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The Commoner
VOL. 15; No. 4
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A BUfilXESS PROPOSITION
JSo movement In th history of American pol
itics has done so much to dethrone the old time
political "bo5Js" as the elimination of partisanship
in municipal elections, and the treatment of mu
nicipal questions from a business standpoint.
Discussing the arguments for better municipal
management, a writer in the Chicago Herald,
gays:
"Various arguments for nonpartisansblp in
municipal elections or more accurately tor sep
aration of thinking about local issues from think
ing about national issues have been presented.
A census bureau bulletin lately issued suggests a
new one. The bulletin shows the increase of total
debt since 1890, and especially since 1902.
"From 1890 to 1902 these debts increased 76
per cent From 1902 to 1913 they increased over
113 per cent In 1913 the stood at the enormous
total of $3,470,000,000 In round figures. The
interest bearing debt of ttie national government
at the end of February totaled only $9 09,759,
090, The debts of our minor political divisions
were much greater than those of the nation and
states combined.
"Undoubtedly these mortgages upon posterity
have been given, as a rule, for useful, necessary
and praiseworthy purposes. They represent the
efforts of communities to make themselves pleas
anter and more comfortable and safer places in
which to live and work. They are justified, as a
rule, both by increasing wealth and by increased
perception of social duty and responsibility. Yet
the increasing burden of them not only suggests
but requires closer thought of economy in admin
istration of better municipal business manage
ment. "And that means municipal business managers
selected and public servants employed with closer
attention to their fitness for the task in hand. It
means their selection without regard to their per
gonal opinions on questions of national policy
which, however important, have no relevance to
efficiency and economy in local administration: In
a word, it means nonpartisansblp in municipal
voting which refuses to be confused bya national
party label. This was always desirable. It is
now becoming imperative as a plain business
proposition."
THE GOLD QUESTION
A study into the question of how the present
war affects the world's gold supply, as well as
how it will affect it in the future, gives ground
for much 'speculation to students of economic
problems. A writer in the Christian Science
Monitor discusses this subject as follows:
"One of the most interesting problems to the
student of finance is the gold question as affected
hy the war. It is, perhaps, not sufficiently under
stood by the public generally that gold is a com
modity in the same way that beef and cotton
goods arc, and that its price varies exactly in the
lame way that theirs does under the influence of
supply and demand. The truth is hidden, be
cause, the price of gold being conventionally
fixed, its fluctuations are made to appear as
fluctuations in the prices of commodities other
than Itself. Thus, a rise in the price of beef may
ho owing to a shortage in the supply of beef as
compared with the demand; or it may be owing
to a too-abundtfnt supply of gold. During the
last twenty years or so there has, been an enor
mous increase in the supply of gold from the
mines, but fortunately this increase has been ab
sorbed by the national banks of the world, who
have mostly been obsessed with the idea of form
ing gold reserves. Otherwise the upward effect
pon prices of commodities must have been tre
mendous. "No one can yet foresee what the effect of the
war upon the gold question will be, but a quite
possible effect, as a writer in the Economical
Journal points out, might be that the countries
who, for the last twenty years have been absorb
ing the surplus production of gold, might pres
ently be forced not only to cease to receive fur
ther supplies, but even to disperse with what they
have got. Germany, Austria, and Russia, for in
stance, if they can not export goods to pay for
their Imports, will have to export gold. The re
sult might he that Great Britain and the United
States, who are the only so-called 'great' powers
at prjpsent doing any exporting oi commoajueb
on a large scale, might he paid for their exports
in gold instead of in goods. Now it is generally
thought that the more you hold of gold, the bet
ter and safer your position, but when it is seen
that gold is not only a medium of exchange, hut
also affects the prices of commodities by its own
relative scarceness, or abundance, the point
emerges quite clearly that a superfluity of gold
might Injure trade most seriously by abnormally
raising prices.
"Should these admittedly theoretical specula
tions materialize in hard fact, there would prob
ably arise a demand for some arrangement being
made whereby gold would be forced to confine
its usefulness to being a mere medium of ex
change, as it was originally intended to be. 'A
curtailment of such irresponsible and illegitimate
activities as those heretofore referred to, viz., its
interference with the prices of other commodi
ties, would be of great henefit to mankind in
general, and would immensely simplify the whole
question of the function of currency."
BE LOYAL TO THE UNITED STATES
Governor Dunne of Hlinois, in a speech in Cin
cinnati on St. Patrick's day, called upon Irish
men, particularly, to place their loyalty for the
United States above their sympathies with any
European country. Speaking at a St. Patrick's
day celebration of the Irish Fellowship club, he
is quoted as saying:
"It is now the supreme duty of the statesmen
in Washington to keep this, country from being
embroiled in the conflict in Europe.
"Day by day the belligerents are trampling on
the rights of neutrals and making it almost im
possible to keep our country fr.om entanglement.
