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VOLUME .llr'NUMBER 29
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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb,
WHERE FOLK STANDS
TIiq Omaha Dally News prints tho following
news item: Joseph W. Folk, ex-governor of
Missouri and prominently mentioned in connec
tion with the democratic nomination for presi
dent In 1912, was in Omaha recently and took .
a rap at the Douglas county democrats for their
attack on W. J. Bryan.
Mr. Folk declared that such attacks served
merely to strengthen Mr. Bryan nationally and
that it was ridiculous for anyone to even imagine
that such attacks would hurt Mr. Bryan. Gover
nor Folk said:
"It is to he regretted that the Douglas county
democracy should attack Mr. Bryan. They may
not agree with all of Mr. Bryan's views, hut he
mquestionably is the greatest democrat of today
and has had more Influence for hotter things
than any other living man in public life.
"He has a larger personal following than any
other dozen men in America. Of course the
domocrats of Nebraska feel proud of his name
and fame as any state should."
Mr. Folk feels very confident of democratic
success in 1912 if the party is able to convince
the people that it is in earnest in the matter
of opposing privilege and trying to help the
people rather than the interests.
. He agreed with Mr. Bryan that the doctrine
of free wool should have been adhered to by
congress, and criticised the action of the demo
cratic members of congress in agreeing to a 20
per cent tariff on raw wool. Ho said:
"Prospects for democratic success are bright
if the party Is true to its ideals.
"According to my views, in order to win, the
democratic party must oppose privilege in every
form, not only the privilege of lawlessness, but
the privileges conferred by law In the shape of
subsidies, bounties and tariff for any other pur
pose that than of revenue."
Mr. Folk declined to discuss his own attitude
toward the presidency and also declined to pass
any judgment on the administration of Presi
dent Taft at this time.
SHEEP
There were fewer: Bheep in tho United States
in 1910 than in 1900, according to the census
figures. In view of the increase in population
in the decade this means that sheep raising has
retrograded. The ranges of the west are more
and more restricted, as more profitable uses are
being found for the land.
Meanwhile a tariff rate of 45 per cent on wool
has been forcing the American people to pay high
prlceB for clothing and blankets, or to use
fabrics adulterated with cotton. A pretty ex
pensive way to maintain a languishing Industry,
t Kansas City Star. . . . -
The Commoner
"ASK THE
Commoner readers ' everywhere are advised
to submit to tho various presidential candidates
questions something like the following:
1 Question Do you favor tariff for revenue
only?
CANDIDATE"
character of support each party and candi
date receives? . . . ,..
10 A,
1 Answer
2 q Do you favor free raw material and, the
placing of a revenue duty only on-manufactured
goods?
11 Q Are you willing that the source o? every
dollar of contribution made to. your cam
paign fund either after your nomination or
during the contest for the nomination shall
be made public prior to election day?
11 A.
2 A,
Q Do you believe that in the revision of the
tariff tho element of protection should be
given consideration?
12 Q Do you believe in tho support of the
state governments in all their fights?
12 A.
3 A.
4 Q Do you believe that the three branches of
government are co-ordinate and that each
one should keep within its constitutional
sphere?
13 Q Do you indorse the labor planks of the
1908 platform? 1;.. ,
13 A.
14 Q Do you believe in the strict regulation of
railroads? : ' : .- '---
4 A, . ,i.-...i.-.i.!nr.T.-.'.TT.vrttr.w.v.'.v,v.A-. .y 14 A.
1
5 Q Do you approve the recent Standard Oil
decision wherein the United States supreme
court legislated the word "unreasonable"
into the Sherman anti-trust act?
6 Q Do you favor the repeal of the criminal
clause of the anti-trust law or do you be
lieve that in view of supreme court legis
lation congress should make it clear that
all restraint of trade is unreasonable?
16 Q Do you indorse the democratic platform
of 1908 respecting trusts wherein it de
clares that "a private monopoly is indefen
sible and intolerable" and presents a
remedy?
15 A.
16 Q Do you approve the' plan known as the
Aldrich currency scheme?
