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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1905)
rw-imr jKr'-r' .-- i f PEOEMBER22,-1905 The Commoner. 3 6& GRASP IT LIKE A MAN OP METTLE". Attorney General Moody has issued to all United States district attorneys a letter of in struction in which ho calls upon them to enforce the anti-rebate law known as the Elkins act. The attorney general calls attention to the fact that the Elkins act provides punishment by fine and also provides for the prohibition of rebates through the injunction process. The attorney general calls upon the district attorneys to dili gently investigate, and in every case in which sufficient evidence may be secured, to submit that evidence to the grand jury with a- View of securing an indictment. He says that it is de sirable that indictments be returned both against the shipper and the carrier. Pointing out that under the Elkins law the only penalty is a fine the attorney general says that in all cases where the evidence would warrant it an Indictment for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States based upon section' 5440 of the re vised statutes should be obtained. He cites a de cision of the supreme court in which it was held that a conspiracy to commit a crime itself punish able by fine is punishable by imprisonment, and he says that in the event of a conviction upon a charge of conspiracy the district attorney should proBent to the court the desirability of inflicting the- penalty of imprisonment "to the" end that these unlawful practices which have received a;raost universal condemnation may bo discour aged and prevented as far as existing laws will accomplish that result." .i That Is thG Dlalne8t kind of talk and juBt at this time it will bo entirely agreeablo to the American people. Walter Wcllman, Washington correspondent for the Chicago Record-Herald, says that this is "the cracker on the whip which the president is wielding over the railroads," and that officials who may bo caught in the net now thrown out are to bo prosecuted not under the Elkins law which provides for fine only, but for conspiracy with terms of imprisonment staring them in the face if they aro convicted. It is to be hoped that President Roosevelt will act on such lines as these, not merely for the purpose of winning his point with respect to a particular piece of legislation, but In the effort to require influential mon to give some consideration to public interests. Mr. Roosevelt will find that he will not make material progress in any serious campaign against the special In terests by feather-duster blows. Although it may seem that the representatives of special inter ests aro all-powerful, thoy can not long withstand a determined campaign waged by a faithful pub lic official who is bncked by public sentiment. To a feather'duator blow thoso roprosontntlvcn of special Interests retort very smartly and thoy display a thorough contempt for law and au thority. .But they wero crushed in Jackson's timo, nnd thoy will bo crushed In Uoosovolt'a time If the patriotic and determined mothods em ployed by Jackson aro brought into use. The president and his attorney general do servo commendation for the order referred to. It is to bo hopod thoy will adhere to this policy all along the lino. Thoso rich nnd Influential law breakers deserve no more consideration at tho hands of tire authorities than the cheapest of criminals. Move ugainst them at evory point,' Mr. President. Tho peoplo aro with you. Treat them as they deserve to bo treated Just as tho commonest criminal is treated. And In waging your campaign against these law-defying men, remember that "Tender handed stroke a nettle And it Btlngs for your pains; Grasp it like a man of muttlo And It soft as silk remains." WHO KNOWS? The Kansas City Star describes what it calls "an edifying spectacle" when it says: What an inspiring incident is that of John D. Rockefeller, the great Christian phil anthropist, evading the officers of the law, who lay in wait for him with subpoenas re quiring his presence in court to tell what he knows about the operations of the Standard Oil trust in Missouri. What a spectacle for the nation .to con template i3 this furtive, old man, with more money than any other person in the world, surrounded by a body guard, within the con fines of his own estate, and fleeing at the ap proach of every stranger. What suspicions of conscious guilt might be cre&ted by the hunted look, the appre hensive glance and the whole humiliating at titude of confession and avoidance if these circumstantial symptoms were manifested by a man not conspicuous as a pietist, not a patron of churches and colleges, and not a guide, counselor and friend of United States senators. With what Teason does the Star undertake to fathom the great purposes of John D. Rocke feller? How does the Star know that Mr. Rocke feller is not doing' what is best for public inter ests when he avoids the service of this writ? Certainly it will not be denied that he knowa more about his own business than common mor tals do; nor will it be denied that he knows more about, the public business than the average citizen does. It may be that where the editor of the Kan: sas City Star can see "suspicions of conscious guilt" there is only consecration to the loftiest patriotism. It may be that where the editor of the Star sees "the hunted look" is only the mani festation of anxiety ever uppermost In the Rocke feller bosom lest the public interests, suffer. It may be that the glance which the Star editor 2 jards as "apprehensive" is apprehensive only lest some bold, bad, man take Advantage of the poor. It may be that Mr. Rockefeller is so thor oughly patriotic, so thoroughly Christian-like, that he is quite willing to take on the appearance or a "humiliating attitude of confession,' even while in his own good wayand in his own unseiusn way ho is working out the destinies of the people whose highest interests have been intrust ed to his merciful care. , ,JJJ A COMPARISON Several years ago the so-called beef trust indictments were brought against Armour and other packers. After several years of delay the packers have gone to trial. Several weeks ago representatives of Armour complained that ,two men had extracted letters from tho Armour -files and had undertaken to blackmail the Armour company for the return of these letters. - It required only about three weeks for the men who had committed an offense against the Armours to be arrested, tried, ami sentenced to thirty days imprisonment in the county jail. Several years have been consumed in bring ing Armour and other packers to trial for the A MICHIGAN SUGGESTION tV t Jv t5 fr W fc m fr ?