- V-"" - h- v'."'"; J
.e--. m:;v
J
i
i
f,
5
I
i
i
'
i
f
f.
V
-m--::--:::-w
...Commoner Comment
J Extracts from V. J. Bryan's Paper.
f
That Populist Influence.
The reorganizers are always com
plaining1 of the influence which the
Iopulists have exerted upon the demo
eratie nartv in recent vears. When
ever a reorganizcr wants to find fault
with the democratic platform or any
nart of it, he denounces it as populistic.
The fact Is most of the things which
are complains! of as populistic were
advocated by the democrats belore tne
populist party was organized, and that
which the democrats did borrow from
the populist party was indon-cd by
practically all of the democratic party
prior t the Chicago convention. Take
for instance the question of free silver.
The democratic party in congress had
for years leen contending for the very
tiling1 which the Chicago platform in
dorsed. Time and apaiii before there
was a populist party nearly all of the
democrats iu both the house and sen
ate had voted for the financial system
indorsed by the platform. They had
voted for free coinage and for unlimit
ed coinage; they had voted for a bill
opening- the mints at the ratio of 13 to
1 without waiting for the aid or eon
v" of any other nation, and no na
tional democratic platform hati ever
announced a different doctrine. The
Chicago eonvnt?ou opposed' the na
tional bank of issue, but in so doing it '
was entirely consistent with the party
record.
The Chicago platform indorsed the
income tax. The principle of the in
come tax had been indorsed in the
prev.ons populist platforms, but it had
also lieen enilnxlied in the revenue
incasnre passed by congress in 1S'.I.
Comparatively few of the democrats in
the honse and senate voted against the
income tax. Senator II ill of No v York,
being the most rabid of its opponents.
While it was known io the democrats
in congress that Mr. Cleveland did not
favor an individual income tax, he
a!!o-ved the bill containing this tax to
lieconie a law without his signature.
The opposition to the income tax
p!.iok has cot lieeo directed so much
to the principle involved as to the
wording of the platform, and the word
ing of the platform was not suggested
by anything the populist party had
ever said or done.
tioverriment by injunction was also
denounced in the Chicago platform,
but it will ! remembered that the
United States senate had already
passed, practically without opposition.
the bill which the democratic platform
commended.
These are the propositions usually
referred to as populistic, and yet, while
the populist and aeusocratic party
agree 0:1 these propositions, they are
thoroughly democratic, and no demo
crat can consistently object to them
merely because the populist party fa-
Tors them.
lint whv should men who voted the
republican ticket find fault with the
populists who supported the demo
cratic ticket? Should men who sup
ported the Palmer and I'uckner ticket
ieel aggrieved because the populists
were more anxious than they to secure
the reforms for which the democratic
party had been working? If men are
to be judged by their acions rather
than by their words, the populists are
much more in sympathy with demo
cratic principles than those who spend
their time criticising and carping ai
the populists.
Something .More Than Independence.
The imperialists' claim that the
American colonists simply struggled
for independence fron Great ISritain
and did not lay down a rule for the
government of future generations, is
well met by an extract from a speech
delivered by Mr. Lincoln February 21,
1361. On that occasion the great re
publican said: "Away back in my
childhood, the earliest days of ray be
ing able to read, I got hold of a small
book, such a one as few of the young
er members have ever seen 'Weem's
Life of Washington.' I remember all
the accounts there given of the battle
fields and struggles for the liberty of
the country, and none fixed themselves
upon my imagination so deeply as the
struggle here at Trenton, N. .1. The
crossing of the river and the contest
with the Hessians, the great hardships
endured at that time, all fixed them
selves on my memory more than
any single revolutionary event; and
yon all know, for you have been lxj-s,
how these early impressions last long
er than any others. I recollect think
ing then, boy even though I was, that
there must have been something more
than common that those men struggled
for. I am exceedingly anxious that
that thing which they struggled for,
that something even more than na
tional independence, that something
that held out a great promise to all
the people of the world in all time to
come I am exceedingly anxioue that
this union, the constitution and the
liberties of the people, shall be perpet
, i! a ted in accordance with the original
idea for which that struggle was
made, and I shall be happy, iuueed, if 1
shall be a humble instrument in the
hands of the Almighty, and of this.
If is almost chosen people, for perpetu
ating the object of that great struggle.
The Lincoln (Neb.) State Journal,
republican, asserts that the "steel cor
poration, usually called 'trust, has
earned during the first nine months of
is existence 883,000.000. Does the
highwayman "earn the money he
taks from his victim?
