The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, April 15, 1904, Page 5, Image 5
ifa.l-v,! APRIL 151904T The Commoner. . ,. 17 .r r - I gNT TOPICS IN THE house of commons, March 21 the lib eral leader, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman moved his vote of censure presented March 16 to' the effect that "this house disapproves the cond'uct of his majesty's government in advising the crown not -lo disallow the ordinance for the introduction of Chinese labor in the Transvaal." The Asso ciated press says: "Sir Henry said nothing the government had done since the close of the South African -war had so sorely tried the people of this country as its sanction of the introduction of Chi nese labor into South Africa. If the new departure was not checked, it would be a source of future weakness, not only to the Transvaal, but to the people of South Africa. It was impossible to con ceive a greater departure from the principles by which Great Britain had hitherto made her way in the world than the importation of aliens as the bondmen of mining speculators. The Europ'eans in South Africa, Sir Henry declared, were by a large majority opposed to yellow labor, and the object of his motion -was to stop -the government's policy in its earliest stage." After a protracted debate the censure motion was rejected bv a vote of 299 to 242. y AN IMPORTANT' decision was rendered by the United States supreme court April 4 in the case involving the right of the interstate commerce commission to require the anthracite coal carrying railroads to produce their books and papers. The court held that the commission had the authority to make the investigation and examine the documents bearing upon the subject. The opinion was delivered by Justice Day and concurred in by seven other justices. Justice Brewer dissented, but did not give his reasons for the dissent. TH E opinion, was the result of a case insti tuted oefore the interstate commerce com mission by William R. Hearst, the New York edi tor. On November 5, 1902, Mr. -Hearst filed with the interstate commerce commission a complaint against the coal trust. On March 12, 1903, the commission ordered a public hearing. From April 21 to April 30, hearings were held in New York city, President Baer and other trust officials be ing summoned to the stand. During this hearing several of the coal trust officers refused to answer certain questions and declined also to produce pa pers. The commission then called upon Attorney General Knox asking for a court order requiring that the questions be answered and the docu ments be produced. On June 2, 1903, Federal Judge Lacombe ordered the officers of the coal to show cause why they should not comply with the com mission's order. On June 10, Judge Lacombe de cided that the questions need not be answered and the papers need not be produced It was there fore a victory, for the coal trust THE case was appealed to the supreme couit and on March 9, 1904, arguments were sub nutted. On April '4, 1904, the supreme court ren dered its decision reversing- that of Judge Lacombe and confirming the right of the interstate com merce commission to do the things which Judge Lacombe said they had no authority to do. It "was contended by the attorneys of the- coal trust that a private citizen had no authority to bring these proceedings before the interstate commerce commission. The court holds, however, that a private citizen does have that right and therefore upholds Mr. Hearst's participation in these pro ceedings. CLARENCE -J. S.HERAN, attorney -for Mr. Hearst, explains in a public statement Wnat the supreme court's decision means to the coal trust Mr. Sheran explains: "It means that -Jho coal trust -must produce the entire series of the 14 Temple Iron company contracts. These contracts convict the railroads of pooling and vio lating the Sherman anti-trust law. It means that JQ coal trust must produce the 'coal purchase con tracts.' These Contracts convict the railroads of Practicing gross discrimination in freight rates against independents. It means that Baer, Thomas and Truesdale .must- telj how the selling price of coal i3 fixed; It means that the favorite weapon trusts, in resisting rproseeution interminable ueiay is no, longer- available, . for, thanks .to,. Mr. Hearst's fieht. tho 'vnnUH , . . apply to ovory SuohcmZ it SSTttatmv 'JET MEMBERS of congress have for several weeks past devoted considerable enernv in the effort to locate the responsibility Tor the pub lication of the Bristow report. It will bo romom Mr nZt ' tho kuso dcvted special attention to Mr Bristow and he was bitterly criticised by many members and in several instances epithets were applied to the fourth assistant postmaster general Later. Mr. Bristow appeared before the committee and said that he was not at all responsible for the insertion of the congressmen's names in that re port Then Mr. Overstreet of Indiana, chairman of the house committee on postofllces, intimated that the report tame from Postmaster General Payne. Finally, Mr. Payne, who has been continul to his room with sickness, denied responsibility and there seems now to be a disposition to at tach the blame to Mr. Overstreet himself. AN INTERESTING conference held re cently at the Arlington Hotel in Washing ton city is described by a correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. It sefems that a special com mittee of the house which is engaged in investi gating the origin of the Bristow report, called upon Postmaster General Payne in his sick room and listened to Mr. Payne's statement. Mr. Payne prepared the statement in writing, which he suo mitted to the committee. He said that he did not consider the date as originally prepared, proper for publication, that he therefore sent in the cor respondence without the names of the congress men, because he believed in all cases the members of congress had done nothing more than their duty to their constituents. Mr. Payne declared posi tively' that the demand for the names was made by Mr. Overstreet arid that they were sent InMe sponse to a specific telephone request in the name of the postofflce committee. TH E scene about the sick bed of the postmas ter general is described by the correspon uent as being very dramatic. This corresponaent says: ' Tne postmaster general submitted two a letters from Mr. Overstreet in which the latter requested information as to allowances and re duction in allowances for clerk hire in postoffice3 of the third and fourth classes. The information was sent and Mr. Payne said he later received word from tut committee that the list as sent was not satisfactory. Mr. Payne's statement con tinues: 'As I did not esteem it to be just nor right to submit a list of these offices as shown in that schedule with nothings but the names of members of congress and others appended, with out further explanation, I had an interview wi'li Mr. Overstreet, at which it was agreed that the circumstances surrounding each case should bb briefly set forth. On Sunday, January. 