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About The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902 | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1902)
: T A it VOL. XIII. THAT BRITISH MILITARY POST ' Governor Heard Makes a Vigorous Protest Against British Soldiers In the State of Louisiana Washington, D. C, April 7, 1902. (Special Correspondence.) At last we are to have some action by the govern ment on the shipment of British sup plies to South Africa. The thought is very pleasant Indeed, but will the action be strong enough to drive this British supply station from the Amer ican shores, and will the statement of affairs resulting from an investigation lead the American congress, to ex press its sympathy for that brave and heroic people who are battling for Just the game freedom from just the same oppressor that we fought? Attorney General Knox doubts the facts In the' case as they are presented by Gov ernor Heard of Louisiana, who In a formal statement to the government describes the exact condition of Port Chalmette. A great lawyer, as Knox really is, cannot help admitting that if the statement furnished by the gov ernor of Louisiana is accurate, then the situation at Port Chalmette is a defiant breach of the obligations of neutrality. But how will the govern ment act? Will or will not the delib erate statement of the deliberate gov ernor be accepted or even honestly in vestigated? Does the administration want to ascertain the truth and act upon it? To this conundrum, the Washington Post admits it can give no solution. J I am very sure that the neutrality obli gations have been violated flagrantly for the past few months, and even though the attention of the govern ment has been called to the true status on several occasions in an unofficial manner, nothing has been done by the federal authorities In way of investi gation. It appears that the governor of Louisiana has satisfied himself of the exact condition as an eye witness, and therefore he informs the govern ment officially that the British officers are violating the obligations of neu trality. He has told the president that he is ready as the governor of the state whose shores are outraged, to erase the blot and meanwhile he re gards the situation with extreme in dignation. The New Orleans Times Democrat, in an editorial referring to the governor'3 protest, says: "Now that the period of discussion has passed and the hour for definite action has arrived, there can be no doubt that the chief magistrate of this state has in this unhappy we shall use no severe word incident perfect ly represented the, intelligence, . the character and the conscience of Louis iana. Investigation has at last proved beyond the shadow of a doubt what every one here has indubitatly be lieved for two years, namely, that the soil of Louisiana is being perverted into a means by which a powerful na tion may work its merciless will upon a numerically weak, but truly heroic people. It is now known of all men that Port Chalmette is, and has been for months past, a British military camp, and that this camp is furnishing the British army in South Africa with the sinews of war." Of course this is not the way that a diplomat would put the case. It is an exact statement of affairs leaving the administration to do the quibbling. We have known it for a year that the British were purchasing supplies and shipping them from New Orleans, but the government, which was so friend ly to the British cause in opposition to the united pro-Boer sentiment of the country's people has allowed the matter to drift placidly on. British transports, commanded by British offi cers, are carrying to the British army in South Africa the most important, not to say indispensible munitions of war. I cannot help quoting the Times Democrat again for its editor puts the situation so strongly: "Here, then, is a case that should be decided by a court of equity as well as by a court of law; and though we should deprecate any attempt by state authority to break up this British camp at Port Chalmette we ardently hope the people of Louisiana fervent ly pray that the United States gov ernment may devise some means by which the national arm may drive from this commonwealth these British soldiers who, at our very doors, are prosecuting an unrighteous war against a brave and liberty-loving peo ple. It is clear that, bound by author ity of law, the state of Louisiana can not do what its people are eager to accomplish. It becomes the duty of this nation to strike a blow for lib erty." General Pearson, the Boer envoy, Is In town for a few-days, and called on the president who received him unof ficially. Pearson has just returned from New Orleans where he has been prosecuting a libel suit against the British consul there. He has left that in order to be in Washington when the consideration of Governor Heard's proclamation was going on. All honor to Governor Heard! The republicans in the senate are in another quandary. The committee on insular affairs has, in its report, favored practically the free coinage of silver in the Philippines. Loud and strong are the shout3 of the ultra gold standardists. The house bill had provided for