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The Commoner.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3
2
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Til 10 KENTUCKY SITUATION
Tho situation In Kontucky Ih simply this:
A few democratic members refuse to abide by
llio derision of tlio majority rendered at a pri
mary, that majority being respected by nlnc
tenlha of the democratic members. Governor
Heekhnm and Senator McCreary wore candidates
before tlio primary, and Governor I',ockham won
by ii decisive majority. Some complained that
the primary was called too Moon, but an Senator
McCreary onlered the contest and would have
bad the parly support If bo bad won bis friends
can not make (hat objection now. Charges of
fraud have been made against tlio primary, but
those charges were not prosecuted and Senator
McCreary spoke for the ticket during the cam
paign. All or nearly all of the members who
now refuse to vote for Governor Beckham ac
quiesced In the result and allowed the voters to
assume that they would vole for Beckham.
The Louisville Courier-Journal criticises
Mr. Bryan for going to Krankfort and urging
all democrats to vote for Beckham, but the
prlnclplo involved Is not local, It is national.
Democracy requires acquiescence In the will
of the majority and that democratic prlnclplo Is
Just as binding on the democrats of Kontucky
as on democrats elsewhere. Either the majority
or tlio minority must rule.
The contest may result In any one of fivo
ways:
First- Beckham may bo elected In this
case the will of a majority of the democratic
voters and the will of a majority of the demo
cratic members of the legislature will be carried
out.
Second The bolting democrats may force
tho nomination of another democrat. In that
enso ono-tenth of the members will dictate to
nine-tenths.
Third Tlio bolting democrats may join the
republicans In olectlng some democrat but
what democrat would want to bold the place at
the hands of republican politicians, and thus
obllgato himself to them?
Fourth Thoy may join tho republicans In
tho election of a republican but this is un
thinkable, for it would bo a base betrayal of
their constituents.
Fifth Tlio deadlock may continue until
tho end of tho session and thus loavo the state
with but one senator and compel another con
test two years honco.
IDvory plan excopt tho first means tho in
auguration of another feud. Governor Beck
ham stands for democratic principles, and bis
election would loavo less of bitterness than the
election of any one elso, for his election exe
cutes tho will of (ho majority of the democrats
tho oleclion of any one olso defeats the demo
cratic will.
Acquiescence in tho will of tho majority is
tho most fundamental of democratic principles
and Tho Commoner urges tho democrats of
Kontucky to glvo their endorsement to this
democratic doctrine.
oooo
MR. BRYAN'S POSITION"
Several nowspapers recently printed a state
ment Hint Mr. Bryan had written to a friend in
tho east that ho would docllno tho democratic
nomination for the presidency should it develop
that a certain portion of tho delegates to the
Denver convention wore opposed to him. Mr
Bryan made no such statement. His position
was clearly described in a statement printed In
L linTfi T ", Nvonil,or 15. That position
iVBtitomontf Xtniet fP0W th November
"Jlr' Bl7" will not ask for or seek a nom
ination; and he will not assume to docile tho
question of his availability. He has been sS
amply recompensed by his party for what bo
as done and for what ho has endeavored to o
ml10 T111?1 Claim u nomination as a rowar
el her should his ambition be conslde re f r
ho haS hil(l honorB onou uuiert, foi
sfy any reasonable ambition. The o, Uv oue
tion that ought to wolirh m, , Yi. ?
wholho, tho party n WrcS Sonid ,KdS
more by 1,S nomination than hy 11 " ,0" 'itio
of wmioone else. If ho can ,.,,... "U m
E. "?, &: ."o will acco the Z.S
.- m urn lu UU UUCKied llnr w 1.5... i ,
a few leaders, not eve bv ho L T' not b
papers that call n,m J2 ih. lead xv . m
the voters of the i ai v n.T "u" 0CmUCl lnit hy
the decision o tl e i es o n,10"1 h intrusts
court In aWKfc!!1? "
..41llb yiuuuuatca,
as they aro in all matters concerning the plat
form." Jt may bo added that Mr. Bryan does not
regard the plutocratic nowspapers that havo
habitually misrepresented him as being qualified
to speak even for a minority of democrats. Those
nowspapers speak for "the system." The rank
and file of tho democratic party will shape tho
party's course at Denver. It is not to be ex
pected that the program adopted in the interests
of tho general public will meet with the approval
of those from whose impositions the public is
even now seeking relief.
OOOO
THE WORLD EDITOR'S NEW IIAT
Commoner readers who are also readers
of the Now York World may be interested just
now in an editorial that appeared in the No
vember 1G, 19 OG, issue of The Commoner. That
editorial follows:
After exerting itself in behalf of the
republican ticket, the New York World, in
an editorial printed on the day following
tho election said: "Let nobody mistake
the meaning of tho narrow victory that
Charles ID. Hughes has won over William
It. Hearst. Mr. Hughes' election by 36,000
plurality is morally a republican defeat, a
popular repudiation of the corrupt repub
lican machine and its alliances with cor
rupt corporations. The Hearst vote is a
striking illustration of the popular temper
In regard to the abuses of corporations and
the demand for effective regulation."
Eminently characteristic of the World!
For years between elections, it has
preached against "the corrupt republican -machine
and its alliances with corrupt cor
porations" only to be found, when the cam
paign opened, waging battle upon the side
espoused by that same "corrupt republi
can machino" and those same "corrupt
corporations."
