V
"VOLUME' 8. NUMBER U
h
Ik
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I
The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
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The Commoner.
THE METHODS OF 1800 AGAIN
The following editorial is taken from the
Omaha World-Herald:
History is repeating itself. -In
the campaign of 1896, when it was ap
parent that, unless extraordinary -effort was
made, Bryan would be elected, the trust and
tariff grafters of the country posted notices in
the factories, on the Saturday preceding elec
tion, that the mills would close indefinitely the
following week unless the returns showed Mc
Kinley's election. This outrageous act of in
timidation was what defeated Bryan. Labor
was clubbed into voting as r. serf would vote,
and the predatory wealth of the republic got
its golden opportunity. It is since 1896 that
the great majority of the trusts have been or
ganized, and every year they have Teaped vaster
and vaster, profits by robbing the consumer.
Now, it appears, the same methods are re
sorted to by the high financiers to compel labor
to support, and even petition congress for, the
passage of the Aldrich bill, a measure designed
to give high finance absolute control of the mon
ey of the nation.
Thomas T. Ostorman, editor of the Blair
(Neb.) Democrat, sends to the World-Herald a
cheap bribe offer made him by the "Keystone
news bureau" of Philadelphia, which "bureau"
has been already commented on in these col
umns. The "bureau" writes him as follows:
"Editor: If you care to use the appended
article we will be glad, upon the receipt of a
marked copy of your paper, to send you $1 to
pay for the cost of typesetting." '.
This is signed by the "Keystone News
Bureau, P. 0. Box 1014, Philadelphia, Pa."
The story that it is sought to buy country
editors into publishing for a dollar note is to
run under a Washington date .line. It declares
" that "unexpected support" for the Aldrich bill
is coming from "leading labor men throughout
the country," and that this support is "expected
to win many votes in the house." The reason
Tho best fire drill for school houses is the hov Is fr the bill, the story proceeds, is that
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
Are proof school building
The Aldrich currency JbJU..cauiHurther
improved by strljiig-fftft all after tho enacting
clause. ,"''
----,rl
,M
Chicago's police seem much better at sup
pressing free speech than they are detecting
crime.
Captain Winslow says the armor plate is
too low. But Captain Winslow was not refer
ring to tho price.
Tho indications are that Count Abruzzi's
matrimonial plana have wound up a good deal
like his name Bounds.
Mexican newspapers need not worry. Uncle
6am never steals territory. He merely lets
Providence toss it into his lap.
Did it over strike the traffic managers of
tho Harrlman roads that thoy might retaliato
by raising the rate on Teddy bears?
Having passed the ship subsidy bill the
"standpatters" can point to the fact as another
reason why the tariff must be maintained.
If reports from the navy's target practice
aro true there is no reason why Japanese spie3
should create consternation by their presence.
Tho Ohio-Iowa republican tariff planks
Blmply mean that tho republicans can not revise
the tariff beforo election and will not after
election.
Tho Philadelphia Telegram says:
sylvania wants a man in tho senate."
aro a number of democrats in Pennsylvania wlo
wm mi me uui.
"Penn-
Thero
If those Japanese emissaries really want
to study thoroughly all of our defense plans they
will havo to visit something like twelve million
Amorican homes.
The German reporters who struck in order
to revenge themselves on the lawmakers havo
a lot to learn about how to play even with re
creant public officials.
By sending contesting delegations to the
Chicago convention several ,of the southern
states manage to find places for their entire re
publican membership.
many workmen are -luiG and they realize "how
UttiC- piOSpect of employment there is during
the next several mpnths" unless the Aldrich bill
is passed! It proceeds to tell of a labor delega
tion calling on a prominent Washington banker
to ask for aid in financing a million dollar labor
temple. The banker "told his callers that he
would be unable to aid materially; pending
action in congress on the Aldrich currency bill."
And he is quoted as saying:
"Without financial legislation this year will
find not only a million but millions of unem
ployed." The article winds up in this cheerful
manner:
"As an outcome. the labor men said they
would immediately see their representatives in
congress, and use their utmost influence In be
half of the proposed currency legislation."
How do you like it, editors who are offered
this dollar bribe?
How do you like it, laboring men who are
to be clubbed into helping the master robbers
get even a closer and surer stranglehold on the
finances, industry and business of the country?
How do you like it, merchants, debtors,
honest bankers, farmers, when you see the
pirates of the money world using such methods
as these to corrupt the press, to intimidate work
ingmen, to the end that these pirates may be
given power to contract the money volume at
will, thfis raising or lowering prices, interest,
wages, as best suits their selfish and lawless
plans?
