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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 26, 1905)
t "uByff-r arryfi,fr'Wi h I'4 I'-' r .. v , 4 The Commoner. ISSUED WEEKLY. Entered at the postofflco at Lincoln, Nebraska, as second tlans mall mutter. , fc OueYenr ' iilx Months 8c la Clu b ot 5 or more, per year 73C Three Montlw as 5lHKIeCopr....- 50 Sample Cople Free. Foreign Postage sac Extra. SUUSCKIPTIONS can be sent direct to The Commoner. They con also be sent through nowBpapers which have adver tlfied a clubbing rate, or through local agenta, where BUb Agents faavo been appointed. AH remittances should bo Bent by poBtomco money order, express order, or t bank drafl ton Now York or Chicago. Do not Bend Individual checks, stampa RUNEWALS.-Thc date on your wroppcr shows when your mbscrlptlon will expire. Thus, Jan. 81, '05, menna that pay ment ha-, been received to and Including the last Issue of Jan uary, 1005. Two weekfi arc required after money has been re eclved before the date on wrapper can bo changed. CHANGE OP ADDRESS.-Subacrlbers requesting a chango of address must give OLD as well as the NEW address. ADVERTISING rates furnished upon application. Addross all communications to THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb. The primary pledge plan marks the way for the triumph of democratic principles. Have you signed? ' It seems that Secretary Taft arose from the "lid" long enough to recline for a moment or two on the "standpatters.". Tho "standpatters" will doubtless call Sec rotary Taft to one side and whisper strenuous thoughts into his ears. In New York a man may be imprisoned for debt if he hasn't enough money to take advan tage of tho bankruptcy laws. President Fish bristles up on the rate regula The Commoner The president's cabinet seems to have been selected by tho trusts as a proper training ground for their chief attorneys. Tho General Paper company has refused to submit its books to tho inspection of the govern ment's agents. This is strange, in view of the fact that the company has plenty of paper from which to manufacture books to suit. President Fish of the llinois Central railroad, replying to Secretary Taft, said that what was needed was not more legislation but the enforce ment of tho laws we now have. What if the president reads a report of that speech? The pacification of 400 or BOO Jolos was completed last week. This brings us 400 or 500 nearer eventual peace in those wonderfully rich new possessions thrown into our lap by provi dence upon the payment of $20,000,000 to Spain. Defaulter Smith of San Francisco says: "I never took anything which would affect people who were not able to stand the loss." That sounds very much like a plea in abatement made by a religious society charged -with accepting money dishonestly obtained by the donor. The Kenton Press, which is always loyal to democratic principles, warns the democrats of .Ohio that they can not hope to win in that state unless they nominate candidates who are known to be democratic through and through. Half-way democrats do not excite confidence. , - - -yOLUME 5, NUMBER 10 This Js a sound position, and if the law was strict ly enforced it would remove a great deal of tho temptation to which railroad magnates hao yielded and, in yielding to which, have discrimi nated against persons and places. The Chicago American, discussing the Equit able Life Insurance muddle says: "Perhaps gov ernment life insurance honest life insurance will come out of this- muddle." It requires a se rious lesson to teach the average man the im portance of a reform and the disclosures in the Equitable fight havebeen good object lessons. The Milwaukee Sentinel says "Mr. Bryan is advising the Ohio democrats whom to nominate lor governor." The Sentinel is seem- tion question in a manner that bears a wonderful ,h"" T. - ?WV"U1- " Q"u " , resemblance to the antics of President Castro,--- -Sly-alwuys wrong irom choice. Mr. Bryan is not ,. ;.. --1 advising Ohio democrats, nor the democrats of It seems that UQgentlemen who are satis fied, with- the" present system of freight charges are gentlemen who have no freight charges to pay. The Juno dividend of tho Standard Oil com pany will be G per cent less than the June dividend a year ago. This is calculated to make Kan sas look pleasant. any other state, whom to nominate for governor. The Indianapolis Morning Star has an edi torial entitled "Mr. Bryan Half Bight." It is a great concession for the Star to make, and is duly appreciated. The Star refers to Mr. B'ryan's argu ment on the trust question in which lie insists that competition should be protected wherever coin petiton is possible. It will bo real mean in Uncle, Sam if he re fuses to let his nephews take advantage of tho market that ho insists upon looking up for his own use. Volume Four of Tho Commoner Condensed will bo ready for delivery June 10. If you have not already ordered do so now and receive early copies. Worth More Than Gold Orthography seems to be the matter with. Philadelphia. While the public was praying for tho administration the city administration was preying for itself. If necessary, Secretary Taft can quote a few sentences from "Life and Times of Thomas H. Benton," by Roosevelt, as authority for his Pana ma tariff announcement. A reader of The Commoner calls atention to the statement made by Director of the Mint Rob erts to the effect that the silver dollar was worth more than the gold dollar when it was demone tized. That is true, and It. is because the silver dollar, being at a premium, was not the money in everyday tso and could be demonetized without attract ing immediate attention. Whatever