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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
I
VOL. 7. No. 23.
Lincoln, Nebraska, June 21, 1907. .
Whole Number 335.
CONTENTS
v
THE OKLAHOMA CONSTITUTION
MR. BRYAN AND THE- TARIFF
;) JUlilN T. MUJK.UA1N
1 13 Til TWO TO DTfiniwAwn" I f'l
THAT TARIFF COMMISSION
'TAFT QUITS FIGHTING FORAKER"
A CANDID BANKER
OREGON'S GREAT PROGRESS
THE LUKEWARMS AND THE KINGS
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
f WASHINGTON LETTER
1 PARAGRAPHIC PUNCHES
COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
I MR. BRYAN AND THE TARIFF
The Houston, Texas, Post takes Mr. Bryan
to task for an Interview which gaVe to the tariff
question less emphasis than the editor of the
Post thought that question deserved. Mr.
Bryan was quoted as saying that other ques
tions are more important at present than the.
tariff question. What Mr. Bryan said was that
the-trust question, the tariff question and the
railroad questidn were all parts of the larger
question which presented the issue between a
government administered for the benefit of the
few and a government administered for the ben
efit of the whole people. The newspaper repre
sentative who reported the interview asked Mr.
Bryan if he considered the tariff question the
paramount issue. He replied no, that the three
questions were parts of one issue. The reporter,
as is sometimes the case, wrote the interview
up in his own language and conveyed a false
impression. Mr. Bryan has not attempted to fix
the relative importance of these issues, believing
as he has said several times that they are really
phases of the greater issue presented between
plutocracy and democracy.
The Post ought not to be so quick to as
sume as correct an interview to which it takes
exceptions. It is bad enough to have the repub
lican papers jumping at conclusions and giving
circulation to criticisms. The Post, being demo
cratic, ought to treat democrats as friends and
hot be too ready to sispect them of error. . If
the editor of the Post has fallowed Mr. Bryan's
speeches, he ought to know that Mr. Bryan has
emphasized the tariff question, and he ought not
to be accused of lack of interest in the subject.
OOOO
A GOOD SUGGESTION
Mr. Frank S. Gardner, secretary of the New
Tork board of trade and transportation, has
brought to the president's attention a sugges
tion which is worthy of consideration. This is a
plan suggested by a Commoner reader more
than a year ago and is to the effect
that a cut rate Intentionally given shall thence- ,
forth be the established rate unless the court,
upon appeal, shall declare the same to be un
reasonably low. In other words, a railroad, by
cutting a rate, shall raise a presumption against
itself as to the reasonableness" of the rate and
be put upon the defensive. While the proposed
measure will be unnecessary if the present laws
really stop rebates and cut rates, no harm could
come from the passage of such a law. It might
help to prevent the violation of the present law
as it would add a very effective penalty to the
one already prescribed. However much the rail
roads may protest against the lowering of a rate
when the lowering is done by the interestate
commerce commission, it can not very well deny
the reasonableness of a rate which it voluntarily
puts into operation for the benefit of one of its
shippers. . v
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BUT THE BIG ONES GET AWAY
THE OKLAHOMA CONSTITUTION
The Commoner has already called attention
to the Oklahoma constitution and has ventured
to suggest that it is the best constitution that
there is in the United States today. Its superiority
consists In the fact that its fraraers took ad
vantage of the experience of other states. The
New York Tribune referred to the delegates to
Oklahoma's constitutional convention as corn
field lawyers, but It is interesting J;o note how
carefully these cornfield lawyers have been
looking into other constitutions. Oklahoma's
constitution was written from the standpoint of
the people. It brings the government close to
the people and keeps the government in the
hands of the people. The republicans will have
difficulty in convincing the people of Oklahoma
that they can not be trusted with the manage
ment of their own affairs.
A few references to the provisions of the
Oklahoma constitution will show how carefully
it has been written:
Section 4 of the bill of rights provides that
no civil or military power shall interfere to pre
vent the free exercise of the right of suffrage
by those entitled to it.
Section 10 of the bill of rights provides
that the writ of habeas corpus shall never be
suspended.
Section 19 protects the right of trial by
jury but permits a reduction of the jury to six
men' in county courts and in courts not of
record. In civil cases and in criminal cases less
than felonies, three-fourths of the whole num
ber of'the jurors concurring, shall have power
to render a verdict. The provision for the three
fourths verdict in civil cases is important and
Is a step in advance.
Section 28 provides that the records, books
and files of all corporations shall be at all times
liable and subject to tho full visitorial and in
quisitorial powers of the state.
Section 31 provides that tho .right of the
state to engage in any pecupation or business
for public purpose shall not bo denied or. pro
hibited, except that it shall not engage In the
business of agriculture except for educational,
scientific, penal or charitable purposes.
The advantages of the initiative and refer
endum are secured to tho people so that they
can control their representatives and make such
changes as they shall deem best in their.. consti
tution and laws.
A department of labor is created, and the
legislature is empowered to create a board of
arbitration and conciliation. -
In 'jury trials the verdict shall be general
and while the court may, in its discretion, direct
special findings, the judge shall not be required
by law to direct the jury to make special
findings.
The' railroads are declared to be public
highways and are subjected to strict control,
and a corporation commission exercises super
vision over quasi corporations created by the
state.
The law is strict in regard to the creation
of private corporations. No watered stock Is
allowed, campaign contributions are prohibited,
and'eorporations are not allowed to own or con
trol stock in competitive corporations. Tho
license granted to mining or public service cor
porations shall contain a stipulation that such
corporations will submit any difference It may
have with employes with reference to labor to
arbitration as provided by law. Corporations
must file with the corporation commission a
list of their stockholders, officers, directors, etc.
No foreign corporation is permitted to carry 6n
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