I.
IS t
A .
in In ITWirfWli
VOL. XIII.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA; JANUARY 23, 1902.
NO. 36.
ANARCHY BILLS
9,
A-
1 1 t
V
A'
The Hovie is Flooded With Thra-GroiT-nor
Fighting Irrigation Jo Sibley
Cuts up Some More Capers
Washington, D. C, Jan. 17. (Spe
cial Correspondence.) A perusal of
the large mass of bills before this
congress as a result of the deplorable
assassination of the lamented McKin
ley will show that a majority of them
are really less calculated to repress
anarchy than they are to abridge the
rights of free speech. Some of them
even aim at the abolition of the en
tire criminal code. There is no room
in this country for those who would
teach or practice opposition to all
forms of government, and there can
be no room for those who would
deny the right of the people to abol
ish their government and in its stead
erect the fabric of a new one, if, in
their judgment, the new one shall bet
ter promote life, liberty and the pur
suit of happiness. A bad government
is a tyranny, but no government is
worse. The people can change a bad
government if they so will, but in a
case of no government there is no
redress.
Congressman Grosvenor of Ohio de
clares opposition to government-aided
irrigation enterprises in the west, giv
ing as a reason that, since he repre
sents an agricultural district, he does
not propose to vote money to create
competitors of his constituents. The
Ohioan unconsciously presents one of
the strongest arguments for national
aid in irrigation enterprises, namely,
the building up of a great; agricultural
stronghold in the arid and now unin
habitable portions of the land. Those
who can realize that the basis of our
wealth lies in the well being of the
farming community will be able to ap
preciate the benefits which we are to
gain from western irrigation enter
prises. It is believed the east will oppose
aid for irrigation. The west will like
ly oppose the ship subsidy. The hope
for both may lie in a compromise.
The latest report- of Secretary of
War Root statistically proves that our
army of soldiers costs more per capita
than those of any other nation on
earth. The glamor of territory won
and victories gained by our arms wjll
all too soon wear away when the tax
payers are compelled to bear the ex
pense of su h folly.
Congressman Sibley of Pennsylva
nia has introduced a bill to increase
the premium on United States bonds
in the hands of the holders. Sibley
is the strenuous character who de
clared so loudly for Bryan in 1896
andv hay since, joined hands with his
fellow-stockholders in - protected in-,
dustries of the east in proclaiming
the beneficence of legislation in the
interest of intrenched wealth. Ne
braska legion of bondholders in the
farmhouses, on the hillsides and in
the valleys will raise the roof in sing
ing hosannahs to the author of this
bill. H. W. RISLEY.
COMMERCIALISM IN POLITICS
The Officer Who Dares to be Aggressively
Honest is a Doomed Man The Moral
Danger Grows Most Serious
The Independent is glad to see new
recruits springing up in every section
of the country who are advocating the
doctrines-that it has so long held. For
some years it has had a lonesome path
to pursue. All the great journals have
been the advocates of commercialism.
When The Independent first raised its
voice there were few to hear and none
to heed. Now there are found voices,
few in number yet, that are uttering
the same warning cry in almost every
state of the union". The fight against
greed may be long, and it is sure to be
bitter, but in the end it will win.
Commercialism in politics will ruin
any nation. Many men are for the
first time beginning to realize that a
moral degredation is sure to follow.
Listen to Bird S. Coler of New York
city, than whom no man has had a
better opportunity to see the work
ings of modern politics. He says:
"Commerce in the great benefits of
power in politics has grown from a
business of blundering force to an
exact science, by means of which pub
lic opinion, always suspicious, is so
swayed and divided that it remains
merely suspicious, never positive.
"The public mind has been made
less inquisitive, the official conscience
more elastic, by the skillful cloaking
of political corruption into the out
ward form of honesty and respecta
bility. Commercial transactions in
politics, at least all those of magni
tude, now bear the label of public ben
efits, or municipal development.
"This style of politics to succeed re
quires an appearance of intense par
tisanship and thorough organization.
