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The Commoner
Vol. 2, No. 32.
14
THE IOWA CAMPAIGN" GOOD SHORT STORIES
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Charles A. Walsh of Iowa has ad
dressed the following letter to Mr. S.
A. Brewster of Ottumwa, la.:
Rotunda Holland Bldg., St. Louis,
Mo., Aug. 8, 1902. Mr. S. A. Brewster,
Ottumwa, la. Dear Sir: Yours of
August 6 Is received, asking my opin
ion as to the proper course to pur
sue with reference to the indorsement
.of the Kansas City platform at the
approaching Iowa convention.
Ordinarily, I should think it would
not bo quite necessary to ask me
whore I stand on such a proposition.
The democratic platform adopted at
Kansas City is the last authoritative
expression of tho principles of the
democratic national party; and, as I
look at it, it does not lie with good
democrats anywhere to repudiate that
platform, because in so doing, they re
pudiate the principles of tho party. I
do not believe, and I never have be
lieved in Indorsing our principles in
such a manner as to be offensive to
any element of tho democratic party;
but it is true that the failure to men
tion democratic national principles
will be construed, and will very prop
orly be construed, as a repudiation of
those principles. No party ever won
the confidence of the people by being
shifty and repudiating one year their
action of the previous year.
It is true that tho money question
in the form of tho opening of the mints
to the free coinage of gold and silver
at the ratio of 16 to 1 will probably
not be an issue in the next campaign.
Tho democratic platform at Kansas
City was not a one-plank-platform,
however; and, indeed, it expressly de
clared another than the money ques
tion to bo tho paramount issue of that
time. The gentlemen who desire tho
repudiation of tho Kansas City plat
form profess to bo with the democratic
party on all the other principles
enunciated in that platform.
That platform declared that the Dec
laration of Indopondenco is the spirit
of our government, of which the con
stitution is tho form and letter; it de
clared that the constitution followed
the flag; it asserted that no nation
Van long endure half republican -and
half empire, and tho so-called reorJ-
ganlzorB profess to believe this with
us.
The Kansas City platform declared
in favor of territorial expansion, when
that expansion takes in desirable ter
ritory which can bo erected into states
of the union, and whoso people are
willing and fit to become American
citizens. The so-called reorganizers
declare thomselvQs to bo with us on
this ques'tion,
n Tho Kansas City platform declared
for a strict maintenance of the Mon
roe doctrino in all its integrity. The
-"so-called reorganizers profess to bo
with us on this question.
Tho Kansas City platform declared
against imperialism, and tho so-called
reorganizers profess to be with us on
this question.
The Kansas City platform declared
that private monopolies are indofensl-
ble and intolerable, and pledged the
democratic party to an unceasing war
faro in nation, state and city against
private monopoly In every form. Tho
-.- so-called reorganizers are with us on
this question,
The Kansas City platform con
demned 'the Dlngley tariff law as a
trust-breeding measure skillfully de
vised to giVo tho fow favors which
they do not deserve, and to place upon
the many burdens which they should
not bear, and tho so-called reorgan
izers say thoy are with us on this
question.
Tho Kansas City platform declared
against such legislation as tho Fowler
bill, which seeks to turn over tho en
tire control of the money of tho coun
try to a fow wealthy banking corpor
ations, and tho so-called reorganizers
say thoy are with us on this question.
Tho Kansas City platform declared
for an amendment to tho federal con
stitution providing for the election of
United States sonators by direct vote
of the people, and the so-called reor
ganizers say they are with us on this
question.
The Kansas City platform declared
its opposition to government by in
junction, denounced the black list,
and favored arbitration as a means of
settling disputes between corporations
and their employes, and the so-called
reorganizers say thoy are with us on
this question.
Tho Kansas City platform declared
for statehood for the territories of
Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma,
and tho so-called reorganizers say
they are with us on this question.
