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Bay. Tho closing of tho houoo was brought
about by tho wrath of a well-to-do grocer of
tho city, who discovered that his wifo had lost
considerable money there.
"Tho husband said his wlfo was making In
roads on tho family funds to such an extent that
ho was unable to meet his bills. He said ho
had heard that other women players were doing
tho llko. Ho declared his wifo had lost as
much as $70 in a single sitting. Ho said that
when tho card games woro over the women
wore invited to buy tickets that entitled them
in a chance In raffles of hand-painted china or
other goods."
Tho New York Sun prints a letter signed by
all tho Episcopal clergy of Newport, R. I"., re
buking tho fashionable sot for making Sunday
a day of amusement. Tho letter was road in
all tho Episcopal churches and some of tho
ministers added comments upon it. ' Rev.
Georgo Vernon Dickey, for instance, said:
"Evil does not correct itself. 'Tho wages of
sin,' says the Holy Scriptures, 'is death.' Tho
whole tendency of wrongdoing is downward. I
think tho history of Newport society will illus
trate this pretty conclusively.' Time was when
with all her fashion and gayety Newport had
come apparent outward respect for God's laws.
Sunday entertainments and amusements found
fow to uphold them. The institution of mar
riago was regarded as sacred. There was not
tho gambling for high stakes at bridge which
now is universal.
"But gradually Saturday night and Sunday
entertainments became more elaborate. The
excuso was that there wore few men here except
on those days. Sunday luncheons, at first in
formal and only for house guests, became
formal and stately functions. Then music and
finally dancing was introduced until the day of
rest for the poor, tired men who toiled in busi
ness all week became the most strenuous day
of all.
"As for bridge and Its attendant gambling,
It Is only necessary to call attention to the fact
that the laws of the state and God's laws are
being broken. So universal has the habit be
come that no one can expect to have a very
good time unless able to play tho game."
These news items are a sad commentary on
society as It exists In the cities. Is it not time
for tho ministers to lead a crusade against
gambling. The trouble is that condemnation
has been visited against certain forms of
gambling only, Avhen the attack should be made
upon the PRINCIPLE. Every form of gambling
Is wrong. It makes no difference whether it Is
brldgo, poker, the lottery, wheel of fortune,
slot machine, or betting at the race track, on
tho eloctlons or In futures, It demoralizes those
who engage in it. Every moral force In society
should bo enlisted against it and at once.
WHY OMIT 1800?
Approving the passage of the Rucker cam
paign publicity bill, the New York World pre
tends to give tho history of political corruption
funds.
Tho World quotes the late President Arthur
as having intimated that money was wrongfully
used in the presidential campaign of 1880.
The World says that money was wrongfully
used In the presidential campaign of 1884, but
its use failed to swing tho election, the demo
cratic nominee being victorious. It says that
in 1888 monoy was again wrongfully used to
swing the election to the republican party.
But what about 189 G? The republican com
mittee had more corruption funds in that year
than its representatives could spend. The New
York World knew about It, yet It was found
supporting the republican candidate.
0
A WARNING
THE REPUBLICAN STORM
Plainly a storm is brewing in the republican
party. Senator Cummins of Iowa makes a par
ticularly effective arraignment of President Toft,
and Senator Bristow of Kansas is uncompromis
ing in his denunciation of the administration.
The statements of these two republican senators
will be found in another column in this issue.
Upon one point Senator Bristow puts Into a nut
Bhell the whole tendency of the Taft administra
tion. Senator Bristow says:
"The New Mexico constitutional convention
was controlled by tho railroads and reactionary
politicians, and its constitution was just what
tho interests wanted it. It was ultra reactipn
ary. Yet Mr. Taft could find nothing to criticise
in that document. The Arizona constitution
placed power In the hands of the people, and it
met the violent denunciation of the president."
If big business can scheme and dictate
tho presidential nomination of tho two
groat political paTtles next year, big
business will probably have its game
won for four more years as far as the
presidency is concerned.
By making the most of party prece
dent which promises a renominatlon for
a president, by popularizing reciprocity
as a Taft product and by discrediting
Senator La Follette and his candidacy
with the republican rank and file, the
convention success of the present incum
bent of tho white house Is now practi
cally assured.
If big business can only bring about
the nomination of Harmon or some other
"safe and sane" man by the democrats,
it will feel that it can sweetly slumber
until the smoke of the sham battle has
cleared away.
A short time ago I thought this second
grade could not be made, but my opti
mism has been succeeded by pessimism.
Do you follow me? Do you seo the
plan?
Bryan is to be depopularized and dis
credited with the leaders in the demo
cratic party.
It is to be made to appear that no can
didate who has the indorsement of
Bryan will bo able to defeat Taft next
year.
Logically every really progressive can
didate who Is a genuine friend of the
common people will have tho indorse
ment of Bryan.
Resultantly Folk, Wilson, Marshall,
Clark and other progressives will, in the
interests of "harmony" and "good
politics" be eliminated from the race.
This method of procedure, if it is not
side-tracked by an awakened patriotism
and common sense, will leave Governor
Harmon, a man acceptable to big busi
ness, as the only logical and the Inevit
able candidate of the democracy.
