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The
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Commoner
Vol. i. No. 30.
Lincoln, Nebraska, August 16, 1901..
$1.00 a Year
The Strike Spreading.
At the hour of going to press tho strike
seems to be spreading. No ono can say how
serious it may become, but indications point to
a prolonged contest between the steel trust .and
organized labor. Some who ought to sympa
thize with tho employees profess to see nothing
of importance at issue, but the fact is that tho
contest, while apparently over an abstract prin-r
ciple, it really involves the right of the labor
ing men to organize. It is undoubtedly the
purpose of the trust to destroy labor organiza
tions and the purpose will bo relentlessly pur
sued if the time seems propitious. It is strange
that any laboring man should fail to under
stand the nature of a private monopoly or give
any support whatever to the enormous consoli
dation of capital whichis now going on. It
means death to the wage earner as well as the
destruction of industrial independence. In a
test of endurance between capital and labor
capital has every advantage. Unless all the
mills are completely unionized the trust can
run the non-union shops and keep tho union
o tied "closed indefinitely. The trust canafforcT
to lose a year's dividends if necessary but the
employes can not afford to lose a year's work.
The strike is at present the laboring man's,
only protection but it is at present a costly and
ineffective one. The ballot box affords tho
only permanent and complete remedy. If the
laboring men would march to the polls and
vote with the party that favors arbitration and
opposes government by injunction and tho
black list, they would be able to protect their
interests without a resort to strikes and lock
outs. In the meantime, the strikers should be
careful to avoid any resoi t to violence. Among
a largo number of men, especially when ex
cited, there are apt to be those who would bo
willing to use force but tho wiser ones should
restrain these. The destruction of property
or an attack on non-union men will alienate
public sympathy and injure the course of or
ganized labor. While tho strike lasts let it bo
conducted within the law; when tho strike is
over let the men remember -to vote the way
they strike; . , v ' ' '
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The Summer Vacation.
Those who aro able to do so, have ,taken, or
are taking, their annual summer vacation. .The
sea shore, the mountains and tho lakes give
rest and recuperation to those who can afford
the luxury, while the Chautauquas scattered
over the country furnish a more economical
vacation and combine intellectual enjoyment
tyi-h physical relaxation.
Tho first fact that presents itself to one
who visits a summer resort is that but a small
proportion of tho adults of the United States
have either tho leisure or tho means to take an
extended reBt; tho second is that those who
work the hardest have, as a rule, tho least timo
and money for a vacation. Considerably mora
than half of the men of the nation aro engaged
either in farming or in wage earning in tho
shops and factories, and their wives aro occu
pied at homo contributing by. their work to tho
support of tho family. It is needless to say
that the summer resorts aro not patronized as
largely by the wealth producing classes as by
tho banking, manufacturing, trading speculat
ing and professional classes. Tho republican
farmers and laboring men who have been con
tributing from their scanty incomes to help
the protected manufacturers, do not minglo
with the beneficiaries, of tho tariff at the water
ing places. Tho possessor of visible property
who is overburdened by taxation does not have
a chance to take an outing with tho possessor
of invisible property who escapes taxation..
Tho man who waters his cattle on the farm
zation In tho state of Nebraska as such, therefor
be It
"Resolved, That tho orgamlzatlon of tho 'silver
republican party' in Nebraska bo, and tho same If
horeby dissolved."
The Silver Republicans have made a manly
and honorable fight for their principles. They
left tho Republican party when tho money
question was tho paramount issue; they soleoted
a namo which distinguished them from the
regular Republicans and they openly co-operated
with the Democratic party. Tho Silver
Republican organization did not resort to de
ception as tho gold Democratic organization
did, nor did tho members of the silver Repub
lican organization attempt to control tho party
they had left.
Tho time has come when these men feel that
they can accomplish more through other or
ganizations and they will as individuals act
either with tho Democrats or with tho Popu
lists, according as personal preference or local
conditions may determine. They aro honest
and patriotic men and believe in tie principlcs
tho man wno waters nis cattle on the lJJlUrfiiovm .totmJUoMwr
doeso1WT cft tho Tepu1))ican paty because of
their convictions and they will carry their eon-
quaintance of the magnate who waters his rail
road stock or his trust certificates. Those who
hang about legislative halls and claim a por
tion of the nation's bounty on the plea that
their industries could not livo without it aro
conspicuous among the pleasure seekers, but
the people who enjoy no special privileges at
the hands of the government and are oppressed
by the tribute collected for more favored ones
are generally "too busy trying to raise tho
money for the next assessment to seek tho
' shade of the pines or the refreshing waves of
the ocean. " .
Every unjust- law, every measure of favor
itism, every special privilege conferred upon
the few at the expense of the many all theso
have their influence in lengthening the hours of
toil for the toiler and in shortening the hours of
rest and respite. Life would bo happier and
the future brighter for tho masses if rewards
were proportioned to deserts and if the laws
did not constantly tend to make "tho rich
richer and the potent more powerful."
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The Silver Republicans.
The Silver Republican State Committee of
Nebraska has held its last meeting. The fol
lowing resolution .explains the action taken:
"While we steadfastly adhere to the principles
for the maintenance of which the 'silver republican
party' was organized, and are proud of the record
made by tho candidates of our party, yet believing
that those principles can, in the future, be best
maintained by co-operation with the other organ
ized reform forces, and deeming it unwise and
inexpedient to longer continue our party organi-
victions with them when they enter another
party. They aro intelligent men and will bo
valuable members of the organization to which
they attach themselves. Such of them as
choose to ally themselves with tho Democratic
party ought to receive a hearty welcome, for
by leaving the Republican party to support tho
Democratic ticket they have shown themselves
better Democrats than those who loft the Dem
ocratic party to support the Republican ticket
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Why Not to Kruger?
On August Oth President McKinley sent to
Emperor William of Germany a cablegram ex
pressing regret because of the death oftho
Emperor's mother. Referring to this good
woman, Mr. McKinley said: "Her noblo qual
ities have endeared her memory to the American
people in whose name and in mine, I tender to
your Majesty heartfelt condolence."
It was proper that Mr. McKinley chould
express sympathy with tho German Emperor
because of his mother's death. But wo are re
minded that, although Mrs. Kruger, the wife'
of the President of the South African Repub
lic, died -more than thirty days ago, the Presi
dent' of the United States has not seen fit to
tender his sympathy, or the sympathy of tho
American people, to the grief stricken Presi
dent of a republic that is fighting for exis
tence. Let us asjk ourselves seriously why this very
apparent duty has been neglected. ,
It cannot be that Mr. McKinley feared to
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