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Tho Commoner
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 51
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"If the People Rule Why Don't
They Get What They Want?"
W. T. Aletfanderia, Goliad, Texas, never before. If a state cannot exo-
In answer to Senator Owen's auos
tion will say the peoplo do rule and
get what they vote for, but not what
they want, on account of yellow dog
politics. Oil tho morning of lec
tion tho bosses come around with
whisky and cigars and say, "Now
boys, lot's votdr 'or straight," and in
sho goes straight. This is short,
but tho best I havo seen.
M. J. E., Kankakee, 111. Because
thoy do not know how to get it.
They bark up tho wrong tree. The
government has wasted much money
in its efforts to regulate tho packers
and what has it accomplished? If all
cities would require inspection on
tho hoof of all meat sold within them
tho beef trust attorneys would not bo
daring United States courts aB they
are now and have been for years.
Why should not our government col
lect an excise tax from American
heiresses who marry foreign titlo
bearers? Also why should not an
export tax be placed on all food stuffs
and manufactured articles sold
abroad cheaper than at home, equal
to fifty per cent of the difference ber
tween tho home and foreign price.
When the people learn -that the rem
edy for most of tho ovils of which
thoy complain lies in their own
hands thoy will havo fewer complaints.
cute its just laws, what chanco does
an Individual of moderate means
stand before tho federal courts? Our
judges should be elected. Too many
get their appointments for some
,work that thoy have dono that does
not commend them to tho people, but
tho administration, under pressuro of
tho corporations, feels bound to take
care of them. If we had just judges
it would go a long ways toward
righting things.
P. E. Hammond, Cuba, N. Y.
When direct nominations, the Initia
tive, referendum and recall are se
cured by all tho states in the union,
tho people will rule and get what
thoy want. Then the people, through
tho initiative, can and will- get other
reforms. For morer than twenty
years I havo been advocating these
measures. The progress made 'In the
last two years gives assurance of a
more just antiwholesomo democracy
in tho future not only in tho United
States, but the world over. Keep
right on with your good work, Mr.
Bryan, of educating the people. You
are the greatest advocate of the gen
eral good and the most comprehen
sive teacher of our time, and history
will so name you.
M. J. Keith, Summerdale, Ala.
Tho peoplo do get what they want:
they want bosses first: then they
Thomas B. Moore. Lexington. Ky. J" h JS ???
Why tho people do not rule is be
cause thoy havo not secured neces1
sary legislation for the protection and
safeguarding of the elections, cover
ing every conceivable fraud, impos
ing heavy fines, Imprisonment, to
which should be added a reward,
payable put of said fines, for detec
tion and conviction of infractions of
tho election laws. Coupled with the
initiative, referendum and recall tho
poople will rule, as at present there
seems to be an awakening all along
the lino. Let the farmers see to it
that they havo representation in our
state legislatures and that unlimited
taxation be not granted for any
purpose.
thein to have. They havo a high
tariff schedule to look over that
pleases, ' then three cents a pound
tariff tax on sugar that seems to
make them feel good; that la what
they want. A laboring man, as an
argument against the democrats, said
to mo: 'In Cleveland's administra
tion in 1893-4 I only got 75 cents a
day; now I get $1.25." He has been
a laborer all his life and saves no
more on day wages now than In '93.
He has what he wants a bushel of
Ignorance. He Is a representative of
tho laboring masses.
These interests can, will and always
do look out for themselves; but tho
people have never risen to tho reali
zation of their own power and per
sonal Interests, nor havo thoy meas
ured up to tho true dignity of Amer
ican citizenship. When tho peoplo
elect congressmen, senators and
members of the legislature to rep
resent tho people then the peopto
will got what they want, and not
untii then. So long as the people's
representatives consult and consort
with the representatives of tho cor
porations so long will tho corpora
tions rulo, and not the peoplo.
H. C. Trowbridge, Austin, Minn.
Do tho peoplo rule? They never
havo and never' will until they have,
the Initiative, the referendum and
the recall. .How can they expect to
rulo when their enemies select all the
judges to "be appointed and select
men who always put money about the
man when our supreme court will
twist the laws and constitution so'
that kidnapping is legal, as per their
decision in the Hayward, Moyer and
Pettlbone case In Jolorado. Does
any one suppose for a minute, if it
had been one of the captains of in
dustry that they would decide that
kidnapping was one of lnallonable
rights guaranteed under the consti
tution, for tho benefit of conspirators.
