4
The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
'JtfoL 12, NO. 27
Lincoln, Nebraska, July 12, 1912
Whole Number 599
'Si -.
The People Understand
. ; "" We need not believe that what is done in convention is done secretly. We always act under the eyes of repre
sentatives of the press, who know why we act and who told us to do it; we must not presume that those at home can be
deceived. The people at home will know that the influences that dominated the Chicago convention are here, and are
more largely at work than they were at Chicago. I appeal to you to so act that the Democrats of this country can
say that the Democrats are true to the people and that they can't be frightened by your Ryans or bought by your Bei
nionts. From Mr. Bryan's Speech in the Democratic National Convention.
An Important Change
The following news item, published in tho
Chicago Examiner on last Thursday will interest
the readers of The Commoner:
" "Baltimore, Md., July 3. Whoso was the
'fine Italian hand' that slipped into tho demo
cratic national platform an innocent-appearing
little ciauso about which groups of organiza
tion politicians are talking today with much
concern.
"Under the caption, 'Presidential Primaries'
in tho platform adopted last night, tho follow
ing clause occurs:
" 'Committeemen who aro hereafter to con
stitute the membership of the democratic na- bettep'.not undertake It, at, this time. Besides.
tional committee and whoso election is not nvo-, . vtV ' a S & 'xStvrXt-Z i,,!.
stato --"" iXVi"- ?.""." ". 6b .,fw.i ,
ELIMINATING BRYAN
Editorial in New York World, Thursday,
July 4th: Tired and worn out after tho-exhausting
work of being voted forty-six times
as a unit by Charles F. Murphy, Governor Dix
announces that "Bryan should bo eliminated
from the party." That Is oxactly what Mr.
Ryan, Mr. Belmont, Mr. Murphy and various
other predatory patriots undertook to do when
tho Baltimore convention was organized and as
a result of their peerless leadership Mr. Bryan
became the dominating power in tho convention.
Eliminating Mr. Bryan from tho party is a
formidable task, and perhaps bis excellency bad
ViiftricfoivtlHrwr,r8hall 'hefchosen in eactrs
, , ,, w hm v w r -- - i . (
,. atvBuchvj)rlinary-.electionst and the service ana
authority of' committeemen, however chosen,
shall begin immediately upon the receipt of
their credentials respectively
"Innocent as it may appear, it was said in tho
hotel lobbies this morning that this clause
strikes dii'ectly at tho grip which, many of tho
members of tho committee now havq. on their
jobs by vir.tue of their control of their local
state politics.
"William Jennings Bryan is said to be re
sponsible ,f"or this as well as nearly all of tho
sentences in tho platform,."
Without discussing the authorship of tho
suggestion (the writer is not sure who first sug
gested the change) Mr. Bryan admits that ho
' was an active advpeate of the change, and that
ho rejoices in the adoption of tho suggestion.
The predatory interests, understanding the ad
vantage to be secured through tho control of
tho party machinery have been watching tho
selection of national committeemen while tho
rank and file of the party were busy with the
discussion of the principles, policies and plat
forms. The abuse of power by the republican
committee at Chicago and to a less extent by
the democratic national committee at Baltimore
makes the present an opportune time to bring
the committee more into harmony with tho
voters. Popular election makes tho committee
man feel his obligation to the pooplo and tho
reorganization of the new committee before tho
convention meets makes It hereafter impossiblo
for an old committee to thwart tho will of the
.people by making up tho temporary roll of tho
convention. This change is so vital that thero
is no doubt that the next republican convention
will doubtless follow the example set by the
democratic party and it is to be hoped that both
parties will apply the doctrine to the state com
mittees. Tho democratic platform is progressive and
this is ono of the longest steps taken in advance.
Democracy moves forward.
full for afow months'to keep himself from
being eliminated from tho governorship of Now
York.
BURKE AND CHAMBERLAIN COR1PLI
TUENTED Tho convention paid a high compliment to
Governor Burke of South Dakota and Sena
tor Chamberlain of Oregon. These states
aro small and far west, but Burke and
Chamberlain have lifted their respective
commonwealths into such prominence that
more than half of tho convention expressed
a preference for ono or tho other of them. Mr.
