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The Commoner.
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 3
, m ifn. sjki ..jtni"!i2f ' ' iCitiiiiii n n ir 1 1 'it- 1 - . 1. ... 1 ' - 75""5jfwO'
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A CONTROVERSY is on between Chicago's
superintendent of schools and certain
teachers. Margaret Haley of tho Teacher's Fed
eration, has published this list of questions, for
which, sho said, teachers receive as many credits
as for real scholarly tests in the normal school
extension course: "How docs a cat drink milk?
"What arc the principal parts of a hens egg.'
"How does a cat catch a mouse?" "Why do
men keep cows?" "Watch a horse standing in
tho summer time. How docs he use his tail?'
"What part of an animal is that which we call
moat?" "Compare your teeth with those of a
cat." "In what ways do cats prove a nuisance?"
"What proportion of his corn crop does a
farmer feed to his cattle?" "What peculiar
habit has the cow that is connected with eat
ing?" "How does a cow bond its hind legs
. whon it lies down? How does it get up?"
O
THE ST. LOUIS Mirror (rep.) makes more or
less interesting remarks in this fashion: "If
Mr. William Jennings Bryan wants to know one
reason for tho overwhelming character of his
defeat last November, I can toll him that it
was tho great slump of Catholic democratic
votes to Taft, because of that gentleman's fair
treatmont of the church in the Philippines. Even
tho simply and kindly nuns were working for
Taft, in their convents. And let mo say here,
that this same Catholic church is going to play
a bigger part in tho American politics of tho
immediate future, for tho one reason that it is
tho one influence, the one organization to which
property can turn with hopo of help against tho
rising revolution for a bettor distribution of
tho fruits of labor applied to the earth. Tho
Catholic church is dead sot against socialism.
It has what Protestantism lacks authority. It
can onforco its authority. . It is the salvation of
woalth. Protestantism is fissiparous and power
less. Catholicism in the United States is the
pro-destined ally of the vested interests."
THE UNITED STATES supremo court has af
firmed the decree of the state courts of
Toxas imposing a fine of $1,623,900 on the
Waters-Pierce Oil company of St. Louis and
ousting it from tho state on tho charge of vio
lating tho Texas anti-trust law. Tho court also
sustained tho action of tho Texas state courts
In tho appolntmont of Robert J. Eckhart as re
ceiver, and thus again decided against tho com
pany, which sought to have sustained the action
of the federal court in appointing C. B. Dorches
ter at tho instanco of tho company. The de
cision in each case was unanimous. The action
was begun in tho Texas courts under tho state
anti-trust laws and resulted in a- verdict direct
ing tho cancellation of tho company's permit
i dbu,sInoss m tho state and fixing a pen
alty of $1,623,900 for tho violation of tho laws
from the tlmo that the permit was issued, on
May 31, 1900, till April 24, 1907, when tho
action was bogun.
THE BILL fllod in Texas against the Standard
Oil company charged that tho company
had violated tho stato laws every day since it
ih?Sl0Q0fd ?,,t0 through a conspiracy
with tho Standard Oil company of Now Jersoy
to control tho oil business in Texas, but the
SS.Wid?nl0d th,, ohapso and hl additi0 con
Ino d fthat ov?i if il hful violated tho law it
was not amenable, because tho business trans
acted was of an interstate character, and there-
aXhorit es vLt0 C0n,tr1 by thG United States
a-uthorities. Iho penalty was at the rate of
51&00 p?r day from Mfty 31, 1900, to Anril 1
1903,oand a tho rate of w'por day from that
O -.
npHE WASHINGTON correspondent for tho
X Chicago Record-Herald says: "The case
turned upon tho point as to whether the nro
IfT vf th Etat0 against Se company had
been in accordance with the constitutional re
tirement for duo process of law, and thS cornet
held that such was tho case. WhU T regarding
the fine as very large, Justice Day, who an
nounced tho decision, held that it was compel
tent to Impose it. Dealing with the contention,
that the alleged conspiracy between tho Waters
Pierce company and tho Standard company to
control tho price of oil in Texas was outside
the stato of Texas and therefore not within the
jurisdiction of the Toxas courts, Justice Day
said that the agreement had been executed with- .
in tho stato. This circumstance, he said, was
conclusive with the court that the conviction
was had for acts inside the state's borders. On
the point that the proceedings of the state
against the company had not been a due pro
cess of law, the court held: 'That stato legis
latures have the right to deal with the subject
matter and to prevent unlawful combinations
to prevent competition and restraint of trade
and to prohibit and punish monopolies is not
open to question. Having the power to pass
laws of this character, of course the state may
provide for proceedings to enforce the same.
