Commoner
JUDfli: WAI.TKU CI.ARK.
Walter Clark.' Justice ut the sup! erne
court of North Carolina, wan born In
Halifax, N. C. August 18IH. He la
on of the tailing democrats of the
south, a lawyer of gre-U ability ami a
Jurist with the record of long years
of able ami conscientious service.
Judge Clark naa often been mentioned
In connection with presidential honors
ami an Intimate personal and political
friend contribute the following ion
rernlng his lire ami public services:
"Judge Clark wan a cadet at Tevr'a
military a aiiemy at Hlllshoro. N. I!.,
wnen me urn war broke out. ami al
though only a boy of fourteen he went
info the confederate army. The fol
lowing yearn he was made adjutant
of the Thirty-firth North Carolina. Col
' onel Matt Ransom's rcgim nt. He par
ticipated in some of the fiercest bat
tle oi the war. In the Hummer of
the regiment returned to North
Carolina, he resigned from the army
and Joined Ihe senior class at the Uni
versity or North Carolina. In June.
1-St.l. he graduated at the head of his
Hans. The day aMer his graduation
h was elected major or a battalion
of junior reserves, and a month later,
although but seventeen years of age.
was com missioned as lieutenant colonel
of the Seventieth North Carolina regi
ment. His regiment was with Hoke's
division of Johnston's army and was
paroled at High Creek on May 2. 18fi5.
"Colon I Clark Immediately began
the study of law with Judge W. H.
Hattle. and later at Chapel Hill. Ci
lumhia university, and In a Iaw office
in New York city. In 1S;7 he was ad
mitted to practice. In ISt'.i he moved
to Raleigh, where he engaged in prac
tice. From 1SS to 1SS" he was a direc
tor of the Raleigh & Gaston and Ra
leigh & Augusta railroads and attorney
for the same, part of the time In'ing
thief counsel.
"On the death of Chief Justice Smith
in lxs: and the promotion or Judge
Merrlniou to till the vacancy. Governor
I'owle appointed Mr. Clark to the place
made vacant by the promotion ir Judge
Merrlntou. he having previously been
elected to the superior court, leading
bis ticket. The year following his ap
pointment to the supreme bench he
wai elected to the position, again lead
ing h's ticket. In lnyi he was again
renominated by the democrats and in
dorsed by the other two political par
ties, and triumphantly elected. In 1W2
he was elected chief justice for a term
of eight years from January 1. 13.
"Judge Clark has written or edited
over six volumes. mrst of them since
he has been on the supreme bench.
Of law books, he has issued 'Clark's
Annotated Code.' which has gone
through three editions, each time en
larged. Also 'Laws for Business Men.
Clark's Overruled Cases and an article
of l.i pages. 'Appeal and Error. In
the Cyclopedia of Law. which northern
law journals have pronounced the mot
complete treatise ever written on that
subject. lies ides he has annotated
thirty-two volumes of the supreme
court reports, which have been issued
by the state, thus bringing each case
down to date. This has been an In
valuable work, especially to the young
er lawyers who otherwise could not
have obtained these reports, which
were out of print. He also compiled
the legal history of the two railroads
of which he was counsel and director.
His share In the supreme court reports
since he has been on the bench would
fill seven or eight volumes alone.
"He has translated out of the French
'Constant's Private Memoirs of Na
poleon three volumes (illustrated . As
Is well known, he has edited without
compensation of any kind five volumes
Regimental Histories or North Caro
lina. and eleven volumes of "State
Records and has two more volumes
of the latter in press or preparation.
He has been a contributor to Harper's.
North American Review. Arena, and
other leading magazines. His maga
zine articles and published speeches
would fill two or three large volumes.
He has addressed the State Bar asso
ciation of Tennessee, the National As
sociation of llanroad Commissioners
at Denver. Colo., and the State Bar as
sociation at Topeka. Kan.
"Judge Clark has always voted the
straight democratic ticket, but has
never been an active partisan, the only
office he has ever held having been that
of Judge. He was indorsed by the state
democratic convention in 18 for vice
president."
