n5?PJPP??l9RP'(flT'- W-Wjfljpr
r fi jt -
W,.,,,,,;,,,.. .. .ym U.'!HB
rf r ,
,:
6
The Commoner;
VOBTJMB ,6, NUMBER 4k
.'
..
tf
.-
K ' i
1'fv
V
l
"Hew to the Line, Let the Chips Fall Where They May"
No man who is financially connected with a corporation that is seeking privileges ought t
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 wh'ile he is seeking to promote, the financial
interests of the corporation with which he is connected. '
' ' '
Ur TKe Commoner
'.,"; " ' ISSUED WEEKLY
'William j .Bbtaw Chablbs w. Bbtah
l- Editor and Proprietor. Publisher.
' Rl6nABD LVMetcau-x Editorial Rooms and Business
"''' 'Associate Editor. Office S&1-3S0 So. 12th Street.
.Entered at the rostoffice at Uncoln, Nebraska.. a second--,
class mall matter.
' i i
On Yea $1.00 Three Months 25o
Six Months ...50o Single Copy So
1 rt .t. e a Sample Copies Free
In. Clubs, of 5 or moge Foreign Feat 52o Ex.
per Year 75o tra.
SUBSCRIPTIONS can be sent direct to The Com
moner. T,hey can also 'bo sent through newspapers
which have advertised a clubbing rate, or through local
agents, whero sub-agents have been appointed. AU
remittances should be sent by postofllce money order,
express, order, or by bank draft on New York or
Chicago. Do not send individual checks, stamps or
money.
DISCONTINUANCE5.-lt is found tbat a large major,
ty of. our subscribers prefer not to have their subscriptions
interrupted and their flics brolten in case they fail to remit
before expiration. It is therefore assumed tbat continuance
dcored unless subscribers xirder discontinuance either
when subscribing- or at any, time during the year. PRESEN
TA'riON COPIES: liany persons subscribe for friends, in
tendincr tbat- the paper shall stop at the end of the year. If
Uistructions,are irtven to tbis effect they will receive atten
tion at tbeproper timek . . , ; r , . ,
RJEN.EWALS, The date on your wrapper shows
when your subscription will expire. Thus, Jan. 81, '06.
-mefena that payment has been received to and includ
ing t a last Issue of, January,, a90S. wo weeks are
required after money has been received before the
i? 2,JXpper CAn Q changed.
-CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Subscribers requesting a
change of address must give OLD as well as the N1SW
address.
ADVERTISING rates furnished upon application.
Address all communications to t .
THE COMMONER. Lincoln, Neb
(.
i,nV Kansas- republicans are sweating at every
pore?. ,,
v Senator Dryden's grip on a re-election scarce
- ilyr-'nas the "strength of Gibraltar."
i? y n-
. .: ' The "standpatters" doubtless realize now that
they exhibited entirely too much neck exposure.
i
i.. ..If .the new theatrical trust will restrict out
put !t will earn a little gratitude from a long
suffering people. fa
t iVioS le S stick" returns from Panama
t it is to be hoped that the big shovel will becin
- active duty down there. g
fii D2?b.US!s the admistration organs will con--'
, ?erhap3 th administration is enconrnfHni
they forgot til S Sg&SS fllled
Uft tax on th. Phenol j?g awful
SeomseToeoStlrfoo&ethnCOUnty'-Crawfor''
nuins the 2&
of th? Wes?eVrSe"n6e,f0U,ld ,from tho
General Groseno,- flc ?ri? ! ely,?rour oW Wend.
mauon. " """bi saaionai nora
A STUDY OF GOVERNMENTS
(Continued from Pag$ 3)
public servants, kamilton, on the other hand,
believed in a strong centralized government in
which the officials should be removed as far as
possible from the voter.- His plan of govern
ment, carefully prepared and presented at the
time of the formation of the constitution, pro
vided for a president elected for life or during
good behavior, or for governors of the several
states appointed by the president for life or dur
ing good behavior. No one would propose such
a plan at this time, so great has been the ad
vance toward democracy. This growth is indicat
ed by the fact that the national house of repre
sentatives has four times declared in favor of the
election of the United' States senators by direct
vote of the people and by the further fact that
more than two-thirds of the states of the union
have by legislative action declared in favor of
this change. The unpopularity of the latter part
of .Hamilton's plan, namelytheappointment of
-governors by tho president, is shown by the-fact
that territorial government under which the
governors are. appointed by the president, not
for life but for a few years, is deemed unsatis
factory. The people of a territory are always
wanting statehood, and the main -reason is that
they desire to elect their own officials.
The democratic Idea 'is growing -the - term
is not used in a partisan sense but in-that broader
sense in which it describes government by the
people. Tliere is not a civilized nation In which
the idea of popular government is not growing
and in all the semi-civilized, nations there are
reformers who are urging an extension of the
influence of tho people in government. So uni
versal is this growth of democratic ideas that
there can be no doubt of the final triumph of
these ideas. Monarchies, at first unlimited, are
now limited, and limited monarchies are recog
nizing more and more the right of the people to
a voice in their own government. Monarchies
and aristocracies tend toward democracy, and re
publics tend to become more and more demo
cratic in their forms and methods.
