The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, June 03, 1910, Image 1
. The Commoner. WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR .- VOL. 10, NO. 21 Lincoln, Nebraska, June 3, 1910 Whole Number 489 Perpetual Franchises . The circuit court of. anpeals of -the United States has just decided a very important Ques tion in a suit brought by the city of Omaha against the Omaha Electric Lighting company. The principle laid down in the decision is a far-reaching one and, if sustained by the highest courts in the land,, as it certainly should be, will relievo the nation of that growing menace the perpetual monopoly. The court, In refusing to consider the franchise given the Omaha Lighting company a perpetual franchise Bays: "Legislative grants of power to municipal cor porations must be strictly construed, and can not operate as a' surrender of legislative power except so far as expressly delegated or is in dispensably necessary to the exercise of some other power which has been expressly delegated. Applying this rule to the present case we are of opinion" that the conference of power in gen eral terms to 'provide for lighting the streets, or to care for and control the streets is not specific enough to warrant a grant by the city to a business corporation of the right to use the streets of the city forever for the purpose of conducting a general lighting business. That Is a servitude not embraced within the ordinary control over streets usually given to municipali ties. We therefore conclude that even if the mayor and council had intended to grant a per petual franchise to the company they were pow erless to do so." The last sentence is of tremendous impor tance. The court speaks the words of truth an q soberness. No legislative body should have power vto .grant a 'perpetual franchise. No con stitution has specifically conferred that power upon any body, and such a power would not be implied. More than that, no generation has the right to enslave posterity even if it tries to do so, and a grant of power to a legislature t6 grant perpetual franchises would confer no au thority because even the people themselves have not the power, to bind their descendants for ever. The people are just beginning to under stand the iniquity of the perpetual franchise, and ere long it will be'a thing of the past. " , President Taft advocated the perpetual fran chise while in the Philippine Islands, and a per petual franchise granted by a temporary govern ment there to people living in a foreign land would be even more open to criticism than a perpetual franchise granted here by a "city council. But it is safe to say that even Presi dent Taft has undergone a change of opinion on this subject, for he is not in favor of grant ing perpetual franchises to the water power in forest reserves. He suggests that such fran chises should be limited to a period of years. Jf it is unwise for the representatives of the people of the United States to grant a per petual franchise in the United States to a citi zen of the United States would it not be still more unwiBe for an irresponsible government CONTENTS PERPETUAL FRANCHISES k SENATORIAL SEAT PURCHASED THE NOBILITY OP LABOR TREMENDOUS POWER OF THE CONTRIB UTORS TO REPUBLICAN CAM PAIGN FUND "ILLINOIS" TO DATE MR. BRYAN BEFORE THE TOTAL ABSTINf .. ENCE UNION ON THE VERDI ROOSEVELT, TAFT AND INSURGENTS MR. BRYAN'S PORTO RICAN SPEECH CURRENT TOPICS HOME DEPARTMENT , WHETHER COMMON OR NOT NEWS OF THE WEEK WASHINGTON NEWS . . in the Philippine Islands to grant a perpetual franchiso in those islands to a non-resident? The world does move, and public men movo with it. Two years of publicity have made the people think on the subject of the perpetual franchise, and, as is always the case, the people think right when they have a chance to con sider questions. The court in the suit above referred to has given expression to the thought of an awakened people, and the supremo court is not likely to over-rule the decision. If it does over-rule that decision.it is only a ques tion of time when a later court will confirm the doctrine that the granting of the perpetual fran chise is beyond the power of any legislative body, municipal, state or national. SENATORIAL SEAT PURCHASED Senator William Lorlmer, of Illinois, made a speech in the United States senate May 28 de fending hiniself of the charge that his seat had been purchased. Ho declared that the whole thing was a conspiracy under the leadership of the Chicago Tribune. On the very day Senator Lorlmer was speaking Stato Senator D. W. Holstlaw appeared before Judge Crelghton at Springfield, 111., and was given an immunity bath. Holstlaw confessed that he had received $2,500 for his vote for Lorlmer. Holstlaw is a democrat and 4he said that another democrat, State Senator John Broadrick of Chicago, paid him the mpney. He also claimed that Broad rick gave him ?7Q0 additional as his share of graft on a furniture contract. The grand jury promptly indicted. Broadrick together with Stan ton C. Pemberton,. of Oakland, .111., a' state sen ator, and Joseph S.. Clark of Vandalla, a .mem ber of the lower, house. All of these men were accused in Holstlaw's confession. All of the accused gave, bonds. Broadrick denies the charge. Meetings have been called by the chairmen of republican and democratic committees in sev eral Illinois districts for the purpose of adopt ing