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The Commoner.
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WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL. 10, NO. 49
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Lincoln, Nebraska, December 16, 1910
Whole Number 517
The World Dodges
When the New York World proposed "a neir
democratic party" in which "the Bryan social
ism" should ho ahandoned, The Commoner
asked: "What is the thing the New York
World calls 'Bryan socialism' from which, in tho
World's opinion, the party has been emancl
pated?" The Commoner asked the World to
point out the changes the reorganizers would
make in the democratic national platform for
1908.
Would the World repeal the plank promising
to restore the lower houso of congress to its
representative capacity, the declaration in sup
port of tho state governments in all their rights,
the plank denouncing trust shelter in the tariff,
the demand for physical valuation of railroads,
the protest against the over-issue of stocks and
bonds, the declaration in favor of the popular
election of senators, the advocacy of the incomo
tax, the objection to ship subsidy, or the declara
tion that "a private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable?"
' Pretending to reply, the World names gov
ernment ownership of railroads, prohibition,
and some other things that were not in the
platform. It is not willing, however, to use
the platform of 1908 as the calcium light in
which the purpose of the men behind the
World's reorganization plan may be read.
t Ib'now says: "When -the Wpvld says that
te'democratic party is. emancipated fro.m Bryan
socialism, we mean' especially that in dealing
with, corporation abuses Anglo-Saxon remedies
are "to be substituted for socialistic remedies."
. OJhe World explains: "If we were seeking an
.illustration we should say that the Bryah
Roosevelt schemes of trust license are inherent
ly socialistic, while the true democratic theory
of dealing with all offenses against society is
embodied in three words 'Quilt is personal.' "
There is no similarity whatever between the
Bryan and the Roosevelt plans of "trust license."
Mr. , Roosevelt wants corporations incorporated
tinder federal authority, a centralization
scheme against which Mr. Bryan has protested
as resolutely as against any other undemocratic
method. Mr. Bryan's so-called "trust license"
plan provides merely for the shutting up of
trusts in the state of their origin and requires
them, before they may do an interstate business,-
to obtain a certificate from federal au
thorities that they have not violated the antl
trust law.
' The proposition that "Guilt is personal,"
is one which Mr. Bryan has favored ever
since he has been in public life. In every
'speech he has made withf respect to trusts
he has pleaded for the enforcement of the crim
inal clause of the Sherman anti-trust law. From
its .initial number The Commoner has made that
same plea, and it is absurd for the World, a
newspaper which is now engaged, just as it was
engaged in 1904, in an effort to Morganize the
democratic party, to pretend that it has dis-
CONTENTS
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THE. WORLD DODGES
THE HOUSE RULES .
IN NEBRASKA
THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
v THE BALLINGER WHITEWASH
DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPERS ON PLUTO
CRATIC ORGANIZATION
LAFOLLETTE'S WARNING
i. r,T,T.wamTrPATTVTil aAPNTOR'S PLAN -
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f&fc-'. CURRENT TOPICS
' HOME DEPARTMENT
SpV WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
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covcred In the "Guilt U personal" proposition a
new and astounding remedy,
Tho World has misrepresented Mr. Bryan for
bo many years that some of IU oditorlal writers
may now really believe their own mis-statements.
When tho World says that it desires
Anglo-Saxon" remedies rather than "socialistic
remedies" for corporation abuses, It means
just as it meant in 1904 when it stood sponsor
for tho reorganization under which tho demo
cratic party went to Ignominious defeat
remedies applied by a party organized by tho
representatives of tho special interests..
The World concludes: "Even if Mr. Bryau
were tho soundest and sanest of political econo
mists which he is not ho is so politically dis
credited that tho hope of the party can Ho only
in new leadership."
Granting all that tho World may say of Mr.
Bryan, how does it happen that in its search
for "new leadership" the World invariably lands
in the same neighborhood where tho repre
sentatives of trusts and other special interests
most do congregate? How does it happen that
whenever tho World searches for a democratic
candidate it cannot be persuaded to fasten its
gaze upon any of the many capable democrats
whose record would justify the hopo that they
would stand against tho encroachment of special
interests? How does it happen that tho
World's candidate is usually tho preferred can
didate of the special interests?
ANOTHER WALL STREET SCHEME
Tho press dispatches report that Senator Aid
rich has decided to "force" his currency reform
measure through congress at this session. Mr.
Aldrich's plan Includes the central tyink and
he compliments the democratic party, when by
attempting to force it through tho "job" ses
sion after tho election and before tho repub
lican party goes out, ho confesses that tho demo
cratic congress soon to meet would not favor
tho central bank.
The Commoner has, for a .Jong time, been
warning its- readers against the central bank.
