Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-06-28
CURRENT COMMENT.
Notes Political and Otherwise ON
Matters of Public Interest,
By Andrew J. Palm.

We are holding Cuba merely long
enough to teach her how to do the gov
ernment act herself The enormous
steals that have already occurred N
the postoffice department will be fine
object lesson for the Cubans, but 1t
will take them long time to put up
as big steal as was done by their
American teachers. The most essen
tial things necessary to good govern
ment, honesty to prompt right doing
and the courage to perform plain
duty" are so sadly lacking in the Nc
Kinley administration that the presi-
dent Is regarded as Pharisee when he
sets up as an example for others to fol-
low.
The directors of the Commercial
Travellers and Hotel Mems Antitrust
League held a meeting recently in New
York and adopted a resolution pledging
the League to support the nominees
OF the Kansas City convention. A COM
mittee was appointed to arrange for
meeting Of several thousand drummers
at Kansas City on the Fourth Of July.
In '96 a great majority of the CONNER
cial travellers supported Mckinley, but
Mckinley prosperity has driven thou
sands of them out of business, and this
year they will do their full share to-
ward driving Mckinley out of the pres
idential chair that he has disgraced.
The armor plate contractors will put
up handsomely for the Republican
campaign fund as reward to the par
ty for killing the proposition to estab-
lish a government plant The armor
plate manufacturers, like many Others
sell their goods cheaper abroad than at
home, and the men who uphold such
business transactions must be receiv-
ing a reward for their perfidy to home
interests.
When Senator Pettigrew declared in
the senate that the ship building firm
of Cramp & Co. had been compelled to
put up $400, 900 to the Republican cam
paign fund in '96 the pure and unde-
filed Mark Hanna became white with
rage, and denounced Pettigrew as In
sane. Mr.. Pettigrew however, didn't
seem disturbed by Mr.. Hanna's charge,
but kept right on prodding him with
unpalatable truths. Senator Pettigrew
says that he received his information
from the senior member of the firm of
Cramp & Co., and as that member has
not denied it, Mr.. Hannas rage was
evidently the more sincere because of
the truth of the charge.
Gen. Fred Funston, who thinks he
is a greater man than Washington, put
two Filipino prisoners to death ito
make an example of them" This and
many other similar transactions will
set us before the world as an example
to be summed. not initiated. We call
ourselves a Christian nation, yet do
things that would shame an ordinary
devil.
Congress adjourned after one of the
shortest regular sessions on record. 1t
failed to do its plain duty" as laid
down by Mckinley in regard to Porto
Rico. and passed a financial measure
that no other congress has dared to do,
showing that the money power is con-
stantly growing more brazen in It's
demands and all the time getting con-
gress more completely under its con-
troll The antitrust bill passed the
house with hurrah, just for effect
because Il was we'll understood that
the senate would quietly put 1t to
sleep. The ship subsidy steal and the
Nicaragua canal steal we're not passed,
owing to the effect they might have
on the coming election; but they are
not dead, merely postponed, and if
Mckinley should again be elected and
congress be Republican they will pass.
Under Bryan, however, they will have
no show, and as he is certain to be our
next president these steals will not
receive governmental sanction.
The attempt Of Mayor Ashbridge and
Director English, of Philadelphia, to
buildoze Hon. John Wanamaker proved
a sad failure. Like the man who play
ed with the hind feet of mule, these
two gentlemen are not nearly so happy
looking as they were before, but they
know more, having learned something
new in the FOOLS school of experience.
They know now to certainty that the
better people Of Philadelphia will not
tolerate an unwarranted attack on
respected citizen. The impudence of
these men is equaled only by their
stupidity. They thought to blackmail
Mr.. Wanamaker, a gentleman who has
never shown any lack Of courage. by
telling him that spies had been on his
track when In Europe. and that some
thing would be exposed unless he
would cause The North American to
stop its attacks on Ashbridge and Eng
llsh for their questionable acts as city
officials. Mr.. Wanamaker promptly ex-
posed the scheme, and public feeling
rose to such a pitch in the Quaker City
that a mass meeting was held and the
indignation against Ashbridge and his
tool. English. was expressed In strong
terms. II they do not resign and give
up the positions they have disgraced
It will not be because the best people
of Philadelphia do not desire It, Mr..
Wanamaker's public life is an open
book containing no record Of wrong do
ing, while his private life has been
one worthy Of imitation, at which no
character traducer has dared to point
the finger of suspicion. He has a
strong hold on the people Of the state
for what he has done and Is doing for
battar 0oyarnmpnt Whom most ma ct or