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VOU XIV.
fvl I 19 JIEIL II. M WSSMIil. .ill 1 III II 21 II II i , W WJ II III I II. I 4 1 1 . I U J
LINCOLN; NEBRASKA, OCT. 16, 1902.
IBP
A
NO. 21.
HOW TO GET COAL
Mr. De Hart Paints Oat How a Taste ef
Gu?ernmBt by Injunction Would
Solve the 1'roblem
Editor Independent: No politics here
now except how to get coal. A fuel
famine is impending. This means a
food famine. We cannot cook our food
without fuel. As winter approaches
v.e begin to fear the cold weather.
No subject so much engrosses the at
tention of the family as how to keep
warm, and how to cook our food. At
the tabie the conversation turns from
the trust and the tariff to the question
of getting coal. We must have coal
or die. We cannot, any longer, talk
about the merits or demerits of the
united mine workers' union, nor about
the monopolistic combination be
tween the mine operators to control
the output and price of coal and the
rate of wages and the other methods of
working the mines. A contest between
the two opposing forces of labor and
capital ougit not to prevent the peo
ple from having coal. We ought not
to be compelled to starve and freeze,
because these two opposing forces can
not agree as to the method of work
ing the mines. There are three par
ties interested, namely, the miners, the
operators and the general public who
want and must have coal; but the
general public is much more interested
than the other two parties and yet
there is no one to act for them, unless
the president acts. We cannot depend
upon the governor of Pennsylvania to
do anything. The courts of that state
seem to be powerless also.
a week ago today, October 5, I wrote
an article for the leading local paper
here, a republican paper, that is read
by everybody, who reads, taking the
ground that the remedy for the ex
isting evil is to be found in the Sher
man anti-trust law, and that both par
ties to the controversy ought to be
brought into the United States circuit
court, on a petition filed, asking for
an injunction against both parties in
terfering with the mines, except under
the order of the court. A suit of this
kind would give the court power to ap
point a temporary receiver, with power
to take possession of the mines and
railroads and send the coal to market;
and in the meantime investigate all
the charges and countercharges and
settle them according to equity.
The article was published in the
Jersey City Evening Journal here on
the 7th and in a few days I noticed
that the Jone of the editorials began
to change! Instead of condemning the
strikers, it began to favor the idea of
using the Sherman law, and of bring
ing both parties into court. In enclose
a copy of tne article and you can re
publish it if you think it will be of
interest to your readers.
Mr. W. R. Hearst, of the New York
American and Journal, is furnishing
evidence before the United States dis
trict attorney for the southern district
of New York, with the view of getting
the mine operators indicted and pun
ished criminally for violation of the
Sherman law. This is all very well,
but it does not give us coal. This will
come in very well, after the receiver
takes possession of the mines and. be
gins to send coal to market. What' .we
want now is coal and we want it right
away. We want it as soon as the pa
pers can be drawn for the purpose of
bringing the parties into court and
making the order.
The railroad companies and mine
operators are calling upon the presi
dent to enforce the Sherman law
against the miners' union. They are
asking the president to commence a
suit, in the name of the United States,
in the United States circut court, for
the purpose of restraining and enjoin
ing the miners from interfering with
the mines. They want an injunction
against the miners, but no injunction
against themselves. This would not
give us coal. Besides, it would be
unjust for the president, or the gov
ernment, or the courts to undertake
to decide any questions as between the
miners and operators without making
both of them parties to the suit.
Heretofore the writ of injunction
f has been used by the United States
courts, under the Sherman law, against
labor unions, and the supreme court
of the United States, it seems, has
sanctioned tins usage; but the courts
were wrong, on the ground that both
parties to the controversy were not
brought before the court.
Now, there is an opportunity for
the president to use the injunction
against railroad companies and min
ing companies and all sorts of capital
istic unions as well as labor unions,
whenever the result of their combina
tions is a restraint or interference
with Interstate commerce.
We want no government by injunc
tion in this country, unless it oper
ates equally against the rich and the
poor equally against labor and capi
tal. The writ would do no harm, if it
were used against all impartially.
JNO. S. DE HART.
