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The Commoner.
DECEMBER 4, 1001
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SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF 1908
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Walter G. Stewart, Reading, Pa. Many
voters persuaded themselves that they could got
the benefit of a substantial amount of Bryanito
democracy through Rooseveltian republicanism,
- without incurring the desperate hostility of pow
erful interests (which they feared to do) or
discrediting . Roosevelt's efforts (which seemed
iinfair).' Cowardly avoidance of threatened
p.unishnlent, excused by vain hopes of Roosevel
tian remedies this, broadly, explains the lost
battle of 1908. Tho war must go on until con
ditions compel democratic republicans and dem
ocratic democrats to unite on a fundamental
issue such aa the initiative and referendum,
., perhaps
James Bassel, Weston, W. Va. One Party
gained 208 over vote of 1904 in. this county.
Opposition majority cut 100, from 508 in
1904 to 408 this time. Two Party divided,
I feareast from west, liko whigs in 1802, north
and south. Three Hard to contend against
a" combine of money and ignorance; only. hope,
appears to bo in. a break, in the dominant party.
As to best course to pursue, can't say, but looks
as if-'the sheep and tho goats had best some,
way or somehow separate. Plutocracy will now
Btrivo to control the democratic organization,
as it did from 187G to 1896. Election result
recalls Hamilton, Carlyle, Macauley and Shillor
("30 years war in Europe seventeenth century,"
speaking of Henry IV, founder of the Bourbon
dynasty in France, page 62 or 68) doubting the
intelligence of the people. Schiller mentions
Vbarbarism, superstition, and rapacity of men,
that must be provided for in the measures of
a statesman Wisdom alone will not go."
B. P. Irish, Blandinsville, 111. I have
taken some pains to find the reason and the
five democrats. who voted, for Taft and the ten
, democrats who voted forrthe prohibition candi-.
dates, and the republicans who promised to vote
for you and did. not all give the same reason, Viz,
. that the election of Bryan would be a blow to
the business prosperity of the country which
you could not prevent, as all the wealth of big
republicans could be locked Up or removed from
, tho country. God help us. Go to the United
' States senate and do all you can to prevent the
calamity which follows corruption.
J. W. McClure, Sedalia, Mo. Complying
. with your request to give cause for defeat of the
democracy In the recent election, would answer
but one thing, and that was the fear of busl-
' ness depression, such as- tho country expert-
' enced under the last democratic administration
'. at Washington, A great many thousand people
(enough to Have- elected Mr. Bryan) wanted to
vote for him but were deterred by the thought
of a' recurrence of hard times, such as they had
under" Cleveland's last administration. This
they were made to believe by the big Interests
which are ruling this country, and will until a
revolution. ,
.' J. P. Bradway, Warsaw, Ind. The demo
cratic party made gains In our state and county,
" but fell behind on the national ticket. The loss
" to tho national ticket seems to have been in
precincts where there was a goodly number of
laborers and Catholics. In my precinct there
were three Catholics all democrats, and there
-were just three more votes for Mr. Taft this
year than for Mr. Roosevelt four years ago. I
find the same condition exists in other counties.
In Catholic communities Mr. Taft made his
largest gains. I believe through here the Catho
lics voted for Mr. Taft, regardless of their po
litical faith. I have faith in the democratic
party that it will eventually gain control of the
federal government, and fdught out on the prin
ciples adopted in the Denver platform and so
nobly' defended by one of the truest and noblest
champions for the masses and the common peo
ple this world has ever seen.
