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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL- 10, NO. 26
Lincoln, Nebraska, July 8, 1910
Whole Number 494
British Rule
In considering Mr. Roosevelt's utterances on
British rule in Egypt (we can safely leave our
English brethren to decide whether it was
proper for him to discuss the subject while
their guest) it must be remembered that Mr.
Roosevelt is himself an imperialist of the most
pronounced type. He believes that the people
of Egypt need a ruler from the outside; of
course, he does. He is Hamiltonian in his ideas
he divides society into two classes "the
rulers" and the "to be ruled." He takes the
aristocratic view of society that the masses
'need a guardian, and he is not only willing to
be the guardsman, but chafes under constitu
tional restraints. It is perfectly natural, too,
that he criticises kindness and leniency in deal
ing with subject peoples. "They will mistake
it for weakness" the old excuse!
That is the charge some bring against Chris
tianity "it makes weaklings of men." "Hit
'em, hit 'en hard, and hit 'em often," is the
benevolent doctrine that accompanies benevo
lent assimilation. Had Mr. Roosevelt contented
himself with denouncing assassination as a1
means of reforming government he would have
given expression to an almost universal senti
ment; had he praised those features of British
policy which seemed best to him it might have
i been construed as a courteous return for an
- extended hospitality, but when he launched
- forth into an unqualified endorsement of the
principles of colonialism he spoke for himself
-' only not for the American people.
Even the republican party has not dared to
endorse imperialism or to declare in favor of a
colonial system in the Philippines. Mr. Roose
velt will mislead those who listen to him if ho
gives them to understand that the Declaration
of Independence has been repealed or that the
American people have surrenderd their belief
in the doctrine that "governments derive their
just powers from the consent of the governed."
MR. ROOSEVELT'S RESPONSIBILITY
Benjamin Kitsen of New York provided food
for thought when he wrote to the Philadelphia
North American this letter: "You are quite
mistaken when you say 'there is no middle
ground on which men stand viewing Theodore
Roosevelt,' and 'every citizen is fervently for
him or profanely against him.' There- are a
great many like yourself, rampant for Teddy.
There are also the people of Wall Street pro
fanely against him, but the majority (cool-headed
people who admireRoosevelt for something
he did) far outnumber the others named. For
many months you have been hammering Taft,
the Aldrich-Payne tariff, Ballinger and others.
Who was it gave the country these fine people
and put them in power? Theodore Roosevelt.
CONTENTS
BRITISH RULE
MR. BRYAN AT MOHONK
;-, A DESERVED REBUKE
, MR, ROOSEVELT'S RESPONSIBILITY
NOT AN IRIDESCENT DREAM
THE IMMORTAL MUSIC
PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS
"IF THE PEOPLE REALLY RULE WHY
DON'T THEY GET WHAT THEY WANT?"
AN OHIO DEMOCRAT REPLIES TO JOHN
R. McLEAN
TRIBUTE TO NEWTON D. BAKER
CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
lx NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS
Who was it that refused to prosecute the sugar
trust? Theodore Roosevelt. Who was it that
refused to publish tho contributions to campaign
funds until after election? Theodoro Roose
velt. You probably call this human weakness.
Highway robbery, fraud or bank wrecking is
also human weakness. Wherein did Roosevelt
show foresight, tactfulness or statesmanship in
all this, in forcing tho worst administration on
the people that this country has had since tli3
time of Buchanan? Tho fruit we are reaping
today Aldrich, Payne, Cannon, Balliugerism
is tho direct result of Roosevelt's seven years'
reign in the White House. You evidently de
sire a continuation of the present conditions."
A DESERVED REBUKK
The committee of the International Arbitra
tion and Peace Association of London passed the
following resolution:
"This committee regrets that Mr. Roosevelt
in his speech at the Guild hall when receiving
the honorary freedom of the city of London
should have created a dangerous precedent by
dealing with delicate questions of politics, and
emphatically protests against his encouragement
of the use of violence in the suppression of na
tional feeling and self-development in Egypt."
It is a deserved rebuke. And think of it an
ex-president from democratic America rebuked
by a British peace association for an imperialis
tic utterance!
POPULAR GOVERNMENT HINT
A piece of advice now going the rounds of
the press and credited to F. C. Atkeson Is ser
viceable to all good citizens of the American
republic. It is particularly serviceable, just
now, to American democrats who are asked to
wait for reform upon the pleasure of democratic
leaders and to trust the selection of their United
States senators to democratic politicians. Here
it is:
."No reform has ever worked from tho top
downwards, and never will. Tho fellow at the
top is always satisfied with things as they are,
because he has the best of tho situation.. If re
form is needed in economics, politics, or re
ligion, it must come from the bottom upwards."
