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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1910)
fr ' "TEft EyWWMiy .1WNH) JWff 'jtw -gwnpwqpr'iy' '"'nTM'Wi SEPTEMBER 18, 1910 run tho government Itself. Tho very men who would suffer tho most from tho enforcement of law are tho ones who seem to ho most troubled. They aTe not afraid that I will encourage lawless ness, but they know that, if I am elected, tho trusts will not select the attorney general." Mr. Roosevelt said: "There is a widespread belief among our people that under the methods of making tariff which have hitherto obtained tho special interests aro too influential. Probably this is true of both the big interests and tho little interests. These methods have put a premium on selfishness, and naturally tho sel . fish big interests have got more than the selfish small interests." . The democratic national platform for 1908 said: "We welcome tho belated promise of tariff reform now offered by the republican party in tardy recognition of the righteousness of tho democratic position on this question; but the people can not safely entrust the execution of this important work to a party which is so deeply obligated to the highly protected inter ests as is tho republican party. Wo call atten tion to the significant fact that tho promised relief was postponed until after tho coming elec tion an election to succeed in which the repub lican party must have tho same support fronj. tho beneficiaries of tho high protective taTiff as it has a'lways heretofore received from them; and to tho further fact that during years of un interrupted power, no action whatever has been taken by the republican congress to correct tho admittedly existing tariff iniquities." Mr. Roosevelt said: "Therefore I believe in a graduated income tax on big fortunes, and in another tax, which is far more easily collected and far more effective, a graduated inheritance tax on big fortunes, properly safeguarded against evasion and increasing rapidly in amount with the sizo of the estate." The democratic national platform for 1908 said: "We favor an income tax as part of our revenue system, and we urge the submission of a constitutional amendment specifically au thorizing congress to levy and collect a tax upon individual and corporate incomes to the end that wealth may bear its proportionate share of the burdens of tho federal government." In 1894 Mr. Bryan closed the debate on the income tax in tho house of representatives and democratic speeches, editorials and platforms have been filled with, demands for the income tax. Mr. Hoosevelt said: "The natural resources must' bo used for the benefit of all our people and not monopolized' for the benefit of the few. That is one of the fundamental reasons why tho special interests must bo driven out of politics." The democratic national platform for 1908 said: "The establishment of rules and regula tions, if any such aro necessary, in relation to freo grazing lands upon the public lands out side of forest or other reservations, until the same shall eventually be disposed of, should bo left to the people of the states respectively in which lands may be situated.. We repeat the demand for internal development and for the conservation of our natural resources, contained in previous platforms, the enforcement of which Mr. Roosevelt has vainly sought from a reluctant party; and to that end, we insist upon the preser vation, protection and replacement of needed for ests, tho preservation of the public domain for homeseekers, the protection of the national re sources in timber, coal,, iron and oil against mon opolistic control, the development of our water ways for navigation and every other useful pur pose, including the irrigation of arid lands, tho reclamation of swamp lands, tho clarification of streams, the development of water power and the preservation of electric power generated by this natural force from tho control of monopoly, and to such end we urge tho exercise of all powers, national, state and municipal, both separately and in co-operation. We insist upon a policy of administration of our forest reserves which shall relieve it of the abuses which have arisen thereunder and which shall, as far as practicable, conform to tho police regulations of the several states whero they ate located, which shall en able homesteaders as of right to occupy and acquiro title to all portions thereof which aro especially adapted to agriculture and which shall furnish a' system of timber sales available as well to the private citizen as to the larger manufacturer and consumer." Mr. Roosevelt said: "There must remain no neutral ground to serve as a refuge for law breakers, aud especially for lawbreakers of great wealth, who can hire tho vulpine legal cunning which will teach them how to avoid both jurisdictions. It is a misfortune when tho national legislature fails to do its duty in pro viding a national remedy, so that the only na tional activity is the purely negative activity of The Commoner. tho Judiciary in forbidding tho state to exerciso power in tho promises." In his address before tho governors' con ference at tho Whito Houso, Mr. Bryan said: "I am a strict constructionist, if that means to believe that federal government is ono of dole gated powers and that constitutional limitations should be carefully observed. I am jealous of any encroachment upon the righto of tho state, believing that the states aro as indestructiblo as the union Is indissoluble. It is, however, en tirely consistent with this theory to believe, as I do believo, that it is just as Imperative that tho general government shall discharge tho duties delegated to it, as It is that the states shall exerciso tho powers re served to them. There is no twilight zono be tween the nation and tho state, in which ex ploiting interests can tako rofugo from both, and my observation Is that most not all, but most of the contentions over tho lino botween nation and state are traceable to predatory cor porations which aro trying to shield themselves from deservod punishment, or endeavoring to prevent needed restraining legislation." Mr. Roosevelt said: "Wo are face to face with new conceptions of tho relations of prop erty to human welfare, chiefly because certain advocates of tho rights of property as against tho rights of men have been pushing their claims too far. The man who wrongly hold3 that every human right is secondary to his profit must now givo way to tho advocates of human welfare, who rightly maintains that every man holds his property subject to tho general right of the com munity to regulate its use to whatever degreo tho public welfare may require it." ' In his speech, delivered at Madison Square, , New .York, in 1906, Mr. Bryan said: "Tho democratic party Is not the enemy of property or of property rights; it is, on tho contrary, the best defender, of both, becauso it defends , human rights, and human rights aro tho only i foundation upon which property and property Tights can rest securely. Tho democratic party does not menace a single dollar legitimately ac cumulated; on tho contrary, it insists upon tho protection of rich and poor alike in the