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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 19, 1903)
9Wm,1'l"',1tWI"l,''lWU(i"4l"i TVTr y-wf3rrW""1 wgt ' ' ' " r,nS,"".",,lf " rr-v Tiiot j"7W" r- T-rjT VI V The Commoner. 7 JUNE 19, 1903.. exceptions, and there arc no others to record, at least among the great parties, until after the civil war. Even Lincoln did not get such an ab solute approval in 18G4, when the Missouri dele gates to the republican crnvention were forced by instructions to give a formal vote for Grant. And although General Fremont was nominated by acclamation that same year by a mass convention of dissatisfied republicans he subsequently with drew from the contest." it" lC IT IS FURTHER POINTED OUT BY THIS same authority that General Grant broke the record in his two unopposed nominations in 1S68 and 1872, and Cleveland was unopposed in 1888 and McKinley and Bryan in 1900. But most of the conventions of this period have been dis tinguished by. lively struggles between numerous "favorite sons." Of vice presidents who have suc ceeded on the death of presidents none has been fortunate enough to secure a nomination at the following convention of his party. Tyler was hated by the whigs and discarded as a traitor. Fillmore was beaten by Scott, Johnson was per sona non grata, and although Arthur had a pret ty long list of delegates he had to succumb to Blaine. The Record-Herald writer thinks that Mr. Roosevelt has little to fear in the precedent established in the cases of these men. He thinks moreover that there appears to bo a tendency in recent years toward a narrowing of the field and that neither republicans nor democrats seem to have such an abundance of presidential timber as they did when the names of Blaine, Sherman, Ed wards, and Allison were kept permanently before one party, and those of Tilden, Hendricks, Bay ard, and Thurman before the other. FORTY YEARS AGO A CLTAIN MAN MADE some purchases in the store of A. F. Root on Schroon river, Oregon. In figuring up the amount of the purchases, the storekeeper cheated himself out of 5 cents. Mr. Root now lives at Glen Falls, N. Y., and the Glen Falls correspon dent of the New York World says that he re cently received a letter from his old customer in which the writer recounts the circumstances and says that it has troubled him all these years and that, it was the one dishonest act of his life. He enclosed a money order for 75 cents, being prin cipal and interest THE CANNIBAL TREE OF AUSTRALIA IS said to be the most wonderful tree in ex istence. A writer In the New Yorlc World refers to this tree as "the most wonderful of God's, many wonders in vegetable life." According to this writer, the cannibal ' 'ce grows up in the shape of a huge pineapple, and seldom attains a height of more than 11 feet It has a series of "broad, beardlike leaves, growing in a fringe at the apex, which reminds one of a gigantic Central American apex. When standing erect these broad, thick leaves hide a curious looking arrangement which appears to perform the same functions. as those of the pistils in flowers. Naturally, these beardlike leaves, which are from 10 to 12 feet long in the smaller specimens, are from 15 to 20 in the larger, hang to the ground and are strong enough to bear a man's weight In aboriginal times in the antipodean wilds the natives wor shiped the cannibal tree under the name of the "devil tree," the chief part of the ceremony con sisting of driving one of their numbers up the leaves of the tree to the apex. The instant the victim -would touch the so-called "pistils" of the monster the leaves would instantly fly together like a trap, squeezing the 1.2-) out of the intruder. Early travelers declared that the tree held Its victim until every particle of flesh disappeared. On this account it is called the "cannibal tree." ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RECENTLY given out at Washington, the number of im migrants arriving in this country continues to increase. During the twelve months ending April SO, 803,272 immigrants arrived. Of this number Austria-Hungary contribute 3 189.7S9, Italy 227, 463, the Russian empire 128,482, the German em pire 36,920, the United .Kingdom 59,850, other countries 160,762. During this period there were 74,530 Hebrews, 41 per cent of whom came from Russia, 25 per cent from Austria-Hungary, 10 per cent from Roumanla, 12 per cent from Germany, and 12 per cent from other countries. The Wash ington correspondent for the St Louis Globe Democrat says that It is believed by the official bureau of immigration that it -ill be shown that the number of aliens arriving In May was close to 75,000. The same authority expresses the opinion that by July 1 not fewer than 850,000 aliens will have been admitted to this country dur ing a twelve-month period. JO jT- AMONG THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD the Swiss a-o alone In having no language tbey can call their own. A writer in the Chicago Chronicle says that about three-fourths of the people of Switzerland speak German, whilo the remainder divide four otner languages among them, mainly French and Italian, the languages varying as a rule according to the proximity of the people to each country whose tongue they speak. Public documents and notices are printed in both "French and German. In the Swiss con gress or national parliament the members make their speeches either in French or German, for nearly all the members understand both lan guages. The orders of the presiednt are trans lated by an official Interpreter and furnished to the newspapers in both languages. Probably it would puzzle even Macaulay's learned schoolboy to name the president of the Swiss republic. He is M. Adolf Deucher, a nam- that will bo strange to many even of those who are familiar with the names and titles of every other European ruler. TT IS PROPOSED TO EXHUME THE REMAINS 1 of James Smithson at Genoa where they were interred in 1820 and transport them to Washington for sepulchuro in the grounds of the Smithsonian institution. A writer in the New York Mail and Express says that if this project be carried out a very interesting international ro mance will be provided with its proper climax. According to this writer: "Not long before ho died Smithson wrote altogether mysteriously at that time, fbr he was an obscure scientist: 'My name shall live in tho memory of man when the titles of the Northumborlands and Percys are extinct and forgotten.' He spoke tho truth when he said that. Tho titles of the Northumborlands and Percys are not yet extinct, but they are of exceedingly little consequence now to either Brit ain or the world and have not the slightest ground to hope for such Immortality as the founder of tho great scientific institution connected with the United States government at Washington has already bestowed on the first duke of Northumb erland's illegitimate son." ACCORDING TO THE WRITER