16 A,
6 A. . u'.-.v.r.r.T.i:-. -.'.-.. r.'.-.,t.-.t.i..w.-o.t.-.f.T-vj 17 Q Do you favor asset currencjriir.any form?
7 Q Do you favor the election of senators by
. " the; people? . .- ' - - 1 -'
n a ' ' -'." '-.It : '.' -,vv ''-. . : " r
" ' .
8 Q Do you favor the income tax? -
8 A. ..-..:.ri7.. .J...'-.. ...r.-.r.T.i.rfl.. . -.1
9 Q Do you believe that it is the duty of the
Airierican people to promise independence
to the Filipinos immediately and to give
it in the . same way ' in which they gave
independence 'to the Cubans?
17. A. ..... ..... . ... .,.-.. ;v;f.:.' .r;
. --v.'
- V
18 Q Do you -believe irf the- establishment of
-what is" known da a cehtrar'bankt
1
ldA....c.M.-.r.-.L,...W
.
9 A..
; . T. y " T'
. ;'
". r '..t wr-. r"T3
10 Q Do you believe in the publicity of cam
paign contributions and expenditures both
before and after election day in order that
the people may know in advance the
19 Q Do you favor legislation compelling
banks to insure depositors.?
19 A ;
Let democrats everywhere ask questions and
secure answers, thus finding out just what every
candidate stands for. In this way democrats
may be able to determine with some degree of
intelligence as to the available candidate.
The Commoner will be glad to print the re
plies made to these questions by gentlemen
whose names have been mentioned in connec
tion with the democratic presidential nomination.
LETTERS TO CONGRESSMEN
Marion, O., June 12, 1911. Hon. Carl C.
Anderson, M. C, Washington, D. C. Dear Sir:
Permit me to thank you for the record in the
Standard Oil case and for other favors. I can
not let this opportunity go by to express my
dissatisfaction with the Underwood tariff bill.
I havo some excuse for the "dyed in the wool,"
republican protectionists, who have stolen so
much. for the people through the tariff, that it
has become by force-of habit, a virtue to them
rather than a crime; but 1 assure you I have no
excuse for the democratic protectionist, if there
is such a thing, which I doubt, because a pro
tectionist can not be a democrat, only a republi
can can be a so-called protectionist. The' people
who would consume clothes made of wool, if
thoy could get "all wool and a yard wide," far
outnumber those who own sheep. The consumer
pays the steal Of 20 per cent ad valorem, under
this bill. It is pretended that it Is necessary as
a revenue getter, and we need the revenue on
account of the extravagance of the republican
administration. The former is false, and the
latter is true. It will cost the consumers, and
not get the wool, $150,000,000 to only get
about $14,000,000 revenue. Why not get this
revenue from a product that is more of a luxury
than wool, raw rubber and silk, for instance.
This would have been democratic, If Mr. Under
wood is a democratic member of congress,, why
does he not present and support democratic
resolutions and bills? Why don't others who
claim to be democrats, act like democrats and
not like republicans? No, these men are not
democrats, they are republicans so far as the
tariff on wool is concerned. Thdy are in the
wrong pew. They are pretended democrats,
when they are running for office, but once in
office they become black sheep with the repub
lican herd. They receive the republican doctrine
of wool protection and pay the salary of the
republican preachers out of democratic funds.
Let these fellows get into the republican crowd
where they belong, and stay there when they
get home and their time is out they will or if
we had the recall we would not wait for tho
expiration of their term of service. The service
Is for the privileged class, not for the mass. It
is for the 22,000 of sheep owners, which includes
herders and against the 90,000,000 others who
do not own sheep but consume the sheep pro
duct. Why give 22,000 people $14,000,000 and
make 90,000,000 people pay it Why not give
90,000,000 people $14,000,000 and let the
22,000 sheep owners pay it? This is "robbing ,
Peter to pay Paul." If this is the case and Is
true, why not put the robber in the penitentiary?
Robbery is robbery and stealing is stealing, both
crimes. It is no worse to rob by law 'than with
out law or rob under the law. The law maker
who robs by enacting a law is as guilty as tho
thief who violates the law that says "Thou shalt
not steal thy neighbor's goods." We will havo
different laws, when we have, a law that fines
and imprisons the lawmaker who makes a law
that robs the masses and gives the. stolen goods
to the special privileged class, We need such
-
liif,