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DECEMBER 29, 1905 .
The Commoner.
CARNEGIE'S SEAT OF HONOR
W. Ellis Corey, president of the steel trust,
deserted the wife who had clung to him through
all of his poverty, and became notorious because
of his associations with another woman. For sev
eral days it seemed to be generally understood
among American newspapers that these expos
ures meant the' retirement of Mr. Corey from the
presidency of the steel trust. So serious were his
offenses that his father, as well as his uncle and
other men and women related to him by ties of
blood, publicly repudiated him.
For a time the situation looked very black
for President Corey But President Corey caused
to be printed an interview in which he bluntly
said that if he'were held to account for his short
comings he would take the public Into his con
fidence and tell them a lot of things concerning
his associates.
It is a bit significant that since that threat
was made there has been no more talk of Presi
dent Corey's retirement. On the contrary, soon
after these exposures were made Andrew Car
negie gave at his New York mansion a banquet
to his associates and newspaper .dispatches say
that W. Ellis Corey occupied "the seat of honor"
at Carnegie's right hand.
The seat of honor, indeed! Here is a man
who says he has devoted his life toward the
building of libraries for the people. In the fur
therance of this plau ho has contributed several
million dollars, and all for the cultivation of
nobler sentiments. Yet when a person holding
the position of chief in a corporation over which
Mr. Carnegie has control violates the hlghost
sentiments and is convicted of the most flagrant
offenses, this builder of libraries gives him "the
seat of honor" at a banquet board spread in his
own home.
Can it bo possible that Mr. Carnegie stands
in awe of the individual whom ho elevated to
the position of president of the steel trust?
Mr. Carnegie required Schwab to resign that
place because of Schwab's gambling proclivities.
Whatever men may say of Schwab's offense, It
was a weakness which when compared with
Corey's wrongdoing amounts very nearly to a
virtue.
Was Schwab more tractable than Corey, or
does Corey have a more intimate acquaintance
with the inside operations of the steel trust than
Schwab ever had?
Can it be possible that the man who , has
spent millions of dollars in order that his name
shall be forever associated with the libraries
of the world attaches so little Importance to the
infamies committed by the presldoni of the steel
trust that he stoops to accord to him the seat
of honor at a banquet board?
MB. WISE AS A CRITIC
,T. D. W. Greene, of De Pauw, Ind., writes:
"In The Commoner of November 3 you comment
upon some things John S. Wise said about William
McKinley, and I wish to ask what wrong there
is in one criticizing another if one tells the truth,
even though the criticlzer and the criticized are
friends. John S. Wise was not a wise man for
leaving the democratic party; but even if Mr.
McKinley did 'treat him well should one conceal
the truth on that account? The Bible says, 'Re
buke one another;' should one refuse to rebuke
a little because he is treated well by the one who
needs rebuking? What Mr. Wise said about Mr.
McKinley may- not be truthful, but may not truth
ful criticism about the dead help the living?
Certainly truthful criticism of the dead may
often help the living. Mr. 'Wise's criticism of
Mr. McKinley seemed to rest largely upon the
fact that Mr. McKinley did not appoint Mr. Wise
to the office of United States attorney for the
southern district of New York. The Commoner
pointed out that according to Mr. Wise's own
statement he f had been well treated by Mr. Mc
Kinley, because Mr. McKinley. gave army com
missions to three of Mr. Wisete. sons and then
gave to Mr. Wise himself "a :very handsome spe
cial appointment:"
Whatever -opinion one may have as to the
correctness of Mr. Wise's estimate of William
McKinley, Mr.'Wise's criticisms -would have been
more convincing had he not sought to pose as a
greatly wronged-rman when, as a matter of fact,
Mr. McKinley-liad been more than, kind to him. ,
During his benefactor's life time Mr.- Wise
was not heard to protest against the evil influ
ences which he now says surrounded the McKin
ley administration, and it will occur to a great
many people that now that his benefactor is dead
Mr. Wise might well refrain from critcising the
administrate i which he helped to place in power,
and at the hands of which he received so many
favors. ; . .
Mr. McKinley'S policies were and are repub
lican party policies. The same bad and powerful
influences that surrounded the McKinley admin
istration are haunting the' corridors of the White
House and Capitol building today in the effort
to thwart the people In their plans for relief.
The republican parly responds just as cordially to
the demands of these powerful interests today
as it did in William McKinley's day. t.
If Mr. Wise would "make good" as a critic,
let him use his trenchant pen against the living
men of his own party and against the evils for
which that party" is responsible.
JJJ
VMR. BRYAN ABROAD
Mr. Bryan has, much to his regret, found it
necessary to,- change his route somewhat. Find
ing that to visit, Australia and New Zealand be
fore going to.' .India would delay the India trip
until too late in the spring and. that to go .to
Australia and $NTew Zealand from India woud
delay the trip to Egypt, Palestine, Greece and
Italy, he has decided. o leave Australia and New
Zealand for another trip when he can travel moro
leisurely and give them the time their import
ance demands. By reaching Europe earlier he
will be able to devote more time to Switzerland,
Germany, Norway, Sweden and Scotland and to
the problems which they present.
JJJ
NEBRASKA'S "REDEEMERS"
When, in 1900, the republicans carried Ne
braska we wore told that Nebraska had been "re
deemed." But this was that kind of redemption
for which the republican party is famous.
