The Commoner.
3
March 7, 1902
the Minneapolis speech, said: "The strenuous
one will now proceed to place the gyves upon cun
ning as in the past shackles had been placed on
force." They said: "Of course he will- first care
fully overlook the entire field and select an able
lawyer for attorney general of the United States,
a lawyer whose training has been such that he
will be in thorough sympathy with his praise
worthy desire. This great lawyer shall be his
strong right arm, the hortest blacksmith, as it
vero, to fasten the shackles and gyves that the
strenuous one had determined to place on cunning
trust barons and shrewd monopolists, who, through
their greed and avarice, were distressing the
people."
Then Mr. Burleson pointed out that these men
who based their hopes upon the declarations of
Theodore Roosevelt as vice president were disap
pointed in the action of Theodore Roosevelt an
president. Instead of selecting a capable black
smith who is not only able, but willing to shackle
cunning, Mr. Roosevelt, as president, retained "a
corporation lawyer, a trust attorney, to play the
lole of brawny blacksmith to weld the shackles
for cunning trust magnates he had so long and so
faithfully served. In effect, the wolf had been
selected to care for and protect the sheep."
Continuing, Mr. Burleson referred to the first
message delivered to congress by Mr. Roosevelt
as president. Quoting the language of this mess
age with relation to trusts, Mr. Burleson showed
that President Roosevelt, when the opportunity
came to carry into effect "the declarations so cour
ageously made, had been unable to discover any
monopolists or trust barons, but only could see
'captains of industry,' " And then, after all this,
Mr. Burleson said: "By way of evidencing an
abandonment of all hostility on his (Roosevelt's)
part toward trusts, he has recently named the s6n
of the captain of the 'captains of industry' to speak
the humiliation of republican America at' the
coronation of an emperor and king whose gov
ernment is now endeavoring to destroy every
vestige of republicanism on the dark continent." y
It' cannot tie 'tfouDted that Mr. Burleson, in l's
admirable address, made out a strong case against
the "strenuous one" and it is creditable to the lov
ing kindness of tho gentleman from Texas that ho
found excuse for this "startling change." By way
of explaining this remarkable transformation, Mr.
Burleson, referring b Mr. Rocavelt, said: "He
fs environed by a political organization which is
owned body and soul by the trusts; nothing else
could be expected." And he added: "The stren
uous one is a republican, he is environed by tho
republican party which is directed and controlled
by trusts. This party has looked to trusts and
monopolies so long for support and assistance,
turning its back upon the people, that now, not
withstanding the strenuous one honestly desires
to shackle cunning, when the opportunity came,
these old influences were immediately thrown
around him and he found himself overcome. He
now knows the power of trusts; he now knows
their influence; he has been taught it by those
who surround him. He is a republican; his en
vironment controls him."
"And then by way of extenuation, Mr. Burleson
said: "I have no harsh words for liim (the stren
uous one), only pity because of resultant conse
quences of his most deplorable surroundings. So
fai as trusts are concerned, henceforth he is blind,
ho cannot see; he is deaf, he cannot hear.".
This admirable speech was concluded by an
arraignment of tho republican party an arraignr
ment that is remarkable alike for its brevity, its
severity and its truth. In conclusion Mr. Burle
son said:
Gentlemen of the dominant party, permit
me to say to you that you are intoxicated with'
your present power; you have become reckless
ly indifferent to the wishes of the people.'
. Listen to what I say. The people are at-last'
awakening to true conditions. You have
reached tho point where you are anxious to
trim, to evade, to dodge, and tho people know
it. During this congress there will be no re
vision of the tariff, there will bo no interfer
ence with tho continued reign of tho trusts.
Tho trusts have so willed it. Now, mark the
phophecy: These issues will bring about your
undoing. Already a storm is gathering in tho
west. The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
Babcock), who has been on the watch-tower
for the republican party for eight years, as
chairman of the republican congressional com
mittee, has sounded a note of warning, which
has been echoed in effect by tho present gov
ernors of Iowa and Minnesota, both republi
cans, but it will avail naught. You aro joined
to your idols; you are true republicans; you
know the power of trusts; they know your
venality. This tells the whole story.
Who, having read the proceedings of congress
and observed the actions of Mr. Roosevelt since
he became president, will say that Mr. Burleson's
arraignment of the republican party does not "tell
the whole story?"
JJJ
Why?
The New York World, under the head-line,
"Prosperity and Politics," comments upon the re
port of the secretary of the Nebraska banking
board relative to the number of state and national
banks in Nebraska, the amount of deposits and
the average of deposits for each man, woman,
and child in the state. The World says that this
is more money than Nebraska ever had before
and after describing these very gratifying con
ditions, adds:
These are doubtless among the reasons
why Nebraska, which gave tho democratic
fusion candidate for president a plurality of
13,570 in 189o, was carried by the republicans
by 7,822 in 1900 and by 12,659 in 1901.
