince, who had either been wounded or imag
ined themselves to be. At the second report
Prince Ito staggered and fell. It was subse
quently found that he had received three bullets,
two of which entered the abdomen. Prince Ito
did not recover consciousness, and died twenty
minutes later. Tho fusillade of shots threw the
crowd into a panic, and it was some time before
It could bo determined who, beside the prince,
had suffered. When the excitement had some
what subsided It was found that three other
members of tho party on the platform had been
injured. Prince Ito's private secretary received
a bullet, as did Japanese Consul General Kaw
akan, and General Manager Tanaka, of the
South Manchurlan railway, who had moved
closer to tho prince as the firing began. It is
thought that these three are not mortally
wounded. Tho perpetrator of the outrage was
not hard to locate, aB he stood defiantly in the
crowd, revolver In hand. He proved to be a
Korean, and with two companions of the same
nationality boasted of a conspiracy to take the
life of the former resident general of Korea in
satisfaction for the alleged tyranny of the prince
over Koreans. As the police pounced upon the
three Koreans, the one who did the shooting
exclaimed dramatically: 'I came to Harbin for
TllO Rnlft nilfnnnn P ., t..i. . , . .
u ,,u.lluuu ui. uBouBaiiiuuilg JLTIUCO ito, to
avenge my country.' None of the three Koreans
attempted to escape. The assassin, while clalm
? ,my. becm IusPirGd Y a patriotic motive,
?!-Mn P0,11? tnat Japanese wrongs to Koreans
Justified his act, admitted under examination
tnat he had a personal grudge against the Japa
nese statesman, who, whilo residont gonernl in
Korea, had caused the execution of several or
the murderer's friends. It had boon supposed
the protection for tho prince was adequate, but
the police stated later that they wore unable to
distinguish tho Koreans among the many Japa
nese who had been admitted to the railway sta
tion to welcome the prince."
PRIOR TO HIS departure Prince Ito said to
rv , , e Associated Press representative at
lolcio: I am going on my own initiativo, with
the approval of my emperor, with tho hope of
securing a bettor understanding with China, and
of assuring tho world that Japan's intentions In
Manchuria are amicable to China, and friondly
to the commerce of all nations. When I return I
hopo to give positive ovldonco of this." A Tokio
correspondent adds: "Undoubtedly Prince Ho in
tended to inaugurate and enforce a distinct pol
icy in Manchuria, but the exact nature of this
was not disclosed. Marquis Katsura, tho pre
mier and minister of financo, after the assassina
tion, said in an Interview: 'Tho death of Prince
Ito will not change tho policy of Japan. Tho
pacific motives of Princo Ito will over bo main
tained and tho traditions left by him will al
ways bo followed.' Tho entire nation is mourn
ing; the flags on tho forolgn embassies havo
been placed at half-mast, while all public and
many private functions havo been abandoned.
The Japanese and foreign newspapors appear
with black borders. Only tho death of the em
peror could arouse similar demonstrations of
sympathy. Perhaps Prince Ito's death causes
more universal sincerity and griof because he
was idolized by tho masses as tho great coun
selor of tho elder statesmen, tho creator of tho
cabinet and tho friend of the emperor himself.
Tho boy crown prince of Korea Is reported to
have been inconsolable when the news of the
assassination of his aged grand tutor by Ko
reans was broken to him. For tho last two
years tho crown princo has been a residont of
Japan and the frequent companion of Princo
Ito, wjio formed an affection for him which
was warmly reciprocated. The fact that he was
assassinated by Koreans was especially shocking
to the youth, who was well informed as to
Prince Ito's plans regarding Korea."
A HARBIN, Manchuria, cablegram says:
"The assassin of Prince Ito was identified
today as Indian Anyan, a former editor of a
newspaper at Seoul. He said that ho was ono
of an organization of twenty Koreans who had
taken an oath that thoy would kill tho Japanese
statesman. The assassin used dumdum bullets
which had been poisoned with cyanide." Tho
Seoul correspondent for tho Associated Press
sends this dispatch: "It Is evident from tho
attitude of a considerable section of the Korean
population that tho assassination of Princo Ito
was not unpleasing. Those comprising this sec
tion represent the element which Is now deprived
of opportunities formerly offered here and they
are agitating for further violence. Viscount
Zone, the Japanese resident general in Korea,
Is much disturbed by tho reports coming in re
garding the attitude of some of the officials and
others who wero formerly closely connected with
the court of tho emperor. It Is now believed that
the entire plot was hatched in Seoul, and tho
closest investigation Is proceeding to discover
the instigators of Prince Ito's murder. It is
said that there Is reason to believe that several
prominent Koreans, while not actually privy to
the assassination, lent themselves to a secret
agitation and encouraged the people in general
in the opinion that tho sympathy of foreign
countries would be extended to them If the
situation were forcibly brought to their atten
tion. It is now known that secret societies ex
isted to spread tho propaganda that Prince Ito's
outward friendship for Korea was merely a
blind. The report also was widely circulated
i
nJ if1 m Jad Proparod to confiscate the prop
erty of all Koreans, depoito tho emperor and
drive tho people into the sea."
