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The Commoner.
The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
Entered nt the postofikc nt I,incoln, Nebraska, ns second
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
-'" fMwimi .mi 1. 1 -i-ii..i 1 - im
TO SUBSCRIBERS.
Subscriptions that began with the first number
of The Commoner will expire in January as shown
on the wrappers on the papers. As it requires the
same work to handle a renewal that it does a new
subscription, renewals should be sent in without
delay to' protect the subscriber against the possi
bility of missing a number of the paper. ..
The Filipino found a Payne ..tariff law in his
Christmas stocking.
The Charles Gates Dawes senatorial boom
seems to have grievously infringed upon the
groundhog's copyright. . , . -v. ...
..Governor Shaw hesitated; ;. perhaps Hhefyas:;
looking for the ulterior motive.,. . ',
They forced Gallilio to recant, but they could"
not control his mental reservations. But General
Miles refuses to even recant.
" 2 '
'' If1 not bjfrred by the statute of limitation, per
haps President Roosevelt would reprimand Colonel
Roosevelt forthat round robin affair in Cuba.
; The people know the men behind the guns at
Santiago, .and they now want to 'know the men be
hind Maclay in the navy department. ; ''
Lillian Nordica says the government owes her
$3,000,000, but with a full knowledge of Undo
Sam's slowness in paying such claims wo advise
her to sing for it.
The chief difference between the Dingley tariff
and the Payne tariff is that the people who pay
the Dingley tax had a slight representation very
slight when it was framed.
The Washington Post is severe on the "party
organs." Yet the Post is having a hard time of it
trying to back-track on its Roosevelt record with
out colliding with itself.
Patrick Henry said but Patrick Henry was an
old fogy who believed in independence, govern
ment with the consent of the governed and no
taxation without representation. '
Talk about amending the constitution should
be postponed until a commission has time to in
vestigate and report whether there is enough left
of the document to sew a patch to.
The coal trust indignantly denies that" it is
selling American coal in France cheaper than it is
selling the same kind of coal in American cities.
It merely offered to sell it cheaper in France.
4
The Chicago Tribune is a good newspaper, but
it is open to one criticism. It is difficult to tell
whether its disquisitions on the tariff are meant
to bo serious or Intended as filling for its humorous
department.
Charles Emory Smith has left the postofllco
department and "Historian" Maclay has been pried
loose from the navy department, but the literary
fellows ate still represented In the government em
ploy by John Hay.
Representative Hepburn is due for a reprimand
for having admitted that the democrats forced the
republicans to declare for-free Cuba. The prema
ture utterance is not confined to the -army and
navy.
It. is a pity that the president did not go a
hunting just before he wrote the trust portion of
his message. The excitement of the chase, might
have put more strenuosity into his discussion of
the trust question.
The difference between the trusts and the
people is this when the trusts want anything
from congress they keep working until they get It;
when the people want anything they make one try.
for it and then spend a year or two wondering why
they did not get it.
Some of the readers of The Commoner are
calling attention to the contrast between the ad
vance notices and the president's performance on
the trust question. But it must be remembered
that a trust magnate, when once aroused, is bigger
than a bear and more savage than a mountain lion.
By keeping all of the Philippine' taxes' in the
insular treasury and drawing on Uncle Sam's
treasury for expense money, Commissionor General.
: Taft manages to figure out thr.t the Philippine,
treasury haB a surplus. With this basis to figure
from he easily demonstrates" that the Philippines
are a source of profit.
As I intend to move to the country on the 19th
of March, my residence at 1625 D street is for sale.
While I prefer to occupy the house until March
19th, possession can, if necessary, be given at any
time. Those who contemplate locating in Lincoln
for the education of . their children or for : any
other purpose "are invited to call, or correspond.
. Judge Dunne said that Judge Hanecy.had re
course to a suit for libel against the Chicago Amer
ican, but Judge Hanecy has taken no steps In that
direction. This recalls the story of the man who
complained that another man had called him a
liar. When asked what he was going to do about
it, he replied: "Nothing. I'm afraid he'll prove
it if I stir the matter up any more."
wy
Ex-Governor Shaw, the new secretary of the
treasury, argues that because the railroads con
trol the number of cars they use, therefore banks
should be permitted to control the volume of money
used by the people. Whether he takes this position
because of. his bias in favor of banks or because
of his Ignorance of the money question is imma
terial, the fact that he holds such views show3
that the people at large will not be considered dur
ing his administration of the. treasury department.
A Canadian reader of The Commoner inquires
in regard to the legal ratio between gold and sil
ver in the United States. The American gold dol-""
lar weighs 25 8-10 grains, while the silver dollar
veighs 412 1-2 grains (both metals being 9-10 fine).
This makes the ratio between the weight of the
dollars sixteen to one. The law of 1792 made the
ratio fifteen to one, but in 1834 the ratio was
changed to sixteen to one by reducing the weight
o the gold dollar. The weight of the silver dol
lar has not been changed, but is the same now that
it was when the first silver dollars were Issued.
Anarchists want no government and some
would, herd them on an island. Trusts object to
being governed, but it is to be noted that no re
publican has suggested the island remedy. It seems
that republicans prefer to give the trusts the
whole continent.
The editor of The Commoner receives numer
ous inquiries in regard to statistics of production,
importation, exportation, etc. The quickest way to
secure such information is for the individual
to write to his congressman or United States sena
tor. These being in Washington and having ac
cess to all the departments and publications can
secure anything desired in the way of statistical in
formation. yws
If any one disputes the principle involved in
the initiative and referendum, let him inquire
whether we do not now indorse the principle when
we submit constitutional questions and other im
portant questions to the people. The closer the
government gets to the people the more sure is
its foundation and the more free from corruption
is its administration.
The readers of The Commoner were duly in
formed when ground was broken for the residence
which I am building near Lincoln. It is now
time to report progress. The foundation is in
and the walls are above the grade, so that work
can be resumed as soon as spring opens. The
barn is practically completed. In order to be on
the ground while the house is being built, we have
decided to move into the barn on my birthday, the
19th of March, and occupy it until the house is
completed.
Some of the republican papers are speaking un
kindly of Senator Wellington. Among republi
can leaders it seems to be an offense for a public
man to have a conscience. Senator Wellington
honestly opposed imperialism and 'militarism, and
ho allowed his convictions to .control his political
conduct. He will lose.his place in the senate, but
he will doubtless enjoy his exile more than ho
vould enjoy fellowship with the republicans if pur
chased by the suppression of what he believed to
bo right.
As the renewals come in they are usually ac
companied by commerildation of the work which
The Commoner is trying to do, . and hese com
mendations are duly appreciated.. A Minnesota
democrat says of The Commoner: "It is a publi
cation of great value to democrats. I have .read
it during the past 'year with great pleasure and'
profit. I write this letter for the purpose of lending-
you. the humble encouragement, which a few
friendly words may give." Another reader, speak
ing through the columns of the Columbia (Mo.)
Herald, says of The Commoner that it "occupies a
unique place among American newspapers. It
covers ground occupied by no other periodical;
I know of no other publication where these great
questions are discusded so fairly."
The editor of The Commoner has been very
much cheered by the fidelity and, fighting qualities
shown by the Pennsylvania democrats. The 're
publicans are in absolute control of the state and
run things with a high hand, but scattered over
the state are a multitude of loyal democrats wfyo
go down to defeat regularly and as regularly, risa
and renew the fight. In 1896 the democratic ticket
received more than four hundred and thirty, thou
sand votes in the state of Pennsylvania in spite
of all the terrorism and coercion employed. If
any one thinks that the Chicago platform has no
followers , in Pennsylvania, let him compare by.
counties the vote this year with the vote In 1896.
With the exception of Philadelphia county and
thirteen other counties where local influences pre-,
vailed, the union ticket polled less votes than the'
democratic ticket polled in 1896, notwithstanding
the large number of anti-Quay republicans who
supported the ticket this year.
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