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The Commoner.
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
The Delaware legislature has once more turned
down the "Gas."
It Is time to organize. Victories are won by
thorough organization.
Mr. Garfield's report on the bee trust would
Bccm to indicate that ho boards.
Tho public continues to take more interest in
Lawson's charges than they do in Lawson's record.
Then, too, there are somo senatorial vindi
cations that would look much better after being
burned.
Of course Mr. Rockefeller is willing even anx
iousfor Mr. Garfield to investigate the Standard
Oil trust.
Tho Commoner's subscription offer on another
page is liberal, and hundreds are taking advan:
tngo of It.
Will somo kind gentlemen please move to
talco up a collection for the benefit of the poor
beef trust?
Mr. Rockefeller is - of the opinion that his
Kansas prospectors struck a "gusher" of the
wrong kind.
Has tho president the courage to fight the
corporate interests massed behind the railroads
and tho trusts?
Senators elected by legislative vote doubtless
may securo an endorsement of the method from
Judge Swayne.
Tho public official who rides on passes and
follccts mileage from the public treasury certainly
lias a strained idea of honesty.
Tho people should not expect any particular
roforms from tho senate until after there has been
a general reform of the senate.
Tho chief trouble with the "liberal decrees"
? tho czar is that the grand dukes usually assume
tho task of interpreting them.
Mr. Garfield's report will bo taken by the
eminent gold brick artists as full directions as to
whore another sale may bo made.
Thoro are two classes of citizens who can not
iccept Mr. Garfield's report as final those who sell
tho live stock and those who buy tho dressed
product.
Political reforms, like all other reforms becln
it home. Each individual must perform his civic
luties before he can become a reforming force in
ais community.
Mr. Rockefeller has not heretofore paid much
Utention to legislative attempts against Standard
Oil s welfare, but ho is billed to gain a now ev
perienco with Kansas. cx
The Commoner,
Tho Nebraska legislature has indefinitely post
poned a direct primary bill. The Nebraska legis
laturo is overwhelmingly republican.
A majority of tho American people are ready
to believe hot Mr. Garfield can sit in his office
and report on (ill the rest of tho trusts.
Tho "constructive recess" seems to be an in
finitesimal fraction of time used as an excuse for
doing things that should not be done.
No one doubts that the senate rate investigat
ing committee will "sit" during the congressional
recess. Palaco car seats are very comfortable.
General Stoessel fs now having trouble with
those whom he tried to serve. The successful
Japanese officers will have their innings just as
soon as the trouble is over.
If the darkest hour is just before the dawn the
numerous exposures of 'corruption would seem to
justify the hope that tho public is about to begin
the purification of politics.
The only trust scotched by the late unlamented
congress was the trust of those individuals who
really thought congress would revise the tariff in
the interests of the consumers.
Adrain C. Anson is the democratic candidate
for city clerk of Chicago. A lot of his western
friends are hoping that "Cap'n" Anson will ham
mer out a home run when the bases are full.
In Tom Watson's Magazine Dr. Girdner presents
a new view of the franchise question and W. J.
Ghent shows that the interstate railroads kill near
ly twice as many each year as were killed at
Gettysburg.
The refusal of congress to appropriate money
to pay for the use of the old New York custom
house will not worry the present owners. They
will simply raise the interest rate on the money
they paid for the building and kept in their own
control.
They had a "divorce and alimony" dinner at
Chicago recently, attended by a number of per
sons who have been prominent in the divorce
courts. If the character of those present can be
judged from the tone of their remarks about mar
riage, the "absent half" of the company might,
with propriety, hold a celebration on Thanksgiving
Day.
The re-election of Comptroller John B. Larkin
by the democrats and independent republicans of
Pittsburg is not only a tribute to an honest and
incorruptible official but is a sign that even in
Pennsylvania there is a civic conscience that can
be successfully appealed to when things are at
their worst.
The Deseret Evening News says: "Nebraska
should join Kansas in her fight against the Stand
ard Oil trust if for no other reason than that a
historic association may be preserved." The trou
ble is that Kansas has no Standard Oil temple
on her state university grounds, and the asso
ciation can not be preserved unless Kansas se
cures one.
