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li ',l'V
Organization Prevents Bolting.
Somo of tho rcorganizors, recognizing that
thoir secret schemes aro menaced by tho organi
zation of Kansas City platform clubs aa pro
posed by Tho Commonor, aro attempting to scaro
loyal but weak-kneed democrats by saying that
tlio contemplated movomont is a threatened bolt
This charge is both falso and malicious and cornea
with bad grace from thoso who have themselves
bolted n democratic presidential nomination.
Tho organization which it is desired to form
at this timo ia similar In plan and purposo to
tho bimetallic leaguo organized at Memphis in 1895
and without which it would havo been impossible
to havo carried tho Chicago convention. A minor
ity supplied with plenty of money and working
through tho corporations can set up conventions
against a majority when that majority is unor
ganized. Organization and an open fight aro all
that can protoct tho rank and fllo from tho de
signs of thoso who desiro to emasculato tho demo
cratic platform. When It is romombered that tho
moro pronounced rcorganizors voted tho republi
can ticket and havo not changed their views it be
comes apparent that thoy cannot control tho par
ty without making tho platform offenslvo to thoso
who woro loyal. It is a vital matter to real demo
crats and It behooves them to oxert themselvea
to tho end that they may savo tho party from
degradation and demoralization. If thoso who
boliovo in tho principles of the Kansas City
platform do their duty the question of bolting will
nover arlso that question will bo left for tlio
consideration of thoso who have bolted before.
Organize at once. No timo should be lost, j
JJJ
Committee Assignments.
DlBpatches from Washington announce that
tho domocrats of tho houso of representatives
will ask for the privilege of selecting tho minor
ity mombora of tho committees. This move Js a
good oho. Tho minority members ought to havo
tho right to arrange minority representation
only by so doing can thoy secure a representa
tion that reflects tho opinion of tho minority on
questions considered. At present tho speaker ap
points and his appointments aro often so made'
as to place tho minority In a- falso position be
fore tho country. Even now somo democratic
bankers who woro appointed on ono of tho houso
committees by tho speaker aro misrepresenting
tho party's position on tho asset currency. It is
to bo bopod that tho democrats will succeed in
securing tho change which they seek. In the
eonato tho mombora of tho minority make tho
committee assignments of tholr members and tho
amo custom should prevail in tho house.
JJJ
The Value of Courage.
If there is demoralization apparent among
somo of the democratic leaders It is duo to a
lack of moral courage. Instead of standing up
and fighting republican policies all along tho
lluo, many of them aro afraid to bo democratic
for fear thoy will offend tho men who left tho
party in 189G and who now refuse to return un
less tho party avoids disputed questions. Aside
from tho moral dopravity involved in tho offer to
sell tho party's convictions for the votes of plu
tocrats or for campaign contributions, it is dis
astrous from oven tho low standpoint of exped
iency. Jefferson onco said of a man that ho had
not yet learned tho important truth that firm ad
herence to principle was tho best handmaid oven
unto ambition. There is a crying need for a real
puro and fearless democracy. The republican
party is delivered over into tlio hands of organ
ized wealth, and a bold attack upon that party's
policies-not one, but all of them-would win moro
votes than the party would lose among thoso who
call themselves democrats merely because they
The Commoner.
woro born that way or joined tho party before
thoy became pecuniarily identified with great cor
porate interests. A few bravo exponents of dem
ocracy who cannot bo terrorized by tho financiers
aro worth a whole yard full of weak-kneed draw
ers of salary who divide their timo between run
ning from their shadows and flirting with purse
proud ex-democrats. Tho attitude of these timid
democrats is illustrated by tho remark of a col
onel who was retreating with his regiment and
who reproved somo of his men for firing an oc
casional shot He shouted: "Quit shooting! You
just make them madder!" It is timo that those
who aspiro to leadership should face toward tho
enemy and make an attack. In a political fight
an ounce of moral courage Is worth a pound of
ofllce-itch. Unless a man thinks more of prin
ciple than of office he is not deserving of official
reward- and furthermore is not likely to hold'
office when the people awake to their duty.
JJJ - A
An Answer Called For.
In the following editorial tho New York Jour
nal calls attention to a remarkablo speech made
by Mr. Kellogg, president of the Colonial club, in
introducing Judgo Parker:
That was a remarkable speech in which
Mr. L. Laflin Kellogg, president of the Col
onial club, introduced Judgo Alton B. Parker
to the guests assembled on Saturday evening
last to do him honor both as a jurist and a
presidential possibility.
Mr. Kellogg appeared to be laboring under
tho delusion that the gathering was ono sum
moned to rebuke all those who think tho
trusts ought to be regulated by law, and also
to express disapproval of labor's efforts to bet
ter its condition.
"There never," said Mr. Kellogg in his
queer address, "was a time in the history of
this government when there was a greater
tendency toward high-handed and desperate
treatment of public questions than at the
present day. Freedom of contract is violently
curtailed. Commerce is prohibited under the
guise of being regulated."
