The Commoner.
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 4J
I'lHIMII
"OPICS
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IlfCURRGNT
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THE ARIZONA constitutional convention
completed its work December 9. Among
the provisions of the documents are: Initiative
and referendum; amendment to the constitution
by a majority vote of the people upon the initia
tive of fifteen per cent of the voters; recall of
all elective officers; direct primaries, direct ad
visory primary for United States senators, anti
lobbying clause; non-partisan election of the
judiciary; juvenile court, with the ago of crlme
inal responsibility fixed at eighteen; rigid cor
poration regulation, with a provision designed
to abolish wildcatting; physical valuation of
railroads as a basis for rate regulation; corpor
ation commission with wide powers; employers t
liability provision abrogating the fellow servant ..
doctrine; elimination of probate courts. The
people will vote upon it February 9.
A SPECIAL DISPATCH to the Lincoln (Nebi)
Journal under date of Washington, Decem
ber 10, follows: "Representative Latta was
the Nebraska representative at a luncheon given
at the Metropolitan club today by Representa
tive Francis Burton HarriBon in honor of Gov
ernor Harmon. On the surface tho luncheon
was for the purpose of making members of the
house acquainted with the man who twice car
ried the president's home state despite the
effbrts of the administration. Ab a matter of
fact, politicians in Washington are confident
tonight that the luncheon was the beginning of
a definite plan on the part of Tammany hall to
bring about the nomination of Governor Har
mon as the democratic candidate for the presi
dency in 1912. Mr. Harrison launched the boom
for the Ohio governor at the Jefferson day ban
quet in Washington nearly a year ago. Since
that time he and a number of other conservative
democrats have been working industriously with
a view to furthering the chances of nominating
Harmon for the presidency. Harmon is gener
ally recognized in Washington as the candidate
of the ultra conservative wing of the demo
cratic party, of Tammany hall and of Wall ,
Street. For more than a year he has been in""
close touch with the men representing these in
stitutions. Mr. Harrison is a Tammany man,
who Ib close to Charles F. Murphy, leader of
democracy In New York City."
Smith's assistance.' The New York Sun gives
Wall Street's warning that: 'The sentiment,
such as it is, clamoring, for the election of James
E. Martine by the, legislature as the constitution
requires Is, therefore, largely artificial and
forced, and considering his qualifications, or
rather lack of qualifications, it seems ridiculous.
He really has no claim on the legislature, and"
if he were to obtain tho senatorship on the case
he presents, supported, as it Is, by foolish friends
and bad logicians, it would go to him by default.'
Arid the most notorious of tho press , agents of
JBig Business "serves this nbtlce upon him: 'As
not been announced, and it is an unwarranted
attack to coerce the legislature. The statement
purports to give the views of the people. Mr.
Wilson claims to be their spokesman. He is l
, apparently too modest as yet to claim leader
ship. He says he had .no means of knowing
what the people want,' except as they expressed
themselves at the primary. This great body
of voters asked no pledge of tho candidates.
They received none. Three-fourths of the legis- "
latlve. supporters expressed no will. Dr. Wilson
would have the men thus elected recognize a .
flaw 'Which -seeks to evade the constitution.
He
college-president, he wa"s, of. course, sGhiethihg ' 'wouidThave 'them disregard .the -Interest: of the s - -of
an autocrat. He will find. t when governor'. - :' vast'bbdy rIdf --voters vbecause' -bneourth 4'havb iV.';
that :ho must consult "with men, speiedily learn- 'expressed preference." .,..
mg that Jf he does not do that he will be in
grave danger of committing. serious administra
tive, blunders. Already there are intimations of
some friction, and it is for this reason, that
Woodrow Wilson's service as governor will be
more carefully and curiously watched than -that,
of any of tho. others who have been chosen demo
cratic governors in republican states.' "
UNDER DATE of Trenton, N. J., December 8,
the Associated Press carried the following
telegram: "Woodrow Wilson, governor-elect of
New Jersey, gave out a signed statement tonight
.positively declaring himself in favor of the elec
tion of James E. Martine, democrat, of Union
county, to tne united States senate to succeed x duty of our party embraces many issues, The
A TRENTON; N. J., dispatch, carried Kby the
Associated Press, says: "Governor-elect '
Woodrow Wilson said that he had no comment
to make on "the statement issued by Former i
United States Senator James SmiCh, Jr., bear ..
ing upon the United States senatorial situation
in New Jersey. Mr. Smith's statement was due
to an article issued by Mr. Wilson, in whicK
the latter came out openly for the election of '
James E Martine for, United States senator
from New Jersey. James B. Nugent, chairman
of the New Jersey state democratic committee,
In regard to the senatorship, saidr 'Governor-
elect Wilson's statement has amazed me. The
A PARTICULARLY important senatorial
campaign is on Jn New Jersey. Former
Senator James Smith, Jr., desires the position,
although a majority of the democrats declared
in favor of James E. Martine. A writer in the
Philadelphia North American tells the story in -this
way: i "James E. Martine, of . PlainfieldJ
known as the 'farmer orator, a leader of for
lorn hopes and. a democrat holding the most
advanced progressive views, went into, the pri
maries at a time when it was thought that there
was no chance of the delinocrats carrying the
legislature. He received about 40,000 votes out
of the 70,000 votes cast at the primary by his
party. That seemingly empty honor became a
vastly different matter, however, when the dem
ocrats gained a majority of the legislature.
Smith, along with Davis, of Hudson, and other
local democratic bosses, usually enemies, but.
united as are their political twins in the re
publican parte whenever the control of New
Jersey by the' corporations Is threatened, sud
denly discovered fhat the primary law of March
17, 1908, is meaningless and valueless, and that
the choice of Martine by tho democratic voters
in the primary should be ignored by tho legis
lature'. It is trUe that the law is imperfect.
