if.
The Commoner.
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1
14
m
t-
of tho few and forgot tho right of the
many.' ...
"Mr. Bryan declared that all cities
should own their own water, lighting
and street railway plants. Ho said
tho sale of franchises waa responsible
for nearly all legislative corruption.
Mr. Bryan said ho thought the time
was at hand when the state should es
tablish its own life insurance depart
ment and Issue Insurance to tho people
or the state. He said it would relieve
tho people of a burden, which the cost
or oporatlng Insurance, companies im
pose. "The Nobraskan then remarked that
ho did not think our national banking
system was a guarantee of safety and
referred humorously to tho operation
of the famous 'Cassie' Chadwick.
" 'Unless private banks are made se
cure said Mr. Bryan, 'tho national
government will go into the banking
business to protect the interests of tho
people.
"Tho Nebraskan then took occasion
to say that ho had discovered some
things that reflected much credit in the
Roosevelt administration,
" 'In tho first place," said Mr. Bryan,
'ho pleased democrats when he said he
would not bo a candidate for another
torm.' This caused a laugh. He com
mended the president's attitude on the
subject of campaign contributions and
his policy towards tho great railroad
systoms of tho country.
" 'In the last ton years the railroads,'
Mr. Bryan declared, 'have been run
ning Uncle S'am instead of Uncle Sam
running them.' Ho cited the Biblical
quotation that 'tho care of the world
and tho decoitfulness of riches choke
tho truth,' in dwelling upon the ap
proaching danger of a financial mon
archy in America.
"Joseph W. Folk, sworn in today as
governor of Missouri, In opening his
addres3 to tho legislators said that
while ho bolloved in party organiza
tion, 'when you come before the people
to give an account of your stewardship
' the account must bo for public service
and not for party work.' The governor
complimented tho legislators by saying
that' no private interests could secure
for. so small a sum as their pay 'the
service of so larco a number of men
,as honest and intelligent as the men
who compose this general assembly.'
but a moment later gave this warn
ing: " 'I promised the people of this state
to do my best to put a stop to bribery,
and tho promise, I assure you, is going
to bo kept to tho letter.'
"Ho recommended tho enactment of
a law compelling witnesses to testify
as to their knowledge of bribery trans
actions and exempting such witnesses
from prosecution. Ho also recom
mended a law extending the statute of
limitations In the case of bribery from
three years to five years? nisn n inw
forfeiting any franchise right or privi
lege secured by bribery.
"Mr. Folk urged that the law against
tho acceptance of railroad passes by
legislators bo strictly enforced, and
added that the professional lobby
should bo abolished from the capitol.
On tho qeustion of local self-govern-mont
for St. Louis, Kansas City and
St. Josoph, he said:
'"If it bo wrong to give local self
government in the selection of local of
Jlcials to any part of the state, then it
would seem that tho entire theory of
our government is wrong. If the peo
ple of these cities do not take enough
QUICK RESULTS
Jl S0T? ncccssmry t0 tftk second doso
of Dr. Miles' Anti.Paln Tills. Ono pill will In
moat cases relievo nil distress caused by head
cho, backache, neuralgia, nervousness, car
Jlckncss, stomach ache, etc. When not entirely
cllcved tako another In 80 minutes. That's
-w-jv., -uv. never soiu m bulk.
interest In public affairs to secure good
government for themselves, they ought
not to expect to get It from the out
side.' "However, Mr. Folk stated, the pres
ent system of controlling the police de
partments of these cities by state
boards has been in effect more than
forty years, and change should be
made only after careful consideration.
Ho added that as long as the police de
partments remained under his control,
he would do his best to keep them
out of politics.
"On the subject of elections Mr. Folk
said that he intends to do all in his
power to guarantee each citizen pro
tection in casting his ballot and have
It counted as cast and to see that no
more are counted than are cast. He
also recommended that the right to
vote be taken from those citizens who
neglect to exercise their privilege and
duty of voting.
"The governor recommends a state
primary law whereby all nominations
for state, countv and municipal offices
shall be made by primaries held on the
same day all over the state by all
political parties, with the same num
ber of voting places as in the general
election, and that the expense be paid
in tho same manner. This, he said,
would do away with the political bos3,
for the people would then be boss. He
added:
" 'The professional boss delights in
a multiplicity of primaries and con
ventions. The ordinary citizen, after
attending one or two conventions and
primaries, gives his attention to other
matters, leaving the field to those who
are in politics for revenue only. The
result Is, unless the people are in
tensely aroused, nominations are made
not by the people but by those who
have a selfish interest to be served.'
"Mr. Folk recommended that Mis
souri lead the demand for a constitu
tional amendment providing for elec
tion of United States senators by the
people.
"After calling attention to the rela
tion between labor and capital as one
of the most important questions of the
hour Mr. Folk said that the principle
ol arbitration, properly and fairlv en
forced, would result in benefit to all
classes. His position on the enforr.p.-
ment of law3 already on the statute
books follow:
"The constitution (article 5. section
6) provides: 'The governor shall take
care that the laws are distributed and
faithfully executed; and he shall be a
conservator of the peace throughout
the state.' It is my purpose to carry
out that mandate of the constitution.
