MARCH 9, 190
3
The Commoner.
Japan desires to have it, for. neither Korea nor
Russia nor China is in a position to . question
her decision. Besides building railroads through
Korea, the Japanese have established banks and
issued a currency for Korea in place of the cop
per cash generally used. The government rec
ognizing the inconvenience of a currency which
had to be kept in huge boxes and paid out at
the rate of a thousand or more to the dollar, had
r farmed out the fight to coin nickles and these
- were soon counterfeited. The counterfeit nickles
have been classified as, first, better than the
originals, second, good imitations, third, poor
imitations and fourth, those that can only be
passed on a dark night.
Japanese soldiers are to be seen everywhere
and Japanese settlements are to be found in all
the larger cities. The Koreans as a rule re
gard the new Japanese invasion with silent dis
trust and are in doubt whether the purpose of
Japan is simply to protect herself from future
danger at the hands of China and Russia, or
whether she is expecting to colonize Korea with
her own people. If Japan purifies the govern
ment and makes it honest; if she establishes
schools and raises the intellectual standard of
the people; if she revives the industries now
fallen into decay and introduces new ones; if,
in other words, she exercises her power for the
upbuilding of Korea and for the advancement of
the Korean people, she may in time overcome
the prejudice which centuries of hostility have
created. But what nation has ever exercised
power in this way? And how can Japan do it
without developing an educated class which will
finally challenge her authority? If she keeps
the Koreans in ignorance and poverty, they will
be sullen subjects; if she leads them to higher
levels they will the more quickly demand their
independence and be the better prepared to se
cure it. Which course will she pursue?
Copyright.
JJJ
WHEN THE PEOPLE ARE "NOT LOOKING"
A reader of The Commoner asks: "Can you
explain why republican leaders push the ship
subsidy scheme at this time, when public sen
timent; has become aroused against measures of
that; kind, and is awakened to the importance of
anti-monopoly legislation? Why did they not
try to carry the ship subsidy through at a former
session and before the railway legislation agita
tion reached its present stage?"
The very fact that public attention is cen
tered upon railway legislation- had - something to
do with the selection of this day for pushing the
ship subsidy. So much attention has been given
A railway rate legislation that the "general public
seemed to have lost interest in the ship subsidy
question. Many republicans, have advocated and
voted for railway rate legislation whose hearts
were not in their speech and vote, and whose ac
tions were controlled by the strong popular sen
timent in favor of that legislation. Many of
these gentlemen are foremost in advocating the
ship subsidy' -and according to Washington dis
patches they have the suppor.t of Mr. Roosevelt.
This is an opportune moment for ship subsidy
or any other scheme that has not recently at
tracted public attention, and the leading cham
pions of the ship subsidy understand this fact.
They have already pushed their measure through
the senate and some Washington correspondents
say there is excellent prospect for its passage
through the house. Republican leaders seem to
be united on the measure, although it has re
peatedly been denounced by republican news
papers and by republicans distinguished in the
service of their country and their party.
But now that the people are "not looking"
particularly on the ship subsidy scheme, now
that their attention has been attracted in an
other direction, this is the time for the ship
subsidy schemers to strike a blow, and they move
hopefully because they have the support of Mr.
Roosevelt and'most of the republican leaders wJro
have stood with Mr. Roosevelt for railway rate
legislation.
In 1902 an effort was made to pass the ship
subsidy, but the people were "looking" at that
time and' the Washington correspondent for the St.
. Louis Globe-Democrat wired his paper that "all
hope of ship subsidy legislation at the present
session of congress has been practically aban
doned." This correspondent said that the farmers
of the west had suddenly been aroused to a
deep concern in the measure, and he added:
"Farmers' alliances, grange organizations
and individual farmers from all over the
western portion of the country are sending
letters and resolutions to members of con
gress in opposition to the bill. So general
has this movement become, and so similar
are the arguments and resolutions presented,
that friends of the subsidy legislation are
convinced that there is more than a coin
cidence in the simultaneous protests that
are coming from farmers of twenty states.
The offect of these protests is being mani
fested in an anxiety on the part of the west
ern members to have the bill remain In the
committee during the rest of the session."
Efforts to pass the bill at that session were,
therefore abandoned. It is plain that the
ship subsidy schemers are determined to make a
desperate effort to push the measure through
the house at this session, and men who, regard
less of political prejudice, have supported. Mr.
Roosevelt in the matter of railway rate legisla
tion will regret to learn that this obnoxious
measure has his unqualified support.
JJJ
THE "CUTEST THING"
A dispatch to the Cincinnati Enquirer, under
date of-Cleveland, Ohio, February 27, follows:
John D. Rockefeller is so thoroughly
lost that even his pastor doeB not know where
he is.
When asked today the " whereabouts of
his elusive parshloner, Dr. Charles A Eaton,
said:
"Honestly, I don't know; I haven't the
slightest idea. If I knew I would tell you."
Then Dr. Eaton chuckled.
"Cutest thing Rockefeller ever did," he
said. "The whole thing's a farce anyway.
I saw Rockefeller last November, just before
he began to be so badly wanted. Then
poof! And all the cunningest process servers,
shrewdest detectives and smartest reporters
in the country can't find the richest and most
conspicuous man in the world."
