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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 31, 1901)
i The Commoner. Vol. u No.. 19. Lincoln, Nebraska, May 31, 1901. $1.00 a Year William J. Bryan. .Editor And Proprietor. Tillman and McLaurin. The most important item of political news last week came from South Carolina. Sena tors Tillman and McLaurin have agreed to leave their political differences to a democratic pri mary and to that end have placed their resig nations in the hands of the governor to take effect in November, after the primary has de termined the wishes of the voters. It is an honorable course for the senators to pursue and "beneficial to the state. At present' South Carolina virtually has no voice in the settle ment of public questions as the vote of one senator kills the vote of the other. Senator Tillman has just been re-elected and thus risks the loss of a longer term, but Sena tor McLaurin really sacrifices more because he has less chance to win at the primary. The readers of the Commoner will be kept inf ormedrasto-the progress-rofcstlie .contest. It. is needless to say that the editor of this paper hopes and expects to see Senator Tillman win a sweeping victory, because ho represents the man, while Senator McLaurin represents the dollar. The vote will show whether the pluto cratic idea is making any headway in the south. W "What About Next Week?" When President McKinley was addressing the laboring men at San Francisco and con gratulating them upon their "prosperity" and "contentment," one brawny wage-earner arose and asked, "What about next week?" Of course, he was guilty of some discourtesy in thus interrupting a meeting made notable by the presence of the chief executive, and his companions beckoned to him to be silent. But he could not have asked a more embar rassing question at a republican meeting. The administration is living in the present, with no thought, or plan for the future. It might be well for the president to consider the simple question propounded by the California toiler. The railroads are consolidating, shutting out competition, issuing watered stock, and making worthless securities dividend-paying by the exercise of arbitrary power in the fixing of rates. They are having things all their own way now, but "What about next week?" The trusts are swallowing the industries, building up enormous fortunes,and levying trib ute upon the entire country. They may bo wil ling to contribute largely to the republican cam paign fund today, but what will be the effect upon industry? "What about next week?" The money changers are in control of our finances, they can expand or contract the cur rency at will; they can make more out of the fluctuations of the market than they can in le gitimate business; they rule with a rod of iron, but what is the end? "What about next week?" Imperialism is rampant, speculators are planning forays against distant lands; car pet baggers are growing fat and respect for po litical principles and moral precepts is being lost sight of; some people are making money out of it, but "What about next week?" If the republicans are not too busy to think, if "pros perity" leaves them time for reflection, they will find it worth while to answer to-their own satisfaction, if they can, that pertinent and per plexing question, "What about next week?" Blackburn on Reorganization. The Washington Post publishes an inter view with Senator Joe Blackburn of Kentucky. It is in his characteristic style and will be in teresting to those .who arc watching the efforts of the "reorganizers." Here are the questions .ancLanswersasreportedby-m'tr'JLTOTJ'---'' 'J-J'-' "Has not Col. vVatterson succeeded in stirring up any interest in the reorganization of the dem ocratic party?" Senator Blackburn was asked. "The democratic party needs no reorganiza tion," he declared with the -vehemence of convic tion. "If it did, we would turn the job over to Senator Hanna rather than to Grover Cleveland. Hanna has demonstrated that he has capacity as an organizer, while Cleveland is chiefly remem bered as a disorganizer of his party." "The trouble is," Senator Blackburn explained, "that most of the men who are now so anxious to have the democratic party reorganized- burned their bridges behind them when they left the party in 189G. As they can't get back into the party, they are now trying to get the party outside to them. It is like a man who has been sent to jail, and in his longing for society tries to get every one else in the same predicament. The men who have fought the battles of the democratic party during the past five years, the men who cast their fortunes with it and were willing to stand or fall with its principles, are not worrying about its reorganization." A Dangerous Tlan. About inauguration time a prominent rail road president who was visiting Washington , doclared that it might become necessary to elect a democrat next time because of the odium which the republican party was bring ing upon itself. When asked to name a sat isfactory candidate he mentioned a prominent democrat whose availability is now being can vassed. This railroad president was asked how Tom Johnson would do and his reply was that Johnson was' not a "safe man," that he was, in faot, a "dangerous man." Something '. has occurred in Cleveland recently which sup ports the opinion expressed by this railroad . president and shows that Mr. Johnson is in truth a "dangerous, man" to corporations that avoid taxation or seek some unfair advantage at the expense of the people. Mayor Johnson has been trying to raise the assessment of the railroads. According to the Columbus Press Post ho said: "The members of that state board will place the railroadBon the samo level with residence property and farm lands, or thoro'll bo such a storm of indignation throughout the state that they will be swept out of political life forever." When the assessment was raised from 12 per cent to. 13 per cent (Johnson wanted it raised to 00 per cent) ho is reported to havo said to them: "Gentlemen, you ought to be proud of your selves. You have been as good to this charitable institution, the Pennsylvania Railroad company, as you know how. I hope that every one of you will be defeated should you aspire to a re-election or any other ofllce. If I can help to defeat you I will do so." .All of this goes to show that Mr. Johnson is a 'fdangerous man." As he is in favor of making the corporations pay their share of the taxes and stand on the same level with the farmer and home owner, he is probably a demagogue," and if he sticks to his resolve JMJiSYi9Jh9JMQ may---After while be called an "anarchis't." The fact that Mr. Johnson, while supporting the national ticket heartily in 1890 and 1900, has not heon known as a radical silver man will not be suf ficient to protect him from the wrath to come. The corporations will not permit any indepen dence in thought or act. No one can enjoy their smiles unless he is willing to abandon conscience and conviction, and obey every command without questioning. w Blacklisting. Judge Frank Baker, of the Cook County, (111) Circuit Court, has rendered an important decision on the subject of blacklisting. The following is a statement of the facts, together with his reasoning: "Plaintiff alleges that she is an expert can labeler, able to earn ?15 per week at her trade. Ihat defendants are canners at the Union Stock Yards and are all the persons engaged in that busi ness at that place. That upon February 5, 1900, defendants maliciously, etc., agreed and conspired together not to employ any employe of any one of them who should go out on a strike or quit on ac count of a disagreement as to wages, except by con pent of the former employer. That for two years before February 5, 1900, plaintiff was employed by defendants Libby, McNeil & Libby, and on that day quit because of disagreement as to wages. That she afterward applied to defendants, Armour & Co., and Fairbank Canning Company, for employ ment, and was denied such employment because of said agreement and conspiracy. All this It Is al leged, was done maliciously with the intent to In jure plaintiff. Defendants demur to the declara tion. "The case has been fully and most ably argued, both orally and In writing. I shall not review the numerous authorities cited nor attempt to do mora pi l m i 5 i rfi 4 l I 31