Jersey City, N. J.
(Mr. De Hart's communication to
the Jersey City Evening Journal is as
follows:)
Editor Evening Journal: The pres
ident has the right to order the at
torney general to institute suits in the
circuit courts of the United States for
the purpose of preventing and restrain
ing violations of the Sherman anti
trust law, a law entitled "An act to
protect trade and commerce against
unlawful restraints and monopolies,"
but which ought to be entitled "An
act to protect trade and commerce
among the several states or with for
eign nations," because it is only such
trade and commerce that the presi
dent or the courts of the United States
can protect '
The first section of the. act declares
all acts done by several persons act-
tions,.to be illegal, and all persons en
gaged therein, are to be guilty of a
i .sdemeanor, and on conviction there-,
of shall" be punished by fine, not ex
ceeding $5,000 or by . imprisonment
not exceeding one year, or by ' hoth
said punishments, in the discretion of
the court. ' '
The secqnd section makes it equally,
illegal, equally criminal and equally
punishable forgone person to attempt
to monopolize, or combine or conspire
with any other person or persons to
monopolize any part of the trade or
commerce among the several states
or -with foreign nations. ,
' The third section extends the act to
the territories and the District of Co
lumbia, so that wherever the jurisdic
tion of the United States extends there
is to be no monopoly of trade and
commerce among the several states
without the risk of being punishable
as a crime and all the parties thereto
being treated as criminals. - , '
The fourth section gives the presi
dent power to order suits to be com
menced in the circuit courts of the
United States, on the "equity side of
the court, for the purpose of "pre
venting and restraining" all such il
legal acts and crimes. This is a civil
suit to be brought in the name of the
United States or the name of the
president or of the attorney general,
and is to be prosecuted at the expense
of the United States.
As soon as the suit is commenced,
which is commenced by filing a peti
tion, setting forth sufficient allega
tions to give the court jurisdiction,
supported by affidavit or oath, the
court has power "at any time to make
such temporary restraining order or
prohibition as shall be deemed just
in the premises." This power of mak
ing a temporary injunction carries
with it the power of appointing a
temporary receiver. This is the uni
form practice of the courts of equity
in all cases where the court has power
to order a temporary' injunction.
Under the law the president has a
right to commence a suit against the
miners and , the mine owners and the
owners of the . coal-carrying railroads
for the purpose of restraining viola
tions of the law, and when the suit has
been commenced the court will have
the right not only ' to issue a tem
porary injunction against all the par
ties, but the further right to appoint
a temporary receiver, who can at once
take possession of the mine3 and rail
roads and at once bring coal to mar
ket. ; . .
It will be said, in reply to this, that
there must be proof, before a tern-,
p'orary receiver can be 'appointed.' The
only proof needed is the oath of some
reputable person or" persons; who cah
swear to the allegations in the peti
tion necessary to give the court juris
diction. This is. enoughto appoint a
temporary receiver and to make a tem
porary injunction, but not enough to
justify the court in appointing a per
manent receiver and making a perma
nent injunction. '
It will also be said that the defend
ants will have a right to apeal from
t.-3 order, or decree appointing a tem
porary receiver and to take the case
into the supreme court of the United
States. This is true, but until the ap-,
peal is hard and decided the order
appointing the temporary receiver will
hold good. "
It is necessary ' to proceed against
the miners as well as the mine own
ers, because ' the former are in pos
session of the mines, and the court
must have power to operate against
both sides- in - order to make the ap
pointment of a -receiver effectual.
JOHN S. DE HART.
Readers of The Independent, and
especially old-time populists,! will be
pleased to read the communication
from "Knickerbocker" in this week's
issue. " His firm grasp ' on true prin
ciples underlying the money question
comes after years of business experi
ence and experience in no! small way.
