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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
K
EJntorort at tlio POHtofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
an nccond-clnns matter.
Wn.T.lAM .7. UllYAK
ICdltnr and Proprietor
IUCHAIll) L. AllTC'AT.KH
yUHK-luln Editor
ClIAHMIH W. UltVAN
Publisher
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
but alio had boon taught obedience to parental
authority in her Quaker home and a father's
command coupled with a daughter's obodience
made hor Dolly Todd. After a three years happy
married lifo hor good, unselfish husband died
in tho servico of humanity. It was while she
"was Widow Todd that she was admonished
"Dolly, hide thy face behind thy snuff-box, so
many are staring at thee."
Tho blood of three nations blended in her
veins English, Scotch and Irish but not from
any of those did she acquire the use of snuff,
for it is of American origin. These nationali
ties wore so united in her that they gave her a
charm of personality that attracted such men '
as Aaron Burr, tho brilliant genius, and James
Madison, tho profound thinker, renowned for his
constructive statesmanship.
That ho proposed by offering snuff.
With Jimmy on tho arm of it,
'Twas when she sat upon tho couch
And she said "Yes" by snufllng it.
' From tho time she entered the country school
of simplest description to tho time she accepted
"Tho Great Little Madison" she became edu
cated in tho sense of Daniel Webster's defini
tion "A good education consists in that which
renders ladles correct in their manners, respect
furin their homes and agreeable to society." It
was Dolly Madison's ambition to please and she
"was grateful when pleased. She derived great
ploasuro in tho use of snuff. She offered it
freely and never lost an opportunity to take a
sniff when the box was offered her.
She gave to Henry Clay .
A box of platinum.
And down beneath its gorgeous lid
Was friendly snuff securely hid.
Generous, sincere and humble she came to
"The City of Magnificent Distances" with quali
ties of head and heart that distinguished her.
Tho French revolution drovo titled foreigners to
our shores and tho magical effect of her charm
ing qualities strengthened by her dainty snuff
box waB as persuasive with them as with her
own countrymen.
She was loved by all parties and factions and
Goodwin says "that embittered politicians that
met nowhere else mot in her parlors, accepted
her snuff and forgot their quarrels under tho
influence of her gracious tact." Though Dolly
Madison snuffed her mind was not so beclouded
that she did not win tho universal and sincere
regard of all classes of people. She used her
power to destroy tho enmity between federalist
and republican. Nor did she forget to say
"under no circumstances permit tho picture of
Washington to go into the hands of tho British "
Wo praise hor for saving tho engrossed copy
of the Declaration of Independence and tho auto
graphs of its signers. No less a personage than
? tu ,amB Bald' Hor ua,itloB were thoso
described by Solomon, a wifo that should. do him
good and not evil" all the days of hor life"
When she returned to Virginia to that moun
tain nook described by writers as within a
The Commoner.
squirrel's Jump of heaven" she took the precious
snuff-box with hor and there ruled with grace
and skill until tho death of her distinguished
husband. Following this she returned to Wash
ington. Hero, in her declining years,, with
snuff-box in her trembling hands, she offered
hospitality, winning hearts to the end. The
people, rich and poor, loved Dolly Madison.
BISHOP SCIIINNEIt'S TOSITION
Bishop Schinnor, of tho Roman Catholic
diocese, Superior, Wis., has firm faith in popu
lar government. In an address delivered at
Superior, Bishop Schinner said:
"I havo supremo confidence in the people.
Tho promises that God has made to man in the
temporal order have been made to tho masses
and not to the few, and any class that separates
itself from the people invites its own doom.
Tho people are tho living waters that preserve
unsoiled the well springs of all that is noble
and good. Separated from these living waters,
tho pools will stagnate and breed corruption.
Even great leaders are but the crystallization
of their time and race. Their powers would
but spell impolenco did impulse not come from
tho people. The danger most to be feared is
not that the people should have power, but that
tho power should be wrested from the people or
that the people should bo too supine to use
their power."
In a newspaper interview with a representa
tive of the Minneapolis Tribune, Bishop Schin
ner declared in favor of tho initiative and
referendum, saying:
"I favor the initiative and tho referendum.
Initiative and referendum are but the logical
conclusions from the first premises of our na
tional constitution. A restricted referendum
has been provided for us by the founders of our
national body and they havo given a proof of
their consummate wisdom by acknowledging
that the constitution might have to be amended
either on account of its initial defects or on
account of changes induced by the growth of
states or other causes, not excluding scientific
discoveries and inventions which have rendered
the intercourse between the extreme ends of our
country in our day easier than between com
munities within the same state in the days of
tho founders.
"Our constitution and our laws are not like
tho laws of the Medes and the Persians they
could not be changed though Daniel had to be
cast into the lions' den; our laws can be changed
and have been changed. We have improved
upon the original draft of our constitution.
Witness the amendments of which we are proud.
Witness, also, the disgraceful episode in the
early history of our nation due to the mode of
election prevailing at that time, when such a
man as Aaron Burr lacked but one vote to be
come president of the United States. More
over, the referendum is recognized in practice
by every state of the union, only it is made
contingent upon the good pleasure of the legis
lative bodies.
