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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 3, 1904)
.- -WKT .VOLUME. 4, NUMBER 20, 1 emnlary Ufo make a record to which he could plR an assurance of his worthiness ..He would not then bo tempted to conceal his former delin quencies. He could apply for work and joint to the experience that had taught w sdom and as k to ho trusted, and such an appeal would ilnd a quick response. ... What is the value of a human life? Who will measure its possibilities for good? A fault how over grievous, a sin howover black, ought not to consign its perpetrator to hopoless despair, bin is all too common to permit even the most vir tuous to look with unfeeling contempt upon those who have most erred. While the safety of society requires the Imprisonment of tno offender, the welfare of society also requires that he shall bo reformed and made to feel that the past when purged by sincere repentance, is no bar to future effort. A consciousness of his wrong-doing may oven spur the ex-convict to more earnest effort in the hope that he may confer upon his fellow men a boneiit that will offset the injury done by him. .. , i In his poem, "The Man With the Hoe," Mark ham asks: "How will you ever straighten up this shape; Touch it again with immortality; Give back the upward looking and the light; Rebuild it in the music and the dream?" And these questions may be asked concerning tho criminal. The citizen, the patriot, the Chris tian, may well consider society's duty to society's prodigal son. jjj V An Illogical Demand. The reorganizes are saying that New York ought to dictate the platform and choose the candidate because New York Je expected to fur nish tho votes necessary to elect a president. Well, she has furnished the candidate and the platform several times, 1868, 1872 and 1888 for instance, when she did not furnish the electoral votes. She is now claiming recognition to the exclusion of states which have furnished electoral votes since she did. If the voice of a section is i to bo potent in proportion as it furnishes votes, why did tho upper part of the state over-ride the wishes oE tho New York city democrats? When over New York state furnished a democratic ma jority it conies from the city of New York, not from the upper counties.' It is a little inconsistent for the Hill-Parker combine to Insist that New York must dominate the national convention be cause she expects to furnish the votes, and then shut out the New York city democrats who always furnish the New York state majority. But New York "logic is never logical in politics. JJJ Pledged To Wadl Street. The St. Louis Chronicle of last Wednesday in terviewed some of the prominent uankers in at tendance upon the Missouri Bankers' association. The interview will bo found on another page. Attention is called to it because one of the bank ers, Mr. J. M. Donald, vice president of the Han over Bank of New York, declared that "President Roosevelt has pledged himself to the bankers of tho country to accept any money standard they may decide is the best." He also said: "Presi dent Roosevelt realizes that the standing of the country depends upon tho standing of the bank ing interests. Tho banks are tho safety valves of tlie country. Ho realizes that upon them and their success depends the wealth and prosperity of the United States." Mr. L. F. Potter, president of the First Na tional Bank of Harlin, la., was quoted as saying: "Tho finaneial interests aro strongly for Roose velt." However, he is willing to add: "Parker is all right and would bo given the full democratic vote." Mr. J. R. Domlnlck of the Traders' Bank of Kansas City, whom tho Chronicle describes as "tho only democrat among the six approached," said: "Roosevelt is a good man. He has gone along cautiously and is now considered all right by the money interests. They do not fear him." He said that as a democrat ho would select Par ker, but significantly added: "But wo really do not want a change of administration at present. And without doubt there will be nono. Roosevelt will bo nominated and elected. Though many of us may be democrats and vote for a democratic nominee, still wo want Roosevelt to win." These interviews present the political situa tion in a nutshell. Mr. -Roosevelt is satisfactory to the moneyed interests, he has secretly pledged his administration to do what the financiers (and The Commoser. they are the trust magnates also) want donj. The financiers and trust maBnatvpe' want Roosevelt to win. However, to remove any uneasiness they would like to ominato Parker in tho democratic party and then the linanciers and trust magnates could divide up and feel that Wall street interests would be secure no matter which candidate was elected. Can any democrat who has the interests of his party and his country at heart favor the nomination of a candidate who, like Judge Parker, attempts to deceive the public and at the same time gives secret pledges to plu tocracy? The reorganizers are not seeking success, they are attempting to secure control of the demo cratic party in order to prevent any interference with republican policies. JJJ Waiting Until Election is Over On another page will be founO a copy of tho Hill bill reported to the house of representatives by the republican committee on banking and cur rency, and now awaiting the action of the house. -It is reprinted in order that the readers of The Commoner may know wha to expect at the short session which follows the election. The bill pro vides, first, that customs receipts as well as in ternal revenue receipts may be deposited in na tional banks. The purpose of this provision is to enlarge the government deposits in the national banks, and is an indirect attempt to pass the Aid rich bill. The measure would lay the foundation for a still larger corruption fund than is now ob tainable. The second provision of the bill removes the limit upon the withdrawal of national bank cir culation. The purpose of this provision is to place the control of the paper money of the country more completely in the hands of the national" banks and enable them to enlarge or decrease the bank circulation at will. The third section removes the limit on sub sidiary coin and authorizes the recoinage of sil ver dollars into subsidiary coins half dollars, quarters and dimes. The purpose of this is to en able tho secretary of the treasury to reduce the standard money of the country by converting standard silver dollars into fractional currency, which is only a limited legal tender. Section four provides