M. J. Fruchs, Pittsburg, Pa. It happened,
because from the dawn of history to the present
day, men did not, and do not think for them
selves. In olden times, it was a corrupt clergy
which, by threats and entreaties, gained their
masters ends. By awakening and nursing sui
cidal passions In the hearts of the masses, It
oori0 to riiatract their minds from any
- effectual endeavor, to find out for themselves,
"' ' the real cause pf their misery. By such means,
"'"'tfwAin'n&taVi o ovatnm nf tvrannv. slavery, graft,
, ' f
"i""b,r" - "'.rr." ;' T : v th wnrid
,, exploitation ana auiKucaa. . , - -
; ?? several thousand years to open its eyes, and rid
. '"itself' of sucli. nefarious Influence. Today corrupt
V" press-hirelings of an Industrial, commercial, and
political piracy, is continuing tho work of the
THE SCOPE OF THE INQUIRY
In its Isbuo of November 13, Tho Commoner
invited contributions to a symposium, having
for Its purpose an Inquiry Into tho causes of
the results of tho 1908 election. Tho Commoner
asked tho co-operation of its readers in every
.section of the country, submitting theso
questions:
Did tho democratic party make losses In
your county and precinct?
If so, to what influenco were such Iobhob
due?
"What courses1 shall , reformers .adopt for
tho'futureZ t.;! jl io.:i' -''
Can tho democratic party' hope ever to gnln'
control of tho federal -government?
Tho second Installment of this symposium Is
printed in this issue. It should be understood
that the-publication, of any particular opinion
does not mean, that The. Commoner endorses.
woro defeated. In my opinion tho principal- i! )
reasons were short-sightedness of thouRand nf i t
American voters who wo supposed wero better
supplied with brains; treachory in our ow
party and last, but not least, nearly all the
newspapers and money woro on the othor side.
I bellovo that four years moro of tin "Roosovolt
dynasty" will bo enough argument fr- tho farm
ers and shop men. Two years moro of
"Cannon" will mako a largo democratic ma
jority In tho houso. You will bo elected In 191J
by tho largest voto over given any president.
R. M. Curponlor, Klostor, Minn.- In Fair
bault county, this state, at the rccont election,
tho democratic party showed a gain of more
than 100 per cent and in tho precinct of iCicster
tho gain was moro than 400 per cent. This
gain was duo to the fact that tho democratic,
platform was moro acceptable to the people and
tho reforms it promised wero more applicable
to tho condition and needs of tho country. The
course for reformers to adopt is to spread true
democratic doctrine, as sot forth in the plat
form Of 1908. and await tllrt mrt-flln fnfltir nt
the incoming republican administration to fuiai
that opinion. In ordor that tho inquiry, shall, tho promises it made in its platform partlctt-
It will bo necessary that wide scope ?S. ?' as 1reIttte" to. a rovlslon of tho tariff The4
do morougn it win oo necessary mat wide scope
bo given tho contributors to this symposium,
and these opinions are to bo printed with tho
names of tho writers.
For tho preparation of this symposium Tho
Commoner must lay down certain unalterable'
rules:
First, replies must bo brief and tp tlie point.
Second, tho writing must be plain.
Third, the tono must be respectful, tho lan
guage nonrllbelous and free from .epithet- -although
tho widest possible latitude' will bo
given for the description. of tho conditions. that,
contributed to the result and tho expression of
opinion as to the future course of reformers.
Tho name of tho contributor will be used.
Tho Commoner will contlnuo this sympo
sium from week to week, covering sufficient
time and space in which to clear up "Tho Mys
tery of 1908."
democratic party Is founded on pormanent prin
cipies, tho carrying out of which means tho
greatest good and greatest freedom for the
masses from tho encroachments of antmnohmi
wealth, and it will ngain bo victorious, tor "rree-'Jl
viviju n utiuiu unco uugun, ucfjuonuica irum
bleeding siro to son, though battled oft Is evor
won."
A. J. Anders, Oolwoln, Jowa. I answer the ,
questions as follows: Two Partisan projudice.
Intimidation, treachery, Ignoraqt fear of a
change, and activity of fcdoral officeholders.
Three Figllt tho buttle out on lines of 19.
Four Yen. Tho democratic party must gain
control and a change be effected, or our liberty.;
will bo lost and lifo without liberty Is not worth
living.
M. B. ChaBO, Marlon, Ohio. My precinct
and county made democratic gains at tho last
election attributable to tho good work of Tho
Commoner, and tho thorough work dono In
1896. Many things and reasons mado up tho
defeat of Mr. Bryan and tho democratic party.
