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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 1913)
; pf' jt; r , f-v n' " JANufltY 10, 1913 The Commoner. 7 -5(" ', J ? OT"'' ''I-'".. ", TV & J T"- r-i HlVVbSrl fe."jtf" ,--.- j -0l&rjf?)ft V FREDERICK TOWNSEND MARTIN, a New York millionaire, who has devoted his lifo to his fellows has written for the New York American the following New Year's message: Earth rolls oyer ownward from daTkness to light toward the glorious sun, perpetually vita lized by its bright rays. Mankind moves ever forward, rises ever upward, from ignorance to enlightenment, from chaos to order; from bru talizing competition to humanizing co-operation; from x sjavery to liberty; from tfslfishness to brotherhood. Already have we gone far, learned much, risen high but there is still in the world too much hate, too much strife; too little peace, too little love; too much sorrow, nol enough joy. Man is destined to bo a brother free, loving, happy. So it is that in our flight through time wo sigh on and pine and pine, seldom knowing what the soul craves; only that it needs something. Our yearnings are yearn ings for liberty; our sighlngs are sighings for happiness; our need is brotherhood. Wo have yet too far to roll to reach that sublime goal; but already has that hope taken firm root, and as the world soars on the wings of time, re volving and evolving, that hope is budding and bursting into blossom. Let all rejoice! The New Year brings us nearer to the day when men's lives will blend harmoniously in infinite brotherhood. Oh, for the dawning of that day! Then our senses will remain unworn and ten der; the whole man awake in e.very part of everyone; life a source of ceaseless joy, stirring and' dancing blood.' Then shall we hear and obey nature's every holy call, and with a thous and spngs share in her divinely joyous feast. ' & J, jit IN connection with the deportation of Castro, former president of Venezuela, a writer in the ''Weekly People," published in Now' York, sayJB:i Abqut 'thirty qnd odd years ago, wlien General Baez, the deposed president of the " Dominican republic, landed in this city he was promptly met with a law suit for damages by an American citizen who claimed lie was out raged in Santo Domingo by the general during his incumbency as president. The case for the ex-president was argued by William M. Evarts. The argument was simple, terse, cogent. The acts of an official in his official capacity are reviewable only in the courts therefor provided by the country's constitution. If the other courts in the official's country have no jurisdic tion over his official acts, much less so courts abroad. The point was enforced with numerous citations from international law, backed by a mass of precedents, and of argument Illustrative of the absurd untenableness of the opposite, the view of the plaintiff In tho case. The court so held. The case against ex-President Baez was dismissed. Why, upon what principle of law civil, international, or criminal can Cipriano Castro, the ex-president of Venezuela, be re fused admission to the United States upon his arrival on the Touraine and ordered deported back to France, as Washington 'dispatches say had been determined on in Washington? The allegation of Washington dispatches to the effect that Castro "is a great criminal, guilty of offenses against the law of Venezuela" that allegation, if it smites Castro at all, smites the Washington -administration with double force. Castrp has. for four years been endeavoring to re-enter his own country a curious endeavor for, an alleged "fugitive from justice" and It-is the Washington administration most promi nently that has blocked Castro's path homeward. If, however, Castro guilty of crimes committed In Venezuela, in his official capacity, then, the unbroken line of precedents in international law unlock this nation's gate to him, and bid the Washington administration to keep hands off. Napoleon was a prisoner of war. While Great Britain refused him admission to her soil, she did not inconsistently set him adrift, but deported him and held him caged in her own island of, St. Helena. What then is Castro's real offense "that it can drive the administration, at Washington to defy precedent, law, comraon Bense 'and justice alike? The "offense" is,, in deed, of prime magnitude. ..When the now dis credited and disgraced "Acting Secretary of Sfe'tp" Lopmis was the minister pf the United States at Caracas, and used his office for com mercial chicaneries of tho Bermudez Ashphr.lt company, even to tho point of securing an "ulti matum" from his home government against Venezuela at that critical juncture what Presi dent Castro did was to mariago to get possession of an autograph receipt by Loomls of a round sum of money from tho Bermudog company; cause the same to be photographed; and cause copies of the photograph to bo furnished to all tho members 6f the diplomatic corps In Caracas. At home, in Venezuela, Castro's master stroke knocked tho bottom from under tho "ultima tum," and cleared tho atmosphere; abroad, throughout the civilized world, tho stroko ex posed tho Washington administration as being in the hands of cliques of commercial adventur ers, a disreputable pack of political pirates, un worthy to represent a great nation. Small won der that the Taft administration, which, in its South American policy, continued tho "Roose velt policies," should bo so blindly enraged against Castro as now to fly off the handle of law, of sense, and of international propriety. 