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The Commoner.
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 31
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SEVERAL MONTHS AGO IT WAS AN
nounced that congress would bo called In
extraordinary session, on Monday, November 9.
Subsequently It was given out that because of tho
pressing problems, the extraordinary se slon would
convono early In October. Later It was reported
..that many republican leaders objected to the Octo
ber session, publicly on tho ground that It would
provont senators and congressmen from maUlng
stump speeches In their states; and privately be
cause it was thought to bo bad policy to have con
gress In session prior to election day. At tho
same thno it was reported in some republican pa
pers that Mr. Roosevelt showed no disposition
whatovor to yield to the protests of tho politicians
and in some quarters it was predicted that in
spite of these protests, congress would convono
prior to election day. But under date of Oyster
Bay, September 12, it was finally made known
that tho special session of congress would bo con- ,
vened on Monday, November 9. The Oyster Bay
corro pondent for the Chicago Tribune says that
"tho wishes of thv, representatives probably had a
good doal to do with the finai setting of the date
on November 9, but it is thought here that tho
chango of affairs in the outlook of currency legis
lation may have had more to do with the de
cision." CUBAN RECIPROCITY WILL BE THE FIRST
thing to bo considered by congress and al
though this has been one of Mr. Rooovelt's pet
plans, there are many reasons for believing that
in republican circles Cuban reciprocity is not so
strong at this time as it was one year ago. For
instance, the two United States senators from Ne
braska took Issue with Mr. Roosevelt on his Cu
ban reciprocity measure and the Nebraska repub
lican convention for 1902 adopted resolutions that
very clearly served as an Indorsement of Mr.
Roo-evolt's reciprocity plan and a rebuke to the
Nebraska senators. But in the platform adopted
by the Nebraska republican! in 1903 there is no
mention whatever of Cuban reciprocity or Indeed
of reciprocity in any form, rnd Mr. Ross L. Ham
mond, editor of the Fremont Tribune who was a
member of tho .'esolutions c mm.ttee, has made
public tho fact that a -eciprocity plank largely
framed In the identical words used by Mr. McKin
ley in his last speech at Buffalo, was defeated
in the resolutions committee by a vote of four to
two. It is an open secret that tho two Nebrasi a
senators accepted the action of the 1903 republi
can convention of their stat practically as an in
dorsement of their course with respect to Cuban
reciprocity, and in other sections of the country,
there are many evidences of a disposition to op
pose Mr. Roosevelt's reciprocity plan witn respect
to Cuba.
ALTHOUGH REPUBLICAN LEADERS
have repeatedly assured us that the money
question was dead, republican circles are greatly
disturbed because of the differences of opinion on
the currency question. Tho Oyster Bay correspon
dent for the Chicago Tribune says: "It is known
now that there are many serious differences of
opinion between the leaders of the house and the
senate and among business men generally as to
the advisability of changing the currency laws.
Tho president and others who desire financial
legislation have become reconciled to the fact that,
only a remedial measure of slight cousequonce,'
If anything, can bo pushed through at the extra
session. No definite agreement yet has been
reached as to the character of the financial legis
lation which may be enacted at the approaching
session of congress. Indeed, it is not certain that
an agreement can be reached between the two
branches of confess whereby any special legisla
tion can be enacted. It may be that a solution of
the problem, which is alike complex and perplex
ing, will bo reached before the convening -of the
extraordinary session, but even that is by no
means assured."
EVER SINCE MR. ROOSEVELT PERMITTED
General Miles to retire without one word of
commendation for his distinguished services, dis
missing him, with a formal order issued by one of
General Miles' discredited subordinates, the presli
ient has encountered a series of unpleasant inci
dents. It was generally agreed by men wha make
a study of politics that aside from the patriotic
standpoint, Mr. Roosevelt made a serious political,
blunder with respect to General Miles' retirement
Even republican newspapers have criticised the
president for the manner in which Genrral Miles
was dismissed and following closely upon the
Miles' retirement, came the resolutions adopted by
the Grand Army of the Republic commending the
general because of his great cervices to his country.
Since then, newspaper managers have shown that
they at least believe that General Miles Is very
popular with the people because interviews with
tho old soldier havo been greatly in demand and
managing editors havo put themselves to treat
expense in order to obtain special articles from his
pen.
RECENTLY MISS MARIE COSTEAU OF
1305 Washington street, Boston, sent to Mr.
Roosevelt a handsome flag. It is said that this
young lady who is twenty-two years of age worked
for many months upon the construction of tho
flag, using the finest materials she could obtain.
The Boston correspondent for tho Cincinnati En
quirer, referring to this flag, says: "Every thread
with which the silken stripes were sewed was
chosen with care and the forty-five stars em
broidered on the blue field each cost $1." When
the flag was finished. Miss Costeau placed it in a
satin box and sent it to the president "Tith best
wishes, and hoped that he might find it available
for his personal use. Speaking to tho Enquirer
correspondent, Miss Costeau said: "I worlted on
my poor flag so hard and thought, of course, ho
would take It I wrote that I was a French girl,
but lived under the stars and stripes long enough
'to love the flag end the noble institutions it rep
resented. Then I sent it 'away, but it came right
back. The president says It's a rale that he can't
accept presents. But I read that he takes other
things."