the gold standard, but when the matter was referred to the senate, they promptly referred it to a sub-committee composed of Senators Allison (rep.), Beveridge (rep.), and Dubois (dem.). This committee brought in a report which entirely de stroyed the gold standard idea and substituted Instead a provision for the establishment of a mint at Manila for the coinage of silver. Any owner of silver might take it to the mint and have it coined at the nominal price of claimed that if congress does continue the Philippines as a silver standard country, it will be a marked weaken ing on the part of the republican party on the money, question. The fight for the gold standard was made in 1896 and again in 1900 and it proved suc cessfulon both occasions. Why con gress should decide that it is a "good thing for the United States and a bad thing for the Philippines, they cannot understand. If it is right in the Unit ed States why then, they argue, is it not right for the Filipinos. But there is one thing that is significant in the whole question and that Is that the committee which drew up the measure did not seek the views of Secretary of the Treasury Shaw, Secretary of War Root or even Director of the Mint Roberts. Effort will be made by the extreme gold men to have the presi dent take a hand in the affair and rescue the gold standard andromeda from the horrible fate of being kept away from the unsuspecting natives. The senate early in the week passed the oleomargarine bill by a small ma jority. Senator Bailey made a magni ficent speech against the provisions of the bill, basing his argument that we should not discriminate in the taxing of articles. He also argued that the measure should be left to the state authorities. It was a strong speech and one that will likely live in tht annals of the senate. How a man could work himself up to the pitch to make such a speech on the subject of factory-made butter and lard, is a proposition that is hard to understand. The vote upon the question was 39 affirmative and 31 votes in the nega tive. Both houses of congress are at pres ent discussing the Chinese exclusion act as introduced In the senate by Senator Mitchell of Oregon and in the house by Representative Clark of Missouri. The argument is taking a lively turn and many good speeches are being made for the exclusion of Li. So far the lack of humor in the situation has caused much comment. But so much was used on the oleo margarine bill that the reserve sup ply of jokes, etc., must be thoroughly exhausted. The house also passed the sundry civil appropriation bill and heard the report of the committee on military affairs and coast defenses which makes the appropriation of $6, 562,455. The Philippine government bill as introduced in the senate by Chairman Lodge the Philippine committee has now been made "unfinished business." which in the senate gives it the right of way. The Philippine bill will be considered this week and. the discus sion will probably take until the first of May, or even later. The democrats are determined that thist bill will be thoroughly considered in its every as pect by congress. It has displaced the Hepburn canal bill In regular .order after the earnest pleadings of those opposed to its passage. They argue that we should as soon as possible pass the Philippine government bill because we should soon give them a working government which is intended at least to have a tint of permanency. They are also arguing that We should shelve the canal bill until the state department has made whatever ar rangements can be, made with Colum tia regarding the release of whatever claims she has against the Panama canal. They argue that we should be very' careful before taking this step and really their position seems reason able. We certainly should know all before digging the canal. Representative Jackson (dem., Kas.) the man who nominated James L. Nor ris for his position on the democratic congressional campaign1 committee, re ceived a letter from a man named "William Coleman" In which he was roasted for his attitude. I am in formed by a member of congress to whom he showed the letter that it has worried him considerably about the interest this man "Coleman" has taken in the case. The letter charges that Jackson cannot be an anti-trust man out in Kansas and a trust man in Washington without his constituents knowing of it. Many of the members of the committee are receiving like letters from all parts of the country denouncing the attitude of the com mittee in placing a man like Norris on the committee. He is a thorough trust man through and through. He and several others sold out the United States Electric Light company to the Standard Oil company and for several years he has been the attorney of the American Tobacco company, the to bacco trust. His daughter is married to the son of Arthur Pue Gorman, senator-elect from Maryland, and he is the Handy Andy of the boss. He is the man who formally announced Gorman's candidacy for the presidency and was thoroughly - opposed to the nomination of Bryan before the last convention. His delegation would have been entirely unseated before the last convention, had It not been for the influence of Gorman and