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The Commoner.
.-
cssary for tho Briton to build a barrlcado and
conceal himself behind it.
In reply to tho argument that tho English
man needod protection from tho foroigner, ho
gave statistics to show that Germany, one of tho
protected countries to which Mr. Chamberlain
constantly refers, had an increasing number of
tho unemployed. His reference to tho increased
consumption of horso moat in Germany and tho
decreaso in tho consumption of other hinds of
meat mot with a response that seems likely to
make "No horso moat" a slogan in tho campaign.
The last mooting which X attended was that
at which Lord Rosebery ' ihado his reply to Mr.
Chamberlain. Lord Rosobery- meets Mr. Cham
berlain on an equal footing. He is" about tho
eamo height, but a trifle stouter. Ho is an "orator
of great distinction, graceful, polished, of wide
learning and great experience, and ho possesses
a wit that enables him to keep his audience in
constant good humor. He has been prime min
ister and enjoys great popularity. His reception
at tho Surrey theatre, South London, was as cor
dial as Mr. Chamberlain's reception at Cardiff.
With all tho arts if tho orator ho repelled tho at
tacks of Mr. Chamberlain and arraigned tho pol
icy of tho conservatives. Ho denied that thero
- was any excuse, to use his words, for tho "lamenta
tions of tho modern Jeremiah." His lordship de
clared that the country had made great progress
under tho policy . of free commerce with tho
world. Ho declared that England had the world
for her granary and depicted the possible conse- .
quences if she attempted to wage war against
those who furnished her bread and meat.
Ho declared that tho colonies could not sup
ply tho food that the people of England needed,
but called Mr. Chamberlain's attention to the
fact that Canada was "dumping" more iron into
England thiln any of the protected countries com
plained of. He arraigned the conservative gov
ernment's largo and increasing expenditures and
suggested that the government might better less
en tho taxes upon tho people than impose new
taxes upon their food and clothing.
He closed with an appeal for more technical
Instruction; for a better understanding of the
needs of their customers, and for a more earnest
effort for the physical, intellectual and moral ad
vancement of the people.
I will not attempt ,to predict the outcome of
this fiscal controversy. I have .mis.sejd my guess
on a similar controversy in the United States and
I shall not venture a prophecy in a foreign, land.
Mr. Chamberlain's opponents believe that a re
turn to protection would, bo taken as renuncia
tion of England's-ambition to bo "mistress of tho
seas;" and that it would presage commercial iso
lation. It is a battle of giants, over a great ques
tion and all tho world is more or less interested in
the result. . W. J. BRYAN.
London, England.
JJJ
The DLy We Celebrate.,
The tokens of love ,and -affection exchanged
at this season of the year are small when com
pared with the great gift brought to humanity
by tho meek and lowly Nazarene in whose honor
Christmas day is observed.
To tho Christian, Jesus came as an unspeak
able gift, His faco illumined by a divine radiance,
His life surrendered in fulfillment of a divine
plan, His resurrection fixing in the firmament a
star of hope that shall never be dimmed. But
even those outside of the church, as well as its
members, share in the benefit which humanity
has received from the example and teachings of
tho Man of Galilee,
In a letter written to a friend, Thomas Jef
ferson analyzed tho doctrines of Christ as they re-,
late to man's conduct toward his fellows, .saying:
"His moral doctrines, relating to kindred
and friends, were more pure and perfect than
those of the most correct of tho philosophers,
and greatly more so than those of the 3ews;
, and they went far beyond both in Inculcating
universal philanthropy, not only to kindred
and friends, to neighbors and countrymen,
but to 'all mankind, gathering all into ono
family, under tho bonds of love, charity, peace,
common wants and common aids. A develop-,
mont of, this head will evince the peculiar
superiority of the- system of Jesus over all
others.
"The precepts of philosophy and of tho
Hebrew code laid hold of action only. He
pushed his scrutinies into the heart of man;
created his tribunal in the region of his
thought, and purified the waters at the foun
tain head."
- Those who accept Jesus as the Son of God
and worship Him as such, can attribute the mar
vellous spread of His gospel to a supernatural
force behind it; those, however, who dispute His
divinity must find In tho doctrines themselves an
explanation of their increasing hold upon tho
human heart. No language that can bo employed
by pen, no words that can be spoken by tho
tongue, can exaggerate tho influence which
Christ's philosophy has already exerted upon tho
race, or estimate its future power.
Between tho doctrine of might and the doc
trine of right; between tho principle that propa
gates itself by, the sword and the principle that
grows through the persuasive influence of its
own intrinsic merit; between tho grasping, over
reaching spirit that enthrones self and sacrifices
all else to its own advantage and the generous,
manly recognition of the rights of others; be
tween a measure of greatness that estimates a
man by what ho has absorbed from society and
that which estimates men worthy in proportion
as they do service and diffuse blessings these
differences surpass comprehension.
If Jesus had loft nothing but the Parables,
His name would have been imperishable in liter
ature; if He had bequeathed to posterity nothing
but the simplicity of his speech and the irresisti
ble logic of His argument, He would have had a
permanent place among tho orators of the world,;
if. He had given to the world nothing but the
commandment "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself," enforced as it was by His own example,"
this one gift would have been sufficient to out
weigh all the wealth of all the world if He had
left no record but the Sermon on tho Mount, it
alone would have made His natal day worthy of
t perpetual celebration but all these added to the
' matchless majesty of a perfect life and the in
spiring influence of an all-pervading love, are
turning the eyes of an ever-increasing number to
the path that He trod frbm the manger to the
cross.
Love was the dominating force of His life and
love is today the overmastering impulse whose
ebb and flow mark the retreat and advance of
civilization.
And love, too, sanctifies the Christmas gift.
With it the merest trifle swells into an object of
importance;, without it the most expensive present
dwindles into insignificance. Love is the alchemy
which invests with priceless value all that it
touches the magic wand that converts the num
Tjlest cottage into a palace and gives to earth's
pilgrims a glimpso of paradise.
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
to every Commoner reader.
The Real Trxists.
Statistics disclose that since January 1, 1903,
.forty-four trUsts incorporated under the laws of
New Jersey have been thrown into the hands of
receivers. Of these defunct corporations, the "au
thorized" capital was $80,340,000; the amount of
stock actually subscribed for was $17,272,333.51,
and the "estimated" asnets $1,564,684.28.
In the case of the salt trust, for instance, the
capital stock purported, to be $12,000,u00, but the
receiver for that concern reports Its assets at
$37,500.
In this connection the Atlanta Constitution
makes a very important point and one that de
. Berves to be emphasized by democratic newspa
pers. The Constitution says:
"In connection w. the moribund condi
tion of these wildcat corporations we observe
a note of exultation in many republican papers
over the superficial idea that, since the trusts
are going to pieces of fheir own rottenness,
the democratic occupation of "trust-busting'
is gone. Our jubilant contemporaries seem
to have wholly overlooked the very patent
fact that the real trusts tho really monopol
istic and, therefore, oppressive trusts are not
touching the bottom of this watery sea, nor
are they in the least danger of touching it.
"The public is not deceived by tne foolish
cry that tho trusts are committing suicide,
. and it has not lost a particle of its motive ,
for holding in store a day of reckoning."
, The trusts that "go to pieces of their own
rottenness" inflict the largest damage upon inno
cent people who have money to invest, and who
are led to invest that money In the stocks of the
overcapitalized concern. It is entirely proper that
these concerns be called to account. The evil of
overcapitalization is, indeed, a great ono; but not
all of the people of this country have money to in
vest. Indeed, comparatively speaking, only a
small number of the people have money to spare
for investment purposes; and the trusts that in-
2
l.1
VOLUMB 3, NUMBER 49,
' fiict the greatest amount of damage am ti,n ,
that are not going to pieces. the tru
The trusts manipulated by men whn ,
in restraint of trade and who 5 a W
the necessities of lifo, impose upon and 1PB
thousands and thousands of helptew cnircS3
of the country where the overcaplSd and Z
ten" concerns impose upon half a dozen men 2
women having money to invest. ana
It cannot too ouen .be reiterated by demn
cratlc newspapers that, in' the lanEimee nf 7?'
Constitution, -tho real 'trusts-th really mL h
.oiistic and therefore, oppressive m sSe nS
touching tho bottom of this watery sea nor ar
they in tho leaQt danger of touching it "
"Publicity," the only remedy which tho Rn
yelt administration seen.s able to present ovon'
,in half-hearted fashion, will not touch the Can!
monopolistic and therefore oppressive trusts
Restraining orders and injunctions will not
seriously affect the wicked schemes of tho men in
control of these trusts. m
Tfhee. h hPwever. 0Qe Potent weapon upon
the statute book and. it remains to this day un
used, in spite of Mr.. Roosevelt's boasts that he
Is in earnest in his so-called, light against tho
trust system. No representative of his admin.
istration and. no republican editor has yet under
taken to explain why tho administration has not
employed that powerful weapon. The weapon re
f erred to is the criminal clause of the Sherman
anti-trust law. .
The managers of the "really monopolistic and
therefore oppressive trusts" are not seriously dis
turbed by the remedy called "publicitv," when it is
unaccompanied by forceful proceedings. Thev do
stand in awe, however, of criminal proceeding
and the power of these real trusts will never be
broken until wo have an administration that is
Just as willing to proceed against the wealthy
man who conspires against the life of the people
a! ll is,to Proeeed against the humblest violator
of the federal law.
Our AnnuoJ Slaughter.
If a war were in progress between this re
public and some other country, and wo received
the report, "Killed, 3,5.54; wounded, 45,447, Ameri
cans, would we not have a period of national
mourning? And ,yet, those are the, figures of tho
killed and wounded in the last year 'on .American
railroads, and we do not pause a moment to think
of the great slaughter.
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