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The Commoner.'
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".toiind supporting a proposition for tho limitation
;c of armaments. Mr Edmund Robertson, the'flnan-
C;.. cial secretary to tho admiralty, presented the
&'L. government's Scheme for reduction and made a
rl;;i,- favorable impression upon the House of Commons.
Tiie minister of education, Mr. jtsirreu, nas
been the busiest of the ministers so far. Ho
tisd IfnH nlinrrm nf fhA fiflllWltlonal bill which
W; .'' Sha been under discussion for several months
T,and 'which after being perfected in the commit
tee of the whole has been passed to a third read
V ihg by a majority of a hundred and ninety-two.
ii-As the bill deals with religion as well as educa
tion and concerns the children of the country it
arouses deep interest. In England the public
School system has grown up as an auait.on to
the church schools, or rather the public schools
havo supplemented the work formerly done by
the private schools. As these schools increased
In numbers and importance the church schools
hegan to ask for o, division of the school funds
and this, as it usually does, brought into politics
the question of religious instruction in the
schools. As long as the private schools were
supported hy private contribution or endowment
their religious instruction was entirely in their
f own hands, but when these schools "began to
draw their support fromthe public treasury the
taxpayers objected to paying for instruction in
the creed of any other church than their own.
Four years ago the Conservatives enacted a law,
which gave to the established church of Eng
land considerable advantage over the non-conformist
churches in the management of the public,
schools and this, led to u campaign against the
law by the npnrconformists. Their opposition
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exchequer, although - in order of importance his'
office stands near the. head of the ministry. Mr.
Henry Asquiih,' the present occupant of this
position, is one of the strongest members of
the Liberal party and probably its foremost de
bater. He was put forward to reply to Mr.
Chamberlain in the tariff controversy and ac
quitted himself well. He is opposed to the pro
tective tariff whether levied for the aid of par
ticular Industries or as a part of the scheme of
retaliation and his ideas are, for the present
at least, In the ascendancy. If the Right Honor
able Joseph Chamberlain, with the. prestige given
him by the Boer war and with his extraordinary
ability as a public speaker, can not overthrow
England's free trade policy there Is little chance
that any other English statesman will be able to
attack it successively in the near future.
Mr. Asquith's department has he administra
tion of the Income tax and the inheritance tax.
Tho latter has yielded more within the last year
than ever before, three large estates having
turned into the treasury (Or will do sO) some
twenty .millions of dollars. The income tax i&
not only' a permanent part of the fiscal system,
but a commission is c6nsidering whether a grad
ed income tax should not be substituted for the
present uniform one. The tax is now 'uniform ex
cept that small incomes are exempt.
Besides the measures above referred to the
new government is building homes for tenant
laborers in Ireland and proposes, to so change
the election . laws as to reduce the land holders
to one ;yote eachat present each land holder.
can ypte. in 'every district in. which he, has land.
The government s ?JS0 supporting a measure
to the conservative "government contributed not .whlct protects, the, JBnglish tenant; farmers, in
a "liWl rrf''he Hhavol -irtf nr'tr rinrl fVirv Villi TAvtT Valr 4rMTi."TrTvnlrtei ori1 Iri lrt TrVi' 4- iTrln
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little 'to the liberal victory and the bill now
tinder consideration in parliament puts them upon
an equal footing with the members of the estab
lished church In respect to schools and removes
the tests which formerly operated against non
conformist teachers.
Mr. John Morley, the secretary for India, is
too well known in America to require an intro
duction. He stands Inthe front rank of Eng-
lish, jnen of letters and his appointment has-given"
toWope to the people of India. In presenting
the Indian budget a few days ago he promised
a. reduction of taxation especially the detestable '
salt tax, and said that a commission was enquir
ing how far the dbctrine of self government
could be applied to the people of India. The fact,
however, that hut a few hours were devoted to
Indian affairs while days and weeks -are given
to hpme problems shows how far the interests
of citizens are placed, above the rights of remote
, suhjecte., y ' r
Mr. James Brytie, the secretary for Ireland,
is also well known in the United States, his
American Commonwealth being a standard work
. among us. He brings to his duties wide exper
ience and a splendid mind and, what is more
important, an excellent heart. His sympathies
are broad and he has enough Irish blood In
his "veins to insure an equitable view of Irish
problems. Tho prime minister made an excel
lent selection when he named Mr. John Burns
as president of the local government board. In
this position Mr. Burns has to deal with tha auh-
cts to tho study of which he has devoted his-
e, namely, labor and municipal affairs. Having
rueu ms way up from the ranks he is able
give invaluable assistance in nil mntlora nor.
