JANUARY 6, 190
words, the defeat was not sectional, but due en
tirely to the auestiona at Issue and to the conduct
of the campaign. The Southern leaders were as
prominent in the convention of 189G as they were
in the convention of 1904. The temporary chair
man In 189G was Senator Daniels, of Virginia. Sen
ator Jones, of Arkansas, was chairman of tho
committee on resolutions and afterwards becamo
tho chairman of the national committee. Senator
Jones 'was also chairman of tho bimetallic leaguo
which carried on within the party the campaign
.which resulted in tho adoption of tho Chicago plat
form The trouble with the Commercial Appeal is
that it cannot admit the real cause of the defeat
jWithout condemning its own course, for it has been
conspicuous in advising the democratic party to
lietray the masses and court the favor of preda
tory wealth. It is not surprising that it seeks
some reason less humiliating to its pride than tho
real reason, but there is no excuse for attempting
to make "the south" the scapegoat. There is In
the north no feeling of hostility to southern
leaders. Their prominence and their influence
are recognized, and their aid is needed in the so-'
lution of the questions before the country. Just
insofar as southern leaders take up the cause of
the people just insofar will their efforts be ap
.plauded by the democratic masses of the north.
If, however, southern leaders or southern news
papers attempt to follow the example of the Com
mercial Appeal and advise the democratic party to
become the pliant tool of organized wealth, they
may expect opposition just as northern leaders and
northern newspapers meet opposition when they
pursue the same course. It is not a question of
section; it i3 a question of principle, and the
Commercial Appeal ought to be ashamed to throw
the blame upon the people of its section. There
arc in the south as well as in the north, men and
newspapers commonly called democratic, but so
closely connected with corporate interests as to be
unsafe leaders, but the masses in the south like
the masses in the north, are interested in reforms
which will bring the government back to its old
foundations and administer all the departments of
the government according to tho maxim "equal
rights to all and special privileges to none."
The Appeal say3 that beforo long the peo
ple of the south "will be urged to come back and en
joy a full partnership in administering the affairs
of the nation." "In the meantime," it says, "tho
north will need the south more than the south
needs the north, and we can afford to bide our
time."
It is not worth while to compare needs or to
'discuss which can get along best without the other.
,The democrats of the north and the democrats of
the south can work together and ought to work to
gether for the propogation of democratic princi
ples and for the promotion of the interests of the
common people, north and south, east and west.
One of the great needs just now, both north and
south, is more newspapers which -will defend dem
ocratic principles from the standpoint of the pro
ducers of wealth.. Wo have a number of papera,
calling themselves democratic, that seem to bo
run in the interest of the corporations -that are
.exploiting the public.
JJJ
State Insurance
Recent disclosures in regard to the, large in
surance companies tend to confirm the opinions of
those who favor state insurance. "Mr. Beardsly of
;the Era has presented some startling facts in re
gard to the management of the "Big Three,"' the
New York Life, the Mutual and the Equitable. He
show3 how the expenses have increased, how the
. dividends to policy holders have fallen off and
how the millions held in trust for the policy holders
are used by the managers for speculative purposes.
''Mr. Lawson has also presented in Everybody's
(Magazine an arraignment of these aame com
panies and has included the Prudential company.
,The abuse of power by tho heads of the great in
surance organizations has become so open and
notorious that the president has recommended" that
they bo put under the control of the interstate
commerce commission. -
It is not strange that the3e abuses should oc
cur; human nature is too frail to be entrusted
.with such power as attaches to the handling of
eo much money. One who can control the deposit
of millions and the investment of hundreds of
millions can enrich himself beyond the dreams
of ayarice without violating the letter of the law.
!A certain amount of discretion is always vested
in the manager of a large corporation and this
'discretion is too often exercised on the 'side of
personal profit. These enormous accumulations
The Commoner.
aro a monace to tho country. It would bo well to
provide a maximum limit to tho business that can
bo done. Whilo this would prevent a few com
panies from becoming too large it would encourage
a larger number and competition among them
would be helpful.
But in addition to such regulation provision
should bo made for stato insurance Each state
should establish a bureau and issuo a policy that
will enable a man to provide an annuity for thoso
dependant upon him. Such an insuranco would
encourage thrift in tho poor and It would cnablo
tho successful business man to retiro at an earlier
ago and devote himself to public affairs.
JJJ
The Enquirer Deserts
The Cincinnati Enquirer has announced its
unwillingness to stand for democracy in tho faco
of republican success. It says that it is "for Amor
ica and for the American people," that It "bowa
to their will as to what is necessary for tho splen
did advancement and development of tho country";
that it is "for prosperity and not for calamity for
the sake of triumph." It declares that it Is "in
the proud company of democrats numbering in tho
millions who refused at the last election to be de
livered." It "touches elbows on either side with
legions who did not find in Bryan or Parker tho
exemplification of true democratic faith."
If the Enquirer had simply criticised Judge
Parker or Mr. Bryan and suggested some demo- -r
cratic principle for which it proposed to contend,
its words might have some weight, but when it
regards tho election as a vindication of republi
can policies and announces that it will no longer
oppose the policies thus "vindicated,'' it virtually
announces itself a republican organ.
