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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1903)
i&wrwr nwrwvnwt,J ffummmmmm "WPPIWfy mu iiifwj,jiiiu-'fljs Br I IV Ifi V. If lip IV 4 The Commoner. ISSUED WEEKLY. Entered fit the pOBtofflcc at Lincoln, Nebraska, assccond tlasfWll matter. - i . Oft Year ., $i.e 5ix Month gee hi Claba at 5 ar wra, per jrtar 75c Three Mentha a 5lncIeCpy ...! Sample- Copies Pre. Paralf n Paata ac Extra. SUBSCRIPTIONS can bo sent direct to The Commoner They can also be sent through newspapers rJch have adver tised a clubbing rate, or through local agents, where enchagenta have been appointed. All remittances should be sent bj post office money order, express order, or by bank draft on New York or Chicago. not send Individual checks, stamps, or Koncy. RENEWALS. The date on your wrapper showsTrhen your tulscHptlon will expire. Thus, Jan., '04, means that payment has been received to and including the last issue ol January K(M. Two weeks aro required alter money Is received bciore the date on wrapper can be changed. CHANGE OP ADDRESS.-Subscribcrsrcqncsting'a change oiaddrcsfl must give the OLD as well as the NEW address. ADVERTISING rates lurnished upon application. Address all communlcutlons to THE COMMONER, Llaceln, Nb. ' , , ., , The Commoner wishes to each one of its half million readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It will be noted that Baking Powder Magnate Zoiglor tries to make light of the boodling charges against him. It must be confessed that ten millions of Un cle Sam's dollars will make a very ornamental hatband for Panama. Mr. Hanna keeps on declining, but he talks with the emphasis of a man who is depending a great deal upon his friends. President Roosevelt must have had on his "far-sighted" glasses to be enabled to see the independence of Panama before it happened. Another girl has been born into the Vander bilt family and already a number of infantile earls and dukes are being taught to take notice. George Washington wrote something about "entangling alliances," but it must be remem bered that George's reputation for strenuosity was not presB agented. Perry Heath refuses to resign, and President Roosevelt should resign himself to the situation. Uncle Mark is not allowing his friends to bo shoved these days. With a distinct recollection of the Transvaal the British newspapers experience no difficulty in finding commendations for the president's course in the Panama matter. "No man is above the law, and no man is below it," says President Roosevelt. Well, what's the matter, with the criminal clause of the Sher man anti-trust law, then? Senator Hoar wants the president to have an opportunity to tell the whole truth about that Panama deal, and that is why Senator Hoar is not in good standing at the White house just now. Since the republicans "redeemed" Nebraska from fusion rule the state has been plunging in debt at the rate of $1.05 a minute. This is a very expensive kind of redemption for the taxpayers. Would it not bo a good idea to put an emanci pation proclamation into the Sulu stocking? Or will the administration refuse to issue the proc lamation on the technicality that Sulus wear no stockings? . Captain J. F. Kiehl, of McKeesport, Pa., is de sirous of obtaining Information of the where abouts of John P. Kiehl, a plasterer by trade, ' about 54 years old and a member of the Masonic fraternity. By the way, speaking of senatorial trafficking In postoffices, is it not true that while men-may not as a rule do that to secure election, is it not generally conceded that senators do it to secure re-election? The Commoner. A British scientist predicts that in about five billion years the days will be fifty-five hours long. When that time comes doubtless the trusts will pay by the day and dock their employes for the time lost In sleep. The moro Mr. Hanna looks into existing con ditions and futuro probabilities the more apt he is to let President Roosevelt have the nomination by default. Uncle Marcus may bo too wise to go up against foreordained defeat. Secretary Root says he is willing to stand for everything General Wood did in Cuba. This is quite .bravo of Mr. Root, but, perhaps, if he will take another look ho will discover that he al ready has about all one man can stand. The annual Nobel prize of $39,150 has been awarded to William R. Cromer, M. P. for his work in behalf of international arbitration. This is encouraging. That amount of money is almost one-half of the winner's net profits in the last heavy-weight prize fight. Perry Heath declares that he will not re sign. Having profited by the statute of limita tions he is now ready to take advantage of the. statute of intimidation. He wni dare them to discharge him. Perry has his eyes on a few pillars of the- republican temple that show signs of be ing easily pulled down. The steel trust will reduce the wages of 150, 000 employes on January 1, the reduction being from 15 to 25 per cent. This will save the steel trust $15,000,000 a year. Accompanying the re duction will, we presume, be a neat little circular setting forth the wondrous beauties of "letting well enough alone" and "the full dinner pail." The Baltimore American says that "Colombia should reflect upon the profound truth contained, in the fable of the dog who dropped the bone from his mouth to secure the" one he saw in the water reflecting his own image." And while Co lombia is about it she might ponder long and well over the fact that under present conditions this once honest republic is now engaged in diplo matic work for profit, regardless of common honesty. Mr. Roosevelt said: "The people of Panama rose literally as one man' and the New York Evening Post is unkind enough to intimate that the president meant that Mr. Bunau-Varilla really did it all. The Post points out, however, that in any case, Mr. Roosevelt's phrase is hard upon