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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1903)
'1'ipap.iiiBi.Kii. OCTOBER 30, 1903. . Left Their Principle. The Now York Commercial says: "The Iowa Idea' 14 not getting the cultivation that It' might . he expected to get right in the region of ita birth." That is true. Governor Cummins and other champions, of the "Iowa idea," while pretending to. re main true to Ita principles seem to have aban doned them. Men who were recreant in 1896 and 1900 aro now asking that they be sent as representatives of the party to h next na- Gettlag tlonal convention. They baBe .Together their plea on the ground of Honestly. "harmony' and argue that "it ? ds best for the party that we get together." Getting together is all right and a thing great to be desired providing the getting together is upon' thoroughly democratic ground. Last year 9,764 subscriber lent their assist ance to The Commoner in its subscription cam paign, with the result that 63, Everyone 643 new subscribers were se May Lend . cured. Already several hundred a Hand. " have enlisted in the present cam paign and .he results aro grow ing each day. . If you will do a part in this work, fill out the coupon in this issue and mall to the publisher. - In one of his speeches, Governor Cummins de clared that the duty on steel rails is altogether too ' high and promised that he would do everything in his power to Cummins' ' Iowa Idea. secure a reduction of that duty. And yet it is known in advance , ; -that the election of the republi can 'ticket in Iowa will bo interpreted by republi can leaders as an indorsement of the "let 'well enough alone" policy. The interest of those who cry loudest for "har mony" Is not the Interest o democracy, but the "interest. "that profits by special' The legislation. The "harmony" Fraudulent that will suit reorganizes may Harmony. also suit those who are honest enough to openly oppose the democratic party, but it will hardly Bult. those who are earnestly striving for the supremacy of genuine democratic principles. vyvs "More than one year ago, Mr. Roosevelt rec ommended to congress the appointment of a com mission whose business it would -What be to revise the tariff and yet About the todc;- we are told by Mr. Roose Commission? velt and- by other republican loaders that there is no neces sity for tariff revision. Would it not be well for Mr. Roosevelt to explain" in his forthcoming mes sage to congress what has come over the spirit of his dreams that he does not now think that the tariff is in need of revision? Secretary Willis of the Young Men's Chris tian association at Omaha addressed a gathering In the ZPiTBt Presbyterian church In that city on the evening of Wednesday, October 14. In his address Mr Willis said: "I fear that there is n danger, that the church is catering to the wealthy classes. I would not array classes against each other, but I am afraid that the wealthy men, not in Omaha, but in other cities, seem to be dictat ing what the minister shall preach and the policy of the church. And yet the dollar question comes to every One 'of us. The church should not cater to the rich man 'nor to the poor man, but only to the man w,ho wants Jesus Christ" ' Mr. Willis Is not the only one: who has been impressed with the Plutocracy In the Pulpit. The Commoner. idea that wealthy men frequently dictate tho pol icy of the church and outline what tho minister shall preach. Fighting For Special Privilege. . Fatal to True Democracy.- Somo of tho men who deserted tho democracy, excusing their dosqrtlon on tho grounds of tho money quest' on, aro now plead ing for harmony, and thoy fol low up their plea by asking that this "harmony" bo established by pormlttlng them to represent tho party at its-next national convention. Thcso men Insist that tho "dead past bury its dead," but their purpose Is to rosurrcct tho corpso of democratic acquiescence in monopolistic control and again parade it before tho public In a Jeffer sonian disguise while special privilege resumes its sway. Democrats who lovo thoir party because of the principles for which it is presumed to stand must awaken to tho importance Not a of keoping tho party out of tho Party for hands of the trust magnates or Trust Hagnates. of thoso who are posing as dem ocrats when in fact they are tho mere representatives of rpecial interests. If ev ery democrat who believes in tho principles sot forth In tho Kansas City platform will do his duty, tuo party will remain true to tho principles of its founders, true to the policies of tho fatners of tho republic, "and true to tho best Interests of tho common people. Democrats who have stood loyally for demo cratic principles during the last two national cam paigns should not be slow in un derstanding that the "harmony" offered by thoso who deserted tho party in thoso campaigns would "be woll-nigh tatal to true democracy. If they succeed in placing tho party where they want it to stand, it will not be essen tially different from the republican party, because they wore quick