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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10i NUMBER, Bt:
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"t'.V- K
Q
JAMES E. MARTINE .0
V r- '
(5). Copy of resolution passed by the Plain-
fleld Democratic club, November 14,
1910:
Resolved, That wo the Plainfleld Demo-
cratic club, hereby approvo the candidacy
of James E. Martino, as .United States
senator from New Jersey.
For years the democrats of this state.
have urged the selection of senators by
popular vote and three years ago a law
was passed to make this effective. In
pursuance of this law Mr. Martine re-
colved a clear majority over all competi-
tors at recent primaries. This was a
vote of confidence on the part of the peo-.
pie and it is the duty of the members of
the legislature to obey this mandate;, it
is the voice of the people and our party
will bo false to its pledges if it is not
obeyod.
Mr. Martino needs no introduction to
the people of this state. He is a man of
the highest honor and integrity, an ora-
tor and debater of great ability; a .stu-
dent of public affairs; a democrat who.
has lived his whole life for the success
of democratic principles, and a gentle-
man known throughout the whole state.
If elected to this office he will be an
honor to the state of New Jersey and to
the senate of the United States.
J. F. ZEREGA, Secretary.
WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE?
The Washington correspondent for the Now
York Herald expresses the opinion that Mr. Taft
will bo renominated in 1912, that he will unite
his party in the senate and in the house,, bring
ing together the regulars and insurgents. This
correspondent says:
"Ho broke the ice with Senator Cummins,, of
Iowa, Saturday; he is expected to go further
with Senator Bristow, of Kansas, on Monday.
When he has smoked a few pounds of plug .to
bacco in the pipe of compromise with these two
redoubtable frontier chiefs, he will, have accom
plished much. Keep your eye on the president.
Things may be even worse than, now before they
are better, but in the end, it is predicted, he will
triumph just as he did at the last session of
congress." ,
But what about the people? What about, the"
rank and file of republicans and insurgents?
Politicians in the republican or in the demo
cratic party may compromise and "patch, up the
differences." But the people who make and un
make politicians, who build and destroy parties
do not always follow the politicians' lead. The
people want relief, adjustments of differences
between "leaders" in the distribution of ap
pointments to office will not satiBfy the people.
KONOP OF WISCONSIN
In one issue The Commoner credited Wiscon
sin with the election of but one democratic con
gressman. There were two democrats and one
socialist elected in Wisconsin. Although the
Ninth congressional district, which Mr. Kuester
man (republican) of Green Bay, represented in
congress for the past two terms, went for Mc
Govern, the republican candidate for governor,
by a plurality of 4,784, Thomas F. Konop de
feated Mr. Kuesterman by a plurality of five.
Mr. Konop has been a hard working democrat
all his life and he will carry to the house of
representatives a high order of energy and
ability.
MR. TAFT'S APPOINTMENTS
Satisfying, no doubt, his selection will be to
the interests; but in every other quarter It will
be a "grave, almost a shocking, disappointment.
Mr. Justice White has been nominally a dem
ocrat; but in reality he has been another Aldrich
or Cannon. If the president desired to advance
an associate justice to be chief, there was
learned and revered John Marshall Harlan, who
for thirty-three years has been a. pillar of fire
l'or the guidance of the court. To pass him, in
order to take Justice White, evinces a cold
blooded calculation to satisfy the reactionaries,
which is both surprising and alarming.
The two appointments for associate justice
s,ro not of a character to still any of the fear.
Judge Vandevanter has had the good will of
powerful railroad influence; and that kind of
indorsement comes under justified suspicion
when wo realize that this court must soon pass
upon- progressive legislation to regulate rates
-and control transportation companies. The ap
pointment of thd little known Lamar seems 'to
have been made to conciliate democrats with
out any possible danger to the general scheme
for "arranging the court" to please tho great
commercial combines.
The "Court is the Thing" tho country must
look to; and there is every justification for pub
lic discomposure in President Taft's selection
of men who probably will not recognize "the
growing wants and the changed conditions of
the nation." The supreme tribunal or tho coun
try seems to have been turned into a stand-pat
adjunct.
What a pity that he did not set tho politicians
and the combines aside, and take counsel only
of his own patriotism, judicial knowledge and
good sense; in selecting pure and able jurists
whose very names would kave been a covenant
of righteousness to the people! Denver News.
HERE'S A RADICAL FOR YOU
In bis speech before the Chamber of Com
merce at New Haven, Theodore Roosevelt said:
"I am a radical, but I am a radical who most
earnestly desires to see a radical program car
ried out by conservatives. I wish -to see great
industrial reforms carried out, not by the men
who will profit by them, but by the men who
lose by them; by just such men as you around
me. I believe moBt emphatically in the progress
which shall be sanei"
That explains in part why Mr. Roosevelt failed
to accomplish any reforms while in office. He
talked about the desirability of securing re
forms and then he built his cabinet of strong
corporation men.
It is not safe to trust great reforms to men
who have no sympathy with the proposed re
forms. It is not safe to trust the making of '
tariff laws to men who, like Aldrich, hold stock
in the rubber trust or who, like Lodge, give
their sympathies to the protected interests. It
is not Bafe to trust the enforcement of anti
trust laws to an attorney general who believes
in trusts. It is not safe to leave- the fortunes
of government to men who believe in the right
of a favored - few to. julo. It is not safe. . to
leave popular, government to an administration
that Is. picked, by the representatives of special
interests or to a party whose campaign funds
aro provided by those interests.