There must be parties, opposed and
antagonistic at all times; but se
cretly understanding one another and
working in harmdny to certain definite
ends. The "chances of success of such
a combination are always increased
and preliminary expenses reduced
when one leader in the name of his
party controls a state,' and the oppos
ing leader, in the name of his organi
zation, controls a great city, or other
subdivision of that state. Then cor
porate and industrial interests not in
politics 'must do business,' that is, ar
range for legislation and 'official favor
with both leaders or parties. Under
such conditions secret understandings
are not only possible,' but they con
stitute the - working capital of com
merce in politics. It is now a simple
and safe matter,, to arrange the most
complicated and far-reaching corpor
ate or business interest through the
medium of stock certificates andT bonds
sold without public bidding. Worth
less, indeed, is that business Interest
or social influence that cannot obtain
a charter right or privilege where the
spirit of commercialism dominates leg
islation. Such rights obtained, pros
pective values, contingent "upon fur
ther political favors, may be converted
into immensely valuable and Import
ant assets by a wide and judicious dis
tribution of stock, and bonds. Public
officers may not legally become inter
ested in any form of contract or busi
ness interest with the state or munici
pality under which they hold office;
but they are in no way prohibited
from helping outsiders to secure val
uable contracts by reason of special
requirements, or specifications. This
is one of the reasons why great pol it
icar leaders, alive to the material in
terest of themselves - and their near
relations, do not seek or accept polit
ical office. They put into places of
power and responsibility men who will
do their bidding, or at least men who
are expected to obey orders. The
higher the personal reputation of the
man elevated to office the better for
the interests of representatives of com
mercialism in politics, provided al
ways that he does not prove aggres
sively honest. ' The man favored by
such interest to the extent of elec
tion to office is expected to be per
sonally and outwardly honest above
suspicion. He must keep his own hands
clean, but it is also expected of him
that his honesty will be confined to
the passive or negative state. If ..he
proves .honest to that degree of pbsi
tiveness or aggressiveness that causes
him to block commercial schemes, he
at once passes out . of favor- and be
comes a marked man, one to be
hounded and if possible v destroyed.
When he reaches that stage, the fight
against him will not be confined to his
own party or faction, but will be made
by every party, faction and individual
interest in the commerce of politics.
This community of interests has
grown and extended in the course of
development of the commercial spirit
in politics until its tentacles reach
every social, professional and moral
Influence, as well as all elements in
business and political life. It is a,
marvelous system, and. dangerous not
only to public interest, but to the
moral standards of the community.
Division of power and combinations of
personal and commercial interests
have brought the great political par
ties of the country to a condition in
some states where asleader of one may
say to the mmbership of the other
party, in a great subdivision of the
commonwealth, remote from his home,
This man you may employ in your
service; that man youshall not! Not
only has such a command bcn is
sued it has been obeyed, and obeyed
because the commercial interests of
opposing factions were identical and
could not brook independent and ag
gressive honesty in. public , office
"""There is a moral danger in this
spirit of arrogant contempt for offi
cial honesty that is more to be feared
than the constantly increasing ex
penses of providing from taxation the
profits of commercialism in politics.
To discourage true honesty in public
life is a serious matter, but it is blunt
ing the moral sense of the rising gen
eration to blazon to the world the
lesson that the public officer who
bars the, sluice from the public treas
ury to the private pocket is a marked
man, doomed to suffer defamation for
daring to do right. Such is the prin
ciple, such is the method in politics.
Isolated cases need not be cited. - The
system Is general, the methods the
same everywhere."
CONSERVATIVE CITIZENS
THE FILIPINOS
They are Found not in the Circles Called the
"Upper. Class but Among the Hon
est Toilers of the Land
The plutocratic papers are fond of
indulging in denunciations of the
working classes. They call them fa
natics, agitators and dangerous. The
fact is that the sound sense, conserva
tism, love of country and good gov
ernment lies among these classes and
not among the bondholders and multi
millionaires. The spectacle of the
president of the greatest business
organization in the world, Schwab,
backing his luck at Monte Carlo until
his winnings and losses become mat
ters of newspaper comment, and then
finding it necessary to cable guarded
denials of "sensational gambling," is
not an edifying 'spectacle morally.
