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The Commoner.
VOBTJME 12, NUMBER
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Sea Girt, N. J., Oct. 19, 1912.
To the Voters of America:
I am glad to have an opportunity to state
very simply and directly why I am seeking to
bo elected president of the United States. I feel
very deeply that this is not. an ambition a man
should entertain for his own sake.' . He must
seok to serve a cause, and must know very
clearly what cause it is he is seeking to serve.
The cause I am enlisted in lies very plain
to my view: The government of the United
States, as now bound by the policies which have
become characteristic of republican administra
tion in recent years, is not free to serve the
whole people impartially, and it ought to be set
free. It has been tied up, whether deliberately
or merely by unintentional development, w'ith
particular interests, which have Used 'their
power, both to control the government and to
control the indusfrial development of the coun
try. It must be freed from such entanglements
and alliances. Until it is freed, it can not serve
the people as a whole. Until it is freed, it can
not undertake any program of social and
economic betterment, but must be checked and
thwarted at every turn by its patrons and
masters.
In practically every speech that I make, I put
at the front of what I have to say the question
of tho tariff and the question of the trusts, but
not because of any thought of party strategy,
because I believe the solution of these questions
to lie at the very heart of the bigger question,
whether the government shall be free or not.
The ' government is not free because it has
grafted special favors to particular classes by
moans of the tariff. The men. to whom thes,o
special favors have been granted have formed
great combinations by which to control enter
prise and determine ; the, prices of .cornnjodities.'
T,hey could 'not have 'done thiB had it 'not1, been
for the tariff. No party, therefore, which does
riot propose to take away these special favors find
prevent monopoly absolutely in tho markets of
the country sees even "so iuuch as 'the most ele
mentary part of tho method by which the gov
ernment is to be set free.
The control to which tariff legislation has
led, both in the field of politics and in the field
of business, is what has produced the most
odious feature of our present political situation,
namely, the absolute domination of powerful
bosses. Bosses can not exist without business
alliances. With them politics is hardly dis
tinguishable from business. Bosses maintain
their control because they are allied with 'men
who ,wish their assistance in order to get con
tracts, in order to obtain special legislative ad
vantages, in order to prevent reforms which will
interfere with monopoly or With their enjoy
ment of special exemptions. Merely as political
leaders, not backed by money, hot supported by
securely intrenched special interests, "bosses
would be entirely manageable and comparatively
powerless. By freeing the- government, there
fore, we at the same time break the power of
the boss. He trades, lie does not govern. He
arranges, he does not lead. He sets the stage
for what the people are to do; he does not act
as their agent or servant, but as their, director.
For. him the-real business of. politics Is done
under cover.
"The same means" that will set tlie government
free from the influences which now constantly
control it would set industry, free. The enter
prise and initiative of all Americans would be
substituted for the enterprise and initiative of a
small gr6up of them. Economic democracy
would take the place of monopoly and selfish
management. American industry would have a
new buoyancy of hope, a new energy, a new
variety. With the restoration of freedom would
come the restoration of (opportunity.
Moreover, an administration would at last be
set up in Washington, and a legislative regime,
under which real programs of , social ,better
mqnt .could be undertaken as they can not now.
The !govetjimeint.mgntt be. serviceable for many
thihs,,Tt''miht.'asBist In, a hundred 'ways to
safeguard the lives and the health and promote
the" comfort and the' happiness, of the people; but
it can' do these things only if its actions be dis
interested, only if they respond to public opinion
only 'if those who lead government Bee the
country as a whole, feel a deep thrill of intimate
sympathy with every class and every interest
in "it, knowliow to hold an even hand and listen
to men of every sort and quality and origin, in
taking counsel what is to be done. Interest must
not fight against interest. . There must be a com
mon understanding and a free action all to
gether. The reason that I feel justified in appealing
to the voters of this country ' to support the
democratic party at this critical juncture in Us
affairs Is that the leaders of neither of the other
parties propose to attack tho problem of a free
government at its heart. Neither proposes to
make a fundamental change in the policy of the
government with regard to tariff duties. It is
with both of them in respect of the tariff merely
a question of more or less, merely a question of
lopping off a little here and amending a little
there; while with the democrats it is a ques
tion of principle. Their object is to cut every
special favor out, and cut it out just as fast as
it can be cut out without upsetting the business
processes of the country. Neither does either
of the other parties propose seriously to disturb
the supremacy of the trusts. Their only remedy
is to acceptthe trusts and regulate them, not
withstanding the fact that most of the trusts are
so constructed' as to insure high prices, because
they are not based upon efficiency but upon mo
nopoly. ' Their success lies in control. The com
petition of more efficient competitors, not loaded
down by the debts created when the combina
tions were made, would embarrass and conquer
them. The trusts want the protection of the
government, and are likely to get it if either
the republican or the so-called "progressive"
party prevails.
' Surely this is a cause. Surely the questions
of the pending election, loolced at from this point
of view, rise into' a cause. They are not merely
the- debates of a casual' party contest. They are
the Issues of life and death to agnation which
must be free in order to bet strong. " What wili.
patriotic men do? WOODROW WILSON.
ROOSEVELT VS. PACIFIC COAST
Extracts from President Roosevelt's message
of December 4, 1906:
"I recommend to the congress that an act be
passed specifically providing for the naturaliza
tion of Japanese who come here intending to
become American citizens.
