;A
Oct: 3, iooj"
r
To
Avid
ConipLJKIji.
It Is announced that tho sewing machine trust
prith. a capital thirty million dollars Is in process
T formation. A sewing machine
man 1n an interview in tho Chi
cago Tribune declared: "The
combination is made necessary
because of tho ferce competition
In tho sewing mackiao business." And yet wo havo
fceem told that tie purpose of tho trust Is to re
duce prices and provide tho people with necessities
and conveniences at less cost than they would pay
to independent concerns competing with one another.
"VWN
It will be remembered that about three months
ago Speaker Henderson gave out an Interviow
in Which he declared "that tho
Are They republicans were never more
IeaSy united than now." According to
Unit4? the statement made by Mr. Hen
derson on the occasion of his
withdrawal from the congressional race ono is led
to believe that the speaker was sadly mistaken
wfcea he gave out his interview several Months
ago, or the whole trouble within the republican
ranks has been very Indvstrlously brewed during
the last ninety days.
Facts That
Comet b
Ignored.
Eugene N. Foss is tho republican candidate for
congress from the Eleventh Massachusetts dis
trict In a recent speech he
asked: "Does any one mean to
say that the steel trust needs
the same degree of protection as
when the iron and steel busi
ness of tho country was an infant industry?" And
the Chicago Record-Herald, a republican paper, re
plies: "Manifestly tho purpose now, when this
concern is underbidding foreign competitors every
where, is not to protect, but to mulct the people."
In the language of the Record-Herald itself, "such
glaring facts cannot be ignored."
Was it
the Wrong
Tiling?"
The Chicago Tribune says that "a fool is a
person who, however capable in other respects
and some fools are exceedingly
capable indeed still has this
misfortune that he gets the
wrong thing in tho wrong place
at the wrong time." The Tri
bune thinks this description fits Rev. Mr. "Wash
burn, the Oyster Bay clergyman who preached a
S,ormon complimentary to the president while tho
pre&ident was in the congregation. Would tho
Tribune have us believe that the good things Mr.
Washburn said of Mr. Roosevelt comprised the
"wrong tiling" if they were not given in "the
wrong place at tho wrong timo?"
. Result
of the
Coal Strike.
It is estimated that at the beginning of the
nineteenth week of the coal strike, the losses, di
rect and indirect, amount to
$112,420,000. It is estimated that
of this sum tho operators lost
$42,200,000, which the public must
make good ultimately; the strik
ers lost in wages $24,000,000; tho railroads' lost in
earnings $10,000,000, and the business men outside
of the coal region lost $8,200,000. The Chicago
Record-Herald, while commenting on these
figures, says: 'If the coal operators are possessed
of a remnant of common sense they will not pro
long the agony. Of all the people in the country
they should bo the first to favor a peaoeful policy.
They have had the most to gain by conciliation,
arbitration and compromise. Every week has
added to the impressiveness of the lesson that
they are teaching against themselves. They have
made more socialists than all the books that were
ever written on socialism, and this is only tho be
ginning." The- Philadelphia Public Ledger, one of the
most conspicuous republican newspapers in the
country, aeciares tuat it is not
a theory, but a condition which
now confronts the republican
party." The Ledger explains:
"On the eve of a congressional
election, and the presidential contest only two
years ahead, the organization stands at the part
ing of the ways. It must determine whether It will
continue to safeguard me predatory trusts, which
prey upon the people by killing competition in
trade, through maintaining the excessive duties
of the Dlngley act, or whether it will recognize
the ever increasing popular demand for such re
vision of those duties as will conduce to the pop
ular welfare. The proposition of the Iowa plat
fona must be met in one way or another. -It is a
rock In tho path which no sophistic jugglery can
Overleaping
the Rock
in the Path.
The Commoner.
pnah asldo or overleap." According to tho an
nouncement made by the recognized national load
ers or tho party, tho organization has already de
termined that it will continue to "safeguard tho
predatory trusts, which prey upon tho people by
Killing competition in trade through maintaining
ttio excessive duties of tho Dingloy act" It has al
ready decided that It will not rccognlzo the over
Increasing popular demand for such revision of
those duties as will conduco to tho popular wol
fare. It has already decided to depend upon
sophistic jugglery" in an effort to push asldo, or
overleap, tho rock in tho path.
Are
Entirely
Disinterested.
In his plea in behalf of tho coal barons, Abram
S. Hewitt declares: "The men who are todav ad
ministering these concerns, the
coal companies, aro executing
tho duties of their office not for
their personal ends, but in tho
interest of a very large public."
Mr. Hewitt oxplains what ho means by a very
largo public when ho says: "It Is a mistake to
suppose that tho mines aro in tho hands of seven
or eight individuals who alone reap tho rewards
of victory or suffer tho disadvantages of defeat In
this crisis. The mines belong to many thousands
of stockholders and bondholders." It is doubtless
true that in these corporations, as in other cor
porations, there aro a largo number of people
owning shares of stock, and perhaps some owning
bonds; but it must bo true in these corporations
as In other corporations that a cotorlo of influ
ential men really hold tho controlling interest and
reap the profits.
For some timo it has been understood that
Former Comptroller of tho Currency Charles A.
Dawes was opposed to tho asset
Asset Currency currency plan in tho Fowler bill.
In Any In an address delivered in Chl-
Evetit. cago recently Mr. Dawes reiter
ated tho statement that ho did
not indorse the asset currency plan proposed in
the Fowler bill. Ho said, however: "My belief Is
that an asset currency something like tho clearing
house certificates adopted by the New York banks
would meet the emergency satisfactorily." A
great many p-ople were surprised that Mr. Dawes
should take issue with the financiers, but it may
bo seen that, after all, the difference Is not great
The financiers aro in favor of an asset currency
and Mr. Dawes is in favor of an asset currency;
and it may be depended upon that, however much
some, of them may differ as to details, they will bo
willing to harmonize in the interest of "national
honor" and upon an asset currency.
