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The Commoner.
aruNB 16, 1906
3
TH CHICAGO PLATFORM STILL LIVES"
The Washington Post is offended because The
Commoner said: "The Chicago platform still
lives." The Post says that "free coinage at
sixteen-to-one was the only vital issue" in the
Chicago platform, adding:
"What possible motive can Mr. Bryan's -Commoner
have for eulogizing the Chicago
platform at this time when the democratic
factions are trying to get together and elect
a democratic house of representatives?
A red flag in a bull yard would be
no more of a provocation to wrath than
is such a performance In the democratic party.
What that party most needs is to forget, or
affect to forget, the split of 1896. It can win no
presidential victories, and therefore, can not
take its place the place it ought to fill as
a strong and safe opposition without the
co-operation of the conservative democrats."
The Post forgets that the radicalism of 1896
has become the conservatism of 1906. The Chi
cago platform did not deal exclusively with the
money question. What the Post calls 'sixteen
to one" was not the Issue Indeed, "sixteen to one"
was the bugaboo which republican leaders held
up for the purpose of frightening the people.
The Commoner said: "It is no exaggeration
to say that in its essential principles the Chi
cago platform stands vindicated in the court of
public opinion." That statement Is proved. Re
cent developments show that men who poured
millions of dollars into the republican campaign
fund were more afraid of criminal prosecution
, than thoy were of free silver. So far from being
"a hoodoo," as the Washington Post calls it,
the Chicago platform read today In a gathering
of American citizens anywhere in the land would
call for cheers from republicans atf well as from
democrats.
The Post says that the democratic party
"needs to forgot the Chicago platform." Then the
- democratic party Is in a bad way, indeed. How
may democrats forget the Chicago platform
when republican conventions everywhere are en
dorsing its essential principles, when newspaper
editors that once condemned Its statements of
fact now admit their error, and when the presi
dent of the United States, elected aB a republi
can, wins applause from the masses of the people
only as he moves along the lines defined in that
platform? Why, you could almost palm off the
Chicago platform as a republican editorial In
some sections of this country.
It was the quantitative theory of money
not "16 to 1" which was in fact the foundation
of all arguments made in behalf of bimetallism
and that foundation is recognized generally to
day. Even the Post will not now question it.
In every section of the country republicans
demand the restriction of the privileges con
ferred upon the national hanks. And that's in
the Chicago platform.
In ovory state In the union a considerable
numbor of republicans denounce the high tariff
as "a prolific breeder of trusts and monopolies"
which "enriches the few at the oxponHo of tho
many, restricts trade, and deprives tho producers
of tho great American staplos of access to their
natural markets." And that's in tho Cfilcago
platform.
Many republicans now advocate the Income
tax, and that's In tho Chicago platform.
A republican congress has onactcd a law en
larging tho powors of tho Interstate commerce
commission. That's in tho Chicago platform.
Men, regardless of party, now favor tho elec
tion of senators by tho people, oppose the free
pass system, and demand the enforcement of tho
criminal clause of tho Sherman anti-trust law. Tho
Chicago platform reminds us of all these reforms
for tho men who stood upon that platform have
stood faithfully for them. Thoy have lived to
soo the day when men who, ten years ago,
snoered at tho handiwork of tho democratic plat
form makers at Chicago seek tho preservation of
the business interests of the country, and the
defense of tho national honor along tho lines
laid down by the democratic party in 1896.
OF COURSE HE'S LOVABLE
v
Referring to the extraordinary power con
ferred upon the speaker of the house and the
readiness with which Speaker Cannon has taken
advantage of that power, a Washington cor
respondent says that Mr. Cannon "has been show
ing himself to be a politician of the most ordi
nary type and a hard taskmaster." This cor
respondent adds:
"People who used to think that 'Uncle
Joe' was a dear, kind, benevolent old chap
with certain eccentricities which made him
all the more lovable, are now criticising him
" as severely as any of those who have never
thought of him as other than an 'ordinary v
man, raised to office and great power princi
pally because of his long Service in the house
and his 'safety' from the standpoint of the re
publican machine."
Uncle Joe is "lovable," all right. But with
out desiring to detract one lota from his high
and deserved reputation in this respect we beg
leave to remark that almost any of us would be
''lovable" if given our own way an'd Uncle Joe
appears to have had his own way-all, too long
go far as public interests are concerned.
JJJ
ASYLUM REFORMS
Recent disclosures show, terrible conditions
existing in two of the asylums for the insane,
one being located in Illinois and the other in
Nebraska. It is charged that in each of these
institutions patients were subjected to outrage-,
ous cruelties. The American people have made'
small progress In the matter of asylum manage
ment. Today, as a quarter of a century ago,
the inmates of the asylum for the insane are
practically helpless and subject to the tender
mercies' of their immediate keepers. The com
plaints they register are not, as a rule, taken
seriously. Such complaints are promptly, and
' too often effectually, met with the retort: "He
is crazy and Imagines these things."
It Is known that in many cases where such
complaints have Tjeen made the poor creatures
have been whipped to silence by brutal keepers,
and while, they "were sufficiently insane to be
locked up, they had sufficient intelligence not to
repeat the offense of complaining against their
keepers.