the tears . that flowed from the eyes of Norris as he "pleaded what he had done for democracy.": He was charged in a sworn statement before the com mittee with attempting to bribe one George Killeen, a true democrat and a delegate to the convention which nom inated Bryan in Chicago. He was charged in like manner by many other affidavits sworn to by other reputable men. His election to the Kansas city convention was reached only after the grossest frauds frauds which your correspondent had the opportunity to witness and the national committee refused to seat him on that committee after he was elected by his delega tion. The charges were sol strong against him that the convention at Kansas City refuged to seat his dele gation and allowed but one-half of them to be seated, , while giving the LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, APEIL 10, 1902. Hero of a Hundred Fights. NO. 47. ' ' $AN JUAN Bearing the wounds and scars of. battles won, Many years of service, every duty done, Now at last a youngster cries: "Halt! Salute! For I above you rise, Not by service but by" assassin's 4shot. Your record counts not, His all forgot. Up with hand! Quick to me salute, You old timer, civil-war galoot." is really opposed to trusts. If they prefer to keep him and then oppose the trusts, this should be hurled at them in every district with as much force as 08 ."ice trust", was used. against Van "Wyck and Croker and as the cotton bale trust was used against Senator Jones. He. is more of a trust man than all three of them. Representative Sulspr of New ;York, the intrepid young leader of democ racy, whose leadership is marked' with great ability, has introduced a resolu tion in the house declaring sympathy with the Boers. Mr. Sulzer's name has been prominently mentioned as a can didate for governor of New York. WM. W. BRIDE. THE LIGHT WENT OUT rninpri. Opposition other seats to the contesting delega- The Statu of Liberty Will Stand With a Torchless Hand a a Momento of the Time When a Republic Was Changed Into an Empire Some time ago The Independent an nounced the fact that the light in the torch held in the hand of the statute called "Liberty Enlightening the World," located in the harbor of New York, had been extinguished. The government navigation board had is sued a warning to mariners, giving them notice of the fact. It would seem from that, that it had a commercial use. But now it has been extinguished forever, or at least as long as the re publicans shall continue in power at Washington. The extinguishment of the light Is appropriate. The fact of its existence will no longer vaunt our hypocrisy. The next step should be to pull the statue down and raise one in its place that will proclaim the overthrow of the Declaration of In dependence and the establishment of the doctrine of government by force instead of a government by the con sent of the governed. The account of its final extinguishment as sent out from Washington was as follows: The house today made rapid progress with the sundry civil appropriation bill, completing 93 of the 139 pages. A proposition to provide for a light in the torch of the statue of liberty in New York harbor was defeated. Mr. Sulzer (N. Y.) offered the amend ment to appropriate $50,000 for light ing the torch of Bartholdi's statue In New York harbor. Mr. Sulzer said this light was put out on March 1. Since the statue was erected in 1886 until now, he said, the sundrj' civil bill always carried an appropriation for this light. . He had read a poem written by an anti-imperialist on the extinguishment of the light of liberty's torch. When Mr. Sulzer. concluded Mr. Can non congratulated him on the speech and the poem, and then asked him if he withdrew bis amendment. Mr. Sulzer replied in the negative, whereupon Mr. Cannon said that the pending bill carried $1,900,000 for lights, the expenditure of which, he said, was entirely within the discre tion of the lighthouse, board. Mr. Cannon said the appropriation com mittee had v made some investigation and has ascertained that the light on the Bartholdl statue was valueless for commercial purposes. ; On a rising vote the amendment was carried 43 to 33. Some New York school teachers in the gallery ap plauded . vociferously, by tellers and an aye and no vote be fore it is adopted finally. " he declared emphatically, Great, interest was tak en in the vote by tellers. The pages scurried out .to , the restaurant . andl committee-rooms tarbring In the ab sentees. When the vote Was com pleted the first vote was reversed, and the amendment stood defeated 61 to 67. ' The Independent does . not believe that anything effective will ever be ac complished in the way of checking the greed of the trusts and railroad cor porations while the present set of fed eral judges live. They were in reality appointed by the corporations and their decisions for the last twenty years go to show that they are faith ful servants of those who secured their appointment. The next "paramount issue" is likely to be a demand for a constitutional amendment that will make the judges elective by the people or curtailing their term Bf office to four years. Accusations were brought against two of the