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The Commoner.
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THE COMMONER, Llacela.Nefc
Mr. Tynor might got some recognition fpr his
appeal by sending a huge block of votes along as
an inducement.
Can it bo possible that in the distribution of
Carnegio hero medals Senator Fairbanks is going
to bo overlooked?
Tho odor of the frying fat is smelled in the
land. Tho g. o. p. campaign fund collector is out
with his trying kettle.
Tho Wisconsin republicans are still very much
concerned about the roosting place of those re
turning antl-fuslon chickens.
Perhaps Uncle Russell Sage finds plenty of
amusement in giving other men unsought and pro
longed vacations from their business. "
The ship subsidy provision is in the republican
platform, but it is rather cleverly disguised by tho
literary gontloman who framed the plank.
Secretary Shaw says that high prices are a
sign of prosperity. The signs of prosperity are
numerous in the vicinity of trust headquarters.
It may be that Paul Morton was made sec
retary of the navy because ho has had a largo
experience with water in his various corporation
deals.
The Raisulization of the protected trusts will
begin promptly just as soon as Chairman-to-be
Cortolyou gets the assessment lists properly fig
ured out.
Tho Pittsburg Dispatch claims credit for hav
ing predicted the appointment of Mr. Knox to the
senate. But what about Mr. Erick, who knew it
all the time
,
Perdicarls may bo thankful, but ho would bo
wise to remain abroad and take chances with the
bandits. If ho over goes to Colorado ho will ho
without protection.
If tho czar of Russia has not' been reading
tho reports from Colorado he has missed an ele
gant chance to return a Cripple Creek Roland for
our Kishlneff Oliver.
The republican leaders promised tariff revi
sion, and the trusts will put enough into the re
publican campaign fund to insure tho proper re
vision from the trust standpoint.
The Commoner.
Were James G. Blaine alive he would have
to use a magnifying glass to see in the republican
platform any trace of the reciprocity that his
party once 'declared for with a great flourish of
trumpets.-
Up to dato we have not noted cavx any trust
organs put up the defense that Mr. Knox was so
active in anti-trust work while in tho cabinet that
the trusts strovo to sidetrack him hy giving him
the Quay toga.
General Bell of Colorado complains that tiiere
havo been "more than 10,000 lies told" about him.
General Bell should not complain. There will be
time enough for him to complain when the whole
truth is being made known.
There were several references to Abraham
Lincoln in tho republican national convention, but
none of the speeches contained any quotations
from tho Lincoln speeches and papers.
Editor Patterson is giving the "citizens' alli
ance" a sample of what they go against when
they strike an editor who thinks more of his duty
to the public than lie does of the cash drawer.
The republican organ that declared the party
would have a "comparatively small barrel this
year" may havo meant that the bungholo would
bo vastly enlarged in order to facilitate matters.
Tho czar of Russia sent a vase to a certain
clique, of Wall street promoters. The czar is cer
tainly not well acquainted with Wall street. He
should havo sent a sponge. A vase merely holds
water, but a sponge sucks it up.
The Perdicarls Incident shows that if you are
an American and abroad you will be protected.
The Colorado situation shows that if you are an
American and at home you have no rights that
corporate interests are bound to respect.
The petrified body of a man was found near
Leroy, 111., one day last week. President Roose
velt should not have been in such a hurry in the
appointment of a successor to Attorney General
Knox. Just think what a good one has turned up
at Leroy.
The republican platform, according to the
Minneapolis Journal, "bears evidence of having
been prepared by some of 'those literary fellows."
Modern literature is given over mostly to fiction,
which fact; may have influenced the esteemed
Journal in its observation.
Those 5,000 discharged employes of the Penn
sylvania railroad should gather around Secretary
Shaw's door and "stand pat" on the full dinner
pail proposition until election day. Then they
should vote for a dinner pail that is not dependent
upon the caprice of speculators.
Theodore Roosevelt is now compelled to de
fend a principle that he once declared to bo
"vicious." But this Is due to changed conditions.
When he denounced protection as vicious he was
not a candidate for office and was therefore at
liberty to express his convictions.
Death has claimed Mr. O. B. Farrelly, a mem
ber of the Cincinnati Merchants' Exchange. Mr.
Farrelly was one of the staunchest of democrats',
and illustrated the fact that an honest man can
engage in business in a great city and still ad
here to the political principles which underlie
the democratic. party.
The convention speech which Uncle Joe Can
non did not deliver forcibly reminds the reader
of the sudden tinkling of tho jester's bel's. A
little odor of the sawdust ring and a copy of the
speech is the next thing to seeing the clowns
make their entry while the bareback riders are
giving way to the trapeze artists.
