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free raw materials as a democratic policy and,
if lie conducts it with his accustomed energy,
he is likely to succeed in bringing about a con
dition in the democratic party that may possibly
render it unnecessary to make nominations in
1912. Any one acquainted with the industrial
conditions of the country, especially of tho south,
knows sery well that a free raw material plat
form must lose many congressional districts
next year and might, in 1912, lose tho electoral
votes of several southern states that have gono
regularly democratic in presidential elections.
It is rather late in tho day to formulate a now
taTiff policy for the democratic party. Tho old
principle of taxation for revenue with which to
defray the government's expenses is sound
statesmanship, and it admits of unimportant
local differences of opinion that need not dis
organize an entire party. If, however, It bo
proposed to write a tariff bill in a platform, tho
party that does it will suffer for the slmplo
reason that every representative is going to
abide by tho instructions of his immediate con
stituency, as they have generally dono in the
past where tho issue has been raised, and that
will destroy- every vestige of party harmony and
divide the organization into hostile camps.
It is not the function of a revenue bill to
award favors to privileged interests, nor yet
to punish violators of tho law. Its function
is to provide revenue, and if the party is to
depart from that doctrine, it might just as well
use the taxing power to accomplish any other
end of government.
Mr. Bryan is optimistic, indeed, If he thinks
for a moment that his proposed tariff plank can
unite the democratic paTty. Its only effect can
be to accentuate such divisions as already exist
without gains from the republicans to compen
sate for the losses. It Is not difficult for the
party to agree on a general principle of "tariff
for revenue only," anWihe party can, if success
ful on such a platform, revise tho tariff and
mitigate the abuses of protection without its
members flying at each other's throats. If,
however, the party must undertake to bind its
entire membership to detailed schedules, then
disaster is inevitable.
The Post is frank to say, while conceding
Mr. Bryan's undoubted right to advocate what
he pleases and in whatever locality he pleases,
it believes the campaign ho has inaugurated Is
going to precipitato faction in the party Instead
of composing such differences as exist. It be
lieves that if the people are permitted to thresh
out the tariff question for themselves, they will,
while differing widely, perhaps, according" to
locality, reach conclusions that will not render
harmonious action impossible so far as the gen
eral principle of tariff reform is concerned.
So far as his arguments for free materials
are concerned, they were presented so fully
during the extraordinary session of congress
that Mr. Bryan has added nothing of weight
to them. They are as fallacious under his treat
ment as they were under the treatment of the
decarocrats and republicans who espoused them
when the tariff bill Was under debate. They
make a bid for republican votes that the party
will never get and they apply the lash to demo
cratic votes in close states and districts that
the party will be certain to lose, if this free raw
material fallacy be persisted in.
The Post, admiring Mr. Bryan as it does and
agreeing with him in most things, must express
its regret that he has deemed it proper to raise
the issue presented in his Dallas speech. The
Post can not follow him that far and the Texas
democracy, which long ago repudiated the free
raw material doctrine, will not do so, for the
people are already sufficiently informed on the
subject to comprehend the injustice that such
a perversion of the taxing function as he pro
poses would be sure to inflict.
North Pole Literature
In a dispatch from Battle Harbor, Labrador,
tho Associated Press Bays that it is learned from
members of Peary's expedition that he was ac
companied to the pole by only one Eskimo and
that he left Henson, his negro servant, and three
Eskimos one march south of the objective point.
Peary, in his own story, declares that four Eski
mos and Henson stood beside him at tho pole.
Those unfriendly to Dr. Cook criticised him be
cause he had taken only two Eskimos with him
to the pole, and no white companion. Admiral
Schley, in a letter to Captain Osbon of the Arctic
club, of which Cook is a member, says he likes
The Commoner.
tho attitude that Cook has maintained In tho
controversy with Peary. This shatters tho as
sumption that the navy would bo solid for Peary.
In a statement given to the Associated Press
at Battlo Harbor, Labrador, Commander Peary
said:
"I am tho only white man who has over
reached tho north polo and I am prepared to
prove it at the proper tlmo. I have already
stated publicly that Cook has not been to tho
pole. This I re-afflrm and I will stand by It,
but I decline- to discuss tho details of tho matter.
These will come out later. I have said that
Dr. Cook's statement that ho had reached tho
polo should not bo taken seriously, and that I
'have him nailed' by concrete proof to support
my statement. In six months you probably will
get the whole story. It would not be policy for
me to enter upon a full debate, with tho subject
as It now stands. To do so I would bo giving
out much information of which other uses could
be made. I intend to wait until Dr. Cook has
issued his full, authorized statement. Up to
the present time there have been only news
paper accounts of Dr. Cook's alleged polar trip,
and these may or may not be accurate. When
Dr. Cook has time J;o issue a complete, author
ized version of his journey will bo tho proper
opportunity for me to make public tho Informa
tion which I have. After that tho jury In other
'words, the people and the scientific bodies of
the world will pass judgment on tho matter
and there will then be nothing left of Dr. Cook's
case but his own assertions that he has reached
tho north pole. In tho meanwhile it is my do
termination not to deal with debates for the
reason already stated."
The Associated Press correspondent at Battlo
Harbor, Labrador, prints the following inter
view with Commander Peary:
"Why did you not have a white witness at
tho pole?" was asked.
"Because after a lifetime of effort I dearly
wanted the honor for myself." "lbnl
"Was Dr. Cook at the pole?" was the first
question to which the commander replied.
"Cook was not .at the polo on April 21, 1908,
or any other tlmo. I make this statement ad
visedly and at the proper time will back it up
with proof'
"Were you surprised, Commander Peary, on
returning to Labrador, to learn that Dr. Cook
had reported reaching the pole, or had anything
happened before you returned to cause you to
anticipate this event?" was next asked.
