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'AU,GUST, 16, 1007 -
The Commoner;
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mntil ,they saw fchneated a peer. -I am deter
mined to keep on demanding the appointing of ,
a parliamentary committee to investigate this
Bale and purchase of titles. You ask on what
evidence I would proceed before such a commit
tee should be granted. I would summon before
it Mr. Balfour and the chief tory whip, and
ask them to produce the books of the tbry cam
paign fund at the last elections. I would sum
mon witnesses from the banks where these funds
were kept. I would put the new peers them
selves under oath in the witness box, and would
order them to produce their bank passbooks.
By this chain of testimony the transit and pass
age of any money paid for titles would soon bo
traced. "When I committed a breach of privi
lege in the house of commons the other day
by making the charges that titles are being sold
it was I who demanded an inquiry, and it was
the present government and Mr. Balfour who
combined to refuse it. A few days ago I handed
in a notice of question to the prime minister
asking on what ground one Enrico Caruso, a
tenor, was gazetted a member of the Victorian
order of the fifth class, and whether he is the
same Enrico Caruso who was convicted of an in
decent offense in New York, a conviction up
held on appeal. But the question was ruled
out of order. However, I am not to be put
off by obstacles of that kind. When, at the next
session, I bring forward a motion for inquiry
into the title traffic as a whole, I will be sup
ported by a considerable body of radicals, as well
as the entire Irish and labor parties. If we
could only get. a debate, to refuse an inquiry
would be difficult, if not impossible, in the face
of the way in which we could formulate our de
mand. No, the mopey power is not so rampant
in politics here as in Amreica, but still money
plays a part far too large and debasing in our
political life. I am attacking one of the worst
activities of this power and I intend to go
through with the attack at whaever risk."
O
ASTRONOMY, SO far as the fixed stars are
concerned, has, according to a writer in
the Philadelphia Press, been "revolutionized by
a "discovery as momentous with regard to them
as was the Copernican discovery of the earth's
motion around the sun. The Press writer says:
"The stars have from the beginning been held
to be one great system. Of late, it has been
known that the sun was moving through them
towards a point in the heavens which early in
these summer nights lies to the upper north
west of the starry firmament on high. Professor
J. C. Kapteyn, a German astronomer, ha by a
recent discovery changed all existing knowledge
on the fixed stars. He finds that they make
two greats treams, flowing through and across
each other. Through the delicate measurements
of the spectroscope and other observations, Pro
fessor Kapteyn has proved of 2,G00 visible stars
that they are all in motion, all part of two cur
rents of motion -and all going in one direction or
the other. If one stands facing the North Pole
at midnight the stars now visible about it, near
ly to the zenith, are either moving horizontally
to the left or diagonally to the right. No more
stupendous change in astronomical thought has
appeared in long years. 'An explanation Is still
needed, but the stars which in human .history
have not altered their relative place are now
known to be moving in two great armies, chang
ing place as surely .as the inconstant moon. The
sun's apparent motion is merely relative. Some
great cause sweeps it and all stars on their vast
paths, now first discovered."
AUGUSTUS ST. GAUDENS, the great Amer
ican sculptor, is dead. Referring to this
artist the New Orleans Times-Democrat said:
"Speaking of St. Gaudens and his work, an art
ist recently expressed this sentiment: 'I believe
that St. Gaudens has risen to that plane in his
artistic growth where he is no .longer working
for the present, but for future generations, for
all time. Even now I think he realizes that he
is one of those colossal figures in art whose
slightest effort will live and, such being the case,
nothing must be left incomplete.' Years ago
St. Gaudens' fame was such that fortune fol
lowed in a flood, and only the most Important
commissions could hope to find acceptance at
his hands, but at a time when a lesser man might
have turned to even greater profit his enormous
reputation, St. Gaudens grew more and more
severe in his self restraint that nothing unworthy
should leave his studio, nothing that could not
withstand the end of time and changing fashion.
Standing quite alone at the head of American
sculpture, surpassing even such men as French
and Macmonnies, he held a place in America
corresponding to that of Rodin In Franco, and
it is with the great Frenchman that St. Gaudens'
name is most frequently coupled in ominonco,
although there was no similarity in. their styles,
each being supremo in his own way. Of St.
