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 ."
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