Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1902)
The Commoner. April 25, 190a is receiving very general attention throughout the world. In truth, the suggestion made by Mr. Rhodes to Mr. Stead in 1890 is fairly in keeping with the characteristics of the man as the world has learned him through South African history. He believed, evidently, that a favored class of men had author ity to ride booted and spurred over other u-ca. To be surer, this was all to be for the advantage of the "other men." British impositions upon the Boers of South Africa were, in Mr. Rhodes' opin ion, entirely proper because British domination meant progress and the rights and preferences of the Boers were not, in the least, to be considered. On the same line Mr. Rhodes would have the few men who absorb great wealth administer not only that wealth, but administer all the government of the English speaking people. These wealthy men were to organize a secret society. England and the United States were to be brought prac tically under one government. This government and all the people thereof were to be completely dominated by men of .wealth, comprising the mem bership of this secret society. The blunt way in which Mr. Rhodes stated this proposition makes it sound harsh to many think ing men; and yet there is not a great difference be tween the scheme as revealed in the tendencies of the republican policies of today and the schc.co revealed in the candid statements of Cecil Rhodes. To bo sure, there is no oath bound secret society now engaged fn the effort to rule the people, but a coterie of men, operating under skillful and in genious plans of organization, controls generally the finances of the country and is seeking, with prospects of excess, to transfer from the govern ment to themselves the money issuing functions that, in a government of freemen, must remain free from selfish control. The commerce of w..o country is rapidly coming under the domination of a few men 'who have been referred to by an eminent American as "captains of industry." And these men are rapidly obtaining control over the necessities of life, securing day by day more and more power to increase the prices of commodities and to decrease the rate of wages according co their own pleasure. However much one may be startled by the blunt proposition of the late South African mag nate, the intelligent man cannot fail to beliera that if present day conditions are permitted to continue, without vigorous and successful protests from the people, this now astounding proposition will in time be realized. During the past five years, the American peo ple have seen the representatives of class interest taking encouragement and license from the elec tion and re-election of republican administrations, to do things which, prior to 1897, no American pol itician would have dared to stand for, and no American citizen could have been persuaded to defend. It was but a short step from a successful cam paign infavor of bimetallism with a string at tached to it in 1896 to an explicit declaration in favor of the gold standard in 1900. The adoption of the policy of imperialism, the recon. -nendation by the republican committee of a bill providing for the redemption in gold of the silver dollar and for the asset currency plan, the passage by the United States senate of .ho ship subsidy bill, and the various other things -me in the name of the republican party havo been the logical results of the blind trust which the American voters placed in that party in the campaigns of 1896 and of 1900. Things that were once denounced by the domi nant party are now defended. Trusts which that party once promised to destroy they now promise to "regulate." Men to whom the republican president once referred as representatives of "cunning," are now- referred to- by the same gentleman as "captains of industry." . "Little by little, but steadily as man's march to the grave wo have been giving up the old for the new faith. We began by declaring that all men are created equal, but now, from that begin ning, wo havo run down to the other declaration that for some men to enslave others is the sacred right of self-government." However much Cecil Rhodes' proposition may grate upon our ears today, if the tendencies of re publican policies continuo unchecked -and unre pudlated, if the American people continue to sleep upon their rights, to close their eyes to the enor mous evils going on around them, to stop their ears to, the appeals of men who are foresighted enough to see the terrible consequences of these wrongs, the dream of the South African magnate ' will bo realized and a government of freemen will be transformed into a nation of serfs. JJJ ' Torture in the Philippines. When General Miles charged in his' letter to the president, that the war in the Philippines had been characterized by great severity he was re buked by Secretary Root and informed that the Filipinos had been treated with marked consid eration. It now appears that the administration had withheld from the public the report of one ot the provincial governors protesting against the cruelties practiced. The investigations which have taken place since reveal such an astonishing condition that the secretary of war has felt it nec essary to cable to Manila instructions for the court martial of the .guilty officers. The secretary's order will be found on another page. It more than sustains the charges made by General Miles and ought to convince the most partisan republican that our war of conquest is proving as demoralizing to the invaders as it is destructive to the subject race. Mr. Edward J. Davis of Massachusetts, a ser geant of company M, 26th Vol. Inf., testified be fore the senate committee a few days ago and gave a detailed description of the "water cure" as ad ministered by American soldiers to the presidento of the town of Igbaros. The following is an ex tract from his testimony: The man's clothing was removed above the waist and his hands tied behind him, when the cure was administered by this de tail. 