The Commoner.
WILLIAfi J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
Vol. 2. No. 5.
Lincoln, Nebraska, February 21, 1902,
Whole No. 57,
Write to Your Senators
"A resolution has just passed the house pro
posing a constitutional amendment providing for
the election of United States senators by popular
vote. The sentiment in favor of the resolution
vas so overwhelming that there was no opposition
and no roll-call. This is the fourth time that tho
house of representatives has by a more than two
thirds voto declared itself in favor of this reform,
but on three occasions the amendment has been
killed in the senate. It must not be killed again.
The house is elected by a direct vote; it comes
fresh from the people; it represents the almost
unanimous desire of the people for an opportunity
to vote directly for United States senators. Will
the senate dare to stand in the way of this great
reform? Are the senators afraid to risk a re
election at .the hands of the people themselves?
Do they depend upon money or corporate influ
ence to control state legislatures? What excuse
can a senator give for opposing this effort to bring
the government nearer to the people? If there are
two sides to the question, why haven't the sena
tors who have thus far blocked the progress of tho
amendment made speeches presenting the objec
tions? The fact is, that the reasons which have
actuated the opposition are secret reasons which
fear the light.
If the resolution proposing an amendment can
be brought to a vote in the senate it will pass,
for even those who prefer the election of senators
by legislature are afraid to either speak or vote
against what they know to be a popular demand.
Now is the time for action for concerted action.
Let every reader of The Commoner address a
postal card to BACH OF THE SENATORS FROM
HIS STATE and urge immediate action upon this
resolution. Ask your senators to answer with a
promise of support or with a reason for their
opposition.
If all the weekly papers throughout the coun
try, and the daily papers that favor this reform,
will make a like request of their readers, the
senators will be so overwhelmed with cards, let
ters and petitions that they cannot withstand the
pressure. The hour is ripe for action; the ques
tion is one of great importance; - your influence
will have its weight. Do not delay; let your
wishes be known. Send postal cards; send let
ters; send petitions; hold public meetings and for
ward resolutions. Act, and act at once.
JJJ
Roosevelt vs. Low.
Mayor Low of New York city and his confi
'dential supporters ought to read Theodore Roose
velt's article in the November (1895) number of
the Cosmopolitan. In this article the president
discusses the taking of the New York police out
of politics, and his comments on the enforcement
of the law ought to bo seriously considered by
Mayor Low before he makes up his mind to ex
ercise "discretion" in the enforcement of the
statutes of New York and the ordinances of the
city. Mr. Low will be especially interested in the
And Write at Once
following sentence: "It is a lamentable thing
when the people and the public officials alike grow
to think that laws should only be enforced as far
as the officers of the law think that public opinion
demands their enforcement. It is such a belief
that inevitably leads to lynching, white-capping
and kindred forms of outrage."
The president says (or said, he may not enter
tain the same opinion now in regard to tho anti
trust laws): "An officer to whom is confined tho
carrying out of the laws has no such discretion."
Another extract illustrates tho emphasis with
which Mr. Roosevelt can state a proposition (or
could) :
"Some years ago a then noted politician
stated that the golden rule and the decalogue
had no place in practical politics, and that the
purification of politics was but an irridescent
dream. The base cynicism of such an
utterance endears it to the knave and the fool,
and under one or the other of thse categories
we must place every man who does not con
demn it."
There seems to be no way to ensure peace
among republicans except to destroy history, 'for
so long as the people are allowed to read today
what was said yesterday, republicans will be con
tinually confronted with what republican leaders
have said in the past in condemnation of what re
publican leaders are doing now.
JJJ
Local Option in Taxation.
The Colorado legislature at its last regular
session proposed an amendment to the constitu
tion, providing that once in four years the voters
of any county in the state may at a general elec
tion "exempt, or refuse to exempt, from all taxa
tion from county, city, town, school, road, and
other local purposes, any or all personal. property
and improvements on land; but neither the whols
nor any part of the full cash value of any rights
of way, franchises in public ways, or land, ex
clusive of the improvements thereon, shall be so
exempted. Provided, however, that such question
be submitted to the voters by virtue of a petition
therefor, signed and sworn to by not less than 100
resident taxpayers of such county, and filed with
the county clerk and recorder not less than thirty
nor more than ninety days before the day of
election."
The object of this amendment is to permit
the trial of the single tax idea in any county whero
a majority of the voters so desire. An effort is
being made at the called session of the legisla
ture to withdraw the amendment from considera
tion. The amendment is supported, first, by the
advocates of the single tax, and, second, by those
who, although they may not believe in the single
tax, are willing that the people of a community
shall have the privilege of adjusting their system
of taxation to suit their own needs and ideas.
Those who have faith in the doctrine of local self
government and who believe that the people of a
community are capable of determining what is
best for them, will find it difficult to oppose the
amendment. In tho first place tho experiment can
not be tried unless a majority of the people of tho
county desire it, and after it has been tried the
people of tho county have a right to determine
whether the system shall be continued or changed.
WhaLobjectlon can tho people of ono county make
if the people of another county favor the experi
ment? Every good citizen is anxious for tho ulti
mate triumph of every correct principle, and tho
correctness of a principle can only bo determined
by experiment. A theory must be tested by experi
ence before it can secure any extended indorse
ment. If tho single tax theory proves to bo a
good one, It will spread. If it proves unsatisfac
tory, it will be abandoned, but whether it spreads
or is abandoned, good and not harm will como
from the amendment which has been submitted
to the people of Colorado. To withdraw it now
would indicate either a fear that the people will
not act wisely in their own matters or a fear t;hat
tho single tax principle may, if tried, prove suc
cessful. The democrats and populists of Colorado
cannot afford to entertain either fear.
JJJ
A Letter From Madden.
. Tw6 weeks ago The Commoner referred to a
ruling of the postofflce department and published
the editor's letter requesting further information.
It is only fair to the readers of The Commoner
that they should be informed of the department'
reply. Below will be found a letter recently re
ceived from Hon. Edwin C. Madden, third as
sistant postmaster general:
Washington, D. C, Feb. 7, 1902. Hon.
Wm. Jennings Bryan, Lincoln, Neb. Sir: In
response to. your favor of the 31st ultimo,
permit me to suggest that while it may not be
"incumbent upon the proprietor of a paper to
inquire into the reason for a subscription
when the subscription is received," he can
hardly be ignorant of an effort, either in
dividual or combined, to extend the circula
tion of his publication to non-subscribers in
furtherance of the personal ends of the indi
vidual or combination, whether the purpose of
such circulation be financial advantage or
otherwise.
The law makes no provision for "gift"
subscriptions to second-class publications, but
the department has, as a matter of pufferance,
permitted one person to subscribe for another
or for a limited number of copies for others.
Were no restriction placed upon the practice,
however, it might readily bring about a cir
culation so largely gratuitous to the recipients,
' as to subject the publication to a denial of the
second-class rates of postage, under the proviso
of paragraph 4, section 277, P. L. & R. (Act of
March 3, 1879) which prohibits admission to
said class of "periodical publications designed
primarily for free circulation."
Copies of second-class publications sent by
publishers as "complimentary" are analagous
' to "gift" subscriptions. The practice of mail
ing such copies as to "subscribers" has ob
tained for many years, and the department, be
lieving the publishers of legitimate publica
tions could neither afford nor be willing to un
duly exercise the privilege, has left it largely
w