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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1905)
rvr& "" DECEMBER 22, 1905 x tliPre was ample ..evidence to convict, and recom nionded prosecution. The attorney general's re pi. in substance was: 'It is useless to 'prosecute I pause we can only secure the infliction of a fine. o might proceed against the company, but wo co.ild not secure indictment of an individual offi cial. The penalty of a mere find against a great corporation would be farcical.' There was no piojccution. The whole case was dropped. Mr. Morton left the cabinet and went to the Equit able insurance company. President Roosevelt wrote him a letter of the highest praise a vindi cation in the eyes of the country 'put wings on him.' And now that all that is out of the way the administration suddenly discovers that rail road officials who grant rebates can be indicted for conspiracy and be sent to jail." t N THIS CONNECTION Mr. Wellman says that 1 when the proof against the Santa Fe was turned over to the department of justice by the interstate commerce commission, the particular work relating to that case was turned over to William A. Day. Mr. Wellman adds: "Although the evidence seemed ample, Mr. Day did not make progress. Several times the members of the com mission inquired of the department of justice: 'How about our Santa Fe case? What is being done about it?' And evry time the reply was: 'Mr. Day has the case and is investigating but has not yet made his report.' Last spring there was a great deal of talk in the newspapers and among public men about the Santa Fe case. Again and again the interstate commerce commissioners asked how it was getting on. Mr. Day still had it under consideration. When the pressure for action became hottest Mr. Day suddenly found The Commoner. insneSfn0? n a long trIp t0 Ala to inspect United States marshals and things 'What mmiss?onUS.M n F orrSkd SK' 2 siAn' i, Mr- Dtt has and is now on a bTck.' ka Cau l d0 myihlQ till ho gots ATwSTiMIh,1?AY got back an(1 concerning ,im.,,, iT !'; WGllman 8ays: "Aftcr all this tftuL LC0Uld not 8ee any g00d of Prosecuting either the company or Paul Morton, and so re ported. The attorney general supported him. Then President Roosevelt employed tho special counsel, who recommended prosecutions both under the Elkins act and criminally for conspir acy. The attorney general overruled the special counsel, the president sustained the attorney gen eral, and there was no prosecution of any sort. The president wrote his celebrated 'wings' letter to Paul Morton. Thomas F. Ryan took Mr. Mor ton to New York .to build new subways, and then made him president of the Equitable at a salary of $80,000 a year. William A. Day was not for gotten. He did not know anything about tho insurance business, but ho had shown himself to be a bright, sensible fellow, even if a little dila tory at times. Paul Morton took him to New York and made him comptroller of the Equit able at a salary of $30,000.. Wo all respect suc cess. And Mr. Day commands general admiration for his skill. Three thousand five hundred dollars a year as auditor of the treasury under President Cleveland, from one to two thousand a year as a practicing lawyer in Washington, $7,000 a year as assistant to the attorney general under tho Roosevelt administration, $30,000 a year as comp troller of the Equitable under tho Morton admin tration, is rapid climbing of the ladder indeed." 9 THE PEOPLE of Butlor county, Nob., aro Just now waging "one of tho most peculiar boy cotts on rocord. It Is peculiar beoauso it i waged by the whole people and is n direct retaliation against two railroad corporations. Tho Burling ton and Union Pacific railroads have refused to pay the taxes assessed against thenv in Nebraska, claiming that the tax is excessive. Tho roadH tendered 80 per cent of tho total tax auaiiHoiJ, but tho tendor was refused. Tho citizens of Butler county in mass convention udoptod reso lutions declaring a boycott against these two cor porations and pledging themselves to givo all their patronago to tho Chicago & Northwostern, that road having paid the full tax assogHed. Tho refusal of tho two roads to pay their full taxes has seriously crippled a numbor of Nebraska counties. But Butler county has taken drastic action, and as they are not dependent upon cither of tho roads mentioned for shipping and passen ger facilities they are In a position to mako tho recreant railroad companies pay dearly for their effort to withhold that 20 per cent. FOLLOWING THE examplo of Butler county tho citizens of RichardBon county mot and adopted equally strong resolutions condemning tho Burlington for refusing to pay its taxes, and in addition strongly denounced tho federal Judgo who issued tho order restraining tho counties from proceeding to collect the taxes by duo pro cess of law. It is evident from the actions of tho people of Richardson and Butler counties that tho peoplo aro thoroughly aroused, and a thoroughly