"One of the great embarrassments attending
the performance of our international obligations
is the fact that the statutes of the United States
are entirely inadequate. They fail to give to
the national government sufficiently ample
power through United States courts and by the
use of the army and navy to protect aliens In
the rights secured to them under solemn treaties
which are the law of the land. I therefore
earnestly recommend that the criminal and
civil statutes of the United States be so amended
and added to as to enable the president acting
for the United States government which is re
sponsible in our national relations to enforce
the rights of aliens under treaties. Even as the
law now is something can be done under the
federal government toward this end and in the
matter now before me affecting tho Japanese
everything that it is in my power to do will bo
done mid all of the forces, military and civil of
- the United States which I may lawfully employ
will bo so employed."
Extract from President Roosevelt's message
as shown by the Congressional Record, Vol. 41,
part 1, page 491. December 18, 1906:
"I authorized and directed Secretary Metcalf
to state that if there was failure to protect per
sons and property, then the cntiro power of the
federal government within the limits of the con
stitution would be used promptly and vigorously
to force tho observance of our treaty and tho
supreme law of the land, which treaty guaran
teed to Japanese residents free and. perfect pro
tection; and to this end everything in my power
would bo done, and all tho forces of tho United
States, both civil and military, which I could
lawfully employ would bo employed."
GOVERNOR WILSON ON A CAMPAIGN YARN
Governor Wilson has issued the following
statement which will be of general interest: "My
attention has been called to the statement that
I .have become a member of the Knights of
Columbus. This is, of course, not true. I have
not been asked to join the order, either as a
regular or as an honorary member and am not
eligible because I am not a Catholic. I must
warn my friends everywhere that statements of
this kind are all campaign inventions, devised to
serve a special purpose. This particular state
ment has been circulated in selected quarters to
create the impression that I am seeking to
identify myself politically with the great Catholic
body. In other quarters all sorts of stories are
being set afloat to prove that. I am hostile to the
Catholics. It is a very petty and ridiculous
business. If all these fabrications could be
brought together they would make very amusing
reading. They would leave a very flat taste in
tho mouth for they would entirely neutralize
one another and -prove that I was nothing and
everything. I am a normal man, following ray
own natural course of thought, playing no favor
ites and trying to treat every creed and class
with impartiality and respect."
Tiv TOnnoovoH Av1ilAnt.lv thinks thdt ho .'is th
.Mobcb to load the people out of bondage, puUhet
has mistaken the call. He has mistaken a steel
trust furnace for a "burning "bush" it was not
the Lord's voico, but Perkins1 that he heard.
THE CAMPAIGN CLOSED
'We are within one week of the election and, so
far as outward appearance goes the democratic
party has gained continuously since the Balti
more convention. Governor Wilson has shown
remarkable judgment in the 'advice he has given
as to organization work and in his speeches. He
has more than justified the expectations of his
friends. Governor Marshall has added to his
reputation as a campaigner and rendered great
assistance on the stump. Governor Wilson has
focused attention upon jtwo issues, the tariff
issue and the trust issue,, both of which empha
size the importance of taking the government
out of the hands of thoBe who use it to secure
privileges and favors. The polls all show that
Mr. Wilson has extraordinary strength In the
r .colleges, and his support among laboring men
! lias ' inorAftRAil Jin thA rnnnrd nf Via -nnWi-'!
govejnpr has become known.
At this time no one can say-with any cer
,Ytatnty hich wing' of the republican party , has
the. most -feathers on .it . At first it seemed as
if Mr. Roosevelt might lead, but there has been
a strengthening of the Taft lines during the last
month. The deplorable attack upon Mr. Roose
velt temporarily checked the Taft fight, but tho
wound is healing rapidly and the effect of the
murderous attempt will be less than it would
have been had it come nearer the election or
had it been more serious.
The disclosures as to the campaign funds has
weakened both Mr. Taft and Mr. Roosevelt for
they throw light upon the revolting system by
which tho predatory interests have sought to
control the government through secret contri
butions. The panic argument has not frightened the
voters as much as the republican leaders ex
pected it to. This is due in part to the fact that
the scare haB been worn threadbare by use in
four previous campaigns and partly because a
voter can not, even if frightened, hope to defeat
Mr. Wilson with either of the republican candi
dates. . ,
I see no reason to reduce the estimate wnica
I made at the close of the Baltimore convention,
namely, that Mr. WilBon will have a Pl"""1.
of 2,000,000 votes. It is more likely to ue
greater than that, than less.
MR. ROOSEVELT RECOVERING
The Commoner congratulates Colonel nf'
velt and the country on his rapid recovery aim
welcomes him back to the arena of politics iu
which he has for so long been so picturesque
figure. Health to him. May no harm befall.
NOT FROM ABRAHAM
The Southern Lumberman prints the f110:
ing: Roosevelt gays he got most of the best o
his policies from Lincoln. Many thought J
meant President Lincoln, when all the wan
he was just referring to Lincoln, Neb.
Mr. Taft is weaker than Mr. Roosevelt in some
states and In others Mr. Roosevelt is the weaKei.
The weaker faction should help Mr. Wilson at
feat the other faction. ,
" -4-1 9 : l.J"7 ' A
Mr. Ryan 8ay that hov would have i Butoacribeo
to help nominate any one EXCEPT MR. BR.
Thanks a,wfulljv ' j j'jftVff ;
- XX ' 'JMM
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