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.and ' hideth himself, whilo -tho .foolish . pass
" on and aro punished. Tho power to reason from
what Is to what shall ho marko the difference be
tween the wlsq and tho foolish Whether we are
considering tho individual or a nation composed of
individuals wo must expect that those will faro
host who watch the beginning of evil and apply a
remedy while tho remedy is easy. Many an indi
vidual has died from a disease which might have
boon checked if treated in time, and nations suf
fer grievously because they fail to act in time.
If our people possess tho intellectual superiority
of Which wo aro prono to boast, they ought to
" watch every development of government with,
"constant vigilance to tho end that only right prin
ciples shall be applied or if mistakes are made that
"'ttiey bo corrected at once.
...
A Dangerous Man. "'"
,,,,... The Milwaukee Sentinel .has , the following, to
, ay in regard to-C!overnor La Follette of that state:
.; v ,"And this is tho record hd is making from
, , day, to day. The . governor of Wisconsin
f; chosen by tho peoplo to wisely ana lmparuai-
iy execute mo laws, is going uuuut uie blulw
with tho unblushing impudence of a paid
agitator "who has nothing to lose endeavoring
to. foment discontent." He is poisoning tho
,. w.ells.from which tho people drink. Ho is(
.sowing tho seeds of social and Industrial dis
cord. "Ho- differs from the ordinary breeder o
,class hatred in that he rppeals first to one
and then to tho other class with, a plea that lio
believes will fit tho time and place. Blind to
tho honors that have been conferred upon
him, greedy for more power, and careless of
i tho consequences of his acts so long as ho can
; score a temporary victory, the man whom
tho peoplo of "Wisconsin have elevated to the
highest place in their gift is now playing tho
part of a political agitator, whose stock in
.:,. trade, is falsehood, misrepresentation and
4 half "truths, the latter of which arq. worse
v , than falsehood. . "
"Governor La Follette Is a dangerous man.
' Those -who countenance arid aid him in fur
thering his political ambition aro in part re
sponsible for the consequence of his acts.
The day will surely come when they will re
gret tho part thoy are playing in current
events which will come to be known as mark
ing one. of the historical periods in Wiscon
sin that would best be forgotten."
It is only two years ago that the more parti
Ban of tho republican papers were attributing tho
assassination of President McKinley to criticism
which appeared in democrat1 papers. What criti
cism could bo more severe than tha above quoted
from tho columns of the Sentinel? What more se
vere accusation, if the Sentinel's readers give any
weight to its opinion, could be brought against a -public
man? The Sentinel cherges Governor La
'Fbllettb, with "attempting to foment discontent,"
sbut what Icind of discontent is it? In what man-
ner is he "poisoning the wells from -which tho
people drink?" What is 1k doing that can be
. described as "sowing theseeds of social and in
dustrial discord?" It is not sufficient to say that
Governor La Follette is a candidate for re-election,
or that ho Is ambitious. , The question Is,
"Are his charges of corporation rule true or
..false?" If they aro true, no one can justly criti-
ciso him for matlng them. If they are false, and
ho knows them to be false, he merits the con-
" demnatlon that ought to be visited upon any un
truthful person,
Tho whole question turns upon the truth. or
falsity of' the accusation which Governor La Fol-
'? lotto brings against the republican leaders of his
'? state. If Governor La Follotto's charges aro true,
to say that in making them he is not entitled to
credit because he is an aspirant for office would be
.. like saying that ,a l liceman is not entitled to
credit for apprehending a criminal, because tho
policoman's act-may lead to his promotion. Even
, if the poiicemari'had the promotion in mind and
-was doing liis 'duty for the sole purpose of secur-
:ihg a1 promotion, he would still be credited with
any good act. It is a.plty that moro republicans
'Mr
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The Commoner.
aro not trying to secure office by taking Hhe peo
ple's side." i
According to papers likVthe Sentinel' the, ex
tortions practiced by railroads ought not to-be
pointed out by any one who is now, or hereafter
expects to be, a candidate for office. It is a com
mon practice among tho corporation organs to as
sail every reformer as a dangerous man, arid as an
office-seeking politician. 'They are not prepared
to meet tho charges made against organized
-wealth; they are not able to defend the practices
of the corporations that are running the -government
in their own interests, so thoy assaMl the
men who attempt to secure remedial legislation.
Governor La Follette is a republican, arid as such
ho has supported and is supporting many republi
can policies which the democrats regard as hos
tile to the interests of the "people. But Governor
La Follette has mado an heroic fight to rescue his
own party from the heartless uomination of the .
corporations Of the state, and in doing so Jie has
brought upon himself, as he might have expected,
the bitter vituperation Of the republican politic
ians and tho republican editors who, for pay or
gratuitously, represent intrenched privileges..
The Commoner, without indorsing or excus
ing tho governor's opinions on national questions,
commends his effort to purify his. party. He is
not likely to be long successful, because theforces
against which he contends are too powerful for
him to overcome, but he deserves credit for the
effort, and if he fails the work he is doing will
make the process of education easier for tho
democrats.
The very fact that tho corporations . are.l de
nouncing La Follette explains the sympathy which
democrats express for him.' They admire ' his
courage, although they feel that his efforts to re
form the republican party are doomed to failure,
and they think that he would, : show,. more discre
tion if he allied himself with tho democratic party
and worked with the people who are trying to de
feat republican policies a3 well as, republican
.methods.
