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VOLUME 10, -NUMBER I
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The Commoner.
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
IN THE SIXTH MISSOURI DISTRICT
Tho special election to choose tho successor
to tho Into David A. DoArmond, as representa
tive from tho Sixth congressional district of Mis
souri, will bo hold at tho usual voting places
on Tuesday, February 1, 1910. Tho democratic
nominoo Is C. O. Dickinson, of Clinton, Mo. Tho
republican nominee is Phillip S. Griffith. Con
corning tho republican nominee tho Kansas City
Star, a nowspapor that usually supports tho re
publican ticlcot, says:
"Tho gonoral rebellion in tho republican party
against tho arbitrary rule of Aldrlch in the son
nto and Cannon in tho houso was ignored in tho
Sixth Missouri district convention. That con
vention sooms to have boon organized to bid for
fodoral loaves and fishes rather than to mako an
honest attempt to gain a republican congressman
for Missouri. Tho dologatos applauded tho chair
man whon ho said that tho nominee should stand
by Aldrlch and Cannon, and the nominee him
Bolf, Phillip S. Grimth, declines to commit him
self on tho vital Issue of Cannonism. The not
result is that tho machlno republicans of tho
Sixth aro protending to try to place in De
Armond's seat a republican who would re-onforco
tho faction of tho houso that stands for sub
Borvionco to the special interests instead of
championship of tho rights of tho people. Tho
republicans of tho Sixth district had some chanco
to put a representative of tholr party into con
gress. Thoy have thrown that chanco away.
Thoy nood democratic votes, but they can not
got them on a Cannon platform and with a Can
non candidate On tho contrary, they aro sure
to lose republican votes for a progressive repub
lican worthy of tho namo would stay at homo
or volo for a good democrat any day rather than
use his influence to add to tho strength of
Cannon and tho interests that aro using him."
Referring to tho democratic nominoo the Kan
sas City Star says: "As a member of tho legis
lature Mr. Dickinson has made a clean, honest
record."
Tho Clinton Eyo, published at Mr. Dickinson's
homo, says: "Mr. Dickinson camo from Vir
ginia to Clinton many years ago, and when a
very young man. For several yoars he taught
a' private school of high grade, and there aro
yot living in this country many of those who
profited greatly by his ability as a teach or. He
became a lawyer, and was three times elected
prosecuting attorney. In more recent years ho
served ono torm in tho legislature as tho rep
resentative of Henry county, and served ono terra
in tho state senate. In these various official
positions ho was a most officlent and faithful
officer. As a member of tho legislature, and as
state sonator, ho was recognized through tho
The Commoner.
state as ono of tho foremost men, both in ability,
and In industry and devotion to tho bes .inter
ests of tho people. No taint or suspicion of sub
servience to selfish or special interests was ever
attached to him. Mr. Dickinson has always been
an activo domocrat in politics, and zealous for
tho success of his party."
Tho Clinton Evening Domocrat, referring to
Mr. Dickinson, says: "Pie is a man of bera
education, a lawyer of learning and ability, a
discerning student of history and of politics,
and is in full strength of mature manhood, in
1902, ho was elected as tho representative of
Henry county in tho lower branch of the legis
lature and served with distinction in that body.
In 1904, ho was elected state senator for the
Sixteenth district, and served his district, and
tho public of tho state, with conspicuous zeal
and ability in tho Forty-second and Forty-third
general assemblies. No malign influence nor
special and selfish interest moved him from a
steadfast adherence to the general good. No
man loft that body with moro of the respect and
admiration of those who follow public affairs
and tho careors of public men. The experience
and the acquaintance with public men gained
by him as a legislator and his long intelligent
study of public interests would quickly make
him a man of weight and influonqe in congress.
He Imb long been known to the leaders of the
domocracy of Missouri, as an invaluable counsel
lor In all matters of statesmanship and of party
policy. He has tho intelligence and experience
to trace the course of great issues and the cour
age and qualities of leadership to attract and
retain the respect and the aid of other men, in
tho accomplishment of purposes of moment. The
democratic party has, at this time, special need
of men in congress whose character and experi
ence qualify them to guide its course by the
principles upon which It is founded, and for
which it exists."
PRESIDENT'S SPECIAL MESSAGE
President Taft sent to congress, January 7, a
'special message advising amendments to tho in
terstate commerce law. The message is sum
marized by the Associated Press in this way:
Mr. Taft suggests no changes in the Sherman
anti-trust law at this time. The anti-trust feat
uro of tho message deals solely with the sub
ject of federal charters. The president thinks
that an opportunity should be given the big in
dustrial combinations to bring their business
Into the "zone of lawfulness" by taking out a
federal charter under certain prescribed condi
tions before it becomes necessary to proceed
against every corporation about which there is
a breath of suspicion.
