J IMP "Y! NKIj!i '
3T0BER 26, 1$0
The Commoner.
5
BOSS" COX AGAIN AN ISSUE IN OHIO
Columbus, Ohio, October 22, 1906.
The head of the democratic state ticket In
)hio this year is Samuel S. Hoskins, nominee
Cor secretary of state. In his speech of accept-
race Mr. Hoskins declared that In accepting the
lomocratic leadership he stood lor all that the
Lto Governor Pattison had stood for; and this
the keynote for the state campaign.
Commoner readers are familiar with the pro
ceedings in the republican convention at Dayton,
)hio, when Senators Foraker and Dick were en
forced in spite of the fact that the rank and file
f the republicans bitterly condemned those sen
itors. As a result of those proceedings there is
distinct break in the republican line. Boss
3ox of Cincinnati ruled the Hamilton county dele-
jation in the republican state convention and
roted for the senators as against President
toosevelt, who was represented by Congressman
Burton. Boss Cox dictated the nomination by
;the republican convention, of Mr. Thompson for
secretary of state. Thompson is now speaker of
the house of representatives, and as such has a
record to defend. Mr. Hoskins Is making a fight
on the same lines Governor Pattison fought He
is opposed to bossism, to Dick, to Foraker and
to Cox. His election will mean that the repub
lican party of Ohio, unable to cast out its own
dross In its own convention, nas cast it out
through the instrumentality of the democratic
party. The election of Thompson would mean
that the republican party of the state supinely
eits down and permits Its hands and feet to.be
tied and calmly surrenders to the absolute and
unqualified bossship of a senatorial combine that
is engineered and directed by the greatest grafter
of the century, Boss George B. Cox.
From this statement of fact democratic duty
in Ohio may be easily discerned. The republi
cans of the state, who are as patriotic as demo
crats, are anxious to be relieved of the odium
that attaches to a boss-ridden party, are anxious
to declare their Indopondenco of senatorial com
bines and local spoilsmen and grafters, and also
expect to accomplish their onds, aro with the de
mocracy of the state rallying to the bugle call of
the late Governor Pattlson's personal representa
tive. A democrat who falls to vote his ticket
In Ohio this year does so at the oxponse of pa
triotism as well as of party fealty. Thero is
no appeal made by Democratic speakers or writ
ers to partisanship in this campaign. The ap
peal is made direct to loyal citizens of all par
ties. If an approximately full oemocratic vote
can be polled in Ohio the plurality for Candidate
Hoskins will exceed that of Governor Pattison
a year ago. There can bo and Is no question of
this, and no Buckeye democrat can afford to
remain away from the polls or refrain from urg
ing every other democrat to stand up and bo
counted on the Gth day of November.
If wo can carry Ohio again this year, and wo
can if we vote, the contest in 1908 will have been
practically decided. If the democrats can scoro
a second consecutive victory in tnis stato they
are foreordained to secure the third consecutive
one and cast the state's electoral voto for the
democratic candidate In 1908.
The campaign Is comparatively qulot. De
termination Is set in every voter's face, but little
talk is heard. The people's minds aro made up.
Those republicans who did not learn last year
to scratch their tickets, but who are none the
less patriotic and who hesitate this year on the
ground of reluctancy to do that which their con
science commends them to do, will stay at home.
The 150,000 who learned last year that It Is not
a civic crime to voto for a man though his name
appear beneath an emblem that Is strange to
their .partisanship, will vote the democratic ticket
without a scratch this year. And the demo
cratic state ticket, if it is defeated at all, will bo
defeated by democrats.
So far as the congressional situation Is con
cerned there Is not a democratic candidato for
congress in Ohio who has not a chanco of elec
tion. Instead of having one domocrat in the noxt
congress, as she had in the last, Ohio will havo
not less than ten, and the chancos aro that a
majority of the twenty-ono mombors in tho next
house will bo democrats. In every district and
county In tho state republicans are voting against
tho rule of bosses. And these local situations
will havo a tendency to bring out tho voto and
swell tho majorities for roputablo candidates.
J. H. O.
MR. BRYAN'8 ITINERARY
On October 20 Mr. Bryan npoko at Colorado
points, and in tho ovoning ho left for Indiana,
where on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday ho
spoko at Terro Haute, Sullivan, Linton, Bedford,
Mitchell, Shoals, Washington, Vlnconnos, Prince
ton, Oakland City, Everflold, Evansvlllo, Tipton,
Huntington, Fort Wayne, Bluffton. Hartford City,
Munclo, Andorson, Fortvlllo, Greenfield, Indian
apolis, Lebanon, Lafayette, Delphi, Lognnsport,
Plymouth, Columbia City and Fort Wayne. Oc
tob6r 25, 26 and 27 woro to bo devoted to Ohio.
Returning to Nebraska, Mr. Bryan will speak in
his own state on October 30 and 31 and Novem
ber 1, 2, 3 and S.
JJJ
SUGAR
Wtmlr i"'
Senator DoHiver says tho sugar trust would
go bankrupt If It raised tho price of sugar a cent
a pound, because It would decrease consumption.
The chief argument against Senator DoUiver's as
sertion is that the sugar trust has done that,
very thing and still continues to do business at
the same old stand; the same old stand meaning
the lobbies of the national capltol.
Porter, of Iowa, Has Made a Good Record
9
When the twenty-sixth general assembly of
Iowa convened in January, 1896, " a young man
was Bworn in as the nlember of the house from
Appanoose county and took his seat on the demo
cratic side of the chamber.
