t e
The Commoner.
MAROn 29, 1007
turn from the American people in loss of tlicJr
moral perceptions, in surrender of their manhood
and independence, and in denial to themselves of
their fundamental rights.
Nobody can imagine the devotion of the Rocke
feller millions to such a purpose as Mr. Sago has
outlined. Rockefeller money instinctively shrinks
from silch a mission as inquiry into conditions
causing poverty and distress. The money might
come back "With the message that the extortion of
the Rockefeller and allied monopolies was caus
ing a great deal of the suffering among the poor.
So we say the Sage gift may be accepted by
the American people with blessings to the good
woman who has given it, and without scrutinizing
too closely the methods by which it was acquired.
At least this much may be said again of the dead
millionaire, which we said in his lifetime, that
there was no hypocrisy about his gathering of
riches. He never protended to bo a public bene
factor, and he never sought to buy the good will
of the public with money gained by breaking the
laws both of God and man.
Mrs. Sage's money is all the greater boon to
mankind since it carries no obligations with it
and since it goes into a field little occupied. What
is the use of a Carnegie library in every town if
under its shadow a submerged tenth or a partly
submerged half of the community cannot got ite
head high enough out of the slough to enjoy the
opportunities for education which Mr. Carnegie's
bounty has provided? A man cannot concern him
self too much with the improvement of his mind
when the monopolies created by the Carnegies
keep him humping himself in order to liold body
and soul together.
The trouble with the Rockefeller and Carnegie
philanthrophy is that it busies itself too much
with the spiritual state of the foreign heathen and
the intellectual condition of the American masses,
but is not enough occupied with the problem of
keeping these American millions from starvation
or suicide. Therefore the Sage Foundation Is a
worthy enterprise, for which Mrs. Sage will be re
membered and blessed when the Rockefellers, in
spite of their great and glittering bribes, are re
called with curses on all their tribe.
oooo
THE DEMANDS OF LABOR
The Wall Street Journal, taking cognizance, of;
the general disposition on the part of labor to de
mand an increased share of the prosperity so often
lasted about, says: .. , - -,
".' , f'That labor is disposed to push to further
limits the advantage which it has gained in
the recent past is more or less certain. But
the condition of the money market, the state
of affairs in the railway world, and the re
trenchments which are under way in various
directions, ace likely to cause a halt in the
granting of advances in wages, or the increas
ing of expenses in any of the leading items
of outlay. The world of labor and its leaders
would do well to take into account the fact
that a change has come over the field of em
ployment since the beginning of the current
calendar year. Readjustment is necessary in
"financial, industrial, and commercial lines, be
fore any new , burdens of any considerable
moment can 'be assumed by those who are
responsible 1'or the management of these en
terprises. If therefore the temper of labor is
to force the issue of advanced wages it may
find that the public, which Is always in a posi
tion to throw its influence one way or another,
will rather be with the employer than with the
employe at a time when our prosperity de
mands patience, critical foresight, and the
highest degree of co-operation."
Is it wrong, or calculated to disturb business
Interests, for the wage earners of the country to
demand an increased share in the boundless pros
perity that has been enjoyed by the Harriman3,
the Hills, the Morgans, the Rockefellers, the Ry
ans and the whole run of insurance magnates.
Mr. Harriman pays $40,000,000 for a railroad, is
sues $100,000,000 in bonds to raise money for im
provements never made. Then as an individual
he buys from himself as manager of the railroad
these same bonds at Co cents on the dollar, and
then, as representative- of a big financial combine
buys as an investment for his company those
same bonds' from himself as an individual at 05
cents on the dollar. That is "good business," but
.when the eniploye of the looted railroad asks for
an advance In wage to meet the Tiigher cost of
living, that employees notified that he must go
slow because "readjustment is necessary in finan
cial, commercial and industrial lines."
Mr. Hill as owner of the Northern Pacific is
sues enough stock to buy the Burlington railroad,
guaranteeing to pay dividends on the stock at
double its original value. Then he proceeds to
charge rates' high enough to pay dividends on this
jratered stock, giving the investors, himself tho
largest, double interest on their original invest
ment. But when tho employes of the Hill rail
roads ask for an increased wage in order to meet
the increased expenses of a mere livelihood, the
Wall Street Journal and kindred organs notify the
employe that ho should not make such a demand
at this time when "readjustment is necessary in
financial, commercial and industrial lines."
Mr. Rockefeller, who has accumulated. wealth
beyond the dreams of avarice, announces through
tlie public press that he has given .$.30,000,000 to
the cause of education a gift so princely in its
size that the human mind can scarcely grasp it
and tho great journals of the day vie with one
another in commending the spirit of philanthropy
which prompted tho gift. But when the employes
of tho Standard Oil company and other corpora
tions owned and controlled by tho oil octupus,
ask for an increased wage that they may meet
the increased expense of living and not be forced
to depend upon the charity of men grown rlcii
from their toil, they are told that they must be
careful; that they must not insist upon an in
crease just now, when "readjustment is neces
sary in financial, commercial and industrial lines."
In tills matter of "readjustment" tho working
man who has nothing but the wage he has earned
insists that lie be recognized. Tho trouble with
former "readjustments" has been that the read
justee have got the money while the workingman
has got nothing but good advice and promises. Ho
has grown tired of a stationary wage while tho
corporations employing him have boon making
from 100 to 1,000 per cent on their investments.
Knowing that without him the corporations would
be helpless, he fools that ho is entirely within tho
bounds of reason when he asks a paltry wage in
crease of 10 or 15 per cent, and he is not likely
to be satisfied with any talk about the necessity
of "readjustment in financial, commercial and In
dustrial lines."
