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About Plattsmouth weekly journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1881-1901 | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1901)
Commoner -J- $ 'J-V.. . Extracts from W. Who Wrote It. "These are words of weighty import. They Involve consequences of the most momentous character. I take leave to say that if the principles thus an nounced should ever receive the sanc tion of a majority of this court, a radi cal and mischievous change in our sys tem of government will le the result. Wo will, in that event, pass from the crtf constitutional lilcrty gnarded and protected by a written constitu tion into on era of legislative absolut ism. Here is a serious charge brought against the majority of the supreme couri of the United States. The court is accused of bringing about a "change in our sybtem of government" not only a change but "radical and mis chievous" change. It is charged that in the event of that decision and the decision was made "constitutional liberty" would be lost and "an era of legislative absolutism" ushered in. What graver indictment could be brought against our highest judicial tribunal? Who wrote it? Who is guilty of thus reflecting upon the pa triotism and purpose of the court? Let the republican papers ferret out the culprit and visit condign punishment "upon him. Let him feel the righteous wrath of those pure and immaculate souls who always bow to a court de cision (when it is on their side), and never utter a reflection againt a judge unless he decides against them). Who wrote the words above quoted? Tid they emanate from a demagogue; was this the wail of a defeated candi date; was it the speech of some disturb er of the peace some stirrer up of dis content? Xr, the words will be found in a dis senting opinion of a justice of the su preme court of the United States of America. A democratic justice? No. A populist justice? No. A silver re publican justice? No. What then? They are the words of -a republican justice of the supreme court Justice Harlan appointed by a republican president. Hereafter, when republican papers desire to condemn those who criticize a -supreme court decision, let them begin at the top and assail Justice Harlan first. After they have administered to him the rebuke which he, from their standpoint, deserves, they will be too much exhausted to attack those who quote Justice Harlan againt the court. Ite Vlellant. Several states hold flections this fall and these elections will have an im portant tearing upon the party as well &s upon the nation. The reorganizing element is seeking to secure control of the party; it does not openly proclaim its hostility to the Kansas City platform, nor does it propose a platform for the considera tion of the voters, Its plan of operation is to put for ward candidates for the party organiza tion who are not in harmony with the principles or purposes of the party. ILcv work under cover of a desire for harmony; but it is the harmony the burglar desirts when he hopes that the members of the family will not awake "until the valuables arc removed from the house. The democratic party has no reason lor existence except as it champions the rights and interests of the masses. It has made its recent campaigns, beginning with iy.0, almost without money and yet the party has polled a larger vote than it ever tolled when it bad a larrre campaign fund. It can se cure a large campaign fund again whenever the leaders of the party make secret pledges to the corporations, but these pledges will not le made by lead ers whom the people trust. If the men who deserted the party in 1S&6 or in HMX) are put at the head of the party before they give evidence of A change of heart they will drive more voters away from the party than they will bring to it. The rank and file of the democratic party can respect an honest republican who calls himself a republican, but they will not respect a dishonest re publican who calls himself a democrat. The democratic party has adopted a patriotic platform; it has asserted the right of the American people to have a financial policy of their own, to have industrial independence among the people and constitutional government wherever the flag floats. If the party will stand firm it can expect victory whenever the people realize the dan gerous tendency of republican policies. Uut if the democratic party passes under the control of men who are in harmony with republican ideas the party will re in no position to appeal to the confidence of the people. If re publican policies are good the republi can party has a right to administer them, and it should be permitted to enjoy the protection of its copyright. Those who believe in democratic prin ciples as set forth in the Kansas City platform must be vigilant and that vigilance must legin with the prima ries. Do not allow a man to be placed upon any committee, precinct, county, state or national, unless he is a believ er in the Kansas City platform. If a man opposed to the Kansas City plat form is sent as a delegate to any con vention he should le bound by instruc tions and should have associated with him a