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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 22, 1904)
" t?Tr"rTwr" i 4 i J". JULY 22,19041 -' .. because an adverse vote upon it might have been accepted by Mr. Parker as an indorsement of the republican position on these questions. But any one who describes them as "little questions" has yet to learn much of the money question and much to learn of the issues before the country. The plutocratic element in the democratic party which now rejoices in a triumph over the rank and file will find in the questions described by Mr. Will iams as "little," issues with which Mr. Parker will have to wrestle if elected and when he begins to lake the Wall street side of these questions he will have the same experience that Grover Cleve land had. JJJ Philippine Delegates Not Admitted. The national democratic convention refused, to admit the delegation from the Philippine islands on the ground that the supreme court decided that the islands are not a part of the United States. That being the case, the convention did not feel that delegates from colonies had a right to participate in the convention. The action of the convention was correct. The democratic party cannot very well object to colonialism and at the same time allow colonial delegates to sit in the convention. There seems, however, tp have been an additional reason for refusing seats to the delegation. The editor of The 'Commoner has it upon good authority that the colonial government in the Philippine Islands went actively to work to control the democratic convention with a view to securing an indorsement of the colonial policy of the administration. In the city of Manila the anti-administration element in the democratic party secured fifty-two delegates out of the sov enty, but the government officials drummed up men to act for the outside provinces and in that way made a showing in the convention. Manila contains a large majority of the democrats of the islands, and yet the outside districts represented by local men under the influence of the colonial offices, controlled the convention and sent a dele gation' to St. Louis. The fact that this attempt was made and made successfully to control the delegation from the Philippine islands only shows -how dangerous it would be to have these islands a part of the United States and their represen tatives recognized in the councils of the party or of the nation. It would be impossible to prevent fraud and nearly as impossible to investigate it so far away, and we would find the corrupting influences now so powerful at home still more powerful in 'remote colonies. The democratic party is to be congratulated upon the unanimity with which it spoke against imperialism and col onialisnu The party's position on this important question is so righteous that if Mr. Parker were wrong on everything else it would be worth while to bear with his errors in order that imperialism might be stamped out and the country again, planted upon the Declaration of Independence. JJJ - . i Death of Paul Kruger Paul Kruger is dead. The president of the Boor repiiblic has been called to his account. As the leading figure among the South African burgh ers in the struggle to retain their independence his name and face has become familiar to the world. The hearts of the American people were with him, and but for our nation's conduct in the Philippines American sympathy would have been unhesitatingly expressed for him and his com patriots. It is a sad and melancholy reflection upon this country that a people struggling for liberty looked in vain to the United States for a friendly word of encouragement and sympathy. Bereft of country and then bereft of his life companion, he awaited "the inevitable hour." Death found him with his work finished and his name indelibly written upon the pages of history. Hasten the day when liberty and self-government will be so universal that no patriot will end his life amid conditrons as discouraging as those which hemmed in Paul Kruger during the closing days of his career! JJJ Mayor Jones Dead. The spirit of Mayor Jones of Toledo has taken its flight to the world where the love he preached here is practiced and where the golden rule for which ho stood is universally observed. Without a party or a party organization he so Impressed his loving personality upon the people of his community that ho became invincible as a candi date. Not all who voted for him agreed with him in his views on public questions or in regard to methods of government, but they could noj with- i The Commoner. hold admiration and affection from a man who so courageously and consistently proclaimed a doc- trine of benevolenco and good will. Ho proved by his lifo and the success which accompanied it that the heart dominates the man and controls the destinies of the race. He proved that lieart can speak to heart and that all can understand the language of the heart. The world Is not oo rich In generous souls that It can spare this one without a pang of sor row. A multitude mourn his demise and share the sorrow that has overwhelmed his family and the community in which he lived and wrought. JJJ Chronical Iays Aside Mask. The Chicago Chronicle, which has for eight years been masquerading as a democratic paper, lays aside its false pretense and comes out as a republican organ. Good riddance. The demo cratic narty is the stronger for its withdrawal. Its commendation of democracya sin which it committed but rarely did the party harm. Its open opposition will bo a testimonial. Now if a few more of its plutocratic colleagues will follow the example of the Chronicle, the party may hope to merit public esteem. The Chronicle is owned by a republican banker named John R. Walsh. It is the servile defender of every scheme for the spoliation of the public and if so many of the republican leaders were not themselves engaged in the same nefarious business they would ask for an injunction against the Chronicle to prevent its use of the republican name. On another page will be found an editorial from the Chronicle. It is quoted to show that the Chronicle in leaving the party carries its venom with it, and that, it proposes to follow on the outside of the party the same malicious and men dacious course that it followed when it was 'using the livery of democracy for the service of the republican paper. Now that the Chronicle is re publican, The Commoner will be glad to quote from it, for its editor is Indiscreet enough to say many things in behalf of the republican party to which the republican "eaders would not dare to give expression. JJJ The Writing of the