' f 'T -WP! -Vft, tfi f t
fetvtl ..
!
l '
Ihe Commoner.
,4
wfwwmgpfw ;'kViFrW'"'!7'rT" '"W" v -
?-.
;i
i
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 10, NO. 43
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 4, 1910
Whole Number 511
Paramount Issues
'A word to democrats: The election Is at
hand; on Tuesday, November 8 the people will
decide at the polls whether the next national'
house of representatives (congress, as wo gen
erally say) shall bo democratic or republican.
Be sure that your vote counts on the right side.
There may bo districts in which a reactionary
democrat has been nominated against a progres
sive republican. In such case, if the democrat
is really the Wall Street type and the republican
is a sure enough progressive, the progressive
is the better man, but In nearly every case it
will bo found that the democrat stands for more
advance than the republican candidate ho is
certain -to if he stands on the last democratio
national "platform.
A democrat, a good democrat, is in position
to render more service to the people than any
kind of a republican. First, he will havo no
questions of patronage to embarrass him-.
Second, ho will be under no obligation to stand
by the administration. Third, he will vote for
-a democratic speaker r-Champ Clark being tho
only democrat thought of for tho place. Fourth',
he will be one to investigate tho use which the
republicans havo made of their power. Fifth,
a democrat a good democrat will stand for
the election of senators by the people, for an
income tax, for tariff reduction, for the preven
tion of trusts, for tho purification of politics, for
needed labor legislation, and for a conservation
which will respect the interests of the states.
He will stand against the national incorpora--tfon
of railroads, the national incorporation of
trusts, the central bank, the ship subsidy and
all other schemes which are pushed by the rep
resentatives of predatory wealth.
Make -no- mistake about your congressman-. ,
While it looks as if the democrats would Have
"a considerable majority in congress still it may
be so close that one congressman may decide
it and your vo'te may decide the congressional
election.
In some of tho states a senator is to be elect
ed some thirty-three altogether. These have
to be elected through legislatures. Watch your
'legislative elections. In some states national
and local issues may conflict; in such cases one
set of Issues must be paramount the national
issues should be regarded as paramount. Na
tional issues affect ninety millions of people
and a mistako made at Washington is harder
to correct than a mistake made at the state
capital. Take no chances on a plutocratic sen
ator; we need more democrats In the senate -simon
pure democrats who can be relied upon
to represent the people in their struggle for
justice and equality of opportunity.
New nationalism does not smell any better
under that name than it did under the name of
Hamiltonianism.
CONTENTS
PARAMOUNT ISSUES
MR. ROOSEVELT'S PROMISE
IS HE PROGRESSIVE? i
JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE
THE NEBRASKA SITUATION
MR. DOLLIVER'S DEATH
.THE SUPREME QUESTION
CUMMINS' INDORSEMENT
SPIKING A CANNON
INTERESTING REMINDER
CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
MR. ROOSEVELT IN A TILT
.WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
MR. BRYAN IN INDIANA
NEWS OF THE WEEK
MR. ROOSEVELT'S PROMISE
; At Jamestown, N. Y., Mr. Roosevelt said: "If
my career means anything, it moans that I novor
say on tho stump anything that I do not say In
private, that I nover say anything I do not
believe, and that I do not make a promise un
less I try to keep It." Ho docs not say "I never
say in private what I do not say on tho stump"
to Harriman, for instance
But does ho always try to keep his promises?
Did ho not promise that Mr. Taft would mako
good? Did ho not guarantee satisfaction, or mon
ey refunded? And did ho not loavo tho country
immediately after tho inauguration and stay
away. for a year, even when ho know that his
legatee had filled his cabinet with representa
tives of tho predatory interests? Did not his
(Mr. Roosevelt's) New York convention en
dorse tho administration Balllngor, Wlcker
sham and all?
Now ho guarantees Mr. Stlmson, but what is
his guarantee worth? It would bankrupt him
if he tried to redeem tho premises that ho made
for Mr. Taft in 1908. Ho talks about driving
crooks out of his party, but what "undesirable"
republican has ever asked his endorsement and
been refused?
Did he not endorse Paul Morton after ho had
confessed to receiving rebates? Did ho not en
dorse Knox and Root, the chief attorneys for
the great trusts? Did ho not endorse Piatt
and Depew?. Did he not endorse Hepburn of
Iowa when his former constituents werp turn
ing him out because of his railroad sympathies?
Did ho not -endorse Cannon,, tho Prince of
'Standpatters? Did he not endorse Sherman?
Did he not put himself in the samo class with
Harriman and say, "we are both practical
men?" Did he not endorse Burkett, tho stnnd
patter of Nebraska, and'Lbdge, tho high tarifllto,
in .Massachusetts? Did hp not endorse President
raft 'after he had eulogized Aldrlch? And does
'any one doubt that ho would endorse Aldrinh
now. if he were in danger of being defeated by
a democrat?
Is he"not like tho man who cited the fact that
everybody had his notes as proof that the notes
must bo good?
