Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-06-17


questioned and without being subject
ed to this nasty abuse.
H. nj. Belvel, Des Moines. editor of
the Polk county Democrat are
not quite ready yet to have the tail
wag the dog. These gold men are no
more entitled to be called democrats
that straight out-and-out republicans.
NO man measures up to the standard
of the democratic party unless he sup.
ports the party platform and policy.
Belief in free silver is the distinctive
mark of the true blue democrat, and
if those gold fellows think that we
silver men are going back on silver at
this stage of the game, they are might
lily mistaken. The fact is, we will do
just the same thing to them that we
did last year. They must either be
democrats or take back seat. We
are just as strong as last year and
can control the convention just as cas-
lily. And We are going to do it. Put
that down as a sure thing
Professor Robert T. Hill, of the geo.
logical survey, one of the scientists on
the expedition of investigation sent
out by this government following the
Martinique disaster:-The endeavor
which the United States made to re-
lieve the distress and the large repre-
sentation of naval vessels and news
paper men has made deep impress
sion upon the people of the island, to
whom we were constant marvel and
source of establishment.
The negroes of Martinique were la
boring under the misapprehension
that American enterprise was going
to rebuild st. Pierre, and when told
that it was on French territory, they
could not understand why a little mat
ter of international complication
should be permitted to interfere in the
work
Too much cannot be said of the en-
terprise and labor of United States
Consul Ayme who rushed to the
scene of action from his station at
Guadeloupe with hardly change of
clothing, and few shillings in. his
pocket and then manfully and intelli-
gently did everything in his power to
assist the people of the island and the
American relief party. 1t is feared
that his health, which was already
precarious is seriously shattered by
his labors.
The only criticism that could be
made concerning the outcome of the
expedition would be concerning the
manner in which the relief was dis
tributed on the island. Notwithstand-
ing the reports to the contrary, there
was much distress on Martinique and
had our supplies been distributed with
the same generosity by the local Off
GERS as that with which they were CIV
en-, much good would have been done.
The governor and many of the prom
inent island officials having been kill
ed by the disaster, the slowness of the
relief was no doubt due to the disor-
ganized condition of affairs. The few
patients in the local hospitals who
should have been the chief beneficial
ries of four charitable expeditions,
which contained every possible article
for the relief of the sick and clothing
enough to have clad the population of
the island. did not receive a single ar
ticle which we carried.
And the two sailors from the Borima
who were brought back with us came
upon the Dixie almost naked, and had
been supplied with clothes from the
sailors lucky bag" The supplies
brought by the Dixie we're simply stor-
ed in the warehouses. Many people
of the island are without shelter, while
the tents we carried remain unpacked.
And when we left, but little of the re-
lief was reaching the interior of the
country, where it was most needed.
r, -
Northern railroad:-When We consi-
der what has been accomplished by
the railway companies in the past
thirty years, the singularly low rate
of transportation which prevails, the
average cost being not to exceed one
third of what it was thirty years ago,
the reduction of freight classifications
from fifty or more to three, the in
crease by thousands of through routes
and rates, the improvements of facil-
tiles for transportation in roadway,
equipment and terminals has not the
country abundent reason to congratu-
late itself on what has been accomp-
lished?
And I will say further that all this
has been brought about by the rail
way companies in their efforts to
serve the public and help themselves
rather than by any legislative or other
interference. The railways of the
country are subject to the interstate
commerce law. 1t is said that car
riers do not deserve the law, that
rates are unreasonable, that the pub
lie is oppressed.
To remedy the evils growing, as is
claimed, out of the violation of the
law, government ownership is sug-
gested by some and an increase of the
power of the interstate commerce
commission by Others. Government
ownership means the control and
operation of railways by government
officials. A mere statement of the
proposition arouses in the mind of al
most every thoughtful man the fear
that such power would end in the des-
truction of the government itself.
Aside from all economic questions
and the increased cost to the public,
either in direct advances Of rate or
indirect cost of increased taxation, it
would mean the political appointment
of an additional million of public
officials and exercises of a power suf-
fioianf IN imneriI If NOT dactrov f,oo