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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1904)
at T,V:"Kn "v rti LniQU THAT rjp - WHO WOULD UO HOTHIN(, INWARD d. , Does his right Commoner FORWARD. MARCH! Mow will the democratic party meet the present issues? Or, rather, how will the democratic party meet the pre sent Issue, for there Is in reality only one Issue, and that Issue runs through all questions? Tho great and over shadowing question presented by all Issues discussed is, Shall the corpora tions or the people control the gov ernment of the United States? Today the corporations are In absolute con trol. Bvon when the supreme court decides that the government has power lo destroy the trusts, the attorney gen eral rusues forward and assures the combination that the administration has no intention of disturbing them. The rule of these corporations Is un limited and complete. The president refuses to enforce tho law as It stands, and the republican congress refuses to enu't new legislation. Tho govern ment is being used for the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many, olhVitils are making money by the sale or thir Influence, and corruption Is rampant in city, state and nation. The public conscience has been stupefied by commercialism until the grossest offences against liberty and good gov ernment do not awaken the protest that ought to be made against even trivial departures from the path of rec titude. The government Is used as p. business asset by those who can control It and enormous campaign funds are contributed by the financiers of class legislation and distributed as bribes to the people. Republicans as well as democrats recognize the menace of such a condition, but when confronted with the acts of their own party, make but one reply: "Hut will the demo cratic party, if entrusted with power, do any better?" And to give force and reasonableness to their inquiry, they point to the administration of (irover Cleveland. Whenever an at tai I; is made upon republican wrong doing, there is always a response from sume republican, and that response Is always the same: "You had your chance under Cleveland and you did the same." It Is vain to point out the inconsistency of such an answer, vain to point out that the republicans rather than tho democrats ought to shoulder the responsibility for Mr. Cleveland's administration. To the ordinary republican. Cleveland stnnda for democracy because he is the only democratic president we have had. They overlook the fact that his assist ance gave the country a republican administration (hat followed in his foot sttps as he followed in the foot steps of his republican predecessors. Secretary Sltnw, In a recent speech, emphasized the fact that Mr. Cleveland did nothing on the trust question. That is no justification of the inaction of the picsrnt administration, but it is a taking reply and imposes upon the li mocratic party the necessity of mak ing democracy mean something entire ly different from either ClevelandUm or icpuhlli ar.lsm. The fact that the great dailies which bolted In 1S96, but which still claim to be democratic, prevent Cleveland and Clevelandism as if'.iiesenting democratic principles and dcmo ratic ns'piraliima. Is a great em barrassment. It remains for the con vention to tiiow. as It has twice before, that these papers controlled by the intl'iencp that controls the republican Mirty. do not speak for the democratic masses. Just now the republicans are making U'errv over the merger decision, out ulial Is there in it to cause exultation among rep'blicans? Why docs not the president enforce the law if the law !s tood? Why are the numerous groat trusts ni lowed to continue inisincwt.. A Chicago business man makes the startling announcement that avarice Is the basis of grnft. This demands Hie attention of those who imagined 'hat charily, or love, or patriotism, or something like that, was the real basis. The time has gone by when 'the democratic, party will nominate for president a man whose sole qualifica tion Is that nobody knows where he s ands on the great Issues of the day. King Sully and King Schwab might flock together for a time and swap i ondolences. The democratic pint form will stnnd for something. The republican plat torm will be passed around ns an argu ment for a cheerful compliance with Hie requirements of the frying-pan. President Roosevelt fears that ho will he unable to attend the St. Louis rx I'ositioii. There will be no bear limit ing there, and the visitors will be loo busy to talk politics. The republicans of Minnesota have de, hired In favor of tnrlff revision, but they still seem willing to entrust the work of revision to the people win profit by high duties. MrtMIMlYTF fHMFR mo f0(JR yA.?s m CLEVELAND. RKHMU) 0 WPV OS?'N km HP TUT f,0 nnuiMTA ivj DEFECT, 4.