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The Commoner,
W
. WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 9, NO. 52
Lincoln, Nebraska, January 7, 1910
Whole Number 468
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IWWX fci ii nm a,.
WantedMen
The congressional campaign of 1910 will soon
upon us ana we ought to begin NOW to nlan
or it. Whether wo shall secure a democratic
lajority in the next congress denends larerolv
pon the character of the democrats nominated
Hd upon the platform on which thev run.
', There may bo districts in which the demo-
itic candidate will have so large a nersonal
Mowing that his constituents will trust him
Ithout a platform, but these districts are, for-
aateiy, very tew. as a rule, the man who
jects to a platform is the very man who needs
be pledged to a platform. If a candidate is
usympathy with bis people and shares their
timents he will not hesitate to state his
ftion frankly and fully. When a candidate
jses to take the people into his confidence
y question at issue it is usually because he
nscious of holding opinions adverse to the
Seats of. those whose votes he asks.
re llrst tmng, therefore, is to find a demo-
candidate in each congressional district
.believes in platforms and who is willing
K vthe voters know where he stands.
e next thing is to find a democratic can-
whose platform is acceptable to the voters
party, and a platform to be acceptable
i'lOniAOmif 4- r InfMiAnln rC 4-Vs . s 4-sv m - mKtMS
Lrcely a district in the United States where
ITERESTS of a MAJORITY of the voters
i the side of PROTECTION. The trouble
lit the protected industries are active and
rous, The democratic candidate should
the pourage to protect the SILENT MA
?Y against the demands of the- NOISY
LITY. .'. -
ie the wool question for illustration. There
fcbably not a district in the United States
P the owners of sheep constitute one-tenth
voting population, but that less than one-
toften ha3 more influence on the congress-
ithan the more than nine-tenths. Why?
se, the sheep owners are organized and
ffvhile the rdst of the people are often
rent.
?exas. for instance, about eleven hundred
fown all the sheep in the state (1,500,000)
fflftv men own about half the total number.
Hnr tbo clfn nf ftin nniinds to the sheen
-annual wool cron would amount to about
M)00,000 pounds and be worth about $2,000,-
). If the sheep owners get tne uenent or tne
er cent duty on wool then the eleven hun-
' sheep owners in Texas receive anout
),000 from the tariff on wool and, of this,
L;men receive about ?4UU,uuu or $s,uuu
ha. Fiffcv men can afford to make a good
lot noise fof $8,000 per year each; they
ifford to subsidize newspapers and to sud
i to oamnaicn funds.
it the 4,500,000 people in Texas who pay
CONTENTS
WANTED MEN
INDEFENSIBLE
WHAT IS A DEMAGOGUE?
SENATOR MCLAURIN
iuCATIONAL SERIES FREE RAW MA
TERIALBY HON. T. W. SIMS
I, MR. BRYAN IN SOUTH AMERICA
CURRENT TOPICS
HISTORY MAKING EVENTS
IINISTER WU'S CHRISTMAS SERMON
HOME DEPARTMENT
NEWS OF THE .WEEK
ft : ' WASHINGTUW XNJiiwo
at least 40 per cent (probably 50 or 60) moro
on woolen goods than they would with frco
wool, pay, each a little, and, therefore, do not
take as active an interest in the subject. But
a democratic candidate for congress ought to
take tho side of the many in spite of the threats
of the greedy few.
The Commoner uses Texas as au illustration
because it has the figures in regard to that state.
In, Arizona about 300 men own tho 1,200,000
Jheep in the territory. The Commoner will be
glad to have its readers send in tho statistics
from other states they can probably bo ob
tained at the state capital.
The same is true of the tariff on lumber, iron
ore, coal, etc. Protection is the fight of a few
for privileges at tho expense of tho many; tariff
reform is the fight of the many to keep tho
hands of the few out of thoir pockets.
The Commoner has presented a samplo plat
form and it asks democratic candidates for con
gress to accept, reject or amend it to suit them
selves, and it asks the democratic -voters to seo
to it that democratic candidates are selected who
really reflect the sentiment of tho people of their
district. Let the fight begin now and be con
tinued in the open until wo have a democratic
congress made up of men who will put tho in
terests of the masses above tho clamor of those
who seek favors.
Wanted Men who dare to stand for tho Jef
fersonian doctrine of equal rights to all and
special privileges to none. From The Com
moner of October 29, 1909.
WHAIVQF THE TAILINgS?
. Have you ever visited a mining camp,?, If
so, yojiavelaoubtless ben,JnterestO(Lxln.-thcu-various
processes through -which tho orogoes:
If is first washed' and some of tho worthless
material is thus discarded; then it goes through
the concentrator and some more worthless ma
terial is thrown out; then it is crushed and an
other separation is made. At last it goes
through the smelter and the refined product
comes forth. But what of tho tailings, tho
worthless stuff that remains after tho ore is ex
tracted? At first it is dumped upon any con
venient spot as waste, but after awhile it begins
to pollute the water and to destroy tho crops In
the valleys below. Then those who aro suffer
ing injury rise up and demand that the mining
companies take care of the tailings, and these
companies finally construct expensive reservoirs
for the impounding of the tailings.