The governor of a state, or other person in
supreme authority over such asylums, has great
'responsibilities. He should be active in the in
vestigation of such institutions, and every com
plaint that reaches him should be thoroughly
probed. It will not do, however, to depend en
tirely upon the activity of the governor; for in
asmuch as he appoints the head of the asylum he
is apt to rely implicitly upon the statement of
that officer. A system of Inspection should be
provided by the state legislature. Some plan
should be adopted whereby a commission com
posed of men and women living outside of the
town in which the asylum is located is appointed.
This commission should be chosen by some power
other than that which chooses the asylum super
intendent in order that there would be no sym
pathetic reason for the commission to withhold
criticism.
Several states have gone to great expense
in providing magnificent buildings for the pur
pose of housing tho mentally afflicted, and It is
strange that they have not made greater progress
in the effort to protect helpless creatures from
the brutality of the men and women placed over
them. '
It is an opinion generally held by practical
and observing newspaper men that men and
women who remain long in the position of
keeper of the insane lose sympathy and often,
if not as a rule, become brutal in the treatment
' of, their wards. One person should not be per
mitted to hold for a considerable period of time
the position of superintendent of one of the asy
lums, and the tenure of office of attendants should
be limited. Experience in dealing with these help
' less creatures is not nearly so Important as sym
pathy and kindness, and frequent changes In the
personnel of the asylum's staff will give to the in
mates of these institutions the benefit of that
kind and sympathetic treatment which may rea
sonably be expected at the hands of men and
' women who have not become calloused by fa
miliarity with asylum 'conditions.
Tc is time that reform in the management of
asylums for the insane be brought about, and it
may not be doubted that there is room for marked
improvement in every one of these institutions
in every state.
' JJJ
A GREAT STATE'S PLIGHT
New York, the richest and most populous
state hi the union, is practically without repre
sentation in the senate of the United States.
Depew, broken and discredited, has not been
present for months. Piatt, aged and Sick, has
appeared but once' or twice, and then not for the
purpose of representing the people, but for the
purpose of guarding the interests of tho great
express companies. A few days, ago he appeared
in the senate and made a feeble and futile effort
to have the express companies excluded from the
"common carrier" feature of the rate bill. Then
he returned to New York for "rest," and It Is
not probable that he will appear again on the
floor during the present session.
But the people of New York have no one to
blame but themselves for their present unenviable
position. They permitted the corporations to
select servile corporation tools. They permitted
themselves to be grossly deceived by the specious
cries of "national honor" and "honest money."
They humbly walked to thp polls and registered
the wishes of the political bosses who were them
selves the paid tools of a corrupt commercial and
financial ring. For a generation they abjectly
acquiesced in schemes that invariably resulted
Ip. the corporations electing the senators. Now
their state is discredited, their two senators under
a cloud, and New York absolutely without in
fluence In tho affairs of the senate. It Is consol
ing, however, that If New Ydrk Is no longer rep
resented In the senate, It is not as wholly unrep
resented as It was when Piatt and. Depew were
actively engaged in doing th6 will of the trusts,
corporations and Insurance rings.
JJJ
WHEN THE REAL TEST COMES
A . Chicago school of domestic science has
just, turned out a class of sweet girl graduates
whose diplomas certify that they are able to
keep house on $10 a week. Unless the young
"men of today are utterly- blind to their opportu
nities these young women will speedily bo given
marital opportunities to demonstrate tho practi
cability of their education. If this school is
really turning out graduates capable of living
up to their diplomas the problem of "why don't
the young men marry" may be considered solved.
But the real test will not come with the begin
ning of an effort to keep house on a salary of
$10 a week. It will coma when, after living for
several months on a salary of $10 a week, the
salary is increased to $12 a week. The teirtpta
tlon to spend that $2 a week increase several
times over each week will call for all the will
power and technical knowledge possessed "by the
graduate and her young husband. "We've just
had our salary raised $2 per week, so' wo can
afford this," will be tho argument. And tho same
argument will be advanced to justify tho expendi
ture of tho aforesaid $2 two, throe, four, perhaps
a dozen, times a week. It Is to bo hoped that
these young graduates, when the real test comes,
will be able to meet it. If thoy do, then, indeed,
will they and their school bo worthy of all praise
and support. The world has long needed some
thing of the kind.
JJJ i '''
THE DIFFERENCE
Referring to the report that Mr. Bryan accept
ed a dattoship from the Sultan of Jolo and re-
, fused a decoration from the Sultan of Turkey,
the. Denver Republican asks: "But when was
consistency a Bryan characteristic?" Tho Repub
lican does not shine well when it talks about con
sistency. If a dattoship was conferred upon Mr.
Bryan it was conferred by a very eminent gentle-
' man who is, by grace of a republican adralnlstra-
tlon, upon Uncle Sam's pay roll and compelled
to give allqglance to this government. The deco
ration refused was offered by an hereditary mon
arch. It is extremely difficult to keep track of
the republican criticism of Mr. Bryan. First,
they charge him with being too consistent, and
then they criticise what they call his lack of con-
sistoncy. The Denver Republican should caucus
with itself and come to an agreement, If it will
think a bit even if the strain Is hard It will
soon see that a dattoship is no more like a deco
ration from the Sultan of Turkey than a repub
lican platform pledge is like a promise designed
to be fulfilled.
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