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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1907)
ai3r; rW The Commoner. WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR VOL. 7. No. 7. Lincoln, Nebraska, March 1, 1907. Whole Number 319. CONTENTS MR. BRYAN'S ADDRESS BEFORE THE WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE TRUST CONTROL OP EDUCATION THEN GIVE US PUBLICITY REMEDY FOR WRECKS MERELY A PAWN WHY NOT IN OHIO? "NO MONSTER SO DANGEROUS" TARIFF REVISION SENTIMENT COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS HOME DEPARTMENT . WHETHER COMMON OR NOT NEWS OF THE WEEK "NOW YOU SEE IT," ETC. Recently newspapers have congratulated con guess upon making decrease in the amount to be paid the railroads for carrying the mails, such decrease being in the sum of $12,000,000. But it seems that this is a case of "now you see it and now you don't see it." The Washington corre spondent for the New York World says that Chairman Ovcrstreet of the postolfice committee offered a resolution which practically donates $10,000,000 to the railroads. Referring to this resolution this correspondent says: "It was accomplished without a record vote, thus preventing any alignment which might prove embarrassing to members during a cam paign. For more than thirty years efforts have been made in congress to reduce the exorbitant prices paid the railroads for transporting the mails, and for the first time a majority of the committee on postoflices and post roads showed a disposition to make the reductions. The railroad lobby labored with members of the committee and others to convince them that the pay is not too largo, but they failed, and the bill was finally reported with cuts aggregating $12,000,000. Be cause of the Overstreet resolution, which excepts certain named items from points of order, the re ductions will ndt amount to $2,000,000." What is there about a republican congress that it cannot be depended upon to protect the public interests? What is there about a republican con gress that makes it so willing to do the bidding of special interests whenever the people are not looking? oooo IS IT POSSIBLE? Referring to the large increase in gold produc tion, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, republican, says: "This immense expansion has. had two im portant consequences. It has permitted several countries to adopt the gold standard in the past dozen years, Mexico being the latest of them to make this change. It has helped to quicken all sorts of industries and to send prices and wages up. These effects have been felt in all the groat countries of the world, but particularly in the United States." " This must be a typographical error. The Globe-Democrat certainly does not mean to sub scribe to the quantitative theory of money, the tiling it so loudly and so often derided during the campaign of 189G. OOOO GOING DEMOCRATIC The republican legislature In Nebraska passed a two-cent railroad fare bill. The two-cent fare pro vision was in the democratic state platform but was conspicuous by its absence from the republi can state platform. The republican legislature is, therefore, to be congratulated, like the republican resident, for occasionally going democratic. THE FABLE OF THE FOOLISH HUSBANDMEN Some Husbandmen once planted a Watermelon Vine at the furthermost corner of their Master's Estate, just a few rods distant from the home of a Colored Person. The Master of the Estate, whose Barns were bursting with the Products of the Soil, in the midst of his Prosperity found that he would not have time to attend to the harvesting of ids more important Crops, because ho was compelled to keep his Weather Eye on the Colored Person who lived near the Watermelon Vine. "Woe is me!" said he; "Because of one Watermelon I must now perforce buy a Gun and "camp in a Watermelon Patch the rest of my days." MORAL: Never annex an antipodal province that you don't need especially if it is going to cost you an hundredfold more to keep it than it will ever be worth. Baltimore News. r . MR. BRYAN'S ADDRESS Before the Washington Legislature The Seattle Post-Intelligencer gives the follow ing account of the address delivered by Mr. Bryan before the Washington legislature In accordance with an invitation issued in the form of a joint resolution : Olympia, Jan. 8. William Jennings Bryan id dressed the legislature, assembled in joint session, tills morning. He was accompanied by Governor Mead. The galleries were packed, and the distin guished publicist was accorded a warm welcome, expressed in applause and personal greetings. The rap of the gavel brought the legislators to their feet when Mr. Bryan and the joint committee that waited on him were announced. He was the recinient of generous applause as he marched down the aisle. In a brief sentence the lieutenant gov ernor introduced Mr. Bryan as "one of the most distinguished citizens of the world. He spoke for fully an hour on the topic of the duty of legislators to the people, the crying needs of the hour in the nation, the ethics of public ser vice and the groat questions and Issues of the day, with which lie has been Identified since his return from abroad. , 7 At the close of his address lie was extended a vote of thanks by the joint assembly, on motion of Senator Paulhamus. of Pierce county. An In formal reception followed at the speaker's desk. The following is the speech, and as it is sub stantially the same as that delivered before the Montana, Oregon and Wyoming legislatures, it is given in full as ieported in the Post-Intelligencer: Mr. Speaker, Your Excellency the Governor, Memuers of the Senate and House of Representa tives and. Ladles and Gentlemen: I desire in the first place to acknowledge my indebtedness to the members of the legislature for the high compliment which they pay me in invit ing me to speak In tills chamber. This honor is the more appreciated because it comes from those who do not agree with me in party affiliation or upon all political questions. I am glad that wo can recognize the right of people to their own opin ions that we can respect opinions even when we do not agree with them. I have had much in my career to teach me charity of opinion and liberality toward political opponents, for while I have passed through some bitter campaigns, there Is much more that I can remember with pleasure than that I now recall with sorrow or pain. I am In politics almost as badly mixed as I am in religion. In re ligion I could not place much emphasis upon church creeds even If I wanted to. I remember hearing a southern Methodist preacher tell when I was a boy of a mill to which many people brought f I .-,, .3 Mitrr-rm
