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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 12, 1908)
p, " w i I 1 The Commoner. 14 VOLUME 8, NUMBER 2J fVMjyvjr J.I HOW MEXICO TREATED TRUSTS Sinco tho tariff system Is founded on class selfishness and since protec tion of ono class by tariff regulations works injustice to other classes, there is only ono reasonable explan ation for the persistence with which many republicans adhere to a class program, make political proposals which are in accordance with class demands, and do not seek the great est good of the greatest number. We have seen the actual operation of class protection. Wo have seen it developed to its logical results. We have seen its effects on the happi ness and prosperity of the people of tho United States, millions of whom are still out of employment in the east. We know that consumers are at the mercy of ono or other of the great trusts of the country, trusts which have been created, fostered, built up, and protected by the tariff laws. And yet a suggestion of tariff reform invariably meets with a wail of anguish from some citizens whoso feelings are harrowed by the very sound of the phrase "tariff reform." The tariff will be an issue at the presidential election. It will be con sidered in its relations to tho trusts. The American people will learn how Mexico dealt with such unscrupu lous combinations. Let us look over the wall into Mexico. There is a country which for a while was at the mercy of trusts. It was the most be-trusted country on earth, even as the United States is today. The government took up the ques tion. Every article which, was owned or operated by a trust or the dis tribution of which was regulated or restricted by trusts was put on the free list. The trusts had to go out of business in Mexico, where, inci dentally, it was proved to the breadth of a hair that the peculiar form of pernicious human activity exemplified in trusts is dependent upon tariff. Without tariff it ceases to be a pernicious activity. Unpro tected the trusts can not live in Mexico and could not live in the United States. Los Angeles Herald. NO ESSENTIAL OMITTED A police captain was about to raid a gambling den. At midnight, tak ing his place at tho head of a squad of stalwart men, he looked them over closely, and then said to his lieutenant: "Is everything in readiness for this raid?" "Yes, sir," replied the lieutenant, saluting. "Our arms are in 'first class order, here are the reports, there are the flash light camera men and I notified tho proprietor of the place this afternoon." Philadelphia Bulletin. tains of Industry" those who are out of jail or hiding will again come forward to proffer themselves as tho heaven-annolnted "saviors of the national honor !" Omaha World-Herald. THE SAME OLD METHODS crite. Tho vociferous campaign against Bryan, which is waged principally in the columns of the plutocratic news papers and finds Its Inspiration most ly In the offices of Harrlman, Ryan, Morgan and the Rockefellers, goes merrily on. The New York World, in a "screamer editorial, charges Mr, Bryan with "selling out tho demo cratic party" because ho recently gave Mr. Roosevelt credit for at least "making a noise" about the highwaymen who are robbing tho oountry. It declares that Mr. Bryan has "sacrificed" the "high demo cratic duty" of always opposing the republican party "in a gambling ex pectation of pleasing some of Mr. Roosevelt's republican supporters." If Mr. Bryan wore engaged in "sel ling out the democratic party" to "the interests" whose cause the World is championing, that blatant organ of monumental hypocrisy would have nover a word of com plaint to make. Ho would then be following in the World's footprints, and would doubtless have Its cordial support. The Philadelphia Public Lodger concedes, sneoringly that Mr. Bryan noigs an exaitea position in the minds of "the Ignorant." And the Now York Sun. easilv first as a scurrilous scold, pormlts itself to speak of Mr. Bryan's supporters as "the rabble, in Us remote hiding places of the hills." Evidently we are to have the cam paign of 1896 over again, so far P- Jthe tactics of the Bryan opposi te 4s concerned. Enithets win re place argument, and abuse take the piace or reason. It will grandly be taken for granted that all intelli gent, patriotic. God-fearing and de cent men are for the republican can- aiaate, and that whomsoever is for Bryan must necessarily be classed imong the "rabble." tho "lirnnrnnt " tho depraved and tho dishonest. Ana doubtless tho same old "cap- THE-SOFT ANSWER Senator Tillman, at a banquet in Washington, said, in humorous de fense of outspoken and frank methods: "These people who always keep calm fill mo with mistrust. Those that never lose their temper I sus pect. He who wears under ahusa nn angelic smile is apt' to be a hypo- I prlff A NOTABLE OMISSION Among the dozen or more meas ures urged by Mr. Roosevelt in last Monday's message, none related to publicity of campaign funds. He avoided the subject in his spe cial message of March 25. He omit ted it from his special message of January 31. The nearer the national election approaches the denser his silence. It is almost eighteen months since the president last -uttered a word about political contributions. Then, after the house at a previous session had passed a bill he recommended that all corporations be prohibited from contributing to the campaign expenses of any party. To keep the ballot pure, to main tain honest elections, is the begin ning of good government. Mr. Roose velt Is too practical a man not to know that secrecy in the use of mon ey is the greatest source of corrup tion in politics. He knows that the public would not knowingly tolerate another presidential campaign such as that of 1896, or such private transactions as he held with Harrl man in 1904, or another exploita tion of Cortelyouism. The only way to make them possible Is to insure secrecy by defeating the movement to secure publicity of campaign funds. In a month congress will adjourn. In six months the national elections will be held. Does Mr. Roosevelt In tend his silence to be taken as con sent that In the coming campaign the secret collection of corporation tribute may be continued for the cor ruption of politics and government? New York World. tho present wood-pulp tariff we re cently called