- I I V tf I 1.1A i.. hand know what his left hand doeth? Courtesy of The Commoner. Comment. If- the governor of a state enforced the law against one horse thief In ten or twenty or one hundred, could he ex cuse himself for not enforcing It against tho other nine or nineteen or ninety-nine? The reason for the re publican Inaction is plain to be seen. The party receives campaign contribu tions from trusts. Trust officials and financiers lend to the republican lead ers their power to coerce employes and to Intimidate borrowers. Will the democratic, party imitate republican methods and Invite confidence only to betray it, or will It take a firm and strong stand against the commercial ism of the day and make a resolute at tempt to restore the government to its old foundations and to purify politics? The democratic party has two paths before it. It can follow the republican party lipon the downward path or It can take the path leading to higher ground. In the last two campaigns the party has made a-strenuous light for higher Ideals, but Its way has been obstructed and mnde hard by the per fidy of men once high in the party's councils and by the betrayal of men of whom it had a right to expect nought but fidelity. It must continue Its struggle or forfeit Its tinlm upon the conscience of the country. There is every Inducement to a righteous course. It cannot only secure to Its members the satisfaction that comes from noble effort, but It can lay the foundation for permanent and over whelming success. Indications point with increasing clearness to the control of the next national convention by the democratic democrats of the party, bin to mako the certainty sure, every be liever In democratic principles, every fearless exponent of the rights of the people, ought to work incessantly until the convention meets. This is no time for over-confidence or Idleness. If the party would realize the hopes of its founders and prove an effective instru ment for the improvement of govern ment and the betterment of political conditions, the order must be no com promise, concession or surrender, but forward, march! HARMONY AS IS HARMONY. The Cedar Rapids (la.) Gazette ha; been making notes of tho harmony ex isting In republican ranks. Involving "abutting rights at the pie counter, and finds some Interesting things. In Ohio It is Pick vs. Koraker. In New York it Is Odell vs. Piatt. In Delaware it Is Addlcka vs. the Field. In Wis consin it Is La Toilette vs. the Ma chine. In I'tah it Is Smoot vs. Kale, and in the Capital City of the republic It Is liristpw vs. the Republican Con gress. The Gazette sagely concludes that "the only thing Involved, is the salvage sale of patronage, and that the people "will he pardoned if they retain a large measure or sett-com posure." And now the republican prpers are calling attention to the fact that Mr. Cleveland did not prosecute the trusts during his second administration. It Is exceedingly unfair to blame the democratic party 'R' ,he slns of Mr Cleveland. As thry took him away from us and used him to elect their president. It Is cowardly in them not to assume responsibility for hU oflldal acts. "Republican Missouri Is on the way!" gleefully shouts tho St. Louis Globe Democrat. And so Is the day of Judg ment. Tho Globe-Honor. -at will have to be patient and wait, for the Indica tions are that the two will arrive sim ultaneously. If Mr. Hill persists in continuing the merger be will be lined. The trust hr mnl-es millions a year out of his trust schemes will not worry a great deal about fines amounting to a few hundred dollars. Attorney General Knox wants It un derstood thnt he does not feel as exult ant over the . merger decision as he ought to feel. The latest Ralfour vindication looks terfcillv like a congressional dis claimer of undue Interference in postal affairs. Mr. Knox says, "The administration will not run amuck." Of course Mr. Knox makes a mental reservation in favor of the frying-pan. Mr. Hill Is quit" confident that he can evade the merger decision as long as the criminal clause of tin Sherman law In not enforced. The man who endeavors to under mine the foundation is not the man to entrust with the work of building the superstruct ure. A girl considers It much more vulgar to speak of corns