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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1904)
ffimyfiiawififlffl $ 2 V . limiting tho hour of labor, abolishing tho sweat shop and prohibiting the employment of children. Just as wo recognize that air, wfilch is essen tial to our existence may become disastrous when it takes tho form of a tornado; that water, al though necessary to life, may destroy lire when It becomes a ilood, and pat lire, which saves us from tho cold may, if unchecked, consume us, so wo recognize that competition, a vital principle and essential for the development of the race, may under some conditions defeat tho enus of Justice and humanity. But there is as much difference between an honest effort to regulate competition and make it productive of good, and an eftort to exterminate it, as there Is between the labors of a physician and a hangman. Othorphascs of this subject will be discussed in a subsequent issue of Tho Commoner. It is sufficient for tho present to point out that the democrats, instead of being properly described us socialists, are in fact tho truest friends of indi vidualism. Tho corporation papers and the reor ganizes who delight in applying the namo "so cialism" to Kansas City platform democracy, are In reality tho ones who are advancing the cause of socialism by thoir servile defense of organized woalth. JJ Praise From the Chronicle. Those who read the Chicago Chroniclo today and who remember how much like its present edi torials wore its editorials of 18, will turn' with pleasure to the following editorial which appeared on Friday morning, July 6, l'WO. lo some this may seem an oasis in the desert of abuse, but to thoso who aro well informed it will only show that what tho Chroniclo says is governed by the Intorcsts that it has to servo, and not by any principles or convictions. In 1900 ic was trying to got back tho subscribers lost in lb-J6 and It ie garded Mr. Bryan as a "sincere" man and as an "honest" man. Now, although Mr. Bryan is de fending the same platform upon which ho ran in 1900, ho is, according to the Chicago Chronicle, anything but honest and sincere, it thought that tho party would go forth "with steadfast loyalty to tho leader thus choson;' it declared that "tho reunited democracy should go forth to a certain and merited triumph."" Now tho very suggestion of that same platform, according to the Chronicle, rends tho party Jn twain and insures certain and deserved dofoat. Tho editorial reads as follows: ' NOMINATION OF MR. Bit AN. "In obedience to the practicaay unanimous voico of a rounitod party the democratic national convention has again placed William J. Bryan m nomination for tho presidency. "The honor is a distinguished one lroni what ever point of vlow it may be regarded. Four years ago Mr. Bryan, who was not then an avowed candidate, was called to party leader ship In a moment of great excitement, not to say of passion, on the part of the convention. This year ho is summoned with deliberation and with unanimity to the same high place. "In 1896 his unexpected elevation, for which nolther the party nor the country was fully pre pared, caused dissonsions among democrats which soon led to open and apparently hopeless' rupture. "Today Mr. Bryan reappears as the demo cratic candidato with no evidence anywhere in tho organization of protest or opposition. It is true that hero and there democrats may be found who would have preferred another nominee, but it may bo stated with emphasis that never in tho .history of the party has a presidential candidate boon placed in the Held with greater unanimity or with more genuine cordiality on the part of his supporters. "It is plain, therefore, that during these four years Mr. Bryan has been a growing man. Ho has impressed .himself upon his party and upon tho country. His energy, his zeal his sincerity, have not beon and cannot be questioned, even by his most implacable foes. An honest man, whoso honesty is recognized and admitted, is a power in himself, and -Mr. Bryan Is an honest man. "Tho campaign which is about to open prom ises to be one of tho most momentous In the his tory of the republic It is a good omen that tho democracy is able to enter upon the contest with harmony and enthusiasm and with a leadei whoso ability, courago and candor are admitted by all. "There is not much dolibt that democrats con stitute a majority of the electorate today. To harmonize, to Inspire and to urge that majority to tho polls and make It effective in tho" election of Mr. Bryan is now tho duty of all democrats who have contributed to his splendia indorsement by the Kansas City convention. '.'.With this end in view, with toleration for t The Commoner. honest differences of opinion on non-essentials, with kindly oblivion for past quarrels and with steadfast loyalty to tho leader thus chosen the reunited "democracy should go forth to a certain and a merited triumph." JJ A Jidges are Human. Collier's Weekly takes exception to Mr.. Bry an's statement at Chicago to the effect that "it is as important" to have judges who sympathize with the people as to have judges earned in tho law." It says: "When sympathy takes the place of fidel ity to tho law, tho basis of our civilization will be endangered. The 'people' in tais country aro supposed to be all the people, and it is not for judges to make class discriminations. There are wrongs to be remedied some by legislation, some by tho executive departments, but tho courts are to have an eye 'Singly to what is law, if we are to succeed in govern ment as England has succeeded." If tho editor of Collier's Weekly knows so little about human nature as to believe that the elevation of a man to the bench makes him whol ly impartial on questions that involve great in terests, his criticism of Mr. Bryan's statement can. be attributed to his lack of Information. If, how ever, as is very probable, he understands the in fluence that sympathy exerts upon the courts, his criticism merely proves that his own sympathies are with tho corporations that aie today con trolling some of our judges, as well as the exe cutive, the senate and congress. It is a beautiful theory that the judge, when he takes his place upon the bench, purges himself of all previously formed opinions and impres sions, but the decision of the Hayes-Tilden elec toral commission showed that judges arc as lia ble to bias as senators and congressmen. Will , tho editor of Collier's Weekly arguo that the live judges- on that commission who divided on politi cal lines each had an "eye singly to what is law?" Will