.,miff?fitiM0im!mit
The Commoner.
'TOOEIIME 3, INUMBER .23
THE DESERVING ONES .
On Juno 25 Ynlo university conferred upon
Jolin Picrpont Morgan the degree of Doctor of
Laws, the dispatches containing the interesting
Information that tho degree was awarded
"with special rcforonco to Mr. Morgan's public
service to tho nation in mitigating the panic
last fall."
Without venturing to say that the award
was ndt merited, we will venture the statement
that Yale should now follow up the precedent
thus established of honoring those who helped
to mitigate tho panic last fall, and confer similar
degrees upon tho millions of wage earners whoso
loyalty and patriotism came to tho rescue during
those porllous times. Tho wage earners wh.o
accoptod "cashiers' checks" in lieu of "money
as good as gold;" tho depositors in saving banks
who cheerfully accepted these same bits of
illogal papor instead of pressing their demand
for "money as good as gold" like the money
they had deposited and thus forcing the banks
to the wall,' tho trades union leaders -who
stepped into tho breach and advised all skilled
mechanics to stand by tho financial institutions
and avert a greater panic these are just as
much entitled to a degree from Yale
as is Mr. J. Plerpont Morgan. Mr. Mor
gan with all of his wealth and influence
could not have stemmed that panic if the work
ers arid savers of tho country had undertaken to
enforce a demand for the kind of money that
Mr. Morgan and his follow financiers told us
was so necessary In 189G and 1900. Yale should
start the printing presses to running night and
day printing degrees. It will have to print sev
eral millions if it follows .its precedent in the
Morgan case and confers degrees upon all who
If f uvboi VO i,UV UUUUJ lUlljr HO IXIUUU U& U. X'lCHJUUU
Morgan...
JjV tV v tV
CAN IT BE POSSIBLE?
In an editorial printed In the Brooklyn
Eaglo the good Doctor St. Clair McKehvay says:
"For Mr. Bryan on no platform whatever
will the Eagle be.
"For Mr. Bryan under no circumstances
whatever will thd Eagle bo.
"For no platform and for no candidate
whatever of Mr. Bryan's making or prescription
will tho Eaglo bo.
"The Eagle neither waited for Chicago to
say the foregoing, nor is it waiting for Denver
to qualify tho foregoing.
"Tho Eagle is historically and logically
democratic, wholly anti-Bryan and wholly anti
popullst." Dr; McKelway has never before laid himself
open to the charge of plagiarism. But the sen
timent: "For Mr. Bryan on no platform what
ever; for Mr. Bryan under no circumstances
whatever; for no platform and for ho candidate
whatever of Mr. Bryan'a making," is not origi
nal with tho eminent editorial writer of the
Brooklyn Eagle. The Rockefellers and the Mor
gan, who own tho patent on this sentiment will
however, consent to the use of it by the
talented editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, or by
o?yiQnG ?i8,0,,w?, wI". during this campaign
mLL908' a,dJn. the nulling of the corporation
chestnuts out of the flame. '
w Ut loes thc g00d doctor really imagine
S?i ? nQ exPected the Brooklyn Eagle to
SSSttto"1.?0 a candidat0 wh0 waBes war
$ & & &
THE RADICAL VOTE
hfi "Si? rmiD"can .Papers- are quick to assume
XL p?emwt Ti11 oppo thG democratic
ticket. They ought to give Mr. Hearst credit
for haying made a fight for certain well-defined
reforms; thoy ought to give him credit for sin
cerity in advocating those reforms; they ousrht
kn0w .that hls 8tren8th, like tho strength of
others who are atrong with the masses, ia due
SMffiZSt01 th0 re'oms t0 wu "'
The convention of tho Independence nartv
JTortelh m"er other convenK
!?i5, L at,a betier survey of tho situation
ESS mad and Binco th0 publican con
vention has nfUmimoH . j , wu
vention has been postponed' ; forTToSK wnfch
gives greater opportunity for deliberation Mr
Hearst could hardly be expected to announce
n advance of the other conventions what he
bored tha?gn ftif? Sone bUt t Wil1 remem!
1J;L In 1904 ho was n candldato in the
democratic convention after the adoption of
.the platform written that year.. He was willing
to mako the fight for tho reforms . outlined ita
that platform. There is no danger of the plat
form this year containing less of reform than tho
platform of 1904. There Is every indication that
It will go even farther In demanding remedial
legislation. If the platform of 1904 was good
enough for Mr. Hearst to run upon, may not
tho democratic platform of 1908 be good enough
for Mr. Hearst to support? The candidates, too,
may have some influence in determining Mr,
Hearst's action, and the organization of the
national committee is a factor to be considered;
tho general trend and spirit of the convention
also ought to have weight in determining with
what force the democratic party will be able
to appeal to the men who are connected with
the independence party.
The reformer is naturally anxious to get
all that he can In the way of reforms, but he
also knows that progress is by degrees and that
each reform gives the reformer vantage ground
upon which to stand while he lights for other
reform.
There are some in all parties who vote
the party ticket anyhow no matter what the
platform is; no matter who the candidates are;
no matter whether the party has any chance
or not; these vote the ticket. There are others
who use the party as a means to an end; they
want to accomplish results. Plutocracy supports
the party which leans most toward plutocracy
and the radical element is likewise Independent.