It is interesting to note that on the
day when its president was making
bets at Monte Carlo the'workingmen
of the Carnegie Steel company, one of
the constituent parts of the corpora
tion of which Mr. . Schwab is presi
dent, contributed $10,000 toward a Mc
Kinley monument. They were better
employed than he was. These work
ingmen will never go touring in Eu
rope and so be tempted to try their
luck at Monte Carlo. That their bet
ting proclivities, however and those
of young men generally will be less
ened by the example of the official
head of the steel corporation perhaps
is unlikely. Their contrasted act was
at least an interesting suggestion as
to where some of the conserving in
fluences of society exist.
Wherever the producing classes have
succeeded in perfecting an organiza
tion that controlled a government,
that government has always been of
the conservative kind, while it made
advances toward the . betterment of
mankind. Such has been the case in
Nevw Zealand and Australia. Some of
the most effective reforms in all gov
ernment have originated ' there, such
as the Australian ballot law, now In
force in most constitutional govern-4
ments. The radicals are not found
among the working classes. Those
who have made the sudden and radical
changes in our form ; of government
during the last f ew years were not
numbered among them. The Inde
pendent has often called attention to
this fact, yet still the great dalies go
on in thei tirade against thel fanatics
and agitators among the Working
men. " '
They are Held In Subjection by an Armed
Force and Will Rebel the Moment
, it is Remored ,
One of the populists predictions was
that the war in the Philippines would
go on without end, and that if the
Filipinos were held in subjection to
the United States a perpetual army
of occupation would have to be main
tained there. Lately the editor of The
Independent has been shown several
letters written by officers now on duty
or lately in the islands. Every one
of them says that the American peo
ple have no idea of the conditions
there and that the government being
a military government has power and
does prohibit the facts being given to
the people. Instead of there being
any movement of Filipinos toward
establishing a civil government along
the lines attempted by the Taft com
mission, that there is a growing feel
ing against it. These officers estimate
that it will require an army of from
50,000 to 75,000 men to keep a re
semblance of authority there. They
say that the army now holds in fact a
very small portion of the territory of
the islands that a mile or two from
the military lines the Filipinos are
in actual possession and that a Fili
pino government is actuuLy. adminis
tering, the affairs; of three-fourths of
the islands, that taxes are collected
and the officers of the Filipino gov
ernment are recognized by the in
habitants. The Springfield Republican, in some
comments on this condition of affairs,
says:
"There is no possible doubt'that the
army officers in the Philippines are
to a man with General Chaffee in his
disagreement with Governor Taft con
cerning pacification. In a recent
private leter, an officer who is fully
acquainted with the conditions, writes
as follows:
" 'In my opinion . . . the gov
ernment will have to keep 50,000
American troops in the islands for
years to come. If the troops were now
withdrawn from any part of a so-called
"pacified" province, the civil govern
ment in pueblos vacated by the troops
would have to fly for its life before
the dawn of another sun. In some
towns, the last bayonet would hardly
be out of sight before the natives'
bolos would be bathed in American
blood. Civil government in these isl
ands is possible and can abide only
"where American troops protect it. . .
In northern Luzon, so long the theater
of active warfare, matters are quiet,
but it is well known that many
Mauser rifles were not turned in when
the insurgents . surrendered .. in April
last and an outbreak would -not sur
prise anyone acquainted with the
people and the facts.'
"This writer's reference to northern
Luzon is particularly noteworthy,
since that section of latethas been re
garded . as - thoroughly pacified; Gen
eral Chaffee's 7opinion of ' course, is
based upon the views of his subordi
nate officers scattered over the islands,
and they supply him with views like
this one quoted."
That , the state of affairs there is
somewhat serious is shown by the fol
lowing dispatch which was found
hidden away in the graveyard of one
of the great dalies. It was dated at
Washington, January 18:
"Lieutenant General Miles today is
sued an order transferring troops to
the number of 5,233 from the United
States to the Philippines. Among
the regiments is the Twenty-ninth in
fantry, stationed at Fort Sheridan,
near Chicago, which is to sail on Feb
ruary 16 or March 1."
There is quite a difference- in that
way of making the announcement of
shipping a very large force of men
to the Philippines from the way it was
done when we started out to rescue
the Filipinos from Spanish tyranny.
