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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 1909)
J The Commoner. 2 VOLUME 9, -NUMBER 3$ V i EDUCATIONAL SERIES I,EST WE FORGET Commoner readers will doubtless bo interested In tho following reproductions of articles that appcarod in Tho Commonor during tho presiden tial campaign of 1908: WHO WILIi RE THIS VICTIM? It is plain that Candidato Taft has framed up a groat bunko game for somebody. Win Is to bo , tho victim? Will it bo Thcodoro Roosovelt, or Will it bo tho system? - ; ML .. , Mr. Hoosovelt selected Mr. Taft a b the man.'to further his policies as president. Ho directed t;hp , work of securing delegates and packing tho na tional convention for him. Ho will naturally ex-t poet Mr, Taft to wtand on his policies If. elected, i Tho policies of Mr. Roosevelt aro thoroughly liated by tho systom, tho chief mombers of which aro Mr; Harrlman, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Rockefeller and Mr. Rogers. Thoy want thdso policies put down just as soon- as they can be. They are rejoicing becauso Mr. Roosevelt Is to retiro from oinco on the fourth of next March. Yet these same inon of tho system declare that tho nomination of Mr. Taft for president is .per fectly satisfactory to them, and that so lar fi.B thoy are concerned a better- choico could not havo boon made. - '.'.' Why does tho systom want Taft? Has ho given tho Word' that tho system will bo immuno frdm punishment for misdeeds if "he wins tho election'? It would scorn athat tho system would-want, such an assurance beforo putting its Q. K, .on a .can-, didate, and opening its strdng box besides to .as sist him in his campaign. ' ' , " '" -If Mr Taft is going to -bo for Mr. Roosevelt, ho is .going to bo against jtho system. If hp ifl, going to. bq for tho system ho Is going to bo against Mr. Roosevelt.' ' " Mf' ' Somoone Is going to bo.iburtkocd. Who isi it; to bo Buffalo (N, Y .Timos. , . ,, r j - lit;;, -I tf SOMIDnODY WIIjTj I1ID POOIiBD ' 'l,,r' As tho republicans ' fraJmo-tho situation 'same-' body is to bo fooled mightily.. . Who- is ;it likeliest to bo, Rockefeller and, compapy, who will proyMo tlio sinews of war, or tho mas'sc,8 of the1 people, who aro expected toprdvifle1 tho votes? 'That' 'is' tho sum of it, whlchevaruway wo tako ltj or conw alder, i , ,.,,?.) ,; A''VtUiT wo aro promised a change of policies, Of, which p6UcVeB the 'policies, 'of UtWj republican ' presluetft!,1 ov tho policies of ttho .rafiubllcan congress? (YTlttJ ropublcan patity can,vno,t be true to tho onGuwJ,tjb-( cal,' and Cannon, tho 'slahdflafctctffUVlthit'Hl'fliffi'ireJ farm and tho gosnqLof protection; with tho trusts of tho, east and the! faVrndrs df th'6 -tfest;' with tho pdbplo and tho systehV. In dhc -wdrcl, r'dttu'b llcanism for all iits'jarts. nndi lre'saurcesi,cannbt eorvo both God,. and. Mammon. , , , When the republican" cdngresg Refused to' enact a. law of publiolty, 'Under whoso operation black mail could., no .longer bo levied upon any interest by the managers of either organization, it .pro claimed tho purpose of tho republicans td lay tribute upon the corporations and to fry tlvo fati out of tho maiufaoturftrs again tip sell tho foreign embassies to the mjlltonalro a,nd promises of no real interference to tho-trust magnates, as a re turn for the means of corrupting -tha ballot' frox and, buying tho olec.tlop.. Louisville Courier Journal. ' T i'i BOGUS REVISION i.l Interview in Now York Sun, November 1-1, 1005', LRJpresc!11tatlv? Babcock. of Wisconsin: ' What would revision by tho coming congress, through tho committees of house and senate, as now constituted, amount to? Those committees are dominated by men who favor the high protection idea, Chairman Payne and .Representative Dalzell and Grosvcnor would head the republican sub committee to draw the bill, and none of them would support such a jneaBure, as tho republican friends of revision want." v ,w"1 The men who control legislation in 1908. 