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The Commoner.
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 27
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The Commoner.
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Whxiam J. iinvAK
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb,
REGULATION A FAROE
Mr. Carnegie is out in a lettor saying that
trust prices should bo fixed by the court of
commerce. That Is the plea now. Combination
is to be regarded as an established fact a fact
that, wo aro told, can not be prevented, and then
the public is asked to trust to regulation! Who
are to regulate? Officials. And who is to ap
point tho oflioioia? Thpi prnflident. And who
will select the president? The trusts. That is
the program, and it has been carried out suc
cessfully so far. The steel trust was organized
in 1901 just after a republican victory. It
started out with over SEVEN HUNDRED MIL
LIONS OF DOLLARS OF WATER IN ITS
CAPITALIZATION. It has proceeded for ten
years without interference and it favors "regu
lation" because it feels able to control the regu
lators. This is the republican plan. The su
preme Court has, by writing the word "un
reasonable" into the anti-trust law, virtually
repealed the criminal clause, and the republican
leaders mrilce no effort to strengthen tho law.
How long will the n people alloW themselves to
be deluded and deceived by the farcial attempts
at regulating private monopolies?
THE LAW SHOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE
FOR A PRIVATE MONOPOLY TO EXIST to
permit the existence of a private monopoly is
to Invite corruption and corporate control of
public officials. The greater the power of tho
president to regulate private monopolies through
tho appointment of regulator's the more im
portant will itbe for the trusts i;o nominate
their man. They are now at work thoy will, if
possible, nominate both candidates and try to
elect the one who will promise them the most.
How long before the voters will robel?
SOMETHING OP A GUESSER HIMSELF
Writing in tho Louisville Courier-Journal,
Henry Watterson says: "Mr. Bryan but guesses
at truth. So does Mr.-Roosevelt. The best and
the wisest of them do no more. Sometimes they
hit and sometimes they miss it."
But Mr. Watterson is something of a guesser
himself. We do not know that he has ever
"hit" but we do remember that he has "missed"
several times; and if Mr. Bryan can occupy the
classroom honored by the presence of America's
great editor surely he may be a happy man.
WHO WILL WIN THE VICTORY?
Tho American Economist says that the repub
licans are riding to their doom because of reci
procity and that the democrats are riding to
their doqm because of tariff revision. If both
parties are "riding to their doom" upon what
banner will victory perch?
Available Candidates for Democratic
Nominations in 1912
While the Issues aro not yet outlined with
sufficient clearness to enable tho democratic
party to select its national ticket with Intelli
gence, still, as the timo is approaching when
such selection must bo made, it will not hurt
to discuss some of the men who deserve to bo
considered.
The Commoner takes the liberty of mention
ing a few tickets president and vice presi
dent. Its purpose is, first, to show how many
big, strong, available democrats we have to
pick from, and, second, to get the opinions of
its readers on the tickets suggested.
The order in which these tickets arc named
must not be taken as indicating Mr. Bryan's
preference. He is not prepared to decide for
himself the question of relative availability.
No one questions the availability of Joseph
W. Folk of Missouri, Governor Woodrow Wilson
of New Jersey, or Champ Clark, speaker of the
house of representatives. Aside from these
most prominently mentioned there are many
other available men.
Governor Smith of Georgia and Governor
Burke of North Dakota would make an excellent
ticket. Smith is one of the biggest men in the
south and Burke is oneof the biggest men in
the west. Both are progressive, both havo
records to commend them. They would not suit
Wall street but that is no objection the ticket
that would suit Wall street would not suit tho
democratic party.
Governor Marshall of Indiana and Governor
Dix of New York or Dix and Marshall as you
please, suggest an opportunity to democrats.
They are both good men.
Senator Culberson of Texas ' and Senator
O'Gorman of New York Culberson and O'Gor
man are available candidates for president and
vice president, or O'Gorman and Culberson.
Smith and Burke represent the south and west
the southeast and northwest; Culberson and
O'Gorman represent! south and east the west
south and northeast. Culberson and O'Gorman are
clean, capable men and they aro in harmony with
tho advancing sentiment of democracy. They
believe in the constitution but instead of using
it for the protection of predatory wealth they
use it to guard tho rights of the people.
Governor Shafroth of Colorado and Governor
Foss of Massachusetts are offered for inspection
as a national ticket. They are able, broad
minded men of experience, and they have
bravely met the questions which have risen
during their respective terms. They represent
the west and the east and it is a ticket that
will work both ways.
What do you think of James of Kentucky
and ex-Governor Osborne of Wyoming. James
is one of the leaders of the house of representa
tives there is no better man for president
and Osborne has been one of the most active of
the western democrats during the past twenty
years. He is competent to discharge the duties
of any office. The country would be safe in tho
hands of James and Osborne.
