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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1901)
Q 3 r. Nobel's fortune was made -in the manufacture of guns, ammunition, and other explosives. For years lie held contracts for supplying sev eral of the great armies of Europe with fight ing material. That this man should oiler such a munificont reward to those whose talents are spent in preventing war is thought by Mr. Curtis to he very strange. Probably no man had a better opportunity than Nobel to rightly estimate the disas trous consequences of an appeal to arms. Men did not fight because Nobel made ammu nition and guns. Nobel made ammunition and guns because men fight, and consequently re quire ammunition. and'gunB with which to set tle their differences. But having amassed a fortune because of the disposition toward war, it was brought forcibly to the atten tion of this man that no greater service could bo performed by a human being than to con tribute to the peace of the world. Ho fully realized, as few other men do, the awful wasto when nations embark upon an organized dis turbance of the peace, and however much wo may say by way of compliment to his wisdom in seeking to contribute to the advancement of physical science, chemistry, medicine and liter ature, nothing that wo may say on these points :could bo of so complimentary a character as the tribute, we must pay to him because of his evident disposition to advance the peace of the world. Above all the other prizes, the peace prize increases in importance according to the oaro with which wo scrutinize present day condi tions throughout the oivilized world. W u , Attention, Ambassador Choate! A terrible commotion is on among the English, nobility. A number of balls are to be given during the ceremonies attending the cor onation of the King of England. It has been the intention of the politicians in England to make the American guests on this occasion more conspicuous than they have been on any previous occasion. The purpose, of this is to give emphasis to the claim that American, sym pathy is with Groat. Britain in its ' struggle with the Boers, and that the relations between Great Britain and the United States are grow ing closer as the days go by. , But it has suddenly been discovered that American women do not know how to dance, and an "expert on dancing," writing for a Lon don publication, makes this startling state ment: American ladles especially appear ridiculous when they try to dance. Their vertical demonstra tion is exaggerated and their bodies (I will not say their grotesque bodies) sway about most absurdly in an attempt to follow their male companions. American Jadies never dance acceptably in the smart circles of London without first- getting in struction at the hands of capable teachers who are Englishmen. Englishmen find it -quite impossible to follow their vigorous, complicated gyrations. This is a terrible arraignment. The gen erous impulses of our British cousins, however, .will probably be shown on this occasion when, pven in spite of this defect, they admit women as guests at the coronation ceremonies. "Ve have heard much in recent days of tho The Commoner. many things in common between Englishmen and Americans. These, we have been told, speak the same language, worship tho same Godr follow tho same social customs in many respects, have coirsing through their veins tho same Anglo-Saxon blood; and yet just as wo have prepared ourselves to participate in King Edward's coronation ceremonies we arc sud denly told that we do not"danco acceptably." It is too bad, indeed 1 But it is interesting to observe that this same "dancing expert" in conclusion holds out the hope that there is possibility for reform even in this respeot. If American women will but put themselves in the hands of capable teachers who are English men, tho Englishmen who attend the corona tion balls "may find it possible to follow their vigorous gyrations." Let us not overlook this veiy pressing duty. Wo must , not appear to disadvantage at tho coronation ceremonies. All the sacrifices wo have made for the purpose of courting English approval will have been wasted if our women do not "dance acceptably in the smart circles of London." This is a matter which Ambassador Choate should immediately take under consideration, if, indeed, he has not already realized its enor mous importance. W Nebraska Democrats Firm. The Democratic State Convention held, at Lincoln September 17, adopted a strong plat form endorsing the principles of the Kansas City platform, and nominated one candidate for Supreme Judge and two candidates for re gents of State University. The convention was one of the largest over held in tho state. The Populists met at the same time and the ticket named was agreed upon by both conven tions. Tho candidate for the bench, Judge Conrad Hollenbeck, is a Democrat and J. H. Bayston and L. G. Hawksby candidates for re gents are Populists. The fusitin committees ex pect to get out a full vote and elect tho entire ticket. Mr. Bryan had not met the representa tives of the two parties since the last presiden tial election. In addressing tho conventions he avoided partisanpolitics owing to the death of the President. In the course of his remarks he said that the loss of the state brought more hu miliation to him than the national defeat (not that he regretted it more, as some papers re ported). Ho said that he would remain a citi zen of Nebraska and help win back the state. Slavery in the Philippines. The Chicago Tribune of August 21 con tains a Washington dispatch in which it is set . forth .that the war department is having con siderable difficulty with the question of slavery in the Philippines. It is announced that the war department has determined that the "sale of children in the Philippines shall be stopped." In this dispatch it is stated: In the third district of the department, where Major O. J. Sweet is in command, the slavery ques tion is a constant source of. trouble on account of slaves escaping from one master to another. That officer says: "Whenever a question relating to slaves coraos before me I simply make the owner provo tholr slaves boyond doubt,' in which caso I have nothing to do with them, but In case I can pick aflaw In tholr title I give tho alleged slaves freedom papers. Thousands of Moros are held as slaves who aro by right free people." It would be interesting for the people of tho United States to seo one of their army officers on territory where United States sov ereignty has been proclaimed, sitting in judg ment on the ownership of human beings. It is reassuring to bo told by this Solomon, now sojourning in tho Philippines as tho represent ative of the greatest republic on earth, that whenever a question relating to slaves comes before him he "simply makes the owners prove their slaves boyond doubt." It would be all the more interesting if this army officer would reveal to the American peoplo the character of evidence which he requires in such cases. Cer tainly tho evidence must be strong, because ho insists that tho proof shall bo "boyond doubt." What proof can establish title to a human being according to American law? It is also interesting to be told by this army officor "in case I can pick a flaw in their title I give the' alleged slaves freedom papers;" and yet wo aro at liberty to infer from tho tone of this officer's statements that there have been cases in which ho could not "pick a flaw in their title." Perhaps it has never occurred to this, 6r any other army officer, that it is tho easiest thing under tho sun to pick a flaw in any alleged title to a human being on territory over which United' States sovereignty has been declared and over which the United States flag waves. The .evidence at hand is' not tho mere woid of an irresponsible Filipino native; it is not the unsupported testimony of a by stander; it is nothing more nor less than tho constitution of tho 'United States, the 13th amendment to-whicli declares that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist "within the. United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction." That is the weapon that hews to pieces any claim made, on terri tory under United States sovereignty, to tho body-of a human being; and that weapon de stroys the alleged title, of the Sultan of Sulu or any other pretending monarclf as effectually as 4t,dqe8 the alleged title of the humblest farmer in the Philippine archipelago. W '- A Good Bill. The commission which is at work revising the federal statutes suggests a bill making it a . capital offense to kill or attempt to kill an ex ecutive officer of the federal government, when the attempt is made for the purpose of.ob trucjing the government. The suggestion is a good one. The qualification avoids tho ob jection which might bo urgeflif the law applied to all kinds of assault, but where the purpose of the assault is not to injure tho man as an in dividual but to injure the government through, him, it becomes an offense against all tho -people. Suppress anarchy and then make the gov ernment so just that no one can doubt its beneficence.