The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, May 12, 1911, Page 7, Image 7

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AN INTERESTING STORY is told by tho
Omaha World-Herald In this way: "You
could see easy enough that they was a bridal
couple," said tho Pullman conductor. "A
wholo gang camo down to tho train to see them
off, all a laughing and Joshing them. Well be
haved enough they was, understand, but having
a pretty good time and a lot of fun at the ex
pense of the couplo who was leaving. There
wasn't no rice nor old shoes nor anything of
that sort, but the crowd was having a pretty
good time with them in a ladylike and gentle
manlike sort of way. They was pretty uncom
fortablo and glad when the train pulled out and
left the gang behind. Just before wo pulled out
a young fellow comes ruBhing into the car with
a big armful bouquet of bride's roses and laid
them down in the lady's lap. My, how sho did
blush. The whole car was wise and there was
plenty of snickering and guying going on. He
took it all calm enough, I'll say that for him,
just as easy and natural about it as though
getting married was an everyday affair with
him, but she kept on a blushing and acting
nervous and handling the bouquet liko it was
hot coals or something and she didn't dast
drop 'em and didn't like to hang on to 'era.
He finally settled that, though, by raising the
window and dropping them out alongside the
track. They sat for a while trying to look as
though they wasn't just aching to hold hands
and do the lovey dove act and finally he strolls
into tho smoking room and lights a cigar. He
done little things for her, like bringing her a
glass of water and all that, just as though ho
was perfectly used to it and not half ashamed of
himself, either. Well, it went on like that until
we pulled into Denver. Say, you could knocked
me down with a lace handkerchief, when a big
kid of v thirteen or fourteen, I should say, met
Jem at the., depot. THellp,, ma' ho says, giving
her, a kiss. 'How're yuh, pa? Gee, I'm glad
you're home.' I found out after that they'd
been married for years and had a whole family
of youngsters. It was a standing josh among
their friends how they managed to keep their
youth and good looks, and they was all the time
having joshes like that put up on em."
ANOTHER REPUBLICAN senator is likely
to be investigated. The Chicago Tribune
says: Isaac Stephenson, United States senator
from Wisconsin, served two terms in the legis
lature of that state before he became a citizen
of this country. For nineteen years he con
tinued to accept honors from the people of
Marinette county while still an alien and sub
ject of Queen Victoria. Finally, after his tim
ber land holdings in northern Wisconsin and
Michigan had grown to large proportions, and
he had abandoned any notion ho might have
had of returning to his native land Canada
he went down to Milwaukee, which in thoso
days of poor railroad facilities and no telegraph
lines was further away from Marinette that it
is now, and quietly put in his petition for
citizenship. News of this Milwaukee trip never
reached tho people of Marinette. The first in
timation that Isaac Stephenson lived so long
among them without being naturalized came
.to them recently. The facts are to be submitted
.to the legislative committee at Madison, which
has in hand the inquiry into Senator Stephen
Bon's right to retain his seat in the upper house
faf congress, They will be adduced as ancillary
jto eyidence that has been gathered showing the
lavish expenditure of money In connection with
.the senator's recent election. This evidence
tehows that Mr. Stephenson spent more than
'$100,000 In his campaign for the senatorship
Hind that his election was made possible after a
-protracted deadlock only by the mysterious con
duct of three democratic representatives in
fchsenting themselves suddenly from tfie joint
Session of the legislature when their remaining
here would have prevented him from getting
ihe deciding vote. A man who made the state
ment under oath that he saw these three legis
lators paid $35,000 in a hotel some time later
is npw serving a two-year term In the Waupun
state prison for perjury. The charges relating
to the senator's naturalization will reach the
legislative committee from Senator Stephenson's
home town. Two residents of Marlnetto, who
with the Tribune were instrumental in unearth
ing tho facts in regard to Stephenson's naturali
zation, will lay the evidence that has boon
gathered before State Senator Blaine, who is
chairman of the Stephenson inquiry committee."
SPEAKING BEFORE THE Knifo and Fork
Club at Kansas City, Governor Woodrow
Wilson approved the initiative and referendum
and the recall "when properly regulated," hut
objected to applying the recall to judges. Ho
said: "Among the remedies proposed in re
cent years have been the initiative and referen
dum in the field of legislation and tho recall
in the field of administration. These measures
are supposed to be characteristic of tho most
radical programs, and they are supposed to bo
meant to change tho very character of our
government. They have no such purpose. Their
intention is to restore, not to destroy, repre
sentative government. If we felt that wo had
gonuino representative government In our state
legislatures no one would propose tho Initiatlvo
or referendum in America. They are being pro
posed now as a means of bringing our repre
sentatives back to the consciousness that what
they are bound in duty and in mere policy to
do is to represent the sovereign people whom
they profess to serve and not the private in
terests which creep into their counsels by way
of machine orders and committee conferences.
The recall Is a means of administrative control.
If prpperly regulated and devised it is a means
of restoring to administrative offlcfals what the
Initiative und referendum restore to legislators
namely, a sense of direct responsibility to tho
peoplo who choose them. The recall of judges
is another matter. Judges are not lawmakers.
They are not administrators. Their duty is
not to determine what tho law shall be, but to
determine what tho law is. Their independence,
their sense of dignity and freedom, is of tho
first consequence to the stability of the state.
