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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1904)
kn M t 4 criminal Indictment In tho contest against such conspiracies as this tho people are, Indeed, help less. JJ One Plank Proposed. The Now York World, In arguing against re affirmation of tho last national platform, refers to tho platform of 18G8 and says that It began: "The democratic party, . . . recognizing tho question of slavery and secession as hav ing boon settled ftJr all time to come by tho war or tho voluntary action of the southern states In constitutional conventions assem bled, and never to be renewed or roagitated, do with tho return of peace demand," etc. Tho World thinks that the next convention ought to follow the example sot by tho conven tion of 18G8. If tho convention to be held at St. Louis accepts tho World's suggestion, tho money plank will bo about as followsr "Tho democratic party, recognizing the money question as having beon settled for all time to como by tho war made upon tho party by the World, tho flesh, etc., and never to bo renewed or rcagltatcd, do," etc. Now, such a plank would at least have tho virtue of being frank and candid. If the money question has been settled "for all time," "never to bo renewed," tho party ought to so declare, but if the financiers are trying to make tho silver dollar redeemable in gold, with a view to retiring them afterwards; if they are trying to retire tho greenbacks and authorize an asset currency; if thoy are planning for a branch bank and tho loaning of an enormous surplus to pet banks, how can the party honestly say that the monoy question is "sottled for all time?" The World and its co-laborers want the democratic party to keep still while tho financiers carry on their schemes for tho spoliation of tho public. JJJ Agitation. Tho Wall Street Journal says, that "those who prato tho most about the 'money power are more dangorous than any monopoly coula be. If the corporations are growing bigger so is the country liseii. And yet, In tho same article the Journal says that $350,000,000 of tho present outstanding loans of the banks of Now York are-held by seventeen individuals, which fact, according to the Journal, shows how largely tho resources of credit have been monopolized by a few persons mainly through tho creation of great chains of banks and trust companies." While apologizing for citing these facts tho Journal says that what it has pointed out simply emphasizes tho fa;;t that while the bulk of tho people of this country realize the economic benefits of this concentration, they will look with jealous oyes upon its growth to elements that threaten to make the government of this coun try a government by the monied autocracy." Ac cepting the Journal's own statement concerning the seventeen individuals in Now York, is it not fair to assume that it is about time for the peo plo to 'look with jealous oyes" upon the growth 2f Sn c"?entration tendency. This beinl true, is it not tho duty of those who are. opposed to monopoly to wage war upon it? How better may mSniE?r biTsei th,an by Persistent, agitation directing pubic attention to the growth of these evils and seeking to bring the public mind to a proper appreciation of the seriousness of the situation. A uo JJ Official Organs. , J? ?T?n Strcot Jurnftl says that the Stand ard Oil interests have invested a considerable ? ofm?UGy J? a Now York daily newspaper! and will hereafter control that paper policy ESS JoSrnalt??ea iQ considerable- trouble to show that a "subsidized or inspired op controlled naner. that oTNewSYorfemCienCy ln comm"y W A great many people may bo inclined to won der why the Standard Oil company would deem it necessary to create an official organ. Republi can newspapers generally, and a few newspaper editors who pretend to be democratic, have all along displayed great enthusiasm in the sunnort of schemes in which tho Standard Oil interests and other trust elements have bqon deeply con cerned. There are among the daily newspapers of this country some publications that are be lieved by some people to have been subsidized there aro many others that are believed to be conl trolled, while it may, in truth, bo said that the The Commoner. republican papers, generally, during a political campaign, are at least inspired by trust inter ests; and yet, instead of these papers losing their "efficiency," as the Wall Street Journal would have us believe, we are told that they do in fact represent, tho intelligence, the patriotism and the business interests of tho country. It Is safe to say also that when the official organ of the Stand ard Oil interests firmly establishes its policy, it will be found to differ in no material point with the policy of. the republican newspapers and the policy of the newspaper representatives of the re organizing element. JJJ Not Advocating Either. "William Jennings Bryan said to one of his Washington intimates, just before sailing for Europe, that he thought Richard Olney was a man upon whom all factions of the democratic party could unite. He went so far as to say that the Massachusetts states man would be entirely satisfactory to him. He said this for the purpose of having it re peated to others and of having an important political effect. Mr. Bryan never said anything that by any possibility could be distorted into an excuse for the above. He never told any of his "intimates" in Washington or anywhere else that the distin guished ex-member of Mr. Cleveland's cabinet would be a good man to unite upon. The friends of Mr. Olney have a right to urge his nomination if they desire to do so, but it ought not to be urged as a harmonizing: nomination. If urged at all it should be urged upon the ground that it would be unmistakable proof of the party's re pentance for its conduct in 1896 and 1900 and