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Commoner.
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WILLIAJl J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR,
Vol. 3. No. la.
Lincoln, Nebraska, April io, 1903.
Whole No. 116.
WIHIAM J. STONE OF MISSOURI
In a recent issue The Commoner promised to
present the names of several persons worthy to
be considered as candidates for the democratic
nomination for president in 1904. The Commoner
does not indorse any one Kansas City platform
democrat as against any other, but presents the
claims of each as those claims are made by friends.
This much is said so that no importance
may be attadhed to the order in which the names
are' suggested. A political admirer of William J.
Btone has this to say of his availability:
"The subject of this sketch was born on a
Carm in Madison county, Kentucky, May 7, 1848,
lie will therefore bo 56 years old when the cam
paign of.. 1904 opens. He lived in Madison county
until 18C2 when lie went to Columbia, Mo., to re
side ith a sister, Mrs. Turner. He attended both
the public schools and tho university located at
Columbia. In 1895 the degree of LL.D. was con
ferred upon him by the University of Missouri.
"He selected law as his profession and after
admission to the bar went to Bedford, Ind., where
ho began tho practice. He resided there, how
ever, only a year and a half, and returned to
Missouri, locating at Nevada, Vernon county,
where ho held the office of prosecuting attorney
during 1873-4. He took an early interest in poli-1
tics, being an elector upon the Tllden and Hend
ricks ticket in 187G.
"In 1884 he was elected to congress and served
three terms, retiring in 1891. In 1892 he was
elected governor of the state of Missouri, and
served for four years. He was one of the leading
spirits in the Pertle Springs convention, and was
closely associated with Mr. Bland in the success
ful effort to put Missouri in the front rank among
the states that contributed to the writing of the
Chicago platform. 'He was one of the delegates
to the Chicago convention and made a strong
fight for Mr. Bland's nomination, being entirely in
sympathy with him in his views upon the money
question. He was made the Missouri member of
the national committee,, and was by the commit
tee chosen vice chairman and chairman of the
executive committee.
"During the years that intervened between
189G and 1900 he was one of the most loyal and
untiring of the national leaders? and4n the cam
paign of 1900 was put in charge of the eastern
headquarters of "the' national committee.
"In 1902 he announced himself as a candi
date for the senate and. made his fight on a state
platform indorsing the Kansas City platform,
which he, as a member of the platform committee,
had assisted in writing. He was successful in his
campaign for the senate,- although he ' had the
active and bitter opposition of the Cleveland
democrats of the statev and of such represents
tives of the corporations as claim allegiance to
the democratic party.
"While he has shown unusual ability as . a
lawyer, it will bo seen that his servicfe to his con
gressional district, to his state and afterwards
to his party in the nation, has occupied a large
portion of his time. Six years in congress and
four years as chief executive of the state of Mis
souri have given him acquaintance with public
:'duties both legislative and executive, while his
connection with the national organization of the
party has brought him intd close contact with the
issues before the country and with tho public
men who have dealt with those Issues.
"As a political orator he has few superiors
and as an experienced, sagacious and courageous
leader of men, few equals in the country. His
appeals have always been directly to tho people
and his strength is among tho masses. While he
has been at all times a democrat ho has tho con
fidence of the other parties that have co-operated
with the democratic party in recent campaigns.
"As a democratic candidate he would bo
strong with the rank and file of the party and as
president he would be a fearless and incorruptible
exponent of Jeffersonian democracy."
A Family Row.
The Argus, published at Albany, N. Y., feels
hurt that the Brooklyn Eagle and the New York
World should assume leadership of tho reorgan
izing brigade. The Argus says: "In this state
(New York) the Brooklyn Eaglo and tho Now
York World are regarded as virtually republican
by democrats, and they can no longer deceive and
mislead." So The Argus roads the Brooklyn Ea--gle
and tho-World out of the reorganized .fold!
But Isn't it a little hard on tho reorganizes? If
all of the largo dailies which call themselves
democratic, but which are "virtually republican"
are to be read out of the ranks of the reorganiz
es they will have very few dailies to speak for
them.