It is time for a Paul Revere to
"spread tho alarm, through every city,
village and farm" for the progressive
folks "to be up and to arm."
It Is time for the progressives of all
parties to unito In a determined effort
to force the nomination of a people's
friend and defender on one of the old
party tickets.
It Is time for the progressives of all
parties to become so organized and
equipped and fortified that in the event
of the triumph of the alleged nomination
conspiracy of big business, the people
will be able to place a third candidate in
the field a Lincoln with a great heaTt
throbbing in sympathy with the toiling
masses.
, It is time for cool-headed, temperate,
persistent patriotism. Sault Ste. Marie
(Mich.) Progression.
0
ANOTHER "GOOD" BET
The New York World prints a very interest
ing cartoon showing Mr. Bryan writing upon a
blackboard these words: "Never bet on my
election. William J. Bryan." Underneath the
cartoon the World prints these words: "The
One Best Bet."
There is another good bet. Never bet on the
New York World's seriously favoring the elec
tion of any man who will require justice for
the people at tho hands of the special interests,
in whoso securities the great fortune of the
editor of the New York World is reported to
be invested.
GOOD FOR OMAHA!
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 3
WILL HISTORY REPEAT?
The St. Louis Republic, which is known as a
democratic newspaper, has a brand new editor
Under the new management the Republic has
had many ill-natured things to say of Mr. Bryan
It has also given more or less strong approvai
of many such undemocratic plans as the Aldrich
currency scheme.
Newspapers unfriendly to Mr. Bryan are now
quoting the following editorial from, the St.
Louis Republic:
"Mr. Bryan's criticisms of Mr. Taft would bo
more agreeable to democrats if they were not
always accompanied by worse strictures upon
Oscar W. Underwood of Alabama.
"It happens that Mr. Underwood is the leader
of the democratic majority in the house of repre
sentatives and as such it has been his fate re
cently to receive the blows of every agent of
monopoly, privilege and plunder in the country.
If democrats will not stand by him, where can
he look for support?
"The issue between Mr. Taft and Mr. Under
wood is so sharply drawn that it now seems
likely that the next presidential campaign is to
be fought on that line alone. How, then, can
Mr. Bryan, the idol of his party, appear upon
the scene, smashing Taft with one fist and pum
meling Underwood with the other?"
Democrats everywhere will . be interested in
knowing that the new editor 'of the St. Louis
Republic was the gentleman who, for so many
years, edited the Chicago Chronicle, owned by
John R. Walsh.' The Chicago Chronicle fought
practically every democratic proposition that
was advanced. It stood for the special interests.
Its editor was one of the ablest among American
newspaper men, and under his management tho
Chronicle gave genuine help to the special in
terests that were preying upon the people.
Will the St. Louis Republic, under the man
agement of the former editor of John R. Walsh's
Chicago Chronicle, undertake to serve the demo
crats of Missouri as the Chronicle served tho
democrats of Illinois? Will it become a demo
cratic paper in name only, being in truth the
organ of the special Interests?
The people of Omaha, at a special election
adopted the commission form of government!
It indicates a determination on the part of the
Nobraska metropolis to move along the lines of
real progress, and the people of Omaha are to"
bo congratulated. The fight in behalf of the
commission form of government was led by tho
Omaha Bee, a republican newspaper. For tho
vigor of its good efforts the Bee is to bo com
mended by all lovers of reform.
HOW MANY?
Now, that it has been shown that Mr. Under
wood did oppose Speaker Clark's resolution in
structing the committee to proceed with tho
preparation of other bills, including an iron
and steel bill, how many democrats will admit
that they applauded Mr. Underwood when ho
declared that there was no difference between
him and the speaker? The Commoner will bo
pleased to publish the admissions.
WHAT A CHANGE, MY COUNTRYMEN
Hillsdale (Mich.) Daily: What a change has
come over the politicians, my countrymen. Four
years ago, a gentleman by the name of Bryan
was marching up and down the land demanding
the publication of political contributions to
political parties before election as well as after.
He was hooted at and sqouted, defeated by Mr.
Taft and has been abused, ridiculed, and de
rided more than any other great man in the
history of the country. Yet a few days ago this
same man had the pleasure of knowing that the
president who defeated him had to sign the
publicity bill he advocated, because his fight for
the measure had made it so popular the presi
dent dared not veto it. It is one thing to be
the president backed by a powerful machine,
but a greater thing to be a private citizen, with
out a machine or a party, who by mere force of
right is able to stir the public conscience up to
the point that his opponent dare not veto the
measure he has made popular. While history
will never give to Bryan the position he is
rightfully entitled to hold as America's greatest
commoner, yet in spite of the antagonisms of
organized greed more of the reform measures
he has advocated and made popular in the in
terest of the average American, have been writ
ten into the laws of the nation and the state
than will be accorded to any other man in the
history of tho country. Although he may never
be president, tho reform. sentiment of the coun
try may yet realize that to enforce its reform
measures it will be necessary some day to place
a man In the presidential chair whose heart
beats in sympathy with the great mass of the
people of America, and whose whole administra
tion would be devoted not to preventing reform
measures being placed on the statute books but
to getting them on the books and seeing them
enforced.
Some day people are going to realize that
politicians and officials opposed to reform
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