3 The Commoner Monopoly and the Church A recent issue of tho Pioneer-Press of St. Paul, ono of the leading republican papers of the north west, presents a dispatch undor its "Pioneer-Press special service" tolling of tho deposing of Rev. Philip E. Holp by tho members of tho Congrega tional church, at Angola, Ind. According to this dispatch, tho Reverend Holp started a movement lost spring to reduce tho price of gasolino and kerosene by the organization of a local company. Tho Standard Oil company had been charging 13 cents per gallon for oil and gasoline, but as soon os tho independent company received Its supplies the trust cut tho prico to 9 cents in and around Angola. The dispatch goes on to say that many of tho members of Mr. Holp's church aro em ployed by tho Standard Oil company, and that his friends claim that It was through the Influence o, this company that ho was driven from tho pulpit. This Is not tho. first Instance In which tho Standard Oil company has interfered In church mat ters. Henry D. Lloyd, in his book entitled "Wealth Against Commonwealth," tells how Mr. Matthews of Buffalo, an independent oil producer, was horrassed in his church relationship because ho insisted on prosecuting tho Standard Oil company. 'On page 294 of tho book above mentioned, it is stated that Matthews by his fight against tho Standard Oil company reduced the price of oil from 12 and 18 cents to G cents per gallon. He was an officer in his church, but tho wealthiest man in tho congregation was an agent ot the Standard Oil company, and received a salary of eighteen thou sand dollars per year. He did not belong to tho church, but was a member of the congregation, and was trustee and treasurer. He had recently taken tho pastor of tho church on an extended vacation trip to New England. When -it came time for tho election of church officers, tho pastor called on Mr. Matthows and suggested to him that in view of the opposition that there was to him, and In view of' what the newspapers had said about him, (corporation newspapers that had been belittling his efforts and ridiculing him), he had better not be a candidate for re-election. So Mr. Matthews dropped out and left the church to enjoy the pecuniary if not tho spiritual support of Its non-Christian, trust-fed trustee and treasurer. Those who doubt that the vicious influence of private monopolies will finally debauch the church as it is now debauching the government, should read 'Lloyd's book, (published by Harper Bros., New York,) and especially Matthews' letter de scribing the persecution that followed his at tempt to protect tho people from the Standard Oil company. And yet there are papers so domi nated by the great financial interests of the coun try that they spend more time describing the Sun day school work done by tho Rockefeller family than they do in denouncing the un-Christian meth ods employed by the company from which tho Rockefeller family derives its groat wealth. JJJ Will They Heed the Warning? Tho Kenton County (0.) Press, edited by W. L. Finley, tho democrat who introduced in the Ohio convention the resolution indorsing tho Kansas City platform, has a lengthy editorial explaining the result in Ohio, and applying the lesson taught After recalling the action of the Ohio convention, the turning down of tho national platform and' the prominence given to the men who had fought against tho ticket, it asserts truly that "no demo cratic ticket over had a better, more desorving candidate than Colonel Kilbourne." It thus ex plains the enormous stay-at-home vote: In almost every school district of tho state were loyal democrats who resented this treat ment, who chafed at such betrayal. They loosed their memories and let them wander back to '96. They thouirht. nf mm, ,i H-Ti1" and found that it.was these same men' -who had led tho fight against tho national platform at, Columbus, Further, they found that -tho; fellows who won at the state convention not only admitted, but boasted of their desertion in 1896 and that they had voted for McKinley or Palmer then. What thoughts came to tho minds of these men then? Read the returns. " They argued, "hero aro the fellows who voted against us in a national election or two repudiating my opinions, writing platforms . and asking my support They are not demo crats. My democracy is better than theirs. I'll prove It. They voted tho republican ticket when tho platform did not suit them. I'll not vote at all when it does not suit me." And all the persuasion and labor of local leaders could not disturb this conclusion. In almost every county committees worked with " bound hands and gagged mouths. But the re sults of all their efforts were vain. The dis contented cared not for the spoil of office. He was bent on rebuking his betrayers. And he did. All tho wiles Of local candidates could not get him to the polls to condone the injury his enemies had done him. He stayed at home. Democratic counties tumbled into the republican column. Coun ties where democracy was thriving and grow ing and gaining were shoved back into the hopeless column. It sounds well to say that the death of the president contributed to republican gains. But there were no republican gains. It was all, all democratic loss. Two weeks of cam paigning was too short Fudge. Two min utes were plenty of time to discuss all of tho platform except the Johnson planks and they were tabooed outside of Cuyahoga. Discus sion? Bah! Wasn't there discussion at Bucyrus? Weren't the crowd and the speakers there? Well, look up Crawford county's voto and see how great her democratic loss was. The platform did it Faithful democrats resented their treatment But they did not do it as the gold men have done. The only query that can arise is, Which Is the better demo crat, the one who votes tho republican ticket or the one who refuses to vote at all? Will the lesson be learned? Will dem ocracy regain Its senses? Will it see in tho light of experience the course to safety and to victory? Will it learn the virtues of stead fastness and consistency? We hope and be lieve that it -will. There is food for reflection In the opinion ex pressed by the Press.