( T 9ng( - fPiMi'3WBr??pysttf,ti'i The Commoner. VOLUME 3, NUMBER , fGURBeNT ., Iy IP ii 'i 1 fct I r- ' pgBaaBte! V tTH 1 mm il im jti .r - m. . m. -. . ii m- i y i VrTi ! w w ' n ' ' 'i 'J "' i V . THE MARKED DECLINE IN THE PRICES - of hogs and cattle Is attracting very general attention at this time. The Lincoln (Neb.) Jour nal, a republican paper, in its issue of October 11, said: "The farmers of Nebraska were from three to five million dollars poorer when they closed their barn doors last night than they were on Saturday night a week ago, and the general opin ion is that they have the packers alone to thank for it. That is the conclusion that was forced upon close observers of the live stock markets who waited till Saturday night to express an opinion of the recent movement of hog prices of the past few days. And that is not all. If the opinions of the experts count for anything, the drop has only begun. Said one of the keenest . commission men on the South Omaha market yes terday afternoon: Trices will go lower, and I predict that we shall see hogs selling at four fifty or lower before the fall is checked.' " The Jour nal summarized the situation as follows: "Hogs declined at South Omaha from $5.06 1-4 per cwt, on Monday, to $5,101-2 on Wednesday, and $5.18 3-4 on Friday. At the same time the general provision market declined only 2 per cent, while retail prices of fresh pork in some localities act ually advanced. Live stock commission men pri vately admit that the slump is due to manipula tion and the usual defenders of the packers have very little to say. Chicago advices are that the prices will be pounded down still farther. Stock raisers are indignant and qome talk is heard about the necessity of forming an independent packing company." OF FOUR RETAIL MEAT DEALERS INTER viewed by the representative of the Journal, three said that the price of hogs has little to do with the price they were required to pay for pork. The Journal says that "the interviews with the meat dealers seem to establish the fact that neither they nor the public gain by the onslaught on hog prices and it appears that the millions the farmers lose must be a net loss to the state and a net gain to the packers." a he Journal resents the claim that the slide in prices is due to natural causes and points out that the pork demand Is still sufficient to keep selling readily at the old prices and the general opinion is that it is all manipulation by the packers. The Journal says: "No other theory is advanced In the market cen ters with men who make a business of handling hogs." ST sr WALL STREET WAS GIVEN A SCARE ON October 12. The New York, correspondent for the Cincinnati Enquirer says that' the widest and sharpest breaks so far noted in the stock market during the present bear movement were made on that day. The Enquirer correspondent adds: "The bear onslaugh, centered upon the security issues of the United States steel corpora tion and allied inuustrlals. Low record prices for the issues of J. Pierpont Morgan's billion-dollar combination were smashed tim and again. Brok ers gasped when steel common fell to 121-2 and preferred to 7 1-2, the new bonds touching G8 1-2. There were brief periods 'n the trading around midday, when utter, demoralization seized the market. The bear cry was, 'There is a lack of public confidence that is sure to cause a continua tion of bad business until tho doubtful questions surrounding the affair i of the United States ship building corporation have cleared away.' " rHE INQUIRY INTO THE AFFAIRS OF THE shipbuilding trust was resumed October 14 and was productive of fresh developments that will claim the attention of the financial world. According to an Associated press dispatch under date of New York, October 14, on that day Mr. Dresser was succeeded on tho stand by George P. Dailoy, assistant treasurer of the Corporation Trust company of New Jersey and one of the resident directors of the shipbuilding company. Mr. Dailey testmed that his company made a practice of furnishing resident directors for cor porations organized in New J rsey, and that on this ground he and two of his fellow clerks had been made directors in the shipbuilding company. He said that in order to qualify ho had bought a single share of stock, but did not know who had ald for It or how It had been paid for. He ad mitted mat at the time he acquired the qualifying share he did not have a personal bank account, and on being questioned finally said that he and the others acted on the direction of the attorneys for the company. According to his testimony, the directors of the shipbuilding company had exer cised no discretion in the matter of buying the Bethlehem steel works, but had followed the di rection of the counsSl, Mr. Dailey declaring that he knew nothing of tho plan to buy the works un til he came to the meeting. He had never visited any of the plants of the steel trust and had not ordered an appraisement of the property, and while he admitted that he and his fellow directors in New Jersey knew nothing of the shipbuilding business except such information as reached them in the documents laid before him, he would not admit that he was merely a dummy director. When questioned concerning the increase of the capital stock from $30,000 to $45,000,000, the witness could give no details of the meeting, or of such transaction. IT t? THE OHIO CAMPAIGN IS 3EC0MING MORE and more Interesting. Even the Chicago Cnronicle, whose editor and correspondents a few weeks ago predicted an overwhelming victory for the republicans, now confess that the state may he in doubt. The Washington correspondent for the Chronicle, in a dispatch to his paper under date of October 8, said that he was "Informed by reliable democrats who are implacably hostile to Tom Johnson that according to the present out look Senator Hanna Is in grave danger of losing the legislature." These authorities say that Tom Johnson and his associates have completely out classed the republican leaders in the manage ment of the campaign. The Chronicle correspon dent says: "In the language of a former demo cratic member of congress from Ohio, who Ib openly hostile to Johnson and who views the course of events in that state with keen regret, the republican campaign, up to the present time, has been a complete frost. Johnson has outdrawn