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The Commoner.
16
YOLUMS , NUMBER a
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harm. But put a dam across tlio
stream and conditions change. The
' water begins to boil up back of the
dam. Then you raise the dam higher
and the water raises still. And after
while the water back of that dam
lias such tremondous energy that no
man made dam can hold it back and
when tho dam washes away some
houses in tho valley below may go
with tho tide.
Who is to blame? Tho man who
dams the stream. Ho Is the man to
blame. Aad there is a stream of hu
man thought a current of public
opinion. Let it have its way and it
harms no one; but if you dare to
obstruct it the water will rise behind
the dam and after while no dam will
hold tho power accumulated there. In
monarchies they build that dam so
high that people in desperation rise
and blow it out with shot and shell,
but in our country the ballot is in the
hands of the people and they can re
move that dam whenever they get
ready.
We asked you ten years ago to help
us remove these obstructions and let
the will of the people flow and be free.
You refused then. We ask you now.
You have a chance in this state to
elect congressmen who will either
be on the side1 of the people or against
them; you have a chance to elect a
legislature that will be either for the
people or against them; you have a
chance to elect your state ticket, and,
my friends, beside the merit of these
men, such as Woodson and Oglesby
and others on the state ticket be
sides their merits I am interested
that Missouri shall take her place
in the democratic column and let the
world know that in this contest be
tween man atid mammon Missouri is
on tho side pf man and not on the
side ox mammon.
I beg you to study these questions
and then be prepared to vote. Two
years ago you didn't go to the polls.
I can see a difference between the
meetings this year and two years ago.
Why, I was in a county yesterday
where they had a ratification meeting
two years ago and one of the men at
the meting told me of their experi
ence.
He said after they got through their
speaking the chairman proposed three
cheers for the ticket. He said the
chairman gave two cheers and he
gave one and that made three. And
then they adjourned.
Fifty-five thousand democrats stayed
at home in this state last year. Don't
do it this year. Come to the polls
early and avoid the rush, n-nd if v,
live any distance from the polls come
the night before and camp there.
Now Is your chance to indicate the
trend of public opinion and T miHfnir
my judgment of what is going on if
this year Missouri doesn't take her
place in the democratic column and
then the Mysterious Stranger will
wander no longer in republican ranks
tains out of a few small molehills. In
the first -place, what Mr. Bryan said
about government ownership of the
railroads was not intended as a declar
ation of party policy. Mr. Bryan, like
all other men who are interested in
protecting the people from the rapacity
and greed of the great corporations,
particularly those corporations which
control the highways of commerce, is
looking about for the best way to ac
complish that result. He realizes that
up to this good time the government
has been unsuccessful in its effort to
regulate freight and passenger rates
and 'hold them within reasonable
bounds. Ho also recognizes the fact
that unless the people, through ,the
government, control these great cor
porations, that the corporations will
ultimately own and control the govern
ment. They almost do it now. I would
prefer private ownership of railroads
with proper governmental supervi
sion. But the first and paramount
thing to be accomplished with me is
the proper supervision of the railroads
and the regulation of freight and pas
senger rates. The wealth producers
of this country must be protected from
this species of robbery. The most
oppressive tax borne by the people to
day is the tribute which they are
forced to pay the transportation com
panies. If this can not be done with
out governmental ownership, then I
am in favor of the government own
ing the railroads. Governments are
Instituted for the good of the people,
and unless 'they serve that end they
are of no use. If the government can,
not protect the weak against the
strong, and deal out everlasting jus
tice between man and man, then gov
ernment is a failure. I realize that
government ownership of railroads
means the concentration of power in
both the state and national govern
ments, and so long as the negro is a
possible factor in politics In the
south, an almost insuperable barrier to
government ownership lies across our
pathway. But in the change, the nec
essary change, the readjustment of the
organic and statutory laws to the new
conditions, it would be an easy mat
ter to entirely eliminate the negro
rrom politics. That ought to be done
and will be done ultimately, regard
less of the question of government
supervision of railroads. I believe
that most of the democrats are op
posed to government ownership. I
believe Mr. Bryan himself is opposed
to government ownership, if the proper
supervision of railroads can be accom
plished without it. In view of all this,
government ownership of railroads,
and I do not think it ought to declare
in favor of it The country is not
ready for it and at this time it is
practically impossible. But the whole
party should unite, as it was manifest
ly Mr. Bryan's purpose in saying
what he did on this question, to urge
the united party to a determined effort
to control the trusts and enact laws
which will protect the toilers and
wealth producers of this nation from
the insatiable greed of the corpora
tions and the Inordinately rich few.