It concludes its editorial by saying:
"No more restraint on tho flight of the Ameri
can Eagle, and no more tugging at the hold-bacic
straps for yours truly, The Enquirer."
This editorial was brought out by a discussion
in congress in regard to imperialism, and the En
quirer evidently has decided that the republican
position on imperialism is tho correct one.
Well, tho Enquirer was a valuable assistant
in the campaign of 189G and the party paid Mr.
McLean for his services by nominating him for
governor in 1899. Since that time Tho Enquirer
has not been of great assistance to tho party, and
just now it is doing the country more harm with
its lottery scheme miscalled a profit sharing con
testthan it could possibly do the party or tho
country with Its editorial page. It is running a
lottery as shameless as tho Louisiana Lottery ever
was, and it is possible that Its recent decision not
to oppose republican "prosperity", is duo to tho
prosperity that it has found in conducting this lot
tery scheme by permission of republican officers.
If tho administration will have the courage to
pass a law which will make the Enquirer's guess
ing contests criminal, the Enquirer may come
back again into the democratic party, for, when
denied the privilege of appealing to the gambling
spirit for its patrons it will have to rely upon
democrats for readers.
Will Mr. McLean resign his position as na
tional committeeman or will he attempt to carry
the state organization as well as his paper Into tho
enemy's camp?
JJJ
Watch the Organization
Harper's Weekly, which assumes to instruct
both of the leading parties without acknowledging
allegience to either, calls upon the "conservatives"
to hold the democratic organization. It says:
"Now that Mr. Bryan has shovn his hand in the
Outlook and the consequences of permitting him to
resume the leadership of the democratic party in
1908 can be foreseen, it becomes a matter of ob
vious moment to conservative democrats that they
shall retain control not only of the party's national
committee but of its state committees in all doubt
ful northern, as well a3 in tho southern states."
Are we to have some more advice from the
plutocratic papers? They were busy last spring
telling the conservatives how to win and tho
conservatives took their advice with a result only
too well known.
It is not likely that even the conservatives
will feel disposed to take such advice again, but
tho reform element of the party must not take
anything for granted. The beat way to prevent a
fight at the convention is to make the fight in
the precincts, in the counties and in the states.
Whenever a vacancy occurs tho reformers should
have a good man ready a man who is interested
in principles and who can not bo f rigljtened . or
bribed. Many of tho ntato organizations will
chango in 1906 and these new organizations will do
tho preliminary work for tho next presidential,,
campaign. In somo of tho states tho party will
select a now cornmittco in 1905, but no matter
when the now committees aro chosen they should
bo composed of men who favor a posltivo and. ag
gressive policy of roform.
JJJ
Post Office Department Moves
Tho postofllce department has given two grato
ful signs of life. First, It has announced a pros
pective crusade against guosslng contests. Tho
Commoner has already called attention to tho do
moralizing influence of thoso lotteries and It hear
tily congratulates tho administration upon its de
termination to root them out.
Second, tho postmaster general recommends a
discriminating postago rato for parcels deposited
at tho postoflico from which tho rural routo starts.
This Is not only an advantago to thoso who,, live
along tho route but it is an advantage to the
local merchant as well. It is, too, a discrimina
tion based on justice, Juat an is tho one cent rato
on local letters in towns which do not have letter
carriers. When tho ono cent postage Is extended
it will probably. bo cxtondod to local letters in
carrier towns. And are we not ready for that step
in advance?
JJJ
Direct Legislation in Cities
Two years ago Colorado adopted a constitu
tional amendment whir'i glvos the initiative and
referendum to all cities having more than two
thousand inhabitants. Those cnablo all cities to
control their own affairs and to protect themselves
from the action of corrupt councils. Tho pcoplo
having tho rights to propose and adopt amend
ments to their charters can provide for tho "recall
a term used to describe tho provision for vacating
an office If tho official betrays his trust Los
Angeles has a charter which contains the rcoHll
and her people recently employed it to ouat a
councilman who failed to do his duty to his con
stituents. It would be well for stato reformers to
look up tho Colorado amendment and the Los
Angeles provision for recall.
JJJ
. AWorthy Charity
There Is situated at Colorado Springs, Colo., a
hosiptal for infirm or invalid printers, maintained
by the typographical unions of the United States
and Canada. It is one of the most modern and
perfectly equipped hospitals that tho editor of Tho
Commoner has visited. The occupants of tho
hospital or home arc well cared for and seem to
appreciate the fraternal spirit which provides so
generously for their welfare. It is a worthy insti
tution and the Typographical union has reason to
be proud of such a benevolence.
JJJ
A St. Louis reader of Tho Commoner writes
that on the ICth of November he witnessed "the
unprecedented spectacle of about four hundred
Filipino soldiers accompanied by a Filipino band
of about ono hundred pieces escorting tho Liberty
Bell from the grounds on the occasion of its de
parture for Philadelphia." If the Filipinos know,
as thoy probably did, the history of the bell and
the reasor for Ho being prized, they must have
enjoyed the joke.
JJJ
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