'r,wv'1i "W-W "vytuftjUH1 W(g7rgry
2
The Commoner.
i
.
r
Mr
?
appoints men of another party to a bi-partisan
board, tho man appointed has cither botrayod
bis party or is expected to. This is not always
tho cnao, but this is the rule. In tho case of
Mr. Dickinson tho appointment is given him be
cause ho is not in harmony with his party, and
lie is not expected to act in tho interest of his
party as a cabinot officer.
Mr. Dickinson's appointment will not break
up tho south; if it has any influence at all, It
will simply arouse the real democrats to more
earnest action that they may rid themselves
of tho weight of those who constantly strangle
democratic legislation and omasculate tho plat
forms of the party. It weakens tho democratic
party rathor than strengthens it to have men.
In it who call themselves democrats but who
oppose tho things that aro democratic. These
men aro a weakness whether their opposition
to democracy comes from aristocratic sentiment
or from corporate connection. Tho democratic
party must bo a people'r; party or a party of tho
prodatory corporations; it can not be both, and
as tho republican party is already firmly en
tronched in the affections of predatory wealth,
it is bad in policy as woll as vicious in principle
for tho democratic party to attempt to win the
support of the exploiting interests. Mr. Dickin
son's appolntmont only emphasizes the necessity
for making the democratic position so plain that
men can not wear, tho livory of tho party ard
yet continue to advocate republican policies.
BELATED PRAISE
, President Taft is quoted as paying a tributo
to Ex-President Cleveland in a speech made in
Now York on tho latter's birthday. Tho be
lated praise which is now heaped upon Mr.
CJovoIand by republicans would have been very
much appreciated to him during his life. In
1896 the republicans leaders blamed the demo
cratic administration., for the panic of '93, and
ever since that time .the republicans have called
it. a "democratic panic" because it occurred
under the administration of one who was elect
ed as a democrat. Mr. Cleveland was denounced
by the republicans for the issuing of bonds in
tho time of peace, although the republicans are
preparing to do the- same thing now. The
tariff which Mr. Cleveland favored was de
nounced as a menace to the country and as
disastrous to our industry and as a concession
to tho foreigners. Nothing that Mr. Cleveland
i WS f"pPrted by the republicans except
what he did on the money question, and that
was endorsed only because he adopted the policy
JPuMcan leaders on that subject.
,iM!;att B.ays uhat lt was a relle to the re
publican party when the leadership in the nartv
passed from Mr. Cleveland, aTd this in foS
fulness of the fact that the republicans had a
half of Mr Cleveland's administration than they
have GVer llnd lnce It waa necXesarJ
that congress to secure the support of a few
A MAJOR GENERAL OP 'INDUSTRY!
In its issuo of February 26 tho New York
? foiling! and commercial 5S2
a rule, to the effect that this situation appeared
J?m? VP dly WOrki,ns out in " Prope?P!arOC
tion. It is now evident that tho Liw vl
United States Steel corporation is no Lo
successive reductions in list prices for steel nro
ducts but to quote no list prices whatovlr and
ATke Very efEort lt Cttn t0 secure business
As a matter of truth contracts are now tw
concluded by the corporation at flgureB foT below
any offered in the last few month? S JK ow
independent producers, who pr ce cntHu
h3d to the recent disturbance In the tmSI T?
was said today that in consequence of thfc Tmanv
of these independent produce S,Sr m
from the steel market, realS full tVJfT
mposslbility of waging a successful w wth
? y as? 2-ra? a rr sis?
beginning of the end of tho tronhin 7 at the
trade is at hand. There wnr i n the steel
day that some , J : the nZZ71tZJUm0S to
had asked for a conference of SLl GGl ?rodcors
all the leading SSdnS? acSTX? f
stance which if correctlytauld seem"
also point strongly in tho direction of a settle
ment of trade difficulties."
A prominent New York lawyer who sent this
clipping to Tho Commoner, makes this notation:
"This constitutes a nutshell of the social, politi
cal and financial morals of the Sun, Wall Street,
Morgan and the rest. According to these tho
'proper direction' in which to work out 'the in
dustrial situation' is that the steel corporation
(controlling about one-sixth of it) shall use its
power to go it blind on prices to secure the iron
and steel business of tho country and bo force
all the independent producers to 'retire.' "
BIG EXPECTATIONS
Evidently the special Interests are expecting
a great deal of the Taft administration. In his
weekly letter of March 13 Henry Clews, the
New York banker, says that Wall Street has
settled down to the feeling that "there will be
a cessation of the disturbing methods towards
great corporations which have been so prominent
for some time past." Mr. Clews adds:
"The Standard Oil and the Missouri rate de
cisions, although they had no great effect upon
the market, served to strengthen confidence. It
is believed that now the harmful consequences
of radical and extreme agitation against large
corporations are fully seen, that a more tem
perate policy will be adopted in dealing with
such important matters. Thi3 docs not mean
that there should be the slightest leniency
shown in the enforcement of law against the
large concerns, but that demagogic attacks
should cease, and that the attempts at confisca
tory legislation will be fewer and far between.
In other words, the hope seems justified that
we are about to enter a period of more rational
treatment of the great economic and financial
problems of tho day." i
By "demagogic attacks" Mr. Clews plainly
means Roosevelt messages and by "more ra
tional treatment of the great economic and
financial problems of the day," he means plainly
that sort of treatment for the great trusts which
might ho expected from a political party whose
campaign funds were provided by representa
tives of the special interests.
