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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 20, 1902)
Vol. a, No! 23. 4 The Commoner. ISSUED WEEKLY. Entered at Hie potofficeal Lincoln, Nebraska, as second daM mail Blatter. TERMS-PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. One Year $1.00 I I Three rientlia..., ago GlxHontlis 5oc I Single Copy c Sample Copies Tree. Foreign Postage 53c Extra. . SUBSCRIPTIONS can be sent direct to The Commoner. They can also be sent through newspapers which have adver tised a clubbing rate, or through local agents, where such agents have been appointed. All remittances should be scut by post flice money order, express order, or by bank draft on New York or Chicago. Do not send Individual checks, stamps, or wouey. RBNEWALS.The date on your wrapper shows when your mibpcrlptlon will expire. Thus, Jan. 02, means that payment has been received to and Including the last Issue of January, 190a Two weeks arc required after money Is received before the date en the wrapper can be changed. ' CIIANOB OP ADDRESS. Subscrlbera requesting a change f address must give the OrD as well as the NEW address. ADVERTISING rates furnished upon application. Address all communications to THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Nek. r Tko Commoner's "Lots of Five" plan puts good democratic litoraturo within reach of all. Dr. Mark Twain's new degree Is calulated to make one Funston think somo superheated thoughts. By calling The Commoner to the attention of your friends you will assist In increasing its sphere of influence. ' Whitelaw Roid has just boon decorated with a collogo degree. Few escape it. Mr. Hathhone goes freo, and the pillars of the republican temple are still there. The true test of democracy Is loyalty to prin u ciplo, not eagerness for spoils of office. . , n ., Mr. Quay of Pennsylvania has again met in state convention, drafted a platform and nomi nated a state ticket. It seems that tho court of claims safety net was spread under tho South Carolinian just in time. A negro school in Illinois has boon destroyed and the teachors and students forced to flee. In Illinois! Amos Cummings left an estate valued at less than $1,500. But ho left something better than money. Mr. Roosevelt still insists that publicity is the best way to curb the trusts. Linotype shackles are something now. Mr. McLaurln doubtless feels satisfied slnco his "commercial democracy" landed its entire rank and file a wlnhor. Houso-breakors and highwaymen should form a union and demand that they too bo shackled with writ3 of injunction. Tho best way to solve labor troubles is for employing capital to glvo labor a just share of tho profits arising from tho labor. . Senor Buoncamino's testimony, somehow or other, reminds us of Llttlo Tom Tucker, tho juvenile who vocalized for his evening meal. By granting amnesty to all American pris oners in the isle tho Cuban congress has relieved President Roosevelt of a very disagreeable task. Tho beef tnist has promised to be good, but it sounds very i ich .liko those "gentlemen's agree ments" wo usvu to hear about in railroad circles. . From a democratic standpoint there is some thing, wrong with tho democratic platform that meets with tho approbation of republican politicians. Attention is callqd to an offer made elsewhere In this issue of "Lots of Five" subscription cards. Tho. Commoner asks. all of its readers to examine the offer carefully. The Commoner. Mr. Cannon declares that it Is timo to call a halt on nocdless and reckless appropriation of tho people's money. Mr. Cannon always was a great hand at padlocking tho horseless stable. Mr. Lodge says ho "will answer in his own way in his own time." Mr. Lodge would better hurry. Men who believe as ho does have no timo to waste if they desire to speak officially. Tho Chicago Tribune asserts that criminal proceedings were not brought against the trust becauso tho evidence was not strong enough. Tho Tribune always maintains a good humorous de partment. Edward VII. and J. Pierpont Morgan dined with Ambassador Choato. Wo are now prepared to boliovo tho story that most of tho jewels in the British crown have been removed and imitation stones inserted. If democrats who are true to democratic prin ciples will do their duty the next national demo cratic convention will not need to wasto time in providing thumb-mark experts to pass on the loy alty of men who claim to be democrats. 1 1 The republicans have decided not to push tho Fowler bill until after tho election. This is just what was expected. They dare not pass such a bill now. They will wait until December and rush it through during the short session. When Americans celebrate the Fourth of July in Manila they must bo careful not to read tho Declaration of Independence. It is a crime to read the Declaration in somo parts of tho territory un der the jurisdiction of the United States. Naturally the republican organs resent the truth about certain army officers and denounce it as "attacks on the army." Whenever a pet re publican scheme is opposed the.republican organs begin to howl about "attacks on the national honor," Admiral Crowninshleld (pronounced Crun eholl) is on the other side of the ocean, but the world power that seizes tho opportunity "to attack us under tho impression that Crowninshleld is our greatest sea fighter will have plenty of time for afterthought. Bishop Thoburn says we are "in the Philip pines by the act of God." Will tho truly good bishop please point to the chapter and verse which tells us to go with bayonets and torches and water cure to preach the peaceful and loving gospel of tho Nazarono? Tho Memphis Morning News is showing tho people of Tennessee what a real democratic paper can do, and tho people who live in the neighbor hood of Memphis will enjoy the novelty of read ing a fearless and able exponent of pure and undefllod democracy. One striking difference between the Indiana