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The Commoner.
6
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 2J
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THE LONDON correspondent for the Asso
ciated Press quotes Mr. Bryan as having
said in life speech at Bradford: "In speaking
outsido ono's own country it is necessary to bo
quito careful about tho subject one discusses.
I havo recognized this for many years and have
boon vory careful outside my own country not
to take up what may bo called controversial
things. I never talk politics away from homo
for two reasons: First, I novor like to empha
Bizo away from homo the divisions wo havo at
home, becauso I want foreigners to look upon
us as a united people; second, becauso I am tho
guest of tho peoplo I am visiting and I think
it is vory poor payment to engage in contro-f
vorsy."
FORMER UNITED States Senator Henry M.
Toller has gone to tho defense of Secretary
of tho Interior Ballingor. Speaking to a Wash
ington correspondent for the Denver News, Mr.
Tollor says: "There has boon no evidence intro
duced before tho Balllnger-Pinchot committee
which has In any way tonded to show that Secre
tary Ballingor was guilty of an impropriety,
much less any violation of law. I think tho
ovidonco indicates that a conspiracy was or
ganized vory oarly in tho season to force Richard
A. Ballingor out of public lifo on the theory that
ho was likely to disturb certain men holding
ofllco in tho reclamation service and tho forest
service. I think this was distinctly proved be
foro tho committco."
UNDER DATE of St. Louis, Juno 2 tile Asso
ciated Pross carries the following: "Mis
souri democrats of all factions at a dinner here
tonight heard former Governor Joseph W. Folk
announce tho principles on which it is said he
will seek tho presidential nomination in 1912.
Tho diunor was in charge of men who havo
been promoting tho boom of tho former gover
nor. 'Tho doctrine of equal rights should be
made a living, vital and controlling force in tho
government,' said Mr. Folk, after he had lis
tened to domocrats from all parts of the state
toll the guests that tho former governor is the
man thoy should endorse for tho presidency.
'The democratic party continued Mr. Folk,
'should insist upon the stamping out of tho
graft and corruption from every department of
government; the eradication of all special fa
vors, including bounties, subsidies and a tariff
for any purpose other than revenue. We need
tho honest, sincere enforcement of the laws we
already have and the regulation of tho rates
of public utility corporations upon a reasonable
basis that justice may bo done the peoplo and a
fair rotum for tho amount actually invested be
afforded.' Other principles named by the speaker
were the preservation of the rights of tho state
to self-government, the restriction of American
territory to the western hemisphere as a neces
sary corollary of tho Monroe doctrine, the ex
tension of American trado by removing the re
striction upon commerce, a just Income tax tho
ejection of United States senators by direct voto
and unrelenting opposition to tho domination in
public affairs of special interests and the elim
ination of such influences from politics."
A COLUMBUS, O., dispatch to the Denver
Times says: "The open lotter that William
J. Bryan wrote to Governor HaTmon of Ohio
and printed in this week's Issue of Mr. Bryan's
paper, Tho Commoner, has created unusual agi
tation In Buckeye democratic ranks. Mr
Bryan's lotter makes it very clear that he in
tends to be a free lance in tho coming presiden
tial contest at least until after the democratic
national convention has spoken. And it further
makes it plain that he will oppose Harmon's
nomination for the presidency. This letter
shows in every lino that Bryan feels that tho
Ohio democratic executive lacks courage and
that ho has neither tho breadth nor stamina
to act as the leader of a great national party
One of Mr. Bryan's earnest desires is that the
United States senators shall be elected by tho
VOte Of the TlGOnlft. TTo Tina frkiiryht - .
for a constitutional amendment that will bring
that about, but waiting tho adoption of tho
amendment, ho urges that democratic state con
ventions shall nominate their candidates for the
senate when and in the same manner as they
nominate their governors and state officers, so
that the selection of senators shall not be open
to bribery influences always set in motion after
an election. The case of Senator Lorimer of
Illinois has given reinforced strength to his posi
tion. Ho believes that until senators shall bo
selected either in conventions before elections
or directly by the people it will be impossible
to secure a majority in the United States senate
for reform for a score of years to come and
perhaps never. His letter to Governor Harmon
cuts deep: 'Have you any flnfluenco with tho
democratic state committee? If you have, why
did you not urgo the committee to include the
selection of a candidate for United State sen
ator in Its call for a state convention? If you
urged this upon the committee and were turned
down, why do you not appeal to the convention
as Governor Marshall did? He made a fight
for tho nomination and won not only won a
victory for Indiana democracy, but won a place
among the national leaders of the party.' That
was pretty pointed and drew blood, and many
Buckeye democrats are now asking Harmon the
same question. The Nebraskan's supporters in
Ohio are legion. A true follower of Bryan Is
as insistent and outspoken in his reform de
mands as 1b their leader. The absolute control
of democratic politics and policies for fourteen
years convinces Governor Harmon's friends that
Bryan will be a potent factor in the next na
tional convention. Harmon and his friends re
plied to Bryan's open letter in the usual way:
'To nominate a senator In advance of the elec
tion is Impolitic; to do so will eliminate the
work and influence of every democratic aspirant
who is not selected, an important factor in
doubtful states,' is their reply. But that reason
satisfies neither Bryan nor his friends."