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THE COSTEAU INCIDENT WAS CONSID
ered of sufficient importance for an explana
tion to bo sent from Oyster Bay. In a dispatch
evidently inspired by the president, it is said:
"Ever since the president has been In office he
has consistently refused to accept valuable gifts
from individuals. Tokens c slight value he fre
quently retains, especially where a refusal might
wound the feelings of the donors. Then again,
where communities present gifts to the president,
in commemoration of events or of industrial or
local enterprise, such presents are invariably ac
cepted. While Mr. Roosevelt was on his westorn
trip he received many souvenirs from towns he
visited. When a neat satin'box, tfed with dainty
ribbons, was delivered to the president one July
day, and he saw tho flag which Costeau had sent
,hira, ho at once exclaimed: 'Now, this comes ob
viously within my rule of refusing gifts. it is a
valuable object, and a great deal of labor has been
bestowed upon it. By the president's direction the
gift was returned with the explanation that the
president could not receive gifts of any value from
strangers, although the courtesy of Miss Costeau's
otfer was certainly appreciated. Section 1784 of
the revised statutes, regarding the acceptance of
presents, explicitly notifies officials clerks and
all subordinates in the government service that
they are not permitted to send gifts to the presi
dent Mr. Roosevelt has applied this section also
to individual citizens." s
SOME CURIOSITY HAS BEEN EXPRESSED
concerning the fact as to whether Mr., Roose
velt applies this rigid rule to the acceptance of
special trains at the hands of railroad magnates.
Although In several newspapers this point has
been delicately touched upon, we do not remem
ber that any authoritative statement has been is
sued from Oyster Bay Indicating whether Mr.
Roosevelt applies section 1784 of the revised stat
utes to the offers by railroad magnates of free
railroad transportation In spoclal trains at
enormous expense to the railroads.
WHILE IT SEEMS TO BE GENERALLY
agreed that the wisdom of tho general prin
ciple involved in the acceptance of presents hy a
public officer cannot be disputed, there seems nho
to he general agreement that Mr. Roosevelt was a
bit too particular with respect to the silk flag of
fered by Miss Costeau. In an editorial, the New
York World states the case Very happily when it
says: "The chief value in the flag lay in the long
months of careful handiwork put into it by Ml s
Costeau. But hers was purely a labor of love.
Slio worked Into the silken stars and stripes her
regard not for President Roosevelt as a man or as
a possible benefactor, but as the official head of
the country she has adopted as her own. It does
not seem that there could have been any loss of
prestige or dignity in the acceptance of such an
expression of an adopted daughter's love for tho
republic. Nor is it conceivable that an Injurious
precedent would have been established. Some
times we are accustomed to consider what a pres
ident like Lincoln would have done under par
ticular circumstances. It is easy to believe that
'Father Abe' would have taken Miss Costeau's
hag and sent in return a letter that would havo
filled the little Frerich-American girl's heart wiih
long-enduring happiness. And their majesties tho
people would havo been well content"
RECENT NEWSPAPER DISPATCHES IN
dlcate that Mr. Roosevelt and Sir Thomas
LIpton are joint participants in a tempest in a tea
pot Not that Mr. Lipton has done anything to
Incur the tempest, for, on the contrary, It seems
that he has been altogether an Innocent partic
ipant But recently Mr. Roosevelt was Invited
to attend the annual dinner of a yacht club, and
it was given out by his secretary that the presi
dent would attend only on the condition that Mr.
Lipton and his party were not permitted to be
present Newspaper dispatches have had much to
say of this unpleasant Incident and since it be
came apparent that the president's action did not
meet with popular approval, his friends have been
very busy in tho endeavor to dxplain the peculiar
situation. The explanations given from various
sources seem to be woefully inconsistent. The
president's secretary very gmierously underta' es
to assume tho entire responsibility and yet the
public does not seem to be satisfied that the re
sponsibility belongs in that quarter. Finally it
was announced In one of the now famous "au
thoritative" dispatches from Oyster Bay that Mr.
Roosevelt would be delighted to have Mr. Lipton
and his party present. In the same dispatch it
was announced, however, that "Sir Thomas Lipton
has other engagements and- will not be able to
attend the annual dinner of the yacht club."
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A BILL HAS BEEN REPORTED TC THE Co
lombian congress by the committee ap
pointed to consider the canal situation. Under
date of September 12, a correspondent for the Chi
cago Inter-Ocean described the main provisions
recommended by the committee as follows:
1. Approval of tne action of the senate in reject
ing the Hay-Herran treaty. 2. Authority to bo
given to the president to conclude treaties for a
canal, or to contract for a caral with private par
ties, subject to the rights of the companies. 3.
The Panama Railway company to "be permitted to
transfer its property, all existing obligations to
be assumed by tho purchasei, Including the an
nual payment of $250,000, and the surrender of tno
property to Colombia In 196. 4. The canal com
pany to be permitted to transfer Its rights and
property on payment of $10,000,000 to th'. govern
ment of Colombia. 5. Authority to bo given to the
president of Colombia to make the following con
cessions and conditions: Lease of the canal zone
for 100 years, not including therein th cities ot
Panama and Colon. Annual rental therefor, unril
1967, to be $15,000,000. Lease renewable every hun
dred years, with increase of 25 per centum In the
rc-ntal for each succeeding hundred-year period.
Neutrality of the canal and recognition of Colom
bian sovereignty over the whole territory and the
inhabitants thereof. Mixed triounals only in canal
zone. Police and sanitary commissions to be ex
clusively Colombian. A time limit to be fixed for
the completion of the cnnai and works. 6. Co
lombia to receive from the contracting government
$20,000,000 on the excharfgo of ratifications of tno
treaty. 7. Regulations to be made fixing the con-