Dr. Loeb claims to have discovered
the death microbe and a means of rend
ering it harmless. This is encourag
ing. Perhaps the good doctor will in
time discover the trust microbe and a
means of rendering it harmless.
Talk about amending the constitu
tion should be postponed until a com
mission has time to investigate and re
port whether there is enough left of
. the document to sew a patch to.
Administration organs have not yet
ceased berating Webster Davis for hav
ing the courage of his convictions.
Mr. Davis has been guilty of the hein
ous crime of doing his own thinking.
Mr. ITanna will not work indns
fri'onslvat the labor-capital harmony
job until after he gets that Ohio legis-
A Chance of Itase.
Although we may deplore the lower
ing of ideals that has taken place in
,, t if i,wu we must eive its editor
credit for recognizing the inconsistency
lxtweanthe Declaration of inuepen
denee and the Philippine policy of the
republican administration. In a recent
editorial he speaks of the principle
that "all governments exist for the
benefit of the governed." One does
not have to be learned in the science 01
government nor far advanced in the
knowledge of language 10 recogni
the wide difference between the prin-
.irl nlxtrr stated and tle self-evident
truth that "governments derive their
ju-t powers from the consent of the
governed." The principle stated in
the Outlook is one mat lias neen as
serted bv ever king and potentate
who claimed to rule by right divine.
V man would be a monster who would
?efend a government upon any other
theory, but while this is the theory
usually put forward in defense of mn
arciiies and aristocracies, the all im-por-.ant
question is, who shall decide
what is for the "lienetit of the gov
erned.'"' Shall this question be decided
by a king, or by a few, or shall it be
deeided by the people themselves?.
Tne trouble with one who rules by
ebitrary power is that he insists upon
fleciding what government is best for
his subjects, and then he insists upon
shooting them if they do not agree
with him in regard to the merits of
the government which he proposes,
anil under which they must live. The
whole difference between a govern
ment resting upon force and a govern
ment resting upon the consent of the
governed is involved in the difference
between the Outlook's idea of govern
ment and the theory of government
set forth in the Declaration of Inde
pendence. Jefferson defended the view embod
ied in the Declaration of lndepence.
In his first inangral message he said:
"Sometimes it said that man cannot be
trusted with the government of him
self. Can he then be trusted with the
government of others, or have we
found angels in the form of kings to
govern him?" Lincoln announced the
same doctrine when lie said that God
never made a man good enough to gov
ern another man without the other
man's consent.
It behooves us to analyze the princi
ples which underlie imperialistic pol
icies, and when those principles are
understood they will be found to le
not ones just discovered, but the old
and blood-stained ones, trampled un
der the feet of the soldiers who enlist
ed under the banner of Washington.
The Chicago Record-Herald, a repub
lican newspaper, commenting upon the
recent decisions in the Philippine case.
refers to "the acrobatic Justice Brown
The Record-Herald sa3-s that Justice
Brown's distinction "seems to be that
while they (the Philippines) are part
of the United States, they may be leg
isiateu against as though thev were a
foreign country, though they are de
nied the right of a foreign county to
retaliate." This republican paper con
cludes that "the stronger reasoning is
with the justices who believe that uni
form federal laws should apply to all
America u territory and tne subject
still remains to bs disj'.issJ as a ques
tion of iolicv lefore congress. That
body will find itself in a very peculiar
and embarrassing position if it takes
to making discriminating tariff legis
lation for the Philippines." But why
more 'embarrassing'' than when it
undertook to enact discriminating tar
iff legislation for Porto Rico? The
Record-Herald says, "If for the Philip
pines, why not for any other territory
of the United States? If for anj- other
territory, why not for any separate
state in the union?'' To be sure, why
not? But did not the Record-Herald
make itself in part responsible for this
very policy, when it enthusiastically
supported for office men who were
strongly committed to the very policy
which it now vigorously condemns?
Justice, Bat email & Co., wool mer
chants, have issued a bulletin in which
they say that the danger of reciprocity
is past, but that the wool industry is
now menaced by Babcock's threat of
tariff tinkering. The spirit of the re
cent reciprocity convention (composed
of manufacturers who do not want re
ciprocit3'), was expressed by one of the
speakers who denounced reciprocity by
saying that we would simply ask for
eign nations to permit us to assassi
nate some of their industries in return
for our letting them knife some of
ours." As long as the manufacturers
control the administration it is easy to
iruess the fate of the "handmaiden of
protection," as the president has de
scribed reciprocit3'.