- While the falling off in the vote was not entirely due to the silver democrats, it is doubtless largely due to them. The Com-, moner urged them to vote now and make their fight for the control of the next state convention, but there is a good deal of human nature In silver democrats as well as In gold democrats, and' the rtsult showed that a large number of those who had been active in precedeing campaigns either felt that a victory won by an evasion of national issues would be more injurious to the party than a de feat; or, if they thought that defeat was inevitable, believed that a large adverse majbrity would be more serviceable to the party than a small one. , It is useless to argue that these democrats should have been loyal to the ticket. It is diffi cult to make men "who have been loyal in the past feel that they should prove their loyalty by fol lowing tho reorganizes who have been disloyal in the past The result in Ohio indicates what will bo tho result if the reorganizing element obtains control of the party machinery. The question asked by the Press is a pertinent one. Will the "anything-to-wln" democrats learn the lesson taught by the Ohio election? Will they see now what they ought to have seen before, that the party cannot win by the betrayal of the people 7 Will they learn now what they ojight to have learned before, that an honest adherence to tho interests of tho masses of the people Is expedient as well as right? JJJ The Gold Stronghold Captured. The readers of The Commoner know, that in tho campaign of 1896 tho Palmer and Buckner tickot carried but one precinct In the United States, namely, Dudley township, In Haskell county, Kan sas. The vote there stood: Palmer and Buckner, 3; McKinley and Hob art, 2; Bryan and Sewall, I. $ reader of The Commoner sends In a statement signed by the county clerk of that county to the effect that Dudley township went democratic thia year by a majority of seven. Tho attention of the Chicago Chronicle, the New York World, tho Louisville Courier-Journal and other gold standard papers is called to this fact. While they are "pointing with pride" to vic tories won by the reorganizes, let them "view with alarm" the recapture of this gold standard stronghold, which became so conspicuous five years ' ago. The gold standard papers have magnified every victory which the reorganizers have won since 1&96, now let thorn bow in humiliation over the sweeping defeat that has robbed them of the only precinct which their party has ever carried. Ordinarily the change of a precinct would not be a matter of national significance, but the change of tho only precinct that the Palmer and Buckner ticket caried is certainly a serious blow to the men who carried on that unique campaign of fraud and deception. The men who did the most talking for Palmer and Buckner voted the republican ticket, as did all whom they 'could secretly influ ence. Tho1 reorganizers are being led by those who either voted for the ticket that carried but one precinct, or pretended to support it while they voted the republican ticket. What will the demo cratic party be if they secure control of the organr ization? What promise of relief can the party give to tho people at large if the policies of tho party are controlled by bolters who have snownrio repentance since 1896? What hope of victory can we have under the leadership of those who con ducted tho Palmer and Buckner party to so dis astrous a defeat? ' JJ Beckham Replies to Durbin. One of the most discreditable incidents In the; history of the republican party Is the effort pf that party's official representatives to protect fug j tives fr,om- justice, who are charged with the ter rible crime of assassination. After pretending consideration of the demand for the surrender of Mr. Taylor to the Kentucky authorities, Governor Durbin of Indiana denied the requisition and ad dressed to the governor of Kentucky a long letter in which, he expressed fear that Taylor would not bo given a fair trial. Governor Beckham of Ken tucky has made a dignified, manly, patriotic re sponse to Governor Durbin's communication. If there are some adjectives in Governor Beck ham's letter, they aro warranted by the serious condition with which the law-abiding citizens of Kentucky are confronted. If indignation Is ex pressed In Governor Beckham's letter, It is. amply, justified by a condition) wherein the governor of a great state like Indiana deliberately seeks to de fend and protect fugitives from justice who are charged with participation in a murder, and whoso only hope of escape seems to depend vupon the political influence which they wield with high republican authorities. Governor Beckham's letter is self-explanatory. It should be read by every citizen who objects to violence and who protests against assassination, regardless of tho party or the individuals respon sible for the wrong. The letter, as given by the Associated press, is as follows: Frankfort, Kentucky.Sir: Your' refusal to honor tho requisitions some time ago sent you by me, asking for the extradition of ' W S. Taylor and Charles Finley, fugitives from justice from this state, charged with 1) ing accessories to the murder of William Goe bel, was not unexpected, but the remarkable letter with which you accompanied tho return of tho papers was indeed a surprise to jne, and I sincerely regret the necessity of this reply. It is true I had been reliably informed that you. had incurred campaign obligations which eommittted you to the protection of those two valuable adjuncts to your political fortunes, and that they had been promised immunity '