0 v w THE harvester trust has authorized Prof. Perry G. Holdon, to spend one million dollars to "advance the cause of agriculture." Referring to this enterprise La Folletto's Maga gine says: The fact is, of course, that the har vester trust is spending that million in order that it may got back more millions from the farmer. Clarence Funk, general manager of tho International Harvester company, says: "Wo expect this work to bo of great aid to the farm ers under Professor Holden's direction. This isn't exactly philanthropyy, because we expect to sell more agricultural implements as a result, but we are not looking immodiately for profits. Wo believe that as part of the community wo owe it something in tho way of educating it in the direction of greater productiveness." Tho idea is for Professor I-Iolden to pducate tho farmers into growing bigger crops of corn. That will result in more acres planted and there fore tho salo of more plows and harrows and cultivators, and corn cutters and shredders and shelters. t TTIE women members of the Colorado legisla ture are attracting considerable attention. The Denver News says: The woman legislator has not ceased to bo an object of interest, even curiosity, in Colorado. The woman senator is a novelty and a sensation combined. The visitors who adorned tho galleries at the statehouso first peered down into the seething turmoil that represented the house of representatives before that body was called to order. There wero two women there, without hats. Thoy sat sido by side for company, and, like queens, received the congratulations of fellow representatives upon being there and for conferring such distin guished honor upon that body. The women In the galleries craned their necks and almost ap- plauded when Mrs. Frances 8. Leo of Denver said "present" instead of "here," as all the men said when their names were called on tho roll. Mrs. Agnes L. Riddle, a veteran of the legisla ture by reason of her service in tho Eighteenth assembly, a farmer and a witty debater, took all tho homage with the superb unconcern of long experience. Tho two women took no part in the proceedings other than to register their votes whepever the roll was called, and to pose for every newspaper photographer that looked through the door of tho house chamber. But in the senate the presence of tho first woman senator of Colorado caused excitement and curiosity, even among tho senators themselves. Upon every possible occasion tho solons1 turned toward tho desk whero sat Mrs. Helen Ring Robinson, and they bowed profoundly and with eloquence as they addressed her as Mrs. Sena tor Robinson, to distinguish her from Senator W. C. Robinson of El Paso, as well as to advance "senatorial courtesy" a further peg as the last word in politeness. Mrs. Senator Robinson had a bunch of violets on her desk and a bevy of "fluttering women about her, who congratulated her and the women of Colorado upon tho poli tical innovation. Mrs. Senator Robinson was placed in tho front row of senators, to jthe right of the center aisle. Mrs. Dora Phelps Buell, Mrs. Louise Tyler, Ellis Meredith, Mrs, E. P, McGovern, Miss Hattio Westovor and other prominent women In tho democratic party called upon tho now senator at her desk. Secretly burlod in their senatorial hoarts, a few Invete rate smokers were troublod and anguished with tho fear that perhaps thoy could never, nuvor again smoke In tho senate, because a woman and senatorial courtesy had been combined. One senator who does not smoke, seeing several of tno "victims" draw cigars from their pockets, glanco at Mrs. Senator and mournfully put thoni back again, suggested, with malicious Intent, that a resolution prohibiting smoking should bo passod. But tho woman senator brought joy and relief to tho smokers and made horsolf so popu lar that she could have had tho president pro tern job for tho asking, when sho said that she would not have tho sacred custom broken no, she rather liked tho smell of a GOOD cigar. Which was a gontlo hint that no oakum can bojjurnod in tho senate. ' i W l w A REMINDER of an old-time crime is given la a Boston, Mass., dispatch, as follows: Jeoso Pomcroy, whose crimes startled tho coun try nearly forty years ago, attempted unsuccess fully to escape from the stato prison at Charles town. Pomeroy Is serving a life sentence for torturing two children to death when ho was thirteen years old. The convict left his cell by sawing three bars from the door. Tho mow ing of a cat, which followed Pomeroy along tho corridor, attracted tho attention of Thomas Brassell, an attendant, shortly before daylight, and when he ordered the murderer to throw up his hands the prisoner made no resistance. Pomeroy had made careful plans to escape. A dummy had been arranged in his bed, so that tho officer on duty would not notice his absence. The steel bars of the cell door were cut by a saw made out of two small pieces of steel. The prison officials havo not learned how tho mur derer obtained them. Pomcroy was sentenced to bo hanged In 1874, for the brutal murder of a small girl and boy, Katie Curren and II. H. Mlllon, in South Boston. Tho sentence was commuted to life Imprisonment In solitary con finement. Tho convict haB attempted twice be fore to escape. Aided by his mother, he had petitioned every governor of the state for thirty years to grant him a pardon. Pomeroy is fifty three years old. & & & WITH the lnauguraton of Governor Wilson, tho old dominion will havo had eight of the country's presidents of tho United States. A writer in tho Kansas City Star says: It is more than sixty years since Virginia has had the opportunity to welcome home one of her native sons as president of the United States. Taylor, inaugurated in 1849, was the last Virginian until Wilson to hold tho highest office in the nation's gift. In the early days of the republic, how ever, Virginia' earned its title of "mother of Presidents" by the long succession of the "Vir ginia dynasty." Washington, Jefferson, Madi son, Monroo, Harrison, Tyler and Taylor, all were Virginia-born. Ohio ranks next, with six presidents to its credit Grant, Hayes, Garfield-, Harrison, McKInley and Taft. North Caro lina and New York furnished three each. Jack-son,-Polk and Johnson wero born in the tar heel state; Van Buren, Fillmoro and Roosevelt in New York. Massachusetts produced two presi dents, tho AdamseB, father and son. New Hamp shire is credited with Pierce, Pennsylvania with Buchanan Kentucky with Lincoln, Vermont with Arthur and New Jersey with Cleveland. v v 5 SPEAKING to a gathering of woman suffra gists, Governor Sulzer said: "As a matter of political justice I havo always favored equal suffrago for men and women and havo recom mended in my message that the legislature pass as soon as possible a woman suffffrage amend ment to tho constitution of the stato of New York. You ladies deserve commendation for your enthusiasm for a great cause that ought to be respectpd by everybody and, receive the con sideration it merits. I congratulate -you on the successful outcome of your pilgrimage and assure, you that in the. future as. in the past, all I can do for your causo will be done."