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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1909)
.''. ..it jiAj&jwinmiimi'k& vM iwmmwhh' ".wi iwyniii'ilf jnin)'r jm r R J? V ,, The Commoner. VOLUME 9, NUMBER"! 6 .?) 6 3 ; it The Commoner. ISSUED WEEKLY. WJI.MAM .7. 1J11VAN Keillor nml Proprietor. XiaifAiin L. Mjotcam'k Aweclnlo Kdllor. ClIAIIIJlH W. llllVAM 1'tibllfilicr. ITflllorlnl Rooms nml Riifllncra OHlco Hi-MO Foulli 12th Street Knteicil nt tlio I'oMofllco nt Lincoln, Hob., ns sccoml'cJnKs inattor Olio Vcnr 81.00 fcix MoiiUih 00 Club of 1'Jvc or more. JcrYcRr .... .75 Tlirci) MonlliH . - - 25o ,S'1iik1 Copy 0 FniiirleColifiI''ire. Foicifrn l'ortnue M CcntnK.xtra. HIJIISGIUI'TIONS can bo Bent direct to Tho Com moner. Tlioy can aloo bo nont through nowspapcifl which havo advertised a clubbing rate, or through local aprcnts, whoro nub-agents havo boon appoint ed. All romlttanccfl Hhould bo sent by postoffloo monoy order, oxprcBB order, or by bank draft on New York or Chicago. Do not send individual chcckit, Htainpn or monoy. 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Address all communications to THE COMMONER, Lfncoln, Neb. "Immediate" does not moan some time "in the distant future. Tho Italian oarthquako cortalnly jarred the world's pursestrlngs looso. By this timo the seat on tho water wagon Is olthor comfortable or vacant. Tho Glaus Spreckles will seems certain to stir up a swoot mess of litigation. By tho timo Wilbur Wright breaks another rocord or two ho will havo to remain in tho air all tho time. After advising ovorybody to "Write it 1900 " wo let tho first issuo of The Commoner in tlie now yoar go through dated "1908." Loss than two more months of Roosevelt in which to land a few millionaire trust magnates in jail for violation of tho anti-trust law. President-elect Taft is framing up a scheme to win tho south to tho republican' party. Lots of other men havo smoked tho same pipe. "Xl J' , PIornont Morgan a sucker?" queries tho Omaha World-Herald. Well, J. Piernont Booms to havo soaked up a lot, at any rate. IfV10 "standpattorB" can manago to keen up this clatter about tho secret service lon enough they may bo able to stave off tariff re vision. u Tho Chicago man who offered his wife as bail la doubtless just tho kind of a man who chance. JUmD his bal1 blld If ho "ifa Mr. Burton is not tho only ono to bo congrat ulated because Charles P. Taft withdrew from S?ihii0f son?to1rInl e. William H Taft ?s entitled to a full measure of congratulations. A few months ago stricken San Francison wna forers. Those who have suffered s'ympathl" John Hays Hammond has been solontnri steer presidential patronage southward wi?i, n view to landing a few southern states h h republican column in 1012 ti, Y . tIlQ cxporlonco mmciny "vmfhis $ " SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF 1908 THE SCOPE OP THE INQUIRY In its issuo of November 13, Tho Commoner invited contributions to a symposium, having for its purpose an inquiry into tho causes of tho results of tho 1908 election. The Commoner asked tho 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 courso shall reformers adopt for tho future? Can tho democratic party hope ever to gain control of tho federal government? The fifth installment of this symposium is printed in this issue. It should bo understood that the publication of any particular opinion does not moan that The Commoner endorses that opinion. In order that tho inquiry shall be thorough it will bo necessary that wide scope bo given tho contributors to this symposium, and these opinions are to be printed with tho 'names of tho writers. George E. Chester, City Point, Fla. Falling o.ff here was partly due to an increasing demand by business interests for a protective tariff. A more important factor was tlie appropriation by Mr. Roosevelt of the most important demo cratic issues. Democrats need not despair in tho face of a defeat which, in its last analysis, was duo solely to the opportunity and the genius of one man. It may be that the mission of the party of tho common people is to outlaw oppres sion and to tax pernicious fortunes out of exis tence, if so, neither Mr. Roosevelt nor his party can hinder it in its appointed time. H. Nye, Enon Valley, Pa. The trusts did it. Tho trusts largely controlling the wealth of the country were against us. And the Catholic church had every reason to be against us, be cause of tho "my policy" of the administration in the Philippine Islands, Cuba and the Catholic church in general. To sum it up in two words political prejudice did it. None of us are free from It. To free ourselves from prejudice would bo to make us free indeed. Education is the only way out of it. A. R. James, Elbert, Colo. Outside of the 'solid south there is a strong conviction in tho minds of a majority of the people that a pro tective tariff is for Jhe best interests of the country. It is necessary to change that con viction. We lost because while even a majority of republicans approved our platform they thought the protectivs tariff of more importance. In my opinion we can elect in 1912, but we must begin the work of education now. .George U. Geyer, LaFontaine, Ind. A suc cessful pulling of the wool over the eyes of the non-thinking individual. The utter disregard for tho platforms, and tho derisive snarl of tho name of "Mr. Bryan" without investigation, ex planation or justification. All done by the beneficiaries of republican legislation or those under control of the system. George L. Bittlnger, Kokomo, Ind.