Appanoose county had given the republican
state ticket a majority of something like half a
thousand, but at the same election had chosen a
democratic representative to the legislature.
That strippling of 24 years, the "baby" of
the house, was Claude R. Porter, who is today
the' democratic nominee successfully contending
with Governor Albert B. Cummins for the suff
rages of the people of Iowa for 'chief executive.
When young Porter came to Des Moinss as
a democrat representing a republican district the
republican members said that he would be short
lived. They hinted at personal popularity and
suggested that, possibly, the republican nominee
might not have been an especially strong man
and thus explained to their satisfaction the rea
sons for Mr. Porter's election. However, as the
cession progressed, the young man from Appa
noose grew in experience and developed unex
pected ability as a lawmaker, and when the
twenty-seventh general assembly convened he
was there again, still representing a district
which was republican except for member of the
house.
By this time his republican colleagues had
learned to know him and they no longer offered
trivial excuses to explain his success. They
also recognized in him, as did the members who
sat on his side of the chamber, a measure of
integrity and ability which commanded their re
spect, and a personal charm which won their
friendship, And so, when, In the twenty-eighth
general assembly, Mr. Porter became a member
of the senate from the Appanoose-Davis district,
a district which gave the republican state ticket
a decided majority, they said "Good for Porter,"
and accepted the result of the election as a mat
ter of course.
In 1898 Mr. Porter was nominated on the
democratic ticket for secretary of state and polled
173,000 votes, which proved that already the
democratic party of Iowa recognized In him one
of their strong, earnest, effective young workers
and a raari of ability" worthy any position to
which he might be called.
xMr. Porter's legislative record Is one which
has endeared him to the hearts of the great mass
ofc tho people who look for men to represent
them in legislative halls who are Incorruptible,
alert in looking after the interest of tho common
people and earnest in their support of the great
doctrine of democracy, "Equal rights for all, spe
cial privileges for none." This principle was tho
rule by which Mr. Porter measured his political
activity. Whatever was for the good of the peo
ple always received his earnest support and ho
was equally quick to discern and brave to oppose
any measure which put the interest of the classes
above that of the masses. While a member of
the legislature his voice and vote were always
against the rule of the corporations and the roll
calls In both senate and house show his name
recorded on the negative side whenever such
measures as the iniquitous Molsberry bill, which
sought to make Iowa a second New Jersey In
affording an asylum for "mergers," was put upon
Its passage.
During the eight years of his membership of
the legislature his record shows that he voted
against every measure which came up upon which
was fixed the trade mark of the corporations.
Mr. Porter was also a constructive states
man. He was appointed a member of many Im
portant special committees which had to do with
tho preparation of measures of great public in
terest He was one of the strong supporters of
the law which provided for the establishment of
the board of control for the state institutions
and as a member of the senate was appointed
on the special committee which formulated a plan
for the better assessment and taxation of the
railroad companies. In the Important work of
the session which revised the code of Iowa Mr.
Porter was one of the hardest working and most
efficient legislators.
. Mr. Porter responded to the call for troops
at the breaking out of the Spanish-American war
and remained in the service until mustered out
When the bitterness of the pro-convention
campaign for the control of the republican state
convention this year gave promise of dissensions
in the republican ranks, the leaders of the de
mocracy looked about them for a man to whom
the people of I6wa-could turn as a safe man to
fill the executive chair. They realized that the
struggle was on between the Cummins oligarchy
and the people who lovod principles of right and'
justice and who did not want their state to be
made the football of a faction or a stopping stone
to the goal of the ambition of a man who declared
himself tho only one fit to represent a great
party. Tho magnificent democratic convention at
Waterloo, tho largest, the most earnest and thor
oughly determined body that ever mot to select
partisan candidates in Iowa, did its work after
mature deliberation and careful consideration of
the claims of all the candidates. This great con
vention selected Mr. Porter as the standard-bearer
of the party In this crucial campaign.
Thus selected and commissioned to bear
aloft tho banner of pure democracy, Mr. Porter
entered upon such a campaign as has never before
been undertaken by the democrats of Iowa. Calm
and dlgniflrd, he states tho issues clearly and
fairly and does not allow his opponents to cajole
the people Into blind following of party name,
but Insists that the records shall determine which
candidate most properly represents tho Interests
of all the people.
Mr. Porter was one of the leaders of hla party
in the campaigns of 1896 and 1900 and as such he'
now appeals to every democrat who believes In
maintaining tho vitality of his party and Its prin
ciples. His Irreproachable character and his un
impeachable record of a public man, together
with his earnest support of the cause of the peo
ple, makes friends In all parties and many of his
speeches in the campaign have been veritable
ovations in which republicans as well as demo
crats vied in paying the tribute of respect to his
honesty, ability and patriotism.
The result of tho pre-conventton campaign
among the republicans and the methods by which
the adherents of the present governor In his ef
forts to secure a third term, broueht about those
results, made this campaign larcely one of in
dividuals. On the part of those wno support the
republican orsranizatlon the issue is "Cummins."
Mr. Porter has verv willingly accented this issue
and he has not failed to keep before the' people
Governor Cummins record of variableness, in
consistency and extravagance. He has fortified
himself with record facts to prove every state
ment which he makee and his clear, mctefVe lotdc
and convincing arguments an rallvlng the voters
to him and the prospects of his triumphant elec
tion are bright. G. A. H.
kit.' -&w ,' .
