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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1906)
WPflP W4 "?P,,ii!(r?"nppifc t T,ipBj?"an'i,t"B'r "-"- w '"Mr w ' JUNE 1. 1906 . outnumbers Buddhism on the Ganges. The Budd hists still hold Burma, Thibet and Ceylon, but even in these countries there is evidence of de cline. Kandy, the capital city of Ceylon, has the distinction of guarding a "sacred tooth," thought by the ignorant to be one of the eye teeth of the Buddha. It is kept in a gold and jeweled casket enclosed in six larger ones and is an ob 3ect of worship but the more intelligent Budd hists know that it is a fraud. At Rangoon I found a Baptist school, con ducted by Americans, with nearly nine hundred pupils, and learned of the gratifying success kwhich has attended missionary work in Burma. And yet, there is a Buddhist propaganda in Europe and America! In a review called Budd hism, published at Rangoon by the International Buddhist society, I read that Kaiser Wilhelm is "alarmed" at the progress that this religion is making in Germany, and I also read that our country offers a promising field for Buddhist missionaries. As a religion of agnosticism, requiring belief in neither God nor immorality, nor in the moralty taught by Christ, it may appeal to some who, like the Englishman whom I found in the mon astery, have already rejected Christianity, but it is not likely to appeal to those who have had a religious experience. Those who emphasize good .works, and fail to recognize the need of an in spiring faith behind the works, may take refuge in the teachings of Buddha from the more exact ing requirements of the Nazarene, but no one is likely to be led astray who compares the altru ism, the philanthropy and the benevolences of Christianity with the fruits of Buddhism. To live, even in poverty, upon the labors of others .with a view to gaining thus an earlier entrance into blissful unconsciousness is not so unselfish, after all as to spend oneself in the service of his fellows and to convert life into an exhaustless fountain. Copyright. , fff PACKINGTOWN'S. FOUL DEEDS Representatives of the packers have com plained to the president that "the market for American meats is being greatly affected by the agitation that has been started about the un healthy condition of the stock yards throughout the country." It is said that Upton Sinclair's book, "The Jungle," is to blame for this agita tion. The packers' representatives declare that tthe stock raisers will suffer more than the packers from the depression in trade consequent upon "the agitation by the muckrakers." One way for the packers to relieve the situa tion is to prosecute for libel Upton Sinclair and the several other men who, after investigation, made serious statements concerning conditions nin Packingtown. These disclosures have rightly agitated the consumers of meat. If they are false the men Responsible for them should be punished. If they are true the men who deal out diseased meat should be required to spend the rest of their lives behind the bars. It is an old trick df monopolists to undertake to make it appear that the stock raisers or the farmers or the working men will suffer if the monopolist is required to conform to the law. And in all too many cases with respect to con ditions affecting the pocketbooks of the people these pleas have been effective. But men may with more or less patience submit to robbery; .with more or less patience they may yield to im position, but they balk very promptly when it comes to poisoned food. It is not at all sur prising that the meat consumption in America has suffered a marked, decline since the publi cation of Mr. Sinclair's book. The wonder is that every man who has read that work or who has read any of the reports made by other in vestigators of conditions in Packingtown, has not become a Tegetarian. The stories told of the crimes committed by greedy packers in the preparation of meat for the American people are almost unprintable. If these stories are true, then the members of the beef trust, In their mad chase for the dollar, are guilty of crimes compared with which their confessed violations of anti-trust laws sink into insignificance. Washington dispatches say that President Roosevelt has sent a commission to investigate, and that he purposes to do something for the " protection of the people. It is to be hoped that the president has investigated, and that he will move in a determined way for the purpose of bringing about prompt and actual relief. But ;we have had so many promises of this kind and so many boasts as tor what the president will do, that we have about given up all hope that his The Commoner. high-sounding words will ever be backed by effec tive deeds. So far as concerns the alarm displayed by tho packers with respect to the condition of tho meat market, no one need lose any sleep. It would be better for that market to be entirely destroyed, belter for the farmers to quit raising cattle, and for the packers to quit packing meat, than for the men, women and children of this land to be fed upon poisoned food. The question now confronting us is not whether the meat markets are to be preserved, but whether the lives of the people are to be protected. JJJ ALDRICH AND THE WHITE HOUSE The Washington correspondent for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, republican, sent to his newspaper, under date of May 23, the following dispatch: "Senator Aldrich, the republican leader of the senate, was at the White House this afternoon, and talked with the president about the stage of public business, and reached a distinct understanding as to tho future legislative program in congress. Four . propositions were agreed upon. "1. Statehood is to be decided, as Speak er Cannon insists that it shall be decided. "2. The denaturalized alcohol bill is to be favorably reported and passed. ' "3. The Philippine tariff bill is to be dropped for the session, and Mr. Lodge is . not to make his motion to discharge his committee from consideration of tho measure and bring the matter before the Senate. "4. There is to be no canal legislation, but instead, the administration Is to proceed as it has done thus far under the Spooner law, and direct its energies to the preparatory work of a lock canal; such as is now author ized by law." On May 24 the senate passed the denatur ized alcohol bill. Evidently Mr. Aldrich is master in the senate, and, evidently, the harmonious relations established between Mr. Aldrich and the White