Gaudens' work, tho most widely known are his
'Puritan,' his Sherman, hlB Shaw monument at
BoBton and that masterpiece of has relief, tho
memorial tablet of Robert Louis Stevenson, al
though to name tho works from his hand that
proclaim him a master would require much timp
and space. Of all, tho 'Puritan' Is perhaps tho
greatest piece of statuary on tho Amorican con
tinent in its bold strength, superb character,
dignity and restrained simplicity of treatment
There is in the 'Sherman' a feeling of move
ment that gives a living quality to tho group,
and for, pure design and line rhythm there Is
nothingto surpass the Stevenson tablet that is
finality in the portraiture of the beloved, over
cheerful Invalid, author of 'Kidnapped' and tho
'Master of Ballantrae.' In another style, that
of pure emotion, St. Gaudens' genius never rose
higher than in the simple figure 'Grief,' erected
over a tomb in a Washington cemetery."
IN ACCORDANCE with a bill passed by c.on
gress in 1902 the Philippine legislative elec
tion was held July 30, 1907. It was provided
in this bill that tho upper house of this legis
lature should be the commission appointed by
the president of the United States. This upper
house or commission has power with the governor-general
to veto the acts of the lower house.
Registration for this election was, according
to Manila dispatches, "disappointingly small"
and on election day many of the educated citi
zens did not vote. Referring to this election tho
Boston Herald says: "The first and only par
tial returns indicate that sentiment favoring in
dependence has not waned with the prolongation
of our stay, and that the nationalist party which
favors independence as a large majority over
the progressists who would willingly wait until
Uncle Sam is ready to grant independence,' and
who confined their constructive program to urg
ing good roads, re-adjustment of the tariff, dif
fused education and thoroughgoing sanitary pro
jects. Not with these can the radical Filipino's
aspirations for liberty be suppressed, if the first
returns are a guide to tho outcome throughout
the archipelago. Notwithstanding the assembly
will meet aware that on all vital matters it is
subject to check and defeat by non-native offi
cials who stand for a government that won its
title by the sword, we expect the assembly to
serve an excellent end in making the future his
tory of the islands. It will provide a vent, If
nothing else, for voicing the real opinion of the
people, and honest opinion, whether uttered in
formal resolutions or in debate,-never fails to
affect the course of history, ultimately, if not
immediately. No governor-general and board of
commissioners, with this lower house in session,
can act as arbitrarily as they might be tempted
to were there no system of native representa
tion. On the other hand, agitators like Dr.
Gomez, who find their way into place as law
makers, will be sobered by their duties and their
responsibilities. The assembly's recommenda
tions may be ignored for a time, but it can not
be dissolved like the Russian duma, and news
of its deliberations and of its legislation will
find, its way to this country and affect public
opinion here. In practical politics and in state
craft 'half a loaf is better than no bread,' and
it is true In this case whether viewed from the
Filipinos' standpoint or from our own."
THE WASHINGTON correspondent for the
New York Commercial recently said: "Sen
ator Aldrich, of Rhode Island, chairman
of the senate finance committee, and Senator
Allison, of Iowa, tho ranking republican mem
ber of the same committee, believe there should
be a revision of the Dingley law between now
and the fall of 1908." Commenting upon this
the New York World says: "Senator Allison
has for years borne the reputation of a man
who knows how the cat isgoing to jump be
fore announcing hisopinion on that point. Sen
ator Aldrich has been considered the especial
guardian of protected Interests in the senate.
Senator Allison, this informant proceeds, 'is
known to have said within Ihe last three months
that it would be very unwise for the
republican party to go to the polls in a national
election without having first amended the tariff
law.' Mr. Aldrich is credited with the thought
that the time is ripe for the passage of a maxi
mum and v minimum tariff law in a word, for
reciprocity. He is said' to believe that' a tariff'
can not be so framed' as not to xieed amend-
ment within six or eight years .TJio DIngtay
law has alroady tatfod our pallcnco for t ten.
