Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 1911)
3LUGUST 11', 1911 business of the senate on July 27, -when advan tages was taken of the opportunity to debate the bill. The free list bill would placo on the free Mst agricultural Implements, cotton batting, cot ton ties, leather, boots and shoes, fence wire, moats, cereals, flour, bread, timber, lumber, sew ing machines, salt and other articles. The exemptions are designed to take effect on the day following the approval of the measure. The Commoner. 5 Why Major Stofer Will Not Support Martin IN NEBRASKA Edgar Howard, in Columbus (Nebraska) Tele gram: Men have said that the Bible story about tho lion and the lamb lying down in peace be side each other was moro of fancy than of fact. It Is a true story, and tho truth of it shone re splendid at Fremont last Tuesday, when tho lions of the tribes of Dahlman and Shallenberger lay down in peace beside the gentle lambs of the tribe of Bryan. The truth would not bo wholly stated if we should omit the saying that at times the lions did growl a little, for that is the nature of lions, but the angel of peace was there, and tho dove of harmony was hovering near, and in the evening of the day every one of the thousand delegates to the state convention was wearing upon his breast a bouquet in which the peaceful lily was embowered by the laurel leaves of har mony. It was a great convention, and the greater paTt of it was played long before the opening prayer was offered by the chaplain. On the night before there was a meeting between the leaders of the factions. The Dahlman spokes men threatened to introduce resolutions de nouncing Bryan. The Bryan spokesmen said they ;were there for peace, but primed for a fight; itjt came, and they warned the Dahlman ites.that the first club thrown at Bryan would be the signal for a finish fight. All the leaders agreed that in this off year in Nebraska the plat form must hot touch national issues, or the names of men of national character". This was pleasing to Mr. Bryan's friends. All they asked was that the platform should indorse Bryan's principles. Very happy were the Hitchcock and. Shallenberger spokesmen when they discovered that Bryan's friends did not ask to have his name mentioned in the platform, and they were willing to Indorse every Bryan principle, if only his name be kept In the background. With this understanding the platform builders went to work. Pretty soon the workers found their saws grating against a stubborn nail. After warmly commending the many democratic victories secured by Bryan principles in the re cent session of congress, a proposition was made to indorse and applaud Senator Hitchcock and Governor Shallenberger. The Bryan advocates said no, but they said it firmly. Their opponents argued that it would be a strange proceding to make a democratic state platform which did not mention the names of a democratic governor and a democratic senator. The Bryan spokesmen replied that such a course was not less strange than the making of a democratic platform which did not contain the name of Bryan. They said they did not cara If his name be left out of the platform, If only his principles could be indorsed. The Hitchcock and Shallenberger spokesmen re plied that the platform thus far constructed did Indorse all the great principles for which Bryan is contending, and they thought that was enough for Bryan's friends to ask. The Bryan follow ing firmly replied that since they had consented to leave the name of Bryan out of the platform In the interest of harmony, in that same interest the names of both Hitchcock and Shallenberger must also be kept out of tho platform. And thus it happened that the state convention built a state platform which does not mention the name of any man. HON. JOHN W. TOMLINSON Death has again invaded the Inner circle of Mr. Bryan's friends. Hon. John W. Tomlinson, of Alabama, whose demise the democracy of tho nation is called upon to mourn, was one of the original Bryan men. Several months before tho convention of 1896 he began to urge Mr. Bryan's nomination and In the three cam paigns in which Mr. Bryan was a candidate he had no more loyal or earnest supporter. Visits back and forth between the families established an intimacy which converted political ties into personal ones. It is hard to part with those who thus become a part of our lives; their de parture diminishes the brightness of the day but leaves a memory that will not fade. Washington, D. C, Times: Major Alfred Stofer, veteran Washington correspondent, and wloldor of political Influenco in Virginia, has refused his support to Mr. Martin of Virginia. In a letter to tho political leader whoso com ing campaign promises to bristle with chargo and counter chargo, and with opposition druwn from Mr. Martin's votes on tho tariff issue, and on tho lumber schedules, Major Stofor sets out his reasons for withrawing his support. Tho letter Is a reply to ono which tho major declares ho received from tho senator. In this letter Major Stofer quotes tho senator as having written: "I am taking tho liberty of writing to you in relation to my candidacy for ro-olec-tion to tho senate. I trust my course in tho senate has met with your approbation, and that you can give mo your active assistance." Major Stofer is a member of tho Gridiron club. He Is well known in Virginia, and by reason of his years of service In tho corps of Washington correspondents, and his familiarity with matters political, many of tho voters of Virginia regard his opinions highly. His letter reads: "The initial