Platform. The papers havo credited Mr. Bryan with an influential part in the writing of some of tho, planks of the democratic national platform. While he did what he could and feels gratified with what was accomplished, he would have been powerless but for the active and constant support of a num ber of strong and faithful men. General Weavor, of Iowa; Senator Newlands, of Nevada; ex-Senator Pettigrew, of South Da kota; Mr. Tarpey, of California; Senator Dubois, of Idaho; Mr. Barkworth, of Michigan; Governor Beckham, of Kentucky; Congressman Jackson, of Kansas; Mr. Flemming, of Wisconsin; Mr. Hurd of Missouri; Mr. Vesaley, of Minnesota; Mr. Green, of Rhode Island; Mr. Butcher of Oregon; Mr. Goodman, of Washington; Mr. Roy Stafford of Oklahoma; Mr. Fitch, of New Mexico; Mr. Tim ming, of Arizona; and a number of others were with us in the thick of the fight on every ques tion. Senator Bailey of Texas did splendid work in the shaping of the tariff and anti-trust planks of. the platform, and in the fight against the gold plank. Ex-Gov. Thomas of Colorado suggested the plank on the Colorado situation. A number of southern members of the committee, among them Senators Clark of Arkansas, Tillman of South Carolina and Carmack of Tennessee, opposed the gold plank with considerable vehemence and tho majority on this question was larger than any other upon which the vote was taken. Congress man Williams of Mississippi and ex-Congressman Shiveley of Indiana, Mr. Maglnnls of Montana, and Mr. Rhodes of Alabama voted to strike out the gold plank. The principle of the income tax was advocated by all but one of the members who spoke upon the subject, but a large majority opposed the In sertion of it in the platform on the ground of expediency. The contest over the platform was a memor able one. The last session occupied sixteen hours, but as a result tho committee made a unanimous report and presented a platform which, while not embodying all that each desired, did present sev eral definite and clearly defined issues. JJJ To Correspondents. For eight years I have endeavored to answer all letters received, but It has been a constantly increasing, burden. I have devoted more time, to- 3" the answering of letters than I have to editorial work, moro than I havo to any kind of reniuncr-' ative employment and more than 1 have to public speaking. I havo felt that this was necessary lest correspondents might think mo unappreclatlvo of tho interest which they manifest and of tho In formation which they orten furnish. Tho attempt to personally answer this mass of correspondence has denied mo time for reading and study. Even if I were to give all my iimo to correspondence it would be impossible to com municate directly with any largo porccntago of those who supported mo. For instance, The Com moner has a circulation of 110,000. If I read and answered a hundred letters a day in every working day of tho year, I could only an swer about 30,000 lettors-thus I could not com munlcato directly with more than about one fifth of tho number of thoao who receive Tho Com moner, not to speak of tho millions outside, many of whom write about various subjects. Thus, if I gavo my whole time to correspon dence and ceased to attempt anything clso. I could only communlcnto with a small proportion of my political frlonds, and that, too, at a largv expenso and to tho exclusion of other work. I feel, thorcforo, that those who are Interested with mo In the advancement of economic reforms will agree as to tho necessity of tho following courso: I shall not attempt hereafter to answer all letters received. Those desiring to sond in formation or to ninko suggestions are invited to i ,?.J, 8haI1 con8uler theso suggestions arid shall utilize them wherever I can, but I shall not acknowledge receipt of them. Sometimes ques tions havo been askod tho answering of which would require a day's search. It Is evident to all that I cannot answer any largo number of ques tions if I am going to try to do anything olso. Questions therefore which are asked hereafter will bo answered through The Commoner whero I am able to answer them and feel that the an swer will help our cause. I have profited much by clippings, quotations, extracts and suggestions that havo been sent and I hope that no one who has anything to com municate will hesitato to address me, but this statement will show the impossibility of my mak ing personal acknowledgement. If the writer will add, as many now do, "No answer expected," I will understand that he appreciates the situation. Through Tho Commoner I speak weekly to a larger number than I could possibly coi respond with, and I speak moro at Iongth than I could by private letter. So also In lecturing and in mak ing public speeches, I address more people than I could address by letter, and whilo porsonal corre spondence is as gratifying to mo as It is to those who write to me, I feel that I am giving more as sistance to political friends when I devote myself to the study and discussion of public questions than I could In writing personal letters to them. W. J. BRYAN. Before And After. During .the campaign of 1900, republican pa pers printed an interview with Albert Hlrsch heimer of La Crosse, Wis., in which interview Mr. Hirschheimer said that he intended to vote tho republican ticket for purely business reasons." "We want stability In our financial affairs . . . I submit that the commercial interests of tho country should not bo made tho football in tho game of tho politicians," said Mr. Hirschheimer. Mr. Hirschheimer did vote the republican ticket and on May 8, 1901, Mr. Hirschheimer, as president of tho Packers Package company, said: "The Packers Package company was forced to sell out to tho trust. They control tho tin out put and they have been hindering us so during the past month that we have not been ablo to run our factory only one-half Its capacity. They havo refused to deliver us the tin ordered, ship ping only ono or two cars a week. Thus wo either had to sell out to them or fight them. We could not do tho latter thing, for we could not get the tin with which to make our product, and carry- on the fight. Therefore, we simply had to sell out to the trust. It was either that or loss our money." JJJ John R. Walsh has made his Chronicle a re publican organ, but Mr. Walsh will take good care to keep his Chicago National bank strictly bi partisan. Mr. Walsh is overlooking nothing these days. JJJ It kindly allowed to continue Ite monopoly undisturbed, doubtless the Western Union Tele graph company will be willing to admit responsi bility for delay In the Parker telegram. i I i frffffa njjjMinii rw-; ifirrtt f