"Wf"?.
ypmp- p 'i i.ywjPJWy"'' rv'
lions, could wo notspar6 two-fifths of the sum
to bring liberty to five times as many in the
Philippines?
Tho "treaty should have provided for the
independence of the Filipinos as it provided
for the independence of the Cubans, but when
the treaty, by an inexcusable error, provided
for cession ins toad of independence it was
easier to ratify the treaty, extinguish the title .
of Spain, and confer independence upon the
Filipinos than to continue the war and risk in
ternational complications by an effort to com
pel Spain to do what We could do ourselves.
Our treaty with Spain, according to interna
tional law, imposed upon us no obliga
tions to change our form of government or to
abandon our ideals in order to enforce an im
perialistic doctrine. It is still possible for this,
nation to return to American methods. All it
has to do is to announce its purpose to deal
with the Filipinos in accordance with the prin
ciples set forth in the declaration of indepen
dence and then keep its promise. Why does
it not do this? Because the republicans think
that oriental trade is more important than
American principles.
W
Patriotic Duty. -
In'an interview with the New York Wdrld,v
E. E. Carey, who recently returned from a I
two years residence in Manilla, referred to-the"
recent exposures of fraud in the Philippines
and said:
"What is needed is an investigation that shall
probo to the bottom the suspicious features con
nected with the occupancy of the Philippines; such',
as
1. Causes which have recently prolonged the
rebellion. .-
2. Undue restrictions on trade.
3. The granting of special passes for launches,
enabling a select few to tracfo in prohibited terri
tory. .. -
4. Dealings of certain Manila firms with the
insurgents.
5. Granting of certain contracts for build
ings, etc.
6. The chartering of local steamers for inter
island trade at unheard-of rates.
7. The granting of special and valuable privi
leges to private individuals.
8. The purchase of the mosquito fleet, former
ly the property of the Spanish government.
At the signing of the treaty of Paris, Spain
had in Philippine waters a dozen small gunboats
Which were valuable to the United States, but use
less to Spain.
The Spanish government offered the boats to a
high official at a reasonable figure; ho refused the
. offer and afterward bought the oats from Private
parties, paying $100,000 more than the first offer
Then, through the fault of someone, the insur
gents looted some of the vessels and the govern
ment paid an additional $80,000 to cove- this loss.
Government contractors have had their goods
carried in government boats and landed free of
duty.
Certain contractors have been favored with
large contracts. For example, suppose Ave tons of
rice and ten tons of sugar were needed. A certain
contractor would' bo given a tip; he would order
the supplies from Hong Kong.
. When he had, the goods in his house the officers
irt collusion would call for such bids for rlco and
sugar to bo delivered in forty-eight hours. The
favored bidder would be the only one who could
meet the requirements, and he would put in a
The Commoner.
fancy bid and got the order This explains why
certain officers have carriages and horses and ser
vants and one or more establishments.
The Washington Post points out that this
interview appeared in the "World of April 3,
and demands to know why Mr. Carey has
not gone to Washington, and submitted,
his complaints and his information to the ad
ministration. Perhaps Mr. Carey had a pretty accurate
idea of the reception that would be accorded
complaints concerning official conduct in the
Philippines. At all events, it does not seem to have oc
curred to the Washington Post as strange,
that although this interview appeared April 3,
the administration has not called, upon Mr.
Carey for further information.
The Post wants to know why these gentle
men, who know so much about, corruption at
Manila and elsewhere, do not bring charges
and thus perform a patriotic duty. Would it
not bo more reasonable if the Post demanded'
to know why the administration, in the face of
reiterated charges of this character, does not
call for proof and follow up the call with an
investigation that investigates?
As a matter of fact, in no instance has the
administration commenced an investigation,
except where the same was forced upon it by
piiblic exp'osiires that could not be ignored.
'.:;... W
J.i
A Delusion and a Snare.
