The Commoner.
FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1904:
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A SIGNIFICANT fact is brought to light by tho
Boston Herald with respect to the compara
tive prices paid for tho American built warships
built by the Turkish government and by tho
American government. Tho Herald says: "If a
Paris dispatch is correct, it might be well for
Uncle Sam to engage some of the officials of the
Turkish navy to bargain for the purchase of his
new warships. In this dispatch it was stated that
tho Turkish government was so pleased with ther
cruiser recently constructed for them at Phila
delphia that they have ordered a second vessel
of tho same type, to cost $850,000. According to
the Statesman's Year Book, these Turkish war
vessels are protected cruisers of 3,250 tons, and
are expected to make about twenty-two knots.
Such a ship would bo very cheap at $850,000. For
vessels of about this tonnage, such as the Gal
veston and Cleveland, Uncle Sam has contracted
to pay more than a million dollars, although our
ships are to be called on to make only sixteen
and a half knots on their trial. There would seem
to be such a wide difference between the require
ments of the Turkish vessel as regards speed and
that for the American ships that the reported cost
of the Turkish cruiser would appear to be ridic
ulously low in comparison with what Uncle Sam
pays."
AN INTERESTING story of the origin of
"Dixie" is related xby a writer In the New
Orleans Times-Democrat. In the beginning, this
writer says: " 'Dixie" Dixie's Land there is the
suggestion in the words of romance, of war and
peace, of love and bloodshed, of charging columns
and the-dashing half frontier life of the ante
bellum south of tho Mississippi river days.
Through near three generations it has meant all
this to the natives of the south, and now the
stirring strains of 'Dixie are played to cheering
audiences of Americans in every part of the whole
United States. It was played at the battle of
Manila, at the battle of Santiago, and to its
rhythm now march the soldiers of the nation as
proudly beneath the stars and stripes as ever
strode the southern legions beneath the stars and
bars. And in the song there is a story of moment
to New Orleans."
TH E meaning of the term "Dixlo," how it or
iginated, and how it grew to favor is a
question often mooted and never yet settled to
tho general satisfaction of all those investigators
of the unique and unusual who delve Into the
mine of tradition and legends. The Times-Democrat
writer says: "Dixie was a negro minstrel
song, sung in music halls of New York in 'the
late fifties, bellowed lustily, to Mark Twalnesque
audiences from tho 'Floating Palaces' of the ante
bellum Mississippi by burnt .cork artists and
artisans who have long since followed the echoes
of their songs into silence and oblivion. And
the song to0k. By 1859 it was whistled and sung
from the James to the Passes, from Richmond .to
New Orleans. Peculiarly was it the favorite song
of the jolly gentry who thronged the steamboats
upon the old highway of the Mississippi, and all
through the states tributary to the stream the
song spread with a rapidity strange in that day
of restricted communication and slow travel.
Then the war came, and blood made precious the
suggestion of the song, and the song itself became
a part, of that which it suggested. Young Jips
sang the song at parting, went forth to doath, and
died. In'stricken homes the stirring strains have
brought, through all the years gone, memories
and day dreams of that which might have been,
or that which was. Graybeards of, today, through
the mist of. decades hear in the appealing cadences
voices which long ago blended sweet sopiano with
their- bass. -And the, song itself! Nothing in he
words beyond""silly doggerelbut a silly doggerel
which laughingly referred to all the southerner
held dear. The music, catchy, with a spark of the
vital fire In the lilt and turn' of the dashing
phrases, struck a responding chord in every list
ener hailing from the 'Land of Cotton.' "- '
CONCERNING the origin of the song, there ure,
according to this writer, several explana
tions. This authority -says: "Everybody knows,
tho name of the jolly comedian, pan Emmet, who'
immortalized the ballad, but few know where he
got tho phra&" One theory, Ions since exploded,
was that tho expression 'Dixie's Land' camo from
the phrase, Mason and Dixon's Line. Tho other
was that a certain farmer down In New Jersey,
just before tho war, ran his fields with negro la
bor, and assumod the manners and tho bearing of
a southern planter. His name was Dixie, and topi
cal songs of tho period referred to his ostato as a
miniature southland. Audiences which did not
know tho local reference took tho song as referring
to the real south, and Emmet, in his famous bal
- lad, so used tho expression However, there Is an
other story, and ono which brings the subject
homo to New Orleans. For twenty years prior
to tho civil war the Citlzons Bank of Louisiana
was the great financial institution of tho south,
and ranked among tho one or two largest in tho
land. Its namo was as familiar upon tho Paris
bourse and tho London exchanges as is now tho
namo of tho City National Bank of New York.
In tho days of 'shin-plasters' and depreciated state
bank currency, the Issues of the Citizens' Bank
passed at par all over the land. The best known
issue was a ten-dollar note done in red upon one
side and black and red upon the other. Tho fea
ture of this denomination was that tho most con
spicuous part of tho engraving was the French
word 'Dlx Upon tho river steamers, on tho ships
bound for New York, on the stage coaches which
went west from Galveston, these bills were termed
'Dixies.' Not ono man of any twenty that han
dled them knew that dix meant ten."
