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'""