"It is the duty and the purpose of the execu
tive," says tho message, "to direct an Investi
gation by tho department of justice, through tho
grand jury or otherwise, into the history, or
ganization and purpose of all the industrial com
panies with respect to which there is any rea
sonable ground for suspicion that they have
been organized for a purpose and are conduct
ing business on a plan which is in violation of
the anti-trust law."
Such a wholesale investigation and possible
prosecution, "the president points out, however,
would result in serious disturbances and "pro
duce a halt in our present prosperity that will
cause suffering and strained circumstances
among the innocent many for the faults of the
guilty few.
Tho conditions upon which federal charters
aro to bo granted under the president's recom
mendations are these:
The issue of stock to bo to an amount equal
only to the cash paid in on the stock, or if stock
bo issued for property, then at a fair valuation
ascertained under a private supervision of fed
eral authority after a full and complete dis
closure of all the facts appertaining to the value
of tho property and the interest in it of the per
sons to whom the stock is to be issued. '
Corporations taking federal charters are to be
prohibited from acquiring and holding stock In
other corporations, except for special reasons
upon approval by the proper federal authorities
Full reports of operations are to be made to
the department of commerce and labor at regu
lar intervals.
The federal incorporation is to be voluntary
but the president feels that most of the corpora
tions will be glad of tho opportunity to reform
their business methods If given this opportunity
Otherwise, the department of justice will in
vestigate them.
Nothing In the federal charters Is to exempt
any corporation from prosecution for violation
of tho anti-trust law..
In that portion of his message dealing with
changes in the interstate commerce laws the
president recommends:
The establishment of a United States court of
commerce of five judges to hear and determine
appeals from the interstate commerce commis
sion, the only appeal from this court lying in
the United States supreme court.
The commission is to be relieved of prosecut
ing cases in the courts, this duty being placed
in the department of justice.
Pooling arrangements as to rates to be al
lowed under direct supervision of the commis
sion. The commission to be empowered to pass upon
freight classifications.
The commission to be empowered to hold up
new rates or classifications by .railroads until
an inquiry can be made as to their reasonable
ness. If found to be unreasonable, the commis
sion may forbid the increase.
Shippers to bo given the choice of established
routes on through freight.
From and after the passage of the amend
ments, it is provided that no railroad shall ac
quire any stock or interest in a competing line,
except that where a road already owns 60 per
cent or more of the stock of another road, it
may complete the purchase of all the stock.
Also in cases where one road is operating
another under a lease of moro than twenty
five years' duration, it shall have a right to
acquire the demised road. Allowing these ac
quisitions of stock does not exempt any road
from prosecution under the anti-trust law.
Stocks must be issued at par value for money
paid in or for property or services, rates at full
value, under an inquiry by the federal authority,
who shall supervise all stock and bond issues.
,
MR. TAFT AND WALL STREET
Writing from New York to his paper,
the Chicago Record-Herald, prior to the
Chicago convention, William E. Curtis
said:
"There is a strong Taft movement in
Wall Street. You would be surprised to
hear the enthusiastic indorsements that
are given to the secretary of war by
the men who are supposed to be -violently
opposed to the policies of the presi
dent." That sounds familiar. During the
month of March the Taft press bureau
located at Columbus, O., sent out, accord
ing to the Washington Herald, printed
slips bearing these headlines: "Business
Hope Lies on Taft." "Assert Taft is
Best Candidate." "Big Wall Street
House Calls on Financial Interests to
Assist in Nomination." Following are
extracts from the Taft circular: N "Mr
Taft's long record is distinctly against
any conclusion that he would continue
Mr. Roosevelt's methods. He has dis
played brains, ability, good judgment,
and, above all, sanity, in the great and
successful accomplishments of his career
We must not lose sight of the fact that
there is a temperamental difference in
the two men, Roosevelt and Taft By
nature and by training, as a lawyer and
as a judge, Mr. Taft has always manifest
ed a thoughtful attitude in his judgment
and a great deliberation and conserva
tism in his actions. Neither is it con
ceivable that a man of his force of char
acter would be controlled, when in tho
full power of the presidency, by any out
side personality."
In its issue of March 9, the Washing
ton Herald printed an interview with
General Kiefer, a member of congress
in which he said that he was for Taft and
did not believe that if elected he would
"too closely follow Roosevelt's ideas "
It will be remembered that these reports
greatly disturbed Mr. Taft and his man
agers and they took pains to say that the
circular from the Taft headquarters had
been issued by a subordinate at the Co
lumbus office. From the Democratic
Campaign Book of 1908.
0000
One Washington dispatch informs the public
that President Taft is preparing his specialmes
sage on the subject of the conservation of nat
ural resources and that In the preparation of this
'message he has the help of Secretary Ballinger
Congress may investigate to its- heart's content
hut Mr. Ballinger has the president's ear
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