Apparently he is a close- student of
Alexander Del Mar, whose' "Science of
Money" should be in the -hands of ev
ery man who, desires the benefit of a
thorough discussion 1 of. the subject,
written in a style clear, logical and
convincing. (Write the Cambridge
Encyclopedia Co., box 160 M. S., New
York.) It is not in the nature of things
that different writers on the subject
should use the same language, but it
is noticeable that Messrs. De Hart,
Van Vorhis and Knickerbocker" are
united on one proposition: That, to
quote "Knickerbocker," "the govern
ment should Issue all the coins and
notes; and leave no part of the circu
lation to the caprice of banks." This
is the practical application, whether we
agree that value can be "measured,"
that it has a "unit" or "standard," or
otherwise. It cannot be disputed that
all the dollars doing the work of mak
ing exchanges, multiplied by the num
ber of times they pass from hand to
hand in a given time, must exactly
equal in dollars the price of the prod
ucts exchanged in that time, barring,
of course, the comparatively few in
stances where one product is
"swapped" for another. Credit simply
acts as a quickener of ! the movements
of money and, of course, affects prices.
By the device of bank deposits and
loans Tone dollar in coin is made to do
more work, but these credits are short
lived and - must finally be cancelled,
while coin" itself goes on indefinitely
making exchanges. ."
CASSANDRA'S RETURN
If Mickey has a pull on account of
his connection with a religious col
lege Thompson has the "same pull on
account of his connection with one of
another ; denomination. 7 "He has long
been treasurer and business manager
of such a college', and he .will be fight-
ring mad when he sees this mention
of it. He has never made his phil-
Mr. Ellingiton Comments on Chancellor
. . Andrew' Beeeut Address at the
State University
Editor Independent: Cassandra has
indeed come back if she had ever dis
appeared from among us. She can be
hailed any time in her mask, Money.
She could of old be tracked by her
foot-prints in circles of sevens or
groups; and later, when it became con
venient, by her triads, for the very
Shrewd purpose of being able to first
divide into two parts when these
should find themselves in difficulties
because of her meshes. She would ap
pear the third part, first to arbitrate,
then possess the whole being always
able to set the one upon the other as
the boy would two dogs; and the dog's
side that he proposed to help would
so frequently prove the victor, that
after a little all that would be neces
sary would be for the boy to say, Sic
him. Watch, or, Sic him Tige, and
Watch or Tige, as the case demanded
would be seen scooting down the street
with tail between his legs the boy
the whole thing.
This triad division we can trace as
the work of Cush or Cassiopea. Cas
sandra is entirely too respectably Gor
gon, with the fondness slightly con
cealed of the endearing name, Mother.
Sne is the Gorgon mother from Cush
gaar and the Comedy mountains when
the mask Is torn off, but her triad
claws invariably betray her whether as
in the earlier Egyptian dynasties as
Binothries of Manetho or the Tri
murti of uie Vedic literature, or the
father, Son and Holy Ghost of the
Christian; or the very lucid exposi
tion of the Stickney statement, and
the employers' and employes conven
tion, of his (and those he represented)
understanding of fundamentalc, vie:
There was the triad the wage-earner,
the profit earner, and the interest
earner. And so the Nebraska univer-'
sity representative must show his
claws in his fundamental realities of
the universe god, force, and nature.
Stickney imposes two criminals in
to his triad with his victim. The
chancellor, one. That one, supernat
uralism old Cassiopea himself. He
might have said money but that mask
is for another purpose. Now, that or
those masks in his and Stickney's
fundamentals are the ones (if all our
past and present experience is of any
value whatever to us) we cannot
trust. We cannot live with the masses
of people in any degree of freedom un
less they -are as utterly destroyed as
was their brazen symbol, Nehushtan,
by Hezekiah. There is no hallucina
tion about our faith in force and na
ture but a great deal in the chancel
lor's conception of heaven; it is the
usual one of the bald-headed Mollahs.
The possible millenium, at any time
the American voter chooses to make it
real by his ballot, is this: 4 The reason
able conditions of justice that would
ensue upon statute laws being, brought
into conformity with natural laws
the reasonable enforcement of com
mon law, and the annulling of all acts
in conflict with its teachings. Who
are the Cassandra that can be rapped
down as hard as his conceptions which
he expresses-by his terms of Cassan
dra's recent coinage, Pessimist, in
troduced in vogue since 1860? By
words out of his own mouth he is not
only branded a Mollah of Cush, but
caught in the very act of trying to
steal our brains. All know that hu
man mood or temporary condition of
mind is only to be thought of as at all
approaching the real state as a broad
field, varying over its every foot in
its ups and downs, it bright vistas and
black, unexplored caverns; its limits
may indeeu be taught of but never laid
down in metes and bounds. It al
ways was; and if it is ever accurately
described, would ever remain the same,
if false conceptions are not introduced
within and criminal conditions im
posed by man from without.
