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MARCH 18, 1904.
Not "Glittering Generalities."
The Coast Seamen's Journal, published at San
Francisco and known as the organ of the inter
national seamen's union o America recently
printed the following paragraph: "Noting the
use made of the Declaration of Independence by
tho opponents of trade unionism, it occurs to ub
that that document may after all be merely a
mass of 'glittering generalities."
Commenting on this paragraph, the Wall'
Street Journal says:
"This is a somewhat interesting admis
sion, which, however, is n6ither new in Itself
nor a reflection of any new development of
thought on the part of union leaders. The
plain fact of the matter is that the vast ma
jority of union men bold opinions which are
absolutely at variance with the truths enun
ciated in the Declaration of Independence, but
only a "few of them have tho clearsightedness
to recognize it or the honesty to admit it."
Is it possible the Wall Street Journal will
contend that the Napoleons of finance and the
trust magnates hold opinions that are entirely in
line with the. truths enunciated in tho Declaration
of Independence? Men may seek to use the
statements in the Declaration of Independence for
selfish and unholy purposes, but even though
these statements are so used, there is no warrant
for saying that they are "glittering generalities."
They are self-interpreting and serve as a stinging
rebuke to the trust magnates.
Do we not remember that Mr. Baer, the coal
baron, said that the enormously rich men of the
country were the trustees of God, ordained to
handle and distribute wealth; yet how strikingly
-is this claim at variance with the self-evident
truth in tho Declaration of Independence that all
men are endowed by the Crtator with the inalien
able rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of 'hap
piness and that governments are for the purpose
of preserving these rights; and because this is so,
governments derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed.
Paraphrasing the language of the Wall Street
Journal, the plain fact of the matter is that the
trust magnates, and the financiers of Wall street,
hold opinions which are absolutely at variance
with the truths enunciated in the Declaration of
Independence. Many of these men not only have
the clearsightedness to recognize it, but they have
the brutal frankness to admit it; and whenever,
in a gathering of these men, an orator has the
temerity to refer to the Declaration of Indepen
dence, he is met with the sneers of those whose
system is essentially at war with that great
'passionate chant of human freedom."
t JJJ
: Reorganizers Unfold Their
Plans.
; The Detroit Free Press in its issue of March
2 publishes the following editorial under the
title, "A Decent Candidate":
"The Wall Street Journal prints what
purports to be a correct description of Mr.
Cleveland's attitude in the national cam
. palgn. It says:
" 'We are in a position to state two things
with respect to Mr. Cleveland and the presi
dency. ' " 'The first is that his determination not
- to be a candidate is unalterable and fixed
against any and all contingencies that may be
imagined. , . . .
" 'The second thing is that Mr. Cleveland
has very slight expectations of the demo
cratic party nominating what might be called
a "decent" candidate for the presidency this
year, and he has expressed to friends his
opinion that in the circumstances and failing
a "decent" democratic candidate the re-elec- .
tion of President Roosevelt is the best pos
sible thing for the country.
"No great gift of credulity is required to
believe that the Wall Street Journal has ac
curately defined Mr. Cleveland's position. It
is the attitude, we think, of nearly all tne
conservative, old-fashioned democrats of the
country. They would line to sea their party
nominate a 'decent' candidate for president.
By that they mean a man whom they can
support without insulting their intelligence
or sacrificing their self-respect. By the term
'decent candidate,' they exclude both tho
scheming politician whose conservatism is as
sumed to suit his purposes, as well as the
honest, but misguided political fanatic who
thinks a party platform is a bed of Fio-
The Commoner
crustcs. If tho party could -bo induced to
name an honest, respectablo, intelligent, sane
candidate, they would like to vote for him.
Otherwise, they will support Theodore Roose
velt as they supported William McKinley.
Many of them are far more reluctant to voto
for Mr. Roosevelt than thoy were to voto for
his predecessor. Some of his aggressive,
pushing policies aro decidedly unpalatable;'
but as between Theodoro Roosevelt and pop
ulism, they aro for Theodore Roosevelt."
This editorial Is reproduced becauso it illus
trates the rule or ruin policy of those who, hav
ing twice contributed to tho party's defeat, aro
now determined to republicanizo it or again cast
their influence against it. Whether Mr. Cleve
land's attitude is correctly set forth by tho Wall
Street Journal is not so material, although tho
Free Press accepts it as authentic, but what Is
most significant is that tne Free Press should
indorse the views attributed to the ex-presidcut
and justify "tho old-fa3hlonod, consorvative dem
ocrats" in supporting tho republican ticket if they
cannot control the nomination. This far in ad
vance of the convention, when no one can say
who will bo nominated or what tho platform
will contain the party is informed by tho bolters
that they will dominate the party or, if they fail
in that, destroy it if they can.
