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The Commoner.
2
r
at every opportunity, in net as well as in word,
tho principles upon 'which it was founded and
to the cultivation of which it owes Its high fame
unci great progress.
Here's to the lovers of liberty throughout
I ho world. May they never learn to compro
mise on liberty's definition. May they not lose
courage because of temporary defeats. May they
stand for truth "unawed by influence and unbribed
l)v gain."
Here's to the American citizen who thinks
for himself, whatever his present-day politics
may be. May ho continue to resent the notion
that those who have been "divinely appointed"
Jo control the property of tho country have been
ordained of God to do the thinking for the people.
It is not easy to emulate the example of that
fine old Kentucky negro, who, Kneeling at the
throne of grace, cast to the winds all thoughts
of Belf and in tho generosity of his soul prayed:
"Remember de rich and remember de po', re
member do bond and de free; and when you git
fru remembering all 'round, den, good Lord, re
member me." But in the spirit of this day we may,
at least, join with "Tiny Tim" in the reverent
appeal: "God bless, us, everyone."
JJJ
"WRECKERS"
Although the Chicago Chronicle, owned by
John R. Walsh, posed as a democratic newspaper
it stood for plutocracy and vigorously opposed
every effort toward reform. The Chronicle op
posed the democratic ticket in 1896 because, as
it claimed, the democratic party then stood for ,
"dishonesty." Not long ago the Chronicle formal- -ly
left the democratic party ana Decame a re
publican paper. In its editorial announcing the
change, the Chronicle said that it left the party
because it had become "a menace to the peace,
the prosperity and the integrity of the United
States and their people," and had "taken up with
the radicalism of populists and socialists and the
obstructionism and cowardice of wreckers and
demagogues." The Chronicle advanced the.
opinion that the republican party offers "the only
prospect of efficient, intelligent and honest govern
ment." Recent disclosures indicate tnat the Chron
icle was not so strenuously opposed to "wreckers"
as it pretended to be, and that it was not so
thoroughly devoted to honesty as it would have
its readers believe.
JJJ
A GRACEFUL REPRIMAND
The judgment in the court martial proceedings
wherein Midsnipman Minor Meriwether was
charged with having caused tho death of Mid
shipman Branch in a prize fight between the two,
was that Meriwether be required to remain with
in the confines of the Annapolis academy for a
period of one year and be publicly reprimanded
by the secretary of the navy.
Secretary Bonaparte discharged his part of
this duty December 13 when he addressed to Mid
shipman Meriwether the following letter:
You have been duly convicted of violat
ing clause 3 of article 8 of the articles for
the government of the navy, insulting and sub
sequently assaulting one of your fellow mid
shipmen; and of conduct to the prejudice of
good order and discipline by engaging in a
fist fight with the same, midshipman. These
offenses on your part have led to a calamity
so clearly unforeseen by you and so distress
ing that no words of reproof can be needed "
to make you feel their gravity. Your dis
obedience to the laws of your country; your
forgetfulness of the full import of your oath;
your yielding to fierce and angry passions
when tempted by a sense of wrong, have borne
fruits So bitter that your worst punishment
has been already suffered. The merciful sen
tence of the court which tried you leaves you
a member of the honorable profession you
have chosen. In that great school of self
sacrifice and obedierfce, a life useful to your
country will, it is hoped, atone for grave
faults which have clouded the early years of
your service. You will acknowledge receipt
of this letter, and it will be entered on your
official record.
It will be generally admitted that this is a
most graceful reprimand.
Many people will incline to the opinion that
young Meriwether escaped with a very light pun
, Ishment so far as the exact terms of the judg
mont rendered against him are concerned; but in
dischargng his portion of the duty Secretary
Bonaparte did well. There is no scolding in his
reprimand; no harsh language and none of tho
stiff and bitter terras which are presumed to
characterize tho thing called "reprimand." ' But
by the very absence of these terms Secretary
Bonaparte's reprimand- of young Meriwether takes
conspicuous and enviable position among the
records of official documents of this kind. While
not failing to point out the guilt of the young
midshipman and emphasizing, also, the terrible
evils following his wrongdoing there is yet a tone
about the secretary's letter that will encourage
him to. strive to "atone for the grave faults which
have clouded the early years of his service."