The New York Commercial suggests:
"Should the Northern Securities deci
sion be approved by the I'nited States
supreme court some persons would not
he a bit surprised to see congress speed
ily repeal the Sherman law. Possibly
the people may not want to exercise to
the last limit a power that the consti
tution may give them in the way of
restricting the conduct of business
through legislation." Possibly the
Commercial may be right: and yet It
would seem that, suffering as they now
are under trust imposition, the people
mav conclude, in order to protect them
selves, to exercise to the last limit the
power of prohibiting conspiracies in
restraint of trade.
When demo ras read in republican
piners like the Kansas City Journal
the confession that "with scarcely any
modification." the re-organizers' pre
sentation of the issues "could be adopt
ed bodilv into the republican national
platform without doing any violence to
the iews of that party." then demo
crats must reali.e the importance of
protecting democracy's temple.
The monev question will never be
settled until "the financiers secure abso
lute control of the money suppij or me
pfople secure to the government the
txdusive function of issuing money.
announcement is made that San
t last of the Filioino Insur
Th
Miguel.
gents is dead. The "last Filipino in
surgent continues as long as the re
publican revision of the tariff.
President Roosevelt's speeches en
tour concerning trusts, great btwintss
interests, etc. sound very much like
harmony talk to thej-e-organ'.wrs.
In view of what they are in the habit
of doing when they have PPl"nl;
tv it is not to be wondered at that a
. ' nnn,rivania legislators are
seeking to muzzle the press of that
state.
Demo racy will hardly asm? to man
agement bv men whose Prln ?ta are
a,fptable to the interests tVt are o?
prsed to democratic Prn !y 3'
The reports of Mayor J tnson's po
Htbal death were, as Krk Twain
would say. "very much eiggerated.
Continent.
The Philadelphia North Arnerlcan Is
authority for the statement that J.
Pierpont Morgan first vailed up Presi
dent Roosevelt by long distance tele
phone and bitterly took .Mr. Roosevelt
to task for his proceedings in the
Northern Securities case. It is related
that subsequently Mr. Morgan took a
special, train tor Washington and that
In the presence of the president he as
sumed "a very arrogant air." The
North American says that while Mr.
Roosevelt was Incensed at the way he
was treated by this trust magnate It la
understood that he controlled his tem
per. It will occur to a great many
people that if a touch of the strenuous
life was ever Justifiable it-would have
been on an occasion when the greatest
trust organizer the world has ever
known undertook to lecture the presi
dent of the United States because of
an effort to enforce the anti-trust law
in one instance.
The Washington Post says that "If
there be one man who more than any
other citizen of the I'nited States
should be exempt from ridicule at the
hands of the republican press, it is
('rover Cleveland." The Post explains:
"When the time comes for history to
give a fair record of the memorable
conflict that was wagen and won be
tween 1S73 and 1897. the names of two
champions of the cause of sound money
will stand side by side, leading all the
rest John Sherman, the hero of re
sumption, and drover Cleveland, the
gold standard marty." The Post is
eminently correct in stating that the
republican editors are tinder deep ob
ligations to Grover Cleveland: and yet
when the time comes for the Post's
history to be written, the historian will
find it a bit difficult to explain how it
hapiened that the gold standard mar
tyr accepted on three occasions the
nomination for the presidency at the
hands of a party that never claimed
to be a single gold sUndard party.
The Philadelphia Press is greitly
shocked because of "the story of brib
ery and hood ling which comes from
Missouri." This Pennsylvania paper
says "all this is a discouraging revela
tion." but adds that "if it arouses the
conscience of the people to any degree,
reform will be demanded and will re
sult in good to the republic." Would
it not be well for the Philadalphia
Press to sweep the dirt from its own
doorstep? The exposure of dishonest
work in Missouri has been promptly
rollowed by a vigorous prosecution on
the part of the democratic law officers;
but in Pennsylvania the rascals es
caped punishment and if v.e are to be
lieve the Philadelphia papers, dishon
est methods continue unchecked both
in the municipal government of Phil
adelphia and the Pennsylvania state
government.
The Chicago Inter Ocean, a republi
can newspaper, while condemning the
Commoner for its criticism on the se
lection of Mr. Gorman as leader of the
democrats, says: -Republicans "do not
object to Mr. Gorman as leader of the
republican party in the senate. Their
complaint is that a good many republi
can senators seem to have the impres
sion that Mr. Gorman is not only the
leader of the democrats in the senate,
but of the republicans." Practically
there is not much difference between
the leadership of Mr. Gorman and that
of Mr. Aldrich. It i3 not at all likely
that even though Mr. Gorman shcTSld
become the leader of the republicans
as well as of the democrats in tbs sen
ate, he would not make any more se
rious assault upon special interests
than is made under the leadership of
the senator from Rhode Island.
