v
The Commoner.
2
inating a candidate against, whom there is so
much aggressive opposition.
Prominent representatives of the party thero
are who believe the first reason assigned for
desiring to prevent the nomination of Mr. laft
is su indent. Many persons hellovo too little at
tention has boon paid lo the use of fodcral power
in obtaining Tuft dolcgates. It is common
knowledge among persons who have followeu
the events of last year that the entire federal
machine, with the president of the United States
at the throttle, has been used in making sure
of the oloction of delegates who would sup
port the administration's canuiuaie. in wu
south, where the federal office-holders-could not
control without running roughshod over the
opposition, roughshod methods wore resorted to.
Practically every delegate from the south
who is hero asking for admission to the conven
tion as a Taft man was chosen by a convention
of officeholders. When it became necessary for
tho administration to resort to extremo measures
Frank H. Hitchcock was taken from tho offlco
of first assistant postmaster general and placed
in charge of tho work of obtaining delegates in
tho south. "Why? Because, as first assistant
postmaster general, ho had appointed the post
masters down thoro and was the one man who
could successfully assemble them In conventions
for the purpose of electing delegates that would
come horo ready to carry out the administra
tlon's bidding. More than a year ago tho fod
oral administration deliberately started out to
gather in tho 244 delegates from the eleven
southern states for Mr. Taft states that do not
contribute ono electoral voto tp the election of
a republican president, and yet have within one
vote of 25 per cent of the votes in the national
convention. Tho federal administration's act
ivity in tho south makos tho contests from down
there doubly interesting. If the national com
mltteo should stand by Mr. Hitchcock's word
if it shall say that It was right and proper for
tho office-holders to dictate tho election of dele
gates Mr. Taft's chance for obtaining the nom
ination will be greatly enhanced.
Unless all signs fail delegates from the pro
gressive republican states of tho west willi-want
to know all about the Taft alliance with Wall
Stroet before casting their voteB in the conven
tion. It is inevitable that thero must be some
explanations. "Why is the Standard Oil company, t,
tho steel trust, every trust, good and bad, now
for Mr. Taft? It will, in tho opinion of good
judges, take a lot of explaining to convince the
western delegates that a deal of some sort was
not made. In Nov," York it is common tulle
that it was tho president's promise to "take the
tooth out of the Sherman anti-trust law" that
brought some of tho big ones over,
Tho administration failed to persuade con
gress to extract the said teeth, but from all ac
counts Mr. Roosevelt is determined that the na
tional convention shall, in itB platform, promise1
to have congress do tho extracting at the next
session. Somebody carried the word to the "un
desirable citizens" In New York that if Mr, Taft
should be nominated and elected they (tho un
desirable citizens) would not be molested during
tho next four years. Thero is no doubt about
this. And yet, about 300 delegates were in
structed to voto for Mr. Taft because ho was
tho ono man who could be depended on to carry
out tho Roosevelt policies. It seems worth while
to remark again that somo ono is being fooled.
Is it tho "intorestp" in Wall Street or the pro
gressive republican's of tho central west and the
far west? . "
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THE FOURTH OF JULY
A correspondent has asked, first, what can
bo done to. promote a movement for a more
sane celebration of the Fourth of July and to
correct a somewhat perverted patriotic senti
ment. Second, wfeat can bo done to prepare
the children and 'th for the high duties of
Christian citizenship. As the day, approaches
for the annual celebration of tho Fourth of July
It is well that preparation should be made for
celebrations in liarmony with tho national senti
ment that led our forefathers to set apart this
day as a public holiday? Our failure to celebrate
this day Ib not a good sign and even where it
Is celebrated, the tiQ, that the celebration turns
to amusements ratlin than to tho serious con
templation of the subjects suggested by the
.day, this fact is likewise significant of a lack
of respect for tho day.
Tho Fourth of July 1b a national holiday
becauso on that day tho nation's independence
was declared and It. is rnndirinrni no , i,t.i.
day of the ropublic. Patriotism would suggest
Lftn appropriate celebration in every community
a celebration at which the people would gather
to bestow merited praise upon our forefathers;
to discuss the fundamental principles of methods
of government; to review tho achievements o,
tho past; to consider tho dangers that menace
the future; and to lay plans for the perpetuity
of a government of the people, by the people
and for the people. Amusements can be intro
duced in the program but tho amusemonts ought
to be incidental and not the main feature of
the day. Is It not possible for the people to lay
aside for at least one day out of tho year their
Interest in material prosperity and consider the
questions vitally concerning our national life
and our national destiny?
'When the parents commemorate the Fourth
or July as they should, it will be easy to pre
pare tho children for the duties-of citizenship.
We are all imitators to a greater or less extent
and the children are quite sure to be impressed
by the actions and conversations of their elders.
Tho best way to prepare our children for the
dischargo of the high duties of citizenship is to
bo scrupulously careful ourselves about the dis
charge of the duties of citizenship. If parents
are indifferent to the observance of the Fourth
-of July, their children are apt to be. If the
parents prefer amusoments on that day, tho
children are apt to prefer amusements, too. It
is not necessary that there should be an elabo
rate address by a distinguished speaker, al
though an impressive address by one who en
joys the confidence of the people is entirely
fitting. The Declaration of Independence should
be read, national airs ought to be sung and those
. who are leaders of thought in their community
ought to give expression to their views. It
ought to be a day for the free exchange of senti
ment and for the stimulation of thought about
public questions and interest in public affairs.
