" "Ty,v"im" tw
MAY 29, 1908
The Commoner
9
M
and unsatisfactory as is the choice of Senator
Burrows, it is not probable any effort will bo
made to defeat him. Yet it is not impossible
that feeling may run high enough to lead to a
contest. There are precedents. In 1884, at the
national convention held in Chicago, Powell
Clayton of Arkansas had been selected by tho
committee for temporary chairman. He was a
Blaine man. Theodore Roosevelt was a member
of that convention. It was his first appearance
in the field of national politics. His friend
Lodge, who is to be permanent chairman of the
convention of this year, was also a delegate. Ho
made a motion on the floor to substitute John
Lynch, the Mississippi colored man, for Clayton.
Upon this motion Mr. Roosevelt made a speech,
his first to a national audience. He was for
Lynch and when the roll was called there was
a majority against Clayton, and Lynch became
chairman. Powell Clayton is a member of tho
subcommittee which chose Burrows. It would
be a queer 'prank of fate if this chairmanship
battle were to be fought over again on the floor
of tho Chicago convention with tho names of
the chief warriors slightly changed or trans
posed." IN AN ADDRESS at Nashville, Tenn., Secre
tary Taft talked on the Philippines. Fol
lowing Is an extract from his address: "The
satisfactory disposition of the friar lands now
owned by the government will probably be re
tarded for a number of years. The Roman Cath
olic church in the Philippines is in a deplorable
condition from a property and financial stand
point. Its losses during the revolutionary war
were heavy. The deprivation of its priests by
the circumstances which I have referred to in
terfered greatly with their usefulness and In
fluence. This Is a most unfortunate matter for
the islands, viewed from a purely governmental
standpoint. The Roman Catholic church must
always be the most Important influence for tho
uplifting of the Philippine people, and its pros
perity will always make for the good of the
Filipino. Since the American occupation other
denominations have come into the islands and
have been doing good there, both directly and
because the spirit of Christian emulation which
their presence creates does good to the older
church, As a non-Catholic I think that there
are no protestants that know the conditions in
the islands, but what hope to have the Roman
Catholic church restored to a condition of pros
perity. This change for the better must be quite
slow. The radical difference between a church
whose priesthood were paid by the government
and out of the taxes collected from the people to
a church whose priesthood must be paid in some
way by contribution of the congregations, is so
great that It is very difficult for the people to
adjust themselves to the condition."
EVIDENTLY RACE prejudice Is not confined
to the southern states. It is noticeable
even in Iowa. A "Waterloo, la., newspaper dis
patch says: "Because" he is a negro, Rev. A.
L. Demood, a Congregational preacher at Buxton,
la., who is attending the Congregational con
ference here, could not find a place to lodge
last night on his arrival. He was refused ad
mission at every hotel he visited and he walked
the streets all night. This morning Mr. De
mood was taken care of by the local committee
on arrangements. It is likely that damage suits
will follow the refusal of the hotels to admit
Mr. Demood. He explained his calling and
showed his credentials at the different places
he visited," but he was turned away at all of
them."
THE TWILIGHT ZONE
THE OPPONENTS of Secretary Taft have not
given up hope of accomplishing his defeat.
A Washington dispatch to the Louisville Courier
Journal follows: "History will repeat itself at
Chicago" is tonight the declaration of the anti
Taft republican forces at their headquarters
here. "No pre-convention favorite," it is de
clared, "ever won a nomination for president in
a republican convention since the founding of
the party, excepting William 2rcKinley, and back
of him was a tidal wave of popular sentiment
which is not surging for Secretary Taft, and
Harrison, in 1892, nominated by the officehold
ers and beaten by the people. Seward had two
thirds of the delegates to the convention of 1860
pledged. Blaine was within twenty-six votes
of a nomination on the first ballot in 187G
nearer than Secretary Taft will be. The fatal
weakness of the Taft candidacy is that it Is an
absolutely machine-made product, not vitalized
by popular sentiment. Its bandwagon Is loaded
As the Trust Magnate Would Have it
down with men who will jump over tho wheel
the moment tho vehicle shows a sign of stalling.