HOLLAND, THE New York correspondent
for the Boston Herald who has not always
been friendly to Mr. Bryan, writes to his paper
as follows: "Since the meeting of the Lake Mo
honk peace conference the members of the asso
ciation who dwell in New York, and who at
tended the meetings of a1 week ago, have been
speaking with enthusiasm of the address deliv
ered by Colonel William J. Bryan. A majority
of those who heard Colonel Bryan upon that
occasion have been opposed to him politically,
and some havo looked upon him as a master
rhetorician, who does not think very deeply.
But they now say that it is a new Bryan who
was revealed to them at the Lake Mohonk con
ference. They were prepared for somewhat ex
uberant rhetoric; there was none. Colonel
Bryan was revealed to them as a really great
speaker, concise, dignified, even profound, and
he persuaded his audience as very likely he never
before persuaded men of the intellectual ca
pacity which distinguished the members of the
Lake Mohonk peace association. Some of those
who heard him were of the opinion that his later
experiences, and possibly the fire of discipline
through which he passed in his latest presiden
tial canvass, havo served to bring out his higher
and greater qualities, both as a thinker and as
an orator who can persuade, giving utterance
to thoughts which are remembered after tho
personality of the speaker has passed from view.
And it is the opinion of those who heard Colonei
Bryan that his address was the great triumph of
the Lake Mohonk meeting."
NOW. MR. ROOSEVELT has stirred up
trouble between Robert Collier and the
good Dr. Lyman Abbott. The story is told by
a writer in the Chicago Record-Herald in this
way: "Thoughtless Collier's! Recently, in a
moment of ebullient high spirits, it concluded
that the people must 'tell Roosevelt,' and in
structed them how to do it. They were to cut
out the Collier coupons, which gave them a
chance to express opinions on a variety of cur
rent questions, and were to mail them to Mr
Roosevelt care of the Outlook. Under this
arrangement Collier? waato-beatvupvthegame
and the Outlook was obligingly to hold the bag.
Collier's was to play the cards and the Outlook
was docilely to count the tricks. Collier's was'
to enjoy the limelight and the Outlook was to
be a stage hand in the wings. But the Outlook'
itself is a mighty hunter and a good hand at
cards and an unblinking facer of the limelight.
It rebelled. It was not advertising in Collier's,
as many people might be led to suppose; nor
was it prepared to act as somebody else's letter
box. Collier's has now modified its announce
ment. In its latest issue it states that Collier's,
will itself receive and tabulate the Roosevelt'
ballots. Cross lights are confusing. If, there
fore, you wish to inform the ex-president that,
you are not satisfied with the present tariff, that
you do not favor the re-election of Cannon as
speaker, that you do favor the establishment of
a parcels post and that you do not approve of
Mr. Taft's administration so far, be sure to send
your ballot to Collier's and not to the Outlook.
If, on the other hand, you wish to say that you
are completely satisfied with, Mr. Roosevelt's
ideas and practices as a shooter of big game,
that you accept with fervor his views on race"
suicide and international peace, and that vou
would rather hear the Abbotts on Roosevelt, than
anybody else on any other topic whatever, then
send your ballot to the -Outlook and not to
Collier's. Mr. Roosevelt should not be kept wait-'
ing beyond the 19th of June."
WHEN THEODORE. Roosevelt was at Cairo-
he created a commotion by attacking the
nationalist movement and. a crowd of students
made a demonstration before the hotel at which
Roosevelt was stopping. But Mr. Roosevelt has
repaid them for this indignity. Invited to speak: -in
London in the. famous Guild hall, Mr.-Roose-,
yelt created,,t;he greatest sensation -of his wholeU
tour. He practically called upon tho J3ritlsh
government to use the "big stick" and put
down the growing nationalist movement in
Egypt. Mr. Roosevelt said: "I speak as a real
and not as a mock democrat, who feels his first .
thought is bound to be for the welfare of man
kind, and who wars against injustice and vio
lence, in accordance with the principle I held
toward the Philippines while president. You
have given Egypt the best government in two
thousand years, yet recently you erred. It is
necessary to remember that weakness and
timidity and sentiment alike are more harmful
to an uncivilized people than violence and in
justice. If you feel that you ought not to be
in Egypt, and have no desire to keep order there,
by all means get out. If you feel that it is
your duty to stav there, then show yourselves
1 itl meet thG resPnsibmty of your-
MR. ROOSEVELT'S London speech drew out
strong criticism in England as well as in
Egypt. English politicians fear that the speech
will cause an explosion among the nationalists
in Egypt. A London cablegram to the Denver
Times says: "There were constant compari
t 2 aiy tween Roosevelt's position and the
Lord Sackville-West incident of October 1888
when the then British ambassador to the United
States was dismissed by President Cleveland be
cause he privately wrote a letter advising a citi
zen to vote for Cleveland. It is not contended
that the cases are parallel, but it is insisted by
many that Roosevelt has been guilty of a breach
of diplomatic propriety. Today'scrttlcism of
Roosevelt Increased in severity. The Evening
Star takes the hardest rap at him. 'Roosevelt
has long been unaccustomed to beinc snolron tn
plainly ' it says. 'He has long lived I !n a perfec?
stew of eulogy, but the temptation is irresistible
to tell him that he is guilty of a grave offensl
against the laws binding host and guest and
against the laws that governed the White House
when he was its occupant. The fact that hi!
predecessor was assassinated should have made
him most careful in his comments regarding
the assassination of Boutros Pasha', the Egyp
tian premier The Daily Graphic reminds thn
colonel that 'even Socrates was poisoned for giv
ing too much advice.' The Manchester Guardian
-voices a. common criticism when it says that-.
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