Pessimism ancN optimism first as
sume this field as a rod; taen apply
logic and conclude that where there is
a rod, there must be two ends, if there
are limits. The first thing in order
then is to name these two ends. One
is given the Cassiopea choice term
from her delectables of Rome optim
ist. We choose; we are the choice. I
am IT. And the other of disdain, of
those who disdain the criminal self
elect of Rome and their ways the
other end of the rod. Having fast
ened these two names upon us, they
proceed to destroy the pole interven
ing, for we might find a mental roost
at any point between and we should
not be within the control of their
vocabulary.
.This is the kind of work that the
chancellor is caught at in that open
ing address. He "may be assured he
can rap no croaker with the force he
raps himself and all he stands for of
Cush; H. ELLINGSTON.
Minnehaha, Minn.
THE PANIC OF 1902
A New Terk Bnsiness Man Gires a Chap
ter From His Experience With.
Panics
Editor Independent: One of my
neighbors has loaned me some copies
of The Independent containing a dis
cussion by Messrs. De Hart and Van
Vorhis on tho subject of money and
the principles which govern its rela
tions to society. "This subject, though
fraught with the utmost importance to
the welfare and progress of the, state,
cannot be discussed In the press of
New York. .The newspapers here have
made up . their minds that metal is
money; that the measure of those
numberless relations between man and
mn.n,-hoth of the past, present and fu-
about a pennyweight, and. that to ques
tion this, stupid theory is to.be either
a heretic or. a leveler. So they . will
not permit tne question to be discussed
in their columns. .They' prefer to eur
feit the public with police news,, mur
ders, robberies, private scandals, prize,
lights and horse, races. - . ,
I am a merchants who. has had, sev
eral practical. experiences with the
money question, nankely, in 1857, 1862,
1873 aiwk 18SC . Before l&jf and be
tween' the other years .mentioned I
amassed severaL fortunes", in trade. .At
one time. I had to my credit .in bank
over a million dollars Well, most of
these several different fortunes were
swept away in the panics of those
years. . .
How did that happen? The explana
tion is simple enough. I speculated in
Wall street; trusted to - the penriy-weight-measure-of
-value t principle
and got left Since 1894 I have learned
to distrust . the pennyweight measure
and kept out of Wall street, with the
result that I have. managed to lay by
a small competence for my old age.
The great fall in prices which took
place in the years named were due to
a similar cause a sudden shrinkage
of that unit or measure of value, the
measure which determines price. The
gold dollar, that which an illiterate
act of congress falsely declares to be
such unit of value, did not shrink.
That remained as big and as heavy as
before. , But .the ;real unit of value,
that which the law says nothing about,
namely, the whole number of legal
tender dollars of. any kind within
reach of the commercial A community,
that did shrink; and down went Wall
street and with it, your very humble
and foolish servant. It won't do. to
contend that It is not the whole num
ber of dollars which determines price,
for that is. what it is and that alone.
It has cost me nearly two million
dollars to learn that; fact, and I can
cont be induced to surrender it to the
ignorant or designing congressmen
who drew up the law on the subject.
Tne recent panic (September, 1902.)
was due. to the same; cause--a shrink
age of the whole number of dollars
within reach of the. commercial com
munity; in other words, the whole
number of dollars in circulation. The
western merchant, in order to make
advances on the crop, or else to buy
up the corn offered to him by the
farmer, drew on his local .bank. That
bank drew on Chicago and Chicago
drew on the New York banks. The
latter, having, loaned heavily on
stocks,, suddenly called in their loans;
and people holding stocks on margins
had to sell. I was not one of those
unfortunates. . My . stocks were paid
for and in my possession. But others
suffered; and many - of them suffered
severely.