Having subsidized the steel trust
into making steel we are asked to suIh
sid'ze the shipping trust that carries
the steel abroad and sells it at lowci
priees than is charged home consum
ers. In due time we will e asked to
subsidize the foreigners into buj'ing
the subsidized steel carried in subsi
dized ships.
Charles Emory Smith has left the
postoffice department and "Historian"
MacClay has been pried loose from the
navy department, but the literary fel
lows are still represented in the gov
ernment employ by John Hay.
Mr. Fry sa3's he has eliminated the
objectionable features from the ship
subsidy bill. If he has the bill will
carry no subsidy provision.
The people who pay the freight
might solve the merger proposition by
organizing1 a merger at the polls. '
It takes an unusually acute hearing
to recognize any prosperity shouts
from the wool growing regions.
The country needs a servicable cen
sus bureau much more than it needs a
permanent census bureau.
Perhaps Alfred Austin forgets that
John Bull and Uncle Sam came togeth
er on two former occasions.
It appears that the Boers do not
need a strenuous poet to urge them to
renewed activity
PBCGBfcSS IN TREE surgery.
Lives of Many Are Now Saved toy
Thnely Operations,
there has als been very great progress
In tree surgery or the methods of
treating trees and shrubbery when It J
becames necessary to apply the knife
or pruning shears. Many a tree Is
living today that would have died a
few years ago from causes that would
then have brought on death, but which
today are successfully treated.
An instance of this progress can be
Eeen in the Simon Cameron tree, aa
the spreading elm near the footpath
leading from New Jersey avenue to the
south wing of the capital in Washing
ton is called. This tree received its
WMle surgery aa applied to man has
made great strides in recent years.
name by which it is universally known
now when the elder Olmstead laid out
the capitol grounds and provided for a
footpath which would have made nec
essary the removal of the stately old
elm that was so greatly admired by
Senator Simon Cameron. Mr. Cam
eron interested himself in saving the
tree with the result that it was al
lowed to stand in the center of a
space that would otherwise have been
covered with a granolithic walk.
The tree flourished until a. year ago.
when an amputation became neces
sary. One of Its big limbs, showing
signs of decay, was cut off. The op
eration was successful enough, but the
wound being left open, in the course of
time decay set in. The decay was
working into the very vitals of the
elm and would have killed it in a few
ears, but recourse was taken to an
operation that la now very frequently
applied in tree surgery. The decayed
portion was scraped off and a cover
ing of asphaltum was placed over it to
arrest further decay. The tree is now
as well off. says the Washington Star.
as would he a man with a limb am
putaicd and properly dressed with an
tiseptlcs. In the course of time the
wound will probably be healed and the
ree will be perfectly healthy again.
C00KINQ BY THE SUN'S RAYS.
s'oel Plan Invented by Mas from
San
Francis ru.
Ccoking by the heat of the sun is a
novel idea, but suggests economy, and
is certainly practicable if there is no
exaggeration in the claims made by
San Francisco inventor In behalf of
a newly patented contrivance.
The apparatus consists of a sort of
oven made in the shape of a rectangu
lar box. open on one of its four sides
(through glass) to the direct rays of
the sun, and similarly exposed on an
other side to solar rays reflected
from a series of prismlikc mirrors
Inasmuch as the box and mirrors are
adjustable at various angles, the rays
of the sun may he concentrated upon
the inside of the cres. a? r.y hour of
the da
The oven is set upon one edge
Whereas the upper two sides are of
glass, the lower two sides are of wood,
and the whole box, save for the two
glass sides, is double-wailed and lined
with felt and sawdust. Thus, glass
being a'so a nonconductor, the heat
that enters the box does nor isily get
out again. In fact, .r ;.re vere water
Inside, it is claimed that it would
quickly boil on a sunshiny daj
The Internal arrangement of the
oven consi&ts cf three shelves which
remain horizontal no matter at what
angle the box is placed. On these
Ehelves baking is done. 'Along the
top edge of the box extends a flat
piece of metal, hollow inside, into
which hot air is admitted from the
oven beneath. This Is a broiler, and
the inventor says that one may cook a
steak on it nicelj.
One advantage of the solar method
of cooking it that it is clean. No fuel
tas to be supplied, and . there are no
hes to remove. It is a process that
ecommends itself vmost strongly,
therefore, to the neat and thrifty
housewife.
History of Irish Poplin.
Lady Carew, who died the other day,
was a benefactress of Ireland in this
way: She was the first person to wear
in Paris an Irish poplin dress. It
was in primrose yellow with a design
in gold thread, and so much admired
that the foremost ladies at the court
)f the Tuilleries asked her where she
bought the poplin, an', upon learning
the address, wrote for patterns. Marie
Antoinette ordered one in lavender,
enriched with .a gold pattern; the
Princess Marie one in blue and silver,
and Princess Clementine one in pink
,nd silver. Irish poplin wa3 first man
ufactured in Dublin by Popellne, . a
Huguenot refugee. It became the
rage and was greatly worn on occa
sions of high ceremony, as rain did
not spoil it. Poplin became a favorite
dress for the public promenades at
fashionable hours. All its French imi
tations, the wool being less carefully
treated, cockle and lose luster when
exposed to the least shower. Balzac
dresses some of his grand ladies in
poplin. The Princess Clementine wore
a plaid poplin gown the day the late
Queen Victoria first landed at Treport
to visit Louis Philippe and Marie
Amelie at Eu. Irish , poplin is
still much worn by the children of the
wealthy, and is thought to go well
with Irish guipure. London News.
Barber Canning: Bid for Trade.
T perceive," said the barber, "that
you shave yourself and that you are
a rignt-nanaea person. 1 Know mat
you shave yourseu ana mat you
are right - handed because your
hair, where it ends in front of your
ears, Is blocked out by the razor at
unequal lengths. It is much longer,
a full quarter of an inch longer, be
fore your left ear ' than before your
rignt one. rnese inaccuracies snow
ine that you shave yourself, and the
longer hair on the left side shows you
to be right-handed. For you have,
you sea, a better, freer reach with the
right hand, and in the first stroke of
shaving that you make on the right
side the trained muscles of your arm
muse you unconsciously to begin high-
. , x j
er up. IT you were ieii-uauaeu ma
kftir ot the "? He would be the
horter." Philadelphia Record.
Censamptlvee la Australia.
According to Dr. Sidney Jones, 16,-
000 consumptives are moving about
Australia annuallj.
i TARIFF AN OUTRAGE.
y. j.
BRYAN DENOUNCES LEGISLA
TION FOR PHILIPPINES.
fcyj i Eclipses the Oppression Prac
ticed bjr Knglaud t'pwn Her American
Colonics Secretary U's Report
Be reals Republican Flnanrlel Views.
The Philippine tariff measure passed
jy the house of representatives, prac
Jcally by a party vote, is one of the
nost shameless pieces of legislation
-ver proposed by any party, and it
ught to seal the political fate of any
nan who supports it. England. In her
ppressjon of the American colonies,
vas never guilty of anything more
yrannical, and even Spain, whose des
otism aroused our country to armed
irotest In behalf of Cuba even Spain
acked the refined cruelty which Re
mbliean leaders practice with seeming
mjoyment. While the West Indies
vere under the rule of the Castillian
hey enjojed free trade with the moth-
;r country, and had representation in
he Imperial parliament, but the Fili
ilnos. after co-operating with us
igainst Spain, were bought like chat
els from a vanquished foe, and placed
mder the control of high-priced carpet
tag officials. Now they are to be shut
nit from commercial intercourse with
he United States by a high tariff wall
:onstructed to enable a few American
nanufacturers to grow rich at the ex
lense of the rest of the people and de
lied representation in the legislature
vhlch taxes them. The Democrats In
he house of representatives have
jreatly strengthened their party by
heir rigorous opposition to the meas
ire. The short time given for debate
n the house makes It imperative that
he Democrats of the senate shall pre
ent to the public through the Con
cessional Record the facts relative to
olonialism as thus far developed.
fhe Commoner.
SECRETARY GAGE'S REPORT.
.That the Arreptanre ot Ills Recom
mendations Would Mean.
In his annual report Secretary of
he Treasury Gage has recommended
t shipping subsidy; the repeal of m
tor war taxes; a central bank; the cre
.tion of a national clearing house of
tational banks; the enlargement of the
imit of subsidiary silver coinage to
120,000,000, and the asset currency
lan.
Concerning the latter proposition
;ecretar- Gage's recommendation em
odies practically the provisions of the
'verstreet bill or the McCleary bill
The secretary of the treasurj' appears
o be fully convinced as to the pro
rie-ty of this plan. He thinks that at
east two beneficial results would fol-
ow. He thinks that $60,000,000 in
Jnited States bonds, now in security.
rould be gradually released for sale In
he general market. The impounding
f the greenbacks as security for the
tank notes would, he thinks, relieve
he government from all the burdens
iow incident to their redemption to an
extent of $200,000,000. For the balance
f $146,000,000 in legal tender notes
vhich would then be outstanding, the
:150,000,000 In gold now held as a spe
ial redemption fund would soon be
txcessive. If this were reduced to
1146,000,000 the greenbacks would be
tome virtually what Secretary Gage
hinks they ought to be in reality, 'gold
.ertificates, says the Commoner. In
eaiit-, Secretary Gage's plan contem-
ilates the actual retirement of the
greenbacks and the substitution of a
lational banking currency for the gov
irnment currency, giving to the na-
Jonal banks, in addition to the enor
nous power they already possess, the
trivilege of doing an immense amount
if business on wind. This is "sound
Inance;" this would be the realization
if "a wise and business-like financial
Kilicy," according to the Republican
heory. This represents. In the most
iresentable form, the purpose of Re-
mblican financiers. The American
Jeople have not yet begun to realize
he responsibilities they were assum
ng when they elected and re-elected
he Republican party to power; but
lay by day the plans of Republican
eaders are being unfolded; and "little
y little, but steadily, as man's march
o the grave," the Republican leaders
ire transforming liberty Into license.
ind no one need be surprised if "asset
urrency" and branch banks, in a short
ime, become realities.
Blerely aa Entering Wedge
The new subsidy bill is by no means
satisfactory measure to the men
who have fathered it, but they are
inxious to get some measure recogniz-
ng the principle of ship subsidies
:hrough congress and are willing, be
cause they must, to wait for what they
most desire until they can ask for it
in the ground that congress must
itand by the policy it has inaugurated
ind perfect it. The aim of this bill is
capture the support of western
members who revolted against the
aoldly obnoxious features of the form
er bill, on the ground that the new bill
s harmless. But for the purpose of
Setting some kind of a subsidy meas
jre through as a starter Senator Frye
ind the rest would not consider this
Jill worth fighting for. Boston Iler
ild. An Issoe for AU Democrats.
We have free traders and tariff
'evlslonlsts and some protectionists
n the party. We have silver men and
intl-sllver men, as well as gold men;
'.hose who believe in taking the power
'o issue currency away from the banks
ind those who believe we should
seep the Philippines and who favor
;he most rigid control of public and
cuasipubllc corporations and those
-rho believe in state ownership of
ubllc utilities. We have men who
jelieve we should keep the Philippines
ind those who think we should let
hem go. But there is not a man In
:he entire country who calls himself a
Democrat that believes in the political
ibsolutism which prevails to-day un
Jer the control of the Republican
party in national affairs. St. Paul
Globe.
HowVRMsTi Wt. Rerard It.
Congrejn he khiwtu3 of Mississip- t
measures which closes our ports to ar
ticles imported from the Philippines,
said that the Filipinos would refer to
us as the stepmother- country rather
than as the mother country. It is a
point well made, but it might be stated
even more strongly. A stepmother
often shows great devotion to and
makes great sacrifices for the children
of her husband, but no nation has ever
administered a carpet .bag government
with benevolence or even Justice.
N Great Armament Needed.
It is time that all who believe In
keeping the United States free from
the heavy military burdens which now
handicap the great nations of Europe,
morally as well as financially and in
dustrially, should make themselves
heard.. There is no evidence that the
American people as a whole desire
anything more than a strictly defen
sive navj'. and the existing fleet has
gone beyond this limit. This country
has never performed a greater ser
vice to the world than by demonstrat
ing Its ability to get on without great
armaments. New York Evening Post.
Tariff the Paramount linoo.
While all Democrats do not agree on
the tariff, they are more nearly har
monious on that than any other sub
ject. It is not a new question and
the long-maintained Democratic posi
tion on the question appeals more and
more to the sense of right and Justice
of intelligent voters. It should be a
leading Issue in the next campaign if
the party is to make a campaign along
defensible Democratic lines. If not.
it doesn't matter whom it declares for
or against. Nashville American.
Make a Clean Job of It.
