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The Commoner;
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 34
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Topics
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REFERRING TO Representative Fowler's let
ter to Speaker Cannon, the Denver News
says: "That Fowler's charges are true Is a mat
tor of common knowledge. Joo Cannon has
hold the speakership for years, and in no ono
of those years has it been to him a' means of
doing his duty. Ho has valued it, partly for
tho arbitrary power which it conferred, and
partly for tho chance to make combinations
with Senator Aldrich and keep up the good old
rule of politely named graft. Speaker Cannon
is ignorant, not only of finance, but of every
other matter with which a public man should
bo acquainted. He neither knows nor believes
in tho ethics of rpal representative government.
Ho has no more conception of public duty than
a leopard has of brotherly love. Ho realizes
Macaulay's definition of tho perfect hypocrite
the man who makes the vice which he has no
objection to show a stalking horse for the
darker and more profitable vice which he wishes
to conceal.' Ho has tried to make his coarse
ness pass for democracy; his brutality for hon
esty; and for a good many years he achieved a
pretty fair measure of success."
PAULHAN, THE French aviator, broke the
world's record at Rheims, France, August
25, in a flight through the air of two hours, fifty
three minutes and twenty-four seconds. An As
sociated Press cablegram says: "During twenty
minutes of the time Paulhan had a heavy rain
and wind storm to contend against. The pre
vious official record for time in the air was
made by Wilbur Wright at Lemans December
31, two hours, twenty minutes, twenty-three and
one-half seconds. The unofficial record was, two
hours, twenty-seven minutes, fifteen seconds,
made by Sommec at Marmclons Paulhan's new
record for distance was about 134 kilometres, or
eighty-three mile3. He made thirteen cirpuits
of tho course and the wind squall passed as he
was conning down the home stretch for the last
time. Simultaneously, the dirigible Colonel
Renard, appeared to the westward, plowing its
way majestically through the smoke of the city
of Rheims. When Paulhan finally came down
it was because the fifty-six litres of essence
which he carried in his tank was exhausted.
He said immediately after he landed that both
the machine and the self-cooling Gnome motor
had stood up perfectly and that he could have
continued indefinitely if tho tank had been re
plenished. xNo one who witnessed the marvel
,ousy. Impressive flight now entertains the slight
est doubt that aerial navigation with heavier
than "air machines has a glorious future."
BEVERLY, MASS., dispatches say that in his
annual message President Taft will recom
mend the establishment of postal savings banks.
Tho Associated Press says: 'President Taft
believes that several hundred milion dollars
would be placed at the disposal of the govern
ment through postal savings banks. It is sug
gested that thiB money might well be employed
in taking up tho $600,000,000 or $700,000,000
of government two per cent bonds which are out
standing and which have given much concern to
tho treasury department officials. Already the
two 2 per cent bonds are selling below par and
there is fear of further depreciation in view of
the three per cent issues which have been au
thorized and which soon may be placed on the
market. Tho president believes that the postal
banks would appeal to those timid persons who
ate afraid to trust to ordinary banks and who
would rather got the two per cent or less in
terest which the government would give than
to place tho money in the regular savings banks
whore it would draw frbm three to four per cent
interest each year. By placing the interest to
be allowed by tho postal banks at less than two
per cent, Mr. Taft is convinced that no harm
would be done to tho ordinary banks of com
merce, for discriminating persons who now place
their money in these banks are appreciative of
what tho banks are doing for the community,
would not withdraw money drawing a higher
rate and place it under government care at half
tho interest offered by the ordinary savings
banks. Secretary Meyer of the, navy, formerly
postmaster general, is strongly in favor of postal
banks. He has given much thought and study
to tho subject and is convinced of its importance
to the government. Idle funds would be placed
nt tho disposal of tho government at an exceed-.
Ingly low rate of Interest. The government's
guarantee, It is believed, would stop the flow
of gold across the Atlantic to foreign banks un
der government control. President Taft ex
pressed himself again today as he did so often
during the campaign a year agp, as unalterably
opposed to a guarantee of bank deposits. Mr.
Taft said he did not believe in making one set
of bankers stand responsible for another set
andjae does not think that the national gov
ernment or the states should undertake to ex
tend a guarantee to instituitons which are not
under direct government control and direction.
Tomorrow aftornoon tho president will have a
conference with Senator Aldrich, chairman of
the senate finance committee, and Secretary Mac
Veagh of the treasury. The postal banks will
have a share in the discussion."
THOMAS J. DUCEY, one of America's famous
clergymen and founder and pastor of St.
Leo's Roman Catholic church, New York, is
dead. Father Ducey was known tho world over
for his brave battles for civic righteousness. A
writer in the New York World, referring to
"Father Tom" as he was known affectionately
among rich and poor,, says: "Early in his
pastorate Father Ducey was known as 'the ec
clesiastical dandy,' but as he went on in his
work the less frivolous title of 'the priest of
tho genteel' was substituted. The results of
his powerful and beneficent influence were never
successfully attacked. He worked in the pas
tures in his own way and some, if not many, did
not understand his. way. From the pulpit of
the quaint little church in East Twenty-eighth
street Father Ducey raised his voice for politi
cal purity, fought the 'Tweed ring in its day,
assailed Tammany Hall and struck at the trusts.
Archbishop Corrigan censured him for attend
ing the sessions of the Lexow investigation,
when testimony as to vile conditions was given.
