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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 1904)
V, i -n Commo ner. The '' i '-r WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER. Vol. 4t No- 4& MR Lincoln, Nebraska, December 16, 1904. Whole Number 204 WATSON'S PREDICTIONS Hon. Thomas R Watson, late populist can didate for president, has outlined his position as to the future and " hag ventured some pre dictions. Ho predicts that Mr. Bryan will bo nominated in 1908 and then he predicts that Mr. Bryan will be defeated worse than Judge Parker was etc., etc. Mr. watson nas tne same ngnt to make predictions as- he would have had had ho not been a candidate for the presidency, but his predictions must be. taken upon their merits and dealt with as the' predictions of any one else. The difficulty with Mr. Watson is that he views , the subject from a standpoint entirely hostile to the democratic party. Having left the party and having opposed it for some years, he natur ally has less confidence in it than those who are members of the party. The fact that he gave in direct assistance to Mr. Roosevelt in the late campaign and thus contributed to the extent of his influence in increasing the size of Mr. Roose velt's plurality, also tends "to make him take a gloomy view of the democratic party's future. But there is no reason why Mr. Watson should ignore what tho democratic party has done and is try ing to do in the direction of political and econ omic reform. Mr. Watson believes in the income tax. The democratic party enacted an income tax law and : still believes in the income tax. At St. Louis while a majority of the committee wa3 in favor of leaving tho income tax "out of the platform, , . all but one member of that committee expressed themselves in favor of an income tax. and now that tho policy . of; the Iparty is no longer to bo dictated by those who desired to conciliate the corporation element, "the income tax will be a part of the democratic creed. Mr. Watson believes in the election of sen ators by direct vote of the people. The demo cratic party "stands for this reform. A plank in favor of the necessary amendment was in serted in the national platform four years ago, and again at St. Louis, and this reform, when accomplished, will inako easier every other re form. Mr. Watson believes in tariff reform and ad vocated it in congress. The democratic party stands for tariff reform. The platform adopted M S't. Louis was clear and strong on this sub ject and, while Judge Parker weakened himself by assuming that tariff reform would be impos sible because of a republican senate, there is no question of the party's position. Mr. Watson is opposed to tho trusts, and so w the democratic party. Its honesty of purpose Sf o?uestione(1 tuis year because Mr. -Belmont, fir ? ,eelmn' and some others,- who stood sponsor in f i ee Parker were known to be closely con ?Mt i?Ith the trusts' b"t the overwhelming de ihi i, upon the Parfcy under thGlr leader pw u make lt certain that the party will re lies ts aseressive fight against private monopo- nn JS.0 same influences that will direct the party n Lm r Questions will direct it on the labor of n, and make ifc the champion of the cause on I Wno toil- 0n tne subject of imperialism, me army question and the navy question, it thn ,i stand with the Peopl . The heart of inrih, ?.ratIc Party Is sound and a large ma- for n , members are earnest in their desire economic reforms. Th fnot thn Mr. Watson I reernn10! haye confidence in the party is to be f' anrt ifa because Mr. Watson is an earnest man the enm y desIres to advance the interests of that M,mon pePle- He must not assume, however, Patriot e wh0 dIffer rom hm are lacking in as a , Jn genuine interest in reform. He his aL,?datG for tfle presidency and made he rpS1 tho Public The small vote w,hich demoornTo a vote muctt smaller than populists, to rppS?: and even republicans expected, . him receive-showseither.Ht'haf there are few who agree with him as to the course of action to be pursued or that they did not have confidence in his leadership. It is not only more charitable, but more in acordance with tho facts, to assume that the reformers had personal confidence in Mr. Watson, but did not agree with him as to the best method of securing remedial legislation. Reforms are not to be secured all at once. Thoro is a great deal of difference between the work of the pioneer and the work of tho party that es pouses a reform and crystalizes it into law. It is evident that the populist party is not in position to do the work that is needed. The returns show that it has lost ground. Some of its members have gone into the socialist party; some of them prefer to act with the democrats and thus secure the reforms for which the dem ocratic party stands. It is a disappointment to populists to find that their party organization Is impotent to secure tho legislation which the mem bers of the party have advocated and some blame the falling off in the populist voto to the fact that the party has fused with tho democrats, but there is no foundation for this charge. If the populist party had failed to fuse with the demo crats it would not have retained its strength so long as it did, The populist party did an im portant educational work; it helped to bring cer tain reforms before the country. The democratic party took up a number of these reforms, (reforms which were really democratic) and brought to them "a larger vote than the populist party was able to secure for them. Those who are moro interested in the .reforms than in the name of the party through which tho reforms are to "come, will not complain that