JANUARY 24, 1908
The Commoner
9
recall that ho was the worst beaten candidate
in the history of the democratic party. In New
York and New Jersey, the states that the Vorld
was going to deliver to him, he was buried under
an avalanche of Roosevelt votes. How empty,
then, the World's promise that if Governor
Johnson should be nominated, 'he would un
questionably poll 100,000 more votes than Mr.
Bryan In New York and New Jersey.' Thero
is not the slightest likelihood that the demo
cratic party will nominate Mr. Johnson. Even
if Mr. Bryan were not the party's choice, wo
doubt if it would name Mr. Johnson in the
coming campaign not, at least, with the same
forces behind him that were responsible for the
Parker fiasco. The opposition to Mr. Bryan in
the democratic party is confined to the pluto
cratic element. In a sense the World is not a
plutocratic organ. Yet it ever is found engaged
in delivering the people over to exploiting in
terests. It has no expectations that the demo
cratic party will nominate its candidate. It
simply is engaged in an effort to defeat Mr.
Bryan in the election and serve 'the interests'
that are so fearful that he may become president
and give force and effect to the policies and
doctrines which he has urged and advocated and
popularized."
CONGRESSMAN Hinshaw of Nebraska has in
troduced a bill providing for the guaran
tee by the federal government of deposits in
national banks. Referring to this measure the
Washington correspondent for the Omaha
World-Herald says: "The bill provides that
banks shall pay to the treasury an annual tax
equal to one-twentieth of one per cent of the de
posits, and that this tax shall be suspended when
ever the money raised exceeds $10,000,000.
Whenever a national bank fails, the treasury de
partment is to take over its affairs, paying the
depositors in full and turning all the assets of
the bank into the treasury fund. The bill also
limits the deposits that national banks shall
receive to ten times the capital stock and surplus
combined."
IN SPEAKING of his guarantee deposit meas
ure Congressman Hinshaw said: "There
were in the 0,625 national banks of the country
in 190G $4,055,000,000 deposits and in 1897
$1,770,000,000, and for the ten years from
1897 to 1906, inclusive, the average was a little
less than $3,000,000,000. A tax of one
twentieth of one per cent upon the deposits of
190G would produce $2,000,000 per annum. The
losses from national bank failures amount to
$1,000,000 a year. The tax of one-twentieth
of one per cent upon a bank having deposits of
$200,000 would amount to $100 in such years
as the tax is levied; upon a bank with $500,000
deposits $250, upon $1,000,000 deposits $500;
sums which, to the ordinary banker, would be in
significant when compared to the perfect security
both to depositors and banker. A law of this
kind would, in my judgment, effectually prevent
panics, and the recurrence of the lack of confi
dence which was probably the cause of the late
financial disturbance. This would in no way in
terfere with the action which the several states
would probably take likewise to insure the de
positors of state banks as Oklahoma has already
done. Postal savings banks would be a step in
the right direction, but it seems to me that the
method here proposed would be effective of full
and absolute security. Suggestions would bo
gladly received upon the details of this measure.
This question is now receiving much considera
tion from various members of congress, but it
Is difficult yet to say whether any legislation can
be accomplished."
J PROCTOR KNOTT, former governor of
Kentucky and for several terms a mem
ber of the national house of representatives, sus
tained a paralytic stroke at his home in Lebanon,
Ky., and his death is expected. Mr. Knott is
seventy-eight years of age. The Lebanon (Ky.)
correspondent for the New York World says:
"Born in Kentucky in 1830, Mr. Knott removed
to Missouri in 1850, served in the legislature,
and became attorney general. In 1861 he re
fused to take the oath of allegiance and his office
was declared vacant. After a brief imprison
ment he returned to Kentucky. He was elected
to congress in 1867-71 and 1875-83. In 1883
he was elected governor of Kentucky. An able
lawyer and a man of brilliant and varied talents,
ex-Governor Knott is best known as the author
of the 'Duluth speech,' said never to have been
surpassed in congress for satire and humor.
