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JULY 15, 1910
The Commoner.
one, as all good laws have come from the Bible.
I am llko Mr. Bryan, when I am puzzled about
what we should have, I always refer to the Bible.
I will find it there; it shows us how to have a
republic for the people, and by the people and
not by the monied interests, who are tho few
that are living on the fat of the land at the
expense of tho many. To educate the people in
good government is a great missionary work and
will take lots of time and work to educate them
so they will take an interest.. . One man or a few
men can not do it, but if we all work, can ac
complish something and secure by legislation
what we should have. It is the duty of all good
citizens to work for, the good of our nation, and
not trust to the politician alone. As a rule
we are like the church people, they depend upon
the minister of their church to do it all when
it is the duty of every member of his church
to work for the saving of souls, much so as the
minister; therefore it is the lack of interest in
good government by tho people why they do not
rule and get what they want. It is not hard to
understand when we mix with the people, and
know something of human nature, why they do
not rule and get what they want, as I think what
I say fully explains it.
John Aubrey Jones, Oakland, Calif. "If tho
peoplo really rule why don't the people get what
they want?" queries Senator Owen. And Tho
Commoner asks its readers to "try your hand"
at answering "this question." When the people
elect men to official positions ao their represent
atives, the people think they rule because of this
fact. But they are deluded and deceived, be
cause "tho interests" rule the peoples' repre
sentatives (not in all cases, however), and
through such representatives the people are
ruled by "the interests." This is ascribable to
the fact that pelf is more potent than principle
to influence and control the official acts of the
peoples' servants. Because, furthermore, too
many of the peoples' electees owe their election
primarily to "the interests," and while the peo
ple whose votes elect do not at the time know
this, yet those elected do know it, and when in
office their official acts are shaped accordingly
Wherefore it is "the interests" and not the
"people that "get what they want," because "the
interests' and. not the people rule. . Which is
due to the fact that too many of the peoples'
representatives have no principle in office, save
self-interest and this is most subserved by their
serving "the interests." This is convincingly
shown by the passage of the last tariff bill;
the enactment of the asset currency law, the
railroad rate regulation law and the abortive
amendment of tho latter by the present con
gress. If the people did really rule none of
these laws would have been passed, for none of
them the people want, but all of them "the
interests" want. Wherefore it is not the people,
but "the interests", that "really rule," for "the
interests" get what they want.
. C. F. Brown, York, Neb. A large majority
of "the twenty million voters of this nation do
not do their own voting, neither do they do
their own reading and own thinking, but use
the mind and thoughts of a bunch of political
whippersnappers that seek office and position,
using methods often beneath the dignity of a
decent dog. Anything to win, regardless of tho
wants of the masses, but to cater to the interests
and the classes that have the money to use it
tp control a weak, trifling congress In which a
majority always stands ready with their mouths
wide open to swallow Aldrich and Cannon
money or position or place. 'Anything under
God's heavens to keep themselves before the
people and be in the swim regardless of the
wants of their constituents. This writer is now
past seventy years of age and saw four years
of the civil war and voted the republican ticket
f.or twenty-five years straight (yellow dogs and
all), worked New York politics for five years
under a trained boss and have bought and paid
for many democrat votes and have helped to
elect the same class of men to congress and
have known as high as $15,000 to be paid to
one man in the New York state legislature for
his vote and by a good republican at that in
order to get to the United States senate, and
while in the senate was a power in himself, not
for the people as a whole, but for the interests
and that was back In 1867 and 1868. Today
that same vote in that same state would be
cheap at $40,000. While I have lived in Ne
braska thirty-seven years and done much dirty
work for the old gang that once conducted the
politics of Nebraska, there came a time when
my conscience would no longer allow mo to be
a tool for a set of political Bhysters, and in
1886 I commenced to bo a freo American and
to use tho little ability I had to bettor condi
tions of tho farmers and laborers as I saw It and
from that time (1886) I havo allowed no
strings to bo placed on my vote, for it is tho
principle and the man behind it that makes
tho peoplo free Americans. Party should and
must bo a second consideration oxcept for thoso
men that must havo office, can't live without
it, and' have nothing to offer in exchange. Whilo
I am an old G. A. R. man, I feel that I am an
exception to tho large majority and havo lived
to learn that political conditions have, met many
sharp changes in tho past forty years and men's
minds and votes must change with conditions,
for this is a world of conditions, and all at tho
bottom of evolution and if . man is to ovpluto
upwards ho must occasionally change his mind
in order to keep up with the band wagon.
In closing this letter, lot me say to any
G. A. It. man that may chance to road it that
the writer has been In eleven conventions in
state and county in Nebraska and can truthfully
say that at all times those conventions did not
fairly and rightfully represent tho best inter
ests of tho masses, but did both directly and
indirectly represent a class of men and interests
not for the common good, especially so for tho
farmers and stock growers, of which I am of
that number. We as the common herd of voters
think wo help to make the nation's Jaws at
Washington. Not much. Of course we help
to elect a member of congress and think him
honest and will fulfill all pledges if elected and
ho thinks he will until he gets to the nation's
capital. But what then? What does that man
come in contact with? I will tell you. Ho
there comes face to face with the. sharpest set
of men (or rascals) that this nation has pro
duced. They are diplomats of the first water.