Prosperity is a great deal pleasanter and
much more popular than calamity.
In the same issue of the New York World in
which the above appeared is an article in which
the World says that if the democrats will appeal
to the people "to change the control of congress,"
tiioy will have "an excellent chanco to re
cover control of the house."
Now it is doubtless true that the conditions
which the World described relating to Nebraska
may be found in any state; and if this condition
ji stifles a republican victory in Nebraska, why
may not the same condition justify a republican
victory in any other state? And if this condition,
existing in all the states, justifies a republican
victory, with what reason does the New York
World urge the democrats to appeal to the peop'o
"to change the control of congress?" With what
reason does tho World say that democrats will
have "an excellent chance to recover control in
the house?"
Why not, after all, "let well enough .alone?"
Why disturb the flattering conditions to which
the New York World points with pride?
Why not overlook the fact that the republican
party has ceased to be representative of public
interests and has come to be the tool of corpora
tions and trusts?
Why not forget it all In the recollection of
the interesting claim that the republican party has
bestowed upon us prosperity, as It gives to us tho
sunshine and the shadow, the good .health, tho
good crops, and tho many other good things of
life for which, in the old-fashioned days, we were
wont to give our thanks to Providence rather than
to a political organization?
JJJ
Keep on the Heights.
In a letter to the Chicago Tribune, Wayne
MacVeagh protests against sending special em
bassies to attend royal ceremonies. Mr, Mac
,Veagh says:
It is alike undesirable and undignified
in us, whose fathers fought seven years to
be rid of kings and crowns, to send persons
to pay homage to, a gentleman who. calls him-
. self a Icing-, and who Is putting on his head
what ho calls a crown.- . M ,
Tho Tribuno approves tho suggestion; ; and
adds: 1
Tho excellont gentlemen who have boon
selected to seo King Edward crowned will .
have to go. It would bo dlscourtoous to re
voke their commissions now. But this should
bo the last affair of the kind. Tho attitudo of
the United States concerning future corona
tions should bo one of dignified aloofness. .
It should not descend from tho heights of its
republican simplicity to tako part in tho child
ish ontertainments of Europe in wmch crown's,
scepters, and holy oil aro of so much Im
portance. Now if the attitudo of tho United States con
cerning coronations should bo ono of "dignified
aloofness," why not begin with the coronation that
is to tako place next Juno? If tho best Interests
of this country requires this "dignified aloofness"
certainly "tho excellent gentlemen who have been
selected to seo King Edward crowned "would not
regard tho revocation of their comraissoins as
"discourteous."
This is a good time for tho United States of
America to refuse to "descend from the heights of
its" republican simplicity to tako part In tho child
ish entertainments of Europe."
JJJ
The "Commercial Excuse."
The Washington correspondent of tho Lin
coln (Neb.) Journal the representative republi
can organ of Nebraska should bo credited with
being frank. Ho describes tho republican poal
tion on the question of Imperialism without quib
bling. In a recent letter he said:
What does tho heedless throng know
about tho Philippine question, anyway; and
what does it care? To be sure the army is
costing the people millions annually, but it Is
furnishing employment for thousands of men
who might otherwise bo idle, and the army
supplies are purchased In this country while
the nioney for munitions and ' ordnance 'is
disbursed in America to Americans. The war j
gives employment to Idle mon and distributes
money to tho contractors who are manufac
turers.
It will be cheerfully admitted that tho masses
do not know much about the Philippine situation.
This is due to the fact that the administration
f exercises great care in keeping closed the avenuos
of information. But there aro plenty of evidences
at hand to prove that tho people are not "heed
less" and that they are arrivlngat a thorough un
demanding of the Philippine question. They are
rapidly coming to understand that tho war is just
what this 'frank correspondent admits that It is
not a war for a principle, but a war for commer
cialism; that it is a war prosecuted for the purpose
of making business for a favored few. Tho ex
cuse that employment for idle men and profits for
contractors and manufacturers is furnished by a
war that results in the slaughter of the flower of
American manhood and the destruction of the
hopes of a people who would bo free, is not one
that will appeal to patriotic Americans. But it Is
the only excuse that the party of imperialism and
commercialism can truthfully offer, although it
pretends that It Is a war prosecuted for the flag,
for civilization and for Christianity. But the ex
pression, "heedless throng," fully explains tho
opinion the republican leaders have of the masses
of the people.
The publishers' association met in New York
a few days ago and demanded that wood pulp
hi put upon the free Hat and tho duty on news
print materially reduced. Will the republican
members of the association please explain why
they join In making such a demand? Is the tax
not paid by the foreigner? If they reply that
the demand was made In order to protect Ameri
can forests will they please explain the tariff on
lumber?
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