It does not bind any democratic legislator to
do more than consider the desire of the people.
It is not a complete and effective methbd of
direct nomination It provides for no preven
tion by the courts of an overthrow of the ex
pressed will of the people by the old, foul
methods of intrigue, barter and purchase by tho
bosses and their corporate backersjn tho caucus
and the' joint session."
THIS SAME WRITER adds: "From sources
close .to the New Jersey bosses comes the
jscarcely veiled threat t;hat Mr. Wilson's attitude
m the senatorship may. cost him tho nomination
r the presidency in 1912, or at least Mr.
John. Kean, Jr. Dr. Wilson, in equally nositive
terms, declared himBelf opposed to the election'
of ex-United States Senator James Smith, Jr.
For gome time the governor-elect has been con
ferring with democratic members of the legisla
ture and urging upon them the wisdom of elect
ing Mr. Martine. , Dr. Wilson refrained from
making any public statement until now, hoping
Mr. Smith would announce his retirement from
the field. He called upon Mr, Smith at his home
in Newark Tuesday night, and urged him to
retire, but it is understood Mr. Smith declined
to do so. Dr. Wilson's statement says: 'The
question who should be chosen by the incoming
legislature of this state to occupy the seat in
the senate of the United States, which will
presently bo made vacant by the expiration of
the term of Mr. Kean, is of such vital impor
tance to the people of the state, both as a ques
tion of political good faith and as a question
of genuine representation in the senate, that I
feel constrained to express my opinion with re
gard to it in terms which cannot be misunder
stood. I realize the delicacy of taking any part
in the discussion of the matter. As governor
of New Jersey I shall have no part in the choice
of a. senator. Legally speaking, it is not. ray
duty even Ho give advice with regard to the
choice. But there are other duties besides legal
duties. The recent campaign has put me in an
unusual position. It afforded me, if elected, to
be political spokesman and adviser of the people.
It Is my duty to say with a full sense of the
peculiar responsibility of my position what I
deem It to be the obligation of legislation to do
in this gravely Important matter. I know that
the people of the state don't desire Mr. James
Smith to be sent again to-the senate. Tf ho
Should be he will, not go as their representative.
The only means I have of knowing whom they
do desire to represent them is the vote at the
recent primaries, . where 48,000 democratic
voters, a majority of the whole number who
voted at the primaries, declared their preference
for Mi4. Martine. For me that vote is conclu
sive. I think It should be for every member of
the legislature. Absolute good faith in dealing
With the people and unhesitating fidelity to
every principle involved is the highest law of
political morality under it constitutional gov
ernment.' "
FORMER SENATOR James Smith, Jr., has
made a' publlo statement in answer to
Woodrow WilsoriJs letter urging Mr. Martine's
election to the United States senate: . Mr. Smith
says in part: "I have read Governor-elect Wil
son's statement on the United States senatorial
situation. It is a gratuitous attack on one who
has befriended him, but whose candidaoy has
choice of a United States senator is one, bu.ti "
not the most important. We are pledged- to a
rate-making law, to a reorganization of state .
expense's, equalization of taxes and pther mat-
ters. pr. Wilson was elected upon this plat?
form. So were the members, of the legislature,
Every well-wisher of the party will, d0ploro " d'lBJ?
sension that may weaken lis. Dr, "Wilsori's act' .
is certainly ill-advised.' " " .--.-;
S
ECRETARY BALLINGER has been "vindi
cated." An Associated Press dispatch under
date of December 7, says: "Vindicating Secre
tary of the Interior Ballinger upon all the
charges brought against him, and condemning
his accusers as having been inspired by a deep
feeling of animosity'built upon a supposed differ
ence in policy respecting conservatism, a ma
jority of the congressional committee which In- -vestigated
the so-called Balliriger-Pinchot case,
today submitted its report to congress. After
stating that the evidence presented related in
-the main to charges of various kinds against
Mr. Ballinger and that these came chiefly from
, two sources L. R. Glavis and Gifford Pinchot ... .
the majority of the committee announced the
following conclusion: 'The evidence has wholly
failed to make out a cade. Neither any fact
proved nor all the facts put together exhibit '
Mr. Ballinger as being anything but a competent
and honorable gentleman, honestly arid faith-'.'
fully performing the duties of his high office !
with an eye single to tho public Interest.' The
report Was signed by Senators Knute Nelson, "
chairman; Frank P. Flint, George Sutherland,
and Elihu Root, and Representatives Samuel Mc
. Call of Massachusetts, vice chairman; Martin E. '
Olmstead of Pennsylvania and Edwin Denby of ;
Michigan, all republicans. A few months ago
the democratic members, Senators D. U. Fletcher
and William E. Purcoll and Representatives
Ollie James of Kentucky, and James M. Graham,
of Illinois, together with Representative H.
Madison of Kansas, progressive republican, put
out a report, which they maintain' to he the
majority opinion, condemning the conduct o.f .
Mr. Ballinger as secretary of the interior. This
report was made public following a meeting of
the committee in Minneapolis last September
which was not attended by some of the repub
licans who have now exonerated Mr. Ballinger, .
and therefore the actual minority became a ma
jority and the republicans who were present, ",
with the exception of Mr, Madison, withdrew v
and broke the quorum. The members who now '
'sign the second report formulated their con
clusions at a recent series of meetings. In
speaking of the 'animosity' created by differences
.respecting the -conservation of, natural resources, u -
r tho-majority of .the committee said that the ae- -
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