How was the panic relieved? Simply
by letting out more dollars; putting
more into circulation and, thus enlarg
ing the measure of value; which is,
and can only be . in the nature of
things, the whole sum of the current
money, whether the symbols of money
consist of gold, silver, or paper. Del
Mar's "Science of Money" is conclu
sive on this subject.
1 know but one effectual remedy for
these ever recurring panics. The gov
ernment should issue all the coins and
notes; and leave no part of the circu
lation to the caprice of Banks; and the
tariff and internal revenue should be
lowered; so tnat no : large accumula
tions should remain in the treasury.
KNICKERBOCKER.
New York, Oct. 6, 1902.
GENERAL BARRY
Acted as Toastmaeter at Military Banquet
at Fort KUey with Honor to Himself
and Nebraska
Gen. Patrick H. Barry returned from
Fort Riley last week feeling well
pleased with the results of the mili
tary instruction given there. His
stay there gave Mqses P. Kinkaid and
Wisely a chance to be alone in their
congressional campaign, but, as the
general said, "I am satisfied if Kin
kaid tried to make speeches while I
was gone it will help me wherever he
makes a speech."
A feature of the military meeting at
Fort Riley was the banquet given in
honor of Major General John C. Bates,
U. S. A., and staff, and Colonel Sanger,
assistant secretary of war, by the . na
tional guard officers of the several
states and territories, 22 states and
two territories being represented.
General Barry was chosen toastmaster
for the occasion a marked personal
recognition of him and the state.
Toasts were ""responded; to "J by 'Gen
eral Bates, Colonel Sanger, General
Stacy of Texas, Colonel Wagner, U.
S. A.,, Adjutant General Carter," U. S.
A., and Major Dockweiler of Califor
nia. General Bates and Colonel San
ger were especially complimentary in
their remarks about General Barry.
It is customary for those opposed
to public ownership of railroads and
kindred utilities, to point to the great
public debt of New Zealand, and some
people are short-sighted enough to
argue that "a debt is a debt," no mat
ter for what it might have been con
tracted. For example, suppose the
United States should issue bonds for
$22,000,000 and develop the Colorado
river according to the plans outlined
by Mr. Davis (discussed in another
column) , does any sane man believe
that would . be as, much of a burden
upon the American people as if the
government had spent twenty-two mil
lions in war like the Philippine
."benevolent assimilation," for in
stance? Mr. Davis', Irrigation project
would reclaim arid, lands and furnish
electric : power and navigation worth
ten time3 the' cost The Philippine
INTRINSIC VALUE
Sir. Barneby Falls Into the Error of Mis
taking the Utility For ValaeTho
"Unit" or "Standard" Discussed
Editor Independent: I read in The
Independent a controversy between
Messrs. Van Vorhis and De Hart rel
ative to the. unit of money and the
standard of value. I trust I may be
pardoned for taking Issue with those
two scientific, financiers. In holy writ
we read that man has sought out many
inventions. . There can be no true .sci
ence in the inventions or theories of
man without an observance of the true
laws of nature. Nature governs and
controls all temporal affairs of life.
Nature with aer provisional gifts sus
tains all temporal life, creates all val
ue, all life, all being; all mankind must
become subservient and obedient to
nature and nature's laws.
' Has nature established a unit of val
ue. Is there such a thing as a true
standard of value in nature? If so,
prove -it Please, tell us what is the
value of a gold dollar? Can we make
a true comparison between a measure
of Value and a measure of distance?
Cah you weigh or measure value? If
so,' define it scientifically..
f According to the theory of our con
temporaries, as to the unit of value
and standard of value, they become a
natural sequence, which we claim is
contrary to the order of nature. Well,
what is value? Let us take a scien
tific view of the subject by analysis.
