w r fc
f 1
The Commoner
JUNE, 30, 1905
15
decisive victory. The fight there was
made by the radical democracy along
progressive democratic lines, against
the greed of great corporations and it
won, and the shouts of the victors are
bringing back courage to democrats
thoughout the land. It is the first
great victory of the organized democ
racy there are many more to follow.
The movement now is forward. The
breach between the parties is widen
ing. The fight for the people has com
menced. A militant, progressive, tri
umphant, democracy proposes now to
claim its own.
Is there still a disposition in the
democratic party to be conservative
in this great city? Is there a reaction
ary tendency in any portion of the
party here? If there is then you are
not in touch with the present aggres
sive, resistless forward movement of
democracy.
Beyond the boundaries of this em
pire state lies the west now teem
ing with an industrious, intelligent
population fully alive to all the issues
of the hour the great west with its
broad fertile acres with its streams
running full, its navigable rivers, its
prosperous towns and cities. Through
the heart of this great section of our
country there is pulsing a movement
for the initiative and referendum for
public ownership for shorter hours of
labor for the rights of the children.
Extracts from Mr, Rainey' Harlem
speech follow:
A crisis in the history of the demo
cratic party has been safely passed.
The. tendency to swing away from the
theories advocated by Jefferson has
been arrested, and today democrats all
over the land are again, with renewed
energy" and courage, taking up the fight
of the honest, old-fashioned democracy
which the many-sided Jefferson be
lieved and taught.
We have bqen straying in forbidden
pastures. But we -are now again re
turning to the straight highway along
which we travelled in the days of Jef
ferson and Jackson. We have per
mitted men to occupy the executive
positions in the party whose alliances
were with the trusts and not with the
people. We have made the mistake
of yielding to the conservative, non
progressive element in the party.
The democratic party mindful of its
glorious career in the past, when it
was the party of progress, is living
now in the present, and is preparing
for the future. In all those sections
of the country where the new demo
cratic spirit of activity is now at work
there is no longer any talk of conser
vatism, as that term was used last
year. We are not finding fault there
is no time for that in this busy world
of action. We only say we have
retreated far enough. With battle
flags flying we are again advancing
to meet the old enemy the same en
emy Jefferson encountered one hun
dred years ago the same enemy
which, under various disguises, has al
ways been ready insidiously to .attack,
the rights of the people and to assail
the foundations of free government.
road rates, for the regulation of pri
vate car lines and terminals, is on.
The democratic party, true to" its tradi
tions and its history, is leading. Jf it
is found impossible to regulate and
control these public utilitiesso that
they are the servants, not the mas
ters, of the people Chicago has point
ed out the way. Rather than submit
to railroad ownership of the instru
ments of government, the people will
demand and will have government
ownership of railroads." A great bat-
tie nas been fought and won; the peo
ple realize now their power, and there
goes out now to every natural monop
oly from the people a warning they
must submit to be regulated by the
government or owned by the government.
I come to you tonight with a mes
sage from the great state of Illinois.
I am here to say that in that state
the party is already reorganized along
radical lines, and in the great city by
the lakes we made last week a demo
cratic fight agahist the greed of cor
porations and swept the clouds of de
feat from the sky and today in the
great city of -Chicago the sun is shin
ing again. In that city they demol
ished a republican majority of 110,000
and built up in its place a democratic
majority of 25,000. When you give
democrats something to vote for you
may always expect democratic ma
jorities in democratic constituencies.
Writing to a personal friend, Jeffer
son said: "I am persuaded that the
good sense of the neonle will niwnvn
be found to be the best army. They
may be led astray for a moment, but
will soon correct themselves." The
great leader never enunciated a truer
doctrine. The people are now engaged
in the business of correcting them
selves, and from all parts of the coun
try comes, the news of democratic vic
tories and there are more to follow.
"That the foundation of Mr. Rocke
feller's fortune was laid in a conspi
racy with tho railroads, not onlv to
pay him secret robates en his own
shipments, but to give him like
amounts on all the. oil shipped by
his competitors, thereby forcing those
competitors, without their knowledgo
or consent, to subsidize Mr. Rockefel
ler's business. Furthermore, that in
the beginning he bound the roads by
express contract, in direct violation
of their legal and moral obligations as
common carriers, to maintain tho busi
ness of his South Improvement com
pany 'against injury by competition,
and lower, or raise tho gross rates of
transportation for such times and to
such an extent as might be necessary
to overcome tho competition,' that In
accordance with this arrangement he
caused tho rnlos on his competitors
oil to bo doubled, and In one notorious
instance of later date, in which ho was
shipping oil at ten cents per barrel,
he mndo a railroad charge a rival
thirty-five, of which the Standard Oil
took twenty-five, generously allowing
the railroad to keep ten.
"That while other shipperw had se
cured rebates, the Idoa of using tho
power of tho railroads to extort 'rake
offs' from his competitors was Mr.
Rockefeller's own Invention, and there
fore not to be excused on tho plea
that he was only doing what others
did.
"That while, as Mr. Rockefeller's
apologists assert, ordinary rebates
may not have been specifically forbid
den by federal law before the passage
of th jninritte commerce act, they
The fight for the regulation of rail-
The dangers from trusts and im
perialism were never so apparent as
now the necessity for tariff revision
was never so urgent. The people are
beginning to realize that no relief can
be expected from the republican party.
It is too late now to divert the people
with presidential tours but it is not
to late to recall what Jefferson said
on this subject. ' Writing to Governor
Sullivan in 1807, and commenting on
this subject, he said:
"I confess that I am not reconciled
to the idea of a chief magistrate parad
ing himself through the several states,
as an object of public gaze, and in
quest of an applause which to be valu
able should be purely voluntary. I
had rather acquire silent good will
by a faithful discharge of my duties
than owe expressions of it to my
putting myself in the way of receiv
ing them." The demand is now for a
return to the simplicity and honesty
of Jefferson the democrat to the radi
calism and aggressiveness of Jeffer
son the great leader of men.
