n-i!iww'wnjlim-i jwRjmSJsHRRtSRI
JUNE V, 1908
The Commoner
if Ml
hoped such' "a bill would pass. William H.
Taft.
Lincoln,., Nob., May 26, 1908. Hon W. H.
Taft, Secretary of War, Washington, D. C: Am
very much gratified to receive your telegram and
trust the publication of your letter will add the
weight necessary to turn the scales in favor of
the measure. Elections are public affairs, and
publicity will help to purify politics. W. J.
Bryan.
Lincoln . Neb., May 26, 1908. Senator.
Charles H. Culberson, United States Senate,
Washington, D. C: Please secure copies of my
telegrams to Secretary Taft and- his reply con
cerning campaign contributions. His letter to
Seuatqr Bujrrows may enable you to secure
action on the1 bill. W. J. Bryan.
Lincoln Neb., May 26, 1908. Hon. John
Sharp Williams, House of Representatives, '
Washington J p. C: Please secure copies of my
telegrams td Secretary Taft and his reply con
cerning campaign contributions. His letter to
Senator Burrows may "enable you to secure ac
tion on the bill. W. J. Bryan.
Mr. Bryan made this proposition to Mr.
Taft at the suggestion of Henry Watterson, edi
tor of the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal.
?V & & tGf
THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
The national democratic congressional cam
paign committee has begun active operations at
Its headquarters at Washington, D. C. In addi
tion to its regular work, it is now preparing a
campaign handbook, which it hopes to have
ready for distribution by July 1 two or three
(months earlier than heretofore.
The committee is charged with the duty of
assisting, in every way possible, the election of
a democratic congress. We wish the active co
operation of every voter in the United States
who believes, with us, that the election of a
democratic congress would greatly benefit the
country. We must rely upon the people to sus
tain our work by giving information as to local
conditions and suggestions for our guidance.
Each individual can at leaBt aid us by mak
ing a contribution. Will he not do so and in
terest others in helping us, too?
We wish our campaign handbook distribut
ed, as generally as possible, and we will furnish
a copy, as soon as published, to everyone who
contributes to our committee.
Send remittances to me at Washington,
D. C. JAMES T. LLOYD, Chairman.
Washington Letter
.-'
Ik? Washington, June 1. The effort of the
'-:'' republican party representatives in the house
fi. - to stifle the bill providing lor publicity of cam
? paign contributions took a new form. From
the very inception of this measure the demo
cratic members have been earnestly and stren
uously for it. The democratic members of the
committee having the bill in charge voted for
favorable report. John Sharp Williams, demo
cratic leader on the Hoof cf the house, not only
spoke earnestly In favor of it, but prepared a
petition to which he secured the signatures of
every democratic member of the house, plead
ing with the speaker to permit it to be brought
before that body. What happened? The pub
licity bill was so amended as to make it intol
erable to the people of the south. It was amend
ed in such a way as to prevent its acceptance
by any democrat. There was put upon it what
they call in congress a "rider" which had no
relation to' the real purpose of the bill, but
which was planned wholly for its defeat. The
rider provided for an Investigation into the
votes of the negroes of the south and the pro
portion that negro voters bear to southern rep
resentation. It was absolutely in no degree
pertinent to the purpose of the bill. What the
question of the 'contributions of the life insur
ance companies of New York, of the steel trust
and the Standard Oil trust and the protected
manufacturers throughout the nation may have
to do with the effort of the southern states
to prevent their government from being seized
by illiterate and incompetent voters is not ap
parent. It appears that in order to collect a
tremendous campaign fund this year the repub
lican party Is willing to go to the limit against
every issue for which the people stand. No
tariff revision until after election, but a tariff
commission to collfect campaign funds from the
protected manufacturers. No financial legisla
tion or currency legislation until after election,
but a commission which will sit through the
summer and gather in funds from the bankers
and the financial institutions of the United
States. No measure providing for the publicity
of contributions made until after those contri
butions have been paid in, the money expended
and the election settled. This is the honesty,
the integrity and the patriotism of tho present
rulers of the republican party. The entire ses
sion has been devoted to taking out of tho pock
ets of the American people money in taxes, pre
venting any reduction in the drain of national
revenues into the pockets of tho handful of men
who enjoy republican protection, and now at
tho last moment they destroy a bill which was in
tended to advance the cause of honest elections.
When this Sixtieth congress adjourns its
appropriations will closely approach, If they do
not exceed, two billion dollars. People still
young remomber tho outcry which was made
when the congress presided over by Tom Reed
was called a "billion dollar congress." The
profligacy of that session resulted In a demo
cratic congress and a democratic president.
