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The Commoner.
VOLUME 6, NUMBER Jj
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MR. BRYAN'S AMENDMENT to the model
arbitration treaty was, after being revised
In language, unanimously adopted by the Inter
parliamentary Union in session at London. News
paper dispatches say that Mr. Bryan's speech ia
support of his amendment aroused great enthu- '
siasm. The sessions of the union came to a close
July 25. Before adjourning, the union adopted
resolutions suggesting that the next Hague con
ference define contraband of war as restricted
to arms, munitions of war and explosives. The
Hague conference was also asked to reassert and
confirm the principle that neither a ship carry
ing contraband of war nor other goods aboard
such ship not being contraband of war may be
-destroyed; also to confirm the principle that even
between belligerents, private property should be
as immune on sea as it is on land.
"vX-'Q'
IP W
ft LONDON CABLEGRAM to the St. Louis
Republic, referring to the luncheon given
by Lord Loreburn, says that the host prbposed
a toast to the Inter-parliamontary Union, saying
that it is his belief that there is a universal crav
ing among the nations, and that this craving is
very pronounced in England. The Republic cable
gram says: "Lord Loreburn then turned his at
tention to Mr. Bryan and complimented the Ne
braskan on his excellent speech of yesterday, at
the time expressing his sympathy with Mr. Bry
an's utterances and his hearty approval of the
amendment introduced by him. The lord high
chancellor's remarks evoked prolonged applause
from the other delegates. The Republic corres
pondent adds: "There was a constant stream of
visitors to Mr. Bryan's rooms, .all wishing to meet
personally the man who yesterday delivered an
address which the English papers concede to have
been the best in years. Nearly all the British
journals published Mr. Bryan's speech intfull this
morning, and the Nebraskan, whose door is open
to all visitors, was besieged all day by callers, in
addition to which he has received numerous con
gratulatory telegrams and letters applauding his
utterances, bearing out the statement of Lord
Loreburn that the craving for peace in England
is more pronounced now than ever. Mr. Bryan
was the guest of Mr. James Brice, secretary of
state for Ireland, at dinner tonight."
RANDALL CREMER, M. P., the organizer
of the Inter-parliamentary Union, and
winner of the Nobel peace prize, is quoted by the
London correspondent for the Chicago Record
Herald as saying: "Mr. Bryan's speech
today in the inter-parliamentary conference, was
one of the most expressive and striking pleas for
international arbitration, applied to all subjects
or international disagreement, that I have ever
heard. It roused the conference to great enthu
siasm, and the fact that so representative an
American publicist, on his own motion, should
have obtained the assent of the conference to ar
bitration of all issues is an event which we re
gard as of enormous significance. Mr. Bryan
though not otherwise qualified, according to stand
ng orders, for admission to the conference, was
invited by the committee under power given it to
secure the presence of a small number of dis
tinguished men. Congressman Burton also made
a telling speech, but Mr. Bryan may carry back
wuii mm to America the proud consciousness that
his powerful and moving utterance has rendered
solid and enduring service to international peace."
10HN D. ROCKEFELLER was able to avoid
J a subpoena and the warrant issued for his
arrest will notr be served upon him. A Findlay
Si 0rlJiBiCl ih? Chicago Record-HeraS I e
D Rook, 2ri??tt?IDt ?m bG madG t0 arre8t John
?atSl??v R WhGU he lands In New York next
Saturday. Attorney Troup of Bowling Green
Ohio, representing Mr. Rockefeller, was here to!
day and secured the permission 'of Prosecutor
David and Probate Judge Banker to enter RocS
feller's appearance in the latter's court and thfe
accordingly was done. Sheriff Groves sUll has
wmToraUemnfT aCCUnVf the tu "s
wm not attempt to serve it. The warrant was
issued recently upon an information filed by Pros
ecutor David, charging Mr; Rockefeller and the
Standard Oil company with alleged violation of
the Valentine anti-trust law."
'
IT -WAS ANNOUNCED on the New York stock
exchange -July 23, that a. forged certificate
for fifty shares of Union Pacific common stock,
which is now quoted at $147.25 per share, had
been discovered. A New York dispatch says:
"It is not known whether or not there are any
more of the bogus certificates in circulation. Ac
cording to Secretary Ely of the exchange, the
certificate is dated September 14, 1905, and bears
the number 9,668. It is in the name of Marvin
J. Hannah and purports to bear the signatures
of E. H. Harriman and Alexander Millar, with the
seal of the Union Pacific Railroad company.
Alexander Millar, secretary of the Union Pacific
Railroad company, said: 'I do not believe it is a
New York forgery. It appears to be a bungling
western job. About ten days ago a western bank
informed us that a man had appeared at the bank
with a certificate for fifty shares of Union Pacific
common and desired a loan on it. The bank offi
cials werenot satisfied as to the regularity of
the certificate, and inquired from us about it.
They sent us a description of it, which convinced
us that it was spurious. We so notified the bank.