"In this critical situation, it is the duty of
every American citizen to uphold the president
In his efforts to preserve peace between this
country and the warring nations. Never in re
cent history was there greater need of modera
tion, tact and diplomacy of American statesmen
and of loyalty by its citizens.
"To allow this nation to become engulfed in
the European cataclysm would be a stupendous
political blunder, if not a political crime, which
the patriotic president and secretary of state
will not commit.
"Let not then American citizens of any race
embarrass our officials at this time by public ex
pression of any sympathies or by participating
in organized efforts to give contraband assist
ance to any of the belligerents.
"Hands off Europe, hands up for America,
should be our watchword. Neutral nations in
Europe now stand armed, not knowing what
moment they may be swept into the maelstrom.
Separated by three thousand miles of ocean, this
favored land, under the guidance of President
Wilson, will not become Involved if he is not
embarrassed by acts of misguided sympathizers
with the belligerents.
"Let us in this crisis suppress our racial
sympathies, place American patriotism above all
other considerations and confine our energies to
working for the restoration of peace in war smit
ten Europe."
MOTHERS' PENSION SCHOOL
Although it will bo four years in July since
the first mothers' pension law was enacted by
Illinois, in that short time twenty-three states
have joined to advance this new principle of
legislation, and other states will probably fall in
line before their legislatures adjourn. A con
sensus of opinion shows that these laws have
proved an unqualified success in the various
states that have enacted them. Methods for
the administration of these laws are discussed
in an article in the Omaha News, as follows:
"Judge Henry Neil, father of the mothers'
pension idea, has said, from the first, that the
mothers' pension system is no more a charity
than the public-school system is a charity. He
conceived the first law and has led in the spread
ing of the new plan in this country. But 'up to
the present the prevailing idea has been that
the mothers' pension system is simply a means
of relief for desperate cases. In most of the
states the pensions are administered through the
courts. This gives the flavor of criminality and
the pauperizing of charity.
"Judge Neil's new proposal is that mothers'
pensions shall he administered through the pub
lic schools. 'This new system must be made en
tirely constructive. It must be taken away from
the machinery of courts and charity and used
for the development of children into men and
women, ready with strong bodies and loyal spir
its to serve their country and the world,' says
Judge Neil.
"The public-school machinery can easily and
naturally be expanded to manage the mothers'
pension system. The pension will amount to
more than ten million dollars this year. School
teachers are in touch with the children and they
could be the aids to the mothers in making the
system serve its purpose in a constructive way,
with no taint of charity to destroy self-respect.
"This new plan will make pensioned mothers
responsible to the state for the Iiealth and edu
cation of their children, and their efforts will be
intelligently and scientifically directed by the
teacher. Backed by the instinctive interest of
women for children, fine results should follow
immediately.
"These ideas and many others i" connection
with the mothers' pension system will be discus
sed at a Mothers' Pension-School Teachers con
gress at the San Francisco Panama-Pacific expo
sition on July 20th, 21st and 22d."
A LIVE LOBBY FOR THE PEOPLE
The City club idea, which has become a tre
mendous influence on the side of better govern
ment in many of our large cities, is taking a
strong hold in smaller communities all over the
country. Women as well as men are members of
these clubs in many cities. Allen B. Pond, pres
ident of the Chicago City club, in a recent ad
dress before the Racine, Wisconsin, City club,
thus outlines the duties and functions of a City
club, as follows:
"The functions of a City club consist of keep
ing a live lobby in the interests of the public. A
City club is on duty seven days a week and every
week of the year. It is not only necessary to be
active during an election campaign, but too often
after good work has been accomplished in select
ing competent officials, the citizens take a fur
lough. The officials need your help just as much
after election as they did before. They need
such assistance as can be given hy the action of
a group of volunteer citizens". A good share of
the efficiency in public office comes as the result
of helpful advice from citizens.
"In the beginning your work, first of all a
careful study of the community situation should
be made. A survey which will give an accurate
knowledge of the affairs of the city will form
the basis of a report which will then be open for
discussion. It is the business of a City club to
see that public opinion is guided, but first it must
know what it needs, and then it can go ahead.
"You will need the publicity that the press
can give you because without publicity you can
not accomplish some of the most important
things that you may undertake. People look to
the newspapers to keep them informed about
events as they happen, therefore that medium of
expression is very desirable.
"The clnb must include men of means, and it
must have people of slender incomes. It must
include all that goes to make a pure democracy.
No persons should bekept out of the City club.
"In the matter of legislation there is a fright
ful lack of co-operation by disinterested citizens.
Public officials are guided by their constituents
and are entitled to a good, live, interested lobby.
They want to be backed up, and it is the business
of the City club to see such a lobby is organized
"Suppose there is an official who does not believe
in the proper enforcement of the law. In that
case the duty of the City club is perfectly ob
vious.
"Every citizen must take to heart his obliga
tions as a citizen. He must do his duty. A dem-