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The Commoner
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home and our practices abroad, but their ac
quaintance with our form of government will fit
them to help . us to conquer the ' world with our
Ideas after we have withdrawn the authority which
now makes subjects out of the Filipinos,
This country can do infinitely more .for itself
and infinitely more for the vorld by educatiug
representatives of foreign nations and sending
them back to apply American principles to their
social and political problems than It can by wars
of conquest. No alien government will ever meet
the expectations or satisfy the longings of any
people. Tho foreigner lacks the race sympathy
that is necessary to tho upbuilding of a nation.
Americans who go to the Philippine islands will
find it impossible to withstand the temptation to
use tho government for exploitation it has been so
with carpet bag governments in tho past and it
will be so In tho future, Human nature has not
changed much, and is yet far too weak to exercise
arbitrary and irresponsible power.
A hundred students educated in tho United
States and returned to the nations of tho Orient
would do more toward extending our trade and
our civilization than an army of an hundred thou
sand men. The federal government could well af
ford to establish a school and educate all the stu
dents that would be sent here from South America
nnd Asia. The cost to the nation would be small
compared with the cost of a single war of con
quest, and the profit would be immeasurabio
greater.
JJJ ' '
A Stable Dollar.
'A reader of The Commoner asks for a defini
tion of an honest dollar. Stability is the test of
honesty. ,An absolutely honest dollar would be
one whoso average purchasing power would re
main the same from year to year. Tho advocates
of the gold Ptandard are in the habit of speaking
of the gold dollar as an honest dollar, but one of
the leading momometallists, Professor Ltmghlln,
in-'his 'work oh bimetallism', says:1' ''Monometal-.
lists do not (as is often said), believe that gold
remains absolutely stable in valw They hold
that there is no such thing as a 'standard of value'
for future payments in gold or silver which re
mains absolutely invariable."
This must be admitted by every intelligent
student of the science of money. The value of tho
dollar depends on tho number of dollars and an
Increase or decrease in the volume of money (out
of proportion to the change in the demand for
.money) will affect prices. For instance, if all
the world used the gold standard and the produc
tion of gold suddenly increased, say two or three
fold, the increase in prices would be very great.
The same effect, though in the opposite direction.
Would be noticed if the supply of money suddenly
decreased.
Professor Laughlln, discussing tho subject fur
ther, says:
"As regards national debts, it is distinct
ly averred that neither gold nor silver forms
a just measure of deferred payments, and that
: if justice in long, contracts is sought for, we
should not seek it by the doubtful and un
tried expedient of international bimetallism,
but by the clear and certain method of a
multlpte standard, a unit based -upon th sell
ing prices of a number of articles of general
cdhsumption. A long-time contract would
thereby be paid at its maturity, by the samo
, purchasing power as was given in the be-
ginning."
. Here is a clear recognition of two facts, first,
that justice lies in absolute stability, and, second,"
that human ingenuity can only approximate, never
reach, perfect stability. A dollar resting upon
two metals more nearly approaches stability, and,
therefore, justice, than a dollar resting upon ono
metal. According to tho same process of reason
ing, a dollar resting upon a hundred articles would
make a still nearer approach to stability.
The multiple standard is not, however, deemed
practicable. Both gold and silver iluctuato (tho
production of gold has fluctuated more often and
moro .violently than tho production of Bilver) but
they have not usually fluctuated in concert. "When
part of the nations used gold and part of them
silver, so that all of the product of both metals
could And a place for coinage, it did not make so
much difference which standard a nation had, for
both of the metals contributed to make up the
standard money of tho world, but with all the na
tions using gold alone, or all the nations using
silver alone, the situation would be different. If
the gold standard ever does produce .a stable cur
rency it will disappoint the gold standard advo
cates, for they want a rising dollar.
JJJ
War Taxes and Tariff Revising.
A "Washington dispatch to the New York
"World says that it Is estimated that the net treas
ury surplus for the present fiscal year may reach
$130,000,000, and that as a consequence, republi
can leaders in congress with the president's sanc
tion have adopted a plan to cut off all the .war
taxes, reducing the internal revenue to figures as
low, if not lower, than those which prevailed be
fore the Spanish-American war.
According to the "World's dispatch, the aboli
tion of these special taxes will reduce the revenue
to about $65,000,000. The tax on beer will be re
duced from $1.60 to $1 a barrel, thus taking off
about $25,G0O,000. The tax on tobacco will be re
duced from nine to six cents per pound, and tho
c'gar schedule will be rearranged so as to effect,
together with the general tobacco reduction, an
additional reduction of $25,000,000. In this way
it is estimated that the entire war tax will be
wiped out and the surplus reduced by about $65,
000,000. The "World's correspondent says that it is also
suggested that the tax on whisky may be reduced
to eighty cents a gallon, the present tax being
$1.20 per gallon. The "World's correspondent says:
The president and the republican members
of the ways and means committee, with two
possible exceptions, are unalterably opposed
to any revision of tho tariff. All agree that
reduction on one article could not be effected
without going through the entire list, and such,
a revision is not contemplated. All agree also
that business would be unsettled and the pres
ent prosperity materially checked. The presi
dent and these members think it wise to leave
well enough alone.
