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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10; NUMBBR'it
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The Commoner,
ISSUED WEEKLY
Entered at the Postofflco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
as second-class mattor.
Wimjam j. Buyah
Editor and Proprietor
Richard L, JIetcalkk
-AwocJato Editor
OirAIlZ.ES W. Hryak
rubllahor
Editorial Rooms and Business
Office 324-330 BouUi 12Ui Street
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Address all communications to
THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Nob.
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,
CIRCULATE THE COMMONER
Dr. J. M. Fulton, Audubon, Iowa.
I hereby renew my faith and loyalty to
The Commoner by handing you $6 and
ten subscriptions. Our principles were
never more vindicated than now, but
what we need most is the steadfast sup
port and loyalty to the principles for
which the real Jefferson-Bryan democ
racy is contending and embodied in the
Denver platform. The difficulty to wrest
the government from the 'hands of the
few into which it has fallen since the
Civil war is a much more serious prob
lem than most people realize, but or
ganization and enthusiasm with right
eousness on our side must take the. place
of money furnished by predatory wealth.
We can easily extend the circulation of
The Commoner to a million copies If
each voter will do a littlo extra work.
This work is not alone for democrats
but republicans as well for they will help
reap the reward in the way of better
government. So many democrats would
greatly rejoice In victory but they. are
not sufficiently ' enthusiastic that they
will contribute that little that will ulti
mately bring success. Democracy means
much more than mere opposition to the
republicans. Democracy is contending
for the principle of self-government and
liberty that is as old as government it
self not handed down by a gang of
plutocrats from Washington but coming
up from the people from where good gov
ernment always cornea. Every democrat
should take The Commoner, get posted,
and tell the good news to his republican
neighbor. Get his subscription if you
can and the chances are that he will
become 'a convert. You cannot hope to
convert a plutocrat who sincerely believes
in the Hamilton theory of government
but there are many republicans these
days advocating democratic principles
and it Is only a short step further over
where they belong with tho democrats
and It Is to these we must extend the
the great w6rk of The Commoner.
"
.
Two Views of One Presidential Candidate
"THE SYSTEM'S" CANDIDATE
It must be confessed that democratic presi
dential politics are becoming a bit confusing.
We aro told on ail hands,' almost, that dovernor
Harmon is the preferred candidate of "the sys
tem." Yet it Is Impossible to escape noticing
that such publications as Harper's Weekly and
the Now York World. Sun and Evening Post,
who are generally accredited as more or less
friendly to the big Interests, are sending up a
dally chorus of praise of Governor-elect Wilson
of New Jersey, and neglecting Harmon almost
entirely.
Yet we are estopped from classifying Wilson
a-s also a "system" favorite by the double fact
that his public utterances are uniformly of the
progressive order, and that he is engaged al
ready in a determined and even bitter fight to
keep James Smith, the corporation candidate,
from being sent to the senate by the New Jersey
legislature. He is doing this in spite of the fact
that it was Smith who developed him as a can
didate, for governor, and In spite of the further
fact that some of his most cordial newspaper
boosters are also manifestly friendly to Smith.
There are some things peculiar, too, about
the status of Harmon, who it would seem was
not under "the system's" influence- when, as
special attorney for the United States, he in
sisted so strenuously on 3ending Paul Morton
to jail that President Roosevelt had to discharge
him to save Morton. And Morton, then as now,
was a personal and financial intimate of the
head of "the system," J. Pierpont Morgan!
Ordinarily a democrat who was re-elected gov
ernor of Ohio by 100,000 majority, with all the
power of a republican national administration
invoked against him, would become forthwith a
foremost candidate, In the newspapers at least,
for the presidential nomination. Yet It Is unde
niably evident lhat the Harmon boom Is lagging
a xPtti?g vcry 1,ttle newspaper attention,
wliile the Wilson movement Is being favored
with unintermittent publicity. Why aren't the
corporation publications paying Harmon some
attention?
Perhaps when the truth Is known It will be
found that the real "system" candidate Is neither
Wilson nor Harmon, nor any other democrat for
that matter, but rather a distinguished fellow
townsman of Harmon's whom "the system"
helped elect In 1908 and whom it would gladly
help re-elect in 1912. Editorial In the Omaha
World-Herald.
Oakland, Cal., December 9, 1910. Editor The
Commoner: There are Indications of a revolt
CAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY BRING REFORM?
(Continued from Page 3)
fighting the Wall Street element within the
party that we have not the energy we should
have to fight tho opposition without.
The predatory interests are' always at work:
they have their representatives in both parties.
