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The Commoner
5
orders to furnish lumber for the'lsthmus, one,
granted less than a month ago, amounting to
$184,000.
The Panama Lumber and Trading compaay,
another corporation in which Mr. "Wight has
an interest, was also in the business of pply
tag lumber for the canal. The same is true of
the P. B. Williams Cypress company, which is
lso known as tho F. B. WilliamV Lumber com
pany. The H. M. Elliott company, another con
cern in which Wight has an Interest, are for
warding agents. All are interested in govern
ment contracts to the extent of millions pf
dollars.
The political enemies of Wight and Wil
liams believe they .are the central figures in
many of tho lumber companies up-state and that
they are using' the political power placed in
their hands by the administration to further
their financial Interests.
There is a combination among tho lumber
men of Louisiana and Mississippi which, in the
opinion of a committee of the legislature of
Mississippi, constitutes a violation of the anti
trust statute. The question as to whether . it
does has been presented to the department of
justice, but the papers are all in a pigeon hole
accumulating dust. Wight and Williams were
prominent in this combination.
The lumber interests of Mississippi are in
as close communion with the federal machinery
as in Louisiana. There is timber on government
lands in Louisiana and that timber is being cut
for lumber companies that the Mississippi legis
lative committee declares to be violating tho
anti-trust statute. Every sawmill on govern
ment lands cutting timber is supposed to be in
spected by agents of the government. Until
a comparatively short time ago these Inspectors
were -"futed regardless of the classified civil
has coerced -They were recommended by the
politicians.
InNew Orleans, the Whitn,ey,r,Centrai Na
tional bank is a government depository. Wight
and Williams are vice presidents. The bank
receives internal revenue collections amounting
to more than $5,000,000 annually, and the aver
age balance is large enough to yield the bank
from $50,000 to $100,000 a year. Under the
new law it may also receive the customs re
ceipts,, which, hitherto, were deposited in tho
sUb-treasury at New Orleans.
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: YERKES IS MAD
An echo of the republican national conven
tion is found in the following from the Washing
ton correspondent for the Houston, Texas, Post:
"John W. Yerkes, who controls Kentucky
republicans, lost his job as commissioner general
of internal revenue because he is a Fairbanks
man and in putting him out the administration
has sought to save the influence of John G.
Capers of South Carolina by letting him in the
place pro tempore, while Pearl Wight of New
Orleans is shaping his business affairs so that
he. can accept It. The administration is hard.:
hit along the entire line. In attempting to de
liver his job to Taft Roosevelt has met new
obstacles every day and the Kentucky anti-Taft
demonstration yesterday was a blow. Yerkes ac
complished it, however, because he" manipulated
the convention. He has been a Fairbanks man
all the time and it was because he is for the
Indiana icicle that he was booted out of office.
"Mr. Yerkes announced his resignation
from office the middle of April. No explana
tions Were given and politicians -were surprised
by the alacrity with which the president accept
ed it, .and tendered the place to Pearl Wight
of. New Orleans.
"Now, the politicians are talking about al
leged friction between Mr. Yerkes and the ad
ministration. He did not fall in with the ad
ministration plans for the entailing of the pres
idential nomination, whereupon he fell out with
the administration, so it is alleged.
. "Just prior to the convention Mr. Yerkes
had the misfortune to stumble down stairs in
a Cincinnati hotel and did not figure in the con
vention, but it is said that his Influence was felt
as .completely as if he had taken an active part
in the convention,"
WATTERSON AND REPUBLICANS
It seems that the talented editor of the
Louisville Courier-Journal is taking considerable
Interest also in the republican nomination. The
Washington correspondent for the Houston,
Texas, Post says;1.
." "A thing that has within the last few days
come to dampen the hopes ot the Roosevelt peo
ple is the possible candidacy of Hughes? now
governor of New York. While Hughes is more
Independent pf party leaders and party manipii-
WHAT IS A DEMOCRAT?
Referring to Mr. Bryan's letter to the New
York World, the Springfield, Mass., Republican
says: "We might add that if the World over
succeeds in defining a democrat It should open
its columns to the question, 'What is a repub
lican?' For since Roosevelt has occupied tho
center of the stage, republicanism has come to
mean a new and different thing, and hence it is
that the republican party now has its 'Roosevelt
republicans' and its 'reactionaries.' "
Other newspaper comments follow:
Philadelphia Press (rep.): Boiled down,
Colonel Bryan's definition of a domocrat seems
to be that a democrat is a democrat when ho Is
a democrat, but not at any other time.
New York Tribune (rep.): Mr. Bryan
seems to think that Danton and Robespierre
were the original democrats. At any rate ho
favors adopting for present day purposes their
ancient slogan: "Les aristocrates a la lanterno!"
Boston Herald: In the technical party
sense President Roosevelt and Governor Hughes
are, of course, not democrats. But In tho
"broader sense," as believing in the rule of
the people and desiring to make the govern
ment an instrument in the hands of tho people
to carry out their will, are not these republican
executives as thoroughly democratic as Mr.
Bryan himself?
New York Sun: In point of fact, it is as
difficult to define a democrat as it is to define
a republican. A republican at the present time
might roughly be defined as a descendant of tho
followers of Lincoln who has appropriated nearly
all tho doctrines of W. J. Bryan. He might also
be defined, from the high tariff and trust stand
point, as one who believes in the greatest good
to the smallest number. But while there is
difficulty in giving a satisfactory definition of a
republican, there Ib none as to tho real thing
when it comes to practical action. Nobody dis
cusses, "What is a republican?" because, while
the party may wear Joseph's coat of many colors,
there is practically but one homogeneous body
underneath it, animated by the same spirit and
the same aims. When the republican party gets
fo discussing "What Is a republican?" the demo
cratic party can sit up and take fresh hopp.