OOOO
SHOW IT TO YOUR NEIGHBOR
Charles W. Ncediiam, president of Georgq
Washington university, recently said that human
conduct does not attach to or mix In the coin and
that there is no such thing as tainted money. Re
ferring to Mr. Necdham's statement the New York
Press makes the statement so clear that every one
who objects to ihe Rockefeller subsidy should have
that statement to. show his doubting neighbor.
The Press says: .,' .
"This teacher of morals wants iis to consider
the term 'tainted money' in its literal sense. He
is blind to the fact, either because he cannot see
or because ho will not sec, that the wealth is ob
jected to not solely because it was immorally
gained: When wo say that Rockefeller hush money
is stained with Ihe blood and tears of the poor the
very literal Dr. Needham replies that a micro
scopic test does not corroborate our statement.
When he says that the commercial value of money
is not impaired by the manner in which it was
acquired lie reveals a sordid point of view, but
he does not meet jlho real issue involved in tho
question whether teachers of the American youth
and leaders of public opinion ought to take Rocke
feller's gifts. lie dodges it.
"What Dr. Neetlham does not or will not see
is that there is n difference between taking tainted
money which involves a return and tainted money
which puts the receiver under no obligation.
"A murderer may give his money anonymously
to a hospital, and if tho hospital trustees cannot
restore the plunder to its rightful owners it is
their duty to devote it to the purpose of relieving
suffering. Their act does not oblige them to in
dorse murder either by silence or approval.
"But when a notorious offender against the
laws of God and man, confronted by prosecution
for his crimes, gives tens of millions of dollars to
public purposes, and gets himself commended for
his philanthropy, the natural inference, and the
just inference, is that he expects a return first in
Immunity from criticism of his acts by those who
take his money, and second in' public toleration
of the crimes which made it possible for him to
offer the bribe.
"This distinction makes it possible to approve
on one hand the gift of $10,000,000 of Russell
Sage's profits from usury when Russell Sage Is
dead and the public's opinion of him will do him
no good, and when the gift involves no surrender
of the people's independence or grant of immunity
to a criminal, but on the other hand to condenm
a gift of $100,000,000 from John D. Rockefeller
which Is meant to muzzle preachers and college
presidents and stifle the general voice of public
censure for the crimes of monopolists."
The above is from a republican paper. Show
it to your republican neighbor and read it to the
next man who bases his defense of the Rocke
feller subsidy upon the theory that there is no
such thing as tainted money; i . '
Paragraphic Punches
In time Oklahoma may be known as "tho
American New Zealand." Sioux City Journal.
There never was an American boy who wanted
to be a mollycoddle in the Urst placeWashington
Star.
Mr. Roosevelt himself is a mollycoddle when It
comes to tackling tariff revision or Mayor Schmit.
Columbia State.
Tho director of the Naples aquarium says that
"fish hear and talk." Wo can't quite swallow that
till Grover Cleveland confirms it Chicago Post
Even the mere possibility of the railroads en
tering upon an era of good behavior is sulllciout
to cause a big slump In Wall street. Kansas City
Times.
If tho railroad managers continue to demon
strate the incapacity of the roads the government
will not accept them as a Christmas gift. Spring
field News.
Mr. John D. Rockefeller doubtless fails to see
the joke in the present situation, even If lie is an
honorary member of the American Press Humor
ists' Association. Birmingham News.
When Mr. Hanlman says: "Everybody hates
a successful man," he Is wrong. It is true, how
ovor, that there is a certain amount of prejudice
In this country against brigands. Kansas City
Star.
If the water which has been squeezed, out of
stock in New York could only be transferred to
the arid regions of. the west, the Irrigation prob
lem would be partially solved. Cedar Rapids Gazette.
. The Commoner with glee prints a list of things
tho 00th. congress- didn't do. What's the use of
doing iovcrytliing when we have hired a new coit-gress'-
at 'ah advance' In salary? Minneapolis
Journal.
The' Commoner asks: "Did anyone ever hear
of a secretary cf agriculture being taken to Wall
street at a handsome salary?" Why not? Wall
street is deeply interested In Irrigation. Minneap
olis Journal.
A scientist lias figured out that the human soul
has a definite weight, discernable by scales, and
he fixes It at from a half-ounce to an ounce. But
even that is probably too much for some souls.
Boise Capital News.
Washington's birthday orators poked fun at the
cherry tree story, which should have been left
with William Tell and the apple fable. Some his
toric fables are worth more than tons of facts that
can be proved up to the handle. Mexican Herald.
The labor union organizers, Mr. Commons and
Mr. Mahon, appear to be very reasonable and
tractable men; not in the least to bo dreaded.
They have performed a difficult task In a way to
command the respect of this community. Louis
ville Post.
It is said that a girl at the College of Industrial
Arts built a beautiful Easter "dream," the ma
terials for which cost only $1.05. Will not the leg
islature increase the capacity of that institution
by providing accommodations for 150,000 girls?
Houston Post.
The Washington Post believes the next con
gress will pass Ihe ship subsidy bill. We rather
believe it will. When It comes to taxing the many
for the benefit of the few, "the next congress" can
.generally be relied upon to continue busy. Co
lumbia State.
Somebody has figured out that while the profits
of trade between the nations of the world amount
to $2,400,000,000 a year it costs $3,000,000,000 a
year to maintain the military and naval strength.
of the trading nations. And the worst of It for.
Uncle. Sam is that his outlay seems to be largply ,
displayed in quarters of the world where he- gqta
little or no trade. Boston Herald.
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