IVe ask what is value? We have been
told that It is worth; by some that it
is price; and by others that it is the
relative position between commodities
and living being. We say that value
is life, comfort and happiness; this is
the ultra of all that life of being com
poses, and to. a great extent the rela
tive position between living beings and
the products of nature. Without the
accumulating hifts of nature, by
growth, all life would become extinct,
all value would cease to exist
Value, then, is that vhich sustains
and perpetuates life, that which has an
inherent, a living value; is that not
intrinsic? Intrinsic value means nat
ural value, and I may add, indepen
dent value. Almost all created things
have more or less intrinsic value;
but all are not basic factors in the
commercial circles. There are a good
many kinds of so-called values true
and living value, constructive value,
artificial and ornamental value; then
there is the ideal, the imaginary and
the pleasurable value we place these
three under one head as they are co
related. . . . :
. Certain minerals and metals possess
a medicinal value in fact, almost all
things, properly utilized, have a val
ue. But let us return to the subject
of - unit and "standard" value. The
word unit means one; the least whole
number; the figure 1 in any numbering
period. A unit of measure is any ac
cepted or standard measure, as one
acre, one inch., etc. The theory of our
contemporaries is very unscientific
and rather ambiguous. One defines the
gold dollar as a unit of the whole, to
the value of one dollar. The other
uses the whole volume collectively,
making a unit by throwing into the
singular form. Now, any school boy
knows that anything has a unit of one
hundred parts df itself, if so divided.
Certainly Mr. Van Vorhis does not
presume to say that a unit, of value
consists alone in one single gold dol
lar. If one gold dollar is a unit of
value, certainly that gold money alone
is-the true standard and unit of value.
Mr. De Hart corks himself a little in
his illustration. Suppose, said he, that
congress should destroy all the money
in the United States except one single
gold, dollar; inen that single gold dol
lar would purchase all the wealth of
the United States; but he did not say
that the two billion dollars in the
United States will buy all the prop
erty wealth in the United States, or
that it. measures all the value of the
United States. I always thought that
a yard-stick measured its length, three
feet, and not three-fifths of one inch;
and that the pound weighed 16 ounces
and not one-third of one ounce. Never
heard, of anything that was used for
measuring or weighing values except
coon skins or some kind of money.
A unit ol value or a standard of
value is contrary to the order of na
ture. There is such a thing as a
standard weight and a standard meas
ure of -length. They are true stand
ards because they are unchangeable,
invariable-always weighing and
measuring the same; but you cannot
measure ' value, nor fix value with the
yard-stick. Materialism cannot make
a unit' or standard of value. Therefore
we oppose a material standard; it is
false, it is treacherous. If Mr. De
Hart had said that intrinsic value did
not belong to the true functions of
money, Instead of saying that it did
not belong to science, we would be
lieve him.
We. have tried to show that nature
alone creates all wealth, all value, and
alFthat conduces to life and-happiness
temporarily. But those blessings do
not come to all alike. Conditions have
a great deal to do with our prosperity
and happiness i in fact, it is conditions
that make value. What might be very
valuable to one person would be of lit
tle value to the same individual under
other conditions. WM. BARNEBEY.
Mullen, Neb. .
(It is said there is safety In a mu
titude of counsellors, but this ques
tion of value seems to become more
complex as different writers discuss it
What Mr. Barnebey calls value, the
editor would term utility or useful
ness. -The starchy qualities of a po
tato are Inherent, Intrinsic Proper
ly cooked, eaten and digested, the po
tato" assists -in sustaining life. . But a
potato is not value; Starch is not val-
ble, but does not add in the slightest
degree to their life-sustaining . quail
ties. Suppose in a given community
there is a scarcity of potatoes, say 100
bushels, and small prospects for se
curing any from other localities. Per
haps a bushel of potatoes would ex
change for two bushels of wheat, or
sell tor $1.50 in money. Now, suppose
ten carloads of potatoes are shipped
into that locality. Would that affect
the intrinsic qualities of the 100 bush
els which were grown there? Not in
the slightest degree. Yet it would be
found that" the value of potatoes had
fallen, probably to the extent that one
.bushel of potatoes would command
only one bushel of wheat, or 75 cents
in money. How- did the value of the
original 100 bushels fall if it is in
trinsic without changing the chemi
cal composition of the potatoes them
selves?... . , .-,
Mr. Barnebey, value is nothing but
an idea, a human estimation placed
vpon desirable things, capable1 of be
ing exchanged, tne supply of which is
limited, or smaller than all the possi
ble uses to which the things may be
put There must be the possibility of
exchange; hence, at least two human
beings; and at least two things which
can be exchanged. The Idea' cannot
be conceived without employing num
bers; nence, value is a numerical re
lation. It is not the quality of any
thing; it is not a thing itself. Being
neither a thing nor the quality of a
thing, it is incapable of being meas
ured as we measure extension or the
pull of gravity, or test the sweetness
of the sugar beet '
There is such a thing as a unit of
account the dollar in. this country,
the pound sterling in England. The
value of that unit depends upon two
circumstances: The total number of
such units of account used in making
exchanges and the. rapidity with which
such units pass from hand to hand in
making the, exchanges. To say that the
value of a dollar is an hundred cents,
is simply reasoning in a circle -any
whole number is equal to , 100 hun
dredths of itself. But the dollar that
will command only one bushel of
wheat is less valuable than the one
that will buy two bushels, unless it can
be shown that in both cases the dol
lar will buy identically the same quan
tities of all other commodities and ser
vices. Ed. Ind.)