than to have them. TDIDF AO yj U3WPIIHUV)0 V OnHOMOREOIW WHY INEOMCNCE PREVAILS. Thp Financial Aep New York, talks Interestingly on the subject of the merger decision. "The decision of the supreme court was not unexpected," says the Financial Age, and then It continues: "It cannot bo doubted that some plan satisfactory to the present controlling Interests will be devised wherebv the ownershiD of the road will rest where it does at present. In ad dition to the plan for a liquidation oi the company through a pro rata dis tribution of Great Northern and North ern Pacific stock to Northern Securi ties holders, there Is now" under ad visement a further plan which would leave the Northern Securities company In existence. In accordance with this plan, tho Northern Securities company would continue to hold either tne shares of the Northern Pacific or the Great Northern and would give up to a trustee the shares or tne roan wnose stock it decided to part with. Under this plan. If the company decided to hold Northern Pacific chares, the shares of the Great Northern would be turned over to a voting trustee and vniine trust certificates would be dis tributed to Northern Securities stock holders. This nlan. it was believed, could be carried out without infringing on the terms of the supreme courts decision." This sort of evasion Is to be expected under existing circumstances. Rut If a few of the Insolent violators of the anti-trust law were imprisoned, as the law directs, there would be less insolence and more regard for the rights of the public. REDUCING THE DINNER PAIL. One hundred and ninety thousand miners in the soft coal district have voted to accept a wage reduction. Whllo they have no legal causo oi ac tion against the republican leaders, thev can iustlv complain at this reduc tion in the size of the dinner pail. In the face of present business conditions, they were probably wise to accept a re duction rather than strike, but can they be deceived again by the prosper ity nreument? With shrlnKing kiocks, decreasing dividends and falling wages the republican campaign ammunition Is likely to run short. The pass question is being discussed in congress and some or the members are denying that such favors influence representatives. Why do the railroads give passes ir they do not expect a legislative return? The Commoner has already shown by the testimony of railroad officials that they expect pay in legislative favors. In some In stances they have demanded a return of the pass when the holder has shown his Independence. The railroad pass is one of the most demoralizing as well ns insidious of all the means em ployed by corporations for the cor rupting of officials. Tim dnmnrnts of Nemaha county. Kansas, im. ructed their delegates to the state convention to vote lor no mnn oo tiattnn nl ilelesnte who did not un qualifiedly support the Kansas City platform, and who win not vote nrst, last and all the time for the reaffirma tion of t lie Kansas City platform After the convention tney organized a strong .leiierson ciui). Mr. Knox kindly tells the trusts that the administration "will not run amuck" with its prosecutions. Tho tniFts would feel better If Mr. Knox would assure them that, the "frying pan" would also be held i;i abeyance. Governor Cummins is laboring under the hallucination that republican prom ises mean something. This will ex plnln the hon.se hoots that greet the governor's animadversions on current political affairs. The York (Neb.) Democrat, after lis tenlnir lo the chorus of the reorgan Izers, figures out that It is about a thousand croakn to one frog, hven though this be true, loyal democrats should nid be less active. That confirmation having been land ed, General Wood will probably find it unnecessary to pacify any more of the already pacified I lllpinos. Republican Newspaper to the Trusts Cease your extortion on print paper and we will overlook your oppression of the general public! Reorganization will hardly lie left to the eminent gentlemen who have been actively engaged In trying to spread demoralization. No wonder the dusts would like "four more years of drover. " A cor poration Justice in place of Hmiiin could reverse ti e ni"lger decision. Men' eternal punlshmint for the eating of the forbidden fruit was hav ing to pay for the clothes women wear because c f it. You can always tell a Imly by the way she doesn't have to leil you to. TJil'STS I'ONTKOL ALL IMMENSE POWER OF THE TARIFF- FOSTERED MONOPOLIES. With a Combined Wealth of Over $2O,0C0,00O,0CO -They Practically Direct the Business