he say that the nine judges wno divided live to four on the income tax each had "an eye singly to what is law?" Will ho say that the nine judges who divided five to four on the question of im perialism each had "an eye singly to what is law?" Will he say that the nine judges who di vided five to four on the meiger ?ase each had "an eye singly to what Is law?" There is no known way in which judicial sym pathy can be entirely extracted, and as some will necessarily remain, it is impoitant that the judgo shall sympathize with the masses of the people who ask only equal rights, and not with the few who are always claiming special privileges, if the trusts make a man rich with big fees and then make him a supreme judge by the aid of a presi dent elected by trust funds, may he not lean to ward tho trusts? What does Collier's Weekly say? JJ As to Bolting. The men who bolted in 1896 aie very solicit ous just now lest some who were loyal in 18'Jti intend to bolt in 1904 if the party is made to rep resent Wall street fdeas. Several statements have been made in regard to Mr. Bryan s purpose A statement has been going the rounds to the effect that Mr Bryan asked a citizen of Lincoln if he (the citizen) would bolt with him (Mr. Bryan) in case the Kansas City platform was not reaffirmed Tili?atCh,tUrther said tnat the said citizen de clined to make a promise to bolt, and that Mr Bryan then had him defeated for delegate to the national convention. Tho story is entirely without foundation. No such conversation ever occurred and Mr. Bryan took no part in the selection of the delegate from his home county Llccuon , TiT fae report is only referred to to show WS -antlXtS of b the vidual must decide hi pol Seal d$J for w ln1l" according to his conscience 'and his Lw hlmself' that this decision cannot be In el iii5lm,ent and until the issues and canrtHntL ? 1Ieontly made the citizen is able to JudwSrni'68811 and of tho various parties looses and plans eitiz ofT a whether he proposed to boif S. g lm to stato ticket "no matter what 5 JL JUld Voto UlG and no matter who wasVmSS..WSnadPted will be found below, and itTatefhis n?v?Z V .VOLUME 4, NUMBER W ' the subject. Whenever a reader of The Commn sees a statement At variance with thesS v?o?r he may know that it is without foundation W8 "My Dear Sir; Your favor at hand. ' Whito a democrat presumes that his convention win write a platform and nominate a ticket thit i can conscientiously support, it is not a conoi sive presumption and I do not beiieve that Z one ought to be asked or expected to say that nn matter what a convention does, he will sudimi? the ticket For that reason I defer untnthf convention has acted a decision upon the connS that I will pursue. ' our8Q "If the rule suggested by you were the cor rect one namely, that whatever the platform ami whoever the candidate, tho ticket should be sun ported at the polls, then there would bo no need of a campaign, because no rule is a sound one that does not answer as well for republicans as for democrats. There is no more reason whv every democrat should pledge himself in ad vance than there is that every republican should and if all did, campaigns would not change a vote' If that is a correct rule, then when a party la once in power it is useless to attempt to dislodge it, because it can only bo dislodged by a chanto in political affiliations. And then, too, you will notice that the eastern democrats never pledge themselves to support the ticket, and there is no reason why western democrats should hold at a lower value their duty to give to their country their best conscience and their best judgment at the time when action Is required. "Because eastern democrats refuse to make promises and assert their right to independent action after the convention, their opinions are now being consulted, while it is not thought nec essary to consult the opinions of those who vocif erously announce that neither their convictions nor their interests need be considered, but that they can be counted upon to hurrah for anything in the platform and to change their own opinions whenever the eastern democrats decide that tho time has come to change. "Yours truly, "W. J. BRYAN." JJJ Governor Villada of Mexico. In the death of Jose Vincento Villada, gov ernor of the state of Mexico, the republic of .Mex ico loses one of its ablest, purest and most pro gressive public men. Governor illada distin guished himself in tho wars of Mexico, but has won even greater renown as an executive. Mod est, unassuming, and passionately devoted to the interests of his people, ho has been an example in private life and a model in official conduct. When the editor of The Commoner visited Toluca, the capital of the state of Mexico, the governor was able to report an increase of an hundred per cent both in the attendance and in the number of schools during the previous ten years. The city had just completed a large, free hospital, equipped with all tho modern conven iences and appliances, and had also established public laundries, with kindergartens near by, where the children could be taught while tho mothers were at work. Recently he established a permanent exposition in the capital of his Btate for the encouragement and diversification of in dustry. He has .taken a great interest in tho Mexican exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase ex position, and was one-of the Mexican coinmis- sioners. While actively identified with every in terest of his state, he was especially considerate of the wage-earners, and was Immensely pop ular with the masses. Besides his public work he distributed largely in unostentatious charity, many a poor .child be ing indebted to him for care and education. The Mexican Herald, in speaking of tho gov ernor, says: "Governor Villada was one of tho most progressive men of Mloxteo and one of tho best state governors. His love for the working classes is well known, he having largely contri buted to improve their: condition. Recently tho state congress approved a bill sent by him, to the effect that workingmen injured while at work receive an indemnity from their - employers. No such beneficent law exists in any other state of the, republic." . - -: ' jjj - Democratic Opportunity m Wicorsin ' The split- in the republican party in Wiscon sin gives the democratic party its opportunity. Governor La Follette. Is making a courageous ng " for two stato 'reforms primaries and moro tqui table taxation but ho is indorsing republican " tional policies that are just as bad as the iot ," r . 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