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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
Entered at tho PoHtofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
H8 uccond-claHii matter.
Vt.ihufi.yi J. JinvAK
JCdltor and Proprietor
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Awioclnto Kdltor
CatAIU.KS W. UllYAM
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb,
Mr. Gainos, of West Virginia, who demanded a
yea and nay vote. The speaker was sustained
by; 235 to 53. Those voting against the
speaker wore:
Republicans (27) Cary (Wis.), Casidy (0.),
Cooper (Wis.), Davis (Minn.), Fish (N. Y.),
Haugon (la.), Good (la.), Hanes '(Cal.), Hin
snaw (Nob.), Hollingsworth (0.), IJowland
(0.), Kondall (la.), Kinkoid (Nob.), Kopp
(Wis.), Kustormann (Wis.), MadlBon (Kan.),
Millor (Minn.) Morse (Wis.), Murdock (Kan.),
Nelson (Wis.), Norris (Neb.), Poindexter
(Wash.), Steonorson (Minn.), Volstead (Minn.),
Voods (la.).
Democrats (26) Booher (Mo.), Glass (Va.),
Cullop (Ind.), Flood (Va.), Floyd (Ark.), Mam
lin (Mo.), May (Va.),Holm (Ky.), Jamieson
(Ia), Johnson (S. C), Lovely (Tex.), Maguire
(Neb.), Moss (Ind.), A. M. Palmer (Pa.),
Ranch (Ind.), Rothermel (Pa.), Sabath (111.),
Saunders (Va.), Sims (Tenn.), Small (N. C),
Sulzdr (N. Y.), Thomas (Ky.), Touvello (O.),
Turnsbull (Va.), Wallace (Ark.), Watkins
(La.).
Spoakor Cannon's ruling on tho point of order
made by Mr. Mann against tho Fuller resolu
tion was delivered in his most impressive man
ner. Ho gesticulated at times with the gavel
vigorously clutched in his left hand.
1 Tho speaker had tho Norris resolution of last
March read in full, together with an extract
from tho journal of tho house, telling somo of
the details of tho fight that followed and the
overthrow of tho speaker. Ho also had read
extracts from remarks made last March by
Champ Clark and Representative Underwood.
The spoakor declared that under the "great
parliamentary reform" of last March there is
still no way under the rules to amend the rules
except by revolution, "if we are to take the
word and vote of the gentlemen in the house
last session, constituting, for the time beinc
a majority of the house."
h "Now the chair desires to say In this con
nection," he continued, "that it is within tho
power of the house, acting by a majority, to
tip anything that a majority votes for, having
comploto power in the premises, whether justi
fied by the fixed law of the land, tho constitu
?' or otherwise. There was a way, however,
without violating either tho letter or the spirit
of the constitution, without violating any rule
of tho house, by which a majority of this house
woXd its win. WW mad misht have
"But the minority of tho house, substantially
The Commoner.
noting together and reinforced by a minority of
tho majority, made a new majority; and that
now majority, under tho leadership of tho gen
tleman from Missouri (Mr. ClarkJ, worked what
ho declared to bo a revolution.
"Now, that could havo been accomplished by
a majority removing tho speaker from tho com
mittee on rules, declaring tho place vacant and
electing somo member who would work tho will
of tho majority; but that course was not pur
sued. "However, tho house Is now in good temper.
There is no election pending in tho near future;
tho great press of tho country and tho great
leaders of tho respective parties aro quiet. We
aro not excited.
"Tho chair therefore sustains the point of
order."
WORK FOR DEMOCRATS
Tho following letter was written by Mr. Bryan
to I. M. Gibson, toastmaster of the Waterloo,
Iowa, Jackson Day celebration:
My Dear Mr. Gibson: I appreciate tho invita
tion extended by the committee, and regret very
much that I cannot bo present. It is fitting that
wo should bravely meet tho responsibilities im
posed by that victory. There is a disposition in
somo quarters to misconstrue the verdict ren
dered by the people and to use it as an argu
ment in favor of retrogression.
Tho causo and meaning of tho party's success
are so plain that one can hardly mistake them.
The fourteen-year fight for reform Is now bear
ing fruit. A number of remedial measures for
which our party has been contending are al
ready on the evo of adoption, and the republican
party is being forced to commend our party's
policies.
The election of senators by the people a re
form for which our party has-labored for eigh
teen years will be secured soon, possibly through
the present congress certainly through the
next.
Tho income tax which our party advocated as
far ,back as 1894 is being endorsed by the
states.
, Cannonism is overthrown, and the next con
gress will reinstate popular 'government in the
house of representatives.
And to fill our party's cup to overflowing- the
supremo court, by a unanimous vote, has just
sustained the bank guaranty laws of Oklahoma,
Kansas and Nebraska, embodying a plank of the
national platform of 1908. The opinion silences
the objections urged by the financiers to the
system endorsed by our party. Tariff reform is
now assured; and the administration is at last
forced to adopt the democratic doctrine that
trust magnates should, on conviction, be im-
prisoned and that campaign contributions should
be made public; railroad regulation is making
progress, and the promise for ultimate inde
pendence for the Filipinos is not far away. We
havo n6t only laid the foundation -for affirmative
legislation of great importance but our party's
victory has prevented the central bank and a
ship subsidy.