Young Meriwether might well have the repri
mand administered to him by Secretary Bona
parte framed and preserved not only for his own
guidance but for the guidance of those who come
after him. That reprimand is, indeed, a state
paper worthy of preservation by all men.
It developed during the count martial pro
ceedings that these prize fights have become quite
common in the navy and that they have been
encouraged by officers high in authority. Many
Americans would like very much to read from the
same pen that wrote this graceful reprimand to
Midshipman Meriwether a fitting rebuke to the
officers who have disgraced their high profession
by giving encouragement to prize fighting. Many
Americans would be glad to learn that Secretary
Bonaparte has made it plain to the men under
his authority that so long as he is at the head of
the navy the abominable pastime of pugilism will
not be tolerated in naval circles.
JJJ
REBATES
In his message to congress President Roose
velt, referring to the fact that "It sometimes hap
pens at present not that a rate is too high, but
that a favored shipper is given too low a rate,"
says that under his plan "the commission would
have the right to fix this already established min
imum rate as the maximum." The president adds:
"It would need only one or two such decisions
by the commission to cure railroad companies of
the practice of giving improper minimum rates."
This is an interesting suggestion. Perhaps -we
will be pardoned for saying that in The Com
moner of November 17 the railroad expert who has
contributed so many instructive articles on rail
road rate legislation made the following sug
gestion; "If congress will embody in the law a pro
vision that any voluntar-y reduction of rates, with
out permission from the interstate commerce com
mission, will result in the establishment of that
rate as a public rate for one year, there would be
very little, if any, rate-cutting done. This pro
vision should cover any rate reduced below the
public tariff rate either by rebates under classi
fication, false billing, terminal charges or any
other method declared unlawful, and also rates
cut openly in rate wars. The lowest rate illeg
ally made by the carrier to be taken as the maxi
mum of what it may with propriety claim -from
the public. No railroad can object to having its
own rate standard used in making rates. If it
accepts rates that are lower than those quoted
in the published tariffs, whether by direct viola
tion of the law, or by devices that evade its
provisions, it is estopped from invoking the aid
of the courts to declare them destructive of prop
erty rights. If this kind of a penalty is prescribed
for illegal rates, and making it a penal offense to
collect more than the maximum legal rate, which
would be the lowest illegal rate known, the secret
rate would hardly be resorted to. A law confer
ring the rate-making power as indicated would
.solve the question, and the square deal would be
come a living reality. Under existing law rail
roads have a complete remedy against injustice.
The people have-no remedy. That is not a square
deal."
JJJ
WHY NOT UPHOLD HIM?
The New York World insists that the presi
dent recognize the fact that the $2 duty on Cana
dian lumber has "worked a double injustice to the
country." The World points out that it costs
$2.92 from Tonowanda to New York, the freight
being 13 cents on each hundred pounds, and adds:
Why should the apostle of "a square
deal" be so solicitous about regulating this
$2.92 freight charge and so indifferent about
this $2 tariff evil? Even if he reduced the
freight rate by one-half he could save less to
the consumer than by lopping off the superflu
ous tariff. Moreover, it is hardly consistent
in an ardent advocate of forest culture and
preservation to blind his eyes to a tariff sched
ule which is daily encouraging the slaughter
of the remnants of the country's pine forests.
Why not a little more ardor in favor of tariff
revision, Mr. President, and a little less ex
citement about freight rates?