to' desert democracy when the party was wrested from their control and made to stand squarely for the interests of the whole peo ple as against the selfish interests of the few. The Philadelphia North American, a republi can paper, says: "It will bo recalled that the operators said the granting of the 10 per cent wage Increase would compel them to add to the price of coal. The Increased cost was 16 cents. And uic price at. tidewater has been increased by about 50 cents. The difference may be said to represent a fine .Im posed upon the public for Its sympathy with tho miners. We congratulate the Reading companies upon their excellent showing and extend our com miseration to the consumers of coal, who in times of plenty continue to feel the exactions of dearth." A reader of tho New York Evening Post, writing to that paper with respect to Mr. Roose velt's indorsement o Mark Han Hsnna na, says" that this is the Thee and dore Roosevelt whose homilies Morallzlag. on "true patriotism "civic vir tues," and "square deals," are still ringing in our ears, and that "this Is the Theodore Roosevelt for whom Jacob A. Rils thanks God that he Is the hero of the young men of America." The man who has spoken so often for "true patriotism," "civic virtues," and "square deajs," holds up Harina and h'u principles for ap proval and Indorsement by the American people." The Post reader concludes: "He cannot be for the people and also for Mr. Hanna and the principles which Hanna represents. Mr. Roosevelt has como to the parting of the ways. Ho has made his choice. He may continue to preach and moralize, The Exactions of Dearth but tho fact remains that ho is pro-Hanna, and thcrcforo against tho pcoilo." ' ' , v Aft - Tho Hartford Uourant nays: "Stool common was originally for tho moat part given away, and Is not supposed by tho business Nine In world to represent anything but and prospects. But it was sold to Forty Out. poor people, who woro tempted by tho big 'ntorest. It Is a piti ful story. Tho reduction of tho divldond la no such mistake as paying tho first ono was. The company has paid out nlno dividends of 1 per cent, each on over $500,000,000 of common stock. While the stockholders havo received $9 a sharo, thoy havo scon their stock shrink about $40 a sharo. Nino, dollars in and $40 out does not quite balance" That real democrats will oppose tho scheme of tho reorganizcrs if onco thoy understand it, Ja a foregono conclusion. Danger Organization would como only in tho event U the that thoso democrats will bo Thing. lulled to sleep by tho siren songs of ,the rcorgnnizcrs and pormit tho schemo to go through by default. It, therefore, behooves every democrat who is in terested in tho cause of democracy not only to v take warning, but to givo warning. It Is not "re organization" that is needed in the democratic party it is organization. It Is organization on tho part of thoso who havo stood loyally by demo cratic principles to tho end that tho integrity, of tho party bo preserved and tho efforts of thoBe who would prostituto tho party to selfish ends brought to nought A reader of tho New York Evening Post writes to that newspaper to say: "President Roosevelt's letter to Secretary Ehaw clears Roosevelt tho air, for in that letter tho and president emphatically declares Hanna. that he stands for Hanna, and tho typo of republicanism which Hanna represents. Tho president stands by Han na in Ohio, as ho stands by Piatt in New York, Quay in Pennsylvania, Addicks in Delaware; as he stands by Payne, tho postmaster general. It is well for the people of this country, to see and un derstand this clearly: The type of republican ism which is embodied by Hanna and which is loathed by thousands of honest men the country over, Is the type for which- Mr. Roosevelt pleads, and for which he oxerts himself yy secure its 'de cisive and overwhelming triumph.' " The Lincoln (Neb.) Journal, a republican pa per, throws a bit of light on the methods em ployed by tho corporations in Passing controlling politics. The Jour- the Word nal says: "Somebody wants to Along. know what it means to 'pass the word along the line' In Ne braska politics. It is this way: A railroad de cides that It wants to make a particular man a member of the United States senate. The official who decides the matter tells his general political agent, who In turn passes tho word orally or by letter to tho political friends, the attorneys, agents and pass-holders of the road in every county where the company does business. There may be five or there may be twenty-flYo of these men in the county, 'all of them active workers and In fluential citizens. The 'line' Is so well lubricated that tho 'word' will slide aloi.g almost as fast as If it' were telegraphed. Then all of these folks get quite busy, and the first thing the Innocent people know a lot of men cof b to the legislature under a secret pledge to v.t for the friend of the road for senator, withoi asking whether he Is a fit man for the office ce whether the people, at tfnnt ! film f " ti uvuio nnuu uiui vi uvu 41 1 I