The Commoner.
JANUARY If, 1112
test tor the gubernatorial nomination in Pennsyl
vania last' year "for sinister reasons.1'
"That's a lie," cried Guffoy, addressing
Palmer. Guffey is slim and old and nervous.
His eyebrows and mustache, both snowy white,
quivered. Palmer is young, handsome, tall and
built like a rock. Ho looked at Guffey calmly
and continued his speech, charging t;liat Guffey
allies himself with the republican machine in
Pennsylvania. He added that were it not for
Guffey's age ho would make the passing of the
lio a personal matter.
"That's a lie," repeated Guffey when. Palmer
accused him of bi-partisan conspiracies.
"Here, here. That won't help you any,"
whispered Roger C. Sullivan, committeeman
fom Illinois, pulling Guffey down. Several mem
bers gathered around Guffey and reasoned with
him, telling him that he should apologize, Fin
ally Guffey arose and offered an apology to
Palmer, who accepted it.
"Col. Guffey alsq. owes an apology to the
committee," said Senator B. R. Tillman, who
acted for South Carolina, whereupon Guffey
apologized to the committee also.
Then Mr. Bryan began his speech. His
hearers all say that it was one of the best they
ever heard the Nebraskan make. He said, In
brief, that Guffey had made overtures in 1908
for the place of manager of the Bryan campaign,
but that the reply had been that Mr. Bryan did
not want his interests managed by a "traitor."
Pointing his finger at Guffey, Bryan accused him
of representing the moneyed interests, which had
encompassed the defeat of democrats for fifteen
years, and charged him with too great friendli
ness for the republican machine of Pennsylva
nia. He spoke of Guffoy as "this gentleman"
and stood over him as he spoke. Mr. Bryan
indulged in no denunciation of Guffey, but he
excoriated political conditions in Pennsylvania.
Guffey had come to the Denver convention, said
Bryan, with a delegation elected through fraud,
and he had been thrown out. "To seat Guffey
today would be a repudiation of the action of
the democratic convention and the 6,500,000
American citizens who voted for me that year,"
sajd Bryan, impressively, "and they will resent
such action."
He said that the national committee was not
fooling the people. They knew. the facts, said
the Nebraskan, in the Guffey case and would
not approve his seating.
Guffey 'did not reply to this attack, but Sena
tor W. J". Stone, of Missouri; Committeeman
Coughlan, of Massachusetts; Cummings, of Con
necticut, and Brown, of Vermont, spoke for
Guffey. On the vote he was seated, 30 to 18.
Chairman Mack, and Secretary Woodson voted
against Palmer and Bryan.
Mr. Bryan's Jackson Day Soeech
KNOWN BY HIS COMPANY
If the old adage that "a man is known by the
company he keeps" is a good one the public
ought to be getting a pretty good line on Mr.
Underwood. The Commoner has already
quoted an editorial in the Washington Post
praising him for not being radical on the tariff.
Now the Post praises him for being conservative
on the trust question. It says:
"Coming from the floor leader of the demo
crats in the house, the address of Oscar W.
Underwood, of Alabama, at the dlnnev of the
Pennsylvania society, In New York, makes sweet
music in the ears of those who have grown tired
of the raucous voice of passion and prejudice.
The strength of Mr. Underwood has been due
largely to his own fair-mindedness, conserva
tism, and poise. In stating his principles to the
Pennsylvania society he has founded a note of
reassurance that should inspire more confidence
In his party.
"Mr. Underwood pleaded that the great prob
lems before the country today should be con
sidered without partisanship and without poli
tical motives. He admits that the country has
been, and is, suffering from an overdose of agi
tation. As to the tariff, the democratic leader
says that if the tariff board furnishes statistics
on which a reasonable reduction of the' wool
schedule can be made, the democrats will act
upon it, giving credit where credit is due. It
was with reference to the trusts, however, that
Mr. Underwood made his best point. After
showing the difficulty of the problem, and argu
ing that its solution could be found only
through soberness and deliberation, Mr. Under
wood said:
" 'There is nothing, however, in any such
solution for men of either political party to
try to make capital out of. It is too big and
momentous a question for that A nation which,
in its judicial and executive branches, has not
only not interfered with, but, on the other hand.
At the Jackson club banquet at Washington,
Mr. Bryan came last on the program, the posi
tion being assigned to him by the committee's
preference and in keeping with his own wishes,
in order that ho might speak moro at length
than he would have felt at liberty to do had
others followed him. His subject was "Tho
Passing Plutocracy" and as he did not have time
to prepare an advance copy for the press, only
an abstract of his remarks can be given at this
time. He traced the progress of tho world in.
intelligence, morals and the science of erovern
ment. Illustrating his propositions by reference
to other nations as well as to the United States.
