m
Ine Commoner.
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V
WILLIAfl J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
ol. 3. No. 29.
Lincoln, Nebraska, August 8, 1902.
Whole No. 81.
iovernment by Injunction.
The democratic party aroused the opposition
the corporations by declaring against govern
ment by injunction both at Chicago and at Kan-
vJas City. The leaders of the party saw the dangers
that lurk- in that extraordinary process when m
voked by corporations against theljr employes.
Somoxof the laboringmen recognized the fidelity of
the democratic party to the rights of the people
and supported our ticket, but many of them, blind
to their interests, were misled by republican
promises, while others yielded to the coercion
practiced by employers. There is an old proverb
which says that the wise man foreseoth the evil
and hldeth himself while the foolish pass on and
are punished. This proverb in its condensed form
reads: The wise man gets the idea into his head,
the foolish man gets it in the neck. Judge Jack
eon of West Virginia is now diligently engaged in
punishing those who a few years ago wore too in
different to consider their own best interests or to
safeguard their own rights. Ho seems Inclined to
decree whatever the coal companies want, but
In doing, so he Is more lawless than the men.
against whom he directs his stump speeches. A
judge has no legal right to convert into a crime
ther violations may be prevented and restrained.
It must be generally agreed that the most ef
fective weapon to be used against violators of the
law is the criminal proceeding, but this weapon
has been uttorly ignored by the rtpubllcan admin
istration. It will also be obsorved that this samo law
provides that any property owned or under con
tract by any combination or pursuant to any con
spiracy and being in the course of transportation
from one state to anothor or to a foreign country
shall bo forfeited to the United States, and may
be seized and condemned. This is another im
portant provision of the federal law which tho ad
ministration has not undertaken to enforce.
Is it not significant that while tho admin
istration pretends to bo serious in its "anti
trust campaign," it has avoided tho first and chief
features of the law which it protends to bo anx
ious to enforce and that tho only provision of
that law it has taken advantage of is that which
was intended as a mero incidental provision?
In this connection it may be said that a Chi
cago special to the New York World under date of
July 28 presents some significant facts. This spec
ial says that beef, bacon, and pork were 3 cents a
pound higher on Juno 27 than at tho time the fed
eral injunction was issued against the packers'
combine. Tho World makes this pertinent com-
i:
A. IITT111.. 1U. t J. -!. ...! n,nl..n4- 1.
that which before his decree was lawful, and oven"ut umma uie mjuiwuuii uuu uBuiudi..u.
i- iiiim nifii i f ". Akd .n. k " i -
If ho had the power to legislate he would have jio
authority 16 suspend the constitutional right of
tho accused to a trial by jury. But Judge Jackson
usurps the power (not the right) to make laws
and to fix penalties, not according to tho consti
tution, but according to his own warped and biased
judgment A lawless judge is a greater menace to
free government than all the petty criminals who
come before him in a lifetime. Impeachment pro
ceedings have been suggested and it Is to bo hoped
that tho matter will be brought before congress
that the people may see whether tho republican
party wiU stand by the people and their constitu
tional rights or by-the corporations. Tho striko
Is a clumsy and inefficient remedy, hurtful to em
ploye and to the public as well as to tho employer,
but until arbitration comes and makes the strike
unnecessary it Is the laborers' only means of de
fense and while it is employed the judge must be
impartial and ready to "protect the rights of both'
sides.
JJJ
The Federal Anti-Trust Law.
In another column of this issue will be found
a copy of the federal anti-trust law. This law is
reproduced for the purpose of impressing upon tho
readers of The Commoner the fact that while
the Roosevelt administration pretends to serious
ly undertake the enforcement of the federal law,
tho administration has ignored the chief remedy
provided in this law and has adopted the remedy
which was intended to be an incidental remedy.
It will be observed that the first section of this
law provides for criminal prosecution of those
who conspire in restraint of trade. The second
section provides for criminal prosecution against
those 'who monopolize or attempt to monopolizo
any part of trade or commerce. The third section
provides for criminal prosecution for those who
commit these unlawful acts in tho territories.