Bryan, believing that a vice president from the
west would draw a largo number of progressive
republicans to tho ticket and believing also that
tho voto of North Dakota and Oregon on tho
.temporary chairmanship commended theso
gentlemen to the party, seconded tho nomina
tion of both Burko and Chamberlain. But tho
hour being late the delegates wore anxious to go
home and Governor Marshall, having a plurality
on tho first ballot, made such gains on tho
second that, at its conclusion, tho names of
Burko and Chamberlain wero withdrawn.
WILSON AND MARSHALL
Tho ticket nominated at Baltimore Is a iitrong
one. Governor Wilson has appealed to tho
imagination of tho reformers of tho country;
his record in office Is a brilliant ono and his
fighting qualities excite enthusiasm among his
followers. It will bo a lively campaign. Ho
is tho very antithesis of President Taft and is
already drawing progressive republicans to his
standard. Governor Marshall's achievements
as chief executive of Indiana won him such a
strong support on the first ballot that It only
required a second ballot to settle the contest in
his favor. Ho is a great campaigner and will bo
a powerful aid on tho stump.
Hurrah for Wilson and Marshall.
If Mr. Hearst Is going to advocate the ticket by
attacking tho candidate, Governor Wilsbn will
soon be praying for an independent tiqket llko
that put up by Mr. Hearst in 19Q8. Mr. Hearst's
power to harm tho party is less on tho outside.
Ho Is more fatal as an. advisor than as an oppon
ent' .Mr. Clark owes his defeat more to Mr.
Hearst's counsel than to any other causo.
What's the matter with the nineteen pro
gressives from Ohio? They're all right. And
they v wero "on tbo job" from tho opening of
the convention to the close. It was a great.,
fight they put up In Ohio,' at tho primaries;
but It was a still greater" xne at Baltimore.
They will have to use tho laboring oar In th
coming campaign in that state.
The Baltimore Platform
On anothor page will bo found tho Baltiraoro
platform. It will repay porusal; it Is tho most
progressive platform over adopted by a great
party. While its main features bear tho im
press of Senator O'Gorman and Mr. Bryan, valu
able assistance was rendered by Mr. Walsh of
Montana and Senator Pomcrcno of Ohio. Those
wero members of tho sub-committee which put
into shapo tho various planks agreed upon by th
larger sub-committoo of eleven. All of tho
members of tho full committee took part in tho
discussions and many of them offered planks
which were incorporated in tho platform.
Itas a very thaififr'?oinmltUefc--tlt"
' ligntfui'bbdy to work with. Mr, Kern made an
admirable chairman and oach member, with
out surrendering his opinion on any subject,
showed a desiro to havo the party's principles
stated in language which would cut smoothly
and leave no ragged edges.
Special attention is called to a few sentences.
First, as to progress toward tho more complete
applications of the principles of popular govern
ment. Tho platform says: "Wo again remind
the country that only by a larger exercise of the
reserved power of tho people can they protect
themselvss'from tho misuse of delegated powers
and the usurpation of governmental Instrumen
talities by special interests." This Is a very
happy statement of a great proposition.
Second, on banking legislation: "Banks exist
for the accommodation of tho public and not
for tho control of business. All legislation on
banking and currency should havo for Its pur
pose the securing of theso accommodations on
terms of absolute security to tho public and of
complete protection from tho misuse of tfto
power that wealth gives to those who possess It."
What better rule could be laid down?
Third, on tho trust question: "A private
monopoly is indefensible and intolerable." This
is tho fourth democratic national platform in
which that phrase has occurred. It states the
issuo on the trust question fully and com
pletely. Equally strong and felicitous is th
plank on the supremo court decision which In
serted the word "unreasonable" in tho anti-trust
laws. Tho law must bo restored to its former
strength.
The party's position on tho tariff question,
on tho high cost of living, on the Philippine
question, on the 'labor question, on tho respec
tive spheres of states and nation, on interstate
commerce, on a single presidential terra, on.
publicity, Income tax, popular election of United
States senators, presidential primaries, and
changes afTecting national committeemen In
fact, on all of tho many questions covered Is
clearly and forcibly stated, but tho above sen
tences aro reproduced as illustrations of
strength and symmetry. It is a great platform.
What a difference between a Guffey dele
gation carried to a convention at his expense
and acting under his orders what a difference
between such a delegation and the Pennsylvania
delegation in tho Bimoro convention! 'Th
Keystone state madea splendid showing. Coa
gressman Palmer mad a fine impression and he
was the leader of a noble band.
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