The Commoner
May a, 196a
m
An Echo
ef the 1900
Campaign.
the enormous
Strenuous
Times Ahead
for Babcock.
The Central Federated Union of New York,
representing 140,000 members of labor- unions, re
cently adopted resolutions de
claring that the trusts had "by
advancing the price of meat aud
in defiance of laws governing
trusts, squeezed from the public
sum of $100,000,000, the bulk of
which has come from the earnings of the working
masses." This is only one of the echoes of tho
republican slogan of 1900, "Four years more of
the full dinner pail."
The Kansas City Journal complains that the
beef trust has raised the price of meat four cents
per pound since January last.
Onenore ' It estimates that this means an
Object . increase of $100,000 per month
Lesson. to the people of Kansas City, or
an increase of $124,000,000 per
year for the people of the United States living in
cities of 4,000 population and upward, and this is
just one trust! The people will begin to realize
after awhile that ALL trusts are bad and then
they will be ready to abolish them. It is strange
that it should take so long for the people to get
their eyes open on this subject.
A number of the constituents of Congressman
Babcock, the republican member from Wisconsin,
who declared that he intended
to lead a movement for the re
moval of the tariff on trust
made articles, have indorsed the
proposition. But Mr. Babcock
has been re-elected chairman of the republican
campaign committee and he seems to have aban
doned the plan. Iu the house on April 18 Mr. Rich
ardson of Tennessee served notice on the gen
tleman from Wisconsin that the democrats in
tended to give Mr. Babcock a chance to vote
against his own measure. Evidently there are
strenuous times aher.l for the gentleman from Wis
consin, and on this point the Albany Argus says:
"Congressman Babcock of Wisconsin has been re
elected chairman of the republican campaign com
mittee. Now the Dingleyites have Mr. Babcock
where they want him. He must fish, cut bait or
'go ashore. His arguments in favor of electing a
majority in the next congress which will perpet
uate the injustices and absurdities of 'the existing
tariff, will be waited with general, not to say fev
erish, impatience."
Because of the extraordinary burdens of its
war in South Africa, England is now required to
plac,e a tax on the bread of her
England's people. In presenting the bud
Tax on get statement, the chancellor of
Bread. the exchequer made a very de
pressing statement from a fina.i
eial standpoint. The .'chancellor shows that it
has been Tjund necessary to suspend the sinking
fund. He estimated the total deficit for the pres
ent year as $134,120,000. To this must be added
from $80,000,000 to $90,000,000 additional war ex
penditures and other items bringing the grand
total of the deficit to $225,000,000. Revenue from
the bread taxation, it is estimated, will be about
$rr,000,000. The sum of $160,000,000 must be bor
rowed and the deficit will be made up by drawing
on the exchequer. The, chancellor estimated that
. the revenue for this year on the basis of psesent
taxation, will be $738,925,000. The total ordinary
eypenditures for 1902-3 is estimated at $045,795,
000 with war charges amounting to $227,250,000;
this provides a grand total of $873,045,000. These
figures provide a hint of the enormous burden
under which the English people are staggering.
The Chicago Tribune in Its issue of April 11,
haB an editorial entitled, "The Ship Subsidy Peril."
The Tribune says that a "fear
Grasping is felt and expressed by Illinois
at straws republicans that the democrats
in Iiliuois. will carry the state in the fall
elections, elect a majority of
the congressional delegates, and of the legis
lature, and choose a democrat for United
States senator." The Tribune - admits that
"the republican senate in the Bhip subsidy bill has
furnished an excellent piece of campaign material
to the democratic spell-binders. The fear of re
publicans that the democrats will prevail has a
reasonable basis." But in an effort to defend the
republican party, the Tribune says, "Fortunately
six of the more prominent republican senators, in
cluding Allison and Spooner, voted against the
bill. By referring to that fact the republicans of
Illinois can immensely strengthen their position
with the voters." It will be difficult for an In
telligent Illinois voter to understand why the p03
itjon of these "six of the more prominent repub-
Yct the Ledger
Supports
the System.
lican senators" should cut any figure In the Illi
nois election. It happens that the two Illinois
senators, if wo are correctly Informed, voted for
this infamous measure. The six republican sena
tors who voted against the bill, however promi
nent they may have been, form an insignificant
minority. If the republicans of Illinois expect to
succeed by reason of tho attitude of these six
republican senators, they will bo. required to ex
plain how it happens that tho two Illinois sena
tors were not among the number of those who
opposed this outrageous steal.
