The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
,'V
ia
. Vol. 5. No. 11
Lincoln, Nebraska, March 31, 1905.
Whole Number 219 '
CONTENTS
Feee Men will make themselves heaed
The Referendum Movement
A Teeelble Indictment
The Mysteeiotjs Steangee
"Washington and Roosevelt
Teaching Monabchical Pocteine t
Tainted Money
SCOEING THE RePUBLICTANS
Post on Ideals
The Peimaey Pledge
News oe the Week
REFORM IN RUSSIA
The promise of the czar to convene "the
worthiest men possessing the confidence of the
people and elected by them to participate in the
elaboration and consideration of measures" is a
distinct advance. While the czar does not sur
render the power to .decide all questions, still -the
creation of an elective body which "is-to be
consulted is. a long step toward constitutional
government. 'Heretofore it has been difficult for
the people to rally about anyone because there has
been no way by which a Russian could develop
leadership and appeal to the people. Now the
voters can select their representatives and these
men have a chance to become leaders and to or
ganize their following. The unlimited monarchy
which has been ruling Russia with, an iron
hand is approaching its end. It can not much
longer resist the demands of the people.
UNFINISHED CASTLES
"Ho (Roosevelt) is a man who must have a new plaything in the lino of National Problems about once
in so many days." Walter Wellman's despatch to Ohicago'Record-Herald.
66
WhereVer There Are Free Men They WW Make
Thomas Jefferson congratulated a young
friend, who had announced that he intended to ac
tively participate in the politics of his country
and said: "Your country will derive from this a
more immediate and sensible benefit. She has
much for you to do, for though we may say the
worst of American constitutions, they are better
than the best which ever existed before in any
other country and they are wonderfully perfect for
a first essay, yet every human essay must have
defects. It will remain, therefore, to those now
coming on the stage of public affairs to perfect
.What has been so well begun by those going off it."
On another occasion Mr. Jefferson wrote:
"Wherever there are men, there will be parties;
wherever there are free men they will make them
selves heard."
It is important that every good citizen parti
cipate in the general elections. But if men expect
to exert an influence upon the policies of their
government, if men expect by their votes to place
checks upon greed and avarice as it manifests
'itself in laws and ordinances, then it is all the
more important that they participate in the pri
mary elections of their party. This is so because
we are largely governed by parties and the man
Themselves Heard"
who has neglected to make himself heard at the
time his party formulates its policy and chooses
its candidates will discover that he must accept
whatever policies and candidates his more active
associates have chosen for the party.
Although The Commoner's primary organiza
tion plan was made public only two weeks ago,
many responses have been made sufficient in
number to show that the plan is popular and prac
ticable. Many pledges have been received and In
many cases these pledges are accompanied by
letters in which the writers show that they are en
thusiastic in this good work. On page five of
this issue, extracts from a number of these let
ters are printed. It Is, to be hoped that every Com
moner subscriber will carefully read every one of
these extracts. He may Imbibe some of the en
thusiam and resolve to lend his Own efforts to
the cause.
Attention is again directed to the primary
pledge which appears on page eleven of this issue
and The Commoner desires to give new emphasis
to the request that newspapers favoring the plan
call the attention of their readers to it.
The democratic party should stand for the
doctrine of equal rights to all and special privi
leges to none; it should protest against the use
of the government for the benefit of a few at the
expense of the many; it should be jealous of any
infringement upon the rights of the mrfsses; it
should oppose private monopolies which, under
the pretense of developing industry simply gather
in the profits of industry and reduce to a minimum
the number of those who are to be the recipients
of the benefits of industrial progress. It is a
proud privilege to belong to a party which stands
for these things; but parties are controlled by
men and no more than the people can trust their
liberty in any other hands than their own can
the rank and file of a party afford to permit a
few men to frame the party's policies and choose
the party's candidates.
In order that the democratic party may justify
its existence and find promise of winning success
by deserving it, it will be the duty of every demo
crat to actively interest himself in the work of
organization. In every precinct throughout the
United States democrats should organize. Every
one should attach, his name to the primary pledge
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