Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-08-31

IEYY HEN Hon. Samuel Gompers,
N/ president of the American
" Federation of Labor, shall |
have gone to his final re- |
ward, 1t cannot be truly said Of him
hat he wasted his ammunition on small
anne In this lower world. On the con-
rary, he is a hunter Of not only big
Jane, but Of the biggest game. His
MOTTO seems to be, whenever head
,ops up opposed to organized labor
wat It, and swat it hard" Last spring
,e bearded President Roosevelt, Mr..
speaker Cannon and Hon. William p.
frye, president pro TEN. Of the senate,
n their dens-if the marble halls in
which they have their official habltats
nay be called dens-and read the riot
vet to those high and mighty func-
donaries in no uncertain words. His
was clear as crystal. Not
getting from them what he wanted, he
made up list Of senators and repre-
sentatives In congress whom he con-
sidered unfriendly to organized labor
and vowed he would have their politi
cal scalps. The first one marked for
slaughter Is Hon. Charles e. Little
field Of Maine-first because the con-
gressional elections are held in Maine
in September. Lately Mr.. Gompers
has jumped on the managers Of the
isthmian canal because they propose
to employ Chinese coolies In building
the canal. In this Mr.. Gompers Is
entirely correct. In every American
enterprise the motto should be. mo
Chinese need apply" He is clearly
right in his contention that employ
ment OF Chinese coolies on the canal
is in violation of the Chinese exclusion
act, for the canal zone Is to all intents
and purposes American territory. and
the exclusion act shuts them out Of all
American territory. In two speeches
at the last session Of congress
charged that the administration is
endeavoring to weaken the Chinese
exclusion act by reinforcement of
its provisions. Now the administra-
ton boldly infracts the latter as well
as the spirit of the Chinese exclusion
act. All good and true Americans will
indorse the stand that President
Gompers has taken in favor Of Ameri-
can labor and American civilization.
The st. Louis Globe-Democrat and
other Republican organ grinders
which represent President Gompers as
a cheap demagogue misrepresent the
man. He has as much sense and is
as good a patriot as President Roose-
yelt, Uncle Joe, President Pro TEN.
Frye, Charles 3. Littlefeld, Secretary
Taft, President shonts or any Of the
rest Of the Republican bigwigs.
Progress Of the American Idea,
Government Of the people, by the
people and for the people IL a dis
hnctively American idea. That's what
we stand for in this jangling, wran-
CLING, tostling world. That's our raison
d'ere, as the French would say. When
our fathers created this republic 1t was
the only one on earth except switzer-
land, and 1t was by no means certain
that ours would last tai Christmas;
but 1t was a lusty infant with resonant
vslce, and 1t has not only growp into a
giant. but we are gradually Revalu-
tionizing the world. Now there are
| two dozen republics, and nearly every
government conducted by people pos
sessing any considerable degree Of
civilization is approximaf1ng our pat.
ksxp. Recently we saw the people Of
Norway set up government Of theil
own. True, they elected a king
elected him, mark youl That's the
main thing. The doctrine Of govern.
m1sat by divine right is dead a. the
men Wis lived before the food. The
Russian revolution is slow II gathering
head, but 1t is revolution neverthe
less. What they need In tbs realm OF
the csar is a Patrick Henry or Mira.
beau. with tongue Of fame, to set their
dull hearts on fire. That he will come
no sane man can doubt. When the
idea Of liberty finds lodgmspt In
the minds Of people they will have
liberty sooner or later. The Russians
are muddled lot sadly muddled. but
somehow, some time. they will achieve
representative government. Now
comes the news-glad news-that the
shah of Persia is about to grant his
people constitution. So It grows. In
fact several Of the 10 called monarchies
are really representative governments.
Queries.
Can ertms be committed without
there being q criminsl2 Can crime
bs committed without human agency
Il crimes have been committed why
not punish the crimtnalsi Ia there any
sort Of sense or Justice in spending
time and money In Furnishing small
criminals while permitting the big
criminals to go scot free2 Does such a
performance have a tendency to inspire
respect for law? In fact does 1t not
have q tendency to bring all law into
disrespect7 These questions become
pertinent BY reason Of the remarkable,
not to say astounding pronunciamento
Of the interstate commerce commission
In giving Paul Morton an immunity
bath and in passing glowing eulogy
on Attorney General Moody for his ef-
forts as q trust buster extraordinary.
Wonder IL the I. @. @. believes the peo-
pie are all idioas Speaking on this
subject the st. Louis Republic says
editorially:
The interstate commerce commission
may exonerate Mr.. Paul Morton In the
6spta BE rebate case because Morton was
not tho ofacial responsible for the wrong
full cots OF his company. but there must