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V, "" J ,. !
The Commoner.
3
UARY 19, 1906
:''- s
fastened at both ends to the boat and float-
I about ten feet from tho side.' These canoes
Li hold six or seven persons ana are pr.opeiieu
irawny-armed natives. Our party clad them-
&s In bathing suits and. filling three canoes,
rowed out some distance from the shore.
& natives, expert at this Sporty watch for a
wave and signal each other when they see
B approaching, and then with their big round
lies they start their canoes toward the land.
the wave raises the stern of the canoe, they
to their work, the purpose being to keep
rcanoe on the forward slope of the wave. It
in exciting experience to ride thus, with the
ty breaking over one while the canoe, flies
fag before the wave. Sometimes the boatmen
too slow and the wave sweeps under the canoe
is gone, but as a rule they know Just how fast
Vork, and there is great rivalry between tlie
i'f riders when two or more crews are racing.
I: is strange that a form of sport so delightful
las not been transported to the American seaside
xesorts. There is . surf bathing the year round
at Honolulu and few beaches can be found which
bfin compare with Waikiki.
'' The Oahu railroad, which carried us out to
If he sugar plantation, and which has 3eventy:one
miles of track" on the island, passes within sight
of the Pearl harbor, which is the only large inlet
in the islands capable of being developed into .a
harbor. The United States government is. ( al
ready dredging thiB harbor and preparing it for
both naval and commercial uses. The Hawaiian
Islands occupy a strategic position as well as a
"position of great commercial importance, and as
they are on a direct line between the Isthmus of
Panama and the Orient, their value as a, mid-
ocean stopping place will immeasurably increase.
The islands being now "United States territory,
Irthe advantage of the possession of Pearl harbor
'Is accompanied by a responsibility for its proper
improvement. No one can visit the harbor with;
Ijout appreciating its importance to our country
and to the world.
V'f XT-rr wrr Innnnfnl -P-wtyi fllQ Trrllo-nP n T4crllf
"fail to board the Manchuria we were again iadened
with flowers, and as we left the island, refreshed
by the perfume of flowers and cheered by songs
and farewells, we bore away grateful memories
of the day,,and, of 'the hospitality, of thendopleV,
Like ail yhose; this" Pacific . paradise?'.. w Re
solved to reurh" sometime and 'spend' a part, -.of,,
a winter amid its beauties. ,', . '.;,
Copyright. . L.
JJJ
PENSIONS FOR HONESTY
fered by selfish interests bent ufton exploiting
"the prestige and reputation of a former presi
dent," tho object lesson would bo advantageous
to tho American people because it would remind
them that they muBt bo more careful in tho selec
tion of presidential timber;
When President Harrison retired frpm tho
White House ho took up the active practice of
law. He made a good living, too, and wo do not
remember to have heard a hint that any selfish
interest had ever undertaken to "oxploit the
prestige and reputation of a formor presldont"
in tho case of Benjamin Harrison.
If a former president accepts employment that
is not creditable to him, his employers will Very
soon find that tliey buy a gold brick when
they seek, in securing the services of an indi
vidual to, "exploit the prestige and reputation of
a formor president." Under such circumstances
the prestige would not last long and the reputation
would be thoroughly tarnished. V
It will, however, be many years before the
American people will be convinced that it is good
policy to pension a former president In order to
restrain,, him from selling his talents to ah unholy
cause.
JJJ
CALL ROCKEFELLER
Replying to Attorney General Hadley's. request
that he testify before the commissioner in the
Standard-Oil case, Thomas W. Lawson of Boston
said: "While I have no personal knowledge of
the three things of which your telegram treats
I have sufficient general knowledge of the subject
matter of your investigation to make it appear
farcical to me that you, with the power of the
great state of Missouri at your back, should want
the testimony of any "other than the band of
conspirators at 26 Brqadway and their hirelings
to .prove any case in which the name 'Standard
Oil' appears."
It will occur to a great many people that Mr.
