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The Commoner
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 62
MYSTERY OF
Fw5?!r?!w5TO$!
1908
ik) J JL V ki j&
II. R. Hall, Sandoval, 111. "What course
shall reformers adopt for the future?" Con
tinue to advocate reforms as they appear to bo
needed. "Can tho democratic party hope over
to gain control of tho federal government?"
Yes, for truth and righteous cause will win in
time. It will be bettor to vote a righteous cause
and lose than to vote for an unrighteous cause
and gain tho olection. To cast a satisfactory
vote in a pleasure.
G. J. Richmond, Minden, Neb. In answer
to questions, would say: First, No, material
gain. Socond, Tho republicans lost by reason
of sa secondary importanco of issues generally.
Mainly guarantee of deposits. Third, Improvo
their organization and get control of more me
tropolitan newspapers. Fourth, Yes. Wo be
lieve Taft is not equal to tho occasion.
F. Sharp, Rlploy, Okla. Tho democratic
party did make losses in this county. The influ
ences that caused it were the increased negro
vote and coorcion. This is a cotton county and
a fow days before election the report was cir
culated among tho farmers that if Taft was elect
ed tho price of cotton would advance and if not
the price would decline and I think there were
Bomo that believed it and for that reason voted
for Taft. Also the loan companies reported they
would have no money to loan for nine months in
"iPP ot Bryan's olection and that scared a few
ana'tho throat of a panic was worked night and
yj , Tho ,ard times talk was all the argument
used In this county by the republicans. Ask any
of them the reason why they couldn't support
Bryan, and It was the same. old story, "the fear
of a panic." The result of Novembor '3' was
laying the foundation for a monarchy.
, A. J. Hunter, Paris, 111. First, The whole
force of tho federal government was .trans
formed into a political .machine, the president
at Its head while the people's treasury was pay
ing tho salaries. Second, Tho civil service law
waB repudiated by the president and his cabinet,
250,000 officeholders was turned loose upon the
country, and worked every township in the
United States fpr Mr, Taft and the other repub
lican candidates, while their time was being paid
out of tho people's treasury. ..Third, As usual, a
catalogue of false prophecies, deceptions and
falsehood, was formulated by tho bosses, as a
guide for the press and the speaker, to the end
that perfect consistency might obtain in deceiv
ing the voters; that Bryan was a menace to the
farmer and tho laboring man, that if elected he
would create a panic, and hard times, and it
would be dangerous for him to have ttie power
to appoint the judges of the federal courts.
Fourth, The trusts and monopolies threatened
their men in tho factories that if Bryan was
elected they would have to close their mills,
cut wages in the chops and in the mines. These
threats caused tens of thousands of poor labor
ing men to choose between impoverished homes,
or surrender their sovereign rights to the boss",
and vote for Mr. Taft. The farmer was told
that tho high price of corn and live stock was all
due to the republican party, and thousands of
farmers believed the story. In addition to this
cruel intimidation and false statements the
bosses and the republican committees, had all
the money that they could use to purchase the
floater, corrupt tho ballot and publish and dis
tribute tons of false and pernicious literature.
Under the leadership of Mr. Bryan, tho demo
cratic party made a clean, honest light to defeat
the "standpat" machine, and tho trusts, and give
back once more tho control of tho government
to the people. And lost. Mr. Taft fought to
continue the control of the government in hands
of the trusts and monopolies. He did that .and
won. And now we know to a certainty that the
government will continue to be administered by
the privileged class for tho next four years in
the interest of the money power, the trusts,
tho grafters and the republican party. We also
know that political power acquired by coercion,
fraud and tainted money can not endure, and
that nolitical rlirhts are not tho nronertv rf fc
boss or employer. These facts should Intensify
the determination of all patriotic citizens to
continue the fight until predatory wealth shall
release Its grasp upon tho throats of the people
and popular government shall once more bo
restored.
J. D. Olds, Rico Lake, Wis. How did it
happen? This question is of great importance
to the great mass of bread winning people who
have now become dependent upoiy the rich em-
THE SCOPE OF THE INQUIRY
In its issue of November 13, The Commoner
invited contributions to a symposium, having
for its purpose an inquiry into tho causes of
tho results of the 1908 election. The Commoner
asked the co-operation of its readers in every
section of tho country, submitting these
questions:
Did the democratic party make losses in
your county and precinct?
If so, to what influence were such losses
due?
"What course shall reformers adopt for
tho future?
Can the democratic party hope ever to gain
control of the federal government?
The fourth installment of this symposium Is
printed in this issue. It should bo understood
that the publication of any particular opinion
does not mean that The Commoner endorses
that opinion. In order that the Inquiry shall
be thorough it will be .necessary that ,wido,scope
be given tho contributors to this symposium,
and these opinion are to bo printed with the
names of tho writers.
ployer for a job by which they .may earn, enough
to feed and cloth themselves and family. This
class is always in great fear that they may lose
their job, and these rich employers and office
seekers and officeholders have all learned that
fear Is one or the most demoralizing and uncon
trollable powers that has ever cursed a people
. and it has como to that condition of demoraliza
tion among the officeholders and seekers and
autocratic rich who are in the g. o. p largely.
Thoy have used that demoralizing power to
arouse that fear among the poor workingmen
by threats of a' loss of work or of some terrible
calamity if they vote for any change or reform.
