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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
3
VOL. II, NO. 8
Lincoln, Nebraska, March 3, 1911
Whole Number 528
The Denver Platform
Tho Denver platform concludes with the
following plank:
"The democratic party stands for democracy;
the republican party has drawn to itself all that
is aristocratic and plutocratic.
"The democratic party is the champion of
equal rights and opportunities to all and the
republican party is the party of privilege and
private monopoly. The democratic party listens
to the voice of the whole people and gauges
progress by the prosperity and advancement
of the average man; the republican party is
subvervient to the comparatively few who are
the beneficiaries of governmental favoritism.
We invite the co-operation of all, regardless of
previous political affiliation or past differences,
-who desire to preserve a government of tho
people, by the people and for the people and
who favor such an administration of govern
ment as will insure as far as human wisdom
can, that each citizen shall draw from society a
reward commensurate with his contribution to
tho welfare of society."
This Is fundamental. The aim of both govern
ment and society should be to bring rewards
into harmony with he Divine law and tliat law
as abundantly manifested everywhere is to
make the compensation proportionate to the
intelligence and industry employed. The basis
of all just complaint against existing conditions
'is that a few draw from society far more than
they, earn, while the masses earn more than
they are able to collect. We are making pro
gress toward a more equitable distribution of
wealthy but it is slow progress and the demo
cratic party would hasten it.
CONTENTS
THE DENVER PLATFORM
ROOSEVELT A CONVERT
A COWARDLY SCHEME
MR. BAILEY AND THE PEOPLE
DIRECT LEGISLATION IN KANSAS
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
SELF CONDEMNED
WHY THE CANAL SHOULD NOT BE
FORTIFIED
THE LORIMER CASE
LINCOLN AND THE INITIATIVE
AND REFERENDUM
IF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS TO BE
SUCCESSFUL IN 1912 THE CANDI
DATE MUST NOT WEAR THE
WALL STREET LABEL
' PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS
CURRENT TOPICS
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
HOME DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON NEWS
" NEWS OF THE WEEK
refrain from licking tho boots of trust magnatee
and doing tho bidding of systems that pfey upon
the people.
MkMM
A COWARDLY SCHEME
Senator Root has joined the other corpora
tion attorneys in an attempt to kill the resolu
tion submitting an amendment providing for
popular election of senators, and like them, ho
lacks the courage to meet the issue frankly and
honestly. He hides behind a pretended solid
tude for the colored man. This subterfuge may
serve the purpose for the present and put tho
matter over until the next congress, but tho
popular election of senators Is coming. Republi
cans like Senator Borah, who really want it,
understand the insincerity of Mr. Root's attack
and denounce it. There will bo more- men
like Borah in tho senate next year and not so
many like Root. Next session the southern
senators can secure popular election of senators
without surrendering control of their states
over elections.
MR. BAILEY AND THE PEOPLE
In his speech defending Mr. Lorimer, Sena
tor Bailey, of Texas, said: "Have we fallen
to such a low estate in the United States senate
that we must stoop to the earth and kiss the
ground our constituents walk upon?"
No one expects senators to "kiss the ground
their constituents walk upon," but it is an old
time democratic notion that senators, as well
as representatives-, should show due concern
for the well defined principles for which they
stood prior to election day. It Is also an old
fashioned democratic notion that when a man
discovered (as Lorimer must have discovered)
that bribe money was used in electing him to,
office he would not wait to be removed from
office (provided he were innocent) but would
retire in defense of his own honor.
No, Senator Bailey, the people do not ask .,
senators to "kiss the ground their constituents
walk upon." They do ask, however, that they
ROOSEVELT BOOSTS - ARIZONA
In the course of his Washington day speech
at Chicago, ex-President Roosevelt said: "I
saw it stated in the .press that certain good
people in Washington were against the admis
sion of Arizona ag a state because it had adopted
in its constitution the recall. In 1780 the state
of Massachusetts put into its constitution pre
cisely that provision for the recall. Now, under
stand me, I am not arguing for or against the
recall. I am merely showing that, if the people
of Arizona, or any other community, wish to,
"try it( or if they do not wish to try it, it Is
their affair."
The above language is respectfully referred to
President Taft with the hope that he is not one
of the "good people" mentioned.
THE POOR HANDMAIDEN
The republican national platform of 1896
said, "protection and reciprocity are twin meas
ures of republican policy and go hand in hand."
Theodore Roosevelt, in one of his presidential
messages, declared that reciprocity was the
"handmaiden" of protection. But when the
vote on Canadian reciprocity was taken In tho
house of representatives the "handmaiden" was
compelled to depend upon democrats for her
defense.
