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The Commoner.
MARCH 8, 1007
M.'
to. 4.
ii5-;-
viffi r.
and a hundred other duties which I am required to
perform. My mental and physical work is ten
times greater than the postmaster's at this place,
and my responsibility is great while he has prac
tically no responsibility. Yet his salary is .?G,000
per year and mine is 900. I mention my own
case in this connection to show the actual state
of facts that you may know, the state of affairs
in this department all over the United States. It
would do no good for me or for the democratic
party if I should simply expose this and other
frauds and inequalities by having a letter pub
lished over my name. But a leader would by giv
ing editorial comment in exposing this bring thou
sands of men to his support and to the party to
which he belongs. I know there are very few
business men that understand other issues to say
nothing of the thousands of laborers who have
but little time to read. But the subject of this
letter is one that all can understand. It may seem
strange to you but I will say that 95 per cent of
the people after all the agitation do not under
stand what the ratio of 10 to 1 means. I include
all classes from the wholsesale merchant to the
day laborer. An editorial comment exposing the
inequalities in the postal service would appeal to
every working clerk and employer and each of
them have as many .friends, as any one of the
"Influential politicians" (?) that hold a "fat job."
C. W. Eede, Ballston Spa, N. Y. To Lawyers:
(gentlemen Does the anti-trust law, or any other
law, give me the right, upon my-proving that I
am being robbed by a trust, or corporation, to
collect damages from either town, county, state
or nation, for failing to give me the protection
for which I have paid? If not; then I may be
robbed of my only means of livelihood; my home
may be seized and sold for taxes and I be turned
into the street and then be arrested, fined and im
prisoned for being a tramp.
YOU
You mean for me what birds at daybreak sing,
When earth awakening calls to them
With little yellow daffodils, 'Tis spring! '
You mean the wondrous music of the spheres,
When o'er the distant purple hills
Through soft piled clouds the great white moon
appears.
You mean what the great sea is fain to say,
When murmuring low on silver sands
It sings, a lullaby at close of day.
The trees all bow their heads, they listen, too!
The winds are telling them, dear love,
How all the world now means for me but you!
Katharine Fay, in Lippincott's.
THE PATH
Wo know not where our hidden way may lie,
What stress and storm the coming years may
hold;
The midday heats and midnights drear and gold
May meet us on our journey far or nigh
Yet stop by step we go, till bye and bye
The mystic tapestries of Fate unfold;
When weary past believing, gray and old,
We reach the end together thou and I.
On eyes grown dim the mists of blindness creep,
The pulse moves slower still, and sorrows fade,
But even then we may not understand;
Yet God still glvoth His beloved sleep.
Oh, neart of Mine, why should we be afraid
If only night may find us hand in hand!
Myrtle Reed.
WHAT CONGRESS HAS ACCOM
PLISHED The Associated Press makes the following
statement showing what congress has accom
plished: "More money has been appropriated during the
short session of the fifty-ninth congress which
passed into history at noon, March 4, than during
any previous session. The amount, as near as can
be estimated, approximates a billion dollars. Two
big battleships were authorized for the navy and
the artillery corps of the army was reorganized
and enlarged. A general service pension was
granted to veterans of the Mexican and civil wars
and like provisions were made for army nurses.
For river and harbor improvements the appropria
tion aggregated $03,000,000. Increased salaries
were given to cabinet ministers, the vice president
and senators, the speaker of the house of repre
sentatives, to ambassadors, ministers and con
suls, to postofiice clerks and letter carriers.
"The public made more inquiries for informa
tion from the document rooms of congress regard
ing the ship subsidy bill, the currency measure and
the bill regulating the hours of service of railway
employes than any other pending legislation.
Ship subsidy died hard in the las,t hours. The im
migration bill, one of the measures brought over
from the long fusion, was completed under the
spur of President Roosevelt that he might give tho
Californian-Japanese situation relief by giving tho
administration control of coolie. Importation
through passports. The bill further restricts tho
admission of aliens to the country.
"A bill was passed for the establishment of
an agricultural bank in the Philippines. The free
alcohol bill in ihc last session was amended so
that farmers may distill waste products to be do
uaturized. "Appeal In criminal cases was granted the gov
ernment, a measure Intended to strengthen the
anti-trust legislation by affording a means where
by the supremo court may pass upon the constitu
tional construction of laws.
"An investigation was authorized regarding
the condition of women and child workers. The
Interstate commerce commission was authorized
to ascertain if the express companies of the coun
try are evading the railroad rate law of last ses
sion by buying, selling and handling on consign
ment fruit, vegetables and oysters.
"Reed Smoot was sustained by tho senate as a
senator from Utah, ending a four-year controversy.
The senate ratified the treaty with Santo Domingo
and that of Algerciras.
"The president was authorized to use his good
offices to prevent atrocities in the Congo.
"The senate also launched an exhaustive inves
tigation of the Brownsville affair."
The house passed the Aldrich currency bill,
which bill among other things increases from ?V
000,000 to $0,000,000 the amount of national bank
notes which may be retired during any one month.