of the Country Are Mostly tlleal Combinations. When Congressman Littlefkid. last year, had printed in the Congressional Record his list of 300 trusts, with nearly f M.uoO.OOO.ooo of capital, the country was startled at the exhibit. Now conies Mr. Jchn Moody, a Wall street publisher, with a new book en titled "The Truth About the Trusts." which gives us even higher fit'ures. Mr. Moody gives a classified list of tho leading trusts in tho United h.ates. He gives us 318 important In dustrial trusts. Controlling fj"38 plants, having a total capitalization outstanding cf J7.246.342.533. Ho enumerates 111 Important franchiso trusts (telegraph, telephone, gas, eU'c trlc light and street railway consolida tions), controlling 1.33C plants, and having a total outstanding capitaliza tion of !3,733,456,07!. He discusses tne six great steam railroad groups with a total capitalization of $9,017,- 086,907, and tho ten allied Independent railroad systems having a capitaliza tion of $330,277,000. The great total of the capitalization of all the trusts considered In this book, industrial, franchise and trans portation, Is $20,3711,162,511. After mentioning the fact that there Is in this country about $SO,000,000,000 of wealth outside of the trusts discuss ed In Mr. Moody's book, tho Wall Street Journal of March 17th, makts tho following very significant state ment: "It should not be overlooked that the trust wealth Is the most Import ant, in that it largely controls all other wealth. The trusts are In con- , With falling wages and the cost of position of the workingman is not an trol of the transportation facilities of the country. They are practically In control of its banking facilities, and they control its main Industrial sys tems. Through control of the banks, the railroads and the leading Indus trial companies, the directors of these trusts practically direct the business of the country, and when it is said that of the $20,000,000,000 of trust capital In the tJnited States, upwards of $1,000,000,000 is held by one fam ily, and that the greater amount Is represented by a group of perhaps a dozen capitalists, one gets some con ception of the Immense power which Is wielded in this country by a fev capitalists." The fact that the Wall Street Jour nal, and to some extent, also, Mr. Moody, attempts to justify the exist ence of these trusts is of no conse quence. It Is of groat Importance that nearly every one of the trusts, with over $20,000,000,000 of capitali zation, are Illegal combinations and would probably be so declared, if they were brought to the bnr of justice. Our easy-going attorney general, however, got frightened when he won a suit against one of tnem, really begun by the governor of Minnesota, and has tened to tell them that the govern ment was not going to "run amuck" In Its opposition to trusts. Wall street Interpreted this statement, and other assurances that were said to como direct from tho White House, to mean that there would be no moro suits be gun against these illegal and crimi nal trusts this year, and proceeded to put up tho prices of trust stocks. The Supremo Court decision was given on Monday; on Saturday the prices of these trust stocks closed higher than they had sold for mnny weeks before. It Is perfectly safe to say that the present occupant of the White House knows full well on which side of his Republican bread Is the trust butter niMi that he will not do anything to greatly disturb the harmonious rela tions which havo for many years ex isted between the Republican party md these hundreds of tariff-fostered ind franchise trusts. Certainly not .'his year, If these great criminals ;how their appreciation for favors, as hey usually do, by fattening the Re oubllcan campaign fund. I1YRON W. HOLT. Robbery by the Steel Trust. A beautiful object, lesson In tho iniiff f r the American people Is In the contract of a steel mill In the United States to deliver nt Montreal 0,omi tons of lulls for the Canadian Pacific railway at $2i.2."i n ton. This, lllowing for cost of delivery, Is $1S a rn nt the mills, or Sio n ton less ban thv cost to American purchasers .f sleii rails ut the mill. The con vnet price to the Canadian Pacific nllway left a n.argin tf fair profit for he manufacturers nnd all that l.i hove thl'i price l an Iniquitous exlor Ion upon American consumers which in be j rartleeil only under cover of ulininciViiy c):;;';:urt t'lrlf. I'blla lphln Reccrd. FOOLING THE. VOTERS. I Republican Promise Tariff Reform, but Do They Mean Itf Tlu Republicans of Minnesota have declared