Mr. Roosevelt may be pardoned for being a
bit solicitous about regulating freight rates, yet
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 50
The Commoner agrees with the World that ho
shows too much indifference concerning the tariff
evil. But while the World is calling upon the
president to direct some of his attention toward
the tariff evil, why does it find fault wiili him
because he has given consideration to the froiciH
rate evil? bUl
- Mr. Roosevelt has not shown "excitement"
concerning freight rates. He might well be more
radical than he haB so far shown himself dis
posed to be. But it will occur to a great many peo
ple that it is strange that a newspaper like the
.New York World can not give the president sup.
port insofar as the president moves along cor
rect lines, even though it finds it necessary to
criticise his shortcomings in other respects.
Long ago we were told that the tariff and
tho railway rate questions were to beplayed the
one against the other, and that while the oppo
nents of tariff revision were to point out the evils
in railroad affairs, the railroad magnate was to
insist upon tariff reform.
It is not difficult to understand why the parti
san of either side should undertake to carry out
this program, but does it not seem a bit strange
that a great daily newspaper, pretending to favor
reform should charge the president with "excite
ment" when he moves for an admittedly essential
reform with respect to railroad rates? It would
seem that newspapers of the New York World's
class might encourage the president in his pro
posed freight rate .reform, even while urging him
to greater activity along the line of tariff re-
form.
JJJ
ELECT HARRIMAN
A year ago the American Press Humorists'
association, in convention assembled at Cleveland,
O., with a solemnity that was about as laughahle
as anything its members Jiave ever done or
written admitted John D. Rockefeller to member
ship. The press humorists are a jolly lot of fel
lows who would not for worlds De guilty of an
injustice, and The Commoner feels that it has
but to call their attention to an oversight, really
amounting to a grave injustice, to impel them to
take action. Among the multi-millionaires of the
country Mr. Rockefeller is by no means the only
humorist. The merry quips ana jests that roll
from Mr. Rockefeller's lips as freely as money
comes in from the consumers or oil, is fairly
equalled, if not excelled by the jokes and jests
that ooze from the sleek and complacent Mr.
Harriman of railroad fame. Mr. Harriman's tes
timony as a witness in the insurance investigation
had a Twainesque flavor of mild ana gentle sar--casm,
a Dean Swift essence of caustic comment,
that mark the great railroad manager as one of
those splendid wits entitled to a place among the
immortals of liumor. His mirtn-provokiug ani
madversions upon Mr. Ryan's pnllanthropy will
doubtless be included in the next "Library ot
American Wit and Humor," thus sending the name
of Harriman thundering down through the ages.
We therefore, in view of these incontroverti
ble facts, insist that the president of the American
Press Humorists' association immediately can
the association together In special annual con
vention and admit Mr. Harj-iman to membersmp,
with all the rights, privileges and immunities tnat
go therewith.
JJJ
SENATOR AND MAGNATE
John F. Dryden is Uni'ted States senator from
New Jersey. He is also president of the Pruden
tial Life Insurance company. Testifying beto e
the insurance committee Senator Dryden saiu
that he received from the Prudential a salary oi
$G5,000 a year as its president. His salary as
United States senator amounts to $5,000. i
Kansas City Star, commenting upon these iacu,
-indulges in a bit of speculation as to wlilcn in
terest would prove stronger if tbey were to con
flict in some bill before the senate.
Can any one solve the problem? Dryden as
senator is the father of a measure pretenumb
to give the federal government control over m
surance companies. Does any intelligent persou
really believe that Dryden as senator would giyt
his support to any measure that would Inteiiuc
with the interests of Dryden as an insurance pom
pany president?
JJJ
v PATRIOTIC
Some republican newspapers appear to think
that Former Governor Odell has made a l1""
accusation" when he charges President Roosevt
and Governor Higgius with "a deliberate .tempt
to wreck the republican party." Te republican
party has very nearly wrecked itself, am i i
Roosevelt and Mr. Higgins would be disci aigmb
a patriotic duty if they completed the worn.
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