Senator Hanna at his meetings. He seems to have made a deeper and better impression upon the people." THE FORMER DEMOCRATIC MEMBER OF congress interviewed by the Chronicle cor icspondent further explains: "The trouble with Senator Hanna is that he has completely aban doned the methods which have won success for him in politics. Instead of fighting Johnson with his own weapons he undertook to sneer him out of the campaign. He could nc't have conceived a plan more to Johnson's liking, for, whatever one may think of Tom and his peculiar Ideas, you must give him credit for possessing brains. Just as soon as he saw what Hanna was doing he began to harrass the old man and caused him to lose his temper in the most outrageous way. The natural and Inevitable result of this sort of thing was a revulsion of sentiment In favor of Johnson and the democratic ticket. I was one democrat of hundreds in Ohio" and elsewhere who believed that when Johnson was "nominated he would be de feated by 100,000. It is unfortunate that Hanna fell into the blunder which is now threatening him with defeat. We who oppose Johnson are hoping that there wm be a turn in the tide after the 15th of the present month, but the republicans will have to wake up and use their best efforts to bring it about." A CENSORSHIP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED in the war department, Lieutenant Colonel H. A. Greene, secretary of the general staff, be ing assigned to act as censor. The Washington correspondent ior the Chicago Chronicle says: "The reason given for the inauguration of the censorship 'is that too much news appertaining to the general staff's working gets out The mem bers of that body are extremely sensitive and in ordor to maintain their prestige and reputations as great army officers they have determined that the staff shall be surrounded by a veil of absolute secrecy. General Young has directed that noth ing shall bo printed about the general staff with out having first been scanned by Colonel Greene, Who, of course, will act as e. henchman of Young. All officers have been ordered by General Young not to give out any information to the press. The order has excited no end of criticism and indignation. It is pointed out that a censorship during war time might perhaps be excusable but that it is unheard of in what is supposed to 'be a time of profound peace." A VIGOROUS PROTEST IS MADE AGAINST the censorship by the Army and Navy Reg ister, which is regarded as the organ of the mili tary arm of the government. In an editorial, tho Army and Navy Register says: "This growing spirit of secrecy in the war ad navy departments vill invite no end of criticism. It will lead scof fers to argue the charge of exclr.siveness and aris tocracy, which will lead to direct public prejudice against the service's personnel. If there is any real reason for confidences the reputable news papers will surely observe such requirements dis creetly, but haphazard and indiscriminate exac tions of secrecy and silence will result disastrous ly." SENATOR JOHN P. MORGAN OF ALABAMA, while visiting at Sprinafield, Mo., was inter viewed by a correspondent for the Chicago Tri bune Senator Morgan is quoted as saying: "I would like to see put into the next national dem ocratic platform the strongest possible declaration that this is a white man's country and that the democrats have never believed the negro should share in the administration of the government." Senator Morgan added that "if this' were done there would be no fear that any man or rarty could make headway against such consistent utter ances on this issue." The senator declared that the republicans have decided to let southern states determine the political status of the black man and adds: "The south no longer fears negro domination, and yet the cotton states are as strongly democratic as ever. It has been said that the elimination of the negro from politics would divide the white men of the south on other Issues. The south is not losing he old democratic faith because the race question has been divested of its former incentive tc solidify the white voters." GOVERNMENT JURISDICTION OF MAR riages is the solution of the divorce evil advocated by Dr. George E. Howard, lecturer in history at the University of Chicago. A corre spondent for the St. Paul ispatch quotes Dr. Howard as saying: "Every cc inty in the United States should be divided into districts for each of which a registrar should he appointed. It should be .the duty of the registrar to license, sol emnize and register all marriages contracted un dei civil procedure In his district, and to license, register and attend all marriages solemnized by religious celebration. .The lawmaker cannot reach the root of the divorce evil. Wo find the cause for divorces planted deeply in the social system, part in false sentiment regarding marriage and family, and this can only be removed through more rational education and some sort of gov ernment supervision. We can, by careful and uni form statutes, render conditions favorable for reform. There is in this country a sad lack of appreciation of the functions of marriage. Not as much care Is exercised in the union of human beings as in the breeding of fine animals." ? IT AS A RESULT OF THE FALLING OFF IN the volume of business in the stock market during the last twelve months, there has been sharp decline in the price of stock exchange seats. The New York correspondent for the Cincinnati Enquirer says: "Early last winter a seat on tno exchange was sold for $82,000. This is the high record price. At $82,000 a seat the total value or stock exchange seats amounted to $90,200,0(JU. Since, last winter there has been a steady decline. This has been caused by the falling off in the de mand for membersblp privileges on account or the shrinkage In brokerage business. Last Thurs day a stock exchange seat was sold for $52,500. At this price the total value of -stock exchange seats amounts to $57,750,000, a shrinkage in value oi $32,450,000 since early last winter. The price oi a seat on the New York stock exchange is alwajs a good indication of the activity of the stock mar ket In any given year. When business is &ct v; and brokers have all tho business tney can anH1" there is a demand for seats, which causes a siiarp advance in their prices. When business fans ou 1 'i m