for tariff reform In a uillJ way. At the state convention to eieel delegates to the Chicago convention the platform adopted declared "for modification of the tariff schedules to suit changing conditions" and "in favor of reciprocity treaties with othei countries for mutual Interest and to extend our markets." No doubt Iowa, Wisconsin and other Western states will make similar declarations, and Massachusetts and some Kastern states may declare for reciprocity, but all will declare, as did the Repub licans of Minnesota, "for tho protec tive policy of the Republican party." How can the tariff schedules he modi fied "to suit changing conditions" if the policy of protection is to be up hold? The Republican organs of pro tection are constantly denouncing thoso Republicans who even favor reciprocity, lot olotie tariff reform, and have been powerful enough to defeat tho ratification of the reciprocity trea ties that have been before the senate since 1S99 and expired by limitation in 1892. Does that look like favoring reciprocity? The protectionists and the trnsta combined control all the Republican numbers of Congress, so that no bill for tariff reform has even been re ported from the committee on ways and means. Does that look like fav oring a "modification of the tariff schedules?" Those Republican mem bers of Congress who promised in tho last nampalgn they would favor tariff reform on those schedules that gave the trusts a monopoly havo made no effort to redeem their prom ises, but have "stood pat" with tho ultra protectionists and concluded that their political salvation depended on "letting well enough alone." The Protective Tariff league, backed by trust Influence and money, has living the highest ever known, the enviable one. New York Herald. whipped those members Into line who promised tariff reform by threatening to fight their renomlnation or defeat them at the polls. How long the vo ters will continue to be fooled by promises and pay high trust prices, knowing that the trusts are exporting their products to foreiKu countries and selling those products for much less to the foreigner, remains to be seen. The platform promises of the Minnesota Republicans Indicates tho voters are tiring of trust extortion nnd may become weary of promises that are not redeemed. , More Rotteness. The Republican leaders are gradu ally being caught in the net Ret for grafters. Over one hundred Republi cans were included In tho Rristow report, a majority of whom will hard ly succeed In attaining a coat of white wash. When the Hristow report wns under discussion, the Democrats made a motion for an investigation of the wnole postoffice department, which was defeated by the Republicans, who claimed that there was nothing wrong except In the first assistant postmas ter general's department. It now appears, from evidence produced, there Is even greater rottenness In the department under the second as sistant, postmaster general. This was brought out in a speech by Hon. Rob ert. Raker of Brooklyn, which will be found In tho Congressional Record of March 18, on pages 3003-4, in which he quotes from the Milwaukee Kreo Press, charges against Hon. J. W. flab cock of Wisconsin of collusion to de fraud the government by padding tho amount of the official weighing of tho mails. The charges are supported by affidavits of those government em ployes who carried the malls nnd makes a very clear case against Mr. Uabcook. This Is a very serious criminal ohm-go and tho more so as the news paper printing It Is Republican nnd Congressman Itabcock cannot afford to allow It to puss without demanding an Investigation. If ho does not take that step, the Republican members of the House of Representatives will havo to Inaugurate it nnd expell him or thomsolvoj bo classed with tho grafters. Congressman Rnbcock being tho chairman of the Republican 'Congres sional Committee stands forth ns a shining light of the Republican party f.nd ns the acts charged against him were committed when In comiu.'