Thatis all that Mr. Bryan wants, and'
that is what should be done."
fc A NATION'S PLUNDER
In announcing the consummation of
a deal whereby the steel trust is given
possession of the iron lands on the
Mesaba range controlled by the Great
Northern railway, the Northern Pacific
railway, James J. Hill and J. W. Long
year, B. H. Gary, chairman of the steel
corporation's board of directors, states
that "the price to be paid is $1.65 a
ton, delivered at the upper lake docks,
with an increase of 3.4 per ton each
succeeding year. The minimum of ore
agreed to be mined is 750,000 tons for
the year 1907, increased by 750,000
tons each year until it reaches 8,250,
000 tons. Thereafter it continues on
that basis."
The amount of ore involved is esti
mated by "Mr. Gary at 750,000,000 tons.
At thelowest estimate he places it at
700,000,000 tons. At the royalty to
be paid, the owners of these iron
lands will derive over a billion dol:
lars for the right of mining the Iron
that they contain. And none of this
wealth has been created by them.
They merely have gotten title to it
through the stupidity of the people
combined with the craft and corrup
tion of their public servants.
If the public's Interest had been con
sulted the billion dollars that is to be
paid into the pockets of Mr. Hill and
his associates would go to the public.
Not only, is the public deprived of this
princely revenue to which in justice it
is entitled, but it must proceed to pay
into the pockets of the men. that have
grabbed the Mesaba iron range the
billion and" more of money that the
Steel trust will collect and hand over
to them.
It was only a few years ago that
the Mesaba iron range' belonged to
the public domain. The lands have
been frittered away and, stolen. It is
a shameful record the public stripped
I am driven to the conclusion that through its fatuity and the. craft of
while some of the criticisms of Mr. nrlvate Interests and the lack of pub-
GOVERNOR VARDAMAN'S
OPINION
The New Orleans Times-Democrat
printed under date of Jackson, Miss.,
September 4, the following din,,.
Goyernpr Vardaman today gave out
an Interview on the recent speech of
Mr. Bryan on the occasion of his re
ception In New York, and especially
as to Mr. Bryan's nHttndo i, ,,
tlon of railroad control by tho govern-
Bryan's attitude on the subject, say
Si LXm prefor pdvate owner
amp with proper governmental con-
!2!i , that lf PrPer governmental
control can not be had otherwise, then
tie favors the jrov6rnmGnr' ni,t
over the railroads altogether. The
"I think some of the gentlemen who
Sm.2?nqIsing Mr Bryan's Madison
square Garden sneeoh nm or.,!
L making a great many largo moun-
Bryan may arise from an honest dif
ference of opinion, and out of an hon
est desire for the success of the dem
ocratic party, yet a great deal of it,
I fear, emanates from hearts who are
really antagonistic to Mr. Bryan and
much that he stands for in political
una economic matters. I am afraid
they are taking advantage of this op
portunity to break him down. But
they can not break Bryan down. He
He spirit and breadth of view of
American statesmen. It is part and
parcel of a clvllizntlon that is based
upon what Rockefeller Is pleased to
term "opportunity" opportunity for
the crafty and greedy to exploit and
plunder the many.
And yet there are those that won
der that there is discontent in the
United States and a rising wave of
social unrest and radicalism. Would
Is made of unbreakable stuff. He they marvel if an Attila or a Ghazan
stands upon the rock of eternal truth
ana everiasung honesty.
" 'Him do tho toilers know to be their
friend,
Him will they follow, faithful to the
end,
1 hough every leaf were a tongue to'
cry, "Thou must,"
He will not say the unjust thing is
Just.' .
'He will not do the republican act
of receiving stolen goods from cor
porations to buy his election and then
denounce the thieves who gave him
the money. Mr. Bryan will not mis
lead the people on any subject or
about anything. As to what the demo
cratic party in national convention
will do with the question of govern
ment ownership of railroads, I have
too idea that the national democratic
Convention will declare In favor of the
Khan should have descended upon, the
United States and" through force have
stripped the American people of the
things which cunning and creed have
possessed themselves of throuerh the
operation of law and privilege? Dis
content! The wonder is that there is
so little of it that there Is only grumb
ling. Milwaukee News.
THE VANISHING HUMAN VOICE
A few more years and our ears' will
no longer be charmed by the sweet
tones of the tenor and the soprano.
The present fashion of violent sport
is having a most disastrous effect on
the singing powers of the lime's and I4
Is probable that our descendants will
never be able to enjoy the operas of
Verdi or TlnRnlni nwinv f to, ,i,.,,m.
of the of singers.- La Ropublique Francaise,
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