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The Commoner.
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Current Topics.
THE AUTOMOBILE HAS ALREADY ESTAB
llBhod a reputation in tho man-killing lino.
In families whore serious accidents havo oc
curred a prejudice against the machine has grown
up and relatives "6f tho injured or tho dead au
tomobilists havo deemed it their duty to dispose
of thoir man-killers. Baron Qeorgo von Bleich
rodcr, tho hanker at Berlin, was killed in Juno
last and it is said that tho members of his fam
ly havo 'given avl.ly or sold theii automobiles.
One rolatlvo of tho dead baron sold a French au
tomobile that had cost him eleven thousand dol
lars for tho sum of fifteen hundred dollars; and
in order to further show thoir disapproval tho
baron's family nave caused to be buried besido
his gravo tho automobile that caused tho baron's
death; a very novel penalty, indeed, to bo in
flicted upon tho "man-killer."
HPHE GERMAN EMPEROR HAS PROVED TO
JL bo so lucky in lottery drawings that it has
been deemed necessary to explain that the em
peror purchases so many tickets In these drawings
that it would be difficult for him to lose. It is
said that he buys one-tenth of all tho tickets is
sued in the lottery conducted by tho Frionds of
Art society and that tho proceeds are devoted to
tho purchase of art works for the public galleries.
THE ES'i'ATE OF CHARLES L. TIFFANY, THE
great Now York jeweler, amounted to thirty
million dolars, of which ten million dollars was
personal property. Bernard Y. Tiffany, the jewel
er's son, married a poor girl in spite of the father's
protest. After an eleven-day honeymoon the
young couple separated and now the newspapers
say that young Tiffany has. been cut off in his
father's will, "receiving two million dollars less
than his brother received." Inasmuch, however,
as tho offending son receives a special allowance
of three thousand-'dollars per annum and personal
property valued at $1,250,000, the young man will,
by the exercise of economy, be able to keep the
wolf from the door for a few days longer.
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, RECENTLY
appointed justice of the supreme court, en
tertains some strong opinions on public questions
and it is said that these opinions by no means
harmonize with republican polioies. His opinions
as justice of the Massachusetts supreme court are
said to show "an independence of thought and a
disposition to give considerable consideration to
humanity in the determination of causes." As a
matter of fact, Justice Holmes has frequently been
accused of being too radical. In one of his deci
sions involving tho rights of striking workmen to
prevent by peaceful argument the employment of
men to take their places, Justice Holmes declared
that laboring men seeking to protect their inter
ests were entitled to the same benefits of law
as their employer. In this decision he declared:"
"I can remember when many people thought that
apart from violence or breach of contract, strikes
wore wicked, as organized refusals to work. I
suppose that intelligent economists and legislators
have given up that notion today."
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A CORRESPONDENT FOR THE NEW YORK
World has examined some of the decisions
and speeches delivered by Justice Holmes and
presents the opinions expressed by the new su
premo court justice on several interesting ques
tions. On tho Philippine question Justice Holmes
is quoted thus: "Tho constitution means literally
what it says. "Until it is amended its provisions
should bo respected; but it should bo amended
if tho spirit of tho country has changed, expanding
the original theory of tho republic. Tho only
quostion is, has tho spirit of tho country changed?"
On tho tariff question Justice Holmes is quoted as
saying: "As tho resources of tho nation are de
veloped and adequate revenue for governmental
needs are provided in this manner, all conditions
and laws favoring any special class or found op
pressive to any special class should bo changed,
modified or eradicated. Government statistics will
provide convincing Information as to whether the
resources have been so developed as to provide
necessary rovonuo."
