The Commoner.
Vol. a, No. a4;
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The Commoner.
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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.
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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..
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