Thus it is safe-to say -that many thousands. and
probably millions voted against; their 'own qrin
scienco rather than take the chance of starving
themselves and family, knowing full well that
theso men had the power to do all the desperate
work that their demoralized condition would
prompt them to promise. Centralized wealth,
power and corruption has, during all timo,
worked hand in hand against any moral uplift
or liberty or justice to the great mass of bread
winning slaves of tho world. "What course shall
. reformers adopt for the future?" Every re
former, regardless of any and all political par
ties, work without ceasing for a law, national
and state, that will make it a criminal offense
to intimidate, coerce or make any threat of ca
lamity or loss if such person or party does or
does not win, the penalty prison for life whether
rich or poor. Can the democratic party ever
hope to gain control of the federal-government?"
Yes. Perseverence in a just cause will certainly
win some time. It might bo well to call a union
conference and invito every political party to
send delegates and try to unite all reformers
upon one platform to be known as the union
democrat reform party platform.
W. A. Burdotto, Ona, W. Va. First, The
democratic party made material gains in my
county (Cabell) and precinct. The gains wero
due to the accepted soundness of democratic
policies, to discontent with republican misrule
in the state and nation, to the partial suppres
sion of the usual election frauds. Second, For
the future I recommend that reformers continue
the light of the past until the people are fully
educated to our policies; that all frauds in the
election just passed bo vigorously prosecuted
and, where necessary, that more rigid election
laws be passed, so as to insure honest elections
In the future. - Third, Probably the democratic
party can hope to .gain control of the Inderal
government in time, but it will require a" hard
struggle most likely a revolution to wrest it
from the control of tho favored interests
Fourth, "How did it happen?" Can't say posi
tively but let me suggest a lookout along the
following lines: High handed illegal registra
tion, which aided illegal voting; the accustomed
coercion and increased bribes, while the panic
and starvation rendered those means unusually
effective; improper counting of a few ballots in
each precinct having a republican majority of
election commissioners. Each vote thus taken
from the democrats and given to the republicans
made a difference of two. To. my certain knowl
edge several wero certainly thus counted in my
own precinct. At that ratio the democrats
should have had 300 more votes in our county
and 17,000 more in this state, while the re
publicans should have had correspondingly less
That would have rendered our partial victory
in tho county a complete victory, and it would
have placed our state handsomely in the demo
cratic ranks. Similar errors elsewhere seem
ingly small may have defeated the national
ticket.
Henry A. Parsons, Kansas -City, Kan
What is the reason they lost in 1908? I think
the main reason- for the vote against our national
ticket in 1908 is that the voters were misled by
erroneous .and, deceptive. statements of the oppo
sition press and literature and by. most of tho
stump speakers and workers of our opponents
Our. opponents labored industriously to make
the voters Jbelieve that hard, times -would cer
tainly Jollow tho election of Mr. Bryan to the
presidency, that industries would close, business
would languish, laborers -would lose their jobs
and, a 'general .panicky foeling would take pos-
, session-of the country and last for -years. - Theso
things -were -told and repeated morning, noon
and night for months and the people were mis
led in all or nearly all the doubtful states. Our
opponents had most of the -newspapers and mon
ey and could reach the voters more effectively
than we could. -They 'knew the people, had been
misled as to the cause of the .panic of 1893 and
that a similar result would follow the election
of Mr. Bryan in 19 08-. The thing for reformers
to do is to' hold the lovt and fight on. We must
have more newspapers. We should have school
house societies where the vital issues should bo
discussed year in and year out. The democratic
party can again control the federal government,
btlck to the democratic party. The people have
faith in Mr. JBryan. His campaign this year was
-matchless in the political .history of the -worTd.
Edward. C. Graves, Vermont, HI. -The de
feat of .the democratic party in my opinion is
due, as it has been in the last three campaigns
' to the corrupt use of, money and the ignorance
of the laboring classes, Including many farmers.
Many do not read nor care to understand the
reforms which would be to their special interest
and also to the interest of all. They are ready
to believe anything printed or said against such
reforms. And with ninety per cent of the news
papers working in tho interest of trusts and
monopolies it Is not to be wondered at after all.
If there is hope for tho people, or the demo
cratic party it will be on the same honest basis
and under such leadership as Mr. Bryan has
shown in our past campaigns, and not by re
treating from what we understand to be Tight.
I believe labor and capital will clash before the
people will wake up and vote to their interests.
But we hope that such will not be necessary.
Let us try to-organize and educate the voters
and hope that the time will soon come when
the right and not might will prevail.
R. C. Gregory, Farmers Station, Ohio. The
course for reformers to adopt is to organize
into a society to disseminate democratic doc
trines. Each member should pay regular dues.
Hie society should be represented in every
school district, where especially in the country,
the whole neighborhood will become interested
in the discussion and debate. Nothing but an
organized fight can ever overcome democratic
enemies. In regard to the last "question, the
democratic party can never hope to gain control
of the government until it has an organization
comparable to the republican organization.
J. Granville Heaps, Streett, Md. Two,
Drive every man out of the democratic party who
is in it "for revenue only," and let the honest
citizens control the organization, not profes
sional politicians. Three, Yes after this present
system has sucked the life blood from the na
tion. Possibly never until force is used. The
press is leaning solidly plutocratic. The New
York World is playing a game of bluff and is as
rotten as the times. If they and their lcind had
made the fight in the doubtful states that the
Record did In Pennsylvania and Mr. Watterson
did in Kentucky, there would have been another
song to sing, and they could enlarge their Bryan
map. Tho country press is doing great work
in this county, and if it could be done all over
the nation as well, we would be in fair shape
by 1912.'
Henry Ware Allen, Wichita, Kan. Taft re
ceived the majority vote because of an unintelli
gent dread of change produced by the over
whelming power of the press, which by editorial
MXi,