ON THE TRUST QUESTION JUSTICE
Holmes is quoted -in this way: "No class
should bo benefited at the expense of another, no
unusual privileges either through the laxity or the
too rigid enforcement of the law. If the laws are
at fault the laws should be changed. The spirit
of tho commercial features of tho constitution Is
intended to promote equal rights, neither prefer
once nor discrimination." On the question of la
bor and capital Justice Holmes has said: "Capi-
tal should not oppress labor, nor labor attempt to
cripple capital. Labor has the same rights of or
ganization as capital, and to accomplish its pur
pose of organization in any manner not disturbing
to tho public peace or disrupting tho equilibrium
of government There should be no force exerted
to give olther labor or capital an advantage over
tho other, legal or otherwise, or any unjust dis
crimination against tho rights of either."
THREE BOER GENERALS, BOTHA, DE WET
and Delarey were given a cordial reception
at London on August 16. Even Joseph Chamber
lain participated in tho effort to do these bravo
men honor. Cries of "Good old De Wet," "Our
friends the enemies," "Bravo soldiers all" were
given by tho enormous crowd that gathered to
greet tho South African generals. It cannot bo
doubted that among the masses of tho English
people tho rejoicing over the establishment of
peace in South Africa was not due entirely to the
weariness of supporting an enormous war tax. It
is probably true that the South African war was
neer popular among the English people. They
regarded it as an unjust and unnecessary war,
one, in fact, which had been deliberately forced
upon tho brave Dutchmen of South Africa and the
cordial reception given to Botha, De Wet and De
larey had something more in it even than the rec
ognition of bravery a .recognition always ready
' among a people who are themselves bravo.
ANEW YORK SCHOOLMASTER RECENTLY
celebrated his golden wedding jubilee.
Josiah H. Zabriskie is 73 years of age and for six
ty years has been employed in the public schools.
His first work was in the capacity of monitor and
when he was 13 years old. In those" days a moni
tor received $50 a year and was a'p assistant to
the teacher in his work and acted also as janitor.
At the ago of 18 Mr. Zabriskie became a teacher.
Among the prominent men who were pupils under
the schoolmaster Zabriskie were Ira Remsen, pres
ident of Johns-Hopkins university, and John
Stephenson, professor of geology in the New York
university.
THE COAL CONSUMERS OF THE COUNTRY
are beginning to manifest a lively interest in
the' coal strike. It will be remembered that dur
ing the presidential campaign of 1900 1 the coal
strike then under way was settled through the
intervention of Mark Hanna, chairman of the re
publican national committee. A contract was then
entered into extending until April 1, 1902. Some
have hoped that Mr. Hanna might step in again
and settle the strike, but tho mine owners declare
that they will not again yield to political influ
ence. They admit that Mr. Morgan has the power
.to settle the strike, but they declare that Mr.
Hanna cannot again accomplish the task. Sena
tors Quay and Penrose of Pennsylvania have
taken a hand in the hope that a settlement of
the strike will advance republican interests in
their state.
IT IS CLAIMED THAT MR. ROOSEVELT WILL
see to It that Mr. Hanna does not obtain
the credit for again establishing peace between
the mine owners and tho working men. Mr.
Roosevelt's friends fear, it is said, that if Hanna
were to accomplish a second settlement it would
aid materially in his presidential boom; conse
quently it is believed that Senator Quay's inter
vention has been at tho suggestion of the presi
dent. It is also believed that Mr. Morgan might
be willing to help the Roosevolt boom to the ex
tent of permitting Senator Quay, acting as the
recognized representative of the Roosevelt ad
ministration, to obtain the credit for bringing
about peace.
SENOR DON EMILO DE OJEDA, THE NEW
Spanish minister, feels very kindly towards
the United States. He holds no grudge against
the American people because of the Spanish-American
war; on the contrary, he thinks that tho
United States conferred a distinct favor upon
Spain. He extends an invitation to Americans to
visit his country and assures them of a cordial
welcome. The Spanish minister is indeed en
thusiastic in his reference to the immense ad
vantages Spain secured through the war and those
people who are so anxious to have the United
States adhere to a colonial policy will do well to
read the minister's explanation on this point.
