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9
JULY 20; 1906
him of shirking trouble, whether it was thek cham
pionship pi an unpopular cause or the choking
of a colleague who had ventured to give him the
lie. He is the embodiment offreedom of debate.
It can not be said that Mr. 'Tillman's judgment
is very, trustworthy, or that he is profoundly
learned, or that he Is a master of statecraft,
but he does not pretend to be. Ho is satisfied to
be 'a corn-field lawyer,' with the courage of his
convictions and a readiness to champion them at
any time. A senate composed entirely of Till
mans would never transact much busines, al
though it would make plenty of work for the ser-geant-at-arms,
but one such man is a vital ne
cessity to offset the Aldriches, the Platts, the Pen
roses and the Dicks."
MANY OF THE LIFE insurance companies
have refused to pay their San Francisco
losses. Some others are requiring a material
discount. As a result, California people generally
show a disposition to unite against these faith
less insurance companies, while newspapers in
other states are demanding that the names of
the "wolchers," by which terra the delinquent
companies are known, be published for the benefit
of premium payers in other sections of the coun
try. A Sacramento, Cal., -dispatch says: "'Six
bit' companies are to be allowed no. more insur
ance business at the hands of the" members of
the board of education of this city. At the meet
ing last night action was taken to transfer all
business now held by the 'welchers' to legitimate
concerns. The matter was brought up as a result
of several English companies informing the board
that they were not among the 'six-bit' companies.
A motion prevailed that the board should trans
fer all its business from the 'six-bit' companies
as soon as their status could be established."
Some of these companies contend that the losses
being "due to a cause not covered by the policy
of insurance" there is no liability.
SECRETARY OF WAR TAFT delivered a
speech at Greensboro, N. C, and it is assert
ed ana not denied . that Mr. Taf t submitted his
speech, prior, to its delivery to Mr. Roosevelt.
Mr, Taft paid, many high compliments to Mr.
Roosevelt and his administration, and the newss
papers appear to agree that Mr. Taft has been
formally accepted as the administration's can
didate for the republican nomination in 1908. The -friends
of Vice President Fairbanks and the
friends of Speaker Cannon do not appear to be
greatly disturbed by the fact that Mr. Taft is
accepted as Mr. Roosevelt's favorite, while those
who lean toward Secretary Root say that should
"conditions" so operate as to force Mr. Root into
the race, the administration would have more
than one "favorite." In spite of the fact that
Mr. Taft is now recognized as the administra
tion's candidate, there are republican newspapers
that have not gone to his support. Some of them
are even a bit critical.
THE KANSAS CITY JOURNAL, while paying
Mr. Taft a compliment, says: -'In one part
of his speech Secretary Taft descends to what
looks a little like cheap politics. It is hard to
imagine the president himself saying such a
thing, and the truth of the statement is at least
questionable. This is the quotation: 'In view of
this (repressive measures against certain corrupt
corporations) it is not a matter for any surprise
that the great combinations and organizations
that have increased their profit and power by
evil and oppressive methods should fear and dis
like Mr. Roosevelt and his acts in the present
muqh more than they do Mr. Bryan and the in
definite dangers with which he threatens them in
the future.' However, the speech was a political
one, made for partisan purposes, and it shouldn't
be criticised too closely."
TN HIS GREENSBORO speech, Mr. Taft had
X considerable to say concerning the "Solid
South" and he argued that it was the part of wis
dom for the southern states to unite their for
tunes with the republican party, saying that there
was no longer any danger of negro domination
and that, therefore, the south could well leave
the democratic party. The Houston (Texas) Post
takes Mr. Taft to task on this point. The Post
says that Mr. Taft is "guilty of the false assump
tion that the south is democratic because of thp
negro, which is not half as true as that the north
is republican because of the dollar." Mr. Taft
had pointed out that "West Virginia and other
border states had gone republican and the Post
says that West Virginia became republican by
The Commoner.
i
the importation to the state of many thousands
or negroes who work in the coal mines, but that
there has been no "considerable change of tho
faith among the native population." As for
Maryland and Kentucky, the Post points out that
these states went republican on account of demo
cratic factional troubles and the same is large
ly true of Missouri, adding: "No sane man be
lieves that either Missouri, Kentucky or Mary
land will again go republican soon."
