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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1910)
9 The Commoner. H Ki" ft-. I F t K WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR VOL. 10, NO. 37 Lincoln, Nebraska, September 23, 1910 Whole Number 505 -1 -A 1 7" ' about direct primaries, substantially on tho .Icfo. Y CtflY I fMlOTPITintl ?Inea of Governor Hughes' proposition, but this flOl KJU.I UIEgl,OOIilU.ll is not tho main issuo. Tho main issuo is that . , . , . . ... , . wo stand against bosslsm, big or little, and In - Jh0Im0'ls ast. 5or sham J,attlc ?nd n favor of genuine popular rule, not only at tho order that a real victory may bo won for tho elections, but within the party organization, people every candidate for congress should bo and abovo all that our war ,s ruthlea8 against Uueationed on several particular subjects by tho GVory specles of corruption, big and little, and men whoso votes ho seeks. against tho alliance between corrupt business Readers of Tho Commoner everywhere should and corrupt politics, as to which it has boon ask their congressman: found that too often in tho past tho boss sys- (1) Do you believe: A platform is a pledge, tem nas offered a peculiarly efllciont and ob Siyeri by the candidate to the voters, and when jectionablo means of communication. Wo are ratified at tho polls i becomes la contract between agaIn8t the domination of tho party and tho j. the official and his constituents. To violate publIc by BpecIai intorests, whether these special it, in letter or in spirit, is not only undemocratic, interests are political, business or a compound but repugnant to tho principles of representa- 0j tne tw0 tive government, and constitutes an embezzle- . Qood no now nas' a job that wI11 IaBt tho re a power' maihdor of his life. Tho driving of "corrupt Answer . . . . . business" out of republican politics is a task (2) Will you vote for a change in tho houso wortliy 0f his abilities, rules, putting tho feelectldn of committees in . - tho hands of party .caucuses, each callous select- v j : : ing its own committee membership? , ILLINOIS I ' (-3) Where do' you stand on tho' tariff ques- - Tho re-nomination of Browno and twenty-two tion? Do you believe in the principle of pro- other "Lorimer democrats" In Illinois can not Section as interpreted by the republican party ho explained by any of tho rules ordinarily ap- or do you favor tariff for revenue only? plied. It will require an examination Into tho Answer - situation in each district to ascertain how tho (4)' Do you endorse the democratic, platform democrats of Illinois could have given an ap- dedlaration that a private monopoly is inde- parent endorsement 'to tho democratic loglsla- 'fensible and intolerable? itors who voted for Lorimer at tho very timo .AnXwer I . . .' ... wh,en the bribery charges were being investl- ' -TO Will you do your utmost to make' it im- ga.ted, but of all thpse, tho re.-nomInation of pog'sible for a private monopoly to exist? Browne is the most remarkable. Did ho ro- A'nswer ,.,.. celvo a majority of all tho democratic vote t6j Will you favor a bill requiring tho pub-recast or was nig nomination ducr -to the tactthat licati6hfcfai - the -opposition was divided? Did ho 'receive re- J&W-- i al5cTiorijday-?A.: wVv.Si. "-,' . '. -" publican votes or was hig re-nomination duo ' " ""Answer" .' .' , :.;... f. ,". .-..'. ;.... entirely to democrats? It is well to guspend (7) Aro you opposed to national inc'orpora- judgment until tho facta aro obtained, but ouch tion that is, the grant of corporation charters a result at a primary election amazes one. by" the federal government instead of by tho , St Answerern.m?n .?. '. f.?". . AVOT NOT INDEED? (8) Are you in favor of the election of United Rudolph Kroll, Spearflsh, South Dakota, States senators by direct vote of the people? writes: "Regarding the recall measure why Answer .. . . ; 1 not, If an official big or little turn traitor, let (9) Are you in favor of the income tax? him take the samo medicine given to that class Answer . in timo of war. If that were tho rule I think (iO) Do you approve the democratic national most men inclined t to go wrong would thinkr platform for 1908? twice before violating a public trust." Answer " Mr. Kroll's question ought to set some people Note: It is suggested that voters cut out to thinking. Public, interests are paramount in the abovo list of questions and send it to tho peace as in war. The public official who, during candidate for congress in their district, asking a period of peace violates tho trust given him him to fill in tho answers and return tho samo need not bo put to death as some traitors aro to tho voter. Tho voter may, if ho desires, for- during a war; ho may at least be required to ward the samo to The Commoner and it will bo retire from tho public office to whose obligations printed in tills paper. he is falso. 