attention. Never was there a finer display of brute control of a majority. As Mr. Williams said, fully thirty republicans have intro duced bills in their eager desire to obtain so much of tariff revision, but when an opportunity was offered, not a man rose in his seat. Mr. Williams not only is having a lot of fun at the expense of the republicans, but is piling up a lot of excellent cam paign material. Another person who Is helping the democrats mightily is Theodore Roosevelt. His repeated appeals to congress to do his will, and its steadfast refusal to obey his wishes, put a powerful weapon into the hands of all democratic stump speakers. Why return to power, they will ask, a party which, with absolute control of the government, is at loggerheads with its president, artd does not do any one of fifty things that its leader declares abso lutely essential to the welfare of the republic? New York Evening Post. "An old South Carolina deacon onco said to mo- with a chuckle: " 'Keep yo' lempah, son. Don't yo' quarrel with no angry pusson. A soft answah am alius best. Hit's commanded, an' farthermo', sonny, hit makes 'em madder'n anything else yo' could say.' " Washington Star. ' PUNCTUALITY Master John! Servant Yes, sir. "Be sure you tell me when it Is 4 o'clock." "Yes, sir." "Don't forget it. I promised to meet my wife at 2:30, and she'll be provoked If I'm not there when, she arrives." Answers. TOUCHING Soon jit ter his first baby was born his wife went upstairs one evening and found him standing by the side of the crib and gazing earnestly at the crib. She was touched by the sight and tars filled her eye3. Her arms stole softly round his neck as she nestled her cheek caressingly against his shoulder. He started slightly at her touch. "Darling," he murmured dreamily. "Yes?" she said softly. "What I was going to say is, it is incomprehensible to me how they can " possibly get up luch a crib as that for seven-and-six." London Times. "THE MAP OF BRYANISM" The following editorial appeared in the New Haven, Conn., Union: "The Now York World is laying much stress upon Its brilliant con ception of a map of Brvanism in which Mr. Bryan is depicted as paint ing black sundry states of the union which the editor of the World thinks might have been made democratic. The map Is based on the 1900 vote. It seems fair to enquire how much of this dark and melancholy stain was furnished by Thomas F. Ryan. If he was willing to take out of a public service corporation which he controlled, and which is since bank rupt, $500,000, and use the greater part or it in a futile effort to defeat Mr. Bryan's nomination in 1900, how much is it likely at he raised with his stock gambling and railroad job bing associates In the ensuing cam paign to defeat that candidate at the J)olls? How much of it may have gone to encourage the World In its patriotic efforts? "We might suggest to the able car toonist of the World, or to any other cartoonist, ah amendment of the present map of Bryaulsm. Keep the same map, but have Mr, Thomas P. Ryan doing the painting which turned democratic states into repub lican ones, with Mr. Pulitzer stand ing beside him holding the bucket of paint.' ' "And .speaking of the expenditures in that campaign the total campaign fund at the disposal of the demo cratic national committee was less than $400,000 In that campaign. If even half of the ;500,0u0 expended by William C. Whitney was used to influence the Kansas City conven tion, one can reaJily imagine how great must havo been the total cam paign fund of tho republican party, and can more readily understand the reason why in tho election certain close or doubtful states were 'painted black.' It is rumored that the same methods are being or will be repeated this year." AT THE CLUB Prosperous Young Actor (return ing after a matinee .and evening per formance of a successful play) Ah, dear boys, I really think it's, time all good actors were In bed. Grumpy Tragedian, (looking, up from his paper) They are. Life. CRUEL MR. WILLIAMS Congressman J. S. Williams, ex hibited downright cruelty yesterday In his exhortation to the republican members to come forward and join him in a petition to the speaker for recognition to move a suspension of the rules and the passage of a bill to put wood pulp And print paper on tho free list. He only needed thirty republican signatures to make a ma jority of the houe, but though ho urged them in bilk and by name not a single republican stirred; not 'oven Mr. Perkins of New York,, to whoso eloquent speech on the iniquity of SCIENCE AND WAR Science will never make wars im possible, because science can never limit the ingenuity and knowledge of men to a single channel. The de fensive will ever keep pace with the offensive, and destructiveness will sooner or later carry its own anti- uuu;. wnen men's nearts are cleansed and purified, when peace becomes the ideal of heroism and courage, then and then only will wars cease upon the earth. And the same humane Influences can be de pended upon, In all probability, to prove the falsity of the dismal pre dictions of the fatal trend of com mercial progress. Philadelphia Ledger. SWsci'ibm' Advertising Dept. this department is for the exclusive use of Commoner subscribers, and u special rate of six cents a word per in sertion the lowest rate has been made for them. Address all communi cations to The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb. TVANTED-AGENTS TO SELL ORIGI VV nal hand finished photo post cards with copy of autograph of W. J. Bryan. Sample 10c. Indiana Studio, Pasco Wash. ' TOR SALE 40 ACRES NEAR ARD more. Price $2,500. Terms. Title perfect. Address A. D. Chase, Sr.. P o Box 441, Ardmore, Okla. ' M' ONEY IS SAFE IN OKLAHOMA Interest paid on savings accounts. W.nte &Bfor. Particulars. Arkansas Valley National Bank, Brbkon Arrow. Oklahoma. ' F OIjL SALE -. WELL IMPROVED . farm of 1G0 acres six miles north of O'Neill, Nebraska Good land, good neighborhood, buildings in good state oerepaIr. Price $26.00 per acre, easy terms. C. F. McKenna, O'Neill, .Nob. "W$,L,Ij .,RALIjY4 RQND DEMOC ' raily Greatest campaign song oyer, written. Male quartette. In clubs of five or more, by mall, $1.00. John F. Byfefs. 287 West Monroe St., ChlcSgo Illinois. . - MWICE MAYO CABELL COMMUNI- ',;ciiio wun me at once, Very Im portant. Paul C. Cabell, Gaits Miila, Amherst County, Virginia.