In his Milwaukee speech Mr. Roose
velt said: "Not only is the (trust)
legislation recently enacted effective,
but in my Judgment it was impractica
ble to attempt more. Nothing of value
is to be expected from ceaseless agi
tation for radical and extreme legisla
tion." If the legislation recently en
acted was effective, how did It happen
that hardly had the republican congress
adjourned before it was announced that
the beef trust had been organized and
we were told that in wealth and Im
portance that trust was second only to
the steel trust?
A democratic club In every voting
precinct for the preservation and tri
umph of democratic principles will pre
vent a repetition of the party's detray
al in 1S94-95. and will insure the suc
cess of democratic principles at no dis
tant date.
People are now beginning to under
stand why the republican machine in
Rhode Island made such a strenuous
fight against Governor Garwin. The
governor is locating the machine tend
ers who have the goods on their per
sons. Ixyal democrats will refuse to accept
the leadership of men who vote the re
publican ticket when democracy is at
stake and the democratic ticket only
when the republican party seems des
tined to win.
After expending $S50.000.00o in per
petrating an injustice upon the Boers.
Great Britain is figuring on appropriat
ing less than half that amount to do
justice to the people of Ireland.
Those people who declare that" the
money question is settled" should ex
plain why it Is that every other repub
lican member of congress has a cur
rency bill up his sleeve.
Great Britain has figured up the cost
of the Boer war in money and it finds
it to be $Sfo.oiX.000. At least that por
tion of humanity embraced in the list
of British taxpayers will do consider
able staggering.
Somehow or other it is always diffi
cult to arouse a great deal of sympathy
for the American heiress who trades
ofT her wealth for a title and then
comes home without either.
The chief difference between Mr. fir
ry and Mf. Hanna seems to be ihrrt
Mr. Parry has no political ambitions.
It is beginning to dawn unon. the
financial world that Mr. Harriman used
the Northern Securities company
scheme to take a fall out of Mr. James
J. Hill.
In the meantime Mr. Hill and Mr.
Morgan will go right ahed doing with
out the merger just what they purposed
doing through the merger.
President Roosevelt's "stand pat"
oolicy as regards the tariff may be con
strued a a vindication by David Bre
rcer Henderson. .
FOOLING THE PEOPLE
HOW THE AMERICAN TARIFF
LEAGUE- WORKS.
Sigantic Corruption Fund Used to De
ceive Voters Into Supporting the
Protective Tariff Thousands of
Subsidized Newspapers.
There is great rejoicing in the sanc
,'um sanctorum of the American Pro
tective Tariff League in New .York.
This league modestly takes full credit
for President Roosevelt's "change of
front" on the tariff question. The
Washington Star of April 16 contains
a two-coiunm article on the league
and its work. As this article quotes
from the secretary or the league and
indeed, appears to have been inspired
by him, we will quote some extracts
from It:
"It is no exaggeration to say that
the most powerful Instrument in this
country to-day for the molding of
public sentiment is the organization
of manufacturers which bears that
name. The American Protective
Tariff league defeated the Cuban reci
procity legislation of the first session
of the Fifty-seventh Congress, emas
culated the Cuban reciprocity treaty
ratified at the last session, and will
attempt at the next session to further
negative that treaty.
"The American Protective Tariff
league has thus far prevented the
ratification of the reciprocity treaties
negotiated by Mr. Kasson. It has
combated the 'Iowa idea' so success
fully that he would 'stand pat' on the
McKinley policies, which Included
reciprocity, has now concluded to
'stand pat' with the high tariff faction
of his party. The American Protec
tee Tariff league has a membership
of 1.000, including some of the most
prominent manufacturers of iron,
steel, cotton goods, woolen goods, cut
lery, Yankee notions, leather goods,
hosiery, gloves, varnish, silks, etc.
"The 1,000 members pay in 3'ears
when important elections are on. a
minimum annual assessment of $100
each. This minimum fund of $100,000
ROOSEVELT
"This Way to
JTAKlFf PROFITS
President Roosevelt at Milwaukee.
April 3, 1903: "Not only is the anti
trust legislation, recently enacted, ef
fective, but In my judgment it was
impracticable to attempt more.
Many of the alleged remedies advo-
is swelled by additional contribu
tions as the occasion demands. The
league is not directly connected with
the great trusts. The paper trust is
the only trust closely associated with
it. although all of the trusts benefit
through its efforts.
"The object of the American Pro
tective Tariff league 13 to create sen
timent in this country favorable to
the maintenance of the protective
tariff and to prevent the abatement of
existing tariff rates. The league is
the personification of the 'stand pat
idea. It opposes the crossing of a
the dotting of an 'i, or the changing
of a punctuation point in the existing
tariff law. The league affects its pur
poses and accomplishes its object of
molding public sentiment by work
ing upon the readers of the country
through a masterful system of news
paper syndicates. At the headquar
ters of the league in this city, I was
told that the combined circulation
per week of the newspapers using
the editorials and other matter sent
out by the league was 6,000,000 per
week. Approximately that represents
24.000,000 readers a week, in the
opinion of the officials of the league.
"The league publishes a weekly
journal, which has a circulation of
about 14,000, 6,000 of which go to
Republican- newspapers. The journal
is carefully edited and voices the
most intelligent thought on high tar
iff questions. It is a fact that some
of the most prominent Republican
newspapers In the country do not
hesitate to utilize the editorial sug
gestions and the ex parte arguments
of this journal. The foregoing will
give some idea of the maaimoth sys
tem for reaching the reaJers of the
country which the league has built
up. Day after day, month after ;
mouth, year after year, kr?pin ever-
lastingly at it, the American Prottc-
tive Tariff league has bec':i pounding '
into the Republican readers the argu- !
ments and theories cf th? hi-'. pro- j
tective tariff policy. If the sentiment
in one particular section as in Iowa,
for instance seemed to be wavering
the efforts of the league would be
concentrated and directed to that
weak point.
"The total capitalization of the
!ndustrial corporations represented
in the membership of the league
would approach closely to a billion
doKars. Outside of the great steel
trust these industries produce the
bulk of the total, output of American
manufactured products."
. As the average circulation of the
newspapers using this matter is about
1,000, the total number of papers
supplied must be nearly 6.000. This
work has been kept up steadily for
more than fifteen years. Although
the most of the arguments used by
the league are sophistical and many
of the statements are fallacious, yet
the ordinary unthinking reader, who
continually reads them, reaches the
conclusion, or rather is, made to fe el,
that protection Is somehow a good
thing for the whole country as well
as for the manufacturers, and that
business men would go to smash at
once if any Imiortant duty were
greatly reduced. Although thou
sands of Intelligent men nee clearly
and. understand the sophistry of ' the
protectionists, yet, because they are
unorganized 'and have no great fund
to propagate their Idea the masses
of the people are still in darkness on
this question.
The Democratic party caters to no
special Interests whose 'profits are
made by rooting and mulcting the
people. It is unable to pay news
papers for printing its matter, .and
its members are not protected manu
facturers with big" advertisements to
insert In newspapers which whoop it
up for protection.
It is probable that if even 1.000
newspapers during the last ten years
had been printing good tariff reform
matter, that the people, and especi
ally the farmers, who suffer most
from lop-sided "protection," would
now be almost unanimous against
high tariff duties. The protected
manufacturers are an organized band
of public plunderers. The Protective
Tariff league is their organization.
Its function is to delude and fool the
people while the manufacturers get in
their fine work. It is the wings of
the vampire, which gently fan the
victim to keep it dormant, while the
vampire itself the protected manu
facturers suck the life blood of the
unfortunate victim. Whenever the
people show signs of awakening and
of attempting to loosen the hold of
this blood-sucking vampire, the manu
facturers pour money into their tariff
league. It then redoubles its efforts
and increases the doses of soporific
protection sophistry given to the peo
ple to keep them quiet.
Up to date the thing has worked
like a charm. Not only did it beguile
the people into voting for the McKin
ley and Dingley bills to abstract
money from their pockets, but it de
feated the Cuban and all other reci
procity measures proposed, and has
now made the President reverse him
self, by threatening to defeat his re-
OBEYS ORDERS.
cated are of the unpleasantly drastic
type. Others are ob
viously futile. High among
the latter, I place the effort to reach
the trust question by means of the
tariff."
election unless he should abandon his
"Iowa ideas."