Republicans
and the
Tariff.
Congressman Foss, a republican member from
Massachusetts, says: "I'flnd that there is a growing
sentiment among the people for
tariff revision, or perhaps, moro
properly speaking, tariff adjust
ment, that is, adjustment to tho
new conditions. Some of the
schedules undoubtedly need revision by the friends
of the tariff and not by its enemies." Unlike Sec
retary Shaw and all the other party leaders, Mr.
Foss is willing to sot a time when the remedy
should be provided. Ho says ho thinks that the re
publican party will win in the coming elections and
he adds: "It ought then to make such modifica
tions and changes as are advisable." But tho Chi
cago Record-Herald, commenting upon Mr. Foss'
interview, gives the republican leader a valuable
hint when It says: "The probability of tho rer
publican party winning In tho coming congres
sional election very largely depends on what its
candidates promise In tho matter of a readjust
ment of the tariff, and how far tho voters place
faith in the keeping of such promises by a gen
uine attempt to readjust the tariff of 1897 to the
conditions of 1902."
A
Republican
Characteristic.
campaign book.
The Washington correspondent of the Des
Moines Register and Leader, a republican paper,
recently provided the republi
cans with an Interesting sugges
tion as to tho method to be em
ployed in avoiding inconsistent
statements in the republican
Referring to the presentation in
that book of statistics intended to show that re
publican policies are good for all classes of people,
this republican correspondent said: "These two
sets of statistics will have to be used with care
and skill by the republican orator who wishes to
show that while the wages of labor have in
creased there has boen no decrease in the pur
chasing power of tho wollar. The safer way for
the spell-binder will probably be to use one set of
statistics while talking to farmers, and the other
set when speaking to laboring men." Speaker
Henderson might have adopted a similar plan and
thus remained In the field. He might have oscd Mr.
Roosovclt's speeches whilo talking to the ultra
protectionists and ho might havo used the tariff
trust plank In tho Iowa platform whilo talking to
tariff revisionists.
It
Creates
CeMdJtlons.
President Roosovolt said that "all tho govern
ment can do is to create conditions under which
prosperity can come. If tho In
dividual citizen lacks in thrift,
tho onorgy, tho power, and the
mind tO Work, no lawn will mnkn
v , r . Wm Prosperous," and tho Now
York World, referring to this statomont, points
out that "our paternal government, for example, so
creates conditions' for tho steel trust through tho
Dingloy tariff that it has charged and got $11 a
ton moro for rails in this market than in Eng
land, and other stool products In proportion. By
the samo law the beef combino Is put in a posi
tion where It noed fear no outaldo competition and
can charge monopoly prices at homo whilo soiling
lower to London in competition with meat from
South America and Canada."
"ItsTFivc."
Tho state conventions of 1902 havo all been
hold. Tho rcorganlzers havo won notable victories
In sovoral states. This Is duo to several reasons
thoy have mado specious pleas for harmony, thoy
havo boon vigilant and wide awako, and thoy havo
taken advantage of tho lolhargy of domocTats who
stand firmly upon tho Kansas City platform. Had
Kansas City platform democrats boon as vigilant
as tho reorganizors tho lattor would havo scored
fewer victories and tho democracy would today bo
stronger and In bettor fighting trim.
The Commoner seeks to arouse democrats to
tho danger confronting tho party. It seeks to
arouso tho rank and fllo to tho danger of allowing
mon who would ropublicanizo tho democratic party
to obtain control of tho party. Where democrats
"have realized this danger the plans of tho reor
ganizors havo boon thwarted. There will bo other
campaigns and other democratic state conventions
called to frame democratic platforms. Lot loyal
democrats begin now to prepare for tho battlo.
Tho Commoner will endeavor at all times to dis
close tho plans and purposes of tho mon who call
themsolves democrats, but who incist on making
their democracy so nearly like republicanism that
tho trusts and money kings would as soon havo
ono as tho other. Tlw publisher asks your co
operation in this work. Tho Commoner's influence
is limited only by the cxtont of its circulation, and
increasing tho circulation will Increase Its Influ
ence. Will you help increase them? If you will,
Tho Commoner offers you a simple and easy plan
by which you may do so. It Is called tho "Lots of
Five" plan. A lot of five subscription cards, each
good for ono year's subscription when properly
filled out and sent to this office, ia sold for $3. This
is at the. rate of CO cents a year for each subscrip
tion. Will you undertake to place flvo or moro of
these cards among your friends and neighbors?
If you will, fill out the coupon printed below and
mail to this office. Tho subscription cards will bo
Immediately forwarded to you. You may remit
when you oruor the cards, or you may remit when
you return the subscription cards bearing tho sub
scribers' names.
APPLICATION FOR I
"lots of Five SubscHjtm Cards." I
ruBLisnxR Commoner: Please send mo Are subscription I
cards. I promlso to uw my utmost endeavor to sell thoso cards,
and wilt remit for them at tho rato of CO coots each when sold.
Name..,.. .'........'....,.. ., I
Postofflce , , , ,,,,, I
County ,:....-.. , I
Stato I
The Kansas City Star says: "Tho statement
attributed to Mr. Bryan in his Toledo speech, that
if he had been elected president he would havo
'put stripes on the millionaires is sure to start
the democratic denial department to working more
than eight hours a day." The Star Is mistaken, as
usual. Democrats have long since learned the fu
tility of tying to keep tab on tho silly falsehoods
so induifnously coined by out-and-out republican
papers and In-and-in republican papers like the
Kansas City Star.
5tt