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The Commoner,
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 25
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PERFIDY AND DISHONOR"
Those members of congress who thought thoy
oad Mr. Bryan muzzled on tho surrender of free
wool can not dorlvo much comfort from tho
uttorances ho puts forward in The Commoner
after ho has had a week or so to think it over.
Ho makes good his promise not to advocate a
bolt of tho caucus or a vote against the Under
wood bill; but ho makes it very clear that ho
deplores tho retreat from this time-honored
democratic doctrine
Democrats have reason to regret, ho says,
"that tho committee abandoned tho free wool
principle, and still more reason to regret that
a democratic caucus indorsed tho committee's
action." If tho democratic party caii be scared
by the bleat of a sheep, ho says, "what will it
do when it hears the bellow of tho bulls and tho
growl of the bears on Wall street?" He pro
nounces it "a step backward, at a time when
the tariff reform sentiment of tho country is
moving forward."
It is hardly fair to Mr. Bryan to say that ho
merely criticises, as has been charged, but pro
poses nothing positive. He does propose some
thing, for he says that free wool would be better
for tho party to adopt, lie would have the party
not bo deceived by tho sophistical advice to
adapt tho house legislation to what it is thought
tho republican senate would pass, but to show
tho country what It may expect of the democratic
party if it should come into full power not con
cessions to tho protected interests, but redemp
tion of pledges and relief for tho consumer.
Mr. Bryan is also honest enough to repudiate
wholly tho dishonest pretense that the wool tariff
is retained because of tho revenue extremities
of the treasury. Ho knows, as well as every
body else knows, that this is a palpable fraud.
You can defend every protective tariff In that
way, ho says; and he characterizes the plea of
revonuo nocossity as "absurd." It is a "specious"
argument, ho says, and will not deceive either
the consumer or tho country. "If the demo
cratic party is to be of real service to public in
terests rather than tho slave of special interests,"
Mr. Bryan says, "it will be- controlled by the
voico and conscience of tho rank and file and
in accordance with the party's principles."
Mr. Bryan's conduct in this matter is above
reproach. Ho does not use any violent or un
kind words or resort to exuberant oratory, but
he tolls the truth about the surrender on free
wool in restrained and simple language, which
make his meaning clear without vituperation or
abuse. It seems a far cry from his youthful
ardor of expression to this well-poised states
manlike mood; and it is both an impressive
and a pathotic thought that if G rover Clove
land were alive today, this utterance of Mr.
Bryan could hardly fail to draw these two great
democrats together; for it was precisely upon
just such a betrayal of democratic principles
as this (though the malefactors of Mr. Cleve
land's timo did not daro to tamper with free
wool) that drew from him tho letter in which he
characterized the surrender of freo raw ma
terials as an act of "perfidy and dishonor."
Indianapolis Star.
EVEN UP
The Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch con
tinues to burden Governor Wilson with its sup
port, but Leslie's Weekly has recently denounced
the governor and that may bo an offset to tho
Virginia handicap.
What is the democratic congress going to do
on tho trust question? Are there any "revenue
necessities" that make it necessary to keep
silent while tho supreme court repeals tho crimi
nal clause of the anti-trust law?
HERE'S A HARD ONE
To tho editor of tho New York World:
With regard to the recall of United States
senators or representatives, would any
business man, house or corporation hesi
tate or delay one moment to recall an
agent or "drummer" who did not prop
erly, truly or honestly represent their in
terests, whether it was a matter of dol
lars and cents or a question of public
policy? I guess not. JUNIUS.
Stonlngton, Conn., Juno 18.
WRITE YOUR SENATOR AND CON
GRESSMAN
A democrat who has ever been true to
democratic principles writing to Mr.
Bryan from Washington, D. C, says: "I
am truly delighted with Tho Commoner
of Juno 16th and the previous week,
wherein you discuss the taTiff question,
tho wool schedule, and caucus action. I
want you to know I am in hearty accord
with you in those views. Your utterances
just preceding our caucus on the wool
schedule met my hearty approval.- Of
course, as a citizen you were right in
raising a voice of warning against the
step in favor of protectionism, which was
taken by the caucus. Nobody seemed
to howl when those representing the pro
tection interests in behalf of the wool
growers and wool manufacturers were
quietly getting in their work here, but
when a citizen and friend of the people
spoke out, thrse sympathizing with pro
tection complained violently. Of course,
I voted for free wool in the caucus. It is
tho democratic position. Now let me
, assure you advisedly that there is hatch
ing and will be pressed in every state, a
propaganda to put a "REVENUE DUTY"
(as the protectionists will call it) on
wool, lumber, iron ore, coal, and some
other items. The conspiracy is to have
tho next national democratic platform to
declare for such a policy. I am SURE
of it. Let us raise the flag against it. In
other words, the quasi democrats on the
tariff intend to try to reverse the Denver
platform by a specific plank repudiating
those utterances. We must have a candi
date for the democratic nomination for
president who believes in free wool, free
lumber, free iron ore, etc., and in the
historic position of the democratic party.