The Kansas City platform declared
for an intelligent system of irrigation
of western lands and the holding of
such lands for actual settlers, and the
so-called reorganizers say they are
with us on this question.
The Kansas City platform declared
for the continuance and strict enforce
ment of the Chinese exclusion law,
and tho so-called reorganizers say they
are with us on this question.
The Kansas City platform denounced
the lavish appropriations made by re
cent republican congresses and the
squandering of the-taxpayers' funds
upon such bare-faced frauds as the
ship subsidy bill, and tho so-called re
organizers say they are with us on
this question.
The Kansas City platform declared
against any kind of entangling for
eign alliances, and the so-called re
organizers say they are with us on this
question.
Now, what nonsense, when in' tho
Kansas City platform all ' democrats
have a platform broad enough, strong
enough, and, by tho eternal Gods, right
enough for any democrat to stand on;
and on every plank of which, save a
small portion of .one, plank, every dem
ocrat stands or professes to stand
what nonsense, I say, to repudiate the
Kansas City platform.
The gentlemen who are seeking to
have no expression whatever as to na
tional principles at the next Des
Moines convention, "are either not with
us on any of these, questions, as they
pretend to be, or they have become so
crazed in their opposition to a single
plank which has not been the para
mount issue since 1896, that they are
willing to stab all democratic prin
ciples and willing to convince the
country that tho party is so insincere,
so shifty, so evasive, that it never can
deserve or regain tho confidence of the
people. ,
The democrats of Iowa cannot hope
to carry the state this year, nor, in all
probability, can thoy hope to give the
electoral vote to a democratic candi
date for president in 1904. The great
democratic states which year after
year cast their votes for democratic
candidates are not afraid of the Kan
sas City platform. They Indorse it.
Thoy recognize that it only impairs
tholr own strength to show a fear of
their declared principles.
Let the democrats of Iowa join
hands with those great democratic
presidents; let them stand firmly by
their declared principles; send the
vraverer and time-server to the rear
and if they cannot w"hT a victory in
Iowa, they can preserve their own
honesty, and win the respect of their
opponents. Very sincerely yours
(Signed) " c. A. WALSH.
He "Here's a story of a surgeon
who amputated his own thumb. Won
derful, isn't it?"
She "Oh, I don't know."
Ho "What! Just think of his nerve,
and the awful pain he must have suf
fered." She "But no doubt he put himself
under tho influence of ether first."
Philadelphia Press.
"That lobbyist seems to have a good
deal of the 'long green' to blow," re
marked the first councilman.
"Yes," said the other; "he's working
for an ordinance to allow automobiles
unlimited speed."
"Ah! in the interest of tho Auto
club, eh?"
"Oh, no. The undertakers' trust."
Catholic Standard and Times.
''When I heard the auto horn, I just
stood on my rights and refused to
move over on the side of the road and
let tho fellow in a little steam runa
bout pass. At the same time I told
him that if he ran into me I'd smash
his machine."
"Well?"
"I kept my word. He ran into mo,
and I smashed the machine."
"What did he do?"
"He gathered it together."
"But to you?"
"Oh," sadly, "they gathered me to
gether, too." Automobile Magazine.
as the conductor came up.
"What sort o' chap is that?" asked
tho driver.
"Don't yer know that?" answered tho
conductor. 'JlWhy, that's one o' them
Indians what worships the sun!"
"Worships tho sun?" said the shiv
ering driver. "I suppose 'o's como over
'ere to 'ave a rest!" London Express,
"Is it true," , asked the inquisitive
man, "that environment produces
changes of type in living organisms?"
"Certainly, it is," replied the local
scientist, digging a chunk of soot out
of his eye. "Haven't you noticed that
the English sparrows in Chicago aro
growing blacker every year." Chi
cago Tribune.
"I supose you will bo glad to get
away from congress and get a littlo
rest."
"My friend," answered the states
man, "you misinterpret the situation.
