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The Commoner.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 14
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7ican who shows this lack of candor. Time and
again republicans have made the criticism that
Secretary Taft makes, and by doing so have
been guilty of the same unfairness.
Mr. Dryan has constantly and persistently
opposed imperialism; he has from the very first
insisted upon the promise of Independence. The
ratification of the treaty was only a means of
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ight. If we could not defeat Imperialism wnen
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the Dncon proposition was presented, we could
a .i..i it ...i. .. .. nrlif iuqi! nmlinrrnfifiwl
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by the prolonging of the war and the incurring
of dangers incident thereto.
There has never been a time since the treaty
was ratified but we might have settled the ques
tion by a promise of independence, but republi
can leaders wore willing to surrender the
doctrine of self government In order to secure
trade advantages in the Orient, and not being
able to defend their policy, they have tried to
lay the ratification of the treaty upon Mr. Bryan,
as if the ratification had made it impossible
for them to avoid colonialism. We have spent
more than five hundred millions in this foolish
attempt to ape the monarchism of the old world;
wo have more than doubled our army, and we
are constantly increasing our navy, and Imper
ialism is the only excuse that can be made for
either. Our annual appropriations for the army
and navy are more than one hundred millions
a year in excess of what they were ten years
ago, and are still Increasing. The republicans
rofuBcd to announce a policy; they refused to
discuss the subject, and yet the expenses go on.
Tlio democrats say, just as Mr. Bryan said in
1899, "promise independence and fulfill the
promise as soon as a state of government can
bo established." Secretary Taft ought to have
enough courage to meet the real issue and not
attempt to hide behind a bogus issue.
Secretary Taft in the Omaha speech made
another criticism of Mr. Bryan, referring to
him as "a gentleman who still seems to have
the power of leading the democratic party
against its will." He adopts tho language of
some of the corporate papers which have made
the same charges. Secretary Taft ought to be
"well enough informed to know that Mr. Bryan
has no means of leading the democratic party
against its will. He has no offices to distribute;
lie has no great corporate Influenqe back of him;
ho has no way of influencing men except by per
suasion; he has never had a political commission
and ho hits never had any fund to draw on to
keep up an organization. When he was nom
inated for congress in 1890, no one else de
sired the nomination, and it was not supposed
that ho could bo elected, for the district was
strongly republican, but he was elected, largely
owing to the landslide of that year. He was
ro-nominated without opposition in 1892. In
j.ou'1. iiu wiuj uunnuuiuu tor me united "5r-;J
senate by the democratic state convention, re
ceiving every vote on the roll-call. In 1896
ho was nominated in Chicago because the dele
gates wanted to nominate him; in 1900 he was
ro-nominated, nearly every state and territory
instructing for hihi. He announced immediately
after the election in 1900 that he would not be
a candidate in 1904, but the disastrous results
of the campaign of 1904 showed the folly of
any attempt to conciliate predatory wealth, and
as soon as the election was over, he was dis
cussed in connection with the nomination of
1908. In the fall of 1905 Mr. Bryan left home
for a trip around the world and was gone about
a year; he was not in correspondence with any
one in regard to politics, and yet while he was
out of the country, something liko half of the
states passed resolutions favorable to his nom
ination. Notwithstanding this very unusual en
dorsement, he refused to announce himself as
a candidate., and, for mora than a year watted
to seo if the political conditions would make
Borne one else more available. In November of
last year he announced that he would accept the
nomination if it was the desire of the demo
cratic voters that he should do so, and this an
nouncement was made to put an end to the
constant misrepresentations- that wore beinc
made by unfriendly papers. That is as far as
he has gone Whatever work others have done
in his behalf has been dono voluntarily and with
out sol citation from him, How, then, can he be
Us' wfll? g th .(lemocratl2 Pty against
But the strangest part of this charge is
that it comes from Secretary Taft whose candi
dacy is backed by the .president and who has
the aid of nearlv nil fhn n-.,, . "., "aB
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the people while they devote themselves to pol
itics. The activity of the government officials
in behalf of Mr. Taft has been such that con
testing delegations have been sent from a num
ber of districts.
Not only has the secretary the backing of
the president and the support of the officials,
but he has the powerful aid of a rich brother
who is prepared to spend more money in secur
ing the secretary's nomination than the demo
crats can hope to collect for a campaign fund.
Surely Secretary Taft must have forgotten him
self when he complained that Mr. Bryan was
leading the democratic party against its will.
w w O w'
"PUBLICITY," MR. PULITZER!
In Its issue of Friday, April 3, the New
York World pays just enough attention to The
Commoner's oft propounded question to say
that it has urged revision of the duties on steel
"in order to curb the steel trust and correct
the injustice by which it sells its products
abroad cheaper than at home;" also that the
World has urged "a drastic corrupt practices
act to prevent the railroads from buying the
government that is to regulate them." The
World will find 1t difficult to deceive many of
its readers now that the light of publicity is
being thrown upon the Pulitzer motives and
methods.
Let Mr. Pulitzer take his readers into his
confidence by telling them of the extent of his
financial Interest in railroads and in other great
corporations commonly known as trusts.
"Publicity! Publicity! Publicity!" Mr.
Pulitzer with respect to the source of the gen
erous income enjoyed by the owner of the New
York World!