Redeem Indiana.
Republican papers have had much to say
concerning lawlessness in Breathitt county, Ken
tucky. Not long ago Curtis Jett was tried arid
convicted on the charge of assassinating Attorneys
Marcuin. Jett -was sentenced to life imp isonment.
Later Jett was placed on trial on the charge" of
hilling Thomas Cockrill, whose assassination oc
curred , several rears ago and long prior to "the
killing of Marcum. In the Cockrill case Jett was
found guilty and sentenced 'to deata. Accepting,
theh, the verdicts in both of these cases as- h'av
ing been rendered in accordance with the" law
and tho evidence; it seems that Kentucky, to this
extent, at least, has redeemed itself. '-. :,
Would it not be well now for some of these
republican papers to devote their attention to , the
state of Indiana, which state, because of the con
duct of its republican authorities, is in need of! a
little wholesome work along tho redemption llnp?
William S. xaylor, former governor of Keh
tucky," is now given .protection by the, republican
officials in the state of Indianp Taylor is charged
'with having taken part in tho assassination of
the late Governor Goebel, and although the gov
ernor of Kentucky has repeatedly called upon the;
- republican governor of Indiana to surrender Bay
lor to the Kentucky authorities, the Indiana 'gov
ernor has refused to do so.
, : & VOLUME 3, NUMBER
ing that I had been reported as favorato u
nomination of, Mr. Olney. I beg to say that I h i
never, directly or indirectly, sugKcstPfi J
vinnrl 110 rtfrn-Hner rf n .t,iii., "
m ; ;irruuimi nominaon to ;
Mr. Olney oV to any other person who
did not
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The Next Nominee. ' "
The following letter was written in. reply 'to
an inquiry from Massachusetts. .It seems "to bo
, necessary to reiterate the statements therein cori
' tained every tew weeks to ineVi the misrepresen
tations that constantly appear in tho corporation
papers: , - . '
"Dear Sir: Tarn in 'receipt of your favor say-
Ononlv and ftntivnlv frwlnron t-v,. i.ip..
ticket in both 1896 and 1900. On the contrary
have at all times insisted that no man should ba
considered for the' presidential nomination i,
-was not thoroughly committed to the peoDle'a i
terests on all questions involved in the last two
national campaigns. While the money question is
riot the parainount issue", and was not in 1900, yet
come phase of it is always before the country
and those who have any knowledge of public at!
fairs must know that a man who is willing to
tunf oyer the finances of tho country to the coa.
trolof the financiers, lacks either an understand
ing of the .subject or sympathy with the people,
. and in either case it would riot be wise to make
such a .person the standard-bearer of the demo.
cratic party. '
. "I enclose an. editorial published recently
-which -deals -with this matter ahd treats it more '
at.-length than. I have tlriie to do by letter. Yours
truly, ': v "W. J. BiviaN."
,;- . .J. "
."..-.uiArtBit Significant.
,. ..Atthis pime when so many financiers aro
clamoring for; an asset currency on tne ground that
the necessities of business require more money, a
bi of infoririatibn earthed hy the Associated press
under date Of Washington, September 9, may ap
pear a bit significant. In that dispatch the Asso
ciated press said:
' "Applications from national banks for tho
retirement of circulation are reaching the
treasury departinent in unexpected numbers
. and amounts. For the seven business days
of the .present month the applications aggre
gate , ?2762,Q0O. Tinder the law only ?3,000,
000 In' circulation cari be retirel m any one.
month, arid' tne applications are granted in
the order in which they a.vn received. For sev
eral; months past the retirements of circulation
have been only nominal, and during the re
funding period tho circulation increased by
about $40,000,000.
"The present movement is accounted for
at the. treasury department by the high price
.of bonds, the .banks evidently .seeing a greater
profit 'in selling their bonds than in keeping
them, in circulation."
' For a long J lime we have been told that the
high price of bonds, served to discourage the is
s sue of .national bank notes under the government
, bond deposit plan. Is it not, however, a bit strange
that this sudden retirement of circulation, in un
expected numbers and amouri happens at this
very moment when the financiers aro insisting
that the tiecessities of the country require enor
mous increase in the volume' of our currency?
, Can it be possible that "tho present move
ment'' is intended to so complicate the situation
that the 'business men throughout the country
wili' be ' persuaded to urge their congressmen to
. vote' for tho asset currency scheme? It must be
- admitted that there is something very suspicious
about "the present movement."
JJJ
the Reason tyhy.
A reader of The Commoner asks why the sil
ver dollars coined under tho act of 1792 had in
scribed uponthe margin "100 -cents, one dollar,
or unit." When tho government 'Officials were se
lecting a -monetary system they decided that gol
and -silver, should bo used as .money metals. A3
Jefferson put tit,- they decided, that the money unit
should rest upon two motals, and in this Hamilton
.agreed with Jefferson. Tho nc- t question was to
.find a ratioand the ra'Jo of 15 to 1 was selected as
the proper one.. The Spanish silver dollar was tlie
coin most common in circulatipn in the country,
and it was taken as the unit and, .the ratio hav ns
been fixed,' the gold, dollar ' was made to vreig
one-fifteenth as much as the diver dollar. The go
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