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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1910)
',"3jr,?',rr " f The Commoner. WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR I? ) VOL. 10, NO. 31 Lincoln, Nebraska, August 12, 1910 Whole Number 499 A Father's Sorrow Mr. M. H. Crippen of Los Angeles, Cal., father of Dr. Crippen, ho is being taken back to England to stand trial for the murder of his wife, thus pours out the anguish of his soul: "I have not the money to go to Hawley, but If I had I would gladly go and be of what ever consolation I might be to him. I have not received a word from him and do not ex pect to. It is hard to have -to be alone and suffer, but I don't think it will last long. I am not long for this world. I feel as If I would like to go away alone and die. I did my best to educato Hawley, and his son. I did the best I could and now in my old age I am .alone and overwhelmed by this disgrace." The words of the stricken old man recall the . pathetic lament of David over Absolom. Sad that the son did not think of his poor old father when he was yielding to the temptations that resulted in this international crime! But the publicity given to Dr. Crippen's flight will .serve as a useful purpose. It will teach anew, first, that the wages of sin is death. Second, ,that there is little hope of escape from the officers of the law, and none whatever from the lashes of conscience. Third, that one does not live unto himself alone. It the child would only think of the parent , and the parent's Indissoluble connection with . all that affects the child's career there would be . less -of sorrow in the old- home. And there is a lesson .for the parent, too. It is not sufficient to ''educato" thb '.'children moral development must go 'lra'rnTin hand with mental growth. The child must learn that there is more in life than money and physical enjoyment there is duty. No person is safe until he understands that he was created for a purpose, that he must learn and pursue that purpose, conscious at all times of his responsibility to God for every thought and word and act. If Dr. Crippen's father did not sufficiently emphasize the moral element in his son's development his grief will be the more bitter now; if the fault is entirely with the son the fact that he rejected his fath er's advice will make his present punishment more acute. REAPING THB WHIRLWIND One would suppose from the manner in which the liquor organs gloat over the action of the Nebraska democratic state convention that the brewers had won a great victory, but did they? They kept the last legislature from submitting the initiative and referendum and planned to prevent it in the next, but with all three parties in favor of this reform the brewers are helpless and hopeless. They have robbed the demo cratic party of the credit it would have derived from securing this great and needed reform, but can not control enough senators to over-ride the platforms of all the parties. Are they happy? The friends of the initiative and referendum are rejoicing at the early, easy and complete victory which they have won. And what about county option? If the brew- CONTENTS A FATHER'S SORROW INSURGENT KANSAS POLITICAL PROSPECTS REAPING THE WHIRLWIND THE IOWA PROGRESSIVES MR. BRYAN'S SPEECH AT GRAND ISLAND TIPS TO NEBRASKA VOTERS ABOUT THE PRIMARY INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM IN ARKANSAS CURRENT TOPICS .' HOME DEPARTMENT WHETHER COMMON OR NOT - NEWS OF THE WEEK ers had permitted the submission of the initia tive and referendum at tho last session or at a special session county option could not have been submitted under it before 1912; but now it seems likely that it will come by statute this winter. Won't it tickle the brewers to get coun ty option two years sooner than it could have come under the initiative and referendum, and then get tho initiative and referendum besides? But that is tho natural result of their impu dent and insolent entry into politics. They will possibly learn after awhile that tho more active the liquor interests are in politics the more they will disgust the public and tho more vigorous will be the protest from the voters. If they insist upon sowing tho wind they must expect to reap the whirlwind. If they could by any possibility defeat county option they will simply hasten state prohibition not because a ma jority of the people desire it, but because tho people will not submit to tho domination of tho liquor interests. POLITICAL CROP PROSPECTS As Kansas is one of the great agricultural states of the union it may not be out of placo to borrow an illustration from the fields to explain the prospects of the different parties. The insurgents aro reformers but they do not go as far "as the democrats do. The standpatters are supposed to oppose all progress but, as a matter of fact, even tho standpatters are mov ing just a little. It is a matter of degree. Tho attitude of the thre6 parties on reforms may be likened to three corn fields the democratic field was planted in ' May, tho insurgent field was planted in June- and the standpat field was planted in July. Of course, tho democratic corn is more advanced, although some of it was in jured by late frosts. The insurgent corn is growing nicely and was greatly refreshed by the recent primary shower. The standpat corn is naturally tho most backward; it did not como up well and some of the aeed fell where the thorns sprang up and checked it it