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The Commoner
ItU.GUST 20, 10
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Editorials By Commoner Readers
SENTIMENT IN LOUISIANA
Lko Charles, La. The Commoner's stric
ture and conclusions concerning the attitude
of Louisiana's congressmen are just and cor
rect The influence of the tariff beneficlaTics
Is now at its height, but since the state has
adopted the primary system her voters, being
called upon to act for themselves in the disposal
of their ballot, are studying the question and
there are few of the farmers, wage-earners and
business men who will bo satisfied with tho
argument that the major part of the people in
Louisiana are benefited by a protective tariff.
That the protective system Is iniquitous
needs no arguing. In it is concerned the second
part of the question of taxation distribution,
and the levying upon one industry or one class
to support another is vicious. It is a two-edged
sword for it defrauds one and at the same time
places tho most powerful weapon money in
hands which often use It to controvert tho proper
course of a democratic government. I had the
opportunity to observe this in somo of the man
ufacturing districts in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio
while engaged in the campaign last fall. Tho
man who felt compelled to wear a Taft button
In order that he might not displease his em
ployer was almost certain to carry that sub
serviency into the booth with him especially
when he felt that a system of espionage was
In use and a betrayal might cost him his posi
tion and, notwithstanding the astounding tales
of bank accounts, this loss of position meant
eviction and hunger.
I do not think that the democratic party will
surrender to the power 'that is ambitious to dom
inate all parties even though a few men of in
fluence in the party are so counseling, but your
Instantaneous reply to every criticism, your
courage in challenging oven your friends when
they are for a moment forgetful is timely and
inspiring. Tlie attainment of the presidency is
nothing. The outward manifestations of victory
are empty, but your success has 'been constant.
At times you have fought almost single-handed
and have by your faith not only kept tho party
a democratic party but have made the people
see that all that is good in any party Is Its
democracy.
In the crisis now confronting us you have, as
I believe, your greatest fight. In all the others
you have won as history will show' and I
feel sure that in this you will be the force that
will keep us bound to the principles that are
the excuse for our existence.
LEON LOCKE.
PRE-ELECTION SPEECHES
Fruitvale, Calif. Mr. Taft, In his pre-election,
speeches Interpreted his party platform plank
on the tariff question as pledging to the people
a substantial reduction of the Dihgley sqhedules.
The tariff bill as formulated by the present
congress, under the leadership of Senator Aid
rich, provides for raising the present schedules.
This bill, was formulated with the full knowl
edge and at least, the tacit consent of the presi
dent, although there was no ofilc'lal expression
from him one way or the other. Had he allowed
it to come to him without his having had any
hand or voice in its making he could have vetoed
it with consistency or have allowed it to become
the law without his signature in approval. But
he has thrown away such opportunity to be
consistent. He has liad offered two amend
ments to the tariff bill which will make him
sharer in the making of '.hat bill. This being
so, it would be quite as inconsistent, and pos
sibly more unreasonable, for him to veto the
measure, as it would have been for him to sign
it had it come to him wholly as the work of
congress unaffected by any amendment recom
mended by him.
Thus, as it appears, has Senator Aldrich by
accepting the president's amendments to a tariff
bill which violates the party's pledge as in
terpreted by the president, put it out of the
power of the president not to be a party to
this breach of faith. The president may not
be expected to disapprove of his owii recom
mendation. More, by substituting the president's corpora
tion tax amendment and his amendment pro
viding for amending the constitution permitting
imposition of an income tax, Senator Aldrich
sidetracks the Cummins graduated income tax
amendment.
Evidently the Rhode Island senator has the
better of ths president In this barter. For
should the president veto a measure containing
two provisions which were by him recommend
ed well, the conclusion by all thinking people
would bo that Mr. Taft may be an expert at
golf, but at the game of politics he is a novice
pitted against an expert The father-in-law of
John D. Rockefeller. Jr., now first vice presi
dent of the Standard Oil company, has demon
strated his rare adroitness and skill in putting
the presideat In a position which will necessi
tate his approval of a measure which "unequivo
cally" violates a pledge "unequivocally" made
by as flagrant an act of equivocation as was over
perpetrated.