sufficient majority who are sound on the platform. If a man objects to instructions, leave him at home; no democratic delegate will object to an expression from the voters whom he seeks to represent. A republican speech would not sound well at a wool-growers' banquet this year. Mr. DeLima is one man who under stands the decision in the 1'orto Eican case. Mr. DeLima gets his money back. The truth of the old adage that 'reading maketh a full man" was nev er better shown than after a reading of all the diverse opinions of the su preme court on the 1'orto Kica.ii ques tioa. 4. Comment. J. Bryan's Paper. They "Iilstrost" a Cuban ratrlot. Now it is reported that the adminis tration politicians propose to take a hand in Cuban politics. They are op posed to the election of the Cuban pa triot, Maximo Gomez, to be the first president of the new republic It is said that these adminstration politi cians "distrust" General Gomez, and the present mayor of Havana, acting under the inspiration of Governor- General Votd, is now organizing a party to accomplish General Gomez defeat. It will be interesting to have some of these administration politicians ex plain to us by what authority they in terfere in the political affairs of Cuba- It is interesting to be told that these politicians, who properly have no con cern in Cuban affairs, "distrust" the man who imperiled his life in defense of Cuban independence. Is It True? The New York World is authoritj for this statement: "The World is also in a position to announce on unim peachable authority that two days be fore the Porto Rican cases were decid ed the court had unanimously agreed that the constitution was in force wherever the United States exercised sovereignty. Bat immediately before the court met to make its decision pub lic, Justice Brown changed his attitude on the question." If we accept this as a correct state ment, it would seem strange that Jus tice Brown could on so short a notice make so material a change. Justice Brown's opinion was a most radical one. It is to be hoped, however, that the World's "unimpeachable authority" may be successfully impeached. The character of J ustiee Brown's opinion, bad as it is, is not so bad as would be a condition wherein Justices of the high est court in the land flopped on a mom ent's notice. In the income tax decis ion we had one instance of a judge changing his mind between sessions, and that instance did considerable damage to the supreme court. Corporations Should Fay for Privileges The supreme court of New Jersey has held that the towns of that state may tax the road-bed and appurtenan ces of street railway and other compan ies using public thoroughfares. This decision is in support of a franchise tax law enacted in 1900. Under this law New Jersey towns may collect two per cent on the gross receipts of cor porations enjoying the privilege of using the public streets. To be sure the corporations object to this tax, but it is strange that all the municipalities of this country have not required cor porations to pay for the high privileges they enjoy. Money In Circulation. The Washington correspondent of the Chicago Record Herald says that an indication of national prosperity is to be found in the large volume of money in circulation. This now amounts to SC.1S3.3TO,S90, a gain of more than Sloo.ooo.ooOover the amount in circulation a year ago. In the last twenty-two years the gain in circula tion amounts to the tremendous sum of S1,3GS.310,1G9. The circulation per capita is now the largest in the coun try's history, amounting to $28.13. One year ago it was S-6.71." Can it be possible that the large vol ume of money in circulation is any basis for national prosperity? Can it be possible that the bimetal lists were not wholly wrong when they insisted that the country needed a lar ger volume of oney in circulation? The Abuses of Despotism. "For good or for ill," says the Phila delphia Ledger, "the principle has been declared that the United States may. through congress, govern subject peoples. It is unlikely any abuses will be committed unkerthis principle, but it is a principle that admits of the abuses of despotism." The Philadelphia Ledger is to be congratulated on its sublime confi dence. The Ledger should, however. know that already great abuses have been committed under this "principle,' the very abuses, in fact against which our own forefathers relelled, and for the destruction of which they took up arms. A principle that admits of the abuses of despotism has no place in a free country. Eternal vigilance is the price of lib erty, and no people can safely depend for their liberties upon the pleasure or generosity of one man or set of men. The government that sanctions ' principle that admits of the abuses of despotism" has already taken on the elements of a monarchy. When any men seek to establish, in a free country, "a principle that ad mits of the abuses of despotism," it is time for men who love liberty to make effective protest against the innova tion. The courts have recently been called upon to restrain market speculation. In this case the judge held that the dealers could not legally sell stocks which they