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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 11, NO. 15
Lincoln, Nebraska, April 21, 1911
Whole Number 535
Mr. Martin, Leader (?)
That Senator Martin should have aspired to leadership in the senate was a reflection upon the democratic party in
that body; that he should have been chosen is amazing.
A leader in a parliamentary body should have at least qualities to recommend him.
First Sympathy with the whole people in their struggle against special privilege. Mr. Martin not only lacks this
but is wholly and unreservedly on the other side.
Second He should have a record which would give assurance to the public and thus strengthen the party. Mr.
Martin's record is just about as bad as it could be and his selection not only stifles the party but brings odium upon
those who are responsible for his elevation.
Third A leader should be able to present with calmness and force the democratic position; he should be able to
meet and repel the attacks of the opposition.
Mr. Martin is singularly lacking in ability as a speaker. He will have to rely upon some one else to present argu
ments. What talent has he then? - .
He is a master of manipulation. He is a machine politician; his power is the same that Aldrich possessed, lacking
Aldrich's ability, and his end will be the same if there is as much virtue among democratic voters as there is among
republican voters.
It is to be hoped that Virginia, the home of so many illustrious statesmen, will retire him and send some one to
Washington who will restore her prestige and give expression to the sentiment of the rank and file of her people.
If Virginia fails to do this the next senate is likely to retire him from leadership.
"" "Ifcis probably too much to hope that he can, during the present session, be forced to resign the chairmanship but he
is quite sure to. be humiliated by being deserted by a majority of the democrats on important measures unless the exi
gencies of his campaign compel him to change his position.
Martinism will become as obnoxious to the democrats as Aldrichism did to the republicans; the sooner we get rid
of it the better for the party, and the country.
Passing of Plutocracy
The following is an abstract of the speech
prepared by Mr. Bryan for the "Achievement
Banquet," held at Indianapolis, April 13, in
celebration of Jefferson's birthday. Mr. Bryan's
attendance being prevented by the death of Hon.
Tom L. Johnson, the speech was read to the
banqueters by Toastmaster Lewis:
Mr. Toastmaster: I regret very much that
I cannot be present to participate in your ban
quet at which the democrats of the central west
will celebrate the achievements already ac
complished, and find encouragement in the pros
pect of still greater progress.
Indianapolis is an appropriate place for an
CONTENTS
MR. MARTIN, LEADER?
PASSING OF PLUTOCRACY
OLLIE JAMES, OP KENTUCKY
BRYAN AND NEBRASKA DEMOCRACY
TOM JOHNSON STILL LIVES
. APPROACHING A POLITICAL CLIMAX
FRIENDLY AND UNFRIENDLY
' REFERENCES TO BRYAN
f HE DIED SMILING
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS -"
- SENATOR MYERS OF MONTANA
achievement banquet. . With so democratic an
executive as Governor Marshall, with two able
and loyal Indiana democrats in the senate, with
a' congressional delegation almost unanimously
democratic, and with your city the home of
our gallant candidate for vice president in the
last national campaign, the beloved Kern, where
could we find a more fitting spot to celebrate
victories already won?
I have for weeks looked forward with
pleasant anticipation to this banquet, and noth
ing except a sense of duty to one of the nearest
and dearest of my friends would prevent my
coming: but I have been associated with the
late Tom L. Johnson quite intimately for nearly
twenty years, and during all that time I have
never passed through Cleveland when he was
there without seeing him, nor have wo allowed
an opportunity for meeting elsewhere to go by
unimproved. He was one of the most noble
and unselfish spirits with whom it has been my
privilege to meet, and in attending his funeral
I am simply paying him that tribute of affec
tion and respect that he would have paid me
had I been the first to be called.
The subject upon which I was to speak at the
banquet is one of such importance that I beg
leave to submit a brief abstract of what I would
have said more at length if I could have been
present at the banquet board.
THE PASSING OF PLUTOCRACY Is a
fact. While the struggle ifl not yet ended, and
while much remains to be done, we can find
encouragement in the accumulating evidence
that the reign of the dollar will not last always.
And it is the more gratifying to know that there
is, throughout the -world, as well as here, a
number of causes contributing to the overthrow
of plutocracy. In the first place, the general
spread of intelligence gives assurance that the
worship of money is approaching its end. If
time permitted, illustration might be drawn
from eyery continent and from every nation to
show that each day finds a larger number of
people able to read an,d writeable to study
the paBt and thereby judge the future. Each
year the intellectual capacity of the world is
enlarged; each year tho standard of education
Is raised. In every clime and among all peoples
this is true. Some are making more rapid
progress than others, but all are moving for
ward. The moral standards aro boing rained also.
People are studying' ethics as they have not
before; the Spirit of brotherhood Is abroad in
the world, and in this country it finds its most
congenial home. There is more altruism on
earth today than in any previous age and more
In tho United States than in any other country.
There is more independence of action than
was possible a generation ago. During tho
period extending from about 1870 to 1897, the
world witnessed an absorption by the money
holding class of the wealth produced by the
toilers. An appreciating dollar was gradually
bankrupting the masses and tho civilized nations
assembled through their representatives on
three separate occasions to seek for a remedy.
They were able to come to no agreement, but
God, In His providence, brought relief through
an increase In the production of gold and now
we find debts more easily paid and the "people
are using their greater freedom to give an extra
ordinary impetus to all reform movements.
I have mentioned three causes increasing in
telligence, an awakened conscience and a larger
volume of money with consequent increase In
prices these causes aro operating throughout
tho world, and one of the important results Is
an Increased application of the principles of
popular government. In Russia, China, Persia
and Turkey there have been great democratic
victories within five years that is, victories for
the democratic spirit which have resulted in
giving the people a larger control of their
government. In Germany the Independence of
the emperor in matters of diplomacy has been
restricted and in Great Britain the power of the
hereditary aristocracy has been diminished.
Everywhere governments are coming more arid
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