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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1909)
otf" !Fwfnmrw W JANUARY 81909 and cartoon hag drummed in concert and con tinuously on the theme- that republican success would mean prosperity, while democratic suc cess would mean disaster. Logic and reason were subordinated to this fear of change by even such strong advocates of free trade as the Springfield Republican, and the New York Even ing Post, their attitude no doubt being due to class feeling heightened by the injunction issue. The majority has preferred one dollar in the hand to two in the bush, notwithstanding that the one dollar is tainted. In other words the majority of voters have actually chosen poverty-breeding protection rather than the economi cally sound principle of free trade; they have commended the un-American policy of imper ialism In opposition to the principles of our Declaration of Independence; and they have again supported the party of special privileges simply because they feared a change. But there are more real democrats (those that didn't get scared into denying their principles), than, ever before, and the floating vote (comprising those who feel instead of think) can not long remain with the party of privilege. Thomas Shannon, Oconomowoc, Wis. In the town of Oconomowoc there are about 300 votes cast, of this number the republicans re ceive about 200;. I am pleaBed to inform you that we reduced this majority considerably. If there- were any losses outside our precinct In our county it was caused by republican post masters transporting uninterested voters to the polls in. automobiles on November 3 last. Second, the republican newspapers succeeded in scaring thousands of lukewarm democrata into voting for Taft, regardless of principle. As for future democratic victory I would suggest that you as an editor, redouble your efforts towards putting The Commoner into every American home as I think this is .the most practical way of exposing the- fallacies of the republican argument. Dr. J. J. McKinnon, Wadena, Minn. Two, Fear of hard times so industriously cultivated by republicans during the last two or three weeks of the campaign. The large majority of unthinking voters believe that, if Mr. Bryan had M.been electedT'ip. 189.6 ,and hjad put, into opera 'tion: .his, f fee sjjyer , doctrine, unoJ,d disaster Woul$ have overtaken, us. This "free .silver freesyV as tjhey call it has been t gfeat asset to .tn,, republican pqrty especially against Mr. Bryan, f. They hqvo Ingeniously exploited it for twlvfe- years and, X, believe that there is no, doubt it lias (had the effect of weakening the confidence Of J$.,e ordinary . voter 'in Mr.. Bryan, Three, Sfcick jto, tTeffersonian democracy and Bryan,. ,its t greatest .living exponent. In other, words, stick ,.Rtp B,ryan and Bryanism, Wo may not get the 'officps, ,'but we will get the, results and that is w,hat we are after. .. It would be easier and pleasanter to accomplish tJiese results if we had the offices, but it can be done without them. Mr, Bryan has not only been the dominant factor in his own party during the last decade, but has r forced democratic principles into the republican party and compelled them to accept them. He is the head and front and backbone of the re form movement that has made the man in the White House great. .The only logical thing for reformers to do is to follow Mr. Bryan. Five, No, it can not unless it adopts a platform and nominates a candidate passed upon and approved by the interests. Theodore A. Johnson, Youngstown, Ohio. Two, Repeat the democratic platform in all es sentials word for word, and add to it an "old age pension" clause. Three, Yes, on one con dition being complied with by that party, name ly, that the platform and candidates be demo cratic enough, in addition to being sincere and virile, to hold all democrats now in the party and gather together in one band all democrata of whatever name. By a democrat I mean a person who accepts as a foundation for his po litical creed the familiar saying, "equal rights to all, special privileges to none." There are (many, democrats in the republican party, and in all other parties in this country. The demo cratic party can win if it can poll all the votes of the real democrats in this country. By so con structing the platform and choosing the candi dates, the party will lose to the republicans some voters who are now in the democratic party, but who are not democrats after the fashion of the familiar saying before quoted. Unless the democratic party can rid itself of the present situation, which is, that when a democrat of the Cleveland type Is a candidate for office, radicals will not vote for him and where a man of the