Let him not be tainted with protection
ism in any kind of guise. Let us find the
man who will be true to the faith. Make
all aspirants spell out in honest, specific
and unequivocal terms. There are strange
things going on in Washington, as the
above Ideas will suggest. We can avert
It only by finding the candidate who
stands for the right principles, hoist our'
flag and send the information to the
honest democratic, voters throughout the
country. That is the only forum in
which to pitch the contest."
Democrats everywhere ought to make
it clear to the men who assume to be
democratic leaders that no conspiracy
will be tolerated. They ought to make it
clear to these gentlemen that the rank
and file of the party intend to watch the
platform builders as closely as they are
watching the tariff makers.
Write to your senator and congress
man and tell them about the public senti
ment in your community with respect
to maintaining the democratic position
on the tariff question as on other ques
tions. Ask your democratic neighbor
also to write similar letters.
,
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PROGRESS OF POPULAR GOVERNMENT
Senator Jonathan Bourne, jr., president of the
national progressive republican league has given
the following statement showing progress in the
adoption of popular government:
The states in which the initiative and referen
dum have been adopted as a constitutional
amendment are: Oregon, Oklahoma, Nevada1,
Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, Arkansas and
Maine. Utah has adopted an Initiative and
referendum which is inoperative because of
failure of tho legislature to enact necessary legis
lation. The states in which the Initiative and referen
dum amendment has been submitted by the
legislatures but has not yet been voted upon
by the peoplo are: California, Washington
Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, Florida and
Idaho.
The states that have adopted the Oregon
plan of popular election of senators are: Oregon
Nebraska, Nevada, Now Jersey, Ohio, Kansas
and California.
The states that have adopted the Oregon plan
of popular vote for candidates for president and
vice president are: Oregon, Nebraska, New
Jersey, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
WATCH IT GROW
Mr. Bryan has given instructions that every
new subscriber shall receive The Commoner for
a period of two years (which will carry it be
yond the presidential election of 1912) for the
sum of one dollar. Every Commoner reader is
asked to secure at least one new subscriber.
Many will be able to secure more than one
Everyone, however, may render some aid in this
work.
New subscribers have been sent in by Com
moner readers and are as follows:
E. T. Ice, Ind., 5; J. M. Thompson, O., 6; A
C. Smith, Cal., 5; T. H. "Waller, Mo., 10; Geo!
Braucht, 111., 7; P. W. Inglish, Mo., 6; F. R.
Croweil, Okla., 6; Jas Kent, la., 5; Wm. M
Osier, la., 5; J. B. Wise, Ind., 6; J. F. Payne.
Wash, 18; J. E. H. Hitchcock, O., 7; A. J
Brown, Mo., 5; T. J. Wibley, Kas., 5; Jno.
Weaver, Pa., 5; W. A. Koon, la., 5; Peter
Louks, la., 5; F. D. Green, O., 5; Jackson Leidy,
Mo., 5; F. K. Baber, Ind., 6; J. Heinrich, 0., 5;
A. B. Herdman, 111., 6; Wm. M. Rankin, la., 5;
W. W. Modlin, Ind., 14; R. S. Mason, 0., 5; S.
B. McClung, W. Va., 6; J. M. Waltz, Cal., 6;
S. M. Gracy, Mo., 5; J. T. Vorhees, Neb., G; II.
E. Teachout, Kan., 8; A. L. Longstreth, Ore., 5;
Mrs. E. E. Brown, Neb., 5; U. G. Nicholson, 0.,
9; T. E. Dye, O., 5; Mrs. L. C. Dickson, Neb., 5;
R. E. Wallace, Colo., 5; C. M. Bailey, W. Va., 7;
Con. Argast, 111., 5; Frank Rogers, Wis., 6; Ed
win Nickols, Wis., 6; Jno. Lichty, Neb., 6; Jno.
Bottimore, Va., 12; J. M. Myers, Pa., 5; J. C.
Haggerty, Pa., 6; G. W. Price, N. C, 6; J. J.
Kirchner, Neb., 6; C. P. Shocky, O., 5; Jno. M.
Fulton, la., 28; W. E. Taylor, Mo., 6; R. A.
