5
Forum of the Weekly Press. .
' Elizabeth City (N. C.) NewB: From reciproc
ity treaties to permanent tariff reform is not a
far cry. The democratic policy on this issue prom
ises to prevail in the near future.
Owensboro (Ky.) Messenger: If certain proof
of guilt and conviction before unbiased juries bo
smirching, the democrats of Kentucky have very
effectually smirched some shining lights of repub
licanism. Harrodsburg (Ky.) Democrat: Wo thought
there was something wrong with Governor Jones
when Roosevelt appointed him to a federal judgr
ship in Alabama. He voted for that decoy ticket,
Palmer and Buckner, in 1880.
Benton (Mo.) Record: Let's stand squarely
on .the Kansas City platform until another is
.made at least that would be thoroughly in keep
ing with democratic policy and - common sense.
And let's elect a man to the United States senate
"who Is in harmony with his party.
Boulder (Mont.) Sentinel: It is just as well
to remember that when republicans speak of recip
rocity, they mean a modified something as closely
approximate to the democratic principle of tariff
reform as they can got, without confessing that
they have made monumental errors in the past.
Mankato (Kas.) Advocate: Very, very wicked
politicians in New York city are fusing on a can
didate for mayor. The republicans and indepen
dent democrats are going Into the fusion. Some
Kansas republican should write his eastern broth
ers, urging them to desist from such wicked ways.
pes Moines (la.) Gazette: Notwithstanding
thQ vast increase in the production of gold we still
believe that it will soon prove Itself not sufficient
to meet all, demands Then, again, bimetallism
will "become a live issue, for the people are not
ready to accept the transfer of our paper currency
into the hands of the bankers.'
Chicago Standard Opinion: When the simple
tiller of the soil realizes that HE must pay the
"price fixed by the' plow trust for a; plow and can
obtain only the price fixed by the grain trust for
'HIS grain he may begin to think. The simple
tiller of the soil is now up against just such a sim
ple proposition. He should bo able to understand
it without the aid of a diagram.
Elizabethtown (Ky.) News: President Roose
velt announces that he proposes to break up the
eolid south politically by giving offices to gold
bug democrats. Mr. President, you are on the
wrong track. The gold-bug democrats in the south
lost all their political influence when they voted
the republican ticket and every time one of them
is given office over a genuine republican it will
cause at least a dozen political hot boxes.
Weiser (Id.) Signal: Beyond any question of
doubt, anarchy is a political plague that some
where sprung from the plague spots of despotism
in a land far from America. But the fearful
plague is here and sporadic cases are a warning
that the best political wisdom be called upon to
prevent its spread, and annihilate it forever from
our land. Possible a more equible distribution of
the earnings of the country would do something
to solve the question.
Mississippi Commonwealth: Anarchism should
be eradicated from American soil. It has. no place
here. And while I think the dishonest policy of
the republican party in its attitude towards trusts
and great combination of capital Is doing more
than all other agencies combined to subvert demo
cratic institutions and make this government a
government for the idle opulent few as against the
laboring indigent many; yet that is no justifica
tion for anarchism or any other, like ism.
The Commoner.
Monticello (Ind.) Democrat: The day of high
tariffs Is doomed. The business of a nation can
not bo' all sell and no buy. Watch the little Chi
nese wall advocates and "homo market" propa
gandists tumble over themselves to get into lino
with public sentiment. But- trouble Is yet to
come. "Our infant industries" have a fat thing,
and they are not going to give it up without a
struggle. It remains to be seen how much longer
their "influence" in congress will compel the peo
ple to pay tribute to the trusts.
Morocco (Ind.) Moderator: Shame on. those
narrow-minded indiyiduals who are so hopelessly
Ignorant aB to argue that freedom of speech
breeds anarchy. It is just the opposite. As a rule,
anarchists are not sons of America; they are sons
of tyranny. We don't just want to accuse any cer
tain country in particular; but all enlightened men
know that anarchy is bred and born in these coun
tries where freedom of speech, and all other free
doms are extremely limited. ' , .
Hamilton (Tex.) Rustler: When a paper at
heart dislikes democracy, and yet fears to attack
it under another flag, it puts on the livery of dem
ocracy to serve the devil In, and makes war on the
party to which It professes allegiance. We believe
in tearing the mask off, and exposing such hypoc
risy and treachery to the righteous indignation of
all who believe in fair play. The democratic party
suffered more from foes within than from enemies
without, and it should purge itself of that ele
ment which only gives aid and comfort to the
enemy. Put none but democrats on guard, and put
the others out.
Wichita (Kas.) Commoner: In an article upon
the present tendency of the republican party to '
abandon the protective tariff, Mr. Bryan, in his
paper, somewhat facetiously remarks that tariff re
form, is about the only thing the reorganlzers of
the democratic party favor, and it would be really
cruel if the republicans should abandon protection
and leave' the reorganlzers no issue at. all. We
would say in this connection, that the "reorgan
lzers" being left without even the semblance of an
issue with the republicans, should remain in the
republican camp, just where they have been since
189G.
