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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10, NUMBER If,
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KING EDWARD died at Buckingbam palaco
May C. Ho was attacked by acuto bron
ohltlB and died at midnight. An Associated
ProBS cablegram says: "Only the nearest rela
tives and doctors woro with tho king at the end.
Tho causo of death, it is understood, was pneu
monia, following bronchitis. The Princo of
Wales became king automatically on tho death
of Edward. Ho will take tho oath of offlco
boforo tho privy council when it can bo con
vonod. At 12:32 a. m. announcement of tho
king's death had not yet been made to tho peo
ple outsido tho palaco. Tho princo and princess
of Wales loft tho palace at 12:17 a. m., return
ing to Marlborough houso. Somo of tho king's
nearest friends doclaro that his illness was
brought on by worry and loss of sleop resulting
from tho political situation. Only a few re
porters and a few officials were at tho palaco
whon Lord Knollys entered tho office a few min
utes aftor midnight and quiotly announced that
tho king was dead. Lord Knollys announced:
'His majesty passed away peacefully at 11:45
p. m.' The news was withheld from tho press
for half an hour."
aEORGE V. is tho now king of England.
Concerning tho new king, a London cable
gram says: "To begin with, George V. will bo
tho first English monarch since tho Stuart days
of whom it will bo possible to say that he is
wholly and undisputably English. Even his
grandmother, Queen Victoria, spoke English
with a Gorman accent, although sho was intense
ly English in sentiment. Tho pro-German in
clinations of the ilrst four Georges -wore well
known and most of them could hardly under
stand tho language of the country which they
had been called to rulo. King Edward, while
ho spoko English like an Englishman born, was
a cosmopolitan in tastes and sentiment, and
novor was so happy as when lie was enjoying a
holiday at somo continental health or pleasure
resort. IIo spoko almost all the European lan
guages aB well as his own and ho made his rep
utation as the most astute diplomat in Europe
largoly owing to his ability to deal on equal
torms with tho diplomats of every nation. To
tho French he was a Frenchman, to tho Germans
a Gorman. IIo was allied by marriage to tho
Scandinavian nations and it oven has been said
of him that ho could understand the Russian
point of view better than any minister he over
sent to St. Petersburg. Now it is different with
his son. Georgo speaks no language but Eng
lish. He had tho usual drilling at school in
tho European tongues, of course, but as soon
as his formal education was finished he promptly
forgot all about them, declaring emphatically
that English was quite good enough for all of
his wants. He doesn't like foreigners and in
fact, one of his father's chief trials was in per
suading him to bo ordinarily civil to diplomats
and distinguished visitors whom it is his duty
as heir apparent to the throne, to meet."
AT THE ALABAMA democratic primaries
Emmett A. O'Neal, of Florence, was nom
inated to bo governor. John H. Bankhead was
nominated for re-election in the United States
senate. O'Neal was supported by the wets
while H, S. D. Mallory was the dry candidate'
A Montgomery, Ala., dispatch carried by tho
Associated Press says: "ft was practically a
fight waged against tho liquor roform element
in Alabama by tho business rneu. Women took
a prominont part in the contest, and resorted
to many unique methods of carrying tho dav
Alabama's prohibition wave began with the elec
tion of B. B. Comer as governor four years ago
He had been president of tho Alabama railroad
commission, and won fame as a reformer It
was juBt at tho time when tho prohibition wava
was sweeping tho south, and Robert B. Glenn
SS SSni BOV,ernor of Nor"i Carolina, and
Hoke Smith made governor of Georgia Thv
we called tho 'trio of true Teformors and
succeeded in closing up the saloons in their re
spective states. Comer was unable to carry the
dry forces to victory when ho was first elected
but two years later he succeeded in getting a
state assembly that was overwhelmingly dry
Following local option victories in many of tho
cities, the legislature passed tho state-wide bill
and closed up every saloon and club. Even the
exclusive social organizations of the state were
stopped from selling liquor in any form, and
farmers' wives were not allowed to make wine
or cider for their own use. The first victory of
tho wets was won last fall, when the people
turned down and refused to ratify a constitu
tional amendment passed by the legislature that
would have allowed the deputy sheriffs to search
every place within the state, even the homes, in
their hunt for liquor. It was then that O'Neal
began his fight. He was at first opposed by
Judge Samuel D. Weakley of the state supreme
court, one of the leading Baptists of the state.
A few weeks ago Weakley stepped down and the
drys centered on Mallory. The race in the Fifth
congressional district, the only contested dis
trict, seems to have been won by Representa
tive J. Thomas Heflin, although his opponent,
Judge A. J. Driver, polled a heavy voto. In
the election two years ago Heflin had only one
voto cast againBt him."
IN THE UNITED States senate, Mr. Bourne of
Oregon, defended the election of senators by
popular vote. Senator Bourne declared that
Oregon has evolved "the best form of popular
government that exists in the world today." Mr.
Bourne said: "At the general election in June
Senator Chamberlain defeated Mr. Cake, not
withstanding the state was overwhelmingly re
publican, thereby developing from the demo
cratic candidate into the people's choice for.
