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The Commoner.
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Vol. -a, No. 35.
THE NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Tho trlplo alllanco botwoon Ger
many, Austro-Hungary, and Italy, wad
ronowod by tho signing o a treaty
in Berlin on Juno 28th.
Tho United States crulsor Brooklyn
convoyed tho remains of tho late Brit
ish ambassador to this country, Lord
Pauncofoto, to England on Tuesday,
July 1st.
election of United States senators by
direct voto.
A roport from San Juan in Porto
Rico says that tho now codo of civil
and criminal laws became effective in
tho island at noon on July 1st
Chicago is throatoncd with a rail
road strike involving 10,000 freight
handlers, who will quit work unless
givon higher wages. Every effort is
being mado to avoid a strike, if possible.
It is announced that tho Internation
al Sunday School association, which
has been in sosslon at Donver, Colo.,
has agreed on Jerusalem as tho place
for holding tho next world-wldo con
vention in 1904.
Tho state of Colorado has instituted
proceedings to dissolve tho smelter
trust in operation in that state. Tho
complaint filed sets forth that tho trust
is designed to restrict competition and
secure unreasonable dividends.
Tho Koil regatta recently hold in
Gormany under tho auspices of tho
Gorman emperor was tho most bril
liant yachting evont in Europe this
year. Ono hundrod racing craft wero
brought together, including French,
Danish, British, Swedish and Ameri
can vessels. Tho "Undo Sam," owned
by F. B. Rigs of Now York, won her
second raco on Juno 28th and secured
tho kaiser's,, gold cup.
A dispatch from London announces
that tho Irish question is beginning
to gain prominence again in parlia
ment. Tho Irish leaders declare that
unless tho government intervenes to
provent ovictlons of tho tenantry an
ora o turmoil would bo inaugurated In
Ireland, and thoy further charge that
tho gbvornmont is directly responsible
for oxcesslvo rents and ejectments.
The beginning of tho oighth week of
the anthracito miners' strike shows no
change in tho situation. It is report
ed that tho minors aro just as deter
mined as cyerjotnd unless jtlioro should
bo arbitration tho strike is destined
to go on.
Tho disturbances in Hayti have
broken out onco more. Admiral KU
lick and General Firman, ono of tho
presidential candidates, have joined
their forces and attacked. tho north
ern revolutionists. Thoy were driven
back, however, and thero is much ex
citement on the island.
The nows of tho passage of tho
Spoonor Panama canal bill by con
gress was received withs marked ap
proval in Colombia and Panama. Leg
islation thero is urged with all possi
ble speed "so that tho president of tho
United States may put tho law into
execution by beginning tho construc
tion of a Panama canal without do-lay."
A dispatch from St. Petersburg, un
dor date of June 29th says:- Tho fact
that no representative of the court
or of tho ministry has called at tho
British embassy to offer the sympathy
-of Russia in tho mat'tor of the illness
of King Edward has occasioned much
commont and is generally attributed
to Russian chagrin on account of tho
conclusion of peace in South Africa,
ft is said upon excellent authority that
Count Lamsdorf, the minister of for
eign affairs, admitted that this peace
had upset Russia's calculations, which
wero based upon a much longer con
tinuance of Great Britain's difficulties
in South Africa. Count Lamsdorf is
reported to bo particularly nettled be
cause Great Britain did not consult the
Boor delegates in Europe In regard to
tho peace treaty.
The strike concerning the employes
of the Union Pacific shops is still un
settled. Tho greatest activity is dis
played at Cheyenne, Wyo., whore tho
shops aro patrolled by armed guards,
and tho workmen who failed to obey
the strike order are being housed and
fed within the inclosure. This strike
is being interpreted .as a struggle for
tho life of unionism.
At tho mooting of tho ropublican
tate convention at St. Paul, Minn.,
Governor Van Sant was ro-nomlnated
by acclamation. Tho platform adopted
indorses reciprocity, especially with
Cuba, opposes harmful combinations,
Which should be restrained by legisla
tion, reaffirms faith in tho gold stand
ard, condemns anarchy and. favors tho
A report in tho case against tho
packing combine in Missouri, dated
Juno 28th, says, 'The supremo court
en banc today sustained the motion
of Attorney General Crow to strike
out tho returns of the packers in tho
ouster proceedings, as to all the con
tentions except tho sixth, which ralsos
the question of whether tho packers
aro in a combine to fix and maintain
prices. On this latter point the court,
overruled the motion and appointed
I. H. Kinley of Kansas City to take
testimony and roport on the first day
of tho October term of the supreme
court. Attorney Hagerman, for tho
packers, filed exceptions and objec
tions to the action of tho court on tho
ground that tho points overruled in
volve federal questions, which tho su
premo court of tho United State3
should pass on. Tho court sustained
the constitutionality of the stato anti
trust laws involved in the motion,,.
Chiof .Justice Burgess and Justice Mar
shall dissented from the action of the
court overruling a part of the motion
rolating to tho question of fact on
-
which testimony is to bo taken.
THE WEEK AT WASHINGTON.
