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The Commoner.
NOVEMBER 13, 1908
3
ST'
and have they not allowed the Ice trust to tax
film when he wants to get cool? What Is thero
that the hand of greed can clutch that -still re
mains free from monopoly? The. farmer has
reason to be grateful that tho Almighty has not
given all things into the hand of man.
Is tho republican party responsible for good
prices? Have not agricultural prices risen all
over the world? Aro they not high in Canada
where thero is no republican party and In Eng
land wliere thero is neither republican party nor
high tariff. Thero must bo a world-wide cause
for a world-wide effect, and tho only cause that
is world-wide is tho incrcasod production of gold
which has onlarged the world's supply of money,
and yet tho republican party which has not con
tributed to this, cause-is quick to claim, respon
sibility for the result which naturally follows--from
this cause. Insofar as farmers, have been
influenced by the threat of. commercial, depres
sion, they have shown less independence than
might havo been expected of them, for the farm
er is the most self-reliant man among us; ho
depends less on others than the merchant or tho
laborer. If ho is not free to insist upon reforms, t
where can we expect remedial legislation to find
support?
The farmers have endorsed the action of a
republican convention which turned down pub
licity does that mean that they are opposed
to honesty in politics? They havo endorsed the
action of a republican convention which repu
diated the election of senators by tho people
Coes that mean that they are indifferent to pop
ular government, or does it simply mean that
they aro afraid that a commercial depression
will be let loose upon them by those who boast
that they are able to bring plenty or want ac
cording to their pleasure?
4V jt i&rt lr
CONGRATULATIONS
Lincoln, Neb., November 5. Hon. William
H. Taft, Cincinnati, Ohio: Please accept con
gratulations and best wishes for the success of
your administration.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN.
Cincinnati, Ohio, November 5, 1908. Hon.
W. J. Bryan, Lincoln, Nebr.: I thank you sin
cerely for your cordial and courteous telegram
of congratulations and good wishes.
WILLIAM H. TAPT;
':
t 5 l& W
ivm. RRYAN ON THE RESULTS
- The election has gone against us by a de
cisive majority. Tho returns are not all in,
and it Is impossible at this time to analyze them
or to say- what causes contributed most to the
republican victory. We made our fight upon a
platform which embodies what we believed to
be good for the American people, but it is for
the people themselves to decide what laws they
'desire and what methods of government they
prefer. I have faith that the publicity which we
asked for will yet commend itself to tho Amer
ican people that the election of senators by the
people will be secured, that the iniquities of
the trust will arouse an opposition that will re
sult in tho elimination of the principle of pri
vate monopoly. I am confident that the people
will see the necessity for the labor legislation
and tho tariff reduction which our platform de
manded. I am confident, too, that the educa
tional work done -in thiB campaign will result
in securing greater protection to bank deposi
tors. The above are tho most prominent re
forms for which we labored, and I believe that
these reforms will yet come, together with more
elective regulation of railroads and Indepen
dence for the Filipinos.
I desire to commend the work of our na
tional committee. I am entirely satisfied with
Mr Mack as the chairman, and with the work
of "the members of the committee. I do not
see what they could have done more than cney
did and as for myself, I put forth every effort
in iny power to secure victory for our cause.
The nomination came from the hands of tho
voters: I have obeyed their command and have
led as best I could. Words will not express
my gratitude for the devotion which has been
shown by millions of democrats during the past
twelve years. Neither am I am able to ade
quately express my appreciation for the kind
-words which have been spoken since the
election. . L .
If I could regard the defeat as purely a per
sonal one, I would consider It a blessing rather
than a. misfortune, for I am relieved of tho
burdens and responsibilities of an offipe that la
attractive only In proportion as It gives an op
portunity to render a larger public service. But
I shall serve as willingly In a private capacity as
in a puWIc one. God does not require great
things of us; Ho only requires that wo improve
tho opportunities that aro presented, and I shall
bo glad to Improve tho opportunities for sorvico
presented by private lifo.
