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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1907)
fffiSIJPi v 8 The Commoner. VOLUME 7, 'NUMBER 36 a. i r. ijiC1.'!ii' '" 3tflbnW ' ' i iBiAf ai a. -- ft CURR6NT GOPICS I'Mva?, -Erw sh if Cf r"vX w ' 'La ui1.. -cm HERE IS AN interesting dispatch from Wash ington: "Two hundred and fifty-three thousand tons of coal, exclusive of that to be shipped in government colliers, will be required to gottho Atlantic battleship ileet to the Pacific coast and properly coal it at Mare Island, ac cording to th'e estimates made by the equipment bureau of the navy-department, which has called for proposals for supplying the necessary fuel. Of the aggregate 133,000 tons are semi-bituminous and the remainder Welsh coal. The former is to be shipped from Atlantic ports in vessols either in American or foreign register according to the terms." o JUSTICE BREWER of tho United States' su preme court, to whom application was made for a writ of supersedeas restraining the redis ricting of certain counties in Oklahoma, re served consideration of the application until the matter can bo brought before the supreme court when it meets next month. Speaking to a representative of the Associated Press, Justice Brewer said: "My action in deferring consider ation of tho application is due to two questions -which have arisen in my mind. One question 'is whether Mr. M. A. Noah of Woods county, Okla., who submitted tho petition to me, has tho right simply as a taxpayer and citizen to bring this suit. The other is whether this is not a political move and one Yhicll the court should -dedline to consider at all. My action will not affect the election, which will go on as the constitutional convontion provided, and the question of tho right of the convention to divide the counties will come before the supreme court." , - O THE CHICAGO American, says that President Roosevelt favored seating United States Senator Smoot, whose right to represent Utah in congress was contested on the ground that he really represented polygamy, 'in proof of Mr. Roosevelt's attitude the American repro duces from the Hamiltonian, the official organ of Chicago's Hamilton club, the following letter addressed to Senator Hopkins: "The White House, Washington, February 18, 1907. My Dear Senator Hopkins; Just a line to congratu late you upon your excellent speech upon the Smoot case. It is not my business, but it" is a pleasure to see a public servant show, under try ing circumstances, the courage, ability and sense of right that you have shown. "Sincerely yours, v Theodore Roosevelt." "The letter has never before been published," said Senator Hopkins, "but I received President Roosevelt's permission to give it out for use in the Hamiltonian's biog raphical sketch of myself by E. M. Burst." The American says: "Publication of the letter at this time is intended to halt the damage to the senator's renominatlon prospects by the cam paign 'of former United States Senator William E. Mason, who is touring the state, speaking nightly and making his strongest point on Hop kins' advocacy of 'Smoot and polygamy.' Re ports from downstate indicate that Mason is stir ring much feeling against Hopkins, especially in .the southern part of tho state." O - FORMER United. States Senator William V Allen, the man who, on a memorable occa- death to prevent the passage of bad republican measures; the big framed and big brained states man Of Madison,, is now the recognized and able champion of that unfortunate branch of the genus canlnus, known as "the tramp dog" a writer In the Omaha World-Herald says: "Sen ator Allen can not endure the sight of man or beast jumping onto the poor bedraggled half starved dog, and to lead the animal to slaughter is, in the eyes of the former senator and judce a heartless crime. So when it c,omos to a case of pinching necessity on the part of the home less and friendless dog, the animal knows whera to go. If there is nobody else to do it, Senator Allen pays tho tax. It is said he pays annual taxes on a score or more dogs in the course of ayear. and all tho rtnrQ OOQ Z .,. , l - . -- r--- w0u Bum ftWiUC Ul It, lor they flock to Allen for a little recognition when ever ho appears on the street. 'Senator Allen is tho humane society of Madison,' remarked John B. Donovan, editor of the Star-Mail, in Omaha a few days ago'. 'His love for the dumb beast equals that of Geprge T. Angell, president of the American Humane Educational society or Dr. George L. Miller, Every 'spring he pays tho dog tax on every ownerless cur in Madison and on any others that stray in during the year. City Marshal Kennedy tells as a joke that when ever he wants a piece of spending money he hunts around and finds an untagged dog, ties a rope around its neck and leads it down to Sen ator Allen's office. He then informs the senator that the only thing that will save the dog from execution will b6 the payment of the $1 tax prescribed by ordinance. This appeal always has the desired effect, for the senator will in variably go down into his pocket with one hand for the silver, while he pats the dog on the head with the other. Senator Allen's constant companion is 'Togo,' the most miserable looking mangy cur in town. Togo came to town two or three years ago and the senator saved . him from tho executioner by paying the tax. Some thing about the appearance of Togo probably because he was the ugliest dog that had ever appeared in Madison appealed to the senator and he concluded to give the dog a home. Since that timo the senator is never seen on the streets without Togo at his heels. And the senator not only has a warm spot in his heart for dogs, but for everything in the brute creation. A few days ago a Dago with a bear made his appear ance in our town. Bruin did something to dis please his master, whereupon he dealt the brute a vicious blow on the snout with a big club he carried. He was just in the act of striking the bear again when Senator Allen jumped in and caught the fellow by the throat. The senator told the Italian if he abused bruin any more he would have him put in jail. The fellow grumbled a little, but it was noticed that he did not abuse the bear any more while he remained in Madison.' " O PROFESSOR Charles Zueblin, sociologist of