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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 7, NUMBER 48
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CLOSE ON the report that the paper trust
will be proceeded against comes this dis
patch' from Appleton, Wis.: "Within a few
weeks, it is said, every print paper mill, and
sulphite plant in Wisconsin, Minnesota and
Michigan, which means the entire print paper
market in the middle west, will be under the
control of the International Paper company (the
trust), of New York. John G. Hanrahan, of
New York, who has been engineering the deal,
is here completing the merger. One manufac
turer said that the owners, who several years
ago gave optionsson their mills to be 'sold out-
right for cash, have now agreed to tafce bonds of
the 'merger company as part payment arid to ac
'cept stock in the .merger foi the remainder."
A PITTSBURG dispatch to the New York
' World follows: "James' M. Guffey, oil
millionaire and democratic natiorial committee
man, for years in control of the democratic or
ganization in Pennsylvania, will try to send an
anti-Bryan delegation to the national conven
tion." This dispatch from Chicago printed by
, the New York World: "Grover Cleveland, of
-New Jersey, and Governor Johnson, of Minne
" seta, is the ticket the Illinois democrats who
are opposed to Bryan are endeavoring to launch.
'The suggestion came up in-connection with the
week-end political gathering, which Chairman
Taggart, of the democratic national committee,
Is to give at French Lick Springs, Ind., next
Friday. He has invited not only the other mem
bers of the national committee but several dem
ocratic politicians oulside of it to attend. Some
' days before the letter of Mr. Bryan was pub
lished ex-Mayor John P. Hopkins had been ad
vocating the nomination of Mr. Cleveland as
the only way for the democrats to get out of
the 'wilderness. His' argument has been that
i Bryan - could not be elected, while "Cleveland
.fcould."
A CORRESPONDENT for . the Washington
Cost asked former president Grover
Cleveland what he thoughtof Mr. Bryan's state
ment. The Post correspondent says: "The
aged statesman thought the matter over for some,
time,- talked a little of Jersey politics, and said
he thought democracy was coming into its own
again in New Jersey. Then, speaking direct to
the Bryan position as published in The Com
moner, he said: I am not surprised at all at
Mr. Bryan's declaration, and 1 do not see that
any democrat should be surnrlsed at his Rpmnin
intention to seek a renomination. To me the
question seems to be, to whom ought we look
for leadership in the democratic party? In
view of past experiences, what are we going to
do about it? This is a question that may well
command the immediate attention of the leaders.
I do not think this the time to say anything more
on this subject.' "
AT THE MEETING of the American Federa
tion of Labor held at Norfolk, Va., a sen
sation was created by Samuel Gompers, presi-
ft hiB B?ee rying to the attacks made
upon him-and other offlcers of the federation by
the manufacturers' association, tfhe Associated
Press says: "Mr. Gompers told of alleged
attempt to bribe at the Victoria hotel, New York
in October, by a young newspaper man giving
his name as Charles Brandenburg, the lotto?
President Gompers said, having d&lirjd that he
represented the National Manufacturers' AssV
5inrln;nand Was PreDared to offer immunity
from all exposure and make him financially
secure for the remainder of his life if heTould
sign a certain paper and otherwise aid in the
Exposure' of the other leaders in the American
Federation of Labor with the view to virtually
destroying the influence of organized labor The
paper, President Gompers said, was to purport
m in TqbKeennfned when ne tampers), was
iL 1895' 7hIs paper' Mr- Gompers said, he
had Preserved, and while death like stillness
prevailed in the convention, President Gompere
drew fprth the original document and read it
Mr. Gompers, during his recital of the alleged
attempt at bribery, called upon . different dele
gates present who were with him at the time
of the interview with Brandenburg to verify his
statements. This the delegates, rising in ther
seats, did. At the close of President Gompers
speech there was a great demonstration, even
.Victor L. Berger of Mijwaukee, the socialist
opponent of Mr. Gompers, declaring that al
though he had at the convention bitterly op
posed the re-election of President Gompers, ho
will be the one this year to move to make his
election unanimous witfi a vote of confidence,
not only to President Gompers, but also to the
other officials of the American Federation of
Labor. 'This,' declared Mr. Berger, 'is the an
swer of the socialists to the manufacturers' as
sociation.' A motion offered by D.' W. Ryan
of Springfield, 111., reporting that the Illinois
mine-workers had voted confidence in Gompers
and denouncing the manufacturers' association,
received immediate consideration and was
adopted amid excitement." ,. '
AN ASSOCIATED Press dispatch under date
of New York, November 21, follows:
"Broughton Brandenburg, president of the naval
Institute of immigration and a magazine writer,
said tonight that he was the man referred to by
President Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor, when the latter, at the convention in
Norfolk today, declared that one 'Charles
Brandenburg,' a newspaper man, attempted to
bribe' him to take part in an 'exposure' of feder
ation leaders. In a statement dictated tonight
Mr. Brandenburg emphatically denied that he
had attempted to bribe Gompers.. He also stat
ed that he had no connection with the National
Manufacturers' Association and that his dealings
with "Gompers were solely in the interests' of a
publication which he represented.".
A DISPATCH TO the Cincinnati Enquirer
under date of LaFayette, Ind., November
18, follows: "William Jennings Bryan spoke
here today before one of the largest gatherings
in .the history of Indiana democracy. The city
was thronged all day with thousands of visitors.
