The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, May 26, 1911, Page 2, Image 2
tz-zmmmmmBimiWfii u f VOLUME 11, NUMBER 20 Lf liV I 4 H KJ H v. SOME THOUGHTS ON "TnE RULE OF REASON" Tho Now York World is satisfied with tho Bupremo court's trust doclslon. Tho World Is un tintl-monopollst but It "does not work much at Its trade." Replying to Justice Harlan's point that tho court, by writing into tho law the words, "undue or unreasonable" sought to make law, tho World says that in this particular the court "is in lino with judicial procedure from tho first." Whon did any court interpret a statute against murder, embezzlement or any other crime on tho theory that the legislature meant undue murder or unreasonable embezzlement? Tho World says that tho recent decision con tains nothing that has not always been asserted by tho courts that were enforcing tho common law agalnBt monopolies. Then why have intelli gent peoplo beon so strangely stirred by this decision. Tho World says, "a rulo of reason which forces tho Standard Oil company, the most skilfully organized of all tho trusts, to its knees, is not to bo trifled with." But tho Standard Oil company has not been forced to its knees. It will simply change its manner of organization and will continue its work of plunder. Indeed in this very decision it was made clear that with tho Standard Oil reorganized as the old Northern Pacific merger .was reorganized there would bo no interference with it. Tho World says that tho trust magnates and their lawyers cannot find much comfort in this decision and that there is nothing therein to encourage them or prolong their vicious activi ties. Lot tho World's news columns answer its editorial utterances: In tho same issue of tho World in which this editorial appears (Wednes day, May 17th) there aro several interviews with trust representatives. Andrew Carnegie -who made every dollar he had out of the special privilege given him under republican adminis tration calls the decision "common sense." President Brown of tho New York Central shows that ho does not agree with tho World's notion that tho decision is in lino with other decisions relating to trusts and that it does not seek to change tho law as it was enacted by congress. President Brown, says that this decision trans forms tho Sherman anti-trust law from an im possible and destructive to a practicable and constructive measure. The representatives of the boot and shoo trust rejoice that in this decision the highest court of the land has "shaken off tho shackles of tho past" and adds that they would bo happy if congress would only immediately adjourn. John Kirby, president of the National Association of Manufacturers rejoices over this decision and expresses the hope that tho tobacco trust case will bo handled in a similar way. Tho president of one Commercial Club rejoices that tho court has recognized tho difference be tween good and bad trusts and everywhere in the circle where the trust magnates most do congregate it is plain that from tho Rockefellers of Standard Oil fame to every little stock ex change official in the country there is great rejoicing over a supremo court decision that gives broader license to great special interests that havo already preyed upon the people to tho limits of endurance. GOVERNOR DIX ON INCOIME TAX Governor Dix offers a conspicuous proof of his willingness to take tho initiative in legislation in any matter where the influence of tho execu tive may properly be exercised by the vigorous letter to Speaker Frisbie in which tho governor urges the duty of immediate passage of the in come tax amendment. This letter is one of the most forceful and cogent of all the governor's utterances on public affairs. It is based on the indisputable propositions that the pledges of the party should be fulfilled, that the income tax amendment is one of the chief pledges embodied in the Rochester platform, and that there is no excuse for delay in its ratification. Says the governor: "It is difficult to beliovo that any citizen can seriously urge that tho income-tax pledge of the Rochester platform is not binding upon the democratic party, for the reason that the lan guage of the pledge was 'an' amendment, not the amendment. I need not say to you that when this platform plank was applauded and adopted by the convention, every delegate within the convention, and every citizen outside tho convention, understood it to be a declaration for tho Income tax in accordance with the amend ment then pending. "To aBsert otherwise would be to charge that the democratic party resorted to trickery and The Commoner. to a juggle of words in order to obtain votes. This I do not, and will not admit. A square repudiation of tho principle of the Income tax would bo honorable. But to seek to defeat the ratification of tho ponding amendment on tho claim that tho Rochester platform in its income tax pledge used the word 'an' and not me, is to assort that tho democratic party is willing to commit in act that would savor of perfidy anad dishonor. For myself and the party, I repudiate the suggestion." ' These are strong words. They have the ring of courage and sincere conviction, and there is no mistaking tho force of their appeal, which will find a hearty response in the electorate of the state, and should be equally impressive when considered by the legislature. To ratify the in come tax amendment is a duty second to no other which the democratic party in this state has proposed for itself. The governor's timely advice should bo followed by immediate action on the part of the assembly. The senate has al ready done its duty in this matter. Buffalo (New York) Times. NOW THE NEW YORK WORLD Tho New York World is another paper that annears to be greatly disturbed because Mr. Bryan offered to send Tho Commoner for two years to every new subscriber for the sum of $1.00. Following is an editorial that appeared in a recent number of the World: THE GREAT REVIVAL OF PATRIOTISM " 'Shall the democratic party be Aldrichized?' " 'Shall the democratic national convention in 1912 be controlled by an Aldrich democracy, or shall it represent real democratic sentiment?' " 'Do you believe the democratic party should be kept free from entanglements with special interests?' "Very well then, listen to 'William Jennings Bryan, who explains how it can be done ex plains it in black-faced type that scatters over most of the first page of The Commoner, ex plains it in terms so simple that a little child can understand. "Now this is the "way to save tire democratic party and prevent