did not own. This would seem a very simple proposition, and yet if the principle were firmly established it would go a long way toward pre venting stock market gambling. Mr. Morris K. Jessup likes to prate about the "bonds between Great Brit ain and the United States." If the boaIs stopped drawing interest would i!r. Jea&uD take so much luWrest? BANES AND PANICS. RECENT FLURY ON WALL STREET NOT OVER. Banks Have Called the Millions of Lows So Aid Their Resources Withdrawal of Vast AnoMt from Legitimate Business to Aid Stock Gambling. A systematic effort is being made to impress the country with the idea that the panic was entirely confined to Wall street and has had no disasterous effect on the finances of the country. It is very difficult for outsiders to grasp the real condition of affairs for the banks of New York are members of the Clearing House which is a close corporation and the weekly statement they give of their united transactions is arranged on a system of averages and will seem to be made to fit con ditions and gull the public into believ ing everything is lovely when the op posite may be the case. For instance the report for the week after the panic gave an increase of the surplus re serve of $5,172,450. This on its face would indicate that the banks had lots of money on hand over and above the legal reserve requirements though the total reserve had decreased over a mil lion. But during the week the banks had called in loans to an immense amount so that on the average the loans had decreased over twenty-four millions and deposits had decreased over twenty-five millions. The de crease in loans and deposits are the largest on record and show a wonder ful shrinkage of business and indicates that the boasted confidence tnat there will be no bad effects from the panic is not shared by the bank managers or their customers to any great ex tent. So unfavorable is this statement that the Financier -rhich is a noted financial publication, says of it: "The current statement, however, seems widely at variance with known facts and that the week before, the bank totals conflicted in several particu lars." This is in fact saying that the statements are "fixed" to suit the pur pose of those who are at the head of the Clearing House Association and are not to be relied on. If this is so, their other statements which are given to the public in the form of articles In the newspapers controlled by the money power and the trusts and cor porations must be received with the some doubts that the Financier casts upon the official statement of the banks themselves. There is no doubt that the banks are holding a large amount of the wat ered stock Issued by the trusts as part of their security for loans to favored customers and if these stocks are not unloaded on the public before long there will have to be another record breaking statement that will be even more unsatisfactory than the present one. THE LATEST WAR CLOUD. There is doubtless much unrest amongst the nations of Europe and if it ever suits the great financiers a gen eral European war would be in prog ress. Mr. Stead, the Englishman who is a peace at any price man, is now afraid that a war is impending be tween the United States and England Mr. Stead, who dwells in the midst of alarms, says the Philadelphia Times lays in a new one every few days. His latest is that when Congress meets the Clayton-Bulwer treat "will be torn in to shreds and flung in our faces and It will be necessary then to choose be tween fighting and eating humble pie." As he thinks John Bull will prefer to fight, he throws out this hint of a gathering storm as an encouragement to the Boers to keep in the field. The Boers show no disposition to leave the field, but we should not ad vise them to count too much upon Mr. Stead's alarming prophecy. Whatever may become of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, there Is not going to be any war over it or any serious disturbance. It will not even be thought worth while to tear it into shreds, since there is scarcely more than a shred of it remaining, and as to throwing it in anybody's face, it is rather our British friends who have been inopportunely throwing it in our faoes. And yet we have not been very mad about it at least, not fighting mad. There is really much more feeling in this country against Great Britain on account of the war with the Boers, whose defense appeals to our sym pathies, than on account of an obso lete treaty that nobody clearly under stands or greatly cares about. The negotiations for the abrogation of the treaty were bungled last year, but it the time comes when it appears to be actually in the way of any practical purpose, we have no doubt that it oan be properly disposed of without re quiring anybody to eat humble pie. The disturbance in South Africa would be a more serious menace to international relations if we were not ourselves so complicated with our col onies and dependencies as to be fear ful of having our own record flung iu our faces. So the Boers will have to fight on unaided. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. Democratic newspaper writers and orators have for years declared that the public acts of the Republicans be lied their platforms and pointed to the legislation enacted by them and their rapid change of front on political ana economic questions as a sure proof that such a party was not to be trusted to administer the govern ment. It is seldom ho waver in poli tics that the claims of a rival party can be substantiated by a conspicuous advocate of the policies of their op ponents. There must be something radically wrong when thlj is the easa, especially the adrocato Is the editor of a publication that receives its support from the party who it feels the occasion demands it to decry. Prof. George Gunton has been a con sistent Republican and protectionist, yet in the May number of his maga zine he publishes an article from which is condensed the following: Political parties come Into existence for the purpose of incorporating cer tain ideas into the public policy of the nation. So long as a party is vitalized by an idea, whether in the majority or not, it Is usually clean and aggres sive. On the other hand, it is as nat ural as for the seasons to follow each other that political parties will ster ilize and decline In character and in fluence in proportion as moral Ideas and vital principles cease to be their controlling motives. The Republican party appears to be nearing, if it has not already reached, this stage. When it was born, in 1856, it came with a mission. Inspired with the moral and political righteousness of its policy, it neither wavered nor weakened, but rose to" the occasion with every increase of responsibility. It then commanded the endorsement and admiration of the best minds of every race and nation, and earned the title of "the party of moral ideas." It saved the union, blotted out slavery, and made the United States a nation. Under its leadership for a quarter of a century the nation experienced un paralleled industrial development and prosperity. Here the Republican party reached the end of its program, and instead of dt eloping in ideas and statesmanship commensurate with the progress of the country, it began to fossilize. It be came self-satisfied and indifferent to the high principles it had made his toric, and began to bask in the sun shine of office and to rely on the favor of patronage for euccess. On every hand the evidence Is ap parent that the Republican party has practically outlived its reputation as "the party of moral ideas" and is de teriorating into a party of moral in difference, political drift, and "boss" manipulation. It i3 rapidly losing the confidence of the nation. Republican cities have already begun to elect anti-Republicans and even revolution ary administrations. A PHILIPPINE FARCE. The Taft Philippine commission has reported to the war department a form of civil government for the archipel ago. Judging from some of the clauses the commission evidently intends to be the "whole thing" itself, though it will allow the Filipinos to imagine, until they discover their mistake, that they are electing their own officers. It may be as the commission claims "a form of civil government" and it would appear to be "a form" only, for there is not a vestige of civil liberty. The commission "is expressly empow ered to veto any action taken" is one of the provisions, and it would seem that that alone would make a farce of the whole system. They also reserve the right "to remove any official at any time when in the judgment of the commission this is desirable, and in cases wherein an official elected by popular vote does not suit the mem bers of the commission his election can be declared void." If the Fili pinos, after they understand the mat ter, put themselves to the trouble of holding an election and voting, they are much greater fools than they have, been represented to be. Taft should remember that "you can fool some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time," but you can't fool, even all the Filipinos, all the time. POLITICAL COMMENT. General Chaffee's remarks about ttoe Anglo-American alliance have raised up a storm of protests. His friends are trying to explain that it was only an after dinner speech and the gen eral should not be taken too literally. Negotiations are still proceeding tor the purchase of the Danish West India Islands, but the trouble now is that the inhabitants no longer are willing that we should annex them. The tar iff on Puerto Rico and the repudiation cf our promises to Cuba have opened their eyes. The Nicaraguans are now ready to concede anything if we will build the canal. They fear the Panama scheme will be taken up, which it will likely be, if there is a chance for Hanna and the Wall street attachment of the ad ministration to make the French pay a good round commission. Senator Cullom aims to be chairman of the foreign relations committee of the Senate and is making a special study of reciprocity. Don't waste your time. Senator, on reciprocity but ex amine the tariff schedules, with a view to reforming the most outrageous of them and -study to be a statesman and not a servile follower of Hanna and the trusts. The Manila scandals do not seem to lessen as they are probed, but one thing