By whom? Mr. Kellogg did not say. Cer- '
tainly not by this republican congress, which
has dared to do nothing that will really in
terfere with the privilege of the trusts to snap
their fingers at the peoplo while they go on
plundering them as usual.
"The threats of discontented labor," con
tinued Mr. Kellogg, turning from the objects
of his solicitude, the persecuted trusts, to the
workingmen, "can never be silenced by ac
cording labor protective or preferential rights
as against their employers. Socialism can
never be eradicated by compromise nor an
archy by pardon."
That is, labor is socialistic and anarch
istic when it seeks the protection of the law
for its interests, and Mr. Kellogg, president of
the highly respectable Colonial club, would
neither compromise with it nor nardon it
Presumably, like Brother Baer, of the coal "
trust, he would call for troops and always
w S:M the nly proper wertoS
bor s insolent demand for a living wase
No laws to hamper the trusts and nine to
help labor-that seems to be the frank anS
enthusiastic Mr. Kellogg-a platform
If these are Judge Parker's sentiments they
will not meet a response among democrats. If
they are not his sentiments he ought to hasten to
disown them. If the remarks of President Kel
log do not reflect Judge Parker's views it was
not courteous to make them, and the judge would
have be, justified In entering a disclaimer then
and there. Burchard was not moro "untimely"
in his speech to Blaine.
JJJ
Protect Life and Limb.
of thlVr; UllCth0 tasWatlVo representative
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers tha
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, the Brr!
hood of Conductors, the Brotherhood of RaHroad
Trainmen and the Order of Railroad TWeSapSS
Wah n ring amy f Iab0r organizattn" n
Washington seeking to secure legislation for the
h .VOLUME 3, NUMBER 7.
protection of the lives and limbs of trainmen.
The various organizations of railroad employes
havo been endeavoring for ten years to securo
safety appliances that will lessen tho risk of
those who operate the trains. During tho period
beginning July 1 and ending October 1, according
to the interstate commerce commission's bulletin,
130 persons were either killed or injured while
operating trains which used air-brakes upon but a
portion of the cars. This would make nearly five
hundred accidents a year, a number sufficient, it
would seem, to arouse interest in the subject Tho
corporations have been fighting the measure from
the beginning. First, they offered to consent to
a bill requiring 75 per cent of the cars to be oper
ated by air-brakes. Then they objected to moro
than 65 per cent; now they are opposing a law
that compels them to use air-brakes on at least
50 per cent The fact that they are now opposing
a law requiring the use of air-brakes on only 50
per cent when a few years ago they agreed to a
bill requiring the use of such brakes on 75 per
cent shows tho aggressiveness of the corporate
interests and the increasing control which they
exert over legislation. Both parties have de
clared in favor of such legislation and President
Roosevelt recommended it in his recent message,
and yet there is still a determined opposition to it
It is strange that representatives of the people can
so far ignore public interests at the command of
corporate greed.
JJJ
The Treatment of Criminals.
A recent issue of the Philadelphia Enquirer
contained an editorial giving intelligent consider
ation to the treatment of criminals after they havo
satisfied the requirements of the law. It speaks of
the difficulty which the ex-convict has in finding
employment, and says:
"What is the future of this man? This
problem is constantly coming up and it is sad
to see that there is little progress made to
wards solving it No business man wants to
employ an ex-convict; if he is a professional
man no one cares for his services. There
seems almost no avenue of employment for
him. What can he do?"
This sums up the situation, and it deserves
serious consideration. How would it do to try a
system of probation, say a year or two, during
which the ex-convict would have a chance to prove
his worthiness? That is, after his term has expired
let him have the privilege of working voluntarily
nnder the direction of the state at the same occu
pation which he followed in the penitentiary, ho
to come and go at his pleasure as long as ho de
ports himself properly.
J??tya an inter05t ln storing the ex
convict to his place in the industrial community,
hut no one is willing to risk employing him until
!?,'' to contot that he desires to work and
establish himself in the esteem of his fellows he
ZieTs Z r lD flnllns P1 tL
parole is being used with increasing fresuency
rrthesrrno ,is wmtne to 5s
UoZl nennT th COnvlot- the proba
(Ste 1 la I,rVlae for ttos thout
t on of ,no ,SDfSOr or them- The reclama
and yet cslL?0,haVa falIen " temptation
of the nubic ? lYted in the confidence
oi tno public Js certainly to bo desired
It is Curious.
ous persons mentioned tor tlT, e" f
dential nomination Th? ? f CratI VTeai'
It was a curious U,l J eminently proper.
man should be erZsvtn "? that a
views were known n. d abUt before hla
any man shouI a'S " lltUo rio that
hosTviowrlre 1 t6d abUt f0r " &
vcsugatlon. " UUCrta"1 to "auire In-
-fJtd' "v6irtk