The state, keoping within constitutional limita
tions, may provide jts own method of procedure
and determine tho methods and means by which
such laws may bo made effectual. "We are not
prepared to say that there was a deprivation
of duo process of law because the statute per
mitted and the court charged that there might
bo a conviction not only for acts which accom
plished the prohibited result, but also for those
which tend or are reasonably calculated to bring
about the things forbidden.' Justice Day also
discussed the contention that the fines im
posed were excessive, saying that the business
done in Texas by the company was very exten
sive and highly profitable, the property amount
ing to more than $40,000,000 and its dividends
being as high as 700 per cent per annum. 'As
suming,' he said, 'that the defendant was guilty
of a violation of laws over a period of years
and In1 transacting business upon so large a, scale. ,
We are not prepared to say that there was. want .
of due process of law in the penalties imposed.' "
THE FIRST official act of Will M. Maupin, '
Nebraska's labor commissioner, was a
formal and eloquent tribute to the hen. Com
missioner Maupin said: "Thought I knew some
thing about the great Nebraska hen, but since
I have occupied this desk I've been
filling up on information. The hen has not
had the proper recognition: We've talked about
the steer and the dairy cow and the hog until
wo have fallen into the habit of thinking that
the hen is a side issuo, so to speak. Why, she
brought $18,000,000 worth of eggs to market
in Nebraska last year, to say nothing of the
value of her offspring In the way of fried
chicken. She laid 1,200,000,000 eggs in 1908.
Placed end to end these eggs would reach
around the earth and then overlap 12,000 miles.
They would make an egg walk three feet wide
reaching from Omaha to Ogden. They would
furnish tho 'and' part of a 'ham and' breakfast
for 600,000,000 people, and make an omelette
containing G 2 5,0 00 cubic feet. If the Nebraska
hen laid $18,000,000 worth of eggs In 1908,
and her .offspring was worth one-half as much
more In the shape of fried chicken and chicken
pie, the hen was worth more to Nebraska than
our boasted wheat crop of $26,000,000; almost
twice as much as our oat crop of $16,000,000
twenty times as much as our barley crop'
twenty-times as much as our rye crop, and one
third as much as our corn crop and we have
talked about our corn crop until all the world
knows Nebraska beats them all. Now why
shouldn't wo begin giving the grand old Ne
braska hen her just duo? Really we ought to
have a new seal for this great state, and when
t is designed we ought to insist that tho Ne
braska hen receive proper recognition thereon."
T NfT wn San Francisc legislature a number
X of bills have been introduced seeking to
u fr0,m Btato Japanese. President Roos
volt wired Governor Gillett asking that all
efforts at anti-Japanese legislation be postponed
adding that a letter follows. A Washington d&
ferrinS?, b? P Assiated Press and it
Jnr ?t0 thIS leite BayS: "lt impOSSibhl
rninff pf?,,dS?t in his letter t0 Governo?
Gillett to tell all of the reasons that influenced
him in making the unprecedented protest he did
against such action by the California legisla
ture. He did develop the fact that under tho
agreement reached two years ago between
America and Japan, not only had Japanese im
migration into America decreased, but also that
there Nhad been an actual reduction in the num
ber of Japanese residents in this country. He
could not say that the California anti-Japanese
legislation would undoubtedly cause the Japa
nese government to relax the efforts which it
now is honestly making to restrict coolie im
migration to America, yet that thought was in
the mind of the administration. There are other
factors, which for diplomatic reasons, could not
bo mentioned in a letter which was sure to be
published, but which are well known to the
members of the senate and house committees on
foreign affairs, and which doubtless influenced
the conservative Pacific coast men in congress
to whom they were made known in deprecating
such action as was proposed."
SOME OF the members of the legislature re
sent the president's efforts. A Sacramento
dispatch carried by the Associated Press says:
Grove L. Johnson, who has introduced the
measure preventing aliens from acting as direc
tors of corporations, is openly defiant and asserts
that he will do all he can to push the anti
Japanese measures. Senator Sanford, the leader
of the democratic caucus, resents the interfer
ence of the president, calling it impudent. He
asserts that California is quite capable of taking
care of its own affairs and will not submit to
dictation. He also declared that the federal
government had not kept, the promises It made
two years ago when the legislature consented to
drop the anti-Japanese legislation then before
GOVERNOR GILLETT, however, 'seems to be
VX In sympathy with the president. In a news
paper interview the governor says: "After con
ferring with the leading members of boTh
branches of the legislature tonight, I am con
vinced that no legislation directed against the
Japanese will be enacted. I am satisfied that
the people of California and particularly the
members of our legislature appreciate the efforts
being made by the federal government and th
representatives of Japan to stop immfgrat on
mnntl& f Jaimnese laborei BWHed and
unskilled. There can be no- doubt that the
S53n?nUhfiV??lme5t iS acting absolutely in
good faith in its endeavor to prevent its peoDle
emigrating to our country, and in my jS
?rpnnSTUld. bG a S6ri0US mlstake while they
are so doing to enact any laws directed agatast
the Japanese people. This question is one in
which the federal government is particular lv in
forested, and its wishes should be care Sly coSl
s' Wl" b' am SUre' b P W
TWO MEN fell from the fifteenth floor of n.
Kansas City building.' They were tV
Trout and Charles Pepperdine Trou f who ' was
not seriously injured tells this dramatic str?
of his experiences: "When thn nnniKii i , y
In the middle I realized I wastoo fa! JJnm0
ropes which descended atUhe ? end $
pne. I resigned myself to fate It tnnir ???
two and one-half seconds to descend e?ghtv-four
feet or half way down, m thosetwc f seconds
Snews,ot my death would kill 12.
ST MMM si'rf
hour, and I longed to reach the bottom trBnS
little quarrels stood before ma if ir ? !
flaring lines on a billboard ThaJ ? ,ft P nie(Uu
instead of an instantaneous death I might have
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