may have been the purpose of those who passed the law of 1873, it is not true that the public intended to demonetize silver or understood the effect of the law. Tho financiers, however, knew it and planned the attack upon silver in secret as the financiers usually plan monetary legislation. Tho treasury deficit for April was $9,000,000. This is about $1S,000,000 more than Secretary Gage told us a few months ago it would be. Tho secretary should quit guessing and go to figuring. The president again anounces his determina tion not to be a candidato in 1908. He will find it convenient to reiterate the statement frequently when the railroad magnates attempt to threaten him. Bigelow's Many Sins his donations. A Judge's "Remarkable Oddity" The Boston Herald says that Judge Robert B. Frazier of Detroit has become somewhat conspir t'. ous by reason of what the De troit Free Press calls "his 10. markable oddity." This "odditj"' consists in "declining to take a-l- a judicial recount of votes, which would have en abled him to retain his seat upon the circuit bench." The judge insists upon respecting tho disclosed intent of the voter rather than accept the office upon a technicality which would vitiato the will of the voter. It is a sad commentary upon the times when an honest man becomes a "re markable oddity," or when the refusal to overrl 10 the will of tho people is considered a mark of unusual virtue. A healthy public sentiment shoull brand a man as a scoundrel who would take ad vantage of a mere technicality when that tech nicality would thwart the known will of the voters. Mr. Rockefeller expresses his surprise at Dr. Gladden. He says that he knows many minis ters who are just and generous. That is more than thoso ministers can say of the trust mag nates whom they know. After reading the controversy between Nor man E. Hapgood, editor of Collier's Weekly, and Thomas W. Lawson, the general public will rise as one man and advice Mr. Hapgood to get a reputation before again entering the ' r.ing with tho strenuous Bostonlan. ,; ' As the facts are brought out by the investiga tion of the Bigelow defalcation it is found that speculation was only one of his his sins. He went into nearly every kind of industrial enter prise and was extravagant in his living expenses and generous in He used trust monpv nf ov,. description, not sparing his aged relatives by blood and marriage, his victims including widows and orphans. His exposure shows him to have led a dual life for some years, posing as a business man of integrity and experience, attending import ant gatherings and assisting in the formation of public opinion, while at the same time he was en gaged in covering up his enormous stealings. James J. Hill, railroad magnate, said before the senate committee on interstate commerce that wni'o eiTery ,1Xlll;oad offlcer shoull be " disqualified from enjoying any PflH Production of traffic on the line Position where ho was on the pay roll, because of tho temptation to favor tho company in which ho was interested. How Will They Ancwer It? The Dallas News scents danger in the owner ship of the Panama railroad. It quotes Secretary Taft as saying that the railroad will be run with an eye single to paying expenses and giving the government a fair return on its investment. The News adds: "The Bryan people who believe in the public own ership of such things as railroads will at once ask 'If the government can own a railroad across the isthmus mentioned and three steamships plying between a Panama and a United States port, why can it not own a railroad at home?'" Yes, that does seem a very natural question, and how will the republicans, answer it? EVERYONE MAY" HELP A Kansas City reader writes: "I am glad to be able to send The Commoner the enclosed list of ten subscribers, and money order for $6 to pay for the same." Eugene Summerville, Grafton-, W. Va., sends club of nine subscribers. B. Depue, Wellington, W. Va., sends club of ten subscribers. A New York city reader writes: "Herewith find list of fifteen subscribers to The Commoner." These are samples of letters received every day at The Commoner office. These letters are written by men who are taking advantage of the special subscription offer to help in the work of widening The Commoner's sphere of influence. According to the terms of, the special sub scription offer, cards, each good for one year's subscription to The Commoner, will be furnished in lots of five, at the rate of $3 per lot. This places the yearly subscription rate at 60 cents. Anyone ordering these cards may sell them for $1 each, thus earning a" commission of $2 on each lot sold, or lie may sell them at the cost price and find compensation in the fact that he has contributed to the educational campaign. These cards maybe paid for when ordered, or they may be ordered and remittance made after they have been sold. A coupon is printed below for the convenience of those who desire to par ticipate In this effort to increase The Commoner's circulation. THE COMMONER'S SPECIAL OFFER Application for Subscription Cardi 5 10 15 20 25 50 75 100 Publisher Commoner; I am Interested In la ere aBbag The Commoner's circulation, and de sire you to Bend me a supply of subscription carda. I agree to use my utmoBt endeavor to sell the cards, and will remit for thorn at the rate of 60 cents each, when told. Name Box, or Street No. . P.O.., .J3tate Indicate the number of cards wanted by mark tag X opposite one of the numbers printed on end of this blank. IS you believe the paper U doing a sork (hat merits encouragement, JIU out, flu, above coupon and mail it to The Coramontr, Lincoln, Nib. ... v. .,', 'iC.Vj: