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The Commoner.
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 29.
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1
WILLIAM T. STEAD'S OPINIONS ON Eu
ropean politics arc always expressed In an
Interesting way. Mr. Stead Is a thorough stu
dent and while it is claimed that he is a man
of Btrong prejudices he very often hits the nail
on the head. In a London cablegram to the New
York World Mr. Stead declares that Mr. Cham
berlain'a political career is reaching an end. Con
cerning this interesting English statesman, Mr.
Stead says: ".tie falls as he rose by his own
hand. He has been Belf-unmade, as he was self
made. After deserting the liberal party over home
rule he has now shattered the unionist party by
his plunge for protection."
If IS NOT DIFFICULT TO SEE THAT MR.
Stead has no particular love for Mr. Cham
berlain, for he refers to aim as "tne man who has
exercised a baleful ascendency over the fortunes
of the British empire for seven years;" and he
speaks about the menacing shadow of a states
man who has been the curse of his country ever
since he took a hand in the Jameson-Rhodes
plot against the Transvaal republic" Mr. Stead
says that Mr. Chamberlain returned from South
Africa "sick and weary of the war and more or
less disappointed by its results." He says that
Mr. Chamberlain "soon discovered that the edu
cation act had roused a temper of resistance in
the country that would be inevitably fatal to the
ministry unless something very sensational could
divert public attention from the question." Ac
cording to Mr. Stead, Mr. Chamberlain "did not
like the Irish land bill. He believed it to be un
popular with the British taxpayers and probably
Ineffective as a means of settling the Irish land
question." Mr. Stead intimates that the Britisn
ministers generally "were content to await in
dull despair the rising of the tide of public in
dignation which would overwhelm them, but Mr.
Chamberlain realized that something must be
done to force a new issue upon the public." And
then Mr. Chamberlain, who, in the opinion of
Mr. Stead, "is as ignorant as he is head-strong,"
did not hesitate long as to his course of action.
Mr. Stead says that Mr. Chamberlain 'began by
"trying to make a military union of the colon
ies" and Sir Wilfred Laurier checkmated him.
Then, according to Mr. Steau, he tried to induce
the colonies to pay 66 cents a head for the imper
ial army and navy, to raise the contribution to
the British standard, "which every man, woman
and child pays close upon $6 per annum for war
purposes," but the colonies laugned him to scorn.
AFTER ALL THIS, ACCORDING TO MR.
Stead, one last resource, a loan, remained,
for the wily Chamberlain. Mr. Stead says: "By
means of a preferential tariff ue imagined he could
make the empire into a kind of a fiscal unit But
in order to do tnis it would be necessary to in
crease the cost of living of 41,000,000 citizens at
homo in order to put a little more profit into the
pockets of 12,000,000 colonists over the sea. Among
the 41,000,000 at home there are 12,000,000 who are
always underfed, badly clothed and housed at
handgrips with poverty. To starve these 12,000,
000 at home to fatten 12,000,000 abroad commend
ed itself to Mr. Chamberlain as imperial states
manship. It need hardly be said that the 12,
000,000 Btarvelings do not see it in that light And
Mr. Chamberlain's great coup has failed
utterly; failed even tragically. The ministerial
patient was ailing badly, no doubt But Dr.
Chamberlain, by way of cure, has simply put a
llullet through his brain."
WHATEVER OPINION ONE MAY ENTER
tain as to the Stead prejudices, it Is gener
ally understood that Mr. Steau has facilities for
obtaining Information and that he is a ery close
observer, and so among many people the em
phasis which Mr. Stead places upon his prediction
as to the results of Mr. Chamberlain's latest effort
will be accepted. In this particular telegram to
the World, Mr. Stead anticipated some of tne ca
blegrams that were sent to newspapers in this
country and he doubtless anticipates othere when
lie says: "Wuatever misleading nonsense may be
telegraphed you as to the chances of his success,
you can safely disregard them. He has i o chance,
absolutely none. Black ruin stares him In the
face. The gambler has staked his all upon his
last card and lost Then Mr. Chamberlain himself
does not venture to believe that he can carry the
constituencies with him, at least not until a sec
ond general election. Everyone else knows that
ho has upset the unionist applecart as badly as
Dr. Jameson upset the applecart of Mr. Rhodes
by the famous raid. There is a close parallel be
tween the raid and the protectionist manifesto,
but it is closest in the utter fiasco in which both
have culminated."
MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERA
bly disturbed because of the large increase
during the past twelve months in immigration.
The Washington correspondent for the Boston
Herald directs attention to a report prepared by
Commissioner General Sargent of the immigra
tion bureau, showing what became of the vast
hordes of immigrants who flocked to the shores of
the United States during the fiscal year just ended.
According to the figures a very small proportion
of the aliens settled on the vast areas of land west
of the Mississippi river. Commissioner Sargent
referring to many of the immigrants says that
they constitute the lowest grade of humanity in
southern Europe and are decidedly a menace to
the welfare of the country because of their ten
dency to huddle together in the cities.
THE REPORT MADE BY COMMISSIONER
Sargent shows that of the total number of
arrivals to the country during the past fiscal
year, New York state alone assimilated 250,657.
This is 30 per cent of the entire immigration.
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania together re
ceived 567,405, or 66 per cent of the total. The
states east of the Mississippi river received 741,
765, leaving only 115,281, or 13 per cent to go
west of the Mississippi. Eighty per cent of the
Immigration to this country is composed of the
following eight peoples: Italian (south and north),
Polish, Hebrew, Scandinavian, German, Slovak
Croatian. Of the south Italians 52 per cent re
mained in the state of New York, 86 per cent went
to the six states mentioned, Including New York,
and 98 per cent to states east of the Mississippi,
leaving only 2 per cent who were destined to
states west of the Mississippi. Of the Hebrews, 68
per cent went to New xork state, 89 per cent to
the six states named and 98 per cent to the states
east of the Mississippi. Of the Croatians 60 per
cent went to the six states mentioned and only 12
per cent went to states west of the Mississippi.