31, the chairman called at my residence. About 40 per cent of the matter desired had been prepared and we went over it carefully. The chairman ex pressed himself as entirely satisfied with its form and substance. This list V personally returned to the department the next morning and I did not, nor did any one else to my knowledge, submit these lists nor any other matter called for and now being inquired into to any person outside the department, except to Mr Overstreet on the occasion mentioned. The complete list was trans mitted under date of February 5. Under date cf February 10 and March 2 certain additional in formation regarding leases of premises for poai offltfes and allowances for rent, fuel, and light was transmitted to the committee The .testimony fa the case will disclose the fact that the department was being urged to furnish this information at the earliest possible moment, and an extra tone of men was employed who worked nights and Sundays in its preparation. The information was the department cognizant with the various suu jects referred to.'" A "NT rNTERESTING chapter in the Drey fus case is contributed by Labori, famous.as the attorney for Dreyfus in the great trial, ; For iS'".., '"B "'"Uk. SAv h -. fi, , w- . -f3y-.;iZT''iT Jl'Lttf rtll " -n - drMm'"'i,.'.ij . -w A fr,ii .r m ubtj a s f - - "MEr somo tirao it has been roported that a coldness existed between Dreyfus and his formor attornej. The Paris correspondent for tho Chicago Tri bune says: "As a mattor of fact, Dreyfus has proved himself a monster of ingratitude towaros those who were most instrumental in bringing him back from his prison in the Devil's island. Even Labori s fee has never boon paid and Labori has beon shocked, as poor Zola was shocked, at tho lack of courage and dignity Dreyfus has mani fested, his willingness to effect compromises at any cost, and his absolute disregard for ovon thing save rehabilitation at any price." IT IS further pointed out by this same author ity that Labori was Zola's attorney and that alter Labori's defense of tho great writor, the Dreyfus family demanded his services. It is stattd that Labori accepted the task even though ho Knew it would cost him hfs practice. Tho Tribune correspondent says: "During the trial at Konues ho was tho terror of tho military judges, owing to his pertinent questions so much so that tho Dreyfus family was approached by government representatives and asked to prevent Labori from pleading, promising -other advantages. When Mathion Dreyfus first broached the subject to i.a-.- bori his anger knew no bounds. 'What!' he ex claimed, 'you will traffic with the enemy when tho cause is just!' But tho family stood firm, and Labori finally renounced pleading, which at ilie time caused a great sensation. Dreylus was con demned, but again tho government officials ap proached the family and declared tnat the 'affair would be arranged.' The arrangement was soon known. Tho minister of war offered to paruon Dreyfus if he would ask for grace.' ACCORDING to the French custom, when, a prisoner asks for pardon ho must sign a stalement to 'the effect tbot he has been jusliy sentenced and that he demands a pardon, 'ifco Tribune correspondent says that Labori protested against Dreyfus signing such a document. "Go to prison for ten years," he said, "but never dis honor yourself by acknowledging that you have been justly sentenced thus you admir your guilt. ' But Dreyfus wanted to be free at any price, and, despite Labori, and despite P , and Zola, who all declared it was dishonor to traffic if he was .an innocent man, Dreyfus asked for grace, signing the fatal admission. Again the government prom ised that it would make it up to him, and it has kept its promise in commanding the revision, but for Labori, P , and Zola all the sublime ele ments in the case were overshadowed the day Dreyfus declarod over his signature that he had been justly condemned but demanded pardon. Out . of, this grew the troubles between Labori and his . client, which found their epilogue m Labori's re? fusal to allow himself to be associated in any praise of Dreyfus. "I have in no way changed my opinion of the cause' Labori said to raer "but" I was unwilling to belisod as a. witness to certain-, assertions I could not confirm." There is no, doubt Dreyfus will be rehabilitated, and thus will close one of the most celebrated "causes de jus tice" in history. TH E Cuban republic is going through the em barrassments unavoidable in the self-govern-rnunt experiment In fact, the reports of a ses sion of the Cuban house of representatives oh. April 24 read like the reports of some of our state legislatures. Describing this scene, a Chicago Chronicle correspondent says: "The scene in tno house of representatives was one of wild disorder. As a matter of fact, there was no formal opening of the house, owing to the inability to mustei a quorum for the reason that every nationalist mem ber refused to enter the chamber, tin nationalists Tearing that if the question of contested seats arose they would be outvoted by the coalition lately arranged between the republicans and modi crate liberals. The nationalists, however, came into the building, accompanied by several lusu- dred local followers, who crowded into the au dience' part of the chamber and into the halls ad streets adjoining, shouting 'vivas' for the nation alist party. Tho republicans and moderate lib erals, for the most part, remained'ln their, seats. During the confusion the vice speaker, of. -the " house, the speaker, a nationalist?" hoi being pres- r J: r , JaAjXjkt.