5
APRIL 8, 1910
The Commoner.
ihlch admits 300,000 tons of Philippine sugar
por annum freo of duty.
"Congressman Martin, speaking of tho Wick
ersham opinion which mado this hit of sharp
dealing possible, says: 'Many jokers wore dis-'
covered in the Payne tariff bill, and all of them,
without a single exception, jokers in favor of
special interests. This opinion appears to bo
the joker in the Philippine tariff section.
It must be a rich prizo that could gain and
hold for so long a time the greedy ambition of
one of tho great industrial interests of this
country and lead it to take such chances in its
acquisition. And it is a rich prize. The tariff
which has been removed from 300,000 tons of
raw sugar, at about 68 cents per hundred weight,
amounts to about $11,000,000 annually. Only
about one-half of this tonnage has been coming
in from tho Philippines. The shortage will soon
be supplied, but the consumer will be none tho
wiser. None of the benefits will ever leak by
the coffers of the sugar trust.'
"Tho Chicago Record-Herald, a republican
newspaper, in the course of an editorial discus
sion of this latest scandal involving the govern
ment and 'big business,' speaks thus frankly:
'The government's purchase of 400,000 acres
from the friars was made on the ground that
large holdings by religious bodies were prejudi
cial to the best interests of the islands. The
organic act passed by congress in July, 1902,
forbade the sale of more than forty acres of
Philippine lands to any individual and of more
than 2,500 to any corporation. But Attorney
General Wickersham has just approved the sale
of 65,000 acres of these lands to representatives
of the sugar trust. His position Is that the friar
estates do not come under the act of 1902. This
act stands as the one capital defense of the
Filipinos against the aggressions of unscrupu
lous, fortune-hunting outsiders, American or
other. It was designed to protect the islands
and their inhabitants from a selfish exploitation,
whether individual or corporate. The clear in
tention of the government is In imminent danger
of nullification. If Wickersham's approval of
these sales is to stand unchallenged, then the
intentions of the country toward the Filipinos
are in danger of disastrous frustration. If large
holdings by religious organizations are a men
ace, large holdings ,by financial organizations are
a menace.' "
The following reference to the Philippines
scandal is taken from a Washington dispatch
printed in the Philadelphia North American, a
republican paper:
"So it happens that members of congress upon
both sides of the chamber think the matter
Bhould be investigated, especially since the sugar
trust's Interests in the sugar lands appears to
have been quickened by the provision of the
tariff law which permits the admission of Phil
ippine sugar free of duty. In this connection
they believe that the question of the attorney
general's former affiliation with the sugar trust
la worth considering in view of his opinion,
with which good lawyers disagree upon legal
grounds, and moralists disagree upon moral
grounds. The fact, too, that Henry W. Taft is,
or has been, an attorney of the sugar trust,
while merely commented upon as a peculiar in
cident in connection with the other circum
stances,' might easily be urged as a, reason why
the administration itself should like to have the
whole matter investigated and cleared up.
"Mr. Wickersham's letter today to Mr. Ben
net, denying that ho represented the sugar trust
as attorney, follows: 'I have read in the Con
gressional Record of March 25, a statement
made by a member from Colorado to the effect
that 'the former attorney of the sugar trust is
at the head of the department of Justice of tho
present administration,' and later on what pur
ports to be a quotation from a newspaper edi
torial reading, 'Attorney General Wickersham,
the former attorney of tho sugar trust' In
order that such statement may not gain any
currency I should like to state through you that
I never, was attorney for the sugar trust by
which I understand is meant tho American Sugar
Refining company and its allied or subsidiary
corporations nor had any professional or busi
ness relations to it. The only possible founda
.. tion for such a statement lies in the fact that
one of my partners some three years ago was,
retained as one of counsel for the American
Sugar Refining company in a single lawsuit
brought against it, and pursuant to such re
tainer, he assisted in the defense of the com-
jpany in that action, and an appeal taken from
a judgment in Its favor, but in that lawsuit I
was neither consulted,' nor did I render any
service.'
"Representative Martin was not on the floor
of the house when the letter was read by Mr.
Bennet, but lator obtained a copy of it. Mr.
Martin announced that ho intended to carry his
charges agalnBt tho department of justice to a
definite conclusion. Ho said; The attorney
general, you will observe, carofutyjivolded mak
ing any denial of tho principal leatures of my
charges, to wit: That this decision gave tho
sugar trust 55,000 acres of friar lands for a
price less than tho government paid for it, and
that there was no warrant of law for such a
decision. Tho law plainly limits tho. sale of
public lands to any one person or company to
2,500 acres, and there is no question of the friar
lands being public lands. Mr. Wickersham says
that his partner, who, I understand, was Henry
W. Taft, a brother of tho president, and not ho,
was attorney for the sugar trust. This form of
disavowal will not carry much weight. I shall
continue my efforts to show up what I believe
is but the beginning of a gigantic grab of tho
friar lands of tho Philippines by tho sugar trust,
all made possible by an unwarranted decision
of the attorney general. There are 408,000
acres of these friar lands in the Philippines ac
quired by the government at a cost of $7,200,
000, which is $18 per aCro. The sugar trust
acquired this 55,000 acres for $6 an acre.' "
IF YOU DON'T SEE WHAT YOU WANT ASIC
FOR IT
In Alaska it was the Guggenheim-Morgan syn
dicate that was scheduled to, profit, by gobbling
up natural resources of incalculable riches, when
"government by law" succeeded "government
by men," on March 4 of last year.
In the Philippines it is the sugar trust.
The Guggenheim syndicate was looked after
by Secretary Ballinger, Its confidant and friend.