They have a pbwerful press and campaign funds
without limit. They are alert to take advantage
of any favorable turn. If one of their men
carries a state he is at onco boomed for presi
dent; his -virtues are extolled and an appeal is
made to those who regard "who can win?" -as
the paramount issue.
Fortunately we are so near. 1904 that the
democrats will remember our fate when the
organization was turned over to those whoso
sole aim seemed to be to please the men who
defeated our party in 1896 and 1900.
The arrogance of those who are now plotting
to make-, our party subservient to the monoy
power will, I hope, finally arouse the voters,
for those in the scheme seem to assume that
opposition to the party in the crucial campaign
of 1896 will be an advantage in the coming cam
paign rather than a weakness.
I am pleased to know that the democrats of
the state of Washington are alive to the situa
tion and that they see the danger which con
fronts the party. I shall discuss the merits
of the candidates In The Commoner, pointing
out who, in my judgment, can be trusted and
who aro objectionable.
I can never fully discharge the debt I owe to
the democrats who have trusted mo, but I can
make partial payment from time to time by
giving them the benefit of my acquaintance with
wen and measures, and by assisting them." so.
far as I can, in the effort to make the party
worthy of tho support of the people.'
Yours truly,
W. J. BRYAN.
among the people the great common people
of this country against corporation and trust
domination of the government. And yet, in
some material respects, it Is manifest that tho
corporations and trusts continue dominant whero
and when it was thought the result of the last
election ended their domlnancy. Notably is
this the case in Ohio. -
Governor Harmon was re-elected by a great-,
IL1 ncrenased Plurality. He is the' dominant po
litical figure in the Buckeye state, and he" is
regarded in some quarters Wall Street, partic
ularly as a probable presidential nominee,
looking to 1912. '
And yet, Governor Harmon is not known to
favor election of United States senators by -direct
vote of the people; the most urgently
urged and imperatively needed governmental
reform now before the people, to the end that
our government in fact may again be made truly
democratic as representative of the whole people
and for the protection, conserving and subserv
ing of the economic welfare of the whole people,
and not merely the aggrandizement of a part
us small class numerically speaking of the
people.
Can it be possible tht Governor Harmon is
ZHStta n TthJ8 tital nation, because,
multi-millionaire John R. McLean desires and
expects to be elected United States senator by
the next Ohio state legislature, which will bo
democratic?
John R. McLean in the senate would be a
reactionary, a corporation senator, as much so
i ?enthe, outSPing senator, Charles R.
Ji ; TWouId Governor Harmon's support of
Mr. McLean's candidacy be accepted by the peo
ple as evidence of Governor Harmon's fitness for
president in furtherance of governmental reform
as herein Indicated?
It would appear that some influences, in "its
own estimation potential in humbugging the
people Is getting overly bold when it openly
advocates for president as a "progressive" dem
!if Jf1111108 governor of Ohio, is so
obligated to John R. McLean TthUt he dare not"1
say a- word in opposition to his candidacy for
senator.
Suffice to say that John R. McLean, as owner
and publisher of the Cincinnati Enquirer and
Washington Post, has faithfully supported Wall
Street $ interest in legislation and government,
and has as faithfully opposed everything in the
nature of governmental reform. And yet his
E?Se5 5 Hable t0 secure for hIm a seat in the
United States senate, with the approval of Gov
ernor Harmon. JOHN AUBREY JONES
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
MakinSBnfUS 2 1IttIe child Slad. that is the
spirit that flows " .
Out of the season of Christmastide sweet as ther .
dew of rose. . M
Making the life of a little one bo
Merry and bright and sweet; '
Clapping of hands with childhood "glee ' '1 '
Dancing of little feet. '
Making the heart of a weary one bright, so, that
the world may seem - ".--
Somewhat of sweet mid the rolling storm down"
Making the life of a weary one feel
Something in life still dwells,
Sweet with the warm and the true and the real
Of the beautiful Christmas spells.
r
Making a troubled one's pathway turn unto a
rosier way, - .
That is the glory of Christmastide wherever it
glows today. . ,.;
Making a troubled one look ahead ; wt
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Unto a hopo reborn,
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Br&hi Ae eaufeul beams that ttrtkd
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Making a little child leap and laugh, wild in it :"
fairy glee, r
That is the spirit of Christmastide wherever tU
child may be. -
Making a little child cling and kiss, ' . - "
mv,SynIn,the danco of mirth, f
That Is the ladder that leads to bliss
Out of tho dust of. earth.
i ' Baltimore Sua.
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