They are mind readers. They can tell to a
fraction how much and how deep the new man
knows about the hidden things in and under
the nation's capital and before the new man
knows where he is at those paid lobbists have
so woven the new member into their net that
he will eventually work and vote directly
against the Interests of his constituents and all
tho time with their promiso to sco that ho goto
something for his homo people, which will bo of
llttlo value if at all and this answors in part
Senator Owon's question, "Do tho peoplo rulo?"
Comrades take tho advice of one that knows
tho whole political story olnco Jackson's and Lin
coln's tlmo and take a long leap of forty years
and light on top of the band wagon and get tho
sfdc tho majority are now making, or trying to
make, to God and to glory and onco moro como
to the battle lino and help savo this nation from
tho fate of Itomo and Greece. Do you ask for
a remedy for tho cure. Hero It is: Let us
aim to elect men and statesmen to congress
first, last and all tho tlmo, and glvo thorn to
understand they must keep their ear closo to
western ground anxl not to Wall Street. Ne
braska has of lato been doing well and wo lmvi
mostly good men in congress today. Lot us
send them moro help this fall so as to keep tho
Insurgent ball in tho air and eventually bury
Cannon and Aldrichlsm so deep that tho sound
of Gabriel's horn will not reach them in that
day which all shall be brought forth. For wo
havo enough of them.
C. B. Poguo, Joplin, Mo. I heartily thank
The Commoner for according the wealth pro
ducers the right to bo heard through Tho Com
moner. Did not one man nominate tho can
didate for president on tho ropubllcan ticket for
1908? Did not one man write the democratic
platform for 1910? Give ub the initiative and
rorerendum and right of recall, and wo will elect
all officers by direct vote. We will havo public
ownership of public utilities, tho officers will bo
elected to mauago public business instead of
being appointed by ono man. Let tho peoplo
havo what they want, tho full products of their
labor.
Tho American Homestead, u monthly farm
journal of national scope, will bo sent to all
Commoner subscribers, without additional cost,
who renew their subscriptions during tho month
of July. Take advantage of this offer at onco,
and send in your renewal.
THE DRAMA OF LIFE
PART I AN ALLEGORY
Man has asked of Time unending,
"Whither is existence tending?"
Time replied, "My youngest child,
Out of agitation wild,
Out of restless stir of motion
On tho land and in the ocean,
In the canopy of sky,
And above tho stars on high,
Grew a pow'r of transformation
Crown'd with glory all creation
From this power Life by name,
Earth's transcendent beauty came."
"Time! For many who still strive
By useful labor to survive,
The gift of life means poverty,
Toil, disappointments, misery.
Oh, tho millions who are weary,
Of their struggle vain and dreary
Better far, if they could be
Happy like the brutes, and free!
Free to take of nature's cheer,
Where no owners Interfere,
Playing, dreaming, free from .sorrows,
Free from dread of dire tomorrows."
"Children ye of Life and Time,
Know ye not your pow'rs sublime?
Mysteries in sea and land
You by science understand.
By your work and intellect,
You can master and direct,
Force and matter in their going,
Mighty currents in their flowing.
Life to lengthen, joys to gain,
High ideals to attain,
And cause beauteous forms to spring
From the lifeless, shapeless thing."
"Father Time! Oh! Father Timo,
Well we know our pow'rs sublime,
But with justice far away,
Hardly hope remains today.
Brutish passions in high places!
Virtue? Oh! how few it graces!
Wretched millions suffer, weep,
In their degradation deep.
Those in power, self but seeking,
Rulers with corruption reeking,
Selfish cunning-still prevails,
And the nobler manhood fails."
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PART IIAN ARRAIGNMENT
Ye, who rule by trick and terror!
Foster poverty, crime, error!
Shelter hypocrite and knave,
Dig for liberty a grave.
Through ye! the cruelty of ono
The lives of millions has undone;
The machinations of a few
Through ye, can millions still undo.
Through ye! does greedy cunning tako
What industry and genius make;
And while your pow'rs of hell prevail,
Must justico tremble, freedom fail."
Can. mankind riso to moral order
With twenty millions trained for murder?
While tainted wealth and rulers high
Justice and decency defy?
Whilo pulpit platform, press, school, state,
Pervert tho truth to suit the great?
While ye profess, oh, greatest shame.
To do these things for Jesus' name?
In such a world goodness will die,
And evil doing multiply.
And right must hide, while truth to live
Must wrong and falsehood tribute give.
Where rulers organize to kill,
That greed and lust may take their fill, ; '
Though heroes die, to stem this tide,
Peace and good will can not abide
Not till tho strong refuse to gain
By others weakness, loss or pain;
Not till its powers mankind employs
To lengthen life and increase joys.
And wisdom leadeth Industry,
Can this our earth that Eden be,
Where truth and justice never fails,
Where noblest manhood o'er prevails.
T. W. HEINMAN.
Pasadena,. California. -
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