He showed that with increasing education people
were more and moro studvlng the principles of
government and that with rising moral stand
ards and an increase in the spirit of brotherhood
the world was more clearlv recotrnizlng tho In
alienable riehts of man. Coming down to the
politics of this oountrv he enumerated some of
the great reforms which are being achieved and
showed how public sentiment Is compelling all
parties to recoemize the demand of the neonle
for more complete control of the Instrumentali
ties of government and for a nearer approach
to justice in legislation and administration. He
referred to the nopnlar election of senators as
the greatest national reform of the generation,
the gateway to other reforms, and urged tho
elimination of tho partisan issue that has been
InWted into the controversy, asserting that
neither of the great parties could hope to win a
constitutional victory unaided. He begged demo
crats and republicans, favorable to the popular
election of senators, to aerec upon a wording of
the resolution which will purge the issue of
partisanship and secure to the people the ritrht
to ' choope by direct vote their representatives
to tho United States senate. Ho indorsed tho
direct primary now adopted In most of the
states and favored its application to national
elections,- He emphasized the progress made
in the purlfving.of politics by the enactment of
the- publicity law and the restortnlon of repre
sentative government In congress by the amend
ment of the rules. He congratulated the coun
try upon the certain triumph of the Income tax
amendment and dwelt for a moment on the Ini
tiative and referendum, explaining in, dolus: so
that thev were not national issues, but illus
trated the triumph of democratic IdeaB In tho
state, as other reforms illustrated the triumph
of the democratic ideas in the nation. He con
gratulated the democratic congress on the
record it was making and declared that it was
earning the confidence of the nation. On tariff
reform the country, he declared, was rapidly
approaching the democratic position and while
there were individual opinions as to schedules,
there could bo no difference of opinion among
democrats as to the substantial advantages to
be secured to tho people by the reductions that
were being attempted. In speaking of tho future
work of congress, he made a plea for the Ira
mediate declaration of the nation's purpose in
the Philippine question, adhering to the demo
cratic platform of promise of independence. He
expressed regret that this promise had not been
made earlier in order to give to tho Filipinos
the distinction of planning the first Asiatic re
public. He expressed his gratification at the
prospective establishment of the United States
of China and congratulated our country upon
the compliment paid it by the Chinese in giving
to their chief executive tho tltlo of president.
Ho referred to the approaching campaign as one
which gave a promiso of victory to tho demo
cratic party, but warned his hearers that at
this time, when tho wh '1o country was alive
with progressive sentiment, It would bo crimi
nal folly for our party to falter in its onward
march, or to show cowardice In tho face of the
powerful enemy which is drawn up in battle bo
fore us. He said that much as wo might bo in
terested in the tariff question, wo could not
ignore tho menace of tho trusts; that whllo they
held tho hills about us with their heavy artil
lery, wo could not hope to fight successfully on
any Issue within tho rango of their guns. Ho
pointed out the distinction between legitimate
corporations- and tho privato monopolies which
aro strengthening tho causo of socialism. He
doclared that the democratic party must meet
immediately and boldly tho issue presented by
tho supreme court in tho Standard Oil and To
bacco decisions; that tho people would not trust
a party that lacked the courage to challenge
every public foe. Ho concluded with a simile
drawn from tho Crescent sand doons of Peru
that march with the precision of soldiers under
tho Influence of a constant wind blowing from
the sea. He said, that tho leaders of the party
must keep step with the rank and file, inspired
by tho Impressive sentiment expressed by Byron:
"The dead have been awakened shall I sleep?
The world's at war with tyrants shall I crouch?
The harvest's ripe and si all I pause to reap?
I slumber not tho thorn is In my couch.
Each day a trumpet soundoth in mine ear,
Its echo in my heart."
p?
GOVERNOR ,WTJ ' J TRmUTE
The following Is from the news report printed
in the. Washington (D. C.) Post: Tho lions and
the lambs of tho democratic party lay down to
gether at tho Jackson day banquet at the
Ralelfjh and roared and bleated their approval
of Jacksonian and Joffersonian democracy.
William Jennings Bryan and Woodrow Wil
son, who had been pictured as being each near
the other's throat over tho now famous Jolino
letter, had a love feast, In which each vied with
the other to show tho greater affection.
Tho tremendous reception given to Woodrow
Wilson, tho manner in which his speech was
cheered, and the obvious approval of Mr. Bryan,
bestowed publicly on Governor Wilson, were tho
sensations of the banquet.
When Governor Wilson, shortly before mid
night, had concluded his speech, in which he
defined the great issues before the country as
he sees them, Mr. Bryan rose from his chair,
joined In the cheers, reached over and grasped
the hand of tho New Jersey executive, and shook
it warmly.
"That was splendid he exclaimed. "Splen
did." Tho Indorsement ofTr. Bryan was fair ex
change for the laudatjt that Governor Wilson
gave tho Nebraskan. ' t
'There have been .,tPos when some of us
have differed," he said. "We differed, however,
as to measures and methods, but not as to prin
ciples. Through all the rise and fall, tho ebb
and flow of opinion and beliefs, we havo all been
following the one fixed goal the goal pointed
out by tho principles and preachings of William
Jennings Bryan."
promoted, or at least tolerated, the creation of
these corporations, must not act precipitately,
but thoughtfully and conservatively in dealing
with them. Nor aro we to seize upon the first
remedy proposed for a treatment of the symp
toms of the trouble by rushing off to demand
new legislation before understanding what we
need, if we need anything.' .,
"Mr. Underwood has made a good political
platform for his party by eliminating politics
from it. He is frank enough to admit that even
under a democratic president the big corpora
tions were permitted to grow to the size and to
pursue the methods- which are now frowned
upon.
"The responsibility of dealing conservatively
with the trust question, therefore, belongs as
much to the democratic party as to the republi
can party, in fact, there is no excuse at all for
dealing with it as a political problem. Both
parties should stand together to restore confi
dence to business throughout tho United States.
If Mr. Underwood will lead his party in that
direction, he will be performing a public ser
vice." Washington (D. C.) Post.
'FATHER IN THE SCHOOL HOUSES"
W. H. Campbell, Clarks, Neb: I have been with
you since 1896 and am just now getting in
earnest in this work. I believe the reason we, the
people, do not rule is because wo do not take
the trouble to rule. If every citizen will be an
engine instead of just a box car, something will
be done. We must gather in our school houses,
and settle on a campaign as we did in 1896. The
farmer is conservative but not a stand-patter,
and always, when anything progressive, only
he is too slow to take up his own defense, but
when he does move, it is generally in the right
direction. I am a "busy man on the farm with a
family of seven children and havo no time to
get into politics, but I believe each citizen has a
duty- both private and public, and I am willing
to help in the national campaign for tho good
that may como to our children.
h
m