IN THE Mail and Express, James Smithson, at first and properly called James Made, had no right to the name or title of tho first Duke of Northumber land which descended to the duke's lawful son. Nevertheless, says this writer, James Made was of the best blood of England on both sides. His character was excellent, his aspect noble. He was singularly roud of the blood which ran in his veins, though it came to him by no lawful in heritance, and his position became to him one of such bitterness that he resolved to establish his name, in a manner as useful as it was brilliant, in the free land beyond tho seas. Tho fact that he had never seen America and had no tie what ever with this country did not dotT him from sending hither all his wealth tho-gh in the main it had come from the British nobility to whom by blood he was allied. His bequest of his for tune after the death of a nephew, who died with out an heir, to establish at Washington an insti tution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men was an astonishment to the world, and particularly to the Americans, who took sev eral years to accustom themselves to the notion and provide for the foundation of the institution he had decreed. There was nothing, however, really astonishing in the bequest Smithson cared more for science than he did for anything else. He was a passionate investigator and a real ly great collector. He lenew that tho terms of his bequest, which had in view nothing less than universal enlightenment, could be carried out in this country in a manner more sincere and un trammeled than in Europe. So he sent his money here and good use has surely been made of it. ac A STRANGE REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE OF the United States government by the Span ish authorities. Tho Spanish government has entered a protest against the proposed sale of Spanish copper coins now in circulation in the Philippine islands upon the ground that the coins are the property of Spain and that under the peace treaty that government is entitled to them. The Spanish authorities Intimate, however, that if this plan bo not agreeable to the United States,' Spain should be given tho first right of purchase at a fair price. Director of tho Mint Roberts, speaking to the Washington correspondent for the Chicago Chronicle, says thrit the position taken by Snain is most unusual, inasmuch as the coins are in general circulation in tho Philippines at their money valuo and apparently no considera tion has been given to tho rights or tho holders or .the money. Tho Spanish coins now circulat ion?, tho PhI,,PPlnea are to bo rotirod January 1, 1904, under tho provisions of tho Philipplno co nago act Tho United Stites government must retain tho coppers and dispose of them to tho besA. ad,yantago. It is believed that tho anxiety of tho Spanish authorities grows out of tho fear that these coins will bo purchased by speculators at less than their faco value and sent to Snain for circulation. RECENT EXPOSURES OF NATURALIZA . tion frauds in Philadelphia have prompted the suggestion by Assistant United States Dis trict Attorney Thompson that hereafter tho photograph of the newly mado citizen bo attached to tho certificate, thus establishing tho question of Identity beyond doubt The Philadelphia cor respondent for tho Chicago Chronicle says: "Out side of New York the frauds perpetrated in Phil adelphia and Wilmington about a year ago wore tho most extensive. The great majority of thoso who received bogus evidence of citizenship by fraud aro Italians and Armenians. It has been established that tho same gang worked Philadel phia and Wilmington. Men wero taken from Philadelphia to Wilmington to get their papers and returned to Philadelphia to vote. Several hundred certificates obtained In this way havo been picked up and destroyed and more are com ing to light every day. About twenty-five arrests havo been made, but some of the men were re leased when it was provou that they were only dupes of the men who had sold their votes. John Dilemma, alias Lemon, tho alleged head of tho gang, and twelve others aro under indictment and more arrests aro in sight" THE PUBLIC ATTENTION IS ONCE MORE directed to tho story of the abduction of Ellen M. Stone, the missionary, by brigands in Turkey. The state department has requested Miss Stone to furnish information upon which the de partment may present a claim against Turkey. The Washington correspondent for tho Chicago Chronicle says that Miss Stono has so far neg lected to supply tho facts desired and adds: "Cor respondence between Miss Stono and the depart ment has been unsatisfactory, as tho department has been unable to obtain from her anything tangible upon which to base a claim for damages. The missionary has written a letter of excessive length in which she tells the story of her capture, but not cne of her statemc-ts Is substantiated by affidavits or other proofs upon which action could be taken. The affair has a number of singular features. It Is known, for example, that Miss Stone was in full sympathy with the Macedonian committee, which eventually received the $70,000 that was paid for her ransom, and that the money was used to purchase arms and ammunition with which to fight tho Turks. This fact was made plain to the state department by Spencer Eddy, the secretary of the American legation in Con stantinople, when he was here several weeks ago. Miss Stone herself admits that she was well treated by her captors; also that tney were Chris tians like herself and fighting against the Turks, who are Mohammedans. Much doubt exists whether Miss Stone can establish a valid claim against Turkey or justly demand an apology from the sultan. The state department believes Miss Stone is in possession of facts which she has not yet made known." & ST THE PERMANENT TREATY BETWEEN THE United States and Cuba in which are in. corporated the provisions of the Piatt amend ment, has been signed by the representatives of tho two governments.. An Associated press dispatch says: "The treaty contains no provision for Its abrogation, and no extraneous conditions. It sim ply incorporates the entire Piatt amendment Into the form of a treaty. It is expected that an agree ment covering tho details of the United States naval stations will be reached by President Palma and Minister Squiers within three weeks. While the permanent treaty contains the provisions of the Piatt amendment regarding the Isle of Pines and the acquisition of coaling stations by the United States, tho final settlement of these ques tions will be made the subject of special treaties. Cuba agrees never to enter into any treaty or other compact with any foreign power which will impair or tend ' j impair its independence. Cuba consents that the United States may intervene for tho preservation of Cuban independence. Cuba ratifies all acts of tho United States in Cuba done during the military occupation' 1 M gkU&ffLjf.