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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 9; NUMBER 34
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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
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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.
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