THE SOUTHERN attachment for democracy
is due, according to the Houston Post, to
broad fundamental principles. The Post says:
"Tho great majority of tho people of tho south
do not believe In the economic policies of the re
pubican party; they do not believe in repub
lican extravagance, nor do. thoy believe in the
theory that it is either sound or right to tax
the mosses for the benefit of tho privileged few.
Naturally, there are some people in the south
who profit through protection. These, like north
ern people similarly situated,' like the material
view and care nothing for the principles Involved.
But they do not constitute any potential element
in the southern states, and this Secretary Taft
out to be intelligent enough to know. In the
meantime, if it bo good policy for southern people
to disregard their convictions and vote the repub
lican ticket, why would it not be a good thing
for some of the northern people to disregard tho
protection graft and vote their convictions? The
north is just as solid as the south and it has
not even so weighty an excuse as 'negro domina
tion.' It sticks to the republican party because
that party has been able to exchange legislative
favors for vast campaign funds with which to
tempt the cupidity of the poor and ignorant. The
secretary would do well to preach ,the value of
ideals and convictions among his own people
even in Ohio."
THERE HAS BEEN considerable, criticism be
cause in the trial before Judge McPherson
of the rebate cases at Kansas City, the railroad
company and the packers were fined, while
Thomas and Taggart, the broker and his clerk,
who were the go-betweens, were not only fined
but sentenced to several months in prison. The
Philadelphia Public Ledger correctly states the
facts in this' way: "It should bo pointed out that
the railroads and the packers were proceeded
against under the Elkins law of 1903 prohibiting
rebating. In that federal act there was no pro
vision made for a prison sentence. The fact that
th& brokers made a regular business of securing
rebates and constituted themselves the agents
for the distribution of the illegal moneys and
were performing constantly the part of conspira
tors, led the government to institute a test case
under the federal statute on conspiracy. Under
the law an- act in itself may be only a misde
meanor punishable by a fine, but if two or more
persons concert or conspire to perform that act
or a series of such acts, so that it appears that
they are doing a grave injustice to tho public,
they may be indicted for conspiracy to commit
fraud against the United .States. Thomas and
Taggart were found to be brokers in crime, and
were indicted, convicted and sentenced to jail."
.
IT HAS NOT, HOWEVER, been explained why
the railroad company and the packers were
not also proceeded against under the' conspiracy
law. In the case under discussion, Judge Mc
Pherson declared that in the violation of the
anti-rebate law there were at least -two guilty
parties: the party who caused the rebate to bo
given and the party accepting it. But it will
be observed that the "go-betweens," the broker
and his clerk, were the only ones to receive
punishment at all adequate with the offense. The
explanation of the Kansas City affair doe3 not
alter the fact that In this instance, as in general,
comparatively inconsequential persons are the
ones that bear the burden. In the beef case,
Judge Humphrey held the soulless corporation
and released the flesh and blood packers who
were responsible for the corporation's crime. In
Kansas City the government proceeded against
the railroad which gave rebates and the packers
who accept them and the broker and his clerk who
acted as messengers between the conspirators,
under the Elkins law. Under that law, all of
the parties were fined. At the same time the
government proceeded against the broker and
his clerk under the conspiracy law, which law
provides for Imprisonment, and the broker and
his clerk were sentenced to prison. If a test
case was desired, such case might well have been
triod upon the powerful railroad officials and tho
v influential packers. No one appears to bo ablo
to givo a reasonable explanation ns to why such
proceedings wore not taken. The Philadelphia
Public Ledger's explanation Is: "Tho government
did not care to risk all the actions on a test case."
