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The Commoner.
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TUB COMMONER, Llaeela.Ne
Uncle Joo Cannon insists that the republican
party is "tlio party that does things." Auu reople.
Governor Wright of the Philippines says that
''continued talk of Filipino independence has its
effect here," meaning that it makes "benevolent
despotism" all tho harder. It-certainly has the
effect of keeping tho carpetbaggers warmed up.
The republican platform of 1860 denounced
"democratic extravagance" and demanded a re
turn to "rigid economy." In 1860 the per capita
expense of government was $2. In 1901, under
republican rule, tho per capita expense of gov
ernment is $7.14.
Ex-Senator Poller is now supporting Roose
velt, and a lot of republican organs have suddenly
become convinced that Mr. Peffer is a student, a
philosopher and a patriot, instead of a "blither
ing mouthpiece of calamity" and ' a "croaking
prophet of evil and misfortune."
Already there is talk of hiring coolie labor on
tho Panama canal. This is another specie3 of
"protection to American labor" that we read so
much about in the administration papers owned
by giant trusts that avail themselves of foreign
contract labor at every opportunity.
Is it not rather a poor argument to say that the
Filipinos are too ignorant to bo independent, and
In the next breath complain about their news
papers printing long editorials on the question
of independence. A people having newspapers is
a people rather well fitted for independence.
The Iris is a weekly magazine, published at
St. Louis by Miss Pearle M. Garrett, and soundly
democratic. ""Not only is it perhaps the only demo
cratic publication edited solely by a woman, but
it is edited with signal ability and is exerting, a
growing Influence in favor of democratic icforms.
Governor Wright of the Philippines starts off
toy talking of the Filipino incapacity for selt-gov-ornment
because of ignorance, and winds up by
complaining ' that the native newspapers discuss
the question altogether too much. Governor
Wright should take a day off and try to make
liislogic track.
The. Commoner.
lie declared that the president had even dared to
'"defy tho labor unions." The republican organs
will bo busy from now until "election day trying to
oxplain away tliat remark. . ,
Tho eminent financiers who engineere'd "get-rich-quick"
schemes earlier in tho year and were
frowned upon by the authorities, should now watch
tho coal trust magnates. The latter are working
their scheme to perfection without even so much
as a protest from the men who were selected to
enforco the anti-trust laws.
The navy that whipped Spain cost the country
$37,000,000 in 1897. There is no call for spending
$102,000,000 on the navy this year, or next year.
The fact that the republican administration spent
that much on it last year is only another evi
dence of republican extravagance if, Indeed, a
stronger word would not better fit the case.
-1 in in 1
The Denver Republican, with fine atercoafd
of all sentiment and duo regard for political facts,
says: "A few 'men havo millions invested in this
state," and then boldly intimates that chtse tew
men purpose seeing that its political pciicls suit
them. This goes a long ways towards explaining
the present unfortunate state of affairs m Colorado.
Mr. Cortelyou waited until the Maine re
turns were in and then said he was greatly grati
fied at the 30,000 plurality because his preliminary
canvas indicated a plurality of only 25,000. Huh.
wo expected only 40,000 from Arkansas and it was
upwards of 60,000. This "hindsight" prognostica
tion is not so hard.
New York republicans recently held a little
celebration of the. fiftieth anniversary of the or
ganization of the party in that state. Among tho
speakers was Senator Depew, but he did not make'
any reference to the time when he was candidate
for secretary of state on the democratic ticket.
Senator Depew does not tell all the funny things
he knows.
Walter Wellman. says he wants to give tho
Parker people all the comfort possible "because
we must have a campaign." Mr. Wellman. would
doubtless find plenty to Interest and keep him
busy by following up his challenge to the tiadea
unions in that Colorado matter. Just now it
looks as though the well-known correspondent is
trying to "shift tho Issue."
One of the republican papers says that it is
not necessary tor the president to make any cam
paign speeches because 'the American people
know where he stands on every issue that con
cerns their welfare." Where does he stand on the
labor question and on the Philipino question? ,He
studiously avoids these questions. And where
does he stand on the second term question?
There are upwards of 440 "big trusts." The
administration prosecuted one through the su
preme court and secured a verdict. Since then that
trust has kept right-on doing business, its man
agers have not been molested, and the people
have been profited not at all. This is the sum
total of the work done by the great trust busting
administration whose head only a few years ago
was talking about "shackling cunning."
Tho Fremont (Neb.) Tribune remarks that
"when a man calls himself an 'independent it
means that he is a democrat
. Independent without the cburage or haiui-
or hood to admit it" There is room
Democrat for disagreement on the state
ment that such, a man is a "dem
ocrat without the courage or hardihood 01 cour
age to admit it," but it will be pretty generally
agreed that when a man becomes really an inde
pendent" thinker he at once ceases to be a repub
lican. And it will be further agreed with general
unanimity that when a man does show symptoms
of doing his own thinking and voting 'lis bober
and honest convictions, the thickwind-thln repub
lican organs immediately charge him with having
become a democrat. And the charge is always a
compliment to the man and a sad commentary on
the republican organs.
