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S.fWW
MARCH 10, 1905
Openly champion a plain steal, simply because his
party seems to require it?
Does it not occur to tho thoughtful man that
,tho republican party requires great sacriQces at
the hands of its representatives?
Hemmenway, the man, would not put hi3 hand
Into the pockets of another to obtain profit for
himself. Why then should Hemmenway, the re
publican, seek to put his hand into the pockets of
tho people in order that the Standard Oil Dank
might add to its already large and unholy accu
mulations? JJJ
Arbitration
Governor Adams of Colorado, in his inaugural
message, urged the establishment of a permanent
state boa-1 of arbitration, saying:
While strikes may not be forbidden, wo
may dream of the reign of justice, we may
hope for conditions and laws that will .make
strikes unnecessary. First among those enact
ments in obedience to the expressed mandate
of the people should be an honest eight-hour
' law. This both parties promised the people.
Let that promise be kept.
Next, an amendment to tho arbitration
law requiring a compulsory submission of any
grievance or difference between employer and
. employes. This i3 not compulsory arbitration,
' nor does it lead to a compulsory decree, but
it does compel a conference, and where the
parties to an industrial conflict honestly con
fer, a settlement is almost certain. Such a
measure would clip the power of an arbitrary
' superintendent or manager to order a lockout
without reason, or of an equally arbitrary
walking delegate to incite a strike without jus
tification. John Mitchell said "that in the coal in
dustries there had never been a strike where
. the parties had conferred before the strike
had been ordered, and that there had never
been a strike except where either employer or
employe had refused to confer." If this bo
true in the coal industries, it will be no less
true in other avenues of productive labor. If
peace and harmony can be secured by a con
ference of conflicting interests, the public wel
fare makes it the duty of the state to compel
such conference.
There i3 seldom difference enough between
the parties to an industrial dispute to justify
the wide-spread disaster that often follows a
conflict. It is not infrequently tho case that .
obstinacy or pure selfishness precipitates labor
troubles that affect not only the few hundred '
directly concerned, but many thousands in
collateral industries. In Colorado we have had
labor difficulties that have affected the welfare
and prosperity of at least one-half the entire
population of the state. The right3 of these
hundreds of thousands of non-combatants are
certainly entitled to respect and protection, and
if all interests can be protected by compulsory
submission, it becomes the imperative duty
of our law-makers to investigate and enact.
The distinction between compulsory submis
sion of a dispute to arbitration and the enforced
acceptance of the findings is well drawn. There
ought to bo compulsory submission of every dis
pute to arbitration when either party asks for
arbitration. It is not necessary to compel an
acceptance of the finding. In nearly every case
public opinion will compel an acceptance of the
finding if the board i3 believed to be impartial.
Governor Adams does not go into details but the
legislature in carrying out the recommendation
should see to it that the board is so constituted as
to ensure fairness. If the permanent board is
composed of three they should be so selected as
to represent employers, employes and that large
body of people not strictly in either class. It would
be well to provide for the appointment by the
board of two extra members to act in the case
under consideration one to be recommended by
each side. Each side would then be sure to be
represented on the board and a minority report
could bo presented if the representative of either
side thought justice had not been done. Arbitra
tion is tho only remedy for labor troubles and
Governor Adams deserves credit for the emphatic
stand he has taken upon the subject.
JJJ
Change the Senate
Tho failure of the United States senate to take
up tho railroad rate bill and, its refusal to impeach
Judge Swayne are new evidences of the necessity
The Commoner.
of a chango in the method of electing senators.
Just as long as the corporations can control tho
sonato they can block remedial legislation and
piotect public officials who are subsorviont to
corporate interests. If President Roosevelt wants
to accomplish any reforms he must urge an amend
ment to tho constitution giving tho people a chance
to elect senators by direct vote. This is tho gate
way to all other reforms.
JJJ
Swayne Acquitted; Senate
Convicted
The senate has acquitted Judge Swayne but it
has convicted itself. When it declares that his
conduct wa3 not impeachable it subscribes to his
standard of official morality and the members must
not complain if tho public assume that the sena
tors voting for acquittal would do as Swayne did
under similar circumstances. The houso by pre
senting articles of impeachment has shown itself
more solicitous than the senate about tho honor
of tho judiciary, and the vote in both houses
Bhows that tho democrats insist upon a .higher
standard than the republicans. The senate's repu
tation was already bad enough; this new confes
sion of guilt still further impairs it. However, It
furnishes additional proof of the desirability of tho
popular election of senators. When the people
select their senators a3 they now select their mem
bers of congress the senators will bo more sensi
tive to arguments addressed to conscience and in
tegrity. JJJ
Mysterious Doings
The Denver Post calls attention to the mys
terious way in which the railroads fix rates when
they are permitted to do so. Tho Post's corre
spondent, writing from Fort Collins, Colo., says:
I want to call attention to the way
sugar is made and tho product is han
dled by tho different wholesale houses
around the country. As wo buy most of
our goods from tho Denver jobber wo also get
our sugar from him. He gives us an order on
the factory for the sugar and we go there and
haul it away, paying for it at the rate of
?6.30 for each sack of 100 pounds.
