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MAY 20, 1910
The Commoner.
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with a-live dog, a cock, a viper and an ape, and
casting II into the sea, and to the English cus
toms of disemboweling traitors and burning
alive Women who committed treason. The court
decided to regard these precedents as milestones
in the advance of civilization and not as limita
tions on the phrase. 'In the application of a con
stitution said Justice McKenna, in announcing
the decision of the court, 'our contemplation
can. not be only of" what has been, but of what
may be.' This lie" based on tlie belief that other
wise the general principles of the constitution
'would have little value and be converted by
precedent into impotent and lifeless formulas.'
'Rights declared in words,' said he, 'might be
lost in all reality.' Much speculation exists as
to the effect of the decision. That it will apply
to the territories and the District of Columbia
is not doubted. The court has determined that
the eighth amendment is not applicable to the
states and hence tho states will not be compelled
to follow the new principles. Most of the states,
however, have provisions in their constitutions
similar to the eighth amendment and it Is be
lieved the decision will have a powerful influ
ence in the future interpretation of these."
WHITING FOR the New York. Dramatic
Mirror Howard Herrick, presents a. list of
one hundred popular plays. Among Mr. Her
rick's list are the following: "The Count of
Monte Cristo," "The Corsican Brothers," "Riche
lieu," "London Assurance," "Uncle Tom's
Cabin," "East Lynne," "Camille," "Ingomar,"
with its memorlea of Mary Anderson; the plays
that New York saw in the-Daly and Palmer days
"Article 47," "Diplomacy," "Frou-Frou," "A
Scrap of Paper, "The Two Orphans," with its
souvenirs of Kate Claxton; "Fedora," "The
Private Secretary," "A Celebrated Case,", "Jim
the Penman," "The Banker's Daughter," and a
full quota .of Sardou and Bronson Howard"
generally. There is "Fanchon," with Maggie
Mitchell; "The Shaughraun," with Boucicault;
"Shore Acres," "Hazel Kirke," "Trilby," "Ben
Hur," and of a more nearly contemporary time
"The Heart of Maryland," "The Liars," "Zaza,"
"A Texas teer," "Tie Christian," "Lady "Winder
mere's Fan," "Mrs. Dane's Defense," "The
Second Mrs. Tanqueray,' "The Witching Hour,"
"The Climbers,'! "Peter Pan,''. "The - Great Di
vide," along with an" allowance of Ibsen and;
Sundermann.
REFERRING TO Mr. Herrlck's list, a writer -in
the New York World says: "It is, how
over, in the lists of the 'ten plays most acted'
compiled for the Mirror by veteran actors that
the surest clue to the popular taste Is found.
Of the five lists drawn up all contained 'Uncle
Tom's Cabin,' 'Ten Nights in a Barroom,' 'East
Lynne,' 'The Two Orphans 'Camille' and 'Hip
Van Winkle and all but one 'Hamlet opinions
differing on the inclusion of 'Monte Cristo
'Lady Audley's Secret 'The Octoroon 'The
Colleen Bawn' and 'Hazel Kirke.' Wliat 'Ham
let' should be doing in this gallery is a subject
for Interested speculation. But that it is there
and that competent actors still play it to packed
houses makes difficult any generalizations on a
public taste which, while it holds fast to the
Shakespearian masterpiece, shows a marked pref
erence for the simpler emotionalism and more
melodramatic expedients of the playwright as
evidenced by 'Uncle Tom 'East Lynne' and their
kind. It is significant that not one of the 'ad
vanced' dramatists has won a place among the
public's favorite thrillers "
41
Lord's supper there Is not any transubstantlation
of the elements of bread and wine into tho body
and blood of Christ, at or after the consecration
thereof, by any person; and that tho invocation
or adoration of tho Virgin Mary or any other
saint, and the sacrifico of the mass as now used
in the church of Rome, are superstitious and
Idolatrous; and I do solemnly, in the presence
of God, profess, testify anil declare that I do
make this declaration and every part thereof, f it
the plain, ordinary snse of words as commonly
understood by English Protestants, without any
evasion, equivocation or mental reservation
whichever and without any dispensation already
granted me for this purpose by tho pope or any
other authority or person whatsoever." John
Redmond, the nationalist leader, and the Duke
of Norfolk, the foremost Catholics in England,
arc lending their aid to the new king in his
effort to have this declaration modified. The
proposals suggested are to change tho words,
'are superstitious and idolatrous' to 'are con
trary to my belief and to omit the reference
to the pope."
