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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 12
4
The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
Entered at tho PuHtofflco r.t Lincoln, Nebraska,
an nueond-clasH matter.
W'Jl.I.MM J. 1JHYAN
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IllCIIAHl) lu MlCICAU'K
AfKiclnto Kdltor
CllAIU.K.1 W. UllYAW
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Nob.
00
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0
In baso ball parlance Secretary Ballinger
should score tho Pinchot testimony as "too hot
to handle"
Farmers should test their seed corn. And
ovorybody should test their congressional can
didates this year.
Those Rooteveltian libel suits panned out
very much like some of his alleged trust bust
ing performa-nees.
Tfee wool fttfctdule of tho tariff bill was evi
dently fraswArf fry men who consider tho body
politics za thftfr mutton.
Secretary Ballinger said he would not retire
under fire, but retiring under firo 1b more sat
isfying than being fired.
Tho second class postal rates do not need
increasing nearly so much as tho postal depart
ment needs efficient management.
There aro several senators who could not"
for tho life of them, retire as gracefully as
did Senator Gordon, although tho country would
dearly love to seo them try.
Tho steam shovolors' union is voting on a
strike proposition. If the strike carries what
will that ominont steam shovoler, William How
ard Taft, do when tho order comes?
Explanations as to tho high cost of living
that como from tho gentlemen most interested
in tho enactmont of tho Aldrich-Canuon tariff
should bo well discounted beforo being accepted.
Even after a 50 per cent raise in salary con
gressmen complain that they can not make ends
meet. Wo know a fow fellows out in this
country who would bo glad to take tho con
gressional increase and struggle along until
prices readjust themselves to normal
The Commoner.
Where the Old
Ship is Leaking
INSURGENT APOLOGIES
Norris of Nebraska1 and other insurgents who
voted to keep Cannon in the speaker's chair
havo been very busy apologizing for their vote.
Mr. Norris, in a newspaper interview, said that
had they ousted Cannon "there would havo
been chaos in the house."
PINCHOT TO MEET ROOSEVELT?
Gifford Pinchot sailed for Europe many days
ago and Washington rumor has it that he went
in response to a cablegram asking him to meet
Theodore Roosevelt. It is presumed that tho
two men will talk over Mr. Taft's administration.
REVOLUTION IN MASSACHUSETTS
Eugene N. Foss of Boston, democrat, was
elected to congress over William R. Buchanan
of Brockton in a special election March 22. The
tariff was tho issue, Mr. Foss making much of
his advocacy of reciprocity with Canada. Two
years ago the republican candidate was elected
in this district by 14,250. This year the demo
cratic candidate carries it by 5,840. It was a'
revolution, tho significance of which men of all
parties admit.
Mr. Foss, in a statement, declared the result
of the election showed a demand by the people
that the republican party fulfill its pledge for
an honest reduction of the tariff.
"It is a' demand for the immediate repeal
of section two, of the Payne-Aldrich act, which
substitutes retaliation for reciprocity and threat
ens commercial warfare with our best custom
ers," ho said.
The defeated candidate, William R. Buchanan,
said: "If the result will serve to convince the
republican leaders at Washington that some
thing must bo speedily accomplished in the way
of lowering the cost of living, I shall feel that
my defeat has not been without value."
Eugene N. Foss is a brother of George Ed
mund Foss, now a republican member of the
houso from Illinois. The republican Foss has
been a member of congress for the past fifteen
years.
AN INDIGNANT REPUBLICAN
Leo, Mass., March 22. Calling President Taft
a "hot supper artist," R. D. Andrews, a wealthy
manufacturer here, is offering to bet $10,000
today that Mayor Gaynor, of New York, will
be the next president of the United States, bar
ring death.
"The country is tired of Taft and taffy," said
Andrews. "Everyone of the conservative re
publicans is disappointed in Taft. What we
hoped for was a man on the job and not a
president chasing around to act as a sideshow
for a baseball game, a promoter of golf, a hot
supper artist. The whole country is tired of
it." United Press dispatch.
