"MWiwiWWHHJ I '','"' IV ' t-w ycf i mi .'P"jJm;,nmHHi
The Commoner.
5
JUNE 2 6, 19 0r3.
j
Tho Philadelphia Record says: "It is said
that they have dug up a now metal worth ?3,-
UvU,UlW a pouuu. uuuer iui.
Bryan's policy of free coinage
what ratio would silver bear to
that metal?" Why not adopt
this new and precious metal as
tho. basis for our money? It would, even better
than the single gold standard, accomplish the re
sult so important to the hearts of the financiers
of "making money scarce and therefore dear."
A
Precious
Metal.
N-V5
.It is interesting, If not significant, that tho
name of BriBtow figures conspicuously in tho
investigations into the post
Brlstow office scandals. This Is not the
and first time when tho mention of
Brlstow. tne name of Bristow struck ter
ror to the hearts of republican
politicians and from some of the comments made
by republican organs upon the Bristow of today,
it is plain to be seen that In republican circles he
is just as unpopular as was the Bristow of thirty
years ago.
Those who desire to cultivate the art of sim
ple and readily understood statement are in
debted to the Hygienic uazette
for tho information that a
French journal cites as a sam
ple of "the simplicity of lan
guage used by German chem
ists" the following: "If benzoynaphtylamide is
treated with nitric acid it forms two isometrico
monitroamidobenzonaphtylamldes, of which one
gives monoamidobenzonaphtylimide and the other
adhydrobensodlamidonoleana."
A
Simple
Statement.
"Letting
Well Enough
Alone."
The report made by Mr. Bristow, fourth as
sistant postmaster general, admits that an in
spector's report showing "glar
ing irregularities" in the post
office department, was submitted
by him personally to Postmas
ter General Charles Emory
Smith July 6, 1899. On July 31, 1900, another and
similar report was made, but the republican post
master general evidently believed in the repub
lican slogan "keep on letting well enough alone'
and so tho public was kept in ignorance con
cerning these dishonest deals.
AH
Around
Meanness.
Referring to the bribery of the labor union
agent at New York, 'the'vNew York Tribune says:'
the cdnduct with which walking
delegates are cnarged is likely
to 'irilpress upright members of
labor' unions even more deep
ly thanks criminal character." But the TrlMHo
and other republican papers have nothing to say
of the "detestable meanness" of the men who
pay the bribes. Why not reserve some of the
indignation for the well-to-do men whose money
was expended in corrupting this labor agent?
Prepare
For
"Surprises."
Those who have expressed surprise becauEO
of the revelations in the postoffice department
'.rill perhaps oe surprised when
in the future, as a result of the
administration's scheme to sell
to the high st bidder the mo
nopoly of the opium trade in
the Philippines, grave scandals are exposed in
that quarter. According to this plan, the exclu
sive privilege of selling opium in the Philippine
islands is to be granted every three years and it
is not difficult to see that this scheme will afford
an opportunity for thrift among administration
favorites.
If Postmaster General Payne is to retain his
place in the cabinet he should at least make
formal and adequate apology to
Apologize Mr. Tulloch. It will be remem
to bered that when Mr. Tulloch
Tullech. first made his charges against
the management of the post
office department, he Tvas met by sneers from the
postmaster general's office. Now that Tulloch's
accusations have been practically substantiated,
Mr. Payne should apologize for his unkind ref
erence to the man who made the expose. Mr.
Payne's conduct in connection with these Inves
tigations has not been at all creditable to him
and although we are told that he is now willing
and anxious that a thorough investigation ba
made, the public cannot forget that in the begin
ning he deliberately discouraged investigation.
Some of the accused republican politicians have
been asked to retire .on the ground that they have
been guilty of "indiscretion." There Is ample rea
son that Mr. lioosovolt should suggest tho re
tirement of his postmaster general on this samo
ground.
"A
Nen-Partisan
Review."
Tho American Reglstor, published in Lon
don and Paris, prints for tho information of Eu
rope and, whether intentional or
not, for tho amusement of
Americans, the following state
ment: "In tho courso of tho
next fow weeks tho republicans
and democrats will havo hold their national con
ventions, and tho two groat parties will bo en
gaged in one of tho biggest political contests over
fought in Amorica. So far everything points to
the nomination of Mr. Roosevelt on tho republi
can ticket, and one can imagine him now in tho
throes of a strenuous campaign."
A number of republican papers have paid con
slderablo attention to tho charge that a represen
tative of tho labor unions in
There Now York accepted money for
are his own use and benefit as a
Others. consideration for tho settle
. mont of strikes. ' Tho Omaha
Bee, a republican paper with anti-monopoly ten
dencies, provides an interesting hint to these
critics when it says that "for every walking dele
gate who accepts bribes to betray his people
there must be some employor to pay the bribes.
Bribe-taking and bribe-giving are equally con
demned by law-abiding citizenship."
Harper's Weekly says: oupposo it could bo
shown that Mr. Cleveland did not vote at all on
those occasions U896 and 1900).
Must an ex-president's omission
to vote be counted a betrayal
of his party?" The Omaha Bee
retorts: "But wo apprehend
that It will take a bigger crevico than that to
get Mr. Cleveland through the fence, although tho
question suggests a plausible loophole by which
the claim to party regularity may bo set up.
