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The Conunoffcec
2
yOLUMB 9, NUMBER ft
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' IF BB
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for cxlstonco, it Is Impossible that ho should
not fool their influence. That a man Is known
by llio company ho keeps is an old saying; it
is no less true- that his opinions are materially
affected by tho company ho keops.
An increaso in tho salaries of tho judges will
not only determine tho social environment of
tlio judges, but it will contract tho circle from
which judges may bo seloctod. When tho presi
dent looks about for a man for tho United States
court, ho naturally looks for one who enjoys
an Incomo substantially equal to tho salary
which tho appointee is to receive, and tho larger
tho judicial salary, tho greater tho certainty
that tho judge- will bo selected from among
those who havo distinguished themselves as tho
representatives of corporations, for those, as a
rule, are the lawyors who enjoy tho largest
incomes.
Then, too, tho action of tho federal govern
ment sots an examplo for tho state governments,
and as soon as tho salaries of federal judges
aro increased, a movement is started to raise
tho salaries of stato judges. Thus a larger and
larger por cent of tho practicing attorneys aro
excluded from consideration, and these, too, are
tho very attorneys whoso practice brings them
into closo touch with tho general public.
Democratic representatives should consider
woll the natural tendency of this movement to
ward an Increaso of salaries. There has been
no such increaso in tho average income as it is
proposed to make in tho incomo of officials, and
tho official ought to take his chances with those
who contribute through taxation to his support.
V V y? w
WHAT I ANOTHER SCARE?
Bradstrcot says that in various lines "the
prospects of tariff revision tend to develop a
certain dogreo of hesitancy in making large
future commitments, and that as a matter of
fact somo contracts being entered into contain
clauses which provide for now prices in tho
oVont of existing tariff schedules being rear
ranged." vCan it bo that tho "contingent order" which
figured so prominently in tho lato campaign is
going to be used to prevent tariff reform? Is
H not enough to elect a republican president
by scaring tho manufacturers and employes
with contingent ordorB? Aro they now to be
used to scaro the country out of any change
In tho tariff law? Aro wo to substitute govern
ment by unanimous consent for tho rule of
tho pooplo on tho tariff question? And if so,
when will we got tho consent of the beneficiaries
of tho tariff?
w &fc jy v
A WORD OF WARNING
Senators, members of congress and legisla
tors In tho various states ought to be on their
guard against an offort which is now being made
by electric companies to secure perpetual water
lights along tho mountain streams in the west
and south. Jefferson said that eternal villganco
was the price of liberty, and liberty is not the
only thing that depends upon tho vigilance of
tho people and their representatives. There is
a constant effort on tho part of the great Cor
porations to over-roach tho public and to so
monopoltao the natural resources of tho country
as to make the many tho servants of tho few
The improvements, in the methods of transmit
m,?HCtrl0,Trgy Opon up a field for new
utilization of the mountain streams. Congress
is being urged to grant water rights. Senator
Crane of Massachusetts, and Mr. Mondel of
Wyoming has introduced bills which look to
the granting of largo advantages to those who
will seek to acquire water Fights under the
laws There ought to be no such tlUnTas a
perpetual franchise. No one can look ahSnS
peoplTwft ttSQ th? JnaiUon1.00Siat,lS2
iitonie m navo to moot twenty-five flftv ni
ih ono-siuou. If those who secure it mis thor
guess and obtain something that is worthless
t ley can giVQ it up, but if the legislaTors nfss
t iU,SS aml exnct t0 " a SompmroUon
CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS' tventv L
ton ought to bo demand, a ho rSftWSl
found ft".? jM VuUT PBrma' " '3
Whether tho franchises aro ewintnri i,
entrusted with authority to surrender In per
petuity rights and privileges which may become
enormously valuable in timo, even If thoy may
appear of little value now.
In the conservation of our nation's resources
tho purposo should not bo merely to conserve
them, but to conserve them for the whole peo
ple. Europe is cursed with a system under
which a few aro landlords and the rest tenants;
let not our country put its neck under a yoke
equally galling a system under which tho
people will havo to pay perpetual tribute to
monopolies.
J 5 J
PAYING CAMPAIGN BETS
Mr. Bryan has received a number of photo
graphs showing democrats In the act of paying
campaign bets. Most of them have represented .
some losing democrat as pushing a winning re
publican around the town square in a wheel
barrow. Mr. Bryan regrets that through his
defeat the democrat has been holding the
handles instead of enjoying the ride.
While betting, even on an election, can not
be encouraged, the wheelbarrow ride is one of
the least harmful forms of the wager. The
man who loses does not suffer a great deal, at
least he does not suffer the pain of seeing a
republican spend democratic money, and in the
payment of his wager he s.dds to the gayety of
his community. If men can not entirely re
strain the temptation to bet, the wheelbarrow
ride can bo recommended as the best vent for
enthusiasm. May it be the democrat's turn to
ride next time.
(fV nt ( V
"LOOTERS"
The Portland (Ore.) Printing House has pub
lished a very interesting book entitled "Looters
of the Public Domain." In this book the story of
that extraordinary conspiracy against tho gov
ernment, planned and executed in Oregon, is
told by one of the leaders of the conspiracy,
S. A. D. Puter, aided by Horace Stevens, late
of the government land service. It embraces
a complete exposure of tho fraudulent system
of acquiring titles to the public lands of the
United States. Those who are interested in in
forming themselves in regard to this celebrated
case which resulted in the disgrace of senators,
congressmen and public officials as well as of
private Individuals, will find the book very in
structive. & i2r &rt tv
AN OLD DOCTRINE
The doctrine of government by consent of
the governed is not a new one, even if it is now
disputed by imperialists. In 1800 Grattan, the
Irish patriot, said: "I will trust the people with
the custody of their own Iberty, but I will trust
no people with the custody of any liberty other
than their own, whether that people be Rome.
