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The Commoner.
FEBRUARY 25, 1910
W iM ' "J"T', .", " Ti JZTG " "V"-
worth while to note, in passing, the splendid
courtesy and admirable restraint evidenced by
tho southern senators in refraining from a reply
to Mr. Heyburn. The provocation was admitted
ly great, but how honestly thrilling it was that
the temptation was refused! It was a fine com
pliment the southern senators paid their north
ern colleagues if wo may use an expression in
differentiating senators that is, we think, all but
obsolete at last, praise be when tho southern
ers elected merely to pass tho resolution to a
vote, secure in their faith that their friends of
the north would meet the issue in a manly and
patriotic manner, and that without one word of
argument from the defense! Mr. Thomas Nel
son Page, in his 'Life of Robert B. Lee,' relates
the following incident, occurring after the close
of the civil war: 'On one occasion, Geiferal
Lee was approached with a tender of the presi
dency of a life insurance company, at a salary
of $50,000 per annum. He declined it on the
ground that it was work with which he was
not familiar. 'But,' general,-' said the gentle
man who represented the insurance company,
'you will not be expected to do any work; what
we want is the use of your name.' 'Do you not
think,' said General Lee, 'that if my name is
worth .$60,000 a year, I ought to be very care
ful about taking care of it?' It is, perhaps, that
feature of General Lee's character that Senator
Heyburn finds it difficult to understand."
STATE SENATOR Conger of New York filed
charges against Senator Allds, alleging that
he had accepted bribes. Investigation resulting
from these charges is now attracting widespread
attention. The Albany correspondent for the
New York World says: "If probed to its logical
conclusion, the new evidence of corruption
Drought out will make possible disclosures of
even greater moral obliquity than have been so
far brought to light and will involve some of
the highest republican politicians who have
wielded -power throughout the state during the
last ten years. There is no possible hope in the
minds of even the most practical of the old-time
politicians that a general investigation into the
alleged corruption and wide range of legislative
debauchery can be avoided. The full purpose
of the machine leaders, who foresee disaster in
any event, is 'to prevent the investigation from
assuming the proportions .of a, deluge that will
engulf and dishonor many names now held in
high esteem. Even Conger, the author of the
original charges, seems powerless to stay a prob
ing that will literally fulfil his prediction that his
own accusation against Allds will be presented in
the light of a lflea bite' as compared to the larger
consequences."
EG. DYERNFORTH, former commissioner
for patents of the United States, writes
to the New York World this interesting letter:
"I was a soldier in the war from '61 to '65 and
have never voted anything but the republican
ticket. I do not think the democratic party has
any more sense now than it ever had, but I think
the republican party" has less and is responsible
for the present miseries high prices, etc. so
next time I shall vote the democratic ticket. I
am satisfied that the next congress will be demo
cratic, and I believe that the next president of
the United States will bo a democrat. It costs
the people too much to live under republicanism.
We have to suffer to live. We don't want an
other rising of the people as in the French
reign of terror."
THE WEEKLY Review, the organ of the Eng
lish speaking Catholics at Rome, has print
ed an editorial relating to the Fairbanks' inci
dent. The Review says: "Mr. Fairbanks'
Protestantism is broad and logical and allows
him to put his stalwart shoulder to the wheel
to help on every good cause. Though a strong
party man in politics, his devotion to party does
not make him desire the disappearance of all
parties but his own, and lie has the same theory
with regard to religion. He is a Methodist, but
lie haB no wish that Methodism should be the
only religion in America. Mr. Fairbanks is a
type of millions of good Americans, friendly to
the Catholic church and believing that it makes
little difference what a man's religion is pro
vided he does his best to live up to it." After
reviewing the incident between the former vice
president and the Vatican, the Review empha
sizes .the tolerance of tho Vatican and points out
that a man may' spend his whole life wprking
in the Vatican archives and galleries without
von being questioned as to whether he's a
Turk or an atheist. He may even ba a, diplo
matic representative to tho holy sec without be
ing a Catholic. "But even the all-embracing
liberality of the Vatican," continues tho Review, .
