DECEMBER 15, 1905 .-...
each. The purpose Is to secure '100,000
pennies from citizens of Colorado, with the idea
of thus making a strong protest against the blow
administered by the court against the freedom
of speech and the rights of the press. Senator
Patterson has appealed the case to the United
States supreme 'court.
THE FIFTY-SEVENTH anniversary of the ac
cession of Francis Joseph to the throne of
the Hapsburgs was observed in Vienna, December
2 A Vienna cablegram to the New York World
says: "Francis Joseph was called to take the
sceptre in the storm and tumult of revolution, and
the conditions today are almost the same as those
preceding the' outbreak of 1848. At 75 years
g the emperor stands bent and broken. Practically
deserted by all his kin, save his beloved daughter,
the Archduchess Marie Valerie, and his grand
children, his chief recreation nowadays is hunt
ing. He cares nothing for either cards or novels,
but looks carefully each day at a summary pre
pared for him of all press excerpts which might
be supposed to interest him."
CHARLES E. HUGHES, counsel of the legisla
tive committee investigating- the' insurance
scandal has, according to the New York World
received atlp lb the effect that during the months
of September and October, 1904, eleven corpora
tions doing business in this state subscribed to
a fund aggregating $225,000. That of this amount
the Equitable Life Assurance society contributed
$25,000. That the arrangements for a number of
subscriptions, including the $25,000 donated by
the Equitable, were made by George B. Cortelyou,
then chairmen of the republican national com
mittee. That all of the contributions were made
upon the representations of various persons, in
cluding Mr. Cortelyou, Cornelius N. Bliss, Ex-Governor
Odell, Senator Piatt and Senator Depew,
that additional money was needed to insure the
election of Theodore Rooseveit as president. That
the money was subscribed solely upon the repre-.
sentation that the republican national ticket was
in danger of defeat. That of the amount collected
less than 5 per cent, or, to be exact, $10,500,
found its way into the state campaign to help
The Commoner.
I T rivp?1?5 ,U,at. if118 infornation boon
and tl yprl0n(lfl of Senators Piatt and Depew,
exercS hvVGrnr 0do11' who arG somewhat
XS to w eno8ures concerning their own
affairs. The World says: "Friends of Piatt
been Wtnn.dC? "l1" that tho committee has
" ,enlcnt wth the national administra
tion and is purposely wasting time over the
trivial instance of 'graft' in all tho management
Sl i conanics In order to shield tho influ
ential political beneficiaries of compulsory con
tr buttons. A financier of high 'standing who ad
mits having assisted in tho collection of some of
: contributions is authority for tho statement
tliat Mr. Cortelyou can throw more light directly
upon the contribution made by the Equitable
than either Piatt. Depew or Odell, and circum
stances under which it was made and tho man
ner in which it was paid. The same authority
called attention to the fact yesterday that on
Friday night before the election of 1904 President
Roosevelt issued a statement from the Executive
Mansion branding as false the assertion of Alton
B. Parker that the national republican commit
tee had solicited and collected money from cor
porations for the purpose of making certain the
election of Mr. Roosevelt."
T T IS PLAIN that Piatt, Depew, Odell and others
1 are determined upon having some of the
present-day criticisms directed to the national
administration. Un an interview the gentleman
from whom doubtless much of this information
comes says: "If Mr. Hughes will call Mr. Cor
telyou to the stand and will summon Cornelius
N. Bliss, he and the public will then learn defi
nitely whether the president based his statement
upon accurate information or whether he was
misinformed. Men who subscribed to the fund
will also learn if the persons who solicited the
fund were authorized to do so with the knowl
edge of the president and whether the man or
men who collected the amounts subscribed were
empowered to collect them. The committee will
soon end its labors, according to the present
9.
plan, and tho public would like to have thla
phase of the investigation clonrly rdvonlod. Mr.
IIughOH and tho committee have shown up a lot
of graft, and tho public in thoroughly convinced
of tho rottonncsa of things generally In tho man
agement of tho Insurance companloa. Tho po
litical fonturos of tho expose will never bo com
plete without a thorough vontllntron of tho na
tional campaign contributions of 1001. Mr. Cor
telyou, Mr. Bliss anil perhaps Piatt and Odoll
should bo called to the stand again before tho
Investigation Is brought to a close. Tho potty
graft can bo attended to lator. Nothing Is morn
important now than tho vindication of the presi
dent's positive declaration that the corporations
did not contribute to the campaign fund used In
promoting his election. Mr. Hughes can bring
out tho Information by calling tho men in pos
session of it. Ho knows who they are." ' '
NEWSPAPER DISPATCHES say that a schome
is on foot .whereby tho Rockofoller group
of capitalists, the J. Plerpont Morgan group, and
tho Thomas P. Ryan group, Heck to bring tho
management of tho Equitable, the Mutual and
the New York Life Insurance companion all wfthln
the control of a Rockefellor-Morgan-Ryan com
bination. II. H. Rogers, concerning whoso skill
Thomas W. Lawson lias said so much, seems just
now to be very active in Insurance affairs.
HP HE PRESIDENT has appointed Franklin
1 Lane, of California, to be a member of the
interstate commerce commission. A Washing
ton dispatch says: "Mr. Lane Is a democrat and
his appointment will change the political com
plexion of tho interstate commerce commission
from republican to democratic. Former Governor
Fifer, of Illinois, whom Mr. Lane will succeed
on the commission, is a republican, as ateo are
Commissioners Kmipp and Prouty. Commission
ers Cockrell and Clements are democrats. While
Mr. Lane always has been a democrat In politics,
he was a supporter of President Roosevelt In tho
last campaign, in connection with this appoint
ment, it is pointed out that In tho event of the
enactment of railroad rate legislation by tho pres
ent congress, the Interstate commerce commission
very likely will be reorganized."
