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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1901)
The Commoner. W . THE FORUM OF THE WEEKLY PRESS K I bvyvyyvvy irontoii iivio.j itegisier; iue ywyiv of Missouri do not want any man who does not stand 'squarely on the Kan sas City platform to represent them in the United States senate. Pekln (111.) Times: The republicans are talking strongly of tinkering with the' tariff. They ought to know that would "disturb the business interests of the country." At least they have always claimed it would. Thayer (Mo.) Tribune: President Roosevelt and the governor of Massa chusetts are praised for their liberal ity in appointing democrats to judge ships. It is noticeable, however, that they choose the kind of democrats who vote the republican ticket. Langdon (N. D.) Courier-Democrat: During the campaign of a year ago the republicans attributed every Fili pino uprising to Bryan speeches. One of the very worst slaughters of the war has just occurred and to whom will the republicans now lay the blame? Detroit (Mich.) People: So long as democrats permit machine republicans and their close allies, trust national bankers and high tariffltes to dictate their platforms and say, who shall be nominated for office, so long may 'lem ocrats expect to remain out in the cold, tEd deservedly so. Lincoln (111.) Times: The republi can press would like very much to have it generally understood that a traitor is a man who isn't a republi can and that treason consists in fail ing to agree with Roosevelt, Hanna and the other republican land and man-grabbers in the orient. Potosi (Mo.) Independent: Scratch a gold democrat and you will find a United States bank republican under neath the hide. The way to have har mony in the democratic ranks, is to let every member of the party who finds himself uncomfortable on the Kansas City platform leave it and go where he is better suited. Lexington (N. C.) Dispatch: That particular and strange class of Ameri can citizens who see nothing wrong in a law which enables a certain class of men to sell their products in a for eign market cheaper than they sell them in the home markets, will per haps follow the lead cf the high tariff teachers, while those who see the patent injustice and the iniquity of such a system will turn their f aces the other way.' "St. Paul (Minn.) Broadax: In less than ten years we will be told that gold is plentiful and must give way as a money standard to the bank note; for it will be urged the output of gold is so great that it cannot be re stricted or controlled, while it is pos sible to keep the issue of standard paper money within limits. Com merce like the salesman, uses the ar gument which will suit, not the custo mer's requirements, but the vender's profit. Moulton (la.) Sun: The republi cans are rapidly climbing onto the democratic platform. A great many of them now acknowledge the demo cratic party was right when they de clared for freer trade, and as soon as the supply of gold falls short and fails to meet the demands for an increased volume of money they will be in favor of free silver again. A republican that has not been on all sides of the questions is a curiosity. foldwater (Mich.) Star: It seems that while the congressional delega tion was over in the Philippines the democratic portion assured the people that it would be the purpose of this government to grant them self-government, whilo the republican contin gent kept muni on that question. Still they will insist that they are adher ents of "the party of Lincoln!" "Which will tend most to "pacify" those peo ple, those who offer constitutional lib erty, or those who bring the sword? Columbia (Mo.) Herald: Let us not lose our heads. The average Missouri democrat, the fellow who makes and unmakes political leaders, has his fav orite stands. What does it profit the average Missouri democrat if he gets his favorite the senatorial nomination and loses the legislature to the repub licans. First catch your hare. The moral of this observation Ib that we are all democrats, that any democrat who stands on the Kansas City plat form is better than any republican who does not stand on that platform, and that we should not say anything about our brother-democrat that will lend aid and comfort to the enemy. Platte City (Mo.) Landmark: Some democrats are fearing that the absorp tion of the Kansas City Times by the Star will injure the party in this part of the state. We do not think so. For some years the dailies have not been leaders and have not possessed the in fluence they once had. During the campaign of 1896 and 1900 the people depended almost entirely upon coun try newspapers for cordial and un stinted support of democratic Issues. Country papers, free from the con taminating influences which surround city dailies, fought the two last fights and held the democratic hosts in line. This fight can be and will be made, al though the trusts and combines con trol the daily newspapers. Hickory (Miss.) Reporter-Index: If it is right to turn back to such demo crats as Hill and Cleveland for lead ership simply because the party would stand a better chance to win, then for the same reason it would be right and best for all Christians to forsake their Leader and follow the leadership of the devil, for he is a sure wlnaer. A true Christian will suffer defeat a thousand times and still carry the banner of right through ad versity, and walk with bleeding feet through thorns and stony ground be fore he will accept the gorgeous splendor and triumphant ride on the band wagon of the devil. Why is not question. the same principle