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he had loaned. The republican state convention
met beforo his parole expired and adopted a res
olution demanding that he bo returned to the peni
tentiary, and the governor immediately complied
with the resolution. Mr. Bartley returned no
money during his freedom. Soon after his return
to the penitentiary ho made known the fact th.it
Mr. Goold, the republican candidate for regent of
the stato university, who voted his delegation for
the resolution C imanding the ex-treasurer's reim
prisonment, 'Was one of the men who borrowed
stato monoy and failed to return it. This an
nouncement .caused a Bensation and was followed
by the withdrawal of Mr. Goold from the ticket.
The election resulted in a republican victory,
and in less than three months after the election
the governor, who was rebuked before the elec
tion for giving Bartley a two months' . parole,
fjves him a completa pardon.
If Mr. Bartley and his family were the only
persons interested there would be unanimous ac
quiescence in the governor's act, for no one can
And real pleasure in the punishment of another,
even though that punishment is well deserved.
Every one sympathizes with the wife and the
chillrtti of a man who is paying the penalty, how
over just, for a crime committed, but citizens can
not afford to consider the question from a personal
standpoint, neither can they allow sympathy to -cc.ntrol
their judgment in such case3. There are
many men in the penitentiary who could be dis
charged with reasonable certainty that they would
not commit again the act for which they were in
carcerated; there are many women who are sadly
waiting for the return of their husbands, and many"
children whom a penitentiary deprives of a fath
ers care. If; the appeals of all these were listened
to, the prisons would soon be empty. Why are
they denied pardon? Because they lack the politi
cal, financial and social influence hat Mr. Bartley
could summon. They cannot secure a petition or
nnmontod by the names"ofpromlnent men, there
fore they mustistill c-. lure, the rigors- of prison
life.
We must consider the effect of such pardons on
.society,- and what is that effect? Evidently it is to
rnfako the mass of the people feel that offenses
against society are measured, not by the degree of
criminality involved, but by the prominence and
influence of the offender. There is such a thing
as a sense of justice, and this is violated when :2
heavy, punishment is visited upon a crime when
committed by persons of one class and a comp...
atively light punishment visited upon the same
crime when committed by persons of a different
class. It is not necessary to argue that the Bart-'
ley pardon was given in order to shield the per
sons who contributed to the defalcation by a fail
ure to return state money; it is not necessary to
omphasizo the fact that the pardon was granted
after the election rather than before, nor is it nec
essary to speculate as to the present feelings or
future conduct of those republicans who only a few
months ago virtuously condemned even a parol.
The serious phase" of this question is to be
fcund'in its demoralizing influence upon society.
It is a matter to be regretted by democrats as well
as republicans for all are interested in the state's
reputation and in tho welfare of the common--wealth
that the governor of Nebraska yielded to
entreaty and violated the sound doctrino em
bodied la the motto of the state.
Responsibility for Anarchy.
" When congress is calle.d upon to consider
measures .aimed- at the suppression of anarchy
there will probably be some discussion of the
cuuses which produce anarchy, and if the republi
can members of congress follow the example set
by republican editors, they will attempt to place
upon tho democratic party responsibility for re
cent manifestations of the anarchistic spirit in
the United States. If such a chanre is mnrio 'if
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The Commoner..
must" not only bo met by tho democrats, but it .
should be met with arguments which will show
that the real cause of anarchy is to be found In
republican policies rather than in democratic
speeches.
Republican papers are in the habit of charg
ing the democrats with rousing passions and stir
ring up hatred, malice and envy. Anarchy is a
protest against all forms of government, and no
democrat has said anything or done anything to
give encouragement to that 'doctrine. The demo
crats believe in government, and they show thoir
love of government by trying to so improve it that
it "will command the confidence of all the people.
The physician who suggests rules for health and
applies restoratives in sickness Is a better friend
than the one who v encourages dissipation and
scoffs at the approach of disease.
Republican papers are in the habit of charging
democrats with stirring up class prejudice and
hatred. This would be a serious charge if founded
upon fact, and it raises the question: Is it wrong
to criticise a public official, or to point out the
evil effects Of a policy? If so, how is a reform to
be accomplished? Must we assume that the-president
not only can do no wrong, but can make no
mistake? When the Wilson bill was passed re
publican papers all over the country claimed that,
mills were closed, that men were thrown out of
employment, and that destitution and starvation
were brought to tens of thousands of people. If
some man out of work had taken a notion to kill
tho author of the bill, the congressmen and 'sena
tors who voted for it, ot the president who per
mitted'' it to be'edme' a law and then enforced ita
provision would the "republican editors have been
morally responsible for the assassination?
, The republic-- newspapers and speakers
charged that the panic of 1893 was due to the agita
tion.,of the money question. That panic broke up
b.usiness men, suspended enterprises and., largely
increased the necessity for cLarity. If some one
who suffered by the panic had undertaken to
; avenge himself by killing the advocates of bi
metallism, would the "republican editors have been
morally responsible for the act?