Possibly Senator Hopkins, of Illinois, who caiiio
away from Oyster Bay a fortnight ago flaying
that thcro would bo no tariff legislation at tho
coming session of congress, may yet have to
change his mind. Sonator Allison's position, if
uncontradicted, means tho complcto triumph in
Iowa of tho Cummins faction over the Shaw
standpatters. Senator Aldrlch's can only moan
that the Massachusetts republican movement for
tariff reform is spreading throughout New Eng
land. Ohio republicans at the recent mooting
of the RjLnto central committee gave convincing
proof that in their eyes the tariff no longer
a fetish to bo feared when they indomed Mr.
Taft for tho presidency and disregarded Sen
ator Foraker's solemn warning agaliiHt that ablo
secretary on account of his attitude in favor of
revision. Speaker Cannon naturally agreos with
Senator Hopkins and with Senator Forakor. As
chief of the standpatters, Is ho not, howovor, bo
coming rather uneasy at the constant defection
of promlnont and powerful republicans from tho
Dingley standard? Standing pat may yet mean
dying in the last ditch, end soonor than do that
a prudent general changes his base."
JN ARKANSAS tho railroad lawyers anticipated
the state authorities. Tho Rock Island rail
road secured from Federal Judge Vandeventor
an injunction restraining tho stato authorities
from anulling the Rock Island's Arkansas char
ter. A Little Rock dispatch says: "Attorney
General Kirby issued a statement saying: 'In
bringing this suit for an Injunction against the
secretary ihe Rock Island violated openly and
deliberately the provisions of the statute pro
hibiting the removal of or the bringing of suits
in the federal courts without the consent of the
party sued, and it is such, a case as requires tho
secretary of stato to revoke their license.' Sec
retary McUaney has not yet received official
notice of Judge Vandevonter's Injunction; never
theless, he says, he would certainly bo In con
tempt If he annulled the road's charter. Ho
says he did not call on Kirby for an opinion, and
he would never do so unless legal points wert
involved, lie says he doesn't want to,(fKo'Co
jail."
CHARLES S. II ART WELL of Brooklyn, writ
ing to the New York Press, gives the rail
road managers something to think about when
he says: "The railroads are uniting to contest
the two-cents-a-mile rate laws enacted In ten
states! Well, why not? It is stated thajr they
can not afford to carry passengers for two cents
a mile across the wildernesses. But Is it fair
for the railroads to fight physical valuation at
the same time? Let them decide which they
object to more, but not object to both at once,
unless they mean to take the position that the
people are not concerned in what they do. Of
the two methods of regulation, it seems to me
Senator LaFollctte's valuation plan is the better.'
Having learned just how much has been invest
ed in the railroads of any state, or all the states,
a fair and liberal percentage can be permitted,
to cover not only wear and tear and new equip
ment, but alsoreal profits In the form of inter
est and dividends to stockholders. Is then
the general passage of these two-cent rate laws
meant by the legislatures to operate as pres
sure to secure physical valuations? In at least
three states the valuations havo been made and
railroads' are paying their share of taxes. Why
do the railroads not combine to seek a full and
just appraisal of their values and then such
variation in rates as will permit them to run
through wilderness and still pay dividends? It
seems to'me that careful valuations of separate
public utilities, whether gas plants or railroads,
form a much more reasonable basis for fair
dealing between the people and the stockhold
ers than arbitrary maximum rates which do" not
follow any economic laws."
INFORMATION WANTED
On January 3, 1907, Carl Richard Thomas
disappeared from his home at York, Pa. Carl
was fifteen years old, five feet eight Inches high,
weight 135 pounds, complexion fair, eyes gray
ish blue. Although Carl Is almost a man in
stature he Is but a child In years and experience
and his parents are greatly distressed.
Five years ago these parents lost a son
through drowning and the missing boy they now
so anxiously seek is their only remaining child.
It is believed that this lad went west and
western papers are asked by the grief stricken
parents to reproduce this notice.
Any information concerning this boy will
-be gratefully received by. Luther L. Thomas,
1022 North-Duke street, York, Pa.
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