MXPTEKBKB M. 110
5
The Commoner.
2rlctlxns, but now man. and women dally read tht
political death roll of men who wore onco mighty
and tho llat of those slaughtered la appalling.
"Tho reactionaries In Wisconsin pass away.
'At first thought it is surprising In Wisconsin,
tor it la a state filled with conservative Ger
mans, but even tho Gorman revolutionist is con
servative. Bchurz and Bngel and all those who
took part in the revolution of '48 in Germany
were conservative men. They wero fighting
against tho anarchy of absolutism.
"LaFollette, who looks like a picture show
announcer, but who has a big .head full of
brains, who was three years ago held to bo a
fakir, Is the Idol of Wisconsin.
"Julius Caesar Burrows of Michigan believed
that the ways of Aldrich and Cannon and others
wero the ways of righteousness. He was most
faithful to tho creed that they promulgated. Ho
expected to die in the United States senate. Ho
was turned out this week to graze upon dog
fennel. Aldrich, more far-seeing than Burrows,
grasped the situation and rather than stand and
fight and lose, elected to run away and, maybe,
fight another day.
"Roosevelt in Chicago refused to sit down at
dinner with a senator 'whose ofllce came to Tiim
through purchased votes. When Matt Quay and
Mark Hanna and Clarke and those western
state miners and ex-gamblers and ex-saloon
keepers, who became millionaires paid the mar
ket price of sonatorships, numbers of that body
were held to be worthy to sit with a king. It
is the day when .high place does not cover
rascality.
"Mr. Bryan Is over in Arkansas preaching
for the initiative and the referendum. Some
of the people of Arkansas say that it is a radical
departure, but Arkansas is merely behind tho
times. In Memphis we have a charter providing
for the recall and the referendum. Memphis
is a progressive city. If Atlanta had this recall
and referendum in its charter Atlantians would
Immediately have a recall and referendum con
gress and invite delegates from all the states
of the union, and Hoke Smith, Clark. Howell,
John Temple Graves would open their geysers
of eloquence and flood tho country with oratory.
"Editor Watterson has come in from his farm
and taken up his pen. In tho Courier-Journal
of, 'September 8 he gives two columns of most
pictures'que preachments. We take from a care
ful reading of this splendid picture done in
double-leaded minion that Colonel Watterson is
not entirely pleased with everything.
"Among other things the colonel says: 'There
is in all parts a wonderful resemblance between
Roosevelt and Bryan. That is why the Courier
Journal loves them both. Close in age, southern
blood, but western bred, one tracing back to
Virginia, the other to Georgia, voluminous of
speech, fearless of consequences; born preach
ers, moral philosophers, humanitarians. To hell
with political economy every man his own po
litical economist! To hell with the constitu
tion and tho courts of law he is no leader of
men and worthy of the confidence of plain peo
ple who can not show them a livelier "thingNor
two, in government irradiated by the ethics of
the new nationalism and inspired by the states
manship of righteousness!'
"This follows some remarks made for the
Bpqcial benefit of several New York editors (few
of whom, however, ever write), and the Mexi
canizing of the republic. Colonel Roosevelt took
a wallop at the supreme court of the United
States. Of course, this is not unusual. We did
a good deal of walloping in this state recently
ourselves and we walloped each other across
tho backs of our supreme court.
"Several months ago the supreme court of
Tennessee rendered a decision In the night rider
cases. This paper had considerable to say in
the way of objection, and, without violating a
confidence, we may say we were aided and abet
ted in this cussin' of. the supreme court by a
number of eminent lawyers of this city and west
Tennessee, who later tore their hair in a frenzy
when it was asserted that Governor Patterson
had attempted to coerce that same court.
"However, that is neither here nor there, for
he Is a poor politician these days who does not
get ori both sides of a question once a year.
Versatility that is what makes the successful
politician. But, coming back to the constitu
tion, we believe that the colonel had a constitu
tional right to criticise the supreme court for
-the two decisions he mentioned.
