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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 3, 1909)
nrq:ypW' y -' ,f MSlTfSS The Commoner. 4 VOLUME 9; NUMBER 34 -rw tf?fwtii' 5if V ""WS "V "'" B 1 r-.- ifaT. The Commoner. ISSUED WEEKLY. Entorcd at tho Postofflce at Lincoln, Nebraska, b Bocond-clasa matter. William J. BnrAH Hdltor and Proprlotor niCIIAIlD It. Mktcalvic Aesoclalo Editor OnAnLra W. Biiyak Publisher Editorial Itooms tuid Business Offlco 32-1-330 South 12tli Street One Year 91.00 Mix MonthH.., 50 In Clubs of Fivo or moro, por year.. . .75 Three Months...... .26 SImkIo Copy 05 Samplo Copies Froo. Foreign Post. 5c Extra. SUIiSOllIFTIOIVS can bo sent dlroct to Tho Com moner. Thoy can also bo sont through nowspapora which havo advortlsod a clubbing rato, or through local tigonts, whoro sub-agents havo been appoint ed. All romlttanpes should bo sont by postofllco monoy ordor, express order, or by bank draft on New York or Chicago. Do not send individual checks, Btamps or monoy. 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Addrtjs all communications to THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb. criminal lawyer, would say that it looked like conspiracy. ., "I challenge you to cite in all our political his tory a more dishonorable and disreputable piece of business unless, perchance, you cite something in your own career of which the people are not yet advised. Just at this juncture It is most pertinent to inquire whether you have already entered Into another conspiracy involving our financial and currency legislation? Hae you already perfected your plans by which you are to make American banking and ' commerce the football of our politics, precisely as our productive industries are today by the establishment of a central bank? Let the Amer can people beware of any proposition you may bring forth and insist that no general financial and currency plan which you propose be adopt ed until it has been considered by the American people for at least three to four years that nil SrtiffT ?ad M tl,e mw S which Ms Xno'd.t ReiiIp0r(fe"ttnt' may he d,scovered and Is it possible that you do not know that tho most important question before the American people today is "Cannonism?" if the Se aro to end this travesty on a free reprelentatfve government, and if they want men? free men . ;o represent them, and . not such a man Toseph G. Cannon of Danville, 111., Who assumed o stand for the whole 387 congressional ?it rlcts as well as his own, they wflllet no man present them In tho sixty-second congr?s3 who fw. mTadtt" following pledges: Wh w I,,w11 vote 'w rule which will pro- do that all places of patronage about the can- ol shall be drawn for precisely as the membSa ow draw for the choice of seats, so far as such oZL be reasonab P unto civil ioeiC0nd:,. J W,U1 voto t0 strip the office of ?itiri fnthe h0U?G of representatives of all neaier oTCoand m?ke him ust What the 'r2wtagCm?mbo?T f CmmnS Is' 8,m Third: I will vote for a- rule that provides hat the house of representatives shall vote for a ; ommlttee to appoint the committees of the If the republican party wins the next concres'- ctSfe. Wl" ny-b0 - - S-e ' Lastly, sir, as you are aware, we now have a government by edict, so completely have you well as political. You have succeeded in Rus sianizing tho house of representatives. But, sir, unless I misjudge the Intelligence, the pride, the self-respect, tho patriotism and tho general tem per of tho American people, you will be the last of tho political Bourbons, and the condi tions which made such a creature as you pos sible, will end with tho sixty-first congress.. CHARLES N. FOWLER. I A REPUBLICAN PAPER'S OPINION The Philadelphia North American goes to the support of Representative Fowler in his attack on Speaker Cannon. From a long editorial in tho North American the following is taken: "Wo think that we havo some cause for prido in having been tho first metropolitan daily news paper to tell the American people the blunt truth about Joseph G. Cannon, of Illinois. Two years have passed since we summed up delib erately and carefully the results of our study of the man, his methods, and the bearing of both upon our national lifo. Such an editorial ex pression now would not excite much attention. These have been educational years. But it cre ated' a sensation then and especially in Wash ington. For in some unaccountable way a Can non myth had come Into existence. There had been fostered a sentiment throughout the coun try distinctly favorable to Cannon. The Dan ville money-lender and traction franchise grab ber was regarded generally as a fine survival of the good old rugged, plain-spoken, shrewd, honest, humorous, homespun American. It was the fashion to pass mildly over the foulness of tho man's mind, speech, manner and personal habits. Actually there were innumerable clean, honest, self-respecting Americans who never had seen Cannon nor studied his career, and so were deceived into attributing to him some of the traits of Lincoln. There was beginning the fixity of a" tradition the universal acceptance of a myth as an actuality. People were commenc ing to speak of 'Uncle Joe' in the same affection ate, yet reverent, spirit that they once spoke of 'Old Abe.' For the opportunity we had and used to check that desecration of the memory of the great American who, in soul and deeds, was the absolute opposite df Cannon, we feel pride and gratitude. We did not speak in haste. Our comment was inspired by long and thorough study of Cannon's whole career. Nor was our attack, which has been continuous since, and will persist until the influence which menaces every good cause is made helpless for evil or removed from public life, launched against the man. We stood out against the popular idea of the man and assailed him with the truths of his present and his past Bolely because of what he represents. We had become convinced that as speaker of tho house of representatives he had usurped power over congress that was