When the First Nebraska started for
the Philippines the notice was not
given in a four line item on the inside
pages of the newspapers.
There has been a great change
wrought in the United .States since
that time. Now soldiers are hustled
around in the same fashion and in
the secret way that it has been the
habit of czars and monarchs of Eu
rope to handle" them. The American
soldier is not now a patriot fighting
for liberty, but simply one who hires
out to kill for the wages he gets. It
is not on account of the Filipinos that
The Independent has made such vigor-,
ous' protests against a war of "con
quest and government by - force, but
for the reason that it will end, if per
sisted in, in the final overthrow of the
principles and form of government set
up on' this continent by Washington
and Jefferson and saved by the mar
tyred Lincoln. The "sappers and
miners" go on in their deadly work
and day by day they undermine the
great structure dedicated to human
liberty.
WASHINGTON -LAWMAKERS
The Honse Has Abolished Itself by the
Adoption of the Reed Rules and Xaw
is Made in the Senate
After the editorial which appeared
in The Independent last week entitled
"Their Prestige Gone" was in type the
far eastern exchanges began to ar
rive and a look at: them revealed the
fact that the peculiar transactions In
the house had . attracted the attention
of "many editorial writers. They all
take the same view as The Independ
ent. It might be remarked that it is a
dangerous thing to tamper with a
form of government after it is once
established and in working order. No
one, however wise he may be, can
foretell with any accuracy what will be
the result of a. change, no matter how
simple it may be. The constitution
and the order which the house had
followed for a century involved the
following - of the ordinary parlia
mentary procedure laid down in the
books of authority on that subject.
That ' gave the right : to; each member
of that body at any time to arise ajxd
address the speaker and the speaker
was bound to ; recognize him. Now
no . such .right ; exists, s- If ' a member
wishes to address the house on any
subject he.must first go to the speaker
and beg of him
he must remain s
down in the boo
o grant the favor of
a recognition. If the speaker refuses
lent. The forms laid
ks for the protection
of the' minority and a full and free
discussion have i all been abolished.
Those who too.4 hand in this depar
ture from the procedure "always here
tofore followed in free governments
little .thought .at1 the .time that they
were making , a tomb for themselves.
They were intent only on gaining a
partisan advantage. , Now their down
fall Is everywhere recognized.
Before any further progress Is made
In twisting, and torturing the constitu
tion into another thing from what
the fathers thought they had produced,
and before they make any further
changes in our form of government, it
will be .well for the judicial acrobats
and mad republican partisans to re
flect upon what the end may be. The
Springfield Republican comments upon
the "Effacement of the House" as fol
lows: . ' -L. ... - - . , . .
"The leaders of the majority party
in the United States house of repre
sentatives appear in the1 curious atti
tude of persons bent upOh the destruc
tion of their own importance and thaH
of the whole body of. representatives
as factors in national legislation. Ab
solute power over the presentation,
discussion and.t amendment: of meas
ures has been given to the speaker
and a committee on rules, and this
coterie of less than half a dozen men
entirely dominates all proceedings. It
decides what shall be considered and
for hOw long and by whom, and the
precise course , of any measure is de
termined in advance. . ' Deliberation
under this , method of procedure, of
course, becomes ; out of the question,
and , discussion sinks tat the level of
mere mechanical utterance In so " far
as effect upon the house is concerned.
Accordingly even discussion is dis
couraged, and the most important
measures are now regularly whipped
through the house -within two and
three days of time.
"They might as well be limited in
passage to two or three minutes. The
practical, results are the same. The
difference is only one of appearances.
The Nicaragua canal bill,' committing
the government to an enterprise of
great . moment, was given three days
for consideration. : The Philippine
tariff bill, -involving principles and
policies of- government;, of the . first
magnitude, wasr railroaded through in
as brief a time. Deliberation left the
house entirely in both cases, and de
bate was. reduced to a farce. New de
velopments siii.ce the framing of the
bills for passage .are practically ex
cluded from consideration, and re
ferred to the senate, along with the
whole subject!" matter, for such con
sideration as they deserve.
