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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1903)
fT T2S I. ? Yo!.';a,)Np.i52, ," "' T" ' t v7f " St I ment. Tho conscientious observance of this com mandment would oven lead the citizen to examine tho systems of taxation and the matiner in which they distribute tho burdens of government, and this examination could not bo carried very far vithout raising a question which many now ignore, namely, whether taxqs collecte'd almost' en tirely from consumption are just and equitable, and another question, closely related to it, "Can the mass of the people, laboring for small compensa tion, be equitably taxed for tho support of manu facturers who enjoy a largo income at public expense?" xl that commandment wore the rule of con duct it would not only abolish petty larceny which sometimes accounts for tho loss of a chick en, a pig, a coat or a pocketbook, but that grand larceny also which is perpetrated through legisla tion which robs the many for the benefit of tho few. A proper observance of that commandment would create a public opinion that would drive out of 'respectable society the hig-toned. pilferers who trample upon.Rll laws, human and divine, and silence criticism by the magnitude of their pecula tions. -6 What man from" the head of the trust down to the lowest official or employe, if actuated by a love for his neighbor as intense and constant as his regard for himself, would employ cunning or the advantage which comes with great commercial influence to extort from consumers in order to pay dividends on watered stock, or to bankrupt rivals, by reducing prices in his territory only to raise them higher after competition has been de stroyed. The questions- which arouse antagonisms between capital and labor will disappear when both employers and employes live up to that great commandment Even the money question, which seems so complicated to many, and which the advocates of "honest money" claim the exclusive right to settle, raises a moral question wbicb, the .Christian citizen cannot rightfully ignore. No economic question can in the long run be more important than the question which Axes the standard by which val ues are measured. The increased production of gold has stopped for the present the appreciation of the dollar, but no one can tell how long prices will remain stationary. When the abnormal con ditions which have raised pi :es give way to nor mal conditions we may again start upon an era of falling prices. During tue period from '73 to '9G, when as a result of legislation Uie, dollar was constantly appreciating, there were multitudes' of conscientious Christian people whose knowledge of the subject was so superficial that they did not see the injustice in the financial system that gave us the rising dollar. Tnoy would have protested in a moment against a bushel measure so constructed that it gradually and constantly enlarged, because they would have recognized that such a measure was unfair to the men who had to deliver an ever-increasing quantity of merchandise in pay ment of a fixed debt; but they seemed indluYrent to the fact that the dollar, like such an expand ing bushel measure, was slowly but surely trans . ferring the property of tne wealth-producer over to the possession of tne owners of fixed invest ments. If a man accepts the great commandment as a rule and tries to live up to it, will he thoughtlessly turn the masses of the people over to the tendo" mercies of a few financiers who demand tho right to L ao a nation's money and control the volume thereof for the pretended interests of tho public, ' but really for their own profit? And above all, will not a believer in that com mandment scrutinize the doctrine upon which im perialism Isbased? Will he not look with suspicion upon a policy which builds a government upon force, taxes people without representation and ' then distributes among carpet-bag officials the money raised from helpless subjects? Would it not lead to a careful examination to tho end that The Commoner.. . the property of the wards might not be dissipated among influential exploiters who lock with a covetous' eye upon tho land an'l undeveloped wealth of tho Orient? The Christian citizen when fully alive to his civic duties and fully groused to the far-reaching influence of his vote, will not become so en grossed in the pursuit of tho dollar as to be ignor ant of the issues that present themselves and of the manner in which public servants discharge their official duties; he will not only see to it that public officials encourage the cultivation of the-virtues, but ho will see to it that -the public servant shall never forget that his , office is a public trust and must be administered as such. There is certainly room for the movement which Mr. Johnson has inaugurated, and whether the readers of The Commoner agree with its edi tor in his applications of moral principles to pending issues no one can doubt that too little time is given to the conscientious study of public questions with a view to finding the moral prin ciples which control them. No one can doubt tuat tho final result would be better if every citizen recognized the respon sibility which the government places upon him and endeavored to discharge that duty, more con cerned about the influence of his conduct upon the country than of its influence upon the party with which he is connected. " JJJ Taxation Without Representation A dispatch from Canada says that the mem bers, of parliament are discussing "the refusal of tho government to contribute to the imperial de fense scheme." The dispatch reads: Ottawa, Ont., Dec. 11. (Special Corre spondence.) Members of parliament of both political parties from widely scattered parts of tho dominion have been here the last week seeing ministers and transacting business for their constituencies with the various depart ments of state. It was an opportunity to as certain the views