"I heard it in New York that Dr. Cook was
going to brine the pole back," replied the com
mander. "Is It true that you opened letters or docu
ments having 'reference to this point?"
"No," he responded emphatically.
"Did Harry Payne Whitney make any impor
tant statements to you about another polar ex
pedition?" "He made no statement," said Commander
Peary. "He is on the relief schooner Jeannle
now and Is probably shooting bear on the west
ern coast."
"What life is there to bo found at the north
pole? Are there birds, fishes or animals there?"
"When I was there It was not tho season for
birds. I do not know if there are fish in the
polar seas at that spot. There are no animals
at tho pole."
Commander Peary declined to discuss the
charges that he took supplies at Etah belonging
to Dr. Cook, but declared that Captain Moses
Bartlett could not throw any light on this point,
because he had not been in Greenland since
Peary went there last, i.udolph Francke had
begged plteously to be taken out of Greenland.
He was suffering from scurvy.
Speaking about the unexplored area in the
polar regions, Commander Peary said that there
were 1,000,000 square miles of unknown ter
ritory between the pole and Behring Straits pre
vious to his expedition. He had not yet figured
out by how much that quantity was reduced.
Asked with regard to the purple snow fields
at the pole, the hummoclcs and crevices ap
proaching the pole, Commander Peary said:
"That Is a range of Information that I do
not care to impart now."
Speaking of the depth of water he said that
he had run out 1,500 fathoms of line without
reaching bottom within five miles of the pole.
"We took soundings from Cape Columbia to
the pole," he continued, which give a cross sec
tion of that part of the floes of the Arctic ocean.
The .soundings were from ten to twenty miles
"What was the thickness of the Ice and the
temperature of the atmosphere?" he was asked.
"I had no means of measuring tho Ice, which
was heavy. I do not caro to tell tho tompor
aturo." Bearing on tho Cook controversy, Commander
Peary was asked:
"Aro tho Eskimos who were with Dr. Cook
In his dash to tho polo on your ship?"
"No, but I talked with them."
"Ilavo you heard that any Eskimos wore over
at tho polo beforo yours?"
"No, novcr. No Inducement that could bo
offered them would tompt thorn out on tho sea
of Ico until I wont thoro. They know by ox
porlonco tho liability of tho ico breaking up and
carrying people away to ucath."
In referring to tho reception being planned
for him when ho reaches homo Commander
Peary asked tho Associated Press to publish tho
following statement:
"From such fragmentary roports as I havo
recolved, I am more touched, gratified and hon
ored than I can say at tho way tho public has
treated my work."
Arrangements aro being mado for a banquet
in New York for Dr. Cook.
SCHLEY WITH COOK
A New York dispatch carriod by tho Associat
ed Press says: "Provlous assumption that Com
mander Peary would have tho United 8jatc
navy solidly behind him in his controversy with
Cook was not borne out In a letter from Roar
Admiral Schloy, retired, mado public today by
Captain B. S. Osbon, secretary of tho Arctic Club
of America, of which Dr. Cook Is a member.
Tho letter, under date of September 11, from
Poncono Manor, Pa., runs In part as follows:
" l like Cook's attitude Immensely In this un
fortunate, unnecessary controversy. Ho certain
ly has boon dignified and manly In tho stand
ho has taken in this matter.'
"Captain Osbon followed up his letter from
tho admiral tonight with a lecture on 'Who Dis
covered tho north pole?' 'Dr. Frederick A.
Cook,' ho said, 'was for two years my wlfo's
physician. I saw him two or throo times a week
and wo chatted many hours. If I havo over
krown a man of integrity, probity, sincerity and
modesty, It is Dr. Cook.' "
President Taft started to Boston Soptombor
15 on his trip through tho country. His tour
will cover eight weeks and he will visit thirty
five states and territories and bo entertained In
fifty-five cities.
Tho business men of Boston gavo tho presi
dent a dinner on tho evening of his departure.
In that speech tho president distinctly declared
his partiality for Aldrich and Aldrlchism. Fol
lowing is an extract from his speech as report
ed by the Associated Press In tho newspapers
of September 1C:
"Your chairman has made some reference to
a number ot subjects to which the attention of
congress may well be directed. In the first
place there is the monetary situation. While
it is probable that the Vreeland bill passed by
tho last congress will aid us In case of another
financial crash, It Is certain that our banking
and monetary system Is a patched up affair,
which satisfies nobody and least of all, those
who are clear headed and have a knowledge of
jwbat a financial system should be.
"The matter has been referred by congress
to a monetary commission, which has been
studying with much Interest and enthusiasm tho
financial and banking systems of tho great gov
ernments of Europe, and has embodied and will
soon publish in an Interesting and attractive
form the best accounts of the financial systems
of the worll. It is quite apparent from tho
statements of Mr. Vreeland, who Is now tho
head of the committee on banking and cur
rency in the house of representatives and from
the conversations of Mr. Aldrich, who Is the
chairman of the monetary commission and of
the finance committee of the senate, that tho
trend of the minds of tho monetary commission
is toward some sort of arrangement for a cen
tral bank of issue which shall control the re
serve and exercise a power to meet and control
casual stringency which from time to time will
come In the circulating medium of tho country
and the world.
"Mr. Aldiich states that there are two indis
pensable requirements in any plan to be adopted
involving a central bank of issue. The one is
that the control of the monetary system shall
be kept free from Wall . treet Influences, and
the other that it shall not be manipulated for
political purposes. These are two principles
President Toft's Tour
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