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The Commoner
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 2
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A WASHINGTON dispatch curried by the As
sociated Press follows: "Announcement
wus miido tit tno Wlilto llouso today that Presi
dent KooHovolt had signed the bill directing tho
restoration to gold and silvor coins of the motto,
'In God Wo Trust,' ordered by him stricken
from tho gold coins soino months ago, on tho
ground that tho lnw did not authorize its uso.
Tho law becomes effective thirty days from May
18, but the dies with tho additional words have
already been prepared. In tho meantime tho
coinago of $U0 and $10, gold pieces minus the
motto, will continue, according to Director of
tho Mint Leach."
THE FOLLOWING dispatch appeared in tho
Now York World under date of Mont
gomery, Ala., May 15: "Jt's a landslide for
Johnson Monday. In an experience in Alabama
politics covering moro than a quarter of a cen
tury. 1 havo never seen anything like it," said
Chairman A. G. Smith, of the Alabama commit
tee for tho nomination of John A.. Johnson for
tho presidency, today. Smith bases his state
ment on reports roccived from all over tho state
regarding tho Johnson movement. "Its growth
is tho most wonderful demonstration of sound
soiiso of Alabama voters that I havo over seen,"
he continued. "No political movement has
every before approximated it in Alabama. It
is a ground-swell. ' Tho only question now is
tho amount of majority in the stato. I am told
by a great many well informed men that there
Is a great sentiment for Governor Johnson in
Montgomery county. Our friends are so im
pressed and so enthusiastic ovor this sentiment
that they are confident ol: carrying the county.
Tho Johnson strength in Montgomery is ac
knowledged by all classes of voters. Wo hear
.exactly tho same thing from ovory section of
tho stato. From many quarters wo get oven
bettor reports. Wo got hundreds of letters
daily and thoy aro uniformly of an encouraging
nature. Each correspondent tolls us that tho
Johnson sentiment in his particular community
is splondld, but that lie fears for other parts of
tho state. But everybody writes the same thing.
Each man's community is in excellent shape.
So wo aro constrained to bolievo from tho splen
did enthusiasm that the Johnson campaign is
confined to no one quarter, but that it is wide
spread over overy section of Alabama." Tho
same view 1b taken by Walker Percy, one of tho
leading flghtors for tho governor. "Wo aro sure
r to carry the stato," said Percy. "The fight for
'Johnson has shown that tho people are weary
of Mr. Bryan and aro ready to try another man."
That was four days before the primaries.
O
A DISPATCH TO the Louisville Courier-Jour-XX
nal under date of Chicago, May 17 fol
lows: "The hopes of Governor John A. John
son, of Minnesota, for the democratic nomination
for the presidency depend wholly upon the re
Bult of the state-wide primary in the state of
Alabama Monday. Governor Johnson was in
Chicago for two hours today, on his way home
from the conference of governors at Washington
He was in thoroughly good spirits and on the
presidency he made this significant remark: I
will bo back in Chicago Tuesday. By that time
Alabama will be on record. Then we will know
whore we stand.' William Jennings Bryan and
Governor Johnson wore in town at the same
time. Both came from Washington, but not by
the same train and thoy did not meet en route
or in Chicago. Governor Johnson met with his
campaign manager, F. B. Lynch, and Orva G
Williams who is at tho head of the movement
to secure the support of the Illinois delegation
for the Minnesota governor despite tho BrvaS
instructions." iyuu
npi-IE FOLLOWING is from the Sioux City (la )
A Journal: "The result of tho primary in
Alabama confirms tho accuracy of a recent nfiWR
paper poll indicating that the south cSnUnues"
solid for Bryan. Tho opposition to Bryan has
been contending that tho south is for Brvnn
S?&in thal)S?nc,e of otllor creditable can
SKi JL S?1 Fry Gave them a
v w umuiwuie mis proposition, Gov-
ornor Johnson's name was placed on the primary
ballot, and overy democratic voter was given
a chance to express preference between Bryan
and Johnson. Tho Johnson candidacy was ad
vocated by some prominent Alabama democrats,
including Senator Johnston. There was enough
campaign to awaken the electorate to the fact
that a fight was on. . Bryan carried the primary,
three to one. In advance of the showdown in
Alabama politicians said the outcome would bo
of largo significance. If Johnson carried Ala
bama against Bryan it was contended there
would bo no further hope that Bryan could get
a two-thirds majority at Denver. On the other
hand, 'it was said, if Bryan carried Alabama it
must bo accepted as proof that the Nebraskan
is still solid down south, and there would bo lit
tle excuse for continuing the campaign against
him. Under the circumstances it would seem
that the Johnson boomers really staked their
all on tho cast of tho Alabama dice and have
lost it. To help along that conclusion South
Carolina lined up for Bryan without argument.
California, claimed by the Johnsonites as doubt
ful, came into camp on the same day with a
delegation instructed to vote as a unit for Bryan.
The score today shows that Bryan has about
two-thirds of the delegates selected, while John
son has Minnesota's twenty-two votes, and Dela
ware's six are instructed for Gray, who says
he doesn't want them. No doubt the anti-Bryan
propagandists will keep up their cheerful talk,
but votes aro required to make a nomination.
Bryan continues to get the votes."
THE BUFFALO (N. Y.) Times says: "The
Toturns from tho democratic primaries in
Alabama indicate that William J. Bryan will
bo supported by the state's delegation to the
Denver convention. Tho result is important.