The trouble about the reorganizing element is
that it is largely made up of newspapers and
individuals "virtually republican," and the aim
of the reorganizes is to make the democratic par
ty such that it will be "virtually republican."
The Argus says that it is not time to select a
candidate yet, and that when the time comes
"if New York is ta name the presidential candi
date, then it is submitted that he should be ge- ,
lected by tho democrats of this state, and not
otherwise." This makes 'the matter plain. Tho
democrats of tho country aro to keep still -until
the convention, then they aro to leave the selec
tion of the candidate to New York and then Now
York will retire for consultation and bring in the
candidate and this candidate, whoever he may
happen to be, is to be supported by the conven
tion. This is The Argus plan! Well, a democrat
with one eye can see through this plan. Of tho
two plans the plan of the Eagle and the World
is more honest and more democratic
rrr
Naming the Clubs
Hon. Howard S. Taylor, prosecuting attorney
of Chicago, suggests that the word "Jefferson"
should be Included In the name' of clubs organ
ized by the believers In the JKansas City platform,
the word "Jeffereon"ftdistinguishing the clubs from
those clubs that call themselves democratic and
yet stand for Clevelandlsm and corporation rule.
He says that a Jefferson democratic club in one
part of the country would naturally affiliate with
a Jefferson democratic club in another part of
the country. The suggestion is presented for the
consideration of the readers. The Commoner "has
not desired to designate the name; it has simply
called attention to the necessity for co-operation-among.
those who desire to keep the democratic
party in democratic paths. . . . -
GETTING fiEADY FOR THE BATTLE
Tho Louisville Courlor-Journal In Its Issue of
March 24 devoted ono and a half pages of its space
to the reproduction of editorials relating to tho
suggestion that Grover Cleveland become tho
democratic nominee in 1904. More than a year
ago Mr. Watterson warned tho domocrats of the
country that an organized movomont was on foot
having for its purpose the nomination' of tho man
who, although repeatedly honored by the demo
cratic party, had, "during his second administra
tion sacrificed its principles and who, during two
subsequent presidential campaigns, refused to sup
port tho ticket and gave open aid end encourage
ment to tho enemy.
An effort has been made by the Cloveland
managers to hold some of their followers in check
and yet it appears that many of them have grown
restivo and have prematurely agitated the Cleve
land boom. It may be that the managers of this
boom may not obtain the desired encouragement
for this particular candidate and they may find it
convenient to replace Mr. Cleveland by some ono
who, while being personally less objectionable, will
yet stand for everything for which Mr. Cleveland
stands.
But whatever tho result may be as to tho
particular candidate; democrats have now received
sufficient warning to place them on their .guard.
To bo sure, Mr. Cleveland would bo the most
representative candidate which tho reorganizes
could select, but whether they continue to push
his candidacy or decide to substitute tho candi
dacy of another who will be just as susceptible to
the influences to which Mr. Cleveland yielded dur
ing his second administration, the result will bo
disastrous to he democratic party.
Democrats who aro more anxious for the es
tablishment of the principles In which they be
lieve than they aro In tho temporary acquirement
of office, owe t to themselves to organize Imme
diately and prepare for the conflict that is at
"hand. It will be a contest between the rank and
file of tho democratic party, and those men who
would sacrifice democratic principles for
the mere control of the democratic machine and for
the nomination of a candidate who In the event
of his election would .be governed by the same
influences that would govern the republican can
didate. The' influences behind tho reorganization
movement are powerful. They are .well equipped
with money. Their leaders are unscrupulous;
they will stop at nothing to accomplish their pur
pose. It will be the duty of democrats in every
precinct throughout the United States to organize
for the protection of their party and the defense
of their principles.
Every mall brings reports of the preliminary
work for the organization of democratic clubs;
announcement of these organizations will be made
in subsequent Issues.
In its issue of April 2 the Omaha World-Herald
makes the following report:
"The' machinery for the formal organiza
tion of the new democratic central club was
put into motion at a meeting df the men who
have been foremost in its favor at the Jack
' sonian club Wednesday night. The constitu- ,
tion and bylaws were brought up and adopted.
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