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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
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