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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
1 '
Tho tobacco trust Is another "tariff Infant."
Dolaroy has escaped again and tho cable is
'choked with regrets.
Move over, please, and make room on tho
mourners' bench for Mr. Wattcrson.
Now Cecil Rhodes wears no more diamonds
and carries no more money than Commander
Scheepers.
Imagine, if you can, Horace Greeley officiat
ing in tho position soon to bo assumed by his
successor.
Tho chances are that Delarey and De Wot are
not doing tho bulk of tho worrying about peace
proposals.
Cdcil Rhodes left an immense estate, includ
ing a bloody war which is Inherited by the' Brit
ish taxpayers.
It appears that we have purchased a scandal
with the Danish West Indies. Perhaps tho "in
'aurrection" will come later.
However, the man who cheerfully assists in
saddling the equine should uot object too serious
ly when tho horseman mounts.
Mr. Root seems to feel quite badly becauso
the Bonate takes more stock in tho Miles experi
ence than in tho Root theory.
Of course -wo are teaching tho Filipinos "na
tional honor" and "horror of repudiation" by
giving them tho "50-cont dollar."
It seems that General Miles made the mistake
of not first submitting his plan to such veterans as
Funston and Wood, for approval.
The rank and file of democracy show no in
clination to pormit reorganizes to mako a ping
pong ball of tho democratic party.
I I
Will Mr. Hanna favor a subsidy on wagons
that carry wheat to market? Tho wheat mar
ket has been rather low of late years.
Tho men who declare a bank backed bill to bo
better than a government backed bill are the men
who aro always first to howl "traitor."
Tho eastern gentlemen who throw so many
spasms of delight over tho McAllister resolution
have a few paroxysms of remorse coming.
Tho gentlemen who preferred imperialism to
Independent bimetallism aro now extremely agi
tated because they secured their preference.
Besides, General Miles earned his many pro
motions by gallantry on tho field of action, not
by posing before tho footlights.
General Miles' statement that tho Root army
bill is "centralization of tho worst type" will
sorvo to mako tho administration all the moro
anxious to secure its enactment' into law. Cen
tralization Is essentially republican.
The Commoner.
Tho Philadelphia republicans who enfranchise
thousands of dead men every year aro terribly
wrought up about tho disfranchisement of somo
livo men.
..
General Roberts wants it understood that his
visit to South Africa is purely a private one.
"Bobs" is not taking any chances on losing that
reputation.
... -1
Tho eyes of a large number of-eastern jour
nals need tho attention of skilled opticians. They
have failed to see tho withdrawal of the McAl
lister resolution.
m -
Wo trust there is a madstone handy to the
office of the New York Press. If over it bites it
self in its tariff frenzy nothing but heroic reme
dies can save it.
Mr. Watterson is sadly frightened at tho
thought of a "man on horseback," but if we re
member rightly ho cheerfully assisted in pro
viding the equine.
American consumers aro taxed on 2,000,000
tons of sugar in order to benefit the producers of
100,000 tons of beet sugar. The beet sugar syndi
cate is in tho saddle,
Of course tho men who arbitrarily fix tho
price of sugar beets are weeping most copiously at
tho thought that the beet raiser may bo ruinod by
tariff concessions to Cuba.
Kitchener reported tho capture of a Boer
magazine, but it transpires that ho captured only
tho reading matter section, Tho advertising sec
tion, by far the largest, got away.
The New York 'tribune is wavering on tho
Dingley tariff. Whitelaw is determined to re
lieve the president of every onerous burden savo
that of making a show at the coronation.
The men who are in danger of being hanged
by General Funston might escape with their lives
by forging a few letters and marching under an
other flag than their own for a short spell.
Secretary Root refuses to- permit General Miles
to go to the Philippines, saying the war is over.
Secretary Root should think up something now to
say. General Otis said that over two years ago.
"Community of interest" on the part of tho
people means that they should prevent the Mor
gans and Carnegies and Rockefellers from doing
what they please with the property of the people.
. The citizens of Danvers, Mass., assembled in
town meeting a week or two ago to discuss "causes
of tho present industrial depression in New Eng-
" land." What a lot of traitors there must be in
Danvers.
Quito naturally the republicans of Philadel
phia favor tho Crumpacker resolution, feeling
that If all attention is concentrated on the south
tho Philadelphia republican frauds will not bo
unearthed.
