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The Commoner.
yVILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 13, NO. 1
Lincoln, Nebraska, January 10, 1913
Whole Number 625
NEW YORK'S GREAT DEMOCRATIC LEADER
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William Sulzer, governor of New York, replying to an inquiry as to the part self-elected "leaders" might take in
the administration of state affairs, said: "I am the democratic leader of the state; the people decreed it at the pells,
and I stand on their verdict. I can't succeed in doing what I want .to do as governor unless I am the democratic leader.
If any democrat in the state challenges that leadership let him come out in the open and the people will decide."
Only the Future Counts
On another page will be found an editorial
which recently appeared In the St. Louis Re
public. The Commoner has not commented
upon the many editorials that have mentioned
Mr.- Bryan, favorably or unfavorably, in con
nection with a cabinet position, but it begs to
protest against an argument presented by the
St. Louis Republic which says:
"Woodrow Wilson's debt to Bryan is the big
gest debt possible in American politics. Proper
acknowledgement of that debt is expected.
Popular belief is that it will be paid."
Another sentenco reads:
"As to Mr. Bryan's fitness for the premier
ship or for the ranking ambassadorship, opinion
may differ."
There are other sentences complimentary to
Mr. Bryan, but these two passages bring out the
point to which The Commoner wishes to call
attention.
Cabinet positions ought not to bo regarded
as currency with which to pay debts. They are
responsible positions, and in filling them the
president-elect should look to the future and
not to the past. A public official hao -t-i5inr
to discharge poiiUoai iUBaHnnn at the expense
of the public. The men selected by Mr. Wilson
for the cabinet should be selected not because
of personal service rendered to him, nor oven
because of past service rendered to the party.
The individual counts for little; the cause
counts for much. An individual, if he has had
a proper motive for working, finds sufficient
compensation in the triumph of ideas, principles
and policies; he does not need the consolations
of office. Offices should be used to strengthen
the party and to advance the things for which
the party stands. It is pleasant to reward those
who have been faithful, where that reward can
be given without sacrificing public interests, but
where past service is considered it is better to
consider it as an assurance of future service than
merely because it has been rendered.
The Commoner declines to discuss cabinet
possibilities, but it ventures to express the hope
that Governor Wilson will be governed by a
higher motive than gratitude in the selection of
his official household. A great responsibility
Tests upon him, and he will need the assistance
of the best and bravest for his work. Ho ought
to feel free to select for each place the mm best
fitted for it; in no other way can he hope to
CONTENTS
ONLY THE FUTURE COUNTS
OPPORTUNITY
BRYAN AND THE ADMINISTRATION
THE POPULAR VOTE
t SENIORITY A VICIOUS SYSTEM
UNTERMYER'S QUIZ OF MORGAN
WOODROW WILSON'S TRIBUTE TO
BUSINESS MEN
CURRENT TOPICS
WASHINGTON NEWS .
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS, OF THE WEEK
THE COMMONER'S THIRTEENTH YEAR
In its Initial number The Commonor
said: "The Commonor will be satisfied
if, by fidelity to the common people, it
proves, its right to the namo which has
been chosen." At the beginning of every
year The Commoner haB reproduced this
statement, and In this, the first Issue of
The Commoner's thirteenth year, atten-
tion is again directed "to it.
It is not for the editor to say whether
The Commoner has proved its right to
tho name It bears. Those who have
habitually read this publication are to bo
the judges. It is sufficient for the editor
of Tho Commoner to know and perhaps
pardonable for him to say that if Tho
Commoner has made mistakes they have
not been mistakes of the heart; that its
purpose has ever beon to stand for tho
public interests, and to make tho great
political party with which it affiliates of
practical service to the people to the end
that a government erected, as our gov-
ornmont was, in VIiberty's,v.unclouded
blaze" shall be in truth what the fathers
intended it should be government of,
by and for the jieonl
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measure up to tho expectations of tho public.
