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
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