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flIIISPJ'AIll) SHOULD HE SENATOR
Senator-elect Shoppard has sent to the mem
bers of thj Texas legislature the following state
went: "I would be false to the principles for which
3 stand and to the people who have chosen
mo an Senator Bailey's miccoMtor were I not
to exprogjt my willingness to serve if elected by
the legislature for tho unexpired senatorial
term. Tho aenatorship belongs to the people;
H is tho property of no man or set of men, to be
employed as a mere instrument for the dis
charge of porsonal and political obligations.
Having been chosen by tho people for tho full
term, i would bo untrue to them were 1 to
neglect any step that might make my services
of greater value.
"Admission to tho senate, even a few weeks
in advance of tho regular term, would enable
mo to secure better committees and more com
manding positions on them than would bo the
case if 1 should not enter until March 4th. I
consider threo committees of especial practical
importance to Texas, namely, commerce, which
controls river and harbor appropriations, agri
culture and irrigation. I shall need every pos
sible assistance in my endeavor to acquire mem
bership on these committees, and to rank as high
ns posslblo on them from the beginning.
"Furthermore, nine-tenths of my time is al
ready In ug taken up with senatorial matters,
particularly in classifying and considering appli
cations for federal ofllces that will como within
the jurisdiction of the Texas senators, and in
co-operating, through frequent conferences and
otherwise, with tho progressive democratic sena
tors in the movement to bring tho senate into
complete- harmony with the administration of
Woodrow Wilson. Membership in tho senate at
an early date would enable mo to bo of far
greater assistance in aiding to secure progres
sive democratic control of the senate by the
time tho new administration begins. Tho mar
gin of democratic supremacy in tho senate will
bo dangerously narrow at best, and every means
should be used to solidify and strengthen tho
democratic side.
"The country la progressive, the democracy is
progressive, Texas is progressive. Should not
iexas remain true to her progressive ideals by
strengthening tho progressive element in the na-
r t?m0Uwffi at overy opportunity? It is not
a time when mere por00i ooMaidar"o
should control the actions of men and legisla
tures; tho democratic party is about to face the
supremo moment of its existence, and Texas
now on the very threshold of a marvelous 'de
velopment, should occupy aB commanding a
position as possible in the national legislature
"Conv'nccd, therefore, that tho unexpired
term offers an opportunity to enhance the value
of my service in tho senate to the state tie
party and the nation, I deem it my dutyfrom
the standpoint of my conception of the public
interest and with entire good will to all con
cerned, to ay these matters before the peopled
representatives in the legislature, and I shall
cheerfully abide their decision."
Ho is right. .. H0 was elected by the nennln
to succeed Senator Bailey and Governor CoWtt
put his own wishes above tho expressed will of
tho people when ho appointed Colonel Johnson
FOSS ON GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
Governor Foss, of Massachusetts, in his in
augural address, talked about governinent
ownership of railroads, and talked ve E
are a few of tho things he said: r
in '". rallroals ?f the United States today are
in a sense not primarily enlaced tr ,i ,
Tlco so mch as I privS ,? o'S&toST
'If tho government owned tho I
ffff Sir" aC(1Uired' thG ' wo,S
to elim nate, would at once di ap b able
sss7htft.?..tba cbief & sssa
called your attention InUUsVolS rePGatedly
rLtVSt, tho
The Commoner.
000
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lisher asks subscribers to assist as much
as possible by making their renewels
promptly. The corrected expiration
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second issue after renewal is received.
0
MORE LIGHT
The following resolution, introduced by Con
gressman Jones, of Virginia, ought to be
adopted:
"Whereas in a book recently issued from the
press, entitled, 'The American Occupation of
the Philippines, eighteen hundred and ninety
eight to nineteen hundred and twelve,' by
James II. Blount, officer of United States Volun
teers in the Philippines from eighteen hundred
and ninety-nine to nineteen hundred and one,
and judge of the Court of First Instance of the
Philippines from nineteen hundred and one to
nineteen hundred and five, it is charged that the
International Harvester company and other
American importers of manila hemp have in
the last ten years collected more than four
million dollars in refunds of export taxes on
manila hemp under a refund or rebate system
growing out of the administration by the Philip
pine insular government of the Act of Con
gress of March eighth, nineteen hundred and
two, known as the Philippine tariff Act, and
that these refunds represent in effect a free
gift or subsidy to American importers of manila
llfiinn Thnvoforo bo it
"Resolved, That the president of the United
fie ifouse aftdhe, -S G?by' requested t0 Svise
with tho ;1, ,hl? dement not incompatible
witii the public interest, to what extent if nr
all. the exemption of American importers of
hemp from the payment of the export tax
thereon has operated unjustly, and who have
been the beneficiaries of such injustice if ,11
and what amounts have been vet Sided unJer
Prt ft" teCn bUndred ad P "?he
ii"iReJ?0lvSd furtller- That the president be and
pressed i? ,W, "en,p lndustr ?&?
