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The Commoner.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER J!
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rr! IK TIM IS honored inolLo Is to bo restored
1 !o I ho gold coIiih. A Washington dispatch
cuitIwI ly llio Associated Proas Hays: "Presi
cIcniL Roosevelt, was overridden loday by tho
hotiMo committee on coinage, weights and meas
ures, when by unanimous vole il. was agreed to
report favorably tho MeKlnley (III.) bill roqu r
liiK the restoration lo gold and silver coins ol tho
national inollo 'In Clod We Trust. ' During the
dlHcuHsion UoproHcnlulIvo Knowland of Califor
nia, being In a facet ions mood, moved that tho
committee further recommend tho placing
upon all clearing house cerlHicato.s the biblical
inscription, 'I know that my Redeemer livoth.' "
O
UNCI. 10 JOI0 CANNON'S ambition received
some attention in the house February 18.
An Associated Press dispatch says: "Speaker
Cannon's presidential boom received marked im
petus In the house of representatives today,
when Mr. Houtell, his colleague from Illinois,
brought the subject to the fore as tho climax
of a half hour's speech. Ills remarks were based
on tho fact that today was the thirty-fourth an
niversary of Mr. Cannon's llrst speech in tho
house. Mr. Houtell spoke with enthusiasm and
when ho closed with tho remark that within tho
next few months the 'plain people of tho country
would join the voters of Mr. Cannon's district
In conferring upon him the nation's final honor,'
tho speakor was glvon a groat demonstration.
Keen disappointment was folt on all sides when
tho spoaker made no reply. Ho stepped from
tho rostrum and amid cheering retired to li is
room while tho house considored pension bills."
O
T'.IE TAFT boom in Nebraska met with a set
back when tho Lancaster county republican
convention held at Lincoln, the capltol city, re
jected soveral different forms of resolutions
endorsing Mr. Tart's candidacy. That conven
tion adopted a resolution favoring tho ronoinin
ation of Mr. Uoosevelt. Since then republican
circles in Nebraska have been greatly stirred.
According to the Washington correspondent
for the Omaha llee (rep.) Mr. Roosevelt talked
very plainly to Senator Hurkott and to Mr. Ham
mond, recently appointed collector of customs
at Omaha. The Hoe's correspondent says: "Tho
president boro down upon tho proposition that
Nebraska must bo lined up for Secretary Tuft.
Ho loft no doubt upon tho minds of Senator
Burkott or Mr. Hammond as to his wishes for
Nebraska and ho requested the two gentlemen
to see to it that Nebraska sends a delegation
unqualifiedly In favor of Secretary Taft to tho
national convention."
O
rpOLLOWINn AN interview with Mr. Roose
X. volt, Congressman Pollard, (rep.) of Ne
braska, gave to tho newspapers tho following
formal statement: "On being asked what ho
had to say concerning tho action of tho Lancas
ter county convention instructing for President
XmmMl ,for Ul!pd tonn' Mr' Pollard re
plied l have just received a paper which gives
a full account of tho convention. It scorns tho
supporters of the administration aro divided
between the president and Secretary Taft. Undor
tho existing circumstances it scorns to mo t at
there ought to bo no question as to tho attitude
o tho party in Nebraska. I have talked with
tho president a great ninny times alio t th
presidential situation and have vC fpoatod y urgcS
him to s Imply remain Inactive and that tho com
try would unquestionably renominate him. lie
has invariably said his published statement im
mediately after election three years ago recen v
repeated, expresses his position clearfy d
honestly and that ho trusted tho people wo
accept his statement without question Tan
convinced that under no circumstanced wi 1 Z
accept a renomlnatlon for a third tern Ilo
V T,; ,of th0 l,inIo that t lo precedent
established by Georgo Washington at the gv
piration of his second term ought not to h
set aside Tho president has repeatedly toU
mo that his only desiro was thnt I ,,a
nominated to sU iZ shouU to afflS?
that tho policy ho has Inaugurated aWi,i h
prosecuted vigorously U, flXCwttZ'tato
law. Secretary Taft lias boon tho president's
closo advisor and counselor. Ho has contributed
inoro than any other man in tho cabinet to the
success of the Roosevelt administration; in fact,
ho is a part of it. Tho president has a wider
acquaintance among public men than any man
in official lifo today. He is in a better position
to judgo who is best capable of perpetuating
the policies of his administration than any one
else. Tho fact that President Roosevelt is giving
li Is faithful support to Secretary Taft, and his
repeated declination to become a candidate for
renomination ought to bo sufficient for all in
favor of reforms. If I thought tho president
would accept tho nomination for a third term
1 would bo most heartily in favor of his nomina
tion. Being convinced he will not, I think it
best policy not to complicate the situation by
sending an instructed delegation to the Chicago
convention for him.' "
THE NEW YORK Evening Post gives a hint
to the Taft boomers in this way: "it is
a pity that tho Washington dispatches
friendly to Secretary Taft so often repre
sent tho president as determined to bring
about the secretary's nomination. This tone of
dictation is visibly hurting the Taft canvass.
Men with tho warmest admiration for Mr. Taft
can not but resent it when told that they must
take iiim, willy nilly. An example of the feel
ing which this word of command is certain to
provoke is furnished by a letter in tho Boston
Herald, written by Georgo B. Leigh ton of Mon
adnbek, N. II. He reports a careful canvass of
103 leading republicans of Cheshire county, of
whom seventy were against Taft. This was not
at all because of the secretary's personality.