THE SPANISH MINISTER DECLARES THAT
an era of .prosperity has opened for the peo
ple of Spain. In an interview with a correspoii-
Vol. a, N o. 32.
dent for tho New York World the Spanish min
ister said: "The possibility of this era of pros
perity came with tho abandonment of a colonial
system. Tho colonies may have been a source of
prido. They wore, at all events, a constant per
plexity and care, a source of corruption, and a
great financial burden. Tho Philippine islands,
It is true, yielded a little revenue not much, but
something on tho right side but none of this
profited us as a nation. And that, of course, was
in time quite past. During recent unsettled years
they were, a heavy expense. Cuba lately had been
costing us $25,000,000 a year. We were long ago
.ready to release Cuba though," added his ex
cellency, smiling, "we should perhaps have pre
ferred doing it spontaneously and in a more leis
usely and becoming manner."
AND THEN THE MINISTER ADDED, AS
tho correspondent said, "with gathering
earnestness": "I havo often put it to myse'lf that,
counting all the losses of the war and the costs
entailed by it, all the loss of life, loss of prestige,
the burden of debt and the dreadful humiliation,
counting it all up, the war was still a benefit,
because it loosed us from the burden of our colonies."
THE RICHEST MAN IN CARNEGIE, PA.,
John Henry, attempted to cross tho railroad
track at Pittsburg and fell beneath the wheels of
a locomotive. The newspaper dispatches say:
"Crushed and bleeding he lay on tho platform of
the Pan Handle railroad station, pleading for life
and offering one hundred thousand dollars for
someone to save him." His offer was of no avail.
Gold can do many things, but gold cannot pur
chase life nor serve as a bribe to the grim reaper.
THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH, WHO
was Consuella Vanderbilt, will soon visit
the United States. This fact, to be sure, is not
of immense importance to the public and yet it is
interesting, and perhaps instructive, for various
reasons. The duchess has not visited her native
country since her marriage in 1895 and on this oc
casion she will come unaccompanied by her hus
band. It has been reported that serious differences
exist between the duchess and the duke, but it is
explained that the fact that her husband will not
accompany her is due to a vow he made years ago
to never set foot in the United States again. This
is really too bad. The American people will man
age to get along in some way or other without a
visit from this disagreeable young man, but it
cannot bo out of place to suggest that the duke's
prejudice against United States soil does not exist
towards United States dollars. As long as tho
"United States provided him tho money with which,
to pay his debts and maintain his Immense estab
lishments he might at least look upon this country
in a charitable if not in a friendly way. How
over, the duchess appears to be able to get along
without the duke, who is described as having "an
overweaning sense of his own importance," and
it is probable that the American flag will "stay
put" oven though the duke keeps his vow.
A,N INTERESTING INTERVIEW BETWEEN
the pope and a tottering woman who had
reached the age of 102 years is described in a ca
blegram to the New York World. Anna Morena is
the name of the pope's guest. When she was fif
teen years old she had borne in her arms and taken
for walks in the country the little Joachim Pecci,
then five years old, and who was to be later Leo
XIII. The pope received his former nurse In the
most amiable fashion, and. for half an hour chatted
with her, recalling various episodes of his childhood.
TWO BROTHERS IN BERLIN FELL IN LOVE
with the same girl. They agreed to submit
their dispute to a duel. Revolvers were the wea
pons. The younger brother was wounded and per
haps fatally. The elder received a flesh wound.
Unlike some other girls in history this one de
clared that she would not havo married either of
the brothers and the successful due.list is now en
gaged in nursing a severe wound' and reflecting
upon his great folly.
DR. SOLNERS OF PARIS TAKES A DECID
edly hopeless view of the human family.
Recently the doctor read a paper before tho
Academy of Medicine, in which he sought to es
tablish a co-relation between the increase of in
sanity and crime and the general effusion of
knowledge. Tho Paris correspondent to tho New
York World says that according to Dr. Solner's
daring theory, a theory which is plausibly built
on numerous observed facts, education acts upon
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