en joyment of that which they have honestly earned. Tho democratic party does not discourage thrift, but on tho contrary stimulates each in dividual to the highest endeavor by assuring him that ho will not be deprived of tho fruits of his toil. If we can but repeal tho laws which enable men to reap whore they have not sown laws which enable them to garner Into their overflowing barns tho harvests that belong to others no one will be able to accumulate enough to make his fortune dangerous to tho country. Special privilege and tho use of the taxing power for private gain these are tho twin pillars upon which plutocracy rests. To tako away these supports and to elevate tho beneficiaries of special legislation to the piano of honest effort ought- to be the purpose of our party. And who can suffer injury by just taxa tion, Impartial laws and the application of tho Jeffersonian doctrine of equal rights to all and special privileges to none? Only those whoso accumulations aro stained with dishonesty and whose immoral methods have given them a dis torted view of business, of society and govern ment. Accumulating by conscious frauds more money than they can use upon themselves, wise ly distribute or safely leave to their children, these denounce as public enemies all -who ques tion their methods or throw a light upon their crimes." Mr. Roosevelt said: "I am far from under estimating -the importance of dividends, but I rank dividends below human character. I know well that the reformers must not bring upon tho people economic ruin, or the reforms them selves will go down in tho ruin. But wo must bo ready to face temporary disaster whether or not brought on by those who will war against us to tho knife. Those who oppose all reform will do well to remember that ruin In its worst form is Inevitable if our national life brings us nothing better than swollen fortunes for the few and the triumph in both politics and business of a sordid and selfish materialism." In a Commoner editorial Mr. Bryan said: "The people have nothing to fear from open enemies. The man who boldly proclaims a prin ciple, no matter what it may be, can do but little injury. No amount of intellect, learning or eloquence can make him dangerous. As Jef ferson has expressed it, 'Error of opinion may bo tolerated where reason is left freo to combat it.' Truth grows in the open field; the sunshine nourishes and strengthens it. It Is secret in fluence which is constantly corrupting govern , ment and securing special privileges for tho few at tho expense of the many. The man who advocates a thing which ho bollovcs to bo good for tho pcoplo as a wholo has no reason to con coal his purpose; but tho man who trios to socuro "an advantago which ho knows to bo beneficial to somo clans or combination bJt hurtful to tho public, naturally and necessarily employs stealth. Would tho directors of a rail road company adopt and publish a resolution designating their favorite candidate for the legis lature, congress, tho senate or tho bench? Would thoy candidly cot forth why they wanted him and what they expected of him after thoy got him? And yot it is well known 'that railroads often tako an activo part In tho selection of public officials. Would tho directors of a trust ndopt and publish a resolution naming the presi dential candidate thoy would support and an nouncing tho contribution they would mako to tho campaign fund? And yot It Is certain that tho trusts have in the pnst Interested them selves in campaigns. Etornal vigilance is tho price of protection against had laws and mis rule as well as tho prlco of liborty. Slnco laws aro made, construed and enforced by public offi cials, It is necessary that great caro should bo exorcised in tho selection of them In order that thoy, when selected, shall guard tho interests of tho wholo people and not bo the more agents of somo corporation." Mr. Roosevelt said: "Ono of the fundamental necessities in a representative government such as ours Is to mako certain that the men to whom tho people delegato their power shall servo tho peoplo by whom thoy aro elected, and not tho special interests." In a Commonor editorial Mr. Bryan said: "There Is an issuo more fundamental than cither tho triiBt Issue, or tho tariff Issuo, or tho rail road issue, and it is involved in all of theso Issues, and this larger and more fundamental issuo is this: Shall tho government bo admin istered by tho peoplo in tho interest of tho wholo peoplo, or shall It bo administered for tho bene fit of a few and by those whom tho few, through coercion and tho corruption of politics, olovato to power, Shall tho peoplo rule is an Issuo which all pcoplo can understand. Shall this bo a people's government or a government of syndi cates, by syndicates and for syndicates? This Is a question that demands attention. Tho trusts have made tho government a government of a few, and for a few, just as tho beneficiaries of the tariff have subordinated tho wolfaro of eighty millions of peoplo to the pecuniary in terests of a comparatively few who aro engaged in protected Industries. Tho paramount Jssuo, therefore, is tho protection of all of the peoplo who deslro equal rights from tho few who de mand special privileges, and this issuo Is pre sented in every question which Is before tho public or is likely to come before the public." "ROOSEVELT'S POLICIES" Tho San Francisco Star prints tho following: Sixteen years ago William Jennings Bryan mildly criticised a certain decision of tho su preme court. "The Interests" forthwith dubbed Bryan, a vilifier of tho courts and a dangerous man. On Monday, Theodore Roosevelt, speaking at Denver, took occasion to point to a number of "unfortunate decisions," and to enter protest more strenuous and more positive than any criticism that ever Bryan uttered. Roosevelt, a little more radical and a littlo less sound, has on this Important question landed exactly where Bryan was a decade and a half ago. In his Denver speech, Roosevelt took up tho decision in tho Knight sugar trust case. Of tho case the ex-president said: "In that tho supremo court of tho United States, under cover of what a man whoso in terest is chiefly In sano constructive steward ship can only call a highly technical legal subtlety, handed down a decision which ren dered it exceedingly difficult for tho nation effectively to control tho use of masses of cor porate capital in Interstate business, as tho na tion obviously was tho solo power that could exerciso this control (for it. was quite beyond tho power of any ono state). This was really a decision rendering it exceedingly difficult for tho peoplo to devlso any method of controlling and regulating the business use of great capital in interstate commerce. It was a decision nom inally against national rights, but really against popular rights." Roosevelt was scarcely less caustic in his criticism of the New York bakeshop case. Tho decision in this case declared unconstitutional tho New York law requiring baKeshops to main tain hygienic conditions. After showing that New York stato alone could deal with this prob lem, and that the unhygienic conditions told against the bakeshop workers as well as against m m