Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1910)
f4r- -wr"w( r- fr -v irrr'MrurT' v-f' JFT! jf The Commoner. FEBRUARY 25, 1910 W iM ' "J"T', .", " Ti JZTG " "V"- worth while to note, in passing, the splendid courtesy and admirable restraint evidenced by tho southern senators in refraining from a reply to Mr. Heyburn. The provocation was admitted ly great, but how honestly thrilling it was that the temptation was refused! It was a fine com pliment the southern senators paid their north ern colleagues if wo may use an expression in differentiating senators that is, we think, all but obsolete at last, praise be when tho southern ers elected merely to pass tho resolution to a vote, secure in their faith that their friends of the north would meet the issue in a manly and patriotic manner, and that without one word of argument from the defense! Mr. Thomas Nel son Page, in his 'Life of Robert B. Lee,' relates the following incident, occurring after the close of the civil war: 'On one occasion, Geiferal Lee was approached with a tender of the presi dency of a life insurance company, at a salary of $50,000 per annum. He declined it on the ground that it was work with which he was not familiar. 'But,' general,-' said the gentle man who represented the insurance company, 'you will not be expected to do any work; what we want is the use of your name.' 'Do you not think,' said General Lee, 'that if my name is worth .$60,000 a year, I ought to be very care ful about taking care of it?' It is, perhaps, that feature of General Lee's character that Senator Heyburn finds it difficult to understand." STATE SENATOR Conger of New York filed charges against Senator Allds, alleging that he had accepted bribes. Investigation resulting from these charges is now attracting widespread attention. The Albany correspondent for the New York World says: "If probed to its logical conclusion, the new evidence of corruption Drought out will make possible disclosures of even greater moral obliquity than have been so far brought to light and will involve some of the highest republican politicians who have wielded -power throughout the state during the last ten years. There is no possible hope in the minds of even the most practical of the old-time politicians that a general investigation into the alleged corruption and wide range of legislative debauchery can be avoided. The full purpose of the machine leaders, who foresee disaster in any event, is 'to prevent the investigation from assuming the proportions .of a, deluge that will engulf and dishonor many names now held in high esteem. Even Conger, the author of the original charges, seems powerless to stay a prob ing that will literally fulfil his prediction that his own accusation against Allds will be presented in the light of a lflea bite' as compared to the larger consequences." EG. DYERNFORTH, former commissioner for patents of the United States, writes to the New York World this interesting letter: "I was a soldier in the war from '61 to '65 and have never voted anything but the republican ticket. I do not think the democratic party has any more sense now than it ever had, but I think the republican party" has less and is responsible for the present miseries high prices, etc. so next time I shall vote the democratic ticket. I am satisfied that the next congress will be demo cratic, and I believe that the next president of the United States will bo a democrat. It costs the people too much to live under republicanism. We have to suffer to live. We don't want an other rising of the people as in the French reign of terror." THE WEEKLY Review, the organ of the Eng lish speaking Catholics at Rome, has print ed an editorial relating to the Fairbanks' inci dent. The Review says: "Mr. Fairbanks' Protestantism is broad and logical and allows him to put his stalwart shoulder to the wheel to help on every good cause. Though a strong party man in politics, his devotion to party does not make him desire the disappearance of all parties but his own, and lie has the same theory with regard to religion. He is a Methodist, but lie haB no wish that Methodism should be the only religion in America. Mr. Fairbanks is a type of millions of good Americans, friendly to the Catholic church and believing that it makes little difference what a man's religion is pro vided he does his best to live up to it." After reviewing the incident between the former vice president and the Vatican, the Review empha sizes .the tolerance of tho Vatican and points out that a man may' spend his whole life wprking in the Vatican archives and galleries without von being questioned as to whether he's a Turk or an atheist. He may even ba a, diplo matic representative to tho holy sec without be ing a Catholic. "But even the all-embracing liberality of the Vatican," continues tho Review, . "din not include tho Methodist organization here, which entered Rome through the breech made September 20, 1870, with Garibaldi's rod shirts. Many animosities have resulted in those ..forty years, but they have made no change in tho spirit or tho system of the Methodists. Their organization as established does not minister to tho wants of visiting Methodists, here, but is directed toward perverting tho faith of the peo ple. Not only that, but the Methodists havo always been bitterly and avowedly anti-papal, eagerly welcomiug every opportunity to dis charge their venom against Catholicism and tho holy see. Statistics, compiled by themselves, show that the cost of making a single Roman a Methodist averages 7,000 francs ($1,400). Dur ing the last forty years they have spent twelve millions in this unholy work of proselytizing Catholics, especially Catholic children. Mr. Fairbanks did not know these facts or he would not have given his promise to speak in tho Methodist church twenty-four hours before the time fixed for his audience with the pope. Otherwise he would have understood how in compatible was his public appearance in this hot-bed of anti-Catholic proselytism and anti papal -bitterness with an audience with the holy father." referred to the question of closo votes which had decided issues, Speaker Cannon declared that he did not know whether he would go back to congress or not. Then, hesitating a moment, ho added: 'Anyway, there will be a lively tlmo of it.' " STOCK EXCHANGE gambling was vigorously denounced in an address delivered at Troy, N. Y., by Supreme Court Justice Wesley O. Howard. Justice Howard said: "While the great men of our day are enacting and enforc ing the most drastic statutes and ordinances against Sunday baseball, boxing matches, mov ing pictures and tipping waiters, great cankerous evils are eating at the foundation stones of this republic. While the extremest penalties are be ing provided