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JANUARY 26, 1906
The Commoner.
9
will examine it closely, is responsible for Theo
dore Roosevelt's sweep into his present position
as the idol, of the nation, for the rise of Folk into
world of prominence, for the Chicago victory for
municipal ownership, and Hearst's tremendous
race against McClellan in New York, for Jerome's
magnificent victory as an independent candidate
for district attorney in the same city, for tho
smashing of bosses in all the big cities, for the
crushing of the great gambling ring in Missouri,
for the general house cleaning in the haunts of
high finance, for the New Year's news from all
the railroad offices that the great transportation
companies are going to discontinue 'the pass
method of bribery. "Will all its financial
lunacy, the Chicago platform and the man who
stood upon it have profoundly affected this nation,
though not directly. Beyond all peradventure of
dispute the challenge which that pronouncement
and that candidate gave to wealth as the one
worthy object of existence, and to wealth's right
to dictate the policies of the nation awakened in
men's minds the thoughts which have flowered
into such splendid deeds as are of record in
New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and other
cities to the credit of the electorate."
IN THE NEW YORK STATE senate Mr. Brackett
of Saratoga introduced and pressed for con
sideration a resolution demanding that Chauncey
M. Depew resign from the United 'States senate.
Mr. Brackett's resolution was defeated
and many republican senators rushed to Mr.
Depew's defense. When the vote was taken the
democratic members refused to vote on the
ground that, as they had had nothing to do with
Mr. Depew's election to the senate they should
express no opinion on the question of a recall.
Thirty-five republican votes were cast on Mr.
Brackett's resolution. Thirty-four were cast
against it and one vote that of Mr. Brackett
himself was cast for it. The resolution was
therefore rejected.
J.
ft
AFTER A VIGOROUS contest the house passed
the Philippine tariff bill January 16. The
b'ill passed substantially as it came from the ways
and means committee, the vote standing 258 years
to 71 nays. Concerning this measure the Asso
ciated Press report says: "Tho bill admits goods
the growth or product of the Philippine islands
into the United States free of duty, except sugar,
tobacco and rice, on which a tariff of 25 per cent
ojM.he Dingley rates is levied. It provides that
after April 11, 1909, there shall be absolute free
trade each way between the United States and
the Philippines. It also exempts Philippine goods
coming to the United States fom the export tax
of these islands. Merchandise from each country
is subjected to the,, internal revenue tax of the
country in which such merchandise is withdrawn
for consumption."
MR. McCALL of Massachusetts, a republican,
sought to amend the Philippine bill by de
fining the purpose of the United' States to fit the
Philippine islands for self-government, and to give
them their independence whenever they show
themselves capable of enjoying that boon. Mr.
Payne, a republican member, raised the point of
order that the McCall 'amendment was not
germane to the bill. The chairman of the com-'
mittee of the whole sustained this point of order.
Mr. McCall appealed from the decision, but tho
decision was sustained by a vote of 198 to 123,
Messrs.. McCall of Massachusetts, Hoar and
Fordney of Michigan being the only republicans
voting to sustain the appeal. The democrats of
fered a substitute providing for immediate free
trade with the Philippines, but this substitute was
defeated by a vote of 321 to 106.
ALTHOUGH THE NORWEGIANS have chosen
a monarchy, however constitutional, as the
form of government rather than a republic, the
Springfield (Mass.) Republican says: "They are
running things just now in Norway in the most
democratic fashion." The Republican explains:
"They havo dispensed with 'your majesty,' for
the king and queen, and with 'your excellency'
for dignitaries. The sovereign is addressed as
'Mr. King,' just as in this country we say 'Mr. '
President.' Haakon has been spoken to in that
way ever since he entered his kingdom, and
eeems to take it very kindly. In fact, he accom
modated himself to the democratic spirit by
landing in Christiania 'in plain civilian dress,
with a fur coat and high silk hat, and carrying
, his two year old boy on his arm' for he 1cnew
that the Storthing had decided that civil servants
of tho state, cabinot ministers and all the rest,
should wear no uniform, but only simplo even
ing dress on state occasions. It Is reasonably
deduced that Norway's diplomatic corps will bo
governed by this, and reinforce the United States
with another quiet region In midst of gold lace,
medals and feathers. Also the Norwegians are
averse to all orders and things of that sort, and
the deputation from tho Storthing that went to
Copenhagen to . offer the crown of Norway to
tho Danish prince were much embarrassed by
King Christian's conferring decorations upon
them, and only accepted and wore them out of
respect to the old monarch. Such, according to
tho reports, is the stern democracy of Norway,
and very fine it is."