It is also stated that -it is not now believed
that any ono of the pending reciprocity treaties
ca- obtain ratification in the senate, and that
"there seems no prospect along the line of recip
oeity." The "World's correspondent is .authority for
tho statement that when certain members of tho
ways and means committee suggested to the presi
dent that possibly tho treasury surplus could bo
lowered by revision of the tariff schedule in which
the greatest degree of protection is allowed, "the
president declared his close adherence to the doc
trine of high protection and expressed, his opinion
that tho present prosperity should be allowed to
continue, and that there should be no tinkering
with the tariff to unsettle business and cause ap
prehension in commercial circles."
Chairman Payne of the ways and means com
mittee, said: "The country is doing better than,
ever before, and there is an old adage to let well
enough alone."
Representative Russell of Connecticut said:
'Revision of 'the tariff along special lines is. a
practical impossibility at present. Conditions are
good, and they should be permitted to remain so."
Moro and moro every day it appears that Rep
resentative Babcpck's fight for tariff revision will
bo a hopeless one in the republican party., Re-,
publican leaders, who, like Babcock, have changed
their opinion as to the influence of a high protec
tive tariff on the general welfare,. wpuld have a
very strong following in tho republican party, and
perhaps tho recognition of this fact has something
to do, aside from tho desire to reduce the surplus,
with the concessions which tho administration
leaders seem disposed to make in the matter of
tho war taxes. Doubtless these leaders believe
that by a material reduction of the war taxes,
thus affording relief in some quarters, they can
postpone the demand for tariff revision.
Certainly the republicans have the powor to
defeat tariff revision, and probably tn-jy have tho
ability to close for a time the public eye to one
great evil, while affording a degree of relief from
war taxes.
It is interesting also to note that the samo
authority that assures us there will be no tariff
revision also conveys the information "there seems
no prospect along the line of reciprocity."' Repub
lican newspapers had much to say by way of com
mendation of President McKinley's last speech,
and yet, if tho New York "World's "Washington
correspondent is to be relied upon, already there
are indications that the policy announced by tho
lamented president, in his last speech, has already
been abandoned by the republican party.
JJJ
Echoes From England.
Some of the more advanced imperialists in
this country resent any criticism of the administra
tion's policy, and regard it as an abuse of free
speech. It would be well for such to read tho
English newspapers. Tho following extracts are
taken from the London Daily News of October 24 :i
v Sir: Looking at some recent events, I
seem to see a curious point of similarity in"
circumstances preceding them, as thus:
Broeksma Breaks up Rand meeting
(shot).
Dr. Krause Engaged for what is practical
ly the attack, in a case which must be preju
dicial to the financiers (arrested).
Colonel Kekewich Saves Kimberley, but
does not get on with Mr. Rhodes (goes about
his business unrewarded and unpromoted).
General Buller Treats Ladysmith as moro
important to preserve than Kimberley (dis
graced). Yours very faithfully,"
A. J. BUTLER.
"Wood End, Weybridge, Oct. 24.
. M
Before: : -
.""Then it's" ........ ;
Please to walk in front,
' When the guns begin to shoot."
(Popular Poet.)
'After: - '
"Turn him out, the brute." (Ibid.)
Sir: The event of the hour Js but one
more proof of the decadence of the national
character. A very fitting pendant this affair
to war office administration with which tho
country has rung for two years: and it is still
ringing- with the disgraceful spectacle of our
soldiers, returned from South Africa, wander
ing about London, hungry, roofless, penniless,
till they, bolted from the ranks, fifty at a time,
because the war office would not even pay
them.
That phantom spy seems very fairly cor
rect, and in spite of these official words, "In
consequence of his speech," the country will
never be persuaded that the commander of tho
First Army Corps was cashiered for scolding a
newspaper. No one will believe it, because
other generals have spoken often and freely.
The enormbus crowds which waited in tho
cold for hours to welcome the return of tho
beloved and gallant commander-in-chief from
South Africa, must have been very appreciably
pmaller had they known what a trick was go
ing to be played upon the fighting general,
whose dogged British pertinacity had pro-
pared the way for that occasion of national
rejoicing. CIVIS BRITANNICUS.
Sir: Reading in your columns today of tho
dismissal of General Sir Redvers Buller, a dis
missal which he has rather cause to glory in
since it was on account of his uncompromising
honesty, and contrasting it with honors show
ered on men like Milner, Rhodes, etc., we are
strongly reminded of the lines of tho Scotch
bard:
"A prince can. make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and a' that;
But an honest man's aboon his might,
Guid faith he mauna fa' that." Etc.
Respectfully ytfurs, G ?,"
Sir: In the Directory of Directors you will
A