House during the contest over the rate legislation are not to be disturbed. Mr. Roosevelt might have obtained Senator Aldrich's permission to cause the arrest' and prosecution of the Standard Oil' officials for -their many violations of "the law, ' which violations were so graphically described in Mr. Garfield's far-famed report JJJ FRESH FROM WALL STREET The Wall Street Journal is one of the leading financial publications. Referring to John D. Rockefeller's great fprtune the Journal Insists that it be protected, but adds: "When, however, in the' course of nature, Mr. Rockefeller dies, and his fortune Is be queathed to others, may not the gbvarnment step in and take a portion of it? ' The nation may rightfully claim to be one of the natural heirs of every fortune. In other words, an inheritance tax, of even large proportions, seems to be from every point of view fair, and a benificent way of preventing the too great growth of family fortunes such as might overshadow the power of the govern ment itself. On the other hand, any legisla tion to limit the size of a man's fortune dur , ing his lifetime is setting bounds to benefi cent ambition and enterprise." It is strange to hear the editor of a Wall Street publication advocating an inheritance tax. Soon the Wall Street Journal may-come to the point of advocating an income tax. And why not an income tax? If, when a man dies, tho government may appoint itself one of his heirs, taking for its own use, "even large proportions" of his estate, with what reason will it be con tended that the government may not', during a man's lifetime, require him to contribute for the support of the government in accordance with his income? JJJ REVISETHE TEXT BOOK Several weeks ago, Mr. Rainey of Illinois asserted, in a speech delivered in the house, that the watch manufacturers of the United States had one price for watclies at home and a cheaper price abroad. Mr. Landis, republican, speaking in the house May 23, admitted that this is true and declared that the practice is in accord with good business methods, and that all countries sold their wares for a less price' abroad than at home. it will now be in order for the republican national committee to correct its campaign toxt book. Several pages of tho republican text book for 1904 wero devoted to the offort to show that American goods wero not sold abroad cheaper than at homo. In ono chapter an effort was mado to show that the prices in tho United States wero really, much lower than tho prices in England, It was claimed that it was only "occasional sales" where the prices wero lower abroad than at home. In that text book, especial emphnsis was laid on tho roport of tho commission to tho effect that "tho great majority of tho answers (to its Inquiries) indicato that priccB are no lower abroadJ:han they are for domostic consumers, and a considerable number indicato that forolgn prices aro higher." JJJ WILLIAM F. SWITZLER Tho death of William F. Swltzler at his homo in Columbia, Mo., is a severe loss to tho slate with whoso history ho was so closely identified for nearly seventy years, and, to the democratic party, In which organization ho was for up wards of half a century a powerful and com manding figure. Colonel "Bill" Switzler, as his thousands of friends loved to call him, held tho proud distinction of being tho oldest editor In the United States, and tho one with the record of longest continuous service. Pie founded tho Columbia Statesman in 1841, and for more than sixty years was its editor. Although a "country weekly" it attained a national prominence through tho force of its editor's ability. A man of high ideals, Colonel Swltzler never ceased striving to achieve them. His upright, progressive career was an inspiration to the youth of his com munity, and the efforts he made to further tho progress of Missouri's State University have been rewarded a thousand fold by that great school's Influence upon the young men and young women of the state. Positive, but never dogmatic; studious, but not a recluse, Colonel Switzler was an upbuilding force In his day and generation. The history of his splendid career will be the better part of the history of the great state he loved and upon which his life reflected so much credit. JJJ AN IMPERTINENT SUGGESTION The Jones County (Iowa) Times is pursuing a course that will result in its becoming very much disliked in the camp of tho "stand-patters." Referring to the proposition to remove the tariff on structural steel, lumber and other building material imported for the rebuilding of San Fran cisco, in order that the people of the stricken city may secure such material at the lowest pos sible cost, the Times says: "If the claim made by our republican brethren is true, that the foreigner pays the tax," why not let tho tariff on building ma terial remain and donate the amount of the tax paid by the foreigners on such material -to the sufferers of tho stricken city?" Tho Times has punctured the whole pro tective tariff theory by that one suggestion. If the foreigner pays tho tax the removal of the tax will not help San Francisco. If the foreigner does not pay it, then the tax is an unjust burden upon the people. The Commoner ventures to predict that not one of the "stand-patter" organs in Iowa will dare oppose the humane sug gestion made by tho Jones County Times. They will have to content themselves with making faces at the Times and calling it the usual names. JJJ WITH REPUBLICANS, TOO Representative Dalzell declares that repub lican leaders will be glad to discuss the tariff question with democrats during the congressional campaign. Very well. The Webster County (Iowa) republican convention indorsed Governor Cummins for renominatlon and adopted a plat form in which it Is said: "We are convinced that an immediate revision of certain tariff sched ules Is necessary and that no alleged party ex pediency should cause delay In the work Incident thereto." It might be well for Mr. Dalzell and his associates to begin the discussion of this ques tion with the members of their own party. Among the rank and file of republicans the tariff re vision sentiment is growing, and Mr. Dalzell and other stand-patters will find that it will be necessary for them fo discuss that question with republicans as well as with democrats during the coming congressional campaign. i 1 I1H WiiM 'mil MllttMMjfailiHMi'l ,,, lliiW&'KimHtVimt!ji&'ttJiM,lA, ,tmlH '" ul-k.4l -U v ,.!. ! 1X4, ? . toUfk , (JHAKS, i Jfc. - i 1. V Tjj- Ji M.hlf' iai'i'Hiliim. ,..,.. Jjt