The Commoner.
3
MARCH 18, 1910
Democratic Literature
Tho Pennsboro, "W. Va., News indulges In
some frank talk concerning democratic litera
ture. There may be other communities -where
the News' editorial may be needed and so The
Commoner reproduces it. The News says:
"Among Ritchie county democrats, Bryan
was a more popular candidate than Parker. Yet
notwithstanding that fact, the further fact that
In four years the vote would naturally increase,
the additional fact that the panic was at flood
tide, which naturally was in our favor Bryan
in this county received in 1908 fifty-one fewer
votes than Parker got in 1904. And the cam
paign waged by Chairman Patton was vigorous
and intelligent beyond criticism. It is true
the republican vote also slumped, but that was
due to party divisions, the panic and other rea
sons which did not apply to us democrats. One
need not go far to find why ours Is a shrinking
vote. It is to be found in democratic indiffer
ence to democratic literature. The News goes
into more democratic homes today than it en
tered when the writer acquired it but beyond
a radius of some ten miles from Pennsboro, not
one democrat In three subscribes for it or ever
did so. In Murphy not one democrat in twenty
takes the News or ever did. Nor do most of
them take any other democratic paper. "We have
even had to meet the hostility of county com
mitteemen, one at least of whom endeavored to
have one republican News subscriber to cancel
his subscription. Tried it with democrats, too.
It did not work. "We ask nobody to read this
paper because it is a democratic paper. But
we urge the necessity of some democratic paper
in every democratic and independent home. The
Toledo Blade alone is poor political pabulum for'
democratic boys and girls. Nor is it advised
that non-democratic papers be stopped for com
parisons of principles lose us no votes. You can
not have a virile, growing democratic organiza
tion without democratic literature in every dem
ocratic home. For instance, The Commoner
and the News, only $1.50, will keep you in the
closest touch with national and local politics."
Democrats everywhere ought to remember
that democratic newspapers must, as a rule, de
pend upon democrats for support. So far as
newspaper excellence is concerned -these demo
cratic papers will compare favorably with their
republican rivals. As the News says, democrats
have nothing to fear from a comparison be
tween democratic and republican arguments and
it would be well if every citizen, who could
afford to do so, subscribed for at least one paper
on either side. But the democrat should sub
scribe for his own party paper, should encour
age its editor by words of cheer and, whenever
possible, by securing for him a new subscriber.
The importance of the weekly newspaper is
not always appreciated by the people of the com
munity in which it is published. It is necessary
to the growth of that community and it plays
an important part In the politics of the nation
as well as of the state for national parties are,
after all, built upon the foundations raised in
precinctsr
There are, just now, evidences that democrats
are beginning to organize in all sections of the
country. Democratic leaders ought to under
stand that no more effective move toward or
ganization could be made than an organized and
successful appeal to every democrat in the pre
cinct and in the county .to subscribe for at least
one democratic paper printed in that county.
Is It a just charge that democrats do not
support their weekly newspapers? In many
localities and perhaps in most localities that
charge will not hold good. But wherever the
charge does hold good the wrong should be
remedied as soon as possible, and democratic
committeemen and all others who are Interested
in democratic success could make no better effort
in the beginning of their organization work than
to see that in their county there is no 'longer
room for complaint on this score.
THEY APPRECIATE THE COMMONER
Ronald Morrison living at Otter City, Alaska,
is an appreciative reader of The Commoner. The
Commoner has just received from Mr. Morrison
a letter written under date of December 20,
1909. The letter and envelope encasing it were
badly discolored and water marked. The. post
office department explains in writing on the
envelope that it reached Seattle in bad order
because it was -"sunk with the steamer Yutan
February 14, 1910."
Mr. Morrison says that as they have no mall
service at his town the miners club together and
pay a messenger $1 for every letter and paper
carried in and out. At this rate Mr. Morrison
pays for the privilege of reading The Commoner,
something more than $52 per year. His inter
esting letter follows:
Otter City, Alaska, December 20, 1909.
To The Commoner: I havo been away from
Fairbanks for a long time and at this placo
there is no mail service except when the miners
club together and send a man, paying him $1 for
every letter and paper carried in and out. Tho
nearest postofflce is at Diskakat on tho Innoko
river, one hundred and fifty miles. From there
the mail goes by dog team fourteen hundred
miles to Fairbanks, then by stage three hundred
and sixty miles to Valdes City, a coast town,
thence by steamer to Seattle. Tho first mail
I got In six months was yesterday with a bunch
of Commoners, and I assure you that it was a
very welcome Christmas box. Why, sir, money
could not buy them. This is the first time I
have written to The Commoner since tho 1908
election. Talk about a man being sore and dis
gusted it's no name for it. The defeat of Mr.
Bryan can easily bo accounted for in the num
ber and size of tho money bags. But even tho
temporary turndown of his high Ideals, morals
and sound, just principles is a blur and a dis
grace to the voters of tho country. I think that
a big bunch of republican leaders so
called, ought to be indicted before an
honest grand jury, if such can be got, for false
pretenses and fraud, for a cleaner case of deceit
I know not where to look for, and I do hope
that the great man of Nebraska will continuo
his just fight and his efforts will surely bo
crowned with well earned success. Please find
enclosed $5. Up to 1896 I was a redhot repub
lican. Since then Bryan is my ideal. I met
him at Lea'dville, Colo., and Cripple Creek and
Denver several times. Don't suppose he remem
bers me. Yours,
RONALD MORRISON.
Subscriptions have been received by The Com
moner In number as follows:
John J. Horty, Pa., 5; M. V. Coplon, Ind., 3;
H. L. Bake, O., 5; W. W. Webber, Kan., 7; J.
W. Van Matre, Neb., 3; A. P. Turner, O.,- 5;
W. C. Findley, Pa., 5; C. A. Pool, Cal., 9; D. C.
McLarty, Cal:, 5; G. M. Dyer, W. Va.. 3; W.
O. Feemster, Miss., 11; A. G. Buholts, Ore., 5;
N. M. Henry, Col., 2; V. V. Van Campen, Kan.f
5; P. S. Ball, W. Va., 10; Geo. McLaughlin, Cal.
2; Nelson Baldwin, Pa., 2; A. Q. Bates, Cal., 2;
Ralph McCauley, Ore.,' 5; Alvin Koch, 111., 4;
Jos. S. Nauman, Mo., 7; A. B, Smith, O., 2; M.
A. Brown, O., 5; Wm. Claussen, la., 2; W. L.
Eagleton, Okla., 6; E. Clemena Kan., 6; J. A.
Erskine, Neb 5; E. F. Henning, S. D., 2; Prof.
S. Leiter, Mass., 6; A. A. Paul, Cal., 2; G. W.
Gastineau, Ky., 2; Wm. Baker, Miss., 5; Elliott
Davis Mo., 10; W. W. Wells and M. Fritckman,
Mo., i9; J. W. Castleberry, Ark., 6; H. D. Mel
len, N. Y., 2; Jas. Pace, Okla., 6; Chas. Amor,
S. D., 6; R. E. Logan, Kan., 2; R. Bryant, Cal.,
4; F. F. Buck, Mo. 2; Jacob Geiger, Ind., 4;
Geo. W. Howard, la!, 3; C. W. Scribner, N." H.,
2; G. W. Ward, Mo., 2; Jos. M. Lank, Del., 2;
Chas. Braun, Mich., 2; O. E. Benson, Minn., 4;
John A. Beasley, Kan. 5; Mills, Wood, Kan.,
.10; H. S. Hiner, Okla., 'T; J. M. Patty, Mo., 10; .
S. A. Coffman, la., 4; D. B. Scott, O., 6; H. W.
Stocker, O., 3; O. C. Beavers, Ind., 2; A. W.
Taylor, Mo. 2; Geo". C. Warlick, Okla., 4; M. V.
Hooten, Cat, 5; Rev. C. Zimmerly, O., 5; Geo.
Mochle, O., 5; J. B. White, Col., 5; Ben Bone,
111., 5; R. F. Dilworth, Mo., 5; W. W. Jackson,
Mo., 5; J. L. Jackson, Mo., 5; J. J. Nightin
gale, Neb., 4; C. K. Roberts, Okla., 5; J. A.
Walter, O., 5; A. LaDue, Minn., 6; M. T. Lane,
111., 2; J. M." Butts, Mo., 5; Jas. McHeriry, 111.,
5; J. M. Kuhn Kan., 2; H. H. Geiselman, Neb.,
12; J. M. Jeffers, la., 5; O. O. Young, la., 5;
W. A. Gann, Okla., 5; Thos. Sturgis, Ind., G; J.
A. Stone, Kan., 5; J. M. Putman, Minn., 7;
John P. Hentz, O., 7; Peter Rico, 111., 9; Jno.
A. Shaw, Kan., 6; Jno. Cunningham, Cal., 6;
W. L. Battenfield, O., 7; W. J. Fruln, 111., 5;
F. A. Southworth, Wis., 7; John Zapp, Okla., 5;
C. C. Hawkins Tex., 5; J. W. Whitacre, Kan., 5;
Albert Hixon, 111., 5; E. A. Mullen, 111., 6; E. W.
Akins, O., 4; Dan Uthoff, Col., 5; F. R. Crowell,
Okla., 5; S. J. Isaacs, Texas, 4; Jno. Benson,
Neb., 10; W. G. Sprague Col., 2; J. P. Jensen,
la., 10; E. Garrison, O., 5; J. W. Askew, Okla.,
11 D. D. Jay, la., 7-; N. Campbell, Ore., 7; R.
J. Stuckey, Cal., 11.
Labor Troubles
Union leaders claim that there aro 150,000
men out. in the striko in Philadelphia. In ono
day three persons wore shot, ono a young girl
fatally, and many other persons were severely
clubbed by tho police.
Tho ranks of tho Philadelphia strikers wero
swelled by the men from the Baldwin Locomo
tive Works, 1,000 in number.
C. O. Pratt, tho organizer of tho street car
men, charges that tho disorders had been duo
to tho striko breakers.
All over tho country thero is unrest among
working men and in many sections indications
of sympathy strikes. Tho conductors and train
men of tho Baltimore and Ohio aro demanding
Increase In wages, which tho railroad officials
say they aro powerless to grant.
Tho International Paper company nt Glen
Falls, N. Y., has a Btrike on its hands and in
that city several hundred men are out of work.
At Corinth, N. Y., the employes of the paper mill
are out on a strike and the militia has been
called.
At Cincinnati, O., conferences are being hold
between coal miners and operators In an effort
to adjust tho wage scale.
On tho ono hundred and ninety thousand miles
of railroad west, northwest and southwest of
Chicago, 25,000 firemen havo authorized their
national officials to call a striko if tho railroads
refuse to increase wages.
At Greensburg,'Pa., 3,000 miners aro out.
In Philadelphia, March 10, the strikers under
took to make a demonstration in tho center of
tho city. The police blocked tho move and by
sheer force drove the men back. Half a dozen
persons wero injured in the police charge and
a number of arrests wero made. At various
smaller meetings held throughout the city tho
working men protested against what they called
the "brutal, unwarranted force" exercised by
tho police.
At St. Louis March 11, a temporary injunction
was issued by Judge Dyer of tho United States
district court against individual members of the
striking bricklayers' and stone masons' unions
who formerly worked on tho new Catholic ca
thedral. At Cleveland, Ohio, 8,000 garment workers
went on a striko for higher wages.
The people of Philadelphia aro urging arbitra
tion upon the working men and their employers.
At one meeting of strikors C. O. Pratt, leader
of the strikers, said that once they started tho
sympathetic striko It would not stop in Penn
sylvania, adding "we will go through tho United
States."
E. E. Greenwalt, president of tho State Fed
eration of Labor In Pennsylvania, has appealed
to President Taft requesting federal Intervention
io terminate the striko In Philadelphia.
The labor troubles of the International Paper
company spread to New England where 450
paper mill employes at Bellows Falls, Vt, walked
out.
Tho troubles between the Baltimore and Ohio
and its conductors and trainmen were satisfac
torily concluded March 11.
The Chicago Record-Herald says that a gen
eral strike of coal miners throughout the
bituminous fields is declared a certainty April 1.
More than two thousand men in four states will
bo involved.
THE END OF DAY
Tho homeward road, the old home place,
Tho gate where I turned in; '".
The moonlight on the crumpled snow, y
Where summer's flowers have been;
Tho creak of frost, the rusty hinge
And the closing of tho gate; "-
The smell of supper on the air,
And firelight from thegrate;
The stamp of feet beside the door,
Tho latch upraised, and then
Tho sweet, warm kiss of Mary Ann,
And I'vo come homo again.
Relief from all tho city's roar,
Surcease of grief and sin
On the homeward roads, tho old homo haunts,
The gates where we turn in.
Kansas City Times.
Some more meat packers have been indicted,
and the 'first thing they know they'll be en
joined again. And, as usual, they'll put the
injunction in cold storage and go right ahead
with their schemes.
ONE WILL KEEP, THE OTHER DON'T COUNT
The Sioux City (la.) Journal says: ."By not
being at home to read the newspapers Mr. Bryan
Is missing a few bouquets and a shower of
brickbats."
But the bouquets will keep, and the brick
bats don't count.
4
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