However, while we were in correspondence with
the western people the man who wanted the loan
withdrew the certificate.' "
THE DEATH OF Russell Sage did not create
a ripple on the stock market. His fortune
is estimated at $100,000,000. His two brothers-in-law
and Mrs. Sage will be executors. It is said
that the Sage fortune consists of more tangible
property than that of any other extrehiely rich
man in the country. One newspaper writer says:
A large per cent of the Sage fortune always
consisted of coin of the realm, laid aside until
such times as call money rose to extremely high
figures. Then it was doled out to hard pressed
financiers to tide them over periods of stringency,
after which it was returned to Sage's strong box
with interest at the rate of from 10 to 125 per
cent added. Then there are bonds, bearing good
interest, which were bought in times of financial
stringency when their former owners needed mon
ey In a hurry, and some stocks of the gilt-edged
ww Vu? W" ?ntinue to' draw dividends
What the ultimate disposition of this wealth will
be is unknown, but it is conceded that immediate
control of the vast fortune will pass into the
hands of Mrs. Sage. Rumors of large bequests
to charity are persistent, however, and some go
so far as to predict that bequests for public pur
poses which will astound the world have been
made. But the world was not astounded. There
was nothing for charity.
AMONG ALL THE editorial estimate's of the
late Russell Sage that of the New York
Evening Post seems to be, all things consil
ered, the most satisfactory The Post savs"
'Russell Sage had been, for moi4 than a geS
tion a target of popular ridicule. If he hf d any
SwbTnd Tney'getting' dll noyt
show them to the world; any virtue beyond thrift,
he did not practice it before men. He even failed
to enlist sympathy by falling into redeeming
vices. To most people his name meant nothing
but a hand to grasp and a purse to hold. Possibly
he did not deserve so much opprobrium; perhaps
in some corner, of his heart he kept a place for
generous dreams and hopes. He may have had
visions of splendid charities-schools, museums
libraries, and hospitals, founded by his millions
and perpetuating his name for grateful posterity.
But though he had it in his power to make the
visions realities, he never for an Instant loosened
? C ln,hi? d0lIarS We must form our opin.
ions on the facts as they appear. Every country
village has its keen money lender, ready to screw
the last cent from his neighbors, on mortgage or
note. Russell Sage was this village skin-flint
ilar? ?t? Perat in. the market of the con
tinent; but the magnitude of the enterprises in
which he shared did not expand his mind or
quicken his sense of responsibility. From Hm t
dividual in hfs grip he relentlessly exited tfe
pound of flesh; and he never made even a , e.
tence of reparation in the form of public bene-
kept Tt!" mney; he fi0t t h
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES R. MANN, of Chi
cago, is being opposed for re-nomination by
fetate Senator Francis W. Parker, and Mr. Parker
has brought against his opponent a charge that
has created considerable stir. Mr. Mann has
sent through the mails franked and freo
of all postage, forty thousand copies of the fol
lowing letter: "Mr. Dear Sir Probably you no
tlced in the newspapers that the pure food and
pure drug bill passed through congress and be
came a law and that I had charge of the bill in
the house of representatives, and had the honor
to make the principal speech in its behalf. This
Dust measure, so necessary to 'the health of the
people, met with bitter opposition from the mak
ers of impure and adulterated food products, a3
well as the manufacturers of those so-called pat
ent medicines containing opium, cocaine and other
habit-forming drugs. I have incurred their bitter
enmity and expect to receive their active opposi
tion. I have had printed (at my expense) the
speeches which I delivered in the house on the
pure food bill, and I will send a copy to you in
a few days, hoping that you will do me the cour
tesy to glance through the same.. I trust you will
find the matter interesting and possibly somewhat
instructive, and I beg to remain, yours very sin
cerely. James R. Mann, Representative in Con
gress, Second District of Illinois."
MR. MANN'S ' OPPONENT quotes from the
, act of June 13, 1898 as .follows: "That
hereafter the vice president, members and members-elect
and delegates and 'delegates-elect to
congress shall have the privilege" of sending free
through the mails, and under their frank, any
mail matter to any government official or to any
person, correspondence, not exceeding two ounces
in weight, upon official or departmental business."
This, Mr. Parker maintains, is the only authority
a congressman has for sending any mail free.
Mr. Mann admits that he franked these letters,
but says that it is not campaign material. He
said he simply sent the letters to notify his con
stituents that his speeches, which he regards as
very valuable, would soon be laid before them.
The Mann letter was sent out from Chicago, but
Mr. Mann says that this is of no importance, as
he has the right to send from any place, anything
which relates to official proceedings of congress.
Mr. Parker says that the letter itself shows that
it is not "official or departmental business." Ho
explains: "I have called this matter to the at
tention of the voters of. the Second district and
they may judge fpr themselves whether the letter
is official business of the United States or purely
a campaign document of Mr. 'Mann's. I do not
know of any legal penalty for Mr. Mann's send
ing out this letter under his congressional frank,
nor do I intend to suggest to the federal authori
ties that they take up the matter."
REPRESENTATIVE POLLARD, of Nebraska,
is also having some trouble these days. At
the November, 1904 election, E. J. Burkett was
elected to congress for the term beginning March
4, 1905. At the session of the Nebraska legisla
ture in January, 1905, Mr. Burkett was elected
to the United States senate for the term begin
ning March 4, 1905. Mr. Burkett filed declination
of his election to the lower house and entered
upon service in the senate. For a time it was
thought that the election of a representative to
take Mr. Burkett's place would be held at the
regular 1905 election, but' a special election was
called on July 18, -1905, and Mr. Pollard was
elected. The republican congressional conven
tion is soon to meet in Mr. Pollard's district,
and it has been generally believed that Mr. Pol
lard would be renominated, but the Omaha World
Herald charges that Mr. Pollard had drawn pay
for services as a representative in congress from
March 4 to July 18, which was four months bo-
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