prevailing in different sec tions of the country on the refusal of the gov ernment to contribute to tho imperial defense scheme. , On one point they were practically unani mousnamely: there can be no taxation with out representation. Canada is not repre sented In the imperial councils, and until she has a voice in the disposal of the money . strong objection will be raised to any vote from tho Canadian treasury for the purpose referred to. The principle 'involved is Ihe same as that which led to the loss of the American colonies by Great Britain, only in tho recent Instance tho contribution was to be nominally of a vol untary character, while in the former case it was to be compulsory. One of the members said it would be a long time before the people of this country will consent to hand over a yearly contribu tion of hard cash to an admittedly Incompe tent and antediluvian board of admiralty to squander without having anything to say in that expenditure. If the British government really desires financial assistance from the colonies it must either provide in tho future for tho representation of those contributing colonies in imperial councils or run the risk of the growth of a sentiment of dissatisfaction, which will, in tho end, do more harm than good to the imperial cause. Republicans may feel some mortification at contemplation of the fact that the subjects of a king are more opposed to taxation without, repre sentation than tho eulogists of our strenuous president. JJJ The Commoner Cartoon. In this issme Tho Commoner presents a cartoon by Guy R. Spencer, a promising western cartoon ist who has been engaged by this paper to contri bute regularly. This cartoon is entitled "He's not afraid of that end of tho weapon, Mr. Knox." It is not generally understood, as it should bo, that Mr. Roosevelt's administration has appealed to the incidental provisions of the Sherman anti trust law rather than the chief feature of that statute. " , m It Is not as generally understood as it should be that in his famous "campaign against tho trusts," Mr. Roosgvelt's attorney general has in voked the incidental powers of the existing law and that he has wholly ignored the first, second and third sections of the anti-trust statute. These sections are as follows: Section 1. Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspir acy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several states, or wim- foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal. Every per son or persons who shall make any such con tract or engage in any such combination or conspiracy, shall be deemed guilty of a misde meanor, and on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand , dollars, or by Imprisonment not exceeding' one year, or by both said punishments, in the dis cretion of the court Sec. 2. Every person who shall monopol ize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine with any person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the sev- ' - oral states, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on con viction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by impris- onment not exceeding one year, or by both said punisuments in tne discretion of the court. Sec. 3. ISvery contract, combination in form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce in any terri tory of the United States or of the District of Columbia, or in restraint of trade or com merce between any such territory and another, or between any such territory or territories and, any state or states or the District of Co lumbia, or w . foreign nations, or between the District of Columbia and any state or states or foreign nations is hereby declared il legal. Every person who shall make any such contract or engage in any such combination or -conspiracy, shall be deemed guilty of a mis demeanor and. on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceedln'flvb" thousand J dollars, or by imprisonment not ecce'edinfc on!e ' year, or by both said punishinents, in the dis cretion of the court." ' .' The cartoon correctly represents Mr. Knox as attacking the trade conspirators with the point of the handle while he carefully refrains from us ing that more effective weapon at the other end which in the cartoon is represented by the battle axe. The cartoon is not overdrawn in ibis respect. The. criminal indictment is the most effective of weapons. However proud, arrogant and rich men may have become in the habitual defiance of law, they are weak and impotent in the presence of a criminal statute when a courageous and ablo prosecuting officer undertakes seriously to call them to account. The battleaxe, representative of the chief pro vision of the Sherman antitrust law, is a power ful weapon. Every good citizen will hope that Mr. Roosevelt's attorney general will finally con clude to make a serious assault' upon men who conspire in restraint of trade and who seek to ob tain corners upon the people's necessities. If Mr. Roosevelt is serious, if Mr. Knox is serious, the battleaxe will be' used. JJJ Legislation Against Silver. A dispatch from Pekin, published in the daily papers of January 4, says that tho fall in silver has already Increased the Chinese indemnity 20 per centIf payment is demanded In gold and adds that further Increase is probable "from the ex pected adoption of tho gold standard in the Philip pines and in the Straits settlement." The Poljn correspondent recognizes what many republicans here persistently deny, namely, that legislation af fects the price of silver. Tlu adoption of the gold standard In tho Philippines and in the Straits settlement by increasing the demand for gold and decreasing the demand for- sliver would Influence tho market value jf both metals throughout the world and yet the gold worshippers who are re sponsible for the growing gap between the motala lay all the blame upon natural laws and despis silver because it 'does not keep pace with gold. -H yi"-m -.j