To Solve the Problem
EditorJndependent: I think I have
solved the problem to prevent strikes.
Let congress pass a law that the gov
ernment will take . charge of all the
public highways, compelling all over
seers to employ all . who apply for
work, and are capable of doing the
work required, at an upset price of ?2
a day for common labor and. from $3 to
?o for mechanicsucfr as, masons, car
penters, etc., and 'to furnish work ev
ery working day in the year. .The
secretary of the treasury to make the
money to pay them out of any ma
terial. And as paper, is the most con
venient, make the bills the same size
as our bank notes. On one side to read
in large Roman letters: "United States
Money," and on the other side, "This
bill is legal tend erj for all debts, pub
lic and private," and libt redeemable in
any other kind of money.
This would give steady employment
to every one that wanted work, be
sides giving the people plenty of the
test money on earth. It would give the
best roads in the world. It is now the
policy of the coal barons to starve and
fieeze the miners into submission, and
they don't care a snap who else suf
fers with hunger and cold. But let
them beware, for hunger and cold
know no philosophy and respect no
laws, and when you turn these twin
devils loose and force them upon the
world
Then woe to the robbers who gather
In fields where they never have
sown;
Who have stolen the jewels of labor
And Duilded to Mammon a throne.
The throne of their god shall be
crumbled, .
The scepter be swept from his hand;
The heart of the. haughty be humbled,
And a servant made chief in the
land.
For the Lord of Hosts hath said it,
Whose lips never uttered a lie;
His prophets and poets have sung it
In symbols of earth and of sky.
To the trusts who have revelled in
plunder
Till the angel of conscience is dumb,
To them in earthquake and thunder,
The tempest and torrent shall come.
T. J. QUAIL.
Watertown, Neb.
How much "phrases" have to do
with controlling votes is ahown by
he use of the two terms, "military
government" and "civil government,"
as applied to the Philippines. The
imperialist spell-binders tell their, au
diences that they have established "a
civil government in the Philippines
and the "military government" has
been abolished. Then their followers
who haven't been entirely satisfied
with the abolishment of the Declara
tion of Independence, say: "That is
all right I knew the republican party
would do the right thing." But there
has been no change made in the gov
ernment whatever. It i3 still a gov
ernment of force and not by consent
The officer Is called a "civil" officer,
but he is the same man and still
holds his commission in the regular
army. The only change that has been
made Is In changing his title from
"military" to "civil." Governor Taf t
himself could not stay in Manila a
week if the soldiers were : removed.
His government Is as much a mill-
HOW TO SETTLE STRIKES
Mr. Schwelxer Discusses the Strike Ques
tion Coal Mines and Railroads Can
not be Private Preperty
- Editor Independent: In spite of the
rosy pictures, which our republican
statesmen are drawing about happi
ness and prosperity of the American
people, as a consequence of republl
can policy and legislation, our laborers
are not at all contented with their
conditions, which Is proven by the
many strikes which are Interrupting
all business over the whole United
States and, therefore, the most Im
portant question which our statesmen.
iave to solve is, how to settle such
strikes peaceably, and satisfactory to
all concerned parties.
