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THE CARNEGIE PROPOSITION
The Independent (Now York) prints the
following editorial:
"In his Commoner Mr. Bryan goes wild over
Mr. Carnegie's proposition, or tliat of his philan
thropic corporation, to pension ox-presidents.
He says: 'It would be a monstrous thing to per
mit the president of the United States to rest
under the shame of anticipating a pension from
a fund accumulated through special privilege.'
The 'special privilege' waB tho tariff, nothing
else. Under tho tariff system established by
congress and approved by tho people, all busi
ness had to bo done. All manufacturing busi
ness was 'special privilege;' it could not be
escaped, and they did not wish to escape it. The
money earned was legally earned, even if the
tariff gave too much protection. Mr. Bryan, who
severely attacks the pensioning of college pro
fessors, is too squeamish; but he is right in
urging that now congress provide for the pen
sioning of ox-presidents."
The Commoner proved its point by an eminent
republican authority, the Chicago Tribune. The
Tribune complained that Mr. Carnegie was "con
- stantly posing," and that he had "tried the pa-,
tience of hiB friends severely in some of his
lato bids for notoriety." It said that Mr.
Carnegie had "scattered libraries broadly
through the country, all of which were to be
called for him, and every one of them is a con
tribution to the conscience fund." Then the
Tribune said: "Mr. Carnegie made his money
in a magnifieentP'way, but he should never for
get that HE MADE IT THROUGH UNDUE
I FAVORITISM of tho government of the United
States. OWING TO THE DISCRIMINATION
PRACTICED IN HIS FAVOR BY THE TARIFF,
he was enabled to amass a fortune of two hun
dred million dollars or more, MOST OF
WHICH CAME OUT OF THE POCKETS OF HIS
COUNTRYMEN THROUGH THE OPERATION
OF UNEQUAL LAWS. Much has been said of
the benefit to the workingmen from the estab
lishment of the Carnegie works. The beneficent
tariff system permitted the works to survive -and
flourish, but there are some people who have
not forgotten the Homestead strike, nor the
outrageous manner in which workingmen were
treated at that time by employers whose bru
tality has seldom been-1 exceeded in the history
of labor agitations."
Even, if Mr. Carnegie's money was, as The In
dependent says, "legally earned' it was never
theless dishonestly acquired for the reason that
even the "legal" privilege, was maintained
through generous contributions to the campaign
funds of the dominant party Now that .the
immorality of this system is being recognized
by men generally, it would be a long backward
step to permit a man notoriously a beneficiary
of that system, o provide a pension for exr
presidents of the United States.
Mr. Carnegie also received several times the
value of his property when ho permitted the
steel trust to gobble up the Carnegie system.
Out, of that deal alone, J. Pierpont Morgan made
sixty-five million dollars promoter's fees and
an additional fep of six million eight hundred
thousand dollars for providing a little ready
cash. It was just a bit of "special privilege"
through watered stock in tho trust scheme engi
neered by Morgan and out of which Carnegie
profited so largely.
A GOOD TIME TO SWEAR OFF
Baltimore Sun: Our esteemed contemporary,
the New York Sun, which in most things is very
sane, and has generally a wholesome sens of
humor, never hears the name of William Jen
nings Bryan without promptly throwing a fit.
The continued mention of Mr. Bryan as a prob
able member of Mr. Wilson's cabinet goads it
to madness, and it tears the dictionary into
tatters in its effort to fiqd phrases strong
enough to characterize an appointment that it
regards in the light of a national menace.
Apropos of Governor Wilson's remark at the
Southern society's banquet about hanging panic
makers on a gibbet of public disgrace as high
as Hainan's, tho Sun, after denouncing Bryan
for "his infernal theories of finance" and for
having attempted to produce the greatest panic
In our history, asks:
"If a panic should bo started by tho appeaT
ance of this same William J. Bryan In a com
manding post in the nation's affairs, w.ould
President Wilson hang this same William J.
Bryan as high as,Haman, even if ho went to
tho gibbet from a cabinet chair?"
We do not know what would happen if tho
The Commoner.
Atlantic ocean should overflow the state of New
York, or tho man in tho moon should become
the editor of the New York Sun. Certainly tho
editor from Luna could not be more sensitive
to the influence of that satellite than some folks
seem to bo now when Mr. Bryan's rays fall on
them. What would happen if the impossible
took placo the country will not waste time in
conjecturing. We will take time, however, to
make a New Year suggestion to our New York
friend and namesake. Givo up the Bryan jim
jams habit, and be as sensible, well balanced and
good-humored with regard to this distinguished
American as you are as to other persons and
things. Believe us, you Tvill feel better for if
and tho country will think better of you for it.
THE BLIND SENATOR
Senator Gore is forty-twc years old. He is
serving his second term in the senate. His
term will expire March 3, 1915. Senator Gore
is- blind. When he was eight years old he was
accidentally struck in the left eye by a stick
which a companion threw down. The wliole
thing was an accident, the stick rebounding and
striking him under part of the eyeball. Some
injury to the optic nerve resulted and the sight
gradually failed in that eye.
When ho was eleven years old, and a pago
in the Mississippi senate he was born and
brought up in that state he bought an airgun
to take home to his brother for a Christmas
present. Some of the children at the hotel
where he was living wanted to see it work, and
naturally an eleven-year-old boy did not need
to be asked twice. While he wan showing it off
the rod he fired kept catching in the barrel, so
finally, having placed it in position, Young Gore
squinted down the barrel -with his good eye,
of course to see if everything was all right
that time. Somehow or other, the gun went off,
and so did part of hs right eye. Of course the
sight was destroyed.
