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The Commoner,
4
VOIiUMJbl 8, NUMBER 30
S?H
EM
k
"The Old Ship is Leaking Now"
Following arc extracts from a special dis
patch printed In tho Washington, D. C Even
ing Star: 1f . , mP.,a
Now York, Soptombor 8. Candidate Taft s
swing around tho .circle Is being looked for
ward to ns an Important event by the republi
cans. Thcro is no question that his presonco
on the hustings is in demand. Urgent letters
from state chairmen and other local managers
from all over tho country testify to the neces
sity for his going boforo the pooplo and allowing
them to look him over.
Tho reports which come to New York from
tho middle west are far from reassuring to the
republicans. The. situation in the vast and rcst
Icsb torritory between tho Wabash and the plains
as reported by watchful observers, is not of a
character to warrant any four to one odds on
Taft, such as Wall Streot is blindly offering.
But then Wall Streot never looks beyond the
Jersey flats.
A good-sized, husky Bryan "scare" Is a
pretty good prognostication for the near future,
unless Candidate Taft manages to start some
fires In tho middle west rlghc at tho jump off.
Candidate Taft is not going to have alto
gether an easy task, either, in handling some
of tho questions ho will havo to discuss on his
western trip. Take for example, the mooted
subject of guarantee of bank deposits. Mr.
Taft and the national organization are opposed
"to 'that Bryan plan. But the republican state
platform of Kansas has doclarod in favor of it.
The republican literature going into Kansas is
discreetly silent on tho subject. .
There is tariff revision; it is a certainty
he will have to make some big talk on revision
that Is reduction not revision alone. The mid
dle west, republican and democratic alike; Is
crazy to get after the tariff- schedules with 'an
ax. That is what revision means out there. But
that is not the kind of revision demanded In
New Jersey, New England, Pennsylvania and
protectionist Ohio. It docs not sound good in
West Virginia, Which state,, since it swung Into
the republican, column in 1894,, lifts b'eqn as
rock-ribbed protectionist as Pennsylvania.
It is feared that Cardidato, Taft will havo
to do some vdry agUe sTde stepping and ctit
some fancy figures on mighty thin ice when he
takes' the. stump in those western districts.
However, the managors want him to go, confi
dent that his personality, geniality and his great,
honest American manliness will tnake thousands
of votes for him.
Trustworthy information from republica,n
sources indicates an interesting, situation in
Minnesota. Tho republicans are in bad shape
there and the democrats are jubilant. My re
publican Information is that Minnesota is at
this time showing decided tendency toward re
electing Governor Johnir )ri, tho democratic can
didate for governor. 11 is not admitted that
the' presidential ticket "is in any danger, but
tbere is the old political axiom of tho possibility
of the "tail going with tho hide."
A Macedonian cry for help from Minne
sota has come to the national managers, and
the republicans will begin to take cognizance of
tho Minnesota situation from now on. Undoubt
edly Candidate Taft will enter the state.
The news from Minnesota is of a piece with
information gathered during a visit to Minnesota
right after tho . Chicago convention. It was
evident nt that time that the state was honey
combed with radicalism, the result of the teach
ing of Roosevelt, Bryan and LaFollette. This
had been intensified by the resentment of the
two radicals over the nomination of Mr. Sher
man for vice president which they considered a
victory for the "conservative" element in con
gress, and it was predicted at that time that
the republicans would have to attend to their
knitting in Minnesota in thig campaign or tho
enemy would get away with their bull of yarn.
Ugly rumors conio from several states of
that section of the country concerning the sullen
attitude of. the people toward tho republican
congress. Except in the case of Mr. Tawney
it is not being generally voiced in the primaries
for the nominations, but is being held for ex
pression at the polls. Tho national management
will be called upon before the campaign is over
to say some plain words to tho republicans of
that region of the necessity of supporting repub
lican candidates for congress as well aa the re
publican national ticket.
Ex-Governor Hill of Maine, now committee
man for that state, called on Chairman Hitch
cock today. Ho did not bring any rainbows.
Governor Hill frankly admits that the republi
can vote in Maino will show a falling off from
the vote of four years ago, although he does
not admit tho probability of Bryan carrying the
state. Governor Hill thinks that the republican
plurality will run from 12,000 to 15,000, as
against 28,000 in 1904.
Connecticut Ib worrying he republicans,
and State Chairman Kennealy came o head
quarters today to tell his troubles to Chairman
Hitchcock. The candidacy for governor of Rep
resentative Lilley, tho subject of the congres
sional investigation of the submarine scandal
last session, is not aiding tho republican pros
pects, It is said.
Vice Chairman Hudspeth of the demo
cratic national committee had a conference yes
terday in New Haven with the democratic man
agers in Connecticut, and he came back today
trailing Connecticut rainbows all through dem
ocratic headquarters. He says the gold demo
crats and the old Cleveland faction are working
harmoniously this year for the national ticket,
and that things look good for the democrats,
not only in Connecticut, but in Rhode Island
also.
MR. BRYAN ON THE ROOSEVELT LETTER
The newspapers of Monday, September 14
printed a long letter from Theodore Roosevelt
urging the people to elect William H. Taft to
tho presidency.
On Monday evening Mr. Bryan addressed a
gathering in Baltimore, which gathering was
estimated by the Associated Press as exceeding
25,000 persons. The Associated Press report of
that meeting says: "Mr. Bryan received an ova
tion seldom equalled in this city. When he
stepped to the front of the platform the crowd
-rose en masse, cheered and waved flags, the band
tho while playing Dixie, Upon order being re
stored Mr. Bryan, giving every evidence of his
pleasure at the demonstration, began, his re
marks." ,
The following report is taken from the As
sociated Press; report: ...,.,
WANTS SOMETHING FROM TAFT
" "A few plain and simple sentences from
Mr. Taft will be worth more than the eulogy
that the president pronounces. The president's
endorsement is of no value unless, the president
will agree to stay in Washington and rsee that
Mr. Taft makes good."
