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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
Wn.UAM J. DllYAN ,
Kdltor ond Proprietor.
IUciiaiu) I. MnrcAt.ru
AksocIiUo Editor.
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Washington Letter
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
If the price of meat really fell It must have
taken an awful bounce.
Mr. Burton is now a greater expert than
ever on the deep water question.
That Mississippi river pilot is not. the only
institution that has survived a suspension.
At any rate there is to be no stringency in
the circulation of American warships.
Those canine policemen in New York are
warranted not to be of the "yellow dog" variety.
Now guess if you can the name of the man
Chancellor Day blames for the present financial
flurry.
'; By the way, how would a "liberal" con
struction of the constitution help in times like
' "' tlifcse?
, Mr. Burton has two sources of consolation
- aseat in congress and that letter from the
1 president.
If Japan insists on financing that big ex
. position she will have to quit building warships
for awhile.
Senator Thomas C. Piatt announces that
he will be able to express himself when .the
senate convenes".
"Green hats for men" is a fashion note
in an eastern paper. But wasn't the adjective
transposed a bit?
But, could Wall Street do any better with
an elastic currency than it has done, with an
elastic conscience?
"Why not cheaper meat?" plaintively
queries the Washington Herald. Answer:
Cudahy, Armour, Swift, et al.
Now what explanation can Secretary Loob
make for1 allowing it to happen while his chief
was sauntering through the cauebrakes?
If all other consolation fails Mr.. Burton
may comfort himself with the thought that the
' people preferred to keep him in congress.
There aro 350,000,000 eggs deposited in the
cold storage warehouses of Chicago. As for us,
. wo would prefer the certificates to the eggs.
Washimrton. D. C November 11. There
will be at least three bills introduced into con
gress at its first session in December putting the
raw materials of print paper on the free list
and repealing the tariff on paper. In all prob
ability one will bo presented by a prominent re
publican. Two or three democrats have bills to
the same effect. It is a curious fact, and it
shows the way in which business men are affect
ed by politics, that I have word from a number
of owners of republican newspapers that they
can not support a bill expressing their views if
introduced by a democrat. So there arises the
question whether the republican newspapers, or
rather their owners, are more desirous of get
ting the legislation which they approved at their
meeting, adopted, or more afraid of allowing
the democratic party to get some credit ,for do
ing what they desire. Perhaps in the end it
might be just as well to fight out this issue of
free paper for a free press without regard to
the politics of the man who introduces the bill.
The two elections held on Tuesday, the 6th
of November, which had the most importance
were those in New York county and in Cleve
land, Ohio. The reason they were important
is that President Roosevelt was very seriously
involved in both and was very emphatically
beaten in each. Some months ago Mr. Roose
velt set forth to purify republican politics in
New York. He' saw there in control a man
named Odell, former governor of the state, and
a political associate of one E. H. Harriman. Mr.
Harriman had been described by Mr. Roosevelt
at divers times as an undesirable citizen and as
' a practical man. In the latter capacity he had
been invited to the White House to contribute
his mite to the Roosevelt campaign fund. The
fund having been used, Mr. Harriman wag
turned down vigorously and emphatically. Her-
bert Parsons was made the arbiter of the Roose
velt destinies in New York. Mr. Parsons ar- '
ranged to tie up the republican organization with
the Hearst organization. He made a fusion.
Hearst got six nominees, the republicans five.
Incidentally the offices handed over to Hearst
were those that paid the biggest salaries or fees.
It is a matter of almost absolute knowledge that
this fusion was made with the knowledge and
consent, and upon the advice of the president.
It was a trade made by the man who was put
in control of local politics In New York by Theo
dore Roosevelt, and made with the knowledge
of his sponsor. '
It is the most utter nonsense to say that
Mr. Roosevelt was ignorant of this New York
fusion. Every step made in it was. taken by the
men in New York to whom he has given control
of the republican party organization there. The
of the republican party organization there.