Omission to vote for president once might be
ascribed to accident, but accidental- omission to
voto in two. successive presidential years would
lcok too gauzy."
was permitted to go on so long under tho yery oyai
of republican leaders; and how, also, did It happen
that oven after Mr. Tulloch exposed tho corrup
tion, tho representatives of tho administration
showed marked disinclination to proceed against
tho wrong-doers?
Just
a Bit
Too Gauzy.
The
Payne
Mystery.
Tho Now York World intimates that there is
a mystery about the retention of Henry C. Payne
as postmaster general. But it
must not bo forgotten that there
was a bit of mystery connected
with tho appointment of Mr.
Payne. Mr. Roosevelt has al
ways po3ed as a strict advocate of appointments
to public office based solely on merit; If there
existed any reason from the standpoint of public
interests why Mr. Payne should havo been made
postmaster general, that reason was- not made
public There were, however, many reasons why
Mr. Payne should not have been chosen for that
important position.
The Chicago Record-Herald complains that
the Washington postoffice has been run to a large
extent on the spoils principle.
What Later developments indicate
Did It that other br-.nches of the post-
Expect? office department have been run
on the spoils system; and yet
what did the Record-Herald expect when it gave
its support to Mark Hanna and the greatest po
litical machine that has evar been organized In
the history of this country? Did tho Record
Herald lay tho flattering unction to Its soul that
the administration of public office by that ma
chine would be in lino with public Interests? Did
not the Record-Herald havo every reason to be
lieve that when it gave its support to Mark
Hanna's machine it helped to establish the sys
tem and pave tho way for the evils of which it
now complains?
Republican papers are pointing with pride
to the claim that the administration is making
vigorous investigation Into tho
postoffice department scandals,
and these organs insist that the
administration be given all due
credit But it must not be for
gotten that the administration and the party it
represents are responsible for the corruption and
before republican editors call upon the people to
manifest any large degree of enthusiasm because
the administration seems to bo doing a little in
vestigating, it will be well for these editors to
explain how it happened that this dishonest work
Why Not
Long
Ago?
Would
be
Barbarous."
After thG representatives of tho Servian army
had assassinated in a most brutal way the king,
tho queen, together with tho
queen's two brothers and half
a dozen members of tho klng'o
official household, It was pro
posed that the bodies of tho
king and queen bo dragged to tho window and
cast into tho courtyard. It Is reported that ono
of tho leaders "with stern dignity" protested,
"No, no; not that. That would bo barbarous." If
it wero possible to dotoct anything humorous in
so bloody an affair, this lato moment protest
against barbarity makes, under the circumstances,
at least mighty Interesting reading.
Tho reorganize depend upon tho "needful
equipment" for success. They are amply supplied
with monoy and will use It un
Protcct sparingly in the effort to re-
the publlcanizo tho democratic par-
Party. ty TIiobo who believe in tho
preservation of democratic prin
ciples must rely upon tho active co-operation of
other democrats who believe as they do and theso
must work unceasingly for the protection of the
party. In order to accomplish the desired result
a democratic club should b- organized In every
precinct in tho United States. These clubs may
accomplish Important results and should count
among their membership every man who believes
that tho preservation of popul-.r government de
pends upon tho democratic party. Tho fact of tho
organization of a democratic club should bo
promptly reported to Tho Commoner. Those who
contemplate the organization of such clubs will
be supplied with a form of constitution and mem
bership blanks upon application to this office.
Mr. Bristow, fourth assistant postmaster gen
eral, says that during tho investigation In the
postomce department tour year
ago he was advised by tho chief
inspector that that official had
instructed his subordinates that
thev had better make no refer
ence to certain appointments as they had been or
dered personally by tho postmaster general. Mr.
Bristow says that ho told tho chief of Inspectors
to Instruct tho inspectors to report the facts as
they would In any other inspection, and that ho
did not believe the postmaster general had know
ingly authorized any Irreguh -Uios. And then Mr.
Bristow says that ho personally submitted the
facts of these "glaring irregularities" to the post
master general; but the public knows, and of
course Mr. Bristow knows now, that these ques
tionable transactions, after having been reported
to the postmaster general were kept dark until
tho year of 1903 when their publication was forced
by statements made to tho public by Seymour W.
Tulloch. Mr. Brlstow's report will not place him
in line for second place on the republican ticket
in 1904. Indeed there are already evidences that
tho fourth assistant postmaster general is very
unpopular in republican circles.
Bristow
Will be
Unpopular.
A
Better
Remedy.
The Ishmaellte, of Sparta, Ga., after answer
ing the Atlanta Journal's attack, says: "There
is uut Jne uuttwur iui iuc "
lions of democrats, who still
honor William J. Bryan, to
make to the shallow and in
decent tirades of the Cleveland-
ites against him, and that Is to renominate him
in 1904. It would be cowardly and shameless
not to stand by him, when the gang that ef
fected his defeat as the party leader proposes to
heap humiliation on him even In the retirement
of private life. If that is to be the issue, let the
democrats who were not treacherous in the two
last elections know it They win meet the bolt
ers at that Phillppi." Our good friend of the Ish
maellte is right in his criticism, but wrong in
his remedy. The leaders of the reorganlzers will
not support any one who is loyal to the people,
but there are a great many of the rank and file
who havo been deceived by the leaders, and theso
can be brought to the support of a loyal demo
crat who has not been In position to arouse their
prejudices Mr. Bryan has bee, honored enough.
His place is in the ranks and he will bo found
where the fight is thickest and the enemy most
numerous.
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