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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
1Lllliaum J Bryan,
Editor And Proprietor
Tcrmi Payable in Advance.
One Year $i.o
Six Months , ;..... s
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Single Copy At Newstand or at this Of flee 5
Sample Copies Free.
No Traveling Canvassers are Employed.
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Address all communications to
- THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
Entered at the postoffice at Lincoln, Nebraska,
as second class mail matter.
Violation of plain duty is perfectly' consti
tutional. ' ' "
What would have happened if a justice of
the supreme court had suffered an . income tax
lapse of mind over night?
Democrats will not ho slow to note that the
administration organs and leaders arc unani
mous iii their support of- McLaurin.
Do you like The Commoner? If so, you
can increase its influence by increasing its cir
culation. Ask your neighbor to subsoribo.
The Sultan of Sulu is certainly not worry
ing about his status. IIo continues to draw his
salary, and add' to the number of his wives and
slaves.
The republican papers do not try to defend
'the majority-of-ono decision. They' content
themselves with administering an anesthetic to
their readers.
Justice White's opinion was a lengthy one.
It took a good many words to explain why he
accepted Justice Brown's conclusions after re
pudiating Justice Brown's logic
The American people should bear in mind,
the extraordinary powers conferred, upon con-,
gress by the supremo court and bo more care
ul in the election of congressmen. '
If valiant service in the conquest and sub
jugation of a constitution has any military
value the bravery displayed by Justice Mc
Kenna ought to secure a promotion for his son.
In a former issue of The Commoner, Sen
ator Scott, of West Virginia, was spoken of as
a senator from Virginia. The mistake is cor
rected for the benefit of those who may not bo
familiar with the personnel the senate.
The Commoner.
Lord Brassey was chosen to deliver the ad
dress of welcome at a London banquet given in
honor of J. Pierpont Morgan and yet many
people besides Shakespeare ask, "What's in a
name?"
It is probable that Mr. Hanna will flood
South Carolina with money to aid Senator Mc
Laurin and then the republican party will claim
credit for the good times which follow an in
crease in the circulation.
' "Consent of the governed" was, it seems,
but a little bit of fiction that our ignorant
forefathers accepted as a great truth. Our fore
fathers might have been great statesmen if they
had lived a century or so later.
The Star-Spangled Banner,
0, Long may it wave
O'er the land of the forcibly annexed
And the homo of the benevolently as
similated. The recollection of the treatment accorded
Russell Harrison when his father, the ex-presi-.dent,
opposed imperialism would suggest the
possibility that Justice Harlan's son may soon
find that his services are no longer needed.
It is remarkable to note the avidity with
which the administration organs seize upon
and reprint all the arguments against fusion ad
vanced by the democratic newspapers that have
either openly supported the republican ticket
or sulked through the campaign.
In view of the prominent part taken by
Justices Brown and White in changing olir
form of government, a reader of The Com
moner suggests that the national colors should
bo changed to Red, White, and Brown. But
as Justice Gray also joined in the decision, why
not'makc them Gray, Brown, and White?
Some of the republican newspapers suggest
that democratic editors should apologize to
Judge Harlan for the criticism made against
the appointment of his son. Not at all, but
the republican editors ought to condole with
the president because the appointment of Jus
tice Harlan's son did not have any effect on the
father.
Clear the track for conquering Uncle Sam.
Consent of the governed is a myth, taxation
without representation haB become a vested
right, and a republic may have citizens, subjects
and slaves. When the constitution threatens
to ourtail the privileges of exploiters arid ad
venturers it must be kept at home. Truly wo
have "progressed" during the past three or four
years. . .
The press dispatches report that Charles
Foster, -former secretary of the treasury, has
made application foradisoharge in bankruptcy.
His assets are put down at nothing, while his
debts amount to $747, 008.84. There was a time
when Mr. Foster was considered a financier;
and when his opinion upon a financial ques
tion was regarded as infallible by the lessor
lights in the financial world. .As one never
knows how much credit to give to tho opinion
of a great financier (until his debts are paid) it
is a great deal better for each citizen to study
publio questions for himself and not accept tho
opinion of any one as conclusive.
"We want to make people of distant lands
familiar with our products," says President
MoKinley. This is another sample of protec
tion logic. Tho protectionist says: "Give us
protection against tho foreigners because wo
cannot compete with them; while we cannot
undersell the foreigner in our own market, wo
can undersell him in his own." The strange
part of this logic is that so many people ac
cept it as correct.
Winston Churchill is credited with invent-1
ing a phrase. He speaks of "the official truth"
and describes it as differing from "the truthj
the whole truth and nothing but tho truth," in
that it is made to conform to the wishes and
interests of the government. He says: "It is
a peculiar product grown in the hot houses .
and conservatories of tho home office, tho colo
nial office, tho foreign office, and in tho ohan-"
cellories of the foreign embassies."
'.-
f
American steel rails are sold in Great
Britain in open competition with British rails
and at a lower rate than they are sold at home.
Yet we must protect the "steel ,rail infant"
, St . ' t
from tho competition of the foreign pauper
made rails. Protection logic looks very much
like a Virginia rail fence, or like the track of
the famous snake that
"Wriggled in and wriggled out.
And left the people all in doubt
Whcthjer the snake that made tho track
Was going east or coming back."
The reader will notice that considerable ad
vertissng space is given to books. Nothing is
more valuable than a library and the editor
feels that he is conferring a favor upon tho
reader as well as upon the publisher when he uses
advertising space to bring the merits of a good
book to the attention of tho public. As tho
value of advertising space depends upon tho
returns secured by the advertiser, tho reader
will please remember to enclose a copy of tho
advertisement when ordering a book or when
corresponding with other advertisers.
Some of the republican papers take excep
tions to the statement in last week's Commoner
to tho effect that the decision in the Downes
case made the President an emperor. They
contend that the arbitrary and absolute power
conferred by tho court is to be "exercised by
Congress, biit they forget that the President
must join congress in making laws for the na
tions subjects. As tho colonial system in
creases the President will become a more and
more powerful factor in legislation., Under
the late decision the President is an emperor p
the chief executive of an empire. Outside of
the states he is not bound by the constitution
and can exercise whatever power he can per
suade Congress to grant.
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