And the sign is in sight. The Chicago conven
tion will make a nomination not tho product
of intimidation, not tho result of cowardice
on part of party leadership, not Involving the
surrender of party prospects in a hundred con
gressional districts and a dozen northern and
border states, and not Imposing upon tho repub
lican party the necessity of proving that tho
support of predatory wealth has not been so
cured for the Taft candidacy at the sacrifice of
the policies which the progressive wing of tho
republican party has been led to believe it represents."
HERE IS A love story from the court of a
king: A Lisbon cablegram to the Chicago
Record-Herald says: "The Mundo prints a ro
mantic story about King Manuel's attachment
for tho young daughter of a lady-in-waitlng to
Queen Amclie, which threatens to disrupt tho
matrimonial plans which are being laid for him.
King Carlos and Queen Amelie were fully aware
of the fondness of Manuel, when a prince, for
the girl, who is ponnected with the highest
Portuguese nobility, but they considered it
simply a childish fancy. Since Prince Manuel's
unexpected accession to the throne a suitable
alliance with a European royal house is regard
ed as a necessity of state. Queen Amelie and
the Duke of Oporto have been casting about to
find an available princess, both favoring one of
British extraction because of tho close relations
between the countries. A few days ago they
were openly canvassing the matter in the king's
presence, when, to their great surprise, he sud
denly announced as his unalterable choice his
early love and proclaimed his determination
either to marry her 'or nobody. Remonstrances
on the ground of reasons of state were without
effect, and as a consequence the lady-in-waiting
and her daughter will be asked to go abroad, in
the hope that a long separation will cure tho
king of his boyhood love."
Washington Letter
Washington, D. C, May 25. The secretary
of the anti-trust league appeared the other day
before a congressional .committee and, being
under oath, made statements to this effect:
"The gentleman charged that Andrew Car
negie, E. H. Gerry and other prominent officials
of tho steel trust had already raised great suing
of money for tho nomination of Secretary Taft.
Ho insisted that if given an opportunity to pro
duce his evidence ho would bo able to prove
tho case,"
And now it appears that tho sonatexjudl
ciary committee will do what all tho republican
committees and dignitaries have been doing,
order an investigation and a report after the
election.
After the election. It is wonderful how
great is the popularity of that phrase among tho
republicans in the two houses of congress today.
The newspaper publishers of tho nation
want free wood pulp and free paper. The mat
ter is referred to a commission which will re
port after the election.
The people of the nation want immediato
tariff revision. Again this demand is referred
to a commission to report after tho election.
The president, who is supposed to lead tho
republican party, makes a request for legisla
tion to protect the forests in the White moun
tains and the Appalachian range. Once again,
by the despotic power of Speal ir Cannon and
his well-disciplined henchmen, the Issue is re
ferred to a commission which is to report after
the election.
This first session of the Sixtieth congress
met on the first Monday in December. It Is now
planning to adjourn without having done any
thing In the way of legislation for the popular
good. Its members boast of having passed ap
propriation bills, a lot of private pensions bills,
a law regulating child labor in the District of
Columbia and a few other routine or compara
tively trivial measures.
But not one law of wido and general na
tional interest has been enacted. Money has
been spent so that this will be a billion dollar
session, which will probably mean a two billion
dollar congress. The appropriations already
mado indicate a treasury deficit for the present
fiscal year of $50,000,000. The nationU debt
has not been much reduced, but, on the con
trary, has been largely increased. The burden
of taxation has in no degree been lessened. Not
one measure has ever been debated in congress
which would reduce taxation or increase the
revenues. All that that autocrat who ignorant
people refer to lovingly as Uncle Joo Cannon
has done has been to prevent any legislation
which might possibly help to keep the money
of the people in the pockets of tho people In
stead of taking it from them for the benefit
of the trusts, monopolies and corporations which,
he most emphatically represents.
WILLIS J. ABBOT, .
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