In those words William J. Bryan summed
up his opinion of the letter of President Roose
velt commendatory of Mr. Taft, soon after tho
democratic candidate, arrived in this city.
"It was expected, of course," said Mr.
Bryan, "that President Roosevelt would support
Mr. Taft. He could hardly do less in view of
the fact that ho selected him as the administra
tion candidate and supported him with all tho
Influence that the administration could bring to
bear. The president's letter, however, may bo
objected to as irrelevant, immaterial and not the
best evidence. If Mr. Taft were dead it would
be interesting to know from Mr. Roosevelt what
ho knew of Mr. Taft's opinions and work, but
as Mr. Taft is alive and able to speak for him
self it Is hardly necessary for Mr. Roosevelt to
tell us what Mr. Taft will do.
"Mr. Taft is running upon a platform which
was so unsatisfactory that he had to amend it
in several Important particulars, and yet, even
as amended, it gives the public no definite idea
as to what Mr. Taft stands for. Mr. Taft also
has made some speeches and promises to make
some more. The ones he has already made have
not thrown any light upon the political situation
but it is to be hoped that he will yet conclude
to define his position with sufficient clearness to
enable the public to know what he stands for.
It is not sufficient for tho president to say that
Mr. Taft is a friend of labor. That is a sub
ject tipon "which the laboring man is entitled to
an opinion and? Mr. Taft's friendship is to be
determined, not by the president's endorsement,
but by the measures which Mr. Taft advocates
Mr. Taft believes that the labor organization
should come under the operation of the anti
trust law, thus dealing with the men vho be
long to the labor organization as if they were
merchandise, for the anti-trust law deals with
the monopoly of tho products of labor.
TAFT ON TRIAL xiY JURY
"Mr, Taft Is opposed to trial by jury in
cases of indirect contempt thus denying to the
laboring man a safeguard ..which is guaranteed
to every man tried in a criminal- court. Mr
Taft does not agree with the laboring man in
regard to the use of the injunction in labor dis
putes. No words of praise from the president
can change Mr. Taft's attitude on this question,
or make that attitude more acceptable to tho
wage earners.
"Mr. Taft's position on the trust question
is not changed by the president's endorsement.
The president himself has not succeeded in put
ting any trust magnates in the penitentiary and
only a few of the trusts have been disturbed.
it Mr,. Taft is no more successful than the presi
dent in his attacks on the trusts he will not
satisfy1 the expectations of the public. There
are more trusts in the country today than there
were when Mr. Roosevelt was inaugurated, and
Mr.. Taft fa,vors a weakening, rather than a
strengthening of the anti-trust law, for he has
advocated an amendment that will limit the
operation of the law to unreasonable restraint
of trade.
"On the tariff question Mr. Taft has failed
to, express himself with clearness. The repub
lican platform does not use the word 'reduction.'
It only promises revision, and Mr. Taft has con
strued that to mean that ome schedules will
be lowered and some raised, but there Is no Inti
mation that the average will be lower or higher
than it is now.
"And so in regard to all the questions which
are at issue. Mr. Taft must make his position
known. He can not rely upon the president's
endorsement. An endorsement on a note is not
necessary if the maker of the note is good, and
tho endorsement is only good when suit can be
brought against the endorser to enforce it. If
Mr. Taft had a reform record of his own he
"would not need to be .endorsed by the president,
and the president's endorsement is Qf no value
unless the president will agree to stay in Wash
ington and see that Mr. Taft makes good. We
ought to have some definite statement as to
what the public is to expect from Mr. Taft. No
such. definite statement appears in the platform
and no' definite conclusion can.' ho drawn from
Mr. Taft's speeches, and it does not anawor the
purpose for the president to say that he feels
sure that Mr. Taft will, do what is right or what
is just,, for there is a wide difference of opinion
as to whatt iB right and as , to what is just'. A
few plain, simple sentences from.MrTaftrjwJU
(be,r worth more than the eulogy that the presi
dent pronounces." ,.?',!
THE MAINE ELECTION V ..
f. Th or returns from the Maine election, which
took place September 14, indicate that Bert M.
Fernald, republican candidate for governor, has
a plurality ever Obdiah Gardner, democratic can
didate, of about 8,000. The result was a dis
tinct disappointment to tho republicans, and
democrats everywhere are rejoicing.
Mr. Bryan, who was in Baltimore, referring
to the Maine election, said: "I am very much
gratified at the returns from Maine. They indi
cate that the trend toward the democratic party
extends over the whole country. They encour
age democrats to believe that victory in Novem
ber is certain."
Mr. Bryan Immediately telegraphed Na
tional Committeeman Stone of Maino tendering
his congratulations.
In 1904 the republicans carried Maine by
26,816.
JOHN.W. KERN'S ITINERARY
John W. Kern, democratic nominee for vico
president, will make a tour, speaking at the fol
lowing time and places: Evansvllle. Ind., Septem
ber 18; Maryland and West Virginia, September
19-24; Mansfield, O., formal opening of the dem
ocratic campaign In Ohio, September 26; points
in northern Ohio, September 28-29; Saginaw,
Mich., September 30; Birmingham, Ala., Octo
ber 2; Macon, Ga., October 3; Asheville, N. C,
October 6; Greensboro, N. C, October 6; Winston-Salem,
N. C, October 7 Roanoke, Va., Ocfc
ber 7; Fincastle, W. Va., October 9; Huntington,
W. Va., and other points rto be named as' stated
above beginning October 10.
The Commoner will
be sent from novf until
Election Day for Twen
ty-five Cents.
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