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The Commoner.
Woh a, No. 45.
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if oront schools of thought and 'different .views on y. the prosident has no use for men of the AddlcTcs
puuiic questions, ror irutn is, uorn gi curnuou ,,
Besides weeklies dovoted to national politics
there ought to he weeklies in every state devoted
to' the discussion of stato issues so that tho voter
can hy taking papers on hoth sides keep hlmsolf
informed In regard to the act of officials and tho
policies of parties.
JJJ
Amazing Credulity
; While In Chicago a few days ago I mot a re
publican business man of Ohio who became con
fidential enough to say that tho harshest criticism
ho had heard against me was that I charged for
tho campaign speeches made during my candidacy
in 189G and 1900. Tho following dialogue on
sued: "Did you ever hoar any one say that I re
ceived pay for speeches made in support of my
own candidapy?"
"Yes; they said that you charged a certain
amount at each place and refused to speak unless
-the money was paid."
"And was there a republican in your commun
ity who could be convinced that a candidate for
the presidency was so indifferent to his success that
. be would refuse to advocate his own election un
less ho was paid for each speech?"
"It seemed inconsistent, but all the republi
cans in my neighborhood believed it, and .1 did
myself."
It was a new revelation of partisanship that
surpassed anything that had before come to my
knowledge. I had heard tho charge made occa
sionally and had answered it each time by saying
that I had never at any time or place received any
sum whatsoever for speeches made when I was a
candidate for office, but tho charge seemed so ab
surd that I never thought a denial necessary to en
lighten an honest republican. It was only made
that democrats might be armed to meet the ac
cusations of dishonest republicans who gave cir
culation to the criticism without themselves be
lieving it
The committee, I am informed, sometimes
raised the money for the special train by collect
ing contributions along the line. It was neces- .
sary to do this to meet the railroad charges, and I
thought it much better than asking for or receiv
ing a free train, but It never occurred to me that
any person of any party could distort this into a
money-making scheme on the part of the candi
date. The fact that I have found one intelligent
republican who credited the story has led me to
refer jto it again, although the facts were stated
DpfiflKformer issue or, Tho Commoner.
JJJ
The Recrudescence of Addicks.
s
stripe. The explanation that the president-only
returnod to Byrne what ho had laid down is
puerile. "Southorn officeholders," assorts tho
Provldenco Telegram, "havo been roughly sep
arated from tho pie counter for activity no less
pernicious."
Tho Delaware senatorial situation Is develop
ing .some very interesting features, as well as
some very noisome scandals. -
JJJ
- V
Those who profess to believe that the ambition
of Hon. "Gas" Addicks has been successfully
thwarted; and that he is no longer a factor in
the Delaware senatorial scramble, should study
a little deeper Into the situation. Considering his
many professions of determination to purify poli
tics and curb the activity of officeholders, Presi
dent Roosevelt is creating considerable curiosity
by his actions in Delaware politics. W. H. Byrne,
United States district attorney for Delaware, re
signed his office to become the candidate of the
Addicks faction for congress, He was soundly
trounced by his democratic opponent, despite his
support from Addicks and tho administration. No
sooner was Byrne and his Addicks support de
feated than the president hastened to reappoint
him to the office he resigned to accept a congres
sional nomination.
It is only natural that the Addicks faction
should point to Byrnq's reappointment as an in-
dorsement of Addicks and his senatorial ambitions,
and they are doing so in a manner calculated to
convince many and worry those wh6 insist that
- A Correction Made.
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat of November ID
contains a special dispatch from Indianapolis
which states that Mr. Bryan sent out ten or fifteen
thousand personal letters to democrats in Indiana
jtist before tho late election "urging them to do all
In their power to Insure the defeat of tho demo
cratic ticket, state, county and township." It is not
true that Mr. Bryan sent letters to democrats in
Indiana urging them to defeat the ticket The
Commoner criticised the action of the democratic
state convention in ignoring the Kansas City plat
form and pointed out that It was bad politics,
not to speak of the principle involved, to alienate
faithful democrats for the purpose of conciliating
the men who aro opposed to the party's national
platform. Just before the election The Commoner
took occasion to criticise democrats in New York
who attempted to use Mr. Bryan's name for tho
defeat of the' state ticket, and stated that he did
not presume to advise the democrats what to do
in case the state organization repudiated the na
" tional platform. He considered it a question which
each voter should decide for himself after duly con
sidering the relative importance of state and na
tional issues. The result In Indiana shows that the
attempted harmony was a one-sided affair, .and
h proves .anew the folly of attempting to .strengthen
the democratic party hy compromise with the re
publicans or -by evasion of issues. "' 1,i'M"s,;'r
The Salt Trusts Enjoined:
Judge Morrow, a California federal judged has
granted a temporary Injunction against the salt
trust, preventing its doing business on the ground
that it is an illegal combination in restraint of
trade. The principle laid down Is an important
one, and if sustained by the supreme court will
have a wide Influence on the trust question. The
court says that the contracts Involved in the case
"belonged to the same general scheme of the Fed
eral Salt company to strangle all competition, and
it is evident that all form part of one general com
bination or conspiracy."
The court also insists that it Is authorized to
"look behind mere contracts and see the entire
transaction so that the real effect is within the pur-,
view of a court of equity."
A private monopoly is not only indefensible
and Intolerable, as stated in the Kansas City plat
form, Jaut it is an outlaw, and has always been
held to be against public policy, and yet it has
been impossible to get the republican leaders to
recognize tho principle involved. They talk about
"good monopolies" and""bad ones," and promise
tc regulate "bad monopolies," but they fail to
plant themselves upon the sound principle that no
person or corporation has a right to monopolize
a branch of businc-s or the production'of an ar
ticle of merchandise.
JJJ
President Mitchell's Testimony.
President Mitchell of the miners' association
in giving testimony before the commission was on
the witness stand for more than four days, and it is
safe to say that no witness ever strengthened his
cause more hy his demeanor. He not only showed
himself master of the subject, but ho displayed a
presence 'of mind and a "quickness of intellect that
were as surprising as they were gratifying, Ho
was -thoroughly questioned by Mr. MacVeagh,
one of the most distinguished lawyers of the land,
and Mr. MacVeagh attempted to Intimidate as well
as to confuse him, but Mr. Mitchell was more than
a match for the counsel of thd coal operators, and
Mr. MacVeagh was compelled to admit that he had
made an admirable witness.
Mr. Mitchell denied that the labor organiza
tion taught or believed in anarchy, and brought
forth facts to show tho lawful and legitimate pur
poses of the organization.
After Mr. MacVeagh was through with him
5ther representatives of the mine owners took him
in hand, but they were no more successful in their
effort to worm out of him admissions prejudicial
to his, cause.
JjJ
A Word as to Advertising.
The readers of The Commoner will notice that
less space is devoted to advt .ising matter than in
most papers; they will also notice that the adver
tisements which appear in The Commoner are of
such a character that the paper can be read by the
children as well as adults. It may be added that
trust advertisements aro carefully excluded. Theso
xestrictions have very considerably lessened the In
come from tho paper, but they ought to make the
paper itself more acceptable to those who appre
ciate a clean and wholesome sheet The editor de
sires to thank the readers for tho encouragement
and support which they have given to advertising
patrons. In somo instances jthe returns have been
phenomenal and one advertiser well pleased 'in
creases the patronage.
The financial standing arid business methods
pX all, applicants for advertising space are investi
gated andi' only those accepted "whd "have11 ae- "
putation for fair dealing and whose" goods have
.
recognized" merits.
In corresponding with advertisers always men
tion The Commoner.-
JJJ
They Can't be Serious.
V
The New Yoric Tribune complains that edi
torial pages are too much devoted to news items
and witty paragraphs and not enough to serious
and dignified editorials. How does Whitelaw Reid,
the publisher of the Tribune, expect the paid -representatives
of great corporations to write serious
and dignified arguments in favor of republlqaA
policies? And how could even repuolican papers
refrain from witty paragraphs when Whitelaw
put on his knee breeches and sat down on tho
king's doorstep to wait for the coronation?
JJJ
Why Not North,
Tho collector of internal revenue in Alabama
"played a conspicuous part .in the exclusion of, ne
gro delegates from the republican convention of
that state. Mr. Roosevelt removed the collector"
from office and caused to be made puonc this
statement; ,
.
Neither tho administration nor the repub
lican party of the north will stand for the
exclusion of any section of our people by rea
son of thoir race or color, when In other re
spects such person's have complied with tho
laws and are eligible unuer the law- to full
and free participation in political action and
are t of a high standard of personal character.
Many republican papers commend the presi
dent for the "bravery" he displayed in removing
this federal officer. But it may not be out of
place to suggest that for more than a year Mr
Roosevelt has been in a position to show , his
friendshipfor tho negro and his devotion to th .
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