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The Commoner.
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VOLUME G, NUMBER 15
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The Commoner
,,',., , ISSUED, WEEKLY i' ' '
Wfltomf J, IJIIYAK '' 'CirAUMS W. HllYAW
. ' Editor- uml Proprietor. ' " Publisher.'
IliOilAUD L. MktOAlfk ' Kdltortol Koomrf and Business
' ' Associate Editor. Ofllcc 321-330 So. ISthStroct.
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THE COMMONER, LincolnNob
'Is Mr. Jerome the next , candidate for. the
'immunity bath?" '
Young Mr. Garfield seems to he entitled to
the ..credit of having first turned the faucets into
the "immunity bath." ,
Just as soon as they can get the jails full
the Russian people hope to get a few popular
representatives in the douma.
"Uncle Joe" Cannon seems 7o be hedging
liko a man who sees a very difficult and unsafe
jump ahead of his foaming charger.
Just as soon as tho rate bill is amended so
ns to please the railroads, the eminent senatorial
representatives of the railroads will withdraw
their opposition.
On first impulse one is apt tajayor the build
ing of a big battleship to be called "Constitu
tion." It is time we had a constitution that the
flag will be sure to follow.
The war department will hereafter use the
finger print method of identifying deserters. A
whole lot of eminent financiers have recently been
identified by the same method.
An eastern college professor announces that
he has succeeded in mastering the Simian lang
uage. He is now prepared to become a society
tl?e'M00 "mPetent t0 taK'e asslsnments amonS
A few days after the paper trust was "put
out of business" by a federal supreme court de
cision paper advanced 10 cents per hundred
pounds. Evidently the court's bailiff forgot to
tell the trust about it.
A New Yorker with a penchant for anagrams
has, .discovered that the letters in the word
"senator" also spell "treason." This is unkind
No one has ever accused the senators elected
lo represent special Interests jrf playing traitor.
mxilw fnvVL!rn waltl?S ith considerable
V it for confirniation of the report that a lot
of Chinese pirates held up a Standard Oil boat
It would demonstrate that John Chinaman has
r-hignnanc0"!""111 Pr0gro8B alng the
if n!nhemLlnC0ln, Star' rePuMican, wants to know
K saw S Hf
(hen the republican party is it by long prnctlJS.
WASHINGTON CITY LETTER
Washington, D. C., April 23. Democratic
leaders are decidedly of the opinion that tariff
revision will bo a leading issue in the approach
ing' campaign. They say that the republicans will
resort to every expediency to avoid the issue, but
the American people will not listen to their argu
ments. It Will bo recalled that not many days
ago Speaker Cannon wrote to a protected pet of
the government engaged in the pottery business
that therd would be no revision while the life of
the present congress lasts. "Uncle Joe," however,
admitted that in the not distant future the Ding
ley rates would have to be overhauled, although
he Avas not in favor of touching the existing
schedules. In other words the presiding officer
of the popular branch of congress Js stoutly
standing up for the "stand pat" policy advocated
by the late Senator Hanna, of Ohio.
Many forcible speeches have been delivered
by democrats in the house, showing the necessity
for a revision of the tariff, and Judge Griggs, of
Georgia, chairman of the democratic congressional
campaign committee proposes to have these
speeches widely circulated." Other speeches on
the subject are to be delivered before the end
of the session. Mr. Towne, of New York, expects
to get the floor within the next two weeks and as
previously mentioned in this correspondence will
in a general way state the reasons why the
democrats should once more be given control of
the house. Mi. Towne firmly believes 'that at the
November election the republicans will be de
feated. He does not claim there is going to be
a political landslide such as decurred in 1890
when the people routed the republicans because
of their disgust with the McKinley 'tariff law.
Tlie republicans in many of the most populous
states of the "union have a great advantage in the
construction of the congressional districts. Under
the power they have enjoyed various legislatures
have shamefully gerrymandered states with a
view of cutting democratic representation down
to the lowest notch. "But in spite of the handi
cap complained of the best posted democrats are
firmly convinced that they are going to whip
their opponents in the coming contest. They do
not expect to have a tremendous majority in the
next house like they had in the fifty-second con
gress, but they expect it will be large enough to
organize the committees in the interest of reform,
and at the same time investigations can be mado
of abuses that are believed to exist and which the
republicans have encouraged during the past six
years.
A great many men who are watching the drift
of things will not be surprised if Speaker Can
non 'is brought out for the republican presidential
nomination in 190S. Although he is 70 yeara of
age he is one of the most active and best pre
served of our public men. This is due to the fact
that the speaker takes the finest care of himself.
Illinois has no other republican who could har
monize the warring, factions, and it is admitted
that with the prospects of so many states having
favorite sons the Illinois republicans will want
to be reckoned with when the convention meets.
