y ,vi
A - " '"ri
JjKT..-T.T2. .
uiMiauJiiiillHd
'"-V'W"
"Wf lftf,Tn
,
f'
iu
NOV. M, If 03. v
erning tho death rate' in various cities, together
with statistics concerning the diseases responsible
for tho deaths. No one will be surprised at the
tatement that pulmonary diseases are responsible
for tho largest percentage of deaths, but it will bo a
matter of very general surprise that cancer is the
disease that comes second in the list and threatens
tho supremacy of pulmonary diseases. In tho 134
cities Included in tho statistical tables cancer is
responsible for an average of 4 per cent of the
deaths. Grand Rapids, MichJ, shows 6.67 per cent
of deaths from cancer, heading the list, with Port
land, Ore., a dose second with 6.57 per cent
Cancer is recognized as a rapidly growing dis
ease and the medical profession Ib giving it more
attention every day. Much has been said and writ
ten about homes for consumptivos and the efforts
that have been and are being made to discover
some cure for that dread disease. But cancer Is a
disease that has heretofore baffled tho physicians
and now we are beginning to hear more about in
vestigations into tho causes thereof and tho ef
forts that are being made t" discover some cure.
Cancer hopsitals are being established and tho
most eminent members.of the medical profession
are devoting their lives to a study of the disease.
Intho matter of deaths from consumption
Denver naturally leads the list This is due to
tho fact that Denver is the Mecca of those af
flicted by pulmonary troubles because of its high
altitude and bracing atmosphere. Tho high death
rato is caused by so many consumptives going to
that city asa last resort, and in no wise due to
any fault of" the city.
It Is a pleasant commentary on the growing
charity of the world that so many- men of means
and talent are devoting their money and their
intellect to foun g sanitariums and studying
the causes and cures of diseases that have here
tofore baffled medical research.
rrr
The Non-Voting Voter..
The Omaha World-Herald calls attention to Uo
last of an Iowa citizen that he has never voted
though now past fifty years of age. He refuses
take part in politics because, he says, "it is not
Jan." . surely tnere cannot bo very many who
po so little intelligence as not to know that
lo citizen has no right to enjoy the blessings of
so government unless he is willing to endure the
pstant sacrifice for which it calls. If the Iowa
Itizen is more honest than his neighbors he is
duty bound to give his country the benefit of his
Superior -integrity and intelligence. A man might
)ssibly justify himself in refusing to vote because
le is not good .enough, but no one can refuse to
roto on the ground that he is too good.
Sometimes men fail to vote because their par
is in the majority and they think their vote
not needed; sometimes they fail to vote be-
uise they are in the minority and they think
their vote will do no good, but no excuse Is valid.
Public sentiment is guaged "by tho elections and
fevery vote has its influence. The stay-at-home
I? vote is too easily misconstrued. One Nebraska
democrat, for Instance, refused to vote because ho
I wanted to encourage the republicans to carry their
policies to extremes, belioving that a reaction
would be thus produced, and yet the republican
leaders will construe the silence of this voter as
.an evidence that he is satisfied with existing con
ditions and with the tendencies of the policies
now being enforced. Between those who abso
lutely refuse to vote and those who feel it their
duty to vote are those who are so indifferent that
they will vote if carried to the polls, but will not
rote otherwise.
The party that has a large campaign fund and
can furnish carriages has an advantage over a
party without such a fund. It may become neces
sary to pass a law providing for compulsory vot
ing; in fact, such a law would not only give an
administration the encouragement of an indorse
ment or w&m it by an adverse vote, but would
v
The Commoner.
lessen tho fund now required to carry on a cam
paign. Tho nearer we can get to the free and u:i
corrupted voice of the people the bettor, and
compulsory voting would bo a step in that direc
tion. JJJ
Political Rights Recognized.
The following item which appeared in a rocont
issue of tho Now York Times shows the liberality
of Senator Dawes and the doop convictions of
his coachman. Not every cmployor, be it said with
regret, Is willing to have his voto killed by the vote
of his employe, and not every employo, bo it also
said with regret, has tho courage to separate his
service from his citizenship. Tho story told by
the Times is well worth reproducing because of
tho lesson which it teaches. Tho world would bo
better oft! if wo had more men who recognized tho
sacredncss of citizenship and who both asserted
their own rights and respected the rights of others.
The item reads:
"From Pittsburg, Mass., whero tho von-
erable ex-United States senator and present
head of the Indian commission, Henry L.
