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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1902)
The Commoner. April 25, 190a The Buffalo Times suggests that the reorgan izers who have been crowing -over the defeat of Senator Jones will find that They are Governor Clark, who defeated Crowing Senator Jones, Is anything but Too Soon. a rcorganizer. The contest be tween Senator Jones and Gov ernor Clark did not involve the question of or ganization, because Governor Clark is the Arkan sas member of the national committee, of which Senator Jones is chairman. There is every reason to believe that the corporation democrats who are seeking to reorganize the party will find Governor Clark as hostile to their plans as they always found Senator Jones. An Interesting Object Lesson. A Copenhagen cablegram says that a reliable canvass of the Landsthing indicates that that body will vote for the ratifica tion of the Danish West "Indian islands treaty with the provis ion that the ratification shall be operative only after the people of the West Indies have voted in favor of the sale of their islands to the United States. If the Dan ish government, however, should order a plebi scite, the fact would provide an interesting object lesson, in that a kingdom recognized, at least in this respect, the consent principle, whore the administration and senate of the greatest repub lic failed to give recognition to that principle in the preparation of the treaty. -Cvi It is to be regretted that Senator Pettus in a letter to a constituent has expressed himself as inclined to oppose the elec . it Means tion of senators by the people. Local His opposition to the change Sc'if-Govcrnmcnt. is founded upon his fear that it is in the direction of cen tralization. The senator is not only in error as to the tendency of this change, but he can satisfy himself upon investigation that those senators who are most in favor of centralization are op opposed to the popular election of senators. The . advocates of centralization want to take the government as far as possible from the peo ple; the advocates of local self-government believe in bringing the government as close to the people as possible. The rights of a state will be better protected by senators selected by the people than by men chosen by the corporations. s Then Why all This Secrecy. In' his speech at Charleston Mr. Roosevelt said that he considered there was "far more war fare about the Philippines in this 'country than there was war fare in the Philippines them selves." If this be true, then why is it necessary for this government to expend such enormous sums of money in order to establish United States author ity in the Philippine islands? If this be true, why does the national administration not permit all of the facts concerning conditions in the Philippines to become known? Before the senate committee April 7th Senator Culbertson of Texas called attention to the fact that the report of che civ.il governor of one of the Philippine provinces had been omitted from the records of Governor Taft's testimony. Senator Culbertson Intimated that the war department had taken pains to con ceal some of these reports, and he insisted upon their production. He said that he understood that these reportshad'been withheld for the purpose of procuring statements to be presented at the same time and "calculated to parry" the reports. Sena tor Rawlins of Utah also insisted upon the pro duction of the reports in question and Senator Carmack of Tennessee expressed the opinion that the war department "had come into possession of Information, that, did. not suit its views and Is trying to. suppress It until It can-cook up some thing to break the force of it" The committee then agreed to call upon the secretary of war for all information within his possession relating to Philippine affair. If Mr. Roosevelt has reached a correct conclusion, then why Is it necessary for these reports to be dragged out of the war de partment? Why does ho not require his subordi nates to promptly and fully supply the congress with information concerning the conduct of af fairs in the Philippine islands? &&A riacArthur en Filipino Character. In his testimony before the senate committee General MacArthur said that the Filipinos like the American ideas of personal liberty as embodied in our in stitutions. "This," said General MacArthur, "realizes an ideal of their own." Senator Carmack observed, "Then they have an Ideal." "They have most decidedly," replied Gen. MacArthur. "You do not then regard them as 'a miserable, corrupted, cruel, and degenerate race'," asked Senator Car mack. "By no means," replied Gen. MacArthur. "Such a view, 'to ray mind, is a mistaken view." This estimate of the Filipinos by Gen. MacArthur is hardly in keeping with the estimate by General Funston, the man who would have everyone hanged who does not happen to agree with Funston's ideas of government. It also suggests an explanation to those who permit themselves to wonder why the Filipinos insist upon continu ing their struggle for independence. It Is not strange that people who "like the American ideas of personal liberty" as embodied in American in stutlons because these ideas "realize an ideal of their own," should bo willing to fight, and even to die, in defense of their ideal. o?y2 A London cablegram to the New York Journal announces that the Prince of Wales, heir to the throne of Gi'eat Britain, will . And Now soon visit the United States. the Prince The occasion of the princo'o of