MAT ii, ith The Commoner. f CUKfcGNT OPICSJJ . ggSSagBateJ Krn2ifrm' """"" s-rSriw trf J2&firr3& f w '-' y - jf.:.:,VCi2iL.ip-V. --,.. T AN INTERESTING STORY is told by tho Omaha World-Herald In this way: "You could see easy enough that they was a bridal couple," said tho Pullman conductor. "A wholo gang camo down to tho train to see them off, all a laughing and Joshing them. Well be haved enough they was, understand, but having a pretty good time and a lot of fun at the ex pense of the couplo who was leaving. There wasn't no rice nor old shoes nor anything of that sort, but the crowd was having a pretty good time with them in a ladylike and gentle manlike sort of way. They was pretty uncom fortablo and glad when the train pulled out and left the gang behind. Just before wo pulled out a young fellow comes ruBhing into the car with a big armful bouquet of bride's roses and laid them down in the lady's lap. My, how sho did blush. The whole car was wise and there was plenty of snickering and guying going on. He took it all calm enough, I'll say that for him, just as easy and natural about it as though getting married was an everyday affair with him, but she kept on a blushing and acting nervous and handling the bouquet liko it was hot coals or something and she didn't dast drop 'em and didn't like to hang on to 'era. He finally settled that, though, by raising the window and dropping them out alongside the track. They sat for a while trying to look as though they wasn't just aching to hold hands and do the lovey dove act and finally he strolls into tho smoking room and lights a cigar. He done little things for her, like bringing her a glass of water and all that, just as though ho was perfectly used to it and not half ashamed of himself, either. Well, it went on like that until we pulled into Denver. Say, you could knocked me down with a lace handkerchief, when a big kid of v thirteen or fourteen, I should say, met Jem at the., depot. THellp,, ma' ho says, giving her, a kiss. 'How're yuh, pa? Gee, I'm glad you're home.' I found out after that they'd been married for years and had a whole family of youngsters. It was a standing josh among their friends how they managed to keep their youth and good looks, and they was all the time having joshes like that put up on em." ANOTHER REPUBLICAN senator is likely to be investigated. The Chicago Tribune says: Isaac Stephenson, United States senator from Wisconsin, served two terms in the legis lature of that state before he became a citizen of this country. For nineteen years he con tinued to accept honors from the people of Marinette county while still an alien and sub ject of Queen Victoria. Finally, after his tim ber land holdings in northern Wisconsin and Michigan had grown to large proportions, and he had abandoned any notion ho might have had of returning to his native land Canada he went down to Milwaukee, which in thoso days of poor railroad facilities and no telegraph lines was further away from Marinette that it is now, and quietly put in his petition for citizenship. News of this Milwaukee trip never reached tho people of Marinette. The first in timation that Isaac Stephenson lived so long among them without being naturalized came .to them recently. The facts are to be submitted .to the legislative committee at Madison, which has in hand the inquiry into Senator Stephen Bon's right to retain his seat in the upper house faf congress, They will be adduced as ancillary jto eyidence that has been gathered showing the lavish expenditure of money In connection with .the senator's recent election. This evidence tehows that Mr. Stephenson spent more than '$100,000 In his campaign for the senatorship Hind that his election was made possible after a -protracted deadlock only by the mysterious con duct of three democratic representatives in fchsenting themselves suddenly from tfie joint Session of the legislature when their remaining here would have prevented him from getting ihe deciding vote. A man who made the state ment under oath that he saw these three legis lators paid $35,000 in a hotel some time later is npw serving a two-year term In the Waupun state prison for perjury. The charges relating to the senator's naturalization will reach the legislative committee from Senator Stephenson's home town. Two residents of Marlnetto, who with the Tribune were instrumental in unearth ing tho facts in regard to Stephenson's naturali zation, will lay the evidence that has boon gathered before State Senator Blaine, who is chairman of the Stephenson inquiry committee." SPEAKING BEFORE THE Knifo and Fork Club at Kansas City, Governor Woodrow Wilson approved the initiative and referendum and the recall "when properly regulated," hut objected to applying the recall to judges. Ho said: "Among the remedies proposed in re cent years have been the initiative and referen dum in the field of legislation and tho recall in the field of administration. These measures are supposed to be characteristic of tho most radical programs, and they are supposed to bo meant to change tho very character of our government. They have no such purpose. Their intention is to restore, not to destroy, repre sentative government. If we felt that wo had gonuino representative government In our state legislatures no one would propose tho Initiatlvo or referendum in America. They are being pro posed now as a means of bringing our repre sentatives back to the consciousness that what they are bound in duty and in mere policy to do is to represent the sovereign people whom they profess to serve and not the private in terests which creep into their counsels by way of machine orders and committee conferences. The recall Is a means of administrative control. If prpperly regulated and devised it is a means of restoring to administrative offlcfals what the Initiative und referendum restore to legislators namely, a sense of direct responsibility to tho peoplo who choose them. The recall of judges is another matter. Judges are not lawmakers. They are not administrators. Their