Evidently, Mr. Taft has no aspirations to a'
second term. Wonder If this may not be part
of the play to put Roosevelt in next timo; to
keep LaFollette or Cummins or some roal dem
ocratic domocrat out 7
JOHN AUBREY JONES.
CELEBRATING JULY 4
St. Louis, Mo. As a reader of The Commoner,
beginning with the first issue, and having no
ticed the changing conditions of tho people for
several years', and from timo to timo considered
tho principles of government advocated by you
relative to the rights of persons and property,
permit mo to say something about celebrating
July 4. Among other things the Declaration of
Independence declares:
"That all men are created equal; that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain In
alienable rights; that among these are life,
liberty and tho pursuit of happiness.
"That to secure these rights, governments are
Instituted among men, deriving their just pow
ers from tho consent of the governed.
"That whenever any form of government be
comes destructive of these ends, it Is tho right
of the people to alter or abolish it, and to insti
tute a new government, laying its foundations
on such principles, and organizing its powers
in such form, as to them shall seem most likely
to effect their safety and happiness."
Granting, because It Is self-evident, that all
men are born with equal rights to life, liberty
and happiness; that these are inalienable rights,
they can not, as a matter of right be taken from
vs, but should be protected by just lawB. When
ever the government aids and protects the few,
and not the masses, then there is something
wrong, and It is the right and duty of the peo
ple to alter or abolish such government, to es
tablish a new one, founded on such principles
and powers that will most likely secure life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.
The question, therefore, is, are the social, in
dustrial and political conditions of our people
such today that they enjoy life, liberty and
happiness within the meaning of tho Declara
tion of Independence? A family with plenty
of unencumbered and Income property, sur
rounded with the comforts and some luxuries
of life may be satisfied, but how about tho fam
ily In need of the dire necessities, confronted
with poverty and defeat? The discouraging
conditions of many In big cities, apparent to any
observer, is sometimes alarming. Let us stop
and reflect a little. What can we say and do so
that our people can share alike in opportunities
and prosperity as tho founders of the nation
intended? If It Is true that the protective tariff
policy enables the favored few to plunder the
many then we are not executing the principles
of government as set forth in the Declaration
of Independence. They who are favored by
such privileges organize private monopolies by
force of which they deprive others of an equal
chance in the race. The special privilege regime
of private monopoly has such a foothold now
that outsiders who start in business are soon
forced to surrender because they can not suc
cessfully compete with organized monopoly.
Justice Brewer, delivering the opinion of tho
court in a certain case, quoted Justlco Mathews
who, when speaking of the principles of our
constitutional government, wisely observed:
"And It Is always safe to read the letter of the
constitution in the spirit of the Declaration of
Independence. No duty rests more Imperative
upon the courts than the enforcement of those
constitutional provisions intended to secure that
equality of rights which is the foundation of
free government." Good, but some of "the
captains of industry" are opposed to such an
equality of rights, and they are represented in
the legislature and on the bench. The .courts
will hare to do bottor than some have done anA
interpret our laws with the judicial wisdom
expressed by Justices Mathows and Brewor, and
curb the unlawful combinations of predatory
wealth, planning by day and by night, to sub
jugate the common people.
Let. us point out tho ovils of spocial privileges
as being indefensible on the grounds of justice.
A real statesman once said: "Our fathers
brought forth on this continont a now nation,
conceived In liborty, and dodicatod to tho prop
osition that all men are created equal." Later
he said: "I see In the near future a crisis
arising that unnerves mo, and causes mo to
tremble for the safety of my country. As a
result of the war, corporations havo been on
throned, an era of corruption in high places
will follow, and the money powor of tho coun
try will endeavor to prolong Its roign by work
ing upon the prejudices of the pooplo until all
wealth Is aggregated In few hands and the re
public is destroyed. I feol at this moment more
anxiety for the safoty of my country than ever
before, even in the midst of war. God grant
that my suspicions may provo groundless."