Mr, Cannon hears the reports that connect his
name with the race, but so far he is shrewd
enough to give out no information that would" in
dicate whether or not he will be in tfre. race. Most
of the republican politicians incline strongly to
tho opinion that if President Roosevelt can in
fluence the selection he will be for Secretary
Rooth. The president is said to realize that even
if Mr. Taft could secure the indorsement of the
Buckeye republicans the Foraker following would
raise such a rumpus at the national convention
that no Ohio man could receive the nomination.
The president is known to be extremely anxious
to appoint Mr. Taft to a position on the supreme
court bench, but it is understood he would pre
fer the appointment should not be made for a
year yet. He needs Secretary Taft in the cabi
net to handle important questions in the Philip
pines and on the isthmus of Panama. It is also
fully understood that Secretary Taft does not
care to. give up this work in the near future.
There is a great deal of talk in legislative
and political circles that the closest friends of
President Roosevelt believe that his party asso
ciates will insist upon his being a candidate again
in 1908, regardless of his positive announcement
oij the night of the last election that under no
circumstances would he seek another term. Of
late the president has been heard to remark that
it will be a bitter disappointment to him if his
leading policies are thwarted by republican oppos
ition in congress. -He did not come out with tho
broad statement that he might be forced to run
again. Of course his reference to his policies in
cluded tho railroad rate bill. He has been aware
for three "months-that '.if Mr. Aldrich and his
combination can eontrorvotes enough in the senate
the measure finally agreed upon will be one
that Mr. Roosevelt can not possibly approve. It
has been no secret here that the opponents oC
the Hepburn bill will do their utmost, to frame
a law that will provide for the most liberal court
review and which in its operations will practically
strip the interstate commerce commission of its
powers. They have also been desperately figuring
to put into the bill some clause that may cause tho
supreme court to declare the law unconstitutional.
Mr. Aldrich is playing a deep game and pro
fesses to be certain of defeating the Hepburn
bill. He appears to havo his forces thoroughly
organized. The followers of Senators Dolliver
and Clapp waver from week to week as if they
do not know what they want. Some of them talk
as if they would prefer to arrange a scheme to
prevent the democrats from getting too much
credit. Unless the situation changes between
now and the time the vote is taken it is safe to
State that more senate democrats will be found
supporting the president's policy than repub
licans.
Representative Sulzer, of New York, has a
bill before the house, making the anniversary
of the birth of Columbus' a national holiday. Mr.
Sulzer says that although most people think we
have in this country numerous legal holidays au
thorized by congress there is only one Labor
day. He has looked up the question. Thanksgiving,
the Fourth of July and other days on which, public
offices and business institutions are closed, Mr.
Sulzer declares are not authorized but are merely
by common consent. Some of the most prominent
Italians in the United States are soon coming to
Washington to appear before the house commit
tee in the interest of the Sulzer bill. Its author
is strongly of the opinion that he will get a fa
vorable report on the measure before the end
of the session.
It looks a3 if the ship subsidy bill will not get
out of the house merchant marine and fisheries
committee this session. And even if it should
be favorably reported Speaker Cannon is known
to be so much opposed to it that he would not
give it a helping hand. On the contrary under
the one man power that he possesses the speaker
would take special delight in seeing that the meas
ure does not have a day in court. Samuel Gomp
ers, president of the American Federation of
Labor, has savagely opposed the ship subsidy
scheme, and in one of the most heated arguments
heard on the subject repudiated the claim so fre
quently made that the proposed legislation would
benefit the toiling masses.
The Jamestown exposition bill has been favor
ably reported to the house, but it will have fierce
opposition from Representative Gardner, of Mass
achusetts, chairman of the exposition committee.
He thinks that probably four other members of
the committee will join him in making the ad
verse report. A resolution was introduced several
months ago in the house by Representative Kahn,
of California, reciting that it is proposed to have
at San Franctsco in 1913 an exposition to com
memorate the discovery of the Pacific ocean by
Balboa. ALFRED J. STOFER.
AN HISTORIC RAILROAD
Recent changes in the management
of the Illinois Central railroad marks an epoch
in railroad history. The Illinois Central was
for many years the longest railroad in the Uni
ted States. It was the second railroad to enter
Chicago, the Northwestern antedating it less
than twelve months. It has a history of credit
able and safe management, and it has wielded
a splendid influence in the upbuilding of Illinois
and that state's metropolis. Its land grant rec
ord is unique in railroad history. In return for
its grant it agreed to pay a certain percentage
of its gross income into the state treasury. This
contract has been kept, although at one time
the road sought release by the payment of an
immense lump sum. This percentage payment
has been worth millions to the taxpayers of
Illinois. The days of the railroad land grant
have passed, but the days of regret for grants
that have been made will never pass. Had all
railroads been bound as the Illinois Central was
bound, the country would today be immeasurably
bettor off, and perhaps the railroads themselves
would bo in better hands tho hands of men
who would take some interest jri the public
t welfare. : , ',
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