6
The Commoner.
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Wll.I.IAM.1. MllVAM
Kdlloriuiil Pioprlftor.
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OlIAJlI.KH V. ItltVAN
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Nob.
Probably tho foreigner pays the tax by
"absont treatment."
Exports count on tho completion of tiie
Panama canal in 1915 if Uncle Sam's money
holds out.
Thoro is a growing feeling that congress
men aro not earning that 50 per cent increase
in salaries.
By tho way, what has become of tho old
fashioned tariff advocato who insisted that "the
foroignor pays tho tax?"
Tt would soom that some of Mark Twain's
good Wall Street frlonds might havo given him
n tip when to got his money out.
Our sailors worked up a little riot in Rio,
probably just to show tho powers that bo at home
that tlioy aro not tho whole naval works.
Administration organs loudly claim that
President Roosovolt did not cause the panic.
Porhaps not. But tho protective tariff failed to
provont it.
Tho Paragraphers Union is sure to go
broke, now that a Now Jersey man has married
his mother-in-law and put a crimp in ono of
tho union's best rules.
Tho report that ono of our battleships had
been blown up at Rio may havo been founded on
ono of Admiral Evans' vocal oxplosions during a
twingo of his rheumatism.
Secretary Taft is talking about our "gener
ous altruistic spirit," roferring to our Philippine
policy. This is calculated to make the sugar
tobacco and cordage trusts smile gleefully. '
Mr. Carnegie says thoro is no universal pan
acea for financial panics. Porhaps not, but
Mr. Carnegie would lot go of his tariff graft for
a while it might help tho rest of us some
Tho judge who presides at a scandalous
murder trial in New York has oxclSSed all
women who are not reporters. Tho exclusion of
aU men who are not reporters would have helped
The Commoner.
Michigan beot growers complain that tho
tariff-fed sugar trust is not paying a living price
for beets. This merely shows that there are
still some people who believe that the protective
tariff is not wholly for the benefit of the trusts.
"Pennsylvania will surely go for Knox," ex
claims an enthusiastic Pennsylvanian who is
helping tho Knox boom along. The country will
also go for Knox if ever it gets an opportunity,
but not in tho way meant by tho Pennslyvanian.
Representative Fordney's district delegates
may not nominate Speaker Cannon for the presi
dency, but it seems that they accomplished the
desired object when their election made a place
for Mr. Fordney on the ways and means committee.
Tho Elgin National Watch company is about
to discharge a thousand or two employes who
arc so nicely "protected" by tho tariff which en
ables the Elgin Watch company to charge Amer
ican dealers $10.15 for the watch that is sold to
English dealers for $7.41.
"What does 1908 moan to you?" asks the
Chicago Tribune. "Well, for one thing it means
fifty-two pay days," gleefully replies tho Colum
bia State. Our South Carolina contemporary
should wake up. There will bo fifty-three pay
days in 1908 and five of them in February.
Of course it was reprehensible on the part
of Admiral Brownson to put his pitiful experi
ence of forty-six years in naval affairs against
tho wisdom and knowledge of naval affairs that
Theodore Roosevelt acquired in a lifelong ex
perience of about two years as assistant secre
tary of the navy.
IOWA DEMOCRATS
Tho St. Louis Times says "the moro nn
hears of Oklahoma's' new scheme fo government
tho surer ono is that tho old reliable b In,, J l
A Des Moines, Iowa, dispatch to the Lin
coln (Neb.) News Xollows:
Iowa friends of W. J. Bryan are alert in
his interest. They have formed an organization
known as tho Bryan Volunteers of Iowa. Local
branches of the state organization will be formed
in every county, township and precinct.
George F. Rinehart of Des Moines is the
president of the Bryan Volunteers, T. J. Meals
is the secretary and will be in charge of tho
state headquarters to bo opened within a few
days. Charles O'Donnell is the treasurer. Pres
ident Rinehart has been authorized to select
five members of an executive committee, of
which himself and Secretary Meals will be mem
bers, also.
Mr. Meals started the movement in Des
Moines and Iowa. He was assistant commis
sioner of Ohio under Governor J. B. Foraker
and still retains a warm personal friendship
with tho distinguished Ohioan. But in 1896 he
loft the republican party and devoted himself
to the organization of Bryan and silver clubs
in Ohio. He has been ono of the strongest
supporters of tho distinguished Nebraskan A
similar organization in Omaha has 1,200 mem
bers already.
The volunteers were organized as tho re
sult of tho effort of Mr. Meals yesterday A
large meeting was held at the office of I-i C
Evans last night to perfect the organization Not
only the president and other officers were elect
ed, but a vice president for each district was
chosen. These are:
First district Niel Roberts, editor of Fort
Madison Democrat.
cji r Second district W. R. Hart, attorney, Iowa
Third district John B. Young, Waterloo.