I believe that if the law is on the stat
ute books it should be observed. If it
bo a bad law, the remedy is to repeal,
not to ignore it. Disregard of one law
Dreeus uisrespect for all law, and there
is entirely too little respect for the ma
jesty of the law. Good men will ob
serve bad laws and bad men will break
good laws. It should be so that all
men be compelled to observe every law
because it is the law. That will bring
good laws and get rid of bad laws. By
virtue of the power vested in the execu
tive, it is my intention to see that the
laws are administered equitably
throughout the state, if any prosecut
ing attorney fails to discharge his duty
or needs assistance, I shall direct the
attorney general, under tho statute, to
aid him. This will entail extra work
on the attorney general's office in ad
dition to the burdens already resting
on that department. The attorney gen
erals office ought to be adequately
supplied with help, and it is no now
I here is no economy in stinting the
department of justice, for the objfet of
having government at all ia to hC
laws and to have those laws enforced
LniHUy,t0 nact laws and have the
facilities fcr rnfnrpfnrr fi, , " .
j adequate. Laws that are not carried
out are as useless as arms in war that
are not used.
"Tho governor had this to say in re
lation to the breeders' law:
"The state should not license gamb
ling in any form, whether it be a lot
tery or pool selling on horse races, and
the pernicious effect on public morais
is not lessened by requiring a fence
to be put around the place where the
racing is carried on. The law should
not sanction any practice that pollutes
tho youth and degrades the men of the
states. There is no magic in a license
to change moral wrong into innocence.
"Mr. Folk advocated a constitutional
amendment providing a tax whereby
the road system can be put on the same
bdsls as the public school system, un
der 3tate supervision. He also urged
the establishment of a reformatory for
first offenders, so that they may not be
compelled to associate with hardened
criminals in the penitentiary. He com
plimented the past administrations on
the condition of the finances of the
state. The rest of the address was de
voted to a discussion of general legis
lation. "While each citizen must be pro
tected in voting, the state is entitled
to have each citizen vote, in order that
the result of the election may be the
just sentiment of the people of tho
state. The exercise of the frnnnhfsn
is the highest duty of citizenship, yet
how careless many aro in using this
privilege, how indifferent many citi
zens are as to whether they vote or
not. The right of suffrage is a price
less privilege; it marks the difference
between the citizen and the subject
Men have died in order that we might
have this right, and we would give up
our lives rather than lose it. It would
seem to be only just that those who
do not prize this privilege enough to
exercise it ought not to have it. The
knowledge that failure to vote would
disfranchise them and make them po
litical eunuchs would bring home to
them a realization of its supreme value.
Too many men take the great boon of
American citizenship as a matter of
course, forgetting the blood and treas
ure that bought it for them. Let him
who without good cause avoids this
simple duty be barred by law from all
the privileges that flow from citizen
ship, leaving to the individual the right
in proper proceedings to purge his disqualification."
Nogi and Stoe5sl Meet
Headquarters of the Third Japanese
Army in Front of Port Arthur, Jan. 5
(via Tien Tsin). The meeting of Gen.
Kogi and Gen. Stoessel today was as
undramatic as the whole conclusion of
the siege. It had previously heen ar
ranged to take place at noon in tho
single undamaged house of the village
UNDER OTHER PUGS
A NEW BOOK....
o Y . . . . .,
.... WILLIAM J. BRYAN
A collection of articles written by Mr. Bryan while in
Europe, Cuba and Mexico, together with a number of
recent speeches and lectures never before published in
book form. .
On the High Seas.
Tariff Debate in England.
Ireland and Her Leaders.
Growth of Municipal Ownershii
Thanksgiving Address (London
England).
France and Her Pnnio
Republic of Switzerland.
Three Little Kingdoms.
Germany and Socialism.
ixussia ana Her Czar.
Rome, the Catholic Capital
Tolstoy, the Apostle of Love.
Notes on Europe.
Pearl of the Antilles.
' CONTENTS
.-
" V
--
Birth of the Cuban Republic
Mexico First Visit.
Our Sister Republic-Mexico.
Value of an Ideal.
A Conquering Nation.
Attractions of Farming.
Holland Society Address.
Imperialism.
Have Kept the Faith."
(St. Louis Convention Speech.)
Naboth's Vineyard.
British Rule in India.
Philo Sherman Bennett.
Wonders of the West '"'.
.B,1 &SM WJftJ b00k
NEATLY BOUND IN CLOTH 400 PAGE OCTAVO E
DNDER OTHER FUGS, Postag Prepaid Si 3t
lcn WN TBE COMMONER 0 ? ear, I
CASR Willi ORDER, Draft, ', P. Tkoaey offfire nM
AGENTS WANTED ;.
AddressLTHE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
.
VMWtMIMMUMHM