'as 'Mr Babcock says, controlled tn 1905. From Tho ComC money of Octobor 16, 1908. . . om. THE INCOME TAX In its Issue of July 14, tho New York 'World prints an editorial entitled, "Abandoning thb in come Tax" The World editorial follow!: ... ' -Jii worui can understand the sHenco of tho ppUbllcan platform ip regard to an lndbmo 'tffif re position on this question. What excuse can it make for surrender?" Ono of tho planks in tho democratic platform is as follows: . "Wo favor an income tax as part of our revenue system, and we urgo tho. submission of. a consti tutional amendment specifically authorizing con gress to levy and collect tax upon individual and corporato incomes, to tho end that wealth may bear its proportionate share of tho burdens of tho federal government." When, in 189C, tho domocratic platform favored incomo tax legislation without waiting for an amondmont it was charged that the party intend ed to pack tho court. Now when an amendment is askod for, tho World calls it an abandonment of tho income tax. It is hard to pleaso some people. From" Tho Commonor, July 24, 1908. NOT AFRAID OF THE! "RITE" ."The spceoh may sound somewhat unfavorable " from tho railroad point' of view, but Wall Street; believes that Secretary Taft's' public bark does not necessarily portend a serious bito later on." From tho S.tock Market Report printed in tho New York Journal of Coinmerco (Rep.), Issue of July 28) 19-08, "pago 8. J f - ' (i ' ''DELIVERING THE'GdODS' Tho Fort Worth (Texas) Record' of September 6, 1908, printed the following editorial: ' ."Scattered over the editorial pago of tho Now York Herald the following lino Jn italics appears several tlmcs:' 'Mr. Bryan promises' us" tarfff re form. But can ho deliver tho goods with a re publican house of representatives and a republi can sonate-7' , ( . ,,"TKc .Herald is openly fighting ,Mr. Bryan, but tho Intended attack upon Ijim.in this quory is pretty much of a boomerang. Its logical answer makes more for. Mr. Bryan than against him. The ' republican, pajty is pledged- (to fctfrf revision, yet the Herald asks, Can Bryan bring tariff revision with thfe handicap of a-' republican senate and house? fiDoes that mean that a body 'of republican' lawmakers, means that there shall, be, no tariff re vision?1 Does it mean that tho'. republican promise for tariff revision Is meaningless? ,MVbVy evident"? tho Herald so' believes. Nor is. tho. Herald alone in that belief), r , '"And if Mr. Bryan, democrat, can .not deliver thti ' gbbds 'df'ta'rilt revision 'mltd of a republi can oonST'ess;' how will Mr,', dtbhe able to ad cp.mpllsh Mia ttea.U ', The ;Hera.JdB( argument is so loo&o and VUlnerablo a.s to be unworthy any paper Which aspWes to tho 'position In 'pontics and jour nal ism fwhiqh tho Hera'ldt 'asslimeft to' fill, v "But the answer to tho question is thatinl'thd gathering together of tho body of men who will mftkOisAhq nnxfc .congress thoro Imsbedn-'in tn'dny cases, a sacrifice of party affiliations for. thcvna'mr lnBLi h0 ,be1tt5rjWn' ,.A1sq, the men, wW.,will form tho n'ext-'dorigress tiro lh mahyy daseFihqro patHotitj .than partisan. -Thero aro ' republican's who will stand with the democrats for tariff royi-i slon in spi.a of all powers against it, becauso tariff revision Is a matter greater than party at this time. It is going to bo a pretty difficult job 'if Mn Bryan, is ejected to, prevent tariff revision." , i ( . .- TnEEPUDT.ICAN TARIFF -rANK In ts lsuo of September 14, ,319.08, tho Portland Oregonlan, h .republican paper, aUributed to Mn Bryan tho -fblldwing statements x "In all tariff, legislation tho true principle Is best maintained by the imposition of such duties as will equal the difference between tho cost of production at homo and abroad,- together with reasonable profit to American industries " In its issue of October 2, 1908. tho Omaha Roa rtafcminh CdItd M feyn "fth theaSj AAr-aTmfl,tter of fiact the Paragraph attributed SiSSia?' P?ant?m.taken rCU trm tho -Public The Oregonlan and thei Bee both pdlntdd out as generally suspected then" and -very apparent now that this statement was merely a "catch-all" it wuld bo interpreted to suit standpatters or re- Tho republican party represents -the plutocratic elements opposed to -,such , a tax. Tho mon'Tho Would contribute most tq the support of govern ment under such a system of .taxation aro repub licans. Most of tho men who oWn franchises? who have special privileges and constitute the real cap italist , class aro republicans. Men like Mr ' Annv feller, 'Mr. Harrlmai,. -Mr. Mdrgan andlVrsShiff are naturaly against an income tabt;. and'thd re publican platfonm. with fine disregard of alllMr Roosev.elt's shr elcs, about , swollen fortunes oxi presses by its si ence thdir' disapprobation of