p.
.
I
lie points out that they -were not alone responsible,
that they wore not bona fide holders of the stock,
that they were used by promoters' of this scheme,
that they were, In fact, mere figureheads placed
In this position In order that the schemes of oth
ers might be carried into effect Then he says:
"Tour receiver charges that the proper
ties of the various constituent companies were
sold to the United States Shipbuilding com-
pany for an amount which the vendors of
such properties, at the time of such sale, knew
to be far -in excess of the fair value of said
plants; and that the plan to combine such
properties was received by certain promoters
and was consummated by them with full
knowledge of its injustice to the United States
Shipbuilding company."
It is important to remember that the meth
ods exposed in the shipbuilding company Investi
gation are but samples of the methods employed
by the men who have promoted all these great
trusts that prey upon the people, whose managers
conspire in restraint of traoe, and defy the laws
of the land. It is a1&6 important to remember
that the men who engage in these transactions
aro of those who claim that they are the "Chris
tian men to whom God in his infinite wisdom has
given the control of the property interests of the
country." It is important to remember that these
"trustees of God," and "captains of industry,"
these manipulators of what Receiver Smith calls
"an artistic swindle," and "wholesale plunder"
"were conspicuous in the campaigns of 1896 and
1900 in the pretended effort to preserve the "hon
or" and the "Integrity" of this government and
are equally conspicuous now in giving encourage
ment to the effort to repuDlicanize the democratic
party In the hope that that organization may be
used to further their own base ends.
JJJ
Mr. Roosevelt and the Tariff.
When a man has spoken very clearly upon a
public question and subsequently changes Tils posi
tion, making declarations utterly inconsistent with
his former statements, he owes it to those who
are inclined to be governed by his opinion to ex-
plain the reason for his change.
r Mr. Roosevelt seems now to be an. ultra-protectionist.
Heretofore the republican doctrine has
' been that on all Imports coming into competition
with the products of American labor there should
be levied duties "equal" to the differences be
tween wages abroad and at home; but Mr. Roose
velt, suddenly and strangely converted to a pol
icy to which, prior to his occupancy of the White
house, he was opposed, tells us that the duties to
be levied should be "more han" the differences
between wages abroad and at home.
How does It happen that Mr. Roosevelt
' changed from a tariff reformer to an Ultra-protectionist?
We are told that several years ago Mr,
Roosevelt was a member of the free trade club of
New York of which organization Henry George
' was also a member. In the Contemporary Review
for October. 1901, appeared an interesting article
'written by Poultney Blgelow. In this article Mr.
BIgelow said that one evening in 1881 the free
trade club gave a dinner to some distinguished
free trader and that Mr. Roosevelt had declined to
attend because of some other engagement, but Mr.
Blgelow finally persuaded him to be present. Mr.
Bigelow says: "He (Roosevelt) did come, much
to our surprise and delight. More than that, he
at once responded to a toast, stood up in his
working uniform, and gave us a resounding speech
on the virtues, of free trade which warmed our
hearts."
Mr. Blgelow says that in 1885 Mr. Roosevelt
resigned from the free trade club and that on Aug
ust 20, 1885, Roosevelt wrote to Bigelow a letter
of resignation, concluding with the words: "I am
a republican first; a free trader afterwards."
If Mr. Roosevelt does not deem It necessary .to
explain how it happened that he changed from a
free trader to an ultra-protectionist, he might
provide interested observers of his course with
information showing why he so sudlenly dispos
eessed himself of his pet plan to have congress
appoint a commission whose duty it would be to
revise the tariff.
JJJ
A Monopolistic View.
If the reader will peruse the editorials pre
sented below in parallel columns he will get some
Idea of the relative standing of the democrats
mentioned as viewed from the standpoint of the
monopolist, The New York Sun Is probably the
most bare-faced and unblushing defender of cor
porate greed and organized wealth In the United
The Commoner.
States. It flatters every public man who bows
the knee to Mammon and applies the lash to
every one who utters a protest against the schemes
of Wall street The editorials reproduced ap
peared on the same page in me Bun's Issue of
November 6. If anything were needed to show
the nature of the support back of the Gorman
boom the fulsome praise of that gentleman by
the Sun would furnish conclusive proof. If there
were any doubt as to whom the republican party
fears most, Johnson or Gorman, these editorials
remove the doubt
Mr. Bryan has declared that he is not a can
didate and Mr. Johnson has never announced his
candidacy, but the Sun savagely attacks Mr,
Johnson and eulogizes Mr. Gorman. .
1 ne" contrast between the two editorials shows
both the tactics of the republican press and the
sentiment the Sun is trying to cultivate. The
Sun says:
-VOLUME 3. NUMBER 4i
the entire fauur; to 7ecognlze the Ph0 a
Public. In dlnlomati. 5K2I S.e "PPl!ie re.
always known to the public and amone6 not
ing nations the end Is often SpmE?? SP-
MR, GORxMAN IN THE
SENATE.
It is safe to say that
the Hon. Arthur Pue
Gorman is neither sur
prised nor greatly elat
ed by his success in
taking Maryland away
from the republicans.