"This deliberate self-effacement of, a
great legislative body is probably with
out a parallel in history.' , It is the
senate now which deliberates and leg
islates, and the country recognizes the
fact, as the house concedes it. A peti
tion now being circulated for. signa
tures, which, (we ? printed . yesterday, is
addressed, not to congress, as it ordi
narily might be, but to the senate.
This is the real law-making body at
Washington. It is the only part of the
legislative power which debates and
deliberates, and by virtue of this fact
does it become the one branch of con
gress which now regularly determines
the course and character of our legis
lation. The ' senate will decide the
route of the isthmian canal. The
senate will decide whether, full tariff
or half -tariff or no tariff shall prevail
against Philippine imports. The
house, by its own deliberate action, is
making itself a cipher in national leg
islation. For all practical purposes,
an it is now going, it might as well
be adjourned for an indefinite period."
AN HONEST DOLLAR
How are we to Make the , Dellar "Honest"
' and Keep it so In the faytnent of Long
Time Contracts
Editor Independent: I notice by
yesterday's Bee that Rosewater wants
an honest silver dollar Then he gives
his plan of making it honest. If his
plan is right, mine is wrong. My idea
is that the only way to keep it hon
est is to coin it just as we always
have. As I understand it, we have a
long time contract with a few indi
viduals to pay a certain number of
coin dollars silver and gold dollars
of so many grains If we make that
dollar larger, the debtor is wronged,
if we make it smaller, the creditor is
wronged. We can never pay that
debt justly to all concerned only as per
agreement. I would like Mr. Rose
water, or any other man to tell me
how we are to get a dollar's worth of
Sliver in a dollar until we have a fixed,
price for- silver, and again, I have
thought that perhaps ithe taxpayers
would object to having the . $500,000,
000 now In the treasury worked over
into. $250,000,000, and yet: there would
be about as much justice in that as to
give two or three men $i80,000,000 In
order: that they might monopolize the
shipping industry. Many think that
a sure thing. Say, don't you think a
dollar twice as large as the one we
have would be a nice pocketplece?
Of course Rosewater may be right. T
know it is folly, for a-man of my
caliber to set up my judgment against
his. And now, hoping that voters wilr
some day get to thinking . for them
selves, I remain yours truly
H. B. MILLERi
Winside, Neb.
FILIPINO WAR PENSIONS
" - -
Soldiers Disabled in the Tropics Applying
by the Thousand A Harden That Will
Wreck the People
Washington, D. C, NJan. 16. The
annual pension appropriation bill
passed the house . yesterday, prior to
its adjournment until Saturday. The
bill carries an appropriation of $139,
842,230. The debate on this bill
brought out the fact that, as shown
by the report of Pension Commis
sioner Evans, of the men who en
listed in the Spanish-American war,
including those -v. remaining in the,
Philippine islands since the signing
of the Spanish treaty, 30,000 of them
have applied . for pensions. Comput
ing the number of men who enlisted, It
will be seen that about one out of
every five who entered the army a
good specimen of physical manhood
has become , such a physical wreck,
from the rigors of a tropical climate
and the savagery of the battlefield,
as to justify an application for a per
manent pension.
Taking into account an authoritative
announcement from , the war depart
ment that it will be necessary to keep
50,000 soldiers in the Philippines in
definitely, it is evident that 10,000
new names per year will be added to
the pension rolls, and multiplying the
pension expenditures.
This is a part of the price Nebraska
taxpayers arepaying for the privilege
of being told" by republican newspa
pers and speakers that "we have be
come a world power."
H. C. Lindsay, chairman of Ne
braska's republican state central com
mittee, is in Washington looking up
federal patronage matters with Messrs.
Dietrich and Millard.
Upon being interviewed in the
presence of Senator Dietrich, Mr.
Lindsay said to a reporter that "Gov
ernor Savage's friends are very con
fident of his renomination and re
election." It remains to be seen whether Ne
braska republicans will aid the plan
to shield those who profited by Bart
ley's defalcations and who demanded
Bartley's pardon to keep his mouth
closed, at the same time promising to
secure his renomination, and whether,
if the plan is fully carried out to
completion, the rank and file repub
lican voter will endorse it at the
polls.
