The Commoner. Vol. a, No. a4; Ife ? V i The Commoner. ISSUED WEEKLY. Entered nt the postoffice at Lincoln, Nebraska, as second' class mall matter TERMS-PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. One Year .......... $1.00 I I Tliree flenths 35a ElxHontlis fioc Single Copy gc Sample Copies Prce. Foreign Postage sac Extra. I I I II ! ! I I 1 I ! II 1 1 111! II ' ' ' II II I I 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 sent by post office money order, express order, or by batik draft on New York or Chicago. Do not send individual checks, stamps, or money. RENEWALS. The dote on your wrapper shows when your sttbccriptloti will expire. Thus, Jan. oa, means that payment has been received to and Including the last Issucof January, 1903 Two weeks arc required after money Is received before the date on the wrapper can be changed, CHANGE OP ADDRESS. Subscribers requesting a change ef address must give the OLD as well as the N15W aidrcss. ADVERTISING rates furuumed upon application. Address all communications to THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb. e It appears that Hemp Scandal Hoistand will also "stay put." It appoars that Mr. Hold will have to re-up-holstor his underpinning. The trusts greatly enjoy the experience of Do ing shackled with cobwebs. The president is devoting most of his public utterances to the defense of his official friends. The republicans are split on the sugar ques tion because it is. a question of campaign "soap." Up to date the jingle of the shackles upon trust wrists is not loud enough to disturb the slumbers of truBt magnates. ' ' It appears that Mr. Quay's plum tree is still a potent factor in. republican circles in the Key stone state. Mr. Hanna manages to issue a declination often enough to keep himself within the nomi nation limelight Mr. Rathbono insists upon an investigation. Ho should take warning by the case of Miss Jessie Morrison and subside. Did President Roosevelt ever consider the ad visability of getting out an injunction against those who attack his official advisers? In his speech at Harvard President Roosevelt sppko of "our colonies." Yet republicans deny that tliolr party stands for imperialism. If Mr. Hill insists on repeating his 1896 posi tion at all ho should repeat it in all things espe cially the "very still" part of it. The counsel of the Boor leaders shows that some men can be greater in defeat than other men can be in victory. President Roosevelt should surround himself with a few officials who do not need so much defense. "Hail Grover and David!" shouts the Nash ville American. Yet the American claims to bo ft democratic paper. There is no need of harmonizing true demo crats on democratic principles, because true demo crats are already in harmony. 1 1 The battle waged by the heroic Boers was not wholly lost. The Boors may never reap its benefits, but future republics will. If tho Declaration of Independence is read to day in Manila the Filipinos will have reason to be lieve that wo are a nation of jokors. With one accord tho republican organs urge democracy to accept the plans for "harmony" laid down by Messrs. Cleveland and Hill. This in tense interest in tho welfare of democracy is in deed touching. Ollie James says, tho only difference between Clevoland and Roosovolt is that ono is too lazy to hunt and tho other too restless to flsh. T Since tho theatrical "shackling" of tho beef trust lias any ono noticed any appreciable relief from tho enactions of that particular trust? Mr. Clovoland says he has nothing to rcpenrl Mr. Clovoland is harder upon himself than any of hid oppononts are. Even Judas Iscariot repented. in " Roferring to tho trouble of tho American naval officers in Vonlco the Salt Lake Tribune calls it an "unsavory mess." Why this attack on tho navy? Paterson is tho rallying point of tho anarch ists in America, and by something moro than a coincidence Patorson is in Now Jersey, the home of trusts. Tho "Lots of Five" subscription offer on an other pago deserves the attention of every domo , crat interested in the preservation of democratic principles. Mr. Schwab is evidently playing for a fow initials to tack on his name. Ho Is giving some of the money he did not lose at Monto Carlo to American colleges. The Kansas populists have fused with the democrats. Thus there will bo union against tho common onemy in spite of tho efforts of tho re publicans to prevent. Tho Minnesota democrats have indorsed the Kansas City platform and nominated a ticket headed by Mr. Rosing, late chairman of the demo cratic state committee. Mr. Roosevelt also has a congress on his hands. But this is not the only likeness between Mr. Roosevelt and a former president who discov ered himself in the same fix. The organs of the reorganizers oppose fusion with the populists, but this is not the only similar ity between the organs of the reorganizers and the organs of tho republican party. The speech made by Hon. Ollie 'James of Ken tucky before tho Nebraska state convention struck a responsive chord and assures him a welcome whenever ho returns to the state. Tho democrats of Nebraska and Minnesota de clare by their platforms that they prefer battling for democratic principles to surrendering thoso principles for the spoils of office. Having had his'way in tho matter of a route, will Mr. Hanna insist that he have his way and defer digging tho canal until the trans-continental railroads give their consent? The Des Moines Leader and Des Moines Reg ister have