The Commoner.
iy.
-:ka
iV
candidate for mayor and carried the city by a
plurality of four thousand in a total vote of fifty
throe thousand, defeating both tho republican and
the democratic 'candidates.
- San Francisco has been the seat of labor trou
bles for some months past. It will be remembered
that the iron workers struck early in tho summer
and that many other trades unions went out or
were locked out as a result, An association called
the Employers' association tried to compel team
sters to abandon their unions, and the trouble con
tinued until about the time candidates were nomi
nated for city ofilces. As Mayor Phelan, the
democratic candidate, was elected two and four
years ago, and as the republican candidate this
time was second in the race, It is evident Jthat a
large proportion of the democratic strength went
to the labor candidate. This is proof, first, that
the wage-earners constitute a larger element of
the democratic party than of the republican party,
and, second, that democratic wage-earners are an
independent class of voters who cast thoir ballots
'according to their judgment. There are so many
local questions involved in a municipal campaign
that tha readers of The Commoner scattered
throughout the country may not be able to pass
judgment upon the issues which the citizens of
San Francisco had to act upon, but it is interesting
tc every one to know the power that the laboring
men have when they choose to exercise it. If they
would show the same earnestness all over tho
country they would prove a most effective, if not
an irresistable, force in reform movements. If
the laboring men who are in the habit of support
ing the republican ticket would by their votes
make .it known that they could not be counted
upon to aid a party controlled by banics, corpora
tions, syndicates and monopolies, the republican
leaders would find that no corporation funds,
however vastcould secure them a national victory.
JJJ
A Prophecy That FailedL
,.iIn the campaign of 1900 the republican leaders
denied that their party contemplated a permanent
increase in the standing army. They asserted that
a large army was only necessary because of tho
insurrection in the Philippines, and they boldly
declared that tho insurrection would cease Imme
diately if the republican ' ticket was successful.
The democratic platform and democratic speakers
were blamed for the prolongation of the war.
"Just re-olect President McKinley," they said,
"and let the Filipinos know that they are not to
have independence, and they will lay down their
aims and our soldiers can come home."
Well, the republican ticket was elected,' 'and
the Filipinos were notified that they were not to
have independence, but a month after the election
the republicans rushed through congress a bill
authorizing the president to raise the regular army
to 100,000, and now, after a year has elapsed, the
insurrection is still in progress and the end is not
yet. Some of the worst losses of the year have
been suffered by our troops within two months.
General Chaffee reports that tho Filipinos have
profited by the deception practiced upon them
when Agulnaldo was trapped. He says that "in
surgent soldiers in ordinary civilian's dress lurked
about and among American garrisons," and he
adds that "with deceptive cunning they obtained
ciedentials from American authorities." We were
assured a year ago that only a small fraction of
the Filipinos were hostile to the American gov
ernment. We were told that the great majority of
the Filipinos welcomed the American government
and were glad to be made subjects. The Times
Herald quotes General Chaffee as saying that "the
whole people of the Philippines , are engaged in
waging war upon the United States.' Tho Times
HeraltJ (a republican paper) adds: "The Filipinos
who are friendly to the United States are said to
bo those holding office, and the officers who dis
cussed the situation today assert that their loyalty
will continue only so long as they have the op
portunity of drawing American dollars."
If Mr. McKinloy was correctly informed when
he stated that mostof tho Filipinos were friendly,
then tho insurrection has, according to General
Chaffee, increased rather than diminished.
After the republican victory made It impos
sible for the imperialists to blamo the anti-imper-inlists
for the continuation of hostilities, the re
publican leaders declared that Agulnaldo, actuated
by selfish ambition, was compelling his country
men to continue tho war. But oven after his cap
ture and Imprisonment yes, even after his captors
had secured from him an address advising his
comrades to surrender the insurrection continued.
How long will it take tho imperialists to learn
that we can never have peace in tho Philippine
islands? That we can suppress open resistance
is certain, although the cost may bo far beyond
any gain that can be derived from a colonial gov
ernment, but that we can ever make the Filipinos
love us or trust us while wo rule them through a
carpetbag government, .is absurd.
If the republicans had read the speeches of
Abraham Lincoln as much recently as they did in
former years, they would have known that hatred
of an alien government is a natural thing and a
thing to be expected everywhere. Lincoln said
that it was God Himself who placed in every hu
man heart the love of liberty. Lincoln spoke tho
truth. Love of liberty is linked to life itself, and
"what God hath joined together let no man put
asunder."
JJJ
Democratic Leadership.
, The Chicago Chronicle, emboldened by the suc
cess which has jn some quarters attended tho ef
forts made to reorganize the democratic party,
comes out with the demand for now leadership.
It wants a new platform, candidates who are ac
ceptable to the moneyed interests and an organiza
tion that will draw its sinews of war from the
corporations, and then conduct the government
according to the plans and specifications furnished
by tho corporations. It sayg:
It is not surprising that with a presiden
tial candidate and these managers from states
at a far distance from the business and politi
cal center of the country the democratic party
has been defeated disastrously in two cam
paigns and finds difficulty in rising from its
overthrow. In the future such states as are
now republican, but may bo gained by the
democrats, must furnish the democratic man
aging committeemen as well as the democratic
national candidates.