-A very militant democrat, Tom Johnson,
has" been elected for the fourth time mayor of
Cleveland. Johnson is what is called a demo
cratic democrat. He is a democrat to tho very
last degree of democracy. He carries the demo
cratic maxim of "Equal rights to all, and special
privileges to none" to its logical conclusion. He
has been a member of congress and while there
admitted that as an individual he was a party
to a trust. And after having so admitted, very
cheerfully voted against the , interests of that
trust. He asserted then that as a business man
he would take advantage of every law which
would give him an opportunity to enrich himself
aj; the expense of the people. But that as a
public man he would fight so far as he was
able to annul the laws by which he and his
kind might prosper. I remember very well that
in- 1897 Tom Johnson controlled the Brooklyn
street railroads. Yet he went out to make a
fight for Henry George as a candidate for mayor
of Greater New York even though he knew that
George believed absolutely in the municipal
ownership f railroads. Johnson is a successful
business man, and a radical democrat. Being
both he is ridiculed by certain organs of public
opinion for being' a radical democrat. If he
were an unsuccessful business man, hevould
. be ridiculed just as harshly for his political
VOLUME 7, NUMBER H
views. As nearly as it can bo figured out from
tho cheap talk of newspapers of this sort tho
man who is thoroughly successful in business
and expresses his political views with frankness
and earnestness is only a demogoguo; the man
to whom fortune has not come, but who still
fights for his opinion is merely one .of the down
and outers striving to get back into more prom
inence by his devotion to a party or a cause
Let any one look over the criticism mado upon
public men in the democratic party from Mr
Bryan down, and he will see that this tendency
to criticise the rich man who is democratic or
the poor ,man who is democratic is almost
universal.
That is part of the lesson taught by tho
triumph of Tom Johnson in Cleveland. This
is another portion: Mr. Burton, his opponent
has been for years his personal friend. More
than that he has during all the time that Tom
Johnson controlled the politics of Cleveland, or
of Cuyahogo county, 'lie has been sent to con
gress without any material antagonism on tho
part of the democrats of that district. Mr. Bur
ton is recognized as one of the men of great
ability in congress. Not merely does he repre
sent his district with force and with industry,
but he is known as one of the small group of
representatives who are really able to affect
legislation. Mayor Johnson has repeatedly said
that Burton's election was good for the city.
Now comes Mr. Roosevelt and intervenes once
more in a local issue. He urged Burton to be
. a candidate against Johnson. Burton said so
himself. Taft urged him to be a candidate. This,
too, Mr. Burton declared. But with the full
force of the administration back of him, and
with the record of Johnson's often repeated ap
proval of his congressional policy, Mr. Burton
hasbeen beaten, and beaten badly.
WILLIS J. ABBOT.
IS MR. ROOSEVELT RETREATING?
(Continued from Page Five)
agitation against wealth of demands for moro
laws to punish malefactors, of fresh plans to
punish arid to destroy.
Mr. Roosevelt is not to make any more
vehement speeches like those at Provincetown,
and at towns along the Mississippi, at least, not
in the near future. Instead of causing new in
.dlctments to be brought wholesale against more
trusts and corporations the law will be allowed
to take its course against those now before the
courts. 'One or-,two cases will be passed through
to final decision by the supreme court of the
United States.
These decisions; if in. favor of the govern
ment, will furnish the president with legal
weapons so effective that no further agitation
or denunciation will be needed to curb other
unlawful corporations.
No one has ventured to urge upon the presi
dent that he abandon his chosen policy, but
friendly supporters, men of loyalty but calm
judgment have endeavored to show him
better and safer paths of .procedure. Mr.
Roosevelt has listened to this advice, but more
particularly has he been influenced by the sud
den and overwhelming cry of sound business dis
tress from. many cities of the country. As long
as it was merely New York speculators in trouble
he forged ahead with all the greater abandon.
But when the country became affected he
paused.
WHAT CAN IT MEAN?
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat -(rep.) has
an editorial entitled "The Race Will be Free
for All." The Globe-Democrat says: "It is
possible that, on the opening ballot, as many
names may be presented to the convention of
1908 as were before the convention of 1SSS.
The people have a habit of selecting candidates
for themselves, through their specially chosen
representatives, and not delegating the work six
or eight months beforehand to politicians or
public officers. In the work of choosing a can
didate 1908 will accept no dictation from 1907.
ft is time for the leading republican papers of
the country to speak right out and say that tho
matter of the selection of the presidential can
didate is still to be decided, and that there will
be an open and a free race for all the aspirants.'
Now what in the world is the Globe-Democrat
driving at? Can it mean that it does not
intend that Mr. Roosevelt shall. select the repub
lican candidate? Or can it me,anthat it is not
willing that the special interests shall naino
the candidate?
.-. M at 1.afafcjt,iiAit .