J.enxthe seed' Planted in the earth, sends
forth the tender leaf and then the stalk; when
the grain appears upon the stalk and suppliea
the bread necessary for the support of our bod
ies, we know that there is back of the seed a force
irresistible and constantly working. As irresis
tible and as ceaseless in its activity is the
force behind political and moral truth. The advo
cates .of the American theory of government can,
therefore, labor with the confident assurance
that the principles planted upon American soil
a century and a quarter ago are destined to grow
hero and everywhere until .arbitrary power will
nowhere be known, and the voice of the people
will be recognized, if not as the voice of God,
at -least, as Bancroft defines it, as the best ex
pression of the divine -will to be found upon the
earth.
In republics, as in other forms of govern
ment, there will at times bo disturbances, but
these come from a failure to recognize and re
spect the current of public opinion. If we stand
by the side of a stream and watch it glide past
us, we can Jn safety listen to the song of the
waters, but if we attempt to dam the stream we
find the water rising above the dam. if we mako
th da" WBher still, the water rises still more
and at last the force of the obstructed water
is so .great that no dam made by human hands
- can longer stay it Sometimes, when the dam
i? f bS? awF' damagG Js done to those who
live in the valley below, but the fault is not in
tcfirnin !n tb08G TH0 1
stiuct it. So in human society, there is a enr-
If" eft "toWS? whlch,(flws over onwar"
ii ieit to have its way it does not .harm
anyone, but if obstructed, this, current may be
come a menace. At- last the obstructloi mtt
so
V
yield to the force of the current. . In monarchies
hTinf0168?6 dam Is stimes built 2
high that it must bo removed by force that the
waters may have their way, but in republics e
ballot can be relied upon to keep the channel
of the stream open, or if obstruction is place.
there, to remove it while yet it can bo remove
with safety. The advantage of a republic is that
S?Pfn0P5' thrh their representatives are
able to give public opinion free play, and the
neeifderaD5ratIc:a republic is, the- more nearly
does it conform to the wishes of the people.
No one can study the governments of tho
old world without a feeling, of gratitude that in
?! W WSrl? th0' science of government has
$irtCarried lts hlghest noint an iat the
SSSm en!? Privilege, and bear the respon
i y'. L IeadInS the world in. recognizing the
right of the people to devise .and to direct the
government under which they are to work out
their destiny. ,. . . L
(Copyright.)
.IV c
Mistakes on governmem.t4,ownership
(Continued from Page" tfl'
mpnopolies, is not socialism for -th5 reason that
under private ownership competition has "ceased
to exist, or never did Sxist. ' - '" '"
iTh1, elImiriation of competition between par
allel railways is rapidly being- accomplished and
.will continue regardless of laws and commissions,
just as occurred in England and Europe. Those
who cry "socialism" to frighten the people into
opposing government ownership look with indif
ference upon the gigantic railway combinations,
as is we 1 illustrated by thtf following quotations:
.,P r(r?AiecturB on commerce, Chicago Univer
i ? J904; ex;Secretary of the Navy Paul Mor
ton said: "I do not view the ownership of all
i. erican railroads by a single company or
Interest with the slightest alarm." Mr. Morton
formerly prdtended to be a democrat, but he has
lrUnt m PrPer Place in the republican party.
Mr, H. T. Newcomb, editor of the Railway World,
says in an article in the Review of Reviews, 1901,
Vol. 24, page 174: "The economic advantages of
absolute unification are so great that it may be
expected that the movement will not cease until
unification has been completely accomplished."
Mr. Newcomb did not Indicate who would
reap the advantages of absolute unification of
rail-way interests, but it was hardly necessary.
The discussion of the question of public owner
ship of railroads will be carried on by the repub
lican editors and speakers along the same lines
that the money question was discussed in 189(5,
and the voter who is looking for facts and seeking
truth should 'closely investigate and study their
extravagant claims and misrepresentations. The
annual reports of tho interstate commerce com-
Snlv!J0m 1857 t0 tne Present time should be
thoughtfully read and .studied, and if this is done
there will be no doubt as to the outcome.
THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
As this copy of The Commoner may be read
by-some one not familiar with the details of the
primary pledge plan, Jt is necessary to .say that
according to the terms of this plau-overy 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 straight-forward declaration of
the party's position on every question 'upon which
the voters of theparty desire to speak. Those
. .desiring to be enrolled can either hvrtte fo Tho
Commoner approving the object of the organiza
t on and asking to have their names entered on
the roll. -or they can fill out and mail the blank
pledge, which is printed on page 10.
Kil'I CIOJ J. h If j '
' , -wi ,
atafcttaea
E3ST
ij2-i!SJia. ,,.
ijBjr!?Lll' '"-jjj3
t&&faij&:ti
j&fe
wnriHMiiM i rrnri i"- j.m mp i - . fhmmmi
TSsaaawwMi"rLilwtiAVJ7 JJ&lvSV . .., .wt
t-5a.iiiiA.i-.jtii JSjaa.jit Jolt, uimStKV"'!