Bryan type is a candidate the ultra conservatives refuse to vote for him, it The Commoner. can never win. This situation can be dis- ParVtvdtruyivmSIng an? ke?PInB thc "fora and party truly democratic. We can hope for noth ing from the privileged classes? Why carry the few such we have? They only weaken our argu ment that we represent the people and prevent real democrats in other parties from uniting with us. But we must act quickly, or the middle class, which now furnishes many votes and most of our funds, will have been so depleted that there will be two great parties only toilers, who will be socialists, and the privileged class and their hangers-on who will be republicans. Piebe Swart, New Paris, Ind. In our county the democrats made gains, especially on local issues, caused by the bad management of the republican officers who controlled the ad ministration of the government. Tho influenco of this mismanagement would have reached further If tho republicans had not had seemingly, largo amounts of money to work with and to counteract the influence of this mismanagement. Coercion, also, was a factor in the result. Then the fact that tho republi cans said very little aboue their platform and set up tho cry of intensification of the panic in case the democrats were successful, helped to defeat us. The courso to adopt, 1 think, is to stick to our cause of truth, and to educato on the lines of overcoming prejudlco born of ignor ance and prejudice of paiHy pride. This can only bo done by constant organization and keep ing the truth before the people, and nou-roll-ance upon a two months' campaign organization. John M. Barker, Montgomery City, Mo. You invite your readers to answer tho inquiry, "Can the democratic party hope ever to gain control of the federal government?" I think tire proper answer to that question is "no," and for. the following reasons: Tile government of the United States belongs to the trusts, the money trust chief of all. Every election the trusts take, the money given to them by tho legislative authorities and buy the government just as easily as a bag of potatoes is bought on the market, and the trusts are not wholly to blame, neither are the republicans wholly to blame. Many who call themselves democrats are as .much in- favor of such conditions as are the republicans. All parties being considered a big" majority of the people want the trusts to own, manage and control the government and the people; they like it, prefer itand voto for It, and we have got it and it Is not going to get away from us by any efforts of tho dem ocratic party as organized at present and under its present platform. The democratic party was right In 1896 and that year made tho greatest battle of the ballot in history under the leader ship of Mr. Bryan, even splendid in defeat, with tho exception of tho great victory under Jackson against the money trust, (the greatest all-around man, soldier and statesman that ever walked American soil). Then camo the disgraceful sur render of tho democratic party at St. Louis in 1904, when it hoisted the white flag to tho re publicans, nominated a man the money trust wanted, threw the little alligator to the big alligator, and saw it swallowed into the com fortable belly of the old Saurian even long be fore the ballots were delivered. Then the real, old battle scarred veterans of tho great south west democracy, like Napoleon at Waterloo, walked away in sullen silence and only whis pered, "all is lost." Then came the battle of 1908, when the democrats met at Denver and made a fine organic speech against all the trusts of whatsoever kind except tho old mother trust the money combine and went to the battle again, but nowhere on that field could be seen the white plume of Navarro, tho banner of tho great west was lying neglected In a lonely tent. B. T. Lewis, Long Beach, Cal. The only mystery we see is that our party cast as many votes as it did in the northern states, with so few newspapers, small campaign fund and few public officeholders. Speeches cut but little ice, as democrats go to demor ltlc speeches and re publicans to republican speeches; but the news paper is talking to tho voter every day in the year, and after pouring Into his head one side of a question for three years and ten months, ho can not be converted in the remaining two months by reading or hearing a few Srgifments on the other side. Of course tho business scare that the republicans now use instead of tho "bloody shirt" of a few years ago had some In fluence with the weak minded, and financially weak merchants. Jesse A. Winger, Newton, la. The causes are hard to fathom. The result was so entirely different from tho outlook that discouragement follows. An encouraging outlook and a disap pointing result amount to a loss. To what In- . 