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The Commoner.
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 24
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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
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Entered at tho PoHtofllco at Lincoln, Nobraska,
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rkiciiAiti) I.. lUnvM.yv.
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Address all communications to
THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb,
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
"Boys will bo boys," they tell us,
These kindly souls who think
That every boy
Is an unmixed joy,
And can't get on the blink,
No matter though the youngsters
May drive us crazy blind,
With tearful eyes
Somobody cries:
"Boys will bo boys. Be kind."
All over this big city
The boys by thousands run.
s Regarding nought
Of what they ought,
So long as they have "fun."
No others' rights respected,
No laws regarded, they
Bang in and out,
And cruise about
''Along the hoodlum way.
-lib '
"Boys will b'boys," they tell us,
These foolish, friends who hate r.
To check the joys
Of thoughtless boys v '
Until it is too late; if-
These boys re quickly growing
Around us everywhere,
And as they grow,
Fool friends should know -
Boys will bo men. Beware I
W. J. Lampton, in New York .Times.
v
"THE TRUSTS HAVE WON"
Joplin, Mo., May 31, 1911. W. J. Bryan,
Lincoln, Neb. Dear Sir: I have just read your
words, "The Trusts Have -Won." As a very
private and submerged citizen of our country, I
wish to thank you for them. While I have
watched your consistency as a guardian of the
people for years, still your criticism of the high
court in this instance is startling. Once more
yours has been a "voice crying out in the
wilderness." Again you will draw tho shafts
of contumely from your political pupils re
gardless of their prominence. You are too dar
ing in your review of the late decisions to touch
their popularity in this hour of blind enthus
iasm. The people are so thankful for anything
that seems to succor that any seeming help car
ries, them away. But again Bryan's words will
come home to them in time.
Wishing yoit health and happiness, and realizing
more than ever that tho people have a watch
man in tho tower, I remain yours truly,
J. L. POWER.
"Until the End of the War"--A Reminder of
the Late John P. Altgeld
How time does change the opinions of men!
The late John P. Altgeld had, during his life
time, no severer critic than the Philadelphia
North American, a republican paper. In its
Memorial Day issue, the Philadelphia North
American referred to Governor Altgeld as "a
prophetic patriot." The following is an ex
tract from the North American's editorial:
Enlistment must be not for any "whole sum
mer," but "until the end of the war," for it -is
bound to be a long, desperate conflict. It will
be so because tho majority of the well-meaning,
honorable majority of the people of the east are
now standing by the forces of dishonest and
destructive privilege in strength, as mistaken
as the brave, ardent, honorable men of the south
did half a century ago. And this because they
could understand the concrete evil of physical
slavery, but have not yet attained understand
ing of the more vile industrial servitude which
concentrated wealth now seeka to impose upon
every class in every American community.
Therefore, we speak our Memorial day mes
sage now in the words which a prophetic patriot
spoke nine years ago. They called him a dema
gogue and an anarchist even so recently. But
this was the peroration of the speech delivered
by John P. Altgeld, at Joliet, March 11, 1902.
As he pronounced the last words of this ad
dress the ex-governor of Illinois fainted, and
remained unconscious until his death on the
following day:
"But, some one says, is there any use in our
making an effort? Are not all of the bankers
of this country, all of the trusts and great cor
porations of this country, all of the powerful
forces of this country, is not the fashion of
this country, are not the drawing rooms and the
clubs of this country now controlled by con
centrated and corrupt wealth? Aro they not
growing stronger every year, and do they not
vilify and attempt to crush everybody that does
not submit?
"Can anything be accomplished in the way of
curbing this great force and protecting the
American people?
"My friends, let me cite you a parallel:
George William Curtis and other writers of his
day have described the slave power back in the
fifties. They tell us that slavery sat in the
white house and made laws In the capitol; that
courts of justice were its ministers; that sena
tors and legislators were its lackeys; that it con
trolled the professor in his lecture room, tho
editor in his sanctum, tho preacher in his pulpit;
that it swaggered In the drawing room; that it
ruled at the clubs; that it dominated with an
iron hand all the affairs of society; that every
year enlarged its power, every move increased
its dominion; that the men and the women who
dared to even question the divinity of that in
stitution were ostracized, were persecuted, were
vilified aye, were hanged.
"But tho great clock in the chamber of the
omnipotent never stands, still. It ticked away
the years as it had once ticked away the cen
turies. Finally it struck the hour, and the world
heard the tread of a million armed men, and
slavery vanished, from America forever.
