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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1906)
The Commoner. sr is; 1900 HEN SENATORS LAUGHED AND SNEERED L-The Now York Press is a republican paper. Ban not be said to be 'prejudiced against the ubiican senate. From the pen of its wasn- ton correspondent The Press prints this dc- iption of the manner in which Mr. Roosevelt's jsage relating to the Standard ,on was re ived in the American House of Lords: 'What the American people have to expect LiHhe regulation of the trusts was disclosed to- iy in congress when the president sent to the fcaate and the house the report of the bureau of rporations, showing that the Standard Oil cor- S ration not only violates the law, but is a iruiei W1U1 muuy ruuruuu. uuiiwiuuuub m i"- mting competition and raising prices of all Standard Oil products throughout the country. he report of the bureau of corporations was ac- mpanied by a strong message from the presl- lent. In the house of representatives the closest ittention was paid to the reading of the message id the report, and there was generous applause frhich proved that party lines were broken. The iituation in the senate suggested plainly tnac lere would have to be a great change in that body before any good results can come from the president's campaign. Not two-thirds of the sen ators had the courtesy to listen to the message. p-'Many of the pronounced corporation senators '-were in their seats, and, as the reading pro gressed, cracked jokes or sneered audibly at tlie expression of Mr. Roosevelt. "It may be said, moderately, that the presi dent's message had no effect upon the men that control the senate. Several of them regarded it with contempt and a few of them insisted that the president was beginning his campaign for another term. It was clear to old observers of the senate that the message had no special effect and would not accomplish any practical result. "Senator Kean of New Jersey snickered audi bly at the announcement that the Standard Oil trust had profited to the extent of three-quarters of a million a year from unlawful and unfair railroad rebates. "When the clerk read that much of thopo rebates had been done away with, Mr. Kean grinned back to Mr. Aldrlch and made a laughing comment to Mr. Drydon, his colleague. "The reference to pooling provoked a hearty laugh from Mr. Aldrlch, but when the recom mendation for prompt action on the free alcohol bill was read there was a great explosion of mirth. Mr. Kean threw back his head in sheer enjoyment, and Mr. Aldrlch grew red with laugh ter. Messrs. Foraker, Lodge, Burrows, Scott and Wetmore joined in the chorus. "Whatever apprehension was felt at the out set regarding the teeth in the message was quick ly dispelled, and at the conclusion of the reading of the document the senate was in rare good humor. "Senator Foraker moved that the message be printed and laid pn the table, the parliamentary method of shelving a measure. Noticing that only a part of tha Garfield roport had' been sub mitted, Senator Culberson of Texas hastily wroto with a pencil a resolution calling for the full doc ument. This resolution was adopted." The president of the United States sends to the senate a roport showing that a gigantic trust conspiring with the railroads has repeatedly and persistontly violated the law. Ho accompanies that report with a messago inviting serious at tention to this deplorable condition. And, ac cording to this republican paper, "many sen ators cracked jokes or sneerod audibly;" also "several of them' regarded It with contempt;" also "Senator Kean of New Jersey snickered aud ibly;" also "when the recommendation for prompt action on the free alcohol bill was read thero was a groat explosion of mirth. Mr. Kean throw back his head in sheer enjoyment, nnd Mr. Aid rich grow red with laughter. Messrs. Foraker, Lodge, Burrows, Scott and Wetmore joined in the chorus;" also "at the conclusion of the read ing of tho document the senate was In rare good humor." And these are the men who claim a monop oly upon the Intelligence and tho patriotism of tho country! These are conspicuous among "the defenders of national honor!" These are the champions of public Interests! Who will say that they were not entitled to laugh at the sug gestion that a great corporation bo held account able to tho law? Who will say that they were not justified in a sneer? THE STANDARD OIL "ATHENE" A Padonia, Kan., reader of The Commoner sends to this office what he calls "a sample of the rot that is being sent out by the Standard Oil company." Enclosed in this letter is a book let entitled "Standard Oil Company a Public Ben efactor." L. A. Bone appears to be the author, and the work is from the press of the Wichita Star Mr. Bone thinks the Standard Oil company is entitled to honor-because "its .commodity has been so raised In quality and so lowered in price;" and because "it has added to the world's wealth and has "developed to its utmost degree one of the great resources of our country and has en riched in this way the whole people." Mr. Bone is evidently greatly impressed with the value of the services rendered humanity by John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil. Following are some extracts from his article: "It (Standard Oil) is the friend and bene factor not only of the public in general, but of the laboring man in particular." "It should be a matter of pride to an American that the merchant prince of the world, John D. Rockefeller, is a native-born citizen of our own country." "The Standard Oil 'company is a friend of Christianity by its donations to benevolent institutions and for charitable purposes. Mr. , Rockefeller is the largest giver in the world. "The Standard is the firm friend and able ' exponent of good citizenship by its conform ity and obedience to the laws of our country, notwithstanding what may be said to the con trary A favorite maxim of the company is ' 'illegal methods are sure to end in disaster.' " ' 5t is the friend of both Christianity and good citizenship, by the high moral standard ' Squired in its employes. Measured by any standard when the truth is revealed, it will . " be found that the Standard Oil company is a .. public benefactor; and could the common poo pie by some magical draught or potion be ' brought to a complete realization of their debt of gratitude to the Standard