FEBRUARY 21, 1908
The Commoner.
nomination. On the second ballot they show
a slight gain for Taft, and a heavy gain for
Hughes, with a loss of thirty votes to Speaker
Cannon. To my mind this Is the weakest point
to the argument That on the third ballot
Hughes will gain forty votes and Taft twenty
five. The gain to Hughes coming from Cannon,
from Foraker, and from Knox. On the fourth
ballot they figure Taft 3G4, Hughes 500, Can
non eliminated. Four hundred and ninety-one
votes being necessary to a choice, this would
nominate Hughes.
The theory is that the Cannon vote and the
Pennsylvania vote for Knox will go to Hughes.
I have expressed sometimes doubt as to
the value of polls and of prophecies. Conceding
to this effort to forecast the action of the con
vention every possible purpose of honesty, I
must still question its probability. It is my
impression that the forces behind Speaker Can
non, while not at present numerically strong,
have got the sticking quality. He has his own
state behind him, not merely as a matter of
state pride, but as a matter of personal and
political devotion. If the machine should run
remorselessly over all candidates except Roose
velt or Taft, the Cannon men will get up and
keep on fighting. If it is to be a combination
upon some man not selected by the administra
tion, my guess is Cannon rather than Hughes.
The attitude of Governor Hughes toward
national questions is the half way position be
tween Roosevelt and the reactionaries. This is
evident when one compares the recent message
of the president, with the recent speech of the
governor. Roosevelt strikes out into democratic
fields anew purloining more of Mr. Bryan's
clothes. His message sounds more like Senator
Jeff Davis addressing a friendly democratic rally
in Arkansas than like a republican president
addressing a hostile republican congress.
It is evident that Governor Hughes is play
ing politics, and playing it well. He has placed
himself on record as praising the president in
very general terms. That ought to please the
president'3 friends. On certain specific issues,
however, he has most pointedly assailed the
Roosevelt policies. That ought to please the
president's enemies. He is playing both ends
against the middle. No one can say that Hughes
has not gone as far as Taft in the acceptance
of Roosevelt doctrine. But it cannot be said
of Hughes, as Is said of Taft, that he wears the
Roosevelt collar. Hughes Holds the strategic
position. He has placed himself in the attitude
of a logical compromise between those who
neither want Roosevelt's man or Roosevelt's
policies, and those who want both Roosevelt's
man and Roosevelt's policies. He has endorsed
Roosevelt in general terms. He has assailed
him with veiled thrusts more specifically.
Hughes holds the pole in the republican presi
dential race. He is a great politician.
Against him in this contest is pitted the
most consummate politician in American his
tory Theodore Roosevelt. Any one who imag
ines that the president's message was not in
tended to kill several birds with one stone sadly
underestimates the political skill of the man in
the White House. It is universally admitted
here that the primary purpose of the message
was political. Men merely disagree as to the
chief end that the president'had in view. Sum
marizing the varying opinions of congressmen,
the following stand out most prominently:
One To force the president's renomina
tion. iWO To give the republican national con
vention the choice between Taft or Roosevelt.
Three To answer recent attacks on the
president's policies.
Four To frighten congress into enacting
legislation.
Five To offset the effect of Governor
Hu dies' speech.
This latter accusation is not based on mere
conjecture. There is some significant evidence
to support it. For instance advance copies
of the president's message have been out for
several days. The senate has been adjourning
from Thursday to Monday for some time past.
Tho message could have been transmitted to
congress and read on Thursday as readily as on
Friday. Yet on Tuesday, when the usual ar
rangement for an adjournment from Thursday
to Monday is made, Senator Lodge, the presi
dent's closest friend in public life, appealed for
the unusual Friday session. It was then known
that Hughes would deliver his address Friday
night, and the fact has not been overlooked
that the president's long document appearing
in Saturday morning's papers might crowd the
Hughes address for space and take the edge off
whatever Hughes might say.
WILLIS J. ABBOT.
Wisconsin Democratic Convention
The Wisconsin democratic state convention
met at Milwaukee, February 14. Following is
the Associated Press report:
Tho Wisconsin delegation to, the national
democratic convention at Denver, 'Colo., was to
day, at the closing session of tho state conven
tion, instructed to vote as a unit for William
J. Bryan as the democratic nominee for presi
dent first, last and all the time. The platform
containing the instruction was unanimously
adopted by the convention by a rising vote.
Delegates at large to the national demo
cratic convention at Denver were this afternoon
elected as follows: Charles H. Weisse, of tho
Sixth congressional district; Herbert H. Manson
of Wausau, John A. Aylward of Madison and
Melville A. Hoyt of Milwaukee.
When the convention resumed today Evan
A. Evans of Baraboo, was made permanent
chairman. Mr. Evans made a lengthy speech
touching on various national issues and sharply
criticised the republican party throughout. Ho
concluded by paying a glowing tribute to W.
J. Bryan in whom, he said, "you see democracy
personified, see democracy at her best."
At the conclusion of Mr. Evans' speech the
committee oh resolutions presented its unani
mous report as follows:
"The democratic party of the state of Wis
consin reaffirms its allegiance to the time hon
ored principles of .Teffersonian democracy and
declares its undying hostility to the sham and
hypocrisy of republican national administrations.
