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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1903)
.-. a Vol, a, No. 5i. . A ' made to alarm tlio wliolo people by painting tho depression in the price of property and produco and the general loss, inconvonionco, , . and distress which it was represented would -immediately follow tho re-election of the pres ident in opposition to tho bank." Jackson added: "Ho (tho president) met tho challengo and willingly took tho, position into which his adversaries sought to force him and frankly declared his unalterable opposition to tho bank as being both unconstitutional and inex pedient." Tho methods referred to in this address by President Jackson are tho methods that are .re sorted to by tho representatives of special inter ests whenever an appeal for relief is mado by tt-3 people. Enormous literary bureaus aro constructed for tho purpose of influencing public sentiment, newspapers are brought under the control of theso interests, debtors aro warned of tho ruin which awaits them should any plan intended to protect public interests be curried out; and in various ways, in this day as in Jackson's time, attempts are made to alarm the whole people by painting tho depress1 in the price of prorrty and pro duco and tho general loss, inconvenience and dis tress which it is represented would immediately follow any executive act or legislative act to which the representatives of theso special interests do not heartily subscribe. In one of his messages Jackson said that ho had "unquestionable proof that tho Bank of tho United States was converted into a permanent electioneering engine;" and he referred to the ef forts of the bank to control public opinion through the distress of some and the fears of others. The special interests of today have a "perma nent electioneering engine." In his farewell address, Jackson warned tho American people against the money trust. -He re-' minded them that it would require "steady and persevering exertions" on their part to check the spirit of monopoly; he warned them that "so many interests are united to resist all reform on this subject that you must not hope the conflict will be a short one nor success easy." He con gratulated himself that his humble efforts had not been spared "to restore tho constitutional cur rency of gold and silver;" he told the people that in spite of all that had been done "enough yet remains to require all your energy and persever ance;" and he assured the people that "the power, however, is in your hands and the remedy must and will be applied if you determine upon it." The evils against which Jackson struggled aro more pronounced in this day than they were in Jackson's time; and today, as in the days of Jackson, the power is in the people's hands, and the remedy will be applied if they determine upon it JJJ Cuban Reciprocity. 'Although Mr. Roosevelt and his friends inter preted the result of the recent elections to be an indorsement of the president's Cuban reciprocity plan, there is now evident a disposition to defeat tho proposed reciprocity treaty. Strong influences Jn the senate have all along been arrayed against Mr. Roosevelt's plan and while for a time it seemed that there was prom ise of success, it is now becoming more and more evident that some very ingenious plans have bean devised by tho opponents of the reciprocity schemo. Several weeks ago it was announced that Mr. Roosevelt would send tho Cuban treaty to .tho senate, thus relieving the house of any responsibil ity in the matter. The treaty is already before the senate. . Tho Washington correspondent of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat says: ..The ratiflcation will bo accomplished with the understanding that the terms of -tho treaty do not become effective until there has been supplemental legislation by both houses The Commoner. giving them effect. Tho president will then send a message to both houses of congress . calling attention to tho treaty and tho changes it makes in our system." In this way tho houso will be given the privil ege of acting upon tho proposed treaty. It is significant that it is already being pointed out by republican papers, some of which, by tho way, pre tend to be in favor of Cuban reciprocity, that if the Cuban treaty should go into effect serious com plications would arise with Germany. It is said by these papers that the treaty be tween Germany and tho United States provides that Germany shall be placed by the United States upon terms equal with tho most favored nation and that in the event tho Cuban reciprocity treaty goes into effect, Germany will demand concessions similar to those given to Cuba. It may seem strange to some that this thought did not occur to either the advocates or the op ponents of Cuban reciprocity until this lato day and yet it is now being seriously urged, together with other obje6tions; and it is not difficult to be lieve that even though tho American people in dorsed the reciprocity plan at the last election the chances for Cuban reciprocity aro not entirely flattering. JJJ . u i Another Sample. The Commoner has called attention to the fact that the so-called independent papers are usual ly plutocratic. Below will be found an extract from one of these papers, Leslie's "Weekly. The paper doesn't claim to be a republican paper; it as sumes to take an independent view of men and Issues, but it is more bitterly partisan than many of the papers which candidly announce their sup port of. tho republican party. The editor seems to have a special fondness for the graveyard; he is a sort of a. self-appointed undertaker. .. This choice bit of literature is furnished the readers of The Commoner that they may fully un derstand the dignified and intelligent literary stylo of those editors who breathe the air that has first passed through the lungs of Wall street: "One result of the recent election was to bury the Nebraska corpse, which has been dragging after the democracy for the past few years. Tho selfish populist from Nebraska un dertook to stump several western states, but wherever he appeared the republican vote grew ' larger. His home precinct, normally demo- ' cratic, gave a republican majority; his proto type in Ohio was snowed under by a hundred thousand; the republican state ticket in every congressional district but one in his own state of Nebraska was victorious, and, on top of it all, silver was quoted in London at the low est record price. And now, if the Associated press and tho great newspapers of the country will only let this political Lazarus lie unno ticed in his tomb, he will never hear the voice of resurrection again. Let him lie." JJJ . A Progressive Policy, The Des Moines Register and Leader, a re publican paper that has said many things in favor of tariff revision, declares that tho fact that there is a division on this question among thov republi cans may as well be faced candidly. The Reg ister and Leader says: "It is useless to tell each other to shut up or to misrepresent each other's purpose, or to advise each other to join tho democratic party. The republicans who believe in a pro gressive policy upon the 'tariff certainly have no intention of either suppressing thqir opin ions or of looking to tho democratic party to carry them into effect. They intend to exercise the privilege, belonging to every member of the party, of saying what they think the re publican policy should be and what tho doc trine of protection to American industries properly includes. They deem it not only a privilege, but a duty, to do their part toward keeping tho republican party right in lino with the teachings of its great leaders in the A h, past and with-the needs and demands of tho country at this time." But what will these republicans who believe in "a progressive policy" upon tho tariff dowhen they realize that they aro powerless to keep the republican party right on this question? It may be that in the future the rank and file of the party will revolt We have already obtained a hint, however, concerning the attitude of some of the republican editors of Iowa. In that state a number of influen tial republican editors aided in- inserting in tho republican state platform a plank favorable to tariff revision. These editors defended that plank, insisting that it means exactly what it says; and yet while defending what they called the "Iowa idea" ai 1 protesting against the maintenance of the "shelter" in the tariff for the trusts, these edi tors called upon the people of Iowa to elect can didates for congress who had openly repudiated tho tariff revision plank. These republicans now tell us that they havo "no intention of either suppressing their opinions or of looking to the democratic party to carry them into effect." Of what value are their opinions if they content themselves with simply giving an expression to those opinions while at the next moment they go to the polls and cast their vote for candidates for congress who do not represent their views. JJJ The Dead of 1902. In the necrology of 1902 appear the names of many illustrious men and women, but the list is not longer nor the names more numerous than those of other years. In each annual list appears the names of some who havo been especially be loved, and to thousands the death of some man or woman comes as a personal loss not to be re trieved. ",' ' In literature death cut a Tvide. swath during 1902. Bret Harte, whose stories of tho west marked a new era in American literature, passed into the great beyond. Frank R. Stockton, the genial hu morist, who caused happy smiles to lighten tho faces of millions, laid down his pen forever. Ed ward Eggleston, whose homely stories of pioneer lifo in Indiana charmed another generation not less than this, w"eht to his' reward. Paul Leicester Ford, American, and George Douglas Browne, Englishman, had made their names famous in Action, but went down before the grim reaper ero the sun of their opportunities had fairly risen above the horizon. Frank Norris, virile and full of promise, was taken away in the midst of a la bor that promised a great reward in fame 'and money. George A. Henty, whoso name is familiar to every school boy, is numbered among the dead of the year just passed. Zola, the great French novelist, was another claimed by death during tho year. And last, but by no means least, in the list of the great writers who died during 1902, Mary Hartwell Catherwood, whose delightful historical romances made her name familiar in thousands upon thousands of homes, was called to rest for ever from her labors. Tho martial leaders of the civil war are rap idly disappearing from the stage of action, and the year 1902 saw two strong representatives, one from each side of the contending forces, make their final exit General Fianz Soigel and Gen eral Wade Hampton. Among leaders of men, Thomas B. Reed, Jean DeBloch of Franco and Cecil Rhodes of Great Britain, were called away. The pulpitsuffered more than usual through death during tho year. Dr. Nowman Hall, Dr. T. DWitt Talmage, Joseph Parker of London, Frederick Temple and Archbishop Ledochowsky bore names familiar throughout theTcivilized world. The 'stage lost Sol Smith Russell, and music lost Philippe Marchetti, Camilla Urso, Hoinrich Carl Hoffman A and Benjamin Bilse. Art lost those who bore the iyjU, .aw .V.JS.lae(i -;f-.-jt, . .a.nu.jufl r.r2uE3k rt.)ti Jin-fWillkrf)Wl