I O W A AND THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
Iowa stands tenth in the number of primary
pledges returned to The Commoner office. In
1896 there were cast in Iowa 223,741 votes for
the democratic nominee for president; in 1904
the votes cast for the democratic nominee for
president amounted to 149,141. Here is an ap
parent loss, during eight years, of 74,600 votes.
Every one knows that this does not by 'any means
fairly represent the political sentiment in the
Hawkeye state. It is unnecessary to refer to the
conditions which in 1904 resulted in such pro
nounced loss to the democratic party. It is
sufficient for democrats to know that they now
have the opportunity of persuading those demo
crats who left the party to return by making
their political organization responsive to public
necessities, Whenever the democratic party so
shapes its policies and methods as to persuade
the old-time democrats to return, it will also be
come attractive to independent voters generally. ,
The one Important thing is that the demo
cratic party, be organized hy the rank and file,
and the primary pledge plan suggested by The
Commoner provides a practical method for ef
fecting such an organization.
Many Iowa democrats have so far helped
materially in this organization plan. But there
i yet a large amount of work to be accomplished,
it is not necessary that The Commoner present
arguments to show' why every democrat should
enlist in this good work. It must be apparent
'o every man who believes that government
should be administered for the greatest good to
'he greatest number that the only way to ob
tain this desired end is for the rank and -file
of great political parties to manifest active in
'erest in their party's affairs.
To those Iowa democrats, who have rendered
material assistance? The Commoner extends Its
'hanks. At the same time it urges these, demo
crats to renew their activities, and calls upon
other democrats in the Hawkeye state to lend
their energies to this good Work. If, in every
county of Iowa, V number 'of democrats would
organize for"' the purpose ' of ; circulating tho pri
mary pledge,, "form in everjr ' precinct, obtaining
the signature of every democrat who is willing
to discharge his duty to his party, the field would
be covered In a short time.
One of .the important features of this plan
is the organization of democratic clubs in
every state, in every county and in every pre
cinct. These democratic clubs will bo able to ac
complish much in the effort to organize the party
by the rank and file, and the result will, there
fore, be advantageous, to the public welfare.
Let every Iowa democrat assist in this good
work atid the result will be manifest in the elec
tion returns of that state
As this copy of The Commoner may be read
by some one not familiar with the details of the
primary pledge plan, it is necessary to say that
According to the terms of this plan every demo
crat is asked to pledge himself to attend all of
the primaries of his party to be held between
now and tho next democratic national convention,
unless unavoidably prevented, and to secure a
clear, honest and straightforward declaration of
the party's position on every question upon which
the voters of the party desire to speak. Those
desiring to be enrolled can either , write to The
Commoner approving the object of the organiza
tion and asking to have their names entered on
the roll, or they can fill out and mail the blank
pledge, which is printed on page 7.
Extracts from letters received at The Com
moner office follow:
W. C. Carroll, Fieldon, HI. Enclosed find my
request for ten more subscription cards, also
some primary pledge blanks. I am a democrat
who favors the principles so ably upheld by The
Commoner. I am one of The Commoner's charter
members and come to stay.
S Flickinger, Homeryille, Ohio I enclose
primary pledge with thirty-six signatures.
William Blair, Mason, 111. Please find thirty
six signatures to the primary pledge, They all
signed readily, and thought it a good plan. I
had intended to canvass the entire township, but
, I am now past seventy-two years of age, and
am w? RllftchPry, Okla.-Please find en
closed the primary pledge, signed. It gives me
great pleasure to notice that Oklahoma stands
fifth in the number of pledges signed, and I
hasten to add one more to the list. Please send
me twenty blanks, and see if I don't return them
signed by the kind of democrats that never know
defeat. Yours for good government.
Bert Brown, Ullln, 111. I enclose a primary
pledge signed by eighteen good democrats.
F. M. Calhoun, Dry Run, W. Va. Please find
enclosed primary pledge with twenty-one namos
attached. I am sixty-six years old and have al
ways voted the democratic ticket. -I believe the
primary plan a good one. Please send me an
other blank. With best wishes for the auccam
of democracy.
J. R. Wilkinson, Jackson, Tenn. I enclose a
primary pledge with seven signatures attached.
Frank Wilkerson, East Marion, New York I
think the primary pledge is all right. It will
have a tendency to get out a good many stay-at-home
fellows like myself. I hope the next demo
cratic presidential convention will be free from
money sharks and insurance robbers.
B. F. Cross, Washington, D. C Enclosed
find a primary pledge signed by nine democrats.
H. M. Spencer, Dexter, Texas Enclosed find
thirty names signed to primary pledge.
Frank Cogswell, Sunfield, Mich. I herewith
send you thirty-five signatures to the primary
pledge.
. H. C. Schilling, Oklahoma City, Okla. You
will pldase overlook my delay. This list should
have reached you before now but these are all
workers.
W. V. Bishop, Attica, Kans. I enclose a
pledge with seven signatures.
W..H. Cousins, Munday, Texas Enclosed find
primary pledge with thirty-five signatures.
G. W. Dale, Austin, Nev. Enclosed please
find primary pledge with ten signatures.
D. N. Cobb, Hutton Valley, Mo. I enclose
three signatures to the primary pledge.
C. M. Whittaker, Buffalo, N. Y. Enclosed
please find list of thirty-five signatures to the
primary pledger also six subscriptions to The
Commoner. Wijl send more subscriptions soon.
Please send me some more primary pledge blanks.
We have the G. O. P. on the run and want to
keep 'them there.
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