MORRISON I. SWIFT of Concord, New Hamp-.
shire writes to the Now York World this "
interesting letter: "The recent votes against
the national income tax plan in Nov York and
Massachusetts reveal that the legislatures of
these two states are dominated by the fraction
of the inhabitants owning great wealth. The
plea has been heard that it would be unjust
to these states In particular to tax incomes, be
cause they are so enormously rich. For that
reason, It is said, they would pay a disproportion-,
ate part of the tax. In other words, they have
such enormous incomes and are so well able to
pay tho fax that they ought not to bo made to
do so! The rich man, in fact, considers it a sin
to tax him. He regards it as one of the special
privileges of the workingman and farmer to bear
the whole tax or as much as he can load upon
them. England will this year collect $112,000,
000 Income tax. An income tax on the same
scale here would easily give us $150,000,000.
Much of 'tliis hurden would bo taken off the
poor, enabling them to live on a higher plane
of life and develop greater intelligence. Tho
character of the whole nation would be uplifted.
But jior the inordinately rich: must have the
money to blow in oh motor cars, and grand trium
phal progresses from hotel to hotel In Europe."
"by a 24 per cent 'tariff, but tho refining procesi
involves a labdrcost 6t only '3 por cent of the
total.
Practical Tariff Talks
THE NEW KING of England Is already in
trouble. He objects to the antl-Catholio
character of the oath that he Will be required
to take when he opens his first parliament. A
London cablegram says: "Already the anti
Catholics, who form an overwhelming majority
of the population, are opposing any change in
the oath and are importuning members of parlia
ment not to carry out the suggestion that a few
of the 'offending sentences' be modified. It is
admitted that a majority of the members of par
liament favor a change in the oath, which ques
tion, in fact, has been under consideration since
the Eucharistlc congress in London. Owing to
the tremendous popular sentiment against a
change, however, parliament has deferred action.
Now King George lias brought the issue to a
head. The declaration to which King George
is opposed reads: 'I solemnly and sincerely, in
the presence of God, profess, testify and declare
that I do believe that in the sacrament of tho
Brass is one of the metals very largely enter
ing into the trade of this country. It Is made
of an alloy of copper and zinc, with sometimes
a little tin added. The American market con
sumes something like $100,000,000 worth a
year $99,000,000 In 1905, as per government
census. Brass goods are protected by duties
Tanging from 15 to 45 per cent, most of that
used by the average person being under tho
'high rate. The government census for 1905
states that the total labor cost of making these
goods is 17 per cent. The average duty Is moro
than twice the total labor cost. With this high
a tariff wall around the industry it naturally
follows that there is a brass trust, the American
Brass company. The trust exports $4,500,000,
its surplus, which is sold at the world market
for less than the price charged here. The duty
is so high that the importations amount to less
than $100,0.00 worth. It scarcely needs a dem
onstration that an industry that produces $100,
000,000 worth a year Is no longer an Infant and
that when It sends abroad $4,500,000 of its
products to be sold at the international price it
needs very little tariff.
This, however, is but one of many trusts.
There is the car builders trust and the locomo
tive trust. Both of these industries have a 45
per cent tariff, and there are no imports. NThelr
labor cost approximates 20 per cent and 45
per cent Is levied to represent the difference
between labor costs here and abroad. The car
building industry produces $125,000,000 a year,
and it sells $9,000,000 abroad. There are no
statistics on locomotive production, but they sell
freely abroad, as everybody who reads knows.
