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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1903)
i,WinipWWWiHWl)ftiwJMPWrrHWW wtot&fwi $mJrTm vrTjp') i U The Commoner. '.,- WILLIAH J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. " Vol.' 3. No. 44. Lincoln, Nebraska, November ao, 193. Whole No. 148. ..A BLACK SPOT.. In the public statement issued by the state department, Secretary Hay placed great emphasis upon the fact that In the treaty between this gov ernment and tnat of New Granada (now Colom bia) in the year 1846, the latter government guar anteed the right of way across the isthmus of Panama. Mr. Hay says that "this is the tright which we acquired by the treaty for an important . compensation." It will be interesting to examine the treaty of 184 G. In that treaty, after New Granada had guaranteed to the government of the United States the right of way across the isthmus and certain other privileges which the representatives of our government eagerly sought for, it was provided: "And in order to secure to themselves the tranquil and constant enjoyment of these advantages, and as an especial compensation for certain advantages, and for the favors they have acquired by tte fourth, fifth and sixth articles of this treaty, the United States guarantee positively and efficaciously to New Granada, by the prosent stipulation, the per fect neutrality of the before-mentioned isth mus, with the view that the free transit from one to the other sea may not be Interrupted or embarrassed in any future time while this treaty exists; and, in consequence, the United States also guarantee in tne same manner the -rights of sovereignty and property which New Granada has and possesses over the said ter ritory." It will be seen, therefore, that the Roosevelt administration is very particular with respect to the obligations which Colombia owes the United States, but is not at all particular as to the sol emn pledge the United States made to Colombia. In order to secure to themselves the tran quil and constant enjoyment of certain import ant advantages and as an especial compensation for these advantages and favors, the United States guaranteed "the right of sovereignty and property which New Granada has and possesses over the said territory." And yet instead of fultilling this guarantee, instead of standing by this pledge in an honorable way, there is ample evidence that representatives of the United States deliberately encouraged a scheme to destroy the sovereignty, which this government was pledged to maintain, and gave encouragement to a secession movement among the citizens of a South American republic, with which we were under treaty agreement. However popular Mr. Roosevelt's filibuster ing expedition against Colombia may be, it is safe to say that our connection with "the Panama revolt will be regarded as one of the black spots in American nistory. Waved His Hand in Glee. In the Chicago Record-Herald of Wednesday, November 11, Walter Wellman," the Washington correspondent for that newspaper, printed an in teresting dispatch. That dispatch follows: President Rodsevelt, likes a joke, even if it is one which touches a tender spot Last night, with Mrs. and Miss Roosevelt,, he oc cupied a box at the National Theatre to hear Fritz" Scheff score a great success in Bar bette. One of the lines ran as follows: "What, a diplomat steal? A diplomat never steals. He only annexes!" The entire audience turned toward the president's box and joined in a shout of laughter. The president laughed as heartily as anyone and waved his hand In glee at Senator Hanna, who was in another box. It was some minutes before the singers could go on with tho opora. It was bad enough for tho president of the United States to give his sanction to a filibustering expedition against a weak and helpless powor with which wo were under solemn treaty agree ment But have wo not tho right to insist that tho presidont shall not make sport of so serioug a situation, displaying before a thcatro audience tho great pride ho evidently has in a very ques tionable transaction for which transaction his administration is responsible? JJJ Bennett's Bequest to Colleges. The multitude of letters received since the publication of the Bennett will would indicate that many do not understand tho nature of tho bequests. The will provides that $10,000 shall bo distributed by Mr. Bryan among i twenty-five in stitutions of learning. Tho $400 given to each in stitution is to bo invested by such institution, and tho proceeds used for an annual prize for the best essay on "Tho Science of Government" Tho institution, of course, determines tho terms upon which the prize will be awarded, as it docs in caso of other prizes. Another ten thousand dollars is to bo dis tributed among colleges and institutions of learn ing, and is to bo used for tneaid of poor and deserving young men who aro endeavoring to ob- .tain an education. A similar amount is to bo di vided among colleges and institutions of learning by Mrs. Bryan and Is to bo used to aid poor and deserving young women to obtain an education. No attempt will be made by Mr. or Mrs. Bryan """to select the persons to be benefited. Their duty is ended when they select tne institutions to which the money will be given. A great many letters have been received from students who desire aid, who, not