It is a scheme concocted by the big financiers of
Wall Street to secure control of all the business
of the country as well as of tho country's
finances. It is to be hoped that tho democratic
party will present a united front against it and
that there will be enough progressive republi
cans to ensure its defeat. As a matter of pre
caution, however, every Commoner reader and
every one whom a Commoner reader can influ
ence, ought to write to his congressman urging
the defeat of the central bank scheme. There
is no time to lose write now.
MAKING A GOOD START
Congressman-elect Martin W. Littleton of
the Oyster Bay. district, has severed his connec
tion with his law firm, and announces that in
his practice he will not accept business from
corporations which could possibly be affected by
laws that may bo enacted during his term in
congress.
Good for Mr. Littleton! He Is starting out
right. No official can afford to put himself in
the position of serving two masters. The legis
lator should have as high a sense of honor as
a judge. No judge would permit himself to
try a case in which he has a pecuniary Interest
and a legislator should bo as unwilling to per
mit a question to be raised as to his disinterest
edness. Mr. Littleton has set an example which
should be universally followed.
GOVERNOR WILSON'S OPPORTUNITY
Governor Wilson of New Jersey has an oppor
tunity to show his position on an Important
question a test question, too, when ho sends
his first message to the legislature.
Tho income tax amendment Is awaiting ratifi
cation by tho states.
Will Governor Wilson urge its ratification?
There aro few questions which furnish a better
test of a man's sympathies. An a rule only tho
tax dodgers with big incomes are violently op
posed to an income tax
Where does Governor Wilson stand?
The House Rules
, Tho Houston (Toxau) Post, a paper which
objects to tho selection of tho house committer
by a committee on committees rather than by
tho speaker, criticises Tho Cominonor for re
questing democrats to writo their representative
to voto for a revision of tho rules. The Poat
says: "There is not ono constituent in twenty
five thoiiLMnd who knows what tho rules of the
houso aro, or what tho rules of tho houso wore
when tho voto was last controlled by democrats.
Is not Tho Commoner's suggestion ono which
asks a domocrat who knows nothing about par
liamentary proceduro to direct tho courso of
ono who does Itnow?"
Tho Post has a poor opinion of tho Intelligence
of tho masses of tho American pcoplo. But
oven though thoro Is not ono person In twenty
five thousand who knows what tho rules of tho
last democratic houso wore, thoro aro a suffi
cient number of persons who know what tho
democratic contention has been during, say, tho
past twelvo months. These pcoplo havo been
told by democratic congressmen, editors and
orators that tho houso of representatives has
abdicated Its constitutional power by surrender
of houso authority to ono man called tho speaker.
Thoy havo soon democratic mombers making
impassioned speeches, pleading with ropubllcana
to help them take from tho spcakor tho authority
to appoint houso committees and vest that au
thority in tho hands of a committee chosen by
tho houso itself. Theso people know that if
this was good doctrine when tho republicans
wore in pewor in tho houso, it will bo good doc
fiino when tho democrats go into power In tho
houso. It will require even moro than tho
genius of tho editor of tho Houston Post to pro
vide a satisfactory explanation to these people
if tho democrats insist upon vesting in a demo
cratic speaker tho power which thoy havo de
cried in a republican speaker.
Tho Post cites tho fact that Mr. Bryan was
a member of the house In tho Fifty-second con
gress; that he was appointed by Speaker Crisp
as a member of tho ways and means committee.
It mentions u number of distinguished demo
crats who were members of that committee, and
asks: "Could a log-rolling committee of tho
Fifty-second congress havo Improved upon that
committee, giving duo consideration to tho ex
perience and ability of members?"
Unquestionably the gentlemen named by tho
Post wero faithful, capable committeemen. It
may be true that a commltteo on committees
would not even do so well as did Speaker Crisp,
and it may be true that in Speaker Cannon's
opinion a commltteo on committees could not
do as well as Speaker Cannon has done Id tho
personnel of houso committees. But tho fact
remains that since the day of Crisp and In tho
days of Cannon democrats have persistently de
manded the destruction of one-man power in
tho house through the appointment of commit
tees by the houso Itself. Demanding that re
form under a republican speaker, they must put
it In force under a democratic speakor if they
would have tho people believe in their sincerity.
The Post says: "What will, tho speakership
amount to if its duties bo confined merely to
the parliamentary task of presiding? Why
would so experienced a man as Champ CJark bo
desirable in the speakership if the house Is to
deny Itself the benefit of his experience and his
knowledge of the qualifications of the members?
A new member might as well hold the job, for
he will have a parliamentary clerk to smooth
out parliamentary tangles for him."
Tho speaker will bo the presiding officer of a
house of representatives that Is true to Its name,
and that Is an honor of which any American
might be proud. Champ Clark's large experi
ence and his sturdy patriotism will be of faT
greater service to the house and to the country
when given by ono whoso influence -does not
depend upon despotic authority but rather upon
the gopd opinion his fellow-members have of
him. As usual, the Post has the cart before
the horse. Tho question Is not "What will the
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