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The Commoner.
VOLUME 13, NUMBER u
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IN n talk with the nowspapor mon at tho
Whito IIouso, President Wilson explained his
roasons for insisting on a 25 per cent reduction
in tho tariff on sugar for throo years and then
froo sugar. Chief of these reasons was tho
benefit that would accruo to tho consumer.
President Wilson said ho did not believe there
would bo an immediate benefit from the reduc
tions in tho tariff on tho other articles in tho
present bill. Ho called attontion to tho fact
that in soino of his speeches made during tho
campaign ho said that he did not expect tariff
rovlolon to bring about an immediate reduc
tion of tho cost of living, but that ho did ex
pect It to bring about a competitive situation
that would make it impossible by combination
to sustain tho present artificial levol of pricos.
The president oxpocts a reduction of the cost
of living sooner or later to follow tho reduc
tion of tho tariff a lowering of prices as a re
sult of roawakoned competition. It is compe-
titlon, tho president said, that tho democrats
are seeking. Mr. Wilson took issue with those
Ohio representatives in congress who assort that
froo wool would ruin tho industry in that state
and elsowhero in tho United States. Ho said ho
had learnod that tho price of wool recently was
tho samo on both sides of tho water; American
farmors, ho concluded, would not bo hurt so
long as tho price remained tho samo at homo
and abroad. President Wilson said that if tho
reciprocity feature of tho tariff bill should bo
enacted ho would attempt to negotiate certain
reciprocity treaties as soon as possible. Con
fidence was oxprossod by Mr. Wilson that tho
taTiff bill as now before congress meets the
approval of tho peoplo. Ho alluded to tho
intorosts which disapproved it as probably quite
numerous, but said ho felt sure the great dis
interested public, tho public with no axes to
grind, would regard it as a fair bill. Business
depression will not follow tho enactment of tho
Underwood bill is tho belief of tho president.
Ho said ho saw no reason why there should be
any business depression; that he was confident
business would go on without interruption. Ho
added tho opinion that if any sugar mills closed
down, it would bo for J.I10 effect and that the
factories would reopen for business later on.
& & S
A PSCU,LTAI "81t,r"C0" t00k Plac in Belgium
jX Monday, April 14th. Referring to this a
writer in the Philadelphia Public ledger says?
XTLmI thHy 8trik0 more Picturesque than
? WtJ C,h ,WlU b0 Palpitated in Belgium to
day, it is in no sense economic in Its origin
many employers having agreed to assist ma
terially their striking workmen. Nor is it a
holiday affair, although elaborate arrangements
have been made for tho amusement of tho idle,
on the ground that thus they can best be- kept
out of mischief. Tho strike is simply a com
plete and practical expression, in an exaggerated
!Xff thG rIgilt f PQtition- is also, to somo
extent, an application of the principles of the
nltlativo, tho referendum and the recall rolled
tato onei Th0 Belg,um Bystem votIn
much to commend it. It is founded on the theory
. that taxpayers, fathers of families and educated
mon have a more immediate Interest In and a
more sober understanding of national questions
than others. It is intended, also, to offer an
incentive to single voters to amoliorate their
I?ni 1 aSdi industrial condition. There is no
man In Belgium, perhaps, who could not by his
own efforts become eligible to cast three votes
the maximum allowed. Tho plural votes do not
form a close corporation; the swolling of their
nn?w V?n the contrary' the national public
policy. The prosperity of tho country speaks
eloquently of the wisdom of its electoral poTicles
The era, howover, is one of social doinocratiP
progress, sometimes seeming to have as its m
pose the npothoosls of prolotarianism. OpnoslI
tion to differentiation of political privilege for
any reason is as deep-seated, if not so spectacu
lar, as it was in tho period of oehlocratlo ascenl
doncy that followed the achievement of freedom
by the American colonies, tho theory of which
liberty was largely misinterpreted in Franc?
?nmilainaB. Pftrtiallv compromised with ?h?s
to acarcelv n "XT n JaPftn. There
- ,w 4U tua worm 10 which civillza-
tion has penetrated that the American idea,
genorally in a perverted form, has not become
tho goal, consciously or unconsciously, of tho
people. That the socialists and liberals will
eventually win their fight in Belgium, if they
presently fail, seems to be the logical deduction,
for no government in modern times has been
ablo permanently to resist a purely popular de
mand, and "stand-pattism," as it is called, has
been no morq successful in other countries than
it has been in America. There is as yet no sign
that tho flood tido is ready to ebb.
4V V v
AN Associated Press report of tho Belgium
"walkout" is given in a Brussels cablegram
as follows: Tho great strike of workingmen in
Belgium to force the government to grant man
hood suffrage began quietly April 14th and at
nightfall it was estimated that 200,000 men
throughout the country had quit work. This
number Is at least 100,000 short of the socialists'
predictions, and the clerical press is beginning to
call tho movement a "pitiable fiasco." Never
theless the strike has shown greater strength
than was expected by impartial observers, and
because of the fact that tho numbers increased
as the day advanced it is believed generally that
the strikers will be reinforced by several thous
and tomorrow. The strike thus far has been
unmarked by disturbances or any special incon
veniences to tho general public. The only act
of sabotage occurred in a suburb where three
big machines in a leather factory were damaged.
Brussels is not an industrial center. There are
about 50,000 workmen hero, of whom less than
20,000 are out. Twenty strikers were arrested
at Charleroi, for interfering with workers. The
total number on strike in this city is 60,000 out
of 79,000 employed in the various trades.