Not for the world would we detract from the
great credit due John D. Rockefeller by reason
of his successful flight from the officers of the
law. It is very "cute," indeed. But with all due
respect for Mr. Rockefeller's pastor, we deny that
it is the "cutest thing Rockefeller ever did." The
skill with which he has avoided the process
servers Is insignificant compared with' other ac
complishments. He built up a business institu
tion which came to be the greatest commercial
concern in the world. He did this through special
favors obtained within the law and without the
law; he did it by the destruction of the prop
erty and fortunes of rivals, by corruption of pub
lic officials, and by trampling under foot every
law of God and committing nearly every crime
written in the statute books of man.
Through the system Rockefeller has built up,
the spirits of strong men have been broken and the
hopes of women and children have been crushed.
Out of the millions he has taken from the pockets
of the people he has contributed a comparatively
insignificant sum of money to the erection and
support of colleges and to the furtherance of the
work of foreign missions; and although in the
light of his foul record none should be so poor
to do him reverence, there are preachers and
teachers all over the country who lose no op
portunity to pay him tribute.
Even at this moment he occupies, practically,
the position of an outlaw; and the pastor of his
church declares that the successful flight he has
made from the officers of the law is "the cutest
thing Rockefeller ever did!"
It is well for this great government of ours
that the mass of the people have a higher con
ception of morality than is shown by the
preachers and educators who have rushed to the
defense of the notorious fugitive. There would
be small hope for the future of popular govern
ment, small hope for the rising generation, if
men and women generally looked as lightly upon
methods of the Rockefeller order as do some of
the eminent gentlemen who see virtue where
others see vice.
JJJ
THE MYSTERIOUS CROMWELL
The Chicago Record-Herald says: "Messrs.
Morgan and Cromwell should be assured that their
passages at arras will not be dramatized. Attend
to business, gentlemen."
It will occur to a great many people that
Senator Morgan is attending, strictly to business
when he undertakes to penetrate the mystery sur
rounding William Nelson Cromwell's connection
with Panama canal affairs. It is significant that
in every instance where Cromwell has refused to
answer pertinent questions submitted by Sena
tor Morgan his refusal to answer has been sup
ported by the votes of the republican members
of the committee. What about all this "publicity"
talk in which republican politicians have indulged
in recent years?
Long ago the public began to suspect that
something was wrong, and the attitudo assumed
by Mr. Cromwell, who seems to have had a great
deal to do with every phase of Panama canal
affaire, has simply confirmed the general sus
picion. The Record-Herald would do well to direct
its admonition: "Attend to business" to Mr.
Cromwell. Ho has assumed considerable au
thority in a groat public enterprise, and ho ought
to' take the public into his confidence. Ho may,
perhaps, have reasons for secrecy, but certainly
no American newspaper Ib justified either in
patting him on the back or in seeking to reduce
to his level a United States senator who seems
bent upon learning the truth.
JJJ
LESSONS IN TRAGEDY
The New York Tribune,' republican, refers
to the "impressive lesson" conveyed in the life
and' death of John A. McCall, formerly president
of the New York Life Insurance company. The
Tribune says that Mr. McCall "was long an ex
ponent and at last one of the victims of a vicious
system which bocamo established through slow
gradations and which, therefore, never impressed
its ugly features on those who grew up with it."
While condemning the system, the Tribune shows
the pity It feels for Mr. McCall's unhappy end,
and concludes:
' "Tho exposure of wrongdoing In the In
surance world has been accompanied by
tragedies which it is painful to contemplate,
but it is not unreasonable to hope that the
truths which they illustrate have been effect
ually taught."
The tragedies are, indeed, painful to contem
plate, but it is not so certain that the truths
which they illustrate have been effectually
taught. Hamilton, who received a considerable
sum of the policyholders' money Is in exile. Mc
Call died from a broken heart. But tho leaders
of the political party which the Tribune faith
fully serves, seem not at all disturbed by the
fact that their organization received at least
$148,000 of money belonging to policyholders in
the New York Life. No effort has been made
on the part of the managers of the republican
party to restore these stolen funds, and the chair
man who officiated at the time when at least
$48,000 of this money was misappropriated yet
holds his place in the president's cabinet.
The truths illustrated by the tragedies grow
ing out of life Insurance investigations will not
have been effectually taught until, republican
newspapers of the standing of the New York
Tribune call upon republican party leaders to
"put it back'
JJJ.
IN THE NORTH, TOO
In Springfield, Ohio, February 28, two negroes
fatally wounded a white man. A mob formed
for the purpose of lynching tho negroes and a
' riot and race war resulted. The houses of many
negroes were stoned and the occupants driven
from their abodes. One house occupied by
negroes was burned, and several companies of
militia were called out in order to put down the
disturbance.
Strange to say, one does not read so much
bitter comment on this riot in the columns of
republican newspapers as is to be found with
respect to similar disturbances occurring In
southern states. Can It be that, after all, race
prejudice is not confined to the south? Can it
be that the concern for the welfare of the negro
manifested by the republican editors is confined
to the negroes of the southern states?
JJJ
UNDER THEIR TRUE COLORS.
A reader of the New York Sun recently com
plained that the Standard Oil company in New
York had not displayed thenatlonal emblem on
Washington's birthday, and this reader asks:
"Is commercialism gradually obliterating all
patriotic sentiments?"
Referring to this communication, Ryerson W.
Jennings of Philadelphia makes this blunt and
altogether appropriate statement: "This is the
first instance on record as far as I have been
able to see that the Standard Oil people have
had a sense of decency. For them to hang a flag
out to honor Washington would have been a
travesty. There should be a flag on that building,
however, every day in the year, a large white
flag with the old time pirate emblem printed oil
it in black, the skull and crosshones."
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