In this country the most strikes op
disputes between employers and em
ployed occur on railroads and in coal
mines, because the directors and man
agers claim the right to absolutely dis
pose over, the mines and roads as
their private property, but neither a
coal mine nor a railroad can ever be
come the absolute private property of a
single man, nor of a corporation. '
Coal is one of the necessary articles,
which is Indispensable for the suste
nance of the human race and, there-'
fore, these coal mines are not Intend
ed by the creator for the benefit only
of a single man or a corporation, but
for the benefit and sustenance of the
whole human race and therefore a
corporation can never acquire an ab
solute proper. right in them. Every
new born baby in a coal mine or In a
sweat shop has just as good a claim on
these coal mines as a Pierpont Morgan.
Rockefeller or Carnegie, and neither
executive, congress or court have a
bright to deprive it of that claim. Evea
the whole living generation has not
a property right, but only the right
of an usufructuary on these coal mines,
they have a right to an economical use
of their necessary coal, but they have
no right to encumber waste or de
stroy the mines, but they must see
that they are aways kept in good con
dition, because they have yet to servo
for the sustenance of thousands of yet
unborn generations.
The same principles and arguments
are valid for railroads which are pub
lic highways for connecting the people
of different villages, towns and coun
ties, and states, and therefore they
must be open for all men under the
same conditions.
To manage and operate such public
institutions and- property in the in
terest and for the benefit of all the peo
ple is a function of the government
which must especially see that they
are economically managed, that noth
ing Is wasted and that they always
are kept in good condition, thereby
protecting the rights and interests of
the living as well as of the coming
genera. ons.
The government can now either ope
rate such public Institutions directly
by hiring the necessary labor, or it
can let the management and opera
tion for a fair remuneration to some
private corporation, but the govern
ment must under . all circumstances
protect and secure the rightu and
claims of the people In such institu
tions, and it Is responsible for all
damage which occurs from such pri
vate management to the peope as well
as to the employes and laborers.
As In this country private corpora
tion management is the rule, if we
will be just, to all Interested parties it
is necessary to find out and to get ac
quainted with their different rlghta
and duties. These parties are:
First-r-The people as the real owner
or usufructuary of the common prop
erty, is entitled to the benefits which,
accrue from such property or insti
tutions, giving a fair remuneration
for the costs of management or pro
duction. In Switzerland the tariff for
passengers and freight is fixed by tha
federal executive.
Second-The shareholders, who fur
nished the money for construction,
etc., are entitled to a fair interest on
their real paid-up capital, which in
terest has to be fixed by the govern
ment I remember In Switzerland tha
legal Interest was 5 per cent, biut tho
federal executive had, fixed 6 per cent
as legal interest for the real paid-up
money on railroad shares, with tha
condition that passengers and freight
rates must be lowered as soon as tha
incomes paid more as that legal Inter
est But shareholders are not and
never can be entitled to draw Interest
for only fictitious capital, so-called wa
tered stock. That Is usury or real
robbery, a crime which all nations
from the earliest time had condemned
and punished. Those shareholders are
capitalists like other capitalists. They
have nothing to do with management
and, therefore, a fair interest for their
real paid-up capital is all that they
can demand. "Moses and Christ even
denounced taking Interest for money,
loaned as usury."
Third Managers, employes and la
borers have to do all the work and
keep the concerned Institution In op
eration. .Upon them depends the suc
cess of e business and, therefore, are
they not only entitled to fair remun
eration for their labor, but they have
a-rlght to demand their necessary re
creation and rest and most of all tha
necessary precaution for the safety of
their healtn and lives. As from hon-
jj est, intelligent, well trained, conscien
I tious employes and laborers the safe
ana enecuve management ox every
business mostly depends and as the
government under all circumstances
is responsible for good and safe man
agement of public institutions, there
fore it is the duty of the executive to
see that only competent men are em
ployed, that their rights are protected
and that they receive fair wages for
their work. The executive can never
1