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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
Entorcd at tho Pontofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
an second-clans matter.
WJMJAM J. HllYAK CltAM.VS W. lillYAN
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Address all communications to
THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb,
JABS AT THE COjMMONER EDITOR
Sioux City (Iowa) Journal, (rep.): "Mr.
Bryan (loos not expect to be a candidate for
office, but ho reserves tho right to be forced."
New York Tribune (rep.): "Tho Commoner
pays that it will bo easy to reorganize tho demo
cratic party in Pennsylvania. Mr. Bryan tried
it himself in 1908 when he catapulted Colonel
'Jim' Guttey out of the democratic national
committee. But Guffey 'came back a year
later. It is as hard to 'reorganize' the colonel
out of Pennsylvania politics as it is to foreclose
on any one of a cat's nlno lives."
Sioux City (Iowa) Journal, (rep.): "Colonel
Bryan has broken bread with Governor Wilson.
This is what the colonel declined to do with
Governor Harmon. As a consequence Governor
Wilson's presidential stock goes up twenty
points, although at tho close of the dinner both
the colonel and tho governor declared they had
not talked politics.
Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph-Herald: "Who
have a fondness for oratory regret the
opportunity was not given them to hear
O'Connell, Phillips, Webster, Calhoun, Doug
las, Lincoln or Gladstone. They wero the ora
tors of a day that is forever gone. There will
be born millions whoso wish will be that they
might have heard Bryan, and for the boys and
girls of today to have memory of his eloquence
will bo to enjoy it through all their days."
New York Tribune: "There is no reason for
pessimism and every reason for optimism," said
William J. Bryan to the members of the Twi
light Club, of this city. That is a sentiment
highly creditable to a statesman who has thrice
been an unsuccessful candidate for the presi
dency. If Mr. Bryan can bo optimistic no other
American politician can afford to bo downcast
even the Hon. Joseph W. Bailey or the Hon
Jonathan Bourne.
NaBhvlllo (Tennessee) Banner: "Mr. Bryan
seems to havo had difficulty In getting pcoplo
to understand his attitude concerning tho matter
of candidacy for office. In Boston he was
moved to explain hiB position with some caro
Said ho: 'I havo stated that I am not a candi
date and do not expect to bo a candidate I
am not a candld&to for any office. But lest the
simple statement that I am not a candidate
The Commoner.
for any office may bo misconstrued I may ex
plain that I do not intend to say that I .have
given any pledge not to become a candidate,
for offlco. I say that I am not a candidate,
that I have no intention of being a candidate
for any political office and that I do not forsee
now any circumstance or condition that would
make mo a candidate. I take great interest in
every political and economic question before
the American people. I shall always retain
that interest and when I say I am not a candi
date for office I do not mean that I shall re
linquish my interest or activity. "
BRYAN BIRTHDAY DINNER
The democrats of Nebraska, assembling under
tho auspices of tho Lincoln-Bryan Club, gave a
Bryan birthday dinner on the evening of March.
20, at the big auditorium in the city of Lincoln.
Mr. Bryan waB fifty-one years of age Sunday,
March 19 th.
The dinner was in every way a great suc
cess. An enormous crowd gathered and the
toast list was perhaps the most notable ever
offered in the history of Nebraska politics.
Extracts from the speeches delivered will be
printed in the next issue of The Commoner.
Dr. P. L. Hall, national committeeeman for
Nebraska', acted as toastmaster. The toast list
was as follows:
Hon. E. B. Quackenbush, "Progressive Legis
lation in the Nebraska House of Representa
tives." Hon. Charles M. Skiles, "Progressive De
mocracy in the Nebraska State Senate."
Hon. John A. Maguire, "Mr. Bryan at Home."
Hon. W. H. Thompson, "Mr. Bryan's Connec
tion with Nebraska Politics."
Hon. A. C. Shallenberger, "The Guarantee of
Bank Deposits."
Senator G. M. Hitchcock, "The Election of
United States Senators by Popular Vote." -
Mr. Richard L. Metcalfe, "Mr. Bryan vs.
Special Interests."
Governor John Shafroth, Colorado, "The
Initiative nnd Referendum."
Senator John W. Kern, Indiana, "The Tariff."
Senator Robert L. Owen, Oklahoma, "Ari
zona." Hon. Champ Clark, Missouri, "The Overthrow
of Cannonism."
William J. Bryan, Address.
MR. BRYAN IN BOSTON
Boston, March 10. To The Editor of Tho
Commoner: I have been a supporter and ad
mirer of William J. Bryan since 1896, when I
won the only delegation pledged to him in
Boston, and still believe in him. I was present
at tho meeting he addressed in Ford Hall hero
and at the lunch given in his honor by Gover
nor Foss, and he has grown in my eyes. Think
ing tho enclosed clipping from the Globe, a con
servative paper here in Boston, may make a
good item In your next issue as my letter may,
I send It to you. The clipping is from tho
Boston Globe, March 10, 1911. Yours
JAMES A. WATSON, Roxby,'Mass.
House of representatives, 1900-'01. Dele
gate Kansas City, 1900.