First, tho metropolitan papers of tho country,
republican and some domocrutic woro against
tho now democracy. Second, I'resldont Roose
velt violating, In my opinion, both tho letter,
and spirit of civil service reform directly and
indirectly, ordered tho officeholders of his administration,-
under the pay of the government,
from their posts of duty thereunder Into the
Held to fight tho battle for tho tariff and the
powerful in effectiveness, and far reaching in trusts, and they wont forth and waged political
influence than anything over adopted In the war against ns, while we paid half of their sal
past by demagogues or tyrants for the purpose ,ary to run tho work of the government; and In
of, subjecting the people.. Numberless, .genera- this connection the trusts furnished not less
tions pf. men In the past allowed tiiomseives. to man j,uuQtui)Q to carry on the campaign.
clergy of the dark ages, and while It may not
use tho same methods, it serves, the same pur
pose, and attains the same ends. Someone named
the press the fourth power in a state. That
may.havo been at one time. Tho press today Is
the first and only power In a republic. More
bo robbed and lashed. They hated their prose
cutors, but were defenseless. Yet, accumulated
hate, resulted in the' final overthrow of the
system. Today free men are robbed and
starved. They possess a powerful weapon
their ballot, but they do not know their perse
cutors, they do not hate them. They are edu
cated to love them, and be gratefulfor their
existence. Daily the vojter reads a lesson in liis
favorite paper tho paper he befriended; he
grows to see things, and believe In the actual
outcome of problems as advocated by that
paper. When hunting work, when going or com
ing from work, he reads the samo paper, studies
the same lesson, and on election day he votes,
as it directed. Can anyone wonder how it hap
pened when ninety per cent of the country,
daily and periodic press, did hayo nothing to
say about reforms, or platforms but just tho
perspective of getting and keeping, or the dread
ful alternative of losing tho country's meal
ticket? What democracy should do? Why;
keep on fighting, of course. Keep on adopting
measures for Insuring the people's liberties, and
material welfare. Identify Itself with tho peo
ple's needs and become the people's party. Use
every material and moral effort to organize
and strengthen a press which would represent a
now and truer .democracy, and make the same
accessible - te, majority of voters, majority
in the circulation of one party's papery, means
a majority for 'in at party on election xjajr.
Matt F.c fathers, Beloit, Wis. You have
made" the grandest 'fight ever; made by,' any one
for any cause. You ask for reasons why you
Third, Tho manufacturers, principally of the
east, fearing loss of profits vouchsafed to tbom
by tho trust party, and too greedy to divide any
benefits which tho tariff might brlute
them, with their poor empIoyesthreatened that '
their mills and workshops would shut down or
run depending upon which was elected, Jdr
Bryan or Mr. Tariff Taft. Supporting this, at
nearly every republican headquarters, was bill
boarded, "If Mr. Bryan Is elected instant and
continued depression in business, will result'
False and fraudulent statement. Fourth, Early
in the campaign in Ohio republicans started and;.
clandestinely kept up the cry of "Taft anaJj
Harmon, for tho purpose of defeating Mr.
Bryan, as later In New York came tho cry of
"Taft and Chanler." Fifth, Tho railroads with
their moneyed influence were against us, both in,
the east and in the west and northwest. Sixth,
The labor vote of tho country was divided hr
conditions not under the control of the democ-'
racy. Seventh, There had been, during the time
of tho governorship of Mr. Taft In tho Philip
pines, a preparation by him for the presidency,
in favoring and Ingratiating himself into the
confidence of tho people who represented a large
number of voters in the United States-, a groat
many of whom I can but believe therefore stood
by Mr, Taft and while they were mostly of dem
ocratic tendencies, were not altogether so. Tfale
vote I would estimate at not much less than.
750,000. Eighth, I . believe that Mr. Taft'
charge upon tne "sonu soutn, lnuuoncen a
great many votes in the middle (eastern)
states. The industrial element in the couth,
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