. T4
The Commoner.
MAY 25r190
couth creatures. He Is, however, the first man
whom I have met so far who would claim as a
right that to which he was not entitled and then
demand the "enforcement of tho assumed right
.without regard to the convenience of others. ,
On the last mentioned trip we witnessed a
burial at sea, the first that has occurred during
our- voyage. One of the passengers died after
,we left Singapore, and we learned of it while tho
funeral services were in progress. The corpse
was enclosed in a black (weighted) coffin in which
several holes were bored. The ship slackened
fts speed, and as the band played a funeral dirge,
the body was slowly lowered. Upon reaching the
.water it floated back for a short distance and
then disappeared. It was a sad sight to see the
remains of a human being consigned to a watery
tomb with nothing to mark his resting place; and
yet he does not sleep alone, for in this mighty
ocean sepulcher myriads lie buried and the waves
moan above them a requiem as sweet as that sung
by the - trees to those who rest upon the land.
. Copyright.
JJJ
MR. ROOSEVELT'S SURRENDER
Whether Mr. Roosevelt intimated that Sen
ators Spooner and Knox were not genuine friends
of railroad reform, is not of the highest impor
tance. Former Senator Chandler says that Mr.
Roosevelt did give such an intimation and in a
very broad way. Mr. Roosevelt, speaking through
Senator Lodge, denounced that statement of Mr.
Chandler's as "a deliberate and unqualified false
hood." Mr. Chandler sticks to his story, while in
his later and more formal answer, An his letter
to Senator Allison, the president does not dwell
upon the Spooner and Knox proposition. Evident
ly Messrs. Spooner and Knox believe that what
the president said concerning their attitude on
rate legislation was not very complimentary to
them for they have been "mad all over" ever
since Senator Tillman made his sensational state
ment upon the floor of the senate.
But if Mr. Roosevelt really believed that
Messrs. Spooner and Knox are desirous of bring
ing about railroad reform, he has considerably
more confidence in the ability or the willingness
pf these gentlemen to disassociate themselves
from their political creators, than is entertained
by Americans generally.
Mr. Rooseyelt'a claim that Mr. Chandler was
Senator Tillman's envoy is denied by both Till
man and Chandler and is inconsistent with Sec
retary Loeb's letter summoning Chandler to the
White House. But in view of the position held
by Theodore Roosevelt Americans will be reluct
ant to dwell upon questions involving his per
sonal veracity, and so these questions may be
dismissed all the more readily because there is
no contest with respect to the really important
facts.
It is not denied that Mr. Roosevelt entered
Into negotiations with Senator Tillman and his
democratic followers and that these negotiations
resulted in a compact. It is not denied that on
several occasions Attorney General Moody repre
sented Mr. Roosevelt in these conferences with
Mr. Tillman. It is not denied that Mr. Roose
velt deserted his democratic allies and made a
new alliance with the backers of the so-called
Allison amendment and that he effected that de
sertion without notice either to Senator Tillman
and his followers, or to former Senator Chandler,
who had been his faithful messenger, or to his
own attorney general who, upon being informed
of his chief's change of front, admitted that he
,was "flabbergasted."
So far as concerns Mr. Roosevelt's demo
cratic allies, the president's conduct was, In the
language of the Springfield Republican "as shabby
a breach of good faith as the annals of American
politics record."
So far as concerns railroad reform, Mr.
Roosevelt has surrendered. He yielded the very
ground which tie has all along insisted was all
important for the public interests; and the end
of his far famed campaign for rate legislation is
a measure so framed that even Senator Allison
gives it enthusiastic support.
It is with the keenest regret that The Com
moner is forced to say that the men who put
their confidence in the staying qualities of Theo
dore Roosevelt have been sorely disappointed.