The Philadelphia Ledger says: "Unfortunate
ly for Senator Hanna's roseate view of tho in
fluence of trusts, there are pes
simists who will persist in
looking at it from another point.
A trust could, no doubt, increase
wages, lower working hours
and charge tho increased expense to the con
sumer, but would it do so? Tho pessimists think
that a trust, finding Il3elf in control of the mar
ket, might increase prices (as tho beef trust has
done) and then neglect to divide up with ltg
working men. What could the latter do? If they
should strike all tho places in tho country would
bo closed to them; they could have no hope of
success, but must succumb and go back to work
at rates offered them by monopolists." It seems
fair to infer that tho Ledger agrees with the "pes
simist's view" on the trust question, and yet the
Ledger continues to give its great influence to a
party that depends upon the trusts for its cam
paign fund.
A Washington dispatch to the Chicago Record
Herald says that "members of the cabinet say
that they havo not for a long
it is the time seen the president so much
Revelation stirred up. Both he and Secro
That. Hurts. Root have been disgusted with
the way in which ugly reports
concerning the operations of tho army in tho
Philippines have been piling up in tho last two
weeks." As a matter of fact, these "ugly reports"
have not been "piling up in tho last two weeks."
they have been piling up during the last two years
in the secret archives of tho administration; they
were; known to members of the administration ut
the time the president and Secretary Root rebuked
Gen. Miles for saying that the war in the Philip
pines was characterized by "marked severity." This
correspondent would perhaps havo been more ac
curate had he said that Mr. Roosevelt and Secre
tary Root have been much disgusted with tho
way in which the ugly reports concerning the
operations in the Philippines have been revealed
to the people in the last two weeks in spite of tho
administration's effort to suppress the facts.
The working men of New York who were per
suaded to vote the republican ticket in 1900 by the
Vision of the "full dinner pall"
That are doing considerable thinking
Full these days. The New York
Dinner Pall World gives a small hint of the
situation when it shows that in
one year the price of butter per pound has In
creased 10 cents, porterhouse steak per pound has
increased C cente, sirloin steak 6 cents, rib roast
6 cents, round steak 5 cents, chuck steak 6 cents,
leg of lamb 5 cents, lamb chops 8 cents, poultry
5 cents, potatoes per barrel 75 cents, dried fruits
per pound 4 cents. The World adds that "tho
price of nearly every other article needed for the
table has gone up 15 to 25 per cent. Vegetables
are much higher than they were last year. Tho
only reason given for this is the prosperity of tho
country. The men who fix the prices have de
cided that the people have plenty of money and
are willing to pay more to supply their tables."
Doubtless the people would be willing to pay moro
if they had the money' with which
to do it, but wages have not Increased,
and every day. the newspapers show that the con
sumers of the country are actually suffering b2
cause of the exactions of the men who control the
necessities of life and fix the prices thereon ac
cording to their own pleasure.
yws
The Washington correspondent of the Chicago
Record-Herald announces that in spite of the fact
that every member of tho nah-
inet and a majority of the repub
lican senators are opposed to the
retirement of General Miles.
President Roosevelt is "showing
a great deal of pluck in his determination to place
General Miles on the retired list." The corres
pondent predicts that Mr. Roosevelt will in short
order secure Miles' retirement. In the same 'dis
patch this correspondent says, "No matter what
A '.
Will Rooserelt
Retire
Miles.
t . .