Senator Gore has undergone several opera
tions in Washington and elsewhere in the hope
that his eyesight might be restored, but with
out avail. Since he watf eleven years old Sena
tor Gore has not been able to read a word.
After he lost his sight he promptly decided on
an education as the first necessity for life, and
set about getting one. He went through the
public schools, then the normal school, then the
Cumberland university at Lebannon, Tenn. One
of his earlier schoolmates accompanied him to
Lebanon and read to him. Every bit of his
work was done this way. He was valedictorian
of his class, and one of six graduated with
highest honors.
When he left college he went to Jackson,
Miss., for six months to learn to read with his
fingers. In 1896 he moved to Texas, and to
Oklahoma in 1901. On December 27, 1900, he
was married to Miss Nina Kay. Mrs. Gore is
the senator's constant companion. She under
stands law and is one of the hest informed
women in the United States on public affairs.
She is his eyesight. He has a marvellous
library and Mrs. Gore is the senator's chief
reader. The New York Sun.
"WATCH OUT, WILSON! BRYAN BEWARE!"
Baltimore Sun:' Eminent standpatters refuse
to allow their opposition to Wilson's election to
prevent them from giving him liberal advice.
"Save him from Bryan!" is the cry that goes
up from these patriotic souls. Their solicitude
as to Governor Wilson's safety is touching. A
year ago they were urging Mr. Bryan to resent
the terrible insult of the "knock-him-into-a-cocked-hat"
letter. How could Bryan trust, a
secret enemy like Wilson? they asked.
Before and during the Baltimore convention
they warned Wilson against this man Bryan
who was at the psychological moment to throw
the Jersey candidate overboard and grao the
nomination himself. The number of horrible
things that Mr. Bryan has not done during the
past year has distressed his enemies beyond
measure. lie has had bo many opportunities
to wreck the party and has not taken advantage
of a single one.
But a ray of hope pierces the gloom. Wash
ington dispatches state one day that Bryan is
going to be secretary of state and run the
administration; tho next that he is preparing
to set up an insurgent junta in Washington de
clare war on Wilson and through Tho Com
moner pour hot shot into the White House. The
fact that both can't be true doesn't discourage
tho industrious despairors. Whatever hap
pens, they hope for tho 'worst.
Meanwhilo Mr. Wilson is placidly enjoying
the smiling skies of New Jersey, little thinking
what dangers hang over his head. And Mr
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 52
Bryan, never dreaming of the deep, dark con
spiracy hatched up for. him and the role in re
hearsal, is quietly going about his business
Three months from now this tremendous trag
edy that threatens to wreck the Wilson adminis
tration, right on the front pages of republican
newspapers, will be numbered among the awful
things in politics that never happened.
UNCLE JOE'S PHILOSOPHY
From an interview with ex-Speaker Cannon,
in a Washington dispatch to the New York
World: "There is one of two things for a man
who loses out to do: Go to work at something
else and try to keep busy, or commit suicide.
"Work for me. I know too little about where
I am going to commit suicide.
"Now, if I were given an insurance .contract
that would guarantee that I would live out the
100 years that I am on, I would not have it. Not
that I do not want to live to be 100 years old,
but I want to take my chance instead of having
a cocksuro thing. If I were guaranteed 100
years, I would spend my time counting my days.
As it is, I may die tomorrow or the next day,
but whatever happens I will have the chance
that every human likes to take. I have one
chance out of 5,000,000, or perhaps 10,000,000,
to live to he 100.
"There js sojnething in every human animal
that inakeB him like to take a chance.
"I knew Phil Sheridan, and we often talked
over the war. I told him that I did not under
stand how a man could make a charge when
he knew that certain death awaited most of
those in the charging party.
" 'It is the human chance that makeB the
man charge without fear,' said Sheridan:
every fellow belieyes that he will be the one
that escapes.'
"My defeat is behind me. Like the old negro
that was up in the tree handing down chickens
to his partner, I have not time to discuss that
question, but am looking forward.
"Simon was in the tree, gathering the poul
try, when, all of a sudden, tie stopped and
said to Rastus, who slipped them in a sack:
" 'This here thing is wrong, Rastus.'
' 'It's a great moral question,' said Rastus,
'but give me another hen.'
"It is pretty bad that my people were de
ceived into not sending me back, but that is
passed", and they are good people. I will go
back to them whentI get through here.5'
Mr. Cannon is very happy with his daughters
and granddaughter, and great quantities of
cigars at his home, 1040 Vermont avenue.
OLD PROVERBS MADE NEW
Governor Wilson's remark that if any one
starts a panic he will hang -him higher than
Haman suggests the bringing of several pro
verbs down to date. For instance:
A threat in time saves nine. .
An ounce of warning is worth a pound of
punishment. T
A word to the scared is sufficient.
To Wall street:, J
The fear -of the law is the beginning of
wisdom.
INSPIRATION
I show men things they do not see,
So oft they pass them by;
And some have found new things to love,
New. splendors in the sky.
I pull the veil from Mystery,
And show her cynic's smile;
Men look a foolish look, and feel
They knew her all the -while.
I give a youth tho power to tell
Old lore that is like new;
The wise men wag their heads and frown,
And know his words are true.
A beggar played his violin .
Where wind folk sob antf sing;
I whispered to his heart, and now
He plays before the king.
The crowd saw but the parts of steel
Piled high before their ayes. . ,
'Long to tho builder's heart, I came
He saw his tower rise.1
.
t am a guest that comefc' and. goes, . , .
Not lured, by throne or mart; .
I give to Man the loaf of , Life
Or else' I break his heartl
Ainslie's.