AN ATHENS, Grceco, cablegram carried by
1M ."? Associated Press says: "An actual
o.olt In tho navy has taken place and tho Hit
nation is acute. Tho baud of naval Officers who
on Wednesday, quitted (ho Capital ancl I wlth-
arsenal there and aro now entrenched. They
mot no opposition. The rebels are led by Officer
r baldos ami are reported to number 300 men.
ri o government has proclaimed Tibaldos a
traitor and ordered his arrest. Tho Oreo fleet
hoaIHtncfatc5I,C0rVa,n,' on iU firther side of
o island of Salamis, and has not yet had timo
o declare which side it will take. Many of tin
Junior officers in Athens disavow to revolt
roat excitement prevails In this city and tho
te anrn ,n!ar,n ,,S g,Uurdod h' troops Lieu
tenant Tibaldos, who heads the revolt, is tho
sXSnnl , n "0U,,a, of tor oat and
submarines. It appears he demands that ho ho
5?ta0t!2,nlll,Hl?r.0f,niarlno and threatens ?
this is not conceded that he will overthrow tho
government and establish a dictatorship. If Ti
baldos succeeds in winning over the fleet as It l
rumored h0 will, it Is feared lie wHl bS In a
position to rnrry out his throats. Meanwhile
an element in the military leaguo which on.
noun'clnV TMrC,V,0lt ,mfl ,SH"cd a PrecSnailon de-
oath to tho leaguo. This afternoon a regiment
sen nMnmy n,,d a bnttory of oId """ wero
sent to Slcaramanga. on tho coast, a few milcB
west of Athens and opposite Leros, tho point
on tho island of Salamis, whoro TUmldo' mU
are entrenched, it is now said that Tibaldos
flnHifti1?! siufW,ort o tho entire torpedo
?! i.of i0?" S,,1W and batons to employ
those In stinking tho rent of tho loot, A Tibal
dos holds tho arsenal ancl ammunition depots,
the vessels in tho possession of tho government
aro without ammunition a;id havo not been
mobilized. It Is feared th , 'tho ships thus far
loyal may join the revolt, particularly since tho
military league Is now hostile to the revolt In
the navy."
A STATUE TO tho memory of tho late Sen
ator Matthew Quay of Pennsylvania was
unveiled at Philadelphia recently. Tho follow
ing Is taken from tho New York Evening Post:
"Tho Philadelphia North American describes tho
very informal unveiling of the Quay statue in
tho Pennsylvania capltol at midnight. It de
clares that it Is 'incoricoivnblo that thero was
no gathering of muto witnesses:' 'There must
have stood tho shades of J, Blake Walton;,
cashier of tho state treasury, dead by his own
hand; of John S. Hopkins, cashier of tho People's
bank, dead by his own hand, because 4My other
hand is in the lion's mouth and I can not got
It out;' of T. Lee Clark, dead by his own hand,
because 'They have worked my ruin I have
been shamefully robbed;' of George Wallace
Delamater, of State Treasurer Noyes,
Treasurer Livsey, Treasurer Haywood, Treasurer
Hart, Auditor-General Norrls, Capitol Contractor
Payne, Witness Jeffries, Treasurer Mathues, and
Capitol Contractor Sandorson. of that
negro messenger who knew how and why Chris
Mageo and Don Cameron paid a shortage of
neaTly $500,000 In 1880, thereby keeping a cer
tain statesman from drawing a razor across his
throat In tho Lochlel hotel tho negro whoso
body a fow days later was found floating in tho
canal.' Wo may also note what happened when
newspaper protographera were sent to Harrls
burg to 'take' tho famous statue in Its permanent
position. Around the upper part of tho rotunda
there runs a motto drawn from William Penn's
writings: 'There may be room thero for such
a holy experiment. For the nations what a
precedent. And my God will make it tho seed
of a nation. That an example may bo set up
to the nations. That wo may do tho thing that
is truly wise and just.' After tho photographers
snapped tho statue on its pedestal beneath those
lines, their negatives, when developed, showed a
blur for all these word3, save two. These
were directly over the head of the statesman,
and wero: 'My God!'"
i.