For a long time the opponents of Mr, Bryan
have been working to capture the Alabama dele
gation, employing all means at their command
to accomplish their purpose. With Alabama
against Mr. Bryan and more work of the same
kind they figured that they might create a con
siderable anti-Bryan sentiment throughout the
south, and then with Alabama leading the roll
call in tho convention and continued use of their
peculiar methods they might sweep the conven
tion. Tho stato has been overrun with agents of
the interests which desire the elimination of the
national leader of tho democracy from the race
for the nomination and the methods peculiar to
them have been used to create an anti-Bryan
sentiment. What they have done has gone for
naught. The returns from California, Washing
ton and .Honolulu show that the states and the
territory will instruct their delegates for Mr
Bryan. The Bryan sentiment is overwhelming'
The opposition forces must by this time reali
that they can not withstand it."
Q ENATOR ROBERT L TAYLOR of Tennessee,
kJ delivering his maiden speech in the senate
talked on tariff and currency legislation Sen
ator Taylor drew a parallel between the solar
system regulated by centripetal and centrifugal
forces and the government, the federal power
being the centripetal and the states' power the
centrifugal force. He declared that as the con
federacy was an emphasis of the force seekinc
disintegration, the federal power, representing
the other extreme, now is endangerine tho
rights of the state. Discussing th2 SSdAt he
said: "The system is as surely out of balance
today as it was in 1861, and wha? is the T differ
ence to us whether wo leave our orbit and go
cavorting among the stars to freeze to death on
the outskirts of crea ion or whether we are
drawn the other way to be converted into fnei
for the sun? What is the difference whether
rote? ThSevCebn hn rUte r the ntraCtion
route? They both mean destruction of the
union. I do not pretend to be a great constitu!
ffinf itTMt lf tUat instren?mea0nnsSanv
2 SlS. ' i P0wer not exPressly conferred
upon the federal government is reserved to the
states. In these imperial days when concen!
trated wealth is intrenched under tho dome of
mWl ufr centred Power Is enthroned
in the White House, what can be exnected w
the gradual encroachment of tK federal gov
ernment upon the reserved rights of the states?
How can tho equilibrium be preserved under the
reign of a big stick and a bag of gold? Aro
not concentrated wealth and centralized power
dictating the policies of the party in power and
controlling the legislation of congress? I
would not reflect upon the chief executive of
tho nation. On the contrary I would praise him
for the noble things he has done during his in
cumbency, chief of v7hich was turning on the
light and revealing tho enormity of tho crimes
his party has committed. But our peerless presi
dent reached the limit when he seized all tho
best reform planks of all the democratic plat
forms of the past and planted himself squarely
upon them. Was there ever a grander spectacle
of coup d'etat than this in the hfstory of Amer
ican politics? The question for you on the
other side of this chamber is: 'Are you going to
put his reform policies in your platform at Chi
cago? If you are, why don't you indorse Bryan
and be done with it? If you are not, you will
repudiate your president."
IN THE SAME speech Senator Taylor said:
Our financial system is the Siamese twin
of tho tariff system, and while the financial sys
tem is the weak brother of the pair, yet they are
bound together by the cartilage of federal pro
tection. This is an axiom-of millions of ordinary
mortals and 6,000 banks. The party in power
sees only the six thousand. This is a nation of
many millions of consumers and a few thousand
corporations. This is a nation of many millions
who work for their daily bread and a few hun
dred millionaires, but the party in power only
sees the millionaires. The corporations and mil
lionaires furnish the sinews of war for the cam
paign and the party in power furnishes the laws
to pile up the fortunes of those who furnish
the sinews.' In the midst of this great panic
I saw the distinguished senator from Rhode
Island, Mr. Aldrich, chairman of the committee
on finance of the senate, stand upon the troubled
waters with an emergency bill in his hand, and
with a loud voice he cried to the howling storm:
Peace be still.' But there was no peace. And
the tempest-tossed crew in the golden boat
walled their eyes toward Almighty Rockefeller
and prayed; and they beckoned to Morgan, tho
king of corporation power, to throw them a life
line. But the two omnipotent financiers could
not leave the game on Wall Street to go into
the life saving service. Have not the policies
of the party in power dragged the country to
awful depths when the president finds it neces
sary to warn both houses that the republic is
In danger of being overthrown by the machina
tions of concentrated wealth, which is tho legiti
mate result of republican policies? Is it not
time for the country to wake when we are ad
monished by a republican president to put tho
bit in the mouth of centralized corporation
power to prevent it from trampling under its
hooteall that is left of liberty and free govern-
THERE IS considerable criticism in republi
can circles because the national committee
chose Senator Burrows to be temporary chair
man of the national convention. Senator Bur
rows was chosen, so Walter Wellman of the
Chicago Record-Herald says, by Chairman New.
i? a aSing?ndispatcu t0 the Chicago Record
Herald Mr. Wellman says: "Why did New
choose Burrows? Who put the idea in his
mind? Who had prompted the young chairman
of the national committee to make a selection
regarded by every ono as unfit as to typo of
S!?nan9d SS. snificanco of it as to national
politics? What fine Italian hand worked this
&W SLth administration, at tho President?
Why did Mr. New not take Senator Foraker
and be done with it? Why choose for sounding
the keynote at the end of the Roosevelt admin
istration and upon the eve of nominating a man
Pledged to carry out tho Roosevelt policies
a senator who had never been a supporter of
those policies and who had no part whatever in
the really important events of the last four
years? These are questions which are being
asked in administration circles, and to which as
yet there is no satisfactory answer. Unsuitable
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