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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1908)
MARCH 6, 1908 5 "WELL TO RECOGNIZE THE CLAIMS" In a speech delivered in the house of rep resentatives Mr. Dalzell, republican, of Pennsyl vania, declared that there was no necessity for tariff revision, but he thought it was "well to recognize the claims of those who think thero should be some alterations." Mr. Dalzell is known as a leader among the representatives of the tariff barons. And it was indeed generous on his part to say tbat it was "well" to "recognize the claims" of the great American masses who arc demanding relief from tariff imposition. But in the same speech Mr. Dalzell said that whatever the revision was it should be along republican lines. "Along re publican lines" means that it shall be such "re vision" as will not give offense to the generous contributors to republican campaign funds and will not give material relief to the people. t5 t v5 MAYBE THIS EXPLAINS IT Mr. James M. Beck, former assistant attor ney general and charged with the prosecution of law breaking trusts, delivered a speech at Chi cago recently. According to the Record-Herald Mr. Beck's opinions expressed on that occasion may be summarized in this way: "That the federal trust law was born of hysteria and demagoguery and has had more to do with the recent panic than all other causes put together. That the interstate commerce law was the first meddlesome interference with the liberty of contract. That the agitation against the trusts ignores the fact that civilization is combination. That the Standard Oil trust has been a great blessing to the business interests of the country. That there is only a 'grain of truth' in the popular notion that frenzied finance, overspeculation, inflation, unsound methods in certain banking and corporate circles, violations of law and morality contributed to the October panic and the consequent industrial depression." These opinions probably explain the charac ter of the "trust busting" while Mr. Beck was in office. v c5 &? O SENATOR GORE'S RESOLUTIONS Senator Gore of Oklahoma has introduced a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution of the United States for the levy and collection of an income tax. The reso lution follows: "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each house concurring therein), That congress shall have the power to levy and collect taxes, grad uated or otherwise, on any or all classes of in come." , , ,, . . Senator Gore has also introduced the fol lowing resolution: "Resolved, That it is the sense of this body that the following articles should be placed on the free list by congress at the present session without awaiting the advice or delay of a tariff commission, to wit: Printing paper and wood pulp; farming implements and barbed wire, mechanics and miners' tools and powder used in mining coal; and petroleum, crude and re fined " These are very simple resolutions. They may be easily understood. Show them to your republican neighbor and ask him if he can give any good reason why they should not be adopted by a congress representing the Ameri- Can PThene'ask him if he can explain how it hap pens that such measures as these usually fail of passage in a republican senate. THE WORLD-HERALD'S MAPS On another page will be found a reproduc tion of two maps recently printed by the World Herald of Omaha. These maps are ex plained In a World-Herald editorial, also reproduced The map representing the popular vote in 19 0 and 1904 is even more significant when the figures are given. If West Virginia and Delaware are counted as southern states, then in 1904 the democratic vote was larger in five southern states, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina West Virginia and Delaware, than it was in 1900, but the gain was small. InlwJPP1 the gain was 1G70, in Georgia 1772, , in South Carolina 5327, in West Virginia 2048 and in Delaware 502, total 11,319, but the loss in Vir ginia, a conservative southern state was G-j,4ds and in Texas 100,137, while in Kentucky the shrinkage in the democratic vote between 19 oo and 1904 was 17,933 greater than the entire gain in Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, The Commoner. West Virginia and Delaware. Even in tho north ern states the gain was not largo, it was only 6,595 in New York, 5,027 in Rhode Island and 8,749 in Massachusetts, while in Maryland tho loss was more than 12,000, in Pennsylvania 88,802, in Maine 9,181, in Vermont more than 3,000 and in Connecticut 1,088. Tho shrinkage in tho democratic vote was 802 greater in four New England states than tho gain was In tho other two. These figures are taken from tho World Al manac and they show that even where the Now York World's ideas of democracy are supposed to bo most popular, the gain was insignificant as compared with tho loss, while in other parts of the country tho loss was overwhelming. The World-Herald maps give the compari son as shown by the popular vote and the voters can not bo ignored. && w v "OUR PLUTOCRATIC RULERS" The Portland Oregonian, a republican paper, printed in its issue of February 12 and under the title "Our Plutocratic Rulers," tho following editorial: The recently reported interview with Mr. J. P. Morgan on the labor outlook may not be true, but it is .aptly imagined if it is false. Mr. Gompers is entirely right in saying that the thoughts attributed to the New York master of high finance have for a long time been in the minds of a large number of plutocrats. It Is just as well to have these thoughts haled forth into the light of day so that the country may see how they look. The plutocrats are fighting a bitter fight with Mr. Roosevelt to obtain per manent control of the government of the United States. It is a good thing for everybody to un derstand exactly what they intend to do if vic tory should perch upon their banners. That this real or imaginary interview accurately states their purpose with regard to the labor unions there can not be the slightest doubt. They will break up the unions if they can and reduce the laboring man to abject industrial serfdom. His will is to be abased, his manhood bestialb.ed, his power to resist annihilated. The clear and definite statement of tho plutocratic program with regard to labor sweeps away a cloud of cant