A PATHETIC PLEA
President Taft made a bitter attack on the
press in his speech beforo the Chicago Press
club. A few days later he addressed five hun
dred newspaper men at the New York Press
club. On this occasion Mr. Taft made a remark
able speech. The United Press report gives
the following account of the president's remarks
on this occasion:
"Reference has been made by your chairman
Mr Hennessy, to a speech I made before the
Chicago newspaper club. I did not know ex
actly what kind of speech I was going to make
there any more than I do now, but the chair
man of the Chicago club whispered to me as
I got up to speak: 'They want to hear about
the press so roast them.' And I am bound to
say that tho task was not so difficult
"This being president of tho United States
presents a good many sensations to ono who
came into tho office under tho conditions that
surrounded my coming in. I had been on the
bench for twelve years, and I think the bench
is tho only p ace in the country that is free from
severe criticism by the press. And bavin hod
!oaLrrt i trainlnB' lt ls a "ttle hSrT?ogr me
to get used to any other kind of treatment T
?xn ,? GlS GducatGd. ut there are times at the
White House when you are exercising what 'is
supposed to bo the power of the presidency
M? Sf r,?ally very' y discouraged '
Things don't go right. Your motives aro
misconstrued and then you take a long walk and
you say to yourself: 'There is one thing, any
how they can not deprive your children and
your descendants of having your picture on the
walls of the White House paid for by congress.'
"And then you go home and look at the pic
ture of Teddy and the picture of Grover Cleve
land and of Abraham Lincoln and the others.
You have been there, and you come to the con
clusion that even that is not consoling.
"But the truth is the sensations a man has,
under the pressure of which he expresses him
self with considerable heat, pass.
"I don't go to the point of saying much mat
ters. That isn't true. I believe a good many
things matter a great deal, but I do think that
a long experience with respect to the criticism
of public men will make a man feel to be less
important the injustice, if there be injustice,
in such criticism, vastly less important than they
seem to be when they are cutting their hide,
so to speak."
Mr. Taft paid a compliment to the newspaper
men who travel with him wherever he goes.
This brought him naturally to a defense of his
custom of traveling.
"This traveling business, I believe," he said,
"has been made the subject of some criticism.
Well, I am a traveler. I got into the presidency
by traveling and I can't get over the habit.
When you are being hammered as sometimes
I have been in Washington, not only by the
press but by members of your own party in
Washington and feel there isn't anything quite
right that you can do, the pleasure of going
out into the country, of going into a city that
has not seen a president for twenty years,, and
then makes a fuss over him, in order to prove
to him that there is somebody that does not
know of his defects, is a pleasure that I don't
like to forego."
PARSONS ADMITS THE LEAKING
"Herbert Parsons, former president of the re
publican county committee of New York and
now a republican member of congress, delivered
a speech at a republican banquet in New York
City, March 22. The United Press quotes Mr.
Parsons as saying:
"If we do not clean up things in our own
party the people will clean the party out, and
deservedly so. A crisis exists because the electo
rate of the party believe there has not been
honesty and common decency on the part of
the men in important positions who call them
selves republicans. Whatever judgment sena
tors may feel in conscience bound to give in the
trial now proceeding at Albany, the public is
convinced that there has been crookedness in
high places. Many men deplore such a revela
tion. I do not. For years, those of us active
in politics have heard of these things. The
thought of them has nauseated us. The proof
was lacking as is so often the case in politics,
though we privately believed in the truth of the
rumor. Now we have a chance to house-clean.
An accident has given us the opportunity."
TAFT AND ALDRICn SWAP
Mr. Taft delivered an address at Providence,
R. I., March 22 Senator Aldrich was on the
mg sa' Pl'eSS report of that meet"
of 'ihf t JE-oSf t?e ,s-called 'general manager
?nn ynISd Smates' and AUrich in turn swore
foalty to the Taft policies and promised 'my
beP'PlS fH Stati0n of public "to I my
n Ln, fa? Vll6 dinner at Providence took on
a good deal of the appearance of a 'love feast.' "
GRAFT
Twenty persons in Pittsburg have thus far
confessed and thirty-seven have been indio5
in connection with tho graft charges broSr"
against members and former members of the
P tsburg city council. Developments show that
bribery has been going on for many year!
TAFT'S SPEECHES CRITICISED
President Taft's speech in New Ynrir ,
day is tho subject of very genera? common ?"
morning. Besides apologiz nT to 1 WS
men for his recent roasf of fhelrateSS "S
placed the responsibility for it unnn ?K .
man of the Chicago meeting The Sitihalr"
SEW ar0S t0 BPea nispeedhim'
'roast the correspondents," and ho proceedSl
to do so as though he was inhL ,a
wrongs at their pins that drove Umto S
condemnation. Then he spoke of his disannul0
ments, his chagrin, his wounded pride ea?Pi?f.t"
along that line, admitting that ho felt he waa
not up to the country's expectations. While S
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