And why not publicity? Are not the men
who read the New York World's fervid appeals
to democrats in behalf of the "national honor"
and the "safety and sanity" of the party en
titled to know the motive of the man behind
the editorial?
t& iri t5 O
WHENCE THE MONEY
The powerful interests which are now at
tempting to control both national conventions
do not ask for instructions, for instructions
imply that the voters are in control. All that
predatory wealth asks is that the delegations
shall be turned over to a few bosses to be used
as circumstances require. These men who are
so ready to put up money to control conven
tions, but who would not subscribe a" dollar to
elect a real democrat to office are not concerned
as to the candidate, provided, he will accept
their aitt-and put himself under obligation to
r' ,', ' -A prober of democrats have been ap
e.RJUohed ana offered this support, but nearly
all have refused, knowing that no man, how
ever good his past record, can stand any chance
of winning if he is handicapped by the support
of the men who have made" government an asset
in their business and who seek to control legis
lation for their own pecuniary advantage
There was a time when the voters could be
fooled, but they have learned by a sad experi
ence and know that a candidate can be judged
by the company he keeps. Whence the monev
is a question which is being asked with in
creasing emphasis, and the answer to it is a
death blow to everyone in whose interest tho
money is contributed.
OR IT MAY BE
A magazine writer who seems to be "ernn
ing blindly in the darkness," says: P
"The thinjrwbich has made Bryanism again
possible may be a mere spinning ecstasy in Sip
nerves of an overwrought people; it may be a
sIonv moral revolution, swinging tidelike from
party to party; it may be a recognition of the
enduring power- of an unsullied manhood
coupled with an incomparable tongue- i S
be a mere habit, or it may be a mood of desnair
in which all candidates 'retire in favor of ' thl
one man who has learned how to make defeat
puj
Or it may he that the American people have
grown weary of the impositions put upon'tnem
natioll ESS" P0SinB aS "& the
. . .
xZ w O w5
THE AMERICAN GAME
"Play ball!" is the slogan today, and soon
the great American game of base bill will be
on in all its glory. And a glorious game it is
too. It can be played by the small boy on the
vacant lot, the young man on the schoo and
college campus, by the business man whC vante
an hour or two of pleasant exercise in the open,
and by professionals who entertain millions of
Americans with their skill. Next to playing
ball the greatest and most healthful fun in
dulged in by Americans is filling grand stand
and bteachA's and filling with enthusiasm when
the favorite slugger of the home team drives
one over the right field fence and forces a couple
of men in ahead of him. The resultant shout
ing inflates lung cells long unused, exercises
muscles almost forgotten and drives dull care
away beyond immediate recall. If there is a
cleaner, manlier sport a sport that invigorates
spectators as well as players like our own
American game of base ball, The Commoner
would be much obliged for an introduction
thereto. And in addition to being clean and
healthy sport it is typically American. One
never hears of a "fake" ball game, and that is
why it appeals so strongly to the average Amer
ican. On a thousand vacant lots and well ap
pointed grounds the good old game of base ball
is in progress, and it is building up bone and
muscle and sinew, strengthening the eye, clear
ing the brain and inculcating a love for out doors
that means great benefit to the entire citizen
ship of the country. May the old game always
be as clean and manly a sport as it is today,
and may its devotees increase.
&rl fr t2& 6&
FAIRBANKS' COUP
That was a clever game that Candidate
Fairbanks played on Candidate Taft! Mr. Taft
made his bid for the tariff reform vote in his
party; he prepared a platform for Ohio in which
he advocated a special session, to be convened
immediately after inauguration, to revise the
tariff. And then he sat down and chuckled to
himself over the trick.
But Brother Fairbanks was not asleep. Pie
heard the chuckle and winked a sly wink to
himself in the glass. "He platforms best .who
platforms last," mused the vice president and
then he took his pen in hand and prepared his
bid. He raised the secretary about four months,
so to speak. "Why should business be kept in
suspense for a third of a year?" queries the
gentleman from Indiana? And so he insists
upon an extra session EARLY IN NOVEMBER!
This is not only sooner but the jcevjsionis
sure to be by a republican congress while -the
next congress will probably be democratic. This
is a coup worthy of a general. The protection
ists would rather have, revision If revision
must come by the republicans and the repub
lican tariff reformers want It as soon as possible.
Who will deny that Mr. Fairbanks . has
won a victory over Secretary Taft?
But what will Senator Knox do? And what
kind of a platform will Governor Hughes write?
All this is very interesting but why not submit
sealed bids?
The fellow who speaks first is at a disad
vantage and Mr. Fairbanks has made good use
of the advantage. Now for Knox and Hughes;
Bid up, gentlemen, next!
CORRUPTION WORKING DOWN
' A press dispatch from Philadelphia says
that four policemen have been arraigned on the
charge of burglary and that two sergeants have
been suspended pending investigation. It is
added that the allegations involve half the
policemen in the district, which covers most of
the rich warehouses and wholesale section of
the city. It is not to be surprised that venality
is working its way down from the high officials.
With state officials looting the state house and
municipal officials robbing the city, it is not
strange that the policemen should fall in with
the custom that prevails among those higher
up. It might, however, be worth while to in
quire whether the rich warehouse men rind
Wholesalers were supporting thd gang that has
been trafficking in vice in .Philadelphia. If so,
they can not consistently complain if they thus
become the victims of pettr thefts. No one can
set a limit to a bad influence or a good one. The
story is told of a little boy who was making a
trough. When asked what he was making it
for he stated that it was to feed his father in,
as the boy's grandfather was being fed. The
parent's neglect of a f ether was having its
effect upon the child. So official corruption,
unrebuked, is likely tc extend until petty officials
beg n to engage in petty graft, and when they
begin stealing from the public it is only a step
to "stealing from individuals. If the people of
Philadelphia would only wake up and cleanse
their city of official rascality they would find it
easier to protect themselves against the ordinary
- forms of crime. It never pays to do wrong.-
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