The Nebraska judge who sentenced a saloon
keeper to xa fine of ?50 for sending him a quart
of whisky while a case was on trial in which the
saloonkeeper was interested, has not yet fined
any railroad managers for sending him annual
passes. And yet railroad managers are often in
terested in cases coming before the district
judges.
The
Dea.dly
'Fourth"
The Fourth of July has come and gone, and
the dead and wounded lie on every side. Last
Monday's celebration cost in
life, limb and property more
than 90 per cent of the battles
of the civil war. Its list of dead
and wnnnrlpfi win vv i
than that of any battle of the revolution. The an
peal for a "sane celebration" seems to have had
but little effect, for the American small boy has
three generations of cracker-shoot! ng and noise
making tendencies. If the. deadly cannon crack
er and blank cartridge are to be robbed of their
terrors It will have to be done by vigorous en
actment and enforcement of law. The death iter
of last Monday is appalling in its length, and the
useless sacrifice of life and property should cause
ghtiUl ?1 Pl t0 pauBe consider he nec
?wyn, taUing SOme actlon gainst a repetition
. NVllTNl' )
1
. VOLUME 4, NUMBER 25,
James J. Hill asserts that Philander n v
presented a bill, for ?600,000 to the steel It???
services and collected tho mo?
One Woty ey. This Is a tidy fee an??'
Of "Busting" shall not undertake to'sav tw
Trusts. Mr- Saox did not earn it. 0n
the contrary, wo will admit thai
the presentation and collection of this bill is til
only Jmown act on tho part of Philander Knnr
showing that ho really did try to "bust" a trust
Making the steel trust pay a lawyer's fee of $noo
000 camo a great deal nearer to "busting" that nar
ticular trust than any other act of Mr Knox to"
wards the trusts. '
Tho protection-run-mad republican platform
and tho nomination of Senator Fairbanks recalla
a humorous incident of tho cani
i was paign in Nebraska two years
Completely ago. Senator Fairbanks was ono
Satisfied. of tne spell-binders imported in
to tho state by the republican
committee, and he spoke at Central City, amone
other places. During his Central City speech ho
painted a glowing picture of "prosperity," and at
tributed it all to republican wisdom and fore
sight. "Now, my friends; in view of this won
derful prosperity, the fruit of republicanism, shall
we vote to change our present happy conditions?"
He paused for a moment and then repeated: "Shall
we vote to change our happy condition?" "Not
mush, shir; never!" hiccoughed an inebriated in
dividual, arising in the rear of the audience and
glaring about with jj. look of supreme satisfac
tion in his "present happy condition."
Bandits
And
Baundits.
JThe more one studies the character of Bandit
Raisuli the more one is reminded of tho similar
ity between Raisuli and some
of the trust bandits of our own
couutry. Raisuli says he held
Perdicaris lor ransom for tho
nurnose of securing money with
which to rid his country .of bandits and traitors.
It was Mr. Baer who held this whole country for
ransom and defended his action on the ground
that as dtvine administrator of the footstool ho
was entitled to expenses, or something like that
But while Raisuli held one American for ransom
and was called down by the state department, Baer
holds 80,000,000 Americans and makes them pay
tribute, and the power of the administration is not
exerted to capture and punish Baer and release
his victims. It may be that Raisuli was beyond
the reach of that important g. o. p. official who is
in charge of the campaign fryingpan department.
Speaking
Of
'Smoothness"
"Smoothness," says the New Tfork Indepen
dent, "is the leading characteristic of the new re-
publican piauorm. mu inde
pendent, which has been a
staunch defender of every radi
cal departure from American
iripniR fttid traditions taken by
the republican party, and most suppliant in its
genuflections at the feet of the golden calf, makes
an unexpected acknowledgement when it says
"smoothness is the leading characteristic of the
new republican platform." According to accepted
definition, "smooth" -means sleek, cute, plausible,
deceptive, as "a smooth scheme," "a smooth con
ildence game," "a smooth trick." We often hear
of the "smooth prevaricator," or the "smooth con
fidence man." But wo hardly expected the New
York Independent to admit editorially that tne
republican platform was to be classed in tnai
category. Has a new light dawned m the inde
pendent sanctum?
..
The Philadelphia North American undertakes
to prove that The Commoner is wrong in sayint,
that the republican platform
Conveniently untruthful when it says: J
Forgets democratic tariff has alwaj3
Its Dates. en followed V
versity; a republican w";, ;
business prosperity' But the North Ameriwi
frames its contradictions of The Commoner j
general terms. With the usual republican ieai
history and statistics, it Terrains rm ,"r J
any dates. It utterly ignores the disastrous p
of 1873, when neither before nor after lny
did the democrats have power that coma in
wise be blamed for it. It conveniently doag
panic of 1893, which began under a repu"
tariff law and reached Its maximum uncier
same law. In fact, 'the North American conv
ently ignores history, truth and statistics
efforts to bolster up a .republican platform