T
The Commoner
NOVEMBER, 1914
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and tho probability are that the machine and
the bosses will resume their gway quite in the
old fashion.
Philadelphia Bulletin: With former Speaker
Cannon leading the lino of "come backs," fol
lowed by McKinley and Foss, of Illinois; Sullo
way of New Hampshire; Hill, of Connecticut,
and Longworth of Ohio, tho republican line-up
will be increased in something more than mere
numerical strength, while the presidential
prestige, which sufficed to whip recalcitrant dem
ocrats into line in the doubtful passages of the
last session, will have been seriously weakened.
New Haven Journal-Courier: The American
view, in fact the only sane view, to take of polit
ical victories in this country is that the American
people have spoken, have registered their pref
erences, and are ready to abide by the conse
quences. Connecticut has displayed this year
the relatively vindictive spirit she showed in
1894, when out of the clear sky came a solid
republican victory. Then, as yesterday, the sit
uation was confusing and prophets were rare.
Then, as today, we knew that a free form of
government has powers of expression that are
terribly partial when, in fact or fancy, the hu
man stomach needs food, and immediate employ
ment at good wages is withheld; when capital
charges its lack of dividends to the administra
tion in power.
Hartford Courant: We were assured that the
issue was Wilson. Well, tho verdict has been
rendered. The people do not believe in the dem
ocratic party. It went into power by a minority
vote and after two years' trial it is rejected. It
has never proved equal to the task of governing
the country. It has failed again and the people
say so.
Schenectady Gazette: Whatever gains they (re
publicans) have made will be understood as a
rebuke to the administration of President Wil
son one that is not only undeserved but, we
believe, unwise. It can not well be regarded,
even by stanch republicans, as wholly desirable
in view of the present state of affairs in Europe.
Syracuse Post-Standard: The results of con
gress elections in New York can not be read as
an indorsement of the Wilson administration;
and the vote upon congressmen is the direct test
of'the approval or disapproval of two years of
federal democratic policies. o
Chicago Daily News: The lesson of the late
election is that adherents of the new third party
ought to return to the ranks of the two old
parties and there continue their earnest work
for progress in national affairs. In this way
they- can be most effective for good.
Chicago Journal: In spite of a crowd of un
favorable happenings which made it seem that
that stars in their courses were fighting against
the democracy, the American people have en
dorsed Woodrow Wilson, the president who has
maintained peace with honor and led his party
to the accomplishment of more constructive re
form in eighteen months than ever before was
packed into five years.
Chicago Post: The plain fact is that under the
depression of war, people did not and would not
discriminate between the progressive and the re
publican programme. They were against the
whole democratic economic plan. To hit it, they
seized the most familiar and the most destruc
tive weapon they could find.
San Francisco Chronicle: The nation's rebuke
of the democratic policies is wide and -emphatic.
Another cheering feature is the practical elim
ination of the progressives as a disturbing factor
in most of the states, so that two years from now
a united republican party will once more lock
horns with the democracy. Tin party of pros
perity will resume control of the government.
The result of this election will inspire confidence
in business men that after the next national
election they will be let alone to pursue their
enterprises under the ordinary conditions of
competition, and be undisturbed so long as they
break no law not applicable to all other citizens.
The business world will accept the results of
this election as evidence that a working major
ity of the American people are tired of turmoil
and resulting stagnation and idleness and are
prepared to restore the control of the govern
ment to the party of patriotism, judgment and
reason.
REPUBLICAN BOASTS
" Almost anyone can find a bright spot after
the election returns are all in. The republicans
can render Up thanks that there were enough
democrats elected to the house to make it im
possible for Uncle Joe Cannon to be elected
speaker, and in that position resume his former
role of the old man of the sea for the G. O. P.
Now that tho election is over, tho republicans
como out of tho storm cellars and claim every
republican victory for senator, congressman, or
state officer, as a rebuke to the president. This
Is just what might have been expected. They
talked about local questions during the cam
paign, but NOW, according to republican logic,
every democrat who went down to defeat was
dofoated because of opposition to tho adminis
stration. Well, let them got what consolation
they can out of the returns, thoy can not dony
that tho people have olected a democratic con
gress to support a democratic president whilo ho
continues a democratic program. The house of
representatives is near the peoplo, and it re
mains democratic in spite of tho return of tho
progressives to tho ranks of the standpatters.
The crisis is past, and by 1916 there will bo a
host of new democrats in the country.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ONE VOTE
A press dispatch brings tho nows that Lathrop
Brown, democratic candidate for congress in tho
First district of New York, has been tjloctod by
one vote over his opponent. This is the homo
district of Colonel Roosevelt.
This incident goes to show tho importance of
one vote in deciding a contest which, in turn,
may have decided the control of congress. In
connection with tho duties and obligations which
the franchise imposes, the ideal condition could
be said to exist if every voter would always look
upon his own vote as the one vote that would
be needed to decide the fate of the candidate or
question he waB voting upon. It is of the high
est importance to the wofaro of tho country that
voters should form opiuons and that they should
not lose an opportunity to express them at tho
ballot box.