Athens or Britain." '
Grattan was right, no people can be trusted
with the liberty of another people. Liberty does
not mean the right to live according to condi
tions prescribed by some alien power, but the
right of men to a voice in their own cov
ernment. fa
&&&&
THE POWDER TRUST
theof0 C&aTd? " PrGSS diSPatCh frm
"Cleveland, December 10. A world-wide
agreement of all the powder companies in this
country and Europe was presented at the federal
hearing before Special Master Mahaffey here to
day. It provided for a $50,000 fine for any
breach of the agreement. This document after
HSIS0 WaS WentUUa by Almo Lent ofthe
Austin Powder company of this city. The agree
ment was signed in 1897, and proVided that It
should continue in force for ten years and after-
th5d8th?nflnltefly- The cument Bete forth
that the Dupont company, the Austin Powder
company, and nearly one hundred other pS
cerns in this country had signed it, and also aU
the powder concerns in Europe. The one Sun
lr?d n "Country include every p0Wde? com!
K7 if he Smi'u StatGS; The meSPBto
pXZ SdrndeiSalT S
ed so that each concern could live and milt
profits. A detonation factory w"8 be ng Sufi?
in New Jersey at that time, to which tho Prn
peon concerns objected. The companies ir ? thte
country agreed, according to the document, to
stop the erection of this factory. It was also
agreed that the United States companies should
buy five million pounds of detonators from
Europe. Regulations were made as to black
powder, sportsmen's powder and Bmokeless mili
tary powder."
Here is an agreement covering both the
United States and ' Europe for the control of
the powder trade. Governments and private
individuals were to be the victims the price of
the product to be arbitrarily fixed by those in
Ncontrol. Gradually the principle which under
lies the private monopoly is being understood.
After a while even the republican leaders may
become as well Informed on the subject as the
members of the house of commons were in
Elizabeth's time. They, three centuries ago,
condemned monopolies and demanded their
abolishment. No one would think of letting a
judge try a case in which he was pecuniarily
interested as a party, and when the principle
of monopoly is clearly understood, it will be
just as absurd to allow any man or group of
men to eliminate competition and then decide
arbitrarily the price which the monopoly will
collect from those who, by necessity, must use
the product of monopoly.
2r tcr tV i2fi
"GREASE" AND OTHER THINGS
Generously, to the public, is vouchsafed the
benefit of an official Standard Oil statement ap
pearing as an advertisement. We reproduce the
essential parts:
"STANDARD OIL COMPANY
"A Protest and a Warning
"26 Broadway, Dec. 19, 1908.
"To the Press and Public:
"Moved by many recent publications of false,
misleading, and injurious statements regarding
its acts, motives and associations in business
and otherwise, the Standard Oil company '
hereby enters a protest and a warning against
all such unauthorized and .unfounded publi
cations. "The Standard Oil company Is interested in
its many industries growing out of the produc
ing, manufacturing, and marketing of oil and
its products, and in no others. . ""'
"Against these and similar inventions, w;o
take, then, this means of bringing the matter
before the public, for the public's as Well as
for the company's protection, and respectfully
insist, as we have done before, that no credit
whatever be given to any statement regarding
the Standard Oil company's views, acts or in
tentions unless the same be duly vouched for
by an executive official of the company or by
its designated attorneys.
"CHAS. T, WHITE, Assist. Sec'y."
Condensed, this means: "Don't believe any
thing about us except what we ourselves tell "
This is a fairly large order; yet the public might
honor it if it were coupled with good faith,
frankness, and willingness to answer questions
But the gist Is really this: "Believe only what
we say and we won't say anything." In the
recent examination by Government Attorney
Kellogg the most frequent single answer of Mr.
Rockefeller under oath, was: "I don't recall."
Mr Archbold merely varied the verb; he said:
Ln??'f kno,w Consider, in the light of this
protest and warning against all unauthorized
and unfounded publications," those platform
readings of Mr. Hearst. They certainly "2
"unauthorized." On the other hand, Chanclllo?
Day s frequent lucubrations doubtless may be
"authorized." "The Standard Oil company il
interested in its many industries growing u?
of 5f Prr?d,uHci' manufacturing, and marketing
?0f ? an1d its Products, and in no others." This
fm th?k and, straiShtforward. Railroads are
for the carrying of oil; banks are to hold the
money made from oil. Tho "Oil City Derrick"
is an obvious incident of the lubricating oil
business; and "Leslie's Weekly" comes under
the head of grease. Collier's Weekly.
&&&&
LOOKING BACKWARD
of h1mPltf,lgwIliat"Senator n's defense
or himself was temperate, convincing and
noT'avoid tthUV; 5e W York 'world can
that ta in niLiemptan t0 gIvo tne reminder
Publio t ifn LCl? on, The Collese Graduate and
August i ft i PMnte in the AtlaTlti-c Monthly of
m, ' 1894' Mr- Roosevelt said:
affair? tS?1? 5?nB.e that can D0 committed
mn who L?PUbl C.1fi the offense of the Putlic
1? com? thrflS8 hiS tFUSt; but second onlto
nersZdo offenfe o the man who trlelr to
SSw?nmnV10J?,tllat an llonest and efficient
public man is dishonest or unworthy."
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