-naspp, y r f. -
FEBRUARY 15, 1907
twcon nn Englishman and an Indian. Thov charge
also tlmt English rule, is expensive, and'thev In
sist that the one hundred millions a vear spent
upon the nnny should be used for the education
of the people and for the development of the
country. They point to the progress made by
Japan, whose people wore able to use their owii
resources for their own advancement, while some
thing like a hundred millions a year are draino I
from India to the British Isles.
While only about eight per cent of the total
population of India can read and write there is
already education enough to make the home rule
movement a formidable one, and as learning
spreads religious antagonisms grow less violent.
When for political reasons, as the Indians bo
Heve the province of Bengal was being divided,
numerous mass meetings were held to protest,
and at thee mass meetings Hindu, Mohammedan
and Parsce speakers appeared on the same plat
form. When the Mohammedan college was
founded at Alighar, India, some twenty years ago,
the influence of tlie institution was counted against
the demand for a native congress, but even in this
institution the students are becoming each year
more favorable to the home rule idea, and the
Parsees who have been regarded as quite pro
English have furnished a number of very intelli
gent supporters of- the native movement.
While some Indians go so far as to advocate
absolute independence, the prevailing opinion is
in favor of a relation similar to that which exists
between Canada and Groat Britain. If the Indian
peoplo could secure control of their own affairs,
with a local parliament to levy taxes and to make
the necessary appropriations for the administra
tion of the government, for the development of the
country and for education, there would bo no
serious objections to permitting England to ap
point a governor general in exchange for the pro
tection of the navy. That the Indians believe in
our theory of government can not be doubted;
they are encouraged by the promise of a legisla
tive body in the Philippines and will urge it as a
reason why they should be granted representation,
just as they use the amazing progress of" Japan
to prove their own ability to rise if given an op
portunity. The Turkish government is a theocracy and
the Sultan rules more through his religious hold
upon the people than through, the instrumentali
ties of government, but even the Sultan is in con
stant fear of revolution and has established a
strict censorship over the press and over -the
books coming Into his domain. Some amusing in
stances are given of the rigor of this censorship.
One man had a set of Shakespeare held up at the
port because the censor discovered that it con
tained a description of the killing of Macbeth.
(It was not considered safe to allow the people to
read of the killing of a king, lest the killing of the
Sultan might bo suggested to their minds.) In
another instance several Sunday-school lessons
were forbidden because they recounted the kill
ing of some of the Old Testament kings. One'
young man was imprisoned because he had in his
house a scrap of paper which contained Glad
stone's denunciation of the Sultan the scrap hav
ing been given to him because on the opposite
side it contained the advertisement of 'a hair re
storer; and another man was imprisoned because
in answering an inquiry in regard to ah engine,
he mentioned the number of revolutions desired
the word evolution having but one meaning
among the Sultan's spies. Yet the schools are at
work and it Is only a question of time when there
will be an intellectual force with which the Sul
tan must reckon.
In all of the governments of Europe there are
problems which more or less clearly reveal the
never-ending struggle between those who would
bring the government nearer to the people and
those who would throw obstructions in the way
of popular government The influence of the
masses is constantly increasing and monarchy
and aristocracy are on the wane. In Norway,
while the form of monarchy is retained, the par
liament, composed of a single house which is
elected by universal suffrage, is supreme. In Den
mark, the parliament has recently won, after a
contest of a quarter of a century, the right to dic
tate the ministry, while Switzerland has carried
government "of the people, by the people and foz
the people" to the point of permitting the voters
to decide all questions, local and 'national, by
means of direct legislation. I venture to suggest
that this complete reliance upon the popular will
accounts for the fact that Switzerland, composed
of a Gorman, a French and an Italian section, is
as harmonious a nation as can be found in Europe.
In Hungary and 'Bohemia there is a strong
sentiment in favor of local self-government which
makes it more difficult for Austria to hold them
under her authority. The opposition to govern
ment from without is so great that the German
language is becoming more and more unpopular
The Commoner.
among both the Hungarians and the Bohemians.
In Italy and Spain, where they have long had
parliaments thoro is a gradual broadening of the
toundation upon which the government rests. As
education increases in both countries there is a
well-defined movement that has for its object the
extension of the influence of the average man
of the common people.
In Frame, where they have a republican-form
of government, and, therefore, less to correct hi
method, the government is being brought nearer
to the people and public sentiment as expressed
among the masses is more and more controlling.
In Germany the socialistic movement, which
has grown so rapidly as to alarm the government,
is, in part, political rather than economic. It is
more a protest against undemocratic methods than
a demand for the application of socialistic theories
to industry.
OOOO
THE NEW SENATE
The election of Frank O. Briggs to succeed
Senator Drydon of New Jersey, completes the new
senate with the exception of two places. The
fight in Rhode Island continues, and although Sen
ator Bacon of Georgia will doubtless succeed him
self, the legislature which elects will not convene
until June. Hence from March 4 until the elec
tion in June Georgia will have but one senator.
Eight western states nominated senatorial candi
dates in state convention and submitted the names
to the people. These states wore Illinois, Michi
gan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Da
kota, Oregon and Washington. Seven southern
states, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and Arkansas, did
likewise. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat, com
menting on this new plan, says "it will gradually
alter the character of the men who will go to the
senate, but whether the change will be for the
better or the worse cannot be stated beforehand
with any positiveness."