Dawes, has just completed his eighty-sixth
year, and seems likely to pass In a quitudo
far from inactive not a few more, comes a
little story, that illustrates a very curious
possibility of American politics. In discussing
his plans for tho future with a reporter who
had called to extend birthday congratulations
and incidentally to get a little 'copy' tho
commissioner said that ho would on Tuesday
next bo driven, just as ho had been for tho
past twenty-seven years, to the Third ward
polling place by his old coachman, Patrick
O'Hearn. And then tho veteran statesman
added: Tat has voted the straight democratic
ticket and I tho straight republican ticket dur
ing 'all those years, and I hold him in high re
gard because what I have said has never
turned him In his political belief. Together
wg drive to the polling place, and Pat holds
the horse while I go In and vote. Then I come
out and hold the horse while Pat casts his
ballot This is what we have done for twenty
seven years, and I guess it Is what wo will do
this year.' There are not many countries
where a tale like that could bo told with truth,
and a very pretty tale it is, too, despite tho
fact that one must reflect a while and take
several things lnto consideration beforo figur
ing out exactly why the ex-senator respects his
coachman for calmly going his own way so
long, regardless of the desires as well as tho
arguments of an employer presumably so much
better informed than himself and with the
means which every employer who chooses to
exert, them has at his command to influence
an employe's vote. Pleasant, moreover, is it
that never in tho course of tho twenty-seven
years has it occurred to either of these sov
ereign American citizens that the vote of one
rendered entirely Ineffectual the vote of the
other, or. that, so far as the results of the
several elections went, they might as well have
taken their election day drive in some more in
teresting direction than to the polling place
which they could easily have done along al
most any of the roads leading out of Pitts
fleld. Consciously or unconsciously, each real
ized his duty to vote at the appointed time,
'and if neither ever repined, over the annull
ing of a senator's vote by a coachman's, then
so much the more creditable to both has been
their persistence in well doing."
JJJ
The President on Trial.
There is no doubt that many republicans and
some democrats have confidence that the president
intends to destroy the trusts and events will show
Whether their faith Is well grounded. The Com
moner has pointed out, first, that he has not en
forced existing laws, and, second, that he always
speaks of regulating bad trusts, not of destroying
all trusts. It has denied and still denies that the
president is planning to attack the principle of
private monopoly, but the republican party has
been sustained at the polls and the president must
fight the trusts (and be fought by them) or dis
appoint the hopes' which most of his supporters a
tertain. It must be remembered that some of the
republican leaden have been defending the trusts
as a necessary stop in economic development and
these will gravely inform the president that no
voters have Indorsed his Inaction and that he must
not risk tho effect of a vigorous attack on. tho great
monopolies.
The prcsldont has the responsibility which
comes with power, and Is on trial before tho people.
Having called attention to tho trust question him-
self ho cannot ignore it when congress meets.'
Many will judge him by tho manner In which he
meets tho Issue.
JJJ
Roosevelt's Attacks on Presidents.
Tho Columbia (Mo.) Herald, which enjoys
tho distinction of bolng ono of the, "handsomest
country newspapers In America," and which is
also ono of tho ablest democratic newspapers in '
tho country, has been reading tho books' written
by Theodore Roosevolt Naturally Roosovclt's
"Life of Thomas H. Benton" Intorests a MIssou
rian. Editor Williams of tho Herald says that '
whllo abroad tho -two most talkcd-of Americans
that came to his notico wore MissourlansBonton
and tho mule. Editor Williams has boon read
ing Roosevelt's "Life of Benton" and has made
somo copious extracts therefrom.
It will be remembered that about a year ago
republican organs wore filled with vlolont criti
cisms of men who dared to speak slightingly of a
president, and criticisms of a president were lik
ened to anarchy. Indeed, tho assassination of
William McKinlcy was attributed to the news
papers and speakers who criticised Mr. McKin
lcy and his policies, and these same republican
organs demanded a federal law limiting free
speech and free press. These facts are recalled
for tho purpose of emphasizing some of the ex- "
tracts the Columbia Herald has made from Roose
velt's "Llfo of Thomas H. Benton."
Speaking of Thomas Jefferson, Author Roose- .
volt said: "Tho scholarly, timid and shifty doc
trinaire. . . . Was the father of nullification and
therefore of secession, . . . Cheap pseudo-classicism
that ho borrowed from the French revolu
tionists. . . . Constitutionally unable to put a
proper value on truthfulness."
Of Martin Van Buron, Author Roosevelt said:
"Faithfully served the mammon of unrighteous
ness. . . . Succeeded because of and not in spite
of his moral shortcomings."
This Is what Author Roosevelt wrote concern
ing Franklin Pierce: "A small politician, of low
capacity and mean surrounding, proud to act as
tho servile tool of men worse than himself."
When Author Roosevelt wrote of James K,
Polk this Is what he said: "Excepting Tyler, the
very smallest of the small presidents between
Jackson and Lincoln." '
Of President Monroe, Author Roosevelt wrote
as follows: "Colorless, high-bred gentleman' of
no especial ability, but well fitted to act as presi
dential figurehead."
But Author Roosevelt's opinion of John Tyler
Js especially interesting. He said: "Ho has been
called a mediocre man; but this is unwarranted
flattery. He was a politician of monumental lit-
tleness. . . . His chief mental and moral attri
butes were peevishness, fretful obstinacy, incon
sistency, Incapacity to make up his mind, together
with inordinate vanity."
If we remember aright similar estimates of,
presidents made by other gentlemen were de
nounced as "anarchy" and "abuse of the freedom
of speech" by the writer of the above estimate of
presidents. And If memory is not playing us
false we recall a number of remarks to the effect
that such "attacks" on a president were responsi
ble for "anarchy" and that those who made them
should be held responsible along with the M-
saseln for any crime committed because of their
"Influence upon weak and Irresponsible minds.
Is it patriotism to defame a president after deatk
and anarchy to criticise him while living?
A comparison of Author Roosevelt's words
with President Roosevelt's words will bring t
light many interesting things.
V
i'.-.