Each supports the party that gives the best
assurance of securing what that element de
sires. The advocacy of remedial measures is
not the only thing required of a reform party;
ability to secure remedial" measures is as im
portant as the advocacy of them, and the radical
who wants something done-Is likely to ask him
self two questions: First, what parties promise
reform? Second, of the parties promising re
form, which party can offer the best assurances
of fulfilling the promise? The radical element
of the country can well afford to wait until
after the Denver convention has adjourned be
fore it decides what to do.
GROVER CLEVELAND
The death of Ex-President Cleveland
brings to a sudden end the phenomenal
career of 'one of the strongest charac
ters known to tho political world dur
ing the present generation. Like every
commanding figure he had zealous sup
ported and earnest opponents, but those
who differed from him were as ready as
his warmest friends to concede to him
the possession of elements of leader
ship to an extraordinary degree. He
was deliberate in action, firm m con
viction and ever ready to accept re
sponsibility for what he did. Few men
have exerted a more positive Influence
upon those associated with them.
We are not far enough from the
period during which his work was done
to measure accurately his place in his
tory, but the qualities which made him
great are a part of the nation's heritage
and universal sorrow is felt at his death
INTERESTING
Tho Wall Street Journal says: "it is un
derstood that Taft had originally no special am
bition to be president. His thoughts were in
the direction of the chief justiceship of the su
preme court. On the other hand, Elihu Root
would undoubtedly have liked to have' been
president. It would be an interesting develon
ment of politics if Taft, becoming president
should make Root chief justice of the supreme
The appointment of Elihu Root to be chief
KC2 S J a States supreme cwrtvouTd
indeed he interesting, and perhaps the logical
development of the politics played by the re
publican party. ' lue re
NUMEROUS AND FORMIDABLE
The Indianapolis News, republican do.
scribes the situation in this way? "We "thin
that Mr. Taft has both the ability and tte op
position to serve the country well. The solo
question s as to the limitation's to which he hat
voluntarily submitted himself. -The refusal of
the convention to adopt the publicitv Blank wfii
tions may be numerous ancU formidable. .
OUJjD BARNEY TO THE BOY
'Arrah! Barney ma bouchal, 'tis courtin' ye are
An' you but just out o' your dresses! '
'TIs the light in your, ye, like a new-risen star
That this news to your father confessed. '
Now ye're off to the town,
For the sun has gone down,
An' the spell o' the gloamin' is o'er ye.
Faith, ye're started like me,
But it's lucky ye'll be
If ye end like yer father before ye.
Oh, tho glamour o' night .
Breeds a passion too light ,.
For a dancit long lifetime's adornih',
But the blessin' that cheers
All the slow-wheelin' years. ',,
Is the love that blooms warm in the mornin'.
Arrah! Barney ma bouchal, when I was a lad
I courted one lass an' anothe.,
But the sorra bit comfort from anny I had
Till I came on the heart o your mother.
Oh, her charms the'y were rare
In the dusk, at the fair,
At the dance, in the house she was born in,
But her heart, it -was fo ;nd
When I happened .around
Where she sang at her work in the mornin'.
Oh, the glamour o' night
Breeds a passion too light
For a dancit long lifetime's adornin',
But the blessin that cheers
All the slow-wheelin' yearg
Is the love that blooms warm in the mornin'.
T. A. Daly in the Catholic Standard and Times.
FOR
K
CENTS
FROM NOW UNTIL ELECTION
DAY THE COMMONER WILL BE SENT
TO ANY ADDRESS FOR 25 CENTS.
'
iiow long is eternity? ,
In 19Q5 the United . States government
issued a document known, as 'Committee
Reports, Hearings and Acts of Congress Cor
responding Thereto." It included the hear
ings before the committee of the house of
representatives on insular affairs in the Fifty
eighth congress. Secretary Taft was a, witness
before the committee and, on page 103 will be
found tho language hereinafter quoted. There
was in the charter of tho anJla railway
a provision that at the end of one hundred
years the railway should revert to the Spanish
government. The company had claims against
the United States for occupation of t&e railroad
for nine months. Mr. Taft expjains that
he attempted to settle this claim bv9 giving to
the railroad a p.erpetual franchise. Hjj says:
"When I was out there as govern?, I talked
with the manager of the company and sug
gested a compromise by which we should give
them a perpetual, franchise like the franchise
already granted for the construction of railways
without guarantees, and that we should agree
to allow them on the franchise already granted
the duties on the materials put into the new
franchises on the one hand, and that they should
release all claims against the United States on
the other hand'
t, IlL anoter Part ot his testimony he stated
that the railroad paid three or four hundred
thousand dollars a year net. This would make
the rental of the railroad for nine months worth
from $225,000 to $300,000. Now, in order to
secure a release of the claim against the gov
ernment, Mr. Taft was willing to convert a
hundred year charter into a perpetual. franchise,
lhere was a provision in the original charter
In regard to guarantees, and Secretary TTaf t says
that the Philippine Islands have always repudi
ated this obligation, so that it can not be con
sidered as a compensation; The point we
desire to make Is this, that Secretary Taft was
willing to fasten upon the Filipino. people a per
petual franchise, and give to a railroad com
pany the power to hold this franchise forever.
. Paeee,ighty-three of the same report,
II " dl8Clsed that Mr. Taft,rLln discussing
tne bill under iconsideration by the ' committee,
favored a provision that would give the Philip
pine commission! the power to give a perpetual
guarantee -of, income to a railroad;.. Mr. Jones
asked him: .. ,j,,
' t, Tha le5ves ifc to the commission to say
whether it (the railroad) shall pay anything
(of the guarantee) back or not?-'-'... .And- Sec-
..