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The Commoner;
irt
Wlfi1w' HJI
Bk
cast for him In Georgia. The south needs to
bo educated In tho proper way to vote."
Nothing about the righto of man; nothing
about liberty and juBtlco; nothing about mor
ality, progress and enlightenment; nothing but
greed. If the south wants or hopes to share
the spoils of plutocratic protection and privilege
why does It not vote that way? The only answer
(hat a southern republican could give was that
tho pooplo of that section must bo "educated
In tho proper way to vote."
How would It do to educate the tariff beggars
In tho old American idea that honesty and self
rollanco are cardinal virtues? St. Louis Post
Dispatch. t (Jy t W
MK. ROOSEVELT IS INDIGNANT
President Roosevelt has vetoed the bill pro
viding for the taking of the next census. He
bases his veto on tho clause providing that ap
pointments shall bo made on the basis of non
competitive examinations instead of through the
civil service.
In closing his veto message the president pro
tests against permitting the great census under
taking "to bo marred by permitting it to be
turned into an engine to further the self-interests
of that small section of the people which
makes a profession of politics." And then the
president refers to "tho evil effects of the spoils
system and of the custom of treating appoint
ments to the public service as personal per
quisites of professional politicians."
This must have sounded well in the ears of
those candidates for the republican nomination
for the presidency who had not the favor of
Theodore Roosevelt. He used the entire federal
brigade to further the self-interest of that small
section of the pooplo which makes a profession
of politics and is known as the Roosevelt-Taft
coterie. Ho treated appointments to the public
service as the personal perquisites of Theodore
Roosevelt than whom no more professional poli
tician has ever performed before a de-lighted
pooplo.
Is It possible that with all his experience Mr.
Roosevelt can .not see himself as others see him?
nnnl ie(nlmag,n! thllt UlG PePlQ a smple
enough to regard as genuine his pretended in
dignation lest the federal brigade "be turned
into an engine to further the self-interests of
tiir.t small section of the people which makes
a profession of politics?" uteB
&&&&
WHY NOT PUBLICITY?
A reader of the New York Evenine: Post
covers the situation in a nutshell win he fvrftes;
If tho president had (as wo must sunnoseN
what he considered adequate proof of the al-
oged necessity of the coal and iron merger
vha conceivable reason can he have for S
ng to communicate that proof to tho people of
the country? I know not what tocUnicaf claim
we may have in this respect, but there can be
est Tn ? Hlat CVery man wh s an i?ter!
est at all in the conduct of the government ic
interested in knowing just whv th , IvS
suspended or violated Fa federal statute AV
Practical man he can not ver" well expect the
people to be satisfied with an inse AmIu H
does, h0 mu8t haV0 pecmVaoS ft
telligonce or of his own obligations."
PAWNED HONOR
Newspaper dispatches say that Urm,.
Brandenberg, under indictment in New y
ZVoXl?rm B0-berg and what
JW very
ticket made much of loiter nrL d,eoc?ta
the New York TimSs which letter f? firSt ?y
clared, had been written bv Provl n,WaS, de"
This letter purported to hi nGrover Cleveland.
Mr. Bryan 0Jrn of
former president of MrTaf t Y the latG
Henry Wattorson of the LoulHviii n ,
Journal was the first tn !,.fJ v e Courier
ticlty of that letter Mr ?.tion the autlien
it down aid Vs a re'suft ofYhot?rSO,,fina,ly ran
'"Sot o h
foS to&l?&S""t wrote pro.
enborg letter dares now RifP . tho Braud
tholr fugitive ??orm Suce? ,n defnse of
blgtat tile6 lowe!lC!hSWrP0,!rfro
readers an apolo foTe Z
fraudulent letter or for the editorial assuring
its readers of the letter's genuineness. Not
one of these newspapers dare 6ay a word for
Brandenberg tho fugitive, but not one of them
has spoken in defense of its own integrity.
Brandenberg is a fugitive but who will ques
tion the statement that the honor of the news
papers that stood sponsor for the Brandenberg
letter is yet in pawn?
p Zrt t W
W w w ir
"NEW LAND OP PROMISE"
Day by day it is becoming more clear that
tho trust magnates knew what they were doing
when they threw the weight of their powerful
influence on the republican side. Mr. Flagler,
one of the founders of the National Tube Works,
a part of the steel trust, says of Mr. Taft:
"Now a wiser man In law and administration
than Mr. Roosevelt, will be the nation's head.
Never in the history of our government has one
so well equipped for the presidency been sent
to the White House. He can be called the pro
duct and producer of the best in American life.
He has given confidence to us all and will lead
us to new lands of promise."
What will the Roosevelt republicans think
of this praise of the president-elect at the ex
pense of the president? And what will the anti
monopoly republican think of this new promised
land into which Mr. Taft is expected to lead'
the trusts? The republicans "worked both sides
of the street" during the campaign but Mr. Taft
will have to take one side or the other.
teV i&v & tV
THE RECALL
Calvin E. JKeach of Troy, N. Y., writes: "I
was pleased to see in this week's issue that
Nebraska has already started on a right course
to obtain, as near as can be under our present
methods of choosing United" States Senators, by
having introduced a bill by one of its repre
sentatives in the house, to follow the lead set
by Oregon. Now, let another one. be introduced
giving the people in their several assembly dis
tricts, as well as state senatorial districts', the'
power of 'recall and then if any pledged rep
resentative dare violate his promise under his
Statement No. 1,' he must face the danger of
being displaced .by a more faithful and trust
worthy man for his district."