for the suppression of penny-ante and kindred crimes, a gambling Institution rival ing Monte Carlo in magnitude and audacity, and rivalling it in the wild uproar of its conduct, in the colossal magnitude of its stakes and In its astonishing freedom from official interruption, Is said to flourish in the very heart of the me tropolis. And while business establishments are being wrecked and innocent stockholders brought to penury the authorities are lulled into repose by the childlike hope of the committee that this giant rendezvous of gambling will reform itself. While subtle and chimerical objections are be ing made to an income tax the common house owner and the farmer bend their weary backs without hope beneath the galling load of local taxation. And while the doctrine of states' rights debated by Calhoun nearly a century ago is being resurrected and interposed between the plutocrat and a federal tax, no statesman Is racking his brain to discover a similar doctrine, ancient and fanciful, to cast between the tax payer and the taxgatherer at home, although his heart be wrung by the woes of the common people." ADDRESSING THE National Press club at Washington Speaker Cannon talked about "hobbies." An Associated Press report says: "Among other 'hobbyists' who spoke during the evening, 'Uncle Joe' being reserved until the last, were Willis L. Moore, F. Weatherbro, Dr. Harvey Wiley of pure food fame, Gifford Pin chot, 'still chief of 'the forestry of the United States,' according to the introduction given him by Henry Hall, presiding officer of the evening; Commander Peary of north pole renown and Champ Clark, minority leader in the house. Speaker Cannon, who during the evening sat listening with close attention to the other speakers and smoking big, black cigars, declared that his 'hobby' was in 'watching other men's hobbies.' .The men of one idea, he declared, are all good men and we wish them success and long life, although he said that it makes one uncomfortable often in watching other men's . hobbies.' Taking up those who had preceded him, he declared that Dr. Wiley was all right, but that if he had been allowed to have his own way entirely he would have had everybody afraid to eat anything for fear of being poisoned, that conservation was a good thing, but that he was not afraid of all the coal being consumed or all the timber ueing used up, and that much had been done in the way of conservation from a practical $tandpoi'nt for many ye,ars, and as for Commander Peary, he, was ghid a Caucasian had Teached the north pole, .out while Com mander Peary liad 'the glory .Dr. '0(5ok had the money. Commenting on th coming .congres sional campaign in Illinois, Champ, Clark having MR. TAFT'S INJUSTICE TO HIMSELF On the 2 2d of September, 1908, Mr. Tart, then a candidate, said at Chicago: "Tho revision of tho tariff which republicans desiro Is a revision which shall reduce oxcchbIvo rates and at tho same tlmo preserve tho Indus tries of tho country I wish there to be no doubt in respect to the revision of the tariff." On tho 16th of December, 190$, Mr. Tart, then president-elect, said in New York City: "Unless wo act in accordance with our prom ises wo shall bo made accountable to the American peoplo and suffer such consequences as failure to keep faith has always been visited with. It would be better to havo no revision at all unless wo aro going honestly and fairly to revise tho tariff on the basis promised by our party." On tho 30th of June, 1909, Mr. Tart, then president of the United States, said in New Haven : "Now I venture to say that if tho republican party does not live up to its promises, and what the people expect of it, it will bo relegated to a position like that of his majesty's opposi tion." On the 5th of August, 1909, when President Taft signed the Payne-Aldrich bill, he said: "This law is not a perfect tariff law or a complete compliance with the promises made in tho republican platform, strictly interpreted." On tho 12th of February, 1910 (last Satur day), speaking again in New York, President Taft said: "Nothing was expressly said In tho platform that tills revision was to bo a downward revi sion. I therefore venture to repeat tho remark that I havo had occasion to make be fore, that tho present custom law is tho best that has ever been passed." The president Is doing his best for Messrs. Cannon and Aldrich, but he Is strangely neglect ful of himself. New York World. TRYING TO EXPLAIN HIGH COST OF LIVING The reason for the rise in the cost of necessi ties can easily be traced to tho increase in our meiisure of values, the precious metal gold, and possibly in some cases to tho combinations In restraint of trade. President Taft, at the Lin coln dinner, February 12. I am gathering proof now which will demon strate that the food products of the American farms are being sold in foreign countries cheaper than in tho United States. This is not due, as some have said, to the excess of production over consumption and the necessity for getting rid of the surplus abroad. It is due to the trusts just to the trusts. James Wilson, Secretary, of Agriculture, January 24. You can eliminate the packers entirely from the situation and high prices will remain. Prices are high by the laws of nature, and natural laws can not be changed. The best we can do is to comply with them. Increase production and prices will fall. J. Ogden Armour, January 11. The cost of living is due to the cost of living high. James J. Hill, January 24. There is a widespread belief that among the causes of the high cost of living combinations and conspiracies to stifle competition and ad vance prices figure largely. This belief appar ently is justified by the enormous difference be tween the prices paid to farmejs and other pro ducers and those paid by consumers to dealers. Judson Harmon, Governor of Ohio, January 12. It costs me more to keep my family than It did three years ago. The cost of living has been going up steadily for fifteen years, and it is the maladministration of the republican party that Is to blame. Representative Fitzgerald of New York, January 17. I do not know how far trusts and monopolies have caused the higher cost of living, but that feature of the problem should be -carefully scru tinized. The exact extent to which they havo added to the people's distress and embarrass ment should be determined. United States Senator Elklns of West Virginia, January 15. The people of the west know where to place the blame for the present high cost of living. They, lenow the republican party broke faith with them .when it promised a downward revision of thb; tariff and then revised it upward. Norman Ma'cjc; Chairman Democratic National Commit tee)' February 2. k4jZ&llUltaLrflLtt A ifig 4. ) Njjg- -QHt. it ! 3