fusion state officials. In one instance the charges were sub mitted to one of the most partisan of political committees ever appointed by a state legislature and in the other to a republican judge. In both in stances the verdict was: "Not guilty." Notwithstanding that these are facts, known and acknowledged by all men, yet there are some fusion editors who are not satisfied and join with the republican press in criticism that will only tend to make votes for the cor porations and trusts. One of the lately appointed federal judges, Baker of Indiana, turns out to be an anarchist or at least a pro moter of anarchy. He told some par ties who appealed to him to "let the assaults go on until the people them selves held courts on the street cor ners and deal with strikers in., that manner." There seems to be a pair of heavenly twins on the federal bench, Baker of Nebraska and Baker of Indiana.. If "value is crystalized labor," how is it that the believers in that doctrine are never able to show one of the crystals? Or If It is "stored-up labor," why will they never show us the store house where it is kept? If it is stored up or is a crystal, it must have ex tent, color, and density. What is the color of value? Can you taste It, see it, or handle it? 3 WORSE THAN THE BRITISH Fnnston'a Campaign of Slaughter la Xorth ' Luzon The Policy of the Turks and the Creed of Mohammed So far as can be learned j from best sources of information, the campaign directed by General Funston in North ern Luzon was a carnival of slaughter. Filipinos who had the misfortune to meet with soldiers under the command of Funston and others were killed off hand as the best means of turning them Into pacificos. The New York Evening Post published an interview with a republican congressman, re turned from the Islands, which he vis ited last summer, In which he said: "But the Filipino is at heart in a state of rebellion against the United States authority, and he always will be ""i4J0Cr"iir vmJi a rflof any disturbance. its pacification is, in my opinion, the secret of the pacification of the archi pelago. They never rebel in Northern Luzon because there isn't anybody there to rebel. That country was marched over and cleaned out a most resolute manner. The good Lord in heaven only knows the number of Filipinos that were put under ground, for our soldiers took no prisoners; they kept no records; they simply swept the country, and wherever or however they came upon a Filipino they killed him. The women and chil dren were spared, and can now be no ticed in disproportionate numbers in that part of the island. . . . But, as I gauge American sentiments, there was no real opposition to the course pursued by Funston and others iu Northern Luzon, and there would not be to a similar course in the rest of the archipelago." Americans ought to ask themselves if they feel proud of a course of con duct compared to which the course of the British in the war of the revolu tion was humane and generous. We are trying to conquer a country to which we have no more moral right than we have to' France or Germany, and to destroy a people whose yearn ings for freedom were inspired by our own Declaration of. Independence. American history and the lives of American patriots and statesmen were the favorite reading of patriotic Fili pinos. It is about time for the people of this country to inquire of them selves if they really wish to continue harrying, burning and slaying in a land belonging to a race of strangers on the other side of the globe. Are we not trampling on our most cherished ideals when we adopt the policy taken by the Turks when fluey began to spread the gospel of Mohammed? Not long ago Funston said that any body who criticised the policy which is being followed in the Philippines ought to be hanged offhand. A man who will express such sentiments is a man who would be tyrant if he had the power, and we can very well be lieve that the reported brutality of the campaigns in Northern Luzon and elsewhere occurred as charged. Ever since the war with the natives began the reports of casualties have shown three or four times as many dead as wounded among the Filipinos, a ghastly fact which speaks for itself, because the number of wounded al ways is several times as great as the number of dead in ordinary battles. In his testimony before the senate committee General Hughes said that the campaign in Samar got "stiff er" each year, and that we are not con ducting what could be called civil ized warfare. He testified that new commanders came Into the field and carried on the warfare on civilized lines, but "were allowed to get their lesson." Mr. Stephen Bonsai, of the New York Herald, who has just returned from the islands, says in the Boston Transcript: "During my stay in Samar the only prisoners that were made, so far as I know, were taken by Waller's com mand, and I heard this act criticised by the higher officers as a mistake, which they believed he would not re peat when he became better acquainted with the conditions of Safar. ... If on their march Waller and his men shot any natives they met, their ac tion would be fully covered by the general orders of General Smith." cease to blind themselves