This speech was mado January 27, 1871, when
a bill to renew a free grant of 1,418,451 acres
of public land to a company which had failed
to construct a railroad between Duluth, Minn.,
and Bayfield, Wis., came beforo the house. Du
luth was Incorporated a year before, and ten
years later had only 3,483 population. Knott
so ridiculed 'the zenith city of tho unsalted seas'
that the bill, which had boon passed by the sen
ate, was defeated. In 1890, when Duluth had
grown to a city of more than 33,000 inhabitants,
ex-Governor Knott went there and made a speech
praising its growth and progress."
FRANK A. HARRISON, a prominent Nebraska
republican, who Is now the recognized lead
er of tho LaFollette forces, has written a letter
to the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal in which letter
ho says that tho American people demand: First,
an immediate revision of the tariff, so that tho
'protection' now given to tho manufacturing
trusts shall be extended so as to include protec
tion to the laborer and consumer. Second, defeat
of the ship subsidy scheme that donation asked
for by tho manufacturing and transportation and
trust partnership." In the same letter Mr. Har
rison says: "Thero is in this country one mam
moth combine which controls tho manufacture
of all things made of iron and wood the articles
of necessity which enter the homes and farms
of Nebraska. This same combine controls tho
transportation lines to the seaboard, and to a
great extent the steamship lines to foreign coun
tries. This applies particularly to all ships fly
ing the American flag. When I speak of what
these combines are doing in foreign countries,
to the prejudice of the American people, I sneak
of what I have seen with my own eyes. When
I say that the freight steamers running south
from the United States, the ones whjch it Is
particularly desired by the schemers to subsidize,
are In close combination with the tariff-protected
trusts, I say what I know to be a fact. Articles
that are used by every farmer In Nebraska, like
barb wire, for instance, are made in Pennsyl
vania, hauled to the seaboard, placed upon ships,
carried 2,000 miles or more, unloaded into light
ers, ferried to shore, and carried upon the backs
of men to foreign merchants who then sell tho
goods at retail at a lower price than any Ne
braska merchant can buy the same things at
wholesale. It Is apparent that the protected fac
tory which can sell goods to tho foreigner at
half the price It charges the home consumor Is a
monstrosity. The laborer for the factory has
his wages based on the lowest price of the pro
duct. Therefore the American laborer is not
protected, but is already in close competition
with tho laborer in the foreign factory. So In
the game, this kind of 'protection' is for the
benefit of tho manufacturer solely, while tho
laborer and the home consumer, get skinned.
Yet we have trust representatives and members
of congress who want to donate the funds of
tho government to this monstrous combine. In
stead, the congressmen should at once demand
a removal of the tariff wall to a point where
cpmpetitlon actually threatens, so that the Amer
ican consumer may get the same benefit that the
American manufacturer Is so keen to grant to
his foreign consumer."
O
MRS. ANSON JONES, widow of Dr. Anson
Jones, who was president of the republic
of Texas during the period just previous to the
annexation of that commonwealth to the United
States, died recently at Austin, Texas. The
Austin correspondent of the St. Louis Globe
Democrat says: "The marriage of Dr. and Mrs.
Jones took place In Austin in May, 1840. The
wedding trousseau was brought all the way from
Houston to Austin, a distance of 186 miles, by
ox-cart. Mrs. Jones still has a receipt showing
the freight charges upon part of the goods which
were transported in this manner. The hauling
of one pair of white silk hose from Houston to
Austin cost $9; black cotton hose, $3 per pair;
Inserting, $1 per yard; chally, $3 per yard. The
goods were not transported at a cost of so much
per weight, but the freight charges were made
according to the value of the articles. Judge
James Smith, who married Dr. and Mrs. Jones,
was killed by Indians while out riding near
Austin a short time after he had performed the
ceremony. His five-year-old son, Lafayette, who
was with him, was captured by the Indians and
was held a prisoner for several months. The
boy was finally sold to Santa Fe traders and
was returned to his distressed mother In Austin.