"YELLOW DOG" PARTISANSHIP
Tho democrats who four years ago voted for
Senator Cummins against Claude Porter will bo
disappointed when they read the senator's
speech at Chicago. Ho said:
"I certainly desire that every man tho repub
licans of Illinois have nominated (that includes
Cannon and legislators who voted for Lorimer)
shall be elected. Any man who can draw from
any of my speeches the conclusion that I would
substitute for ANY republican the best democrat
on earth Is sadly in need of a mental stimulant."
If that Is tho opinion of a republican who is
called a progressive what might we expect from
a standpatter? Fortunately tho "yellow dog"
partisanship advocated by Senator Cummins Is
passing away. Tho progressive spirit is growing
in all parties and men now boast that they make
their votes represent their judgment and con
sciences not that they never scratched a
ticket. Campaign speeches would bo of little
use if every voter was as partisan as Senator
Cummins. His view seems to bo that men are
born into a party and can not get out except
by death.
MR. ROOSEVELT IN MASSACHUSETTS
Mr. Roosevelt has now spoken In Massachu
setts, urging the re-election of Senator Lodge.
Mr. Aldrich's right hand man in preventing tariff
reduction. Now if any one thinks that he can
find a republican (who has not criticised tho
.ex-president) whom Mr. Roosevelt will not aid
on request let him name him. Since the dinner
with Boss Cox and the speech for Lodge it would
seem that there is no limit to tho elasticity of
Mr. Roosevelt's progresslveness it can bo
stretched to suit any emergency.
Is He Progressive?
In Kansas Mr. Roosevelt fratornlzcd with the
insurgents and in other westorn states ho spoko
so nearly tho languago of LaFollotto and Cum
mins and Brlstow that many who had not
learned to havo great confidence In his stnylng
qualities bogan to havo some hopo that ho might
bo dopended upon to lead in a real battlo. But
thoso who hoped that Mr. noosovolt would say
a good word for Senator LaFollotto prior to
primary clay waited In vain. On his western
trip Mr. Roosovolt insurged overywbero except
in Wisconsin, tho one placo whero insurgency
was rampant. Then Mr. Roosevelt proceeded to
Now York and hold a "reform" convention,
choosing that flno old roformor, Ellhu Root (tho
lawyor who has organized moro trusts than any
other man of IiIb day) as tho chairman of that
convention. Then ho picked another standpatter
as chairman of tho stato committee. Hurrying
away to Massachusetts ho took tho stump for
Henry Cabot Lodge, second in command of tho
standpat craft with Nelson A. Aldrlch.
Failing In his Now York platform to declaro
for tho principles ho championed in Kansas and
failing on his western trip to glvo aid to Senator
LaFollctte ho displayed great enthusiasm In the
support ho gave to tho Massachusetts senator,
.who stands for everything in government
against which reform republicans are at war. '
BUNCOMBE
Speaking In Indiana tho other day, in support,
of .Senator- Bevorldgo, Colonel Roosevelt said:
"Thero were differences between Senator Bevo
ridgo and some of tho representatives of tho
republican party in Washington, hut thero woro
not any differences between him and tho bulk
of tho party outside,., of Washington. It was
merely that Senator .Boverldge and tho bulk of
tho party wero ahead. The others will catch up.
Tlicy are a little late in starting, but they aro
all right."
Commenting on this remark, Senator LaFol
lotto says: "Isn't Mr. Roosevelt over-sanguine?
It would bo a very pleasnnt thing to havo hap
pen; but will it? For our part, wo havo never
seen the slightest evidence that tho Aldrichites
and tho Cannonites were even getting ready to
commence to begin to start in tho direction Bevo
ridgo and tho people are going."
RATIO OF 1 TO 5
The plate glass trust, made possible by tho
higher tariff wall, has added 100 per cent to
its selling, prices In about two years' time, and
of this advance it gave one-sixth to tho work
men and five-sixths to tho stockholders. This
trust makes the American consumer pay nearly
$2 for every $1 worth of glass ho buys. It vill
be noticed that tho ratio of 1 to 5 is about tho
usual proportion in which tho republican party
protects tho laborer and rich manufacturer.
Evansvllle, Ind., Courier.
OBSERVING THE SPEED LIMITS
Several republicans have tried to explain why
Mr. Roosevelt's progrcsslvelsm is moro progres
sive in some sections than in others. There Is
no mystery about it. When he starts out In
his progressive automobile ho simply observes
tho speed limits of tho various localities. On
tho plains of Kansas ho goes like blazes, but
when he reaches the crowded thoroughfares of
New York ho goes so slow that you would havo
to get behind the machine to bo run over.
ADOPTING A NEW PLATFORM
In a recent speech in New York state Mr.
Roosevelt declared that "the big Roosevelt doc
trine is 'Thou shalt not steal I'" It is to be
hoped, that after tho colonel has bodily "lifted"
tho democratic platform, no one will accuse him
of trying to filch tho platform of Moses.
m
ti
o