The victory to be celebrated is not merely the
securing of offices but the substantial advance
ment of material reforms. Our party is domin
ating the thought of the country and leading
the forces that fight for remedial legislation.
On the face of the returns democratic gains
seem to be greater in the east than in the west,
but the gains are actually greater in the west
for in several of the western states the repub
lican party has been converted to democratic
doctrines. What greater triumph could we win
than this? All that is necessary is that we
shall Btand firm and prove our right to public
confidence by the manner in which we protect
the interests of the people in the national con
gress and in the states that we control.
May the Iowa democrats assembled around
your board show the courage of Andrew Jack
son in dealing with pending problems and re
fuse to compromise with the predatory interests
that are now trying ttJ secure control of the
democratic organization. Yours truly,
W. J. BRYAN.
LIGHT IN THE EAST
Governor Dix recommends the ratification of
the income tax amendment. Good; it came with
in one vote of being ratified by a renublican
egislature when Gavernor Hughes opposed it?
it certainly ought to be ratified by a democratic
legislature with the governor endorsing it And
then there are Maine, New Jersey and West
vMi Vth 1emocratic legislatures That
victory in tho east may bear important fruit.
VOLUME 11,- NUMBER .
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DIRECT LEGISLATION IN NEBRASKA
Representative Hatfield, in the house, .and
Senator Sidles, in the senate, of. the Nebraska
legislature have introduced bill No. 1 providing
for the initiative and referendum in Nebraska.
This measure was prepared under the direction
of tho direct legislation league and is as follows:
Section 1. Tho legislative authority of the
state shall be vested in a legislature consisting
of a senate' and house of representatives, but
the people reserve to themselves power to pro
pose laws, and amendments to the constitution,
and to enact or reject at the polls any act, item,
section, or part of any act passed by the legis
lature. Section 1. A. The first power reserved by
the people is the initiative. Ten per cent of the
legal voters of the state, so distributed as to
include five per cent of the legal voters in each,
of two-fifths of the counties of the state, may
propose any measure by petition, which shall
contain th.e full text of the measure so proposed.
Initiative petitions (except for municipal and
wholly local legislation) shall be filed with the
secretary of state and be by him submitted to
the voters at the first regular state election held
not less than four months after such filing. The
same measure, either in form or in essent.al
substance, shall not be submitted to the people
by initiative petition (either affirmatively or
negatively) oftener than once in three years, ex-
cept upon petition of twenty pel; cent of the
legal voters of the state. If conflicting meas
ures submitted to the people at the same elec
tion shall be approved the one xeceiving the
highest number, of affirmative- votes shall there
by become law as to all conflicting provisions.
The constitutional limitations .as to scope arid
subject matter of statutes enacted by the legis
lature shall apply to those enacted by the in
itiative. Section 1, B. The second power reserved is
the referendum. It may be ordered by a peti
tion of five per cent of the legal voters of the
state distributed as required for initiative peti
tions. Referendum petitions against measures
passed by the legislature shall be filed with the
secretary of state within ninety days' after the
legislature enacting the same adjourns sine die
or for a period longer than ninety days; and
elections thereon shall be had at the first reg
ular state election Held not less than thirty days
after such filing.
Section 1, C. The referendum may be or
dered upon any act excopt acts making appro
priations for the expenses of the state govern
ment, and state institutions existing at the time
such act is passed. When the referendum is
ordered upon an act or any part thereof it shall
suspend its operation until the same is approved
by the voters; provided, that emergency acts
or acts for the immediate preservation of the
public peace, health, or safety shall continue in
effect until rejected by the voters or repealed
by the legislature. Filing of a referendum
petition against one or more items, sections, or
parts of an act shall not delay the remainder
of the measure from becoming operative
Section 1, D. Nothing in this section ahall
be construed to deprive any member of tho legis
lature of the right to introduce- any measure.
The whole number of votes cast for governor
at the regular election last preceding the filing
of any initiative or referendum petition shall
be the basis on which the number of legal voters
required to sign such petition shall be com
puted. The veto power of the governor shall
not extend to measures initiated by or referred
to .the people. All such measures shall become
the law or a part of the constitution when ap
proved by a majority of the votes cast thereon,
and not otherwise, and shall take effect upon
proclamation by the governor, which shall be
made within ten days of the completion of the
official canvass. The vote upon initiative and
referendum measures shall be returned and can
vassed in the same manner as is prescribed in
the case of presidential electors. The method
of submitting and adopting amendments to the
constitution provided by this section shall he
supp ementary to the method prescribe" in
fhHo"?11,, (,15) f this constitution, and
the latter shall in no case be construed to con
flict herewith This amendment slmll be9 self!
executing, but legislation may be enacted 4nL "
dally to facilitate its operation. In submittC
5?fISSfv alld. .rders for the initiative and thf
referendum tbe secretary of state and all other
officers shall be guided by this amendment hnd
nngneral l?W until additional SlatiSn
shall be especially provided therefor. uiamuoa
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