The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-08-09
CURRENT COMMENT.
Notes Political and Otherwise on
Matters of Public Interest.
BY Andrew ]. Palm

| Matters of Public Interest.
BY Andrew J. Palm.
The Philadelphia Times. which does
not pretend to be friendly to Bryan,
admits that he will poll at least one
third more votes in Philadelphia in
1900 than he did in 90 This Is con-
siderable of an admission for a gold
standard, imperialistic organ.
If the flag must never be hauled
down when once raised, as our lingo
statesmen insist, Old Glory finds itself
in peculiar predicament. 1t now
floats over a fourth of Tien Tsip, and
yet Emperor Hanna declares that he
does not intend to annex China by
benevolent" assimilation or other
wise.
| Mark Hanna says that the trusts
have the best men of the country at
their head and he believes in their or
ganization. or course where a mans
treasure is there his heart Is also, and
Mark expects the trusts to put up the
treasure on which he bases his hope
of carrying the country for a second
term of Imperialism.
! The Republican national platform
condemns all improper trusts; but
when demanding tribute for the cam
paign Marcus Aurelius Hanna will be
able to convince them that there are
10 bad trusts, and that they do not
come under the ban of Mr. Hanna's
platform. Nothing is improper in Re-
publican eyes that contributes to Re-
publican success.
Teddy Roosevelt's sympathy with
Taylor, the Kentucky outlaw, received
severe stab when the Kentucky Re-
publicans failed to nominate Mr.. Tay.
lor again as their candidate for gov
ernor. Kentucky Republicans wouldn't
hesitate to nominate a man simply be-
cause he Is charged with murder but
the trouble was they couldn't locate
Taylor long enough to get him nomi-
| mated.
The Beers are mostly Presbyterians,
and very faithful and Jealous lot of
| worshipers. We hear a great cry from
/ the pulpit regarding the few Presby-
terian missionaries that have been kill
ed recently in China, and that is only
natural; but strange to say there is
scarcely minister to utter his protest
against the wholesale slaughter of
Presbyterans by the British in the
Transvaal. Is 1t any worse to be done
to death by n British spear in the
hands of heather Chinaman than to
have the act performed by an alleged
+ civilized Englishman?
! We send missionaries to all the world
to teach religion which many of the
nations will not receive and which we
ourselves do not practice. The Phila-
delphia North American a few days
ago declared that there is not one place
in Philadelphia where a homeless, re-
fined woman without money can find
shelter. The religion that raises mil
lions of dollars to send to foreign
shores for the conversion of those who
never can be rightly converted and ig-
nores ignorance, suffering and desti-
tuition at its own doors cannot appeal
strongly to the reasoning portion of
mankind.
Does any reasonable man wonder
greater wonder is that it did not occur
sooner. With Russia, England, Ger
many and France demanding a slice
of Chinese territory, and the United
States expansion fingers declaring for
expansion and open doors all over the
world, is it strange that the ignorant
and superstitious hordes of China should
conclude that the sooner the foreign
Irix ho 10 v,iI
be for China? We condemn in the
heather the very things we would have
done a great deal sooner under similar
circumstances.
The platform that denounces trusts
and at the same time praises the agency
that creates them is an example of gall
and inconsistency not equalled outside
the political literature conceived by
Mark Hanna. The Philadelphia plat
form, in a cowardly, misleading way,
attempts to create the impression that
the Republican party Of Hanna, Nc
Kinley, Quay and Tom Platt is opposed
to trusts. At the same time these
worthless could not find words strong
enough to sound the praises of the
Dingley bill, under whose benign in
fluence over $50 trusts have been or
ganized, with a capitalization of
$5 600, 900, 900. This is more than eight
times all the gold money of the coun-
try and more than two and a half
times all the money of the United
States.
AS predicted some time ago by the
writer, the influence of the Pennsylva-
mia delegation was not frittered away
at the Kansas City convention. Under
the magnificent leadership of Col. ].
M. Guffey the delegation, acting as a
unit, welded large influence in the
great convention, not alone in shaping
the platform, but in the nomination of
the vice president, Mr.. Stevenson owes
his nomination largely to Col Guffey,
with the Pennsylvania delegation be-
]. o..