-
The Commoner.
Sept. 5, 190a
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nature that those who themselves make no effort
to set a good example -are often prone to exult
ovor the fall of one who is striving to follow a high
ideal. For two decades Mr. Small led an exem
plary life and rendered valuable service to his fel
lows and this service remains to his credit; if in an
iunguardcd moment he has been overmastered by
ton appetite once strong, but long suppressed, let
us be grateful for the good ho has done, charit
able toward his recent lapse and hopeful that ho
may yet, have a long career of usefulness before
tiim. If none but the innocent were in the habit
of casting stones at the accused It would be easier
Cor the guilty to hear and heed the admqnition,
''Go sin no more," which for nearly two thousand
years has been both a correction 'and an inspira
tion to the erring.
JJJ
Labor Day.
Another Labor Day has come and gone, and
its lessons have been learned. Who, watching the
parades that took place in most of the cities, was
not Impressed anew with the dignity of labor?
ivVho would not prefer to have his son employed
as a wage-earner in some honorable occupation
than to have him waste his time on the. streets
spending the money of his parents? The day also
gave opportunity for the discussion of those ques
tions which concern the laboring man, and what
important question does not?
Just at this time government by injunction
-and arbitration are of paramount interest to him,
Hiixe first because it is intended to deprive the la
st Jboring man of a trial by jury, and the second be
cause It is his only means of securing justice In a
j controversy with organized capital.
The labor organization is the means, and at
: present the only means, through which the wage-
' earner enforces his rights, and during the past
ijtwenty-five years this organization has done more
p 0 advance the interests of those who ton man an
tfiother means combined. It has lessened the hours
tif toil, .raised wages, secured the prohibition of
fchild labor, improved the conditions of mines and
-factories and lent its influence to great social,
teconomic and political reforms.
It is not sufficient to say that labor organiza
tions make mistakes all people and all organiza
tions make mistakes. "To err is human," but
jthose who insist upon Hying wages and reason
able hours are not as likely to err as those who
are endeavoring to collect dividends upon wa
tered stock.
The. labor "organization has been "of service
'to those outside of its ranks as well as to those
.within, for the former get the benefit of the rate
of wages fixed and the hours prescribed by the
organization.
It "deserves encouragement.
An Instructive Incident.
f One cannot always judge of the temper of a
Convention by the attitude of so-called leaders.
It will be remembered that at the state ju
dicial convention, held at Springfield, Mo., several
jweek ago, the resolutions committee reported a
resolution ivhich ignored the Kansas City plat
lorm. From the amount of noise made one might
lave thought that the Kansas City platform had
$ew friends in that convention. Indeed, several
Newspaper correspondents, misjudging the tem
per of the convention, wired their papers that the
Kansas City platform had been repudiated and the
jcommittee's resolution adopted. But when the
friends of the national platform asserted them
selves and insisted upon a vote the result was an
Overwhelming triumph lor the national platform.
The trans-Mississippi commercial congress met
t St. Paul, JMinn. On August 21 the trust ques
jtlon cam'o up for debate and from the speeches de
livered so strong seemed the sentiment in opposk
Ition to any expression unfriendly to these "indus
trial combinations" that a resolution intended to
jplace the congress on record, as against the trust
system was finally withdrawn. .
But on the following day J. A. Gardner of St:
Louis introduced these resolutions:
Whereas, The trust system has been and
is a menace to our republicam institutions,
and,
Whereas, If allowed to form combinations
in restraint of trade and the elimination of
competition the wealth of the entire country
will bo concentrated in the hands of a few, and
Whoreas, The said combinations are cal
culated to destroy the hope and ambition of
the youth of the country, it being well under
stood that the ambition and hope of the young
men of this nation have made it great; there
fore, bo it
Resolved, By this congress that the presi-
dent of the United States bo respectfully
urged to use all tho power vested In his ofilco
to the end that tho growing power and tho in
fluence of tho trusts may be destroyed; and,
be it further
Resolved, That if in tho wisdom of tho
national congress the laws now on the statuto
books are insufficient to .suppress the grow
ing evil, other more stringent and efficient''
laws be speedily enacted.
Although it had been generally believed tho
previous day that the tempor of the convention was
not antagonistic to tho trust system, Mr. Gard
ner's resolutions being forced to a vote, were
adopted by 190 yeas to 20 nays.