Jt w.as the 'Bryan Day' celebration of the Jackson-
club of this city. A banquet was given to
night, at which eight hundred guests were seat
ed, while four thousand others looked on.
Wherever Bryan appeared he received an ova
tion. This morning Bryan delivered an address
to Purdue students on 'Faith,' and was greeted
enthusiastically. He told the students the gov
ernment was all right, but that it would be
much better when-senators were elected by direct
vote of the people. Bryan later was the guest
of honor at a luncheon at the Lafayette club
Millard F. Dunlap, of Jacksonville, 111., former
treasurer of the democratic national committee
sat beside him, and James K. Risk, district dem
ocratic chairman was the host. At 1:30 o'clock
a conference of democratic editors and county
chairmen of the state was held at the Jackson
club rooms, where Bryan delivered -an informal
address before an audience of several hundred
scribes and chairmen."
THE NEW YORK World calls upon the south
.era states to prevent the nomination of
Mr. Bryan by the democratic national conven
tion. The World says "that New York will send
an anti-Bryan delegation to the convention
-6TemS caJrst C??;tain-" 0ver the signature,
"Rev. Silliman Blagden," of Boston, the World
prints a letter from which these extracts are
taken: "Mr. J. P. -Morgan would make us a
most desirable and grand president because he
is one of the greatest and most successful finan
ciers, not only in our country but also' in the
world, as rnany well-informed business men will
bear witness. He is remarkably level-headed
long-headed, wise, discreet and conservative'
He has no fads or foibles, but is a man who
strictly attends to business. He is a quiet self
respecting and unobtrusive man, very different
from those self-assertive, discouraging and dis
gusting men who with brazen face push them
selves forward and, mirabile dictu, selfnominate
themselves lor public office, thus at once show
ing that- they are unfit for such high public
office, because always and invariablv 'thn nm
should seek the man and notma7 th J'oX?
Mr. J. P. Morgan is a gentleman, a man o tlm
world and a man of affairs, and he w X!
knowledge business acumen and ability to guidG
our ship of state and government into the safe
and deep waters of financial prosperity 0J2
more; he is not a man to 'go off at a tanS
and suddenly do unwise and foolish things. He
is of the old school and old-fashioned in all
ancient customs and good ways and manners
which we wish to retain and hold fast to-as i7e
fain would to the first and everlasting 'faith
once delivered to the saints.' He is a man of
many private and public benefactions. He re
cently gave $100,000 to the church at the
Episcopal convention just held at Richmond,
va., and I believe he gave a very large sum
lately to help on the completion of the Episcopal
Cathedral in New York City, and everybody is
thrilled with admiration over his magnificent
contribution of $25,000,000 in the recent Wall
Street stock market slump to help our country.
Few men have the wealth to do these noble
deeds, and few men if they had such wealth
would possess the faith and grace to make such
charitahls gifts and praiseworthy expenditure
of .their hard-earned money. The more one
studies Mr. J. P. Morgan's life and character
the more one becomes-aware of the fact that in
very many ways he strongly resembles the
Father of Our Country, George Washington.
Should Mr. Morgan become our next president
and should our country need it, I believe he
would give the very last cent of his many mil
lions to save the United States from disaster.
This gives a fair idea of his splendid patriotism."
MONCURE D.. CONWAY died in Paris Novem
ber 16. A writer in the Cincinnati En
quirer says: "Moncure Daniel Conway was
born near Falmouth, Va., March 17, 1832,
where his father was county judge and his
mother a lineal. descendant of Thomas Stonej
one of, the signers of the Declaration of Inde
pendence. He graduated from Dickinson college
in 1849 and studied law, but early abandoned
a legal career to enter the Methodist ministry.
In early life he was a champion of the institu
tions of the south, but his 'political, as well as
his religious, beliefs underwent a change. He
entered the Unitarian Divinity School at Cam
bridge, Mass., from which he was graduated in
1854. He then became pastor of the Unitarian
church in Washington, D. C. His anti-slavery
sermons occasioned much discussion, and by a
narrow vote he was requested to resign his
charge. This he did in 1857 and removed to
Cincinnati, where his views were more welcome.
When tle civil war began he settled his father's
escaped slaves at Yellow Springs, Ohio, and vis
ited England -to lecture in behalf of the anti
slavery cause. During his trip he accepted the
invitation to become a minister of a London
"congregation of his church, and it was several
years before he returned to this country. He
was an active journalist and author as well as
clergyman, and was a member of many learned
societies in Europe and America. Among his
published work are 'Tracts of Today,' 'The Re
jected Stone 'The Golden Hour,' 'The Earth
ward Pilgrimage,' 'Idols and Ideals,' 'Demonol
ogy and Devil-Lore,' 'Thomas Carlyle,' 'Emer
son at Home and Abroad,' several volumes on
Washington and a life of Thomas Paine."
CONGRESSMAN George Prince, republican
member of -the house committee on bank
ing and currency, gave to the Associated Press
correspondent at Galesburg, 111., a statement
condemning the republican administration a
course. Mr. Prince's statement follows: "We
owe $900,000,000 of interest bearing debt. We
have today in the hands of national banks, and
drawing no interest for the government, $240,
000,000. The present policy, of the secretary
of the treasury is to all intents in times of
peace adding" to the interest bearing debt of the
people $160,000,000. It is not justifiable under
existing conditions. I think that the '$50,000,
000 needed for the constructidn.qf the Panama
canal should be taken out of the $240,000,000
w t
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