lning to wage-earners, factory Inspection and
uuimpauzauon. ho is a tower of strength to
o Liberal ministry.
Mr. Winston Churchill, son rt tho iat twi
Udolph Churchill, as thn rnnronfnHtra vP .
lonial department in the House of Commons,
w uctu wii.n me unmese quesUon in South
rica, one of the leadine oueationH nf th rnoont
mpalgn. The new government has undertaken
auoiiBn a system of contract: labor -whfoh ii
en described as little short of slavery, The
Ino owners insist that Chinese labor -Is necea
ry for the successful working of the mines
u uiai tne conditions imposed upot tthe Chi
se are not severe, but the laboring-men of
wa riiain are. quite unanimous in their con-
nauon oi the system and the liberal govern
it is supportlnc their vIaws. Mr nhrMm
a hrilliant youim man anfl hnn m fianri
lieye, a bright future. The fact that hi mother
01 American birth gives him a mnva thaw
ual interest in our country and makes, u
their improvements ' arid in. their right to vote
according, to their owh views irrespective of the,
wishes., of, the landlord. Thelibera!l victory was
a victory for progressive, democratic ideas, and'
the n,ew government is earnestly; .at work put
ting these ideas into the form of "law1.
Copyright. -" - - -
JJJ '
The St Louis Qlobe-Bemocrat says: ".The
entire country paid the penalty of- the blunder
of 1892, by which a democratic "-president and'a
democratic congress were placed in power. The
penalty "began to be exacted even hefore the dem
ocrats passpd their tariff bill., Everybody knew
that the democrats would, as soon as they entered
office, make an assault on the protective system.
.Capital got frightened jupt as soon ag the returns
came in on election night in JL892 that the demo
crats, had won. Mills began to close hefore Cleve
land called his 'democratic congress in extra ses
sion In the summer of 189$, 'runs' were made on
the banks, and the entire industrial machinery
of the country was jarred, The people were forced
to consumo less bread and meat as well as other
things, farm products went down, and the corn,
wheat, cattle and fruit raisers suffered with the
rest of the community."
It Is strange that republican editors and re
publican speakers having concern for their repu
tation, reiterate the false, statement that the so
called "panic of 1893" was due, either to demo
cratic tariff legislation or to the fear of It.
As The Commoner has repeatedly shown the
so-called panic of 1893 began long prior to the
election day of 1892. The Homestead strike, in
which many lives were lost, occurred In July,
1892, and failures and commercial disasters, multi
plied, beginning as early as November 11, 1890
thirty' days after the McKinley tariff hill became
a law. All the things described by the Globe
Democrat began under the Harrison administra
tion and continued with the republican tariff law.
upon the statute-books,
JJJ
"A PEOPLE'8 LOBPY"
Somo one proposes the creation of "a people's
lobby" the same to bet maintained at the state
capitals and at the national capital, for the pur
pose of advancing pubjic interests.
The eai "people's lobby" should assemble
at the ballot box and see to It that those who may
he depended upon to act In accordance with the
public welfare, are elected to office. But the peo
ple are- often deceived, you say? Quite true, hut
under the present plan they have an opportunity
tch his career with a friendlv bva. rms n. . tfmua, ami rhv ni i,w, ,ium,vi L.. .
ction with the Important work of fmiriw ,vmr 1ia L w. Jt-Zl v"r!?Va."
nstitution for tho Transvaal Is likelv th ikwrw tlafivA umi rrn,ia .tflT'Ji lm1'
crease his political prominence. ", in favor., M"n
I have left for the last the chancellor of the Dr. Garvin, former governor of Rhode Island,
'... VOLUME 6, NUMBER tg .
wrote for the Independent, -of New York, an In
teresting article entitled "The Statesman's Job."
