The daily sentinel., 1910-08-19
OF
HIS RECORD
IN CONGRESS

A splendid resume of the accom-
plisnments of Representative Jonn A.
martin, OF Colorado, uurng the last
session OF congress is given in the
latest issue Ot the twentieth Century
Magazine. Win the approaching
congressional convention the matter
VIII prove OF interest to possible dele
gates and the RANK ana IIie OF the
people as well. The article says:
Congressman John A. Martin de
serves great credit for his able and
persistent effort to force congress to
take notice OF the sugar trust latest
victory, thanks to our all too compla-
cent government in permitting g the or
ganic law of the Philippines TO be
oyerridden in the case of thes friar
lands.
"On March 20 of the present year,
Mr.. Martin made a strong and states
manllke address in congress in which
he uncovered the amazing scandal in
such convincing manner that had It
not been for the overwhelming pre-
ponderance OF the opposition, the
owner of the onage-dispensing ad
ministration and perhaps other less
obvious influences, there can be no
doubt but what a searching investi-
cation, would have been forced. Such
an investigation, however, like the
Alaska and other conservation scan
dals, would have led straight to Mt.
Taft's cabinet and it would have been
shown that here, as in the Philippine
case, the cabinet ruling and influence
were on the side of the great corpo-
ration interests.
"In the Philippine case the malo-
dorous law-defying and criminal Su-
gar trust is the chief beneficiary.
"Nr. Martin in his speech. taking
the great republican daily, the Phila-
delphia North American, as authority,
referred to Attorney General Wicker
sham as a former sugar trust attor-
ney, whereas the fact was that an
other member of the firm to which
Mr. Wickersham belonged, one Henry
w. Taft. a brother of President Taft,
was the former attorney for the sugar
trust. Mr. Wickersham promptly
sent a letter to congress denying that
he had ever been the sugar trust
attorney, but failing to explain his
conduct in the amazing ruling that let
down the bars for the sugar trust in
the Philippines.
On March 2G Mr.. Martin briefly
but effectively replied to the attorney
general letter, pressing home in
sternly logical manner the real issue
and emphasizing the enormity of the
scandal. But it was not until June
13 that this persistent statesman
made AS most masterly arrangement
in am address tnat should be read by
voters from the Atlantic to the Pa
eific. ft.
The disclosures made and forti-
fled by facts are as humiliating to
self-respecting and justice-loving Am
erican patriots as the action of the
administration must have been graft
fying 10 the malodorous sugar trust.
Since our nation has become militant
and imperial. turning her back on the
old LOYALTY to constitutional forms
and democratic ideals and practices,
there have not only been steady and
vast strides toward bureaucracy and
arbitrary official rulings and prac-
tices, but whichever one lifts cover,
scandal, graft, corruption or ins3tia-
ole official greed seem to be present.
True. this humiliating revelation
is but a single leaf in a volume of
shame that marks the story of our
government since 1t turned from the
high ideals that made the republic
the moral leader of the nations TO be
come great military and Imperial
istic world-power, and since the
statesmanship of Washington and
jefferson, of Madison and Jackson,
of Webster and Clay. of Lincoln and
Sumner. gave place to the politico-
commercial order dominated by such
men as Aldrich. Quay, Platt. Lodge.
Crane. Dalzell and Payne.
THE revelations made by Mr.. Mar
4, "A "A Itffn
ms should bring the blush of shame
to the brow of every right-minded
American and prove an additional in
centive to work for the overthrow of
the present domination of corrupt
corporate boss and machine rule and
the re-establishment of a genuinely
representative government-a gov
ernment of the people, by the people
and for the people