The weekly examiner., 1901-07-27

they paying his salary. But such q course did not meet the approval of the Standard Oil; hence the ex. MT. Monnett came from Columbus to aid us.
 Public Lighting Commissioner h. gram of Detroit spoke for us and gave away copies of his valuable pamphlet, "Governmental Ownership of Public ; Utilities"
 Congressman Lentz Is several sizes larger physically than the two large mayors. His speeches deliver more for cibly than they read. An Ohio school teacher warned us not to believe in him, as she had heard he was poIiti- elan, but she changed her mind and as- sured us he was all right. The newspa- pers complained that he mistook his Fourth of July audiences for radical re- formers, and on the other hand Editor Simons of The International Socialist Review denounced his allusion to Bis marck as a man who had introduced workmen's insurance by the state and other socialistic measures into Germa- ny. Lentz gave this example to illus trate that when the people are deter mined on anything they will get it somehow. But the Socialist Labor par ty believe that relief measures intro duced by old parties only act as bribes to put off the revolution. As Walter Thomas Mills of Chicago expressed it, ''We ought to let things go to the devil as fast as they can,' until people are tired of competition and ready to usher in the cooperative commonwealth.
 Marie c. Brehm, stately Chicago woman, spoke for woman's suffrage, for the W. c. T. U. and incidentally against the war in the Philippines and for economic reform. She created much enthusiasm, there being few women speakers.
 One of the most important speeches of the conference was that of the Hon. George Fred Williams of Boston, who gave it as his opinion that public own ership would go into the next platform of the Democratic party. He believed that, while the machinery was corrupt in some cities and other localities, the mass of Democrats favored good things.
 Professor Bemis spoke on the good works of labor organizations, supply ing the place of labor leader who was unable to be present. He remark ed about college presidents being in- fuenced in their economic views by the banquets which were given them by the very rich. This was sensationally reported in the papers headed, "Pro- lessor Bemis' Bitter Attack" etc. The professor remarked privately that he sometimes wondered if he had horns growing on his forehead, no college in the country wishing to employ him again as a professor of political ec0no- my. You will recollect that several years ago MT. Rockefeller's Chicago university found him incompetent to teach political economy because he be lieved the city of Chicago should have the right to manufacture it's gas. That right was MT. Rockefeller's; also Pro lessor Bemis was friendly with labor organizations. He Is still friendly to labor, he still believes that cities should own gas, and he has helped cities all over the country to get their lighting into their own hands. He was assured that he had no horns, but that his careful estimates and plain, calm statements of facts were more dangerous than horns.
 MT. McA. Miller spoke for Ruskins college, where boys and girls earn nearly all their own living while they study. Ruskins may grow fast enough to take displaced college professors as fast as the old colleges find them un- sound in economies.
 Fortunately, however, not all who be- lieve as Professor Bemis does are dis placed. Professor Parsons has long had his place in the Boston university law school although he was introduced as 'the man who has done more for public ownership of monopolies than any man in this country" Except MT. Pomeroy he seemed to be the busiest man. He was wanted on the confer ence platform, in the parks, in the pull pits and on committees to draft reso- lutions, and in the suffocating heat he had to stop and draft will appointing self perpetuating board of trustees for funds to aid political reform. From there he went to the congress of re- ligions at Buffalo, and he will skip across the water to study the railroads of several countries.
 Leaving will for the benefit of polit- ical reform is a new idea. Missionary societies, humane and educational so- cieties are constant recipients of the trust of their adherents. Why not the all inclusive cause of political reform!
 Imperialism had no friends at the conference. Woman's suffrage had no enemies. On prohibition there was diff ference of opinion, but all were against the liquor in the soldiers canteen. There was almost unanimous agree ment that the initiative and referen- dunn and the public ownership of mo- nopolies were inevitable and desirable, but as to how to get them there was, to put it mildly, a difference of opinion. Courtesy, however, ruled in the meet