been consolidated. The chief advantage of tho consolidation is that it gives tho republican party of Iowa one organ instead of two. Ex-Attorney General C. J. Smyth is largely re sponsible for tho excellent presentation of state Issues made by the Nebraska platform. The party's position is set forth clearly and with emphasis. Attention is called to tho coupon subscription offer on another pago in this issue. Democrats in terested in tho distribution of democratic litera ture and the preservation of democratic principles should read it. Every time a democratic convention refuses to reaffirm tho Kansas City platform the republican organs howl with delight. Democratic perform ances that please republican organs aro in need of alteration. Colonel Heistand has been appointed adjutant general for tho northern district of the Philip pines. For the benefit of thOso who may not re call who Colonel Heistand is it is here stated that he is the same Heistand so prominently and close ly connected with the famous hemp scandal. And in this way tho "honor" of tho army is preserved. Every trust, every monopoly, every financier who hopes to secure control of tho government's finances, is heartily in favor of the democratic party adopting tho plan of "harmony" proposed by the Hill-Cleveland partnership, which is, in effect, that the democratic party become so nearly like tho republican party that the trusts, monopolies and. financiers need not worry about it. Tho democrats of Minnesota aro to be con gratulated upon tho fact that they adopted a plati form that meets with the disapproval of the re publican organs. The disapproval is a proof of the platform's genuine democracy. Mayor Johnson of Cleveland and Editor Mc Lean of tho Cincinnati Enquirer are engaged in ai controversy in regard to democratic duty. Thoso who know both parties will take Mr. Johnson's sido without stopping to read tho arguments. Tho Sioux City Journal says: "Senators Diet rich and Millard made a very poor guess as to tho sentiment of Nebraska republicans on tho Cuban issue."- What of it? When did republican senators over make a good guess on public sentiment? The report that Mr. Bryan predicted civil war, in Cuba continues to go the rounds of the repub-i lican press. It is being repeated by republican or- gans that have had their attention called to Mr, Bryan's specific denial. But the repetition is chart acteristic. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all .men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." So says the Declaration of Inde pendence. Is that declaration a lie? A careful reading of tho roll of United States senators will reveal the reason why some senators object to popular election of members of that branch of congress. The roll contains the names of men who know better than to trust their politi cal fortunes to tho tender mercies of the people. The democrats of Pennsylvania have adopted a platform dealing exclusively with state issues and have made Pattison their candidate for gov ernor. Having been olected twice when the re publicans had been guilty of less cussedness there ought to be a chance for him now that tney have committed about all the crimes in tho catalogue The Chicago Chronicle is calling upon Pennsyl vania democrats to secure the support of republi cans who oppose democratic principles, basing its plea on the ground that it is necessary in order to wrest the state from republican despoilers. But the Chronicle denounces Nebraska and Kan sas democrats for- fusing with populists who be lieve in democratic principles in order to accom plish the same result. Consistency is a scarco piece of jewelry in the reorganization box. Where Is the Recompense? His Comforting and Abiding; Faith. Secretary Root reports that the total cost of tho Philippine war up to date is $170,326,586. Can any one discover any benefits obtained from this enormous ex penditure? We are thus spend ing about $45,000,000 per year ik an effort to make the flag "stay put," and to force our government upon an un willing people. Are we not paying too much for our whistle? In his New York speech, Mr. Cleveland saidrl "I have a comforting and abiding faith in tho indestructability of the party' Perhaps Mr. Cleveland's faith has increased materially sinco he discovered that the party was strong enough to survive his de sertion of it, and to live even while being re quired to bear the responsibility for Mr. Cleve land's second administration. An important amendment has been made to tho extradition treaty between Mexico and tho United States. Heretofore tho An crime of bribery has not been Extraditable an extraditable offense, but on. Offense. June 25 this amendment was provided for in an agreement between the American ambassador and the min ister ct foreign relations for Mexico. The imme diate cause of. this amendment was that a citizen of St. Louis charged with bribery had taken refuge in Mexico and under existing treaties could not be delivered to the Missouri authorities. It is hardly ptobable that this amendment will be re troactive. If it is held to be retroactive, then the citizens of. St Louis will be gratified by being ablo to prosecute a man who seems to deserve prose cution and punishment. Even though in this case the amendment is not operative, it will servo woll for the future; for certainly ff any crime Is to ho extraditable, tho crime of bribery, an offense which strikes a blow at the very integrity of oub government, should be provided for.. 1 ' 1 1