The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 12, NO. 45
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 15, 1912
Whole Number 617
Exit President Taft
Mr. Taft's retirement from the presidential
office would be humiliating to him but for the
consolation that ho finds in the fact, that by run
ning he made certain the defeat of Mr. Roose
velt. Whatever may be the reasons for tho
personal hostility between the president and the
ex-president, there is no doubt that each one felt
justified in suffering defeat himself rather than
permit the other to succeed. Tho democratic
party is the immediate beneficiary of this per
sonal hostility but the country is the gainer, for
the disruption of the republican party will result
in an advance that was not possible otherwise.
Mr. Taft has done a number of things which
reflect credit upon his administration, but 'ho
has failed so signally to trust the people and to
recognize the trend of progressive sentiment that
his good deeds are likely to be overlooked by his
political shortcomings. He is an honest man, a
well meaning man, and personally a lovable man.,
but all these qualities fall to satisfy when ho
stands In the way of a people's progress. How
ever much one may dissent from the conclusion
that the people reach, he is not justified in oppos
ing the popular will when that. will is constitu
tionally expressed. The people may make mis
takes, but they have a right to make mistakes.
No one can claim the right to make mistakes for
them. Mr. Taft's failure to satisfy the demands
of the people will be a lesson to those who com
.after him. But In .spite of tho monumental re
verse he has suffered, he will carry into private
life the personal good will of a multitude who
voted against him. They will wish him long
life, health and prosperity. ,
' What about Mr. Roosevelt? Mr. Roosevelt's
overwhelming defeat can not but dampen the
ardor of those wbo worship him so blindly as to
think him Invincible. They will now have time
to meditate upon the largeness of the American
electorate and to realize that it takes a great
many supporters to give a man a majority.
There were several causes that contributed to
Mr. Roosevelt's defeat, first the fact that he
was a bolting candidate. All of the Inertia of
the party was against him, all the forces of
regularity. Then the Investigations showed that
he was intimately associated with men who do
.not enjoy public confidence. The men who con
tributed the bulk of his campaign fund are a
liability rather than an asset to a candidate.
His a'ttltude on the trust question alarmed those
who have studied the trust 'question and appre
ciate the menace of private monopoly, but tho
strongest argument against him was the. argu
ment against the third term. He not only asked
a third term but refused to discuss any limita
tion on the number of terms. It is fair to sup-
CONTENTS
EXIT PRESIDENT TAFT
ELECTION OF 1912
WHAT A PLATFORM CAN DO
HISTORY REPEATS ON MINORITY VOTE
CABINET MAKING IN AMERICAN
HISTORY
POPULAR VOTE AT TWO PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS
JABS AT THE COMMONER EDITOR
IS TIUB REPUBLICAN PARTY DEAD?
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS
pose that his defeat will end all talk of a third
term for a generation. In fact, tho constitu
tion is likely to be amended so as to conflno tho
president to a slnglo term and thus olimlnato
forever tho third torm Issue.
But what shall wo say about Mr. Roosovolt's
future? It would not bo hard to guess if wo
knew what ho intended to do. Mr. Roosevelt Is
a man just a man. Ho is an extraordinary
man in some respects but amenablo to tho rules
that govern human beings. A man's influence in
politics is determined largely by tho public estl
mato of his unselfishness. Mr. Roosovelt has
not convinced the public that ho is unselfish; his
unwillingness to allow any progressive but him
self to bo nominated, these things wore difficult
to explain, but he is not an old man, and thoro,
is plenty of time left In which to provo his devo
tion to the progressive cause. If ho lays aside
his ambition for a third torm and devotes him
self to tho propagation of progressive thought
and the formulation of plans for tho perfecting
of popular government, he can bo a powor for
good In the country, and in proportion as ho
convinces the public of his desire to servo rather
than to secure new honors in this proportion
he will regain his strength. Tho people for
givo caRlly, and in tho long run they judge
justly. Mr. Roosevelt's career as office-seeker is
over if past events furnish any basis for judg
ment, but his career for usefulness may be only
begun. As a moral force ho may not only bo
a national power but a world power. It all de
pends upon the purpose that animates him. It
is true In politics as in the sphere of religion
that he that.saveth his life shall lose it, and ono
can lose his life in tho service of a cau80anlTby
so doing find tho larger life.
Election of 1912
Tho election of 1912 is an epoch-making
event. When tho returns are all tabulated wo
can boo to what extent they show an increaso
in the democratic strength and how far wo aro
indebted to the republican party for tho division
in Its ranks. Wo can also see which of tho re
publican candidates is third and how far bo
hind ho is. When the facts aro all known, It
will be poHfliblo to survey and discuss tho situa
tion with intelligence. At this time wo know
enough to realize that tho magnitude of the vic
tory imposes upon tho domocratid party a great
responsibility. With a president elected by so
largo a plurality and by an overwhelming ma
jority in the electoral college, with both sonato
and houso democratic, tho democratic party
must come forward and roallzo tho expecta
tions that its promises havo excited. Tho magni
tude of tho Roosevelt contingent is also a spur
to action, for tho democratic party can not turn
back from Its progressive course with so largo
a body of progressives ready to step in and tako
tho leadership. Our party has no choico but to
go forward even If it wero disposed to compro
mise, and It is not likely that any disposition to
compromise will bo shown.
Governor Wilson has conducted himself so
admirably during tho campaign that there is no
reason to doubt his determination to. mako tho
nffo8t6T this victoryroT'thG party by making
tho victory serviceable to tho country,
"A GREAT CAUSE"
Governor Wilson's first reference to the dcmo:
cratic victory was this: "A great cause has
triumphed. Every democrat, every true pro
gressive, of whatever alliance, must now lend
his full force and enthusiasm to the fulfillment
of the people's hope, tho establishment of tho
people's right, so that justice and progress may
go hand-in-hand."
That is a Bplendld beginning. If tho demo
cratic party will build upon that foundation it
will not only make glad the heart of every
man who helped to victory but it will win for
itself so many new supporters that it will hold
undisputed power for many years to come.
GOVERNOR DUNNE
Perhaps Edward F. Dunne Is tho most widely
known of tho democratic governors elect. Judge
Dunne has been so long on tho faring lino of
progressive democracy that ho has the personal
acquaintance of a largo number of men in every
state in the union. With the general rejoicing
over his election for party reasons and patriotic
reasons thero will bo felt large personal satis
faction by Judge Dunne's many friends.
GOVERNOR SULZER
William Sulzer, governor-elect of New York,
won a magnificent victory and ho has a large
number of personal friends in every section of
the country who aro uniting in words of con
gratulation to tho people of New York and to
Mr. and Mrs. Sulzer. William Sulzer will make
a splendid governor for the empire state.
"THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER"
Missouri, which by joining the republican
column In 1904, became known as "The Mys
terious Stranger," has returned to Its first love
with an old-time democratic majority, Good for
the "Mysterious Stranger." It surely did look
awkward in the republican column.
SIXTEEN TO ONE
Tho victory of November 5th presents a new
interpretation of tho sixteen-to-ono phrase so
familiar to the public In 1896. Sixteen years to
ono victory but it is worth waiting for.
WHAT A PLATFORM CAN DO
Another democratic platform plank has been
vindicated by tho adoption of the new rules by
tho United States supremo court. Tho demo
cratic platform of 1908 upon which Mr. Bryan
was a candidate, declared: "Experience has
proven the necessity of a modification of the
present law relating to injunctions, and we re
iterate tho pledge of our national platforms of
1890 and 1904 in favor of tho measure
which passed the United States senate in 189G,
but which a republican congress has ever since
refused to enact, relating to contdmpts in
federal courts and providing for trial by jury in
cases of indirect contempt. Questions of Judi
cial practice have arisen, especially in connec
tion with industrial disputes. Wo deem that
parties to all judicial proceeding should bo
treated with rigid impartiality and that injunc
tions should not bo issued in any case in which
injunctions would not issue if no industrial dis
pute were Involved."
A Washington dispatch to the New York
World says: In promulgating the first revision
of tho equity rules of federal courts in the last
fifty years tho supremo court of tho United
States prohibited tho granting of preliminary In
junctions without notice to the opposite party
and restricted tho granting of temporary re
straining orders.
Tho court embodied In tho new 'lo many of
the points of the Clayton anti-injunction bill, for
which labor leaders have been fighting, which
has passed the house and waits in the senate.
Tho rules will go into effect February 1, 1913.
Instead of temporary restraining orders being
issued, without notice upon presentation to a
federal judge of general allegations that im
mediate and irreparable damage is about to be
inflicted, the new rule requires that it must
be shown by specific facts set forth In affidavits
or otherwise that such damages will result.
When a temporary restraining order is issued
a hearing on tho Injunction must be given
vithin ten days. Heretofore no time limit was
fixed by the rules, and often not by the courts.
The court went still further and provided that
those restrained may come into court within two
days and be heard with expedition on a motion
to dissolve the restraining order.
The new rules do not require those procuring
the restraining order to give a bond .or tha
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