"Note the parallel: Today the syndicate
rules at the white house and makes laws at
the capitol; courts of justice are its ministers;
senators and legislators are its lackeys. It con
trols the preacher in his pulpit, the professor
in his lecture room, the editor in his sanctum;
it swaggers in the drawing room; it rules at
the clubs; it dominates with a rod of iron the
t affairs of society. Every year enlarges its
power; and the men and women who protest
against the crimes that are being committed by
organized greed in this country who talk of
protecting the American people are ostracized,
are vilified, are hounded and imprisoned.
"It seems madness even to question the divinity
of the American syndicate. But, my friends, the
great clock is still ticking still ticking. Soon
it will again strike the hour, and the world will
see not one million, but ten million free men
rise up, armed not with muskets, but with free
men's ballots, and the sway of the syndicate
will vanish from America forever.
"I am not discouraged. Things will right
themselves. The pendulum swings one way and
then another. But the steady pull of gravita
tion is toward the center of the earth. Any
structure must be plumb if it is to endure, or
the building will fall.
"So it is with nations wrong may seem to
triumph; right may seem to be defeated; but the
gravitation of eternal justice is toward the
throne of God. Any political institution which
is to endure must be plumb with that line of
justice."
"THE RAINBOW OP TESTIMONY"
Roger C. Craven, of Omaha, Neb.; in Memorial
Day address: "The exercises today as a whole
are a prayer for peace here and everywhere, in
recollection and dread of war. A treaty provid-
ing for unlimited international arbitration is
before the cabinets of three of the strongest
nations of the world. When Lee stood admir
ing the magnificence of Pickett's charge at
Gettysburg, he said: 'It is well that war is so
terrible, else we might become too fond of it.'
When Grant, who had taken the sword of Lee
at Appomattox, was called to direct the civil
affairs of the government, his words, 'Let us
have peace,' fell like balm upon a country still
bruised, confused and contentious. The whole
world is now repeating those words as a petition
not to the god of battles, but to the God of
love and mercy. And opportunity, bearing an
olive branch of everlasting green and arrayed,
in the raiment of an angel from heaven, has
knocked at the door of the American white
house. The portal has been opened by a presi
dent with vision to behold and heart to welcome
,her. She has dictated to him a message to all
nations, and has taken him by the hand to dis
tinguish him, it seems likely as one of the
towering figures of history by permitting him to
stand, with the flag of the United States of
America above his head, at the opening of an
era' of permanent and universal peace. For we
believe we can see appearing at last through the
tears of all the world's wars the rainbow of
testimony that never again shall the earth bo
deluged with a flood of blood and fire."
"PEACE ON EARTH"
Copy of a letter to Nicholas Murray Butler
president of the American association for inter
national conciliation, from Baron d'Estournelles
do Constant:
New York, Juno 7, 1911. -My Dear Presi
dent: My long campaign, so admirably or
ganized by your association around the United
States is now accomplished, and I am going
back to France, after an absence of more than
three months exactly 103 days.
Let me ask you to express my gratitude to the
many friends who have welcomed and helped
me.
From New York to Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Washington, New Orleans, Austin, (Texas), Ari
zona, California, Oregon, Washington state to
Utah, Colorado and so many fine cities of the
middle west, from the Mexican to the Canadian
frontiers, I have found many different states,
many different climates, cultures and popula
tions, but one and the same national spirit
everywhere, amongst all classes of people. All,
ywng or old, rich or poor, men and women,
students and teachers, employers and employes,
all are deeply devoted to their country and al
together understand that the best way to serve
it is to organize good relations with the other
nations, so that they can develop In peace the
incalculable resources of its future.
French and American pioneers have been
united in the past for the creation of your
great country and their successors remained
united afterwards for the conquest of your
noerty. Today our union is as necessary as
over. We have to crown the work of our
ancestors and to contribute to found peace for
the generations who come after us.
Many thanks again and let us say once more
together: En avant! Yours faithfully,
d'ESTOURNELLES de CONSTANT.
THERE ARE OTHERS .
M2ie QW Jork World says: "We do not in
S5?2 J,Bryln ln th0 category of sensible
SSSfw f crse not. Tho sensible demo
Shii mi 2ew York World fa who will.
Tnr hni ?Ath.lword of Promise to the people's
ear, break it to their hope.
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