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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. II, NO- 18
Lincoln, Nebraska, May 12, 1911
Whole Number 538
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Aldrich Democrats
The following editorial is front the Richmond
(Virginia) Times-Dispatch:
"We do not Tmow what corporation has
queered the Montgomery Advertiser, as honest
a newspaper as will be found anywhere in the
country, but it must have been 'touched' by
some sinister influence or it would not venture
to speak of the great Nebraskan as follows:
" 'Mr. Bryan, in his Commoner, strikes Sena
tor Martin another blow, and all because the
Virginian doesn't look to the Grand Master from
the west for marching orders. Party toleration
of the Peerless, having gone on for fifteen years,
has badly turned his head. Factional strife and
petty bickerings are out of place at this time,
but it is vain to hope for peace so long as the
Bryan vanity is permitted to assert itself.'
"We think the Advertiser is entirely right,
but, of course, it must pay the penalty of Mr.
Bryan's distrust, because it does not agree with
Mr. Bryan in his political views, and is not will
ing to trust the fortunes of the democratic paTty
or of the country to his domination."
If the Advertiser has paid "the penalty of
Mr. Bryan's distrust," it is because the Adver
tiser like the -Richmond Times-Dispatch, and
like the Virginia senator for whom these papers
speak is an Aldrich democrat. Papers that
seek to turn the democratic party over to the
special interests pretend that Mr. Bryan is seek
ing to dominate the party. All Mr. Bryan asks
is that the party be true to Itself, to the prin
ciples for which it claims to stand and that it
overcome the efforts of those who would make
it the servant of the special interests. Yet the
answer to Mr. Bryan's appealoh this line is that
ho "seeks to stir up factional strife and petty
bickerings" and that his efforts are the out
growth of "the Bryan vanity."
Such "arguments" as these have deceived
democrats at various times but it is not at all
likely that they will be effective today. Such
appeals are of the vintage of 1904. In that
year papers like the Richmond and Montgomery
publications had their way and the democratic
party paid the penalty. Democrats know better
now.
FREE WOOL
Press dispatches say that some of the demo
crats in the house are insisting upon having a
tariff on wool. If there is any such protectionist
sentiment among the democrats the sooner it is
brought to light and combatted, the better.
If the democratic party can be scared by a
few sheep growers it might as well renounce its
advocacy of tariff reduction and make an al
liance with the republican party. Protection
is protection no matter whether it Is asked for
the benefit of manufacturers or for the benefit
of farmers and a man who believes in protec
tion is worse than worthless as a tariff reformer.
If his heart is set on protecting somebody he
will soon learn that protectionists must stand
CONTENTS
ALDRICH DEMOCRATS
A DISAPPOINTING TREATY
THE NEBRASKA SITUATION
IOWA'S JEFFERSON CLUB BANQUET
MR. BRYAN'S SPEECH ON "A GRAND
OLD BOOK"
THE PHILIPPINES FOR THE FILIPINO
BY ERVING WINSLOW
TACTICS OF GUILT
CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
GOVERNOR LEE CRUCE ON OKLAHOMA'S
BANKING LAW
WASHINGTON NEWS
NEWS OF THE WEEK
together and then lie is afraid to touch the taTlff
anywhere. Without free wool tariff reform will
not amount to much for the spirit that would
lead congress to tax all the farmer (and all
other citizens) who wear woolen goods in order
to give a tariff tribute to the few farmers who
raise sheep will consent to other tariff exactions
until tariff reform will be little more than a
farce.
THE NEBRASKA SITUATION
The readers of The Commoner will bo pleased
to know that the submission of the Initiative and
referendum has removed the liquor question
from politics for the present, and from partisan
politics for the future, as well, If the initiative
and referendum amendment is adopted by the
voters. The amendment is not as liberal in its
provisions as the Oregon law, but it is workable
and the best that could secured at tho hands
of a wet legislature. If the liquor interests had
kept their hands off the last legislature this
amendment would have been submitted two
years ago, the democratic party would have
had credit for submitting It and the party would
have won a sweeping victory last fall. However,
tho cause of friction is now removed and as
Nebraska's democracy has been united on nation
al issues for sixteen years the party now faces
the future with confidence and is ready to take
advantage of the overwhelming sentiment in
favor of the party's position on national issues.
INCOME TAX
Following Js a' list of states which have noti
fied the secretary of state of their action on
the income tax amendment:
Ratifications South Carolina .February 23,
191 6; ''Illinois, March 1, 1910; MarylandjvApril
8, 1910; Texas, August 17, 1910; Idaho, Janu
ary 20, iflli: Orpcnn. January 23, 1911; Mon
tana, February 10, 1911; Indiana, February tr,
1911; Nebraska, February 11, 1911; North
Carolina, February 11, 1911; Georgia, August
3, 1910; Colorado, February 20, 1911; Wash
ington, January 26, 1911; Iowa, February 27,
1911; Michigan, February 23, 1911; Missouri,
March 16, 1911; Kansas, March 6, 1911; Maine,
March 31, 1911; Tennessee, April 11, 1911.
Rejections Rhode Island, April 29, 1900;
New Hampshire, March 2, 1911; Arkansas,
March 28, 1911.