"din not include tho Methodist organization
here, which entered Rome through the breech
made September 20, 1870, with Garibaldi's rod
shirts. Many animosities have resulted in those
..forty years, but they have made no change in
tho spirit or tho system of the Methodists. Their
organization as established does not minister to
tho wants of visiting Methodists, here, but is
directed toward perverting tho faith of the peo
ple. Not only that, but the Methodists havo
always been bitterly and avowedly anti-papal,
eagerly welcomiug every opportunity to dis
charge their venom against Catholicism and tho
holy see. Statistics, compiled by themselves,
show that the cost of making a single Roman a
Methodist averages 7,000 francs ($1,400). Dur
ing the last forty years they have spent twelve
millions in this unholy work of proselytizing
Catholics, especially Catholic children. Mr.
Fairbanks did not know these facts or he would
not have given his promise to speak in tho
Methodist church twenty-four hours before the
time fixed for his audience with the pope.
Otherwise he would have understood how in
compatible was his public appearance in this
hot-bed of anti-Catholic proselytism and anti
papal -bitterness with an audience with the holy
father."
referred to the question of closo votes which
had decided issues, Speaker Cannon declared
that he did not know whether he would go back
to congress or not. Then, hesitating a moment,
ho added: 'Anyway, there will be a lively tlmo
of it.' "
STOCK EXCHANGE gambling was vigorously
denounced in an address delivered at Troy,
N. Y., by Supreme Court Justice Wesley O.
Howard. Justice Howard said: "While the
great men of our day are enacting and enforc
ing the most drastic statutes and ordinances
against Sunday baseball, boxing matches, mov
ing pictures and tipping waiters, great cankerous
evils are eating at the foundation stones of this
republic. While the extremest penalties are be
ing provided for the suppression of penny-ante
and kindred crimes, a gambling Institution rival
ing Monte Carlo in magnitude and audacity, and
rivalling it in the wild uproar of its conduct, in
the colossal magnitude of its stakes and In its
astonishing freedom from official interruption,
Is said to flourish in the very heart of the me
tropolis. And while business establishments are
being wrecked and innocent stockholders brought
to penury the authorities are lulled into repose
by the childlike hope of the committee that this
giant rendezvous of gambling will reform itself.
While subtle and chimerical objections are be
ing made to an income tax the common house
owner and the farmer bend their weary backs
without hope beneath the galling load of local
taxation. And while the doctrine of states'
rights debated by Calhoun nearly a century
ago is being resurrected and interposed between
the plutocrat and a federal tax, no statesman Is
racking his brain to discover a similar doctrine,
ancient and fanciful, to cast between the tax
payer and the taxgatherer at home, although his
heart be wrung by the woes of the common
people."
ADDRESSING THE National Press club at
Washington Speaker Cannon talked about
"hobbies." An Associated Press report says:
"Among other 'hobbyists' who spoke during the
evening, 'Uncle Joe' being reserved until the
last, were Willis L. Moore, F. Weatherbro, Dr.
Harvey Wiley of pure food fame, Gifford Pin
chot, 'still chief of 'the forestry of the United
States,' according to the introduction given him
by Henry Hall, presiding officer of the evening;
Commander Peary of north pole renown and
Champ Clark, minority leader in the house.