-"It will be remembered that Congressman
Babcock, a Republican member from Wiscon
sin, introduced a bill purporting to abolish the
duties on such articles as are produced by the
steel trust. A Washington correspondent of
the Chicago Chronicle charges that this bill is
a delusion and a snare. According to this:
correspondent, the bill provided specifically for
the repealing of certain duties imposed on iron
"and steel manufactures in schedule C of the Ding
ley tariff and did not go beyondthat. The effect of
the repeal of certain specified 'paragraphs of the
metal schedule would be, o:' coursq, to abolish the
particular duties prescribed by those paragraphs
without at all affecting the validity of any other .
paragraphs in the schedule. Among the para
graphs not affected by the bill is 293, the last one
in the schedule, which lays a duty of 45 per cent
on all articles composed wholly or in part of metal
and 'not specially provided for in tlils act.' Clearly
the effect of repealing various other paragraphs,
leaving this one standing, would be to bring the ar
ticles embraced in the repeale paragraphs under
tho operation of paragraph 193. And this would
leave the duties on those articles 45 per cent, or
fully as high, on the average, as they now are, oi,
at least, high enough to answer all the purposes
of the' trust."
Commenting on this discovery, the Chicago
Chroniole says:
Tho omission of all reference to paragraph
193 or tho failure expressly to place tho articles
embraced in the repealed paragraphs on the free
list, may have been an oversight on the part of Mr. '
Babcock. But he is not the kind of man who
would bo likely to make such slips. It looks very
much as though he well understood what ho was
doing and meant to make the kind of thrust at
trusts which would please the crowd without in
convincing or alarming the trusts in the least
Trouble In Japan.
The Philadelphia Record, a thick and thin
advocate of the gold standard, gives editorial
recognition to tho threatened panic in Japan.
Here is its confession:
"The statement that Japan is on the verge of '
a panic, made in a recent report (a summary of
which appears elsewhere in this issue of the Rec
ord) from Consul General Bellows, at Yokohama,
comes as a startling surprise, .e have become
so accustomed to associating progress and pros
perity with the Island Empire since it has adopted
our ways of civilization that the thought c finan
cial disaster overtaking it has never occurred to
the observer not on the spot."
The Record proceeds to give its explana
tion, but the significant part of the editorial
lies in the statement of fact rather than in tho
attempt to avoid its force. It will be remem
bered that Japan was persuaded to adopt the
gold standard and the financiers hailed it as an
evidence of progress and prosperity. Prior
to that time, Japan, with silver as her stand-,
ard, had been making such gigantic strides
that President Cleveland felt called upon to
congratulate the United States in one of his
messages upon b.eing among the first nations
to recognize her advancement. If a nation
using silver has any financial trouble the gold
standard organs promptly attribute it to the
use of silver, but they refuse to apply their
logic to gold standard nations which get into
trouble. Japan was doing well with silver
and has not profited by the change" to a gold
basis.
'$-.
i ' . V.
i .
Norway's Fourth of July. t c
May 17th is to Norway what the Fourth
of July is to the United States. Eighty-five
years ago Norway secured a liberal constitu
tion and the aniversary of the day is celebrated,
by her sons and daughters. Below will be
found four stanzas of z
Norway's National Hymn. . '
Yes, we love our native country -
Country of a thousand homes
As it, ragged, weather-beaten,
O'er the water looms.
Love it tenderly still thinking
Of parental name,
While the "Saga" night 's revealing
Beginning of our fame.
Land that was acquired by Harold .. ."! .?,
And his soldiers brave; - ';fft
Kakon. while Eivind was singing, . ;'t t 'i
Our heritage did save. 'Ktyr
Olaf gladly gave his young life .' f
To defend our home; -v''
And our "Sverret" from the throne seat-,.. '
Did defy proud Rome. . ' V :
' ' .
Peasants with their sharpened axes ,
Checked the foe's advance: '
Tordenskjold the west illumined
"With his sword and lance.
Women, too, took up tho battle
When their husbands died;
Though in bitter anguish dwelling
They the foe defied.
Norsemen, in tho home or cabin, '
Thank Almighty God
That He has so long protected
With resistless rod.
Blood of father,, tears of mother:
Both for freedom shed
He has changed into a blessing
On each Norseman's head.
Tv'
.1