This reminds us of a letter written by
C. V. Thorno, Rosebud Agency, South Da
kota, and printed in the World during tho
month of April, 190G. Addressing the
editor of the World, Mr. Thorne said: "I
am a constant reader of the New York
World. You are sending out some good
democratic literature at present. I wish
I might enjoy it, but I read it now with a
fooling of sorrow, for we all know that
when tho next national campaign comes
around you will be found supporting the
Wall Street ridden republican party just
as you have in the past by fighting
for democratic principles between cam
paigns while in the heat of the campaign
you indirectly support the trust party by
opposing first the nomination of a 'real'
democrat and then his election. Will you
not kindly chronicle this prophecy of a
humble citizen in some conspicuous way?
If it does not prove true I'll buy the editor
of tho World a new hat."
Judging from the part the World
played in tho recent campaign in New York
City, one might be pardoned for concluding
that Mr. Thorne will not find it necessary
to buy that hat for the editor of the New
York World.
OOOO
LET THE TEOPLE RULE.
From the editorials that aro going tho
rounds of tho plutocratic element of the metro
politan press one would suppose that we were
in Russia instead of America. These papers
talk of the democratic convention as if tlm
voters of the party would not bo allowed to
express themselves on platform or candidate
Wo are told that the leaders will Insist on thS
and insist on that, as if a man could be a leade?
without followers. A man is a leader only when
he is going in the same direction that the neonl
are. When he opposes what the people want
he ceases to bo a leader. The men who have
made a business asset of government and who
control newspapers merely for tho mir 1J t
sandbagging every exponent of popular Govern
ment and for the purpose of in lL govern"
official who betrays lis trust, these me t lu7,
control the democratic convention Tbol n
neither be present themselves nor wnT thiv
bo represented bv proxy tIihv win i , ey
whore they have always "heen fouiS n f?Und
ing democracy and all who ,SSin5 Si ?ssassinat"
but (he investigations c f th In t few v00'
robbed these papers of the? an ss T if"8 Te
as madly as of yore bur fliSr ?n ?y strIke
is very much 'weakS d WearT noT H '"
under a despotism; we are UviVin f'reo Amer?
OREGON READY FOR THE FRAY
Judge William Smith, circuit judpo
of the Eighth judicial district of Oregon
writes from Baker City as follows: "Sinro
the second day of last November it has
been my fortune and pleasure to have sent
to you eighty-nine new subscribers, and
it would occur to anyone that that is not
a good place to stop; wherefore I enclose
herewith draft in the sum of $G.60 in pay
ment of the eleven additional subscribers,
making the total since November 2, one
hundred. Do you think that is a good
place to stop? It is better than eighty
nine, but we will try to keep moving never
theless. We held a Jackson day meeting
last night and organized a live Baker
County Democracy club, electing officers,
adopting a constitution, and we propose to
demonstrate in the coming campaign that
there are a few people in this splendid
country besides the little coterie in Wash
ington who appear to be oblivious of that
fact. The question as to whether or not
a system of primogeniture shall exist as
to the presidency of our country in the
administration's political famMy must now
be settled for all time. Baker county will
be in the fight for the people and their
great champion, and its democracy wish
to be kept in touch with all issues. That
is why The Commoner has so many friends
hereabouts."
ica, and in free America the will of the voters
is supremo. When the voters are sleeping, these
stolid guardians of the public weal may secure
control and exercise a little brief authority, but
when the people awake, they retire like tho
shadows of the night.
"Let the people rule" is the slogan that won
a great victory in Oklahoma; "let the people
rule" was the maxim of Oklahoma's constitution
al convention; "let the people rule" is the doc
trine of Oklahoma's legislature, which is prov
ing to the public what real democracy can do
for the people when the government is in the
hands of real democrats. Now let the people
rule in the nation and in order that the people
may rule in the nation, let the voters rule in tho
democratic party. If the leaders don't like the
platform or tho candidates nominated, tho peo
ple can select new leaders, for it is much easier
for an array of voters to select leaders than it
is for a few leaders to gather an army of voters.
OOOO
ASSET CURRENCY AGAIN
The bankers' committee has again decided
to rush the asset currency bill. Let the demo
crats beware. There is no need for this, tho
emergency" can be provided for without re
sorting to a scheme so obviously one-sided in
tho interest of the bankers. They are willing
to have their notes guaranteed by the govern
ment but they are not willing to protect de
positors. How long will it take the voters to
see through the utter selfishness of the high
financiers? They demand a high price for their
patriotism and ask to have the country turned
over to them more completely. Kill the asset
currency bill.
OOOO
ANOTHER "BRYANISM"
i Refe,rrin,? t0 Comptroller Ridgeley's ob
jections to the guaranteed deposit plan tho
UJg D,sPatch says: "Thus another Bry
?hl T Everything which does not meet
JmnoiTO1,0' Sle iuterests for which news
JP?,11!6 l? Pittsburg Dispatch speak ap
SSntif 1 Bryanis." But the guaranteed
2 r ,1 ?lan ? not t0 be disposed of by the
meie dictum of a comptroller of the currency.
OOOO
SECRETARY TAFT, TAKE NOTICE!
When Secretary Taft went all the way to
Ukiahoma to oppose the ratification of the con
stitution, one of his objections was that tho
legislative districts were so unfair that the re
publicans might carry the state and yet not
do able to elect a senator. The census taken
soon afterwards completely answered the secre-
iy fi ai;sume,nts and showed the districts un
usually fair, but assuming that his interest in
fa iiness was genuine why does he not rebuko
Rhode Island? There is a democratic state
with a democratic governor but by unfair ap
poitlonment the republicans are able to elect
h
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