The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, May 16, 1902, Image 1
The Commoner. . -"- WILLIAil J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. Vol. 2. No. 17. Lincoln, Nebraska, May 16, 1902. t Whole No. 60. PLENTY OF PRESI DENTIAL TIMBER The editor of The Commoner is sometimes asked why he does not suggest some suitable can didate for president instead of pointing out objec tions to candidates named by the reorganizers. First, because he has no desire to pick out candi dates "or to influence the choice of the party as between men who believe in democratic principles and can be trusted to carry them out; second, be cause between those who can be trusted the ques tion of availability ought to bo considered, and events largely determine availability. The con vention is entitled to all the light it can get on this subject and it Is nearly two years before the delegates will be chosen. There is no dearth of competent and deserving men. One hundred names could be suggested of men qualified by ex perience and party service for the high office of president. While each would have weak points and strong points for perfection Is not to be ex pectedany one of them would poll the party strength and receive the support of all who be lieve in the doctrines set forth in the platform. There are candidates galore and they are not co'nflned to any one state or location. To illus- trate how ample Is the supply of presidential tim-., ber look at the state of Tennessee. She has two senators Bate and Carmack both of them loyal and able democrats and both deserving of any honor within the gift of the people. While the senior senator's age might prevent his making an active campaign, he is not too old to be a faith ful champion of. the people's interests whether in the senate or in the White house. Senator Carmack has earned his rapid promo tion by his extraordinary ability, coupled with fearless and steadfast adherence to the principles of his party and forceful advocacy of those re forms which the masses demand. He was a pioneer in the .fight for the restoration of bimetal lism and was one of the first to raise his voice against imperialism. Then, there is Governor McMillan. After a long and illustrious service in congress he was made governor of his state and has since been re elected. He has had more experience In public life than Grant, Hayes, Cleveland or Roosevelt had when elevated to the presidency, and more than Tilden or Hancock had when nominated. And what is the matter with Bob Taylor? He has served three terms as governor and has a national reputation. Besides these who have represented all the people of Tennessee there are several Tennessee congressmen who have made excellent records and who would grow in strength with the progress of a campaign. But certainly the reorganizers ought not to demand great national prominence or long ex perience in a candidate. Their idol, Grover Cleve land, never had any legislative experience. While mayor of Buffalo he was elected governor of New York and while governor he was elected president His failure to meet the expectations of his party and his country was not due to lack of ability or experience, but to the fact that he lent himself to the schemes of syndicates and financiers. Nashville has a mayor, J. M. Head, who posr sesses all the good qualities that Cleveland ever , had'and none of the bad ones. Ho went into office in the face of violent corporate opposition, but hia first term was so universally popular that no one cared to run against him and he was re-elected by a unanimous vote. He is showing what an in corruptible public official can do. He is not only efficient as an executive officer, but he is sound on every public question. With sucTi a national candidate the party could make not only a bold and aggressive fight, but a winning fight if cir cumstances favored success. None of these men are aspirants for the office, but they are mentioned to show how easy it will be to find candidates if the party will only bo true to its principles and plead the cause of th common people. The names suggested do not by any means ex haust the list, oven in Tennessee, and every stato has a number of men sufficiently tested to bo worthy of public confidence. Among the millions who voted the democratic ticket in 189G and 1900 there aro enough to choose from so that it will not be necessary to forage upon the republican camp or invade the ranks of the Palmer and Buckner crowd to find a man of presidential stature. JJJ THE CHRISTIAN AND THE HEATHEN. .m 'W CubaflLibrei.oJ.- Thy night is past. "Where once its grim and sombre amantle spread A pall of horrors famine, torture, death The warming rays of Freedom's sun o'crhcad Calls back to thee, who once lay cold and dead, I,ifc-glviug breath. Thy day has dawned. , , The night of dark despair and hopeless tears, , Of suff'ring and of unrequited toil Thy long travail of sorrow and of fears, Is o'er. Now Freedom's sunburst cheers Thy blood-drenched soil. Stand thou erectl "With nations ruled by free men take thy place. I,et equal rights and justice point thy way. With girded Joins, prepare now for the race, Be true, and thou, through God's undying grace, Shalt live for aye. W. M. M. m jjj Decrees of Justice. In an article printed In the Independent, Rus sell Sage says that "to rail against the accumula tion of wealth is to rail against the decrees of jus tice. Those who possess the qualities which fit them to get rich will get rich. If any one Is to blame, it is nature." It is significant that these people who constantly talk about concentration of enormous wealth being the result of natural conditions and accumulations of immense fortunes being the con sequence of exceptional toil and ability, are al- ' ways on the alert to surround these "decrees of justice" and this "nature" with some law enacted for the benefit of the few and to the disadvantage of the many. No one "rails" at the honest ac cumulation of wealth. It Is the accumulation by reason of special privileges, given in law, to cer tain men who have the time and the ability to control congress and legislatures. The extraordi nary concentration of wealth in the hands of a few men as it Is going on today Is not in line with the decrees of justice; it is not in line with nature; - it is the result of unjust laws and special privileges. The Chicago Record-Herald has an editorial entitled "Stop the Slaughter at Mindanao." It commends Mr. Roosevelt's orders to General Chat fee to stop the slaughter of Moros by United States troops. The Record-Herald says: But surely the spirit of retaliation was sufficiently sated with the death of some 200 Moros and the capture of 84 prisoners without shooting down 35 of these unarmed prisoners, who were merely guilty of fleeing from their captors. The president has said that the American flag will "stay put" In the Philippines. It can not and will not "stoiy put" there with the con sent of the American people at the cost of a war of relentless, vengeful extermination. We have punished the Moros ouough. Wo have demonstrated the Irresistible nature of our civilized superiority. Wo Jiavo no call to further Inflame the hatred of the Inhabitants of Mindanao by slaughtering their fanatical warriors and devastating their Island. Let us . now demonstrate our civilization by our for bearance. Let lis call the chiefs of Mindanao to a council and offer to their people friend ship and protection Instead of Incurring their eternal treachery and hate with fire and tho sword. ThRecord-Hefaiawfristthe "heathen ot tho Philippines. It desires that wo shall de monstrate, In the presence of these heathen, our civilization by our forbearance. It desires that wo shall call the representatives of these heathen to a council and "offer to their people friendship and protection Instead of incurring their eternal treachery and hate with fire and the sword;" and It declares that the American flag will not "stay put" in tho Philippines "with the consent of the American people at the cost q relontless, vengeful extermination." How different this tone is from the tone em ployed by the republican papers with- regard to the Christian Filipinos with whom wo are en gaged in a war of oven greater proportions than that of the war on the Moros! When the firing began between the Fili pinos and the- American troops, Agulnaldo sent word to General Otis that it was all a mistake and asked for a council in order to agree upon terms of peace. General Otis' reply was that tho lighting having begun, tho war must now go on "to the grim end." That has been the key-not for every republican politician and every republi can newspaper ever since 'the fighting began. Every suggestion that the Christian Filipino be given the same assurance which tho United States gave to the Cubans, has been met with sneers. "When they lay down their arms, then will be time enough to discuss the terms of peace," so these republican organs and orators have said. How, does it happen that tho representatives of the republican party aro so anxious to deal leniently with the heathen of the Philippines and so determined to deal relentlessly with the Chris tians of those islands? JJJ Listen to Mr. McKinley. Republican editors who seek to justify the cruel practices in the Philippines would do w.ell to read the messages of President McKinley during, i .