for the issuance of gold certificates in denominations of ten dollars and upwards heretofore twenty dollars was the low est gold certificate issued. Soction live removes the limitation upon the bank notes of the denomination of ?5. It will be seen that sections one, two, and three will have a very serious effect upon the financial system of the country, while sections four and five are in tended to provide means of substituting bank notes and gold certificates for sliver certificates, as the silver certificates are retired. If the advocates of the gold standard had the courage to present their measures; and submit their case to the judgment of the public they could at least claim credit for honesty of pur pose, but now as heretofore they steadfastly re fuse to take the people into their confidence or to outline in advance what they intend to do. The republican leaders are afraid to pass the Hill bill before the election, but they will not hesitate to pass it after the election if the vote in November indicates that the people will tolerate any further steps toward the gold standard. JJJ Lawlessness. The press dispatches report that some Colo rado strikers have been guilty of acts of lawless ness, and the same papers report that the gov ernor of Colorado and the military commander who is acting under him refuse to obey. the courts of that state. Here are two instances of lawless nessone by workingmen and another by officials The governor has called out the militia ostensibly for the purpose of preserving law and order but the evidence seems to convict him of using the military rather to advance the interests of em ployers in their conflict with their employ Lawlessness is indefensible anywhere whe ther, committed by poor men on a strike or by hich officials in the interest of corporations. The law !T w1? ele(i' ia?d tnose wno refuse to obey it ought to be taught that they are not only gUnty of disrespect toward their government and toward the whole people who stand behind the law but that they are Injuring thoge wh e law; 'Jut interest they act. A laboring man who attlSSS to use force in the settlement of n strii iH himself and his fellow Krers more tL?U,eB one else. Nothing so surely tarS ni, an 7 ment against a strike as ZZot lence by the strikers. And so Governor Peabodr and hi military subordinates, in resisting tS law and disregarding the orders of the court win injure those in whose interest they are acti'ne Tho American people are law-abiding thev will not tolerate disregard of the law on the part of any one, high or low. And the higher the law breaker, the greater the offense, for if those en trusted with great authority and great responsi bility are indifferent to the claims of the gov ernment which they help to administer, how can individuals in the humbler walks of life be ex pected to show due respect for the government ana its law$? JJJ Nebraska's Vote in 1892. The Commoner published a letter written by James E. Boyd (then governor of Nebraska), in forming the democrats of Nebraska that' Mr. Cleveland's national committee desired the demo crats, cf Nebraska to vote for the Weaver electors, as the only means of defeating the republican electors the object being to throw the election into the "house in case no other candidate had a majority in the electoral college. As further proof that such instructions were given, the following letter Is published: North Platte, Neb., April 2, 1904. Hon. W. J. Bryan, Lincoln, Neb. Dear Sir: Prom time to time I observe that the Chicago Chron icle ehaiges thKt you and other democrats of Nebraska who YOted for J. B. Weaver for pres ident were "bolters." Now I was one of those, but before doing so I wrote Mr. Harrity of Philadelphia, chairman of the national com mittee, und n&ked bm. if Nebraska democrats should vote tho Weaver ticket, and his an swer was that while no resolution of that hind had been formed by the committee, yet they had talked the Nebraska situation over, and were practically of the opinion that it would bo the very best kind of politics for Ne braska democrats to cast their votes lor the Weaver electors. Very truly yours, WALTER B. McNEEL. Mr. McNeel, the writer of this letter, is the chairman of the democratic congressional commit tee in the Sixth district of Nebraska.- His testi mony corroborates the Boyd letter, although no corroborative testimony , is necessary. In fact, without any instructions at all the democrats ef Nebraska should have reached that conclusion, because it was impossible to defeat the republican electors with the democratic electors, and as the democrats had a majority at that time, the elec tion of a democratic president was assured if the election should be thrown into the house, and the democrats of Nebraska would have been guilty of criminal folly if they had failed to take advant age of the only means in their power of contri buting to democratic success. By following these instructions they came nearer -defeating the re publican electors, and the democrats of Kansas and Colorado, who received the same instruc tions, did succeed in defeating the republican ticket. JJJ They Refuse to Investigate. Congressman Dalzell has called down upon himself the criticism of his republican colleagues by his attack upon Congressman Bourke Cocltfan Dalzell charged Cockran with having received pay for supporting McKinley in 1896. Cockran in a very dramatic scene denied the charge and proposed a resolution investigating the charge. In the course of his speech he referred to the enor mous fund expended by the republicans in 1896 which he had heard estimated at 16 millions ana suggested that this would he a good time to find how it was expended. The republicans were thrown into a panie and took an adjournment m order to devise ways and means to escape tne threatened investigation. On the next day tne chair ruled that the resolution was not a privi leged one and the ruling was supported oy strict party vote. Speaker Cannon has increa.eu his popularity with his republican colleagues w extricating them from a very embarrassing siiuu tion and Investigation. The republicans nav thus run from another issue and Mr. DaleziM illustrated the peculiar morality which P1"" among republican leaders. In charging LOCh,h0 with receiving money from the republicans acted on the theory that it was reprehens lDie Cockran to receive what it was .proper for rei cans to pay. If he regarded tho payment i money as a bribe then he would defend tiio iw of a bribe but condemn- the receiving ot a -UlL s VI ,, .) 4 - MH r'J .:lt ' lkHtlJii,Ai