Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
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4. No. 11.
Lincoln, Nebraska, April 1, 1904.
Whole No. 167.
0. P. DICTATION.
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SJJ.
PIttsburtr Post, which used to be (lUite a
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democratic paper, has fallen so far as to
ih approval the platform suggestions made
t ufiPNfashvllle Banner, a republican sheet. The
d .feggestions quoted are that the democratic
shpuld "demand the greatest freedom of
iabltants of our new possessions," and "urge
ctment of laws to suppress those combina-
jf capital which bear heavily-upon the peo-
thout endangering the stability of other
ations which are proving beneficial."
le Post says that the Banner "has clear ideas
t the democrats should do," and it adds:
embody the common sense of the party."
iMAfrGacier will examine tnese suggestions cov-
--
,he two issues most discussed in 1900 (and
,vo nothing to do with the money question)
, find that a republican convention could
6th planks with consistency and enthust-
jh the question of imperialism the Banner
t would accept a colonial system as a per-
olicy and promise to treat the Filipinos
i the trust question the Banner and Post
as Indefinite as any republican conven
er ask. Any trust magnate would be will- -
vocate such a plank if he was allowed to
fe president who would construe It. The
rs to "dead and gone Issues." Is imper-
the paramount issue of 1900, dead and
And is the trust fight merely a sham bat-
f course, the Banner wants a republican
, but why does the Post accept it as a
and indorse its suggestions?. Whenever a
atic paper shies at the Kansas City plat-
Sit i3" sure to get over onto republican
nd. The more these papers indulge in plat-
iSwt faiinrcynaHrma iho mnro hiita thfiv nrn hn flls-.
"&)'"'"""" -- J -
eir leanings toward republican policies and
)re inclined they are to accept republican die-
It is useless for the Post to rail at Roose
d tear its hair over the trustsjf it is satls-
with a platform' that Morgan and Rockefeller
Ktana on.
. JJJ
otton. King Sully Fails.
ie failure of "Cotton King" Daniel J. Sully
lies another illustration of the uncertainty
Eedge3 about a speculative career. Mr. Sully
lore than usually successful, phenomenally
fact He became the most conspicuous cot-
Sberator ih the world and was supposed' to
frnade a large amount of money but all at
ie suspends. If he, with his wide knowledge
subject and his power to influence the
ts. could not succeed, how can the curb-
"brokers and penny speculators hope tq.wint
Btory of Sully's spectacular career has lured
mds and tens of thousands into gambling In
futures will his failure be a warning to as
is a sad commentary on American morals
it is necessary to make against gambling the-
lent that It does not pay, That it is not
should bo a sufficient reason and will be when
nien learn that character and manhood aro
fe value than money and that real success
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is measured by one's contribution to tho welfare
of tho world rather than by tho amount of tho
world's wealth that ho absorbs.
Would it not be well to prohibit gambling in
stocks and farm products?
JJJ
W,
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Why this deliberate pressing out of view
the rights of men and tho authority of the
people? This is essentially a people's con-"
' test. -.On the side of the Union, it is a strug
gle for maintaining in tho world that form
and substance of government whose lead
ing object is to elovato the condition of
man; to lift artificial weights from all shoul
ders; to clear the paths of laudable pur
suits io all; to afford all an unfettered start
and a fair chance; in the race of life. Abra
ham Lincoln.
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JJJ
CLEVELANDITIS.
Recently the Brooidyn Eaglo said: "Twelve
years ago Grover Cleveland carried the common
wealth of Illinois. The state then Bpok.6 for dein
odracywith no uncertain sound, backing" jther,crj5
dontiais of tho victor in that year witlra -majority
of more than 25,000. Four years later it went the
other way, after the fashion of an avalanche, giv
ing to McKInley more than five times the majority
placed tp the credit of his immediate predeces
sor as president of tho United States. Bryanism
operated either as an opiate or an irritant. Whe
ther It chloroformed or Incensed, it had one ulti
mate, one net result it demoralized."
