The Commoner
WILLIAfl J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
Vol. i. No. 41.
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 1, 1901.
$1.00 a Year
The Elections at Hand.
Next Tuesday's elections in Iowa, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio and
Pennsylvania will ho watched with interest and
variously interpreted. In all of the states the re
publicans have indorsed the last national platform
of the party, and in case of victory will claim that
republican principles and republican policies' have
been approved by the people.
The democrats, on tho contrary, have been
divided and therefore weakened by the effort of
gold democrats to emasculate tho party creed.
.Where they have failed to secure tho repudiation
of the Kansas City platform they have been sore
and disgruntled. Where they have been success
ful in suppressing the last national utterances of
the party they have alarmed and offended the real
democrats by rejoicing over what they term "the
party's return to conservatism."
In some states national issues have been en
tirely ignored, and while the reorganizes have
thus avoided tho charge of discrimination against
any particular issue, they have exposed them
selves to more bitter attack from the opposition,
for the republicans stand ready to force the fight
upon any issue which the democrats dodge. If
the Kansas City platform democrats were to fol
low the example set by the gold democrats, the
party would be overwhelmingly defeated in all
of tho states in which the leaders have shown
themselves hostile todemocratic principles as
enunciated last year; butthose whTltepTThe faith
and made sacrifices during tho campaigns of 1896
and 1900 will not falter in their allegiance to the
party merely because of temporary defeat. They
will support the ticket and then begin at once to
perfect an organization which will make it impos
sible for the reorganizing element to steal another
march on the voters.
The reorganizes, where they are in control,'
are in a position to blame local issues for their
defeat if defeat comes, and to claim credit for vic
tory, if victory is won; but this will not deter the
regular democrats from doing their duty.
In Iowa the democrats reaffirmed the Kansas
City platform, but declared their purpose to make
the fight upon state issues. While our party has a
normal majority of considerable size to overcome
the full democratic strength is likely to be polled.
In Maryland no reference was made to na
tional issues, and tho negro question seems to be
the main local issue. The failure of the conven
tion to take a position upon national issues leaves
tho voters in the dark as to the views of the sen
ator, in case a democrat is elected. ,
In Massachusetts the Kansas City platform
wa reaffirmed, and ex-Mayor Quincy nominated
for governor. The convention was a very harmon
ious one, and the ticket will doubtless make a
good showing. While Mr. Quincy was a gold dem
ocrat in 1896, he took an active part in the cam
paign of 1900, and in his public speeches accepts
tho democratic platform, prefering to support the
democratic party, even though more radical than
he would desire, rather than risk a continuation
of republican policies.
In Nebraska there is complete fusion, tho
democrats furnishing a candidate for supremo
judge and the populist party the two regents.
The Kansas City platform was reaffirmed" by the
democratic convention, and indications point to
&n increased fusion vote. The republicans have
"imported somo of their speakers of national repu
tation and aro striving hard to overcome tho de
pressing influenco exerted by the party's misman
agement of tho treasury department. Tho present
republican troasurer fails to show where all of
the state's money is located, and one of the rogents
nominated by the convention had to withdraw bo
cause it became known that ho had not repaid
money borrowed of the defaulting state treasurer.
The campaign in New Jersey is being fought
on local issues and it is difficult for an outsider
(or for an insidor, either, for that matter), to
make an estimate upon tho result.
The returns from Ohio will bo watched with
the most interest because it is tho home of tho
lato president as well as the homo of tho chair
man of tho republican national committee. Tho
republicans are trying to turn the assassination
of tho president to political advantage, and aro
using his name to rally the lukewarm members of
tho party. Mr. Kilbourne, tho democratic candi
date, has the confidence of tho masses, and will
make an excellent showing, notwithstanding tho
manner in which he is handicapped by tho action
of tho convention in ignoring tho Kansas City
platform. He would bo much stronger if he were
at liberty to combat the republican position on
every question. His conduct in past campaigns
shows his loyalty to the party and he should havo
the good will and cordial support even of those who
felt agrleved 'because the convention gave somo
-evidence ofthe-returnHo thc-cowardlce'-and'eva--slon
that characterized convention utterances
when tho gold standard element was in control of
the party.
Tho Pennsylvania election will turn upon stato
questions and tho democrats will bo aided to some
extend by the anti-Quay republicans may their
tribe increase!
