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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1909)
PH Itmtihifitetmiifm rv turn )ii rnJi)imt,Vitpfii ib n ri-'?-Vi- 2 The Commoner; irt Wlfi1w' HJI Bk cast for him In Georgia. The south needs to bo educated In tho proper way to vote." Nothing about the righto of man; nothing about liberty and juBtlco; nothing about mor ality, progress and enlightenment; nothing but greed. If the south wants or hopes to share the spoils of plutocratic protection and privilege why does It not vote that way? The only answer (hat a southern republican could give was that tho pooplo of that section must bo "educated In tho proper way to vote." How would It do to educate the tariff beggars In tho old American idea that honesty and self rollanco are cardinal virtues? St. Louis Post Dispatch. t (Jy t W MK. ROOSEVELT IS INDIGNANT President Roosevelt has vetoed the bill pro viding for the taking of the next census. He bases his veto on tho clause providing that ap pointments shall bo made on the basis of non competitive examinations instead of through the civil service. In closing his veto message the president pro tests against permitting the great census under taking "to bo marred by permitting it to be turned into an engine to further the self-interests of that small section of the people which makes a profession of politics." And then the president refers to "tho evil effects of the spoils system and of the custom of treating appoint ments to the public service as personal per quisites of professional politicians." This must have sounded well in the ears of those candidates for the republican nomination for the presidency who had not the favor of Theodore Roosevelt. He used the entire federal brigade to further the self-interest of that small section of the pooplo which makes a profession of politics and is known as the Roosevelt-Taft coterie. Ho treated appointments to the public service as the personal perquisites of Theodore Roosevelt than whom no more professional poli tician has ever performed before a de-lighted pooplo. Is It possible that with all his experience Mr. Roosevelt can .not see himself as others see him? nnnl ie(nlmag,n! thllt UlG PePlQ a smple enough to regard as genuine his pretended in dignation lest the federal brigade "be turned into an engine to further the self-interests of tiir.t small section of the people which makes a profession of politics?" uteB &&&& WHY NOT PUBLICITY? A reader of the New York Evenine: Post covers the situation in a nutshell win he fvrftes; If tho president had (as wo must sunnoseN what he considered adequate proof of the al- oged necessity of the coal and iron merger vha conceivable reason can he have for S ng to communicate that proof to tho people of the country? I know not what tocUnicaf claim we may have in this respect, but there can be est Tn ? Hlat CVery man wh s an i?ter! est at all in the conduct of the government ic interested in knowing just whv th , IvS suspended or violated Fa federal statute AV Practical man he can not ver" well expect the people to be satisfied with an inse AmIu H does, h0 mu8t haV0 pecmVaoS ft telligonce or of his own obligations." PAWNED HONOR Newspaper dispatches say that Urm,. Brandenberg, under indictment in New y ZVoXl?rm B0-berg and what JW very ticket made much of loiter nrL d,eoc?ta the New York TimSs which letter f? firSt ?y clared, had been written bv Provl n,WaS, de" This letter purported to hi nGrover Cleveland. Mr. Bryan 0Jrn of former president of MrTaf t Y the latG Henry Wattorson of the LoulHviii n , Journal was the first tn !,.fJ v e Courier ticlty of that letter Mr ?.tion the autlien it down aid Vs a re'suft ofYhot?rSO,,fina,ly ran '"Sot o h foS to&l?&S""t wrote pro. enborg letter dares now RifP . tho Braud tholr fugitive ??orm Suce? ,n defnse of blgtat tile6 lowe!lC!hSWrP0,!rfro readers an apolo foTe Z fraudulent letter or for the editorial assuring its readers of the letter's genuineness. Not one of these newspapers dare 6ay a word for Brandenberg tho fugitive, but not one of them has spoken in defense of its own integrity. Brandenberg is a fugitive but who will ques tion the statement that the honor of the news papers that stood sponsor for the Brandenberg letter is yet in pawn? p Zrt t W W w w ir "NEW LAND OP PROMISE" Day by day it is becoming more clear that tho trust magnates knew what they were doing when they threw the weight of their powerful influence on the republican side. Mr. Flagler, one of the founders of the National Tube Works, a part of the steel trust, says of Mr. Taft: "Now a wiser man In law and administration than Mr. Roosevelt, will be the nation's head. Never in the history of our government has one so well equipped for the presidency been sent to the White House. He can be called the pro duct and producer of the best in American life. He has given confidence to us all and will lead us to new lands of promise." What will the Roosevelt republicans think of this praise of the president-elect at the ex pense of the president? And what will the anti monopoly republican think of this new promised land into which Mr. Taft is expected to lead' the trusts? The republicans "worked both sides of the street" during the campaign but Mr. Taft will have to take one side or the other. teV i&v & tV THE RECALL Calvin E. JKeach of Troy, N. Y., writes: "I was pleased to