An important lesson is to be' learned in In
cidents like this. The masses of the people feel
very deeply on these great questions. Tho demo
crat who believes he' is right need not bo an orator
in 'order to win a victory for the principles to
which ho is devoted. Let him refuse to accept
noise and bombast as representation of a conven
tion's sentiments. Let him force a vote upon res
olutions upholding democratic principles; and as
a rule ho will discover that democratic conven
tions may be depended upon to give support to
democratic principles without apology and with
out evasion.
JJJ
Let Well Enough Alone.
When the steel trust was established a syndi
cate was organized, the purpose of which was tQ
guarantee the financial future of the new organi
zation. The guarantee was to last for a period
of fifteen months. When it is remembered that
the trust produces 67 per cent of the iron and
steel manufactures of tho country and is pro
tected by a tariff that enables it to charge its
American customers from seven to ten dollars per
ton more than it charges its foreign customers, it
will be seen that no great risk was run by this
syndicate. - .
But J. Pierpont Morgan organized this syndi
cate and he knew what he was doing. The New
York World "describes the Immense advantages
given to the members of this syndicate in this
way:
"These underwriters agreed to advance
to the 'merger any required sum up to $200,
000,000 within the fifteen months. It actually
advanced only $25,000,000 for eight months.
For this service the syndicate's profits up to
this time have been $30,000,000, and its ulti
mate total profits cannot be lees than $56,600,
000. This is at the rate of 220 per cent on
the actual money invested. Morgan & Co.'s
own share of the total profits will be $11,
300,000 a very "modest sum indeed consider
ing "that Mr. Morgan was tho chief engineer
of the whole enterprise."
No wonder these people plead to "let well
enough alone."
JJJ
Work for Mr. Knox.
1 Mr. Foulke of the civil service commission
has expressed the opinion that it is not at all out
Of place for the members of the cabinet to take
part in a political campaign. Mr. Foulke declares
that on the contrary it is'the duty of the cabinet
officers to set forth the reasons which justify their
Nown political or official action and that of the ad
ministration of which they are a part. Mr. Foulke
intimates that the people may get a better insight
Into public affairs if cabinet officers go beforo them
and oxplain their records and that it would be of
advantage if these cabinet officers fwould take the
pcoplo Into their confidence.
A good beginning on this line might be for
Attorney General Knox to explain to the .people
how it happens that he has failed to enforce the
criminal clauno of tho fodoral anti-trust law. Mr.
Knox might also explain how it happens that he
has neglected to proceed against tho coal trust, the
steel trust, and tho many othor trusts that are
thriving through Impositions upon the public.
JJJ
Hard to Please.
It is hard to pleaso the republicans. When
. Mr. Bryan lectures, tho administration organs
nsk," "Why does Mr. Bryan talk on a box-offlco
basis?" "Why docs ho make a charge for tho dis
semination of tho truth 7" Tho fact that republi
can editors receive from their readers compensa
tion for writing republican editorials, that republi
can officials receive from the public pay for repub
lican legislation and administration, and "that even
ministers must bo supported by those whom they
preach, does not soften their criticism. But whon
Mr. Bryan makes public speeches at Boston and
at other places in tho east papers like the Denver
Times rise up and ask, "Why is ho dropping his
golden words at the feet of tho people without
money and without price?" There Is a continuous
joint debate going on botweon those who insfst
that ho should never charge and those who insist
that ho should always charge, (with an occasional
protest from those who think ho should not speak
at all), and during it all he perseveres in his work,
writing ovory week to tho subscribers of The Com
moner and lecturing often enough to enable him
to speak still more frequently at free meetings.
Ho draws his Income from tho common people
and (what provokes the monopoly press most) is
- under obligation to no one else.
. r
Lots of Five.
The success of the "Lots of Five" plan in
augurated by the publisher of Tho Commoner has
been gratifying. It has demonstrated that the
rank and file of tho democratic party arc true to
the principles of the party and anxious to spread
and perpetuate those principles. Upwards of 2,
000 have ordered "Lots of Five" subscription
cards, and more than 25,000 cards have boon sent
out. Each card is good for one year's subscription
to Tho Commoner when properly filled out and
sent to this office. In order to place The Com
moner within reach of all this plan was Inaug
urated and subscription cards in "lots of five"
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Commoner invites your cordial co-operation la,
this work.
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