1 lu P" -,2t '!NWSlrH.. The Commoner yOLUMBfct NUMBER ft 2 j x 3- ' - t K " M ft" U I In ovory other stale tlio people can have a con tltntlon lhat'uults them, why not' In Arizona? Tho initiative and referendum are not now. They have been adopted In eight states extend ing from Oregon to Maine and from Montana to Arkansas, thoy will he submitted to the people lrr at least eight moro by tho legislatures now In session. Tho recall Is already in opera tion in soveral states and is rapidly spreading. Tho only living ex-president is in favor of tho initiative, referendum and recall; the Pro gressive Republican. League is in favor of all throe reforms. Can President Taft afford to deny statehood to the people of Arizona be causo of his opposition to three constitutional provisions? Lot no friend of his charge him with being so hostilo to tho fundamental prin ciples of self government. PROGRESSIVE NATIONALISM Ex-President Roosevelt Is writing a series of Articles for tho Outlook on "Progressive Nation-. alism"-v-tho titlo which ho has substituted for now nationalism. Tho first is an Introduction and in it ho classifies the friends and opponents of his program and asks opponents to present an alternative plan if they oppose his. His second articlo proposes Ave reforms: First, Drastic laws to prevent the corrupt use of money in politics. Second, Election of United States senators by direct vote. 'Ehird, Direct primaries for the nomination of eUctiYo officials. "'Fourth, Direct election of delegates to national conventions, the voter to express his choice for president on the ballot for delegate. ' Fifth, The introduction of the initiative, refer endum, and recall. Tho first is a part of tho democratic program, and is particularly desired. ' The socond has been a part of tho democratic program for nearly twenty4' years; it is, almost here: ' ' Tho third is actually in operation in'manyif not most, of the states and is not only demo cratic in principle but is favored by the demo crats in almost every state. Tho fourth is democratic in principle and should bo adopted, although it has not been spetiific'ally endorsed in our party platforms. The fifth is democratic 'in principle and is be cbnling more and more a part of the democratic creed in tho various states. In Arizona a demo cratic constitutional convention declared for the initiative, referendum and recall, while a repub lican constitutional convention in New Mexico x rojoctod them. Wo shall await tho proposal o& other reforms. So: -for there is nothing to justify the word NATIONALISM in the Outlook articles. MAGAZINE POSTAGE .It is begining to dawn upon, a great many pooplp that tho proposed increase in magazine postage does not relate entirely to a desire to wipe out the postofflce deficit. Many news paper men and others who are in a position to"place proper value upon organized move ments, believe that the real motive behind this effort may bo found in tho "system's" purpose to, crush every element that proves to be an obstruction in the "system's" pathway. The magazines have done much to awaken the American people to the great danger confront ing them. Some of the magazines are, to be sure, under the "system's" control, but the reve lations made by others of these periodicals show ing ..the methods whereby tho trust system has plundered and abused the American people have educated thoughtless men and women, and have impresed upon the public generally the necessity on the citizen's part for serious thqught and effective action. The .measure re ported by the postofflce committee of the senate providing for tho increase in second class post age should bo defeated. legislature should stand upon its merits, and. even a good measure should not be made the beneficiary of a trade. If the legislator who in troduces "a good bill would not vote for another particular measure, unless some one in-, terested in that measuro voted for his favorite bill, then tho measure cannot be meritorious in tho eyes of the good bill's champion. Why should he, then, vote for such a measure at all? Ho should not do so and his duty to tho good measuro does not require him to subdue his conscience with respect to other measures. His vote should be cast upon all propositions ac cording to the merits of each, and once the practice of trading is adopted, public interests are bound to suffer, and one trade involving a bill of somewhat indifferent character will lead to trades involving really bad measures. Every bill in which the public is really interested can afford to stand upon its own merits. It may be defeated temporarily because its advo cates refuse to enter into trades, but if the people really want it sooner or later, they will have it, and sooner or later they will elect to tho legislature men who place too high a value upon their character as legislator to- make their votes on public questions a matter of barter and trade. THE PLATFORM BINDIN& The State (Columbia, S. C.) is right a plat form is binding. Every candidate for office especially for a legislative office should run on a platform and then Should follow it with scrupulous care. The old plan of selecting a man and trusting him to do what he thinks best is past. Governments are growing more and more democratic; they are coming nearer and nearer to the people, and tie people demand platforms that bind. The predatory corpora tions are constantly pushing these men to the front and they want ambiguous platforms. The people believe in plain speaking and in honesty. If a candidate dissents from his platform he shodld dissent" during the -campaign, 'or "for ever after hold his peace.1' A copscience that hibernates during the campaign and then after the election prompts its possessor to betray his people such a conscience is not to be relied upon. THE POLICY SUSTAINED When Justice Holmes, speaking for an unani mous court, said, "When the Oklahoma legisla ture declares by implication that free banking is a public danger, and that incorporation, in spection and the above described co-operation are necessary safeguards, this court certainly cannot see where it is wrong," he endorsed the policy of the guaranty law. The democrats will rejoice at this unqualified vindication of the" wisdom of the plan endorsed in the last national platform of th,e party. This is more than was expected. Democrats would have been satisfied with a1 decision sustaining the RIGHT of the state to provide imch a system and to require banks to .contribute to it but to commend the plan