Lawson hit the nail, on the head; and this .pro-.,
vides the reminder .that service has not been
obtained upon John I). RQpkefeiler, . Mr. Rocke
feller should be required to testify, and with the
great state of. Missouri behind them the gentle
men in charge of,, this, investigation .;shojuId be
able to obtain service upon the oil magnate.'
JJJ
LAUGHING AT THE LAW
'
Gfqver Cleveland was recently appointed
"referee"- for three large insurance companies' at
a salary of $12,000 per year. It Is said that his
duties will be to see to it that the anti-rebate
law is not violated.
The New York World calls upon "Mr. Cleve
land to decline the office, saying: "It would be
quite as appropriate for them to appoint a ref
eree to prevent perjury, theft, and other viola
tions of the penal code."
While the World admits that the offer is very
attractive, it says: "The fact remains that it is
not Grover Cleveland,, the lawyer, whom these
companies wish to employ, but Grover Cleveland,
former president of the United States." Then
the World says:
"It is time congress made it unnecessary
for a former president of the United States
to act as an attorney for Wall street interests
or for street railway companies or for insur
ance companies. A pension of $25,000 a year
would be a trifle in the budget. The nation
could afford to pay it many times over rather
than permit selfish interests to exploit the
prestige and reputation of a former president.
The people of the United States are the great
est corporation in the world. It iff they who
should retain their ox-presidents."
The World asks congress to discharge a duty
which an ex-president should discharge for him
self. A "be it enacted" should not be required
to keep in the straight and narrow path an ex
president or any other ex-official. If the employ
ment is of such character that it would be un
becoming in a man who had held the office of
president, the man himself should reject even a
tempting offer.
That "the nation could afford to pay it ($25,
000 a year) many times over rather than permit
selfish Interests to. exploit the prestige and repu
tation of a formor 'president" is a strange argu
ment for an intelligent newspaper to advance.
The president of tho United States receives a
fair salary and there is no reason wh,he, should
be given a ppnsicm, Jf he, 'should .hpjpppn, .to bp
a man who would yield to the temptations of-
' Missouri's attorney general catechising, Henry
H. Rogers,, vice president of the Standard Oil
trust, asked: "Do you wish to say to the su
preme court of Missouri that you, as a director
of the Standard Oil company of Indiana, do not
know where its general offices, are?"
Mr. Rogers replied: "It is' quite immaterial
to me what the supreme court of Missouri de
sires me to say."
That sounds a little harsh. Some may in
terpret it as meaning that it was immaterial to
Mr. Rogers what any one desired him to say be
cause, being under oath, he was. answerable to
his own conscience. But Rogers had been sworn
to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and noth-.
ing but the truth" and so when we remember
that he lid not conform to his oath in any re
spect that interpretation will hardly have weight.
It is not unfair to say that the answer given
by Rogers to this question represents the atti
tude of every one of these influential violators of
the law.
Do they seriously believe that such tactics
as these will win?
Of course they do; and why should they not
entertain that belief? They have seen legisla
tures pass laws for the protection of the public
interests and they have heard the people plead
ing for relief and yet by reason of their jgreat
power they have nullified all the laws and made,
ineffective all public protests. They have used
their money for the election of United States
senatprs and for the control of political con
ventions, and in at least one presidential cam
paign they have used their powerful influence
and their dollars to win the victory. Why
should these men care for a mere court? Have
they not, like Nick Blddle, boasted that they
make and unmake courts, as they make and
unmake senators, governors and representatives
in congress? Have they not controlled the edi
torial columns of some of the great newspapers,
as they have oftentimes controlled the dis
patches of some of the great press associations?
Why should these men be held accountable on
lines which must be toed by ordinary men?
Although this inquiry at New York has at-
tracted world-wide attention, the subpoena is- .
suqd for, John D. Rockefeller has not been served,
JVI'ogkefeller having fled in order to avoid
service and having for many weeks remained
in hiding. Wh.Uo It Is of the greatest im
portance that Mr. Rogers bo required to an
swer these questions, and tho fight along that
lino should bo carried to the finish, it should
bo demonstrated by tho authorities of the great
state of Missouri, as we havo no doubt It will
be so demonstrated, that oven John D. -Rockefeller,
with his millions of Ill-gotten wealth can
not long remain concealed from the Missouri
officers.
Rockefeller knows .moro than any ono elso
connected with these groat concerns with ref
erence to tho great' business affairs through which
he has piled np his wealth, and ho should bo re
quired to toll.
Lot us Bee whether on tho witness stand
John D. Rockefoller will dodge as Henry II.
Rogers dodged. Lot us seo whether, sworn to
tell "the truth, tho whole truth and nothing but
the truth" Rockefeller will Ho aB Rogers, lied.
This Is blunt language, indeod, but who will say
that this Is a tlmo to mince words? Who will
say that It Is not tho duty of those who are
expectfcd to point out the evils of tho day to
speak In plain Anglo-Saxon In the face of the seri
ous conditions confronting tho American people to
day, when jnen grown impudent in the accumula
tion of groat wealth defy the majesty of the law
and laugh In the faces of the law's representatives?-
' '
JJJ
, IN THE LINE OF DUTY
The press dispatches do not give tho name
of tho operator for the Santa ' Fo railroad at
Dumas, Missouri, but The Commoner Insists, that
he is a hero, just the same. Sitting at his desk
in the depot this operator heard a conflicting train
order that would send two fast passenger trains
together if not annulled. One train had received
orders to meet another at Dumas, and the other
train had received orders to meet its opposing
train at a station a- few miles further on. There
was no time to call the dispatcher to secure an
official annullment of tho conflicting orders, so
the operator flagged one- train, put It on a side
track, and almost before the switch could be
- closed the opposing train' dashed by. This quick
witted operator saved scores of human lives and
thousands of dollars worth of property.
' It Is tho rankest kind of Injustice that kept
tjils splendid man's name out of tho news account
of his deed. The Commoner Insists that he Is a
hero. It may be argued that he but performed
an act of simple duty, but The Commoner would'
retort that any deed or heroism is but ati act of
duty. If saving human life by quick wit and
instant action is heroism, wo Insist that the night
operator of tho Santa Fe at Dumas, Missouri, Is
entitled to a medal and the honor of having his
name appear In the news dispatches recounting
his brave act.
JJJ
.' . "LAFE" YOUNG KNEW .
If those republicans who are surprised to
learn that their party's campaign funds havo been
contributed by the representatives of special in
terests had cultivated the acquaintance of Colonel
"Lafe" Young, editor of the Des Moines (Ta.) Cap
ital they might havo learned something to their
advantage.
. Several years ago Colonel Young, who is a
stand-patter, engaged in a controversy with Sen
ator Funk, an Iowa republican who endorses the
Cummins idea. Senator Funk said that he did
not believe that the republicans of Iowa must
"catch the tariff keynote from tho American Econ
omist, published by-arid for the most selfish bene
ficiaries of protection."
Colonel Young retorted: "Is Senator Funk
determined to reject any of the campaign funds
offered by the 'protected industries' in tho cam
paign of 1904? Senator Funk knows the vast
amount of campaign funds alloted to Iowa in
1896, partly through the influence of National
Committeeman Cummins. It Is presumed that a
good part of that fund camo from these hated
'protected Interests.' Will Senator Funk advo
cate rejecting any part of such fund if It shall
be offered by the national committee to the Iowa
member of such committee In 1904?"
We do not remember to have heard that Sen
ator Funk objected to such contributions In 1904,
and we all know now that contributions 'were
made by "the protected Interests" In that cam
paign. - JJJ
"Korea Is promised restoration of sflf-gov-ernment
whpn she gains national strength that
is to say, when she cre's powerful enough to lick
Japan," savsthe Kansas CItv Journal. Will that
be contempornneoucj wh the time that the Fj
plnos will eet self-government "when thea
fitted for It?"
f-' t
wk