The Commoner.
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WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 10, NO. 38
Lincoln, Nebraska, September 30; 1910
1 1
Whole Number 506
Tariff Commission
The progressive republicans, including Ex
President Roosevelt, are urging the tariff com
mission as a means of settling the, tariff ques
tion. This is an easy way of shelving the issue,
much easier than pointing out a remedy for the
extortion which they admit to exist. The com
mission plan gives thoso'who advocate it a
chance to denounco the present tariff law with
out making any practical recommendations in
the way of remedy. "Leave it to a commission,"
they say. But do they not know that a com
mission would not report before the campaign
of 1912? Suppose the senators and congress
men elected now favor a tariff commission, the
next congress will convene in December, 1911.
It would take some time to appoint a commis
sion and it would then take the commission
months to investigate and report. This would
carry the question over the next election. Is
that the purpose of the commission. The advo
cates of a protective tariff could avoid the dis
cussion of the subject during the campaign of
1912; they could promise to reform the tariff as
soon as the commission reported. Then if the
high tariff men elected a president and con
gress, the commission's report would be ignored
if the report favored reductions. That was the
experience twenty years ago when the commis
sion was used to quiet tariff discussion. If a
tariff reform congress is elected it will reduce
the tariff, regardless of the report made by this
comhiission. The democrats ought not to allow
the tariff commission project to lead them away
from thoir fight for tariff reform. Tariff laws
are written by congress, and congress will not
"delegate that matter to a commission when they
get ready to act; 'They will use a commission
when they want to continue the subject and
get it out of the campaign, but whenever mem
bers of congress want to raise the tariff or lower
the tariff they will not ask the aid or consent
of any commission; they will go to work them
selves. The tariff commission plan is merely- a
motion for a continuance; whether it is so in
tended or not, it is in the interest of the tariff
barons. It does not need a tariff expert to un
derstand that the tariff is outrageously high
and ought to be reduced. Beware of the tariff
commission plan it is a delusion and a snare!
THEN AND NOW
In a speech at Osawatomle, Kansas, Mr.
Roosevelt said: "It is particularly important
that all moneys received or expended for campaign-
purposes shall be publiclyaccounted for
not only after election but before election as
well."
The New York World points out that, reply
ing to Mr. Bryan's plea made in 1908 for the
publication of contributions prior to election
day, Mr. Roosevelt said: "I emphatically ap
prove of the publication of campaign expenses
CONTENTS
TARIFF COMMISSION
JUST LIKE 1896
-v' ' "THE SHADOW OF 1912"
' "STATESMEN OF THE CORNROWS"
ARKANSAS '
A LETTER FROM BEVERLY
i PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS
A CALIFORNIA 'PLATFORM
THOU SHALT NOT STEAL
MONOPOLIZING WATER POWER
CURRENT TOPICS
A NORTH DAKOTA PLATFORM -IF
'THE PEOPLE RULE WHY DON'T THEY
. GET WHAT THEY WANT?
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
after election. You have shown by this
letter of yours that if Mr. Harriman's contribu
tion to the campaign fund of 190-1 had been
knovn before election you and your supporters
would have endeavored to use tho fact of its
having been made as an insincere and untruthful
argument. No stronger argument against your "
proposition (for publication before election) has
yet be.en advanced than this that you have un
consciously advanced."
The Aberdeen (S. D.) News, a republican
paper, says it is inclined to think that Mr.
Roosevelt's 1908 idea is superior to his 1910
idea. Tho News can not, of course, bo serious
in making this statement. Admitting that tho
people have the right to know the source of
campaign contributions, they ought to bo given
tho information at tho time when it may be of
service to the people. To .make these contribu
tions public prior to election day informs tho
people as to the character of tho support given
the various parties. Mr. Roosevelt makes pro
gress none too rapidly, and now that he appears
to bo in a progressive mood republican papers
should encourage him rather than put obstacles
in his way.
A POSTAL SUGGESTION
Why not reduce the postal charge on mer
chandise where it is sent by rural dcllveryfrom
the starting point without having to come over
the railroads There is a substantial basis for a
differential rate in tho case of tho carrying of
local merchandise. It would be a great accom
modation to the people, living along the rural
routes to bo able to order from town and havo
the delivery made at once. It would also bo
an advantage to the local merchants. In addi
tion to this It would largely increase tho rev
enues. It would not bo surprising if a low mer
chandise rato on tho rural delivery would yield
a very considerable return, and nobody can
justly complain. N Whatever may bo said for or
against the reduction of the general rato on
merchandise, surely no argument, can be made
against a reduction where there are no railroad
charges but simply the cost of carrying from
the office and depositing to parties along tho
road.