United States senator. The normal republican
majority in Oregon, I think, is from fifteen to
twenty thousand. With full recognition of Gov
ernor Chamberlain's ability and fitness for the
office, the fact that for nearly six years he made
the best governor Oregon ever had and consid
ering undoubtedly he is the most popular man
in our state, I deem it just to the law and a
proper answer to the criticism of enemies of the
law that it destroys party lines and integrity, to
state that in my opinion Senator Chamberlain
received the votes of several thousand republi
can enemies of the law who believed that in
electing Governor Chamberlain, a democrat, they
would prevent a republican legislature from rat
ifying the people's selection, obeying the people's
instructions, and electing as United States sen
ator the individual, regardless of party that the
people might select for that office. Thus they
hoped to make the primary law and statement
No. 1 odious and sought to create what they
thought would be an impossible condition by
forcing upon a republican legislature for con
firmation the popularly designated democratic
candidate for United States senator. They
failed to realize that greater than party and
infinitely greater than any individual, the peo
ple's choice becomes a representative of the
principle and of the law; and that the intelli
gence and integrity of the whole electorate of
the state, as well as the integrity and loyalty
of the members of the legislature were at stake
and from any honorable viewpoint the mere In
timation of the possibility of the legislature or
any member of the legislature, failing conscien
tiously to fulfil his pledge or loyally obey the
nstruction of the people would not only be an
insult to the intelligence, but patriotism of the
Oregon electorate, that they would permit such
action to go. unnoticed or without holding tho
culprit to a rigid reponslbllity for his treason."
J N THE SAME address Mr. Bourne declared
A the primary system to be preferable to the
old convention plan, largely because it protect
ed the people against boss rule. Mr, Bourne
also found matter for praise in the initiative
and referendum law and, in fact, in all thelawS
composing the system. "Results attained unto
direct legislation in Oregon," he said "com
so favorably with the work of a ?egslativ? as
sembly that an effort to repeal tho initiative ?and
referendum would be overwhelmingly defe JXi
No effort ha ever been attempted' SuSmine
up Mr. Bourne concluded: "Plainly stated tSI
aim and purpose of the laws aro to destrov ihl
irresponsible political machine and put Si eta?
tive office i in the state in direct touch with S
people as the real source of authority; to short
to give direct and full force t6 the ballot of
every individual elector in Oregon and to elim
inate dominance of corporate and corrupt in
fluences in the administration of public affairs.
The Oregon laws mark the course that must
be pursued before the wrongful use of corporate
powers can be dethroned, the people restored to
power and lasting reform secured. They in
sure absolute government by the people."
MANY interesting developments have been
made through the bribery exposures in
connection with Mr. Lorimer's election to the
United States senate. It would seem that the
pass evil is not entirely abolished in Illinois
politics. The following letters written by,
Browne, "the democratic leader," to the man
who exposed the bribery have been made pub
lic. These letters follow: "June 1, 1909.
Friend White: I hope you will find it possible
to be in Springfield early Monday, or, better
still, Sunday some time. While we have the
other crowd (the Tippit faction of the demo
cratic party) beaten forty ways, as you saw clear
ly at Chicago on Monday, at the same time we
must not let up for a' minute. I shall rely on
such good, solid friends as yourself and others
like you to keep up the good work. My
best regards to you, old man. Lee O'Neil
Browne. P. S. Have you sent for your trans
portation as yet? C. & A.: Write to president
Chicago and Alton railroad. Railway Exchange
building, Chicago, 111. Illinois Central: Write
to John G. Drennan, general counsel, Park Row,
Chicago, 111. Wabash Railroad company: Write
to Col. Wells H. Blodgett, general counsel, St.
Louis, Mo. Pullman passes: Write to Hon. John
H. Runnels, general counsel, P. P. C. Co., Pull
man building, Chicago, 111., for half a dozen
sets Pullman passes and return, good sixty days.
More later, as soon as lists are made out."
THAT "MR. TAFT'S place is at the capitol,
not gallivanting over the country," is the.
contention of the Chicago Record-Herald (rep.)
That paper says; "When a cry of alarm was
raised by his lieutenants in Washington Presi
dent Taft responded at the end of a long-distance
telephone. He was told that his railroad bill
was being shot to pieces, but whatever .his com
ment was he could do nothing for the badly,
. mutilated measure. He had simply to leave it
to the mercy of dubious friends and vigorous
enemies. Possibly in the particular crisis after
his repeated absences from the city his presence
would have made no difference, but it is hardly,
to be questioned that his influence would be
greater if he were less celebrated as a long
distance president. He can see the people with
out living on the road, but he can not direct'
the campaign upon which the success of his ad
ministration depends while he is being played
as a traveling attraction several hundred miles
away. And the actual fact is that at the very,
time when he was paying his tributes to art.
music and baseball in Pittsburg and Cincinnati
the Washington correspondents were sending
out word that not only his railroad bill but his
entire legislative program was in peril. Tho
contrast thus afforded causes irritation as A
Sonl!r a C0U?Be' , For Measure jaunt succeeda
pleasure jaunt, and battles must be waged while
S?JK?5.eJal '5 away from thQ fleld visiting and
mitn thenfbalnigames- TnIs is a PJan of cam
R?5 ,thai wI11 novep wIn- !t condemns a po
litical leader as it would a military leader. The
president's place is at the capital."
PrbLdW?1 frepublican hip is leaking
the ReCorr?wii3?St ?0W' In anotb-er editorial
"renublUn nvfv' re,ff r, ng to wnat ifc ca" the
republican party crisis," says: "Can tho, re-
5"SSrt WtaY0 November wi
ling Wonlrt Z' Bt.?r,llty and futlIe wrang-
tto eaectaTf cnimT11016 Nation and try
mlse S. "ation and mutual compro
mise. The .national platform is still there ag