Senator Dietrich acquiesced in Mr.
Lindsay's statement concerning Sav
age's renomination and . re-election.
Mr. Lindsay further declared that all
the populists were going back to the
republican fold, Mr. Lindsay cer
tainly does the populists a great in
justice Jby saving they will go- back to
the repubTTcari party, and," with their
votesr countenance the Bartley pardon
and the loose management now given
to the state treasurer's office.
H. W. RISLEY.
PLUTOCRATIC EDITORIALS
A Sample of What the People Have Dished
up to Them Down East Erery Day
in the Year
Editor Independent: The inclosed
clipping is that of an editorial In the
Baltimore American of January 9. 1
send it to you that you may have 'a
sample of the kind of mental food
we have dished up to us in this sec
tion. Note what this oracle says of
the "growing power of wealth," and
also observe his affecting tenderness
for the democratic party, and do not
overlook his fatherly wish that it, may
return to the straight and narrow
path. What a pity that the demo
cratic party can "only act as an op
posing force," and will not be good and
deserve a seat at the pie counter with
the "elect," who -are now engaged in
the "solution of these mighty prob
lems." THOMAS O. CLARK.
Baltimore, Md.
The - following Is the slip inclosed
and is printed so that the readers of
The Independent in these western
states . may know something of the
writing of the hirelings of plutocracy,
and the quality of their brains. The
editorial is as follows:
"Just eighty-seven years ago yester
day on January 8, 1815 Andrew
Jackson fought and won the battle of
New Orleans. Thirteen years later
he was' chosen president of the United
States, and in that high position
showed the same courage that he had
displayed in the face of the enemy.
Rugged and fearless, a firm., believer
in the right and the ability of the
people to rule, he made a vigorous bat
tle against all that to him smacked of
oligarchy, against all that he thought
threatened either danger or disaster
to the republic. Setting his face
sternly against all class privileges,
against any autocracy of either wealth
or birth, he' won the favor of the
great .masses . of the American people.
He made blunders, was - too bitter a
partisan to always serve his country
well, ' but some of the principles he
enunciated needed an exemplar then
and the same principles need one
now.
Democrats hold . Jackson as one of
the brightest stars in all their galaxy,
and yesterday paid him special honor
by celebrations of Jackson's day In
all parts of the country.: It is well
that they do this, but far better would
it be for the national democracy of
today to get back to its; moorings, to
steer its battered and broken old ship
into the safe harbor of honest poll-'
tics. It Is certainty no lionor to the
party to have a man like, William Jen
nings Bryan paying a tribute to the
memory of the hero of New Orleans,
the apostle of the people. Were the
sturdy Jackson alive today he would,
in language decorated with, some very
emphatic epithets, disown Bryan and
all his ilk. He could have no tolera
tion for the last two platforms of the
national democracy, and -would ut
terly repudiate -the' doctrines therein
set forth. Though Independent in his
views and utterly fearless of results
when he believed himself to be right,
Jackson would have no patience with
the vicious attacks upon the national
government which have beenthe chief
characteristics of the democracy of
the past decade. -
'.'Well would it be for the country if
some of the principles for which
Jackson stood could now and ever be
maintained and carried - out by those
entrusted with affairs of state. (The
growth of the power of wealth, and
its influence in matters of legislation,
has become a serious menace, and
bodes.no good to the nation's welfare.)
There are problems to be . solved
problems not only of national, but of
international importance, which will
require the wisest statesmanship,' and
in which neither wealth nor class must
play a part. Were the democracy of
today guided by the same spirit that
made Andrew Jackson popular with
the American . masses, it could prove
an important factor In the solution
of these mighty problems but in its
present condition and with its present
leaders it can only act as an opposing
force, a bitter partisan criti: of those
who are shaping the nation's course, a
derelict in the way of tho great ship
of state." ' .