The Public, Louis F. Post's paper, commenting
upon this statement, says: " 'Twelve years ago'
1892; 'four years later' 1896. Observe the
symptomatic omission of 1894. A truth suppressed.
What is that truth? Turn to your political al
manacs and see. In 1894, before Bryanism was
heard of, the democratic delegation In congress
from Illinois was reduced from 11 to 0, and tho
popular plurality of. the state was changed from
20,993 democratic to 123,427 republican. This
truth is concealed by the Brooklyn Eagle for the
purpose of suggesting that democratic demorali
zation occurred in 1896 under. Bryan's leadership
and not in 1894 under Cleveland's. A clear and
somewhat aggravated case of groverclevelanditis."
JJJ
A Characteristic Reorganizes
The spirit that animates the reorganizers in
well illustrated by an editorial Item In the Chi
cago Chronicle. It says: "There is a vigorous
brand of democracy in Nebraska. Mr. Bryan man
aged to suppress it for a time, but if it shall ap
pear at the St; Louis convention with regular cre
dentials or as a protesting and bolting delegation
it should be welcomed with open arms." The
. Chronicle is owned by a republican banker, John
. R. Walsh by name, and it is constantly advising
the democratic party as to the course to be pur
sued. It has now constituted itself a committee on
credentials and announces its readiness to admit
' boltingdelegatlons favorable to its views.
FORWARD, MARCH !
How will tho democratic party meet the pres
ent issues? Or, rather, how will tho democratic
party moot tho present issue, for thero Is in real
ity but ono Issue, and that Issue runs through all
questions? Tho great and overshadowing question
presented by all tho issues discussed is, Shall tho
corporations or tho people control the government
of the United States? Today tho corporations aro
in absolute control. Even when tho supreme court
decides that tho government has power to destroy
tho trusts, the attorney general rushes forward
. and assures tho combinations that the administra
tion has no intention of disturbing them. The rule
of these corporations is unlimited and complete.
The president refuses to enforce the law ns it
stands, and tho republican congress refuses to en
act new legislation. The government is being
used for tho enrichment of tho few at the expense
of the many, officials are making money by-tho
sale of thoir Influence, and corruption is rampant
in city, state and nation. Tho public conscience,
has been stupifled by commercialism until tho
grosaest offenses against liberty and good govern
ment do not awaken the protest that ought to bo
made against oven trivial- departures from tho.
th' of rectitud;ThVovo'riunqnt is used as ji
business asset by thoso ,who can controj it and
enormous campaign funds are contributed by tho
financiers of class legislation and distributed as'
bribes to the people. Republicans as well as -democrats
recognize the menace of such a condi
tion, but when confronted with the acts of their
own party, make but one reply: "But will tho
democratic party, if entrusted with power do any
better?" And to givo force and reasonableness to
their Inquiry, they point to the administration ot
Grover Cleveland. Whenever an attack is made
upon republican wrong-doing, thero is always a
response from some republican, and that rcr
sponse is always the same: "You had your chance
under Cleveland and you did the same." It is vain
to point out the inconsistency of such an answer,
vain to point out that the republicans rather -than ,
the democrats ought to shoulder the responsibility
for Mr. Cleveland's administration. To the ordi
nary republican Cleveland stands, for democracy
because he is the only democratic president wo
have had. They overlook the fact that his assist
ance gave the country a republican admlnistra-
tion that followed; in his. footsteps as he followed 9
in the footsteps of his republican predecessors.
Secretary Shaw, in a recent speech, emphasized
the fact that Mr. Cleveland did nothing on the
trust question. That Is no justification of tno
inaction of the present administration, but it
is a taking reply and imposes upon the democratic
party the necessity of making' democracy mean
something entirely different from either Cleve-
landlsm or republicanism'. The fact that tho ,
great dallies which bolted In 1896, but which still
claim to be democratic, present Cleveland and
Clev'elandism as" representing democratic prin
ciples and democratic aspirations, Is a great em
barrassment. It remains for the convention to
show, as It has twice before, that these papers
controlled by tho influence that controls the re
publican party, do not speak for the democratic
masses. .
Just now the republicans are making merry