Tho fourth section provides ""the injunction
nrcess as an incidental proceeding whereby fur-
M11UU1 Ki 111
im i- iiii nifii i r .kd .it. l l
beeh.emphaized by a few sentencestoittilt''Ti,T'
- JJJ
La Follette's Work.
.The' Commoner Is glad to give credit to tho
republicans when they do something creditablg
and therefore congratulates the republicans of
Wisconsin upon having Indorsed Governor La Fol
lette's efforts to tax corporations and to make tho
method ot selecting candidates more democratic.
And" yet Mr. La Follette is more likely to help
the democratic party than the republican party
by his attempts at reform, for ho will educate re
publicans to see tho vicipusness of the policies for
which the national republican party stands and Jn
the end these enlightened republicans will have to
leave the republican party If they would save the
country from corporate domination.
JJJ
LET HIM ANSWER.
Mr. Roosevelt is soon to start on one of the
most ambitious stumping tours ever attempted
by an occupant of the White house. Ho will en
deavor to defend his administration against the
criticism which has been directed against it and
he should be aided by suggestions from his op
ponents. For instance, Mr. Roosevelt might an
swer the following questions:
"Why not apply the Declaration of Indepen
dence to tho Filipinos?"
"Why not begin criminal action against the
beef trust millionaires as well as against small'
criminals?"
"Are you in favor of the Fowler bill with its
asset currency, its branch banks and its redeem
able silver dollar?"
"Why not take the tariff off of trust-made
articles?'; - -
These questions present Issues upon which
he should enlighten the public.
A Bloodthirsty President.
President Roosovolt in his rccont extemporan
eous speech at West Point gavo expression to a
sentiment which suggests an inherent barbarism
that will Lave to be takon into account in weigh
ing his purposes and predicting his future course.
His address on "Strenuous LIfo" dollvored some
throo years ago showed that ho gavo to virtue th
ancient rather than tho modern definition and
placed physical courago above mental greatness
and moral worth. But when in his West Point
speech ho laid aside all restraint and in a fit of
animal enthusiasm said, "A good soldior must not
only bo willing to fight; he must be anxious to
fight I do not want to havo anything to do with
him if he is not" when ho said this ho turned a
light upon his inner self and revealed a moral
doformlty which must shock such of his friends
as are not wholly carried away with tho bloody
and brutal gospel of Imperialism. If a "good sol
dier" must bo "anxious to fight," then it naturally
follows that an administration which desires to
develop good soldlors should surround cadets with
influences calculated to infuso into them a fighting
spirit an eagerness for blood-letting. If the
president really means what he says wo may ex
pect that his second term if he has one will b
made forever, illustrious by the inauguration of a
new regime atr the military academy amrin, thirT
army. The ten commandments and the Sermon on
the Mount will bo discarded and the yellow-back
novel substituted for them for "Thou shalt not
kill" and "Blessed are the peace-makers" could
have no proper place In a school designed to train
men to be "anxious to fight"
Tho president entirely overlooks the distinc
tion between tho exercise of force in defense of
a right and tho use of force for the creation of a
right. All the force employed by government,
under tfie American theory of government, is em
ployed in tho defense of rights previously ascer
tained. A small army is necessary to enable the
government to protect the. inalienable rights of 1U
citizens and the academy at West Point Is th
training school for officers. It teaches thos
things which are considered necessary in war,
namely, care of the men in, camp and on th
march, and tactics. These cadets are not selected
because they are by naturo ferocious, they are not
kept chained like savage dogs and let loose oc
casionally to gratify their passion for mischief;
they are, on the contrary, men who are educated
as a precautionary measure and kept in rcadinecw
for-a possible contingency. It is no reflection upo
tho courage, the efficiency or the patriotism of am
officer in the regular army to say that he hope
that the army will never bo called upon to kill or
even wound a single human being, any more tha
it would be a reflection on a fireman to say that'
he hopes that there will be no conflagration In hii
city. ' I
It is unfortunate for the country that th
president should have held before its embryo
soldiers tho lowest rather than the highest ideals
of military life. There have been many gre
soldiers during the last nineteen hundred years
great Christian soldiers who have loved peace,
and yet who havo in an hour of peril won glory for
.their country and themselves. These should b
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