Speaker Cannon, who during the evening sat
listening with close attention to the other
speakers and smoking big, black cigars, declared
that his 'hobby' was in 'watching other men's
hobbies.' .The men of one idea, he declared, are
all good men and we wish them success and
long life, although he said that it makes one
uncomfortable often in watching other men's
. hobbies.' Taking up those who had preceded
him, he declared that Dr. Wiley was all right,
but that if he had been allowed to have his
own way entirely he would have had everybody
afraid to eat anything for fear of being poisoned,
that conservation was a good thing, but that he
was not afraid of all the coal being consumed
or all the timber ueing used up, and that much
had been done in the way of conservation from
a practical $tandpoi'nt for many ye,ars, and as
for Commander Peary, he, was ghid a Caucasian
had Teached the north pole, .out while Com
mander Peary liad 'the glory .Dr. '0(5ok had the
money. Commenting on th coming .congres
sional campaign in Illinois, Champ, Clark having
MR. TAFT'S INJUSTICE TO HIMSELF
On the 2 2d of September, 1908, Mr. Tart, then
a candidate, said at Chicago:
"Tho revision of tho tariff which republicans
desiro Is a revision which shall reduce oxcchbIvo
rates and at tho same tlmo preserve tho Indus
tries of tho country I wish there to be no
doubt in respect to the revision of the tariff."
On tho 16th of December, 190$, Mr. Tart,
then president-elect, said in New York City:
"Unless wo act in accordance with our prom
ises wo shall bo made accountable to the
American peoplo and suffer such consequences
as failure to keep faith has always been visited
with. It would be better to havo no revision
at all unless wo aro going honestly and fairly
to revise tho tariff on the basis promised by
our party."
On tho 30th of June, 1909, Mr. Tart, then
president of the United States, said in New
Haven :
"Now I venture to say that if tho republican
party does not live up to its promises, and
what the people expect of it, it will bo relegated
to a position like that of his majesty's opposi
tion." On the 5th of August, 1909, when President
Taft signed the Payne-Aldrich bill, he said:
"This law is not a perfect tariff law or a
complete compliance with the promises made in
tho republican platform, strictly interpreted."
On tho 12th of February, 1910 (last Satur
day), speaking again in New York, President
Taft said:
"Nothing was expressly said In tho platform
that tills revision was to bo a downward revi
sion. I therefore venture to repeat tho
remark that I havo had occasion to make be
fore, that tho present custom law is tho best
that has ever been passed."
The president Is doing his best for Messrs.
Cannon and Aldrich, but he Is strangely neglect
ful of himself. New York World.
TRYING TO EXPLAIN HIGH COST OF LIVING
The reason for the rise in the cost of necessi
ties can easily be traced to tho increase in our
meiisure of values, the precious metal gold, and
possibly in some cases to tho combinations In
restraint of trade. President Taft, at the Lin
coln dinner, February 12.
I am gathering proof now which will demon
strate that the food products of the American
farms are being sold in foreign countries cheaper
than in tho United States. This is not due, as
some have said, to the excess of production over
consumption and the necessity for getting rid
of the surplus abroad. It is due to the trusts
just to the trusts. James Wilson, Secretary, of
Agriculture, January 24.
You can eliminate the packers entirely from
the situation and high prices will remain. Prices
are high by the laws of nature, and natural laws
can not be changed. The best we can do is to
comply with them. Increase production and
prices will fall. J. Ogden Armour, January 11.
The cost of living is due to the cost of living
high. James J. Hill, January 24.
There is a widespread belief that among the
causes of the high cost of living combinations
and conspiracies to stifle competition and ad
vance prices figure largely. This belief appar
ently is justified by the enormous difference be
tween the prices paid to farmejs and other pro
ducers and those paid by consumers to dealers.
Judson Harmon, Governor of Ohio, January
12.
It costs me more to keep my family than It
did three years ago. The cost of living has been
going up steadily for fifteen years, and it is the
maladministration of the republican party that
Is to blame. Representative Fitzgerald of New
York, January 17.
I do not know how far trusts and monopolies
have caused the higher cost of living, but that
feature of the problem should be -carefully scru
tinized. The exact extent to which they havo
added to the people's distress and embarrass
ment should be determined. United States
Senator Elklns of West Virginia, January 15.
The people of the west know where to place
the blame for the present high cost of living.
They, lenow the republican party broke faith with
them .when it promised a downward revision of
thb; tariff and then revised it upward. Norman
Ma'cjc; Chairman Democratic National Commit
tee)' February 2.
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