Fourth district A. J. Anders, banker, Oel-
ZhVdtrictc-D-Huston' ex-mayr
Nowton.tU (liStrict-- P" y attorney,
Seventh district John T. Mulvanev atrnr
ney, Des Moines. . "'vaiiey, attor-
ton AgSS- H' R0bb' '" Cros-
ot oSi Dr' Donald " W
Tenth district W. I. Brann .
Democrat, Emmetsburg. urannsan, editor
Eleventh district-Perry Edgerton, Sheldon
G. F. Rinehart presided at th mH J
Hubert Utterback acted as secretary ?f ad
very enthusiastic. Among those in Was
and who became chaTe? Vomers1 we If ?T
Smith, James Nugent, Charles 0 HoHy J C
Hansen, I. M. Parsons, H. C. Evans, J? w'. Cop
VOLUME 8, NUMBER a
land, J. R. Carpenter, A. K. Stewart p a
Mathis, E. T. Meredith, J. C. Likes, W. s rnr
penter, Hubert Utterback. ar"
The .following card will be circulated
throughout the state immediately:
"I hereby agree to become a member of
the Bryan Volunteers of Iowa, and pay to tho
treasurer of said organization the sum of $-,
or before the first day of March, 1908. I further
agree to secure at least one other person to
join the Bryan Volunteers of Iowa who will sh'n
an agreement similar to this."
In the declaration of principles adopted by
the volunteers is tho following summary of tho
purposes of the organization :
"The object of this organization shall be
to advance the principles of democracy as taught
by Thomas Jefferson, defended by Andrew Jack
son, brought to the attention of the world by
Abraham Lincoln, and advocated by W J
Bryan. To that end our aim is to form a state"
wide club for men who believe that those prin
ciples are fundamental to good government. Wo
Invite all those who believe in the principles of
W. J. Bryan and desire his election to the presi
dency of the United States to unite with us in
this movement irrespective of their past politi
cal affiliations.
"County organizations shall be subsidiary to
the state organization and shall assist in advanc
ing the objects of this organization as above
outlined under the direction of the state organi
zation. They shall be officered by a president,
secretary and treasurer, and shall remit to the
state organization $2 for each member, and
shall retain $3 which shall be employed in ac
complishing the work of the organization as
above outlined."
The volunteers will aid the Jefferson club,
of which H. C. Evans is president, to make the
Jefferson club banquet early in April a great
success. It is planned to lay 1,000 covers if a
hall large enough can be found.
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEES
The following dispatch is from Huron South
Dakota: "The democratic state central commit
tee last night voted .to hold the first convention
in Rapid City, and the second in Mitchell. The
proposed nomination of Bryanwas endorsed."
The following dispatch was carried by the
Associated Press under date of St. Paul,, January
28: A special to the Pioneer Press from Grand
Forks, N. D., says that the democratic state
committee of North Dakota today decided that
the national convention to elect delegates to tho
democratic state convention should be held in
Grand Forks on March 25. The committee de
clared for the nomination of William J. Bryan
for president and of Governor Johnson of Min
nesota for vice president. At the beginning of
the meeting many questioned the propriety of
the committee endorsing a presidential candi
date, but after it had been argued that the party
in North Dakota should go on record in favor
of Bryan, and thus put an end to reports cir
culated in the east that it was opposed to his
nomination, the Bryan resolution carried."
WEST VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS
The following explains itself: "Charles
ton, W. Va., January 30, 1908. Hon W. J.
Bryan, Lincoln, Neb.: On motion of Senator
Campbell democratic joint caucus of senate and
house unanimously and enthusiastically endorse
movement to nominate you for president. A. E.
Kenney, Chairman; C. M. Wezel, Secretary."
PRESIDENT'S CALL TO ARMS
(Continued from Page 5)
of the democracy of which we boast?
"What better are we .than Russia? When
a president of the United States will descend to
such indecent slander and other assaults of in
uendo upon the honor of his fellow citizens,
whose reputation for honor and high moral
ideals are as firmly established as his own, wo
aro left to one of several possible inferences.
We will try to take the one that is the
most charitable."
CONGRATULATIONS
Speaking in the house following the read
ing of the message Senator Adams (dem.) of
Georgia said:
"I congratulate the country on the vigor
ous democracy our president has exhibited in
i o ?,SS,aif t0day' and T want t0 congratulate
the republicans upon their belated and perfunc-
thisy saide!"USe f0ll0wins the &reat outburst on
memberiCmmeilt WaS api)lauded bv democratic