see in this week's issue that Nebraska has already started on a right course to obtain, as near as can be under our present methods of choosing United" States Senators, by having introduced a bill by one of its repre sentatives in the house, to follow the lead set by Oregon. Now, let another one. be introduced giving the people in their several assembly dis tricts, as well as state senatorial districts', the' power of 'recall and then if any pledged rep resentative dare violate his promise under his Statement No. 1,' he must face the danger of being displaced .by a more faithful and trust worthy man for his district." THE CROMWELL MYSTERY Sooner or later the William Nelson Cromwell mystery will be solved. Sooner or late? the ttSt n? iSe0pl 71!1 learu how !t Opened Sftii L tJ Wyer i?ad such enormous influence TZiirrn ior everythinB " s " The charges made upon the floor of the house by Representative Rainey of Illinois can not be overlooked. Plainly, the American pwple aw becoming solicitous for publicity with resnect to the Cromwell matter. respect &&&& WHY NOT? If the president really thini ttiit , ernment can be libeled in e gOV" lay the libeller open to criminal ZnL asf , to at the hands of the WeE INFLUENCING LEGISLATORS t?. quotes Senator a great many letters to WaeWnSn0" SGndIng opposition to the postal saving ?bank wne88i?S Burkett says: "Yes thnt Vi i bil1, Mr- An organized opposition can 8viW.ays V10 case more potent than anv VLTJt !"? an influence if the support is tL times Zrfd 8Upp0Pt' even opposition." R is sa?e t 2L ft ?rat as the questions, the "rath of ?hn f"0".' U1'0U enB to depositors ." SSSZTS VOLUME 9 NUMBER existing 'between sthe depositors and stockhold ers. Ahd yet,s the-banks are . organized while the depositors are unorganized, and it is nor fectly true, as Senator Burkett says, that tim protests sent in by bankers have weight with the senators and members of congress. ThnR entrusted with legislation do not always aton to consider the fact that the people who nro test against the -postal savings bank are few in number compared with those who would be ben" efited by it and who favor it. The legislator, whether in congress or in tho legislature of a state, is the spokesman of the whole people on questions. upon which the peo ple have acted, and he occupies the position of a judge when he acts upon questions upon which there has been no public expression. The most difficult task that the legislator has to perform is to decide fairly and justly between the few who clamor and the many who are silent. For this reason it is of primary importance that the representative shall be in sympathy with tho 335 Sf th Feo,ple for lf hIs empathies are right he will insist upon protecting the interests of ttte masses, no matter how urgent or per sistent those may be who seek special favors or who protest against needed legislation. It ought not to be necessary for every voter to write to his senators or congressmen upon every question; the public official ought to have m?r51,courage to Protect his-constituents without being constantly spurred up to duty by cn?ere. areiabout two hundred and sixty thou SS?vVSeS In Neb'aakas an overwhelming ma il yu f.them, believe in neater protection to th nllSS" Th(LSe h? are Ptesting against the postal savings bank are, as a rule opposed Jo Sit s"aranty of banks' ad "kewlse opposed oir anyTother Protection that the depositors may ?i , mIeht Promote remedial legislation if fin fur!?1"8 0(k ,the lnterest In PublIc affah's that the beneficiaries of special privilege do, j J 7Ui I? be necsary for them to cor respond with their representatives so frequently if the representatives themselves fully' aoDre . ciated official responsibility. y PP ., . ', A BROICEN l5DC!E ' J?r sfv6ral years the rep-ublicanp'arty 'in'JNe- ?nf Tnif S?5 itself t0 the'Pla of-selecting United States senators by popular vote In the absence of a change in the method trough tedTi011 the 0reson Plan to. adm?E Indeed Pn,h? aPProach to popular selection. cSmmJrtDfn anft aS Wel1 as democrats, are committed to the Oregon plan. But when thi f Plan as embodied in the Humphrey bilf was bvD?hd.eMd; reC1ently in committee othewhll renib?ioanbSka hU8e ot representatives Ivery 2h bKbeMV?ed against moon to Kum tB ?ird readins W11011 the bill be? volUaainstT86 to get iVoVnVb?"? platforms "made t feet in on rather than to stand on?- "BILLY 'POSSUM" 'Possum-Mi 5? aiie t0 have a sea80H of "Billy possum in the place of "Teddy Bear" Hia Jni ditions it is imporSn?'nnr?o t,he present con" in this matterXftus ve i any mlstake The squirrel has a bushy tail' And stumpy grows the har'; The raccoon's tail is ringed all round The 'possum's tail is bar'. '' New York, January 20, 1909. J' M,B . msSOURI'S ANTI-MONOPOLY VICTORY M4nouaTr 1Lcfsi0rnofa ;rpiote v,ctry in expelling the . Standard o supreme cort subsidiary compan es la Clear cuf SET ItS hensive. The state is tnw d comPre There is a marked colnr congratulated, euage employed bv thL PSJ betwen the Ian and aggress?veand i- MlM10Uri court bold Ployed by the teTJo aVoeetlc toe em tobacco trus guitv b "m?? found the practices. The Missouri iofrIed 1 justify its Prove to be o? less value hST'tl11' toay monopoly have h?ped I Th J? enemles of prosecute their rStL , states 0VLSht to the right of the BS?2 ? agaInst tnG trusts and tne state to prosecute ought to be tvmJUfc.j,,, atfcji..