to the cruel facts. They must sooner or later face those facts and decide whether they like them or not.' They must take home to themselves the truth that this great, proud, liberty-loving people Is permitting to be done in its name things as fearful as any that blot the pages of history. Denver News. s Walter Wellman has a four-column screed in the Chicago Record-Herald against General Miles. In some parts it is even more silly than the three column one he sent the week before. He wants General Miles retired and says that every one in Washington, democrats as well as republicans, are demanding it, which statement shows how much reliance can be placed on anything that he says. The Record Herald would be greatly improved if it would retire the said Walter Well man. . TUC lAI tic nc iiVH MIL TMLUL Ul A An Easy Problem for Staaents In Algebra Try Your Art an Judge Gresseup's Problem Whenever the federal court attempts to lay down a rule for determining the value of corporate property and fran chises, it is so involved that It can not be followed. This was noticeable in the Nebraska maximum freight rate cases; it is true in the Chicago tax cases. . Some time ago the teachers federa tion of Chicago waged a campaign for reassessment of the corporations of that city, claiming they were escaping just taxation. The circuit court is sued a writ of mandamus compelling the state board of equalization to make a new assessment for 1900, which should include the value of franchises and capital stock. This was sustained by the supreme court of Illinois. Af terward seven of the public utility corporations went into the federal court and asked an injunction to pre vent the collection of the taxes so levied. The decision of Judges Gross cup and Humphrey, recently handed down, is in the nature of a comprom ise, holding that the reassessment is good up to 60 or 70 per cent thereof and that as soon as that percentage of the taxes levied is paid in a writ of injunction will issue. The court claims that taking the market value of stocks for a taxing basis is erroneous.because market val ues are largely - fictitious, but lays down the following rule: "The basis shall be the net earnings of the several complainants for the year ending April 1, 1900, proper al lowance being made for depreciation and replacement, but not for extension, and reduced further by the additional taxes that the enforcement of this rule produces. Upon this basis the value of complainants', capital stock, includ ing franchises and tangible property, shall be capitalized upon a ratio of 6 per cant; this equalized by a reduc tion of 30 per cent and then divided by five. Upon this (capitalization) the tax shall be extended at the true rate for 1900, exclusive of interest and pen alties, not to exceed 8 37-100 per cent, from which shall be subtracted the taxes already paid, and the balance will be the sum allowed." It paid the corporations to go Into the federal court, invoking, of course, that little clause in the fourteenth amendment, because the decision will permit them to escape taxes on some thing over $2,000,000. The "rule" presents some curious features and a problem that will de light the hearts of those who like to do hard "figgering." Let us take a hypothetical case and see how It Net earnings .......$ 1,000,000 Depreciation and replace- : ment 100,000 Remainder $ 900,000 Additional taxes produced by this rule........ ? Remainder 900,000 Capitalization at 6 per ct. . .$15,000,000 Less 30 per cent.. 4,500,000 Remainder $10,500,000 Divided by 5. 2,100,000 Taxes at 8. per cent........ 168,000 Now, suppose the taxes under the old plan of assessment to have been $68,000, it would appear that the "ad ditional taxes that the enforcement of this rule produces" ought to be $100,000. However, when this sum is substituted for the "?" in the problem above, an entirely different result Is obtained, and the total taxes at 8 per cent amount to $148,333, which would leave only $81,333 of "additional taxes" and substituting this for "?" produces still another result. Perhaps some of our algebraic friends may be able to substitute "X" for the "?" and solve the problem, but the mathematical edi tor vOf The Independent hasn't been able to find the value of "X" yet. Who can solve it? ! If bank clearings are an index to prosperity and some people think they are then prosperity is waning down in Gotham. Bradstreefs report for the week ended April 3, shows a falling "off of 32.6 per cent as com pared to the corresponding week last year. In the cities outside j of New York the decrease was only 1.1 per cent; but New York's big slump brought down the average ! for the whole country to 23.1 per cent de crease. ' Small Farm For Sale Forty acres adjoining town of West ern. All under cultivation; house 24 ft. square good well and windmill, barn, hog house, pens, etc. Complete and in good condition. A bargain. Address A. J. ," Storus, Western, Neb. PROGRESS AND POVERTY Aa English Criticism of Mr. George'l Theory of the Single Tax What Is the Answer? It is now 31 years since the publi cation of Henry George's first pamph let on the single tax, "Our Land anl Land Policy," and 23 years havo elapsed since