When a man goes to his own state ho
has got to look after elections night
and day. He goes home to hustle. It
he's lucky he gets to congress, where
there is a chance to rest." Washing
ton Star.
The two young men reached the door
at the same time.
"Is Miss Walsingham in?" they
asked.
The maid looked at them and shook
her head disconsolately.
"She's in to wan av ye an' out to
the other," she said at last; "but the
two av ye comin' together has got me
so tangled I'm blest if I know which
is which. But come right in, both av
ye, an' I'll ask her to come down an'
pick ye out." Chicago Post.
i
I tell you. sir. civil service is a
great thing."
The man addressed looked aston
ished. "Coming from any one but you, that
remark would not greatly surprise'
me,'ho said, "You didn't think so
when I last saw you."
"No, I didn't."
"You considered civil service littlo
short of a civic curse."
"That's right; but then I was on the
outside and Irying to get in, while now
I am on the inside and trying to stay
in. It makes a great difference."
Brooklyn Eagle. .
A littlo girl was spending the sum
mer at a fashionable watering place,
and one morning as she played upon
the veranda of the hotel where her
mother was stopping she heard a
lengthy conversation upon the fashions
of the day and the absolute necessity
of stylishness in dress if one hoped
to bo a success in society. One lady
went so far as to say that stylishness
was far more important than beauty.
That night as the child said her us
ual prayer she added with great earn
estness, "tAnd, 0 dear Lord, do please
make mo stylish." July Llppincott's
Magazine.
Fault was found, says Tho Christian
Endeavor World, with the way in
which the shorthand writers reported
the speeches in a legislative body.
They retaliated by giving the speech
of one of the members exactly as ho
made it, with the following result:
"The reporters ought not to tho
reporters ought not to be the ones to
judge of what is important not to
say what should bo left out but tho
member can only judge of what Is im
portant. As I as my speeches as tho
reports as what I say is reported
sometimes, no one nobody can under
stand from the reports what it Is
what I mean. So it strikes me it
has struck me certain matters things
that appear of Importance are some
times left out omitted. The reporters
the papers points are reported I
mean to make a brief statement
what the paper thinks of interest is
reported." - .
Mra. Dash "What Is that dreadful
noise?"
Mr. Dash "Well, those folks next
door have caught a burglar or else
they're playing ping-pong. Detroit
Freo Press. ,
The following remarks-were over
heard on a Strand omnibus, says a con
temporary. A leaden sky was over
head, the rain poured down unconv
promisingly, mud was underfoot. A
red-capped Parse who had been sif-
ting near the dripping driver got dowi
A certain Scottish minister in a
west highland parish, says Ram's
Horn, has never yet been known to
permit a stranger to occupy his pulpit
Lately, however, an Edinburgh dlvin-
ity student was spending a fow days
in the parish, and on the Saturday
he called at the manse and asked tho
minister to be allowed to preach the
following day.
"My dear young, man," said the min
ister, laying a hand gently on Clio
young man's shoulder, "gin I lat yo
preach the morn, and ye gie a better
sermon than me, my fowk wad never
again be satisfied wi' my preaching;
and gin y're nae a better preacher than
me, ye're no worth listening taoj"
A joint committee of the recent ses-
sion of the Louisiana legislature vis
ited the state penal farms at Algona
and Hope, according to a story in tho
New Orleans Picayune, for the pur
pose of reporting on the work done by
the board of control. Tho members
of tho committee spent some time
talking with the negro convicts, and
presently one of the sqgroes recog
nized a member of the committee,
who is a rising young lawyer, not a
thousand miles from New Iberia.
"You know Mr. B ?" inquired one
of them.
"Yaas, sab. I knows Hr. B well.
He's de one dun sent me heah," re
plied the darkey, with a grin spread
all over his. face. J :
The man had not heard of Mr, B
officiating as a prosecuting attorney,
and wanted to know how no camo w
send the convict there.
"He wuz man. lawyer, sah.H , 1
W,).