In this hour of national dofcat, I find some
consolation in tho cordial support given by my
neighbors, by tho citizens of Lincoln and by tho
people of tho state of Nebraska. With a demo
cratic governor and a democratic legislature, wo
shall be ablo to put into practice so much of the
Denver platform as relates to stato legislation,
and I trust that our state will set an example
that will be an influence for good in the nation.
i2& i&& v w
"LAFE" YOUNG KNEW
If those republicans who are surprised-to
learn that their party's campaign funds have
been contributed by tho representatives of spe
cial interests had cultivated tho acquaintance of
Colonel "Lafe" Young, editor of the Des Moines
(la.) Capital, they might have learned some
thing to their advantage.
Soveral years ago Colonel Young, who is a
standpatter, engaged in a controversy with Sen
ator Funk, an Iowa republican who endorses
the Cummins idea. Senator Funk said that he
did not believe that tho republicans of Iowa
must "catch tho tariff keynote from tho Ameri
can Economist, published by and for tho most
selfish beneficiaries of protection."
Colonel Young retorted: "Is Senator Funk
determined to reject any of the campaign funds
offored by tho 'protected Industries' in tho cam
paign of 1904? Senator Funk knows tho vast
amount of campaign funds allotted to Iowa In
18 9 G, partly through tho influence of National
Committeeman Cummins. It is presumed that
a good part of that fund camo from these hated
'protected interests.' Will Senator Funk advo
cate rejecting any part of such fund if it shall
bo offered by tho national coramltteo to tho Iowa
members of such committee in 1904."
lff$ ff rt JV
A CORRESPONDENCE RESERVOIR
What a wonderfully resourceful letter fllo
"Theodore Roosevelt has. No matter what po
litical depravity is fastened upon gome man
whom the president has courted and whose sup
port ho has solicited, tho president immediately
digs up a letter written long months before In
which he shows that he knew it all tho tirao
and had already denounced the man. After tho
"Dear Harrlman" letter and also after getting
tho benefit of the Harrlman contribution, ho
produced another letter, written to "My Dear
Sherman," In which he denounced Harrlman
but it wasn't until the Harrlman deal was ex
posed. He snuggled up to Foraker until tho
Foraker deal was exposed then tho letter fllo
was once more drawn upon. He know all tho
time that Standard Oil had contributed $100,000
to the Roosevelt campaign fund In 1904, but
not until the fact was made public did ho drag
out his letter file and show how much ho had
deprecated that contribution all these weary
months. Talk about Alladin's lamp!" Its magic
is as nothing when compared to tho wonderful
possibilities of the Roosevelt letter file.
tw t
TELE BATTLE THAT IS AID3AD
"Into the Valley of tho Shadow of Death
yet often leads tho path of duty; through the
streets of Vanity Fair walk Christian and Faith
ful, and on Greatheart's armor ring tho clang
ing blows. Ormuzd still fights with Ahriman
the Prince of Light, with tho Powers of Dark
ness. He who will hear, to him tho clarions of
tho battle call.
"How thoy call, and call, and call, till tho
heart swells that hears them! Strong soul and
high endeavor, the world needs them now.
Beauty still lies Imprisoned, and iron wheels go
over the good and true and beautiful that might
spring from human lives. '
"And they who fight with Ormuzd, though
they may not know each other somewhere,
sometime, will the -muster roll be called."
ThlB newspaper did not enlist, many years
ago, under the banner of democracy held aloft
by William J. Bryan, thinking the enlistment
would result in a pastime or a holiday. It
visioned what was before. It knew the Way
would prove long and hard, the fighting severe,
and the defeats more numerous than the vic
tories. But it had, and still has, an abiding
faith' In the ultimate victory, because It has faith
In both God and man. And it enlisted because
its heart was in the canse that banner sym
bolized and Ite trust was In the man who bore It.
