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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1909)
- "; Jj f JVjJJU-B-v , The Commoner. 2 I k Twas a Famous Victory for the G. O. P. Referring to the vindication of Cannonism in the house of representatives, a Washington cor respondent for the Now York World says: "Tho deal by which Mr. Cannon got through alive was mado with twenty-two democrats. Tho long arm of Tat McCarron, of Brooklyn, reached to Washington to help turn tho trick. The move was led by Mr. Fitzgerald, of Brooklyn. HOW IT WAS AVON In its issue of Thursday, March 3 8, the Lin coln (Nob.) Journal, a republican paper prints tho following dispatch: Washington, March 17. Some remarkable in timations, amounting to accusations are made concerning somo olovorth hour changes which are alleged to have been made in the tariff bill introduced today. It is declared that there Is good reason to be lieve the internal revenue tax on beer was origi nally placed at $1.50 per barrel, an increase of 50 cents, but that if was afterwards at the very last minute reduced to $1 because the National Browers' Association camo to the rescue of the Cannon organization and through its pull with Tammany and the Boston democracy organiza tion, delivered cortain democratic votes from thoso cities to aid tho speaker's forces in get ting tho old rules adopted without substantial modification. Thoro is a strong belief that the bill was act ually passed upon by the ways and means com mittee, and adopted with this tax at $1.50, and that afterwards it was changed at the last min ute, thus necessitating the dolay in presenting it and bringing It to the house on Wednesday, when it had been expected on Tuesday. But this is not all. A year and a half ago Representative Kustermann of Wisconsin start ed a war on the petroleum tariff. Petroleum Ib on tho free list under the Dlngley act, but there is a provision that when another country impoBCB a duty on American petroleum this country Bhall retaliate by applying an equal tariff on petroleum from that country brought here. This aimed direct at Russia, the only country which has petroleum to sell us. Russia imposes duties of 75 to 150 per cent on our petroleum and petroleum products, which auto matically operates to impose at our ports a like duty on tho only petroleum that could come here. It gives these articles, then, a complete mon opoly. Mr. KuBtermann explained all this in a series of Bpeechos and caused a sensation. When the tariff was taken up this year, he busied himself to get this counter prevailing duty removed, and he succeeded. He was as sured two weeks ago by the members of the ways and moans committee that it had been dropped out of the bill. He was happy. The report that this duty had been removed was generally published and was accepted by every body in public placos in Washington as authori tative. Members of the ways and means com mittee positively told Mr. Kustermann of the action taken. What, then, was Mr. Kustermann's surprise today on getting hiB copy of the tariff bill, to find that same old counter prevailing provision cheerily staring out at him, in the exact terms in which it is now written in tho present law He would not believe it at first. He inquired' and loarned there was no mistake. It had been put in, that was a,ll he could learn, and he is now trying to find out how it happened, with poor success. vTxboxplanatIon current and accepted here is that the duty was dropped by the committee and then had to be roplaced as the price of some of tho votes which were secured to sus tain tho Cannon rules on Monday. It is oven declared by many members that there was a print made with this duty left out, which was afterwards destroyed and a new one with the duty in made; and that this delay necessitated postponement of the bill's introduction from Tuosday till today. Whether this is true it has thus far boon im possible to prove. Quiet investigation is coins on In several quarters, however, which is t pected to get at the truth. eX McOARREN ADMITS IT The Philadelphia North American prints tho following dispatch from Albany N Y . "TllGrO WAR n QmUn P .I..K11-J, .. flly Mrtd fnco of Senator PatHcU n MoCarr nc4U wu ngent, Here when he spoke tonight of his lieutenant, Congressman John J. Fitzgerald, leading twenty-two demo crats in a successful upset of the insurgent pro gram to defeat Speaker Cannon and his one man rulo in the house of representatives. " 'I heard this afternoon,' said Senator Mc Carron, 'that Fitzgerald ban led twenty-two democrats away from the anti-Cannon insur gents and opposed Champ Clark's policy. Fitz gerald has been my friend for many years, and I am also a great admirer of Speaker Cannon.' " 'Fitzgerald is said to have followed specific instructions from you in the course he took today? " 'I do not instruct Fitzgerald. He has proved himself a power i.. congress. We are close political and personal friends, and both of us are great admirers of the speaker. I often talk things over with Fitzgerald. That is natural.' " 'The coup he played today was the result of a consultation with you?' " 'Well, I was not surprised when I heard Its accomplishment, nor was I astonished to -learn that Congressmen Riordan, Harrison, Bartlett, Goldfogle, Lindsay, Goulden and Fames, of New York, rallied about him.' " "PARTY OF GOD AND MORALITY" The following dispatch Is printed in the Phil adelphia North American, a republican paper: Washington, March 16. Speaker Cannon's victory yesterday was a gift to him from the liquor interests of the United States. His surplus strength on the final vote was purchased by bartering legislation. Tho more the deal by which democratic treachery and republican submission to boss control effected the re-establishment of Cannonism as the dominating sys tem in legislation is investigated and analyzed, the more it assumes the proportions of a great national scandal. Of the substance and reality of the charges made, there is no room for doubt. The New York democrats were delivered to the Cannon organization by the democratic bosses of New York, who demand for the brewing interests that there be no increase in the tax on beer. The southern democrats and some from the north are openly declared to have