THE SALOON VS. WOMAN SUFFRAGE
Tho vote on woman suffrage was so closo in
Nebraska (for 90,782; against 99,036) that
it is safe to say that the activity of tho saloon
against it was sufficient to defoat it. It is dis
appointing that in so intelligent a stato as Ne
braska those who conspire against tho homo
should be able to tie the hands of tho mothers
of the stato while they tho conspirators plot
against the sons. And how humiliating it must
bo to the good men who were deluded enough
to join hands with the saloons how humiliat
ing it must be to them to be found on tho same
side. Well, this condition will not last long. In
a little' while tho peoplo will understand WHO
are the real force against woman suffrage, and
WHY and then "votes for women" will win by
an overwhelming majority.
W. J. BRYAN.
It Is announced from the headquarters of the
republican national committee that the recent
suggested ruling with respect to southern rep
resentation in national conventions has been
adopted by the bulk of the states and is in ef
fect. Under this new rule a southern state Is
entitled to only about half as many delegates
as it formerly had. It won't matter so much in
191C how large the southern representation will
be, since there is no republican president to se
lect the accredited delegates.
Whatever of purpose men may seek to read
into the decision of the voters at the late elec
tion, one fact is most apparent. And that is that
in the majority of the congressional districts and
the states the people placed their seal upon the
splendid record made by a promise-keeping po
litical organization. It Is the setting of their
mark of approval upon a sanj and constructive
program of reform long desired and which must
not be subject to interruption until finished.
The name of Nelson W. Aldrich does not ap
pear among the names of those standpat repub
licans who demonstrated their ability to come
back. The most plausible explanation is that
Mr. Aldrich was not a candidate. Whatever else
may be said about Mr. Aldrich, he never showed
much liking for the melancholy task of , sitting
around and finding fault with the wheel of pro
gress just because it insisted upon going around.
tho president. Thoy gonerally declared that tha
president needed no endorsomont, and anyway
it was no way to endorse a president by aaklns;
tho people to send back to him a congress that
bolongod to tho samo party that ho did The
fact that to elect a republican congressman waa
a poor way to ondorso tho president seems to
hnvo sllppod tho attoutiou of voters In several
districts.
ELECTION OF POSTMASTERS ENDORSED
The result in tho Third congressional district
in Nebraska is a distinct endorsement of the
principle of electing postmaators at primary elec
tions. At tho beginning of President Wilson's
administration Congressman Dan StophonB of the
Third Nebraska district announced that open
primary elections would bo held for tho selection
of postmasters in tho towns iil IiIb congressional
district. As tho democrats woro In power na
tionally, Congressman Stephens announcod that
only democrats could bo candidates for tho posi
tion of poBtmaBtor, but all patronH of the office
would bo entltlod to express their choice and
that ho would recommend for appointment the
democratic candidate receiving the highest num
bor of votes for postmaster In tho prlmar'es in
their respective towns. This plan has been fol
lowed for the past two yearB, but it did not meet
with tho unanimous approval of tho democrats
in Mr. StophonB' district. In a number Of the
towns, democrats who felt that thoy woro en
titled to the position of poBtmanter did not se
cure tho largofit number of votes at tho primary,
and among theao disappointed candidates were
a number of newspaper editors. Tho dissatis
faction of tho disappointed candidates grew In
volume until thoro wore open threats of opposi
tion to Congressman Stephens' re-olectiion. At
tho regular state primaries held last August, the
democratic opposition to Congressman Stephens'
plan of elocting postmasters put a candidate in
tho flold and mado a vigorous fight against
Stephens' re-nomination. His opponents felt
sure that thoy could prevent his re-nomlnatloit
and there were some threats that if they did not
defeat him at the primaries that it would be
difficult for him to obtain a majority at tho No
vember election. When tho stato primaries
wero held, It was found that Mr. Stephen? had
been re-nominated by a vote of about three to
one, showing that the democrats In his district,
notwithstanding tho opposition from a number
of local leaders, endorsed Stephens' plan and re
nominated him by a splendid majority. When
Mr. Stephens was electee! to congress in 1912,
his majority was about 4,000. At the recent
November election, notwithstanding the oppo
sition to his postoffice primary plan, his major
ity was about 8,500. Tho only reasonable con
struction to put upon this great majority is that
enough republicans approved the postoffice pri
mary plan to increaso Mr. Stephens' majority
about 4,500 votes, thus more than doubl
ing Mr. Stephens' good majority of two
years ago and electing him this year to congress
by a majority probably larger than any other
democratic congressman received north of the
Mason and Dixon line. Tho result in the Third
Nebraska district is a complete answer to those
who have believed that it was better politics
and produced more satisfactory public servants
for tho congressmen to personally select the
postmasters than to permit the patrons of the
office to recommend the officer who waB to serve
them.
A victory and the democrats won it with the
democratic senators and congressmen working
away at Washington while the republican candi
dates wero campaigning. And a still greater
handicap was found in tho fact that in the close
states the republicans far outnumbered the dem
ocrats in newspapers.
Senator CumminB of Iowa, who came through
with an election at the hands of the people, is
now out in full cry after tho republican nomina
tion for president. Having been progressiva
enough to suit tho conservatives ever since a
democrat entered the white house, he seems to
believe the standpatters who have just "been
raised to their old seats of power will be willing
to repeal their old rule against pres'dential can
didates coming from west of the Mississippi.
One of the striking things about the late cam
paign was the Bpeed with which practically every
one of the republican campaigners got away
from the question of how to properly endorse
Colonel Roosevelt declared in several speeches
that ho would never go back to tho republican
party. The November election result makes it
equally clear that there will be no olive branchea
extended from the other end of the line.