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The Commoner.
WILLIAH J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
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Vol. 3. No. 44.
Lincoln, Nebraska, Nov. 21, 1902.
Whole No. 96.
USE OF MONEY IN POLITICS
The growing use of money in politics is an
evil which demands immediate and serious con
sideration. No one acquainted with the facts can
believe that the largo campaign funds expended
everywhere by iho republicans and in some sec
tions by the democratic reorganizers are cither
necessary or legitimate. In one voting precinct of
Nebraska the republicans boasted that they spent
more than one hundred dollars. As there are only
a few more than one hundred voters in the pre
cinct referred to it would mean a campaign fund of
about $200,000 for Nebraska alone if the
same -effort was made in all the precincts. A Con
necticut paper, speaking of the democratic cam
paign, says that the twenty-four state committee
men should be required to raise one thousand dol
lars each. "If any committeeman cannot produce
this sum," says thi paper, 'Hot him step down and
make room Xor anottior who can do it," and it
adds: ."With the sum of $24,000 assured beyond
question there should oe no difficulty in securing
enough more to enable all tho legitimate expenses
of the campaign to bo met without a heavy as
sessment on the candidates." Twenty-four thou
!. sand Ji, only beginning in Connecticut!
Tfiert ascertain proper and legitimate ex-
Pnerfffhich- cannot be avoided, but It Is a'nbtor'-
R ious.-'xact that largo sums are used for purposes
s."Eich cannot bo defended. Men are hired to
"work" V7hen it is known that the money is in
tended for their votes; some are hired to stay at
home, while still others are bought outright
As a rule, the large campaign funds are col
lected from corporations that have favors to ask
at the hands of the government and the money is
subscribed in return for assurances that make it
impossible for the party receiving the same to do
Its duty to the peopla In the sugar trust investi
gation a few years ago Mr. Havemyer testified that
the trust gave to the democratic party in New
York and to the republican party in Massachusetts.
"When asked about New Jersey, he said that that
state was doubtful and that he would have to
look at the books before he could say to which
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side the trust contributed.
The use of large funds gives a great advantage
to tho party which the corporations support. For
Instance, in Nebraslca the republicans offered this
year to furnish transportation to any college boy
or other person eway from home who would re
turn home and vote the republican ticket In a
close legislative or congressional contest thevoters
thus returned at the committee's expense might
turn the scale, not to speak of the effect of this
offer on tho mind of a person away from home
and anxious to visit his family.
In the heat of a campaign a strong partisan
might rejoice in the fact that' his party bad the
largest campaign fund, but no lover of his coun
try can, on reflection, doubt the corrupting- influ
ence of immense campaign funds drawn from in
solent and arrogant monopolies.
In 1892 the Cleveland committee had a very
large fund; In 1896 the republican committee had
a still larger fund. In 1900 the republican na
tional committee was so well supplied with funds
that one trust magnate was surprised to receive
after the election a considerable sum as a rebate
on his contribution.
Instead of trying to imitate the republicans
in tho matter of expenditure the democrats should
appeal to the conscience of fair-minded and well
meaning republicans and win them over to clean
and honest political methods.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
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THANKS GI VING.
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Thanksgiving Day Tour voices raisi
To Qod on high in hymns of praise,
The fruitful yield
Of vine and field
Has brightened all our earthly ways.
Give thanks to Qod who rules on high
For welcome rain and sunny sky.
For peace a7id love
Praise Qod above,
And all Ilia mercies glorify!
lhanksgiving Day Praise Qod and sing
Till every vale and hill sliall ring.
Thanksgiving Day! From work apart
Let mankind come. From field and mart
Let anthems rise ,
To pierce the skies
To prove the thancs within each heart.
- Qive.thanUi.to Qod for mercies shown,
--AndtlenedkodaybtforeiJIis throne;
" For peace and joy
Witliout alloy
The loving Father's kingship own.
Thanksgiving Dayl Let evWy voice
Show-how our grateful Jiearts rejoice.
jj Thanksgiving Day Forget not those
O " Who know naught save life's bitter woes,
Be not delayed
Give them the aid
O That brother unto brother owes.
Lift up the brother bowed by care,
Divide your blessings everywhere;
The highways scan
For fallen man
Who needs the help that you may siare.
? Thanksgiving Day Give from your store
2 To aid the hungry, sick andpoor.
g Thanlcsgiving Day From distance wide
g Let loved ones come to sit beside .
2 The festal board
J Wiosejoys afford
Long hours of love whatever betide,
Give thanks to God for earthly ties;
J For love that beams in shining eyes,
v Singt songs of praise
Until your lays
x xAre echoed back from vaulted skies.
5 Then at God's throne kneel down and pay
fTour homage this Thanksgiving Day
WW. M. Maupin.
Beware of the Flood.
If any democratic speaker feels discouraged
because he does not make many converts let him
remember that Noah preached righteousness for
an hundred years, and did not make any convens
at all, but at the end pi that time a flood came and
drowned those who refused to turn from their evil
ways.
Tho eastorn papersespecially those which
helped to elect a republican prcsidontaro Just
now much concerned about a leader for tho demo
cratic party. Thoy aro searching high and low for
a Moses to conduct tho party into tho promised
land. Thoy with one accord declare that tho elec
tions have killed tho money question again and
that no ono can be considered a leader who stands
upon tho Kansas City platform; thoy aro also
agreed that Tom Johnson Is out of the question be
cause his state wont republican. If some state
controlled by tho reorganizers had only gono dem
ocratic thoy would have smooth sailing, but thoy
cannot find anyone who can promise success
and with them success Is the only thing to bo con
sidered. The trouble Is that the metropolitan pa
pers havo been corruptod by tho commercial spir
it which dominates tho republican party and which
dominated the democratic party under Mr, Clove
land's administration. Instead of regarding poll
tics as the science of government they look upon
it as a game in which offices are awarded as
prizes to tho most skilful players. Instead of dis
cussing as leaders those who study public ques
tions and seek to discover tho best solution of each
, now problem, they measure men by their shrewd
. nese" in political management or by their success
in a state campaign, ovcrlookingftho fact that cir
cumstances over which tho leader has no control
may determine tho result.
Tho democratic party does not need loaders so
much as It needs voters. The masses do not need
any one to think for them; they think for-themselves
and they will have no difficulty in selecting
fit persons to act for them when tho timq for
action arrives, 'iney do not need tho services of
a self-appointed committee on nominations and
they will not award the position of standard
bier to tho highest bidder. They aro glad to
hoar all that can be said for and against each
presidential possibility, but thoy are not apt to be
influenced by advisors who think more of a candi
date's availability durlng-a campaign than they do
of bis reliability in office.
. Tho democrats who know why they are demo
crats, will see to it, first, that tho democratic par
ty stands for democratic principles and applies
them to every question before the people, and,
second, that the candidates are sound on those
principles and will stand by them both before and
after tho election.
The democratic party recognizes no boss anl
is seeking no leader in the sense in which the
metropolitan papers use tho term, but the party Is
at all times open to -suggestions from those who
believe in democratic doctrines and earnestly de
sire to see those doctrines crystalized into 'lair.
The party's commendation should be reserved for
those who think best and act with an eyo single to
the people's good.
JJJ
Was Tariff Reform Killed?
If there Is any logic in the argument of the.
reorganizers tho late election killed tariff reform
as an Issue. They were unanimous in the declar
ation that the money question was not an issue.
Even imperialism was ignored by most of the
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