understanding tho nature of the bequest, supposed that Mr. or Mrs. Bryan would attempt to select tho individual students who were to bo aided. It will bo some months before tho estate is settled up, and no attempt will bo made to select colleges or make a distribution of the fund until the estate is settled up and tho money turned over to the trustees. The letters already received have been answered, and this notice is given for the information of those who may have been misled by the newspaper reports that have ap peared in regard to tho matter. RIGHT JOURNALISM. In tho city of St. Louis while a once highly revered man lay stricken with disease and resting also under the shadow of suspicion affecting his personal integrity, one newspaper seemed to leave no stone unturned to add to the afflictions of tho distressed man. The St. Louis Republic contained an editorial entitled "Right Journalism," and doubtless the writer had the conduct of this par ticular St. Louis newspaper in view. The Re public's excellent article on "Right Journalism;' concluded in this admirable way: "The heart of a newspaper, which Is tho heart of men, should be strong for duty, but it should be equally strong against inhumani ties. Its strength should combine a sane sympathy; not a mere maudlin tenderness which forgets the wronged to weep over tho wrongdoer, but an element of uuman nature consistent with rigid, inexorable justice a touch of mercy that pities though it must nunish-a humanity that will not unnecessar ily wound a decency that will not hound tha stricken to death a fair dealing that will give oven the very devil his due." That paragraph is good enough to be framed and placed in a conspicuous position in the edi torial rooms of every newspaper in the world. ARTISTIC SWINDLE Receiver James Smith, Jr., recently made hta report on tho United States Shipbuilding com pany. Referring to this report, tho Now York American says: "Mombers of tho Morgan steel underwriting syndicate woro painfully surprised at tho recommendation of tho receiver that a suit bo instituted against all persons who rccoived the stock of this company without paying full value therofor." These "captains of Industry" were "painfully surprised" bocauso If tho recommendations made by tho receiver are carried out, it means that the J. P. Morgan company must bo sued for tho $5, 000,000 of bonus stock issued to thorn as managers for tho steel syndicate In connection with the Bothlehcm deal. It will occur to a great many people that these "captains of industry" aro "painfully surprised" on very slight provocation. In his report, Receiver Smith refers to this scuemo as "an artistic swin dle," and "wholesalo plunder." Why should men who devise and carry out "an artistic swjndlo" and who engage in "wholesale plunder" bo "pain fully surprised", when, after their dishonest work has been exposed, it is recommended that an ef fort be made to require them to disgorge their in-gotten gains? Every day men are arrested on the charge of petty larceny. Every day men aro called to account for stealing a few hundred dollars. Why should men who steal several mil lion dollars be permitted to escape tho penalty for their wrong-doing? Why should they bo "pain fully surprised" because it is suggested that they bo called to account? Tho explanation Is that as "captains of in dustry" men have done things on a largo scale which, if done on a. smaller scale, would very quickly relegate thenr to tho class of common rogues. Tho explanation is that while wc are very quick to call to account the minor offender, when a man's peculations reach into the mil lions, his influence and his power operate to dis courage investigation and prosecution and servo, also, in the minds of many who aro regarded as good citizens as ample justification. In his report, Receiver Smith charges Schwab and his associates with the deliberate purpose of wrecking tho shipbuilding company. Ho recom mends that "as soon as tne debts of the company shall have been ascertained, siitt bo inst'tuted against all persons who received the stock of this company without paying full val'io therefor, to recover from them such an amount as shall be necessary to pay said debts in full." Tho receiver does not hesitate to use the word "fraud" and ho charges that earnings, pros pective profits, working capital and assets were all falsely stated. H charges that the enormous sum of 355,500,000 over and above their actual worth was paid for the different companies con. stituting the trust. Ho asks: "Who particl pated in this wholesalo plunder?' And then he says he will leave that for tho proceedings 1 court to disclose. He adds, however: "Blocks of tho stock went to tuo vendor! of tho constituent plants and to the pur chasers of bonds as bonus, absolutely without benefit to the company; $20,000,000 of it ad mittedly went to Mr. Charles M. Schwab, itt addition to the agreed price for Bethlehem Some of it went to tho proi otcrB of this artistic swindle; and when all had been pro- vided for, what was left of the bonds, amount ing to $1.500.u00, was handed back to the company ostensibly to supply it with, 'work ing capltil.'" Tho receiver refers to the gullibility of th dummy directors who authorized the issue c millions of the shipbuilding bonds and stock, saying that thoy should be held accountable but i 1i(frjrf"-',t4