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The Commoner.
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The Commoner.
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The Commoner wishes every reader a Happy
New' Year.
...Independence and not a transfer to another
master is -what the Filipinos deserve. ......
; Will Senators Frye and Hanna lend, their sup- '
port to a farm wagon bounty? I-
Perhaps President Roosevelt meant to refer to
reciprocity-as "the bound girl of protection."
It seems that Dewey has not yet opened up '
cable communications with the navy department.
,, With the new treaty ratified there ought to bo '
no. delay in the construction of the Nicaragua
canals
A good New Year's day resolution for republi
cansResolve to read the Declaration of Inde
pendence. Mr. Hanna says his greatest ambition Is to
reconcile capital and labor. Has Mr. Hanna mis
laid his club?
Supreme court decisions are running a close
race for a position alongside the once tantalizing
15-13-14 puzzle.
The proposition to have a congressional in
vestigation of Maclay is open to the criticism that
Maclay ianr't worth it.
A good'resolutlon for New Year's Day Resolve
to support the papers that defend your rights and '
prqtect your interqsts.
, The country at largo is, showing a reprehen
sible disposition to Inquire as to the personalities
of Ramsey and Benham.
It is hardly worth while to 'talk nf Cnin i
Philippines to another nation.' We have nothing
lb Roll lllf tTin H it. . ",
. mm. iu uiiuuu uu a ngnc.
. The attention of Signdr Marconi is called to
the' fact that the trusts have been sending wireless
messages to congress for several years.
Perhaps that nebular spectacle is only the
agents of Messrs. Morgan and Rockefeller striving
to gain possession of another planet.
Now that the verdict Is in we may expect a few
promotions in the navy department. Haye Ad
mirals 'Benham and Ramsey any sons in the navy?
The democratic editors' of Nebraska have
formed an editorial association. This plan should
bo. followed by the democratic editors in every
other state.
- Republican organs that" quote the president's
remarks concerning the shipping subsidy will not
have to pay much for the composition between tho
quotation marks.
- Postmaster General Smith has resigned front
the cabinet and a shrewd political wire-puller has .
been appointed to succeed him. The changes have
commenced Next!
The cost of good literature is insignificant
when compared with its value in moulding char
acter, and a good newspaper is the least ex
pensive form of literature.
Support the country weeklies, and in order
to keep the editors under obligation to you in
stead of under obligation to "the bankers, pay for
your subscription in advance.
During the six months from June to Novem
ber 10,113 children died in the British concentra
tion camps in South Africa. But any reference
to the matter may be construed as being unfriend-, '
ly 'to Great Britain. " ""
' j .. , r
'It our theory of government must be surren
dered in order . to protect the. beneficiaries Jot V !
kigl. tariff it m.iskt be well to have a commission
to inquire into and fix the pecuniary value of the
principles of a republic.
, James J. Hill insists that the consolidation of
seydraT competing iines of railroad is for tho .
benefit of the people. And ,Mr. Hill is so serious
about it that we are impelled to believe that he is
sadly deficient in a sense of humor.
' In six months British ' concentration camps
killed more women and children than the British '
armies did Boer soldiers in two years. ' Britain's
war in South Africa shows how injustice leads' to
inhumanity.
It Is to be hoped that tho Filipinos will be
duly grateful for their Christmas present the
Philippine tariff measure. To enjoy it fully -they
must carefully refrain from reading an account of
England's treatment of the American colonies.
A Massachusetts reader suggests that the im
perialists don't like a paper that points out the im
morality of wars of conquest, because such papers
"adulterate politics with morals, and imperialistic
readers can't reconcile morals to their doings!"
. This is a strange world. Because anarchists
do. not want any kind of government we are talk-
ing about forcjng them to occupy an island, and
because the Filipinos want a government of their
own we are taking their islands away from them.
Representative Hepburn admits that the re
publican party had no intention of allowing Cuba
to become free and Independent, but was forced' to
do It by the' democratic party. Still there are
those who InsiBt that the democratic party is dead.
. The Buffalo Journal, which, cannot, be' accused
of t leaning toward ' government ownership-, gives
"warning to those who are so d6votedv'to corporate
interests "that tEe do not foresee the issue which
will be raiseti by railroad combinations and private
monopolies. . ,.
As the president refuses to build a national
university with Mr. Carnegie's steel trust bonds
tho latter might use the bonds to establish and
endow a judicial gymnasium where persons .as
piring to the supreme court behch could learn to
turn legal somersaults. .
. Speaking on the Philippine question, Congress
man DeArmond said that wo had acquired the isl
ands' in folly and- could dispose of them in wis
dom, - This is an epigramatic statement pt .the
case and a quit claim deed to the inhabitants
would dispose of the matter in an American way.
The London Times Says: "We think that during-the
last year American-energy and optimism
have to some extent outrun discretion and some of
the best' qualified judges in the United States
seem to agree with us." Tlie Times is' in -great
danger of being charged- with "lese majeste"
against our strenuous executive.
In forming an opinion as to the capacity of tho
Filipinos for self-government, General Chaffee,
the military governor, is somewhat embarrassed
bj;the fact that he cannot-decide for the Filipinos
without deciding against the interests of the car
pet bag officials and exploiters who find good pick
ing in "our new possessions."
i
The Washington Post says: "There are a
..greatanany people who-would.be glad to-co-operate
with the democratic party as it formerly ex
isted' Undoubtedly, and Messrs, Hanna,-? Frfce;
Gage, Foraker, Quay, Addicks, -Piatt, and mothers
might be named as a few of. the many. Democ
racy, however,. has ceased to hunt for that kind
of co-operation.
The American anti-trust league filed a protest
against the confirmation of Attorney General
Knox. The opposition was based upon the ground
that he had not prosecuted offenses against tho
anti-trust law even when those offenses had been
brought to his notice. The senate committee,
however, reported in favor of the attorney gen-,
eral's confirmation, taking the position that the
president has. a right to choose his advisors.
Congressman Williams of Mississippi, re
ferring to the republican tariff measure which
cldses our ports to articles imported from the
Philippines, said that the Filipinos would refer
to us as the stepmother country rather than as
the mother country. It is a point well made,
but it might be stated even more strongly. 'A
stepmother' often shows great devotion to and
makes great sacrifices- for the children of her hus
band, but no nation has ever administered-a car
pet bag government with benevolence or even
justice.
The manner in -which the supreme court
twists the constitution to suit its plans, holding
the "colonies" as domestic territory for one pur
pose and as foreign territory for another purpose,
recalls a story. A Jady was purchasing some
calico with which to color Easter eggs, and" j3t
as the clerk was assuring her that it would fade,
the proprietor came along, and overhearing tlie
remark rebuked the cleric and said : "You are misr
taken, sir, that caliconwill not fade." "But she
wants it to fade," responded the clerk. The con
stitution fades whenever the court wants It to
fade. v
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