Those who feel Indifferent to the evils of
intemperance ought to visit a mining district;
they may find an illustration of what Is going
on daily in society. The liquor interests ex
haust ingenuity in devising processes for the
extracting of both money and manhood from the
rich human ore that is passing through their
mills and they throw the tailings out upon
society. The mining companies find it impos
sible to extract ALL the ore; they stop extract
ing when the cost exceeds the value of the ore.
So the saloons are not able to extract ALL the
good from those who pass through their doors;
they stop when the cost exceeds the income.
But society, more considerate and actuated
by a higher motive, proceeds to care for and,
if possible, reform those who have been brought
to the verge of ruin by drink. Has society
no interest in the liquor question?
WHAT IS A DEMAGOGUE?
Whenever a corporation editor or a trust rep
resentative can no longer ignore an argument
J? favor of remedial legislation he denounces
it as the utterance of a demagogue. The use
of the word "demagogue" in such a connection
has come to be an infallible sign that the one
who SS it is consciously or unconsciously a
rympathTzer with the abuse that needs correc
tion Privilege and favoritism can not bo de
fended henco tehe resort to epithet. According
to the dictionary used by the beneficiaries of
i Jiw no only is a statesman whose ear is
?nnea to catch the slightest pulsations of a
St book while he is a demagogue who dares
to listen to tho heartbeat of humanity.
Indefensible
Tho Arizona Republican, assuming that thoro
is to bo a consolidation of tho copper companies,
attempts a dofonso. Hero Is a samplo: "In tho
courso of adjusting tho production to tho de
mand thoro will bo an incronso In prices and a
curtailment of labor. Tho latter condition
would have to come in any evont. It takes Just
so much labor to produco n certain amount of
copper, and there would not, in any case, bo
moro produced, for any considerable period of
tlnio than might bo needed."
Hero aro throe propositions that dosorvo at
tention. First, prices will bo raised. That will
bo to tho advantage of tho combination in fact
tho main purpose of tho combination and
every user of coppor will suffer.. This is effect
number one. How complacently this Injustice is
contemplated. Second, thoro will bo a curtail
ment of labor. This throws upon tho laboring
men an oppressive burdon whilo tlio omployes
gain a considerable advantage This Is tho
second effect, and this in justice, too, scorns to
bo contemplated with unconcern by tho editor
of tho Repuhjlcnn.
But, third, wo have an argumont presented
in defenso of tho second proposition, namely,
that the demand for coppor Is just so much and
no moro. This Ignores tho economic law that a
rise in price tends to lessen tho demand whilo
a fall In price tends to incrcaso tho demand.
Under competition tho price will fall until a
demand Is created and thus labor is kept em?
ployed, but under combination tho laboring m eh.
arc discharged and prices aro TalBedrThom-
nransn will of Ml ftitMint Inoaan !- InmntiI n rwl
more laborers will bo discharged. . - - '.Pt
If copper Is produced at a cost of ton and
sells for thirteen the combination can mako as
much profit on half the output if it raises tho
price to sixteen cents, but what about tho idlo
laborers and tho consumers of copper?
The Republican has inadvertently exposed tho
whole plan.qf the trust, but Instead of denounc
ing the scheme it defends it.
TUB PIUOI3
It's another cent on tho price of milk
And a cent on a pound of tea,
And a pent on this and a cent on that,
To be paid by you and by me
To be paid by you and by me, my man,
But it oughtn't to mako us rago
Or to make us mad if they'd only add
A cent as well to our wage. ' S '
It's only a cent on a pound of meat, ' :
On a loaf from tho flour of tho wheat,
And a cent on the clothes wo'vo got to wear .
And a cent on all that wo eat.
Oh, they haven't forgot a thing, my man,
From your shoes and your coat to your hat,
Excepting tho pay you earn each day
They'vo added no cent to that!
But every cent they add, my man,
Is a cent they'vo got to pay
When a halt we call to their greed and all,
And that time will come some day.
Ai?Atho cent that you pay today, my man,
Today when you're sore oppressed, '
Will bo yours when due and it's up to you
To collect It with interest!
New York World.
SENATOR MCLAURIN
Democracy lost a sturdy defender and the
American people a faithful servant when A. J.
McLaurln, United States senator from Missis
sippi, passed away. Senator McLaurln served
in the senate for nine years and In that body,
as In the office of governor of Mississippi and In
various other public positions, he discharged hi3
duty well. It would be well if 'the young men
and women of Mississippi could study carefully
the history and the high character of Senator
McLaurln. In these they would find ample in
spiration for high endeavor.
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