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September 29, 1905 The Commoner. '"" 9
NEBRASKA'S DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION
who fiomocratic state convention for Nebraska
met at Lincoln, September 20. "William G.
Hastings of Saline county was nominated to bo
judge of tlie supreme court. D. C. Colo of Polk
county and Louis Lightner of Platte county were
nominated to be regents of the state university.
The following platform was adopted:
"We, the democrats of Nebraska in state
convention assembled, reaffirm our faith in demo
cratic principles as enunciated by Thomas Jeffer
son and defended by William J. Bryan.
"As touching the attitude of the democratic
party of Nebraska toward the general railroad
question, we declare specifically as follows:
"1. In favor of a law making the giving of a
free railroad pass to a public official a criminal
offense, and the acceptance thereof a forfeiture of
office.
"2. In favor of placing a valuation upon rail
road property for purposes of taxation, based on
the market value of the stock of the road, plus
its outstanding bonds.
"3. In favor of an immediate and substantial
reduction of railroad freight rates, and to that
end we demand that the attorney general shall
apply to the federal court for an enforcement of
the provisions of the Nebraska maximum freight
rate law. We make this demand in harmony
with the right reserved to the state of Nebraska
by the court to apply for a reopening of the
maximum freight rate case whenever business
conditions might warrant.
"We demand that every executive and judicial
officer, and every member of the legislature, im
mediately surrender whatever corporation favors
he may have accepted, and adhere, in the future,
to his sworn obligation.
"This convention emphatically condemns the
issuance of free transportation for any purpose
other than in genuine cases of charity or to
bona fide employes actually under pay of the
issuing corporation, and demands the adoption by
the Nebraska legislature of a law making the in
tentional acceptance or" issuance of such free
transportation ,a criminal offense as a violation
of the principles of justice by a common carrier.
"The people cannot expect just laws for the
regulation of . corporations at the hands of a
legislature whose members accept favors from
corporations. They cannot expect equitable taxa
tion of corporations from a board whose mem
bers are under obligations to the powers seeking
to avoid taxation. The rule now thoroughly
established in our courts that a man is dis
qualified from serving as a juror if he has ac
cepted a pass from a corporation that is party
to the case, should be as strictly, applied to the
bench as it is to the jury box. We denounce
the acceptance of these corporation favors by
the judiciary as particularly offensive; and we
pledge to the people of Nebraska that the nom
inee, of this convention will not accept favors
in tlie form of free transportation or otherwise
from any corporation.
"We demand the strict and prompt enforce
ment of the law passed by the Nebraska legis
lature in 1897 providing a fine of $1,000 for any
corporation which, in the language of the law
'contributes money, property, transportation, help
or assistance in any manner or form to any po
litical party, or to any candidate for any civil
office, or to any political organization, or com
mittee, or to any individual to be used or ex
pended for political purposes.'
"We condemn the republican party of Nebras
ka for its general and continued subserviency to
A BIG FIGHT IN OHIO'S STATE CAMPAIGN
(Continued from Page 5)
counties were for him and there were enough
of them. He was nominated without a vote of
a single delegate from cither of the eight larger
cities. Mr. Pattison was the attorney for the
Citizens Protective league in Cincinnati back in
the seventies. He prosecuted many of the embryo
grafters of those days, blocked many a scheme
to plunder the public, and drafted many laws
that gave to Cincinnati the most peaceful and
most honest government it has enjoyed in more
than a generation. Mr. Pattison was sent to the
legislature and proved a valuable member. He
was elected to the state senate in 1890 and while
a member of it became the pioneer advocate in
Ohio of the referendum. He attached the refer
endum clause to many a bonding and taxing bill,
jn fact Mr. Pattison offered so many amendments
to measures proposed compelling- their approval
y a majority vote of the people affected that he
Drought the referendum into notice and made it
great corporations and for ihn iIVnnnri. r
present day attitude. For more than flvo yoar
that party has been in control of tho executive
and legislative power; yet it lias failed to pro
vide the people with relief from corporate im
position. It has had it within its power to pro
tect the people, but it has piled higher and
higher the burdens upon them and has permitted
the representatives of special interests to wage
unrestrained war upon the public walfare. It
has permitted the corporations to name its United
States senators; to frame the laws enacted by
its legislatures; and to make non-effective the
petitions of the people. When republican ex
travagance in the administration of state affairs
has made it necessary to increase taxation, re
publican officials liavo seen to it that the in
creased burden rested heaviest upon the people
and lightest upon the corporations. Now that
the popular protest against this reign of cor
poration power through the medium of the re
publican party, has become so strong" that at
tention must be given that protest, the republican
party asks for a vote of confidence and expects
the people to be satisfied with a republican con
vention's 'recommendation' that a law bo en
acted by some future legislature to prohibit free
railroad, transportation.
"We denounce the republican legislature for
its subserviency to the elevator trust, and for its
failure to heed the request made on behalf of the
farmers of the state that adequate laws be passed
for the protection of the grain growers from tho
impositions made possible by the conspiracy be
tween the elevator combine ind tho railroads.
We demand the arrest and prosecution under
Nebraska's criminal laws of every member and
officer of the elevator trust and of all their co
conspirators amenable to that law.
"We urge an immediate and vigorous prose
cution by the Nebraska officials of the obnoxious
coal, lumber and other criminal combines in
the restraint of trade.
