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upon some -which have not been discussed or
considered by a majority of the people.'
It is the duty of a political party to meet
conditions, and to put into practical form the
issues upon which the people are ready to act.
The people arc considering militarism and im
perialism, hut tho new party apparently regards
these questions as of no importance, as no men
tion is made of them. Why this- silence?
Even tho trust question escapes attention,
while matters that hut a small proportion of
the pcoplo have considered receive prominence
and emphasis.
The reforms demanded in the first, fifth
and soventh planks are substantially recognized
in the Kansas City platform, while the Demo
crats in the various cities have given quite
unanimous support to tho doctrine of munici
pal ownership of municipal franchises, refer
red to in plank two, and tho Democrats of tho
nation have endorsed a part of plank six. Tho
populist party goes still further and endorses
some other planks. What necessity, therefore,
is there for a new party?
It takes time to bring about a great reform,
and remedial legislation is often delayed by di
visions and subdivisions among the reform
forces. - For instance, this new party favors
among other things tho election of United
States senators by direct vote of the people.
Here is a reform of great importance, and it
has been a matter of discussion for a genera
tion. More than thirty years ago President ,
Johnson recommended an amendment to tho
constitution providing for the 'direct election
of senators. Twenty years ago General
Weaver introduced a resolution in line with
President Johnson's recommendation, and
nearly ten years ago a Democratic Congress
adopted such a resolution. Two subsequent
congresses, the Fifty-third and the Fifty-Sixth,
have done likewise, but the senate opposes tho
change. ' Last year a plank in the Democratic
national platform committed the party to this
?cforin. The 'time is ripe for action, and yet
just as this reform comes within reach a move
ment is started which, if. it has any influence
at all, will delay, if not defeat, this effort to
bring the government nearer to the people.
Reforms are secured through representatives,
and representatives must be elected before they
can act officially. A united and compact mi
nority may, as it often has, defeat a divided
majority. The Kansas City platform placed a
large body of men and a national organization
behind a number of important reforms. While
the party stands true to its position it affords
the best hope that the masses have of obtain
ing relief, and now partics,however well-intended
will retard rather than accelerate progress.
Several parties composed of honest and earnest
men who hold some principles in common, but
differ about other questions, may by co-operation
secure tho things upon which thoy agree.
But when they war among themselves, they
prevent tho securing of those things which
they all want, without advancing tho reforms
about tho merits of whioh thoy differ. Tho
third party, in so far as it draws from tho Dem
ocratic party, will encourage the reorganizers
by lessening tho number of reformors in tho
party; the roorganizera, on the other hand, are
The Commoner.
encouraging tho third party movoment by boast-
ing of their purpose to ropublicanizo tho Demo
cratic party. The Democrats who believe in
Democratic principles, standing between theso
two extremes, must make tho Democratic
party effeotivo in applying Democratic princi
ples to conditions as thoy arise.
The Assassin Sentenced.
Leon F. Czolgosz, tho President's Assassin,
has been sentenced to death and will be elec
trocuted at the Auburn State Prison during
the week beginning October 28, 1901.
Tho only statement ho made at tho trial
was made just before his sentence and was:
"There was no one else but me, no one else
told mo to do it. I was not told anything
about tho crime and I never thought anything
about that until a couple of days before I coni
mited tho crime."
He had excellent counsel but as there was
no defense to be offered and nothing that could
bo said in palliation of his act. the trial was
brief. He will now have a month's time to re
flect upon the terrible deed, which even he now
describes as a crime, and it will be strange, in
deed, if mediation does not awaken his dor
mant conscience.
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A Voice From the South.
lion. John M. Reagan, the only surviving
member of tho cabinet of the Confederacy,
made a notable speech at the Memorial exer
cises held at Austin, September 19th. The
following extract is an eloquent tribute from,
oe of tho great men of the south:
'Wo are assembled together to participate in the
expression of tho nation's grief. Tho President of
tho great republic has been stricken down by tho
hands of a wicked assassin and eighty million people
are caused by tho act of a vilo and God defying an
archist, to mourn tho death of a groat and good
man. That ho was no ordinary man is shown by
tho fact that in addition to sorno minor offices filied
by him, ho was eight times elected to tho Congress
of tho United States; ho was twice elected governor
of tho great Stnto of Ohio, and twice elected Presi
dent of tho United States, tho greatest honor which
could bo conferred on aay man by tho voice of a
whole people.