A DISPATCH UNDER DATE of Cloveland, Ohio,
January 14, and printed in the Chicago Tri
bune follows: "On Dr. Osier, noted for his 'old
age suidide theory, is placed the blame for fifty
suicides in Cleveland last year. Out of eighty
three cases of self-destruction in tills city during
1905, fifty of those who killed themselves were
past the age of forty years. In commenting upon
this fact, shown by the annual report of the
health department for 1905, Health Officer Fried
rich expressed the opinion today that the agita
tion resulting from tho announcement of the
Osier theory was responsible for this condition.
'Many of these on reading the opinion of Dr.
Osier concerning the age when men passed the
period of usefulness and his theory regarding their
being put out of the way when the period of use
fulness was over, become despondent,' said he
today."
THE LIBERAL PARTY has made a clean sweep
in English elections. Even Mr. Balfour
who on the stump boasted that he had served
his people faithfully for twenty years, has been
retired. The opposition has resorted to phrases
of that character with which the American peo
ple have become quite familiar, bt those phrases
have been of no avail, and the liberals have
scored what is generally regarded as the great
est victory in history.
THE "ONLY LIVING EX-PRESIDENT" is given
a valuable hint with reference to the un
happy experiences of another ex-president when
the Springfield (Mass.) Republican says: "Mak
ing Mr. Cleveland a rebate referee at a salary of
$12,000 a year can find no other adequate ex
planation than that it is a scheme of Tliomas
W. Ryan, to provide him with a handsome salary
at the expense of the policyholders of the three
big companies to serve as a trustee of Ryan's
Equitable stock. The ex-president is allowing
himself to be tied up with Ryan as Grant became
tied up with Ward."
T T IS ANNOUNCED by the Chicago Record
X Herald that Walter Wellman, who has had
some experience in searching for the North Pole,
and who is now Washington correspondent for
that newspaper, will lead an expedition In an
attempt to reach the North Pole by motor air
ship. Mr. Wellman will have as his aeronautic
expert Alberto Santos-Dumont. Various opinions
as to the outcome of this voyage are expressed.
Willis L. Moore, chief of the national .weather
bureau, expresses the opinion that Mr. Wellman's
project is feasible. General A. W. Greeley says:
"The airship should be tested lietween New York
and Leavenworth before being used for a polar,
expedition." Professor Irl Hicks, of St. Louis,
says: "Just what can be accomplished with the
airship we do not know, but we do know that
no airship has yet been built which the operator
can steer in any direction he wills to go." In
the meantime the Record-Herald and Mr. Well
man are getting considerable advertisement from
the press notices concerning the remarkable pro
ject. WRITING TO THE Providence, Rhode Island,
Journal, a Pawtucket reader, using the
name "Observer," says: "The whirligig of time
brings its revenges. In today's Journal I read an
editorial deploring the fact that there Js likely
to be an overproduction of gold and that the
United States alone produced a gold dollar for
each of us. Being in somewhat of a reminiscent
mood I cast my memory back to the campaign
of 1896, -and brought to mind the reams of edi
torials written in the Journal in favor of tho gold
standard and the stability of gold as a measure
of value. How Bryan was sneered at and rldiduled
as an ignoramuB because ho insisted upon the
truth of what is Icnown as tho quantitative theory
of money, that Is, the value of the dollars Is
based upon the number of dollars In circulation,
and not upon tho material of which they are made.