The Republican majority in the Am
erican house of lords ought not to
confine themselves to reducing the
minority representation on the several
committees. Why not cut off that
representation entirely?. It would
make but a minor difference, any
wa. and it would be entirely conso
nant with the idea of absolutism
which has found so much favor in
doing the national business within the
past three years or so. St. Paul
Globe.
The Presidents Advisors.
The American Anti-Trust League
filed a protest against the confirmation
of Attorney General Knox. The oppo
sition was based upon the ground that
he had not prosecuted offenses against
the anti-trust law even when those of
fenses had been brought to his notice.
The senate committee, however, re
ported in favor of the attorney gen
eral's confirmation, taking the position
that the president has a right to choose
his advisors.
Gage's Scheme Not In Favor.
The reception which the financial
community accords to Secretary Gage's
proposition for a central bank should
finally dispose of that abstract scheme.
It is to be regretted that the secretary's
last report should not have been more
practically suggestive. It was almost
entirely barren of sensible advice. Not
for a long time, if ever in its history,
will the country come to' the idea of a
centralized banking system. Philadel
phia Times.
The Most Amazing; Injnxtlm.
Schley, the man who fought and
won the battle. Is allotted less than
one-seventh as much prize money as
has been paid to Sampson, and less
than one-fifth as much as the sum
allotted to Chadwlck. If these figures
were not official they would seem im
possible. ' Comment is superfluous.
They constitute the most amazing in
justice In the records of this govern
ment. Philadelphia Times.
Peril f the Trust (System.
The peril of the present system of
trust capitalization is plain. The gen
eral public is in profound ignorance of
trust conditions. Investors necessarily
take undue chances when they buy
trust securities. There should be at
least a reasonable guarantee of safety
to investors as well as to consumers.
This guarantee must be found In pub
licity as one measure of regulation,
St. Louis Republic.
Their Co-Operatlon Not Wanted.
The Washington Post says: 'There
are a great many teopie wno wouia
be glad to co-operate with the Demo
cratic party as it formerly existed."
Undoubtedly, and Messrs. Hanna. Frye,
Gage. Foraker, Quay. Addicks. Piatt.
and others might be named aa a few of
the many. Democracy, however, has
ceased to hunt for that kind of co
operation.' The Systems Are Irreconcilable.
When oil and water mix harmoni
ously with the utmost ease and celerity
the Chaffee idea of rule in the Philip
pines and the Taft idea of governing
their people may work together with
good effect. Until such a phenomenon
- 1 1 t 9 tit
occurs. However, cm 11 ruie anu mili
tary sway in those Island are alto
gether likely to "clash" and disagree
at a hundred points. Boston Globe.
Gen. Chaffee's Dilemma.
In forming an opinion as to the ca
pacity of the Filipinos for self-government.
General Chaffee, the military
governor, is somewhat embarrassed by
the fact that he cannot decide for the
Filipinos without deciding against the
interests of the carpet bag officials and
exploiters who find good picking In
our new possessions."
Prospect of Disagreement,
Mr Hanna and Mr. Cleveland will
be on the committee to devise ways
and means by which capital and labor
mav be brought into Harmony, it is
highly probable that the committee
111 disagree. Mr. cieveiana is out ot
nolltics and Mr. Hanna is In politics.
That will make the difference. Dallas
News.
The Farmer Wants Ills Whack.
After paying the wages, of a nurse
for the other fellow's infant industry
all these years, it Is not strange that
the farmer has come to believe that
somebody ought to hire a nurse for his
hei sugar
Industry. Detroit Free
AS .TO BR ANCH BANKS
SECRETARY GAGE REC0MMEND3
GREAT CENTRAL TRUST.
Xaormooi Power ft gnrh at Financial
Institution Would R a ConUant Dan
f Object or the Promoters of Such
Scheme 6hoin by The Commoner.
In his annual report Secretary Gage
recommends a great central bank. He
says that the existing system does not
afford "the highest assurance of pro
tection" and does not establish "a
bond of cohesion, the power of co
operative action, the ability to co
ordinate for the general good or for
mutual defense." such as would be
provided by a central institution with
multiplied branches. Those who have
carefully observed the part which the
banking institutions have played in
the politics of the country will obtain
a hint cf the enormous power a cen
tral hank with "multiplied branches"
would wield when they observe that
the promoters of the proposed system
believe that between the banks as or
ganized to-day, there is no "bond of
cohesion," and no "power of co-operative
action." Mr. Gage says that the
oroposition for a large central bank
with broad powers for establishment
of branches "offends the common in
stincts of our people," and "may be
looked upon at present as Impossible
of realization." We may accept this
language, then, while giving no en
couragement for the immediate pres
ent, as holding out the hope that after
a while, when the people shall have
become quite accustomed to Republi
can Impositions of all kinds, the com
mon instincts of our people" may be
violated with impunity and even a
central bank may be established.