JJJ
FORMAL CONFESSION
An Associated Press dispatch from Washing
ton follows: "Representative Gaines (Pa.) intro
duced a bill admitting free of duty all goods,
wares or merchandise which may be imported
Into the United States as gratuitous contrlbu
ttonsfor the relief of the earthquake sufferers
In California and consigned to the governor of
that state, tho mayor of San Francisco, the sec
retary of war, or tho secretary of commerce and
labor. The bill further waives duty on building
material imported into tho United States when
satisfactory proof has boon made to tho secretary
of the treasury that such building materials are
to be actively used In buildings In San Francisco.
The secretary of the treasury Is. authorized to
allow a drawback of the duty on tho matorlal
used, and after tho duty has been paid he Is
authorized to refund the same, anything In any
law to the contrary notwithstanding."
It is to be hoped that this measure or ono'
similar to it will be passed. It is also to be hoped
that the object lesson will not bo lost upon tho.
American people. Several bills of the kind wero
introduced by republicans. It is formal con
fession of the long apparent fact that in spite
of the claims of republican polltclans, the for
eigner does not pay the tax. It Is the plainest
sort of confirmation of the democratic conten
tion with respect to the high protective tariff.
JJJ
"THE GREAT AMERICAN DISCOVERER"
The New York Mall pretends to think that Mr.
Bryan is entitled to rank as '"the great American
discoverer." In support of this claim, the Mall
says that Mr. Bryan has discovered socialism, the
Geisha girls of Japan and the dattos of the
Philippines, adding:
"It has been Mr. Bryan's fate to become
conspicuous at an early age and to find out
things in the calcium light which other men
found out before they had committed them
selves to a complete program for society.
He discovered the deadly upas tree in 1892
it was a protective tariff tree then. He dis
covered the New Testament in time for con
ventibn uses in 189G. He discovered the writ
ings of Jefferson between then and 1900.
Within the last few months he has discovered
the Orient. The Old Testament is his latest
find."
Admitting all of the specifications offered by
the Mail, Mr. Bryan yet falls short of the high
and honorable title of "the great American dis
coverer." That distinction is indissolubly asso
ciated with the memory of the late Charles A.
Dana, for he discovered the reason for the exis
tence of the New York Mail. Dubbing it "that
wild ass of journalism" he gave to it a character
ization the title to which since Dana's death, as
during Dana's life, the Mail seems disposed to
defend against all comers.
JJJ
TO BE SURE
The Sioux City Journal, referring to recent
stirring Incidents in the sena'te, gravely observes:
"When Senator Allison makes a. positive state
ment it is a good proposition to bet on." To be
sure! Who will dare dispute it? Nobody, foi
ls it not a matter of record that the senior sen
ator from Iowa is never positive on anything?
The Sioux City Journal could say with equal
truth and much more fairness: "When there is
a difference of opinion, Senator Allison will hem
and Jiaw for a time, and then bob up with a
'compromise.' " This is a good proposition to bet
on. A cat walking on a velvet carpet makes more
noise than Senator Allison when it comes down
to a matter of his taking a positive stand on any
public question.
JJJ
BULKELEY'S PROPHECY
Testifying before the house committee, Sen
ator Bulkeley of Connecticut, who is also an In
surance magnate, said: "Twenty years from now
these great insurance corporations existing today
will own the major portion of the investment
securities of the country. They will control abso
lutely the finances of the United States and of
the world."
That is, indeed, a strong statement and yet
who will doubt its accuracy provided the machina
tions of the crust magnates are not interrupted?
Would it not bo well for American citizens
to give serious consideration to Senator Bulke
ley's prophecy?
JJJ
WHERE IS LAFOLLETTE?
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat rejoices that
"the republicans have all come into line," and
that "on the rate bill, Aldrich. Foraker and Elk
ins will be side by side with Dolliver, Lodge,
Cullom, Allison and the rest of the administra
tion senators."
And what, pray tell, can the people expect
from railroad "reforms" supported by Aldrich,
Foraker and Elkins?
Where, also, is Robert M. LaFolIette, that
distinguished republican to whom tho republican
newspapers were wont to point with pridd? By,
whose oldo is ho fighting?