It is over this work, of which it
should feel ashamed, that the Protec
tective Tariff league is now gloating
so publicly that it is giving itself
away. The Democrats are entirely
willing to help advertise this agency
of $1,000,000,000 worth of protected
trusts and to inform the people just
how it does its "educational" work
and who foots its bills. Byron W.
Holt.
More Postoffice Scandals.
Some of the republican office hold
ers are a thrifty lot. There is H. H.
Rand, confidential secretary to the
postmaster general, accused of induc
ing postal employes to purchase the
shares of the National Copper Mining
company, of which A. W. Machen is
president. As the mining company
is not given in the official list of in
corporated companies, the investors
are, perhaps, when they purchase its
shares, but paying for the privilege
of keeping their places or being pro
moted, for it may have no intrinsic
value. Mr. Machen is the chief of the
bureau that controls the rural free
delivery and is now under investi
gation, and is said to be making a
desperate fight to bring official in
fluence to bear to overcome the evi
dence that is accumulating against
him.
When a Democratic Congress in
vestigates the postoffice . department,
and the real facts are uncovered,
there is likely to be a scandal that
will rival all past ones in its magni
tude. The effort of the administration
to suppress the Porto Ricau smug
gling scandal does not give promise
that the present investigation of the
postoffice is intended ' to delve very
deeply into the corrupt methods that
evidently prevail.
Republican Assaults on Civil Service.
The Washington Post Is authority
for the statement that, ""since Presi
dent Roosevelt came into office a
large portion of the important offices
in tbn United States treasury depart
ment have been filled with new men,
or will be filled before a long while.
Something like a clean sweep has
been gradually put Into effect, but it
has been done quietly and as a rule
with little publicity." That is a
pretty serious charge for a newspaper
with strong Republican leanings to
make against the President, who
boasts c' his civil, service reform
antecedents and who was supposed to
be still an ardent disciple of the same
cult. It is also stated that more post
masters have been removed and ap
pointed during the last two years
than ever before in the history of tb7
department so that civil service re
form may be- said to be having a
strenuous time to hold 'Its .own, under
the present administration, against.'
the assaults of political place-huntera-
BRAGS NOT IN OliDEtt
TRUTH ABOUT OUR ACTIONS IN
THE PHILIPPINES.
President Has No Good Reason for
Any Eulogy of the Administration's
Methods "Civil Government" by
the War Department a Farce.
When Mr. Roosevelt reached Fargo
in his swing around the circle he im
proved the opportunity to brag about
what had been done for the Philip
pines. Why he selected that place for
his attack on the people whom he is
pleased to call "the army's traducers"
is immaterial.
To say the . least, he Is extremely
optimistic in his estimate or the great
ind benevolent things which have
been done tor the people or the Phil
ippines by the army, by Congress and
by the civil government. His hard
words are for the "treacherous and
cruel" people who began as our allies
and became our enemies when they
discovered that they were to bo treat
ed as conquered subjects and not as
we had promised to treat the Cu
bans. Mr. Roosevelt reiterates what he
has said so many times before, that
cruelty in the treatment of Filipinos
by our army was exceptional, and ho
extols as usual the wonderful kind
ness of army. Congress and all con
cerned toward our eruel and treach
erous subjects. He also takes to his
own administration no little credit for
investigating the cases of cruelty to
which Its attention has been called.
The fact remains, however, that
there has been systematic suppres
sion of the truth by the war depart
ment. It was not until Gen. Miles let
out the secret that a suppressed offi
cial report of cruelties was brought to
light in the Senate, and the General
incurred the severe displeasure of the
administration and would have been
retired in disgrace but for the inter
vention of certain Senators whose sup
port the administration needed.
The fact remains, furthermore, that
'the administration did not bestir it
self to find out the truth in a single
case until it had been goaded into
action by those at whom Mr. Roose
velt sneers as "men of little faith."
When at last it reluctantly moved
the fact was disclosed that courts
martial for cruelty had been farces
a fact which did not go to show that
cruelty was exceptional. The fact re
mains also that repeated appeals for
investigation since the Smith court
martial have been ignored, and there
has been a manifest purpose to cover
up something.
mat purpose is sun manitest, as
we are reminded when the president
boasts of the establishment of civil
government in the Philippines. What
manner of civil government is it?
