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The Commoner.
riarch al, 190a
"" The capture of Methuen and his forces was,
Indeed, a great victory. It would be well if the
, British ministry would consent
to a settlement of this war be
fore more precious blood on
both sides has been shed. But it
cannot be expected that the
British ministry will consent to peace, and in that
view we think it safe to Bay that the overwhelm
ing majority of the American people will be de
lighted to learn of Boer victories even greater
than that won over the forces under Methuen.
Great Victory
for the
Boer5.
VWN
In his speech on the ship subsidy bill, Mr.
Hanna says: "Personal contact is what brings
results." The Chicago News
Matter oi takes this as a text for an in-
"Pcrsotmi structive cartoon. Uncle Sam is
Contact." represented in the foreground
holding up his hands while the
beneficiaries of the ship subsidy are represented
by a person very much resembling Mr. Hanna
whose hand is rakingv in the shekels from Uncle
Sam's pocket into an enormous sack labeled $180,
000,000 ship subsidy bill. The cartoon is com
plete so far as description is concerned.
yvys
The last words of John P. Altgeld should pro
vide great encouragement to those who battle for
right principles. Governor Alt
Aitffcld's geld's last words were: "I am
Last not discouraged. Things will
Word's. right themselves. A pendulum
swings one way and then an
other, but the steady pull of gravitation is toward
the centre of the earth. Any structure must bo
plumb if it is to endure. So it is with nations.
Wrong may seem to. triumph; right may seem to
be defeated; but the gravitation of eternal justice
is upward toward the throne of God. Any politi
cal institution, if it is to endure, must be plumb
With that line of justice." -
After all the noise that has been made, by
those who really oppose the construction of any
canal at nil, -against" the Nica
Push raguan route, the senate com-
the mittee by a vote of 7 to 4 has re-
Canat Bill. ported in favor of the Hepburn
bill, providing for the construc
tion of a canal by the Nicaraguan route. The four
members voting against the report were Messrs.
Hanna, Pritchard, Millard and Kittredge. It need
not bo expected that the opponents of an isthmian
canal will abandon their vigorous and ingenious
opposition to the measure. But it is to be hoped
that senators who are really anxious to comply
with the popular desire will permit no further
unnecessary delay in this matter.
In a speech in the house, Mr. Hitt of Illinois
said that .international law must be strictly ad
hered to and that neutrality
Remissness must be observed with relation
of to the South African war. In
Neutrality. his conference with the Boer en
voys, Secretary of State Hay said
that the United States was determined to main
tain a "strictly neutral" attitude, and therefore
could give no encouragement to the Boers. The
Boer envoys have explained in a statement printed
in the daily newspapers that they do not ask nor
desire intervention. They do ask, however, for
neutrality. Would it not be well for the admin
istration to become really neutral. This govern
ment is not neutral while it is permitting Great
Britain to 'use United States ports for the ship
ment of horses and mules for use in the South
African war. And now it is apparent that the
British ministry proposes to use the fact that
President Roosevelt has sent special representa
tives to participate in the coronation ceremonies
of the king as an indication that the sympathy of
the United States is with Great Britain in this
war. It must be evident to any intelligent man
that the participation of these special representa
tives in these ceremonies is, under the circum
stances, a distinct breach of neutrality. The state
department under Secretary Hay is very careful
not to do anything to give the British ministry
offense. Why should the state department not be
a little more careful not to give offenso to the re
publics of South Africa? If the simple request to
the British minister that Dr. Thomas bo permitted
to go to the concentration camps on a mission of
mercy would be a "remissness of neutrality," why
is not the selection of special representatives to
participate in the coronation ceremonies of the
king also a "remissness of neutrality."
Speaking recently to the shareholders of
Lloyd's bank in London, Sir Spencer Phillips said:
"Who would have thought when
Who Would we met in 1900, when the country
Have . was just emerging from the crit
Thought it. ical stages of the war, and fan
cied it saw the end approaching,
that two years thence it would still bo dragging
on? Who would have thought that consols, which
stood at 98, a drop of 13 from what they stood
at exactly twelve months previously they had
even been higher than that could possibly fall to
91,the point at which they stood in November
last? Or who would have thought the cost of the
war would amount, as it assuredly will, to one
third as much again as the whole sum of one hun
dred and fifty-three millions, which was paid off
the national debt during the sixty-three years of
her late majesty's reign?" Mr. Phillips might
have known that the British would not have a
walkaway when Paul Kruger announced that if
England won it would be at a cost that would
stagger humanity.