REDEEMING SILVER DOLLARS
The Republicans of the. Honse Will Rush
. the Dill Through Under the Gag Rules
Washington, D. C, Jan. 15. (Spe
cial Correspondence.) Another chap
ter in the desperate attempt of the
money kings to wipe out the last
vestige of bimetallism and entirely
destroy silver as money has been writ
ten. If you are told by anyone : that the
money question Is dead you tell him
that, on the contrary, the question is
so much alive that republican leaders
have determined if possible to go as
far as he who goes farthest In the plan
to take away entirely from the peo
ple their money and to do away with
their power to . coin or issue it. ; .
Congressman Hill of Connecticut
has introduced a bill authorizing the
secretary of the treasury to redeem
silver dollars in gold. This bill, the
main provision of which is as follows,
was arbitrarily reported, by the . re
publican majority of the committee
on coinage, weights and measures, fa
vorably to the house, without allow
ing time for discussion and over the
emphatic protests of the minority on
the committee. "
"The secretary of - the treasury is
hereby directed to maintain at all
times at , parity with gold the legal
tender . silver "dollars remaining out
standing, and to that end he is hereby
directed to exchange gold for legal
tender silver dollars when presented
to the treasury in the sum of $5 or any
multiple thereof; and all provisions
pj law for the use or maintenance of
the reserve fund in the treasury re
lating to United States notes , are, in
the discretion of the secretary of the
treasury, hereby . made applicable to
the exchange of legal tender silver
dollars." The , only demand for the
redemption of silver dollars in gold
comes from the national banking in
fluence, which prompted the introduc
tion of the bill, and which contem
plates such aTchange in our laws as
will give to the -banks the exclusive
right to issue all money except gold
pieces. By making silver dollars re
deemable in gold they are turned from
a strengthening portion of the national
currency to a , weakening portion
thereof. So long as they are legal
tender and non-redeemable in gold,
silver dollars lessen the strain on gold,
but when they are made redeemable
in gold they - are really Instruments
Of any predatory gang that may wish
to raid the gold reserve In the treas
ury. The next step in this conspiracy of
the national bank clique will be to
ask that the silver dollar be entirely
abolished because it is a menace to
the gold reserve. They propose first
to make it a means of depleting the
gold reserve and then demand Its
abolition . because : it does so. They
will, of course, point out that since
the silver , dollar has beconve a mere
token or promise to pay. the govern
ment is foolish to use such expensive
material as- silver out of which to
make it and that silver dollars, and
the silver bullion in the treasury
should be thrown on the market,
bringing disaster and ruin widespread
everywhere. H. W. RISLEY.
WASHINGTON DOINGS
GEORGE III IDEAS
Imperialism has made the same ad
vances in England as here. The "sap
pers and miners," as Lincoln called
them, are as hard at work undermin
ing the ancient constitution of Great
Britain as they are to overthrow the
constitution - that Washington, Jeffer
son and their compeers promulgated
here. Sir Vernon Harcourt. made a
fierce attack "upon them In his address
on the king's speech. He pointed out
that in the most desperate .situations
that England had ever known, no min
ister had ever before , dared to sus
pend the habeas corpus and institute
trials by court-martial, without the au
thority of .an act of parliament. He
sajd that the suspension of the gov
ernment of Cape Colony, the over
throw of its constitution and the in
auguration of .trials by court-martial
wereacts of imperialism in direct
violation to the British constitution.
There was no -reply made to this
speech,1 except Irritating questions put
by Lord Salisbury." English imperial
ism and American, imperialism are as
alike aatwo peas in a pod. The same
system demands the same agencies for
its propagatipn oa both . sides of the
sea. Government by force means con
scription, overthrow of constitution
trials by , court-martial and f a return
to George lllideaii everywhere.
To Help Crown King Edward The Fan
ama . Canal Approyed 8hip 8nbsldy
Steal Favorably Reported Wash
ington to be Adorned
With Statues
Washington, D. C, Jan. 18, 1902.