Mr. Roosevelt himself confesses when
he says that "the best thing that can
be done in handling such a problem
is to put the best possible
men in charge and then give him the
heartiest possible support and the
freest possible hand. That is what has
been done with Gov. Taft."
That is to say, the best thing is
to give a people "so remote" an auto
crat to reign over them, and that is
about what the boasted civil govern
ment comes to. Not many days ago
it was announced as a matter of
course that this civil government had
made an important report to the war
department. About the same time
(the fact was incidentally mentioned
Ithat the war department still had its
.insular bureau in full operation.
: It must be admitted that when Con
gress has interfered with this civil
government run by the War depart
;ment it has made a mess of it. Mr,
Roosevelt lauds Congress for giving
the Philippines "an excellent cur
rency," but it did not do that until a
year after Gov. Taft had begged it to
:do something and not until after he
and his commission had told Congress
that business was prostrate and the
;people were in dire distress partly
for want of a decent currency.
Mr. Roosevelt applauds Congress
;for affording the Filipinos some relief
ifrom the wretchedness wrought by
rwar and pestilence by making a cut
of 25 per cent in the Dingley rates on
imports from their islands. But nev
er before our conquests of 1S98 did
Congress impose Dingley rates or any
other rates on articles imported into
the United States from any territory
of the United States.
There are people who do not ap
prove of "civil government" by the
War department or of the treatment
'of territory of the United States a3
foreign territory, and they are neith
er "weaklings" nor "cravens," as Mr.
Roosev.elt may discover one of these
days.
Five Years of the Philippines.
It will be five years on the 1st of
May since Dewey smashed the Span
ish fleet in Manila bay. That was
practically and fatefully the beginning
of our Asiatic adventure. After near
ly five years of inglorious war and
bayonet-propped government at long
range in these islands the future of
the Philippines is still an open ques
tion. As President Schurman has
sand. "The American people have nev
er passed upon the ultimate destiny
of the archipelago." A really free na
tion is not a subject or a dependent
nation governed by another, no matter
how wisely or benevolently. Has con
gress or has the president done any
thing to indicate that we intend to
give the inhabitants of the Philippines
"self-government after the fashion of
really free nations?" They have a
form of civil government, it is true,
but it is administered by a governor
set over them by us. supported by an
army still numbering 25.000 men. They
are taxed without representation.
They have not the right of trial by
jury. They are as thoroughly subject
and dependent as are the people of
any alien race governed by Great
Britain.
Roosevelt Not Quite Consistent.
The followers of most superstitions
have their days of disillusion. Mr.
Roosevelt, having but lately taken up
..he apotheosis of the Dingley tariff,
is not yet wholly exempt from attacks
of unbelief in his fetich. On Satur
day at Minneapolis he argued that it
would be a freak of ju5nous folly to
toutn a single schedule of that in.
spired document. ()a Monday ir.
South Dakota clouds gathrod in th
clmr firmament of full h : doubt op
pressed the spirit nay. for a moment
triumphed and constrained the tongue
to utter a damning heresy: "Sched
ules are not Br.cred and as the needs
of the nation change and fchlft It will
be necessary to change certain sched
ules to meet those shifting needs."
The faith of the most devoted believ
ers In ultraprotection is likely to be
sadly disturbed if the President can
not be persuaded to more convincing
consistency of utterance. Philadel
phia ledger.
On the Other Foot.
It Is Interesting but somewhat de
pressing to observe that in all the In
terviews with interested magnates re
spectlng the merger decision, not one
of the financial giants has taken the
plain and obvious attitude that the
law, as Interpreted by the court,
should be obeyed without quest ion.
We hear of devices to evade the de
cision and or hopes to have it reversed
by higher authority, but r.ot an intl
mation that it constitutes nn edict
which a multimillionaire has any tea
son to defer to. The attitude of thesf
gentlemen is the more' noteworthy
since they are prompt to attribute an
archistic and revolutionary sentiment?
to people who question legal decis
ions rendered in their own favor.
Not Altogether Disinterested.