MAY BE APPROPRIATE
Baron H. von Baldinger-Seldenberg of Wurt
temberg, told a New York newspaper reporter
that American girls are "wild to marry titles"
and in proof he cited the alleged fact that since
he has been in America two girls actually pro
posed to him. Well, if a girl Is to throw her
self away in that manner, what odds is it that
she courted disaster? If the father must buy
the husband it doesn't seem wholly out of place
that the girl should pick him.
BRING THE TREATY
'The Sultan of Sulu is coming to America for
a long visit. This visit might be made the oc
casion for filing the famous "Sultan of Sulu
treaty" (made by and with the consent of the
republican party) whereby slavery was recog
nized on American soil along with Mr. Roose
velt's Guild hall speech. The two documents
might be placed alongside that old-fashioned,
out-of-date document known as the Declaration
of Independence.
MIGHT REIMBURSE HIM
Representative John Dalzell says that he spent
$9,200 in his campaign for renomiriation. The
people could well afford to pay him several times
that sum if he would retire to private life.
Tho lord mayor of London describes Mr.
Roosevelt's speech as "strikingly characteristic"
which means that it was "juBt like him." "Ex
actly what was expected."
Mr. Bryan at Mohonk
Speech delivered by Mr. Bryan at Mohonk
Lake, New York, peace conference May 20:
Mr. President, Mr. Smiley, Ladles and Gen
tlemen: I have boon trying for a number of
years to arrange to attend tho conferences that
have been hold hero. I might almost expreaa
my feelings in tho language of tho song:
"This is tho day I long nave sought,
And mourned because I found it not,"
and I esteem myself fortunate that this meet
ing was held at a time that just exactly fitted
into my plan; I very promptly notified tho com
mittee that the long delayed pleasure could now
bo realized.
I am sorry that I have not had a chance to
hear what has been said by others; In fact, It
has. been my fato during tho last few years to
rush into places just after others had finished
speaking and to rush out after I had finished
speaking, so- that I have had an opportunity to
hear myself more frequently than necessary,
and I have been denied the great pleasure of
hearing from the lips of others the great truths
that have been expressed on this and on kindred
subjects.
I am not sufilciently acquainted with your
program to know what phases of this question
have been covered, or what subjects are to bo
treated by those who.8pal aftcv iuo.l do- not
know, therefore, how far I shall invade tho
fields that others have covered or anticipate
what others may, be prepared to say, yet wo aro
all so different in method of expression and in
mode of thought, ovon when we are one in pur
pose and desire, that almost any number can
talk upon the same subject and each, viewing
it from his own standpoint, can present just a
little different line of thought from the others.
I think I can crowd Into thirty minutes what I
want to say, but if I am not through when tho
time Is up, they can call me down and If I foal
you are missing a great deal by tho termination
of my speech it will make mo the more anxious
to como again and conclude my remarks.
I thought that I would speak of the forces!
that are back of this movement, for one can
not understand the strength of a movement, nor
can he judge of its permanency, unless he knows
the influences back of it. In law school vre read
tho maxim, "Ho knoweth not the law who
knoweth not the reason thereof." So one can
not accurately judge of the strength of this
movement unless he understands that back of
it are forces which aro universal, which aro
continuous in their operation and which arc
Irresistible. My faith In this movement rests
upon the belief that the forces back of It must
of- necessity bring it to triumph, and faith is
in itself a great motive power. One can not
please God, we are told, without faith, and I
think that is a very conservative statement of
the proposition. It might be made stronger
than that; one might say that without faith it
is not only impossible to please God, but Impos
sible to do anything else of importance; unless
one believes, ho can not act with enthusiasm,
nor can ho lead others to believe. If I wero
going to define eloquence I would say it was
the speech of one who knew what he was talk
ing about and meant what he said. It Is only
when one speaks from his own heart to tho
hearts of others that he really moves people
or leads them to act; he must himself have
faith if he would induce others to believe.
To have faith one must build upon a suro
foundation. Those who believe in the coming
of the day when nations shall not rise up against
nations and when peoples shall learn of war
no more those who look forward to the com
ing of this day have faith and they have some
thing for the faith to rest upon. All the great
forces of tho world make for peace. The intel
lectual progress of tho-world can not be denied;
there Is not a nation in the world in which
there is riot intellectual progress. Tho number
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