. v
UPRIL 10, i903.
(
In the newspaper references to Jthe late G. F.
fSwift, the" packing house magnate, it Is pointed
out that Mr. Swift was once an
The humble butcher and this some
Efatcher newspapers, claim iB a proof of
of Today. what may be accomplished by
humble and Industrious men in
this country. But there are today thousands of
capable butchers in this country and, yet can any
of them find under present conditions any reasori
to believe that they could make the progress
made by th great Chicago packer?
-That
-Drastic
Provision
Secretary of tho Treasury Shaw, in a speech
recently delivered, said: "The Sherman law con
tains quite drastic provisions
applicable to both persons and'
corporations when one la proven
to have combined' or to have
conspired to combine for tho "
purpose of monopolizing a business or a trade
privilege." Perhaps Mr. Shaw referred to the
criminal elapse which is the chief feature of the
Sherman law; and yet ho neglected to explain to
his audience how it happened that the republican '
administration has not undertaken to enforce that
law.
Mr. Thomas Vose, writing to the Chicago
Chronicle, protests because that newspaper charged
Mr. Bryan with the entire re
Written sponsibility for tho Chicago plat
by th form. Mr. Vose says that "it
People. s a sur upon and an Insult to
all. he delegates and the peo
ple who sent them to give .almost the whole credit
to Mr. Bryan for that platform." Mr. Vose is emi
nently correct, but he forgets that it suits' the
purposes of the Chicago Chronicle and papers of
that character to make it appear that Mr. Bryan
stands solitary and alone as the champion of the
democratic platform. .
yvys
A democratic senator, referring to the nomi
nee for president in 1904, is quoted by the New
York Sun as saying: "I would
not care whether he is a reg
ular or a bolter. .1 think it is
democratic doctrine as well as
Christian doctrine that when a
man repents, he shall be taken "back on the same
ground as if he had never sinned." But it must be
remembered that the bolters who are now trying
to reorganize tho democratic party have not re
pented. On the contrary, they boast of their po
litical sins. They are not willing to embrace demo
cratic doctrine but boldly announce that it is
their purpose to alter that doctrine so that it
Shall conform to -their ideas.
Have
Not
Repented.
Flapdoodle
in
Platforms.
The Chicago Record-Herald, a republican pa
per, referring to Senator Allison's public .repudia
tion of reciprocity, says: Does
Senator Allison voice the real
sentiments of tho party leaders
upon this question? Is- there
to be an abandonment of the
contention that reciprocity -is an essential comple
ment of the protective tariff? If so, Is not the
time opportune for discarding the disingenuous
flapdoodle upon this question that has been em
bodied in party platforms? If the party leaders
do not believe in it why not be honest with the
people and say so In the next republican national
platform." Tho Record-Herald overlooks the fact,
however, that if the republican leaders discarded
all the "flapdoodle" in their platform, they might
be confronted with the alternative of doing with
out a platform altogether or meeting in a serious
way the importapt questions before the people.
Must
Please
Morgan.
Henry Loomis Nelson, -whom we are informed'
"speaks for the eastern democracy which is an
tagonistic interference "with
trusts and which if it controls
the democratic national conven
tion of 1904 will name a candi
date against Mr. Roosevelt, who
will have the support of Mr. Morgan and his
friends," has written an interesting review of Mr.
Roosevelt's career. While Mr. Nelson is very
complimentary to Mr. Roosevelt, he says that tho
president has "strongly appealed to the anti-trust
sentiment of the country which is wide-spread
and dangerous;" and he adds, "Mr. Roosevelt
ought to be at the head of the economic and so
cialistic radicals of the country," Mr. Nelson ox
plains that the only way to put Mr. Roosevelt In
that position" is for the democrats to nominate a
man in whom the business interests of the east
have confidence. xHe says that If this is not done
that in spite of the "massing forces" behind Mr.
"the so-called money power will prefer
The Commoner.
