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!LPItIL 10. 1007
The Commoner
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Georgia charging more than just and reasonable"
rates for the transportation of freight and pas
sengers." " '
"The method .heretofore adopted for carrying
out tills command has been through the instru
mentality of a railroad commission. This com
mission is charged with the duty of securing for
the people of the state reasonable and just freight .
and passenger rates."
'It stands as the machinery provided by law
to protect the .public against oppression by die
transportation companies. If the members of the
commission do not discharge the duty imposed
upon them, they fail to protect the interests of
the public, and should resign or be removed.
Their reasons arc Immaterial. ..Personal consid
erations cannot he admitted. The public welfare
must not wait on formality. The people of Geor
gia are entitled to just rates from the carriers,
and no rates can be just that are higher than the
rates granted to people in surrounding states un
der similar conditions."
"We demand an immediate leveling of inter
state rates to the basis of yielding no more than
a reasonable return upon the money invested; atul
the abolishment of all discriminations against the
people of this state, in favor of the people of other
states "
"We demand that the railroad commission of
Georgia shall tako immediate action upon these
important matters, so as to place the shippers
and consumers of this' state upon an equal footing
with their competitors elsewhere."
"We condemn these excessive and discrimin
ating port rates as unjust, and we demand the
immediate righting of those wrongs by the rail
road commission. If the commission fails to carry
out our demands, we call upon the executive and
legislative departments of the government to use
their utmost' authority to bring about a proper
reduction of rates to and from the ports to the
interior, as well as rates within the state."
"We favor increasing the powers of the com
mission to such an extent that it can enforce its
orders by suitable, swift and certain procedure.
We also favor the enactment of such laws as
will make the willful refusal of railroad corpora
tions or any of their agents to obey the orders of
the commission a penal offense, to be punished by
fine or imprisonment, or both." t
- It will be noticed that the platform says: "No
man. can) serve two masters with equal fidelity
to both; Those men who elect to represent spe
cial interests and owe their first fealty to them,
do not deserve, and ought not to hold, party posi
tions of dignity, influence and power. The party
machinery and the government, state and na
tional, should be completely purged of'"such men."
This platform Avas adopted at Macon, Ga., on
September 4 of last year. It was the same day,
September 4, that Mr. Bryan in a speech before
the Jefferson club at Chicago presented the same
doctrine and pointed out that men who, like Mr.
Sullivan, the democratic national committeeman
from Illinois, represent corporate interests,
could not faithfully represent the people also. It
would seem, therefore, that Mr. Bryan was entire
ly in harmony with the democracy of Georgia in
what he said on this subject, and if it will not
offend the Wall street organs, it is here predicted
that when the democrats of the nation have a
chance to express themselves on this subject, they
will be found to agree. It will be found that they
also recognize the Bible doctrine that no man can
serve two masters. The Georgia democracy is
conservative in the sense that it would remedy
existing abuses by the application of old time
principles, but it is 'not conservative in the sense
in wliich the Wall' street papers use the term.
The southern democrats are democratic, and any
attempt to misrepresent their sincere devotion
to a positive and aggressive democratic doctrine
will be rebuked when they have a chance to spealc
through their primaries. ,
A GOOD PLATFORM
Ex-Congressman Stephenson of Wisconsin has
announced himself as a candidate for the United
States senate on the following platform:
1. Prompt and thorough revision of all tariff
schedules, reducing duties wherever possible with
out reducing wages of labor.
2. Strengthening the interstate commerce law,
giving the commission full power to regulate
rates and services.
3. Legislation authorizing and equipping the
interstate commerce commission to ascertain the
true value of railway property, the cost of oper
ating the rallwaysand the, amount paid therefor.
4. Legislation requiring the adoption of the
best .known safety appliances and prescribing
strict regulations in the operations of .trains In
connection therewith. . ..:,
5. Strengthening the. Sherman anti-trust law
and imposing such additional penalties as wjll
deter property interests from combining in viola
tion thereof.
0. A constitutional amendment for the election
of United States senators by direct vote of the
people.-
7. A federal tax upon incomes.
8. A federal tax upon inheritance, the saino
not to interfere with the taxation of Inheritances
under the Wisconsin state law.
0. An effective child labor law.
10. Legislation prohibiting the sale or entry
of any public lands containing coal, lignite, oil
or gas, aud providing that the government should
retain its title and lease such lands under terms
which will enable the government to prevent com
bination and maintain reasonable prices.
11. I am opposed to ship subsidy and to all
other forms of direct government bounty. It is
wrong In principle and increases the danger of
special privilege, already a menace to a govern
ment of equal rights for all.
12. I am a republican and shall expect to act
with my party generally on all matters of public
policy, reserving to myself the right to vote my
conscientious judgment at all times. I shall con
tinue to aid loyally the cause of reform in Wis
consin, the beneflcient results of which the people '
of tills commonwealth now freely acknowledge.
That is a pretty good platform for a republi
can. Wonder how many planks of that platform
will find their way into the next republican na
tional platform? To understand the split In the
republican party between the reformers and the
standpatters, just read this Stephenson platform
and coinpareMt with the speeches of the big 're
publicans in the senate.
oooo
, .PRESIDENT DEFENDS SUBSIDY
President Roosevelt has written a. letter ad
dressed to Congressman Pollard of the First
Nebraska district, commending him for his
support of the ship subsidy bill. The president's let
ter to Mr. Pollard is evidently one of a number
of letters sentw.6 western members who supported
the ship subsidy, and it is evident that the presi
dent in this letter intended to state for publica
tion his reasons for favoring the ship subsidy.
It Is evident that he intends to bring this matter
up before congress again and therefore it is worth
while for the people to be considering the subject.