1 TWO COMING REFORMS
The success of tho insurgent republicans
seems likely to hasten two reforms, first, the
election of'Unlted States senators b;' direct vote
of the people; second, tho initiative and refer
endum, and if they do not succeed in accom
plishing anything more they will havo done
enough to recompense them for the effort they
havo put forth. Tho democrats and Insurgents
ought at the coming session of congress to bring
before the senate a resolution submitting tho
constitutional amendment providing for the
election of senators by a direct vote. If they
And that they have not enough votes to pass
it, the fight will help to bring it before the next
congress. It can not bo many years away.
In the states the democrats ought to secure
tho assistance of tho progressive republicans
and submit an amendment providing for the in
itiative and referendum. Direct legislation
cures .the Imperfections of representative gov
f ernment. N It Is a coming reform and now is tho
time to press it. ' :
CAN AT LEAST DO HIS BEST
A publication whose editor appears to bo very
unfriendly to Mr. Bryan concludes a somewhat
lengthy criticism in these words: "Mr. Bryan
was never a leader. He was essentially a fol
lower instead, and as a follower he has been
left so hopelessly behind in tho procession as to
practically preclude all possibility of his ever
catching up."
Well, a mere "follower" is a pretty useful
citizen provided he follows in the right direc
tion and Mr. Bryan can at least do his best in
this line. If his critics would devote mpre of
their time to following some good lead and less
to the criticism of others, they would make
larger contribution than they now do to the
progress and prosperity of the country.
" Jdst Like 1896
Most of tho men who nro now classed ai
"Insurgent republicans" wero in 189G making
vigorous attacks upon democrats and charging
thorn with "fomenting envy and discontent."
Now that these gentlemen havo found it necoa-
sary to protest against tho manipulation of thoir
party, and through their party of their govern
ment, by tho special Interests, they understand
something of tho feelings of tho faithful demo
crats who, In 1890, battled against the effort
of private monopoly to obtain firm foothold in
tho councils of American, government. Indeed,
tho attacks made upon insurgent republicans
by tho organs of the special interests are in
language almost Identical with tho attacks .that
were made upon democrats during the campaign
of fourteen years ago.
Take, for Instance, tho September 1G issue
'of tho American Economist under the head-
line, "Fomenting Envy and Discontent." This
organ of the tariff barons says that "tho efforts
of tho western insurgents appear to be dlrejoted
solely to creating a feeling of discontent and
dissatisfaction among tho people with the new
tariff law and with everybody who had any
thing to do with placing that law on the? statute
books;" also: "If there over was a time in tho
history of this country when large bodies of
men wero engaged in fomenting the spirit of
' envy, discord, and dissatisfaction among tho
. people,, the present Is that time."
The American Economist must know that re
publican insurgency is merely representative of
the larger Insurgency that Is going on among
tho people. Tho consumers of this country
need not be preached to In order to stir thorn in
revolt against the republican tariff. They aro
already in revolt against that tariff. In 1908
they were in revolt, and to such an extent that
republican leaders wore forced to write Into
their national platform a promise to revise tho
tariff. After the people had given power onco
more to the republican party, and on a tariff
revision pledge, party leaders revised tho tariff
upward and then insulted public intelligence
by pointing out that the party had not promised
to revise It downward. And now tho 'republican
party, faithless as usual to its trust, is face to
face with an outraged constituency, and tho
dissatisfaction is so widespread that even so
stalwart a' republican as Mr. Watson of Indiana
announced a few lays ago that the election of a
democratic house in 1910 was among the proba
bilities. Whenever a man, a small body of men, or
large bodies of men protest against the Impost
tlons which special interests seek to put upon
the public, and plead for justice to the people
for whose benefit government has been or
ganized, they aro charged with "fomenting tho
spirit of envy, discord and dissatisfaction."
There is an abundance of discontent, to be
sure, but tho insurgent republicans aro not
responsible for it. Tho evidences of that dis
content shown oh every hand among the masses
of tho people havo stirred these Insurgents to
action, and they aro making a desperate effort
to save thoir party from utter destruction. It
is coming to be the general opinion that their
well-meaning efforts were too long delayed, that
- the handwriting Is on tho wall, and that tho
party which has so long nursed and nourished
the trust system Is to be required to surrender
the power it has so grossly abused.
"THE SHADOW OF 1012'
President Taft and Mr. Roosevelt met re
cently at New Haven, Connecticut, and press
dispatches say that the shadow of 1912 cast a
shadow over their meeting." "The shadow of
1912" appears to be hanging around in tho
vicinity of most republican meetings these days,
although the shadow of 1910 Is doing business
a littlo more regularly just now in the precincts
where republican candidates for the lower house
of congress most do congregate.
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