Republican platforms like the platforms on
railroad cars are made to get in on and not to
stand on. For instance, the republican plat
form of 1908 promised tariff revision.
FOR MEN OF ALL PARTDBS
"Progression," published at Sault Ste. Marie,
Mich., provides a hint for men of all parties,
when it says: "It isn't enough these days when
progressiveness Is all the rage, for a politician
to simply declare himself in favor of the modern
ideas. Look into his record. Dissect his repu
tation. There is plenty of all wool goods. We
don't have to put up with shoddy or mercerized
stuff."
Governor Carroll gives, as a reason for veto
ing the Oregon plan, that it is unconstitutional.
If he had really favored popular election of
senators he would have left the supremo court
to decide the question of constitutionality.
The friends of Mr. Lorimer seem to think that
a confession by the defendant Is the only evi
dence worthy to be believed. Why not attach
some weight to the testimony of the five men
who confessed to being bribed?
Governor Carroll vetoed the bill introducing
into Iowa the Oregon plan of electing United
States senators. What a pity ho did npt do
this before the last election.
By its almost unanimous support of the reci
procity agreement in the house, the democratic
party shows that it Is ready to gather Itself
together and win.
Roosevelt a Convert
Have you road ex-President Roosove4t
second article on New Nationalism. If not, read
it and rojoico that ho has AT LAST thrown his
Influence on tho side of the popular election of
sonators and the initiative and referendum. If
ho has ever specifically commondod cither re
form befqro it has escaped tho attention of Tho
Commoner. He is not very emphatic now, but
he can. bo counted on tho side of those who
bellovo in both reforms. It Is now eighteen
years sinco a democratic congress first declared
for the election of senators by direct vote; since
that time nearly two-thirds of the states have
endorsed tho demand and it has been embodied
in threo democratic national platforms. During
all these years Mr. Roosevelt has been silent on
tho subject. He even made no protest two years
ago when a republican national convention
which he was supposed to control rejected' It
by a vote of seven to one, but ho has finally
spoken and, on the right side. Tho present
congress may submit tho necessary amendment,
if not, tho next congress will, and tho ex-presl-dent
gets in in time to share in the rejoicing.
Wolcomo! We shall soon be ready to move to
make it unanimous. But let us hopo that tho
progressive republicans who havo been advocat
ing it for several years not to speak of tho
progressive democrats who havo been advocating
it for two decades will not bo aB.ked to take a
back seat at tho celebration.
On the Initiative, referendum and recall ho is
a little earlier, though not by any means a
pioneer. Eight states havo already adopted
it and it is probable that as many moro will
submit it this year. (Tho democratic party of
Nebraska declared for the Initiative and referen
dum fourteen years ago.) Just at this time,
when tho progressive republicans have control
of several states, it is fortunate that ho com
mends these steps In the direction of popular
government. He Is evidently a convert on
several propositions. So far as he outlines
"New Nationalism," in his second article, it is
simply democracy under another name, and 'the
new name does not fit it as well as tho old
name. .
NOT A PROTECTIONIST
T4io Dallas Times-Herald says: "Senator Bailey
is said to be opposed to Canadian reciprocity.
Ditto the national grange and the farmers of
the north and east. Now the Times-Herald
insists that Colonel Bryan return to Kebraska
and declares that the farm products of Nebraska
shall be placed on the free list. He is very
solicitous for Texas lumber, Texas hides, Texas
iron, Texas rice, Texas sugar and Texas coal.
But what of Nebraska and its products?"
Mr. Bryan, not being a protectionist, has
already announced his support of tho recipro
city measuref so has the democratic, party-In
congress. Next!
ENDORSING DEMOORATIO DOCTRINE
President Taft can claim credit for endorsing
older democratic doctrine than any other promi
nent republican. Ex-President Roosevelt has
endorsed several democratic policies, some soon
after their promulgation, some long after demo
crats began to advocate them, but President
Taft, in declaring that tho price of wheat is
fixed In Liverpool, and that a tariff on wheat
does not, therefore, raise tho price of wheat,
takes the position that democrats have held
for twenty-five or thirty years, at least. Truth
makes' its way slowly, but it wins out at last.
President Taft says that the protective system
is doomed unless the Canadian reciprocity agree
ment is ratified. Congressman Dalzell and
other high protectionists say that protection is
doomed If tho reciprocity agreement is ratified.
That being the outlook, the democrats aTe in a
position to bear the result with fortitude, no
matter which prediction proves true.
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