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JUNE 25, 1909
The Commoner.
5
it. Other features of the wood pulp schedule
aro still pending.
Senator Bailey, speaking for himself and most
of the democratic and republican advocates of
the income tax, announced that ho would con
sent to postpone the disposal of the Income tax
question until after the tariff schedules were
disposed, of. After debate an order postponing
tho subject was suggested by Senator Bailey,
and agreed to. The formal presentation of tho
matter was made by Senator Aldrich, and it
took the form of a' unanimous consent agree
ment to defer tho entire income tax and cor
poration tax questions until the tariff schedules
aro out of the way. At that time Senator Bai
ley's amendment for an income tax and the com
mittee's substitute for it will be taken up and
kept beforo the senate until they are disposed of.
The finance committee's amendment to the
hide paragraph of the tariff bill was presented
to the senate. It levies a tariff of 15 per cent
ad valorem on "hides of cattle, raw or uncured,
whether dried, salted or pickled," with a pro
vision for a drawback equal to the duty when
exported in the form of leather. The amend
ment's effect Is to take hides from the free list,
where the house left them. The hide amend
ment failed of final consideration, and was still
under discission when the senate adjourned.
Senator Lodge spoke for three hours in opposi
tion to the provision which imposed a duty of
15 per cent, which Is the Dingley law. Senator
Warner took occasion to defend the provision.
The senate adopted the window glass sched
ule, placing a lower duty on such glass than is
provided either by the Dingley law or the house
bill. Senator Bacon's amendment for still
lower rates than those recommended by the
committee was rejected.
By a viva voce vote the senate agreed to the
committee amendment fixing the duty on illus
trated post cards at 15 cents per pound and
25 per cent ad valorem.
FROM THE TARIFF DEBATE
Mr. Aldrich Is the senator from West Vir
ginia opposing these increases on agricultural
pro.ducts?
Mr. Elkins Not at all. I am not opposing
them in any way. All I ask is that the distin
guished senator will put a' fair duty on the pro
ducts of West Virginia, which are worth just
as much yes, more in many localities and en
titled to the same consideration. All I desire
is that the finance committee be just, fair and
consistent. This is all I aBk for West Virginia
at the hands of the committee; nothing more;
no discrimination against our products.
Mr. Aldrich Is the senator from West Vir
ginia trying to make a trade with me or with
the senator from North Dakota, Mr. McCumber?
Mr. Elkins I had rather trade with the chair
man of the committee, the senator from Rhode
Island. (Laughter.) He can deliver more, and
I think West Virginia would get better treat
ment from him. He is a sound protectionist.
Mr. McEnery, of Louisiana I recollect in
1897 I received letters from Cleveland, Cincin
nati, Pittsburg and some other-cities relative to
sugar machinery, all of which was to go to the
state of Louisiana. Then they buy all their
chemicals abroad. They use the finest mules
in the world. To draw a' sugar plantation plow
requires from two to eight mules. This class
of mules are the very finest which can be pro
duced. They are raised in Kentucky, in Ten
nessee and in Missouri. Our planters send out
there and buy a vast number of mules. I know
the state of Tennessee, for instance, almost wor
ships the mule, and I am inclined to think that
that is brought about a' good deal by the big
purchases which the sugar planters of Louisiana
make. I recollect once going into a court room
in a town in Tennessee. There was a judge who
probably was not excelled by any one in the
state of Tennessee for ability and character.
He was in his seat, and on his right was a picture
of a jack. Nobody who did not have great
admiration for the mule and the benefits it
brought to him w.ould have there hanging such
a picture in the court room and having it the
handmaid of justice. From the Congressional
Record.
PARTY PLATFORMS
The Nebraska State Journal (Rep.) says:
"If the party platform is to serve no higher
function than to make hypocrites of statesmen
and dupes of their constituents, it should be
abolished, and soon." There is one other alter
native; abolish the statesmen who repudiate
their platform and then educate the dupes.
Carnegie Pension Come Home to Roost
Aireaay the management of the Carneglo
pension fund is undertaking to oxerciso cont.ol
over universities that havo permitted tho Car
negie influence to lay hold upon them. A New
York dispatch carried by the Associated Press
says:
"Harvard, Columbia and New York universi
ties havo been warned of laxity concerning
standards at the Institutions which may violate
the requirements for participation in tho bene
fits of tho Carnegie foundation for tho advance
ment of teaching, according to tho Herald to
day. Official communications calling tho Insti
tution's attention to tho supposed laxity in
standards have been sent out by tho foundation."
The request of tho University of Illinoh to
be placed on tho fou idatlon's list has been de
nied. The foundation contends that ontranco
facilities are too easy and that tho advertised
standard is not maintained. Tho request of tho
University of North Carolina also Is denied. Tho
University of Wisconsin is held to bo tho model
institution by tho foundation.
A Washington, D. C, dispatch to tho Lincoln
(Neb.) Journal says:
"The executives of the Carnegie foundation
have withdrawn from Getrge Washington uni
versity of this city tho privileges of the fund
and its pension features on the ground that
tho university has not the $200,000 productive
endowment required by the foundation in order
to receive such benefits; also on the ground that
its endowment was mis-stated to them and
finally, because it is charged the university
does not enforce strictly Its scholarship require
ments for admittance and permits its degrees
to be issued without the necessary amount of
work. The university authorities, while admit
ting that the institution is very much cramped
financially, deny these charges. Columbia, New
York City University and even Harvard are re
ported now to be on the list of possible treat
ment of the same sort."