Oil com pany they could do no less than employ some ' modern Phidias to raise the statue of John D. Rockefeller like that of Athene in the 1 Parthenon in ivory and gold." ' Mr. Bone's sincerity is not to be doubted. That is attested by his earnestness. And even many of those who will today smile at the pic ture Mr. Bone draws of Standard Oil and the Rockefellers were, in 1896, pointing to that in stitution and its managers as representative of intelligence, patriotism and bus ness Interests. While not desiring to disturb the serenity of Vhfi Standard Oil's Wichita champion, The Com moner begs tlS privilege of asking: When this statue of John D. Rockefeller is made, will it present a stalwart man who with unflinching eye looks his fellows in the face and with open hand gives to the cause of education and religion? Or will it present the bended figure of a terrified creature skulking through the underbrush and hurrying to cover in the effort to avoid the service of a writ commanding the Standard Oil "Athene" . to appear in a court of justice and tell the truth? JJJ 'TWAS A FAMOUS VICTORY Mr. Roosevelt does many strange things. The haste he made in giving his approval to Senator Aldrlch's plan known as "the Allison amendment" and the readiness with which he sought to defend his position has strained to the very limit those who prefer to believe that he enlisted in an intelligent and sincere effort in behalf of railroad legislation. Mr. Roosevelt ought to know that he has nothing to gain for his own reputation, for his party's record or for his country's welfare by making even the smallest compromise with Sen ator Aldrlch and his associates. Mr. Roosevelt has given the monopolists many a bad half hour. He has rendered distinct service to the country by directing attention to the seriousness of many of the evils of the day and the monopolists hold him responsible for stirring up much of what they call "present day discord." They will not soon forget his accomplishments on that line, and they will never forgive him. The reception accorded the president's Stand ard Oil message in the senate serves as a hint of the feeling these .gentlemen have toward the present occupant of the White House. They will smilingly lure Mr. Roosevelt to a skillfully de vised compromise, and when by this means he has lost in prestige among the people they will be the first to taunt him with his fall, and the first to openly assail him. Many people believe that Mr. Roosevelt is such a bitter partisan that his chief anxiety now is to save his party; but it must be plain to every one that the republican party can not be perpetuated without the monopolists who have contributed to it so liberally; and it must be evident, also, that under such circumstances the republican party is not worthy of preservation so. far as public interests are concerned. Within the republican party there is not room enough for men. who honestly believe along the lines preached by Mr. Roosevelt with respect to, rail road legislation, and men whose interests lie with the Rockefellers and who believe with tho Aldrlckes.' Harmony among such elements means complete surrender by one side or the other. Whatever pretense the representatives of monop oly may make, they never surrender, Sometimes they pretend to yield, and so skilfully do they veil their propositions that that which amounts to a victory for them is often palmed off as a victory for tho people. So thoroughly disciplined is, the republican party, so truculent is the repub lican press, so thoughtless are the men who vote the republican ticket simply because their fath ers voted it, that we often find a considerable number of people seriously applauding a triumph. for monopoly under tho impression that it is a triumph for popular government. If the campaign for railroad rate legislation is to terminate with tho Hepburn bill and tho Allison amendment then, knowingly or unknow ingly, Mr. Roosevelt has surrendered and the American people who, suffering under the burdens of corporate imposition, asked for bread, have been given a stone. JJJ THE SNEER A "BACK. NUMBER' Secretary Taft in discussing the duties of citizenship before Yale students paid attention to "socialists of the parlor," which is Interpreted by tho Chicago Record-Herald to mean "young and sentimental gentlemen who find happiness in re flecting on tho misery which the world presents In abundance, and who take no pains to study actual life -tho conditions of the people they would help, the causes of tho misery, the difficulties In iho way of reform, and so on." Mr. Taft will discover thai'1 the old-tlmo method of meeting proposed reforms with sneers will no longer be of avail. The policies of the political organization to which Secretary Taft is devoted have done more to advance the cause of socialism In this country than all the literature that has ever been written upon that subject. If that cause lias progressed far enough for repub lican leaders to give it serious4-attention, they should meet the Issue with something more sub stantial than a sneer. We have reached that stage In American politics where the sneer Is a back number. JJJ WHAT, NEVER? Senator Perkins of California in a magazine article said. "I think that the present senate will stand forth in history as one which has exhibited in the highest degree the qualities of fairness and impartiality, a determination to arrive at tho truth and a courage to maintain the truth as found against the popular demand for hasty and inconsiderate action.-" Courage is all very well, but how does it hap pen that the fine courage of the senate seems in variably to be displayed in behalf of special in terests? Can it be possible that "the popular demand" is never a just demand? JJJ "IN LINE WITH BUSINESS" TJie Kansas City Journal says: "The insur ance officials doubtless acted illegally in giving trust funds for political uses, but nevertheless it was in line with sound business principles to aid in preventing a Bryan panic." Andrew Hamilton doubtless acted illegally in using trust funds for the corruption of legis latures, but nevertheless in the opinion of An drew Hamilton and the trust magnates who em ployed him it was in line with sound business principles to aid in preventing a panic which, in their view, would certainly result from any, legislation requiring justice for the policyholders. ' $'-iitS: