The Commoner
' WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.
Vol. 4t No. 45.
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 25, 1904.
Whoto Number aoi
DEMOCRACY MUST ADVANCE
A democrat of prominence in the nation "who
openly arid earnestly opposed the ticket in 189G
.writes as follows:
"I have read your article on the election and
I believe you are nearly right If- there is a lea
eon to be drawn from this last election it is that
the people want something radical and something
that they can rely upon. There is no chance for
a conservative democratic party. We have for
gotten the traditions of Jefferson and Jackson
they were positive and pushing, wo are slow and
apologetic. This country has got to have a better
system of taxation or there will be trouble and
taxation to .my mind includes the tariff question
as well as an income tax, which I am heartily in
favor of. Wo must not give up, either, the ques
tion of the Philippines. If something is not dono
there the country is lost."
This is a sample of the letters that have been
received since the election. The writer of the
above letter is now convinced that the democratic
party can not hope to win the confidence of the
masses unless it goes forward and takes up the
(questions in which the people are interested.
total vote of any, state i- the north and this year,
when even Missouri went republican, the republican
majority would doubtless havo been enormous but
for the fight teat the. domocrata mado against tho
arbitrary arid despotic methods of Governor Pea
body. Even in tho city of Denver, where tho wealth
of the stato is largely centered, tho democratic
candidate for governor, ex-Govornor Alva Adams,
received a majority of something Hko five thou
sand, and Jie carried tho rest of the stato by about
the same majority.
Governor Peabody gave to the laboring mon
of Colorado a sample of imperialism. Encouraged
by tho fact that the national administration was
denying constitutional government to the Filipinos
he suspended the constitution when ho dealt with
the miners. The rebuke which he has received at
the polls will havo a salutary influenco upon
executivo officers and to this extent retard tho
application of imperialistic principles to our homo
affairs. The people will thus have more time to
reflect upon the effects of a colonial policy, and it
is to be hoped that they will return to the doctrines
of the Declaration of Independence beforo wo
have any more samples of executivo lawlessness
such as Colorado has witnessed.
JJJ
The "Real Politicians"
Because toso things right and wrong aro
At St: Louis every member of the resolutions really what do govern politics and save or destroy
committee except bnl '.expressed himself . In favor? -jitatesritferaf ot
of the incomo taxi 'but it was omlttedfromnhffSHnystirion the gdodof -righteousness' and
,-!, -U i.1.W .V. i. ,,- lt. t .. . - . .". - . .-
nlatform because those who controlled IhB con
.vention did not want to offend the moneyed ele
ment. It was pointed out in tho committee by
those who favored the tax that even upon the low
plane of expediency' the party could not afford
to ignore tho "injustice that our present Jtax sys
tems brine to the masses.
The income tax is a just tax. If the rank and
file of the people were as alert to protect their
interests as the corporations are to protect their
interests, the sentiment in favor of the income
tax would be overwhelming, but enough under
stand tho situation to make it folly for the demo
cratic party to dodge or evade tho issue.
The late campaign- lacked life and enthu
siasm, andtheso were lacking because the voters
did not feel that there was as much difference ?s
there ought to be Taetween tho republican and
democratic parties.
The democratic party can not hope to be pop
ular with organized wealth unless it is willing to
surrender Itself completely to the dictation of or
ganized wealth, and even then it could not hope
to win the monopolists away from the republican
party. If, howeverrthe democratic party will con
vince the masses that it is going to stand for their
interests, guard their rights and promote their
welfare it can become a powerful and effective
influence in politics.
The fact that many who opposed the party
in 1896 now realize the necessity for an active and
progressive democracy, is one of the crumbs of
comfort to bo gathered from the -late lamentable
defeat.
JJJ
Peabodyism Overthrown
One of the most significant, as well as one of
the most encouraging, Incidents of the recent elec
tion was the overthrow of Peabodyism in Colo
rado. This is the more romarkable in view of tho
fact that Governor Peabody's repudiation occurred
at a national election when the democratic presi
dential candidate was overwhelmingly defeated
and when that candidate's position on the money
question was diametrically opposed to the position
taken by Colorado in 189G. Eight years ago Colo
rado, formerly a republican state, gave to the
democratic ticket the largest percentage of her
v.
the unprofitableness of iniquity aro tho only real
politicians." ,
Tho sentiment so well expressed in tho lines
just quoted is coriimended to the democracy of
the country. It is a common belief that the poli
tician Is a shifty sort of an individual who is suc
cessful" in lay ins cunn'ngly contrived plans to
catch the unwary voter. He Is called a practical
politician because ho is working for immediate ad
vantage and because ho prides himself on not
being bothered by theories. He Is usually repre
sented as having no compunctions of conscience
to interfere with his plans for success. Late
Speaker Keed defined a statesman as "a successful
politician who is dead." There Is more wit than
truth in the definition. While it Is true that
death often compels a recognition that opponents
deny in life, yet It is not safe to form an opinion
o" men from post-mortem eulogies, for they often
majmifyvlrtuei. and throw the mantle of charity
over short-comings. The statesman is to be judged
bvJiis work anu his work Is not always appreciated
durlnc his life or immediately after his death.