"In New York City the bake shop employes
work under the most horrible conditions. They
get from $7 to $12.50 per week. They work
at night in cellars, filthy and hot, in dirty air
and in steam. They are poisoned by the filth
of their surroundings, and "they themselves
communicate some .of this poison to the stuff
they mako. Tho legislature of Now York passed
a bill regulating tho hours of work in thoso
chops. The supremo court of tho stato of Now
York said that tho bill was unconstitutional,
and an appeal was made to tho United States
supremo court, and that court held that tho
law was unconstitutional becauso it took away
from tho individual 'tho right of contract.' Tho
supremo court said that if n woman drudge,
about to bear a child, wanted to work twelve
hours a day every day in tho week in a bako
Bhop, that was her rJght. Thoso poor dovils had
no right of contract. They wero industrial
slaves, and tho legislature of Now York, in its
police power and In regard for health, was
simply trying to render their slavedom lighter.
"Wo tako it that all of tho eightoon articlos
suggested by Mr. Roosovolt are constitutional.
"All would have been declared unconstitu
tional twenty-five years ago, but that was be
fore Preacher Bryan got on tho field. Bryan
has not succeeded well in politics. Ho is a splon
did failure as a victory-winner, but Mr. Bryan
was the first man, a caudidato for president,
who preached for thoso things that Colonel
Roosovolt is now advocating, that Mr. LaFollette
cries for and that the insurgents demand and
that the plain pcoplo say should bo put Into tho
law books.
"Mr. Bryan advocated tho Income tax. Mr.
Bryan wanted an inheritance tax, Mr. Bryan
wanted to tako away from tho monoy powerB
its czardomand mako them subject to tho
law. His method was through free silver. Ills
method may have been wrong, but through other
means and by other remedies Roosevelt and
LaFollette are trying to do exactly what Mr.
Bryan sought to do.
"It is probably true that Roosevelt Is trying
to Bryanize tho republican party.
"It is true that Roosevelt several years ago
did tako Bryan's clothes, but let's give Mr.
Bryan credit for making thoso clothes. Bryan
made them without a pattern. He wore them
first. The colonel appropriated them and has
kept them ever since. We doubt that Theodore
Roosevelt or W. J. Bryan has advocated any
principle in tho matter of government In tho
last twenty years that would be declared un
constitutional in a, court made up of men with
the thought of Jefferson, Jackson, Grover Cleve
land, Abraham Lincoln, David Turplo and
Samuel J. Tilden.
"It is one of the strange things in contempor
ary politics that the doctrines of a man beaten
thrice for the presidency have been taken up
by the ex-president of the republic, a member of
an opposing party, and are being grafted on to
that opposing party and will become a part of
Its own rottenness before tho grafted shoots,
by their added vigor, can charge tho old trunk
with enough vitality to keep it alive.
"Tho doctrine of new nationalism is good be
cause of its democracy. Tho federal govern
ment has been in the hands of a few. It has
existed for these few. Colonel Roosevelt would
build upon the foundations constructed by
Colonel Bryan, and make this federal govern
ment tho government of all the people, in the
management of which all the people have an
equal chance and in the control of which all
tho people have an equal shaTe.
"The Roosevelt-Bryan philosophy of govern
ment is sound democracy and in accord with tho
letter of the spirit of the constitution as it was
framed'
THE TWO MEN
Under the headline "The Two Men," tho
Kentucky Stato Journal, published at Frank
fort and edited by former Governor Beckham
says:
"While in many instances advocating the
same political and economic Issues, there is a
striking dissimilarity In the methods and char
acteristics of tho two men Mr. Bryan and Mr.
Roosevelt.
"The one has never failed to declare his posi
tion upon any question, oven when it was un
popular; the other always waits until an issuo
becomes popular and then with ardor and empha
sis declares for it as If he was the original dis
coverer. The one, in dignified language and
exercising the inherent right of an American
citizen, criticised the decision of the supreme
court upon the Income tax case and the De Lima
case, at a time when he was denounced as an
anarchist for doing so probably in effect, If
not in terms, by Mr. Roosevelt himself; the
other only a few days ago, before the legisla
ture of Colorado, criticised the same high court
for two other decisions, in far more vigorous
and disrespectful language, and tho populace
applauds. The one has always taken his posi
tion upon n public question according to hi
view of whothor or not It was right, tho other
invariably waits to sao whothor or not It is
popular.