The peoplo, however, are convinced that the
change will be for the better, and until senators
are elected by popular vote the nomination plan
will grow in favor. The Globe-Democrat specifies
two instances in which the plan has, in Its opinion,
made a change for the worse. But the Globe-Democrat
will hardly have the hardihood to claim that
cither one of tlie specified instances is half so bad
as the election of Guggenheim in Colorado by the
old methods so well known to corporations and
other selfish interests.
OOOO
SAFE
Senator Drydon was defeated in New Jersey,
but inasmuch as-he picked his successor it is safe
to say that insurance interests will not bo jeopar
dized by the new senator from New Jersey giving
undue attention to public Interests.
OOOO
EXPLAIN IT
A London physician says people would bo
healthier If they ate less. Maybe that explains
present day high prices. Maybe the republican
party is so concerned for the health" of the people
that, in the public interest, it has pennjLtted the
liberal contributors to campaign funds to run the
price of the necessaries of life almost to the pro
hibitive point.
OOOO
MAKING CONFESSION
In spite of the fact that congress has just de
cided to .reduce the appropriation for carrying the
mails by about $10,000,000, the Burlington rail
way management has just made tacit confession
that even the new rate is too high. Rather than
lose a very profitable contract for carrying tha
trans-continental fast mail the Burlington offers
a reduction of 7 per cent, which approximates
$G5,000 a year. A little figuring will show that the
Burlington must be receiving close to $1,000,000
a year for tills service. And the Burlington, like
all other railroads, is carrying express matter for
one-eighth what it charges the government for
carrying the mails.
OOOO
SAND
At the school of commerce dinner given in New
York recently, Col. George Harvey, editor of
Harper's Weekly, told a story to explain the rea
son of President Roosevelt's popularity. He said
that in a New England town when he was a boy,
a certain horse jockey became very much Im
pressed during a revival of religion, and went to
a deacon of the church, who kept' a grocery store,
for guidance. He told the deacon that he would
like to "jine" the church, but, as a horse jockey,
he would have to do certain things that might not
look well in a church member.
"Oh, don't trouble yourself about that," said
the deacon. ."I have been putting sand in iny
sugar for thirty years, but it makes no difference
whether you put siinil in your sugar or not pro
vided your heart is all right."
Commenting on this story, the Wall Street Jour
nal says: "In other words, It didn't make any dif
ference what Itoosevelt did, the people were con
vinced that his heart was all right. But hasn't
Colonel Harvey mistaken the real truth concern
ing the president's strength with the people?
Does not his pomilarity rest upon the fact that he
!!!!.. iim! I,yimit tn,(,l" transporting cor
porations of the country, 'no longer shall vou put
sand In the sugar.' "
Perhaps it rests upon the fact that lu several
nportant public matters he has moved along the
lines suggested in good old democratic platforms
and no one gets "sand in the sugar" when good
o!!craunOC'n,tlC I';atl,nns nl' l)llL l,,t0 Poetical
OOOO
WHY?
Some of Mr. Jlooscvclt's critics say that the
avowed purpose of the president to appoint a'
negro to the olllce of surveyor of the port, Is to
annoy Senator Foraker. But why should Senator
Ioraker be annoyed by such an appointment? -If
it is proper to appoint "deserving negroes" to fed
eral office In southern states whv close the door
of hope to the "deserving negro" In the north? It
has always been a mystery to a considerable num
ber of people why so Tew negroes have been
given office In the north when so many have been
honored In the south. There have been manv
negro postmasters In the south, but we do not
recall one Instance where a negro has been ap
pointed to a post-office In the north.
OOOO
THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
As this copy of The Commoner may bo rend
by some one not familiar with the details of the
primary pledge plan, it Is necessary to say that
according to the terms of this plan every demo
crat is asked to pledge himself to attend sill of
the primaries of his party to be held between now
and the next democratic national convention, un
less unavoidably prevented, and to secure a clear,
honest and straightforward declaration of the
party's position on every question upon which the
voters of the party desire to speak. Those desiring
to bo enrolled can either write to The Commoner
approving the object of the organization and ask
ing to have their names entered on the roll, or
they can till out and mail the blank pledge, ,whlch
is printed on page 14.
A SONG OF WEALTH
My diamonds droop from grassy blade
In the early morning sun;
They sparkle yellow, blue and white;
Who covets? Ah, no one.
My pearls are strung on spiders' threads
In the rosy rays of dawn, , ..
In circlets, strands and rare design;
By them no thief is drawn. v
My.rubies rest in rosebud hearts,
Red leaves curl over them;
Glad teardrops for the birth of morn;
None robs me of my gem.
- f
My laces are the leafy screens
Between the sky and me,
And morning mists o'er marshy lands; r'
None covets these from me.
And I may travel far away ."
In Fancy's carriage free,
O'er hill, in vale and long delay; , '
But none doth envy me.
My pictures are of earth and sky
in changing light and shade;
And they are free to every eye;
Their beauties never fade. r .
My music is the trill of bird,
The sound of falling rain,
The tender tone from loving lips;
And all may hear the same.
My home is domed with heaven's blue
And lighted by the stars;
'Tis covered by the softest hues;
No lifo its beauty mars.
For all is thine as well as mine,
And we are kindred clay.
Why should we lust for dying dust?
Throw lasting wealth away?
Dorothy Dubbleaye, in Omaha-World-Herald..
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