the perpetration of what ever outrages are about to ne perpetrated: " 'Mr. Bryan will do his' part in the effort to protect the democratic party from Aldrich ism. On the stump and through The Commoner he will insist that the progress made by the party during the past sixteen years shall not bo thrown away; that the special interests shall not control the convention; that its platform shall be honest and unequivocal and its candi dates devoted to genuine democratic doctrine. " 'In order to place his views before a larger number of people, Mr. Bryan has given instruc tions that his paper, The Commoner, be sent to every new subscriber for a period of two years for tho sum of $1 the regular price for one year. " 'You aro invited to join Mr. Bryan in this great fight.' "What could be moro simple or more cer tain?" New York World. The Commoner will be glad to have every corporation newspaper in the United States, as well as every other newspaper, announce to its readers that THE COMMONER WILL BE SENT TO EVERY NEW SUBSCRIBER FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS FOR THE SUM OF $1.00. Mr. Bryan would bo specially pleased to be able to present his views regularly through The Commoner to the people who have de pended for light upon the tallow dips provided by corporation controlled publications. POLITICS AND "BIG BUSINESS" A reader of The Commoner sends the edi torial pago of the Chica-go Daily News for April 27, 1911, with an editorial entitled, "Politics and Big Business," marked. On the margin this Commoner reader, referring to the News editorial says: "Sounds like W. J. B." The News editorial follows: A large part of the testimony presented be fore the Helm committee in the Lorimer investi gation throws light on the close and corrupt relationship existing between some big politi cians and some big business interests. Tho trouble and expense to which represen tatives of various corporations go to secure tho election of plastic representatives to the federal congress, men who will falthfuly represent cor porate wealth and misrepresent the people has been mirrored with startling clearness nearly every day in the committee hearings. Witness Cook, a Duluth lumberman, declares liiul nines, me neet-rooted Mercury of the lum ber Interests, made a bitter complaint In his hearing to tho effect that after Hines had elected Senator Stephenson of Wisconsin the latter had to bo "lined up" in Washington. Hines had discovered tho Wisconsin senator, -whom he re garded as "his man," impiously working for free lumber. According to Cook, Hines dis closed that extra precautions were being taken to get a reliable senator from Illinois. Boutell had been settled upon by the interests, in anxious conference with Aldrich. Then Hines found that Boutell also had been working for free lumber. That led to the dumping of Bou tell and the selection by Aldrich and Hines of Lorimer, who "agreed to stand pat" and would "listen to reason." This is but one little glimpse into the evi dence that has been heard by the Helm com mittee. Subterranean forces at work in Spring field now are Beeking to have that committee dissolved or at least restrained. The Burrows whitewashing committee was the kind of in quisitorial body that "big business" likes if any questions are to be asked at all about its politi cal enterprises. Burrows and his committee associates, with the exception of the inquisitivo Senator Frazier, wielded the whitewash brush with masterful strokes from one end of the committee's career to the other. "Big business" had caused the committee to be packed with men who would "listen to reason." "Big business" has succeeded so well in its demoralizing efforts to control the people's law making body because it has worked behind the scenes, in the dark of the moon and with the lights turned low. "Big business" protects its own. Therefore its criminal agents, when ex posed, are defiant. Their high-priced lawyers speak for them in public, and in secret places "slush funds" perform notable service. The people are being enlightened to good purpose by the faithful Helm committee. What wonder, then, that "big business" is frantically endeavoring to choke that committee to death? But "big business" at last is at the bar of public . opinion. It should be required to suffer full exposure and then to answer for its misdeeds. GOOD, BUT NOT ENOUGH The press dispatches report that the progres sive republicans at Washington held. a conference "immediately after the Standard Oil decision and decided to support an amendment to the 'anti trust law declaring that no restraint of trade shall be held to be reasonable.' That amend ment is all right as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. The democrats ought to support it, but they should invite the progres sive republicans to join in securing legislation which will be effective. The anti-trust law has been on the statute books for twenty .years, and has done but little good. Now that it is invoked the Standard Oil company can get around the decision by reorganizing. It is time to take up the matter in earnest and the democratic plat form of 1908 presents the only real and effec tive remedy yet proposed. PEACE IN MEXICO According to the agreement between repre sentatives of the Mexican government and representatives of the revolutionists the war in Mexico is at .an end. The peace agreement was signed May 21st at Juarez, Mexico. According to the terms of this agreement President Diaz and Vice President Corral will resign before Junt 1st. Senor Barra, at present minister of foreign relations, will become the acting presi dent and will call the general elections accord ing to the terms of the Mexican constitutibn. The government will study the conditions of public opinion and will try to meet the de mands of that opinion in the way of reforms. Hostilities are to cease immediately. INFORMATION WANTED K. Whitlaw, Ealing postoffice, London, Ont, asks for information concerning a sister's chil dren. This sister, who died in 1896, married William Edwards and there were three children. Victor, now about twenty-three; Cora, now about twenty, and a third, now about fourteen. These children once lived in Longmont county, Colorado. Any one having any information on this point please send It to K. Whitlaw as above. LABOR WINS A VICTORY The decision of the supreme court releasing Gorapers, Mitchell and Morrison from tho jail sentence imposed by the district court judge, will be welcomed as a just judgment and the iauor leaders are to be congratulated upon mak ing a test case of it.