meiit of the export tax thereon." P y
WILL THEY GET TOGETHER"
poitsr dtie1 iinsw sup-
si"nq nf n iiao T campaign are showinir
siciis or a desire to return tn f a , ,up
wmmmm
Roosevelt forces those r0 from -the
who are progressivp ? iLF rogressive republicans
ward, thSy Sliookini IT? rPublins after
union of the repubHc J ?oginSly toward a re
means of return ngrpowe"nAnS,he ,only
cratio forces of tlV counYrv m " e plut
effort for tho fears thw.n Willi aid in the
when it tried to prefwiuf1,6?4 entertained
have been more than reaHseYnS8 nomintion
is even more piogressivf twI?rnor Wilsn
him, and as cqumubJ they thouSht
Under his administration ill i Progressive,
tho democratic Dartvwnw progressive side of
lions, if an v tvomI desei'-
ment of the paTtySLnSS reactionary ele
standpat republicans dy sma11 to the
Now, Mr. MunJey ?ays "Thf n ? drfferences.
republican and &&Jo
. VOLUME 13, NUMBER 4
respects the same" and Senator Jackson
Maryland, nods approvingly and adds yes "n
questions of governmental policies there is n f
a very wide gap to be crossed by either mrJ!
to reach the other." party
In the meantime Governor Wilson is nrn
ceeding to plan for an administration which win
deprive either wing of the republican party
any good reason for presenting a ticket
FLORIDA AVILL RATIFY INCOME TAX
AMENDMENT
One of the early actions to be expected of the
Florida legislature is the ratification of tho in
come tax amendment to the federal constitution
making the thirty-fifth of the1 thirty-six states
required for the two-thirds majority.
The measure is democratic and the democratic
party is pledged to its support just as it was
pledged to its support two years ago when, alleg
ing that they could not take action without in
struction from the people, the senate of Florida
refused to ratify the bill. This year, however
every man in the state legislature was elected
on the democratic platform which indorses the
income tax amendment and as we said in the
beginning one of the first actions to be expected
of the approaching session is a unanimous rati
fication of the measure which has already re
ceived the approval of thirty-four states.
What the form of the proposed law will be
is not known but the intention is to reach the
people of the country who are not paying their
rightful share of the country's expenses. It is
commonly known that persons with the largest
incomes are very frequently the ones who are
most clever at dodging the tax collector and
economists have long believed that the sure
way of simplifying the problem of "paying the
bills" is by making every citizen in the United
States pay his proportionate share according
to his benefits of the public exjpenses.
Artfully, of course,, the new law will be
evaded by the same people who constitute the
millionaire sponge class today, but in refusing
to give a correct statement of the amount of
their incomes, they will also be deprived of some
of that adulation which, the American people
render to the dollar kings: . The1' law will un
questionably be a great help for attaining better
justice. Miami (Fla.) Metropolis
SENATOR ASHURST'S SPEECH
The maiden speech of Senator Ashurst of
Arizona will be found on another page. It was
appropriate that Senator Bailey should be
answered by a representative of Arizona, since
Mr. Patt s veto of that state's constitution on
account of the recall provision brought that
reiorm into tho foreground. It required some
courage for a new senator to enter the lists
against Senator Bailey but the young senator
iias courage and ho easily demolished the
specious arguments offered by the retiring
iexas statesman. Mr. Ashurst's reply to the
argument based on the small vote sometimes
cast for constitutional amendments was con
niSAVe, He showed that important measures
constantly pass the senate with a smaller per
centage voting, notwithstanding the fact that
J8 are Paid 7'50 Per year to stay at
vnfv gt,? and vote' The whole speech will
repay reading.
REAL PROGRESS
NphleDvdera0Craiic house of representatives in
vnl ?ii 1 s adPted a' new rule providing for
miHf if ?i.conSnJttee of the wnole The com"
of th! ? Wh?Ie house is whera the enemies
RlHiifni Pw iG we,lfare frequently do their most
woil fnTnrfknnd,their agents in the legislature
Xni Jhf,Ull3Lfor them knowing that there
OfESi thlf PUtUng them on tne bitten record.
mrpr.J if m? ,Wh0 are fals the public
flnS rnn ?ane ir vote recorded right on the
m?ovioi fCa11' Te reform adPted in Nebraska
whSJ ? n 1 Ma r011 Cal1 ln the committee of the
SSS nfd thU8 re(iuires every man to go upon
snlendici L?VerySt,age of the Proceedings. A
with f hi ?f 0m U ,ls and thoroughly in keeping
Tvith the democratic spirit of the day.
IN FIGHTING TRIM
le0ln?rnrcTils0nmessaee to the New Jersey
IlS J,r? fl WS i?at he ls ln flhting trim.
t2lth0 Ratification of the Income tax
the nnSfita?dth0 amendnient providing for
H nn , Z elecH0n, of United States senators,
the R S,tate leSlBlation dealing with tho
goes.trUaooS1 ' aS thG P0Wer of' the stat0
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