The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
n
VOL. 7. No. 4.-
Lincoln, Nebraska, February 8, 1907.
Whole Number Si 6.
, f
CONTENTS
GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE
MISTAKES OF 189G
THE ASSET CURRENCY SCHEME
DIRECT PRIMARY IN NEBRASKA
WHY NOT REVISE
A "CRAFTY AND GRAFT Y GAME"
CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH
WASHINGTON LETTER
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
MISTAKES OF 1896
In .t speech delivered at Austin, Texas, Jan
uary 27, Senator Bailey as reported in the Hous
ton Tost said:
"We made one mistake in 189G. 1 did not
help to make it myself. I did not make a
calamity campaign and I hope we will npveiv:..
"'have "another one. Let us raalce our" cam-'
paigns on governmental principles, because .
, thus only ,can we fulfill the expectations of
the people. If Ave make a campaign upon the
success of the season, or the abundance of
the crops, then if the seasons fail or the orops
" diminish we cannot fulfill the expectations of
the people. Let us have the courage and the
intelligence to stand and tell that all thejjov
erhment can do to promote the prosperity of
the people is to make them just and wise and
equal laws. Let us pledge them that the dem
ocratic party will do that and leave all else
of the salvation of the people to themselves."
If Senator Bailey doesn't maicc any more mis
takes than the democratic party made in 189G he
will have made a fine record for sagacity. The
Texas senator's .description of the 189G campaign
is by no means fair. Indeed it sounds very much
like a republican editorial.
The democrats did not make it "a calamity"
campaign; they tiidnot make it "a campaign upon
the success or upon the failure of the seasons."
They did have the courage and the intelligence
to stand for the public interests and to make clear
and explicit pledges of what they would do in the
event they were entrusted with power.
The day has gone by when the splendid at
titude taken and the good work performed by the
democratic party in 1800 can be estimated by u
sneer; and. in proof of this we need but to cite the
well established fact that the radicalism of 189(5
has become the conservatism of .1907;-that the
Chicago platform, denounced and laughed at by
many, has so grown in favor that a republican
president has won his greatest popularity by the
adoption of the principles and policies described
in that platform. The spirit of that platform has
steadily grown in favor with the American people,
who); in the opinion of many well inforjned men
throughout the country, are prepared to entrust
the democratic party with power whenever the
party shall show a willingness to deal frankly
with the people and a determination to cut itself
loose -from all entangling alliances with special in
terests from the entangling alliance of a corpor
ation contribution to campaign funds; the entang
ling alliance of a committee organization com
posed of men more concerned in the welfare of the
trusts than in the public interests and from the
entangling alliance of candidates, who keep tho
word of promise to the ear only to break it to the
hope.
As to Conducting Railroads--No. 1
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RMOAP MANNER IT REQUIRES 0RAIN5 OF AN EXCEPTIONALLY HtOti ORDER TO RUN A RVLROAP-
X0U COULDN'T DO IT, UNCLE WHY, I EVE N HAVE TO HELP YOU RUN YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT OWNER 5HIP ? PR EPOS TEROVS !!
No. 2
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GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE
The heart is the center of life; when its pulsa
tions cease death Is at hand. So there is in na
tions a vital part around which national life is cen
tered. The heart of nations today is to be found in
tho aspiration, more or less developed among all
peoples, for self-government and the effort to en
large the participation of the people in their gov
ernment is the controlling purpose of those who
are yet denied constitutions and parliaments. As
the Orient is more backward than Europe the
struggles there against arbitrary power are more
noticeable.
The awakening of Japan was cotomporary
with the promise of constitutional government.
When tho power of the Shogun was overthrown
and the authority of the emperor restored, a con
stitution was promised to the people. The Sho
gun, through his control of the military forces,
had gradually usurped the power of the emperor
until the latter was' a mere figurehead. Those
who opposed the opening up of the country to for
eign ideas used the treaties made by the Shogun
with the foreign i owers as an excuse for demand
ing the retirement, of the-military government.
The emperor, however, was no sooner installed
than he opened the door to the outside world and
began to pattern his government after the govern
ments of Europe and America. As soon as Hie
people were taken into partnership in the manage
ment of the affairs of state the educational sys
tems of the western world were adopted, freedom
of speech and 'of the press permitted and public
assemblies encouraged. From that time there ha3
been a steady growth in the direction of popular
government. The Japanese who have studied in
America have carried back with them democratic
Ideas, while those who have pursued their studies
in England have learned of the omnipotence of
parliament and the value of public discussion.
The paramount political question in Japan today
is whether the ministry shall be chosen by the
emperor from among his personal friends or ie
fiect, as in England and most of the other Euro
pean countries, the dominant sentiment in parlia
ment. A great deal depends upon tho decision of
this question and there Is no doubt that it will
sooner or later be decided oi the side of parlia
ment. '
To understand the Influence of government
upon the progress of a people It is only necessary
to consider what would happen If the government
of Japan should adopt a reactionary policj'. If,