Failure to prosecute through fear of "hurtine h
ness" is not only cowardly and criminal bur S ,
couldTavl advortAement MlimiSfi
- People who read the casualty list of the Wh
of Liao-Yang were shocked by the great number
.. , of kilIed and wounded. Tim
Mor TerribU whole world has shuddered with
Than horror at that and other giSt
AnyBattU pales of modern timeb-Uefc
oU, , tysburg, Antietam, Frederic.
burg, Shiloh and others. But how many Lava
given thought to the tremendous sacrifice ot lue
annually made upon the railroads of this republic?
During the year ending June 30, 1904, 9,840 pconle
were Wiled in railroad accidents in tho United
States, and 7C,553 injured. One railroad errploya
in every 364 was killed, and one in every 22 in
jured. The recent battle of Liao-Yang v, as" not
productive of. more dead and injured than our
American railroads during tho twelve months end
ing on the day above mentioned. Clea.ly tncro
is eYQry reason why tho attention of the people
should be centered upon, this horrible death list,
and more energetic efforts made to reuuee the
casualties
Having piled up an unconstitutional debt of
over $2,000,000 in Nebraska the republican man
agers of that state are denouncing as unpatriotic
and selfish all who find fault with the workings
of a republican revenue law that lays tho bur
den of tho increased taxes on the farmers and
mail homo owners.
.j
N
J. Sloat Fassett made a srmooh nf i xr.
York republican convention. In that speech while
jpraiaing "the fearlessness of President Roosevelt,"
It is announced that there will be no further
attempts to push the, ten indictments against cx-
., x. , Mayor of Minneapolis, and the
Advertising district attorney is quoted as
Good saying that tho dismissal of the
And Bocd prosecution is due to the fact
. . tnat any further attempts to
prosecute Ames would "give the city a feverish
and offensive reputation This Is abou :&??.
esi excuse that could be offered for fnllure to
enforce the law. If ex-Mayor Ames is guilt?
ha Tl hiS lonviin and punishment won d
be the best advertisement Minneapolis could havo
Corbin
V3
Cupid
General Corbin's recommendation that army
officers be' not permitted to marry until they can
prove their ability to live with
in their incomes sounds rather
strange, coming as it does from
an army officer who happened
to marry a wife credited with a
fortune of a round million. The lowest pay oi a
second lieutenant, $1,400 a year, is considerably
more than twice the average wage of American
workingmen, yet if American workingmeu refused
to marry until tEeir incomes exceeded $1,400 a year
the threat of "race suicide" would really amount
to something. Adjutant General Corbin has
exerted a great influence in army circles an influ
ence not always for the betterment of tho .service.
But when he attempts to fetter the limbs of Cupid
or put the little god out of business upon his own
military motion, he has tackled a job that will
prove much easier of accomplishment than that
undertaken by King Canute when he attempted
to control the tides by his royal ukase.
The administration organs are calling down
maledictions upon tho head of ex-Senator Towne
for 'declaring that Abraham Lm
RepubHca.ns coin, were he alive today, would
Then be a democrat. Ex-Senator
And Now Towne", of course, has no means
, of knowing what Lincoln would
be were he alivo today, but a study of. Lincoln's
life and public speeches and writings affords birong
evidence that he would not be a republican aa The
republican party is today made up. The Com
moner defies any administration organ or leader
to find anywhere in Lincoln's utterances one word
that can be construed into an argument in favor
of the republican party's Philippine policy. It
challenges any republican leader or organ to find
anywhere in Lincoln's utterances .one word that
can be construed into an argument in favoi of
the republican party's attitudo towards trusts and
monopolies. In short. The Commoner challenges
any republican organ to quote Abraham Lincoln
at length upon any subject.
The Globe-Democrat of St. Louis remarks that
"The best way for the Filipinos to gain tl-eir
Independence is to deserve it."
Perverting But who is to be the jude?
History Snail the decision be left to the
For Effect Filipinos, or to the exploiters
1 who find it profitable to reiuse
independence to the Filipinos? How long would
it have taken our revolutionary sires to tain
American independence if they had been content
to wait until George III and Lord North, cr war
successors, decided that they deserved it? nen
the Globe-Domocrat winds up the above statement
wit:h the additional statement that "this is twj
plan that other patriots have pursued the woiio
over," it states what it must know to be untrue.
Knowing that, they .deserved independence, despite
tho denials of George III, our revolutionary la
thers proceeded to take it. The same is true 01
every other nation that has secured independence.
The evil effects of imperialism upon the thou
of this republic becomes more manifest every
day, and especially so in the false logic, SPUS
arguments and false assumptions of those w
for partisan reasons, feel that they must sppw
a policy which their Americanism must tell m
Is un-American, unpatriotic and unjust.
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