Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1901)
rFTPfT(H'VJfJ 'V "J" '' 'TflWC W5STTS51 sumcs to represent the President conveys the idea that in tho President's opinion the Phila delphia situation is merely "differences be tween local politicians." It -will ho remembered that a syndicate of republican politicians obtained fourteen fran chises through the favor of the republican city council without giving to tho public recom pense for thoso franchise. Before the mayor had approved that gift, John Wanamaker offered to the mayor to pay into the city treas ury the sum of $2,500,000 for the- privileges which had been given away to this syndicate. In spite of this offer, the mayor approved the franchises. Subsequently Mr. Wanamaker offered to pay to the syndicate $500,000 for the privilege which had been given-it, .and in addi tion .to that sum, offered to pay to the city the sum of $2,500,000, agreeing at the same time to establish during certain hours a 8-cent fare, and binding himself to sell to tho city thestroct railway plants acquired under these franchises within a period of ten years, at" the city's option, by tho payment of tho money expended witli six per cent interest. Because Mr. Wanamaker's offer was spurned and this valuable property deliberately given away to a "syndicate of republican' politicians, the people- of Philadelphia' iiave. expressed their indignation and have organized a reform movement, having for its purpose' the over throw of a corrupt municipal machine. 'This ma$Huo on one side and the taxpayers, regard less of political projudicoH, on the' 'other!' rep resents tho situation in Philadclpnia today. And this situation is what "a ' close friend of the administration" announces that Mr. Mc Kinley regards as "local politics. " This situa tion, this "close friend of tho administration" announces, Mr. McKinley regards as only' the "differences between local politicians." It is to be hoped that Mr. McKinley will cause another announcement to be made. The American people would much prefer to have tneir presidenc stand beside his postmaster general in an effort to uphold public interests in Philadelphia rather than to have him take a position which gives aid and countenance to an unscrupulous machine by dismissing a ques tion of honesty as being merely a "difference between local politicians." Making Progress. Mr. Warner, of Illinois, a republican mem ber o congress, expresses the opinion that there may be some important tariff legislation during the next session of congress. " If the tariff needs revising for the purpose of better controlling tho trusts," said Mr. Warner "you may depend on it the republicans will act ac cordingly. The tariff is not sacred. When it ig made evident that tho protection afforded by the tariff has served its purpose,, then this protection will be removed. It would not sur- ..... i prise mo in uio least if the president should make such a recommendation in his message to congress. Other laws have been amended to meet changed conditions, and why not the tariff?" : l Mr. Warner gays "when it is made evident The Commoner that -the protection afforded by tho tariff has served its purpose, then this protection will be removed." What was its purpose? If tho re publican leaders of the -past twenty years stated tho truth, then the purposd was to protect in fant industries in order that tho owners of those industries might compete at home with foreign manufacturers, and thus be able to pay the employes of those infant industries living wages. For many years it has been a well known fact that all ground for pretense 6n this line has been removed. For many years it ha3 been well known that American manufacturers arc enabled to sell their products in Europe cheaper than European manufacturers can, while at the same time the American manufac turers enjoy the advantages of a high protect, ive tariff in their own country v It is prob able, however, that when the republican con gress is asked to do away with this protection that it will be made "evident" to the members of that congress, by the trusts whose managers supplied the fat for the 1900 frying, that tho protection afforded by the tariff has not "served its purpose." The purpose was to give to these great corporations enormous advantages at pub lic expense. The purpose was to accommo date the trust managers, who have made liberal contributions to th,e. republican oampaign'jfund, and until ,the trust managers are willing- to sur render these advantages, until they ,are willing to have their hands removed from the public pockets, it will not be "'made evident' that the protection afforded! 'by the tariff has served its purpose." It is interesting, however, to hear a repub lican congressman say that "the tariff is not sacred." This is so different from what repub lican congressmen have said in the past, that one is bound at least to recognize the progress that some republican congressmen are making on public questions. W Mr. Wanamaker's Second Offer. The American people are indebted to John Wanamaker for the greatest practical demon stration of the enormous values obtained by corporations at the expense of the public. It will be remembered that the city council of Philadelphia gave to a syndicate of republican politicians a franchise for the operation of street railways. Before the mayor passed on the city council's action Mr. Wanamaker of fered to pay to" the city tho sum of $2,500,000 for the privileges which the coterie of poli ticians had obtained without a fair recom pense. In spite of this offer the mayor ap proved the franchise. In order to further show the immense val ues which tho city council have given away Mr. Wanamaker has made a second offer. He proposes, first to pay to the syndicate to which tho franchises were given the sum of $500,000 by way of bonus. Ho then renews his offer to the mayor that ho will pay into the city treas ury the sum Of $2,500,000 in return for tho -street railway franchises. He also agrees that between the hours of 0 a. m. and 8 a. m., and between the hours of 5 and 1 p. m., ho will give to the people of Philadelphia 3 cent fares. He also agrees that he will sell tho street rail way plant and franchises to the city at any time the city may designate within ten years on payment of the entire cost of expenses with C per cent interest. The only conditions which Mr. Wanamaker makes is that of tho $2,500, 000 ho shall. pay to tho city, $1,500,000 shall be used for the deepening of tho Delaware river channel, a matter of great public neces sity, and that $1,000,000 be applied to tho buildingof public schools and for tho purposes of public education. ' ' Mr. Wanamaker says that it is not his de sire to enter upon the' business of railroading or to make profit out of any municipal fran chise. "I merely desire the people to see," says Mr. Wanamaker, how badly they have been wronged, and the magnitude of the value of tho property of which they have been de spoiled. If 'you should accept the offer of this letter, I will cheerfully put the franchises up at auction and give the city any sum bid for them in excess of that which I shall pay under this proposition. If tho proposition I have made to you is not acceptable I should be glad to know what sum will tempt you and your as sociates to surrender the privileges you now own, and which were obtained by methods so unusual and defiant of the public weal as to have' arqused the indignation of the people of the entire nation." It would be difficult to 'devisea fairer prop osition than that made by Mr. 'Wanamaker. From every standpoint it was the duty of tho mayor in the presence of Mr. Wanamaker's offer to have vetoed the franchises which were given to this syndicate. From every standpoint it is to the interest of the people of Philadelphia that Mr. Wanamaker's offer be accepted. But in the face of these generous propositions, prop ositions which seek to protect the public interests of Philadelphia not only for the present but for the future, the republican politicians of that city adhere to their determination to give away public property and bestow public franchises upon favored individuals without recompense to the public. Corporation magnates have been growing bolder and bolder irt. their impositions upon the public. It must be evident to every intel ligent man that never in the history of our country has the corporation magnate been more arrogant in his demands, more unscrupu lous as to his methods, more defiant in his at titude than he has been since the campaign of 1896 Tvhen the American people were first in duced to agree that the national honor and tho public welfare depended upon the assignment of the powers of government to the tender mercies of trust agencies. It may be that the people of Philadelphia wiU yet awaken from their sleep. It is true that even tho practical demonstration offered by Mr. Wanamaker has not thoroughly aroused that people to such an extent that no publio official would dare to stand sponsor for the great, imposition placed upon tho Philadei phians by tho powerful syndicate now ja con" trol.