'Each of us has his personal inclinations, but
this is of minor importanco in comparison with
tho great issue, which is that the people are not
going to bo dictated to by any public officer, as
to who his successor shall be.' The dictation
sometimes takes on a form most unfortunate
and oven humiliating for Mr. Taft. 'If you don't
accept him, I will mako you nominate myself
again.' The implication that Taft is a bitter
dose, only less nauseous than Roosevelt would
bo, is one which might well cause the secretary
to pray to be delivered from his friends even
from the great and good one."
O
EFERRING TO Mr. Bryan's recent visit to
.Ii Montreal the Montreal Daily Witness said:
"It is rarely that so many men are seen in a
church as were packed in Erskine church yester
day afternoon to hear an address on tho Lay
men's Missionary Association Movement, by Mr
Williams Jennings Bryan, who has twice been
the democratic candidate for the United States
presidency. It was at the annual meeting of
this association in Washington last year that
Mr. Bryan was invited by the delegates from
Montreal to pay a visit to Montreal, and tho
present visit is in fulfillment of the promise h
then made." e
A CITIZEN who heard Mr. Bryan's address
wrote for the Daily Witness the following
As a preachor of religion Mr. Bryan is a revelal
tion Ho does more than preach, in tho sense
which we usually associate with that word
l'rom tho moment Mr. Bryan opens his li ns i h
goes on simply dropping words of faith and of
hope, each of which is sure to And a place ?n
the heart of the listener. Mr. Bryan speal c nat
Jirally never once betraying the least effort
to strike up a pose, an attitude; scarcely evor
raising his voice above ordinary drawl?, J
Pitch; and that is where his Strength ? ?
speaker generally. His voice and mni a
their own conviction with Thorn BuAvhen m7
Bryan mounts tho pulpit ho grows cm 1'
oven in his very metl ods i 'method TS
could be called, when everything ey
hesitancy in his Z7 ho wa6 f nevorV 'gn. 0t
of a single word; and he Xays had thi'l f!
one. Ho spoUe to hla vasHfdtonee wTth 'fie
ease of a man addressing his own immediate
family circle; and there was no withstanding
the force of his argument. He did not exhort
his hearers to believe, but what he did was to
show them that they could not help believing iu
spite of themselves. Mr. Bryan called his ser
mon a layman's defense of Christianity, but in
effect that was a misnomer. When he had fin
ished speaking, and a good bit before that too,
it was felt clearly that it was the other side
that would have to take up the 'defense if they
could find any. Christianity no longer needed
defending. Mr. Bryan simply brought it homo
to his listeners that it was as natural for men
and women to be Christians as it was for them
to walk with heads erect. In that respect it
may be said, indeed, that Mr. Bryan has come
with a new message for the people. Many did
not know that religion and belief are ingrained
in their system, had been born with them, until
Mr. Bryan came to tell them that, and when
he tells it to them they know it is so, for they
begin to feel it. There is no getting away from
Mr. Bryan. Looking at Mr. Bryan where he
stood in the pulpit one could not help drawing
a mental contrast between him and that fellow
countryman of his, Col. Ingersoll, now no more.
The other came to take something away from the
people; but Mr. Bryan comes to give then! ; some
thing. The other was the uninvited, messenger
of despair; Mr. Bryan is the welcome messenger
of peace and hope and light."
THE WASHINGTON correspondent for tho
Lincoln (Neb.) Journal (rep.) printed a
long and carefully prepared statement pretend
ing to show the plans of those having n charge
tho arrangements for the prevention of' Mr.
Bryan's nomination at Denver. Following are
extracts from the dispatch: "As is generally
known there is a systematic and determined
effort afoot among leading democrats in Wash
ington and elsewhere to prevent the nomination
of William Jennings Bryan for the presidency
and to secure that of Governor John A. Johnson
of Minnesota. As far as surface indications go,
the plan of the party leaders is to accede to the
known wishes of Mr. Bryan and instruct tho
delegates from the various states in his favor.
Care will be taken, however, to see that not
enough delegations are so instructed as to give
Mr. Bryan the nomination on the first ballot,
while there will be a tacit understanding with
many of the delegates enough to carry out
the plans of the leaders that the instructions
shall not be held to be binding after the first
ballot. It will be borne in mind that this scheme
would be easier of execution in a democratic
than in a republican convention, for the demo
crats require two-thirds to nominate, while with
the republicans a majority is sufficient. If it
can be clearly demonstrated that Mr. Bryan can
not win on the first ballot, the plan will go
through, for the fact that Bryan does not control
the convention to the point of nomination will
be prima facie evidence that the Johnson boom
will have been so successfully handled as to
make the nomination of any other candidate im
possible." O
MR. ROOSEVELT is evidently alarmed for
tho prospects of serious industrial dis
pute. On February 19 he sent to the members
ot the Interstate commerce commission the fol
lowing letter: "To the Interstate Commerce
Commission: I am informed that a number of
railroad companies have served notice of a pro
posed reduction of wages on their employes. One
of them, the Louisville & Nashville, in announc
nfji reali?tion states that the 'drastic laws
v he interests of the railroad that
nnlL ?st y.ear or two been enacted by
congress and the state legislatures,' are largely,
?h rpenJleBp0nBSle for the coitions requiring
ioS?i l0wl, Un?er such circumstances it is
v SLrlnll?tiheSu?110 may soon be confronted
vid tw ndustrial disputes and the law pro
LnS i 5. ia s,uch cases eitnQr Party may de
SommiSfnnf71?68,0 your charman and of the
S onnS,0f la?r as a board of mediation
and conciliation. These reductions in wages
. the. public, which is a vitally interested party.
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