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The Commoner.
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sfb'lllty bo romoto that no one should assume it)
Mr. Cloveland should bo tho nbmirieo, for ho In
his own person represents tho wounds and bruises
received by tho reorganizes as well as their aims
and methods. If there is to bo "a complete aban
donment" of the party's position, if the- party is
to stand for "an absolutely changed policy," then
no othor candidato should bo considered. He com
bines, as no other living person does, thoso pecul
iar and, let it bo said with gratitude, rare intel
lectual and moral characteristic which embolden
a public official to betray the voters of his own
party and deliver his country into servitude to the
money changors.
Of all thoso who gather their political in
formation from the' ticker and whose party en
thusiasm rises and falls with the stock market, he
is tho 'only one of prominence who is shameless
enough to pose as a democratic leader or offer
suggestions to those who give 'a valuable consid
eration for the money which they draw from so
ciety. His intimate connection with corporate
wealth and with those who manipulate it incapac
itates him for the fair consideration of those ques
: tions which effect the masses. If, instead of
prating about democratic principles with which
he is unfamiliar he would give tho public a min
uto description of his stock market ventures since
1888, especially detailing his connection with the
Northern Pacific stock when it rose in value about
the time the merger was being consummated, the
voters would know how much confidence to have
in his plans for the "rejuvenation" of the demo
cratic party.
The editor of Tho Commoner has no personal
grievance against Mr. Cleveland for while the
Influence of the latter was against the former in
both campaigns it was Mr. Cleveland's, base deser
tion of his party's, principles and the people's in
terests that made Mr. Bryan's nomination possi
ble. But Mr. Bryan is interested In securing re
forms, political, economic and social,, and being
convinced that the Clevelandizing of the demo
cratic organization would mean the abandonment
of all prospect or promise of reform, he has felt it
his duty to meet Mr. Cleveland's advice with a
review of his record and to warn the Tank and file
against such a disastrous retreat as that coun
selled by the sage of Princeton a duty mado
'the more imperative by the fact that most of tho
so-called democratic dailies in the large cities are
dominated by the same influence that dictated Mr.
Cleveland's policy during his second administra
tion and which would try to force him on the party
again if the republican president should disobey
tiiem. ThlB duty is performed at the risk of dis
pleasing some of those democrats who, without
condemning the apostacy of Mr. Cleveland, re
mained with our party when he became the open
ally of powerful magnates whom he had for four
years sao.etly seived.
JJJ -
The Evil of "Substitution."
A commendable disposition to protect adver
tisers from the practice of substitution is mani
fested by the newspaper publishers of the coun
try. A writer in "the Buffalo Express refers to
the practice of substitution as "the meanest
phase of human nature."
"For tho ono man who has an idea and the
courage and capital to exploit it," says this writer,
there are nine men waiting to steal it from him.
Even literature has its parasites. Let a novel or
a play make a popular hit and within a montli a
dozen publishers or managers have palpable imi
tations on the market"
It is pointed out by this writer that olive oil
is. pressed from tho seed of tho cotton plant,
and that when smeared on small herrings the
joint product becomes sardines; that tho orange
marmalade of commerce comes from tho humblo
turnip; that tho cherry which adorns your cock
tail grows on tho hoof of tho calf, and so on ad
infinitum, ad nauseam.
It is. well said that "tho just-as-good kind of
merchandise is novcr so good as the original, for
If it were, it could be sold on its merits. And tho
meanest kind of substitution is that which pre
vails in tho drug trade. This Is simply trifling
with human life. Most of the proprietary rem
edies are of value in tho treatment of tho ail
ments which they are advertised to cure. They
could not havo succeeded without merit Adver
tising can do much, but it cannot make the public
buy a poor article more than once or twice. Tho
substitutor being a thief at heart, and having al
ready stolen the good name of tho producer, sees
no reason why he should keep faith with the con
sumer. Ho tolls him that 'this is just as good'
as the advertised article, and then deliberately
gives him some preparation which will not euro
and may injure, because there is more money in
the transaction for the heartless substitutor."
It is not likely that the suggestion by the
writer in the Express that there should be laws
against substitution, and that they be enforced
as rigidly as aro the laws against adulteration
and infringement of patent right will be carried
out This is true because of the impracticability
of such laws; but a wholesome public sentiment
can do much to minimize the evils of substitution.
If the fact of these evils is constantly pressed
upon the public, merchants who care for their re
putation will hesitate to undertake to palm off a
"just as good" article upon their customers.
