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VOLUME 8, NUMBER X
6
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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
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WIM.TAM J. IlnVAM
Kdltornnd Proprietor.
HiciiAJti) I Mkicat.pk
Amoctntv Killtor.
ClIAllMuW. MllYAN
Publisher.
Ktlltorlnl Hoomn nnd HiwJnwi
Onico 324-330 Boulli 12th Strcot.
Entered nt Uio roBlofllco t Lincoln, Neb., n nccond-dwa matter
The Commoner
That Now York to Paris auto race seems to
bo awfully hard on the horses.
Tariff reform by commission is futile. The
tariff game has already been guilty of too many
sins of commission.
The submarine boat investigating commit
tee seems to think that Representative Lilley,
the prosecuting witness, is on trial.
"No sensible man will defend rebates," says
Paul Morton. But isn't it awfully convenient to
have some one high in authority to defend the
rebater?
The Pennsylvania capitol grafters were de
clared guilty on Friday the 13th. It would be
irTJilVS'r'VrSmco of hoodoos is not effective.
monoy order, oxpross order, or by uanlSJ,vifni. " , , , i
Now York or Chicago. Do not send Individual -- Denver mining man was seriously in
jured byTallingJrom his berth in a sleeping car.
We have always maintained that berths in the
sleeping cars were too high.
An anarchist paper in Paterson, N. J., lias
been suppressed by presidential mandate. This
is a clear case of infringing upon the peroga
tives of the third assistant postmaster general.
rrtcVcnr - UI.OO
liaMoiitlin - - 50
li CIuIjf ol Five or more,
PerYrnr .75
25c
Go
Tlirco Month"
Single Copy
Ennijilo Coplcfl Free
Foreign J'oMnpe 62 CentfKxtrn.
.,,......,. u f ,iiront to Tho Com-
monor. Thoy can also bo sent through nowspapois
which havo advortlsed a clubbing rate, 01 " !"
uiiuukm, muni '" ui iiivnvj. i,. - inrirn
DISCONTINUANCES It is found that a largo
majority of our subscribers profor not to novo
thoir subscriptions interrupted and a their ihob
broken in caso thoy fail to romit before oxplratlon.
It is therefore assumed that continuance is dcsirca
unless subBcribora order discontinuance, oitnor
wlion subscribing or at any tlmo during tho year.
Presentation Copies: Many persons Bubscrlbo ror
friends, intending that tho paper shall stop at tno
end of tho year. If instructions aro given to that
effoct thoy will receive attention at tho proper
IlBNBWAIiS The date on your wrapper shows
tho tlmo to which your subscription Is paid. J-Iiub
January 31, 08. means that payment has been re
ooivod to and including tho last Ibbuo of January,
1008. Two wcolcs aro required after monoy nas
boon received boforo tho dato on wrappor can do
changed. ,
CHANGE OP ADDRESS Subscribers requesting
a chango of address must givo OLD as well as NEW
address.
ADVERTISING Itatos furnished upon appllca
tion. Address all communications to
.. THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
The startling discovery has been made that
Sing Sing prison has been stealing water. A
lot of the inmates will petition for release on
the ground that their environment is corrupting.
The eminent government statisticians who
earn their salaries by producing figures to show
that the cost of living has not outpaced the
increase in wages will certainly not overlook
the decrease in the price of diamonds.
mand some explanation of this singular lethargy.
There is trouble between the superintend
dent of the census and Mr. Herman Bidder,
president of the American Newspaper Publish
ers Association. Mr. Kidder asked the census
bureau for some figures on the cost of print
paper. When they came he discovered to hl3
amazement that he really was not paying much
more for print paper today than he was eight
years ago. When he looked at his books, par
ticularly his check book and his bank book, he
was quite convinced that his impression that
the paper trust had him by the throat was well
founded. The superintendent of the census
stands by his figures, Ridder stands by the facts
that have impressed themselves upon his pocket.
Probably most 'newspaper publishers .will stand
by Ridder. The incident is only typical. The
statistician who edits Bradstreet's was out last
week with statistics which showed, of course,
beyond any reasonable doubt, that the cost of
living today is cheaper than it has been for
almost three years. Everything essential to
life, according to Bradstreet's has dropped from
twelve to twenty per cent. It is with regret
that we note that two of the products that have
increased in price are soft coal and petroleum.
It would appear that the Standard Oil company
is getting ready to meet that ?29,000,000 fine.
But just exactly as Mr. Ridder, the success
ful publisher, knows that the cost of his print
paper has enormously increased, so every house
keeper and every man supporting a home knows
that the cost of living has advanced. Not all the
statistics that can be filed can make the worker
see that famous dinner pail as full as it was
before the republican party had done its last
four years work.
WILLIS J. ABBOT.
Bowaro tho not of tho Fowler. '
Tho first step toward victory is to deserve it.
For speed tho executive mandate has the
Injunction beat to a standstill.
Organizod labor has enjoined any further
growth of Mr. Taft's love for organized labor.
Revision of the tariff by its friends will
Afford very little relief to tho tariff's victims.
Organize democratic clubs in every com
munity. Tho way to win is to organize before
tho battle begins.
"What does 1908 hold in store for the gov
ernment clerk?" queries the Washington Post.
Well, certainty of employment, good wages, thir
ty days' vacation on pay and reasonable sick
leave. That would look mighty good to a lot
of clerks who are not in the government's employ.