duty is not to determine what tho law shall be, but to determine what tho law is. Their independence, their sense of dignity and freedom, is of tho first consequence to the stability of the state. To apply to them the principle of tho recall is to set. up the idea that determinations of what the law is must respond to popular i'mptilso and to popular judgment. It is sufficient that tho peoplo should have the power to change tho law when they will. It is not necessary that they should directly influence by threat of recall those who merely interpret the law already established. The importance and desirability of the recall as a means of administrative con trol ought not to be obscured by drawing It into this other and very different field." HERE'S A LOVE STORY right In the midst of party politics. A St. Paul, Minn., dis patch to tho New York World, says: "Tho announcement of the engagement of Miss Con stance Day, daughter of Frank A. Day, to Everett F. Tawney, eldest son of ex-Representative James A. Tawney, which takes place at the Day homo at Fairmont, Minn., next July, serves to unite the ties of two famous families in Minnesota, the heads of which have been lead ing factors in opposition parties in the state for a number of years back. It is slgniflcankthat James A. Tawney and Frank A. Day, thenpth republicans, began their political careerso gether in the same body In 1890. Mr. Tawney In that year was elected to the state senate from Winona and Mr. Day from Fairmont. The two became staunch friends, politically and person ally during that session. In 1893, when Mr. Day was unseated in the memorable fight on tho senate floor between Jtfr. Day and Mr. Dunn, Tawney was one of Day's ablest defenders. At that time Mr. Tawney had already been elected to congress from the First district, although he served out his senate term. Mr. Day some years later joined the democratic ranks and became a party leader, but Tawney during those years was serving In the national congress. Thus Tawney was recognized as one of tho republi can and Mr. Day the democratic leaders in Min nesota. Tho two, however, never camo into direct conflict for there was never any occasion for that. It Is said, however, that during tho second Johnson campaign Tawney's support of the opposition candidate dimmed the friendship between tho two men. A year ago, when Taw ney announced that ho would again enter the First district campaign for ro-olcction, Mr. Day gavo out an interview attacking his old friend. Everett F. Tawney is twenty-five years old. Ho waB educated In the public schools in Winona and was graduated from tho high school thoro in tho class of 1907. After sovoral months spent at Wisconsin university he entered the customs service In North Dakota. Ho was subsequently shifted to St. Paul, New Orleans, Now York and recently ho was placed in temporary charge in St. Paul. Ho is now in Now York on a special caso and expects in about ten days to be sent to Seattle or Spokane, which will bo his per manent headquarters. In tho east ho has gained considerable prominence by prosecuting a num ber of important cases. Mr. Tawney mot Miss Day about three years ago at a fratornlty party at Minneapolis, His fiancee is a graduate of tho University of Minnesota. Sho was prominent in musical and sorority circles and has also had a prominent part In tho productions of tho Uni versity Dramatic club. At present she is teaching a grade school at Virginia, Minn. NOW THE INCOME tax is being used by a church. A Milwaukee dispatch to tho Chicago Record-Herald says: "Tho graduated income plan of assessing members of tho congre gation of Westminster Presbyterian church, in tho aristocratic part of tho city, tried for tho first timo in any Milwaukee church during tho last year, was shown to bo a success at tho annual meeting hold recently. For tho first time In the history of the church tho year closed with a surplus on hand instead of tho usual .deficit. The plan adopted at tho last annual meeting provldc'd for a graduated income tax amounting to 2 per cent of income of $1,000 and less and ranging to 5 per cent on those of $3,000 or over. In this way it was promised that none of tho members of tho church would bo asked to contribute toward the support of the church more than once. A budget is pre pared at the beginning of each year and sub mitted to the members of tho congregation for approval. Possibly the most notable phase of this unique plan for paying the church expenses was the fact that no collections were taken dur ing the year." ACCORDING to former Senator Chauncey M. Dopew, Mr. Taft is growing in favor and his will bo tho only namo presented to tho re publican national convention in 1912. Mr. Depow added: "I believo that as President Taft's measures are better understood and his unselfish patriotism and devotion to tho public service become better known among tho peoplo ho will grow In popular favor. He is ono of tho most misunderstood of our presidents. His life has been judicial and never one of political strife, and so he looks upon questions as a judge and not from the viewpoint of a politician. It never occurs to him what may bo tho effect of a measure upon his own political fortunes," Mr. Depew gavo what he termed an. accounting of his stewardship during his twelvo years at Washington. Incidentally he said that he "tried insurgency in early Hfo" and got over it. 0'' .0 0 0 BRYAN AS A MUOKRAKER "William J. Bryan, speaking before the Y. M, O. A. of Virginia on the 9 th Is reported by the dispatches to havo quoted Theodore Roosevelt as saying there is scarcely a predatory conspiracy against the country that does not havo Harvard brains behind it, and to have added that those men were no better men who hold horses in a dark place for thieves to get away on after a burglary. This comment has probably made Mr. Bryan a muckraker In the estimation of the men who hold horses for burglars and furnish brains for big business." Louis F. Post "The Public." 0 0 0 0 ' i ? t "SI J(ataM2l&t3iS1t'.Li&i $ui.&.L jan