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The Commoner.
MlPTEMBEIt 2119M '
3
m Few "Words With Commoner Subscribers
I I am deeply Indebted to the subscribers of
iThe Commoner for the loyal support which they
tJSluLve given to the paper in my absence and for
M-ae interest which they have taken in the exten-
flon of its circulation. While I left the paper In
good hands and am more than pleased with the
panner in wnich it has been conducted, I am
jlad to be at the helm again, for there is much
I desire to say concerning the issues before the
country. The tremendous growth in public senti
'ment in favor of the policies for which the demo
cratic party has been contending must bo gratl
t fying to you as it has been to me. Events have
I vindicated our position and strengthened public
. confidence in our party. Even on the money ques
tion tne soundness or our arguments has been
demonstrated by the improved conditions which
K have followed an increase in the currency. The
money question has been eliminated as an issue
only because an unexpected and unprecedented
ft increase in the production of gold has brought
relief from the appreciation of the dollar and lift
ed prices toward the bimetallic level. On all other
questions our position has been strengthened by
'the failure of the republican party to bring any
material relief. It continues a policy of imper
ialism at an enormous expense to the country,
while a promise to the Filipinos, like the promise
made to the Cubans, would reduce expenses and
restore our country to its legitimate position as
an advocate of government resting upon the con
sent of the governed. It has refused to reform
the tariff even where the tariff has become the
bulwark of trusts yes, even when the protected
interests have shown their ingratitude by selling
abroad at a lower price than they sell at homo.
It has failed to satisfy the demands of the labor
ing element of the country. Where the republi
can party has made any progress, it has made it
along democratic lines. It promised to do noth
ing on the trust question, and where the presi
dent has attempted to enforce the law, he has
done so in accordance with the demands made by
the democratic party years ago. His recommend
ations on the question were also in line with the
democratic platform, but a republican senate vory
much weakened tho bill which tho presldont'askod
for and which tho democratic members of tho
house and senate almost unanimously favorod.
Tho president has educated tho pcoplo up to
an endorsement of many of tho democratic pol
icies which were violently denounced a few years
ago, and there is every prospect now of a demo
cratic victory in 1908. -Whether wo shall succeed
at tho polls rests largely in tho hands of tho
domocrats themselves, and I tako this opportunity
to point out tho two things which, in my judg
ment, will most contribute to that success.
First, the presentation of democratic argu
ments to tho public. Every democrat should make
himself a committeo of one to got tho democratic
position before tho public, for that position will
grow in favor as it is hotter understood. Demo
cratic speeches which present tho democratic posi
tion clearly ought to bo circulated. The local pa
pers which champion democratic Ideas ought to
be heartily supported, not only for tho good that
the editorials do but for tho encouragement which
enthusiastic support gives to thoso who write tho
editorials.
Second, the organization of tho democratic
party must bo in sympathy with the people.
When the tariff question was tho paramount Issue,
the party demanded that tho members of tho
organization should be in harmony with the
party's purpose to reform tho tariff; when tho
money question was the paramount issue, tho
people demanded that the members of the organi
zation should be in harmony with the party plat
form on that subject; when imperialism was tho
paramount issue, the people demanded that the
members of the organization should beln harmony
with the party's avowed policy. Upon no other
basis can a fight be made. Individuals may dis
sent from parts of tho platform they may even
dissent from tho party's position on the question
declared by the party to be paramount but can
didates and members of tho organization, if
known to be antagonistic to the party's purpose,
can not render any services sufficiently impor
tant to overcome the damage done by their at
titude So today, when tho trust issue Is tho
paramount isauo, tho democratic candidates and
tho democratic organization must stand out boldly
against corporate domination in politics.
NO MAN WHO IS FINANCIALLY CON
NECTED WITH A CORPORATION THAT IS
SEEKING PRIVILEGES OUGHT TO ACT AS A
MEMBER OF A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION
BECAUSE HE CAN NOT REPRESENT HIS
CORPORATION AND THE PEOPLE AT THE
SAME TIME. HE CAN NOT SERVE THE PARTY
WHILE HE IS SEEKING TO PROMOTE THE
FINANCIAL INTERESTS OF THE CORPORA
TION WITH WHICH HE IS CONNECTED.
This may bo accepted as axiomatic. It Is the
statoment of an old-fashioned truth which none
can dispute. It is simply a paraphraso of tho
Biblo declaration that "no man can servo two
masters." Upon so simple a proposition there
should be no dispute If you believe with mo in
tho importance of having tho democratic organi
zation free from tho taint of corporate control, I
urge you to present this matter to your neighbors
and to apply tho principle to your local and state
as well as national organizations. Doubtless there
are many democrats connected with thoso cor
porationssome of them officially -who would put
the good of tho party above tho Intorests of their
corporations, but such men know enough About
human nature to know how Impossible it is to
convince the public of their disinterestedness, and
If they really feel a deep interest in tho party's
success, they will not thrust themselves upon tho
party in an official way or oven allow themselves
to bo persuaded to become officers of tho party
organization. It is no reflection upon them per
sonally to say that they can not aid thoir party
In this capacity.
Believing that you earnestly desire a real
democratic victory a victory which, instead of
being barren of fruit, will bring reliof to 'the peo
ple and establish tho party in public confidence
for years, I take tho liberty of presenting these
suggestions to you. W. J. BRYAN.
" ' THE DUMA MR. BRYAN'S LETTER
(Continued from Page 2)
each individual that stimulus to improve his land,
which is the important element in individual own
ership.' In riding through a country one can dis
tinguish with considerable accuracy between the
farms cultivated by their owners and those cul
tivated by tenants, because the tenants, as a rule,
are unwilling to make permanent improvements.
One Russian economist estimates the income from
the owned lands of Russia at thirty per cent abovo
the income of the same area of communal lands.
He attributes it to the ability of the land owners
to supply themselves with proper tools and to
furnish or borrow at low rates the money needed
for cultivation, but it is possible that this dif
ference may be 1n part due to the fact that own
ership makes the incentive to labor greater, and
offers a richer reward to superior effort.
There is an upper house, or council of empire
as it is called, which shares the legislative power
with the duma, but it does not receive much at
tention because its composition is such that It
can not reflect public sentiment, and can not op
pose the will of the people except at the risk of
Its' existence. Half of the members of this coun
' oil are appointed by the emperor and the other
half elected by different interests. The ncbillty
elect some, the universities some and the zems
towB some.
The duma does not recognize the council of
empire as a co-ordinate branch of the government
and will not be slow to express itself in favor of
' a radical change in the method of selecting the
members of this upper house, or even its aboli
tion, if it stands in the way of measures which
have a large majority in the duma.
What will be the outcome in Bussia? A Rus
sian would hardly venture a prediction, and for
an outsider prophecy is -even more hazardous.
The situation could scarcely be more complicated,
fenerations of misrule have brought an accumu-
lation of questions, all pressing for solution. The
duma wants a great many tnmgs aone ana warns
them done at once, while the government, If it
remains Under the influences of the bureaucracy,
win fWvA nfl littlfl as nossible. So far, the govern-
ment has been unfortunate in that it has delayed
If nil a
t making; concessions until sua greater conceg
) slons ai'e demanded. The program of the present
xninistryihas been so completely repudiated mac
the emperor may find It easier to appoint a new
ministry than to humiliate the present one by
compelling It to propose what it has heretofore
refused. If a new ministry is formed and the
duma is consulted about its personnel, Ivan
Petrunkevlch will probably be the premier. He
is a member of the duma and the head of the par
liamentary organization of the constitutional dem
ocrats. He has already proposed a constitution
to Nicholas n. If the duma is disregarded and
a ministry formed from the emperor's present ad
visers, it will at least be more liberal than the
one now in office.
The duma is a permanent institution; it
could not be abolished by imperial decree with
out endangering the crown itself, and it can not
be dissolved or prorogued with safety. The gov
ernment must, therefore, treat with the duma
and agree to such compromises as may be neces
sary tos maintain peace between the executive
and the people. The officials, too, are learning
from the duma something about the science of
government. When there was no one to speak
for the people, the czar could claim to voice their
sentiments. He can claim this no longer. When
tho people were denied a hearing, the officials
could deny that tho people desired reforms, but
the officials can not put their unsupported opin
ions against a unanimous duma. The elections
have shown how insignificant a support the gov
ernment has among Its subjects, and these figures
contain a warning, which oven the bureaucracy
can not entirely disregard. Does the government
rely upon the army? The soldiers are drawn
from the people and servo for three years, a half
million raw recruits being enlisted each year.
Is it possible that they can be different in senti
ment from their fathers and brothers? In three
years the Russian army will be made up of men
in hearty accord with thoso who speak through
the duma. Without an army to rely upon what
answer can the bureaucracy make to the legis
lature? The czar has already suffered much at the
hands of his advisers; he is no longer the Idol
that he was, an'd reverence for the church has
abated somewhat as reverence for him, Its tem
poral head, has decreased. What can he do?
There is but one course open to him. He asked
the people what they wanted and they have told
him. Aa he can not doubt that they have told
him the truth, he must either accept their an
swer or confess that he does not Intend to con
sider their wishes. If he would appoint wnow
ministry, propose a moasure guaranteeing free
dom of speech and freedom of tho
press, recommend an agricultural bank
to protect the peasants from the small
money lenders, recall tho exiles, release political
prisoners and Invito the leaders of the duma to
confer with the ministry in regard to the land
question, he would be restored to the affection of
his subjects and have no reason to fear bomb
'throwers or hostile criticism. He would find a
hundred and thirty millions of loyal subjects a
much stronger bodyguard than a few hired sol
diers. His position is a difficult one because his
environment is unfriendly to tho masses, but
having burned the bridges behind him, he must
go forward.
Russia is not decaying. She has extent
of territory, abundant natural resources and an
immense population. To be sure, a majority of
her people were serfs until a generation ago, but
there Is no race distinction between tho nobility
and the peasant, and with education the extremes
of society are being drawn closer together. That
Russia has a great future is not open to doubt
What experiences she may pass through before
she emerges a free, self-governing and prosper
ous nation no one is wise enough to foresee, but
the people who have, sacrificed as much for lib
erty as have the Russian patriots have in them
the material of which mighty nations are made.
The duma is ready to do Its part; will the govern
ment rise to the occasion? Time alone can tell.
Copyright.
THE DINGLEY SCHEDULE8
Tho republican orator who speaks In de
fense of the present republican tariff law and
justifies it upon the theory of tho honest advo
cate of protection refuses to give consideration
to the fact to which Senator Dollivar of Iowa tes
tifies that Mr. Dingley himself stated that the
schedules of the present tariff law were purposely
placed high in order that they might be used as
a basis for obtaining reciprocity treaties. Al
though there are no Infant industries to be pro
tected, and the tariff barons have taken advan
tage of republican legislation to impose upon the
people, we are now told that the Dingley sched
ules are so sacred they must not be touched.
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