The American Fork and Hoe company controls
80 per cent of the yearly production of farm
tools. It has a 45 per cent protection and ex
ports $3,500,000 a year. The linseed oil trad
is controlled by the American Linseed Oil com
pany, & Standard Oil concern. It is protected
Tho United Lead company controls 85 per
cent of the pig load business. Tho refining cost
is "4 per cent, and the 'tariff runs from ton to
twenty times tho labor cost see pago 7 02 2 of
hearings before ways and means committee of
the house. Tho woolen trust, the American
Woolen company, controls GO per cont of tho pro
duction. Its labor coBt averages 18 per cont
and it is protected by tariff running from 55 to
125 per cent on cloth, 70 to 118 por cent on
dross goods, 90 to 141 per cent on knit fabrics,
86 to 144 per cent on flannels, and 96 per cent
on felts. The glucose Industry is controlled by
tho Corn Products company. Its labor cost in
starch making is 11 per cont and its tariff pro
tection 46 to 69 per cent, while tho labor cost
in glucose making is but 7 per cent? while tho
tariff protection is 55 por cont. Three million
dollars worth a year is sent abroad. Tho Dia
mond Match company controls 85 per cont of
the match-making industry. Its labor coBt is
20 per cent and its tariff protection under tho
Dingloy law ran from 15 to 42 por cent. It was
reduced "to from 12 to 24 per cent.
Then thoro is the' meat trust, with its 5 per
cent total labor cost and a tariff protection of
from 10 to 19 per cont. It sells nearly a billion
dollars worth at homo, and ships abroad some
thing like $170,000,000 a year. ,Tho rubber
goods trust has a labor cost of 15 per cent, and
a protection ranging from 20 to 35 por cont.
Tho leather trust, tho United States Leathor
company, controlling 60 to 75 per cent has a
total labbr cost of 15 per cent and a tariff ranging-from
15 to 40 per cont. In excess of a quar
x tor of a billion dollars worth of leather goods
are sold on tho home market and $32,000,000
worth' shipped abroad.. These, are ofilcial figures
taken mainly from government publications.
They were presented to congress, and that body
practically ignored them In malting tho Payne
Aldrich law. , C. Q. D.
. THE TRIUMPHANT SPOILKRB
The men who had the courage to side with
tho people against the Morgan-Guggenhoim-interests
that are trying to grab the natural re
sources of Alaska are fast being weeded out of
tho public service.
First, tho lobbyists were boasting ,that they
would "get" Secretary Garfield and they did.
Garfield had proved a great obstacle to tne
"spoilers. Then Glavio, who saved the nation
coal land valued by its prospective purchasers
at $25,1)00,000, was removed from ofllce. The
next to bo sacrificed was Plnchot, the founder of
tho conservation movement in the United States.
Saturday the president nominated a successor
to Mr. H. M. Hoyt, the efficient attorney general
of Porto Rico, whose offense consisted of join
ing with Glavis In an attempt to foil the looters
of tho public domain.
When Ballinger refused to pass on the Cun
ningham claims, on the ground that he had
acted as attorney for the claimants, and turned
them over to his subordinates, men with their
"ears to the ground" as was remarked by ono
of them Glavis sought to save this valuable
property by an appeal to tho attorney general
of tho United States. In taking this rash step
of insubordination the young land ofllce agent
felt tho need of counsel and so appealed to Hoyt,
who had been a great government prosecutpr In
the northwest under Roosevelt and had been
promoted to the attorney generalship of Porto
Rico. Hoyt realized so keenly the danger to
tho country and tho administration that ho
went personally to Mr. Wlckersham and ob
tained the ruling that saved the coal lands.
But because he refused to join with tho ad
ministration In the whitewashing of Ballinger
before tho investigating committee and insisted
on telling the truth, he is now out of the gov
ernment service. Doubtless, tho director of the
reclamation service, Mr. Newell, and its chief
engineer, Mr. Davis, will soon follow.
In these days of an "easy"' president and un
scrupulous and aggressive advisers, it takes
nerve to stand against special privilege. Kan
sas City Times, Rep.
All aew aad renewal subscribers to Thq Com
moner during tho month of May will receive
a year's subscription, to the national farm paper
tho American Homestead, without additional
charge Give your friend an opportunity to
join yon in accepting this offer.
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