"Who can imaglno Mr. Bryan waiting ho long,
under similar circumstances, lilco Mr. Iloouovolt,
to declaro his attitudo upon tho tariff question,
the most Important and Imminent Ibruo now
boforo tho Amorican people? Who denounced
Mr. Bryan moro sovoroly for his advocacy of tho
principles In (ho 180G platform than did Mr.
Roosovolt, and what is thuro loft In that plat
form not taken up and advocated in recent years
by tho safno Mr. Roosevelt? No ono knows bet
tor than does this accomplished woathor gauge,
that tho 'anarchy of 189 G has bocomo tho pop
ular political fashion of tho proHont.
"And yot many journals and pcoplo now
prniso him for his advocacy of thoso principles,
whilo at tho samo tlmo, they exult and gloat ovor
what they are pleased to consider tho political
downfall of Mr. Bryan in tho recont democratic
state convention of Nebraska, controlled by tho
browors and liquor dealers.
"Mr. Roosovolt first applied tho phrase of 'tho
squaro deal," and proudly boasts that ho Is tho
original apostlo of its use, and yot for fifteen
years Mr. Bryan, with tho earnestness and
fidelity of a crusader, with eloquence and ability
unsurpassed, in defeat and in darkness, has been
making tho greatest fight for a 'square deal for
tho pooplo ever mado in this country slnco tho
days of Androw Jackson, when ho drovo tho
minions of tho United States bank from tho
seats of power.
"It Is not our purposo to dlsparago or dis
credit the work of Mr. Roosovolt so far as It
may aid In advancing tho causo of tho pcoplo.
Wo welcomo and wish to oncourago him, We
hopo that ho is sincoro and that after securlnr
tho confidence of tho progressive clement of his
party, ho will not go ovor and trade that con
fidence for political advantage, to tho Aldrichs
and Cannons and other onomiea of tho people.
Wo wish him well and recognize the great op
portunity ho has for doing good.
"But we do object to seeing tho many organs
of his sorvllo flattorers praising him as th
pioneer In tho promulgation of principles, for
which Mr. Bryan so long and so valiantly fought,
and for which ho three times sacrificed the presi
dency of the United States, and thoso samo or
gans delighting In what they aeom to bollov
Mr. Bryan's political overthrow."
"BRYANIZING" THE REPUBLICAN PART
Henry Watterson in Courier-Journal.
In point of fact, tho real, vital question be
foro us is no longer tho Mexicanizing of tho
republic and the Diaziflcatlon of Theodore, but
this get from under Nelson, of Kansas City,
and stand by Hemphill, of Richmond on tho
Jeems! Shall Roosevelt Bryanize tho republi
can party?
Tho country has not wholly forgotten tha
cartoons of a few years ago, which represented
tho president that was and tho president that
would, like to be as tho Two Dromlos; nor yet
tho epigram of tho man from Nebraska that
tho man from Oyster Bay had stolon his clothes
whilst ho was in swimming. Many a truth is
spoken In jest, dear old Mother Gooso assures
us. If we carefully examine and closely analyze
tho Osawatomle manifesto wo shall find that
most of it is as good Bryan gospel as the Com
moner could himself expound.
There is in all points a wondrous resemblance
between Roosevelt and Bryan. That is why tho
Courier-Journal loves thom so. Close of an age.
Southern blood but western bred, ono tracing
back to Virginia, tho other-to Georgia. Volumin
ous of speech, fearless of consequences; born
preachers; . moral philosophers; humanitarians.
To hell with political economy every man his
own political economist! To hell with tho con
stitution and the courts of law ho is no leader
of men, nor worthy the confidence of tho plain
people who can not show them a livelier thing,
or two, In government irradiated by tho ethics
of tho new nationalism and inspired by tho
statesmanship of righteousness! "Bo virtuous
and you will be happy," wrote Vance of Colo
rado, "but you will not have any fun!" Vanco
was away off. "We," exclaim tho Siamese twins
of tho modern tent-show, "are both virtuous and
happy, and, behold, wo have lots of fun!"
But a truce to badinage. The course of events
forecast in these columns unfolds apace. Tho
events unfold, and none the less surely becauso
not at all slowly, a vista of possibilities yet more
fantastic than was originally outlined, though
even thus far upon tha journey there has been
no lack of the spectacular.
The colonel is as open as the day. He leaves
4
f
Tn
M
H
' .
A
-H4 to ..