- In my op nion we lost by tie unrestrained use of the federal officeholders under the leadership of .Theodore Roosevelt, together .with the unscrupu lous measures resorted o by him to deceive the people. By the use of large amounts of tainted campaign funds contributed by trust benefi ciaries after the election. Tho democratic party S nil nfeSaln8 Intth.iS Howard) county and in all of the precincts. Reformers for the future must get together and crystalize livimr urgent reforms and push them on to victory Tho democratic party under a new name that will include and harmonize reformers of de cided ability from the republican party may hone to gain control of the federal government P C. H. Creed, Columbia. S. D. Monev wna used without sunt. For the future aH gLZl reformers should unite in one party under new name. Tho democratic party can never enmient.111 gain COntro1 A? F. A. Partlow, Clear Lake. Wis Th wiii north of Wisconsin made gains but I am 5n J vinced the republican party can bo doodled only by a combination of Bryan democrats and progressive republicans. uwnocrats and democratic party can break upThe J J put a stop to free rum they can win hands down. Colonel E. Colyer, Howard, Kan. Educate the people. Republicans with their subsidized press and their large slush fund tell the people absurd things and deceive them. Organize and educate and if this does not dethrone the party in power some day revolution will do it for the American people were not born to be slaves; W. A. Cornelius, Newport Beach, Col. If there is no reason above all others for Mr. Bryan's defeat it is that the democratic party has no press to speak of. Nearly every influen tial newspaper in the country is controlled by the republican party and the greater part of the people were not permitted to see both, sides of the question. That Bryan's election would be ruintfus to the country was hammered at the people every day all over the country by an in tensely partisan republican press and the demo cratic side of the argument was suppressed or ignored entirely. For instance Bryan's last open letter to Roosevelt was not printed by the two leading papers in Los Angeles although they gave great prominence to Roosevelt's letters to Bryan. Neither did the republican papers print the Rockefeller interview indorsing Taft. After all, Taft's election is the best thing for the country, not because Bryan's policy would neces sarily have been ruinous, but because the big papers of the country through misrepresenta tion have led the majority of the voters to be lieve that Bryan's election would be nothing less than a national calamity. After having this doctrine preached to the people so thoroughly during the last few months Bryan's election could have had no other than a paralyzing effect on business for a time at least. Mr. Taft can thank the newspapers of the country for his elec tion. They have done their part and done it well. W. S. Furnam, Sidney, Ohio. A large num ber of shopmen changed their intended vote, I learn, within ten days prior to the election. Whether the assertion, "that the manufacturers predicted a closing of shops and factories in case Bryan was elected," was the controlling cause of this change will, perhaps, never be definitely ascertained, but I am convinced that this was a potent factor. It is very certain that Bryan lithographs in the liomes of many republicans, who had expressed an intention to vote for Mr Bryan, were taken down and Taft pictures sub stituted, within the time mentioned. History repeats itself. The history of all nations has demonstrated that there comes a1 time when the people realize conditions become fully awake and take the reins into their own hands The predatory rich, the monopolies, trusts, and cor porationsall children of the republican party fostered and nursed by a high protective tariff -may control elections and legislationfof a time but again, history repeats itself, anc? there will come a time when -the verdict of the15 voters will be adverse to those who now control!' Keep the fight going. The war is not ended only a battle has been fought and lost. Lawrence was defeated and killed on the Chesapeake? bu! Perry won a- great victory on Lake Erie. We were right en the great questions of this cam paign, and although defeated, the fact remains that we were right, and right wins in the end " Right may be a long time-in achieving ts vic last omnipotent and must triumph at a A-c- Weaver, Colfax, la. The" result wps" due to the prediction of panic by republican eaders and newspapers during the las? week of the campaign. For tile future I should sav imit the platform to two of the most mportant issues and discard your foolish trust plS Plank which in its true working would" onlv -limit monopoly instead of killing it, forcing the trust to operate only in half the states of tht union. This plank, while being clear!? unrnn stitutional, limiting individual effort and ill" ' terprise, does not strike at the root of the ev f The fourth question sounds like it wal nro pounded by a standpatter. Shame on y0u. ' Yon may as well ask, "Shall the truth r"eva$" Why raise a question which does nSt Idmit a discussion? A true reformer "now? wSLo tinup to lm Ho-ii9" tt UOi"uuia"t, party con sume to ue right? Hang on to vour fnith n V4-