Roosevelt to any democrat in whom tho conserva
tive Interests havo not implicit confidence." Com
menting upon Mr. Nelson's statement, tho Des
Moines Register and Leader, a republican paper,
says: "President Roosevelt could ask no better
political fortune to befall him than that the shap
ing of the noxt campaign could be left to Mr. Nel
son and the men ho speaks for."
vCvVN
Jefferson
and
Jackson.
Mr. Thomas Vose of Sturgeon Bay, "Wis., writ
ing to the Chicago Chronicle, says: "I wish you
would show me wherein the
Chicago platform is in conflict
with tho principles advocated
by Thomas Jefferson and An
drew Jackson, tho Declaration
of Independence or tho constitution of the United
States. I think it is time all true democrats should
get together, and it is a thousand times bettor to
godown In defeat adhering to tho principles of
Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln than to gain a
victory without them." Tho Chronicle will find it
quite difficult to glvo an intelligent answer to Mr.
Vose's question.
Luxuries
and
Necessaries.
Although Mr. Morgan is greatly disturbed be
cause of the high tariff ho must pay on Jils art
collection, ne xs provided wltn a
bit of consolation by tho Ind
ianapolis Sentinel. That news
paper says: "J. Plerpont Mor
gan comnlainn thtit thrt fiiriff
on works of art is 'extremely unjust and burden
some because he Is called upon to pay some $3,
000,000 of tariff on a lot of pictures and statuary
he has been buying. But if it had not been for
the tariff he would not havo been able to buy
them at all. It was tho tariff that made possible
his promotion of trusts, out of which he has made
his enormous fortune."
That
is the
Question,
Referring to the report of the anthracite strike
commission, the Chicago Record-Herald, a repub
lican paper, says: "For aught
that this investigation has ac
complished tho trust remains as
impregnable as ever in its at
titude toward tho neonle. jituI it
will take the advance in wages out of the pdople.
The question now is, will the representatives of
tho people permit it to go on undisturbed in its
defiance and infraction of the laws?" The repre
sentatives of the people will permit this trust to
go on "undisturbed in its defiance and infraction
of the laws" so long as the people choose their
representatives from a party that derives its cam
paign funds from the trusts.
Antl-
Monop.
Monopolists.
A New York dispatch says: "William C.
Whitney, Pierpont Morgan, Ashbel P. Fitch, Will
iam Jttociceiener ana other
wealthy New Yorkers owning
large estates in the Adlro'ndacks
havo joined in making war on a
bill now beforo tho Now York-
State legislature. The measure, if passed, would
give wood pulp and water power speculators priv
ileges which are worth millions. The result would
bo the devastation of large tracts in tho Adlron
dacks, and this the millionaires are trying to pre
vent." It is strange how anxious these gentle
men are to prevent the devastation of largo tracts
in the Adlrondacks and to prevent speculators from
obtaining privileges which are worth millions.
Perhaps, however, we may expect quite a vigorous
warfare along this lino until Mr. Morgan has time
in which to organize a trust of his own which will
bo composed-of persons to whom the delicate task
of "the devastation of large tracts in tho Adlron
dacks" could be with etotlre safety committed.
The republican party has always boasted that
it was in favor of reciprocity and in his annual
message to congress President
Pledges Roosevelt referred to reciproc
and Ity as the handmaiden of pro-
Theories tection. But Senator Allison, in
a recent interview, said: "Rec
iprocity is a beautiful theory, but I am con
vinced that it cannot be put into practice. The in
stant it is proposed to reduce tho duty on any
given dutiable product by means of a reciprocity
treaty the industry effected immediately objects.
Where a number of large industries are affected
by the proposed reciprocity treaties they exert
enough influence to defeat the treaties." Reciproc
ity is not the only thing republican leaders have
written into their platform only after election to
brand that which thoy once enthusiastically in
dorsed as beautiful in theory, but wholly Imprac
tical; and it is interesting to, observe that Senator
Allison intimates that reciprocity is impractical
becauso of the Influences exerted by the industry,
affected. Public Interests aro not to bo consid
ered in tho-mattor of reciprocity or any othor5 pro
posed plan of action. The men who contribute to
tho ropublican campaign- fund aro tho ones who
' exort enough influenco to defeat tho treatios.