and thus silence the, criticism of financiers --this was beyond the hopes of the friends of the law. "BIRD-MEN" There may bo some "bird-men" among the .senators who are still in the air on tho question Of electing senators by popular vote but they might as well be looking for a landing place- thoy cannot avoid the question much longer. TRADING ON LEGISLATION . The practice, common in many state lecis latures, of "trading on legislation," cannot be too severely denounced. The vote entrusted to the legislator by the pQople is top sacred for it to be swapped around in the same way boys swap jack-knives. A measure introduced Vthe RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA Tho democrats of' the house' have acted wisely in endorsing the reciprocity -measure sub mitted by the president. It is not perfect by any means, but ves Senator Culbertson points out, the rates fixed in it are less than the rates in the Aldrich bill and that is an advantage worth securing. fa A fight will be made against it by the pro tectionists and they may be able to prevent ratification at this session, but that may prove a blessing in disguise, for it will not only dnvw the line more clearly between tariff reformers and protectionists, but it may force an Sir? session and. that is greatly to be desired. The stars, in their courses, are fighting with us uu w WILSON OF NEW JERSEY For the first time since the great split in 189G there seems to be a chance that the democratlo party may be able to get together on national policies. Mr. Bryan has been falselv -nwli With a desire to keep the party divided F X?h an unwill ngness to seo anv pamiE ' ith where he had failed. Bu? his w sh iias prevent the party from falling Tpreyto the in terests. We can all now see what . once did not see, how realms The' daTger Tn New Jersey, there was a doterminnii 31 , In tho part, of tho interest to 'caXTo" tho "Jar In, New York tho interests are making a. desper ate fight "to send Sheehan to the senate. Many who did -not, and who do notagree with Mr. Bryan in some" particulars, wllfTvish tiim all suc cess in his effort to keep the democratic party true to .th.e people. - - Mr. Bryan's paper, The Commoner, has an article In which Governor Wilson, though a gold democrat, is spoken of In the most friendly and complimentary terms. "If,", says The Com moner, "Governor Wilson had known in 1896 what he knows today he would have fought shoulder to shoulder with the democrats of that year, rather than 'with the Palmer and Buckner "forces that were working as aids to the repub lican party." But 1896 is a good while away, and it may be that we all, including Mr. Bryan, know more than we did then. No good comes of discussing dead and burled issues. The Com moner, therefore, does well to deyote Itself to the present aspect of the situation. It says: "In the name of every lover .of popular gov ernment The Commoner thanks Governor; Wil son for his patriotic efforts. It congratulates New Jersey upon having sent to the United States senate such a; man as James E. Martine. and it expresses the hope that from now on the fine effort of which New Jersey's governor is so capable may be given on .the sido o'f those demo crats whd insist that the way to win a demo cratic victory worth having is to keep tho party free from corporation influences and to write its platforms in harmony with the heart heats of the people who believe in 'equal rights to all and special privileges to none.' Tho flrsjb con test will come in the effort of tho special' inter ests to control the democratic national conven tion of 1912.. Let us hope that in the great con test Governor Wilson will be found speaking the same language he spoke during the New Jersey senatorial contest and fighting the same battle for the upbuilding of, a democratic- party that , shall be free from the domination of -special in terests, and of real service in the-effort to per petuate popular government in America." Governor Wilson is most warmly praised for what,he .has already done' and the; victory won by him and Mr. Martine is spoken'of as 'one of the most notable victories for popular govern ment yet recorded in the political history of any state." It is evident that Mr. Bryan does not propose to judge men any longer solely by the position which they assumed In 1896 It is true also that the men who, opposed Mr. Bryan in 1896 have a much kinder feeling toward him. And so we say that it looks as thbugh tho old breach were at last to be healed. The question - is, not what men thought fifteen years ago, but what they think now. The most determined enemy of Mr. Bryan must admit that during all that time he has been the most potent influence in the political thought of his nation. It is true, as he said in his speech In this city during tho late campaign that, though the republican party lias beeji in power, the democratic party has governed. The popular reforms today, such as the direct election of senators, the-income Ytax, control of railroad rates, etc., were all advocated by Mr. Bryan long before any other leader took them up. That is the simple historic truth. .Most of the boasted Roosevelt policies are merely the Bryan policies writ small. There were some things said at the gold demo cratic convention of which we think that even Mr. Bryan will now approve. Among them is the remarkable prophecy of the late Colonel. Breck inridge: "And then when the night is far spent, and ?Ji k? U& K?e old"fashioned way the little candle in the little candlestick, and start home, as we go up the steps to the home of the sleeper, Slf5amber Yhere Gratitude and affection bring SJLag-? lne brotaers that have been estranged, and when we get into the .room ar.d shut the door, we will give our hand to' him with Arr? QX? t0 say t0 him: 'Brother, the S ?asAee bltter; let tt be wr; let the mor row be a day when we shall rival each other in iSLS deav?rs or a common country, for our VirtI' for the liberty that was our fath Swv i, i We want t0 gIvo our children a nw L& f d. upon order making regnant tho ni.th Just courts for you and me; and when on eP thlB herea'ter' it shall not be that imvp WflainronE a?a one was right, but thatboth tS? yeache,d ?nmsh different' pathways that common road, that leads to the Jslory,- to neon? ;twan(l hQ haPPies of a common people through a triumphant democracy " mn Sre 9uit Bure' that no one would rejoice ?ronhS2n 5' Bryan oyor the fulfillment of this Sri??' Men wno t)nco opposed Mr. Bryan SuaMS NeZ t0 mak lt SObGr faCt :feV4fc.g- " &&&