7 fluence is this duo? Republicans Ignored th issues aa presented and dwelt upon past cam paigns and the former democratic administra tions. They resorted to lying and misrepresent ation. Republican nowspapors continued to print lies after thoso who originated thorn had admitted their falseness. The people are per force compelled to dopend upon republican news papers and these pnpers depend upon tho Asso ciated Press, which is suspectod of being a m ghty factor in tho comblno against any scheme for reform. Your fourth question should be answered before your third. In tho light of recent performances tho democratic pany need not hope to gain control of the fed eral government as long as It stands for gen uine reform nnd is lod by honest leaders. Tho predatory Interests seem to hold tho balance of power and as tho two groat parties are now con stituted neither one will bo able to give tho country the reforms needed. Why, then should reformers in either party continue to exort their strength against an . impossibility? In tho writer's opinion It will very soon develop that tnore Is no reform legislation Intended by tho incoming administration. If this shall bo Cpio then, the reformers of all parties should hold a conference and make up the issues for a now alignment. Let It be as broad as it may be and still bo true to the Interests of tho common people. Democrats do not like to bocom rn- publlcans and republicans do not like to bccome'lf democrats. Yet all thoso who really desiro 're- form should and might be willing to give sup port to a new party. Lot no hope bo held out to the political pirates of tho old parties. Tstt the Tammany crowd and tho predatory hue- caneers who fatten on speca! ogslatlon get tqgjsther.and stay there. There is wisdom among tho, reformers and honesty among tho people and' right .should find a way to win. Gllmore LIvesay, Houston, Mo. First, Be cause money with its corrupting Influences hnrf an effect upon many who look to tho filthy lucre as their god. Second, Because of the minor parties organized for tho purpose of fighting tho democratic party. Third, Because fhorc arc a heap more republicans than democrats; whether it Is that they are believers in, and are In sym pathy with that party's principles and policies; or, if by Intimidation, threat and buncombe they have voted that ticket, It is a hard matter to say. Dr. Edward J. Brown, Minneapplls, Minn. One, In some parts of the country, notably tho Now England states, the traditional reputation of tho democratic party as allied to the whisky power and other forms of lawlessness, has had a strong Influenco In repelling tho wcll-meahjhg , but not well-informed republican voter. Two, The prominence in the democratic party of plu tocratic elements, nee Wall Street and gold dem ocrats including those solf-styled JoffersOnlan democrats who evidently believe that Jefferson in tho twentieth century would be blind to tho changed conditions. Three, The fear on tho part of many radicals that Mr. Bryan does not appreciate at their full value tho fundamental wrong of land monopoly and tho largely conse quent wrong of tho exploitation of the workers through capitalism. "Equal rights f to all" myalls, If It means anything, not income tax. but land values taxation; not revenue tarmjiputt free trade. In a word, tho weakness or tno democratic party lies in Its cowardly rear or ue ing consistently radical. Isaac N. Snyder, Liberty, Ind. You ask, "What courso shall reformers adopt for tho future?" Place no restrictions on the amount of money to be contributed for campaign pur poses or from whom contributed. I am confi dent that wo failed from lack of money, whilo tho republicans had plenty of It. True this method is In a great measure degrading but how aro you going to beat the republicans easier than to adopt their own methods, which are so successful In beating us democrats? I would like to see them beaten at their own game once, at least. I am a democrat who knows no such" word as fall. I know that tho principles advo cated by the democratic party aYe nearer right than any other party which ever existed, hence I am for keeping up the fight, and control of the federaT gcvrnment will come soon. People will not always Se'insjrctf 6r bought. When victory does come under snch conditions tfio more it will be appreciated by tHo yictors and tfio nloi lasting It will be. So I say let us fight on, and on, and on. Now, Mr. Bryan, few hated to hear of your defeat worse than I did. You made a great and wonderful fight against such great odds. So I want to see you In the senate, where you can, I think, do the most good under tho present circumstances. id 'j , fa V j'i .'." a ,-- '- A d