Where our courts strain as hard to
Eet aside unjust laws as they do just
ones then the people will have some
respect for the courts and not till
then. Let a state pass a good law,
a law that will be for the benefit of
tho people, but if that law in any
way trys to regulate big business,
some little federal judge Immediately
issues an Injunction restraining tho
state from putting the law into effect.
It is appealed from ono court to an
other and finally reaches our supreme
court. Wo all know about what the
decision will bo. Mark Hanna said
tho supremo court was their bulwark,
enjamin Clow, Dalton, Mass.
Having had the pleasure of reading
The Commoner from its first number
permit me to say, I have been great
ly pleased and Instructed In branches
of Intelligent education which all or
dinary citizens greatly need and In
the replies lately published by The
Commoner. As the enclosed note
taken from the Berkshire Evening
Eaglo of July 15 fairly represents my
ideas, you can use It if so Inclined;
in fact I see no way of escape until
the people are granted the right of
recall of all officers that misrepresent.
NEW BOOKS OF INTEREST TO BOOK LOVERS
Victor Demont, Clssua Park, 111.
My answer to the query Is: Simply
and solely because the people permit
thejr lawmakers, their representa
tives, to dictate the peoples' wants;
and the people (who are law-abiding
and patriotic) submit to tho dictation
of tho lawmakers whom thoy elect
and trust, while these lawmakers,
holding their constituents as easy
marks, forgot, neglect; yes, they
Ignore, tho people and their wants.
The people can get what they want
when they Insist upon it. The people
can rulo when they are as earnest
and as eager to conserve their own
interests as tho lawmakers aro to
conserve their own interests. Let
tho people elect men who are
pledged, and who will vote for thel
A New, Complete Edition of
Mr. Bryan 's Speeches
Containing All of His Important Public Utterances
iJnM?handy volumes. You can follow Mr. Bryan practically through
his entire career, from his Valedictory oration at Illinois College in 1881 "
hrou,ff,!,hIs early publlc 1Ife' h, Presidential campaigns; his world tours
HonaPfJfm0?por,en,ccs'iand ,ais Participation In meet ngs 6f orgaS
for th Onr0doff na,Unal Progress, as well as International congresses
tor the promotion of the world s peace. B
Tho subject matter of th -so speeches covers a wldo range of tonics
from the fundamental and vital problems of national and world irS
i !2 JVlEeaJ Id6als, ,f huni,an endeavor. A handy mSans of roforoncS t?
the student of social problems of the present and future. roioronco
A Brief Outline of
Contents
SPEECHES ON TAXATION
AND IIIMETALISM
Tho Tariff, (1892); BI-'
metalism (1893); Uncondi-.
tional Repeal (1893); An
Income Tax (1894); Money
(1894); In the Chicago
Convention (1890); The
Silver Question (1896);
Tho Tariff (1890).
POLITICAL SPEECHES
Imperialism (1900); The
St. Louis Convention
(1904) ; Government Owner
ship (1906); Snail tho Peo
ple Rulo (1908X: The Trustr
Question (1908)? Guaran
teed Deposits (1908); Chi
cago Labor Day Speech
(1908),; The Stata and tho
Nation (19Q8).
EDUCATIONAL AND RE
LIGIOUS SPEECHES
Tho Value of an Ideal
(1901); Tho Prince of
Peaco (1904); Man (1905);
Missions (1906); "Faith
(1907); Tho Prlco of a Soul
(1908).
MISCELLANEOUS
Character (1881); Gray'a
Elegy (1890); Memorial
Day- at Arlington (1894);'
Conservation of National
Resources (1908); Com-
(1908); Dreamers
(1906); Tributes to Lincoln
and Jefferson; Receptions
at His Home City iiln
9?ln): To His Neighbors
(1908).; and also Important
speeches. In foreign lands,
besides other- on various
topics.
ONLY AUTHORIZED, COMPLETE COLLECTION
While Mr. Bryan's speeches, lectures nd public addresses have annon.,,
from time to time in different editions of lis- works" or have been rru
in separate form, these two volumes contain tho only authentic mil
and authoritative collection of all of his speeches ovX fssued I M?f Vh
flrst publication in book form of a complete collection of Mr RS
speeches from his first entry in public life up to tho present time
Two Handy Volume
This completo collection com
prises two handsome 12 mo vSl
urnes containing 750 pages JProi.
tlspleces showing Mr. Bryan at
various stages of his career with
biographical Introduction by his
wife, Mary Balrd Bryan Printed
" Bood paper in Iargof clear
typo and handsomely bound Tho
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nfionlo. and nnt fnr thn Amhinaa
truats. syndicates, ranrnnrt nvnvtxaa
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