FEBRUARY 28, 1908
The Commoner,
9
can form no judgment without a more complete
knowledge of the essential facts and real merits
of the case than it now has or than it can pos
sibly obtain from the special pleadings certain
to he put forth by each side in case their
dispute should bring natural causes, the loss
of business being such that the burden should
be, and is equitably distributed between capi
talist and wage workers, the public and congress
should know it, and if it is caused by miscon
duct in the past financial or other operations
of any railroad, then everybody should know it,
especially if the excuse of unfriendly legislation
as a method of covering up past business mis
conduct by the railroad managers, or as a justi
fication for failure to treat fairly the wage earn
ing employes of the company. Moreover, an in
dustrial conflict between a railroad corporation
and its employes offers peculiar opportunities
to any small number of evil disposed persons
to defy life and property and foment public
discord. Of course, if life and property and
public order are endangered, prompt and drastic
measures for their protection becomes tho first
plain duty. All other duties then become sub
ordinate to the preservation of the public peace,
and the real merits of the controversy are nec
essarily lost from view. This vital consideration
should ever be kept in mind by all law-abiding
and far-sighted members of labor organizations.
It is sincerely to be hoped, therefore, that any
wage controversy that may arise between the
railroads and their employes may find a peace
ful solution through the methods of con
ciliation and arbitration, already provided
for by congress, which have proven so effective
during tho past year. To this end the commis
sion should be in a position to have available for
any board of conciliation or arbitration relevant
data pertaining to such carriers as may be
come involved in industrial disputes. Should
conciliation fail to effect a settlement and arbi
tration be rejected, accurate information should
be available in order to develop a properly in
formed public opinion. I therefore ask you to
make such investigation both of your records
and any means at your command as will enable
you to furnish data concerning such conditions
obtaining on the Louisville & Nashville and any
other roads as may relate, directly or indirectly,
to the real merits of possibly impending con
troversy." AN ASSOCIATED Press dispatch under date
of Guthrie, Okla., February 19, follows:
"Judge A. H. Houston in the district court here
today sustained a demurrer filed by Attorney
General West in an injunction suit brought by
the Noble state bank against the state banking
board and the bank commissioner regarding the
condition of a state bank tax, on the ground that
there was not sufficient facts in the petition to
constitute a cause of action. This is the first test
on the Oklahoma guarantee deposit law. In
passing on the case Judge Houston stated that
under the police powers of the state given by
the act the defendants have the power to collect
the tax, as the banks that are allowed to do
business in this state are corporations and that
they are as much accountable to the legislature
as any other corporation which serves the
public."
FORMER SECRETARY of the Treasury Shaw
was recently charged with having criticised
Mr. Roosevelt and condemning the Taft candi
dacy. From Kansas City Mr. Shaw gave to the
Associated Press this statement: "I am not
seeking to defeat any man's nomination for tho
presidency. There is not a man whose name
is mentioned who is not my personal friend and
for whom I would not cross the continent to
bestow a kindness. That I prefer some does
not imply that I would lift my hand against
others. I am intensely interested in business
conditions. The number of men out of employ
ment and the number soon to be dismissed is
to me alarming. The interest of these men and
the effect of their enforced idleness upon busi
ness generally far transcends any candidate s
ambition. I wish that factionalism within the
party to which I belong might cease, and that
a convention of broad-minded, patriotic, unselfish
and unambitious men, uninstructed and un
pledged, might gather in Chicago on June 1G,
next, and in the light of conditions as they then
exist select a man who is believed to be most
likely to lead the party to victory, and whose
election will best conserve the moral and in
dustrial interests of the country the nominee
of such a convention, if such a convention can
be had, will be elected, whoever he may be, for
the party then will be united. If there are then
as many men out of employment as there were
In June, 189 G, tho party will probably take
cognizance of tho fact and govern itself accord
ingly, unless instructions have rendered such a
courso impossible."
O -
JOHN S. BEARD, a lawyer of Ponsacola. Fin.,
wroto to the New York World the follow
ing self-explanatory letter: "Tho pamphlet on
titled 'The Map of Bryanism Twolvo Year of
Demagogy and Defeat,' with a request for an
expression of your (my) opinion in regard
thereto,' has been received. 1 shall frankly give
my opinion, which is the pamphlet is untrue,
unfair and unjust, both in its statements of well
known recent and current political events and
in its conclusions. To detail its misstateinontH
of facts and unfair and illogical conclusions
would necessitate a pamphlet as voluminous as
the one criticised. To tho extent that this
pamphlet is regarded at all, it will intensify the
support of Mr. Bryan's friends and probably
make for him a supporter out of every intelli
gent democratic reader who was doubtful be
fore, but who despises mendacity and injustice.
The democratic people in this section have faith
in Mr. Bryan's fidelity and know of tho World's
infidelity to democratic principles, policies and
candidates. The World is not considered demo
cratic and will not bo accepted as a democratic
leader or counsellor. The democratic people re
member with resentment that the World ardent
ly advocated Judge Parker's nomination in 1901,
and then basely deserted the party during tho
heat of the campaign. This pamphlet only dem
onstrates that the World is as untrue to the
facts of history as it is to the democratic party.
You have my opinion; I hope that you like it;
you know that it is truo, and just, but you will
not publish it."
THE TORONTO World printed this leading edi
torial: "Toronto has had within her gates
for twenty-four hours a man. Though a citizen
of the United States, garbed otherwise than wo,
speaking with an accent and mannerism unusual
to us, thinking from facts and impressions gath
ered elsewhere, yet he is kin to us in that he
typifies our ideal of what a man should be.