and devotion to right as good in politics as in religion? A man. who has a greater desire to win than ho has to uphold the right, is not a fit subject for self-government no matter what his educational ad vantages may be, and is not half so good a citizen as the ignorant old man who cannot read a line, but votes for what ho believes to be right, though he knev7 ha would bo defeated before ho cast his ballot. , Pittsburg (Pa.) Democrat: Tho New York Herald is not enamored with the idea of piling up money in tho federal treasury by needless taxa tion of the people, that it may be used or paid out for the benefit of the, cap italistic class. It says: "Beautiful financial system is that of our gov ernment! It taxes tho people need lessly to get an idle surplus into tho treasury, and then to get it out again pays away their money at the rate of 140 in redemption of bonds issued six years ago at 104." And the Herald might have, added that n4,000,000 of this "idle surplus" is now deposited in the national banks, on which the banks do not pay a penny of Interest, and which is loaned to their custo mers at 6 per cent. The people are taxed to create a banking capital. . Auxvasse (Mo.) Review: Tho demo cratic party stands for free speech. It must not now abandon its historic position. It must not lose its head. The republican party once stood for free speech. Of late it has moved away from the position of vantage. It has suppressed newspapers in Ma nila and closed the postofiices in America to the circulation of docu ments printed by the government it self. It has called criticism high trea son and has held that courts by in junction may make law-breakers of citizens peacefully talking to neigh bors upon a public highway. The democratic party cannot afford to in dorse by speech or silence these in siduous attacks upon the blood-bought rights of free speech. To do this would be bad politics and worse prin ciple. Union (W. Va.) Watchman: While condemning the democrats for "re-, opening the money question" the re publican leaders are almost constant ly tampering with the country's finan cial system. Secretary of the Treas ury Gage in his address before the American bankers' association at Mil waukee, last week, strenuously urged the retirement of the greenback legal tender notes. Bryan last year pre dicted this would be the next move. The closing of the mints to silver, the establishment of the single gold standard, more power and privileges to the national bankers with the re sult that private interests control a large portion of the money volume, and now the retirement of the green backs. These are the steps outlined on the republican program and yet no democrAt must discuss the money ti Cadiz (0.) Democrat: It makes a republican sick to hear a sheep bleat. This time last year they were telling us that wool would be 30 and 40 cents per pound this year if the republican party were kept in power. No wonder they take flight evory time they see a sheep. Ava (111. ) Citizen: There is abso lutely no demand for the new Kansas City party. Tho democratic organiza tion under tho anti-lraporlalist, anti protection, anti-national bank and pro-liberty and fair play leadership is all sufficient. And still less demand for tho "reorganizes." OttTimwa (la.) Democrat: The demo crats over in "the state of Scott," ac cording to tho Democrat of that place (a paper only democratic In name) have cut loose, adopted a platform of their own and are going fo "take the lead" in "returning to the traditions and principles of the founders of the party." The Democrat Is supporting what It terms a "county democratic ticket." Those alleged democrats up in Scott are what might truly be termed "whisky democrats." They came into the democratic party from tho republican party because of pro hibition and have been engaged ever since trying to republicanlzo tho demo cratic party. When democracy makes' a platform and ticket to suit the demo crats of Scott, it will not be recogniz able as democratic to the members of tho party outside of that mugwump river county. Linn (Mo.) Unterrlfled Democrat: The gold democrats think they are making splendid progress with their reorganization business. There can be no" such thing as a .democratic vic tory over the financial planks of two last national democratic platforms. Such a victory will be temporary and unquestionably a republican victory. Bimetallism is only a part of tlie financial system of this country. This can never be a government for the people while the power of issuing money is in the hands of national banks. Any man who opposes tho free and unlimited coinage of silver at the old ratio is opposed to govern ment paper and in favor of corpora tion paper. These questions must be settled some day. The great questions of taxation the basis of the trust question and the question of trans portation are the burning questions.. Before these questions have been justly settled, the financial question, will again come to the front. The money power is In position to defy just measures that will restore to the people their rights. The silver men as a rule stand with Jackson and Lin coln on the money question. They know that the truth can stand alone. The same old fight will come again. There can be no peace, no permanent prosperity until we reach a just set tlement of the questions of taxation, finance and transportation. All dis putes about labor, land and imperial Ism, spring from a public abuse and imperfect knowledge of these three questions. One of these questions is always paramount, and the peace of the nation awaits their final settle ment ,, t; -' - .L