Roughly speaking tho increase in appropriations
made or In contemplation by the present session
of congress over those of the corresponding ses
sion last year approach $125,000,000. This
is just the increase over former appropriations,
and it is Interesting to note that of this in
crease the army, navy, pensions, fortifications
practically amount to almost one-half. It is
a matter of statistical fact that today pest wars
or imaginary wars in tho future require nearly
seventy per cent of our national revenues.
This enormous Increase in the federal ex
penditures comes at a time when tho federal
revenues are falling off. It means a tremendous
increase in the burden of taxation upon tho In
dividual just at a time when twelve years of
absolute republican domination of all branches of
the federal government have plunged the coun
try into a commercial depression and has re
duced the income of every workingman and of
every man who has not enjoyed tho gifts of
monopoly which that party has so widely dis
tributed. The people who impose the taxation
and thereby take the money out of the pockets
of the ordinary people have been exceedingly
liberal. They have not merely increased ap
propriations, but have provided for a deficit in
the treasury which will narrowly approach $150,
000,000 for the fiscal year, and to offset this
they have not passed one measure for tho re
duction of taxation, for tho increase of the rev
enues or for the relief of the country from tho
commercial depression which now confronts it.
WILLIS J. ABBOT.
THE "MILLION ARMY"
The Commoner willba sent to any one ap
plying for It, from now until tho close of tho
1908 campaign, for 35 cents. It Is hoped that
through the million army plan, The Commoner
may be placed in every precinct in every state
in tho union.
Cut out, sign and return tho certificate
printed on page 6 for your own membership.
Or if you do not care to mutilato your copy of
The Commoner, send In a request asking for a
number of blank certificates and they will bo
forwarded to you, thus enabling you to give
your acquaintances an opportunity to join in
the work of building up the "army of a million
plan" and enabling them also to secure The
Ccmoner from now until November, 1908, for
only 35 cents.
Brooko H. Weeks, Washington, D. C. En
closed find two certificates of membership and
money order to pay for same. This makes eight
campaign and two yearly subscriptions. Please
send me a few certificates and I will do all I
can to get subscribers.
M. J. Hoppock, Frankfort, Mich. Enclosed
find three membership certificates with $1.80 to
pay for same. Please send me a dozen more
certificates.
Wm. C. Hopkins, Charleston, W. Va. I
herewith enclose $4.50 for which please send
The Commoner-to the persons whose names are
on the enclosed certificates of membership. Send
me fifteen or twenty more certificates.
Guy A. Bickwlth, Grand Rapids, Mich. En
closed please find postofilce money order and
certificates. Please send more certificates and
some sample copies, about a dozen if possible.
Martin V. Sheldon, Denver, Colo. Enclosed
find 60 cents for The Commoner. Please send
a few certificates.
I. E. Brenton, Revere, Minn. Enclosed
please. find 60 cents; also certificate of member
ship. Please send me more certificates.
J. W. Jones, Grove City, Pa. Please find
enclosed cortlflcato and money order for 60
cents. If you will kindly send mo a fow moro
membership certificates I will try and have thorn
filled out and sent In with necessary amount to
pay for same.
Wyman C. Smith, Limerick, Mo. Find
enclosed $1.80 and kindly send Tho Commonor
to tho following nddroBses. Send mo twonty
fivo moro certificates.
E. J. Pugh, Arlington, O. Pleaao send mo
about fifty or one hundred certificates as wo
aro organizing a Bryan club hero.
John H. Allen, Farmorsburg, Ind. En
closed pleaso find two membership certiflcatca
and postofllco monoy order to pay for same.
Pleaso send mo eomo moro certificates, also
printed by-laws for a "Bryan club" if you havo
them, as wo wish to start ono hore.
B. F. Patterson, Osceola, la. Enclosed
pleaso find a draft for $3.60 for which send
I no Commonor ono year to tho following ad-
frcs.s,?s IC you w,n 80nd mc twonty-flve blankg
I will do my best to got them signed up and
return them to you. Wo will havo our town
ship primary election on the 2nd of Juno for
nominating township and county oPcers and I
am going to try and send you a nlco list of sub-,
scrlbers by that time.
i I; ?A larylCB Kansas City, Mo. Encloaod
find $1.20 for two subscriptions. Pleaao send
me twonty-flvo ono million membership certifi
cates as I would bo glad to help Tho Com
moner. r .?' arfifllnt Proscott, Wis. Enclosed find
i for nine subscriptions. Send rao somo
moro certificates.
J. N. Blgelow, Bangor, Mich. Pleaso find
enclosed postofilce monoy order for $6 for ton
subscriptions to Tho Commoner. Pleaso send
rhemenfil?e0dr0out:tIflCateS ""' l Wl" ftnd eot
Each of tho following persons has sent In
yTIL8ub8cr,pt,ons t0 Th0 Commoner:.
Edgar L. Thompson, Grain Valley, Mo.; W. A.
Richmond, Rural Retreat, Va.; L. B. Anwar
TnS?' ya8h,V JW' McOIollEa, Grcnola, Kan
JmA011' '; L' P' Semones Hill
t 3 ; EA,WV Brown' San Marclal, N. M.;
J. M. Winn, Corder, Mo.; W. F. Hooker, Wena
Boga, Miss.; O. E. Smith, Givin, la.; A. L. .Tor
don, Jackson, Miss.; Paul C. Brown, Bradford.
O.; Eugene C. Protzman, Portland, Ore.; J. H.
B.?,kGr'Jrr" GaIatIa, !; A. W. Warren, Conter
ylllo, Tenn.; John K. Hawbaker, RIppoy, la.;
M. J. Gregory, Sour Lake, Texas; Thos. McCor
mick. Smith, Ore.; Edward N. Woodward. Jami
son City, Pa.; Sam W. Michael, Albany, Ind.;
Chas. Itunkle, Muncio, Ind.; I. E. Buckles, Lo
Iloy, III.; O. M. Kom, MontroBO, Colo.; C. Howoll
Jf;,' Po,r.t, Byron N- Y-J P. J- Do Spoldor, Greou
yillo, Mich.; H. J. Klein, Zenda, Kan.; Alba
Heywood, San Benito, Texas, Edgar L. Thomp
son, Grain Valley, Mo.; J. J. Troutt, Nashvillo,
111.; R. H. Robinson, Geneva, N. Y.; Rev. Jno.
Kraker, Munising, Mich.; J. M. Putnam, Lake
field, Minn.; J. H. Noygle, Now Madison O.; W.
A. Kerby, M. D Cottagevillo, S. O.; Chas Van
Ocker, Olivet, Mich.; R. G. Galbreath, W. Plains,
Mo.; D. J. Baldwin, Hubboll, Neb.; A. P. Han
son, Elliott, 111.; E. A. Chase, Bangor, Mich.;
A. M. Elston, Woodland, Cal.; Fred J. Nunn,
Upper Alton, 111.; C. B. Fox, Winchester, Ky.;
Orodon P. Hobbs, W. Ossipeo, N. H.; A. S. Mar
shall, Fowler, Col.; Jno. Mulvey, Now Bruns
wick, N. J.; J. M. Putman, Lakeflold, Minn.;
Rev. E. G. Williams, Mt. Pleasant, N. G.; Ellin
Mathls, Farralngton, HI.; G. W. Frltch, Fredo
nia, Kan.; A. T. Crim, DIghton, Kan.; G. W.
Harshmati, Nehawka, Neb.; Wm. Nowotny,
Blanco, Texas; M. L. Rucker, Evangeline, La.;
J. A. Bressler, Meadow Grove, Neb.; Thos;
Balrd, Arkansas City, Kan.; C. P. Humphrey,
Denlson, Kan.; L. C. Larson, Penn Yan, N. Y.;
H. C. White, Orovllle, Cal.; M. M. Hanson,
Wasta, S. D.; H. F. Adams, Gomez, Texas; Ins
lee Deaderick, Shooks, Tenn.; John C. ICear,
Lincoln, Neb.; Earl Williams, Hiattvllle, Kan.;
M. R. FarnsWorth, Cresco, la.; Balies G. Walker,
Brawley, Cal.; George A. Miller, Sr., Montclafr,
N. J.; W. M. McBrido, Dubberly, La.; John Mc
Nlcol, Hlllsboro, O.; A. L. Mcintosh, Bowes
mont, N. D.; J. M. McCloy, Shenandoah,. la.;
A. J. Forgey, Flora, Ind.; R. B. Haughton, St;
Louis, Mo.; H. F. Meyer, Whittemore, la:; H.
E. Norman, Buffalo, N. Y.; L. A. Jennings, Star,
ya.; B. Tarter, Airlle, Ore.; W. H. Saucer, Ack
ley, la.; Jno. Cooker, Jr., FIndlay, O.; Ransom
W. Cooper, P. M Kehoe, Ky.; Wm. C. Fish,
Wells, W. Va.; N. B. Early, Jr., Dawsonvillo,
Va.; J. N. Clark, M. D Columbus, O.; Chas. G.
Barnard, Goffstown, N. H.; S. H. Rorick, Ho
bart, Okla.; D wight S. Felton, Vermillion, O.;
J. Laughawkl, Spray, Ore.; Geo. W. Brubaker,
Loudonville, O.; Wm. Looser, Greenville, Pa.;
Ralph M. Hefner, Clarksburg, W. Va.
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