Neither can we estimate the influence that a
statesman- exerts by examining contemporaneous
crmcism or praise. The fame ot really great men
Sows with the years and the influence of their
SJea Increases in ever widening circles No house
can stand long unless the foundation is good, and
so" no lasting reputation can bo built except upon
?L solid "ofk of principle. Those who "keep in
sisting on the good of righteousness and the un
profitableness of iniquity" are the only "real poli
ticians," ecause they build upon a sure founda
tion and their work endures.
Vhe , pr iPle applies to parties as well as to
men The party that keeps insisting upon "the
eood of righteousness and the unprofitableness of
iniauity" is building for tho future; to Insure suc
cess it has only to keep along with the procession
of events and apply its moral precepts to each
new question as it arises. The party that lightly
nrizes "tho good of righteousness" or is tempted
from the right course by the seeming profltable
neS of iniquity meets at last the fate that over-,
takes the criminal.
THE INDEPENDENT VOTER
' Tho independent voter is abroad in tho land.
Mo national election In recent years has pre
sented such conclusive evidence that the voter li
doing his own thinking, and it is a good omon for
tho future. Folk, a democrat, Is olected In Mis
souri, by a plurality of about 30,000, notwithstand
ing tho fact that Roosoyolt carried tho stato uy.
about tho samo plurality. Johnson, a democrat;
Is elected In Minnesota in spite of the overwhelm
ing majority received by Roosovclt in that state.
Douglas, a democrat. Is olected In Massachusetts
by a largo majority, although tho president re
ceived something like 85,000 plurality. Alva Adams,
a democrat, is elected in Colorauo as a rebuke to
Peabodyism, although Roosevelt Carried tho stato.
Toole, a democrat, is ucccsBful in Montana, al
though Roosevelt carried that state also. LaFolottp,
a republican, wins in Wisconsin against the oppo
sition of bolh-senators and all the ropubllcanmem
bers of congress. In Michigan tho democratic
candidate ran fur ahead of the democratic na
tional ticket, while Governor Garvin, tho demo
cratic candidate j,n Rhode island, is barely de
feated. Berge, tho fusiou candidate, runs some
30.00Q ahead of tho combined vote of Parker and
-".Watson, in.' Nebraska and Kern, in Indiana, Os
borno in Wyoming and Dale of Kansas cut down
tho pluralities given In their respective states for
the head of the republican ticket.
The returns in these states indicate that tho
voters are acting independently and aro scratch
ing their tickets to suit their own judgments. Even
thf. voto upon the national ticket, disadvantageous
as 'it is at this time to the democrats, presents an
encouraging feature. There was no organized
protest against Mr. Parker's nomination. Nearly
all of those who had been prominent In the cam
paigns of 189C and 1900 gave hlra cordial support.
Mr. Cleveland and those Intimately associated
with his administration urged the gold democrats
'to voto for Judge Parker because of his gold tele
gram. Mr. Bryan and .those intimately associated
with him urged tho silver democrats to vojc for
Judge Parker in spite of his gold telegram; with a
view to securing relief from Imperialism which In
1900 was declared by the platform and by the
presidential candidate to be a greater menace to
tho country than any financial system. But in
splto of the earnest appeals of the most conspicu
ous men In both factions, a large number of demo
crats refused to vote for Judge Parker and somo
even went so far as to voto for President Roose
veltnot out of admiration for him or to endorse
his policies, but as a protest against tho reorgani
zation of the democratic party. While Mr. Bryan
believes that It was a mistake for democrats to
contribute to the election of President Roosevelt;
while he thinks that they were not justified In as
suming responsibility for what Mr. Roosevelt may
do, yet he recognizes In tho independence of these
democrats a promise for tho future. It Is a good
thing for the country when voters reason for
themselves and do not rely upon the advice of
any one. The more we have of such men the
better. The democratic party has cultivated In
dependence of thought and independence of action;
it has emphasized tho Individual's part and the
individual's responsibility.
The republicans do not lay so mucn stress
upon the individual's part, but a great many
republicans left the republican party when the
republican party abandoned bimetallism; othera
left the republican party when the republican
party entered upon a career of imperialism. Still
others will abandon the republican party whea
convinced as they must soon be of its subser-
HUfc'M
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