The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL. 8, NO. 46
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 27, 1908
Whole Number 410
CONTENTS
TARIFF REVISION
A DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY
MR. BRYAN'S WORK
REPUBLICAN PROSPERITY
A BUSINESS ARGUMENT
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE STATEMENT
SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF 1908
ECHOES FROM THE LATE UNPLEASANT
NESS LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF THE DAILY
NEWS
PARAGRAPHIC PUNCHES
COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
A DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY
Governor-elect Shallenberger, of Nebraska,
in answering an inquiry propounded by the New
York World, refers to the 'democratic victory in
a number of states and" says:
i. 'DemoVracy has a great opportunity for
the future. Jit these administrations result in
good . government and are satisfactory to the
pepplo, If successful they should make stepping
stones for party success in the nation when the
people shall' "learn through them that democ
racy can be safely trusted with legislation and
with power."
Governor Shallenberger is right. Democ
racy has an opportunity and "much depends upon
the way in which that opportunity is improved.
In a number of states democratic senators are
to be elected. Where the selection has been
made by primaries, the legislature has nothing
to do but to carry out the mandate of those
primaries; where no selection has been made
at the primaries; it is the duty of the legisla
tures to select democrats who are in sympathy
with the purpose of the party and who will
reflect with fidelity and ability the spirit that
controls the party. A member of the legislature
has no right to consider personal obligations
when those obligations are opposed to the
party's welfare. The welfare of the party ought
to be above all personal considerations, and the
welfare of the party can only be promoted By
the promotion of the welfare of the people at
large.
The states which have democratic governors
and legislatures have an opportunity to advance
the cause of the party by the enactment of
legislation which will promote the public wel
fare. It would be well for each legislator to
re-read the Denver platform and then help to
crystalize into law every plank of that plat
form which is applicable to state affairs. Each
legislator ought to re-read his state platform
also and fulfill to the letter t-very pledge therein
made. A platform is either binding upon those
elected upon it, or it is a part of a conspiracy to
defraud the public. If a platform does not
bind,, it ought not to be written, if it does bind
it can not be honestly ignored. "Let the people
rule," was the slogan of the late campaign, and
while circumstances which our party could not
' control brought national defeat, the democratic
officials elected are as sacredly pledged by the
platform as if our party had won its national
fleht-
Governor Shajlenberger's interpretation of
the opportunity is a correct one, and our party
will take a long step forward if in every state
the suggestion is followed.
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WHICH WILL PREVAIL?
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sion we are to have when the revision is en- "gods of the things as they ought not to be?"
trusted to the "friends of tariff." The repub
lican platform pledges the party "unequivo
cally" to a revision to be made "immediately"
after inauguration. The word "unequivocally"
is of course an admission that former promises
have not been kept, and the word "immediate
ly" Is a confession that the patience of the
public has been strained to the point of break
ing. But the word "revision" may mean any
thing or nothing according to the opinion of
those who interpret it. The tariff may be revised
up or down or sideways, and it will be revised.
Revision has height and depth; length and
breadth; latitude and longitude it has every
thing except certainty. Revision may bo any
thing from the change of a comma to the repeal
of the entire tariff law. Mr. Taft was very
careful not to commit himself by any definite
statement on the subject, but said that some of
the schedules ought to be raised and others
lowered, but this is not a very explicit state
ment. At another time he said that the revi
sion would be a genuine one, but this, too, ad
mits of interpretation. Again he said that the
revision would probably be downward, but
"probably" is not a very strong word.
The house of representatives initiates reve
nue measures, and the house of representatives
l likely to be presided over by that pre-eminent
standpatter, the Hon, Joe Cannon. The senate
must concur in the tariff measure,' and that
will be presided oyer by that scarcely less emi
nent standpatter,- James Schoolcraft Sherman.
What kind of a tariff revision measure will it
The interests are already making their
wants known; we are already beginning to hear
the tales of woe brought forth by those who aro
standing on the brink of destruction and see
catastrophe and universal destruction -In any
modification of the tariff. The papers that
print the news that Is paid for at so much a
line, to renovate the worn-out arguments in fa
vor of high tariff, will have plenty to do for
the next few months piling blue prediction upon
predictions blue, and gloomy prophecy upon
prophecies of gloom. The confiding readers of
the subsidized papers will be nervous wrecks
by the time the bill Is passed. They will feel
that the country has barely escaped an indus
trial convulsion, and that the refusal of the
republican leaders to permit a reduction of tho
tariff is all that has saved the country from tho
demnition bow-wows, and then the industries
that have shut down and thrown their men out
of employment in order to coerce congress will
open up and the news columns will tell us of a
restored prosperity all due, as they will re
iterate, to the confidence that the public has in
republican sagacity. This will be the course if
history repeats itself; and then tho grinding
will begin again the exploiting will be re
newed, and tho masses will continue their trib
ute to the beneficiaries of republican privilego
and favoritism. How long, O Lord! how long
will It take, the voters to understand the influ
ences that dominate the republican party, anil
through that party, the government? How long
must the average man be made the toy and
TARIFF REVISION
We shall now see what'kind of tariff revl- bo when it emerges from the hands of these j
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