If this proposition does now offend
the "common instincts of our people"
what manner of official Is this who
holds out even the smallest hope -that
the offense may yet be given?
The "common instincts of our peo
ple" have provided the safeguard of
our liberty and have insured the per
petuation of free government. If Mr.
Gage shall finally succeed in establish
ing this "offense" U the "common
instincts of our people," he must
either effect a complete change in
those "instincts" or he must place the
people in such a state of servitude
that they will not be able to give ex
pression to their "common instincts."
The central bank la not the only Re
publican proposition, that offend3 the
"common instincts of our people," and
yet Ir many other instances the Re
publican party has ignored these "in
stincts" and established un-American
policies without the slightest regard
for public criticism. May it not be
possible that Mr. Gage has some war
rant in believing that the time will
come when even on the question of
a great central bank, the "common in
stincts of our people" may be defied
with Impunity by the Republican
narty? The Commoner,
Facte of TLivlngr Interest
"Ont of the statistical and technical
aridness of the secretary o the treas
ury's report" the New York World
has produced these facts- of living in
terest: The government taxed the
people last year $6D9,216."i30 which is
$351,694,625 more than its receipts for
the last fiscal year before the Spanish
war, 1897. It spent $621,598,346
which is $235.S24,3S7 more than it
spent in 1S97. If taxation were the
same now as it was four years ago,
and the expenditures had increased to
their present figures,, instead of report
ing a surplus of J77.000.000 the secre
tary of the treasury would have to re
port a deficit of $273,876,641. If ex
penditures were the same as before
our colonial experiments and taxation
were up to its present height, the re
port would have been of a surplus of
bo less than $333,522,371. No wonder
President Roosevelt speaks of the
Philippines as "a great burden.
The- Dominant Middle West.
The middle west the region be
tween the Alleghanies and the Rockies
and stretching from the Ohio river
and the southern boundaries of Mis
souri. Kansas and Colorado to the
Canadian: line has become in recent
years the dominant section of the
country and its ascendency Is further
emphasized by the advance of Gov
ernor Shaw to the control of the finan
cial arm of the government. Shaw's
own state as now the speaker of the
house, the head of the senate's com
mittee on appropriations, the heads of
other important committees in the
other branch of congress and the
heads of iwo departments in the cabi
net the treasury and agriculture.
Illinois has Cullom at the head of the
senate's foreign relations committee
and Cannon is chairman of the appro
priation committee of the house.
Other western states are also well
provided In this respect.
The Chinese Dancer.
The Chinese exclusion law expires
in six months. Unless renewed this
winter this country will be flooded
with Chinese who will come in swarms
and take the places of Americans at
wages that Americans cannot live on.
The corporations are all fighting to
prevent this law being renewed that
they may have cheap labor that has no
votes. If this 13 done, there will be
race riots in this country the like of
which has never been witnessed on
earth. The working people of this
country have shown in the past that
they are unwilling to have the Chinese
displace them in their native land.
Great events will occur out of this
subject. The congressmen and sena
tors the working people have elected
will serve the wishes of the corpora
tions. Mind the prediction. Beware
the result.
Prosperity Unequally Divided.
A Delaware reader of The Com
moner meets the Republican argument
that prosperity is equally distributed,
by calling attention to the experience
of a friend of his who had an oppor
tunity to invest !.en thousand dollars
In national bank stock twenty years
ago, but instead of doing so Invested
in farm land. The bank stock Is now
worth three time:, what it was worth
then, and has paid over 12 per cent
Interest all the tine, while the farm
can be bought for eight thousand an.!
In the meantime? ha3 not yielded ccar
ly so large a profit as the bank. This
is not an uncommon Illustration, but
many farmers who have hal a simi
lar experience are still willing to allow
the bankers, the trust magnate at. 1
the protected manufacturers to niak
the laws.
Wasting Time In Congress,
Sixteen closely printed pages of the
latest issue of the Congressional Rec
ord are devoted to prlvato UMs pre
sented In the house and referred.