resolutions denouncing graft In the Illinois legislature. LET IT WORK BOTH WAYS . If a saloon keeper denies the right of the farmers living outside of town to vote on the licensing of saloons in the town, ask him what he would think of a law restricting the sale of liquor to people living in the town. Will the saloon keeper insist that he has a right to fill a man with liquor and send him out into the county ,vto create a disturbance and then deny that the people who are disturbed have a right to be heard. The farmers are beginning to see that, they have rights as sacred as those claimed by the liquor dealer. PARTY PLATFORM SACRED The following letter from John P. O'Malley; Perry, la., a candidate for congress, is self explanatory: . , "Perry, la., May 28, 1910. -Charles W. Bryan, Publisher The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb. Dear Sir: Your esteemed favor of May 24 to hand asking my opinion in regard to tariff and party platform. In reply will say I am certainly in favor of a revision of the tariff downward and believe, that promises made to the people through party platforms should be sacredly kept. "Yours truly, "JOHN P. O'MALLEY." WEARY "If Europe can not sell us anything how can it buy from us?" asked Representative Hardy of Texas, a democrat, in the house. "But they do buy from us," answered Rep resentative Campbell of Kansas, republican. "But how?" persisted Mr. Hardy. "Oh, go and ask them," retorted Mr. Camp bell. Who can blame the standpat republicans from becoming weary in these days of interrogation marks? ' - ' The Nobility of Labor One of the important lessons that the people of the United States aro teaching tho peoplo of South America is that industry Is honorable. There has boon in those countries tho old aristo cratic idea that to be respectablo one must avoid manual labor. In some places it is not thought proper to carry a' bundle or a packago on tho street. Tho students who come from South America to tho United States carry back this important lesson as one of their most impor tant acquisitions. Mr. Bryan met a number of students and learned from them as well as from others that this is one of tho moat im portant discoveries made by thoBo who visit tho United States. Tho American peoplo aro at Work tho idlers are few In number. Young men and young wbmon work their way through college and they are not thought less of be cause they earn their way. When Porto Rico came under tho influence "of the United States the same sentiment was found there, but it is giving way to tho sonslblo view taken of the subject in tho United States. While Mr. Bryan was in Porto Rico his atten tion was called to the following speech made by a Porto Rican to his own peoplo. It deserves a placet in our columns. Hero it Is: "We, the Porto Ricans, have too much falsa pride. Wo will not carry a bundle on tho street, if wo aro able to hire a boy to carry it for us. Wo never think of going into the field to work. We are after clerkships or other work of that class. The Americans came to Porto Rico and bought our lands which wo could not make a living from and which, when the Americans first came here, we would havo been pleased to sell for five dollars per acre. "They have taken these lands that wo thought had no value and on which wo could grow noth ing and today they have beautiful fruit groves, nice homes; havo carpets on their floors; linen on their table, curtains at their windows, china for their tables and the lands that we wore wil- ling to sell for five dollars per acre are today worth from fifty to one hundred and fifty dollars per acre. How have they done this? I will tell you. They have used scientific methods and their cultivation; have attended to .their places personally and havo -worked them with their own hands. They-are not too proud to got out and cultivate .the soil. "I happened to be passing a few days ago a grove which belongs to an American doctor and I .noticed some ono In the field plowing and on approaching closer, I discovered tho doctor at the plow handles plowing his orchard with a pair of oxen. A few days later I was in San Juan, and that same night I was at a reception at tho governor's palace and that same doctor whom I had seen plowing a few days before was at that reception with his long tail coat on. We, if we are able,tohave a long tall coat and go to receptions are looking for political positions. 'I have, on many occasions, been passing the groves of the Americans and I have always no ticed their pretty homes and .groves and see tho owners working out with the peons in tho hot sun, but In the evening, if you will follow these same Americans you .will find them in their comfortable and beautiful homes or at the re ceptions.. "Now gentlemen, wo find ono of the most important government positions on the Island filled by an American and yet a few days be fore his appointment I was passing his placo and saw him in the same way I had seen tho 'doctor. He was out behind a pair of mutes working his grove. "I tell you we have got to learn to cultivate our soil and be not ashamed to do so before wo can expect to make a success." THE GREATEST The New York Evening Post printed over one of its news dispatches these headlines: "Roosevelt impressed ex-president silent be fore tomb of Napoleon." And tho New Yorjk World was mean enough to. call this "Napoleon's greatest victory." t rj m rtJ -.-,,-.,