The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-03-21
COMM mt ON CURRENT EVENTS.
LOCAL, STATE AND NATION.

Senator Aldrich, the adroit financier-
politician, and leader in the senate Of
the Republican party, is not really as
big man as he was credited with being
during the exciting days Of the Nc
Khnley administration. 1T appears
that he is not as free from the in
f]uence of special interests as a states
man in his position should be. Last
year he cleverly led Secretary Shaw
into an unfortunate position from
which he withdrew with more haste
than dignity. In the last congress he
introduced bill, which had for its
principal feature a. clause permitting
the Secretary Of the Treasury to de-
post surplus funds Of the treasury in
the banks, not on the security Of gov
ernment bonds alone, but of state, mu-
nicipal, and certain railway bonds as
we'll. BY the Aldrich bill it was pro-
posed that the government should de-
posit its money on stock exchange col
lateral with nominal interest charge,
while the rule has been that the gov
ernlnent required its own indebtedness
ir the shape of bonds to secure it's
deposits. Senator Aldrich's plan would
have brought the government in direct
relations with the speculative COM
nDun1ty and would remove one more
Of the barriers which. wisdom has
erected between the financial system
of the government and the stock ex-
change. A weak secretary of the
treasury, or one who expected to be
taken care Of by a clique of eager
hnanciers with their guided railway
bonds on hand, could put the govern
,nent in an embarrassing position with
but little effort. Fortunately for the
country, congress turned down Senator
Aldrichs questionable bill, and this is
one Of the very few good things it
did DO.
The American people are not lack
ing in the virtue of gratitude. They
have as much Of that quality az any
other people. Mr.. Carnegie feels that
they do not appreciate his princely
gifts. They in some manner annoy and
irritate U.S. Every gift he makes seems
to have self-advertisement sticking out
all over it. Golfers Weekly says:
1T would hardly be going too far to
say that the man who has given more
money for the benefit Of the public
than any philanthropist of ancient or
popular men in America"
His great gifts of money cannot buy
for him the love Of the wage earning
class Of the American people. They
do not want his money. They would
have worshipped him to-day If he had
shown as much interest ii humanity
as an employer of labor as he does as
iret1 frr eVen-
iy1o oF
man cannot forget that memorable day
in 1892 at Homestead, when one-hund-
red or more of his class were shot down
in cold blood by Mr.. Carnegie's hired
thugs. It would not have been one half
so bad had the venerable philanthro-
pist remained in America at the time.
But he escaped from home influences,
and hid himself in Skibo Castle in Scot
land, surrounded by many luxuries and
far away from the criticism of an an
gered people. Ever since that July day
in 1892. Andrew Carnegie has been un-
able to win his way back to the hearts
of the American people.
Young Mr.. Rockefeller declares his
opposition to Mr.. Carnegie's method
and says that what the people want
is sympathy There is no appearance
Of sympathy Of pity, OF affection. o1
heart In Mr.. Carnegies gifts. The,
come out Of his pocket. not out of him
self. He has confessed to Luxurious
Indifference to the needs Of the poor
and unfortunate. His secretaries de.
stroy the appeals Of the losers in the
battle Of life. And that Is the flaw
that every one unconsciously detects
in his benefactions. They are cold
methodidal, statistical. They consis
In a transfer of certain millions Of dol
lars, Or certificates of stock or bonds
from the bank account of Andrew Car.
negie to the bank accout of the trus-
tees of a library. No human pulse wa.
ever made to beat faster by such al
act of calculated altruism. No con
tact with suffering humanity is re
quired; no tears for the sorrowing
no comfort for the afflicted. The phil
anthropist sits at home safeguarde<
from the thronging woes of humanit,
and writes a. check which enables