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The Commoner.
Society has been materially benefited by the
treatment accorded the president's assassin. From
the day that he shot President
Setiuslon Garfield until tho day of his ex-
Benefits ecution, Guiteau was permitted
Society. to keep himself constantly before
the public and the people were
required to read each day reports of his doings.
But while Mr. McKinley's assassin was accorded
every privilege to which he was entitled under the
law, he was kept in seclusion since his conviction
and in seclusion remained until he was executed.
Readers of tho daily newspapers heard but little
of this, assassin. Ho was not permitted to pose
as a hero or to flaunt his murderous doctrines in -the
faces of the patriotic people of this country.
For this the public must be grateful.
Referring to an editorial in Tho Commoner,
suggesting that Mr. Roosevelt would make a better
president if he announced that
McLean's he would not be a candidate in
Waste of 1904 than he would if he spent
Energy. the first term trying to secure a
second, the Cincinnati En
quirer says:
Colonel Bryan advises President Roose
velt not to be a candidate for re-election. The .
colonel should be willing to take in good
faith any opinion Mr. Roosevelt may have
about the Bryan candidacy. The republicans
selected the Nebraskan last year as an "easy
mark." Mr. Roosevelt may want him, in that
way, in 1904..
Mr. McLean has concealed his unfriendliness
bo long, notably in 1899, that it requires, a good
deal of space now to give expression to it all. Still,
as he is a standing candidate for the United States
senate, he might better spend his energies explain
ing to those whom he would represent where ho
stands on the "asset currency," the branch bank,
the redemption of silver, the trust question, gov
ernment by injunction, the income tax, and sev
eral other questions upon which ho seems more
anxious to vote than to speak.
When General Buller went to South Africa to
take - command of the British troops against tho
Boers, the British public threw
up Its collective hat and declared
that the war was a matter of but
a few weeks. But tho Boers
have pricked more than one bub
ble of British military reputation. Buller, Roberts,
Kitchener, French tho list might be extended to
include nearly every British officer above the rank
of colonel. The proud and arrogant British com
' manders have long since discovered a vast differ
ence between fighting naked savages and Boers
who flght for liberty; between half-armed Arabs
and patriotic farmers who fight for home and
country. A few weeks ago it was decided to send
Buller back to South Africa in command of an
army corps, but in a burst of confidence Buller ad
mitted that he advised the surrender of Lady-:
smith and immediately the public raised such a
storm that he has been retired on half pay. A
careful reading of the British newspapers will
reveal the interesting fact that the situation in
Great Britain 1b much more desperate than tho
situation in the Transvaal.
Pricking:
"it
Reputation's
Bubble.
- Perry S. Heath, well known as a newspaper
man and as a part of the republican national ma
chine, has assumed editorial
Should be - - charge of the Salt LaTce- Tribune.
More In assuming charge, he says:
Explicit. "Under its new management,
therefore, the Tribune will be as
sterling and outspoken in its advocacy of republi
can principles as all. of its energies will admit."
This sounds very pretty, but it is woefully in
definite. Editor Heath should outline some of
those -"principles." -Does he mean to urge .high'
Lem'ey
Should
Fxplaln.
than criminal,
show that the
tariff or advocate reciprocity? Does ho favor tho
retention of Cuba or does ho favor carrying out
the pledge of congress? Does he mean to advocate
retention of tho Philippines as un American colony
or does he mean to stand by tho Declaration of In
dependence? Would ho have tho flag again an em
blem of self-government, or does ho favor keeping
it afloat over an alien and subjugated people?
Will he urge that the constitution bo construed in
the light of justice, or will ho advocate construing
it for expediency? Thirty years ago one would
have experienced no trouble in understanding what
a man meant when he said he "believes in repub
lican principles." But it is different now. Editor
Heath should, in justice to himself, bo more ex
plicit. But tho moment ho begins to outline "re
publican principles" he Is In grave dangor. On the
one hand is the wrath of a public that still be
lieves in the principles of tho Declaration of Inde
pendence and tho supremacy of tho constitution.
On tho other hand is tho wrath of the party- man
agers who think more of exploitation and "busi
ness" than they do of justice and liberty.
The reading public has long been aware of tho
animus behind the case against Admiral Schley,
butit Is well to keep tho facts
clearly In mind. Judge Advo
cate Lemley has been striving
strenuously to show that tho
Brooklyn's "loop" was little less
In order to do this ho sought to
"loop came near destroying tho
Texas, .and that destruction was avoided only be
cause the Texas stopped and backed away. Final
ly a witness was found who would testify that tho
Texas stopped and backed a man named Claxton.
He did so testify, claiming to have done the stop
ping and backing. Another witness, named Hun
ley, was called to corroborate this testimony. But
it was discovered by Lemley that Hunley was at
the port throttle instead of Claxton, and that Clax
ton had nothing to do with the running of the en
gines. It was further discovered that Hunley
would testify that the engines were neither stopped
nor backed. Did Lemley call him to tho stand?