At least ten states that have ratified have
not yet certified their action to Washington.
This is an important duty and should not be
overlooked.
A DISAPPOINTING TREATY
The first clause of the treaty with Great
Britain, as foreshadowed in the Washington
dispatches of the Chicago Times-Herald contains
the following exception:
"PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THEY
(THE DIFFERENCES TO BE SUBMITTED
TO ARBITRATION) do not affect the vital in
terests, the independence or the honor of the
two contracting states and do not concern the
interests of third parties."
This exception practically nulifies the treaty
at least it reduces its value to a minimum. To
except "vital interests" and "honor" leaves tho
door open to war whenever either party wants
war. Unless they add a clauso providing for
the submission of ALL QUESTIONS OF EVERY
NATURE FOR INVESTIGATION BEFORE ANY
DECLARATION OF WAR tho holding of meet
ings to praise the treaty will look like a farce.
JUDGE BLAIR KNOWS
Judge A. Z. Blair, of Portsmouth, O., who
fined 1,600 men in West Union County Ohio, for
selling their votes and disfranchised the entire
number for five years, Is visiting in Denver.
Speaking to a representative of the United
Press, Judge Blair said: "I am in favor of tho
initiative, referendum and recall. I am firmly
convinced that the adoption of these measures
of .popular government throughout the country
will do more, perhaps, than any other one thing
to put an end to corruption In politics, and par
ticularly to tho buying and selling of votes."
Iowa Democrats
Iowa democrats mot at Des Moines May 1, to
attend the banquost given by the Jefferson Club
of Iowa. It was an enthusiastic meeting. Judge
A. J. Math is of Des Moines presided. Frank A.
O'Connor, of Chickasaw county spoko on "Tho
Mission of the Minority." D. B. Murphy of
Elkader spoko on "Modern Application of Jof
fersonian Economics," E. G. Dunn of Mason City
spoko on tho "Democracy of tho Farm," and
Judgo Martin J. Wado spoko on "Tho Tariff."
Tho invocation was offered by Rev. Thomas
Casady.
The Jefferson Club elected John O. DeMar of
Des Moines as president of tho organization. Ho
succeeded A. J. Mathis of Des Moines, who has
acted as head of the club during tho past year.
Tho other officers elected were:
Secretary, A. H. Crenshaw, Adol; treasurer,
J. P. O'Malloy, Perry; vice presidents, First dis
trict, N. C. Roberts, second district, M.
J. Wado; Third district, Lewis Murphy;
Fourth district, A. J, Anders, Fifth district, A.
G. Johnson; Sixth district, S. V. Reynolds;
Seventh district, S. A. Hayes; Eighth district,
F. Q. Stuart; Ninth district, Frank Wallace;
Tenth district, John McCarthy; Eleventh dis
trict, W. C. Whiting; executive committee, C.
R. Porter, J. D. Donison; E. M. Carr, J. B.
Weaver; C. D. Huston, H. Uttorback, W. B.
Hart, A. J. Mathis, Jerry B. Sullivan, W. C
Campbell and H. C. Evans.
The following report of tho banquet is made
by the Des Moines Register and Leader:
In a speech before the JefferBon Club of Iowa
4 at the Elks' club house, William J. Bryan gloried
. iU' democratic successes in recent elections,.nd
in the passage of democratic measures through
the lower house of the congress of the United
- Ctatoa
With his old-time oioquenco he went over
again the list of principles for which ho declares
the democratic party has been standing for
years, but which of late have been either stolen
by the republicans or else accepted by them from
tho democrats without a murmur.
Years ago, ho said, he had to look over his
shoulder to see how far behind him the republi
can party was trailing, but now, he said, he
had to hurry to keep up with the procession.
He pointed to tho direct election of United
States senators and the income tax as principles
long contended for by the democrats and which
have been practically adopted by the republi
cans. He upheld the Canadian reciprocity pact, de
claring that it was good as far as It went. He
said it did not go far enough. Ho hailed it as
tho first step in the tearing down of the wall
of protection built up by republican adminis
trations and asserted that whether the pact was
approved or sent to the scrap heap, that the
start had been made and high protection was
doomed.
The democratic free list bill, up for considera
tion in the house the coming week, was declared
by him to be the greatest party strategic move
ment made In thirty years.
"There are republicans down there at Wash
ington now who are sweating blood in their
efforts to find a way out," said Mr. Bryan. "It
will be put right up to them and it will bo
mighty hard for them to turn It down."
He paid particularly strong tribute to Gover
nor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey, praising
the course he has pursued thus far in his service
as chief executive of the state. He spoke a little
of Speaker Champ Clark of the house, but
made no mention of Governor Judson Harmon
of Ohio. His references to Governor Wilson
and Champ Clark were greeted with applause.
The liveliest issue Mr. Bryan hit upon during
his address, however, was reciprocity, and his
words were followed closely.
He said, in discussing the debate preceding
the passage of the pact by the house:
"Then something happened that I did not ex
pect. It was the opposition of the protected
Interests to this reciprocity bill, and when wo
listened to arguments made for and against It,
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