is strange that civilians and subordinate officials are the only ones that so far have been punished. This result is to be expected where a free press is made a criminal offense, since the deportation of Editor Rice for ex posing a few minor frauds in the cus toms service. A Democratic panic was predicted If Mr. Bryan was elected, but a sugges tion that a Republican panic might also come if Mr. McKinley was re elected would have been scoffed at by Hanna and Co. and yet the Republican panic has occurred and about the worst one Wall street has ever known. The much vaunted financial legislation of the protective tariff, or great exports do not ensure prosperity and yet we were told either would ensure iL It is estimated one-third of the dwel lers upon earth are habitual users of tobacco. FEEDIKGTfi ELEECHES HOVT PRODUCERS SUFFER FOR IDLE WEALTH. A F slice Court Dialogue That Explain the Situation Every Worker's Wages Is Confiscated, Kot by the State, bat by the BJcb. Recently, during a" trial in ono of our courts, it became necessary for the judge himself to question a witness, and the following colloquy took place: Judge Are you a married man? Witness No. J. Have you any one depending on you for support. W. Yes; a large number of them. J. Are they disabled 'physically or mentally from supporting themselves? W. No; they are fully as able as I to support themselves J. Then why do you surport these able-bodied persons? W. Because the customs and ar rangements of our present state of so ciety force me to. J. These persons, doing no manner of useful work, and you a poor man, having but your labor, are compelled to give part of it to them? W. Yes; I am forced to divide by giving them three-fourths of what I produce. J. Is there no way to get rid of these human leeches? W. Not at once; for nearly all so ciety especially these leeches, as you call them, insist that this is a natural state of affairs, and has always exist ed; they are eternally ding-donging in my ears that, were it not for these leeches, I could not work at all, and death would immediately overtake me. But in the near future we'll be able to rid ourselves of them, when they'll have" to live off their own sweat. J. If you should die would not the leeches have to work W. Oh, no; they hold in reserve a vast number who are about to be over taken by death from enforced idleness and they would think it a God-sent privilege to toil in support of these leeches. J. Would you please give me the name and address of these leeches? W. Though it Is solely from my labor that their lives are made a con tinual round of pleasure, still they have the brutal ingratitude to refuse to live in the same locality as myself, and often they will not condescend to ilve in the same country; and as my constant toil enables them at their pleasure to change their climate, scen ery and society, I can not give you their permanent address. For apparent reasons they do not want to be known by their real nasies, but Insist on be ing known by their nom de plumes. J. But what are their names In fact, I am going to have them ar raigned before the bar of justice, these ravagers of society. W. Their names are CAPITAL ISTS. J. Mr. Sheriff, hustle this witness out of the court room; he's a Populist. Missouri Socialist. CUBA LIBRE. When sailed from Tampa Bay, (Cuba Librel) And our ships got under weigh, (Cuba Libre!) As we floated down the tide, Crowding to the steamer's side, You remember how we cried: "Cuba Libre!" When we 6pied the island Ehore, (Cuba Libre!) Then we shouted loud once more: "Cuba Libre!" As we sank Cervera's ships Where the southern sea-wall dips. What again was on our lips? "Cuba Libre!" These are foreign words, you know- "Cuba Libre!" That we used so long ago; (Cuba Libre!) And in all the time between Such a lot of things we've seen. We've forgotten what they mean, "Cuba Libre!" Let us ask the president, (Cuba Libre!) What that bit of Spanish meant, (Cuba Libre!) Ask McKinley, Root and Hay What on earth we meant to say When we shouted night and day: "Cuba Libre!" But alas! they will not speak, (Cuba Libre) For their memories are weak, (Cuba Libre) If you have a lexicon. Borrowed from a Spanish don. Send it down to Washington, (Cuba Libre!) , Ernest Crosby, in Life. THROWINO AWAY LAND. A contemporaryrips up the entire land system of the country, especially, the practice of endowment by dona tions of land, in the statement that the State University was endowed by the proceeds of the sales of 82 sections (160 acres each) of lands granted to the state, which having been Bold, yield an income of but $135,000, whereas the university requires $510,000. Our contemporary adds that had these sections of land been leased in stead of sold, they would now yield an income of $524,000. In other words, values which would have supported the university and left a surplus of $14,000, have been, to the extent of nearly three-fourths, given away to speculators. Had this city, at the be ginning of American occupation, leased Its public lands. Instead of throwing them away by sale, there would now be an income from them of more than triple the amount of our taxes, w hich would have