the main work of tho populist party was done through another party rather than directly. Results count and parties are only important as they contribute to those results. The populist party has helped to put tho democratic party in line with some needed reforms, just as the socialist party is now exert ing an educational influence. The president in his message warns tho re publicans that they must regulate railroad rates if. they would prevent the growth of sentiment in favor of "moro radical" legislation. This is a clear reference to the growth of the socialist party. When the populist party entered the political arena it favored the Income tax, the elec tion of senators by the people, the referendum, bimetallism, the issue of non-redeemable legal tender treasury notes; tho government ownership of railroads, a sub-treasury -system for the storage of farm products and the loaning of money di rectly to the people at a low rate of interest After the first campaign the sub-treasury and the loaning of money were virtually dropped. The democratic party took up the income tax, the election of senators by tho people direct legis lation and bimetallism. The populist contention for an irredeemable currency (that is, a currency not redeemable in any other kind of money but a legal tender for public dues as well as private debts) is not now discussed as much as it form firiv was The increased volume of money has lessened V interest in all phases of the money nuesUon while the democratic advocacy of tho St of the government to issue the paper money ha? narrowed the issues for which populism dis- tinCTheSdemocratic party did not accept tte POPj the question of issue is iar UI enback re- ernment, would never become .dra In wm treasury and therefore the que stion irredeemable paper would, wttuw r of bimetallism, become an abstract ono than one of actual and practical value. Tho populist contention for tho government owner ship of railroads is tho only vital ono (tho sub treasury plan hnvlng been dropped and tho ques tion of Irredeemable paper not bolng discussed to any considerable extent) which tho democratic party has not endorsed. Whether the democratic party will adopt it romalna to be scon. Thoro is undoubtedly a growing sentiment in favor of tho government ownership of rail roadB, not only among domocrats, but among re publicans, and this growth is duo to tho manner in which the railroads have disregarded their duty and combined for tho exploitation of tho public. It requires no prophet to foresee the day when the people will prefer to risk whatever dangers may bo involved in government owner ship to a continuation of private ownership under prevailing conditions. Whether tho experiment will be tried through the federal government or through the slato governments Is the question open to discussion. Tho government ownership of railroads, while endorsed by the socialists, dees not involve the fundamental principle which underlies the socialist propaganda. Democrats who advocate the government ownership of rail roads do it on tho ground that competition la impossible or, at least, bo costly and so dlincult to secure as to make it Inexpedient tor tho public to rely upon It. Tho government ownership of railroads can be defended much upon the same ground as tho municipal ownership of lighting plants and water plants is to be defended, it does not Involve the question of "the govcrn-"-ment ownership and oporation.of all means ol production and distribution," which Is tho ulti mate aim of tho radical socialist. The railroads in Germany are owned by the stato governments, and yet the German government is very much opposed to socialism. Socialism does not control France, and yet the railroads of France are, ac cording to the terms of the charters, to become tho property of tho government in about twenty five years. England is not socialistic, and yet England does many things that the republicans denounce as socialistic when suggested by demo crats. Each new question must be settled upon its meritB-and the people will not be driven from the adoption of anything they believe to be wise by any epithets or harsh names that may be ap plied to it. It is not only unnecessary to organize a new party for dealing with these questions, but It would be unwise to do so. The formation of a party is a slow and difficult process and is only possiblo in great crises. Only once since the adoption of our constitution has a great party been organ ized, and the question which brought tho repub lican party into existence was one of such tre mendous magnitude that it involved the country in a civil war. All parties have their influence, even though they may not develop a great deal of numerical strength. There are more reformers m the dem ocratic party than are likely to be massed under the name of any other party. When tne democratic party adopts Its next platform It will doubtless lose some votes which were cast with it this year, but it is likely to gain from tho reform repub licans from the populists, from the socialists and from 'other reform parties a great many more than it loses. It is Mr. Bryan's purpose to contribute toward the securing of every reform within reach. If ho could advance these reforms moro by becoming a member of some other party he would not hesitate to leave the democratic party, but he believes that he can accomplish more through tho demo cratic party and, while he so believes, ho will work with the democratic party. To him tho future seems full of hope. He believes that tho democrat party is going U meet the expecta tions of Its members and disappoint the fears oC nwsiJM"-' aidSL ... iw..fr jhJM-