Recently a man representing a Kansas
City house came along and offered to .sell mo
sugar made in the Fort Collins factory for
$5.50 per 100 pounds, in Kansas City, or tho
samo 3Ugar laid down in Fort Collins for $6.20
after it nad been shipped to Kansas City and
back. Please try and have the Denver repre
' sentative of the sugar company explain this.
This is not a new experience. Every shipper
has come into contact with just such discrimina
tions. When a new Industry is being located in
a town the citizens are told of the great advantage
of having the industry there, but when It gets
control of the market it often joins with the rail
roads in depriving the community of any advan
tage that might naturally be derived from its
location. The sugar manufacturers do not seem
to be an exception to the rule.
JJJ
Campaign Contributions
Ex-Congres3man Perry Belmont of New York,
has written a valuable article for the North Amer
ican Review on campaign contributions. He saya
that Buchanan's committee spent but $50,0Q0 in
185G and that Lincoln's committee spent only $100,
000 in 1860. He quotes from the messages of Jack
son and Rooswelt on corporate contributions and
gives the substance of English and American
statutes on the subject.
The article is full of information and ought to
be in the hands of all who t re trying to eliminate
tho corrupt use of money in elections.
JJJ
Mr. Garfield's Report
In another column The Commoner reproduces
the report on the beef trust made by Commissioner
of Corporations Garfield. This report should bo
carefully read by every citizen.
The Commoner reserves comment on Mr. Gar
field's report for a subsequent issue.
JJJ
Work That Tells
Many Commoner readers are taking advantage
of the special subscriplion offer and the result has
3
already had a marked effect upon Tho Commoner'
circulation. Evory mail brings aovoral letters
from mon who, sympathizing with Tho Commonor'a
offorts, havo devoted a Uttlo of their time toward
tho wldoning of Tho Commonor's sphoro of in
fluence. A Buffalo, N. Y., reader, under date of Feb
ruary 6, writes: "I enclose herewith postofflco
crder for $3.60 to pay for tho enclosed subscrip
tions to The Commoner. If you will send mo fifty
cards, I think I can fill them with names of new
sub3cribors."
A Fayettovllle, Ark., reador, under date of
February 7, writes: "Enclosed find list of fifty sub
scribers, also express money order for $30 to cover
subscriptions for samo at Tho Commoner's special
clubbing rate, 60c each. Trusting that this will
help to spread the light of true democracy."
A North Manchester, Ind., reader, under date
of January 29, writes: "Inclosed please find draft,
$9, for the following fifteen subscriptions to Tho
Commoner at tho rate of GO cents. I did not havo
tho cards and havo taken tho liberty to get a few
subscribers at samo rate. If you will send mo 3omo
cards, will try to sell them for you as I am inter
ested in tho cause for which Tho Commoner is
making a noblo fight."
A Cuba, N. Y., reader, under date of January
30, writes: "Find enclosed $2 to pay for last year's
subscription; al30 to renew for Tho Commoner
for 1905. However, I am pleased to say that I
would not dispense with Tho Commoner If it
cost mo $10 per year. Tho Commoner is doing a
great work; it is clean, truthful and always plead
ing tho cause of tho common people. In order to
atone for my apparent carelessness and lack of
interest in the past, I will endeavor to make an
effort to 3ecuro for you 100 now subscribers to Tho
Commoner between now and January 1, 190G."
A San Antonio, Tex., reader, under date of
February 4, writes: "Inclosed you will find check,
seven dollars and fifty cents. Six dollars of this
amount is to pay for ten subscription cards num
bers 47856 to 478G5. Please send me "Under Other
Flags," $1.25, and "The Democratic Flatform Text
Book," 25c. Send me ten more subscription cards.
No doubt tho south will havo her democracy oa
straight In 1908'. She probably would not havo
been led astray last year, If Tho Commoner had
been well circulated in every precinct. Tho coun
try precinct in which I lived last year was the
only one in this large county that indorsed tho
Kansas City platform and sent an instructed dele
gation as to candidates. I firmly believe that tho
several copie3 of The Commoner which I had sold
in that neighborhood held the voters in line to
express themselves as they had done in 1900
and 1896. I am glad that you are advocating tho
people owning all public utilities. I have been
in favor of it for fifteen years."
According to the terms of the special sub
scription offer, cards, each good for one year's
subscription to Tho Commoner, will be furnished
in lots of five, at the rate of $3 per lot. This places
tho yearly subscription rate at GO cents.
Anyone ordering these cards may sell them
for $1.00 each, thus earning a commission of $2.00
on each lot sold, or he may sell them at the cost
prico and find compensation in the fact that ho
has contributed to the educational campaign.
These cards may bo paid "for when ordered, or
they may bo ordered and remittance made after
they have been sold.
Tho coupon is printed below for tho conveni
ence of those who desire to participate in tho effort
to increase Tho Commoner's circulation.
THE COMMONER'S SPECIAL OFFER
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Publisher Commoner; I am Interested In la
creasing The Commoner's circulation, and. de
sire yon to send me a supply of subscription
cards. I agreo to me ray atmoit endcaror to sell
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Box, or Street Ko..
P.O..
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U The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb.
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