While no official information can bo
obtained, it is generally understood
that tho court martial caso again Gen
eral J. H. Smith in tho Philippines, has
decided against him and ho has been
found guilty of violating the rules of
war and sentenced to be reprimanded
by tho reviewing authority, which in
this case is President Roosevelt.
During the proceedings of tho board
in session at Manila"to inquire into the
charges of cruelty, etc., brought by
Major Gardener against American of
ficers and sailors, Major Gardener,
continuing his testimony, said ho had
considered his original report to bo
strictly confidential and for Secretary
of War Root, and that since he wrote
this report and during the present in
vestigation ho had heard testimony,
which he presumed to be true, which
had he heard before, might have
caused him materially to have altered
his report. He said that insurgent
troops have been temporarily disband
ed and hidden and ,no ono oxcept
themselves have cognizance of their
oxistonce. Regarding tho alleged
cases of outrages, committed by flvo
soldiers, Major Gardener said he did
not desire to bring these cases before
the board, and that they probably were
not true, 'but he had mado his report
in good faith, as tho original affidavits
proved.
Regarding tho charge that.American
soldiers .in -"tho isiimmer; and fall of
1901 had administered the water cure
to natives, Major Gardener said that,
ho received Information to this ef
fect from deputations of citizens from
towns near which the cure was said
to havo been given.
Tho two houses of congress agreed
on a Philippine bill which provides for
a Philippine legislature of two houses,
one tho Philippine commission and the
other an assembly elected by the na
tives, except tho Moros and Pagans.
But this legislature is not to be cre
ated until after a census has been
taken and a condition of general peace
and good order shall have prevailed
for two years. The legislature is -to
elect two commissioners to represent
the islands in Washington. Tho pow
ers of tho legislature are defined and
an extended bill of rights sets forth
the individual rights of citizens and
their protection against unjust laws.
Authority is given to issue bonds
for tho purchase of the friar lands,
and when purchased, these become a
part of tho public domain. The pub
lic lands aro to bo open to homestead
ers, similar to the American system,
and to prevent corporations from ab
sorbing the lands, corporation hold
ings aro limited .to 1,024 hectares, or
,2,500 acres. Corporations also are
stringently regulated in holding min
ing and agricultural lands. Tho money
standard and tho permanent money
system aro left for future settlement
The banking system is also postponed.
Provision is also made for subsidiary
and minor coins. Authority is given
to issue bonds for harbor and other
improvements.
Mr. Cooper of Wisconsin, chairman.
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,V
"TiSw
of the committee oil insular affairs ia
tho houso, presented the conference re
port on the Philipine bill. Tho state-?
ment was a follows: 'Thero wer
three Important points of difference be
tween tho two houses, namely, th6 prb
visions in the houso bill for a leg
islature; another in relation to lands,;
and another in relation to coinage..
The senate recedes from its disagree
ment to the provision for a legislature
and agreed to it with an amendment
providing that within two years after7
the censusjrovided for in the house
bill has been completed, if in tho
meanwhile a condition of general
peace and good order prevail, the pres
ident shall order the Philippines com
mission to call a general election for
the choice of delegates to a popular
assembly of the people on that portion
of the islands not inhabited by Moros
and pagan tribes, which shall be
known as the Philippine assembly. As
to the qualification of voter3 tho
power of the assembly and of tho leg
islature and of the qualifications of tho
members of tho assembly, the senate'
has agreed substantially to the house
provision. This also provides for two
commissioners, to be elected by tho
legislature. -.
"The senate further recedes from its'
disagreement to the provisions of tho
house bill relating to-public lands and
agrees with an amendment reducing
the amount of land to be. held hy cor
porations from 2,000 hectares to 1,024
hectares. The senate has further
agreed to the house provision restrict- - SV c
me tne ownership and .control "by
members of corporations' of mining
and agricultural lands, with additional
stringent provisions limiting theso
holdings.
"In tho coinage provision reported
the senate recedes from Its-provision
for the coinage of a Philippine silver
dollar and the houso recedes from its
provision for the establishment of a
gold standard. The report agrees upon
tho provision for subsidiary and minor
coins, the names being those ot the
nouse oin and substantially as pro
vided in the house bill. , '
"The provisions relating to banks. '
are eliminated from the bill. ' 's
"The bill contains the legislative
limitations and bill of rights complete
as in the house bill. - ' -
"The mining provisions of the bifl
are a combination of the provisions of -
tho mining features of the two bills : -
"Otherwise the bill reported does not
substantially differ from the billi ''
passed by the house." " ;,
This report was bitterly criticised;:
by the democratic members. On tho -final
vote, Mr. McCall of Massachu-
setts, a republican member, voted with
the democrats against the adoptldn
of the conference report, otherwise it"!
was a strictly party vote.
On June 30th Senator Elkins of
West Virginia, delivered a speech in -'
favor of the annexation of Cuba, main
taining that it would be to the best
interests of both countries, and con- -tending
that it would be to deliver
the new republic and realize the am
bition of the older. Mr. Elkins, speak
ing of reciprocity said:
"The question of annexation forces
itself to tho front and; will claim.
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