Opinion" peoplo may have as to tho merits of tli
tautiuvciajr, more is general agreement that Gon
oral Miles is by long c Ids tho finest military figure-seen
in this country in many yoars"; and It
is added that political and army circles aro vory
much divided on tho question. No one will doubt
the willingness of i:r. Roosevelt to force General
Miles' retirement In fact It is genorally beUovort
that had Mr. Roosevelt dared to do ao, ho would
long ago havo retired tho gonoral. If ho does
finally muster sufficient courago to force tho retire
ment tho act will bo in perfect keoplng with Mr.
Roosevelt's attitude toward a number of men who
havo the respect, and confidence of tho American
peoplo. Dewey and Schley camo undor Mr. Roose
velt's displeasure, and now it is Miles. The pres
ident of tho United States, whatover his idlosyn
cracles may bo is a very largo man becauso of tho
prestige of his office, and yet with all that pres
tige oven tho president of tho United States is not
largo enough to persistently and deliberately seek
to destroy without justification, men who have
served their country as well as Dowoy, Schloy
and Miles have served the American peoplo.
A Washington dispatch to the Chicago Record-Herald
under date of April 8th, referring to
iiepresontativo Payne's speech
in defenso of tho Cuban reci
procity bill, says: "Mr. Payne
created a flurry when in renlr
to a question ho admitted that
tho consumer and not tho foreigner paid tho tar
iff. Ho expressed surprise that any one at this
date should bo so stupid as not to bo aware of that
fact. This heresy caused a shudder to run through
the frames of tho high protectionists." A great
many democrats havo expressed surprise that any
one at any date should be so stupid as not to bo
aware that the consumer, and not the foreigner,
pays tho tariff tax; but Mr. Payne is a republican
protectionist and when ho admits a fact which
democrats havo always asserted and which re
publicans have always denied, we aro not sur
prised to be told by this republican newspaper
that "this heresy caused a shudder to run through
the frames of the high protectionists."
The
Protectionists
Shuddered.
XS-
The Triumph
of
Great Faith.
, .As, an, evidence oC what faith can do, Tho
Commoner calls attention to a charitable institu
tion established at Council
Bluffs, la., by Rev. J. G. Lemon
in 1881. It is known as the
Christian Home, and has for
us object tho caro of des
titute children and helpless old people. During
the nineteen years of its existence it has found
homes in comfortable and christian households
for more than a thousand children, and now has
nearly two hundred and fifty children and agetf
people under its care. It Is non-sectarian, era
ploys no agents or canvassers in its behalf, and
is supported wholly by volunteer contributions.
It receives children and aged persons from all
parts of the eartli, whether well or afflicted, with
out regard to faith or nationality, without money
and without price. Where there at;o several chil
dren of one family they aro kept together aa
much as possible so that the home ties may not
be broken. Its gifts come from those who learn
of its work and whoso generous impulses
aro appealed to by its needs. That Mr. Lemon'g
trust has not been in vain is shown by the con
stant growth of the institution and the enlarge
ment of its field of labor.
NS
' Danger From
Assistant
Republicans.
A reader of The Commoner asks whether there
Is any probability of tho reorganizors obtaining
control of tho democratic party.
No, it Is not probable, because
there is no reason to believe
that the voters who fought for
democratic principles in 189G
and In 1900 are willing to surrender those princi
ples, in order to conciliate men who showed by
their votes that they were nearer to the republi
can position than to the democratic position.
There would be np danger whatever if the re
organizers would present their platform and ask
for an endorsement of their position at the pri
maries, but as they are well provided with cam
paign funds and as many of them have pecuniary
interest in bringing the party to the support of
monopolies they will make an effort disproportion
ate to their numbers. They will also be assisted
by those so-called democratic dailies which ara
owned by corporation magnates and used for tho
advancement of private enterprises. The reorgan
izes are also aided by those populists who, as
fiuraing that the corporation element will be suc
cessful in the democratic party, urge the populista
to refuse to co-operate in advance, thus enabling
the reorganizers to claim that the populists hav
deserted the democrats.
1