Mr. Roosevelt's speeches have not been in
great demand since election day. That the de
mand is growing smaller and smaller is due to
the fact that the paragraph above quoted from
his New Haven speech is a fair sample of the re
marks he makes upon public questions.
GOOD FOR GOVERNOR WILSON
Governor-elect Wilson of New Jersey has.
served notice on James Smith, Jr.-, that he will
not stand for any candidate for the United
States senate other than James E. Martine who
was nominated at the primary last October.
Good for Governor Wilson. Martine is not only
the party nominee, but he is a simon pure demo
crat. " He is( a democrat on all questions at all
times. There is no variableness in him or
shadow of turning. With Martine in the senate
New Jersey will bo in harmony with the democ
racy of the union. Governor Wilson may or
may not personally prefer Mr. Martine, but he
does well in insisting that the choice of the
democrats at the primary shall be respected. New
Jersey cannot afford to imitate Illinois in the
rejection of the primary nominee.
PRETTY GOOD TITLE
In objecting to James E. Martine for United
States senator from New Jersey, tho New York
Times says: "Mr. Martine's title to the senator
ship seems to consist in his lifelong devotion to
the party and in his labors for its success in
many campaigns. He has often been a candidate
for office, and he himself admits that his record
of defeat is a long one. His title is strength
ened and confirmed, of course, by the fact that
in the primary election a majority of the demo
crats who took part In that election indicated
their preference that he should be choBen
senator."
The Times adds, "His (Martinet) indepen
dence and honesty aro unimpeachable, but some
thing more is required."
Well, if New Jersey will now elect to tho
United States senate a man who has given "life
long devotion" to democracy and whose inde
pendence and honesty aro unimpeachable, to say
nothing of the fact that ho received the majority
of votes in tho democratic primary that will bo
a pretty good start. We can all afford to wait
for the "something more" Jta. the way of.
eligibility. - . . W '
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A NEW YORK P0SSD3ILITY
Congressman Sulzer is being urged by His
friends for the New York senatorship, , and why
not? He has had a long career In congress,
and It has been a worthy one. He has had
legislative experience fatf beyond the average
senator when he enters that august body. Mr.
Sulzer has also shown his ability as a vote get
ter In fact he has all the qualifications . which,
would be considered necessary In other parts
of the country. His only defect arid .that ought
not to be considered a fault is that he has
not taken his orders from Wall Street. . It has
been some years since the voters of New York
had anything to do with the selection of a sen
ator in that state. The New York Central, vthe
Pennsylvania, the trusts and the express com
panies have been In control. What a relief if the
people could have a representative from' New
York. : - .
NOT EXACTLY
In his after election speecn Woodrow Wilson
said: "The people of this country are seeking
new leaders to direct them, and it is not the
day of the leader who would inflame the minds
of the people but that of the leader who seeks
to guide and lead the people by appealing to
their intelligence and judgment."
If the people are really in search of new lead
ers it Is not that the people want to be direct
ed. In these days the people insist upon "di
recting" their so-called leaders. These leaders
need not worry themselves about "guiding"
the people. They will play their part well if
they understand that they are the servants
rather than the masters of the people and are
willing to follow where the intelligent judg
ment of the masses points the way.
PUSH IT ALONG
Tho 'Illinois, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas and
Tennessee, delegations have declared for Champ
vtt;.Jiyt( Djouaqi.., AUlo lO.jUUU, JTUAIV. JUJ3l .
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make it unanimous.
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IN NEW JERSEY
governor-elect of.
Woodrow Wilson
New Jersey says:
"The question who should be chosen
by the incoming legislature of this state
to occupy the seat in the senate of the
United States, which will presently be
made vacant by the expiration of tho
term of Mr. Kean, is of such vital impor
tance to the people of the state, both as
a question of political good faith and as a
question of genuine representation in the
senate, that I feel constrained to express
my opinion with regard to it in terms
which cannot be misunderstood. I real
ize the delicacy of taking any part in the
discussion of the matter. As governor
of New Jersey I shall have no part in the
choice of a senator. Legally speaking,
it is not my duty even to give advice with
regard to the choice. But there are
other duties besides legal duties. The
recent campaign has put me in an un
usual position. It afforded me, if elect
ed, to be political spokesman and adviser
of the people. It is my duty to say with a
full sense of the peculiar responsibility
of my position what I deem it to be the
obligation of legislators to do in this
gravely important matter.
"I know that the people of the state
don't desire Mr. James Smith to be sent
again to the senate. If he should be he
will not go as their representative, The
only means I have of knowing whom they
do desire to represent them is the vote
at the recent primaries, where 48,000
democratic voters, a majority of the
whole number who voted at the prima
ries, declared their preference for Mr.
Martine. For me that vote is conclusive.
I think it Bhould be for every member of -
tne legislature. Absolute good faith in
dealing with the people and unhesitating
fidelity to every principle involved is the
highest law of political morality under a
constitutional- government."
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