THE CROMWELL MYSTERY
Sooner or later the William Nelson Cromwell
mystery will be solved. Sooner or late? the
ttSt n? iSe0pl 71!1 learu how !t Opened
Sftii L tJ Wyer i?ad such enormous influence
TZiirrn ior everythinB " s "
The charges made upon the floor of the house
by Representative Rainey of Illinois can not be
overlooked. Plainly, the American pwple aw
becoming solicitous for publicity with resnect
to the Cromwell matter. respect
&&&&
WHY NOT?
If the president really thini ttiit ,
ernment can be libeled in e gOV"
lay the libeller open to criminal ZnL asf , to
at the hands of the WeE
INFLUENCING LEGISLATORS
t?. quotes Senator
a great many letters to WaeWnSn0" SGndIng
opposition to the postal saving ?bank wne88i?S
Burkett says: "Yes thnt Vi i bil1, Mr-
An organized opposition can 8viW.ays V10 case
more potent than anv VLTJt !"? an influence
if the support is tL times Zrfd 8Upp0Pt' even
opposition." R is sa?e t 2L ft ?rat as the
questions, the "rath of ?hn f"0".' U1'0U enB
to depositors ." SSSZTS
VOLUME 9 NUMBER
existing 'between sthe depositors and stockhold
ers. Ahd yet,s the-banks are . organized while
the depositors are unorganized, and it is nor
fectly true, as Senator Burkett says, that tim
protests sent in by bankers have weight with
the senators and members of congress. ThnR
entrusted with legislation do not always aton
to consider the fact that the people who nro
test against the -postal savings bank are few in
number compared with those who would be ben"
efited by it and who favor it.
The legislator, whether in congress or in tho
legislature of a state, is the spokesman of the
whole people on questions. upon which the peo
ple have acted, and he occupies the position of
a judge when he acts upon questions upon which
there has been no public expression. The most
difficult task that the legislator has to perform
is to decide fairly and justly between the few
who clamor and the many who are silent. For
this reason it is of primary importance that
the representative shall be in sympathy with tho
335 Sf th Feo,ple for lf hIs empathies are
right he will insist upon protecting the interests
of ttte masses, no matter how urgent or per
sistent those may be who seek special favors
or who protest against needed legislation. It
ought not to be necessary for every voter to
write to his senators or congressmen upon
every question; the public official ought to have
m?r51,courage to Protect his-constituents
without being constantly spurred up to duty by
cn?ere. areiabout two hundred and sixty thou
SS?vVSeS In Neb'aakas an overwhelming ma
il yu f.them, believe in neater protection to
th nllSS" Th(LSe h? are Ptesting against
the postal savings bank are, as a rule opposed
Jo Sit s"aranty of banks' ad "kewlse opposed
oir anyTother Protection that the depositors may
?i , mIeht Promote remedial legislation if
fin fur!?1"8 0(k ,the lnterest In PublIc affah's
that the beneficiaries of special privilege do,
j J 7Ui I? be necsary for them to cor
respond with their representatives so frequently
if the representatives themselves fully' aoDre
. ciated official responsibility. y PP
., . ', A BROICEN l5DC!E '
J?r sfv6ral years the rep-ublicanp'arty 'in'JNe-
?nf Tnif S?5 itself t0 the'Pla of-selecting
United States senators by popular vote In
the absence of a change in the method trough
tedTi011 the 0reson Plan to. adm?E
Indeed Pn,h? aPProach to popular selection.
cSmmJrtDfn anft aS Wel1 as democrats, are
committed to the Oregon plan. But when thi f
Plan as embodied in the Humphrey bilf was
bvD?hd.eMd; reC1ently in committee othewhll
renib?ioanbSka hU8e ot representatives Ivery
2h bKbeMV?ed against moon to
Kum tB ?ird readins W11011 the bill
be? volUaainstT86
to get iVoVnVb?"? platforms "made
t feet in on rather than to stand on?-
"BILLY 'POSSUM"
'Possum-Mi 5? aiie t0 have a sea80H of "Billy
possum in the place of "Teddy Bear" Hia Jni
ditions it is imporSn?'nnr?o t,he present con"
in this matterXftus ve i any mlstake
The squirrel has a bushy tail'
And stumpy grows the har';
The raccoon's tail is ringed all round
The 'possum's tail is bar'. ''
New York, January 20, 1909. J' M,B .
msSOURI'S ANTI-MONOPOLY VICTORY
M4nouaTr 1Lcfsi0rnofa ;rpiote v,ctry
in expelling the . Standard o supreme cort
subsidiary compan es la Clear cuf SET ItS
hensive. The state is tnw d comPre
There is a marked colnr congratulated,
euage employed bv thL PSJ betwen the Ian
and aggress?veand i- MlM10Uri court bold
Ployed by the teTJo aVoeetlc toe em
tobacco trus guitv b "m?? found the
practices. The Missouri iofrIed 1 justify its
Prove to be o? less value hST'tl11' toay
monopoly have h?ped I Th J? enemles of
prosecute their rStL , states 0VLSht to
the right of the BS?2 ? agaInst tnG trusts and
tne state to prosecute ought to be
tvmJUfc.j,,, atfcji..