A Washington dispatch to tho New York
American ahnouncos that an advisor close to tho
Mt , president has borno out tho
morgan s otatoment that J. Plerpont Mor
Extra gan has induced tho president.
Session. to call an extra session of con
; gross. It is alleged that -the
necessity for prompt ratification of tho Cuban
treaty is not tho only purpose of holding this ex
tra session. Mr. Morgan is deeply interested in
tho passage of tho Aldrifti finance bill and he Is
reported to havo said that tho passage of this
measure was necessary in order to avoid serious
monetary disturbances. Whenever tho money
power wants special legislation, its representatives
undertake to frighten tho people and make them
boliovo that the mchauro proposed is designed
purely for the public benefit, and sad to relate,
there arcall too many peoplo who accept without
question propositions having for thoir solo pur
pose tho grant of now and extraordinary powor to
tho financiers.
It would bo woll if tho American people care
fully Btudied the enormous appropriations made at
tho recent session of congress.
War. Leslie's Weekly provides an in-
Costg tercsting hint on this lino when
Money. t says: "There is food for .re
flection in the fact that of tho
$753,484,018 appropriated for various purposes at
the last session of congress, $307,704,309, or nearly
one-half, was for expenses of wars past and pre
parations for possible wars to come. Nearly one
fifth of tho total drafts upon tho treasury, or $139,-,
847,600, was for tho single itom of pensions and
over $80,000,000 was for naval purposes. If we
put over against these Items tho meager allowance
of less than $2,000,000 to keep up our notoriously
underpaid and poorly sustained diplomatic and
consular service and less than $0,000,000 for the
promotion of our vitally important agricultural
interests, it looks, somehow, as if we were not so
much given to cultivating the arts of peace as wo
sometimes credit ourselves with being." -
The New York World directs attention to tho
fact that during tho Spanish-American war, tho
Spanish bonds sold below 3p. At
tho same time British, bonds
reached the maximum of 113 7-8,
having gained on an average
more than a point a year since
they were "converted" In 1888. Soon after peace
was declared, Spain found her credit unexpectedly
and greatly improved, the year of 1902 Spanish
bonds rose to 913-4. In tho mean while Great
Britain was engaged in tho Boer war and her
securities swelled in volume by the cost of kill
ing. As a result during the year of 1902 Great
Britain's bonds led the Spanish 4's by only 2
points and the 'British" bonds have recently de
clined below 90, well beneath the Spanish maxi
mum. The World well says that "some victories
cost more than some defeats." Tho loss of her
colonies was the best thing that could have hap
pened to Spain and it will be many years before
Great Britain will be exempt from the payment! of
penalty for her destruction of tho two republics
in South Africa.
The
Cost of
Victory."
They Do
Not
Ask fluch.
The reorganizers who pretend to be so anx
ious for harmony and say that in the accomplish
ment oi mat resuic, tney uesiro
only the concession that they
bo permitted to write tho
platform and chopso the nomi
nee for the party, may be inter
ested in a story related by Colonel Julian S. Carr
of Durham, N. C. Colonel Carr said: "There used
to be an old fellow down in Wayne county, North
Carolina, who had title deeds to several fine farms
and mortgages on several others. He owned
nearly all the land he could see from his front
yard and when he had a chance he foreclosed a
mortgage and added more land to his domain.
One day a neighbor remarked to him: 'I sup
pose you -would like to own tho whole world,
wouldn't you?' 'Oh, no,' answered the old fellow.
'I don't want to own the world. Not a bit All
I want is jest to own all the land that jlnea
mine.' " The reorganizers do not demand many
concessions'. Not at all. They simply desire that
they be placed in control of the party machinery,
that they bo permitted to dictate the nominees for
president and vice presldentand that they bo
given the privilege of framing the party platform.
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