Im periling every progressive policy, every fair pro tection of the people against rich lawbreakers, every project of economic development and preservation of the country's natural wealth. We saw that not a single righteous demand of the people had the slightest chance of being granted by appropriate legislation so long as he perverted representative government by his domination of congress, except when, as in the cases of railroad rate regulation and the pure food law, a president as Inflexible for the right as Roosevelt would cast the whole weight of his administration's influence for the people and against the things that Cannon always represents." REPUBLICAN CORRECTS REPUBLICAN The following editorial appeared in the Des Moines (Iowa) Register and Leader, a republi can paper, issue of August 18: PRAISE AND BLAME The Sioux City Journal praises Coe I. Craw ford, the Dakota Benator who knuckled under when the test came. This Is good so far as it goes. But why does the Journal not accompany its praises of the hinged knee with an equal condemnation of Sen ator Hale of Maine, who refused to sign the conference report until the paper schedule was fixed as he demanded, or Senators Elkins and Scott, who made the tariff on coal' a test of their support of the bill? If Senator Crawford was right and republican, then these distinguished easterners were wrong and democratic, and it would give balance to the Journal's comment if it should say so in un mistakable terms. The situation is well presented In the votes of Senator Hale and Congressman Mann of Illi nois. Senator Hale said $4 on paper or no vote Congressman Mann said $2 on paper or no vote Of course; when the time came, tho eastern in- terest prevailed and the tariff on paper was put at twice what the republican house committee had found to be adequate for protection. Con gressman Mann voted as he talked. How can he be condemned without at tho Baine time ani madverting on the attitude of the senator from Maine? In other words, why should the west be all the time praised for knuckling under, while the east Is praised for Its manly stand for what it wants? Why should the Sioux City Journal or any other western newspaper be condemning in dependence at homo when it is commending it abroad? It has been this western spirit of subserviency that has justified the attitude of the Hales and Elkinses. They know the west will give in, they count upon that as an asset. As for the Hales and Elkinses, they never give in. They win all their fights by standing pat. Senator Crawford did just what the east ex pected him to do. He is now engaged just as the east knew he would be engaged, in apolo gizing for a bill that gives the east everything and the west what the boy shot at. What is there especially to commend in that? The fact is, and the Sioux City Journal might as well recognize it first as last, when the sen ators from Iowa and a few others showed cour age enough to vote as they talked they set a new pace for the west and created a new respect for western opinion. They established a leader ship for themselves. They will go into the new congress with confidence and with power. Sen ator Crawford and his like are negligible quan tities for the future and everybody knows it. Their measure has been taken. But the sen ators from Iowa were never so much looked to as they are today. And ,th.ey were never so highly respected by friend and opponent alike. THE MONETARY COMMISSION Associated Press dispatches say that Presi dent Taft was closeted with Senator Aldrich at Beverly several days ago, and that it was de cided to revise the monetary laws. Those who are in doubt as to what may be expected in this new "revision" may be enlightened by extracts from an editorial that appeared recently in the New York Times, a newspaper that in the last campaign supported the republican ticket. The Times says: " 'I don't know anything. I am a member of the monetary commission.' These are the un fortunate words put into the mouth of one of the gentlemen who began their task a year or two ago, and who will presently make sugges tions for the Improvement of our banking and currency laws. His meaning was not that he was Ignorant about everything, but only about his particular task as a monetary commissioner. He is not in the confidence of the active, man aging section of the commission, and does not know what is being done or why. 'I am ignorant of the whole republican scheme of things.' "This is what was to be expected. The cur rency is being reformed by the same hand that revised the tariff downward. Many honeyed words are used. The most praiseworthy pro fessions are made. A great parade is made of taking everybody into confidence regarding the smallest move under consideration. And yet the fact Is that the very members of the commission are unaware of the real intentions of those whose word is final. When the report Is mado it will depend for its enactment upon the com binations in Its support. There will be no lack of support. Seven thousand national banks with an investment of aTound 1700,000,000 in gov ernment bonds, showing a depreciation of many millions, are a force not to be despised. If the currency is to be reformed upon the principles of monetary science, and not according to the interests involved, there is need of. the greatest vigilance" NO TIME FOR SENTIMENT The house had just listened to the emergency deficiency bill, which appropriates $25,000 for the president's expenses, $12,000 for automo biles for the speaker and vice president, $7,400 for strawberry shortcake and Rocky Ford can teloupes in .the senate cafe, and cash gifts here, there, and anywhere among the people who wind, burnish and tend the capitol. Mr. Clark aroBe. "While we are filling little holes here and there," ho said, "wouldn't it be sweet of us if we voted the consumers about a dollar each?" The .gavel fell with a sickening thud. "This is no time for sentiment," the speaker said. St. Louis Post Dispatch. ! "i1"" . M4bf S ' "l ' ",.1. m