enabled the city and coun ty not only to have constructed, owned and operated all it public utilities, but to have done so gratuitously, or at an almost nominal charge. TRUSTS SUPPRESS INVENTIONS A man living in Chicago has Invent ed a lubricator In which water is a principal If not the chief ingredient. He has demonstrated its value. He baa proven to the satisfaction of several railroad managements that it it not only the cheapest but the safest lubri cant known to industrial science. These roads are willing to buy this product and use it to the exclusion of all others, at least until a better is dis covered. But here steps In the Standard Oil Company and says to the railroad: "If you use this lubricant and cease buying those manufactured by us, we will retaliate by refusing to ship over your lines. The business of the Standard Oil Is so large no railroad company dare withstand the demand, hence the mak er of the new and cheapest lubricant experiences extreme difficulty in mar keting his product. Were the railroads in the hands of the government the Standard Oil Com pany could not enforce a demand so out of harmony with the laws of legit imate production and distribution. East Oregonian. NOT POPULISTS. Mayor Johnson made a proposition to buy the Cleveland Terminal &. Val ley railroad for $2,340,000. The prop osition was made to J. IL Wadsworth, representing lie Valley road at the meeting of the auditors. "Think of it," laughed the mayor, "twenty-nine locomotives returned by the Valley railroad for less than $1,000 each." "Do you want to buy the Valley road for what it has been returned for tax ation?" "You bet I do!" cried Mayor John son, "and I'll give you 40 per cent more than that. Yes, I'll give you three times what you value it at in your tax return." "Will you take it?" "IU make a big cash deposit right here." "Oh, don't be In such a hurry," said Wadsworth. backing away. "I'll think about it. I don't own the whole road." "All right, think it over." laughed the mayor, turning away. "I'll take it at those figures." Plalndealer. The leaders of the real Democratic party today are men who are doing for America what the Hebrew prophets did for the Jewish nation. "These prophets," says the great Jewish scholar, Darmesteter, "were men to whom justice was an active force. The idea of right was converted by them into a fact before which all other facts pale. By virtue of believing in justice they advanced it to the rank of a factor in history. They taught many to live and die for the right with out the hope of Elysian fields. They taught the people that without ideals 'the future hangs before them in tat ters.' That the ideal alone is the aim of life, and that it consists not in the glory of the conqueror, nor in riches nor in power, but In holding up as a torch to the nations the example of better laws and of a higher soul." "There is nothing in this world." said the president in a speech at San Francisco, "that so promotes the uni versal brotherhood of man as com merce." What could Mr. McKinley have meant by saying that commerce promotes the universal brotherhood of man? That is not protection doctrine. It Is free traie doctrine. And what does he mean by encouraging com merce? Would he abolish the protec tive tariff, which hangB like a millstone about the neck of universal trade? Has Mr. McKinley become a free trader, favoring open markets and un restricted commerce? If not, what kind of universal brotherhood it is that he would have us aspire to? The Public. King Edward's wages have been raised to $2,350,000 a year. Some Americans will wonder what Edward does to deserve such a large salary. When they have satisfied themselves on this point they might begin to fig ure on what John D. Rockefeller does to earn some $50,000,000 or more a year. We elect a president ostensibly to be our chief executive and pay him $50,000 a year. But our real executive Is Mr. Rockefeller, and he doesn't have to take the trouble to be elected. Helena Independent The Insolont assumption of John D. Rockefeller that the wages paid by his oil trust during the past thirty years were a "gift to labor," has caused great amusement among those who are prompt to see the humorous side of things, and aroused the Indignation of the serious-minded. But all know that without labor Rockefeller's money would have produced nothing, and that his "gift" was merely an exchange of money for labor, and not a fair ex change on hla part at that, if the truth were known. Will oa Qreebophoae CyliaAar. A wealthy land owner near Smol ensk, Russia, died not long ago, and after the funeral his heirs looked vain ly for the will, but without success. A few days later a young man. seeing a graphophone on the table In the li brary, put into it a record which be supposed was that of a popular Rus sian song. To his amazement and ter ror, instead of a song he heard tne dead man'8 voice recite the word" of the missing will. The heirs were noti fied of the discovery, lawyers were summoned, and the question then arose whether a will left on a grapho phone cylinder would be deemed valid by the courts. Yhia question is now before the supreme court of EL Petersburg.