"It charge that tho appalling abuses dla
closed in recent messages of tho president aro
the direct results of tho long-continued rolgn of
the republican party in nnlional affairs. Tho
people can no longer doubt tho inhorcnt perfidy
of tho system of government fostered and main
tained by tho republican party, since the repub
lican president himself has furnished tho evi
dence against it. Its malefactors, convicted and
unconvicted, aro but tho shameless products of
a system Of public plunder and debauchery too
long endured by a patient and suffering people.
"We regard with pride and admiration that
typloal American, that matchless leader, who
has blazed the way to wholesome public opinion
and ho ably championed tho cause, of tho people.
His zeal and undying energy, his wise and far
seeing statesmanship stamp him. as tho great
est living American statesman and endear him
to all those who believe in equal rights to all
and special privileges to none.
"We tlK-reroro declare that wo aro unani
mously in favor of that great commoner, Wil
liam J. Bryan, as tho next democratic candldato
for tho presidency of tho United States, and we
hereby instruct our delegates to tho next na
tional democratic convention at Denver to voto
for William J. Bryan as the democratic nomlnco
for president, first, last and all the time."
Tho report of the committee on resolutions
was unanimously adopted by r rising voto. Tho
convention then proceeded to place in nomina
tion candidates for delegatos-at-largo.
Constitution and By-Laws for Democratic Club
The following are declared the purposes of
and the rule for the Jacksonville, Illinois, Demo
cratic club, which was recently organized in that
city:
ARTICLE I.
Tho name of this organization shall be tho
Jacksonville Bryan club.
ARTICLE II.
The objects and purposes for which this
organization is formed aro two fold:
First Tho members of this organization
believing that in the fundamental principles of
the democratic party is found the true .basis for
the only practical and just rules and policies
under which a free people can successfully
maintain self government, and realizing the
necessity for organized efforts among those who
desire the success of democratic principles, have
associated themselves together for the purpose,
in the hope and under the belief that the great
army of voters who are In sympathy with demo
cratic principles and policies, if thoroughly or
ganized, will insure a majority of votes for tho
democratic party at the next general election,
and so believing desire to enlist as volunteers
in the army of true democracy.
Second- Further believing and recognizing
the generally accepted fact that in the nomina
tion of William J. Bryan as the democratic can
didate for president lies the greatest assurance
of democratic success in the Immediate future,
this organization pledges its support toward a
movement now being made in this state to se
cure a delegation to the Denver convention
which will honestly represent democratic prin
ciples and favor the nomination of Mr. Bryan
for president.
ARTICLE III
Section 1. The elective officers of this or
ganization shall consist of a president, one vice
president, a secretary and a treasurer.
Section 2. The duties which usually de
volve on like officers in other organizations shall
be those of the officers of this organization.
Section 3. The term of office shall be one
year and vacancies shall be filled by election
of a member after two weeks public notice of
time and place of such election being given.
Section 4. The president is authorized to
appoint all committees; such appointments, how
ever, shall be ratified by a majority of the mem
bers present and voting at a regular meeting of
the organization.
Section 5. The president jjhall be ex-officio
a member of all committees, and the vice presi
dent, secretary and treasurer shall also be mem
bers ex-oflicio of tho executive committee.
Section 6. Each committee shall consist of
one member Irom each of tho twelve voting dis
tricts of tho precinct of Jacksonville.
Section 7. There shall bo a district com
mittee composed of tho members of tho various
committeemen of each district of which tho
member on the executive committee from such
district shall bo ex-ofilcio chairman.
Section 8. Tho following named commit
tees shall bo appointed:
An executive committee.
A financo committee.
A membership committee.
A headquarters committee.
A speakers committee ' '
A marching club committee. s"
A music and decoration committee. '
A transportation committee.
A banquet committee.
A registration and polling committee.
A press committee.
ARTICLE IV
Section 1. Tho regular meetings of thlfa
organization shall be held at club headquarters
on the first Tuesday of each month.
Section 2. The president is authorized to
call special meetings whenever occasion requires,
notice of the same to be published in the Jack
sonville Daily Courier. In the absence of tho
president and vice president, or in case f their
refusal to act, the executive committee Is au
thorized to call special meetings.
Section 3. Fifteen members present at any
regular or special meeting shall constitute a
quorum to transact business.
ARTICLE V
Section 1. Any male person over the ago
of eighteen years living within Jacksonville
precinct, who is known to be a democrat and
In sympathy with the objects and purposes of
this organization shall be eligible to member
ship. Section 2. In order to become a member
of this organization, the applicant for member
ship must sign tho membership roll.
Section 3. Each member shall be entitled
to vote on all questions which come before the
club at any regular or special meeting, and a
majority vote shall be nd.cssary to sustain or
defeat any proposed measure, except amend
ments to the rules of this organization.
Section 4. The rules or laws of this or
ganization may bo amended at any regular meet
ing, on a vote of two-thirds of members present
and voting, notice of such proposed amendment
first having been given by the secretary not lrss
than two weeks prior thereto by notice of the
same being posted at the headquarters of tho
club.
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