They number 1.338. The serioua de
bate of the session, occupies less thau
three pages of the Record. AH these
bills are referred to congressional
committees and most of them will in
due time come liek to the house for
passage. It Is a physical impossibility
for any committee to examin them
carefully. They will generally be rail
roaded through and pas'ed by a sys
tem of trading favors. In many in
stances the country will thus be mai
to pay unjust claims. But the mis
chief does not end here. Muc h of tb
energy of congressman must be wasted
In committee work that ia of 110 na
tional importance. It is absurd that
the congress of the United State
should devote a large share of Its ex
ertion to trivialities that might prop
erly occupy the fittenticn c' a council
of a small town.
Stakes a Convenient I-oophole.
Some members of the house of rep
resentatives insist that the Philippine
revenue law should originate in the
house because the constitution pro
vides that all bills for raising revenue
shall have their origin in that body.
Congressman Overstreet of Indiana,
however, is reported as saying that
the Philippines bill may originate In
the senate, as it Is "not a revenue
measure within the meaning cf the
constitution." This expres.-ion, "with
in the meaning of the- constitution.""
seems to be a very convenient one,
and has often been used for the pur
pose of covering a multitude of sins.
."Way Have Made Mistake.
From the fact that various directors
of the new Northern Securities com
pany who are directors also of the
railroads which this company owns
have found It necessary to resign from
one or the other it ia to be inferred
that the "eminent legal authorities"
who undertook to steer the big com
bine safely through the breakers of
the law made at least one mistake.
Probably In the course of time it will
be found that they overlooked some
other points. Murder will out. no
matter how "emlnen" the legal au
thorities retain d In its behalf may be.
Silver Itsue Xot Dead.
But silver is not dead. Net only
that, ft cannot be killed. Silver, in
the abstract, is not the issue. The
farmers of Iowa and the planters of
Alabama do not care for your silver
or its price. They are silver men
solely because they will not tolerate
the contraction pchemec of the big
leaders of the Republican party, and
if all the silver on earth were anni
hilated now, the fight on that prin
ciple would be carried on as fast as
conditions made the fight necessary
or available.
XUe People or- tlio Traols.
It will soon he, if it Is not now, a
question of whether this country is
to be ruled by the people or by the
trusts and corporations. We hear
much of "influence" in the present con
gress. The subsidy bill is said to be
supported by powerful influence, the
isthmian canal is threatened by other
influences, fair treatment of Cuba de
pends on the result of the fight be
tween the two great influences and
the relation of our statesmen to them,,
and so on. One wonders where tLa
people come in.
The- Attorney General' lvty..
Washington reports agree that there
i little likelihood that the attacks on
Attorney General Knox and the op
position to his confirmation will
amount to anything, and that the
attorney general will be confirmed
when the question is reached in. th
senate. This i3 probably a correct
forecast, .but some of those opposing
the attorney general are very much
in earnest, and out of the debate may
come a clearer perception of the duties
of that officer in the enforcement of
the laws.
A Hint froi Hint (try.
Sir Robert Peel and William E.
Gladstone were the strenuous uphold
ers of protection till everything was
going to ruin. Then they became, as
McKinley apparently purposed, thi
apostles of freer trade, and as such
their names have gone into history.
The protection theory Is bound, soon
er or later, to be overthrown. . The
history of protection in England will
be repeated here. Protection is war;
trade, commerce, is peace; there can
be nd lasting agreement between the
two.
The "avy We Need.
No patriotic American grudges the
money necessary tor a navy iur ae-
feuse, but a navy for Imperialistic
conquest or simply to gratify the col
lector's passion of those high In na
tional authority is a useless burden on
the people. We do not need a navy
"whose hammering guns," to employ
the rhetorical words of the 'president
in his message to congress, "beat out
the mastery of the high seas," but for
purposes of defense only.
Building s New Tariff Wall.
The coal trust that ha acquired
control of all the coal landings and
harbors on the Ohio at Louisville snd
Jeffersonvllle has the cities about
where it wants them. It has secured
by Its deal a new kind of tariff wall
and can levy its tolls on all coal that
passes through its gates.
The Voters Will Thlak.
Sharp practice may prevent any
agitation of the tariff question In con
gress, but it doesn't, suppress the
thoughts of the voters who think with
out the aid cf a machine.
It a bee ptings. kill
Urn and the
wound will not swell.'
i
V
t
1
V
K
I
V
p
9
r
lature on
fit-W -upq--lj '""' "" "e ""'