The Case Against Rockefeller
The champions of Rockefeller insist
that the business methods of their pa
tron saint are above criticism, and in
these days when Rockefeller's gifts
or subsidies are very generally dis
cussed, it is not uncommon that a
Rockefeller champion meets criticism
with a demand for specifications. Al
though most people have a general
idea of the Rockefeller methods, those
who have not read the books that
are accepted as authority on Rockefel
ler or whose memory as to details is
not good, have been embarrassed in
framing a reply. It is quite likely, also,
that in many instances Rockefeller
champions being well-meaning and
sincere men are ignorant of their
idols' bad record. For the purpose
of ready reference an article written
by Samuel E. Moffett for Collier's
Weekly will be valuable. Mr. Moffett
points out that Rockefeller's defend
ers seem to imagine that all the popu
lar hostility to Mr. Rockefeller is
based upon the fact that he made
good bargains for the transportation
of his product, and they confine their
defense to this line. But Mr. Moffett
says that in this they are not doing
justice to their client and that what
Mr. Rockefeller needs in order to dis
pel the public feeling against him Is an
advocate prepared to refute often re
peated and widely - published asser
tions with respect to other features.
Mr. Moffett presents the bill of par
ticulars as follows.
what
THE IONIA WAGON COMPANY'S, Ionia, Michigan
NEW "BIBLE" SONG
The celebrated "BIBLE" wagon Ih Htrlctly up-to-date, the highest grade:
It haB THIRTY-THREE valuable Improvement, ycH, "Thirty-three" In
we aaiu.
Michigan Is the greatest timber atale where this fine wagon Jh made;
Never checking, black birch hubs and tho bem second growth npokes,
Selected with the greatest care from choicest young hickories and oaks,
Heavy sand proof skeins, split hickory axles and clipped gears,
The lightest running wagon In the world, for on the spindles no sand vors,
In fact, the finest and best wagon the Americans have seen for years.
The tongues, the. reaches, the hounds, whlffletrees and tho yokes,
Aro the very best the good Lord grows now, this Is no hoax;
Yellow poplar side boards, well braced and grooved hardwood cleats,
Quarter sawed hard yellow plno bottrms and easy lazy back spring seats.
All wpod Is saturated In hot linseed oil and painted with pure lead,
You can have your choice of colors, Blue and Yellow, or Oreen and lied; '
All who buy the celebrated "BIBL1S" wagon are always to It eternally wed,
And those who do not buy it well, they may wish they were dead, -,
For tho LIVE MAN, everywhere, must have It, In order to make a sure stake;
You can load It heavy, and whistle or sing along for no load will maku It
break.
The finish Is so fine you can use It for a looking glass Just sec yoursolf In It,
This certainly ought to please the women folks primp beforo It Just In a
minute.
If you are gallant whether married or single some fair one you strive to ploaso;
Tho BIBLE wagon will do It "SHE" can "make up" before it, anywhere,
with ease.
And It will make YOU happy and prosperous, keep your horses fat and free from
disease.
CHORUS: (Now, Farmers and Dealers.let us altogether sing) .
Of course wo must all have the BIBLE wagon, which no load can ever break?,;
The Ionia Wagon Company makes them and we know the Bible wagon lu.no
fake,
They aro used the world over In the mountains In tho hills and wero novor
known to break; -
Wo are all alive to our own Interest know a good thing when we see It year
wide awake. , Jt ,
Get on board the BIBLE wagon; it Is strong and made right about this there la
no mistake.
For further particulars address, , ,
JOHN F. BIBLE, GcnT Mgr., Ionia, Mich.
HnBarannnBHniaranBaBn
aaaaaaauaaaaaaaaaauaaaaaatJauaaafJaaaaaiiaaauaiiiUaauaa
ma E2
DC!
aa
ma
eh
aa
aa
ED3
EQ
EH
a
EH
ea
EE3
Bill
EH
aa
Qn
DQ
GO
EU
ma
oa
eh
ca
ma
GO
eh
EQ
ma
aa
eh
aa
ma
ma
aa
EH
ca
En
EQ
eh
aa
ma
aa
eh
aa
ma
aa
Ed
ECJ
EH
BQ
ma
a
nn
aa
ma
a
ma
NEED A CHANGE?
Undoubtedly you do you may not be completely
"down and out," but the chances are you need a
rest and change.
Go to Colorado for an outing AND GO SOON!
The mountain air beats medicine. The trip will
do you a world of good.
New service via Rock Island System. Three
daily trains from Chicago, one from St. Louis,
two from Kansas City. Low rates all summer
longspecially reduced June 30 to July 4 and
August 12 to 14.
Only Rock Island trains run direct to Denver
as well as to Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
You don't have to go to Denver to reach the
Springs unless you want to.
Send for 80-page illustrated Colorado booklet
(containing list of hotels and boarding houses),
and details of excursion rates.
JOHN SEBASTIAN,
Passenger Traffic Manager,
Chicago.
ma
aa
no
aa
ma
aa
DO
t: a
Da
aa
ma
OH
ma
aa
ECS
ma
aa
ma
aa
ma
ca
ECl
aa
ma
aa
ma
aa
Ed
QH
EH
aa
BEf
aa
ma
na
oa
na
aa
ma
aa
ma
aa
ggi!ESiiEgigiBSIgggg0EiBggigEigi3gi3
I
&
i
"I -1 lr -V-M