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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1903)
iintn'ipinjumfii B.yE 'i.l'WMWWWlJ mmpi.. .p.. . , - pH mmn,,,,,, ,, The Commoner V" WILLIAH J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. fc. . V . . mmrnmmmvm.. )wB.mmin Vol. 3. NO. 18. Lincoln, Nebraska, May 22, 1903. Whole No. 122. '. - na -am i M i Keeping Ever at It. - MM D 1 MO t MM In thoir efforts to control tlio government, tho representatives of the trusts and the syndicate! appreciate the importance of "keeping everlast ingly at it" In season and out of season, these people see to it that newspapers over whose busi ness office they exercise control cultivate false impressions, misrepresent the policies of their opponents, and seek to create, in many instances, the notion that the whole country is aroused in support of the plans and the candidate having the favor of the representatives of special in terests. In this work republican organs and so-called democratic' newspapers controlled by the reor ganizes work as a- rule shoulder to shoulder. Thoughtless men depending for their information, upon trust organs might imagine at this time that the American people have cheerfully embraced the trust system as a great benefactor to man kind and that the democrats of the country are practically unanimous in favor of the nomination of a trust candidate in 1904, and the adoption of a platform that will not disturb the trust mag- nate. 5 The truth is that the rank and file of the cjemocratftc party are opposed to reorganization for the benefit of the trusts and the syndicates and that the sp-called popular uprising in behalf of a syndicate candidate exists only in the well paid imaginings of newspaper editors who draw their inspiration from syndicates and who have neither the ability nor the inclination to make intelligent examination of tho public pulse. It has been true in the past that great par ties have been controlled by the methods now being employed by tho trust organs and it is likewise true that in this respect history would repeat itself, so far as the democratic party is concerned, if the rank and file of that party be came indifferent and failed to take active part in primary contests. Politicians who are amply supplied with money by the syndicates are in a ' position to make headway in the effort to obtain control of a party or government if the people who are most deeply interested in the future lose interest in their own cause. But in spite of the money of the syndicates, ia spite of the misrep resentations and the specious pleas of the trust organs, the democratic party will remain true to itself, and therefore true to tho people, if the rank and file will but adopt the plan of the represen- tatives of special interests to the extent of "keep ing everlastingly at it." .In the great work of protecting the demo cratic party from the merciless hands of tho trust magnates, even the humblest member of the party can accomplish great results. One demo- crat firmly devoted to the principles of his party, ever watchful for the welfare of his country, and willing to speak and to work according to his convictions, may accomplish mor in the organi zation of his party and the successful defense of ' its principles than a dozen reorganizers equipped though they may be with an ample, supply of ' syndicate money. If, in every precinct in tho United States, there is one democrat who is willing to under take tho work of arousing democrats to tho im portance of discharging their duty, there will not bo tho slightest danger of tho republlcanlza tion of tho democratic party. The rank and fllo of the party aro faithful to its principles and they need but a reminder of tho importance of or- ganizlng in order to protect the democratic party from the transformation which tho representatives of tho trusts and syndicates aro so anxious to accomplish. In every precinct a democratic club should bo organized. Tho members of this club should bo pledged to tho defense of democratic principles and Its members should see to it that no one is chosen as a delegate to a convention, county, state, or national, who may not bo depended upon to represent the will of the rank and file. A form of constitution and membership blanks for the use of democratic clubs will bo furnished by The Commoner upon application. The organi zation of such clubs should be promptly reported for the information and encouragement of others. JJJ Republican Tariff Reform. The Des Moines Capital is prophesying that the tariff revision sentiment which has manifested Itself in tho republican party will soon disappear, and it likens it to tho free silver sentiment which, it alleges, appeared and disappeared in tho republican party. The Capital is undoubtedly cor rect in saying that the tariff revision sentiment is not likely to last long in the republican party. In Xact, the tariff reform republicans can be di vided into two classes those who really want tariff reform and those who vould like tariff re form provided it could be secured through the republican party. The former, finding that tar iff reform through the republican party is im possible, will leave the party in order to get' tariff reform; tho latter, finding that tariff re form through the republican party is impossible, will give up tariff reform in order to be in har mony with the party. This was true of the re publicans who advocated free silver. Those who were in earnest left tho republican party; those who were republicans first and silver men after ward, gave up free silver. The same division can be seen among the republican opponents of the trust, and the Capital might just as well have mentioned this element as the tariff reform element Those who want to destroy tho trusts will leave the republican party and try to de stroy them, while others will quit talking about the trusts as soon as it is evident to all, as it now is to many, that the republican . party hag no intention of destroying the trusts. A like division will bo found among' tho anti-imperialist republicans. Those who aro genuinely attached to the doctrine of self-government will leave the republican party and assist in the overthrow of colonialism. Those who are more attached to their party than to our form of government will stick to tho party and risk the growth of imper ialism in the United States rather than risk in jury to their party. The Capital's logic is right as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. The Price of Silver. The recent rise In tho prico of silver Is being made tho subject of discussion by a numbor of papers. Tho Chicago Chronicle says: "Tho prico of silver bullion has advanced about 3 cents per ounce during tho last three months, and dealers aro looking for a still further advance. The rise in the prico Is at tributed in part to the purchases by our gov ernment for .tho Philippine coinago, and In part to a more active demand outside of the United States. Inasmuch as the purchases for tho Philippine coinago aro not to exceed a million per month, the rlso must bo duo mainly to outside demand." " Tho Cleveland Leader, speaking of the rise, says: "Tho advanco is attributed to the short supply and the heavy buying of tho United States government, amounting to an averago of 550,000 ounces weokly for use in tho Phil ippines. In fact, it Is declared, the market is heavily oversold, and there Is little snot silver in Europe. Two years ago the decline was duo to tho heavy sales of silver by China to meet the claims of indemnity demanded by the powers." Tho Leader, in tho same editorial, insists that the price of silver in the markets of tha world is regulated entirely by supply and de mand, and has no connection with the prosperity of tho people, and it asserts that "the theory that whether the people of the country were to prosper depended entirely upon the price of silver, ap pears to have been abandoned." A reader of tha Leader having challenged this statement and de nied that it ever had been adva'need, tho Leader replied that Mr. Bryan "in 1890 in almost half a thousand speeches, attributed all the financial, industrial and agricultural ills of the people of tho United States to the fact that silver had been denied its proper place as one of tho mono metals of the country." The argument made by Mr. Bryan In 1890 and since did not differ from the arguments made by other biraetallists. It was known, not only by advocates of bimetallism, but by all intelligent advocates of the gold standard, that there had been an era of falling prices, and tho English commission appointed to Investigate the cause had come to tho conclusion that all other students of the subject had reached, namely, that the fall in prices was mainly due to the fact that the supply of money had not increased In propor tlon to the demand for it. And this was duo to the demonetization of silver. Bimetallism was ad vocated as a means of increasing the volume of standard money, and it was the only means then in sight The purpose of the increase was not only to stop falling prices, but to raise them up to, and to keep them at, the bimetallic level. Tho purpose of all the agitation was more money, and bimetallism was the means of securing it Bi metallism requires the coinage of gold and silver at a fixed ratio Into legal tender money. Th Chicago platform embodied this demand in spe cific words and every one who knew anything about the subject knew that bimetallism would increase the volume of money, that an increased volume of money would raise prices, and that higher prices would make better times. Tho peo ple opposed to bimetallism were divided into two classesthose who wanted dear money and thost ! n i j u l