and enables us to think to the point upon industrial matters. For one thing, we see exactly how much sincerity thero is in the protestations of the plutocrats that they want a high tariff because it keeps wages up. Mr. Morgan's steel trust is tho greatest benefi ciary of the tariff, and we now know precisely what Mr. Morgan thinks about wages. If pos sible he will force them down to the starvation point, and so will every other magnate who fat tens upon the profitable deceits of Dingleyism. They love the tariff because it fills their pockets; if it really raised wages, they would bo the first to denounce it. The genuine effect of the tariff upon wages is beautifully shown by the present state of things in this country. We have Ding leyism in full bloom and at the same time every city from the Atlantic to the Pacific Is filled with men clamoring for work to keep them from star vation and for the most part clamoring vainly. Not only the tariff law, but most of our other industrial laws have been enacted at the dictation of the plutocrats and for their class benefit. This legislation has been so neatly con trived and so serviceably interpreted by the courts that now in the larger industries of the United States thero is no such thing as competi tion. All are united into one great system, and the control of the system belongs to Mr. Morgan and a few of his fellow-conspirators. Through their hands the products of labor must flow, and, if they have their way, labor will receive for creating those products just what Mr. Morgan is willing to bestow, and not a cent more. What Mr. Morgan is willing to give is no longer a mat ter of doubt. It is barely enough to keep the workman alive. Tho laborer is to be dragooned into submission by grinding poverty. If Mr. Morgan has his way the self-respecting American workman will soon be no more than a memory. Wo produce enormous wealth In this coun try but it flows from all directions into the pos session of a few individuals; and how are they using U? What is the final and highest product of all this toil, this sweat and hunger? For what lofty purpose are our workingmen mangled on the rai roads, mutilated in factories and Surned to death in coal mines? What is the ulti mate flower which crowns and justifies the cruel ties of our plutocratic regime? For what great end do mul itudes of children in New York and ?hV cities go starving to school, fainting with Suncer as they sit at their desks? What is this Amer4n Beauty rose, to produce which, in the language of tho younger Rockefollcr, most of our people must livo in misery and dio In de spair? What becomes of tho wealth wo aro all working to produce and of which Mr. Morgan and his aristocratic friends aro robbing un? Some of It goes to produco our Thaws with their Evelyns and their retinues of Insanity ex perts. Some of It provides means for our Stan ford Whites to fit up their chambers of mirrors and procuro women victims for their orgies. Some of It furnishes forth monkey dinners and bridge whist parties. One fraction keeps Wall Street going, and through Wall Street flows finally Into tho banks of Morgan and Standard Oil. Another fraction of what is produced In America by those workmen whom the plutocrats have determined to harry Into submission goes to purchase titled husbands for our "American queens." Gladys Vanderbllt could afford to pay $5,000,000 for her bedraggled remnant of Euro pean aristocracy. Some pay more, some pay less, but all titles come dear. This, thon, is what we are coming to in tho United States if tho plutocrats can carry out their plans. Wo aro to become a nation of degraded Industrial serfs forever slaving at tho starvation point under the Iron law of wages, while our superiors and rulers riot in sensual luxury on tho products of labor. Monkey dinners and titled European husbands aro the glorious fruit of those injunc tions, supreme court decisions, annulments of righteous laws and military suppressions which aro aiding Mr. Morgan and his fellow magnates to accomplish the revolution they have planned and reduce the American worklngman to sub mission. Is this tho kind of a revolution wo want? Is that what America stands for? Port land Oregonian. fc w O fc HONIOST POLITICS The Lexington News, of Lexington, Mo., calls attention to tho fact that tho election law adopted by the last Missouri legislature provides for the adoption of a platform after the nomin ation of the candidates. As the Ncwb says, "this makes it necessary that tho views of tho candidates for ofllce should be announced in advanco of the primary." Under tho conven tion system, the platform Is adopted and then the nominee is chosen, and tho platform even determines what candidato shall be chosen. The democratic voters have no way of learning the views of the candidate unless his position is staled prior to the primary. As other states have also adopted a similar primary law, it Is well for democrats to insist that candidates shall outline their position on pending questions so that the voters may sit In judgment upon the respective claims of candidates when they vote at the primary. Then the nominees chosen, being bound by the statements issued by them, will adopt a platform In harmony with the sentiment of the democrats. LOOK ALOFT In tho tempest of life, when the wave and the gale Are around and above, If thy footing should fail If thine eye should grow dim, and thy caution depart Look aloft and be firm, and be fearless of heart. If the friend who embraced In prosperity's glow, With a smile for each joy and a tear for each woe, Should betray thee when sorrows, like clouds, are arrayed, Look aloft to the friendship whioj' never shall fade. Should the vision which hope spreads in light to thine eye, ,..,, Like the tints of the rainbow, but brighten to fly. x Then turn, and, through tears of repentant regret, Look aloft to the sun that is never to set. Should those who are dearest, the son of thy heart, The wife of thy bosom, in sorrow depart, Look aloft from the darkness and dust of tho tomb, To that soil where affection is ever In bloom. And oh! when death comes, in terror to cast His fears on the future, his pall on the past, In that moment of darkness, with hope in thy heart, And a smile in thine eye, look aloft, and depart. Jonathan Lawrence, Jr., in St. Louis Globe-Democrat. 1 ifi: i