a pledge that it would return to Clevelandism Mr Cleveland's nomination would scarcely be a more emphatic repudiation of the party s recent plat forms than would the nomination of one wh'o seriously proposes the ex-president's renomina tion. fv A,T0uthe sam0 time mother paper reported that Mr. Br"yan was conferring with Judge Park ers friends with a view to advancing the indee's candidacy. This, too, is erroneous. Mr. Bryan Mr8 , bHsy for nearlr a year ying to find out Mr. Parkers views on public questions, but so " flaV Ied ?hG neareat approach to a clear and definite statement is that ex-Senator D. B. Hill w 11 vouch for his soundness in every re- ?S?Ct,wbutit?,J recalls a remark on made Ly Snnl0lp,h- Th0 Virginia statesman was at Ohp nfCefaCk and two 8traSs accosted him. wmtK, 'ffifcV Mr' lph,U"w0ho A Fit Leaden It is said that the president intends to ha Governor Crane of Massachusetts elected to sup ceed Senator Hanna as chairman of the nation committee, and the New York Sun which oS to be an authority on the question,' Zyl Sf him "The real objection to Mr. Crane mnt ' e?smHeT, i. not the old-Um! ers. He is a rich man, a man. Qt truate " corporations, of large acquaintance with men of business and financp w j,m1 : men practical and plutocS&e forces ffr ,?? Mr Roosevelt nourishes a S-souldiCh dain. A. censorious world let i? d dls ulous conscience and 'J? ?lone a 8cruP- nate' to persuade the trai .i mag Mr. Crane is an honorable L 1??1ei1 u hut his unfortunate? th S man' he keeps-the cornorSr wonl?e co"ipany qualifications to'toSTS JJJ A Question of Fertilizer JoSt K& conscience the argument recently SJ" lllusrated by cmt He could notrovn? HUthern dem hasty action m recognbln? nL i le psMcnl's out he felt that the 5r Panama republic sustained because t seemed ZTilVQ oild be him to get the canal and tho SSary to sustain cssary to the south. "Whvv. Canal seemed nec we need most in our Rtnto,' J16 cntinuea, "what VOLUME 4, NUMBER 7. cheap fertilizer? Who would fie so-unhn,tft like as to put an- outworn combodlHlke tice in the scale against a shipload of guaSj What though we impoverish the national cX ter, provided the lands- are enriched? TherJ ' however, one ray of hope-at least one. k?' haps the manufacturers of fertilizer in th iTni.c,i States will espouse the cause of national hot It may be difficult to arouse the public lon Tu moral issue involved in the Panama case but iE one can remain neutral when, the line of battle iS formed and General Domestic PhosnhVp Col Home Made Acid, Major Cottonseed S and Captain Ox Blood begin to fortify our coasts against the attack of Commodore Foreign Fer tilizer and his malodorous crew. To be sure there has been some feeble and desultory firing oyer the principle involved, but the high fde of carnage will not be reached until the fertilisers meet. JJJ An Explicit Platform. The Philadelphia Record says: "Nothing in Mr. Cleveland's article is better than his state ment that 'this is no time for cunning finesse nor for use of words that conceal intentions or carry a double meaning.' The party in power may stand pat,' utter an equivocal platform and hope to- remain in power by simple inertia, but the op position can never dislodge it unless it tell the country plainly what its purpose is in seeking the control of the government." All of the organs of the reorganizes com mend Mr. Cleveland for his alleged desire for a plain and explicit statement of the party's posi tion on public questions; but investigate careful ly ??, utterances of these men and one will lind that they do not desire nor intend, if it be within their power to prevent it, that the party take the people into its confidence. They want a platform that can bo interpreted in one way to certain people, while an altogether different interpreta tion is placed upon it in other quarters. The only explicit thing these gentlemen de sire about the democratic platform is that the hp?fl8enHSve?. of Wal1 stret may read at least JSen. the 1Ines. the assurance that under a so-called democratic administration the imposi tions of Wall street are not to. be interfered with. JJJ Tariff Shelter. HnnTLAmeri5ai1 Newspaper Publishers' assoria adoni? ? Cw y in New York and unanimously tratfon l esolfutins urging the federal adminis naner tJ ffCe 9 i-trust law against the paper trust; also declaring in favor of L1ip re- Manv ofMarlff dU?es n PP wnubmlfn ?f oth? ,mmbtirs of this association aro SS Lid ifc slificant that while these sheUer whinh 3, bjffc to the destruction of the that imnft Jn t(T in tne tam by tb0 trusls rL P Sf upon the PeoPJe generally thov very ioS nVfJT-S ,the tattIon ofVe iheS paner mpn Lf lff b7 ,the trusfc in which the news- th?m armost dePly conceril. resoSiL eial referring to these DublisLaS,ibe exDected that democratic Sent but iH? "Wa such k move X are LlltZn hardly Pected that men admtoLSS an"yf pileachinS the beneffts and cSoSfSJri f KPP0tectlm wom desert their miht Syfi?ec,SIse' fcr the nioment, they Sn nS Bqw much convictioa m bllshed bv f h ar8Umewt in the journals afterr Y e men be apt to carry nere- recti? poUInt8b mS? nitte,d that the Commercial cor editors and it wmthG fnconsIstency of republican argumente nuhitah?? d that Protection should not carr t theso reP"blican journals haps some Sod 5?,caLCOny,ct!on' 5nd ' ov' When Se rSuI " grow out of tue situation. ta leattL Tai nepaper puWtearr grcw Sf his ownTlp imPsIi0 fls relief the tariff shelter I? throuShthe destruction of it will be lus ' I ?enTy corfcluile that perhaps rally the samo f ,t0 t0 the Pe 8e he Seas9, an " relW JJ He "Just Laughed." reslsned aMV Hanna la dead anl Heath has committee rSSSu 7 f th rePwto"ean national condemn kSUbnrcan. papers ieGl more free to claim that hflwand to, ,polnt wltb to tb y Mr. Roosevelt Republican editors who mk&tWi, 'j,-krfp$6Ai tfltfjtf2yMtJtk "if ,rJ'""