'He was then," the witness said, "taken to the water tank and thrown upon his back and while an interpreter stood over him, a stream of water was directed into his mouth, which was held open. "Who gave the 'command for this treat ment?" "Captain Glenn." "How was the man's mouth kept open?" "By means of a stick, but I could not seo just how it was done." Continuing the witness said that when the victim of the cure was filled with the water the members of the detail would force it out of him by rolling their fists over his stomach and that process was kept up for about ten minutes. He described the second application of the cure as previously testified to and corroborated Sergeant Riley in the statement that the details of this performance were under the charge of Contract Surgeon Lyon and that Captain Glenn and Lieutenant Conger were both pres ent when it occurred. Sergeant Davis also testified that Captain Glenn ordered Lieutenant Conger to burn Igboras, a town of about 10,000 people, and that in pur suance of the order "all except about fifteen houses were destroyed and men, women and children forced out indiscriminately." What will be the effect of this brutal warfare? That it will intensify the hatred which the Fili pinos feel toward the Americans goes without say ing, but what will be its effect upon our people? If they protest they will be accused of encouraging the Filipinos; if they remain silent they will be come calloused and indifferent to such things. Imperialism Is harmful enough to Filipinos but it is infinitely more harmful to our own people. The victims of injustice may recover from Its ef fects, but those who do injustico cannot so easily recovor. We are sowing the wind and wo shall reap the whirlwind, oven though many seed times, and harvests may pass between the sowing and, the reaping. JJJ Stabbed in the Dark. The senate committee having in charge tho" resolution submitting the amendment provid ing for the popular election of United States senators has accepted the Depow amondmont which reads as follows: The qualifications of citizens entitled to voto for United States senators and represent atives in Congress shall be uniform In all the states, and Congress shall bo empowered to enforce this article by appropriate legisla tion, and to provide for the registration of citizens entitled to voto, to conduct cuch elec tions and tho certification of the result. Tho purpose of this amendment is to defeat the proposition by indirection. Tho republican railroad attorneys can voto for tho resolution be cause they know it cannot pass. They substi tute a bitter pr.rtlsan and sectional question for a plain and simple reform. Lacking the courage to attack tho resolution openly, they stab it In tho dark. Tho fact that Senator Dopew proposed tho amendment' Is sufficient proof of its source as well as of its purpose. It comes from the great corporation magnates who use such mon as Sen ator Depew as servile tools, and it is introduced not because those who suggest it have any un selfish desire to protect the colored man, but . because they do not want popular government and think they can hold the black man between . them and the wrath of tho voters. A few repub licans may bo independent enough to oppose tho amendment, but most of them will hall it with joy. As long as public opinion was passive oa the senatorial question tho constitutional amend ment was quietly strangled, but when the peo ple began clamoring for the change it was neces sarry to divert their attention from the real issue and Senator Depew was tho man naturally chosen to represent tho monled Interest and, to head their cowardly and clandestine fight. JJJ The Post Check Currency. Mr. C. W. Post of Battle Creek, Michigan, has suggested to the treasury department a plan for the issue of a new kind of postal note which sim plifies the sending of money by mail. The plan is this: As the present greenbacks are presented for cancellation new notes are to be issued for them, identical in size and appearance, except that there will be a blank on the note which can bo filled out by any one and the note made payable to the order of any person In the United States. As soon as the name is written on the note tho note ceases to be money and becomes a check on the government for the amount and can be collected at the postofflce named upon the iden tification of the payee. A stamp will be put on the bill by the sender and this stamp will pay the order or postal note system and would be especially convenient for people living in the country or in cities where they have delivery. It would save the trouble of a trip to the postofflce and the Inconvenience attendant upon the present system. It goes with out saying that it would be a convenience to pub lishers because it would enable subscribers to remit through the mails without danger or trou ble, and at less expense than now. The system has already been endorsed by tho postofflce department and by a large number, of the newspapers. There seems to be no objection to it and the sentiment in its favor is growing. 1 i