Mrs. Jones relates many interesting incidents
that occurred In the Texas capital during the
timo that her husband was president of tho ro
public. She say that tho foreign ambassadors)
seldom traveled even a short distanco Into thol
country out of Austin without being prrnldod
with a guard to prevent attack by Indl&nB. On
one occasion, tho French ambassador, M. Do
bnllgny, wanted to take a pleasure ride a short
way beyond the outskirts of town. He applied
to President Jones for an armed guard to ac
company him. Tho guard was not available just
at the timo, and President Jones informed the
ambassador that ho was unable to comply with
his request. Tho Frenchman became maddened
and excited when his request mot with refusal
Mrs. Jones says. He exclaimed as he left the
president's proaonco In a huff: 'I hope a d
Indian will kill me. Then ace what France will
do. The ambassador wont on his ride alono
and returned safely. Dr. Jones, the last presi
dent of tho Texas republic, was a native of
Massachusetts. Ho came to Texas in 1833, be
fore the new republic w'as born and located at
Brazoria. Ho soon became prominent In tho
political affairs of the country after Independence
from Mexico was gained. Ho was a member of
tho Texas congress In 1838, and that same year
ho was appointed minister to tho United States
from Texas. Ho represented this republic at
Washington for two years and returned to his
home to fill tho office of senator, to which ho
had been elected. The seat of government was
moved from Austin to Washington, Texas, in
184 2, while Dr. Jones was president. He named
the executive mansion at Washington Barring
ton, In honor of Great Harrington, Mass., tho
place of his nativity. Dr. Jones died in 1858,
His widow lived for some timo in Galveston, and
in 1879 she moved to Houston, where she has
sinco resided. The early llfo of this remarkable
woman, before her marriage to Dr. Jones, was
full of adventure and excitement. She was
born In Lawrence county, Arkansas, and was
the eldest child of John C. and Harah Smith.
Her father died in 1827. Jn 1833 she accom
panied her mother on an overland trip from '
Arkansas to Texas, and when they reached Bra
zoria county they joined Austin's colony. When
word reached them that General Santa Anna and
his Mexican army wore advancing upon the col
ony they made a hurried flight with other set
tlers to the eastern part of Texas. When they
learned that General Sam Houston's forces were
victorious at the battle of San Jacinto the mother
and daughter returned to their homo which had
been mado desolate by tho invading forces.
Everything that had been left there had been
carried away, the crops were destroyed, and life
had to be commenced over again."
O
VETERANS OF the civil war In the United
States will be Interested In reading of tho
annual banquet of the survivors of the Sepoy
rebellion. The annual banquet was held In Lon
don on December 23, and 700 of the 1,200 sur
vivors on the pension rolls of that war were
present. The Sepoy rebellion broke out In 1857,
the native Indian troops rebelling because tho
cartridges furnished them by tho British gov
ernment were greased with cow's fat, which was
unclean to high caste Sepoys. With the usual
British disregard of the opinions of the "In
ferior races" no attention was paid to tho com
plaints of the native troops. When the Sepoys
began muttering too loudly, a lot of them, It
is said, were roped in front of a cannon and lit
erally blown to pieces as a warning to their
comrades. A few days later the fires of rebel
lion flamed up all over India, and thousands of
English lives paid the penalty of disregard ol
religious ceremonials and native rights.
THE NEW York Herald recently printed this
dispatch from Chicago: "Joseph F. Ward,
president of the City National bank, of Evans
ton, received an unusual Christmas gift in tho
form of the original manuscript of a letter writ
ten in 1809 to his grandfather, Colonel Joseph
Ward, by John Adams. The letter throws new
light upon the attitude of Adams toward Alex
ander Hamilton and other leaders of his time.
It follows in part: "Quincy, August 31, 1809.
Sir: The negotiations of the peace of 1783 are
known In detail by nobody but myself, and, as
they have been misrepresented, they will be
more so hereafter, if the truth Is not told and
supported by documents. The history of our
country Is getting full of falsehoods and it is
high time for some of them to be corrected.
Hamilton propagated a great many, some of
which I am endeavoring to rectify or correct 1p
justice. Have I had any success?"