There is, however, no longer any risk to bo taken
and now that the conspiracy law operated suc
cessfully on the broker and his clerk, why not
bring new indictments under that law against
thp railroad ofllcials and the packers. It is no
wonder that a groat many people regard It as
significant that whenever any one must go to
jail for tho violation of law, it must bo somo
comparatively itnlnfluenlinl person, while tho pow
erful and real conspirators escape with moro
fines which, as they often boast, come out of
the pockets of the pooplo.
THE DAILY NEWSPAPERS, generally, havo
printed the fact that Lyman J. Gage, former
ly secretary of the treasury, had becomo u theoso
phist and had taken up his abodo with tho theoso
phists at Point Loma, Cal. The Chicago Tribune
prints a letter from Mr. Gage and says that in
this lottor, Mr. Gage defines his relations with
the theosophists. In his lottor to the Tribuno
Mr. Gage says that many inaccurate stories con
corning his "alleged relation to theosophy" havo
been printed. Ho says that he is "trying this
life at Point Loma" because ho has friends thoro
and becauso the climate is agreeable and because
one can there live the simple life; and he adds:
"Beyond these reasons there are two institutions
established which to me lend much interest to
the place. The first is the United States mili
tary reservation, with its fine system of harbor
defenses, its companies of artillerymen, etc. Tho
second is the Raja Yoga school for children and
youths of all ages. This school was established
and is being carried on by Kathorine Tingloy,
as leader and official head of tho Universal Broth
erhood and Theosophlcal society throughout tho
world. Tho school excites my interest, and the
magnificent work It Is doing in tho development
of clean, healthy, well-educated and self-controlled
young lives stimulates my hope for the future tf
society. I am not afilliated except In this friendly
way either with the military station or the theo
sophical society. I am too old to enlist in tho-
army, and I have not yet been invited to Join
the theosophists. I would consider It honorablo
to be related to either of them. No, I am just
living my own life according to my best concep
tion of it, and would much enjoy it if I could bo
left to mind my own business." Mr. Gage's letter
does not seem to be so "definite" as to put a
stop to the story that he is really on the point
of embracing theosophy.
AN INTERESTING story comes from Houston,
Texas, and Is vouched for by the St. Louis
GlobeDemocrat. The Globe-Democrat's Houston
correspondent says: "One of the remarkable in
cidents of tho present campaign is the withdrawal
of J. W. Campbell, who was a candidate for tho
legislature from Cooke county. Mr. Campbell
and his opponent, Mr. Blanton, were to make a
talk at Burns, a little town in Mr. Campbell's end
of the county. Mr. Blanton led off with his talk,
in which he was highly complimentary to his
opponent and in which he confined himself to a
discussion of the issues without Indulging in any
sort of personality save In compliment. At the
conclusion of Blanton's talk Mr. Campbell arose
and, Instead of answering, he Bald: 'Gentlemen,
I have listened attentively to what Mr. Blanton
has had to say. I approve of what he stands for.
He has had experience, and I will ask you to re
turn him to the legislature. I'm a pretty good
farmer and will go back to the farm. What I'm
interested in is having a good man in the legis
lature." "
THOMAS W. LAWSON has issued a troctlet
in which he relates tho story of a ono .
dollar bill, which he says "has become a sign
of the unpardonable sin, the unspeakable trade,
one's manhood for another's soul, the briBc."
Mr. Lawson dedicates the circular in this way:
"To the Massachusetts Legislature: To you and
your dupes, the constituents of whose welfare
you have been the insolent betrayers; to you
and your victims, the bucket-shop slaves of whoso
hope of salvation you havo been the ruthless
destroyers; to you and your masters, the cor
porations of whose- dictates you have been tho
good and faithful servants; to you and your works
and your shame, as a valedictory to your present
session and a salutation "lo your next one I dedi
cate this homely story of tho dirty bit of paper.-
Thoma$ W. lawson."
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