Since the death of Mr. Altgeld a great many
republican editors have realized that denunciations
of him are no longer good campaign cards, hence
they deign to make a few truthful remarks about
his character.
Tho farmers' granges of Indiana are beginning
to pass resolutions in favor of electing senators
by the people. Senators Fairbanks and Beveridge
had better get out of the non-committal list be
fore tho storm breaks.
Vol. a If o-lU
Senator Elkins' proposed amendment to tho
Interstate commerce act permits of pooling and
division of receipts. OX course the "community
of interest" gentlemen aro quite sure that tho
amendment should prevail.
Speaker Henderson is devoting considerable
time to explaining to the republican papers in his
district. Tho politician who is forced to explain
to tho country weeklies of his political faith,
should ask bids for a safety net.
How many republican farmers are now mak
ing as large a per cent upon their invested capital
as the ship owners? And yet these same farmers
are to be taxed more that the ship owners may en
joy still larger returns.
Justice to Cuba will have to take the sido
track until the shipping subsidy grafters thrust
their arms up to the shoulders in the national
treasury. Justice usually has to stand aside when
the grafters com along.
Senator McMillan of Michigan can- be classed
among the doubtful senators, as tho nearest ap
proach he makes to committing himself is that
ho will "give tho bill careful attention when it
Bhall bo taken up in the senate.' Senator Mc
Millan needs a few moro letters to remind him
that he is the servant of the people of Michigan
and in duty bound to speak for them and not for
himself on public questions.
According to the Philadelphia North Ameri
can, Captain Walter Christmas has submitted a
secret report to the Danish government in which,
ho charges that largo sums of money wore ex
pended to secure "influence" to get tho trado
through.
The future historian who writes the biography
of Secretary Long will not bo true ta his task if
he fails to mention the fact that Mr. Long was tho
secretary of the navy who Allowed men,. like
Schley and Dewey to be belittled and discredited
by men like Crowninshield.
J. Pierpont Morgan defines "community of. in
terest" as follows: "It means that men who own
property may do with it as they please." Tho
definition is delightfully simple, and the men
who pay the tariff taxes and the freight rates are
doubly foolish if they do not profit by it.
Themen in tho signal corps in that Mindanao
province should bo informed that the "insurrec
tion is dead." Having been attacked' and severely
handled by a force of 200 Filipinos since the last
time the insurrection was suppressed they may
not, perhaps, be aware of the suppression.
Senator Perkins of California writes to one of
his constituents that he has twice addressed tho
senate in favor of electing senators by the people,
and still advocates the reform. The Commoner is
gratified to be able to place Senator Perkins on
the people's side of this important question.
Senator Gallenger says that he never heard of
the great combinations trying to influence votes 'in.
the senate. Senator Gallenger might get some
valuable information on this subject by consult-'
ing his former colleague, Senator Chandler, who
was defeated for re-election by the railroads.
Senator Hoar says that the sentiment in favor
of the popular election of senators is "worked up."
He is mistaken. The people are "worked up" be
cause so many republican senators owe their elec
tion to corporations and do the bidding of the cor
porations regardless of the wishes of the people. '
Senator Burrows of Michigan writes to a con
stituent that he has repeatedly declared himself
in favor of the election of United States senators
by the people, and that he still adheres to tiiat
opinion. As Senator Burrows is a member of tho
committee which has the resolution in charge, it
is gratifying to know that he favors the reform.
A reader inquires whether it is not as easy "to
corrupt the bosses who control conventions as to
corrupt legislatures?" No, and the reason is plain.
After the convention is through the people sit in
judgment upon the action of tho convention, and
that robs the boss of his power. But the action
of the legislature is final and the temptation to
corrupt is, therefore, much greater.
General Miles' pl-n of campaign in the Phil
ippines was turned down- by President Roosevelt
and Secretary of War Root because the "trouble
in tho Philippines is over." March 23, General
Davis, stationed at Zamboanga, Mindanao re
ported that a detachment of the signal corps' had
been attacked by 200 well armed natives one
American killed and the transportation of tho
detachment captured, including four mules Tho
presidential assertion and the Philippine fact do
not track.
The legislature of Nebraskaa republican leg-
islaturo at that passed a resolution in tho spring
of 1899 demanding the election of United States
senators by direct vote of he people, and yot the
senators from Nebraska aro non-committal on the
subject. As they have plenty of opportunity to
look after railroad Interests in other matters
they ought to avoid following the dictation of
the railroads where tho people have spoken aa
plainly as they have on this question.