It is not likely that the bill can pass the house
of representatives at the next session because the
republican majority is only about half as large
In the present congress as in the last congress.
Even in the last congress forty-one republicans
voted against the ship subsidy when reduced to
its lowest figures, and if anything like that num
ber of republicans oppose the subsidy in the next
congress, It has no chance of passage. It must be
remembered also that these forty-one republicans
voted against the bill at the second session the
session held after the election when all of the
jobs are pushed to the front It might well bo
asked why the president did not urge tLis measure
during the long session when there was more
time for its consideration and when the people
could sit in judgment upon it at ,the election.
Instead of urgiug it then, the president waited
until after the election and then attempted to se
cure the passage of the bill. If he could not suc
cfced at a short session, he is hardly likely to
succeed when the members have before tliem the
fear of a coming election.
The president is in favor of closer communica
tion between North and South America. Very
good. So are all the people regardless of party,
but how can we cultivate more intimate relations
with South America? Can we do it by subsidizing
ships to bring South American products to our
port and then shut outthose products by a high
tariff wall? Thsre Is something absurd In all th's
talk of encouraging foreign commerce when we
deliberately exclude so many articles of commerce
from our markets by prohibitive tariffs.
It is also absurd to protect a few ship-builders
by laws wliich prohibit the purchase of foreign
ships and then tax the whole public to compensate
the ship-owners for the burdens placed upon them
in the interest of the ship-builders. ,
There are three objections to a snip subsidy,
first that it is unfair to the mass of the people
to single out a few steamship lines for favoritism
and to tax the rest of the people for the benefit
of 'these few; second because a subsidy once
granted, could not be withdrawn. If our ex
perience in tills matter was similar to our experi
ence in tariff matters, we would find it necessary
to" Increase the subsidy from time to time. It re
quires a higher tariff now to protect adult indus
tries which export in competition With the world
tliari we asked for the encouragement of these'
indiistries when infants; third the ship subsidy
plan is not the best plan of establishing more inrv
tlmate commercial relations with South America.
The Commoner suggested several years ago that
some of'tho money now being put Into warships
ought to be put into transports aud these trans
ports used In time of peace for the establishment
of desirable linos of traffic. If tho American peo
ple can afford to pay a subsidy to ship-owners
In order to establish lines of communication be
tween our coast and South America, they can
afford to establish these lines themselves and ifso
their own ships. They could cither operate these"
vessels themselves and use them for the training
of seamen as well as for tho promotion of com
merce, or they could lease tho vessels to ship com
panies on conditions that would establish the lines
where lines are wanted and limit the profits of
the company to a certain percentage. If tho gov
ernment establishes its own lines, Jho people get
what they pay for and tho lines can be suspended
whenever they are found unprofitable. If lines -are
subsidized the expense is likely to bo far in
excess of tho advantage, and It is difficult, if not
impossible, to withdraw tho support.
The president has gained, popularity by advo
cating certain democratic doctrines, but he has
gained no popularity by his advocacy of u ship
subsidy, which Is not only not democratic but i3
opposed by a very largo and respected element of
.the republican party. If the republican congress
men who voted against the ship subsidy represent
their constituents, It Is apparent that less than,
half of the members of the republican party favor
the ship subsidy.
The president's position on the ship subsidy Is
inconsistent with his position on the railroad ques
tion, on the trust question, and on the income tax,
and he will find that ho only weakens his power
to do good by his attempt to help a few ship
owners to reach their hands Into the public
treasury. .
OOOO
- ELECTION ECHOES
Treasurer Bliss of the republican national com
mittee still sits on the committee's books and
maintains a discreet siloncw. ,
Up to date, however, It has not been officially,
denied that Mr. Ilarrlman raised the $200,000 aud
saved New York to the g. o. p.
The gentemen who are so loudly insisting-that'
a five millidn dollar combine has bedn formed to
defeat President Roosevelt are the same gentle
men who grew so wroth when it was remarked
that a greater financial combine corrupted the elec
torate In 1800. Tho ownership of the ox continues
to cu a marked figure.
Mr. Perkins put it back and Mr. narriman
says ho contributed 950,000. This, too, after Mr.'
Roosevelt hotly denied the truth of Judge Parkcr'.i
statement. The republican national committee
got the money, and It came from just the sources
that Judge Parker pointed out. This is the inex
orable truth of history.
OOOO
DOLLAR FOR A DEAR HEART
She was ready for sleep as she lay on my arm , -
In her little frilled cap so fine, '
With her golden hair falling out at the edge,' '
Like a circle of noon sunshine; . -j
And I hummed the old tune of "Banbury Cross,"
And "Three Men Who Put Out to Sea," . -
When she sleepily said, as she closed her bluor
eyes: Ui
"Papa, what would you take for me?" ,!
And I answered, "A dollar, dear little heart'
And she slept, baby, weary with play,
But I held her warm In my love-strong arms,
And I rocked her, and rocked away,
Oh, the dollar meant all the world to me,
The land, the sea and the sky,
The lowest depth of the lowest place,
The highest of all that's high.
All the cities with streets and palaces,"
With their people and stores of art
I would not take for one low soft throb .
Of my little one's loving heart;
Nor nil the gold that was ever found
In- the busy wealth-finding past, '
Would I take for one smile of my darling's face,
Did I know it must be the last. t. ; v.. 4
So I rocked my baby, and rocked away,'' . uh'
And I felt such a sweet content, -.. . , ,
For the words of the song expressed more to ''me
Than they ever before had meant, w '
And the-night crept on, and I slept anddreamed1
Of tilings far loo gladsome to be, " ', "fu
And I waked with lips saying close to my ear,
"Papa, what would you take for me?"
Eugene Field;
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