A little more protection from the courts and
a little leBS from the tariff would be gladly
wolcomed by American workingmen.
"Taft will follow in Roosevelt's steps" says
tho Philadelphia Public Ledger. It will be a
opectaclo worth going many miles to see.
Tho most remarkable feature of the su
preme court's decision in the Minnesota case
is that it was not a five to four decision.
Tho reported strike of fishermen in Novia
Scotia does not interest us. It is when tho
fish "strike" that we sit up and take notice.
Mr. I-Iarrlman has given $30,000 to San
Francisco to bo used in tho war against the rat
plague. Mr. Harriman is a "practical man."
Mr. Littlefleld has decided not to bo a can
didate for re-election to congress. The last
time was evidently too trying and expensive.
Republican songs of harmony in Ohio are
now and then rudely interrupted by the sound
of hobnailed shoos crushing into frontal bones.
The first stop towards tariff reform is the
election of a democratic congress and a demo
cratic president, not the establishment of a
tariff commission.
Tho American made watch that Is sold to
tho English retailer for $7.41 costs tho Amori-
" tcan retailer $10.15. This may explain why tho
""friends of tho tariff" want the job of revising It.
Tho sugar trust has just declared a seven
per cont dividend after carrying several mil
lions to tho surplus account. The sugar trust
magnates aro anxious that It bo allowed to fur
nish tho friendly hands that revise the tariff
WASHINGTON LETTER
(Continued from Page 5)
state can say. But there should be no doubt
of the return of Gore to the senate and the
state of Oklahoma could never have two men
more thoroughly respected and more greatly ad
mired by public men of whatever party than
Owen and Gore.
The anti-Bryan newspapers and the anti
Bryan agitators are making just one boast, just
one prophecy of what they think they may be
able to do. This is the boast and the prophecy:
They Insist that they are going to be able to
hold one-third of the delegates in the demo
cratic national convention away from Mr. Bryan.
They do not profess that they ever can have a
majority. They do not even say whether the
pitiful minority of one-third will be for Gov
ernor Johnson, for Judge Gray or for any in
dividual. What they do insist upon is that they
will have one-third of the delegates for the one
single purpose of defeating the nomination of
Mr. Bryan.
It Is not a very impressive position that
these gentlemen occupy. Not daring to an
nounce their own candidate, all they can de
clare is that they may be able to defeat the
candidate of the majority of the delegates.
The first session of the Sixtieth congress is
more than half finished, and today there has
been no single measure of public interest passed
by the two houses and sent to the president for
his approval. There have been some private
pension bills, some joint resolutions, some mat
ters of Individual importance enacted into law,
but absolutely not one singlo public measure
has passed both houses. It might be said that
this is not a matter to be charged against any
political party. That, however, can only be said
by people who do not understand present con
gressional procedure. The house of representa
tives Is absolutely dominated by Speaker Can
non and Messrs. Dalzell, Payno and Hepburn
Thoy can put legislation through in forty-eight
hours or they can delay it indefinitely. What
thoy are doing now is to fight for delay. In
tho senate the republican majority is dominant
and can do what it will. The rules there do
provide for freedom of debate, but at the same
time majority rule very properly is accepted.
But neithor in house or senate has tho repub
lican congress succeoded at tho present moment
in enacting one public law. It might be worth
while for the newspapers of the country to de-
WHY NOT NOW?
Even republican publishers, suffering un
der the exactions of the paper trust can riot ob
tain relief at the hands of a republican con
gress. Mr. Ridder, president of the American
Newspaper Publishers' association, has made
public the following correspondence:
"New York, March 19. Hon. Sereno
E. Payne, Chairman Committee on Ways
and Means, House of Representatives,
Washington, D. C. Dear Sir: On. behalf
of the American Newspaper Publishers' as
sociation, I respectfully ask that a hearing
be granted to us upon the bills relating to
free paper and pulp. Yours faithfully,
"HERMAN RIDDER,
. President American Newspaper Publishers'
Association."
"The Committee" on Ways and Means,
House of Representatives, Washington, D.
C, March 21, 1908. Mr. Herman Ridder,
New York Staats Zeitung, New York City.
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 19th Inst,
received. The majority of the committee
determined early In the session that it
would not be wise to enter upon a revision
of the tariff during this year, thus adding
to tho uncertainty and disquiet always
caused by a presidential election. They also
had in mind the disturbance caused by the
recent panic. In order to avoid all agita
tion, they decided that they would have no
hearings upon any subject affecting the
tariff rates. After receiving your letter I
again met with a majority of the members
of the committee and they adhered to their
opinion. I therefore feel authorized to say
to you there will be no hearing upon
tariff rates until after the presidential elec
tion. Yours very truly,
"SERENO E. PAYNE."
And the question is if tariff revision post
ponement until after the presidential election
ought to satisfy the general, consumers why
should the consumers of white paper object to
such postponement so far as it effects their
material?
But another question forces itself upon
thinking men: If public interests require tariff
revision and according to the testimony of re
publican leaders revision is necessary why not
have revision now?
The republican party is in charge of all
the departments of government, the congress is
in session, tho people are complaining as never
before of tariff exactions. Why put off revi
sion? Why not proceed now?
The simple explanation is that the Amer
ican people can not expect, from a party which
derives it campaign funds from tariff benefi
ciaries, relief from tariff impositions either be
fore or after the election.
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