The Commoner.
JWry 9, iocs
7
PRESERVE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES. THE WEEKLY PRESS FORUM.
The promulgation of democratic
principles is a work that every earnest
democrat should promote. It is only
by constant watchfulness that those
who seek the republicanization of the
democratic party can he checkmated,
and only by constant effort that the
principles of democracy can bo made
to supplant the un-American and un
democratic policies that have been
fastened upon the country.
Many of the daily newspapers of
the country are controlled by inter
ests adverse to the masses. Because
of the ingenious methods of the re
organizers their efforts must be com
batted and their manifold schemes
exposed
The Commoner is one of the few
periodicals of national circulation
that stand for, the supremacy of
democratic principles and combat the
efforts of those who place spoils of
office above principle. In this work
it is proud to, have the assistance df
the loyal weekly press which has al
ready accomplished so much and
which is capable of accomplishing, so
much more in the future.
If democrats who place principles
above self-aggrandizement will stand
may bo better accomplished if loyal
democrats lend their assistance. In
order to further the good work of
maintaining the party organization
and preventing it from falling into
the hands of those who seek to secure
control for selfish purposes, it has
been decided to inaugurate a plan
whereby The Commoner may be placed
in the hands of every democrat seek
ing to further the principles of dem
ocracy. The subscription price of The Com
moner is' $1 a year, but in order to in
crease its influence the following plan
has been perfected:
Subscription cards, each good for
one year's subscription to The Com
moner, will be furnished in lots of
five for $3 per lot. The purchaser
of a lot of five may sell the cards
at the regular subscription price of $1
each and retain the profit of $2 for
his trouble, or may apply the $2 upon
the purchase price of another lot
of five, or may sell the cards at the
cost price of 60 cents" each and feel
rewarded by Increasing the influence
of The Commoner.
The Commoner will discuss the is
sues of the campaign as they arise.
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Subscription Card. LOTS O F Fl VE. No
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good for one year's subscription to THE COMMONER.
,...'.,,.' , . , ' W, J., BRVAy, Editor and Proprietor.
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firmly by democratic principles the
plans of the reorganizers who seek to
republicanize the. democratic party
will come to naught. .But there Is
grave danger that democrats who are
devoted to principle will not become
aroused in. time to the insidious
schemes of those who, having once be
trayed the party in its time of need,
now seek to again secure control of
the organization and further their
own selfish ends by making the demo
cratic party so near like the republi
can party that a victory for the demo
cratic ticket would be also a victory
for the men who profit by the un
American and 'undemocratic policies
now fastened upon the country. There
can be no victory for democratic prin
ciples in allowing men who do not be
lieve in those principles, or who bo
tray those principles whenever oppor
tunity affords, to secure control of the
party machinery and dictate the party
platforms.
The Commoner is striving to arouse
loyal democrats to a realizing sense of
the danger confronting the party or
ganization. In the accomplishment of
this work it needs the help of every
loy..l democrat. The Commoner is 'a.
medium, through which democrats in
all parts of the .country may. keep in
touch with one another. But thi3
and will be valuable campaign litera
ture to be placed in the hands of the
voters. If democrats will assist In
enlarging The Commoner's influence
by enlarging its field, they will con
tribute to the great work of achiev
ing the supremacy of democratic
principles and assist in administering
a', rebuke to Jhose who would make
the party the mere tool of designing
nfen.
A fac simile of the subscription
cards is printed in the body of this
article, and is self-explanatory.
If you are interested in the. work
The Commoner seeks to further, order
a lot of five subscription cards at
once and begin lending your assistance
in the battle for the preservation of
democratic principles.
Woodfield (0.) Spirit of Democracy:
The subsidy scheme is the protective
tariff theory carried tJ the last ex
tremity. The protective tariff Is a de
vice by which certain favored indus
tries are enabled to exact from the peo
ple exorbitant prices for their pro
ducts it empowers manufactures to
rob the people. The subsidy scheme
makes the government authorities do
the robbing it takes the people's
.money by taxation and duraps-itr Into
the pockets of the shipowners.
Hillsboro (Tex.) Record: Tho
deeper one goes into Philippine affairs
tho worse they are shown to be.
Clarkvllle (Ark.) Herald: A great
many of the democrats who now want
to 'reorganize the party, assisted m
disorganizing it in 1900.
Oskaloosa (la.) Times: Roosevelt
does not roar at Funston -Just as ho
did at Miles. Prudence, not desire,
made him ask the Kansan to quit.
St. Marys (W. Va.) Oracle: Hon. D.
B. Hill came forth from his retire
ment a few days ago and said: "I
am a democrat." Yes, David, but what
wort thou in 1896?
Indianapolis (Ind.) Standard: The
money power has selected tho demo
cratic candidate for president D. B.
Hill. They are not much concernod
about the republican nominee. That
party has plenty of "good men."
Millheim (Pa.) Journal: That full
dinner pail promised the laboring
man by tho republican party is now
filled with grass instead of meat. A
all flesh is grass, the g. o. p. thinks
that hay is good enough for the la
borer. Anna (111.) Democrat: There are
some pretty tall mountains in the
Philippine archipelago, it is said, but
the bluff which Secretary Root is try
ing to unload upon the islands in the
matter of punishing the authors of
the atrocities perpetrated upon the
natives will make the tallest peak look
like a Japanese haycock.
