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The Commoner.
VOLUME 6, NUMBEIl 1
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Why Some College Presidents Defend Trusts
Dr. James R. Day, chancellor of Syracuso
.'(Now York) "University, took it upon himself to
issue a statement in which ho bitterly assailed
President Roosovolt because of his recent mes
sago relating to Standard Oil. Mr. Day said:
"There are two forms of anarchism. The lato
practices of our president are of the more danger-
ous of those two forms." Ho also said that
"Anarchism clothed with official authority is co
vert, docoptivo and perilous in tho extreme."
Below are extracts from Dr. Day's statement:
"Anarchism which, among anarchists, is com
paratively harmless is not so when we adopt it
into the administration of our government. The
president of the United States has positively no
right, constitutionally or morally, to attack cor
porate business or private business by name, or
court judges who decide cases in opposition to
his views'.
"There are regularly constituted methods
and processes of our country, national and sfate,
for tho correction of ovils in corporations and
courts and also for the arrest and punishment
of criminals. It is an amazing blundor for our
president to depreciate the properties of the coun
try, like those of tho New York Central Railroad,
Standard Oil, the Sugar and other corporations,
by an ex-parte condemnation and by sensational
charges. It is an 'amazing blunder' for our chief
executive to ride into tho senate witn a 'rounu
up' of the commercial interests in which hun
dreds of thousands of people have their invest
ments, thus threatening the permanency, of great
corporation interests, before hearing a word which
the representatives of these vast interests may
havo to say for themselves."
Dr. Day also said: "Anarchism in the White
House is the most perilous anarchism that ever
has threatened our country."
On the day following this statement Dr. M.
M. Parkhurst, a Chicago clergymen belonging
to the same denomination to which Dr. Day
claims allegiance, speaking to a representative
of the Chicago Record-Herald made this state
ment: "Within the past sixty days I have been at
Syracuse University and was shown about the
place by Dr. Day, who confided to me certain
plans for the extension of the college. He desig
nated various buildings, as I recollect, and said
Standard Oil money had built this one and cash
from railroad and sugar interests had built that.
"If momory serves me, he said that some
thing like $500,000 had been given the university
recently by the corporations which he is defend
ing in his attack on President Roosevelt. He
told me he hoped, or expected, to get about a
million more, and mentioned various structural ,
additions to the institution which he was desir
ous of making."
Dr. Parkhurst was asked if he had obtained'
other evidence of the educator's alleged affection
for the "money kings," and in reply he said:
"Yes, I heard a number of interesting things
that I did not expect to relate. I was told thate
the board of trustees of the university expected'
to retain Chancellor Day because of his influence,
among wealthy New Yorkers. I was informed?
that the chancellor would remain at the head off
the school at an annual salary of $7,000 a yean
and at the end of a stipulated period would bo
pensioned for life on half salary, providing his
program of extension were fully carried out. In
other words, the chancellor was to complete the
work of rebuilding the university with the money,
of his millionaire friends, and when he had fin
ished was to be given a life pension."
Comment is Unnecessary, but it may be ob
served that if these great corporations were re
quired to obey the law there would be no sub
sidies for educational institutions and no generous
pensions for sycophantic educators. No wonder,.
Dr. Day of the Syracuse University regarded as "
"anarchism in the White House" the president's
patriotic demand that the Standard Oil trust be
required to comply with the law.
What Will be the Result of This Condition?
In a recent issue the New York World print
ed an interesting -article showing that "the prob
lem of existence grows more and more serious."
Following are some extracts from this article:
"Necessities of life cost more today in New
York than ever before. With national prosper
ity at its highest mark, with riches being amassed
on every hand, with business being consolidated
into a few vast corporations, and even with uni
versal demand for labor, the simple problem
of daily existenceof food, of shelter and of
t clothing-Is growing beyond solution to one-half
-thtf' people of this metropolis.
Twenty-five articles of every-day food for rich
and poor alike havo been selected to show the
remarkable rise in prices within ten years. The
quotations are the wholesale figures, thus avoid
ing the, various fancy prices charged by retail
dealers according to their location and class of
customers. They represent the basic prices of
commodities. The individual purchaser pays con
siderably more, depondlng whether he lives in
Fifth avenue or in First avenue.
"The figures show the market price on April
20 of the years 1896, 1901 and 1906. They were
taken from the published lists of commercial
newspapers of the day. In each case the same
grade and quality of the particular article priced
was carried through, so that the comparisons-are
fair. The tabulated figures show an average in
crease of from 33 to 50 per cent. The retail in
creases may average even morer because small
dealers are compelled to raise their margin of
profit to meet higher rentals and miscellaneous "
expenses." '
The World quotes from one experienced iri-t
vestigator as follows: , '
"I have not found any increase in wages to
make up for this increase in cost of necessities
of life. To meet the burden the men must work
all the time and the children must become wage
earners younger. And they all must struggle
with less nourishment."
"What is to be the result of tliis condition?"
was asked of Dr. Tolman. To which he replied:,.