He need not he should :.ot consider anyser
vice that Mr. Bryan has rendered to him, 01 to
the public. Mr. Bryan has been abundantly re
warded for all he has done, and does not feel
that the party, or any Individual in the party,
owes him anything. If he over holds any office,
it ought to be given, whether by appointment or
by election, with the view to tho service that
CAN he rendered in connection with the work
YET TO BE DONE, not with tho Idea of reward
ing him for anything that he has done. And
the rule which is here laid down for Mr. Bryan
is tho rule which he believes should bo laid
down for all. In other words, tho welfare of
' the partv and the welfare of the country, not
the ambitions of men or the interests of in
dividuals, should be considered.
GOOD-FOR SULZER
William Sulzer is to bo governor in fact as
well as in name. There is no mistaking that. Gov
ernor Sulzer's courage and patriotism will meet
the approbation of men of all political parties.
The democratic party will win success by deserv
ing It, and it will deserve success when its
leaders shall come to understand that a public
office is a public trust rather than a private
snap, and that government is to be administered
for the benefit of the many rather than to the
advantage of a few men. Governor Sulzer spoke
well when he said that he had been chosen tho
democratic leader in New York. His heart beats
true to the public welfare. Let him but follow
tho call of his own heart and his name will be
written in American history as that of one of
America's great executives.
THERE'S A REASON
Attorney General Wickersham says that the
Sherman anti-trust law is good as a civil law
but lame as a criminal statute. Lame? Of
course it is, and why? Because the supreme
court destroyed its force as a criminal statute
when it wrote the word "unreasonable" into it.
Opportunity
Abstract of speech delivered by Mr. Bryan at
tho complimentary dinner given to Governor
William Sulzer at tho Waldorf-Astoria, Now
York, Docembor 21, 1912:
Mr. Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen: I
am glad to join Governor Sulzer's New York
friends in doing him honor. I have sharod with
him tho gratification which his victory has
caused and nono of his supporters have greater
confidence than I that his administration will
prove satisfactory. I havo chosen for my sub
ject tonight, "Opportunity," and shall use two
public men and our party to lllustrato my thorao.
Political success is tho conjunction of pre
paredness and opportunity. Ono may bo pro
pared but his preparation can not bo put to use
until the opportunity comes, and opportunities
pass unimproved unless those to whom they
come are prepared to make good use of them.
A great, opportunity came to Governor Sulzer
and ho improved it. The democrats of New
York wore looking for a candidate who would
fit into tho political conditions existing at that
time and they turned to Mr. Sulzer and invited
him to assume the responsibilities for which ho
had boon preparing for nearly a quarter of a
oemtury, Tweuty-four years ago he began his
public career In tho otato legislature. Ho
acquitted himself so well that he was soon pro
moted entered congress some eighteen years
ago. In that body ho rose In position and in
fluence until he stood In tho front rank among
the trusted leaders of tho party. His word has
such weight in party councils that ho might havo
been wealthy had he been willing to barter his
honor but he preferod to follow tho advlco of tho
wise man "A good namo is rather to bo chosen
than great riches, and loving favor rather than
silver and gold." He has now beon called to
bo chief executive of tho largest state in tho
union. Ho will live up to the expectations of
his friends because ho has bulldcd his houso
upon the rock. His administration will bo popu
lar because he will be on the people's side.
I feel a personal Interest in his triumph and In
tho glory he will gain from tho office which he
is about to enter, because ho was my friend
back in 189 G when I needed friends. Some of
his political associates were timid but he was
RENEWALS
Tho subscriptions of those who became
subscribers with tho first issue of. The Com-
moner and have renewed at the close of
each year, expire with the last Issue Jn
January. In order to facilitate the work
of changing and re-entering the addresses
upon our subscription books and mailing
lists and obviate the expense of se'nding
out personal statements announcing that
renewals are duo, subscribers are
" urgently requested to renew with as little
delay as possible, Tho work of correct-
ing the stencils entails an enormous
amount of labor and the publisher asks
subscribers'to assist as much as possible
by making their renewals promptly. Tho
corrected expiration usually appears on
the wrapper of the second issue after re-
newal is received.
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