su?h a systom of raising rovenue But why should th democratic party have', thrown it ovJr? . MBryin himself voted for an Income -tax while amS! of congress Ho always1 professed ti ball JKSnt a law could bo drawn which 'the HUDremnKt would sustain, just as' itwlco Vuta?KSTrbSlSJj acts providing for an Income tax. Tq wait fiS a constitutional amendment is to wait for y law perhaps for a generation. . A tax on the hundreds of millions of annual incomo of tho woajthy tSouiS go far toward relieving the. burdon of taxation now borne by people' with small Incomes S'al mosf no Incomes at all. There Is no moro'-Just or equitablo way of raising public revenue Tho democratic party ought to havo taken a strong -'i tho proposition that wo must havo a protective tariff and then they ask tho manufacturers how much they need and, as thef manufacturers accom pany the answer with a campaign contribution, tho ordinary taxpayer gets little -consideration. Tho government has been mado a private asset by tho protected interests and thoy havo capitalized their ability to control tho law making power. The fat has been fried out of tho boneficlaries of tho high tariff and tho boneficlaries have then been given a chance to recoup themsolves out of the pockets of tho people. Public opinion has been corrupted by tho studious circulation of tho idea that tho taxing power can be farme'd out to a com paratively small fraction of tho population and tho rest of tho population must pay constant trib ute to the few. . . Tho platform as written is indubitable proof that tho republican party does not expect to givo tho country any real reform. Tho platform is, in fact, a contract, signed and sealed, between the republican party and tho exploiting interests, guar anteeing that nothing shall- bo done to free tho peopld from graft arid oxtortion; it is an admission that the money to carry on tho campaign is to bo . drawn from tho "system" and that means that tho ."system". Will be in control after the election. The "system" is run on business principles and w"hen it puts up its money to carry an dlectlon, it is - sure to bo quite careful about tho security taken. FAIR WARNING Editorial 'in Tho Commoner, June 26, 1908, a fqw days after the republican natkmah convention Tho republican platfprm deals with tho tariff JuwtlonThi a way thaTcloseS thd door of hop?S the tarlft, reformer, it authorises v revision of .the. tariff by a special session of congress to hn held t immediately following tho inauguration of thS next president;"- .Revision 'does' not necessarilS mean, reduction, , In fact, Secretary -Taft has him self said, that W thought some of the soh;f!?Z were' too high and othdrs too Tqw.'f There is nSh8 ing inl the- republican .platform to' B!v2QSy oSJufc ,anco that, tho average tariff, .jn, not be hlJbJr after rey s on .than Word. An, attempt Is made tS lay down 'the princlplo upon1 which the revision win bo conducted; but the torintjiples 'not a Son? is merely a ,re-statement of theVprlnclnlfc unnn which the present ,high duties were esta&iSE When ha's lho repuoITcan' pUVty 'asked PS? mo& than "thd. difference between I thV dost oi : JJdSo! tion at' hqm and abroad?' That s mix that it hds .asked, for for ten, or fifteen years, and yet whiio ft -only asked for "that ithadullt fip prohiw&py duties; Tho no'w platform not only aBks for a tariff sufficient to recover tho difference in cost of ; WHEN WILIi TnEY nAVE ENOUGH? The Chicago Tribune, now an arddnt supporter of 'Taft and Shermanj printed 'in its issue of Fob ruary 151900,.an edit;orlal thftt, will be interesting at. this time. This editorial .was entitled "When Will They' Got Enouglir,v" Tho1 Tribune pointed oiit that in the preceding- year tho Carnegie com pany mado $20,000,000 and said: "And yet Mr. Carnegie is not satisfied." Tho Tribune directed attention to tho fact that the- Standard Oil com pany had at tho time this editorial was written just'.ddclared av quarterly dividend .of $20,000,000, "and yet," said the Tribune, "its directors are not satisfied. They wish corigTess'to' pay subsidies to the ocean-going vessels in whoso earnings they have. a share." The Trlhuno, added:, ''If there aro any other. American .corporations wh'oae prdfltd were $2O,O60;OOO last year dr promise tb be'SOiOOOOO' this year, it may bo taken for grantdd. that thei men a.tl tho headi.of them aro no more Satisfied