No wonder Mr. Bryan marks the man. Every
one can recall Bryan's appreciative references
to George D. Prentiss of Louisville, his absorp
tion of the spirits of Lincoln and Jefferson, and
in a reverse order, his light touches on the
figure at Oyster Bay.
It is this closeness of touch with his own
countrymen, past and present and their best
thought, that constitutes one element of Mr
Bryan's great power to speak and to sway
And let not this bo forgotten: He knows his
scripture from Genesis to Revelation and no
man, woman or child who listens to Mr. Bryan
for an hour, doubts his sincerity aa to that or
will over accuse him of using that knowledge
other than wisely and well. Boston Globe.
SENATOR MYERS OF MONTANA
Senator Henry L. Myers of Montana will bo
a valuable addition to the United States Senate
Senator Myers began tho practice of law fifteen
years ago. He served the people faithfully ta
the state senate and for the past four years Lid
"ce 9f district judge, winning7 tt con
Science and respect of all parties Senator
Myers is a student of public questions and a
thorough going democrat. A very modest man
he is aa courageous as ho is consclentioii A
His fine character will soon nSto tee ' fel it
public life at Washington. If n1t vLi? - 5
Colorado would only do as well oJtSi f
done the democratic party an? th?
would have reason to rejofc eountly
' VOLUME 11, NUMBER If
DEMOCRATIC DOCTRINE
The EI Paso Times says that the people of
Arizona will yet learn that Senator Bailey
rendered them a great service when he fought
tho constitution they had adopted by a large
majority. The Times says that Mr. Bailey's
objection was. based largely to the recall as
applied to tho judiciary. In support of Mr.
Bailey's position the Times quotes a letter writ
ten by Thomas Jefferson to Chancellor Wythe
of Virginia, as follows:
"The dignity and stability of government in
all its branches, the morals of the people, and
every blessing of society, depended as much
upon an upright and skillful administration of
justice, that the judicial power ought to bo
distinct from both tho legislature and execu
tive, and independent upon Doth, so that it may
be a check upon both as both should be checks
upon that. The judges, therefore, should al
ways be men of learning and experience in th9
laws, of exemplary morals, great patience,
calmness and attention; their minds should not
be distracted with jarring interests; they should
not be dependent upon any man or body of men.
To these ends they should hold estates for life
in their offices, or, in other words, their com
missions should be during good behavior, and
their salaries ascertained and established
by law.
"For misbehavior, the grand inquest of tho
colony, the house of representatives, should im
peach them before the governor and council,
when they should have time and opportunity
to make their defense; but if convicted to such,
other punishment as shall be thought proper."
But the Times could have secured a Jefferson
opinion more directly fitting the question under
discussion had it gone a little deeper into
Jefferson's writings.
In the first place Jefferson believed in the
inalienable right of the people to frame their
own constitution. "The people themselves,"
said Jefferson, "are its (the government's) only,
safe depositories."
He would believe, as we aro warranted in
thinking by innumerable letters, that it would
have been better to adopt the Arizona consti
tution with whatever defects it may have con
tained trusting the people to cure those defects
according to experience. He believed, too, that
the people should keep a firm hold on the judi
ciary for in a letter to Arnon, he said: "Wero
I called upon to decide whether the people had
best be omitted in the legislative or judiciary
department, I would say it is better to leavo
them out of tho legislative. The execution of
the laws Is more important than the making of
them. However, it is best to have the peoplo
in all three departments where that is possible."
At another time he said: "As for the safety
of society we commit honest maniacs to Bed
lam, so judges should be withdrawn from their
bench, whose erroneous biases are leading us
to dissolution. It may, indeed, injure them in
fame or in fortune, but it saves the republio
which is the first and supreme law."
Now if judges were to be withdrawn by in
dividual authority appointing them, why might
they not be withdrawn by the peoplo electing
them.
He advocated tho appointment of federal
judges 'for life, or, in other words, during
good behavior," and the recall is not to be used
during good behavior.
In another letter, he said: "Do not bo
frightened by the alarms of the timid or tho
croakings of wealth against the ascendency of
the people If experience be called for, appeal
to that of our fifteen or twenty governments
lor forty years, and show jne whero tho peoplo
have done half the mischief In these forty
years, that a single despot would have done in
a single year; or show half the riots and re
bel Ions, the crimes and the punishments, which
vwi P aco any BinSl0 nation, under
tS Lg?rraimnt' durInB tho same period.'
In another letter he said: "Unless tho mass
retains sufficient control over those Intrusted
rJiG0PiT? lthQlr government, these will
iL Pnlrf edito own oppression, and to
?Si Perpetuation of wealth and power In tho:
TIdU a?d theIr famI1,efl sorted for fhm
nJF1? our constitution has hit oa
the exact degree of control necessary, is ye
under experiment." '
nioJ11!0! ?mP moment that when Joffer
S? to frame, a constitution for an
European colony he declined on. tho ground
wiXJ?3h W(T better judsea of nat ttwr
751. ? h0 J0' Certainly the peoplo o
fSSZL taow they want and no student
2ft! JnTT6?.1 h8 ttny Tea8n to doubt thai
they will, in tlmo, secure it.
fiM m"" Jt V'Wfa.331