The judiciary committee of the exec
utive council cf Porto Rico has made
a written report in favor of the island
maintaining t he existing relations
with the United States instead of
seeking statehood. It is pointed out
that under existing conditions Porto
Rico has about all of the benefits
that can be conferred by the United
States government without having t
contribute anything in .the way of
taxes for the support of the general
government. It is to be borne in
mind, however, that the committee
niakini? this report i. composed of
Americans who are holding good jobs
in the island. If the status of Porto
Rico were changed they would lose
their positions.
The Tariff Must Be Modified.
The people understand that the very
principle under which protection of
labor by tariff is urged presupposes
and requires a readjustment of tariff
rates from time to time to meet vary
ing situations and conditions. They
might possibly be disposed to assent
to the general statement that it should
be readjusted by its friends rathei
than by its enemies, but the voters of
this land will not long allow it to bo
used as a check to fair competition as
a mere monopolistic tool and if its
friends will not modify it, then its
enemies will be given an opportunity
to do so. And we have all heard of
the gentleman who once cut off a
dog's tail half an inch behind bis.
ears.
The Frauds in the Postal Service.
The duty of the postmaster general
now that the naked facts are before
him, is plain. He must cleanse his
department with an unsparing hand
and, by the severity of the lesson ad
ministered to his offending subordi
nates, prevent effectually the possi
bility of a recurrence of the evils at
present undergoing exposure. Iet it
be shown in this instance, at al
events, that the power of politicians
to protect unworthy servants of the
government can no longer prevail.
Danger for the President.
When newspapers, controlled by
"large interests." continue to refer
casually to Uncle Hanna as a great
wise and conservative statesman whe
would reflect honor upon the presi
dential office, it really looks as though
our liece lord. Theodore, ought tc
come out of the woods and look aftei
things. If the "large interests" really
get it into their heads that he is hos
tile to the useful and necessary com
binationa they will make it interest
ing in the national convention.
Sentiment Suits Imperialists.
Says Prof. Hobson, the Oxford lec
turer, who is enlightening Chicago
university: "Of all dangerous politi
cal fallacies none is greater than that
which argues that one kind of civiii
zation is applicable to the needs of all
peoples." Imperialistic Republicans
will accept the dictum enthusiastical
ly with the substitution of the word
"government for "civilization, which
will make it exactly fit the situation
in our Philippine dependencies.
Whither Are We Drifting.
While the President is In the Yel
lowstone park the people, to whom
the park belongs, are to be barred
from visiting its interesting sections.
The time may come when they will
be driven off the streets when he
passes tnrougn an American city.
That is the way in Russia and Oer
many when royalty ventures abroad.
Freedom of the Press.
It's a trifle late in the history oi
American progress to attempt tc
throttle the American press. The free
dom of speech and the liberty of the
press were two of the things our fore
fathers fought for and it might just as
well be understood now that their
descendants won't surrender their in
heritance without a struggle.
No Mystery About It.
There is no mystery about the
President's attitude no psychological
expert is needed to explain his mental
operations. As a man. he knows the
tariff ought to be reduced; as a Presi
dent and an aspirant after the noml
nation next year, he is in the handa
of the Republican leaders.
The Tariff and Labor.
Labor coming In free to compete
with American labor is coming this
year in greater abundance than ever
before. The protective tariff law Is
so constructed as to force labor into
the country and Into competition with
the labor already here.. It's a great
system.
Learning in Spite of Himself.
The president admits that the tariff
Is not sacred and that changes In the
schedules are sometimes necessary to
meet the nation's shifting needs,
which is additional proof that some
times we progress in spite of our most
Strenuous effort a tr the ernorv
COLLECTED THE BILL
ONE DUN WHO HAD RATHER A
PLEASANT TIME.
But He Had an Interest In the Affair
and Needed the Money Case Where
Persistence Won a Complete Trl-
. umph.
The following story Is told of a cer
tain young man In Mount Vernon who
had been living rather close to tint
ground, as the saying goes, according
to the New York Times, and who wan
badly in need of funds.
The young man went to a friend and
told him of his predicament, request
ing a loan at the same time. His
friend was not "touchable." however,
but he told the young man that if ho
would collect a bill be hail UKulnnt a
rertaln man whose home wus in a
swell district of the city he might
have half of the proceeds.
The fellow accepted und made bis
way to the home or the debtor. A
young lady answered bla ring and b
Inquired for Mr. II., the man of tho
bouse.