"We favor the passage at the next session
of Nebraska's legislature of a law providing for
the nomination of candidates for public office
by the direct primary system.
"We favor the initiative and referendum in
order that the government may be kept close to
tho people.
"We favor the election of United States sen
ators by direct vote of the people as tho only
means of bringing that body into harmony with
the voters.
"We express our gratification over the con
clusion of peace between Russia and Japan, and
cordially commend the president of the United
States for his efforts toward that end.
"Believing in equal rights to all and special
privileges to none, we demand the enforcement
of all anti-trust laws, and particularly the crim
inal clause of the Sherman anti-trust law. 'Pri
vate monopolies are indefensible and intolerable,'
and we believe the law should be as strictly en
forced against the powerful monopolists who
prey upon the necessities of the people and con
spire against the lives of bnman beings as it is
against the commonest criminal in the land.
"We believe with Messrs. Harmon and Jud
son that 'the evils with which we are now con
fronted are corporate in name but individual in
fact;' that 'guilt is always personal;' that 'so
long as officers can hide behind their corpora
tions no remedy can be affected,' and that 'when
the government searches out the guilty man and
make corporate wrongdoing mean parsons! pun
ishment and dishonor, the law will bo obeyed.'
We demand tho enforcement of existing laws
against rebate, and tho enactment of now law
providing for the Imprisonment a well hm tho
fine of corporation official who violate that law.
"Wo favor a law giving to the Interstate
commerce commission the power to fix railroad
rate. The right to appeal should not, of course,
be denied; but when the commission' has fixed
tho rate it should go in force Immediately, and
remain in force until rejected by a court of com
pelont jurisdiction.
"The enormous Increase In the number of
trust and the enlargement of the power wielded
by those great concern in every phase of onr
life; tho manifestation of the Influence wielded
by special Interest over the United State onato;
the exactions of extortionate price by tho meat
trust, and the continued Imposition of other
combines In the face of the public demand for
enforcement of law; the revelation concerning
the great Insurance companies showing that
policyholders have been defrauded in order that
money might bo put in the purse of the insur
ance official, and showing, also, that these offi
cials have contributed to tho republican campaign
fund large sums of their policyholders' money;
the surrender of the treasury department Into the
piratical hands of Wall street; the exposures
concerning the lawlessness of United States sen
ators, the corruption among high public officials
In nearly every department of government, and
the manipulations by corporation chiefs who,
pleading for republican victory, posed as the
champions of 'national honor' and the defenders
of 'the business interests of the country' those
things give but a faint idea of the sacrifices the
people were asked to make when thoy were
urged to 'let well enough alone.'
"If popular government Is to be presorved,
national authority must be taken from the con
trol of the political party that depends for suc
cess upon campaign funds provided by groat cor
porations whose pretense is patriotism but whose
purpose is plunder.
"Confidently believing that at the first op
portunity the people will require the republican
party to surrender its control over the national
government, wo submit to the Intelligent mon of
all political parties In Nebraska that the con
tempt shown by the republican party for the pub
lic Interests of this state require the defeat of
that political organization at the November elec
tion." Additional resolution adopted read .is follows:
"With sincere regroat we have received In
telligence of the impaired health of Hon. Silas
A. Holc.omb, chief justice of Nebraska a condi
tion which renders imperative his retirement to
private life. I3v the voice of the democracy
of our state Judge Molcomb was twice called to
tho high position of governor, his record In that
office reflecting credit upon himself and hi
political following. His six years of service upon
the supreme bench have been marked by a
rugged honesty and profound erudition,' winning
for his judical decrees the approval of the people
of his state. We tender to Judge Holcomb our
earnest sympathy with the hope that he may be
speedily restored to health."
"We denounce the acceptance of the Rocke
feller gift by the regents of the university, and
demand the withdrawal and the return to Mr.
Rockefeller of any money that may have been
received from him."
popular in Ohio. Mr. Pattison is accustomed to
large affairs. He is one of the leading business
men of the state, and enjoys the confidence,
good will and support of the best citizenship of
the commonwealth.
The Issues at Stake
The lines are drawn. Governor Herrick en
joins in his campaign the vigorous support of the
Cox machine, the brewing and liquor" interests.
He is earnestly opposed by members of his
own party who have organized and may be di
vided as follows:
The anti-saloon league and the churches.
The anti-boss and anti-graft of republicans.
Farmers offended by his veto of agricultural
appropriations.
Teachers and parents opposed to the school
code.
The horse breeders and owners.
The old soldiers.
Those opposed to the iniquitous inheritance
tax.
The friends of the canals of the state.
Of course all these elements have reasons for
their opposition to Governor Herrick, separate,
distinct and unrelated. All arc organized and
all are supporting Mr. Pattison. But, though
such a condition was never before known in the
state, with all this cordial support of political
opponents, they, alone, cannot elect him. They
are a necessary factor in success, but they do
not constitute the bulk of the vote absolutely es
sential to success. Mr. Pattison will have all
this and is and wJH be gratified. But above and
more important, he must have the solid demo
cratic vote. Without It the opposition to Her
rick fails. With it Pattison is sure to win. The
governorship, the legislature, the entire state
ticket is offered the democracy. All democrats
need to do is to march to the polls and accept
the honors. The problem is simple. Its correct
solution lays in a full democratic poll. If the
democrats, all of them, who voted for Bryan in
189C, will vote for Pattison in 1905, the majority
over Herrick will exceed that of Roosevelt over
Parker.
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