aroused peoplo demanding their rights is a proposition that oven arrogant railroad cor porations dare not face. NEW YORK AND THE PRIMARY PLEDGE New York stands eleventh in the number of primary pledges returned to The Commoner office. Great results would be accomplished if the rank and flle of New York democracy would participate in the party primaries. New York provides a promising field for the primary pledge plan. The Commoner "urges' every New York democrat who believes that' his party should protect the public welfare, to participate in the effort to persuade every New York democrat to attach his name to the primary pledge. If every reader of The Commoner should ask every New York democrat of his acquaintance to sign the primary pledge and to call upon his own neighbor to do likewise, tho results would be profitable to the party and to the country. In every New York county a num ber of democrats might organize for the purpose of circulating the primary pledge form in every precinct, obtaining the signature of every demo crat who is willing to discharge his duty to the party. Then democratic clubs should be organized in every county of the state and in every precinct of the county. It is to be hoped that Commoner readers will soon -hear good reports from the Empire 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 the 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 t'on and asking to have iiheir names entered on the roll, or they can fill out and mail the blank Pledge, which is printed on this page. Missouri and Oklahoma democrats from this lo cality. Please send me about one dozen copies of The Commoner, and ten cards. I will try to get you some new subscribers. G. W. Mallory, Everton, Mo. You will find enclosed primary pledge . with thirty-flve names, all of good democrats. You may send me another blank and I will get as many pledges as I can. Let the good work push on. Ohio did the right thing. George W. Thorpe, J. P., Leaton, Mich. I enclose herewith application for Commoner subscription cards, also my primary pledge duly signed. I sent in my primary pledge some time ago but fearing it may not have reached The Commoner I will send another, for I desire to have my name on the rolls of the democratic party which is now forming for its grand march to victory in 1908. I am a Jeffersonian democrat and a charter member Df The Commoner family. I heartily endorse the primary pledge plan and William J. Bryan's principles of reform. Success to The Commoner. Long may it live. A. W. May, Fort Collins, Colo. I will do all I can in every way for the success of the prin ciples of Jefferson and Jc. 'cson democracy, but no Buckner, no Palmer, no Cleveland, and last but not least, no Parker for me. I am seventy-seven years old, was born, in the l-ck-woods of Hardin county. I made my way across the plains to California In '49 and cast my first vote In 1852 for President Pierce, and have voted the true Jackson principles ever since. I. J. Griffith, Duartc, Calif.- I enclose pri mary pledge with four signatures. E. Adkins, Magnet, Nebr. Please find pri mary pledge, signed. I am sixty-eight years old, and am a veteran of the civil war, and have voted forty-six times and have always voted tho democratic ticket. I expect to keep on voting the democratic ticket as long as the Lord lets mo live. Lee Flenner, Penham, Minn. I believe in the principles of the democratic party as enun ciated by the Chicago and Kansas City platforms. I have always been a believer in true democ racy and have always been faithful to my con victions in advocating and upholding them. As for me, I want a clear and candid statement of the party's position on all public questions. L. B. Whippy, Goshen, Ind. Enclosed find' twenty-four signatures to the primary pledge. David Turney, Round Point, N. C. I enclose primary pledge with ten signatures. Nathan Hill, Golden, Mo. Enclosed find six signatures to the primary pledge. Extracts from letters received at The Com moner office follow: J. W. Nichols, Morgan, Ark. I have seen several of the boys about the primary pledge and . here are the signatures James Quast, Jefferson, Wis. Enclosed please find thirteen signatures to the primary pledge. W. H. Scott, Reno, Nev I send thirty-five signatures to the primary pledge. W. K. Osborne, Brevard, N, O. Enclosed Please find primary pledge with thirty-five signa tures. ... , J. D. Hume, Edmond, Okia. I have circu lated the primary-pledge in our city, and send you a list of thirty-five names of good old Texas, THE PRIMARY PLEDGET I promise to attend all the primaries of my party to be held between now and the next Democratic National Convention, unless unayoidably prevented, and to use my influence to secure a clear, honeBt and straightforward decFaration of the party'i position on every question upon which the voters of the party desire to speak. Signed! I ! Postofiicc Street. County. State. Voting precinct or ward. - Fill out Blanks and mail to Commoner Office, Lincoln, Nebraska . "