the University of Chicago, declares that the industries built by Rockefeller, Morgan and Harriman will result in the reign of socialism. Professor .Zueblin made this statement in a lec ture delivered at the university. He said: "Tho real' friends of socialism today are Rockefeller, Morgan and Harriman, men who are organizing great international industries. Eventually it will be a comparatively easy matter for the gov ernment to take these industries over. The so cialistic zealots are enemies to their creed, as compared with these men. The man who con ceives his mission to be to get up whenever op portunity offers and say that socialism is the only thing that will save society is retarding evolutionary socialism. The people who are trying to be altruistic, trying to accept a modi fied new society, are the ones who are. forcing us into new lines of thought, and- not the people who get up with their shibboleth and hope by saying a few mystic words to steer the masses who have not thought the thing out. When the Standard Oil company had imposed on it a great fine the other day it was following popular drift when its defense was that 'everybody does it ' This is the defense for all kinds of business chic anery. Many business men have made the same defense for Banker Walsh, who happened to bo caught, although it was maintained that 'all the other bankers were doing the same thing.' This defense is one of the results of economic orthodoxy." THE FIGHT in Cleveland will, It Is said, be of more than ordinary interest. A Cleve land, Ohio, dispatch to the Chicago Record Herald says: "The contest between Mayor Tom L. Johnson and Congressman Theodore E. Bur ton as the democrat and republican nominees re spectively, for mayor of Cleveland, promises to be the most exciting political event in the his tory of this city, not excepting campaigns some years ago, in which the late Senator Hanna was the central figure. Tho indorsement of Mr Burton's candidacy by Theodore Roosevelt and Secretary of War Taft, it is said, may be fol lowed by speeches here by both later on in the campaign. The president is td start from Cleve land with the inland water ways commission on its tour of inspection and investigation of the great lakes and .the Mississippi river, and repub lican leaders believe that while here he may be induced to make a speech urging Burton's election. Cleveland is regarded as a normally republican city by from 7,000 to 10,000 ma jority in national elections, and up to the ad vent of Mayor Johnson six years ago the repub licans had ruled the city and county for years with the exception of isolated cases, such as the election of Mayor Farley, following the defeat of the McKisson administration and the rehab ilitation of the faction led by Senator Hanna. In the last two campaigns made by Johnson ho succeeded in increasing the plurality which he gained fn, his first ejection six years-ago, and in his last race, which was two years ago, he piled up a plurality of nearly 12,000. The county as well as the city administration has, as a result of the Johnson leadership, become pearly solidly democratic. , In selecting Mr. Burton to oppose Mayor Johnson the democratic leaders admit that the republicans have put forward their strongest man and, while they claim Johnson will win, they concede that the' race will be close. It was Burton who defeated Johnson after the latter had served two terms in con gress, having been previously elected as a demo crat in a district which was largely republican. Since that campaign 'Mr. Burton has continued to represent the district in congress, and has been returned biennially without opposition in his own party and either unopposed by the demo crats or with only perfunctory opposition. Mr. Burton's political managers assert that his prob able candidacy for the seat of Senator Foraker is no way affected by his race for mayor, what ever the result of the election in November may be, and that he will retain his seat in congress and the chairmanship of the .rivers. fan& harbors committee at least until after the' mayoralty elections." THE NEW YORK Press (republican) is not greatly elated over the Taft Ohio victory. The Press says that the state committee which endorsed Mr. Taft is manned by those who either are federal officeholders themselves or fill the federal offices with their henchmen and rela tives. The Press says: '"Just as surely as there are practical questions in the selection of can didates for the presidency, the result of this Ohio fight, though Mr. Taft should take tho majority of the Ohio delegation, as we anticipate, will show him in the convention not strong, but weak the representation from his own state divided for and against him, the protectionists in Ohio angry with his tariff views, the Foraker followers in Ohio determined secretly perhaps, but persistently, upon satisfaction at the polls, and the colored voters of Ohio openly slaught ering the republican ticket. Thinner and thin ner appears the presidential shadow of Taft, with every indication that, for practical reasons which can not be ignored, it will fade away entirely before the delegates to the national convention take their final vote on the republican party's candidate for president." aEORGE O. MILLT3R, one, of. the old time de tectives on the local police force at the national "capita"!, died recently at his home in Washington City. Mr. Miller was a great friend of the late Robert G. Ingersoll, and it was at the grave of Mr. Miller's boy that Colonel Ingersoll delivered, in 1882, the funeral ora tion which attracted world-wide attention. Colonel Ingersoll's address follows: "I know how vain It is to gild a grief with words, and yet I wish to take from every grave its fear. Here in this world, where life and death are equal kings, all should be brave enough to meet what all have met. The future has been filled with fear, stained and polluted by the heartless past. From the wondrous tree of life the buds and blossoms fall with ripened fruit, and In the pommon bed of earth patriarchs and babes sleep side by side. Why should we fear that which will come to-all that is? We can not tell. We do not know which is the greatest blessing, life or death. We can not e&y that death is not I ,2ii2i-gs :,'-;a,i'TihiiJitoaiiW