THEN, upon the upper Mississippi and the Ohio,
people began to speak of the south as Dix
ie's Land, and as tho years passed they forgot why
tho namo was applied. Tho Times-Democrat
writer says: "The gamblers who won luscious
rolls of the 'Dixies' at poker played with the roof
removed, the victims who gave up their rightful
walletfuls of red and black currency, tho Irish
deck-hands and tho negro roustabouts all spoke
of Dixie's Land. The civil war came on. Months
passed, and Butler's army occupied the city. But
ler ordered tho Citizens' Bank to pay back all de
posits to private individuals in confederate bills,
and ordered that all sums due to officers or rep
resentatives of the confederacy should bo paid to
the United States government In United States
coin. More than $225,000 was thus confiscated,
and the bank has now ponding In congr?3s a war
claim for this amount. Later General Butler
made the Citizens' Bank the United States deposi
tory and distributing center for the territory un
der his charge. After the war came new banking
laws, new customs, new ways and habits of
' thought. The 'Dixies' had gone out during the
changes Inaugurated immediately before the civil
war, and by the end of that struggle and the na
tional banking law of the late 'GO's tho once
famed currency was forgotten."
WASHINGTON Jdispatches say that It Is very
likely that George B. Cortelyou, secretary of
the department of commerce and labor, will be
selected as chairman of the republican national
committee. It is understood that tho suggestion
that Secretary Cortelyou be chosen comes from
Mr. Roosevelt." His friends say that he is well
equipped for the dutied of the position and should
he be elected he will resign tys place in tho
cabinet. It is further stated that J. W Blythe,
tho attorney for the Hill railroad interests, will
be connected with the republican campaign inwthe
west and may be made vice chairman of the com
mittee, or sub-chairman in charge of tho western
campaign. . .
IN RESPONSE to 'a petition signed by 30,000
Massachusetts business men, a mass meet
ing was held at Boston, May 16, in the' Interests
of reciprocity with Canada and Newfoundland.
The Associated press report of the meeting says:
"A setjot resolutions, embodying' the purposes of
. the meeting and providing for the appointment by
tho president of the chamber of commerce of a
committee of 100 wlio should lead the fight for
reciprocity had been read, when former Represen
tative j. A. Underhill Jumped to his feet and said:
'f would like to offer an amendment to combat
tho one power behind the throne In Massachusetts.
I move that our state senators, the men -who
elect bur Junior senator to Washington, be' added
to that committee. Our junior senator sayg ho
bolioves in reciprocity, but adds, "Wait." When
tho subject of reciprocity came up in the Massa
chusetts legislature ono aftor another of tho men
assembled there camo to mo and said: "1 believe
In this, but tho word has come from our Junior
senator at Washington that it must not be and
I am bound to think of my political futuio," and
It was not.' Amid an uproar tho amendmont was
ooconded and accepted aiid tho icaolutlon then
carried."
DAVID B. HENDERSON, formor speaker of tho
house, has loft Now York and will relocate in
Iowa. It is said that Mr, Henderson intends to
re-ontor politics in tho Hawkoyo S'tato. A Wash
ington dispatch to tho Omaha World-Herald, re
ferring to Mr. Henderson's ro-ontry Jnto politics,
says: "This change is declared by politicians to
indicate a longing for further political prefer
ment. Senator Allison's ago is tolling on him.
His illness of last winter somewhat weakened hlru.
Iowans begin to talk about a successor for tho
venerable senator. Colonel Hendeison is said to
havo recovered from tho fit of anger in which ho
withdrew from Hawkoyo politics. Ho was of
fended because many of nis constituents didn't
agreo with him on tho tarilf question, so ho said.
There was another story that ononiics forced him
out of the race by threatening to make disclos
ures of a personal nature. But now thore are evi
dences of a reconciliation between Colonel Hen
derson and his enemies."
NEWTON C. BLANCHARD was inaugurated
govornor of Louisiana May 16 and his in
augural address has attracted widespread atten
tion. Governor Blanchard said: "Mob law in
contravention and defiance of law will not be
tolerated." Lynchlngs will not bo permitted under
any circumstances. Sheriffs will bo held to tho
strictest accountability possiblo under tho law for
the safety from mob violence of persons in their
custody." On tho negro question ie said: "Tho
negro is here. Ho is a man and a citizen. He is
useful and valuable in his snhere. Within that
sphere he must bo guaranteed tho equal protec
tion of tho law, and his education along proper
lines mainly agricultural and Industrial Is at
once a duty and a necessity. He must bo pro
tected in his right to labor and enjoy the fruits
of his labor. He must be encouraged In industry
and taught habits of thrift. No approach toward
social equality or social recognition will over bo
tolerated in Louisiana. Separate schools, separate
churches, separate cars, separate places of enter
tainment will bo enforced. Racial distinction and
integrity must bo maintained. But there fs room
enough in this southland, with proper linos of
limitation and demarcation, for tho two races to
live on terms of mutual trust, good understanding
and good concord. The south asserts Its ability
to handle and solve the negro question on hu
manitarian lines those of justice and right. Wo
brook no interference from without. It is up to
the south to so solve and handle it, as to furnish
no occasion for such interference."
Tfl E Indiana supremo court has rendered a de
cision declaring the republican legislative
apportionment to bo unconstitutional. Tho re
publican legislature in Indian gerrymandered tho
state aud this proceeding was entirely overturned
by the supremo court's decision. The Indianapolis
correspondent for the Cincinnati Enquirer says:
"The decision means that tho members of tho
next legislature must be elected according to the
act of 1897. The decree Is regaraed ao a big vie
tory for the democrats, for under the ad oi 1903
it would hav been impossible for tnwn to havo
carried the legislature without electing the fctato
ticket by a majority of between 50,000 and C0,G00.
The decision was on the appeal oi the casa irom
Ripley county, in which there was-a. petition for
a writ of mandate that the election of members
of the next general assenibly, shall bo held under
the act of 1897. This removes the danger, of
having no constitutional act under wnlcb .o con
duct tho next election." , '
THIS decision lays dow?i tho principle" that
a gerrymander "giving an unfair political
advantage" Is unconstitutional, and it asserts
that the inequalities found ia the ct oX 1C03 com-
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