democratic platform and the Tennessee democratic platform is that republicans have somo words of commendation for the former. Democratic plat forms that meet with the commendation of re publican organs are lacking in something. Senator Quay writes to a constituent that he will "give careful consideration" to tho resolution providing for tho election of senators by the people. In view of tho fact that the legislature of Pennsylvania is on record in favor of the elec tion of senators by tho people, Sonator Quay ought to be able to speak more definitely. The' resistance offered by the Boers has ma terially strengthened free government. It is a vicarious suffering that makes other republics more secure by showing how difficult It is to ever come men who love liberty better than lifo, and no nation will profit so much as this nation, whose guardianship of tho republics of Central, and South America is not less likely to be disturbed. The traveling salesmen are beginning to feel tho effects of tho mercantile combinations, for where competition is destroyed the salesman loses his place and the salary that he once drew is added to the profits of the concern. It is suggested that tho retail dealers agreo to give their trade to the Independent jobbing houses, "but this remedy is not sufficient. It is much easier to form a combination among a few manufacturers than to form a com bination among the retail dealers. The remedy is by law, and until .the people are ready to employ a legal remedy they will have to suffer for tho exactions of the trusts. Mount Peelce erupted and killed 20,000 people, and America stood aghast. More deaths hava been tho result of an eruption of imperialism and greed in this country, yet thousands of people profess to seo tho hand of God in it and encour age further eruptions of the samo kind. A reader of The Commoner calls attention to the fact that during the month of May the mlnta of the United States coined $426,000 worth in gold and $1,873,000 worth in silver and all of this sil ver was coined at the ratio of 16 to lwithout wait ing for tho aid or consent of any other nation. The democrats of Logan county, Ohio, met at BellefQntaino the other day and not only indorsed tho Kansas City platform, but instructed their delegates to tho state convention "to support no man for state or congressional honors who is not in full sympathy with democratic principles as set forth in said platform." This has the right ring to it. Congressman Green of Pennsylvania, who vis ited the Philippine islands last summer, has de livered a speech in the house of representatives setting forth the evidence collected by him in support of the proposition that the Filipinos are capable of self-government It is a convincing document and will appear in The Commoner in full during tho campaign. The Chicago Tribune asserts that there are to6 many anthracite coal mines operated, and says: "If the surplus laborers were out of tho way it would be possible for the operators to give tho miners at least 200 days' work in the year at fair wages." Of course the Tribune knows that if tho surplus laborers were out of the way the operators would import more. That's one way they have ot keeping the wages down. Hill and Cleveland are to attend a harmony meeting in New York. Why should it seem nec essary to harmonize Mr. Hill and Mr. Cleveland? They have always been in harmony whenever thet interests of Wall street demanded harmony. Why -should Cleveland be invited to a democratic meet ing? Until he expresses an intention to return to the, democratic party there is no reason why ho 'should 'be Invited to speak- before democrats. Mr. Hepburn of Iowa would have us believe that General Smith's attorney uttered a falsehood when he admitted that General Smith had issued the brutal order. But Mr. Hepburn believes that men can tax themselves rich, that the narrower the financial base the stronger the financial situa tion, and that the Declaration of Independence has not been ignored by abandoning the principle of consent of the governed. This will explain Mir. Hepburn's position. It. is reported that the United States has been offered, a statue of -Frederick the Great on condi tion that it bo set up in the national capital. It is hardly possible that any large number of our people will be in favor of accepting such a gift, no matter how kindly he may feel toward the per son offering it. The difference between a monarchy and a republic is so great that a republic can hard ly afford to begin the erection of monuments to kings and emperors. We cannot afford to oblit erate the difference between a government resting upon the consent of the governed and a govern ment resting upon the divine rights of kings. Tho fact that the statue is offered as a gift does not change the situation. There is an old proverb that "a gift Is more expensive than a purchase," and it would be a costly gift if to receive it our nation would have to appear before the world as friendly to the monarchical idea. As an illustration of the temper of the people attention is called to a democratic convention in Wayne county, Illinois. The committee reported a series of resolutions that did not mention the Kansas City platform and In tho noise and confu sion usually attendant upon conventions, many did not notice the omission. However, as soon as attention was called to it the, convention showed its feeling on the subject and it only required a moment's time to add a resolution indorsing democratic principles as set forth in the Kansas City platform, and having thus set themselves right the democrats proceeded to the other busi ness before .the convention. One stalwart an! watchful democrat can thwart the schemes of tho reorganize in almost any precinct .and a lew who are on tho alert can usually prevent the re organizers from capturing a county convention. The nearer you get to the voters the less strength tho reorganizes show. - (' :j . ft,