This is the method, we repeat, that defeat
ed the honest will of the people in 1896; that
enthroned plutocracy and replaced competition
with plutocratic monopoly. But the people have
learned a lesson since 1896. They see today -the
consequences of making "money the master
all things else the servant." In consequence of
that lesson the entire country is in the throes
of a moral awakening. It is hardly probable
that bribery and bulldozing can again drive the
American republic into betraying itself into the
hands of its most dangerous enemies. Omaha
World-Herald.
LOCATING THE PULITZER TREASURE
The Omaha -World-Herald prints this ed
itorial: "The New 'York World has inadvertantly
answered Mr. Bryan's challenge to admit pub
licly the financial interests of its owner in the
stocks and bonds of American railroads It
makes the admission when it bitterly attacks
the plank of tho Nebraska platform relating to
watered railroad stocks and to railroad earn
ings. The plank the World deems so utterly
bad that it ought to be 'creosoted' is as follows"
" 'Reduce transportation rates until they
reach a point where they will yield only a rea
sonable returnjm the present value of the roads
such reasonable return being defined as a return
sufficient to keep the stock of the roads at par,
when such roads are honestly capitalized.'
"The World brands this as 'wierd and won
derful economics' that would 'confiscate profits'
and 'penalize' economical and efficient manage
ment. It makes a crime, shrieks the World, of
competent- railroad management!
"Yet it is plain that the World can oppose
this plank only on one or the other of theso
grounds:
"That railroads, which are public service
corporations chartered as such by the people,
should be permitted to charge rates that will
yield more than a reasonable return on the in
vestment. "That they should be permitted to charge
rates that will yield a reasonable return on
stocks of the roads at par, when such roads are
dishonestly capitalized.
"Either position amounts to the same thing
and is unjust, untenable, preposterous.
"The plea that railroads should be permit
ted to earn more than a fair and reasonable
return on an actual investment is a plea that
condemns itself and the man who makes it.
"The plea that they should be permitted to
water their stocks, to dishonestly capitalize their
investment to the extent, sometimes, of $10 of
water to $1 of actual value, and be permitted
to charge rates that will return a profit on this
dishonest, fictitious capital, as well as on the
money actually invested, is also a plea that needs
only to be stated to be rejected.
"When the World,, pleads for watered rail
road stocks, and for more than a reasonable
return on actual railroad investments, it gives
ltd 'case away as completely as it would if it
publicly listed, in response to Mr. Bryan's chal
lenge, all the. railroad stocks and bonds that
are owned, by Mr. Pulitzer and members of his
family.' Omaha World-Herald.
t V t V
LECTURING '.'
Speaking of the criticism which, some un
friendly papers, have aimed at -Mr. Bryan, be
cause of his lecturing, the Record-Herald of
Chicago has the following to say: "The:'e have
been some sneers at the democratic orator be
cause he makes his money on the platform in
stead of in the law courts, but it is not possible
to find any justification for them. It is as
proper for him as it is for a preacher or an
author to deliver lectures for a price. There
could be no cleaner way of earning a living,
and none more independent in certain respects.
The possible prizes,, too, are alluring, and it is
not strange that many politicians have joined
the ranks of the lecturers in recent years. With
all that has been said of the downward trend of
the stage and the craze of the public for trivial
dramatic performances, this increase of lectures
and lecture courses is very interesting. If their
popularity were ever an evidence of a serious
minded public it must be now, for most of the
addresses are serious in purpose and convey
lessons and point a moral. It would appear
also that, notwithstanding all that has been
said concerning the supplanting of the orators
by the papers and magazines, there is still great
eagerness for the spoken word. Certainly the
crowds can not be fully explained by the mere
desire to look at a notoriety."
&&&&
IN NEW YORK
The Express this morning in an editorial
referring to the election of 'delegates to the
democratic state convention said:
"Following the illustrious precedent of the
state committeemen, these delegates probably
will go to New York and vote, at the direction
of Messrs. Conners and Murphy, for an unin
structed delegation from New York to the dem
ocratic national convention."
The Express is mistaken. The twenty
seven delegates from Erie county will vote sol
idly for Bryan from first to last.
There is more time for thought and deliber
ation at a state convention than there is at a
state committee meeting. Buffalo (New York)
Times.
& & & &
CONGRATULATIONS
The Oklahoma legislature should congrat
ulate Secretary Taft upon the spirit of progress
shown in Ohio by the submission of the .initiative
and referendum announcement.