Bryan the unsullied champion of the dem
ocratic legions, for the third time In twelve
eventful years has gono clown In dofoat. Tho
triumph of tho cause to whlrh he has sanctified
his Ufo, tho cauuo of tho plain people. Is again
postponed, and democratic hearts aro heavy.
Some few, perhaps, havo givon way to despon
dency and discouragement. Pcoring Into tho
gloom that encompnosop thorn, many loyal dem
ocrats will find it hard to discover tho sun of
democratic promise- still uhlnlng, and thoy will
Ho moved by misgivings for tho future of their
party.
But tho democratic party was not horn to
dlo till its purposo Ik accomplished, and that
accomplishment Is not yot. It hns still a great
work to do, and however dark tho clouds today,
tho way will bo opened to it. Tho war has but
just bogun!
It Is not surprising that tho democratic
party was defeated-Tuesday though It had, the
lneomparablo-Bryaii' for a leader and though:
Its principles and policies, as embodied In It
platform, appealed forcibly to tho conscience) and
intelligence or tho country. For It had opposing
it tho most porfect lighting machlno tho world
has over scon tho republican party. The re
publican organization is as thorough, as scientifi
cally accurate, as deadly effective, as brain and
money and hard work can make It. It has moro
ly demonstrated anew Its wondorful capacity,
and Impressed more vividly on tho country a
realization of what a vast power will bo required
to overthrow it.
That organization includes tho cntir? ma
chinery of tho national government, and of most
of tho stato governments. It includes nlnoty
llvo per cent of tho largo newspapers, which
day after day, and yoar after year, keep ham
mering their lessons into tho minds of tens of
millions of readers. It includes tho consolidated
wealth of tho country. It includes tho Jnrgo
part of tho business and Inis'iieHU men of tho
country. Its influence works day and night, In
a thousand ways, somo open and bold, some se
cret and subtlo, all of them sagacious. It knows
how to promise, to wheedle, to allure, to
threaten, to torrlfy, to intimidate.
But with all this It is not all-powerful.
Thero Is a power greater than that of this or
ganization, and tho newspapers, trusts, monop
olies, railroads, banks, public offices, and -ail
tho other institutions that are a part of it.
Justice Is greater. Right Is greater. Truth,
on tho scaffold though It bo, has within it a
powor superior to that of Wrong on tho throne.
It hoo-tho power that comes of a surety that
some day it will triumph because that triumph,
is a part of tho infinito plan. , .t
God Is still standing within tho fjlixdoW,
keqplng watch above His own. And tho clarions
of the battlo that is just ahead call us from the
defeat that is behind. "How thoy call, and call,
and call, till tho heart swells that hears: ,them'
Strong soul and high endeavor, the world1 needs
them now." '
Democracy will rise from the dust of this
defeat, aB it has risen from many another, antt
fight, and fight again, and keep on fighting until
It has accomplished what It Is fighting for. It
may well bo that a great many of us will not
live to see that day, but tho truest and most
lasting victory, the highest satisfaction, lies after
all In honest effort. And "somewhere, sometime.
will the muster roll bo called." Omaha- Worlds
Herald.
ui
W V W 45
comrades
.t v
The Kansas City Journal prints tho follow
ing dispatch:
Spokane, Washington, November 4, "I
havo no fault to find with tho result of tho elec
tlon," stated James J. Hill, president of the
Great Northern today. "Taft Ib a personal
friend of mine, and his election Is eminently sat
fefactory." -.
ijn 5w " ii "
""DEFEAT BETTER THAN DISHONOR '
A few of the , unbelievers are now sayia
that wo might have won had the party .acts
differently. But It happens that these men are
the ones who waut to make tho democratic party
tho tool of plutocracy, and this thoy shall
never do.
tV W 9 tr t
THE MULE IS READY FOR DELIVERY
The gains of the various counties' and pre
cincts will be compared as soon as the complete
returns are in. Defeat has Its advantages. It
Is easier for ono to know his friends after a
defeat than after a victory.
1
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