Referring to the Carnegie pension affair tho
Lincoln (Neb.) News (rep.) prints this editorial:
"The critics of tho plan of placing the Uni
versity of Nebraska upon tho Carnegie teachers'
pension list have discovered a real objection to
it. That is that the men in charge of the dis
tribution of the fund seek to exorcise a general
superintendence over the universities that ac
cept the beneficence, and insist upon having
them run as they. think they ought to be run,
under penalty of having the pension fund with
drawn from tho institution.
"In proof of this they bring forward the case
of Georgetown university. The regents recently
discharged two professors for reasons best
known to themselves. Georgetown university
is located in the national capital, by the way.
The executive committee of the Carnegie
foundation has summarily scratched George
town off its list, and its professors must go
pensionless or move elsewhere. Tho reason as
signed in the dispatches is that the committee
believed tho university had not acted right by
the two retired professors, and anyway, that
tho institution was trying to cover too broad
a field with tho financial backing at its com
mand. "This phase of the matter can not be over
emphasized. If the Carnegie executive commit
tee can exercise the power of veto on university
management, then no self-respecting university
can place itself under obligations to it. The
critics say with considerable force that if the
Carnegie committee can say who shall not be
discharged as professors, then it can also say
who shall be discharged, or who shall be en
gaged. It Is also true that no such outside in
terference with the judgment of the regents can
be permitted on the personnel of the teaching
force or the field covered.
The advocates of the acceptance by Nebraska
of the Carnegie fund have contended that Car
negie had, by the terms of his gift, placed the
control of the fund beyond the reach of his
control, but the dictation sought to be exer
cised towards Georgetown smacks a great deal
of the ironmaster's methods. The only reason
that actuated the News in urging the acceptance
of the pension by Nebraska as that all of its
rival universities were going in, thus leaving
Nebraska at a disadvantage upon what seemed
to be in mo3t part a quixotic ground of refusal.
But before it can be accepted by Nebraska the
conditions must bo mado so clear that no such
club as was shaken over Georgetown's head
can bo wlolded over that of Nobraska. Freedom
with poverty Is as much to bo desired In tha
university as in tho individual."
EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM
Tho Now York newspapers publish the full
text of tho letter written by President Prichott
of tho Carneglo foundation fund, giving in do
tail tho reasons for dropping Gcorgo Washing
ton university from tho benefits of tho founda
tion. In tho lottor It is alleged that tho rovonues
of tho university haw fallen bolow tho required
amount, that Its standards of admission aro not
strictly uphold, and that thoro is "lax adminis
tration of tho college of political scionces. Jt
is interesting, by tho way, that Mr. Carnoglo's
agents should take so deep an intorost in tho
political science department of a university on
their pension list! Why political science rather
than languages, or botany, or astronomy? Is
it because plutocracy feels Itself more vitally
affected by what political science is taught, and
how it is taught, than in other lines of univer
sity work?
President Pritchett's letter says further:
Tho committee further calls your attention
to tho extract from tho rules for tho admission
of institutions. Tho trustees of tho Carneglo
foundation for tho advancement of teaching re
serve tho right to discontinue tho privilege of
participation In tho system of retiring allow
ances of tho foundation whenever, In tho Judg
ment of tho trustees, an Institution coases to
conform to tho' regulations maintained by tho
trustees. The executive committee feels com
pelled also to protest against tho extraordinary
action of tho institution In forcibly retiring two
professors, both of whom aro In the prime of
their active teaching, on tho ground that tho
institution needs to save money by the retiring
allowance system."
An interview with President Needham of
George Washington university is also printed, in
which ho declares that "tho action of the trustees
has been taken hastily and as the direct result
of tho controversies which havo arisen through
the working out of economies in our work." .lo
declares that tho university's standards aro hon
estly upheld, and that its assets aro groater
than they ever were, while its work Is better
today than it was at tho time it was admitted
to tho Carneglo benefits. Ho concludes by
saying:
"To every fair minded man I am sure it will
be apparent that to discontinue this Important
relation without giving tho university any hear
ing whatever was hasty and prejudiced and un
just." There is tho case. Perhaps tho university
is right. Perhaps tho 'Carnegie trustees aro
right. Tho discharged professors may havo
been treated justly or unjustly. The univer
sity may bo governing Itself wisely or unwisely.
But the same thing may bo true of the state
of Nebraska, or the government of tho United
States. Both of them have made mistakes and
committed injustices, and may bo doing so to
day. If not one billionaire but several should
establish a foundation to furnish revenue for
the state of Nebraska cr the government of tho
United States, and should cut off the revenue
if either government should displease the found
ation, it would bo a similar case.
Universities undoubtedly make mistakes in
their government. But they are supposed to
govern themselves none the less. All the la
bored explanations, to the effect that the Car
negie fund contemplated no dictation or inter
ference with the conduct of colleges profiting
by it, appear to be given the Ho direct in the
light of the news from George Washington uni
versity. Omaha World-Herald,
INDD7FERENT, OF COURSE!
Some of the protectionist democrats at Wash
ington have, in reply to The Commoner's criti
cism, declared that they are indifferent as to
Mr. Bryan's opinion. But that is not the ques
tion. Why are they indifferent to party plat
forms? They will find among their constituents
many old fashioned democrats who still believe
in keeping promises. And it must be remem
bered that the average democrat, having no
trust attorney to prepare argument for him Is
apt to tell the truth about the recreant democrats.
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