Titusville (Pa.) Courier: The Willlamsport
Sun has been sued for libel by a republican judge,
an appointee of Governor Stone to fill a vacancy
caused by death. The Sun saw fit to comment dis
creetly and temperately on an action of the judge,
in refusing naturalization papers to an intelligent
property owning democrat and granting them to a
man of republican proclivities who could not write
his own name Intelligently or speak the English
language. If newspapers are debarred from just
and decent criticism of the official acts of courts,
the liberties of the people are in far graver danger
than they ever will bo from the deeds of anarch
ists. It is high time that the lese majeste Idea
In the matter of commenting on judicial actlons
were abolished.
Bucyrus (0.) Forum: The constitution of the
United States expressly prohibits congress from
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.
The importance of this provision was recognized
not only by the founders of the general govern
ment, but also by the framers of the state con
stitutions. Eminent statesmen and jurists have
frequently' lauded these constitutional guaranties,
and demonstrated the necessity of guarding them,
from any encroachment. Judge Cooley, one of the
ablest of constitutional lawyers, declared free
speech essential to the existence and perpetuity of
free government. In the language of De Tocque
ville, the sovereignty of the people and the liberty
of the press maj be looked upon as correlative
institutions; a power Indispensable to the exist
ence of freedom.
. Gunnison (Colo,) News: A new departure in
Mr. -Bryan's paper, Tho Commoner, will prove of
great interest, if wo mistako not. Among its ex
changes aro over 3,500 country weeklies. These
are largoly democratic papers which havo, through
thick and thin, held fast to democratic ideals while
tho great dailies turned apostate, Tho opinion of
these country editors havo but small circulation
as a rule, but a page of Tho Commoner will every
week bo devoted to clippings from them so that
the good ideas may bo passed around.
Grencastle (Ind.) Star-Press: The talk of a
republican congress reforming tariff taxation is
only talk. Protection, so far as It affects tho great
trusts and their products, will not bo interfered
with; Tho republican party Is the beneficiary of
trusts in every campaign Its corruption fund
comes from that source and a republican congress
will not be guilty of killing tho goose that lays
the golden egg. Republicanism and trusts are
closely allied; their Interests are identical; tho
remody for trust evils can bo found only in demo
cratic victory and democratic administration of
'public affairs.
Mayfield (Ky.) Mirror: Then why do not these
Southern democrats, who are in sympathy with
republican principles and policies, take upon
themselves the name republican? We cannot un
derstand their objection, unless they desire to re
tain tho name democrat, so as to be able, more ef
fectually, to betray the democratic party. It has
been the custom of these exalted gentlemen to mas
querade between campaigns as democrats, giving
advice liberally, pretending to be the only great
unwashed, but It has been noticeable, in the last
six years, that election day shows an increase in
the republican vote in the localities where these
gentlemen live.
Madison. (Wis.) Democrat: That Impudent,
barefaced unblushing scheme, the -subsidy grab, is
to come up in the next congress; and Hanna, Frye
and others, who wish to extract millions from
the treasury for the benefit of a few ship-owners,
are planning a vigorous campaign. The people
must be on their guard or they will find that tho
persistent grabbers will get tho treasury door pried
open by their iniquitous subsidy so that it cannot
be closed in forty years. If ever a gigantic scheme
of plunder was devised the subsidy bill Is that
scheme. If ever a man in the senate could do a
good service to his country the killing of that bill
is such a service. .
Arcadia (Kas.) Times: The Kansas City plat
form embodies the highest and best ideas of a
democratic government and a departure therefrom
is an abandonment of the principles for which
Jefferson stood and an acceptance of the doctrines
of Hamilton. Between the Jeffersonlan and the
Hamiltonian theories of government there can be
no concord. To abandon the Kansas City platform
is to accept the platform adopted at Philadelphia.
Th" democratic party In 1904 will be found con
tending for true democratic principles alongr the
lines laid down at Chicago and unanimously rer
affirmed at Kansas City. To do otherwise Is to
invite disaster, dishonor, humiliation and defeat.
Clinton (N. C.) Democrat: Senator James K.
Jones and former Governor James P. Clark of
Arkansas are rival candidates for tho senatorship
and are going to submit their chances to the de
cision of the democratic electors. It Is likelyihat
such a mode of choosing a senator will not bo
tried In North Carolina when a successor of, Sena
tor . Pritchard is chosen, but there are a few at
least who believe that it Is the most satisfactory
method despite the wholesale criticism which &
trial worked last year. It will take a long, use
less, tedious, and perhaps corrupt wrangle in the
legislature to convince the democratic party thaf
a senatorial primary is not the worst thing In ty
world.
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