In his speech in the senate, Senator Hoar de
clared he had received many requests asking him
' to support the proposition relat
"Worked ing to the election of senators
up by the people. But Senator Hoar
Sentiment" said that these requests bore the
earmarks of "worked up senti
ment." Senator Hoar should know that it is a
very difficult matter to "work up sentiment" where
sentiment does not really exist; and ho should
not forget that when he declared that the senti
ment of the American people is opposed to the
policy of imperialism, he was met with the charge
that the letters and petitions which served as tes
timony on that line in support of his claim bore
the earmarks of "worked up sentiment." But If
Senator Hoar really has any doubt as to the senti
ment of the people upon the question of election of
Senators, he would obtain valuable information by
consulting the daily newspapers of the country.
We think it safe to say that four-fifths of the
metropolitan newspapers are favorable to a con
stitutional amendment providing for the election
of senators by the people, and this includes re
publican newspapers as well, as newspapers of
other parties. The weeklies are practically unani
mous for it.
AWS
The splendid victory of the Boer forces, under
the command of General Delarey, over the British
forces under the command of
Exchange General Methuen is reviving, in
riethuen for the breast of those who sym
Cronje. pathize with the brave Dutch
men of the Transvaal and hope
that, after all, victory may be theirs. A cablegram
from London says that it is greatly feared among
Englishmen that "as a measure of retaliation for
the shooting and hanging of Boer prisoners, De
Wet and Steyn may be tempted to do away with
their distinguished prisoner." A more gratifying
statement, however, is that appearing in the same
cablegram that "pro-Boers scout this idea." It
is to be hoped that the Boers will not' Imitate the
bad example set by the British with relation to
Commandant Scheepor3. Tho very general sym
pathy which tho Boers have, at least among the
people of tho United States, depends upon the
righteousness of their causo, and that sympathy
will bo Increased if they adhere to humane meth
ods. Tho reliable information so far received con- ,
cerning tho methods of tho Boers justifies tho hope
that General Methuen, as well as all other British
prisoners, will be woll treated. Doubloss the
Boers will bo quito willing to exchange General
Methuen for Gonoral Cronjo, tho latter now being
a prisoner at St. Helena; but it is doubtful if
Great Britain would bo willing to make tho ex
change. Tho Boors would have considerable more
to gain by a surrender of Methuen, if by tho sur
render they could recover tho capable services of
Cronje, than they would by keeping Methuen from
the battlo field.
Later After tho above was written Goneral
Methuen was surrendered and no exchange de
manded. Tho Boors, it seems, were more generous
than even their friends expected. Good for tho
Boers.
One of Senator Hoar's objections to the propo
sition that senators bo elected by tho people is
that such a plan would remove
Senator the senate from its present po-
Hoar's sition of independence from tho
Objections. influence of popular movements.
Another objection made by Sen
ator Hoar is that the principle of equality of state
representation would bo affected if senators were
elected by the people rather than by tho legisla
ture. The Chicago Record-Herald, a republican
paper, replying to Senator Hoar, points out that
the equality of -state representation In the senate
would not in the least be disturbed by changing
the method of the selection of the senator. The
Record-Herald declares that "the greatest security
of. tho senate against gusts of popular passion is
the length of his term;" but tho Record-Herald
warns Senator Hoar that even though senators op
pose this plan they should at least bo willing for
it to be debated in the senate. Those senators
who seem inclined to prevent debate and obstruct
the measure in the senate are reminded by tho
Record-Herald that "they have played the part of
obstructionists too lorg to resent with good grace
any suggestion that tho.resolution should be given
a chance;" and the JJjsvther information is volun
teered "by continuing to sit on this discussion
senators like Mr. Hoar are riding for an explo
sion." Senator Hoar will have no difficulty in un
derstanding where the Chicago Record-Herald
stands on this proposition, and if ho will take tho
trouble to make an inquiry ho will discover that
a very largo majority of newspapers are in line
with the Record-Herald concerning the method of
choosing United States senators.
The northern Securities company has a few
able attorneys retained. And a careful study of
railway history will reveal the fact that the rail
roads have also a few federal judges on the list.
There is the federal judge who enjoined railroad
employes from quitting work, the federal judge
who enjoined a minister from praying with strik
ing workmen, and the federal judge who enjoined
employes from asking for an increase in wages.
X
The St. Paul Globe says: "There is no reason
why David B. Hill should not give his views as to
the next democratic national platform nor why
any other democrat should not." Certainly not.
But has the Globe noted the fact that the "demo
crats" who are talking loudest about the next
democratic platform are the ones who refused to
support the last democratic platform?
Since the American mules have twice aided the
Boers by stampeding the British army, we
may expect Mr. Roosevelt to claim that he is real
ly helping the Boers when he allows the English
army officers to buy mules in the United States.
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