In that article Dr. Garvin said: "It is highly de
sirable that the fundamental reform, which is
to open the way for all other reforms,, should ho
in full accord with the principles of government
established by the founders of our states and
nation. As a part, and an essential part, of our
republican form of government, we find the writ
ten constitution. Concerning that, portion of our
scheme of government George Washington wrote:
'The, basis of our political systems is the right of
tho people to make and alter their constitutions
of government,' If that basis had not been depart
ed from the dangers and abuses which threaten
the stability of our institutions would never havo
arisen. The statesman's work, therefore, is to
apply that .dictum of the Father of hid Country.
This has been done in a somewhat imperfect and
complex way in the state of Oregon. It is now
possible there for eight per cent of the voters
to propose an amendment to the constitution of
"the state and have it submitted to the qualified
electors for acceptance or rejection by majority
vote. Not -only is it possible, but the thing Is
actually in process of being done. At the state
election on 'June 3, 1906, the electorate voted to
amend, or refuse to amend, the sta'te constitution
upon a matter proposed for their action by more
than 7,000 of the legal voters. The people of
Oregon have found the key. They have unlocked
tho closed door which confined them and con
fines us all. Henceforth her people are freje to
;effect any reform which the majority desires.
Discontent, so far as state matters are concerned,
will soon he a thincr of the oast. A careful nro-
gress will mark her future. Some statesman has
arisen ;there In the coming center of "the-world.
To other states I would say. Go thousand. do like--wise."'
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" -f' . .... JJJ ..r,;V. . .
? CHARLJES DUNCAN. M'lVER, ",'
On another page will. be. found a. well deserved
tribute to the late Charles Duncan Mclver from
"the pen of Dr. Albert Shaw, . the editor of the
? Review of Reviews. " Dr. Mclver died suddenly
on the special train which carried Mr. Bryan
through North Carolina a few daysago;- The
latter's first' Visit to 'North Carolina was made
twelve year's ago at Dr. Mclver's Invitation and
from that day they were close personal as well
as political, friends. Dr. Mclver was a rare man.
Having worked his way up from an humble sta
tion he first showed what an ambitious young man
could do for himself, and then he dedicated him
self to the task of showing what a noble and
unselfish man could, do for his fellows, - He.re-
ceived flattering offers to go into other occupar
tionsj but he regarded his occupation, that of .
teaching, as a calling to him and resisted the
temptation. He did not leave much money, but
he left what money can not buya good name
which, as the wise man says, is rather to be
chosen than great riches, and loving favor, which .
is to be preferred to silver and gold. The for
tune which he left can not be computed in dol- ,
lars, and is a legacy to the entire land. So great -was
the sorrow caused by his death that the
political meeting which was arranged for his
city that evening was converted Into, a memorial
meeting. How this old world would bo trans
formed If all of its people cherished the Ideal
which Dr. Mclver followed along an ever bright
ening way. ,
JJJ
UNDIGNIFIED
-
"Uncle Joe" Cannon says that a man sug- ,
gested to him that the tariff on steei. should; he '."''
cut down as ono of the first legislative acts, but .
that he had replied; "My friend, I thlrtk the
schedule is too high, myself, but do you suppose v
that we can turn a double somersault and cut it.
down?"
f Perhaps there are some who Indulge, in the "
violent supposition that the tariff on steely or ,.
other special favor enjoyed by liberal contribur .
tors to the republican campaign fund, will be "cut r
down" by the republican party, but they are the ;
victims of misplaced confidence. ( .;
Steel rails selling for $28 In America wereL J
selling abroad for about $20, hut in plte of this ;.
hold-up, the republican party Is powerless to act! -."
There are no ''double somersaults'' to be,-,
turned by republican leaders so far a the, tariff, Vv
-question is concerned. That-would bhlhly tui..
dignified in a standpatter ; '
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