Fellow citlzons, who aro tho statesmen of to
day in authority that can see an approaching
criBis which causes them to tremble for the
safoty of tholr country? Stop by step organized
monopoly la becoming more arrogant. While
ours is a government of, for and by tho people
on parchment, it is not so In practice, but can
be made so by sufficient vigilance if wo do not
wait too long. It is well, but not enough, for
us to express our indebtedness to the heroes of
tho Revolution. Wo must deal with actual con
ditions. In this way wo can do something In
furtherance of equal rights to "llfo, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness." On tho Fourth of
July wo should discuss, from tho standpoint of
righteous citizonBhip, the moans and methods to
be employed. Believing that tho nation was
well founded, and if our civilization is all wo
claim for it, wo should succeed. Let us do our
best. CHARLES J. MAURER.
Lest We Forget
IT'S GOOD, GOOD!
TliJn is an Associated Press dispatch; Now York,
Juno ID, 1008. J. picrpont Morgan, who arrived
from Europo today, expressed tils plousuro at tho
choice of Secretary of War Taft aa tho rapublcan
nomlnoc for the presidency. "It's good, good,"
Mr. Morgan Bald. He declined to talk furthor
upon politics or any othor subject.
IIAIUIIMAN'.S ATTORNEY" FOIt TAFT
Tho following Is taken from the Chicago Records
Herald, republican, issue of Tuesday, Juno 10:
William Nelson Cromwell of New York, attorney
for the Harrlman Interests, arrived In Chicago
last night and announced that ho had como to
oce tho stampede for Taft.
"It Is all over," said Mr. Cromwell. "I find that
tho Roosevelt stampede was all talk. I And no
such sentiment. It will be a stampede, yes, but It
will be a stampede for Taft."
Mr. Cromwell Is a close personal friend of Secre
tary Taft, and has como hero direct from Wash
ington, where he met the coming' nominee
WHAT DID IT MEAN?
Tho public demands light on tho tariff question.
The republican platform deals in goneralities. The
language employed may mean anything or noth
ing, and the speeches of tho republican candidate
intensifies tho gloom that the convention threw
over tho subject. Let there bo light, that the
people may know whether tho tariff laws aro to
continue to bo made by a few beneficiaries In
their own Interest, or by tho people's representa
tives for the people's good. Prom Mr. Bryan'8
speech at Denver, October 16, 1908.
TnEJ EXPLANATION
The following Is reproduced from an editorial
written by Henry Watterson entitled "Peace With
tho System," and printed In tho Louisville Courier
Journal a fow days prior to the national election
of 1908:
"Flying the flag of Roosevelt the republican
leaders have made their peace with the system.
From Rockefeller to Carnegie, from Harrlman to
Corey, every chieftain of wealth and predatory
wealth, the honest too often making common causo
with the dishonest, Is well content with Taft and
Sherman. They foretoken and imply tho old order
of special privilege to tho few, impositions of
every sort to the many; high finance rampant; high
tariff, 'revised by its friends,' rampant; the end
of Roosoveltlsm and agitation 'for tho good of
business business only organized capital and
licensed monopoly; the same old story, tho same
old song, the same old crowd slicked over with
f'oose grease from the Roosevelt larder, but mean
ng four years more of the rascaldom which Roose
velt has unmasked but not downed; which Roose
velt has exposed, but left intact; which, in spite
of Roosevelt and all his works, stands today aa
Impudent and as defiant as ever it stood, a gray
wolf lording It over the senate, a gray wolf lord
ing it over the house, and two gray wolves. Sher
man and Sheldon, 'Sunny Jim' and 'Black George
riving tone and effect to tho ticket. Should any
thoughtful democrat, should any patriotic Ameri
can, should any honest man, balk of his duty be
fore such a layout?"
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