Mr. George finished writing "Progress and Poverty"no doubt one of the most widely read books on the land question ever writ ten. Whether Mr. George discovered the true solution to the questions of land and taxation, and the abolition of pov erty, is yet uncertain. Although read and studied and believed by hundreds of thousands of intelligent, earnest and well-meaning persons both in the United States and Great Britain, tha single tax is yet a tentative proposi tion and just what effect It might have if adopted Is only a matter of speculation something to be reasoned out, with no historical examples ex actly in point to guide the investiga tor. The example of New Zealand la only partially applicable. As to whom is entitled the credit for originating the single tax idea, it may be said that without doubt "Progress and Poverty" Is wholly the product of Mr. George's brain; jet curiously enough substantially hU en tire program was carefully worked out by savants in France during the reign of Louis XIV., and later in England. However, Mr. George was wholly un acquainted with this fact until lone: after his book had been published. , Perhaps one of the best criticisms ct -Progress and Poverty" Is W. II. Mal lock's "Property and Progress." a col lection of articles from the pen of Mr. Mallock printed originally in tha "Quarterly Review," and published in book form in 1884. Mr. Mallock writes from the English standpoint, and aa Mr. George's ideas spread even mors rapidly in England than in America, It is interesting to note how they are treated by an "English writer. Tho Independent has not yet been con verted to the single tax idea and will give a summary of Mr. Mallock's ob jections in the hope that American single taxers may be able to meet them satisfactorily. Mr. Mallock summarizes the argu ment in "Progress and Poverty" as follows: (1) As the production of wealth grows greater, the share that goes to the laboring class grows less. (2) The laboring class creates its own wages as It receives them; it being wholly false that wages are drawn i from capital. - (3) Population does'not increase faster than do the means of subsistence; and thus the current ex planations of poverty are no explana tions at all. (4) Poverty really I caused by the appropriation of laud by individuals. (5) Poverty would b& cured by the confiscation of the land by the state. These are briefly what Mr. Mallock considers the essential points In Mr. George's discussion, and he meets them as follows: On the first point Mr. Mallock saysr ' "Now, we cannot discuss this "as sertion at any length. We can only say, that though It Is contiuiially made, and though to superficial obser vation there seems much to justify It, all who have studied the subject carefully are unanimous in declar ing that it is wholly untrue. Th poverty that underlies civilization !, no doubt, a terrible evil; it may eas ily develop into a dangerous oner but, so far is It from being relatively an increasing evil, that there Is ev ery reason to believe it to be some what diminishing; whilst as to ths middle classes, instead of being de stroyed by modern progress, they are. on the contrary, its special and most evident product." The Independent agrees with Mr. George on this point and believes that Mr. Mallock dismissed an important point in "Progress and Poverty" in an unsatisfactory manner. Agreeing with George that the rich are growing rich er and the poor poorer, The Indepen dent, however, doe3 not admit that the cause is to be found in 'the private ownership of land, but suggests that in their collective capacity the peo ple have impoverished themselves by enormous gifts of property and fran chises to corporations exercising some functions of government (Riieh as railroads, national banks, etc.) and that they have been further Impover ished by the colossal stealing of theso self-same corporations. On the second point Mr. Mallock takes up Mr. George's proposition that "wages, instead of being drawn from capital, are really drawn from the product of the labor for which they are paid," or, in other words, that wages are drawn from "contemporan eous production" of food, not "prev ious production" and quotes Mr. George's words oh page 78: "In the great San Joaquin valley there were (in 1877, owing to a total failure of the crop) many farmers without food enough to support their families until the next harvest time, let alone to support any laborers. But the rains came again In proper sea son, and these very farmers proceeded to hire hands to plow and to sow. For every here and there was a farmer who had been holding back part of his crop. As soon as the rains came, he was anxious to sell before the next harvest brought lower prices; and the grain thus held in reserve, through the machinery of exchanges and advances, passed to the use of the cultivators set free, In effect PRODUCED, by the work done for the next crop." To this Mr. Mallock says: : . "Had Mr. George expressly designed It-to destroy instead of supporting his theory, he could have written nothing better adapted to his purpose. The farmers, he admits, are enabled to go on with their labors only because some ov. erorr friji ayeeorn alread v ac 0