Not only must the new leaders be from the
central states, but they must, be familiar with
all classes of our people with the educated,
the enterprising, the prosperous, with those
who have built up and manage the great com
mercial, industrial and transportation inter
ests, with the farmers of the great agricultural
states, with the educators and professional
men of the country.
In democratic party management the fron
tiersmen must give way to representatives
from those parts of the country that have
emerged from limited backwoods views of
public affairs, of politics and statesmanship, of
education and progress, of the methods of
which a great party may be led along the lines
of enlightened policy, attract adherents from
the best elements of citizenship, gain the sup
port of independent voters and gain all those
forces by which an apparent minority in tho
campaign is swelled into a majority at the
ballot box.
We are to have leaders who are familiar (why
not intimate?) with tho "educated, enterprising
and prosperous" and with "those who have built
up and manage the great commercial, Industrial
and transportation interests."
Probably the Chroniclo would consent to have
the word "educated" stricken out if the party
would agree to consult only the "prosperous" and
"those who have built up and manage the great
commercial, industrial and transportation Inter
ests." The proposition plainly stated Is that the dem
ocratic party, which owes its voting strength to
ils advocacy of democratic principles and' to Its
championship of tho rights of the common people,
must now turn itself over to tho men who manage
tho great corporate enterprises, and must secure
the support of organized wealth by pledging Itself
ret to interfere with privileges, favoritism and ex
ploitation. The principal owner of the Chronicle
is Mr. John It. Walsh, president of the Ciiicago
National b.ink. Ho votes the republican ticket,
and is on intimate terms with the corporations
which his paper thinks ought to control the demo
cratic party. Why not nominate Mr. Walsh for
president? With such a candidato it would not be
necessary to have a platform, and thus a great deal
of contention might be avoided. The platform
would bo unnecessary for two reasons, first, be
cause . Mr. Walsh's environment is a guarantee
that he would do nothing to disturb tho enter
prises and privileges of those who "have built up
and manage the great commercial, industrial and
transportation interests," and, second, men of
that stamp care nothing for platforms and would
not be bound by them in case of success. Mr.
Walsh's nomination would have another advant
age, namely, It would not be necessary to nominate
a candidate for vice president. The convention
could instruct the electors to vote for any person
whom Mr. Walsh, after election, should suggest.
This would enable him to choose his successor In
case he should undermine his own constitution in
his effort to ovorrido the federal constitution.
Neither would It bo necessary to have any cam
paign managers, because the clerks In Mr. Walsh's
bank could attend to the details of the campaign,
. and tho financiers throughout the country could
be the local representatives of the organization.
If the Chronicle's theory is correct, such a
nomination would not only transfer the party
management from the "frontiersmen" to "represen
tatives from those parts of the country that have
emerged from the limited backwoods view of pub
lic affairs, etc.," but It would attract adherence
from the "best elements of citizenship" (as meas
ured by the pocketbook standard), and gain the
support of those "Independent voters" who allow
the financiers to do their thinking for them. No
doubt such a policy would swell tho vote "of an
apparent minority in the campaign" into "a ma
jority at tho ballot box" provided always that the
organization had enough money to buy all tho re
publican votes, and was able at the same time (a,
-very difficult matter) to retain tho democratic
vote. Probably the Chronicle goes on the theory
that we would not need any of the democratic
votes If we could buy all tho republican votes.
This is the substance of tho advice given by
a paper controlled by a republican, but pretending
to be democratic, and Its advice is in entire har
mony with a number of other papers owned in tho
same way and operated for the same purpose. Is
it possible that such papers can have any influ
ence with democrats who believe In democratic
principles and think more of the party's honor
than they do of any temporary success won by a
sacrifice of the interests of the people?
JJJ
Weyler May be Dictator.
Spain is considerably stirred up by a speech
recently made by General Weyler. The following
extract from his remarks contains expressions
which have alarmed his countrymen:
As for dictatorship, no one thinks of such
a thing. Dictators are the offspring of cir
cumstances. For myself I may say this: "I
have never thought of being one, nor do 1 now.
Nevertheless, if my aid were asked at a mo
ment of gravity I do not know how I would
decide between political and military duties,
but I would always incline toward the latter."
His speech caused an uproar and he was in
terrogated as to his meaning. His reply was that
he was "a politician and a liberal, but before all a
soldier," and that If it became necessary he would
defend Spanish institutions and parliament. So
far from satisfying his opponents this caused Senor
Romero to say: "I take note of the declarations
of the minister of war on the subject of dictator
ship." The conduct of Weyler In Cuba was such as to
show that ho was entirely controlled by a military
spirit which Ignores justice and humanity. Some
will regard it as only retributive justice If he now
turns upon the Spanish people at home the cruel
and arbitrary power which they encouraged him to
employ against the Cubans.