"Mr. R. Is not at home." replied tho
young lady.
"Oh. he isn't?" said the collector.
"Well, I'll Just step in and wait for
him."
Without waiting for an answer ho
slipped inside the door, took off his
coat and hat, and sat down In an
easy chair in the parlor. He picked
up a paper and made himseir as much
at home as if the house was his own.
He had read about fifteen minute
when Mr. H. came inlo the room and
inquired as to the young man's busi
ness. "Well," said that Individual. "I have
a little bill her., that 1 wish to collect.
It is from 11 & Co."
"I am very sorry," said Mr. It., "but
I am afraid that 1 cannot meet it just
at present."
"Oh, there's no hurry," faid the col
lector. "I can wait awhile." and ho
settled back in the chair and resumed
reading Ihe paper.
Mr. M. looked at him In surprise, and
after a minute's thought said: "Really,
it is dinner time and 1 am quite hun
gry, ion must excuse inc.
"Why. certainly," was the reply. "I
am a little hungry myself. I don't
mind eating dinner with you at all,"
and bcfoie the astonished man could
reply be was through the door and In
quiring where his seat would be. Mr.
H. did not know what to do. but ho
was polite and made a place- for him.
They ate dinner and had a cold boll Its
after it and by that tlmo it was grow
ing late. They talked of the weather
and one thing and another and in tini
the clock struck 10 and Mr. II. bean
to be worried. As a last resource In
remarked: ?
"It is time that I should retir
While your company has mil been an
ticipated it has been enjoyable. I
hope that you will call again."
IJut the young man was not fea.ed.
He calmly replied: "I have been pleas
antly entertained, Mr. IJ. Now, If you
will show me m room, I shall retira
also."
Mr. B. glared at the intruder. That
person simply sat. and smoked his
after-dinner cigar and looked at peace
with the world. This state of affair:!
continued until early in tho morning,
when Mr. R. lost all control of himself,
pulled out hie checkbook, wrote a
check for the amount of the bill and
threw it to the young man.
"Now, you blank-blanked lobster."
he said, "get out of this house as quick
as you can. If you don't there'll bo
trouble."
The collector got his hat and coat
and went out into the street with a
smile on his face. It was a bard
struggle, but persistence had won.
A Lyric.
How fair It 1m. thf world around.
The changing life, em-h iny'n xtirprLiat
To s-e the KUirs. th- lurni, lh; ;,
To look into your eyes.
To bear the ectay of morn.
Th birds In fi-ld and wood rr-Joica,
The madrlKiils of wind and trma.
To listen to your voire.
To tff the warm, firm, throbbing IIf.
The friendly ti.inds our fingers pr.
The Mirong. true work in which we sruirs.
To fec-1 your Boft caress.
Ifow fair It In. the world around.
How wonderful arid sweet ttie j.nst.
That knows Its ecstasy arid work.
That knows your loving hrart.
Precious Butterflies.
A splendid gift has just been mado
to the Paris Museum of Natural His
tory. M. de Boullet. who possessed
one of the most perfect collections of
papilionace:e in the world, has pre
sented it to the museum. The speci
mens number 20.000 and tneir va!ue
Is estimated at 4.000. Uy this mu
nificent act the collection of the mu
seum is doubled.
Many Suicides in Chicago.
For several years past suicides have
been increasing in Chicago at a ratio
far in excess of the increase la popu
lation. Three hundred and fifty-six
suicides In 1900 were followed by Z'J'J
in 1&01, and 439 last year.
Crowd London's Labor Market.
It Is complained in London that alt
the emigrants from southwestern Eu
rope who are incapable of earning
money enough to pay steerage pass
age to the United States stop in that
li. a
Has Faced Many Audiences.
When Mis3 Ellen M. Stone flnishi
her lecture course this spring, begun
last October, 6he will have told 149
audiences the story of her kidnaping
by Macedonian brigands.
Barges Towe by a Chain.
Barges are towed on the Elbo by
means of a chain 290 miles long,
which lies at the bottom of the river
ana is grappled and raised by steam
machinery.
:
Much Milk Sold in London.
JLondon has over 12,000 shops fo
the sale of milk.
First Use of Meerschaum.
Meerschaum was first used
fos
pipes In 1723.