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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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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
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