The indifference with which some now spealj:
of the vital principles set forth in the Declarar
tion of Independence ought to lead, to more
zeal on the part of those who defend the Declar
ation of Independence. Colonialism would not
havebeen accepted so complacently by so many
had there been the interest thero ought to have
been in the constant discussion of the principles
of free government. Imperialism would not
have found the reception that it did had the
Fourth- of July been observed as it ought to have
been observed, and the advocates of imperialism
and colonialism will grow lpss in proportion as
tho people take an active interest in the perpetu
ation of the ideals of government that led tho
patriots of 1776 to promulgate- the Declaration
of Independence and pledge to its support their
lives, their property and their sacred honor,
A PREJUDICED VIEW '
i l i
.Referring , to Mr. Bryan's statement at
the governors' meeting recently held at the
White House that "Not all, but most of the
contentions over the line between nation
and state are tracoablo to predatory corpor
ations which are trying to shield themselves
from deserved punishment, or endeavoring
to prevent needed restraining legislation:"
Wouldn't it have been a fairer state
ment and more true, to have said, "Not all
but most of the contentions over the line
between nation and state are traceable to
tho enactment" of not needed, uncalled for,
unfair, unjust and unconstitutional laws by
incompetent and prejudiced state legisla
tures, under the influence of the prevalent
demagoguery of office seeking leaders, and
the attempt to enforce, to the extreme,
part of such laws by incompetent, vote
seeking state commissions, thereby com
pelling the owners of corporate property "
thus discriminated against, to appeal to the
broader justice" of tho federal courts for
their rights under the supreme law of the
land.'1
Is it patriotism, or an appeal to the
unthinking for support that impels a puolic
man to condemn the federal courts for
their protection of the rights of citizens of
this republic, under its supreme law as
against the enactment and attempted en
forcement of laws as above referred to?
(Signed) READER.
The above communication has been re
ceived at The Commoner office. The writer
affixes his name to the letter, but for publication
signs tho name "Reader." Tho rv
glad to give "Reader" space for the expression
of his opinion, not only as a matter of courtesy
to him but as a matter of information to the
public. He Is an assistant in the office of a
railroad president and represents the extreme
railroad view. The language .employed by him
.VOLUME 8, 'NUMBER-23
.' ' "
is 'sufficient to convict him in any court of being
so varped in his views that he holds the public
in contempt and considers the public and their
representatives as conspirators against the rail
roads. His position is Identical" with . that taken
by many of the railroad officials in the past
they sent their lobbyists to the national and
state capitols; they praised every man as a
statesman whose ear was trained to catch the
pulsations of a pocketbook and denounced every
k man as a demagogue who was against whole
sale exploitation of the masses. There is evi
dence, however, that some of the railroad man
agers have seen the error of this position and
now recognize the right of the people to be
consulted in matters affecting the railroads. The
railroad is a quasi-public corporation and it owes
certain duties to its patrons. These patrons
can only speak through legislation and their
right to speak is no longer denied.
The men who are engaged in legitimate
railroading understand that we are entering
upon a now era and they have no sympathy
with the opinion expressed in the above com
munication. Instead of characterizing the peo
ple as "unthinking;" instead of denouncing
legislatures as a mob; instead of slandering
state governments and state courts the fair
minded man admits the iniquity of the pass, the
rebate and the discrimination between people
and places and proposes to meet the public in
a spirit of candor and, discuss the questions at
issue in an open and honorable way.
Let us hope that the number of such rail
road mei may increase and that their influence
may secure harmonious co-operation between
the railroads and their patrons. The railroads
are necessary to the country, but the country is
no less necessary to the railroads. The rail
roads have helped to settle up the waste places
but the settling up of the waste places has been
of great advantage to the railroads.
The honest railroad managers ought to
separate themselves . from the exploiters and
take their place on the side of the public. Any
one who holds the opinions expressed by the
Reader" aboVe or who looks, at the subject
from his viewpoint can not hope to meet legis
lators in the spirit that 'is necessary for an
amicable adjustment of differences. "'.
.Nb reformer, however vfojeht'hjs remedies;
no agitator, however unfair his arguments has
ever gone to greater length In abusing the rail
roads than the railroad employe signing himself
Reader' has gone in abusing the public. It
is fortunate for the railroads as well as for the
public that "Reader" represents the past rather
than the present, the departing rather than the
coming day. The wise railroad official can not
fail to recognize that there has been a basis for
past complaints and that the public sense of
justice; which when offended -has cried out for
reforms, will when satisfied protect patron and
stockholder alike from injustice.
MAKE THE CONSUMER PAY
The New York Herald is a republican paper
likewise the Chicago Tribune. Neither the edi
. tor of the Tribune nor the editor of the Herald
" ls!;s anZ sleep Decause of the exorbitant tariff.
Rather than revision they have a method where
by newspaper publishers will not feel the ex
actions of the paper trust. Following is an
editorial from the New York Herald
"There is a deal of common sense in the
advice that is given to the unhappy publishers
of one-cent newspapers by Mr. Robert W Pat
terson, the editor of the Chicago Tribune Here
it is, as convoyed in the Herald's special cables
today from London, where the editor of our
esteemed contemporary is sojourning at pres
ent, but is ready to give this kindly and help
ing hand to his 'one-cent' journalistic brothers
in their heur of trouble: There is one remedy
for publishers of one-cent newspapers who are
demanding that congress should remove the duty
from wood pulp and white paper. That is to
raise the price of their newspapers. What could
more resemble that admirable mental commo-
?ity, Ii?rse s?nse'' than this sound advico of
Mr. Patterson? It indicates a direct cut across
lots out of financial difficulty."
WHY?
The motto of the "National Prosperity As
sociation" is: "Give us a rest and sunshine."
It might better have used the petition of the
old colored gentleman who was caught in the
woods after night in a terrific thunderstorm.
As the thunders rolled he begged: "Please gfvo
. us less noise and more light."'
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