Wahpeton (N. D.) Times: The bill
to give millionaires more millions for
running steamships at a profit will
probably go oyer until the next ses
sion. This is wise, as some men do
not care to. .ace, their constituents
.'with the record of having voted for
this misappropriation of the people's
money. After election, scruples will
not be so urgent.
Pontine (111.) Free Trader and Ob
server: Does any one now disbelieve
that the administration supports the
English as against the Boers? Re
minded of tho fact, however, that an
other campaign is on its way, the pres
ident has ordered an investigation of
the matter, and if found necessary tho
English gentlemen will be ordered in
desist, or change their base of opera
tion. Phillip3burg (Kas.) Herald: Hur
rah! for Captain Clark of the battle
ship Oregon. He has declined to go
to the coronation of King Edward as
special representative of the navy.
Now if Whitelaw Reid and General
Wilson had that much sense, the im
perialistic tendencies of our "stren
uous" president might be checked
somewhat.
Cadillac (Mich.) Democrat: It were
better, a thousand times better, to sur
rendir whatsoever claim we think we
have to the Philippines; to wipe the
slate clean of the cost no matter how
great, and return the boys in blue to
their native land and its peaceful pur
suits, than to build up a nation of
butchers whose appetite for blood will
be transmitted to their progeny for
generations. Let us stop it before it
is everlastingly too late.
Elk City (0. T.) Roger Mills Demo
crat: The first matter set up for the
Roger Mills Democrat was the Dec
laration of Independence, a document
written by Thomas Jefferson, the
founder of the democratic party, and
upon this document is founded he
doctrines and principles of democracy,
and upon the doctrines and principles
of the Declaration of Independence and
the democratic party the Roger Mills
Democrat will be content to stand.
Albion (Mich.) Mirror: That Phil
ippine investigation turns out some
thing disagreeable for the administra
tion right tflong. Reputable witnesses
have testified that tho half has not
boon told of Inhuman cruelties in
flicted upon tho natives by men wear
ing tho American uniform. Public
sentiment against tho republican Phil
ippine policy is daily, increasing, al
though tho administration still refuses .,
to see it.
Ramsoy (111.) News-Journal: While
tho democracy in any section is try
ing to reunite ovory encouragement
should be given their effort. But tho
attempt to reorganize by tho adoption
of a policy so nearly like tho repub
lican policy, that you can hardly dis
tinguish tho one from tho othor, Is
tho merest bosh and buncombe, and a
disgrace to tho time-honored and
never changing principles of a truo
democracy.
Springer (N. M.) Stockman: Tho
democrats of the house last week gavo
a demonstration of what a deter
mined minority can do by standing
together for a common purpose. A
little more of that sort of unity, pur
pose and resolution would go a long
way toward correcting tho obstructive
rules of tho present congress and in
forcing the republicans to make some
other needed reforms.
Sullivan (111.) Democrat: Both
Indiana senators voted for tho ship
subsidy bill, while ninety per cent
of tho people of tho state, regardless
of party affiliation, opposo this
measure, which takes money out of
tho pockets of tax payors to place it
in the hands of special interests.
Would these senators vote for a bill
so unpopular, if they were elected di
rectly by the people
Ozark (Ark.) Democrat: Senator
Depow of New York assailed the elec
tion laws of the south, a few days
ago, in the United States senate. The
senator is under the impression that
tho negroes are badly treated in the
south. Senator Depew is a corpora
tion and tiust attorney and is not so
much in sympathy with tho peoplo of
his own state, who are oppressed by
monopolies and trusts.
Red Wing (Minn.) Argus: One rea
son particularly why the republicans
fear to see a democratic house elected
is that its Jlrst act would be to order
an investigation of the Philippines
with the object of disclosing the. facts
instead of glossing them. It would
sit with open doors. It would sum
mon witnesses to testify and not. to :
apologize. The best the senate com-?
mittee can do. with all its .ingenuity it J
cannot prevent some disgraceful facts ;
from being known. A committee seek-V
Ing for truth would be more em
barrassing. Steubenville (0;) Gazette: Wo do
not assume that the Kansas City plat
form was perfect, nor do we worship
it as a fetich, but it was democratic
clear through, and that is more than
any platform made by tho "reorgan
izers" would be. After the experience
of the democratic party with Grover
Cleveland upon an ambiguous plat
form, it Is the path of wisdom to hold
fast to that which is good, so when
the specious plea is made that "a
platform is needed upon which every
democrat can stand" real democrats
will turn a deaf ear to the tempter,
for it means that the people who
brought the democratic party next
door to destruction are busy at work
again trying to inject their republican
poison, and should they be successful
it won't make a bit of differenco
which party carries the elections the
trusts' and monopolists will be in con-
trol. While the democratic party can
afford to be defeated as it was in 1896
and 1900, it cannot stand such an
other "victory" as that of 1892; nor. .'
could victory come on the 1892 plan
after that experience, while there la
a' splendid chance if the party stands '
true to democratic principles.
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