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The Commoner;
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 4f
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tho party. It was tho republican party's Wall
Street connections that Med to the progressive
movement In (ho republican party, and Wall
Street Is much less popular In tho democratic
party than In the republican party. A demo
cratic congress must keep step with the spirit
of the time and lead public sentiment to tho
roforms upon which tho peoplo have agreed.
Tho democratic party must everywhere urge tho
election of United States senators by direct voto
of tho people; the democratic party must in all
sections fight the trusts and carry out tho dem
ocratic platform demanding legislation which
makes it impossible for private monopoly to
exist. Tho democratic party must make a sin
cere effort at real tariff reduction. It goes
without saying that tho party must redeem its
pledgo to overthrow Cannonism and establish
representative government in congress.
Let tho democrats but bo faithful to tho
promises made by the party and the presidential
election of 1912 will bring an abundant reward,
but retroat would bo as impolitic as It would be
unrighteous. The democratic party has no rea
son for existence except as it is the champion
of the whole peoplo In their fight for justice and
equality of opportunity. After a decade and a
half tho party haB been gaining strength by its
fidelity to the interests of the commdn people.
It has been sowing the seed and cultivating the
crop. Tho harvest is now ready.
RATIFY INCOME TAX
' Tho Income tax amendment to tho federal
constitution is before tho states for ratification.
Several states have already acted favorably,
and if all the legislatures that meet this wintpr
ratify tho amendment it will bo adopted. Legis
lators when not pledged In advance are more
or less influenced by public opinion let that
opinion be expressed at once Below will "bo
found the form of a petition; tho readers of The
Commoner are urged to begin AT ONCE and
securo signers to this petition and send it to
their senators and representatives In the state
legislatures. Let no time be lost:
"We the undersigned citizens and voters in
the legislative (or senatorial) district in
the state respectfully urge you" to vote for the
ratification of the' proppsed amendment to the
constitution of the United States authorizing
congress to levy and collect an income tax."
WHY NOT ACT, THEN?
so many people who are really worth knowing.
Nebraska Is a great state and the honor of being
tho standard-bearer for ono of the great parties
in such a state is a rare privilege, indeed.
"Be assured I shall harbor no Ill-will against
the opposition. This Is a free country and this
may not bo the last time that wo shall be called
upon to settle questions much discussed in this
campaign."
Mr. Dahlman made as good a fight as any ono
could have made on that side of the question.
Ho Is a sincere' opponent of county option and
his county endorsed his stand by over eight
thousand majority, but the people of the state
differed from him and elected the republican
candidate, Hon. C. H. Aldrlch. Mr. Dahlman
accepts the defeat like a man; he has lost no
friends. Even those democrats who, like Mr.
Bryan, were unable to endorse his position re
gretted that they were compelled to withhold
their support,
Tho United States department of justice has
issued, a statement declaring itself In favor of
jail sentences for corporation officials found
guilty of violating the anti-trust law and op
posed to tho inflictlori of fines, This particular
statement ivas brought out by the fines imposed
upon' the officers of the window glass trust.
If the department of justice is in earnest,
all it need do is to proceed against the countless
combinations that are violating the law, caus
ing the arrest and prosecution of responsible
officials. '
Tho department has dilly-dallied for so many
years with the anti-trust law that prosecutions
under that statute have come to be regarded as
farces.. If the department really means busl-
ness, it need not waste- time issuing "state
ments." Action speaks louder than words.
A
A DEMOCRAT IN DEFEAT
The following interview, given by Mayor Dahl
man to a World-Herald reporter on learning of
his defeat is characteristic of him. He said:
"It looks much like Aldrlch to me, and I
guess it's about all aver. I made the best fight
I could and I had a fair show, and I have no
sore spots for anybody. The issue was plain
and tho people have spoken plainly enough. I
still hold to tho opinion which I held when I
entered the campaign and if I had another fight
to make on tho same issue I'd make it in the
same way.
"My personal defeat is trivial. The principle
involved is most important. Tho future happi
ness of me or my family did not depend upon
my being elected governor at all. Neither Mrs.
Dahlman nor myself will feel at all keenly the
defeat.
"I ana glad to see Hitchcock elected, and wish
him success. I'm glad to see the democracy so
triumphant in sister states. I feel a deep sense
of gratitude to the many friends who supported
me, and for the uniform kindness shown me
throughout this remarkable campaign It was
a great experience and I met in every part of
tho state so mauy splendid men and women I
feel that it is an exceptional privilege to bo priv
ileged to form so many friendships and know
THE BALTIMORE CONFERENCE
The Baltimore Sun it supported Mr. Taft
tvo years ago has suddenly developed a pas
sionato desire to do something for the demo
cratic pnrty, but like most of the papers of Its
kind displays ignorance of the principles of the
pnrtv and proposes an undemocratic plan for
helping the party. It wants a conference of
leaders on the aristocratic theory that the
lenders do the thinking for the. people. The
value of the proposed conference will depend en
tirelv upon tho representative character of those
participating andthat will depend upon the per
sonnel of the committee which invites the con
ferees. What kind of a conference is likelv to
assemble at the suggestion of a paper which
helped to elect the present republican president?
If It makes Up its committee, as it probably
will, largely of reactionaries some of them con
spicuous for the support of republicans in the
past what influence will such . a conference
have? For whom, except themselves, will the
conferees speak?
The democratic Idea is that power comes up
from tho people the source of power; the
aristocratic idea js that' power comes down from
the few to the many. The democratic theory is
that the people think for themselves and select
meri to act for them. The whole tendency of
the times is to get back to the people and away
from the bosses.