Of the Slovaks 83 per cent went to the six east
ern states mentioned, and 2 per cent to the states
west of the Mississippi.
IT IS FURTHER POINTED OUT IN COMMIS
sioner Sargent's report that the Scandinav
ians, Germans and north Italians go in greater
numbers to the western states. Only 18 per cent
of the Scandinavians went to New York state, and
36 per cent to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con
necticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl
vania. The same proportion went to states west
of the Mississippi. Of the Germans 24 per cent
went to New York state, 51 per cent to the six
states mentioned and 24 per cent to states west
of the Mississippi. Of the north Italians 28 per
cent went to New York, 57 per cent to the six
states named and 25 per cent to states west of the
Mississippi. It may be mentioned that 86 per cent
of the people coming from Italy are south Ital
ians. They come from Sicily and Sardinia, and
that part of Italy south of the river Po, while
only 14 per cent are classed as north Italians.
C K
FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 80, 1903,
according to the report made by the com
missioner of internal revenue, the annual collec
tions showed, compared with the corresponding
year ending in 1902, a decrease amounting to $41-,-127,607.
The receipts from the sevoral sources of
revenue are given as follows: Spirits, $131,953,
472; increase, $10,815,459. Tobacco, $43,ol4,810;
decrease, $8,423,114. Fermented liquors, $45,547,
856; decrease, $24,441,046, Oleomargarine, $736,
7S3; decrease, $2,207,709. Klled cheese, $6,445; in
crease, $6,421. Mixed flour, $1,725; decrease, $417.
Adulterated butter and process, or renovated but
ter, $151,558; increase, $151,058. Banks, bankers
etc., $899; increase, $672. Miscellaneous, including
legacies, $6,826,761; decrease, $17,027,004.
AN INDIANA SCIENTIST CLAIMS THAT HE
ia able to create life by & certain chemical
process. Under date of Anderson, Ind., July 25 a
correspondent for the Wasnington Post says:
"With one ounce of common salt, six ounces of
pure water, six ounces of 90 per cent alcohol all
mixed in an ordinary glass dish, and two ouiice3
of aqua ammonia distributed In five small plates
and all covered by an air-tight glass tube, Dr.
Charles W. Llttlefield, of Alexandria, Ind., de
clares that he has created life in the form of thou
sands of atoms or animated substances similar to
well-developed germs of life and trilobites. Ac
cording to Dr. Llttlefield, only ninety minutes
were consumed while salt crystals were impreg
nated with the hydrogen and volatile magnetism
of the chemical solution and transformed into liv
ing forces that immediately sought nourishment
through mediums that Dr. Llttlefield termed feed
ers, lacking a technical name. Microscopic exam
ination showed that crystals not affected by the
chemical mixture retain their original cubic or
square form, while the magnetized crystals wero
of hexagon shape, with life first appearing in the
center and spreading until the crystal was round,
and finally of globular shape. A mass of life
substances possessed magnetism of pronounced
degree, radiating a power that would separate the
crystals, and then draw them together again. It
has not been determined what the germs of atoms
would propagate. Dr. Littleiield says he repeated
his experiments several times, all with practically
the same successful results." .
AN UNUSUAL REQUISITION WAS RECENT
ly made upon the United States treasurer by
the sub-treasurer at San Francisco. This requisi
tion called for $5,000 in niclcels and $2,000 in one
cent pieces. Referring to this requisition, a repre
sentative of the Washington Times says: "From
any part of the country except the Pacific coast
this demand would not have attracted more than
passing notice. In California, however, the use
of coins of the small denominations, particularly
nickels and one-cent pieces, is practically un
known. The requisition received today is the
first of its kind in the history of Mr. Roberts'
long career In the treasury. No information was
obtainable here as to the cause of the demand,
but Mr. Roberts believes that the big department
stores are directly responsible. He predicts that
newspapers from the coast will contain advertise
ments of special sales on articles, such as the
big eastern and middle west stores are accus
tomed to listing at prices ending in odd cents.
Pennies and nickels are as scarce on the Pacific
coast as are silver dollars in the District of Co
lumbia. Nickels are practically unknown, though
there have been a few one-cent pieces in circula
tion since the Spanish-American war. A requisi
tion for a small supply of one-cent pieces wa3
made by the San Francisco subtreasury at the
time when the war revenue act went into etrect"
GREAT EXCITEMENT WAS OCCASIONED IN
Vatican circles recently by the announce
ment that "the fisherman's ring" had been lost
and newspaper readers throughout the world who
have greedily devoured ever tfng with respect
to the recent illness and death of the late pope
nave heard much concerning this jewel. A writer
In the Chicago Record-Herald explains: "The
ring of the fisherman, which is said to have been
stolen from the hand of tne dead Pope Leo, and
which is nowhere to bo found in Ue Vatican, was
the official seal used by the pope in all his per
sonal documents and private letters. The origin
of the ring was a custom adopted many centuries
ago by the popes in order to keep alive the mem
ory . tnQ Poor fisherman of Galilee. Every one
of the popes since that time has worn and used
R SJS?e rlng wbicn D the device of St Peter
seated in a boat and drawing a net from the
waves. The authorities as to the date of the
SEP n ? ?Q custom are not agreed. Mabillon
claims that no evidence exists as to the precise