The New York Sun recently declared that the
overthrow of the trusts would cause terrible in
dustrial disasters and the same charge has been
made by other .republican papers. Suppose some
man who has faith in the judgment of the editor
of the Sun undertakes to prevent the predicted cal
amity by killing the men who are trying to ex
terminate the trusts, will the Sun be responsible
for the act?
No rule is sound which is not of gen
eral application. If the democrats must abstain
from criticism for fear some ignorant or vicious
man may resort to force Instead of the ballot to
correct the wrong, the rule must apply to republican-:
as well, and we must suspend entirely the
discussion of questions. The republicans
say that the democrats attempt to array clas3
against class. In the first place this is untrue in
tho sense in which the republicans use the term,
and in the second place every editor who makes
this charge is more guilty than those whom he
accuses. The republicans coined tho phrases,
"home industries" and "infant industries;" thry
hjive appealed to the manufacturers as a class
and collected large campaign funds from them
on the ground that they are specially interested in
republican policies. They have constantly ar
rayed the interests, of one-portion of the popula
tion against the interests of another portion. In
1896 they charged that the mine owners "were
seeking to secure an advantage at the expanse of
tho rest of the people, and they asserted th.it
debtors wore trying to get out of debt by the use
of cheap dollars; they excited the fears of bank
ers; they frightened depositors; they coerced em
ployes. They never hesitated to. attack any class
Qr any portion of tho country that opposed repub
lican policies. In the campaign of 1900 thay
":.'.
claimed credit for better ' times, antf said that a
panic would follow a change In administration".
When they appealed to the religiously inclined,
they represented imperialism as a divinely ap
pointed chance for missionary Enterprise. When
they appealed to the commercially inclined, they
represented it as a profitable venture, 'and to thGse
with an ambition for office they held out the pos
sibilities of foreign service. They have never hes
itated 'to tickle the palate of the tax-eater with
promises of rich reward, and yet they complain if
tho attention of -the taxpayer is called to the fact
that he must pay the bill. The republican cditovg
cannot point to a word spoken or an act done by
those who believe in democratic doctrines which
has not more than its counterpart in the constant
practice of republicans.
. But while we are investigating the question of
responsibility let us consider whether the republi-'
cans are not morally responsible for the growth of
anarchy. Anarchy is not indigenous to American
soil; it is of foreign origin and culture. It is the
outgrowth of conditions which to the anarchists
seem unchangeable. Arbitrary power suppresses
all God-given instincts and arouses a resentment
that always follows the disregard of natural jus
tice. It has been the boast of our government that
It differed from the governments of Europe in that
11 rested upon the consent of the governed. Any
thing which tends to obliterate or lessen this dis
tii.'ction cannot but create here the conditions out
of which anarchy grows.
In Europe there are classes separated by birth.
Some are born to rule, others are born into tho
aristocracy, while the masses are born to serve.
These artificial . distinctions naturally excite a
hatred which, when long suppressed, bursts forth
into hostility to. the government which recognizes
and enforces these distinctions. The creation of
artificial distinctions in this country .tends to
create tho same conditions, and the republican
party has done more than all other parlies com
bined to separate tho people into classes. It is as
sumed that only the manufacturers are capable of
deciding on the tariff question and the tariff law
of- 1890 was, according to the testimony of a
United States senator, written by the beneficiaries
of the tariff. It is contended that only ttio finan
ciers are competent to legislate on the financial
question, and that only business men have a real
and vital interest in good government. Trust mas
nates are allowed to select the attorney general
and corporations often have a controlling influence
in the appointments of judges and in the action of
United States scators.
The individual who is driven into bankruptcy
by a great monopoly and then sees the beneficiaries
of that monopoly prominent in society. In politics
and in the councils of the nation, is in excellent
condition to listen to the theories of the anarchist.
Government is a great blessing when, it is admin
istered with justice, but it appsars as an unspeak
able evil to the helpless citizen who is forbidden
by law to avenge his own wrongs and then vainly
appeals to the government for protection.
The republican party is today engaged in an
imperial policy that will do more than all else com
bined to cultivate the anarchistic spirit. -.'Those
who know what imperialism is in the old country
can imagine what it will, bo In this country when
fully developed. It m-ins a centralization -of the
government, followed by a gradual change which
will give more emphasis to the .strength of the
government and less to the rights of the. Individual.
It also means a lessening of the regard shown f qr
liuman life, According to the doctrines of a, re
public, life and liberty an priceless; under an 'em
pire liberty is measured in dollars and cents, 'and
life Is unimpoifnt when it'stands in the wayfcof
trade. Wo cannot wage wais of conquest in orcier
ti " I ' s t ' Til
to ticlp our merchants , without making men a
matter of merchandise; we cannot give commercial
reasons for the killing ko' the Filipinos without;
arousing a discussion as to the relative value of
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