Let every democrat, populirt and silver repub
lican be at the polls! The republicrn party is be
coming more and more subservient to tho corpor
ate interests of the country-and every republican
victory makes the leaders more arrogant. We can
not afford to give open support, or silent encour
agement to tho imperialistic-trust-gold standard
and bank monopoly policies of the republican
party.
JJJ
One Eye Open.
When Mr. Bryan spoke at Minneapolis, during
the campaign of 1896, Former Senator Washburn
addressed a letter to him asking certain questions.
It was an unusual thing for a man of Mr. Wash
burn's prominence to inject himself into a public
speech, but Mr. Bryan read his letter at tho meet
ing and responded to it. It seems that Mr. Wash
burn is getting acquainted, with the trust question.
In a recent interview lie discusses the subject with
intelligence and even vehemence. It is gratifying
to note some evidence of revplt among the repub
licans, who aro responsible for an administrative
policy that permits the trusts to thrive and fatten
upon people at large. Tho Commoner is glad to
give circulation to the following extract from Mr.
Washburn's interview:
Steel rails can be manufactured today at
a fair profit and sold at $17.50 a ton. At that
price the rail mills would make a larger profit
on their product than the flouring mills would
- make by a profit of 10 cents a barrel on flour
which the flouring mills would be glad to
make, but do not. From the best information
.1 have been able to gather, steel rails can bo
manufactured at about $16 per ton. Sold as
they were two and a half years ago at $17.50,
there was a profit of $1.50 per ton, which is
more than tho profit on flour at 10 cents per
barrel, and that is a larger profit than is av
eraged by tho flouring mills of this country.
Yet such rails are now being sold at $28 per
ton, making it easy to understand, with such
enormous profits, how tho steel mills aro en
abled to pay dividends on shares three-fourths
of which aro composed of water. I do not
know just what sum would be required to re
build these properties, but from what I am
able to learn I am satisfied that they can bo
reproduced at less than one-half the amount
for which thoy are capitalized. Tho conse
quence Is that tho peoplo and consumers of
the country aro being taxed to this enormous
extent in ordor that tho trusts and consolida
tions may pay such dividends. And yet, with
this condition of things, we now have a duty
of $7.80 per ton on steel rails! And what I
have hero said of steel rails can also be said of
structural steel, which now enters into con
struction of different kinds to such an enorm
ous extent. If this Is not robbery I would liko
to find somo stronger word to characterize it.
- "Robbery" is a strong word, but Mr. Washburn
wants .something even stronger. What will he
shy of an administration that permits the robbery
tr. go on without making an effort to protect the
public? Possibly Mr. Washburn has only one eyo
open; ' with this ho sees the trusts very clearly.
When he gets tho other eye open ho will be able
to see tho republican party .standing .bohindtho
trusts and receiving- forcampalgnpurposetirjpartj
of tho money extorted .from jthp peoplo.
JJJ
The Negro Question.
The action of President Roosevelt in inviting
Prof. Booker T. Washington to dine at the White
house was unfortunate, to say tho least. It will
give depth and acrimony to a race feeling already
strained to the uttermost. The race question, so
far as it concerns our colored population, presents
itself in four phases; first, tho legal rights of tho
black man; second, his educational opportunities;
third, his political privileges, and, fourth, his so
cial status.
As to the first there can be no question. The
negro is a citizen, and as a citizen is entitled to
all the guarantees of the federal and state con
stitutions. He has freedom to speak and to write;
freedom of conscience and the right "to life, liberty
and the purs.uit of happiness." In these respects
there is no distinction between him and tho white
man. The republicans, when challenged to defend
imperialism, are in the habit of referring to tho
suffrage amendments adopted in some of the south
ern states, as if the black man of the south and tho
brown man of the orient were being similarly
treated. The fact is, however, that in none of the
southern states has an attempt bqen made to tako
from the negro the guarantees enumerated in our
constitution and in the bill of rights; whereas tho
Filipino in the orient and the Porto Rican in tho
West Indies are denied the protection of the con
stitution. In the south the negro Is still a citizen
and entitled to the consideration due a citizen.
Under republican rule in Porto Rico and the Phil
ippines, however, the inhabitants are subjects ancf
suffer the common lot of those who live under
arbitrary power.
In the matter of education the negro is en
titled to all the opportunities offered to the white
man.' The negro must be educated; no community