v
The Commoner.
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 9
tmttKm
1 nnd the oxoriillon or nil laws passed, c'lc.
Tenth. All laws of the particular states con
trary to (lie const K ul Ion or Iuwh of tho United
Stales lo lio utterly void; nnd the tffcttor to prevent
such Jaws being passed, Uio governor or president
of each state shall be appointed by the general
government, nnd sbnll hnve a negative upon the.
laws nboiit to be passed in (lie state In which he
Is (he governor or president.
Eloenlli. N state to liave any forces, land
or naval; and the militia of all the states to be
tinder the sole and exclusive direction of the
United Stales, the olllcers of which militia to be
appointed and commissioned by them.
Provisions live to nine, inclusive, are omitted
because they do not bear directly upon the sub
ject under discussion.
Provisions one, two, three, four, ten and eleven
are reproduced, as they show the general form of
the government (hat Hamilton had in mind, and
the standpoint from which he viewed government.
The senate was to be modeled after the English
House of Lords, which he described as "a noble
Institution." "Having nothing to hope for by a
change," he added, "and a sulllclent interest, by
means of their property, In being faithful to the
national interest, they form a permanent barrier
against every pernicious innovation, whether at
tempted on the part of the crown or of the com
mons. No temporary senate will have firmness
enough to answer (ho purpose."
The discussion In the constitutional convention
disclosed the fears Avlileh Hamilton entertained in
regard to popular government. He thought that
those who favored a seven-year term for the sen
ators did not duly consider "the amazing violence
and turbulence of the democratic spirit," and lie
Insisted that nothing short of a tenure for life,
or during good behavior, would give the senators
the courage to resist "I lie popular passions."
He favored, as will be seen above, an executive
holding olllco for life or during good behavior.
He referred to the English model as the only good
one because "the hereditary Interest of the king
was so interwoven with that of the nation, and his
personal emolument so great, that he was placed
above the danger o( being corrupted from abroad;
and at: the same time was botli sulllclently Inde
pendent and suillcienlly controlled lo answer the
purpose of the institution at home."
He Insisted upon the appointment of the gov
ernors of the various states by the general gov
ernment as necessary to prevent the states from
passing laws- in conlllct with the federal govern
ment. He even doubled the ability of the delegates
to frame a general government and at the same
time preserve the state governments. Ho thougnt
"the general power, whatever be Its form, if it
preserves Itself, must swallow up the slate pow
ers. Otherwise It -will be swallowed up by them."
In explaining his language the next day ho said
that "By an abolition of-the states ho meant that
no boundary could be drawn between the national
and state legislatures; that the former must there
fore have indefinite authority. If It were limited
at all, the rlvalshlp of the states would gradually
subvert It. Even as corporations, the extent of
some of them, as Virginia, Massachusetts, etc.,
would be formidable. As states, he thought they
ought to be abolished. But he admitted the neces
sity of leaving In them subordinate jurisdictions."
(I have given these quotations in. Indirect discourse
as they are reported in Madison's papers.)
Proposition eleven of his plan contemplated
the consolidation of the states into one federal
government, the state mllilia to be controlled, and
its olllcers appointed by the federal government.
Such, in brief, were the views of one of the
great constructive statesmen of the early period.
, Tie was a thinker, but his thought was permeated
with a distrust of the people, and he was haunted
by the fear-and St led him to llghUhe duel which
resulted in his death that they would overturn
the government or menace its stability. It was
tliis fear of the people which led him to favor life
tenure; the farther the government was removed
from the people- the greater his confidence in It.
Ills distrust of the states was a natural outgrowth
of his distrust .)f the masses; lacking faith In the
average man, he lacked faith in the idea of local
self-government open which our theory of govern
ment rests.