Stripped of whatever may be theatric about him,
William Jennings Bryan is a man, and he has
attained his exalted place in th,e affections of his
people by reason of his disinterestedness and his
steadfast advocacy of principles and policies for
the betterment of his people. No one can hear
this man speak without exclaiming, 'Ho is sin
cere.' And in his sincerity lies his strength. It
has not been easy for him to reach his present
place in the estimation of English-speaking peo
ple. But one can easily imagine that it is not
Bryan who has changed, but the people. From
the first Bryan has been what he now is, a man,
and it has been by reason of his virile manhood,
in which the chief ingredient is sincerity of pur
pose, that ho has won. Bryan, tho man, is
worthy of emulation by our public men. Toronto
is happy to have had the privilege of having a
man within her gates."
THE SPRINGFIELD (Mass.) Republican says:
"Tho unobstructed landing at Manila last
week of Sixto Lopez marks u complete return
to sanity of the government in the Philippines
concerning former native adherents of the Phil
ippine republic. Mr. Lopez's case, perhaps, was
unique. Ho refused to take tho oath of alleg
iance to the United States for reasons of con
science, and when he attempted peaceably to
enter Luzon some time ago to visit his estates
the authorities promptly expelled him from the
islands. He must take tho oath, they declared,
or he must stay away, in spite of his personal
interests in the archipelago. Since then Mr.
Lopez had resided in Asiatic seaports and had
engaged in business enterprises. The change in
the official attitude toward Mr. Lopez began to
be observed some months ago when Governor
General Smith consented to write to tho French
governor of Saigon recommending this Filipino
to his attention and even urging that facilities
should be given to him for the exportation of
cattle. Mr. Lopez subsequently received the first
and only privilege from Cochin China in that
branch of commerce, his original cattle exporta
tion amounting to 10,000 head. Whether or
not his importance as a commercial factor, thus
demonstrated, has had much influence in chang
ing the official attitude of the Philippine govern
ment it is impossible to say, but it is certain
that Sixto Lopez is no longer under the ban. In
being allowed to land last week at Manila with-
out taking tho oath of allegiance, Mr. Lopez ban
found tho government at hint tolerant of his
preaenco in hi own home, and thin moan a
triumph for sweet reasonablon in tho govern
ment of tho islands. Mr. Lopez himself scoraw
a personal triumph. Hut It Is n private matter
with him whether he will swear allegiance, and
the government need feel no concern over his
presence within its jurisdiction."
Turn on the Searchlight .
Congressman Hitchcock of Nebraska has
written to tho New York World thiH letter:
To the Editor of The World: Complying
with your invitation to express my opinion on
your pamphlet "The Map of Hryanlsnn," I ad
vise you that it striken me as cunning but un
fair. For that reason its influence among well
informed people Ih not likely to be great.
Tho contrast between the map of 1892 and
1S9G purports to show a decline of democracy,
but that decline had occurred in 189-1 two
years before Mryan became tho democratic
loader. To make a fair showing your first map
should represent 189 1 and not 1892. Com
pared with 1891, which was the last campaign
under the old democratic regime, the J 890 map
would show a considerable gain in democracy.
To suppress tho map of 1891 strikes mo
as a trick unworthy of a great paper like tho
World.
Again, you suppress the map of 1901, which
Jf puMishod would show tho immense deficiency
of democracy in that year under a reactionary
leader as compared either with 1890 or 1900
under Bryan.
The map of 1907, moreover, is a gross mis
representation. 1 have read day by day your
editorial efforts to show Bryan's weaknesses.
Let me give you several propositions to
consider:
First No democrat ever polled as many
votes as Bryan received in 1890, with most of
tho great leaders playing traitor, with most of
the groat newspapers against him, with prac
tically no campaign fund to meet the millions
at tho republican disposal.
Second In 1900 he practically held his
enormous popular following against a highly
popular president running for re-election after
a successful war and aided by the full dinner
pail and another great corruption fund.
Third In those campaigns he ran better
in Ohio against Ohio's favorite son than Parker
did against Roosevelt in 1904. He ran better
in New York in 1900 against McKlnley than
Parker, Nov York's favorite son, did against
Roosevelt in 1901. He polled more votes in
the greac debatable states of Indiana, Illinois,
and Ohio than any democratic candidate before
or since. He carried more republican states
in 1890 than any democrat ever carried, and
nearly as many in 1900. He was beaten In
some democratic states by the use of a corrup
tion fund contributed by the very men and inter
ests later denounced by the World but then
working with tho World.
Your objection to Bryan can not possibly
be his weakness, because the figures show his
strength. Nor can you hope to defeat him for
nomination, because that is a practically as
sured fact. The only construction which can
be placed on your attitude is that you know he
is to be nominated and you propose to do tho
cause of democracy all tho damage you can
while posing as its supporter, because your
power to injure will be reduced when you ap
pear in your true light as its foe during tho
campaign. As a newspaper man I have always
entertained tho greatest admiration for tho
World and its remarkable publisher, and I am
at a loss to understand the motives for the seem
insly insane crusade which it now carries on
against Bryan. G. M. HITCHCOCK,
M. C, Second Nebraska District.
Washington, February 10.
Probably Mr. Hitchcock would not be sur
prised if he knew the extent of Mr. Pulitzer's
financial interest in corporations that are to
be regulated. But Mr. Pulitzer will not tako
the people into his confidence. That is one sub
ject on which he does not care to have the,
light shine.
If I JPIIIW Mil III mfrlWFM