the junta, because there are at least three men in the body that assumes to stand for the government which has been recently recognized on the iBthmus. Literally as one Men. ' Senator Hoar of Massachusetts says that he. has often voted against his party's policies, and that ho has nothing to regret for his votes on those occasions". He adds that ho has never bolted trie party because it al ways sooner or later came around to his view. Will Senator Hoar under take to say that there is any reason for the belief that the republican party is getting any nearer to Senator Hoar's views on the question of im perialism than it was at the time Senator Hoar delivered his great speech in the senate? Mr. Hoar and His Party. The News is Gloomy. The Milwaukee News is a bit pessimistic, for it says: "President Roosevelt is" desirous that Perry Heath shall be remoyed from the secretaryship of the republican national committee, fearful that should he be .re tained it will hanrlicnn tho re publican presidential nominee. Mr. Hanna in sists that Heath shall remain, making light of the president's fears. Mark is in a better position, to judge than the president. He has just carried Ohio by 1?5,000 votes and he knows what he has .done and he knows that the voters know it. It really doesn't seem to make any difference." In his message -to congress, Mr. Roosevelt did not touch on the tariff question and it is possible thnt. cm fhn i,j t. j , . MU wuw imuu no noes not want to give offense to those republicans who believe in tariff revision, and that on tne other h dna r Ignoring the Tariff Question. . VOLUME 3, NUMBER 45, protected interests who contribute liberal! . republican campaign fund, it will be remll that no less an authority than CotoSS Young, rtitor -of the Des MoSes cSl publican paper, recently said that a vis t nil K of the campaign funds alloted to Iowa ta igff " brought through the influence of Nat onai nJ? mitteeman Cummins, "and it Is presurCi n m; '?& fUnd CMM frm ffSfi Referring to the Grand Rapids Mich .,. scandal, the Chicago Record-HeSoices'a t uu Seral sentiment when it says- Public "One is almost tempted to say Ownership tat a city the size of Grand Solveslt. Rapids which permits private companies to have any thine to do with furnishing its water supply deserves no better fate. Whether the testimony of Salsburv is finally corroborated or not, the project to let a contract for supplying the city with water has developed a scandal which should impress the people with the necessity for full and complete municipal ownership and control of the citj's water supply." A republican newspaper charges that the re publican copgress has "deliberately and ays- tematlcally" prevented "the Letting abolition of the forty-five cus- "Well Enough toms houses where the receipts Alone." are not sufficient to pay the cost of collecting tho customs." Is it possible that this republican paper expected re publican congressmen to pay any attention to recommendations of this sort? Have not repub lican congressmen preached to the people tho doctrine of "let well enough alone," and would they dare to face their constituents after having abolished forty-five positions in which generous provision may be made for faithful party workers? While, in his brief accompanying the Bristow report, Mr. Roosevelt talked finely concerning corruption in public office, news paper dispatches say that the administration "through orders given to the United States courts at San Juan have seem ingly put the quietus upon the smuggling scandals that have given San Juan such unpleasant notor iety, caused a lot of trouble and expense for prominent army and navy officers and citizens and repeatedly brought Porto Rico into a state of great excitement." In the first place, some people will wonder whore the administration found its authority to give orders to the United States court or to any other court. It would also be interesting to learn whether tho Roosevelt administration laid down in the brief accompanying the Bristow re port a code of morals which is not to apply to our new possessions. Thact Code of Morals. n mo vLiuu- no aoes not want to do anything to discourage the highly; An Associated press dispatch from Chicago, 111., under date of November 29, says: "Follow " ing Its announced policy of cen "Policy tralization, the International of Harvester, company has decided Centralization" to lay off 7,500 of Its 19,000 em ployes and effect a saving or $5,000,000 a year. The first step in tho direction of economy was taken last night when 1,500 em ployes of the Deering division were notified their services were no longer required. These men were omployd in the factories at Irondale. It was announced today that the Irondale men were not the only Chicago employes of the company who were to suffer. Of the 7,000 workers in the JJeer ing division 3,000 In all are to be laid off. ui these 1,500 are employed, in the Fullerton avenue plant, the others being at Irondale, One Hunclrea and Eighth street and the Calumet river, ine McCormick division will not discharge so many, but 1,500 of its 7,000 employes being slated tor dismissal. Another 3,00'0 workers to lose positions aro those employed in the mills at Milwaukee, Springfield, O., and Piano." According to tins dispatch, then, "the policy of centralization adopted by the International Harvester company results in tho throwing out of employment , 0 :i.w men and a saving to tho company of $5,000,ouu pei year. Is it possible that these results follow ouiy the particular policy of centralization adopteu w the International Harvester company, or are iut.y not the logical outcome of the policy of centranza tion that is going on all over the country touay . And yet republican leaders tell us that tho trusw have come to stay and that the policy of ceni ra zation must not bo interfered with, save for n occasional doses of publicity. J v