The North-American (Philadelphia) calls at
tention to the action of the ministers of that citv
in praying for the mayor. The very fact that
religious exercises are being held for the purnoao
Sf taSS?Sl heart,of thG city's cWe sssss
!? tedl! oviImce of a spiritual awakenintr ami
Philadelphia certainly needs it. Whether the DraV
ers are answered by the interposition o 'the AU
mighty, they may be answered in the arous inof
MAI?0??? fc aTns the voters Mch will manifest
itself at the polls when election day arr vS Tho
prayers ought to react on the dMert
Margin of cattle and the prices 0fbeel
of Profit ar,o themselves no indic-iti
pronto 0 the 1ST.?rsy
VOLUME 5, NUMBER J
get a satisfactory idea of what Mr. Garfield mi
by that statement There is a general imnretwrt
that the difference between what a man pavs f
an article and what he sells it for has a verv S
portant bearing upon the margin 0'f profit h
makes. Perhaps Mr. Garfield figures as did th
old German who engaged in business and fWpi
on making 1 per cent that is, if he paid $1 an?
sold it for $2 he made $1 or 1 per cent. Be S
as it may, the idea that the difference between th
price paid the cattle raiser and the price charted
tho beef consumer has, no bearing on the margin
of profit made by the packer will not find manv
supporters outside of the office in which Mr Gar
field does his figuring.
Mr. Neidringhaus claims that Mr. Kerens has
"killed his chances for becoming senator," and Mr
Kerens admits it. Then Mr
Groat Kerens claims that Mr. Neid'
Service to ringhaus'has "killed his chances
Missouri J;01", becoming senator," and Mr.
Neidringhaus admits it. This is
interesting because it proves untrue the assertion
that neither of the gentlemen referred to have
ever done anything beneficial to their state. When
Mr. Kerens made it impossible for Mr. Neidring
haus to become senator he conferred a great bene
fit upon Missouri, and when Mr. Neidringhaus
made it impossible for Mr. Kerens to become
senator he, too, conferred a great benefit upon
Missouri. The Commoner submits that the people
of Missouri owe to Messrs. Neidringhaus and
Kerens a debt of gratitude.
Governor Vardamann of Mississippi does some
thing more than talk about suppressing the lynch
ing habit and the word "habit"
Vardamann is used advisedly. When a mob
OLid surrounded the jail at Jackson,
the Mob determined to lynch a prisoner
charged with a crime all too
common in the south, Governor Vardamann made
an appeal to its members to let the law take its
course. When the mob, aroused to frenzy, refused
to heed his appeals, Governor Vardamann called
out the local militia and the mob was beaten back.
Under the personal direction of the governor the
militia performed its duty, not acting as did the
militia at Statesboro and .several other places.
Governor Vardamann has set his face against
lynching, and his example is having a good effect
throughout the country.
i
, i. , Louisville & Nashville railroad announces
that with the beginning of the present year it
inaugurated a 'new era in tho
I he Po.33 matter of issuing passes, and
an Indirect that from now on it will dis
Briba continue the practice of issuing
, , passes to public officials, city,
county and state. General Counsel Stowe, who is
cleaned with the new order, says he is desirous
01 breaking up the system of influencing public
officials by means of passes. If Mr. Stowe is cor
rectly quoted he has given proof or the contention
that passes are given to public officials for the pur
pose of influencing their actions. In this respect
a pass is a bribe, and it is difficult to see how any
public official can otherwise consider it. The pass
evil has been responsible for a vast amount of cor
ruption in public life, and if determined to abolish
it, then that railroad will be doing the general
. J i ? Fcat,favr that other railroads should
be quick to imitate.
Mayor Tom Johnson of Cleveland never minces
his words, and it is pretty generally believed that
when he makes a charge he is
m Prepared to substantiate it.
Johnson's Mayor Johnson orally charged
Way bribery by the Cleveland Electric
riiio,! f Illuminating company, and when
v mw wm fr, specifications, said: "I charge that
conmin an?; B' Dewar members of tho city
nanca n Fbruary 6 voted against the ordi-
did ?n LTe the vIllaSQ of s'"th Brooklyn,
VOtes MavnlTJ187 PaId t0 them f0r theIr
flfSSi nfMn y Jhnson then went on to charge
inflimnnr1? 1 mmh? al republicans, with being
WUko ami & contrlbution from tue company,
mn Jo d T?ewar arG democrats. As the mayor
c?mm?rti t I ?romIs0d an investigating
tl wl lY ai work- With m hnson in
thatmaI florin?;61,6 Is every rea to bellevo
3 out nd no "wllH0
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