Gallagher, W. Va., 5; Geo. W. Dillon, O., 5;
J. A. Felknor, Ind., 5; L. P. Houtz, Kan., 5;
W. B. Carter, la., 5; Jno. H. Weaver, O., 6;
J. W. Johnson, la., 8; Chas. Donohue, Wis., 5;
Clinton Dunns, Wis., 5; L. M. Taylor, 0., 5;
G. W. Montgomery, 111., 6; R. C. Cuttler, 0.,
5; Jas. Calvert, Ore., 5; D. V. Disney, O., 5;
M. Wilson, la., 5; Geo. W. Brubaker, 0., 5;
A. S. Campbell, Neb., G; Jesse Bond, 111., 5;
M. E. Smith, Colo., 5; Geo. B. Ferguson, Pa., 11;
J. M. Sawyer, Ala., 5; J. M. Patty, Mo., 7;
Beaver Bros., O., 5; F H. Howard, la., 5; J. P.
Jensen, la., 9; C. H. Schiffner, Okla., 5; W. M.
Acker, O., 5r; A. Friedline, lIa., 5 ; A. Br Robin
son, N. H., 5;J. A.,'BrunnelfMinn., 5; W. G.
Vandever, Okla., 5; J. D. Cox, Mo., 10; E. T.
Gardner, Colo., 5; Dr. P. V. Murray, Pa., G;
Jno. Noble, O., 5; Thos. E. Scott, Ind., 5; E. W.
Mcintosh, Okla., 5; W. A. Morrison, Mo., 5;
Joe Lilly, la., 5; J. P. Wales, la., 5; J. W. H.
Cole, Ark., 6; C. V. Lambeth, Mo., 5; B. F.
Guthrie, Mo., 6; Jas. S. Terrell, Mo., 5; F. A.
Kutz, 111., 5; G. W. Spaulding, Pa., 7; R. J.
Stipe, Mo., 5; Sam'l Munnel, Pa., 16; S. E.
Wilkerson, Tex., 5; Alf. Lookabell, Ind., 20;
M. H. Batnes, Ky., 5; A. F. Pfost, O., 5; E. L.
Sandusky, Neb., 5; T. J. Jones, Tex., 5; J. W.
Wilson, Ky., 13; H. W. Schlichting, Wis., 5; W.
H Shafer, la., 5; W. H. Haun Kan., 5; Geo.
W. Davis, la., 7; Geo. Sidlinger, Neb., 5; A. W.
Mannon, 111., 7; J. C. Webster, Pa., 7; Jno. N. G.
Smith, Okla., 5; Jno. McBeth, Mo., 5; D. A.
Smith, Ind., 6; A. J. Fouse, O., 10; David Smith,
ind., G; Jno. Madden, Ore., 23; J. W. Carter,
Okla., 6; B. F. Cochran, Mo., 7; F. W. Lim
baugh, O., 5; Jepsha Parker, Miss., 5; Jno. R.
Morrow, Pa., 8; A. E. Nordlind, 111., 5; C. A.
Burns, W. Va., 5; D. L. Rogers, Mo., 7; Henry
Lange, O., 5; L. Jenkins, Pa., 6; Thos. Stack
house, Kan., 5; B. B.. Edwards, N. Y., 5; Levi
Keiser Neb., 5; August F.Johnson, N. Y.,5; J.H.
Kendricks, Mo., 6; W. R. McCall, Idaho, 7;
S. P. Barlow, Tenn., 8; F. C. Showerman, N. Y.,
5; L F. Moore, Kan., 5; J. M. Denney, Mo., 5;
S. R. Sankey, Mo., 5; E. H. Gillette, la., G;
J. B Campbell, Cal., 5; Jas". Caldwell, Ind., 5;
W. S. Burton, Dela., 6; W. E. Fosnot, Colo., 6;
Leon Hurless, la., 5; G. C. Oviatt, Pa., 5; J. A.
Phillips, 111., 6.
APPRECIATED IN OHIO
Z. P. Adkins, Ohio Inclosed find
?3.00 for which send The Commoer to
tllO priP.lnRPfl namao T4 T l.,l J-J, ,!
v. .M.ii4ca, xi J. I1U.U Lli-UC uuu
fm onnnA T trrm.lvi in.. i. n
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f nnmnllmondinif r mi t .1 11 C
w vu.iJt,UiCiii.u,i,y ui me commoner ana iui w
who aid in its publication and distribu-
tion. I believe it to be the ablest, the ,
most honest and the most truthful poll-
tical publication in the United States.
I am an old soldier and was a Lincoln
republican, now I am a Bryan democrat.-
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