To apply to them the principle of tho recall is
to set. up the idea that determinations of what
the law is must respond to popular i'mptilso and
to popular judgment. It is sufficient that tho
peoplo should have the power to change tho law
when they will. It is not necessary that they
should directly influence by threat of recall
those who merely interpret the law already
established. The importance and desirability
of the recall as a means of administrative con
trol ought not to be obscured by drawing It into
this other and very different field."
HERE'S A LOVE STORY right In the midst
of party politics. A St. Paul, Minn., dis
patch to tho New York World, says: "Tho
announcement of the engagement of Miss Con
stance Day, daughter of Frank A. Day, to
Everett F. Tawney, eldest son of ex-Representative
James A. Tawney, which takes place at the
Day homo at Fairmont, Minn., next July, serves
to unite the ties of two famous families in
Minnesota, the heads of which have been lead
ing factors in opposition parties in the state for
a number of years back. It is slgniflcankthat
James A. Tawney and Frank A. Day, thenpth
republicans, began their political careerso
gether in the same body In 1890. Mr. Tawney
In that year was elected to the state senate from
Winona and Mr. Day from Fairmont. The two
became staunch friends, politically and person
ally during that session. In 1893, when Mr.
Day was unseated in the memorable fight on tho
senate floor between Jtfr. Day and Mr. Dunn,
Tawney was one of Day's ablest defenders. At
that time Mr. Tawney had already been elected
to congress from the First district, although he
served out his senate term. Mr. Day some years
later joined the democratic ranks and became
a party leader, but Tawney during those years
was serving In the national congress. Thus
Tawney was recognized as one of tho republi
can and Mr. Day the democratic leaders in Min
nesota. Tho two, however, never camo into
direct conflict for there was never any occasion
for that. It Is said, however, that during tho
second Johnson campaign Tawney's support of
the opposition candidate dimmed the friendship
between tho two men. A year ago, when Taw
ney announced that ho would again enter the
First district campaign for ro-olcction, Mr. Day
gavo out an interview attacking his old friend.
Everett F. Tawney is twenty-five years old. Ho
waB educated In the public schools in Winona
and was graduated from tho high school thoro
in tho class of 1907. After sovoral months spent
at Wisconsin university he entered the customs
service In North Dakota. Ho was subsequently
shifted to St. Paul, New Orleans, Now York and
recently ho was placed in temporary charge in
St. Paul. Ho is now in Now York on a special
caso and expects in about ten days to be sent
to Seattle or Spokane, which will bo his per
manent headquarters. In tho east ho has gained
considerable prominence by prosecuting a num
ber of important cases. Mr. Tawney mot Miss
Day about three years ago at a fratornlty party
at Minneapolis, His fiancee is a graduate of
tho University of Minnesota. Sho was prominent
in musical and sorority circles and has also had
a prominent part In tho productions of tho Uni
versity Dramatic club. At present she is teaching
a grade school at Virginia, Minn.
NOW THE INCOME tax is being used by a
church. A Milwaukee dispatch to tho
Chicago Record-Herald says: "Tho graduated
income plan of assessing members of tho congre
gation of Westminster Presbyterian church, in
tho aristocratic part of tho city, tried for tho
first timo in any Milwaukee church during tho
last year, was shown to bo a success at tho
annual meeting hold recently. For tho first
time In the history of the church tho year closed
with a surplus on hand instead of tho usual
.deficit. The plan adopted at tho last annual
meeting provldc'd for a graduated income tax
amounting to 2 per cent of income of $1,000
and less and ranging to 5 per cent on those of
$3,000 or over. In this way it was promised
that none of tho members of tho church would
bo asked to contribute toward the support of
the church more than once. A budget is pre
pared at the beginning of each year and sub
mitted to the members of tho congregation for
approval. Possibly the most notable phase of
this unique plan for paying the church expenses
was the fact that no collections were taken dur
ing the year."
ACCORDING to former Senator Chauncey M.
Dopew, Mr. Taft is growing in favor and
his will bo tho only namo presented to tho re
publican national convention in 1912. Mr.
Depow added: "I believo that as President
Taft's measures are better understood and his
unselfish patriotism and devotion to tho public
service become better known among tho peoplo
ho will grow In popular favor. He is ono of
tho most misunderstood of our presidents. His
life has been judicial and never one of political
strife, and so he looks upon questions as a judge
and not from the viewpoint of a politician. It
never occurs to him what may bo tho effect of
a measure upon his own political fortunes," Mr.
Depew gavo what he termed an. accounting of
his stewardship during his twelvo years at
Washington. Incidentally he said that he "tried
insurgency in early Hfo" and got over it.
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BRYAN AS A MUOKRAKER
"William J. Bryan, speaking before
the Y. M, O. A. of Virginia on the 9 th
Is reported by the dispatches to havo
quoted Theodore Roosevelt as saying
there is scarcely a predatory conspiracy
against the country that does not havo
Harvard brains behind it, and to have
added that those men were no better
men who hold horses in a dark place for
thieves to get away on after a burglary.
This comment has probably made Mr.
Bryan a muckraker In the estimation
of the men who hold horses for burglars
and furnish brains for big business."
Louis F. Post "The Public."
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