"Initiative and referendum are but a return
to tho original source of our laws and our
theory of government, the will of people. With
out initiative and referendum, a government of
tho people, for the people and by the people has
too often been a delusion.
"Initiative and referendum simply mean that
the people who havo delegated their power's to
others shall have a right to use directly the
power derived from them. They mean that the
sovereigns, for such the people are called and
acknowledged in this country, shall be sove
reigns in fact as well as name.
"The objection comos from a misunderstand
ing of tho initiative and an interest of the
people. The arguments I havo heard against
the initiative and referendum have strengthened
me in my convictions. Initiative and referen
dum do not mean that no longer shall there be
a special duty of legislators and that the people
at largo will enact all laws directly.
"Even with tho initiative and the referendum
the people will delegate their powers to others
as they have been wont to do. They will choose
experts, but they will not deliver themselves
irretrievably, even for a time, into the power
of these delegates, experts though they be. The
people will entrust their .interests to a delegated
body, but they will demand a right to interfere
when their interests are jeopardized by that
great body, and to stay tho blow that is aimed at
their welfare, instead of waiting until the blow
has fallen and occasioned, perhaps,, irreparable
.os8w, PeoDle PreJter their-security to tho
doubtful satisfaction of seeing the conspirators
punished.
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 22
HIGHER BUSINESS ETniCS
The following extracts from a speech of Mr.
H. J. Heinz, the pickle man, present a stand
ard of business that The Commoner is glad to
commend:
Business in America has been getting over
its years of dissipation.
About the beginning of the twentieth century,
we entered upon a period of prosperous busi
ness all over the country, and by 1904 it
amounted to intoxications, which lasted until
1907.
Under the stimulants of money getting our ap
petites whetted, we reached out for greater and
greater rewards. Ordinary profits did not satisfy.
The business world has been in a condition much
like men who have been drinking to excess.
Some go to jail for disorderly conduct, some go
to a hospital to recover from delirium tremens,
and some wake up in the morning with a head
ache, but sane and sober.
The past few years have given time for re
flection. We have been paying for our spree.
In our pursuit for gold we have forgotten
the altruistic for the personal side of business.
We have come to regard. those who work for
us and whose interests are bound up in ours
too much as mere hands, not as men and women
with souls.
This discontent finds expression in a number
of ways. Out of it bias grown socialism and
other schools of political and economic thought.
If business is to get rid of this discontent tho
employer must foster a closer and friendlier re
lation with the man who works for him. IIo
must take a personal interest in the man's
welfare and the welfare of his family. In other
words, the whole system needs humanizing,
which will mean more heart power on the part
of every employee.
When employers of labor and directors of
large corporations keep closer to -managers and
see that the superintendent and foreman show
a spirit that will influence the work people that
they may be happy and contented in this work;
remembering that "it is neither capital nor labor
but management that brings success, since
management will attract capital and capital can
employ labor."
We are all employers and employes alike
flesh and blood with pretty much the samo
virtues and failings.
We should remember also that there is last
ing profit in kindness and consideration for
others.
Business conditions of the country are daily
improving and when the political fire works
cease we will return upon a new era of pros
perity since the great cities of our land have
passed through their period of house-cleaning.
Above and beyond all doubt ' the great moral
issue stands out prominent in the hearts and
minds of tho people.
THE MISSOURI TAX QUESTION
Kansas City Star: The Star receives daily
numerous requests for information concerning
the proposed taxation amendment to the Mis
souri constitution, the so-called "Single Tax
Amendment." Many of these are answered per
sonally and many letters of an argumentative
sort are printed for others to answer. It is
Impossible to reply to all such requests individ
ually This following article attempts to givo
the important provisions of the amendment,
other informing statements touching the ques
tion will be frequent.
The amendment abolishes by degrees tho
general property tax, state and local. All per
sonal property shall be exempted from taxation
after January 1, 1914. Public bonds and home.
Sf i, mproyemonts '(UD t0 $3,000 in value)
shall be exempt at once.
inradua11 t0. tbe year 192. improvements ori
!w3JJr?i1to.b.S efxempted by these degrees;!
lnd'S??8i?9 J918",17' e-fourths In 1918-10.
and all in 1920 and thereafter.
riiu? df xcl!ve of improvements and fran
SSSnflf PUFv B,eVice kilties shall never bo
SDfun vtlue bG aSSeSSed fr taXatIn a
mantnv anTd, "Priv"ego (not defined
tSoltod' License taxes of tho liquet
looSftSn Pre,Ssly not affected. The atftf and
localities may impose them as they may now?
25 rUXtinn11? es and occupations
! i sn .for ,tbe publlc peace beaitn
cent fnwY6 ?ed throueb licenses. But
Shall not hftPi??liC P,eace healtlx and safety tteK
iii? e llcensa and taxed.
5h Km" aboll8be and forbidden.
ine existing constitutional limitations upotf
rs