JJJ
AND MR. WATTERSON SAID IT
Writing in tho Louisvlllo Courlor-Journa!,
Henry Wattorson says: "Somebody, somo party
must take tho bull of plutocracythat Is the only"
namer for it by tho horns and turn him out of
tho garden, whero ho is making such havoc, and
into the pasture, whore ho belongs."
What's that? Henry Wattorson talking about
"pluotcracy?" Henry Wattorson actually admit
ting that "plutocracy" is tho only namo with
which to fairly describe present day Impositions?
And ho says that "somebody must take tho bull
of plutocracy by tho horns and turn him out of
tho garden!" A few years ago that would havo
beon regarded as a thoroughly non-conservatlvo
act, but Mr. Wattorson Is conservative eminently
conservative and whon he, admitting that thcro
is such a thing as a "bull of plutocracy," suggests
that tho beast be driven "whore ho belongs," it
must bo evident to every one that tho situation
is serious.
Henry Wattorson talking about "plutocracy!"
What's the matter with "you all" down In Ken
tucky? JJJ
TILLMAN AND BAILEY, LAFOLLETTE AND
CHANDLER
Tho Joplin, Mo., Globo says: "The intricato
legal points Involved In the rate bill and its '
amendments can only be grasped by those spec
ially trained In the law. What the public knows
Is that Tillman and Bailey have kept tho faith in
this fight. That much cant be gotten away from."
Tillman and Bailey have, indeed, kept tho
faith. The Globe might have reminded its reader
that Robert M. LaFolIette fought shoulder to
shoulder with Tillman and Bailey.
With Nelson W. Aldrich and Joseph B. For
aker fighting on one side and with such demo
crats as Tillman and Bailey and such republi
cans as LaFolIette and Chandler fighting on the
other side, it does not require a Philadelphia law
er to tell where the people's sympathy should be.
JJJ
THIS IS THE LIMIT
The St. Louis Globo Democrat (Republican)
says: "Mr. Bryan is not as much for the aban
donment of the Philippines as he was. Somebody
will accuse him soon of stealing republican
thunder."
Mr. Bryan has been accused of many things,
and it was thought the limit had been reached.
But the Globe-Democrat's suggestion that "some
body will accuse him soon,, of stealing republican
thunder" reminds us that "nothing Is so bad that
it can not be worse." The .Globe Democrat should
havo a care. Patience sometimes ceases to be a
virtue. To accuse a man of "stealing republican
thunder" is liable to force the mildest kind of a
man to vigorous form of retort.
JJJ
FRIGHTFUL!
The Kansas City Journal (Republican) says:
"'Was the 3890 campaign only a dream?' asks
the Lincoln Commoner. It was, to a distinguished
citizen now traveling in foreign lands a most
delightful dream. But the election was a fright
ful awakening."
And a very large number of citizens who
followed the "defenders of national honor" they
too havo had a "frightful awakening." And Mr.
Bryan slept a great deal sounder on election
night than any of the honest policyholders who
voted against him have done since the truth
began to leak out.
JJJ
A BI-PRODUCT, INDEED.
The Sioux City (Iowa) Journal, refers to Sen
ator Aldrich as "next to gasoline, the most Im
portant bl-product of petroleum."
The Journal makes this contemptuous refer
ence to the Rhode Island senator in connection
with the free alcohol bill. But when it cornea
to Senator Aldrlch's efforts to push the so-called
Allison amendment through, the senator is treated
as an eminently conservative statesman whose
sole anxiety is that public interests shall not
suffer. ', .
JJJ ' -"
VERY DIFFICULT.
Mrs. Worthy T. Newcomb, of Deweese, Nebr.,
recently, wrote a letter to the president, In which
she said "We are still democrats, but our presi
dent, God bless him, is making "it very difficult
for us to know where we are at."
Yes, and our president, God bless him, is
making it very difficult for us to know where he
is at.
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