No. That would have been against the naval clique.
But Admiral Schley learned, quite by accident, that
Hunley was in Washington, and thereupon Hunley
was called, and he testified that the Texas was
not stopped, nor backed, only slowed down. Lem
ley owes some explanation to the people. They
want the facts, regardless of whether it hurts
Sampson or Schley. That's what Lemley is there
for to get the facts. If anything was needed to
show the existence of a cabal to ruin Schley, this
action of Lemley in the" case of Witness Hunley
is sufficient.
A dispatch from Manila says: "Civil Governor
Taft says the power of the supreme court in tho
case of Oakley Brooks, a mlli
The tary prisoner ordered to be de-
tiabeas Corpus ported, but In whose behalf the
Writ. supreme court Issued a writ of
habeas corpus, which the mili
tary authorities refused to recognize on the ground
that the only tribunal having jurisdiction was the
federal court, comes from instructions of the presi
dent, as commander-in-chief, dividing the power
between the United States Philippine commission
and the general commanding tho troops. The
former is directed to protect liberty where civil
government has been created and the court's only
method for so doing is by habeas corpus. The
general's power, therefore, is limited, his instruc
tions being subject to tho court's writ." Old
fashioned people were taught that the power of the
court, to which Governor Taft refers, came from
the constitution which provides that "the priv
ileges of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be
suspended unless in cases of rebellion and inva
sion the public safety may require it" This
would seem to apply. to any court and yet. Governor
Taft, while conceding tho power of tho Phllippino
court to issuo tho habeas corpus writ, says tho au
thority comes "from tho instructions of tho presi
dent as commander-chief dividing tho power be
tween tho United States Phllippino commission
and tho general commanding tho troops." The
Philippine court is organizod under tho Phllippino
commission and according to Governor Taft tho
privilege of tho writ of habeas corpus rests upon
tho arbitrary authority of tho president and thoso
appointed by him.
The Commoner published some week3 ago an
article written by Mrs. Elizabeth A. Merrlwcther
for a St. Louis paper regarding
The tho origin of tho phrase "govern-
Wyciiffo ment of tho people, by the pco-
fiibie. . pie, and for tho people." Mrs.
Merrlwcther traces it to the Wy
cllffo Bible. Her statement was challenged by a
reader of The Commoner who insisted that tho
date given w?s prior to tho invention of printing.
Tho editor has investigated tho matter and lo'irns
from Mrs. Meriwether that her statement was mado
upon tho authority of Ward H. Lamon's "Recol
lections of Abraham Lincoln." On page 170 of that
volume tlit'so words are found: "In the preface
of the old Wycliffe Bible, published A, D. 1324, is
the following declaration: 'This BJblc is for tho
government of tho people, by tho people and for
the people.' "
Mrs. Merrlwcther believes, however, that tho
date should be 1378 Instead of 1324, as Wycliffo
was but a boy at the latter date. She also quotes
the American 3rHtanica Encyclopedia as saying
that "Wycliffo made tho first comploto version of
tho Bible," and that."Wycliffe's translations of tho
Eiblo and his numerous sermons establish his in
disputable position as the founder of English
writing."
To tho objection lbat the Bible was not then
printed she replies that, while the art of printing
had not then been invented, written books had
been in existence for a long time, and that many
copies of the Wycliffe Bible were in circulation.
wys
The Paris correspondent of the New. York
World informs the public that Mme. Bernhardt has
been engaged In a struggle with
The the English language. Mme.
Gaiety Bernhardt confesses that her
of Nations. ambition Is "to act Shakespeare"
in English. At the sjimc time
she admits that the mastery of Shakespeare is not
nearly so large a problem as the mastery of tho
English language. Mme. Bernhardt explains her
self, or rather seeks to explain herself, thus:
"Childish as you will going to think me,
the assertion made by newspapers that never
shall I be capable acting Shakespeare in orig
inal text haunt my .sleeping and waking. The
memorizing of ..Romeo in the original by
Shakespeare ldok as desperating task more
and more. Nevertheless of tho encourage
ment you, my various i'rienda and teachers -are
giving kindly, I can hear vast differences
' when Miss Lowell reads it for me and when
I reelte immediately thereafter myself. It is
not same at all. Of course, to now difficulty
however tremendous never blocked me when
I desired to make something. But this once
I really frequently feel as to abandon what
. seems one hopeless endeavor."
After reading the above one might be in
clined to agree with the notion that the mastery
of the English language on the part of Mme. Bern
hardt is well nigh impossible. Surely this sample
of Mme. Fernhardt's wrestling with the English
language seems "fearfully and wonderfully made,"
and yet perseverance may surmount all obstacles;
and one is constrained to encourage the French
actress, for it is true that If she shall fail finally to
conquer the tongue now so foreign to her, in her
efforts to do so she will, at least, contribute ma
terially to the gaiety of nations.
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