"When I say ho was a good man I am sure I
speak tho general judgment of those who knew him
best. I do not rely wholly on the opinions of others
as to his character. Ho and I served together in tho
"responsible positions of members of Congress for
ten years, and while wo belonged to different politi
cal partios, wo were always personal friends. I al
ways regarded him as an able, honest man, and en
tertained for him very sincoro respect, and I had as
surance that this feeling was reciprocated.
"When ho was elected President the first time,
in writing to him on another subject, I said to him
that as wo had to havo a Republican President, I was
glad it was William McKinley.
"His fjood tempor'and amiablo character wore il
lustrated m his public life, and conspicuously so in
his tender and respectful consideration of his affec
tionate wife. He was a good and truo man in private
life, and in his official life ho was honest, diligent and
faithful. Ho feared God and loved his fellow men.
"Thero is something that governs tho conduct of
generous natures which causes personal associations
and friendships, as to tho individuals, to rise above
party divisions and honest differences of opinion, and
which tends to ennoble and beautify human nature,
and to bless the human family."
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Au Example of Partisanship
Many'of the republican papers "have been
denouncing those who criticized the administra
tion, and some havo gone so far as to chargo
that the murder was inspired by the abuse di
rected against the President. As a matter -of
fact, very little has been said against the per
sonal character" of Mr. McKinley, and it is evi
dent froni the statement mado by the assassin
that he was not actuated by any hatred of the
man or even by lack of respect for him. Tho
blow was aimed at the government and could
not havo resulted from anything that was' ever
said or written about the President. However,
while the republicans are finding fault with tho
language employed by Democrats or Populists
who have critioised officials and candidates, it
may be worth while to recall tho fact that
tho republicans have gone far beyond tho Dem
ocrats in personal abuse. For the present, one
illustration will suffice. The New York
Tribune, once edited by Horace Greely and
now owned by a man who came near being
Vice-President of the United States, contained
the following editorial just after the election
of 189G:
4,Tho thing was concoivod in iniquity and was
brought forth in sin. It had its origin in a malicious
conspiracy against tho honor and integrity of tho
nation. It gained such monstrous growth as it on
joyod from an assiduous culture of tho basest pas
sions of the least worthy members of tho commu
nity. It has been defeated and destroyed because
right is right and God is God. Its nominal head was
worthy of tho causo. Nominal, because the wretched,
rattlo-pated boy, posing in vapid vanity and mouth
ng resounding rottenness, was not tho -real leador of
the league of holL He' was only a puppet in tho
blood-imbued hands of tho anarchist and the rev
olutionist and other desperadoes of that stripe. But
ho was a willing puppot, Bryan was, willing and
eager. Not one of his masters was more apt than ho
at lios', forgeries and blasphemies and all the, name
less iniquities of that campaign against tho Ten
Commandments. Ho goes down with tho cause,
and must abide with it in tho history of infamy." :
This is one of the utterances of tho repub
lican press that objects to the criticism of re
publican officials or republican candidates.
w
Facts are Stubborn Things.
Under the above caption the New York
World attempts to disprove a statement made
in a recent issue of The Commoner. It says:
iv r. Bryan would be a greater success as a
controversial writer if he were to cultivate a
larger respect for facts especially facts of record.
In his Commoner he says that "Mr. Cleveland used
tho patronage of his high office to force through
a republican measure the unconditional repeal
bill."
It was the Sherman silver purchase law which
was a "republican measure." It was passed ex
clusively by republican votes, not a single demo
crat voting for it. The repeal act was a demo
cratic measure, though passed by the help of re
publican votes. -The national democratic platform
adopted at Chicago In 1892 thus characterized it:
"We denounce the republican legislation
known as the Sherman act of 1890 as a cowardly
makeshift, fraught with possibilities of danger in
the future, which should make all of its supporters,
as well as its author, anxious for its speedy re
peal." The "possibilities of danger" were realized
in the summer of 1893, when the enforced inflation
of tho currency with steadily depreciating dollars
" contributed to, if it did not wholly causo, the dis
astrous panic of that year. President Cleveland
simply fulfilled the promise of the national plat
form in calling congress together to repeal this
disaster-breeding law, and its unconditional repeal
was largely due to the inflexible determination
and the parliamentary skill of the senior demo
crat senator from this state David B. Hill.
Mr. Cleveland's only mistake was in not calling
congress together at once in March to secure
the "speedy repeal" promised, instead of waiting