This is a poor time to sound a retreat. The
Baltimore Sun conference will not only fail to
represent the rank and file of the party but it
Is apt to MISREPRESENT them, for men who
would attach importance to the recommendation
of such a conference would prove themselves
out of harmony with the controlling influences
in democratic politics. The policy of our party
is announced by conventions, composed of dele
gates selected for the purpose AND GENER
ALLY INSTRCTED. Conventions may be more
representative than congress, for in congress
only districts having a democratic majority have
a voice. But the democrats In congress, though
representing only the democratic districts, will
come much nearer reflecting the real sentiment
of the party than any. conference selected as the
Baltimore conference will be."
If the conference indorses the last democratic
national platform it will be gratifying, but it
will add little to the binding force of that plat
form; if it ignores it, as it is quite sure to do,
it will simply prove that it is dominated by
those who were not in sympathy with that plat
form when it was written and whose chief am
bition now is to devitalize the party creed.
However, the conference may serve one use
ful purpose it may. bring the Wall Street
democracy out into the open and give the demo
cratic democrats a chance to learn something
. of tho influences which are at work to secure
control of the next democratic national conven
tion. About fifteen months after the Baltimore
conference adjourns the real conferences will
begin they will be held in the- PRECINCTS.
When these conferences speak and not before
we shall know the party's program for 1912.
trict, Mr. Lobeck succeeds Mr. Hitchcock in tho
Second district, and Mr. Maguire won a signal
victory In the First against Mr." Hayward, who
is secretary of the republican national commit
tee. Mr. Sutherland would have been elected in
the Fifth district but for the fact that his oppo
nent, Mr. Norris, gained distinction as a pro
gressive republican.
The defeat of Mr. Dahlman, the democratic
candidate for governor, cannot be construed as a
democratic defeat, for while he received tho
primary nomination, It was by the aid of repub
licans who entered the primary because they
agreed with him on the liquor question. His
fight was not conducted along the lines of the
state platform and party lines were not drawn
upon this office. He received a large number
of republican votes and lost a large number of
democratic votes being defeated by some fif
teen thousand.
But for the liquor question the democratic
party would have swept the state. Nebraska's
democracy has been doing pioneer work since
1894 and would have been in position to take
advantage of the revolt against the republican
leaders but for the fact that the liquor question
overshadowed all other state issues. It will
not destroy the paTty, however, in future cam
paigns. It is probable that county option will
be secured through the legislature elected on
November 8; but even if the measure fails to
pass, the initiative and referendum will be sub
mitted, and when that is adopted the people
can act upon such questions as they like with
out the injection of such queqtlons Into partisan
politics.
The democrats of Nebraska have no reason
to feel discouraged; on the contrary they have
reason to face the future with confidence. They
are" thoroughlv united upon national issues, and
with the disturbing local issues removed, will
present a united front to the enemy.
Count Nebraska in the progressive column.
THE NEBRASKA VICTORY
The democratic party has won a victory in
Nebraska. It has elected a United States sena
tor, the first democrat ever elected to the senate
from Nebraska. The Oregon plan would have
assured the election of Mr. Hitchcock even if
the legislature had been republican, but as it
is democratic, he would have been elected with
out tho Oregon plan. Three democratic con
gressmen have been elected In the districts rep
resented by democrats In the last congress. Mr.
Latta increased his majority in tho Third dis-
LOTS OF FUN
New York newspapers are having great sport
with Theodore Roosevelt and they are entitled
to some of it because Theodore Ro.osevelt .has
had his fun with the New York newspapers.
But, after all, it will occur to a great many '
thoughtful men that these newspapers mlglit
devote some of their attention toward a serious
effort to prevent the special interests from
wrecking the democratic party even as they have
wrecked Mr. Roosevelt's party.
Mr. Roosevelt is an interesting character and
he has his faults to be sure; but there is more
serious work at hand for the American press
than dissertations on Roosevelt. It is the work
of perpetuating popular government and that
is no child's task, either, i" this day.
CHARACTERISTIC
Referring to Mr. Bryan's objections to the
so-called "democratic conference" at Baltimore,
Major Hemphill, editor of the Richmond (Va.)
Times-Dispatch, says: "In view of Mr. Bryan's
doubt upon the subject, we are inclined to the
opinion that the proposed conference would be
a very fine thing for the party."
That is the trouble with Major Hemphill's
opinions generally. .He forms them upon per
sonal hatred rather than upon calm reasoning.
That is one of the reasons why. the major's
opinion "is of no real service to the democratic
party.
"NOT A WORD, NOT-A WORD" -.
The good Dr. Lyman Abbott devotes several
pages of the current issue of the Outlook in
telling his opinion of the election results. But
the Outlook readers search in vain for the opin
ion of the "contributing editor," and the con
tributing editor's opinion, rather than that of
the . good Doctor Abbott, is what the , public
would just now like to read. But to interview
ers and to correspondents generally, the con
tributing editor says, "not a word, not a word."
Perhaps, after all, it is just as well. .
II ! ,H
ROGER SHERMAN HOAR
The democrats remember with appreciation
the gallant fight made against imperialism by
the late Senator Hoar, and will rejoice to know
that Roger Sherman Hoar, a relative of the
venerable senator, has been elected state Sen
ator in Massachusetts, as a result of the recent
democratic landslide Ho is a bright young man
of twenty-three and bids fair to sustain tho
reputation of the distinguished families whow
' names he bears.