has suffered considerably, too, from a hot wind from Illinois that swept over the state recently and "fired" a number of stalwart stalks. And the crop? Well, the democratic field seems to promise tho largest yield; the Insur gent field will need good weather up to Novem- her to mature the grain; and, as for the stand pat corn, it will hardly make fodder. THE IOWA PROGRESSIVES Senators Cummins and Dolliver ate leaking a brave fight in Iowa and deserve credit for the courage they show, but they are greatly handi capped by the fact that the standpatters suc ceeded in nominating their candidate for gov ernor and in nominating several standpat can didates for congress. If the standpat candidate for governor is elected it will be heralded as a repudiation of Cummins and Dolliver. If, on the other hand, enough Insurgents scratch the head of the ticket to elect Porter, the demo cratic candidate, the state will not only get a good governor but the administration at Wash ington will know that Iowa can not be counted on to endorse Aldrlchism. Democratic gains in congressmen is to be ex pected and every democratic congressman gained will be a nail or rather a spike in the po litical coffin of the Hon. Joseph G. Cannon. Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa are likely to make republican leaders sit up and take notice this fall. IT PAYS For years the democrats of Kansas met and declared for re-submission but they are not doing it any more. They are enforcing tho law and not only have their self respect' but a good chance to grow. It pays to take tho moral side of a moral issue. GOOD HEALTH If Cannon had not taken sick Anthony might have been knocked out in the Leavenworth dis trict. The insurgents may well pray for the speaker's health. Insurgent Kansas Who says that Kansas is not insurging? Governor Stubbs nominated by more than twenty-five thousand; tho two insurgent con gressmen nominated without opposition; four moro insurgent congressional candidates nom inated over standpat congressmen and another standpat congressman almost dofeated! Only two standpat candidates nominated in tho en tiro state, and there is a good chance to defeat these In November. This is good enough for one year; and tho victory is made tho moro de cisive by the fact that Uncle Joo went to Kansas and read tho insurgents out of tho party. Every republican reformer must rejoice that tho rank and file of tho party has presented so forcible a protest against the Payue-Aldrich surrender to tho protected interests. And re publican standpatters ought to see in the results proof that the patience of a long suffering people will not stand the strain that tho monopo lists aro putting upon it. Tho democrats, too, will bo gratified because the Insurgent victory Is really a victory for democratic ideas and shows that tho masses are at heart in sympathy with democratic principles and policies. Tho fight in Kansas ought to bo a friendly ono from now until November. Senator Hodges, tho democratic candidate for governor, Is a pro gressive democrat; he stands for all the good things favored by Governor Stubbs and for moro. As between Governor Stubbs and a cor poration democrat many democrats would pre-. fer Governor Stubbs, but as between Governor.,, -. Stubbs and Senator Hodges ail democrats will prefer Senator Hodges, That Is the. situation now and the democrats will be moro and moro drawn to their ticket as the campaign pro gresses. Governor Stubbs and tho insurgent congress men having been nominated, will now try to secure tho votes of the standpatters, and to do this they must minimize party differences. They must praise President Taft, who indorses Aldrlch while they denounce Aldrlchism. It is probable that many standpat republi cans will vote with the democrats and that others will stay at homo on election day but democrats must be careful not to hold out any inducements. A democrat whoso position on public questions would invite the support of a standpatter would repel democrats. There aTe certain arguments, however, which a democrat can with propriety address to tho standpatters. First, that if democratic prln siples aro to bo applied they ought to be ap plied by democrats. It is an infringement on the democratic patent for the Insurgents to claim credit for policies put forward first by the democrats. Second, tho standpatters and insurgents are engaged in a life and death strug gle for the control of the republican party. If tho insurgents win they will be strengthened for their fight In tho nation; if they lose tho stand patters will havo oasler sailing in the next national convention. Tho insurgents, on the other hand, can face the future with confidence. If they win at tho polls thoy will be in a position tc carry their fight into the next national convention; If they lose, the victorious standpatters will be moro arrogant than ever and thus Invite a national defeat. The Kansas democrats are in a position to profit, no matter which way tho election goes, and they deserve the good that is coming to them, for they havo been faithful for, lo, these many years. RUBBER Aldrlch made a great mistake in raising the tariff on rubber his party needs a large quan tity of it just now. In fact, jt is going to strain even the most elastic hand to hold the stand patters and insurgents together. TIMELY The republicans are waking up in Kansas,- Nebraska and Iowa, but it is time. Its a longj while since daybreak. m -A., ("' .0 " J-- i" .' .i' 14 rt