than the Carnegles and. tho Rock efellers and aro no more scr'Upulous1 ds 'to tno mdthods of adding to thdlr possessions. ' There seems to ba no limit to (the -rapacity, of corporar tipps, which havo been .built, pp at the expense of tho public by dxdesslve,it'aYIrf' protection, by Illegal railroad discriminations, rdtfofricial favdritism. TH6 mjon who rulo these, corporations, may. not, 'want the. caj;th,' but they . certainly .want , the United St'ates'.and the aburidanctt.'thdrepf. Thoy and their olli'dii on land ana'BeaVrif6'wdrkiWgr 'atthd entire subjugation-of litho .government, Jtso tha,t they may noa morp minions xp tqeireseni. annyai revenues of '$20,000,000 in thd-fcase bf theafiiWIocompany and 'S80.10iOOlDOtf ''in -thV 'ctfao'J'of ?tlib Staortlal-d' 'OHL They tr.ytoput thejircreatures Jniail qffloia.1 places which touch, their interests at any point. They demand subsidies for their ships. They Insist that the money of' the government be deposited in banks in which they are .heavily interested, so they may be able to control the stock, markets and to lend to the taxpayers tho money which the latter havo contributed to defray government expenses. Their demand, are usually Qqm,pyed with. 'There are th,reo things that are. never' satisfied; yea, ' four thlmrs' say not 'It is eridiigh.1 ' That may havo 'been jthd'caso in the Hebrew days. Today they are tho Standard Oil company,, the Carnegie company, to sugar trust, tho 'International Navigation com pany, tho National City 'Bank and other colossal 'corporations which overshadow tho government itself (and aro never satisfied. When will they have enough?" ' ' , "When will they' haVe 'eridugh?" That is a cur 'ioUs question to be asked by an editor who mUst certainly understand that so long as human sel fishness, prevails men who are given tho opportu nity td prey upon the people will exercise their privilege to tho limit. J' This particular Tribune .editorial was written in 1900. Since then the, trust system has growp stronger and stronger. It' has piled burden alter burden upon the consumer and no serious effort has -been made to protoot,,tho people. These men will never have enough if their own wishes aro considered. They havo already- had more' 'than they are' 6ntitle'd to and. the people haVo carried more burdens, than they should carry. Tho Apeoplo need protection and they need an admin istration that may bd' depended upon to provide that protection. '" ,-What a striking. picturo is drawn by, tho Chicago Trltounc ! ' That paper admits 'ttiat "there seems to' be 'no limits to the" rapacity bf corporations whidh havo Doen nunr. up at tne. expense of the p.ubljc lM',ex- dis- .ceaaivu iiiriiL proiectjpn, , py . illegal railroad criminations or official favoritism." ' And yet. find the .Tribune today 'mvihwstfrmort o n. Kr TeisoiaWo l&W toffiS ' UffitrS?! Tf, nn Hin Ihrof o-nav. Mint. vxbk' ,.'-u K.r ' otip. tariff onlyfiufflclent tp cover, fchet differenco in c6at of production, the republicans make it high enomrh to cover tho entiro edst qf labor" twico over how much mora -will they add to.satlsfy this n e W ,? Piand,.,forn',"L'eilso,"iblP,kProflt to American Indus" tries?" ThQAroubQ at tlie.oVtJlfh wo nartv that boasts of its Inclination;. toward "excessive protection," a party tnat derives, jts campaign funds from these greedy and grasping corporations. This republican paper says that these great con cerns a.re "wbrklng.iat tho entire subjugation of the government so that thoy may add more mil- lions- to their present annual revenues of $20(000, 2 JE.)10 ic,ase of tne Carnoelp .company ,and $80i- tPQ0.000 in the case of .the. Standard Oil company." And 'yet wo And tho ' Tribune working shoulder I to shoulder with .thdsp men who it has charged U.h a disposition to suMugate the government. 1 The Tribune charges that these men "try to put 'their creatures 'in all 'official places which touch ith'oir interests at ariy ipoint." Yes, and the Trib- tuno Is every day callingfupon tho people to vote for the candidates supported by these interests. Confessing that theso"'coloss'al corporations over shadow tho- government itself and aro never sat isfied,' the Tribune Is npw supporting a party , which if successful' at the, polls will see to.it that tho governmbnt does not1 overshadow these colossal corporations. From The Commoner of Octobdr'lfi, - -4H4jJv ." " '