1 1 A BIG TASK SIGNS Mr. Roosevelt, replying to Chairman Tjm William Warners republican senator from Woodruff says: "The progressives aTe omphati- Missouri, announces that he will not bo a candi- cally in favor of taking a real step forward date for reflection, and Governor Hadley, who has long been suspected of nursing a senatorial boom, declares that he will not be a candidato to succeed Senator Warner as tho republican ' nominee. It is very plain that in tho opinion of republicans, as well as of democrats, this is not to bo a' republican year. Plainly democrats have but 'to deserve suc cess in tho year 1910 in order to win it, and to deserve success they must glvo the people explicit pledges on all public questions and nominate men who may be depended upon to redeem those pledges. CONTENTS ! f'l & ' ASK YOUR CONGRESSMAN WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? A BIG TASK MAINE, ARIZONA,. ARKANSAS WHERE THE BATTLE IS RAGING -LOSSES SUFFERED BY G. O. P. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR DEMOCRATIC LANDSLIDE ;WHAT THE WILD WAVES ARE SAYING THE "NEW NATIONALISM" . ; CURRENT TOPICS IF THE PEOPLE RULE WHY DON'T THEY; " GET WHAT THEY WANT? ; HOME DEPARTMENT WHETHER COMMON OR NOT 4 ' , fcT-rvrrrO "VT1 mTTTO TtTTiTRlTT t- ANliiVViJ ur AAiia """. WELL HE HELP LODGE? Some time ago it was announced by Senator Lodge's literary bureau that Mr. Roosevelt had promised to help tho Massachusetts senator in his efforts to secure re-nomination. It is likely that if Mr. Roosevelt made a promise to Senator Lodge he hag learned something to his advan tage since his western trip. It is very probable that Mr. Lodge' will havo to rely upon Vice President Sherman, Timothy Woodruff, and men of that wing of tho party for whatever aid ho must have in the effort to obtain re-election. Who is Responsible? Tho Wall Stroot Journal rocontly printed tho following statement: "Tho Goodyear Tiro and Rubber company, of Akron, Ohio, has Increased Its capitalization from $2,000,000 to $0,000,000, tho $4,000,000 addition bolng entlroly common stock. A cash disbursement of 12 per cent and a stock dividend of 100 per cont havo been de clared." ' Reforrlng to tho Journal's article tho Dcs Moines (la.) Register and Loader, a republican paper, says: "Tho abovo concorn, and others 'liko it In tho rubber business, had no moro need of an incrcaso In tho tariff duties on man ufactured rubber articles than a man with enough to eat has of moro to cat, except to gratify hogglshness. Yet, under tho direction of tho interested Senator Aldrlch and others associated with, him, tho rate on rubber manu factures wns raisod from thirty to thlrty-flvo per cent. When concerns liko tho abovo mako such enormous profits that they can afford to pay a dividend of twelvo per cont in cash and 100 per cent in stock, reductions in rates are needed, not increases. Tho case f urnUhee an illustration of tho sort of tariff revision th republican national platform did not pledge the party to bring about." But Aldrlch wag the acknowledged republi can leader, and no lege a personage than Wil liam H. Taft said that the people could depend upon him for faithful service. The republican party can not eecape the responsibility for "rubber" any moro than it can eecap, th. .tv spongibllity for the ,many other evile which It representative have folgted upon the people. : THE QUARREL OVER CONSERVATION Why all this controversy over who shall "conserve?" Is thoro any private interest on the back ground that can account for this heat ed quarrel? Tho wholo nation is interested in conservation but tho states aro interested In development. Why not allow tho states to de velop under limitations imposed by congress? Let congress fix tho length of leases and other wise safeguard tho national interests and then let tho states control within theso limitations and pollco tho reservations. NO POP GUN BILLS NOW Tho press dispatches say that President Taft will recommend the reduction of the tariff, not by a general bill, but by separate bills dealing with particular schedules. Docs he forget that that was tho plan adopted by the democrats in 1802? And does ho forget that the republicans, in derision, called those bills pop-gun bills? If that plan is now adopted by tho republicans another democratic policy will bo elevated into respectability. MAINE, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS On September 12 Maine elected a democratic governor and two democratic congressmen. Arizona-elected a democratic constitutional conven tion, and Arkansas endorsed the initiative and 'referendum. This Is good enough for ono day. Tho Commoner congratulates tho three states upon tho splendid showing made and rejoices at the'so signs of growth in democratic sentiment. BETTER TAKE THE VETERAN Because Senator Beverldgo is now advocating a few of the many reforms that Candidato John W. Kern has been advocating for many years, ho asks for re-election. Isn't that almost in subordination? To think that a recruit should attempt to out-rank a veteran! Mr. Roosevelt is still harping on his former theoVy, namely, that we can scare the world into peace by building a big navy. Roosevelt is a great man, but even ho is not largo enough to overturn tho moral law. "Thought la stronger than artillery parks," and "back of thought is love." 91 'A t ' ., "& t 1 ft nidmiiuuiniu