OOOO
HIGH FINANCE"
Many of the things called "high nuance" and
pointed to as evidence of ability and proof that
confidence should be reposed In the Integrity of
the financier, would bo called plain stealing in
almost any other branch of business. For Instance
ii u ivuiu cieni suouiu raise advantage of the fact
uu ui.s employer iei mm nave goods at cost, and
should proceed to take numerous articles and sell
them at a fraction lower than the regular price to
uuiumi'ia. ii-uimillir Hie UrOUIS I'm' h
Mlcnlf .....1
thus depriving life employer of the letritim-ite
profits, that clerk would bo enllmi rtiiim,nf it -
tected and would, undoubtedly, be dismissed in
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disgrace. Recently a famous railroad manager
appeared on the witness stand and admitted that,
he sold the bonds of his railroad company to him
self at 05 cents, and then, as manager of an In
surance concern, bought them of himself for The
company at 00 cents. Either he robbed the rail
road company by selling its bonds too low, or lie
robbed the insurance company by making it pay
him. too much for the bonds. Put as he is a
"power in (he financial world," and as this Is what
is called "high nuance," lie will not bo dismissed
in disgrace. On the contrary he will be more pow
erful tha.ii ever because the bond transaction net
ted him a neat pile of money whereby to manipu
late other and larger deals.
oooo
PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE
The North American Review of January has a
very strong article in favor of Philippine inde
pendence by Judge James IT. Blount of Georgia.
Judge P.Iount was a captain in the Spanish
war serving both in Cuba and the Philippines and
was for four years a judge in the Philippine
Islands.
He asserts what every one ought to know by
tills time, that the Filipinos almost without excep
tion desire independence, and ho points out the
difliculties which have attended American rule
and the evils resulting therefrom.
One of the most striking parts of his article
is the reproduction of a court order dismissing
cases against a hundred and twenty prisoners all
but one of whom had died In jail within seven
months, lie cites the high duty put upon cottou
the main clothing of the Filipinos, and the sac
rifice of (ho Filipinos to the Interests of the sugar
and tobacco trusts.
Judge Hlount believes that independence should
not only be promised at once but that ten years
should bo fixed as the time which should elapse
before granting independence. He also favors
the neutralization of the 'Islands by treaty.
Judge Blount's article Is a valuable addition to
the literature on the Philippine question. Neutral
ization is not only desirable but possible. Whether
a time should be llxed for independence or the
time left indefinite is a matter upon which the
friends of Philippine independence will differ. But
as they all agree that a promise should be made
now and that Independence should be permitted
as soon as a stable government can be established,
the, fixing of the time is of minor Importance.
If the cause would be strengthened by fixing
a date, lt ought lo be fixed, otherwise it is better
to leave It Indefinite and this question can only
be determined by those who desire to see Inde
pendence an accomplished fact.
OOOO
A USEFUL LIFE
Sixty-one years ago Orson D. Munn bought the
Scientific American, a magazine that had just
been started. He spent his life In making it the
leading technical and scientific journal of the
world, and when be died last week, at the ad
vanced ago of S3, It was after a life that was of
great service to his fellows a service that was
amply rewarded from the pecuniary point of
view. Mr. Munn did not engage In "high finance."
lie olid not speculate with other people's money,
lie sought no selfish advantage through special
laws. Ho was content to take equal chances In
the battle of life, with no special favors shown
him, and willing to bide the results. In the money '
madness that has come upon tills nation it is re
freshing to have, now and then, public attention
called to such lives of service as that lived by
Orson D. Munn.
OOOO
A BIT OF HISTORY
Senator Spooner had two years to serve when
he handed in his resignation as senator. Two
years from now he would have been compelled to
make a fight for re-election If he desired to con
tinue In public life. It may bo that the senator
saw In present day signs a revival of the signs of
1S02. In that year ho was the republican candi
date for governor of Wisconsin and ho was de
feated by George W. Peck, democrat.
OOOO
THE NATIONAL SPORT
In a few slmrt weeks the racuous voice of the
umpire, the resonant shouts of the "fans," the dull
thud of the bat and the hysterical admonitions of
the coacher will bo heard in the land, and the
great national game will be on in full swin.".