This is regarded as a part of the asset currency
plan, the bankers seeking the power to contract
the currency, at their pleasure, by the retirement
of notes and to expand, at their pleasure, by the
issue of asset currency notes.
The hours of employment bill was amended to
limit the hours of telegraphers who handle train
orders to nine a day. the maximum to be twelve
hours where only one is employed. Trainmen must
have eight consecutive hours off duty every twenty-four.
oooo
AN EXTRAVAGANT CONGRESS
The Associated Press gives the statements of
republicans and democrats, showing the late con
gress to be the most extravagant one In history,
as follows:
Statements were made to the senate and house
today by Senator Allison and Representative Tiiw
noy, chairmen, respectively, of the appropriations
committees, and by Representative Livingston,
ranking minority member of the house committee
regarding the appropriations of tho session. The
total appropriations aggregate .$019,918,079.03, of
which $750,002,074.27 Is for the annual expendi
tures for the fiscal year ending June .'JO, 100.8.
Tho balance of the grand total Is to be used as
follows: $12,t:H),(iSr.:$( for emergencies and de
ficiencies on account of the fiscal year 1907 and
prior years; $1,000,000 for miscellaneous objects,
such as private claims and the like, authorized in
special acts, and $119,990..'2 for permanent annual
appropriations to meet the interest charge on the
public debts, tho requirements of tho-sinking fund,
expenses of collecting the revenue from customs,
redemption of national bank notes and other pur
poses. The revenues of the government for 1908 are
estimated at $850,000,000, which, It was stated,
would leave a surplus of $20,000,000 amLnot a de
ficit as had been predicted in some quarters.
During the fifty-ninth congress as a whole it
was. stated that SJ98,000,000 had been appropriated
in excess of the total of the fifty-eighth congress.
Analyzing the Increased appropriations for tho
year 190S over the current fiscal year, the total
of which is given as $10,000,000, the increases are
distributed in part as follows: For the army, $,
700,000; fortifications, $1,800,000; legislative, ex
ecutive and judicial, $2,400,000; postal service,
$20,000,000; pensions, $5,000,000.
It was stated that while the river and harbor
bill carried approximately $83,000,000, the expendi
ture under it would be but $27,000,000 during 1908.
The appropriation for the Panama canal was
increased over that during the fifty-eighth congress
by $09,500,000. During the same time the postal
expenses increased $50,000,000.
Representative Livingston presenting the views
of the minority on the subject, agrees as to the to
tal, which he says Is an "Increase of $40,539,--494.47
over the appropriations made for the cur
rent fiscal year and $57,2G0,492.57 over the appro
priations for the fiscal year 1899, made at the
first regular session of the fifty-fifth congress,
which covered substantially the entire expenses of
the military and naval establishments on accouut
of the war with Spain.
"Enormous as are these appropriations for the
next fiscal year, there should be added to them
the further sum of $25,000,000 on account of the
contracts authorized in the naval bill for additional
warships and ror which no sums whatever are
yet appropriated, and the sum of $40,829,319 for
contracts authorized in the river and harbor .ip
propriation bill In addition to the appropriations
made In that act
These sums, added to tho session's total ap
parent appropriations make the tremendous sum
of $094,778,02S., carried either in direct appro
priations or authorizations at tills session of con
gress, establishing a new record for federal ap
propriations approaching the prodigious sum of a
billion dollars for a single session of congress.
"The highest estimates placed on the probable
revenues of the government from all sources dur
ing the coming fiscal year Indicate that they will
be at least $100,000,000 below the appropriations
and authorizations for expenditure chargeable to
the session of congress just closing. The increaso
for the army over last year is $0,718,117.07. In
crease for the navy over last year is $21,807,000
wltli tho authorization for two new ships. In
creases for fortifications are $1,8-14,000, and in
crease for pensions $5,091,000. If this military
spirit and extravagance is to continue the ways
and means committee had better get busy and pro
vide a large Increase in tho revenues."
Mr. Livingston concluded with this remark:
"I wish to heaven we could give the Philip
pines away to Japan, and get out of that country,
whoso cost to us no one can even predict. I re
ceived a letter the other day from a debating so
ciety in my district asking my opinion whether
Cuba should be annexed. To that question I want
to reply .right here. We have got enough of that
kind of rats now."
OOOO
ABBOT'S REPORTS
Mr. Willis J. Abbot, tho head of the Demo
cratic Literary Bureau in the campaign of 1900,
and for many years connected with Mr. Hearst's
papers, is rendering a valuable service in his re
ports from Washington. Vigilant, intelligent and
trustworthy, he is a sentinel on guard'' at tho na
tional capital, and his editorial comments on legis
lation and legislators is calculated to have a wide
Influence upon political thought.
OOOO
MAYOR DUNNE RENOMINATED
The renomination of Mayor Dunne of Chicago
upon a strong municipal ownership platform In
spite of the opposition of nearly all of the Chicago
dailies is evidence of his personal strength and
tho strength of the principles for which lie Is so
valiantly contending. lie has been an honest,
courageous and faithful mayor. I To deserves a re
election and ought to receive a splendid endorse
ment at the hands of the people of Chicago.
OOOO
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