Tho sugar trust owes its luscious favors prin
cipally, it appears, to Attorney General Wicker
sham. Mr. Wickersham indignantly explains
that he was never attorney for tho trust, but
that It was his partner, Henry W. Taft, a
brother of the president, who acted In that
lucrative and responsible capacity. A distinc
tion with a difference, to be sure.
Of all trusts the sugar trust, which but lately
was proved guilty of having stolen millions of
dollars from the government in customs frauds,
should be the very last which the government
should favor with' big and juicy plums at tho
public expense. But it appears that it makes
no difference how notoriously bad and harmful
the corporation, provided only it Is big enough
and powerful enough, it has only to ask and
the Taft administration will give give privi
lege, give Immunity, give power to extort and
oppress, give public property entrusted to its
caret Omaha World-Herald.
"LEST WE FORGET"
The government has received an offer, from a
responsible business man of fifty cents a ton
royalty on Alaskan coal. It Is estimated that
such royalty would net the people of the United
States $2,000,000 on 100 acres of coal land. Tho
geological survey estimates that ten billion tons
of coal are in sight in known coal areas of
Alaska. Fifty cents a ton on this amount would
yield the government $8,000,000,000.
This is the coal land that the department of
the interior has been in haste under the ad
ministration of Secretary Ballinger to sell out
right to the Guggenheim syndicate for $10 per
acre.
Attention was first called to this monumental
grab and public indignation was aroused by L. R.
Gl&vis, chief of field service of the department
of the interior. Mr. Glavls' efforts were power
fully supported by Gifford Pinchot, forester; by
Overton W. Price, his first assistant, and by
Albert C. Prico, assistant law officer of the forest
service. As a result of their efforts tho plunder
plan was stopped and the government has re
ceived a- first offer that promises to produce an
enormous revenue.
Because, in their eagerness to protect the pub
lic domain, these men were insubordinate to
their immediate superiors the four havo been
dismissed from the service of the United States
by President Taft. Kansas City Star (Rep.)
yesterday wroto proved that tho idol's head was
of no better material than its feot.
Mr. Taft, less than a year ago, began his
administration with tho respect of tho ontiro
country. Ho was esteemed evon by his political
opponents ns a man whoso breadth and patriotic
purposo elovated him above tho piano of tho
mere partisan. Alas! Ho now stands fully re
vealed as one of tho sorriest figures in all tho
category of political partisans.
For it is not concealed that his party In tho
house has done his will in packing tho commit
tee which is to sit in judgtnont on tho charges
.that have been mado against his administration
through his secretary of tho interior. Having
summarily exculpated that official without ap
parently any investigation of tho truth of tho
charges against him, now, when public sonti
mont forces tho request for a congressional in
vestigation, ho has dictated tho personnel of tho
committeo which is to mako that investigation;
and so determined was ho to put himself in this
humiliating position that ho denied tho minority
of tho house the right to choose its own mem
bers of tho committee. In other words, on trial
himself through his cabinet minister, whoso
cause ho makes his own, and referring his caso
to tho tribunal of congress, whoso authorized
committeo was to contain representatives of tho
political minority in congress, he has rofused to
allow tho minority to name Its representatives,
insisting on naming them himself!
And this by one who, in addition to posing
as a man of statesmanlike caliber, has culti
vated tho distinctive reputation of tho jurist!
The wholo proceeding is to bo characterized
by the ono word, whitewash. A committeo so
chosen can signify nothing else. Its finding is
discounted in advance, and so far as any value
of such a finding Is concerned, it might as well
be returned tomorrow.
Mr. Taft has now burnt his ships behind him
what few of them ho had not already wrecked
within tho past three or four months and
henceforth It would bo folly for him to make
any other pretensions than of tho hack politician,
willing to go all tho usual politician's gaits in
order to get his grist to mill. Tho country now
understands him; it will save him some discom
fiture if he also understands himself and acts in
the future accordingly, without any more of tho
claims to decency and manliness which once it
was tho pleasure of tho country to concede.
CHARACTERIZED BY ONE WORD WHITE
WASH (Henry Watterson in Louisville Ky Courier
Journal.) Yesterday's proceedings in the national house
of representatives marked the climax of a po
litical party's shame and the complete down
fall of the Taft idol.
Within tho past few weeks it had become
pretty apparent that tho feet of that Idol were
feet of clay, but tho chapter of history which
LABOR TROUBLES
Three hundred thousand organized coal minors
In Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states quit
work April 1, pending settlement of a new wago
scale Tho number of strikers In the different
states is given by the Associated Press as
follows:
State of Pennsylvania 100,000
Ohio 45,000
Indiana 18,000
West Virginia 10,000
Illinois 72,000
Iowa 15,000
Michigan 3,000
Kansas, Arkansas and south 25,000
Colorado 5,000
Western Kentucky 5,000
Total men idle- . 300,000
Associated Press correspondents express the
opinion that the strike may last a month or
longer. f
L'ENVOI
When the earth's last picture is painted
And the tubes are twisted and .dried,
When the oldest colors have faded,
And the youngest critic has died.
We shall rest and, faith, we shall need it
Lie down for an aeon or two,
Till tho Master of all good workmen
Shall set us to work anew!
And those that were good shall be happy,
They shall sit In a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-leaguo canvas
With brushes of comet's hair;
They shall' find real saints to draw from
Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting
And never get tired at all!
And only the Master shall praise us,
And only the Master shall blame;'
And no ono shall work for money,
And no one shall work for fame;
But each for tho joy of the working,
And each in his separate star,
Shall draw the thing as he sees it
For the God of things as they are.
Kipling.