.nd of the party Interests, the whole Repub lican party is Involved, If It does not clear Its skirts of him. It would prom to lie an admirable time to re-echo the Democratic cry of IS. Ml "Turn the rascnls out, Will Not Bo Overlooked. It's going to take something r.K.re than a statement from the white lio;uo to uccouiit for tli o crlmlnnl care lessness displayed In the failure to blue-pencil that part oi ;he nrlslow report tcuchln' on nnd appertalnln' to the shortcoiulnr.s or 191 members of the lu tHC I.ruhivlllo Tbms. mm! liia i' r in "DO EVERYTHING j! PRESIDENT OF Everything worth doing is important, slble position until you are promoted. The photograph nnd sketch are por traits of Benjamin L. Wlnchell, the newly elected president of the Chi cago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. The drawing was made by a staff art ist of the Chicago Examiner, and shows the man who has just been ex- Knows Much of Russia. Dr. Edward A. Steiner, professor of applied Christianity at Vowa col lege, Grlnnell, who wrote tho author ized American biography of Count Lyof Tolr.toi, Is credited with knowing more about Russia and the Slavic world generally than any other living American. He is a native of Vienna, where he began his education. Iater he was at Ixjipsic and Heidelberg, re ceiving from the latter the degree of doctor of philosophy. FRANK D. ARBUCKLE OF ILLINOIS CHAMPION GUNNER, Frank D. Arbtickle, who now has the distinction of being the champion gunner of the world, was born April 19, 1S85, at Kingston, De Kail) county, 111. He worked on his father's farm and attended the district school until his sixteenth year, when he entered the United States navy as an appren tice, where he served two and one half years. At present he Is on the cruiser Newark. He was In the re cent engagement nt Santo Domingo Feb. 3. in a recent target practice v Kaiser Decorates American. George W. lloyd, general passenger agent of the Pennsylvania railroad, has received from Kmperor William the Order of the Crown In recognition of various special acts of kindness to Prince Henry of Prussia, who visited this country two years ago. The dis tinction was conveyed to Mr. Iloyd through the medium of Ambassador Huron Von Sternborg. The Order of the Crown was Instituted in 1S6I by William I to commemorate his coro nation ns king of Prussia. Dose Should Cure Anything, Congressman La coy of Iowa has made n great medical diacovery and lie loses no time In presenting it to the world. "It's u cure for pneumo nia," says Mr. Liteey, "and It's n sure thing. Take six drops of nsal'etldu, mix It into a drink of whisky and take It before filing to bed. To bo sure, you'll i mell rather emphatically, but no pneumonia germ that ever came down the truck can stand the fumes. They vacate In a hurry, and, really. I can't help admiring their judgment." WELL." SAYS jj C. R.I. AND P.ROAD J Don't think you haven't a respon Do everything well. Benjamin L. Wlnchell. alted to the headship of one of the world's greatest transportation sys tems discussing tho days of his $10 a week clerkship and telling how he rose from a humble country lad to tho position of eminence which he now occhpies. Women to Make Statue. Miss Caroline Wood, daughter of a prominent St. Iiuis judge, has re ceived the commission to make a statue of "The Spirit of Missouri" to surmount the dome of the Missouri building at the world's fair. Tho Mis souri statue is her first large effort. Another woman sculptor whoso work will be prominent at the fair Is Miss Janet Scudder, a Terre Haute girl. Her work for the exhibition Is a statue of President James Madison. for championship he fired a six-Inch gun twelve times in one minute and fifty-four seconds, hitting the target eleven times, thus breaking all pre vious records. Tho world's champion ship was heretofore held In England, the best record being tho firing of a six-Inch gun twelve times In two min utes, hitting the target nlno times. The I'lnted States championship was held by a gunner from Wisconsin, but young Arhuckle, only 18 years of age. has given to Illinois the world's cham pionship. Judge Once a Factory Hand. Judge C. V. Raymond, recently ap pointed chief Justice of the Linted States court of appeals In Indian Ter ritory, was a factory hand In nn In terior town of Illinois twenty-five years ago. Joseph G. Cannon, now speaker of the house of representa tives, became Interested In the young man. Induced him to study law and has remained a helpful friend. Judge Raymond was appointed to the federal court at Muskogee by President Mc Klnley in lflul. American Professor Honored. Pror. W. W. Campbell, director f the Lick observatory In California, has been elected a foreign member of the Kocleta degll Spellroscoplstl Hall nnl. This society consists of thirty Italian members nnd thirty foreign ers. Prof. Campbell has been renuet I'd to serve on an honorary commit tee, presided over by the minister of public Instruction for France whose purpose Is to forward the project Tor erecting a monument to the eminent astronomer. Jerome Islamic, at Hours, tin; place of his birth. '