James of Kentucky and Brandeis of Massa
chusetts would make a1 great ticket both are re
formers and both measure up to the require
ments. Judge Walter ClaTk of North Carolina and
Senator Pomerene of Ohio would well represent
progressive democracy.
Governor Plaisted of Maine, Senator Kern of
Indiana, Senator Newlands of Nevada; Sena
tor Chamberlain of Oregon, Senator Owen of
Oklahoma, ex-Governor Thomas of Colorado, ex
Senator Patterson of Colorado, ex-Governor
Adams, of Colorado, George Fred Williams of
Massachusetts, ex-Governor Higgins of Rhode
Island, ex-Governor Glenn of North Carolina ex
Governor Tyler of Virginia, ex-Governor Mc
Millin of Tennessee, ex-Senator Turner of
Washington, Senator Gore of Oklahoma, ex
Governor Campbell of Texas, Congressman Ran
dell of Texas, ex-Governor Comer of Alabama',
ex-Governor McCreary of Kentucky, ex-Governor
Beckham of Kentucky, Henry Watterson of
Kentucky, Congressman Rainey of Illinois,
Senator Newlands of Nevada, Mayor Gaynor of
New York, Mayor Harrison of Chicago and ex
Mayjor Dunne of Chicago are tho names of
men whom democrats may well delight to honor.
There are many more who are entirely compel
tent, some of whom have not had- anopportunity
to prove their capacity in public office.
It will not be difficult to make . up a good
ticket. Timber presidential and vice presiden
tial is abundant. The main thing is to get the
best men men who will grow during the cam
paign and who can be trusted if elected.
CHOOSING A CANDIDATE
Los Angeles Express (Independent republi
can): A living prophecy that Methusaleh was
a possibility, Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor re
appears in public view with a batch of prophe
cies, hatched out during his last period of seclu
sion. This Is one of his fascinating predictions:
"If the national election-were held right now
and Taft and Harmon were opposing candidates
before the people, Mr. Taft would win in Ohio
and the union, hands down. Mr. Taft will havo
no difficulty in beating Harmon in Ohio and else
where in 1912."
With Governor Harmon as . the democratic
t nominee and Mr. Taft as the republican, it would
be a matter of indifference to hundreds of thous
ands of citizens whether Mr. Taft or Mr. Har
mon were elected. They would be so indifferent
that the day after election they would not even be
moved to inquire "Who won?" There are many
others who are zealous advocates of Mr. Taft's
nomination who would- be perfectly satisfied
were Governor Harmon elected, and there are
many supporters of Governor Harmon's candi
dacy who would be wholly content were Mr.
Taft successful. As Jay Gould was for the re
publicans in republican counties and for the
, democrats in democratic counties, but for the
Erie railroad always, so there are forces in
politics that are for Mr. Taft for the republican
nomination and for Governor Harmon for the
democratic nomination and always for them
selves. "" --
The progressives of the nation, who are pro
gressives first and republicans or democrats
afterwaTds, would not support Governor Har
mon as against Mr.. Taft, although little reason
would exist to support Mr. Taft as against Gover
nor Harmon. Neither candidate would be
representative of their principles.
If it be assumed that Mr. Taft is to be re
nominated by the republicans the democratic
party, if it would enter the campaign with hope
of success, must nominate a candidate who is
known to be truly progressive, one known to
be a champion of human" rights as against
property rights. Harmon is not such a man.
A MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT'S OPINION
Special dispatch to the Grand Rapids (Mich.)
Press: Detroit, June 23. Thomas' E. Bark
worth of Jackson, former chairman of the demo
cratic state central committee and a member of
the platform committee in two national demo
cratic conventions, is strongly opposed to the
stand taken by a few Detroit democrats who are
seeking to commit the party in Michigan to
Judson Harmon for president.
"The democratic party should remain, as It
has been since 1896, except for 1904, aggres
sively progressive, both in platform and candi
date," said Mr. Barkworth today. "Roosevelt's
success was due in part to the capture of the
democratic organization by the eastern reaction
aries under A. B. Parker. The only hope for
democracy in the future la to avoid repeating
that mistake.
"It would be a mistake to commit the Michi
gan democracy to any man in advance, especially
at this early day. I have been out in the state
myself recently and have heard matters dis
cussed by loading democrats, as in Grand Rapids
the other evening.
"I believe the Harmon sentiment is not so
strong as it was a while ago. Harmon personally
is a fine man, but in settling affairs of tho Pere
Marquette and Cincinnati, Hamilton and Day
ton railways he entered into close and amicable
relations with J. P. Morgan and never have these
been dissolved.
"I had a long visit with Mr. Harmon a- short
time ago, while both of us were travelling by
railway. Among his Ideas of today is his opposi
? J? Popular election of United States senators.
I believe he would be far more acceptable as a
candidate to Wall street and the big Interest
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