The man elected to the office of governor in
that year was sent to the senate and subsequent
ly indicted for wrong-doing in ofllce. He escaped
by an appeal to technicalities.
The United States senatorships filled immed
iately following that redemption were divided be
tween rival railroad factions in Nebraska.
Every republican gubernatorial nominee cho
sen since that "redemption" was picked by the
railroads, while the corporations have wielded
complete control over the republic legislature.
President Roosevelt has found jt necessary
to remove from local federal offices. at least six
of these boastful "redeemers" of Nebraska.
One of. these redeemers was apppinted by the
president to a seat upon a territorial bench, and
later the president found it necessary to retire
him. ,
Subsequently another Nebraska "redeemer
was sent to grace another territorial bench- That
"redeemer" lasted about ninety days, when he
was dismissed, in disgrace.
These Nebraska "redeemers" are not, after
all, infallible. "Things are not always what they
seem-; skimmed milk masquerades as cream," and
the many scandals connected . with the official
conduct of Nebraska "redeemers" appointed to
federal positions has made Nebraska, a jest in
political circles at the national capital.
JJJ
INDIANA PRIMARIES
Indiana democrats are soon to hold primary
elections and district conventions for the selec
tion of a new state central committee. These
district conventions are made up of delegates to
be selected by primaries in tho several precincts.
The members of the committee thus selected
meet January 8 to select a chairman.
Every Indiana . democrat should participate
in these primaries and see to it that faithful
democrats are chosen as delegates to the district
conventions, ft goes without saying that great
care should be exercised in Indiana, as in other
states, in the selection of the state, committee,
and it is also important that the chairman be a
man whose fidelity and courage may bd depended
upon by the Indiana democracy.
Tndiana democrats as well as those of other
states should .get in the habit of part cipating in
the primaries1' their party, arid they can not
' begin'the cultivation of this habit &l too early
t ' ' '
a Let the rank and file of IiAliaria dejuocracy
mrticinate in the primaries and it' Is safe to say
tlmt the reSilt will be the selection of a good
state committee and a worthy chairman.
5
The LoVe Letters of a
m
"National Honor
Defender"
Recently It was reported that J. B. Coroy,
uncle of W. Ellis Coroy, president of tho stool
trust, had offered undor cortaln conditions to
make public letters said to have boon passed
between his nophow, Andrew Carnoglo, Mr.
Schwab and himself. Ponding the nccoptanco of
tho tonus of this offer, tho Kansas City Star
suggests that tho American people draw on their
imagination, adding that as a remilt or thoso sur
mises one of theso letters might ho as follows:
My Dear Ellis: Sorry to hear of your
scrape. Still, after my experience you ougbt
to have known better. Plorpont and Andrew
and young Rockefeller and Perkins and Rogors
were terribly shocked over my little plunge
at Monte Carlo, though It was my own mon
ey and not plunder mado by selling watered
stock. But you know how scrupulous thoy
are about everything especially John, jr.,
and Rogers. John said he couldn't face hfft
Bible class until I got out. And you should
have heard the quaver in Rogers' voice as ho
said, "1 never expected to count a gambler
among my acquaintances least of all at tho
head of a corporation in which I am con
cerned." So I went. You should have boon
warned. Yours ever. CHARLEY,
"Another oplstle," according to tho Star,
"showing marks of agitation and slightly blotted
with' tears it may bo believed, roads something
like this:
llespcctcd Benefactor. Sir: I am great
ly grieved to know that you lake my little
affair so much to heart. Of courso, I knew
that you would never havo been implicated
In such a thing. Your bent isn't that way.
But In business I supposed that you and Mr.
Rogers and Mr. Perkins and Mr. Rockefeller
always went after what you wanted and got
ft without regard to "ordinary conventional
restrictions. So I had inferred that wo big
business men weren't bound by vulgar mor
ality. Was Rogers in his Amalgamated Cop
per deal? Was Perkins in his relations to
Morgan's bank and the New York Life? Was
Rockefeller in going after oil competitors?
I really don't see why I should be singled
out as an offender to be punished. Respect
fully." , ELLIS.
The Star takes It for granted that In reply
to this fulminatlon a letter of lhl sort was in
dited to show the young man his error:
' .- My Misguided Young Friend: I am sur
prised that you should display such confu
sion -of thought. Can you not see that what
ever Mr. Rockefeller or my other good
friends or I havo done, while It may have
aroused opposition, has always been perfect
ly respectable and, I may add in accordance
with law as construed by the ablest attor
neys we could hire? But yours is a disrepu
table offense. It fs one of the first principles
of business to keep within the law, or to have
the law fixed by tho legislature or congress,
or to leave no incriminating evidonce. Fur
thermore, one must always be respectable.
Your ignorance of these principles Is a great
disappointment to me and, I am compelled
to say, Is a disqualification for the position
you now occupy. I greatly regret that my
training has been wasted on one so poorly
prepared to profit by It. Your former well
wisher, ' A C.
In the Star's view these letters show tho
real' opinions of the writers .whatever their gen
uine communications may contain.
Perhaps Secretary Bonaparte ha been misled
by precedent In his order to destroy the Con
stitution. A large number of Russian students seem to
have, been "hazed" by the Cossacks and police
recently. ''
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To. each one of its half-million readers The
Commoner wishes a Happy and Prosperous New
Ye'ar.t " " "
The New Year will be very largaly what you
make it '
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