This is Clovelandism and it is strange that
true and loyal democrats can be deceived by tho
harmony talk indulged in by those who are not
so frank as the editor of tho Free Press.
With all the impudence and insolence of tho
managers of the Nick Biddlo bank the present
gold worshipping democrats assume to offer vic
tory to tho party as a reward for tho betrayal
of tho public, and some weak-kneed democrats,
who lack the spirit of Jackson, seem ready to
make a bargain. Such a contract, ovon if tho
financiers were able to guarantee the victory,
would disgrace the party. What reason is there
for a democratic party if not to perpetuate a gov
ernment of the people, by the people, and for the
people? There can be no real harmony between
the plutocratic and the democratic elements in.
the democratic party. There is no basis for com
promise; they are going in opposite directions.
Mr. Cleveland selected his officials from tho mi
nority element in his party and delivered tho
organization over to Wall street. When the
voters of the party protested and by an honest
and democratic trial of strength at the primaries
repudiated the administration, the president and
all the salaried officials whom he could coerce
went oyer to the republican party. For nearly
eight years the party has been trying to con
ciliate deserters and coax them to return. The
party has been pandering to the plutocratic ele
ment, and that element has grown in arrogance.
Now let it "pander to the moral sense of tho
country," as some oho has aptly put it. Let it
make up its mind to alienate now and forever
every champion of special privileges, every de
fender of organized wealth, and every beneficiary
of corporate greed; lot it appeal to the con
science of tho country and appeal with a sin
cerity and a consistency that will win to the party
the lovers of liberty, the friends of honest gov
ernment and the champions of human rights.
All tha,t the reorganizers can offer are crooked
methods, a corruption fund with which to further
debauch politics and a praise that would blight
rather than bless tho party. The Free Press
editorial, by its brutal frankness, ught to
strengthen the party for the great struggle now
before it a struggle which is to determine
whether-the party is to deserve success, and suc
ceeding, is to realize the hopes of the masses.
JJJ
Competition.
The New York Commercial is indignant be
cause the republican members of the American
Newspaper Publishers' association permitted that
organization to adopt a resolution callin for tho
destruction of the tariff on pulp and paper.
The Commercial says that If the: cost of paper
is becoming a burden to the,, publishers, they
should obtain relief by raising the price of their
newspapers and adds:
"With the price of raw cotton abnormal
ly high and the cost of cotton goods of all
classes bound to be much higher than now,
and with the price of loaf bread, rolls and
'cracker' products already advancing in re
sponse to 'dollar wheat' and higher, tho pub
lic's attention is called to the really absurdly
low cost at which it gets its newspapers."
The Commercial overlooks the fact that there
is strong rivalry in tho nowapapor flcM and be
cause of this rivalry it is plain that it would not
bo practicable to Increase newspaper prices.
There is no competition in tho products of
the trust, and so for tho trust products, which tho
people must have, thoy must pay tho price lixzd
by tho trust.
Another fact, not entirely unworthy of con
sideration, is that the pcoplo can subsist without
nowspapors. They cannot, however, subsist with
out the many things upon which greedy trust
magnatos have secured a monopoly.
JJS
The "Merger" Cxse.
On Monday last, by a majority of fivo to four,
tho United States supremo court upheld tho vlo
cislon of tho circuit court in the Northern Securi
ties caso, pronouncing tho "merger" illegal and
declaring that it comes within tho inhibition of
tho Sherman anti-trust law. Tho decision will bo
discussed in Tho Commonor next week.
Tho opinion of the court upholds tho Sher
man anti-trust law, not only as against tho merger,
but against all other combinations In restraint of
trade and competition. This being true.jPresident
Roosevelt, will you now tnko stops to prosecuto
those trusts organized to restrain competition?
Will you now proceed under the criminal clauso
of tho law which has just been declared constitu
tional in tho decision rendered in tho Northern
Securities caso?
The peJple will await your decision with great
interest, President Roosovelt.
J J
What Reorganization Means.
When tho bankers who coerced their dobtors
to voto tho republican ticket, and tho employers
who coerced their workmen, and the corporation
attorneys who left tho democratic party to please
their employers when these men secure control
of tho democratic organization, write the plat
form and name the candidates, then the loyal
democrats will realize what reorganization means.
JJJ
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