(Special Correspondence.) It has at
last been -settled "that the United
States is to be represented officially
at the coronation of Edward VII. as
King - of Great Britain and Emperor
of the English Dominions beyond the
Seas. The president, It is rumored,
offered the appointment to ex-President
Cleveland, but he, owing to his
111 health, took the advice of his med
ical counsellor and refused the ap
pointment. It was then offered to
Hon.. Whitelaw Reid of New York.
sometime ambassador to England and
republican nominee for the vice presi
dency with the late Benjamin Har
rison when he was defeated by Cleve
land in 1892; Mr. Reid will then Ik
the special embassador of the presi
dent of the United States at the coro
nation, which takes place in the latter
part of the coming June. As the rep
resentative of the United States army
Gen. James H. Wilson has been ap
pointed. General Wilson is one of the
highest ranking officers in the United
States army, but his appointment
taints of the old feud that has been
ragijig in the army for some tima
past, and the general cry Is that Wil
son is a very good man, but if the
United States is to be represented at
all it should be by General Miles.
The same cry Is used in referring to
the appointment of Captain Charles.
A: Clark as the navy's representative.
We all recognize that Captain Clark
was an Important factor In the naval
history of the late Hlspano-Amerlcaa
war, and the general comment la that
the navy should have been represented
by Admiral Dewey, who Is recognized
the world over as the "Modern Nel
son." But the president did not con
fine his appointment here to those who
were objectionable. His two appoint
ed secretaries of the special embassy
will be two "sons of their fathers."
J. Pierpont Morgan, jr., son of tho
steel .magnate, and young Wetmore,
the son of the millionaire senator
from Rhode Island. The appointment
of young Morgan surely hints of tho
president's leanings toward the mag
nate and the appointment of young
Wetmore for atime put the state de
partment in an ugly position. Tho
story runneth thus: Young Wetmonj's
mother, when in England a number or
years ago, refused to lunch with the
then Prince of Wales and this fact
was mentioned in the press. The
senator and the department felt that
this appointment might be objectiona
ble to his royal highness and for a
time the wires were hot. Finally it
was found that there would be no
objection to young Wetmore and the
venerable senator was , satisfied. All
of these appointments savor cff some
thing wrong and we will probably se
the whole matter probed to the quick
when the question is brought up In -congress
to appropriate funds for the
retinue. A custom that I understand
will be observed is that at the corona
tion ceremonies that all males pres
ent will have to wear short breeches
and the powdered wig, relics of several
centuries. It is understood that many
of the Americans who will be present
have already ordered false calves from
a French maker of the "necessities.?
Congress has principally been in
terested In the new canal bill and in
all probability It will be quite a while
before it passes the senate if it ever
succeeds. Yesterday the canal com
mission, which had previously re
ported in favor of the NIcaraguan
route,; reversed its decision and Ad
miral Walker, Its president, stated
that the commission favored the Nlca
rauguan route because they found It,
at that time, impossible to secure an
option bn the Panama holdings. It
had asked for a price, but the presi
dent of the canal company stated that
Its holdings would amount to $103.
000,000, but did not state that the com
pany would make all concessions foi
that amount. ' .
The report of the canal commission
as presented yesterday outlines the
necessary proceedings which must be
followed before the United States can
come into full control of the Panama
holdings. There are four properties to
be considered, the old Panama com
pany, the new or reorganized corpora
tion, the go vernmlnt of the United
States of America and the United
States i ofj Colombia. ' As to the old
company, the French courts have al
ready decreed that the new company
may accept any satisfactory offer that
It may deem fit and, therefore, will be
able to sell to the United States a
complete and valid title to the con
cession, v k
The government of Colombia, it is
said, has agreed to annul Its former
prohibition against the sale of the
canal concession, thus removing an
obstacle in the sale. -It Is also said
that the Colombian constitution, pro
hibiting the sale of any territory, and
especially of alienating it, has been
adjudged to permit of the perpetual
lease of the land to the United States
by an act of the Colombian congress.
It Is also stated that of the 70,000
shares of stock in the company. 6S.
863 shares are in the hands of the
corporation proper, while the remain
ing few thousand shares are in th
hands of private individuals and may
be bought at little above the market
value of the stock at $100 per share.
- The commission then goes on to
state the advantages of the Panama
route and recommends its purchase
from the French company for the
amount asked. If the facts given cau
be taken to be true, there seems no
doubt , that the United States couM
do well to take the offer of the French
company. The advantages stated are
jQUmejyus. and seem very plausible on.