He never runs after
rainbows; and he is as
cool alter winning as
after losing. As the
leader of his ,party in
the senate he will soon
have on his hands a
campaiga larger and
even more difficult 'than
the one which he has
lately conducted with
all his own skill and
shrewdness. He has
not only to steer his
party in a prudent
course and to make the
most of republican
mistakes, but he has to
avoid friction within
the party, to persuade
the impatient hot-headed
to go a little slower,
to temper Individual
ardors and jeaioasies.
He knows all the arts
of parliamentary pro
cess and management
The republicans in the
senate may have more
brilliant and loquacious
adversaries, but none
more formidable.. Jf the
denocratic party is to
ec;ain the popular con
fidence which it has
thrown away, it must
be by pro mg itself ju
dicious, not unreason
ably obstructive, not
fanatically partisan,
but patriotic, intelli
gent, "safe." It is good
fortune lor it to have
as its leader in the
senate a man with no
burrs inf bis convolu
tions. Mr. Gorman
ill not "slop over."
He will not let any
chance escape him. He
will not delude himself
with any premature en
thusiasm. He watches
his opponents. Ho
watches his own side
as carerully. He is
pretty sure to play the
game for all it is worth.
Himself an example
of what political sagac
ity can do for a dis
couraged party, be re
turns to the senate with
increased prestige; and
sober-minded demo
crats will hope much
from his sagacious and
passionless leadership.
TWO DEFEATS AND
A VICTORY.
The Hon. Tom John
son is the foremopt rep
resentative of Bryani-
ism. More radical than
Mr. Bryan, he has been
taken to that great
man's" bosom. He is or
was the heh apparent
fc The conservative
Ohio democrats "have
joined with the repub
licans in cooKing Tom's
hash. In spite of his
liberality, activity and
lushing methods of
campaigning, he has
beeu bfaien, absurdly,
ignomlniously.
His signal defeat is
the best piece of good
luck the democratic
party has had for some
time. And Mr. Bryan's
state continues to be
:epubllcan. The hope
lessness of socialistic
and populistic democ
racy, smashed at t two
presidential elections,
and now smashed again
in the states of its- lead
er and his ablest asso
ciate, must be apparent
even to its blindest par
tisans. Democratic vic
tory in Maiyland. un
der the direction of an
old fashioned aemo
cratic statesman, points
the way toward the rer
habilitatlon r,f the party-Ohio
and Nebraska,
with their indorsement
of , the Kansas City
rubbish, show the dem
ocrats how to stay
beaten. Maryu-nd
shows them how to
leat.
H
JJJ
The Panama Case.
The haste in recognizing the renubUo of
Panama, while defended by the adminStion an
the ground of precedent and IntSSfSStoffl
means. Since th .f-T" ia.10 Jusuty tim
publicans inthoioUcroTiiaLml x
be surprising if they refus? to ? Si1 EOt
cumstances attending tne sudden UDrii T
5Z?bS3L equaUy sudde 5T?tS
and its rights Whether future even wil 2
lieve our position of danger remains to be LeT
but even future events cannot remove the lit
picion that our nation acted toward a weak Llh
tor as it would not like to have a stS SQ"
act toward us Under similar circumstance?
Whether Colombia has a remedy is not th.
question Our position, if defended I at all mSt
be defended on the ground of justice no7 S
ground of Colombia'! weakness ' l n tba
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tion and preparatory to the great contest of li
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i t? eiVf T?e Commoner who believe in the
principles advocated by this publication, are asked
to co-operate in thia effort to enlarge The Com
moner s influence by materially increasing its cir-
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Cards, each good for one year's subscription to
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This places the yearly subscription rate at
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Any one ordering the cards may sell them
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A coupon is printed below for the convenience
of those who are willing to assist in' the coming
contest
t- ii J
THE COMMONER'S SPECIAL OFFER
Application for Subscription Cards
O Publisher Commoner: I nm Interested In In.
creasing The Commoner's circulation, and 1e-
1 0 sire yon to send mea supply o! subscription carls.
I njyee to use my utmost endeavor to ell tbe
-i cards, and will remit lor them at the rate oi to
xo cents euch, when sold.
20 Nanio
Box, or Street No. - .' .
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I O ' ' vft
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If you believe Hit paper in doing a uork that mentt
encouragement jill out tfi.fi above coupon and mail it
to The Cotnmoier, Ltacoln, Neb.
Four hundred thousand.-democrats voted for
Tom Johnson, and that is, about three times is
many votes as the "gold bug democracy" po'Id
in 1896. Yet the Cleveland "democrats" devlare
that Johnson's defeat removes him from po'ltfrs.
- Consistency is as scarce as devotion to demo 'atic
, principles among.the lolting "democrats."
While Mr. Qrumpacfcer is pushing his ti'i
xfor a reduced representation from the south let
him consider something of the same Uina for
those sections of the north where the trust fat i ry
managers issue the ultimatum just before electicp:
"If the republican candidates are defeated tlie
factories will not open "Wednesday morning.
The Indianapolis News talks at length con
cerning the "country's interest in the welfare oe
the democratic party." The News has its vles
on hindside before. If it were, politically honest
and courageous the News would bo helping too
democratic party in its efforts to perform soma
seryice In the interests of .the country.
i
fv
