Ytryri&artKiiv
'T-prw -w --
"jr","Tr '-w-a a
The Commoner.
5
The Now
Fowltr
BUI.
SEPTEMBER 25, 1903. .
Referring to President Roosevelt's refusal to
accept a flag, the gift of a Boston girl, the New
" York American says that tho
Those people have not yet heen In-
Sneclal ' formed that checks havo heen
Tr-in sent from the White house to
ra - the various railroad companies
over whose lines the pre3idont and his party
have been deadheaded in special trains with every
thing supplied, including wines and cigars.
There is a new Fowler bill and the American
Banker presents its main features as follows:
i nnnvorflTnn of Greenbacks
into gold certificates. (2) Au
thorization to deposit any pub
lic funds in banks without so
mtrifv P.TP.P.nfc a. Drior lien: and'
the payment of 2 per cent interest for such de
posits. (3) Notes issued against general assets.
The interest received for the deposits is to be
devoted to the conversion of tho greenbacks into
gold notes.
The governor of Michigan has surrendered a
fucitivo to the governor of Georgia, explaining
fa that while it has been alleged
Broad that there was danger of lynch-
HinUto ing, "ho could not assume that
n.irwn the laws another state would
uurDin. nofc be enorced.. In this con
nection tho New York World suggests: "This
ought to be a hint to Governor Durbin of Indiana,
who has just received another, still more pointed,
in the refusal of the governor of Arkansas to sur
render an Indiana fugi.ive vntil vae persons ac
cused of the murder of Goebel have .been given
up to Kentucky justice."
The Washington Post says: "When tho cabi
net meetings are resumed li. will probably be a
oreacn or oniciui cuuilcs xui
members to ask one another
how their department scandals
are getting along." The Po3t
should "be more careful else it
may find Itself suddenly summoned to answer to
the charge of treason. "Department scandals"
under tho republican administration are becoming
so common thc3e days that one need not be sur
prised if republican authorities determine to in
clude in their list of treasonable acts reference to
fraud and corruption in official circles.
An
Approach
to Treason.
Money
in tho
Legislature.
i. -. -a ' -
Some republican papers nave charged that
large sums of money were used to defeat legis-
. intinn in tho Wisconsin legisla
ture Other republican papers
have referred to these charges
as libels. The Milwaukee Free
Pi-aoa aavtf "Whatever libel
there is on the legislature consists in saying that
.i 11..! .,... mna .Vein1 1-V toflit
people Deiieve Uiai muuey woa uacu w ..
legislation during the session of 1901. We do not
believe there is an intelligent man in Wisconsin
who doubts it. Whatever libel there is in the
statement that it Is susceptible of proof that
money was offered to members for their votes, and
refused by them, is on the unnamed lobbyist, or
lobbyist's agent, who offered it"
Concerning Mr. Roosevelt's refusal to accept
the gift of a silk flag offered by Miss Costeau of
Boston, a reader of the New
The York WorH says that the pres-
' Costeau ld-nt "lays himself open to the
fiif suspicion of unsentlmentallty on
a point where most people have
most expected to find him supersentlmental." This
reader adds: "As the flag was offered to him by
a woman animated only by the sentiment of af
fection for the flag of her adopted country the
rejection of It by a president who had already
accepted such comparatively sordid gifts as a
saddle-horse, tree railroad pass . and the free
use of government vessels for family outing trips,
tho act strikes me as a singularly ungallant one
to use the mildest possib e term."
The Brooklyn Eagle, says: "Now the farmers
want a trust The best rust for them is trust in
elbow grease, ii is me "
who works his muscles and not
his politics who gets ahead is
this country." The Eagle has
YnrpRRPd tRPif verv clearly in
favor of trusts as they are now organized. It has
declared that it believes in trusts and it is anxioue
to see the democratic party take its star d in favor
to the system. But th Eagle believes In trusts
Suggests
Elbow
Grease.
that are operated for the special advantago of the
particular classes represented by the Eagle. Bo
far as the farmers are concerned, In tho Eagle's
opinion "the best trust for tucm Is trust In elbow
grease." Why not a bit of elbow grcaso for somo
of the Eaglo'a Clients? Is It not really true that
tho men, represented by the Fagle, who work their
politics make considerably morq progress under
the present state of affairs than tho men who
work their muscles? If tho Eaglo believes in a
trust for the financier and for tho manufacturer,
with what reason does it object to tho proposed
farmers' trust?
The Amorlcan Banker intimates that Secre
tary of tho Treasury Shaw "has undor considera
tion a plau by which ho hopes
An to avoid the limitation of ?3,-
Entire 000,000 per n.onth on tho rotlro-
Legislsture. mont of national bank circula
tion." The Bankor sr.ys that
"strictly speaking, tho national bank act docs not
put any limitation on tho ictlromont of circula
tion. Tho limitation is put on tho amount of
lawful money that can bo depi cited for any calen
dar month for the retirement of notes." Tho
Banker's explanation on tills point Is reproduced
in another column. Mr, Shaw has already arbi
trarily put into effect tho chief provisions of tho
Aldrich bill. If now ho can avoid the limitation
on tho amount of bank notes to bo retired, ho
will indeed be regarded' as a legislature unto himself.
A correspondent asked the Philadelphia
Public Ledger to explain what was meant by an
elastic currency, and in the
Bent, course of its reply tho Ledger
Pulled quoted tho definition of elastlc-
and Distorted. ily as. follows: "Tho power In
any body of returning to the
form from which it is bent, extended, pressed,
pulled or distorted, as soon as the force applied
is removed." Thero is something strikingly ap
propriate in employing this definition of elasticity
in connection w'th tho proposition to permit tno
financiers to arrange our currency system accord
ing to their selfish interests. "Bent, extended,
pressed, pulled or distorted as soon as the force
applied is removed" gives, vaguely to ba sure,
but gives nevertheless a hint of what may be ex
pected when tho currency laws are arranged in ac
cordance with tho wishc- of the financiers as ex
pressed In tho Aldrich and Fowler, bills.
The
Delaware
Compact,
The New York World "takes liberty to doubt
and even to disbelieve tho statement that Theo
dore Roosevelt Is a party to a
transaction so scandalous as the
division of places in tho na
tional service within a state by
a tacit agreement between two
politicians, one of whom is tho agent of tho most
notorious corruptionist in American politics." But
lostmaster General Payne, who ought to know,
says: "As to the agreement itself, it was made
by tho senators themselves with a view to avoid
ing party friction. It was drawn up and typo
written and placed in the hands of General Brls
tow during my absence from Washington. When
I returned to the city I was informed of ita ex
istence, and I learned that it had been made with
and had subsequently received the approval of
President Roosevelt, who naturally wished to
avoid factional strife concerning the Delaware
appointuen's."
Fred White, who received the largest vote
accorded to any democratic candidate for gov
ernor oi lowa since tne aays oi
Horace Boies, is a candidate for
supervisor of Keokuk county.
The Marnhalltown Times-Re-Dubllcan
savs that "this Indi
cates that a, democratic office-seeker seems to be
much like the pickerel anything tnat glitters he
grabs at" The Dubuque (la.) Telegraph directs
attention to tho fact that Mr. White has never
sought public office, and that he pleaded with the
leaders of the democratic convention which nomi
nated him for governor not to choose him. The
Telegraph might have added that it is entirely to
the credit of a man who, like Fred White, has been
chosen by his party for high honors, that ho
should accept Ue office of county supervisor
Doubtless the same principle which prompted Mr.
White to yield to tho demands of his democratic
associates that he accept the gubernatorial nomi
nation prompted him to become a candidate for a
county office. There are, too, many instances in
American history where men who had once served
creditably in high office had subsequently accepted
Enlrely
to His
Credit.
an election to a less conspicuous position. Al
though the editor of this particular republican
paper may not be informed as to the facts, It w
true nevertheless that tlioso men occupy very
credltablo positions In the history of their country.
Why
Not
Investigate?
Tho Omaha Bee, a republican paper, says
"Charles Josoph Bonaparto has boon selected by
Mr. Hitchcock to take charge of
tho Investigation of the opera
tions of tho Indian land spec
ulators and crooked Indian
agents in Oklahoma and Indian
Territory. If tho man with tho Napoleonic an
cestry had been detailed to pay a visit to the
Omaha and Winnebago reservations In Nebraska
ho would havo found a Htato of affairs just ao
scandalous as has subsisted In tho southern Ind
ian settlement" How does It happon thon that
our strenuous administration does not investigate
tho "scandalous" situation at tho Omaha and
Winnebago reservations? Is it possiblo that undor
the republican administration fraud and dishon
esty thrives in official circles to such an extent
that with all the resources of tho fedoral govern
ment, tho administration flnda It impossible to
ccpe with the situation?
After saying that the noxt congress will do
nothing on tho currency question which Is radical
and may no do anything which
1b moderate, tho Chicago Tri
buno says: "Tho agitation for
an asset curroncy win not die
out becauso of the refusal of
tho next congress to do anything. Mp.ny bankers
boliovo thero would bo money for their banks In
such a currency, and thoy will not lot go of any
scheme which has money In it. Thero will be
many discussions, arguments, and votes boforo the
asset currency project is finally disposed of." Is
it not also fair to boliovo that if tho republican
party remain In power after these discussions,
arguments and votes, the assot currency project
will bo adopted becauso thero is money for the
bankers in ouch a currency; and have we not,
also, the right to believe that after the republican
party shall have adopted that system the Chicago
Tribune, faithful to ite characteristics, will be
found apologizing for a cunency system against
which it has repeatedly protested?
The
Asset
Currency.
To
Remove
Restrictions.
Tho Now York Commercial complains of "a
currency system that oach fall threatens the busi
ness interests or the entire
country and which forces tho
secretary of the treasury to
continually seek for technical
loonholcs through which tho
spirit of tho law can bo evaded." The Commer
cial suggests as a remedy that congress pass a
law repealing the restrictions on the retirement
o bank notes and allow custom receipts to be de
posited in national banks the same as internal
revenue receipts. It is difficult to understand how
a law repealing tne restrictions on the retirement
of bank notes would result In an increase In the
volume of currency which the financiers say that
'we eo greatly need. Washington dispatches say
that the applications now on file for retirement of
bank notes exceeds tho sum of $7,000,000. The
limit Is $3,000,000 per month. If tho restrictions
did not exist at this time, at least ?7.0W ' 0
would be retired and from reports from Wash
ington ono is-justifled in believing that new appli
cations for permission to retlro will be presented.
Cotton's
Good
Story.
Rear Admiral Charles S. Cotton, to whom
general attention Is now being directed, is re-
sponsmie ior an wiereaunB
story. On one occasion Admiral
Cotton sat at a dinner party be
side the bishop of Durham, a
clergyman noted for his wit
Near the bishop there was i millionaire manufac
turer, a stout man, with a loud, coarse laugh, wno
ate and drank a good deal and who cracked every
little while a stupid joke. One of the man's
jokes was levelea at tho brilliant bishop of Dur
ham, whom he ad not know from Adam. It was
enough for him that tho bishop's garb was cleri
cal. He was a parson j here, therefore, a chance
to poke a little f x at the parson's trade "I have
three sons," he began in a loud tone, nudging hkf
neighbor and winking toward the bishop, "three
fine lads. They are In trade, l uavo always said
that if ever I bad a stupid son I'd make a parson
of him." The millionaire roared out his discord
ant laugh, and the bishop of Durham said to hint
with a quiet smile: "Your father thought differ
ently from you, eh?"