Every corner lot, every side street and every com
mons will present its opposing teams, and instead
of asking about the fate of nations or the opening
and closing market quotations, Americans, from
tho minister o the peanut vendor on the corner
will be asking, "What's the score?" Baseball is
the national game. Everybody likes it, and every
body either has played it, will play it or wants to
play it. Fortunately for tho American youth base
ball has escaped much that has brought other athletic-sports,
into disrepute. It has been kept com-
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parativoly clean. It Is a game of skill and mus
cle and head work. It trains the eye, develops
the brain, strengthens the muscle and rests tho V
mind. It is cosmopolitan, yet it Is the king of
sports. It is the sure harbinger of spring. The"
air may be keen, and tlicf snow flurries may look
like winter. But the eye of tho small boy glued
to tho window of the sporting goods store wherein
the bats and balls and masks are on display, warns
us that spring is here. The shouts from the va
cant lot on the next street tell of a premature
game in progress and convey their warning that
spring is hero. And we instinctively smile, throw "
our shoulders back, drink in deep draughts of tho
invigorating air and hustle home to read the pa
pers and ascertain if the manager of tho local
team hassigned any "crackorjacks" since yester
day. There is something wrong about the mind
or the digestion of the American who is not inv - '
patient to sec the mayor pitch the .first ball across
the home plate, and add his voice to tho cheers
that are calculated to pull the home team to vie- '
tory. It is a great game, and we hope it will ever"
be kept as clean and as manly as It has been ih
the years that arc past.
OOOO
SENATOR CARMACK
Senator Carmack, whose terra of service as a
senator of the United States ended on March 4,
conferred a distinct favor upon the people, and re
flected credit upon "himself and his state by cele
brating the close of his official life with a defeat
of the ship subsidy bill. Of course the people who
hope to profit at public expense by the enactment
Into law of the proposed bill will be loud in their
denunciations of the methods adopted to defeat
the measure. That is to be expected. But the peo
ple who will profit by Senator Carmack's good
work will remember him with gratitude. It was
a distinct service to the people and Senator Car
mack is entitled to their thanks.
OOOO
"MEN OF GENIUS"
When the AJdrich currency bill was discussed
in the senate Mr. Nelson, republican of Minne-sota,
urged an amendment providing that national
banks receiving government deposits .of moncv
should pay two per cent interest upon them. The
amendment failed and afterward the house whs
appealed to not to pass the measure without the
Nelson proviso. Tho house refused to. heed the
warning. The Cincinnati Enquirer says- '
"The question of interest is one of tho'
many complications that always come about
when congress iindertakos financial legisla
tion. Members of the house have been warned
that unless they insist upon interest they can
make no explanation that will satisfy their
constituents, and they will be doomed to lives
of privacy. Jt is a fact, though, that any- '
body can comment on in terms to suit him
self, that many congressmen have failed to '
act on such advice, and have escaped popular
damnation. Senator Spooner says that 'the
object of depositing money in banks is not
to secure interest thereon, but to get the
money in circulation among the people.' And '
is not Senator Spooner a wise and grave man
whose heart-strings are ever at a tension for
the rights of the people? Only untutored
financiers insist that inasmuch as the banks
will charge interest for circulating the money "
among the people, the government ought to be
allowed a share of the proceeds. Mr. Nelson '
may be wrong. The bankers get together oc- '
casionally and hold very Interesting conven-
tions. They make plans that find high favor
in the minds of department officials and sen- -ators
and representatives. Perhaps some-
thing is due them for volunteering their genius
The difficulty is in getting a uniform line of
thought."
The American people have already paid con
siderable for tho "genius" of the bankers We
began by giving to tho bankers the privilege of
issuing notes to tho amount of ninety per cent of
the par value of United States bonds which each
bank might deposit with the treasury. Then at ihe
.urgent solicitation of these "men of genius" we
extended their privileges so that they might Isi
such notes one hundred cants for every dollar in
bonds deposited. Under this arrangement ihS
bank may draw interest from the government
upon tho bonds deposited, while from its patrons
It draws interest on the bank notes loaned to
them. LJ
Knowing the disposition of men to take -hi
vantage of. power it was provided that sa.oobooi)
was tho largest amount of notes which the bani
crs could retire during any one month. Now Uie
"men of genius" have so tugged away at h
heartstrings of our sensitive lawmakers that tliev
have obtained-through the Aldrich billthe nrlv-
Siffintt8,50,00?'000'111 one month. The'
UOOO.OOO limit was placed In the law so as to
prevent these "men of genius' from contracting-
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