$ JW Jv V 5 ijfr 2 ( 3, Owosso, Mich., Oct. 28. Did you ever stop to think what we as subscribers to The Commoner could do in the way of extending its usefulness if we only set about it? There are perhaps 150,000 of us taking this paper. Now ft stands to reason that we are in sympathy with what it advocates or we vould not be taking it. This being true why not one and all of us try to extend its usefulness and do it In this way: Each week when we receive our paper and have read it, let's pass it along. We will probably find some article that appeals particularly to us, or that we consider especially good. Let's encircle,' It with a lead pencil and mail or hand it to a friend. Do this every week. In a year's time we get fifty-two copies each. Supposing the whole of 150,000 of us would do as I sug- ie gest, just think what it would mean. & It would mean practically an endless 5e chain of readers of The Commoner and, in my opinion, In a few months time would double the subscription list. Let's try It, If you have old copies on hand wrap them up in bunches and hand them out to some one who you think will read them. "Keep them moving." F. J. M'DANNEL. & & & & &&&&&&&&&&& & & & & & J PUSH IT ALONG & & Nebraska City, Neb., Dec. 15, 1905. To the Editor of The Commoner: My sentiments fully accord with those ex pressed by Mr. F. J. McDannel of Owosso, Mich. The Commoner is doing a great work, and we, the subscribers, should 'not be so selfish as to keep it to ourselves alone; but we should one and all pass it around from friend to friend In order to spread the glad tidings in store for the true old Jefferson and Jackson democracy, exem plifying the true principles of equal rights to all and special privileges to none. Let us fall in line with Mr. Mc Dannel's suggestion to pass them around. R. H. MILLER. $$.&$&$&&&&' nffpnses they have committed against the general Public- and doubtless, many years will intervene before the Armours and their associate packers are required to pay the Penalty for their con Piracy against the lives of the people. P Is it not just a bit significant that the poor, helpless and despicable wretches who undertook fo extort money from the -Armours were speedily Drought t? trial and promptly thrown into jail, while tho Armours and their associates, who have for years been guilty of outrageous Impositions upon the American people arc yet at liberty and are, even in tho face of the indictments brought against them, pursuing their abomlnahlo con spiracy? Is it not about time that tho American peoplo gave the world to understand that in tho Ameri can view extortion is extortion, and robbery is robbery whether it be committed by a poverty stricken wretch embarking upon-a career of crime or by a coterie of well dressed men who, while posing as leaders of fashion, as promoters of patriotic thought and as representative men In tho commercial world have dedicated their lives to tho perpetuation of a glguntlc system of, plunder. JJ DEPEW AND CORTELYOU The New York Press Is a republican paper. In a recent Issue the Press printed tho following editorial: Those gossipers who breathed scandalous reports to the effect that Chauncey M. Depew has resigned his United States senatorshlp owe him a most abject apology. It was De pew's Equitable directorship that he had re signed. There was nothing left for him to do but get out of that post or be kicked out. Therein ho was too much oven for Thomas F. Ryan or Paul Morton to stomach. In the United States Senate, however, there are others who delight to do him honor. There he Is welcome. There he has not outlived his usefulness to those of his kind. The commission bought with funds stolen from the widows and orphans can not be revoked. It wqs a gross libel on him for any one to hint that he would glvo up anything which could not be torn away from him by main strength and of all things a senatorshlp of tho United States, worth at least $500,000 this year to men of, a certain type. These are very bitter words, indeed, but tho editor of the Press must not forget that Chauncey M. Depew is ono of tho "defenders of national honor." On the stump in 1890 De pow, like other republican orators, pleaded for republican victory in order that the funds of tho "widows and orphans" might be protected. Truo, the evidence discloses that several thousand dollars of the funds of tho "widows and orphans" were traced to Depew's pocket; but the editor of the Press must not forget JJiat several hundred thousand dollars of these funds belonging to the "widows and orphans" were traced to the pocket of a member of the president's cabinet, and thence to the republican party's treasury. Should Depew resign? To be sure he should resign. But why should Cortelyou remain in of fice? And why should the managers of tho re publican party turn a deaf ear to the demand "put it back?" JJJ Secretary Wilson announces that there will be no shortage of the lime crop. If ho refers to the fruit we aro not particularly interested. If he refers to the base for whitewash, we aro deeply interested. We had begun to fear that the available supply had been about exhausted oa Morton, Loom is, et. al. 1 n A j i 4 -i i ' tJlarm&ime