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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1903)
- wt wHMKJww,,' The Commoner. Jan. 9, 1 9 3. r On January 1, John D. Rockefeller received a check for $4,000,000, which was his share of the Standard Oil company's recent dividend. It is said that Mr. Rockereller's share for the en tiro year of 1902 amounted to $18,000,000. It is not difficult to understand why Mr. Rockefeller is so anxious to "let well enough alone." Somo Big Dividends. The Salvation Army. Not so "Deeply." A well deserved tribute is paid by the Kansas City Star in this way: "It would be a pretty mean ana captious sort or person wno would say now that the Salva tion army is not a good institu tion. An organization that feeds the noor and seeks to reach the souls of men by ministering to the necessities of their bodies is in possession of a philosophy which cannot be condemned because its followers wear queer clothes and make rather a travesty of music." It has been announced that Admiral Cervera has been chosen chief of staff of the Spanish navy. In the great battle of Santiago A bay Cervera showed himself to Gallant bo a brave man; and subse- Seaman. auenUy while serving as a pris oner in the hands of the United States authorities he endeared himself to all Americans with whom he came in contact. A very friendly feeling fpr this Spanish seaman, ex ists within the United States and this fact is well attested by the very general expressions of grati fication because of the admiral's recent promotion. In a gushing article concerning David B. Hill, the New York Tmes says that "His regularity is so deeply stamped upon his po litical character that ho stud iously refrains from comments on William Jennings Bryan out of respect to the fact that tho Nebraskan was twice the national standard-bearer of tho democratic ticket." To this the Omaha World-Herald, retorts: "This is refreshing in view. of the well-known fact that Mr. Hill's 'reg ularity' was not sp, .deeply stamped into his po litical character as to persuade him to support v tho democratic national ticket in 189G." Commenting upon Mr. Roosevelt's letter to a .Charleston, S. C, citizen and relating to the ap pointment of a negro to a fed Why Not eral office in that city, the New in th York Tribune says: "A proper" North. recognition of the negro is real ly in the interest of the white race of the south. The only solution of the race problem is civilization. The blacks must have encouragement to advance." Then why not be stow some of this recognition on tho negroes of the north? Why not appoint a few negroes to northern postofflces in the interest of the white race of the north? Why confine these favors to southern states? Senator Millard of Nebraska says that any one who reads the Sherman law must realize that It is very specific in its terms. A .. Tne senator declares: "No one Senator's can gainsay the fact that if prop Hint. eily enforced the Sherman law would obviate any further radi cal legislation on the subject of trusts." It might he well for Mr. Roosevelt to accept the hint from this republican senator and instruct his attorney general to properly enforce the Sherman law. The criminal clause of that law has not been appealed to in Mr. Roosevelt's famous campaign against the trusts. Will tho president act on Senator Millard's suggestion? The New York Sun has long posed as censor among the newspapers of the United States. The Sun has never missed the oppor Snade tunity to point out the errors of of its contemporaries whether the Dana! errors be attributable to the edi torial department or to the com posing room. Because of these facts, it is inter esting to "know that "Colonel Watterson has at last discovered an error in "tho typographically fastidious Sun." Tie colonel reproduces from tho Sun's dramatic critic's column the following fear fully 'and wondorfully made affair: "Te create even n allusion of credibility with such fabulous premisses would require a company of the strong est calibre. Clara Bloodgood lacks marked per sonal distinction, deftness inexpressing moods, and her tchnical -resources aretaxed severely in any extended dramatic passago In climax sho ia not successful. With comedy sho is more effective. Tho first act gave her aihanco to prove this with her temi-serious advice to her bridesmaids. In tho scene, whereiverwrought hysterical sho danced then sho was exzcellent." VNN Tariff and Subsidy. Congressman Crumpacker of Indiana says: 'I am not now in favor of paying one for tho construction of ships. Tho prin cirlo is wrong. Wo have no right to create a fund by taking money from tho farmers and from those engaged in manufac turing and other industries by levying taxes upon them and putting it into tho pockets of the ship builders.". But it is also reported that Mr. Crum packer is opposed to tariff revision. When it comes to providing shelter in tho tariff to tho trusts, Mr. Crumpacker does not seem, to bo at all disturbed because tho republican policy takes money out of the pockots of tho many to place it in tho pockets of tho few. The Des Moines Register and Leader quotes Senator Hanna as saying that there will be no tariff or trust legislation at this Tho session of congress. Tho Reg- "lowa ister and Leader has been pro- Idca." nounced in its advocacy of tar iff, revision and anti-trust leg islation and it says: "It is already apparent .that a very influential body of republicans will op pose any tariff changes whatever, any steps to wards reciprocity, and any effective restraint of trusts. This same body of republicans will favor the shipping bill and other subsidies." And yet tho Register and Leader knew all this during tho campaign when in spite of the fact that it pleaded strongly for what it' called the "Iowa idea," ic gave cordial support to republican candidates for congress who had repudiated that "idea." An enthusiastic republican, writing to tho New York World, says: "When I read that Venezuela has had over a hun Next dred revolutions in the past sev- Best enty years I fancy it would bo Thine. for tllG real g00d of a11 8Uca South American republics if wo suspended our Monroe doctrine just long enough to let them be converted into good, quiet, orderly British or German colonies or else went down there and governed them ourselves as territories. They certainly need government." It is strange that some republican has not sooner suggested that this government send its representatives to South America for the purpose of transforming Venezuela into a United . States colony. If, how ever, this plan seems to bo Inadvisable at this time, perhaps a change from a republic into "a good, quiet, orderly British or German colony" will bo the next best thing in tho view of repub lican leaders. yws The Chicago Record-Herald says: "As presi dent, Mr. Roosevelt has opened tho door to men whom he did not indorse as a Theso private citizen or as a subordi- aretlio nato officer of the government. Men. Besides Payne and Clarkson, his chief political supporters are Senator Piatt, of New York; Senators Quay and Penrose, of Pennsylvania; Senator-elect Alger, of Michigan; William Lorimer, of Illinois; AddJcks, of Delaware; Foraker, of Ohio; Wolcott, of Colo rado, and Shaw, of Iowa. These aro the men who will control the votes in the next republican convention unless the unexpected happens, and to theso men will go the credit for the nomination, which, it may be assumed, will be given to Presi dent Roosevelt" No wonder there is a wide spread clamor among republican leaders that tho Chicago Record-Herald be relegated to the inde pendent column. Republican leaders have insisted that the hard times which began In 1893 were caused by the tar iff of 1894. The Louisville Cour Tho ier-Journal, referring to an ad- 1893 dress delivered in Chicago by Panic. Secretary of the Treasury Shaw, shows that "Mr. Shaw has given the snap of his party with reference to tho hard times in the '90's entirely away." In that address Mr. Shaw said that "commerce In tho '90's suf fered, not from a fluctuating currency, as in tho '60's, but from the fear that tho secretary of tho treasury would interpret 'coin' to mea either sil ver or gold, at the convenience of tho treasury, and congress was compelled to come again to the rolicf of coramorco, and declared that gold cola should bo exchanged for greenbacks and treasury notes." Mr. Shaw added that if in tho future any doubt exists whether tho secretaries of tho treas ury would follow this samo plan, "a panic will b precipitated as in 1893." Commenting on a statement by ono Mr. Walker to tho offect that Grover Cleveland would be tho democratic nominee In Figure. on 1901, tho Nashvillo Banner said "(letting that Mr. Walker was an np- Back. pointeo of Mr. Cleveland in tho consular service To this Henry Watterson adds: "Precisely. Ho thinks if Clove land gets back, ho will got back. That was what tho supporters of tbo first Cloveland administra tion thought and why they whooped things up in 1892. But they wero almighty fooled in the awakening. Grover got back. Thoy got tho goose!" If Mr. Walker will spend some time among the rank and fllo of tho democratic party ho will have good reason to beliovo that if Mr. Cleveland really ontertalns any serious intention of making an effort to "get back" In 1904, ho will get what Colonel Watterson says Mr. Cleveland's boomers got after the election in 1892. Mr. Roosevelt Interpreted tho results of tho recent congressional elections by tho statement: "Tho rcoplo have given tho ro To publican party a chance to Make mako good." Mr. Fowler thinks Good. that tho passage of his cur rency and banking bill would "make good." Senators Hanna and Fryo bollovo that the passago of tho ship subsidy bill would "mako good." Tho trust magnato believes that tho firm resolve not to interfero with tho shelter the trusts find in ho tariff would "make good;" and there does not appear to bo good reason to be lieve that any serious difference exists betwocn Mr. Roosevelt and other republican leaders on this question of "making good." In his message he was silent on the ship subsidy question; ho ob jected to tariff revision and the little ho said on tho currency question could be interpreted to mean consent for tho passage of the Fowler bilL The Indianapol's News, although claiming to bo an independent paper, has genorally supported the republican ticket. Tho News A in a recent issue reads this lec- Stcrn ture to the party whoso fortunes Arraignment. It has bo often helped to pre serve: 'It occurs to us that thoso who opposo any trust legislation as social istic and who are so fearful lest wo should es tablish a paternal government are guilty of a very grave Inconsistency. They have been tho most persistent advocates of paternalism through tariffs and subsidies. They have adopted the socialistic doctrine that competition Is a bad thing, which they aro in duty bound to check or kill. As far as they could do so they have made the govern ment a partner in their schemes. But When tho people turn to tho government for relief from their extortion and oppression they cry out that our institutions aro in danger and that the peoplo ought to submit lest by resisting they loso tho heritage of tho fathers." During tho year 1902 New Jersey levied against corporations taxes amounting to $2,885,187.70. Of tnis sum $z,06i,iio represents taxes against trusts, of which there are 15,000 doing business under New Jersey charters. This does not Include railroad or ca nal companies. Two million dollars has already been paid into tho state treasury. During tho year tho number of corporations in New Jersey have increased 1,275 over that of tho previous year, the increase in the corporation taxes amounting to $569,595. At the present rate it is very generally believed that in time because of the opportunities given for tho organization of trusts in New Jer sey, the individual citizen will be permitted to es cape taxation altogether or be required to pay merely a nominal tax. Indeed, it has been pre dicted by one observing man that in a few years the state cf New Jersey will be able to declare a dividend to Its citizens as a result of the enormous amount of taxes paid into the state treasury by the trusts. This explains, in part, why the New Jersey laws are framed in the Interests of cor porations and also why there is little disposition to interfere with the authority conferred by that state whereby the trusts aro enabled to obtain a foothold and to do injury to the people of every other section of the country. In New Jersey. 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