Wale. visit win bo an acceptance of an invitation to attend the dedi cation of the new Chamber of Commerce in New York City. It Is also announced that a special proposal from Washington relating to this trip has been laid ' efore King Edward, and it i3 added that "counselors of the king are said to have urged upon him this visit as a matter of state policy. The welcome extended Prince Henry of Prussia has been a forceful factor in insti gating this proposition." To be sure the people of the United States will give cordial welcome to any representative man who will visit this coun try, but while we are taking such unusual pains to encourage "the visit of the representatives of monarchy, why may we not do something to en courage a visit from one or two representatives of republics? How would it do, for instance, to push in the house the resolution introduced by Mr. Cochran of Missouri providing for an invita tion to President Kruger? Would it not bo of some advantage to public sentiment in this coun try, after having had visits from a pair of crowned heads, to receive a visit from the president of one of the little republics struggling for existence in South Africa? The New York legislature sought to persuade all citizens to go to the polls by the passage of a law providing that a list be Coaxing prepared containing the names Men to of all the citizens of New York tuePeUs. City who do not register and that this list shall serve as a preferred jury list. Until the names of this spec ial list have been exhausted no registered voter can be called on for jury duty. The motive of the authors of this measure is indeed a good one, because nothing is. so important to a government, whether municipal, state, or national, as that every citizen go to the polls, and not only go to the polls, but manifest some interest in the selec tion of public officers and the solution of public problems. And yet, may it not be that in seek ing to euro a defect In one place, the New York legislature has aggravated a defect In another place? There is, oven now, complaint concern ing the personnel of Juries. Is it to be ex pected that a man who Is not a good enough citi zen to go to the trouble of casting a voto would make a good juror? The Now York experiment will,, howovcr, bo watched with considerable interest. If it shall demonBtrato that men who are so indifferent to vtho character of public poli cies and public servants that they will not take the trouble to go to the polls, would prefer voting to a term of service on the Jury, then some good will have been accomplished. syy A Fair Warning. Walter. Wollman, the Washington correspon dent of the Chicago Record-Herald, under date of Washington, April 9th, wlred,hls republican newspaper as fol lows: The shipping subsidy bill will not become a' law during this session of congress. It has been defi nitely abandoned by its friends. Senators Hanna and Fryo, its champions, now make no secret of the fact that they have, given up hope of passing the measuro this spring. Behind this fact lies a most interesting story. Tho true cause of the abandonment of the bill for this session Is the fear that its passage would make it more difficult for re publicans to hold the house of representatives. The leaders of that party aro already fright ened over tho outlook, and they are convinced that the addition of tho subsidy to tho win ter's work of tho party in power would have disastrous effect upon the elections of next fall. , Many republicans admit that It was a mis take not to do something toward revising the tariff schedules this session, especially those involving trust-made goods, and they have decided not to pile on tho subsidy legis lation, which is far more unpopular in the middle west. Senator Hanna and his associates, in push ing the subsidy bill, had it In their power to pass the measure at this session. They could secure a favorable report on it from the house committee, and notwithstanding the lukewarm ness of Speaker Henderson they had means of getting it before the house and of passing it by cracking the party whip. They feel very sure of their strength, despite a good deal of republican opposition. But Mr. Hanna is chairman of the repub lican national committee. He feels a certain responsibility for party success. Ho is more or less directly Interested in future events. So many of his party associates have begged him not to force them to face the subsidy ls . sue on the eve of t-a congressional elections, ' and have painted such dark pictures of what will happen to them and to tho party if he does, that he has decided to let the .bill go over to next winter. There is an implied con tract . that after the congressional elections are out of the way it shall pass tho house. It will be well for the American voter to keep this statement in mind. This Is not the prediction of a democrat; It Is the solemn declaration of a very partisan correspondent of a very partisan republican newspaper. In this the American voter finds a frank con fession that the failure of the ship subsidy bill to pass the house is due wholly to the fear that the voter might rebuke the act at tho polls nest November. "There is," confesses Mr. Wellman, "an im plied contract that after the congressional elec tions are out of the way it (the ship subsidy bill) shall pass the house." How much in the way of warning do tho American voters need to protect themselves against gr-jd, , the iniquity, and the impudence ofc repub lican policies and republican endeayor? m lr -V -' ;. ij . . -A. V