If, however, some genius shall discover a plan
whereby a law that would meet this" evil could be
framed and meet the constilutional test, he would
havo performed a valuable service for the public
as well as for those who are willing that the
products they have to dispose of shall- reach, the
market, upon their .own merits.' . x ... s
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A New Department
TV
It is the aim of tho publisher of The Com
moner to make cne paper ho?ptul in as many ways
as possible. Tw; various dppartmehts of the paper
have been established on'.y after mature delibera
tion, and an effort is constantly being made to
improve them. The "Current Topics" department
discusses current events in a gossipy way and is
proving to be one of the most interesting depart
ments furnished by any paper. The "Home De
partment" is conducted by an experienced .house
keeper and writer on household topics and is al
ways up-to-date and full of interest to the house
wives and others. Other departments are care
" fully edited and tho many kind words received in
dicate that The Commoner's readers appreciate
and enjoy them. Another department is about to
be added a "Subscribers' Advertising Depart
ment." Doubtless many of The Commoner's sub
scribers have something to sell; or perhaps some
have some things they would bo glad to trade for
some things possessed by others. By means of
this "Subscribers' Advertising Department" the
readers of The Commoner may make their wants
known to. several hundred thousand readers. The
publisher hopes to make this department service
able to the readers of the paper and invites at
tention to the article on page 11 which gives a de
tailed description of the plan proposed. ,-
JJJ
Queer Logic. .
The Buffalo (N. Y.) Courier, a representative
- of the reorganizes, says:
"Let the men who ask for Mr. Hill's re
tirement go to him with clean hands. Be
trayal of the party is not the way to leader
ship. If Mr. Hill is to be retired lot the demo
cratic party not the men of Albany a;
Rensselaer and Clinton counties who re-elec
Governor Odell retire him."
The Courier has been conspicuous among tho,
newspapers that have Insisted that tho democrats
who remained true to the party in 1896 retire in
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favor of those who deserted the party in that
year. " . ' ""&'
How does- it happen that the Courier, .dealing
with foie -New York situation, ' insists that thoso
who demand Mr. Hill's retirement must "go ,to
him with clean hands," and that "betrayal of tha
party is not the way to leadership," while with,
respect to tho national organization tho' Courlor in
sists that men who betrayed tho party in..18'fiitia
men whose silence in some instances and open
and avowed alliance with the republicans in other
instances, contributed to democratic defeat, shall
be rewarded for their -perlidy.
JJJ
Williams and Gaston.
Under the above head the Boston Herald calls
attention to the letter written by George Fred
Williams announcing his intention to re-enter ac-
tive politics for the purpose af aiding to bring the1
democratic party of that state back to democratic
principles. The Herald very natrally takes tho
side of Mr. Gaston and belittles Mr. Williams
leadership. This is perfectly natural, for Mr. Gas
ton represents the ideas and aims of the Herald,
while Mr. Williams stands for principles and pur
poses diametrically opposite. The Herald is bno
of the so-called independent papers that can al
ways be counted upon to take the plutocratic sida
of a public question and Mr. Gaston being a con
spicuous representative of organized wealth would
be the natural choice of such a paper. Mr. Will
iams, on 'the other hand, having cast in .his lot
With the common people, and having devoted tils
education, his ability and his means to the defense
of their rights and the advancement of their in
terests is naturally and necessarily objectionable
to papers like the Herald. He .cannot be countea
upon to deceive the people, or to aid "in oVer
reaqhing, them,, and therefore -he mufet 'expect thV
opposition of all those who wprship at the";shcr'iSV
of corporate wealth. . "' 'i -''
It is better that the opposition "shoUld be open5'
than secret and Mr;. Williams ought to bo easy
victor in the coming contest By , withdrawing
temporarily from the party leadership he has de
monstrated two things. F'rst, that it was riot
his activity that caused defeat, and second, that
reorganization means subserviency to the mon
eyed interests and the emasculation of the demo
cratic platform. ' -. i .''.
The Springfield Republican asserts that JVIr.
Gaston spent money more freely than any "other
candidate for governor had ever done; if this bo
true it illustrates the fact that the reorganizes
fcxpect to rely upon republican methods and to
join the republican "leaders In the corruption and
debauchment of politics. '" '-'
Success to Williams and to a democracy-that
stands for "equal rights to all and special privileges
to none." - ' '.
JJJ
Live Stock Men Aroused.
The Kansas City Journal reports that 'the
National Live Stock association "has thrown
down the gauntlet to the packers' trust" In a let
tor signed by tho live stock association the fol
lowing statement appears:
"As soon as the pending injunction against
the packers has been dissolved, and there is
' an improvement in the money market, the..
packers will merge into a gigantic trust, for ,
! the purpose of controlling the meat supply of
the country. The price of live stock from the
'" producers as well as the finished product to
the consumer will then be fixed by one man,
y thus placing the industry at the mercy of a
single individual. No greater calamity could
befall the country."
It is gratifying to know that the live stock
association appreciates the menace of a packers'
monopoly. It will control the price of livestock
as well as the price of meat, and tfto association
is right in saying that no greater calamity could
befall the country. But will tho members of tho
live stock association confine their fight to- tho
beef trust, or will they join the democrats in de
claring that all private monopolies are a menoct
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