In 1894 a report came from Rome that Father
Ducey had been made a Monsignor, and though
rumor had it that Pope Leo had conferred the
honor on the priest he never bore the title offi
cially. His parshioneers used to call him Mon
signor, and he was reminded by higher digni
taries of the church that he should not counten
ance the title. Many friends firmly believed that
the pope did elevate Father Ducey and that the
appointment to higher honors was pigeon-holed
in Archbishop Corrigan's desk. Father Ducey
was a warm friend of Rev. Dr. Edward Mc
Glynn, whose cause he espoused In the latter's
bitter fight for reinstatement to priestly duties.
Father Ducey was born In Lismore, Ireland,
February 4, 1843: He was brought to this
country at the age of five by his widowed moth
er. Judge Thomas T. Brady met the boy, took
a liking to him and adopted him, and he was
brought up among luxurious surroundings. On
the death of Judge Brady his ward came into
a large fortune."
ALMANDER CHURCHILL, of Exeter, N. H.,
writes a letter to the Boston Herald on
"the strategy of trade." Mr. Churchill's letter
follows: "In your issue of the 11th I notice
an article on 'The Strategy of Trade.' A wise
and practical consideration of this subject is of
vital importance to our nation, now convalesc
ing, let us hope, from Its lost commercial status.
Having been a close student of this question,
especially since we sacrificed our foreign com
merce on the altar of high protection, and dur
ing those years having personal experience in
Boston and New York in manufacturing and
selling, importing and exporting merchandise, I
hope you will allow mo a few inches of your
valuable space to express a few thoughts of a
practical merchant. It is an axiom in ethics or
secular logic that a reliable conclusion must be
based on incontrovertible reasoning, or better
yot, on stubbprn facts. We know the late A.
T. Stewart of New York, John Wanamaker of.
Philadelphia and New York have been eminently
successful manufacturers and merchants; that
they were endowed with superior sagacity and
tasto in the selection of styles, patterns or de
signs adapted to their market, and presented
their wares in attractive cases, packages or car
toons, thus catering to the judgment or fancy of
their customers is very true, but above and be
yond all they owned their merchandise at a
minimum cost, which enabled them to cope with
all competition. A large proportion of the ex
port trade of this nation is agricultural pro
ducts, but we are awakening to a knowledge
that we can successfully compete with the world
in manufactures and are no longer infants In
the mechanical and scientific Industries. But
we must bear in mind that the same means by
which our local manufacturers and merchants
with the home trade were successful will bring
success with tho foreigner. Of all the European
states, why Is Germany so remarkably success
ful in her foreign trade? That the German
manufacturer is truthful, that his trade-mark
Js reliable, and under the same brand is uni
formity in quality is true, all of which inspires
confidence and is a very good example for our
manufacturers to follow. But the key to his
success is the fact that all raw materials are ad
mitted to Germany free, which enables him to
undersell us or any other nation oppressed with
a tax on imported raw materials. Thus giving
another evidence of the wisdom and astute fore- .
sight of the great Bismarck, who was in his
day the power behind the- throne. In his re
marks upon the action of the congress in extra
session, referring to free hides, ex-Governor
Douglas (the largest manufacturer of boots and
shoes in the world) says: 'I believe we shall
now be able to increase our exports of boots
and shoes from $11,000,00.0 to $100,000,000
per annum, which will increase, the demand for
labor in a marked degree, and all wage-earners
know that this means higher wages.-' Let us
have free raw materials, an Income tax, with a
reliable executive at the helm, and we shall
again see our commercial marine dotting the wa
ters of foreign seas laden with the products of
our shops and factories, thus producing a -greater
demand for labor than was ever before
kno"wn in this land of the free."
IIGHT IS THROWN on cash registers as they
j figure in the new tariff law by a writer in
the Lincoln- (Neb.) Evening News. He says:
"Cash registers have been reduced in the tariff
law from 45 per cent duty to 30 per cent, but
no one need build thereon any hope that there
will be any corresponding reduction in the price.
There is a reason. There are no cash registers
imported, and there won't be any under the new
law. The business in this country is practically
in the hands of one company. At one time there
were about sixty companies engaged in the man
ufacture of registers, but nearly all have been
battered put of business by the usual trust meth
ods or else have been bought up. As a result
every business man has to pay tribute and it
is a heavy one to the company that has almost
an absolute monopoly of this business. Most
of this monopoly, however, comes from its own
ership of patents, and not because of the tariff.
The aid the tariff has been was to keep out for
qign competition while the monopoly was put
ting the other fellows out of business. Tho
average person may imagine that he isn't much
interested in the price of cash registers or the
tariff thereon, but that is where he overlooks
something. The cash register is a business ne
cessity, and when a business man, the grocer,
butcher, baker, etc., has to pay double price for
his cash register he passes it on to his customers.
The sales of cash registers in this country
amount to $10,00,000 a year, and there are at
present 500,000 of them in use, representing an
investment by retail merchants in them of $75,
000,000. In America, where the trust has no
competition, the price of machines it sells is
almost twice what they are in England. When
the matter was before the senate Senator Beve
ridge produced photographic copies of the com
pany.'s price lists, which showed, for instance,
that for style No., 451,-the American price is
$250; English price,$135; style No, 452, Ameri
can price, $300; English price, $150,-and so ok
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