been delivered by the whisky interests, who demand a pledge that there be no legislation affecting interstate shipments of liquor into prohibition states. The two democrats from Louisiana Estoplnal and Broussard were, won by a pledge that there would be no change in the sugar protec tion afforded Louisiana planters. The Georgians, where they were not influenced by liquor and corporation interests, got promises of committee assignments. Regarding every democrat who went to Can non s assistance Champ Clark and the other democratic leaders had advance information of just what pressure was being brought to bear: what they would get and what would be the effect of their treachery. nCiIar? l!fsItated to believe the statements made to him regarding his colleagues, and in view of their assurances that they would stand by the party pledges, he felt confident that Can 2i0nn 2 waa t(Lbe overthrown and the house placed in a position where it could control itself. It is now seen that all Clark's advance in formation was absolutely correct, and that the democratic treachery had all been planned and agi eeu to. Letters From the People N. B. Sandy, Mannington, W. Va. I believo hn? TntVm PuWU?e aything from my pen but I will come to you again, and ask you to .print my opinion with regard to ratals t salaries of legislators, state and national Tim ber is advancing in value year after year and lnnCiHrVe i svmmetcal statue out of a Iok would perhaps require an outlay of $50? mrt a stick of gum or beech can yet be gotten for XenwdVlS"' ??. thG .CarVing canwellfb0er uispenseu with. It is not even necesqnw t mC C, ? ,tU rough bark- Substitute logs of nind; a majority of our legislators na tional and state, (and I have as much rSiSS for them as for a great many other Officers) S the change will effect a radical improvement the make-up of our legislative bodies Such VOLUME 9, NUMBER U ( wooden men could not vote for legislativo robbery. Let the champions of good laws re tain their seats; their chief concern is not about high salaries and special privileges. The best friends of man, as a rule, work for little or no pay and often at the peril of their persons properties and reputations. ' J. M. Fender, Muncie, Ind. What course shall reformers adopt in ' the future? Hold strenuously to the present landmark, better them if you can, vacation would be fatal and ought to be. Can the democratic party ever hope to gain control of the federal government? Yes, a sure thing. We read between the lines of coming victory. I am an old union veteran and left" the so-called republican party in 1896. I havo voted for four democrat nominees for president since that time who were all defeated but I am not discouraged. I have the consola tion of knowing that I voted in the interest of my country, my family and myself and will continue to do so. D. F. Rogers, Long Beach, Cal. The people have had opportunities to change their govern ment from a despotism to a republic of, for and by the people for the last dozen years. They have admitted the fact of the evil condition, but have been lured and scared into keeping their enemy in power. Is the fact that the heroic man whose help they might have had as a chief magistrate of the nation can give help in removing the foul brood who are in the saddle today, was set aside for a time server. Is this proof that Bryan was defeated? If my house is on fire, and I scorn the neighbor who would help me extinguish the flames, and call in the firebug who touched the match instead, a proof of my neighbor's defeat? . Out upon such treason to the truth. The election of No vember 3 was political suicide for this nation. We shall recover from its effects In time. The great reformer who has done more to lift us from the mire of corrupt politics in which this nation has been wallowing for near half a cen tury, than all other influences combined, still lives, has suffered no defeat. Loved by his friends because they have faith in his loyalty to the religion of politics, because he is the unswerving champion of .the rights, of the com mon people, the battle in which he is-a leader will still go on, and in due time comes tho victory. Truth thy cause, whato'r delay it There's no power on earth can stay it. George H. Steele, Rockham, S. D. Reform In our money, land and transportation laws is as insistent now as when the populists held their great Omaha convention and any man who fears to apply the Jeffersonian principle to these issues is unworthy to be called a reformer and underserving of success. E. H. Baker, Ottoman, Va. The past record of the democratic party Is responsible for the defeat of Mr. Bryan in 1908 as in his former campaigns. Personally, I regard Mr. Bryan as the greatest living American whose nomination has been a power of strength and an honor to his party. I regard his defeat as a calamity more for the American people than for Bryan. Had he been elected his task would have been no easy matter in this day of trusts. It is to day a doubtful question who owns the country, the people or the money trusts. D. R. Fullerton, Clearfield, Pa. I hope Mr. Bryan will live to occupy a seat in the United States senate, at least, and I believe this is the ??,. meot of a ma3ority of the people of the United States. Alex Davidson, Glen Campbell, Pa. If the Cleveland-Palmer factions had stayed out when they left, in 1896, Bryan would have polled a bigger vote. nolS ' McKeown Chicago, 111. It is pos sible that more good can be done by the demo cratic party out of power in pressing its re forms and educating the people to a recognition of their value than by exercising the powers of government. If we can compel the party in power to adopt our reforms from time .to time we will have much to be thankful for. George H. Thomas, Portland, Ore. After nearly fifty years of responsibility the republican leaders no longer depend on reason and debate but resort to intimidation and coercion of a multitude whose penury is irrefutable evidence or republican misgovernment. Furthermore, the brigands of swollen fortunes," created by republican mal-legislation, now control tho liVai)l Up?n ?e dlal of Prosperity and by sin istei threats of that shadow they cow and dic tate to the great middle class of this nation. A UWwrwniys g"-