Premier M. de Broukeville, in an interview, ad
mitted that if tho strike dragged on it might '
prove dangerous by leading to disorders, but
he said there was no present reason to fear
disturbances. The premier added that while the
electoral laws were not such that they could be
changed for the better, tho government could
not allow itself to be coerced and must stand
firm in the face of menace. To agreo to the
socialists' demands -would be to place an eternal
weapon in the hands of the socialist party, which
they would brandish at the heads of all future
governments. He pointed out that to delegate
a commission to make a change In the constitu
tion would make a revolution in the constitu
tion which would open up great difficulties. In
conclusion, he denied all rumors of cabinet dis
sension on this question.
, & &
CONCERNING the Belgian "strike," Nixola
Greeley Smith writes to the New York
World to say: In an editorial in the World you
refer to tho general strike ordered in Belgium
as a demonstration in favor of the one-man-vote
suffrage bill as a test of the strike as a
political weapon. It seems worth while, there
fore, to call your attention to the fact that this
is the second strike within my memory by which
the Belgians have undertaken to coerce suffrage
legislation. I think it was in 1893 that several
measures relating to the extension of the
SrafWere hQt0 tuo Beleian Parliament;
and that a general strike of all industries
ordered then as now by the social st party of
which every member of a trade union was an
enrolled member, compelled thepassage of the
Nansen bill granting universal Suffrage to all
men twenty-five years of age, but which gave
as many as three votes to individuals possessing
As"'. Httlr 7T ,? ecatinal waflfleaUoS
As a little girl I lived in Belgium for several
years, and I remember that I was very much im
pressed by the processions of strikers, aS par
ticularly by the fact that the women paraded
in largo numbers with their husbands. The pro
cessions wore orderly, peaceable and impres
sive. I remember one very largo woman who
carried a gigantic banner with the hand-printed
inscription "Vivent les Zocialistes," and I knew
then that her sentiments wore on the rlcht suil
even if sho did spell socialists with a "Z t
write this to show that Belgium has alr'eady
tested the efficacy of the general strike and is
merely about to test it again. 8
BY way of showing a growing public senti
ment in favor of reform in the publication
of news, two movements, ono in the Illinois
legislature and the other In the United States
senate will bo interesting. Following Associ
ated Press dispatch from Chicago is self-explanatory:
Lieutenant Governor Barratt O'Hara
will introduce in the state senate a bill which
he has just drafted providing for the creation of
a state board of journalists and the rigid regu
lation of editorial work, both upon newspapers
and magazines. The board would be composed
of three members, whose duties it would bo to
hold examinations and issue licenses to news
paper men. The measure would not affect those
already engaged in the work. Successful appli
cants would be compelled to serve four years'
apprenticeship as "cubs" before they could
qualify as full-fledged members of the profes
sion. The bill is not intended to prevent owners
and publishers of newspapers from writing for
their own columns. Under the provisions of
the bill no newspaper or magazine will be per
mitted to employ a reporter or an editor who
has not taken out a license, and a fine of from
$25 to $100 will be imposed upon those who
violate the license provision. It is also provided
that licenses may be suspended or revoked for
the following causes: Blackmail, violation of
confidence, willful misrepresentation and
criminal libel. The object of the bill, according
to the lieutenant governor, who once was a
newspaper man, is to raise the standard of the
newspaper profession by a strict supervision of
those engaged in it and at the same time to give
Increased protection to the public. As a further
effect it is believed that enhanced confidence will
be instilled in the minds of newspaper readers
and prevailing suspicions as to motive and accu
racy dissipated. -,,,
IN the United States senate, Senator Works,
of California, attacked present-day journal
ism. He spoke in support of his bill to make it
unlawful for District of Columbia newspapers to
publish details of crimes, accidents and trag
edies. The senator introduced a similar bill
during the last session, but it was not acted
upon. "Whether people want this kind of news
or not is one of the questions to be considered.
Looking at journalism as nothing higher than
means of making money," said the senator,
newspaper men maintain that they furnish this
kind of news because the people want it and
will have it, and therefore the only way of main
taining their publications on a paying basis is
to furnish it. If this is true it is certainly a
melancholy fact If it is untrue it is a grave
charge to make against the American people.
Undoubtedly it is true of some people, but I am
convinced the masses would prefer to have such
news omitted and many people who read the
newspapers exclude them from their homes be
cause of objectionable matter." Aside from
publication of crimes, accidents and tragedies
tho senator attacked the newspapers for dis
comfort and embarrassment caused the relatives
and friends of persons Involved. Ho cited the
recent case of Henry Clay Beattie, who killed
his wife near Richmond, Va., to show how rela
tives of the criminal suffered. "It is well for
tho liberty of the people" said the senator, "that
censorship of the press is no longer allowed in
this' country. It was this that the constitution
was Intended to prevent. To say what shall and
what shall not be published is one thing and to
place responsibility another. I maintain that if
a newspaper publishes matter that is deleterious
and poisonous to the readers, thus violating the
rules of good morals and decency it should be
made criminally liable for this offense, an of
rense far more important and hurtful than the
libel of the individual and upon precisely the
same principles." The senator concluded by
admitting that his bill was not likely to become
law. You have my purpose," he said, "to call
the attention of the country to one of the
greatest, most powerful influences of the press,
it is an evil which, I admit, can not be overcome
by law. It must be met by a better public sen
timent that will demand cleaner and more ex
alted sentiment; that will demand cleaner and
more reliable journalism. The -man who helps
to make the ptfblic mind impure, whether he be
a journalist or not, is a dangerous man and
an enemy to the best interest of his country."
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