THOSE CONTINGENT ORDERS
M,nV?Ian Wfote for tne March number of
Munsey s Magazine an article in which he said:
Mr Brown the vice president of the New York
Central system, was quoted after the election
as saying that he confirmed purchases to the
amount of thirty-one millions of doSs which
were made on orders given before the election
contingent upon republican victory." As a footl
note to Mr. Bryan's article and referring to this
sretnrmMMToBxints tho Mi-?ns tS-
m'Zh,Is s'oryhal origin in some newsnaner
?he count",- K Wa telraphed a
me country, and was promptly denied by me at
the time it appeared. There was not a road fn
the New York Central systemttat had placed'
an order for equipment, or for anything : SE
contingent on tho result of the eSion an i i
MrTOBnryan,:..matl0 tt " ree" S
t iCffiMta wspaplr ?n ?SS
?o eir;F a
heard of nnv S 5? No ono however, over
THE BIG NAVY PROGRAM
President Taft has espoused wtth , ,
the big navy program lnauurSJd hv M8taiSm
mediate predecessor. He nsMtff y is Im"
navy" and insists Sat Crti
ing a strong navy" is "fh w y of raaintain-
oup peace with olher nations and ff?en?tor ot
of securing respect for , d thexlbest means
rights," etc5 Tlie aavocates of aTif" f our
nizing tho universal vlPrl J ble navy' recS-
to conceal ttolr Smtaw entw?6"6' atterat
guise of an advancement enthusiasm under the
ought to be decS lntfaCe' No
president Xl?noRf the
turies old. but it 1 fniii ne' !t s cen-
not built in the interest onS;nnBlg Davies
not promote peace The sSiH?an? !hey do
tUem is the spirit tdf ta-
VOLUMB 9, NUMBER 14
just as the spirit which prompts a man to cirr
a revolver is the spirit that leads him to JZ
the revolver. Does anyone suppose thnt
would have less shooting if every citw
equipped himself with a number of revolver,?
Does anyone believe that the carrying or.
yolvers promotes the observance of the law?
As little can we expect to promote peace bv
rivalry in the building of warships. They Lvn
a navy league in nearly all of the leading na.
tlons, and the navy league of each nation do
man ds an increase In tho navy of its country
every time a battleship is built in another
country. If we build two ships, Germany must
build two or three, and England must build
three or four, and then we must build again
and then the other nations must build more
There is no end to this insane policy except the
bankrupty of the weaker nations and the burden
ing of the people of all nations. War is much
more apt to come from the cultivation of a war
Bpirit than from the infliction 0f a real injury
by an enemy. J
This big navy program brings the country
face to face with a question of the first magni
tude. Shall we join in the cultivation of tho
war spirit and in the craze for battleships? Sur
rounded by oceans we are in a position such as
no other nation occupies. We ar not only the
moral leader of the world, but we are so sit
uated geographically that the arguments ad
dressed to fear ought not to influence us as they
do other nations. We can with less risk than
other nations apply the Christian doctrine to
our national policy and trust to the righteous
ness of our policies and to the sense of justice
which guides us in dealing with pthex: nations.
Our resources are so abundant and the capacity
of our people so well known that no nation is
going to invite an encounter. If we had not a
single battleship, it 1b known the world over
that we could build and equip a' navy, if we so
desired. And if any nation was foolhardy
enough to inflict injury upon us before we were
ready for battle, its Indemnity would only be
the larger when the real contest began. But
those who oppose the extravagant navy program
outlined by the president do not ask that our
ships be dismantled; they only ask that we
shall have a po.licy of. pur own and not be
driven into naval expansions., by the example of
others. We ought to lead, not fellow; and it
Is. time to recognize the superiority of moral
greatness over mere physical prowess. It is
time that the moulders of public sentiment and
the exponents of the nation's conscience speak
out against this rash embarkation upon a policy
of swagger and boasting. It is time to invoke
again the words of Lincoln. He declared that
the nation's strength was not in its army or
aT' n Its orts or' lts towers, but in the
spirit that prizes liberty as the heritage of all
men in all lands everywhere. , This must be our
reliance if we escape the fate of the nationB
that have gone down to death.
WHAT ABOUT PROSPERITY?
Henry Clews, the New York banker, was one
?Mr3?A str.onsest supporters of the republican
?L du1rinS the recent campaign. Mr. Clews
3h?rL ? Aricaa people to elect Taft and
SlSSSSort T.Tder "that Prosperity might be
maintained. He was anxious for the defeat of
for thm2Sa?c tIcket in order that hard times
for the people generally and low waes for the
laboring man particularly might blavoWed
mDm?a?emrGnatdr ,ma7' therefore e VteSS M
same iwv nimade ,ver the nature of this
same Henry Clews and printed in the Weeklv
S.TeCnrav ued by the bankfngeu
&ffit - Prels
"A number of reductions in wages' -have nl-
a?f LptctedTn V Steel trandmore
"iSrea re atn if the J Industry lower
r , e also In force. The coal trade disnute
0 twWchU1IL,5eSln,t05 Ar11 X theeu come
sfnc? betu'sidet fLT ""T
for a strito-frio , it ft "y and even anxious
or sbc weeks :ni LqUlte, 1.lko,y that a nwntU
SajStaSt?."1 depressIon to the inevitable re-
vrMOTomtaml11?,,0"! the Seat PPerity which
PbliPcarv?ctdory?th0 EePle '.tbe.eyent of re-
L-w-