George H. Lacey of Southern Pines, N. C,
writes to the World this: "To the mind of the
ordinary layman Mr. Bryan's answer to tho ques
tion, 'What Is a democrat?' is comprehensive,
truthful and exhaustive, but you say, 'We do
not find his answer either clear, complete or
conclusive.' You further say, 'No stranger to
American politics could determine from it the
essential differences between a democrat and a
republican in the year 1907, and an answer that
does not define those differences is not an answer
to the World's question.' I am aware the World
has been assailed as being no longer a demo
cratic paper; that it was not in harmony with
and did not voice the principles of the demo
cratic party or of true democracy,- and thereupon
started iho query, 'What is a democrat?' I note
your period of limitation to tho year of 1M7,
and infer from that that your concoptlon of tho
policies of tho party in power and the public
utterances of Prcsidont Roosovolt to be eseeor
tially democratic in prlnciplo and in puritoso,
and that through tho logic of events tho repub
lican party has so far absorbed tho leaven of
democracy as to leave no ground for separate
and individual party action. But Is this truo?"
The World prints from a reader, who writes
under date of New York, Juno 20, and signs
"W," tho following: "In your comments on
Mr. Bryan's reply to your oft-asked question,
'What is a democrat?' you seem now to have
taken a different tack ontiroly. You say 'No
stranger to American politics could dotormino
from it (his reply) tho essential dlfforonco be
tween a domocrat and a republican in tho year
of 1907, and an answor that docs not define
those differences is not an answer to. tho World's
question.' Mr. Bryan has answered fully and
plainly your question, 'What is a domocrat?'
to the satisfaction, I hopo, of tho millions of
democrats in the country. If tho head of the
republican party sees fit to adopt nearly all the
principles of democracy, how can Mr. Bryan or
any other domocrat prevent? Mr. Bryan was
not asked to doflno tho difforenco between the
democratic party and tho ropublican party, or
the populist or tho socialist or the prohibition
party, but was asked" 'What is a domocrat?'
That, I repeat, he. has answered In a very sat
isfactory manner. You seem to have got much
the worst of it."
E. J. Shrivor of New York, writes to the
World to say: "Tho World is ontiroly too
modest. Since all of its readers scorn to be too
stupid to give tho correct answer to your ques
tion 'What is a democrat?' you certainly ought
to overcome your characteristic diffidence and
enlighten the public on that point. It should
bo perfectly clear, of course, that a democrat
is one who accepts with unquestioning faith tho
doctrines laid down in your columns eithor edi
torially or as hews. A Tammany man can not
. bo.' a democrat, because all of tho Tammany
leaders have in tho most extraordinary way
failed to follow your instructions or oven to
keep you Informed of their intentions In ad
vance. A Roosevelt republican might easily
bo a democrat, at least so long as you are run
ning Roosevelt as your personal candidate for a
third term. No one who believes in tho public
owning its own highways or other essentially
public utilities can bo a democrat, because you
have condemned this as socialistic, but it is entirely-
democratic to accept that most socialistic
and inequitable of all taxes, the incomo tax,
since you have repeatedly instructed national
conventions to place it in their platforms. Tho
rule for democracy, in short, is quite simple
to read the World with humility of mind and
abide by its precepts."
lators than the leaders think he should be,
they realize they have just such a man In Roose
velt and the Roosevelt enemies are turning to
Hughes for a diamond cut diamond campaign.
The New York Sun will Saturday morning pub
lish a special from Albany outlining a movement
of the anti-administration forces to put forward
Governor Hughes as a presidential possibility.
Simultaneous with this Hughes movement is an
interview by Colonel . Henry Watterson of tho
Louisville Courier-Journal, who says:
" 'In my opinion, Governor Hughes of New
York is the most available man that the repub
licans can nominate for president, and the trend
is-certainly all toward him now. Probably two
thirds of the delegates will go to the convention
instructed for favorite Bons, but after a few bal
lots there will be a concentration of effort, and
the choice will fall on "Governor Hughes. I
'like Fairbanks, would be glad to see him nom
inated, but I do not think he or any one else
now actively before the people stands any chance
of being nominated.' "
ALLITERATIVE
"Ypn crowd is rooting for Root."
. jvu. V"" w.,.u. v. v.vof
"Knocking
Herald!
for Knox
it
Washington
. -""
"And yon. other multitude of noisy ones?"
'-Pshawing for Shaw." . . - T '
THE WAY TO SHADOWTOWN
Sway to and fro in the twilight gray!
. This Is the ferry for Shadowtown,
It sails away at tho end pf the day,
Just as the darkness closes down. " ,
Rest, little hand, on my shoulder so; '
A sleepy kiss is tho only fare,
Drifting away from the world, we go,
Baby and I in the rocking chair.
See, where the firelogs glow and spark,
Glitter the lights of Shadowland,
The raining drops on the window hark.
Are ripples lapping upon its strand.
There where a mirror Is glancing dim,
A lake lies shimmering, cool and still;.
Blossoms are wavering o'er its brim !
Those over there on the window sill.
Rock slow, more slow, in the dusky light,
'Silently lower the anchor down,
Dear little passenger, say "Good night,"
We've reached the harbor of Shadowtown.
y - Eugene Field. '
xxx
. ' . -.The administration organ that complains
,61 "lack of republican leadership" in Oklahoma
t is' 'looking through the wrong end of tho glass.
', Lack of republican following is what Is hurting
' theg. o. p. system in Oklahoma.
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