"A senator said the other day: 'We are head
ing toward a political, social and economic rev
olution.' "
Wholesale prices of staple articles of food in
New York market on April 20, 1896, 1901 and
1906: - -.
TABLE SHOWING THE REMARKABLE RISE. IN THE'
DUCTS IN THE NEW YORK MARKETS I
1896.
Butter, state dairy fancy ' $ 14
Cheese, full cream, colored ......,...., .09
Macaroni, Italian ' qkv
Tapicoa, fine pearl 02
Lemons, choice Sicily o'oo
Oranges, California fancy navel q'ko
Bananas,, Limon. firsts '' JZ
Apples, Ben Davis oJJk
Eggs, new laid state "'' ' ,
Tea, Ceylon Orango Pekoe if
Olive Oil, Italian fl "
Pepper, Singapore !....! n?
Brazil Nuts ' 'nXj,
Turkeys, live young -
Geese, live, per pair .'"" ! -in
Capons, large dressed '" i
Philadelphia broilers, small
Turkeys, young dressed " via
Ducks, L. I. No. 1
Veal, prime country dressed...'.'.'. n?
Pork, light country dressed nr
Pork, mess -"?
Beef hams ', "J
Lard, prime Western '.'.I lJ-J"
Codfish, genuine boneless ....... Q7
A '
WHOLESALE PRICE OF STAPLE PRO
N THE PAST TEN YEARS
1901,
$ .19
12
.07
02
2.25
3.50
1.15
4.00
.15
..37
.70
.13
.07
.09
1.12
.16
.35
.10
.20
.07
.08'
15.50
21.00
,.8.25 '
08 '
1906.
$
.20
.14
.07
.04
2.75
4.50
1.65
5.00
.21
45
1.75
.11
.08
.13
1.50s
.20
.40
.20
.20
.08-
.09
17.75
21.00 f
8.95
.09'
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INCREASE.
6 cents per lb.
4 cts per lb.
lYi cts per lb.
2c per lb.
75 cts. box
$1.00 per box
65c per bunch
$2.25 a barrel
8 cts. dozen
21 cts per lb.
$1.25 a gallon
5 cts per lb.
4 cts. lb.
3 cts per lb.
50 cts pair
2 cts. per lb.
10 cts. per lb.
6 cts. per lb.
5 cts. per lb.
1 cts per lb.
3 cts. per lb.
$6.25 por T3l.
$5-per barrel
$4.25 a tierce.
2 cts. per lb.
NO MATERIAL CHANGE
The St Louis Globe-Democrat (republican)',
says: "Mr. Bryan has modified his demand for
complete Filipino independence. Some day he
may discover that republican administrations hayb
been giving the islands all the home rule the in
habitants can carry successfully."
Mr. Bryan's position has not materially
changed. Since visiting the Philippines he is
able to be more specific in the description of the
policy he would pursue. In his letter on tho
Philippine Mr. Bryan said:
"If our nation would at once declare its
intention to treat the Filipnos living north
of Mindanao as it treated the Cubans, and -then
proceed, first, to establish a stable gov-
ernment, patterned after our own; second,
to convert that government into a native gov
ernment by the substitution of Filipino of
ficials as rapidly as possible; third, to grant
independence to the Filipinos, reservinc sucli
harbors and naval stations as may be thought
necessary; and, fourth, to announce its pur
pose xo protect me Filipinos from outside in
terferences while they work out their destiny
if our nation would do this, it would save a
large annual expense, protect its trade inter-'
ests, gratify the just ambition of the Filipi
nos for national existence and repeat the
moral victory won in Cuba.
. 2S ,return for Protection from .without
the Filipinos WOulrl ntrrpo no ti n,in ,it,i
that in their dealings with "other nations!
tneV WOlllfl Tint nmVo.,.o ,. n ' J
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tnonFT' mPare thls with Mr. Bryan's state
ment m his speech of acceptance - delivered at'!'
"teMta ?00- 0n that occasIon he said:
it elected, I will convene congress in extraordi- .
nary session as soon as inaugurated and recom
mend an immediate declaration of the nation's
purpose first, to establish a stable form of gov-
ernment in the Philippine islands, just as we are
now establishing a stable form of government in
Cuba; second, to give independence to the Fili
pinos; third,-to protect Filipinos from outside
interference while they work out their destiny,
S' 5s iWo h??e Protected the republics of Cen'
rn ,1?? ,SUtl; ca, and are, by the Mon--,
roe doctrine, pledged to protect Cuba "
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A FAIR TEST
ftftl..Senator LaFollette's railroad valuation prop-l
osition appears to be growing in favor among'
the people if not at the national capital. He sue-'
gested that the interstate commerce commission,
te given authority to make a valuation of all
the railroad property of the country, sach as
Wisconsin, Michigan and Texas have made of the
railway property within their limits, If the meas
ure now under consideration were framed so as to
provide for Senator LaFollette's plan for obtaiu-,v
ing a basis for the rates to be fixed by the com-'
mission, and also to include the Bailey amend-J
nient forbidding suspension of the rates then'
there would be some reason to hope for a fair'1
test of government regulation of the railroads.'
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