Mr. Bryan maintained in 1896 that there wero
not enough gold dollars in tho world to carry on
tho business of the world, and, therefore, it was
necessary to Increase the number of dollars by
tho free coinage of silver. Today tho production
of gold is greater than the combined production
of gold nnd silver in 1896, and tho result Is the
dollar has fallen In value In relation to other
things just as Bryan said it would If free coinage
of silver were adopted. The unlooked-for increase
in the production of gold has vindicated tho quan
titative theory of money and rendered the free
coinage of silver unnecessary. As things look
now there will, in tho near future, be a veritable
flood of gold and all the arguments of the gold
standard papers, to tho effect that the gold dollar
a a dollar of stable vnluo, will bo proven fal
lacious. It is not improbablo that before manv
years tho annual production of gold in the world
will reach $1,000,000,000, which, when added to
the existing stock will so cheapen it that
the men who havo insisted that tho principal and
interest of all bonds should be payable in gold
will feel that their editorial teachers have taught
error instead of truth. I expect before a great
while to see the Journal, with all tho solemnity
and superior wisdom for which it is noted, pro
claiming that the gold dollar is a dishonest dol
lar, and its coinage, except in limited quantities,
prohibited. It is seldom that time vindicates a
man as soon as it has vindicated Bryan, but in
tho enormous production of gold in tho past nine
years It has vindicated him with a vengeance!"
A CHAPTER ON RATE LEGISLATION
(Continued from Page 5)
the rate on lumber from La Crosse, Wis., to this
same market. The commission decided that
Eau Claire was being unjustly discriminate'd
against and ordered that the rate from Eau
Claire should not exceed a prescribed differential,
higher than the rate from La Crosse. The road serv
ing Eau Claire promptly. reduced its rate In com
pliance with the commission's order, but this re
duction was as promptly met by the roads serv
ing; La Crosse, and the latter served notice that
any further reductions in the rate from Eau
Claire would, be met by similar reductions in
the rate from La Crosse. In commenting upon
this case the commission addod that: "Eau Claire
is still suffering from tho effects of this dis
crimination." This is still another Instance
showing how delicately rates are adjusted to
conditions. The only remedy for discriminations
between localities is the power to flx minimum
as well as maximum rates.
Another illustration showing how delicately
rates are adjusted to conditions will be given.
On December 5, 1905, the railroad commission of
Illinois promulgated an order that on and after
January 1, 1906, freight rates between points, in
Illinois should be reduced, the reduction being
about 20 per cent. Mr. E. H. Seneff, general
attorney for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois R.
R. Co., in outlining the policy of the railroads,
said:
We recognize there is some justice in the
action of the commission. Some of the i;ates
are too high, but to order a general horizontal
reduction will work injustice to the com
panies and make some rates too low. Our
remedy is injunction, and the railways will
act together, as they have In the past in the
rate matter.
The delicate adjustment of rates to conditions
must have jumped a cog in fixing rates in Illi
nois, for here is an open acknowledgment by
a railroad representative that "some of the rates
are too high," and then puts forth the Tilaim
that some of them will be too low if the order
of the commission goes Into effect? How would
it do to equalize things a little. If "some of
the rates are too high" now they have been too
high for years, and if some of them are too low
for a time it will just about even matters up.
Then, this attorney acknowledges that "our
remedy is injunction." That Is the remedy Sen
ator Foraker proposes for the people, but for
well known reasons the "remedy" will not worlc
as well for the people as it works for the rail
roads. It is quite reassuring to the people to
also have it made known that "the railways will
act together, as they have in the past in the
rate matter." Here is the secret of the delicate
and complicated adjustment of freight rates
which requires experts to deal with! If an open
confession is good for the soul, this railroad at
torney must be a changed man. Ho has per
formed a great public service just when it was
most needed.
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