paragraph of your letter to mo contains the following: 'I am taking the liberty of writing you in relation to my candidacy for re-election to the senate. I trust my course in the senate has met with your approbation, and that you can give me your active assistance,' etc. "As I never mince words, lot me say emphati cally, Inasmuch as at the close of your letter you invite a reply, that I do not think you are worthy of re-election. "If there were no other reasons, your numer ous votes on tho tariff question while tho Payne Aldrlch (as well as those on the Dingley tariff fourteen years ago) bill was under consideration In the senate would cause me to withhold my support from you. "In tho face of the democratic platform of 1908 you aligned yourself with Mr. Aldrich and other republicans to fasten upon the farmers In particular and the citizens generally of this country a high protective rate of duty upon lum ber, in spite of the fact that the Denver plat form contained a; free lumber plank, ropprted unanimously to the national democratic conven tion by the committee on resolutions. "In fact, it was by your vote in 1897 that tho tax on white pine lumber, all of which was at that time, as it is now, practically controlled by the lumber trust, was retained, the vote in the senate being 33 to 32. On this vote you stood with the republicans against your own party associates, including tho late Senator Daniel. "The lumber trust is one of tho most brazen and infamous in the United States, and only re cently tho bureau of labor issued a bulletin on the prices of the commodities of life, in which it was shown that lumber and building material during the year 1909, as a result, no doubt, of tho action of tho senate, increased nearly 11 per cent. "I object to the political methods pursued by you in Virginia and the arrogant 'machine' of which you are the recognized head of tho state and hope and believe it will be smashed. "I object to" tho 'dark lantern' political schemes that were worked at Richmond when you were first elected to the senate, and I firmly believe now as I believed then, that you are the candidate of the 'interests' which tho rank and file of the democratic party throughout the United States are demanding shall no longer control legislation either at the various state capitals or at Washington. "You are a present what I consider, and what most observant men consider, only the nominal leader of the senate minority. You know, and I know, how that was brought about, and how narrow the margin was. And It is my earnest hope that even if you should obtain another term that arrangement will not last beyond the present congress. "Men have recently been elected to the senate by the democrats, and still others are heading in the same direction, who are as certain to join the seventeen senate democrats who vigorously opposed you last spring, as that the sun rises and sets. You have voted too many times with the republican protectionists to suit their views, "I do not think you have ever been in line on the tariff issue with the house democratic leaders in recent years John Sharp Williams of Mis sissippi, Champ Clark of Missouri, and Oscar W. Underwood of Alabama. "It Is the first time during my twenty-six years' experience here as an active newspaper correspondent, and a careful observer of men and events, that any ono in tho senate would accept a leadership if thoro was a contest. I havo known four of tho senate democratic leaders intimately, and not ono of thorn would havo had the position if it had been necessary to scramblo for it. That is not tho idea of leadership among mon who value self respect. "You say In your letter to mo that If Repre sentative William A. Jones woro to bo sont to tho senate as your successor, ho 'would bo a now man at the foot of the ladder in tho senate.' My opinion Is that Mr. Jones, on account of tho commanding position ho has held In the houso for many years, would bo ablo to do oven moro for Virginia In tho senate Tho houso Is ft largo body, and ho early forged to tho front there. I consldor him far bettor equipped in every way than you, and ho has always been strictly in lino with democratic sentiment on tho tariff and all other questions. "I shall, therefore, with great pleasure voto for him at Culpepper on September 7, Provldonco permitting, with tho slncoro belief that it will bo tho best for tho interests of my natlvo state and tho nation to havo him succeed you in tho senate. "You enclosed mo a pamphlet containing a limited numbor of press roforoncos to your record in tho senate. I observe that you havo used ono from one of tho ropublican newspapers of Washington. I havo no doubt ropublican newspapers all over tho land praised you for voting so many times with Senator Aldrich In the last congress and helping him to put in tho tariff bill a. section favorable to tho lumber truBt. "Naturally, republicans would pat a sonator on tho back who repudiates tho platform of his own party. "It has been tho talk among ropublican news paper men hero for years that whenover tho republicans are 'in a hole sufficient numbor of so-called senate democrats manage to lino up and pull them out by furnishing tho necessary votes. That's exactly what you, Mr. Simmons of North Carolina, and others did in tho last congress, and my opinion is that tho day of reckoning for all of you is not far off. Yours truly. ALFRED J. STOFER." APPRECIATED IN INDIANA John H. Eckles, Indiana. I appreciate the noble effort you have made on tho stump and through your, "Commoner" of which I havo been a reader ever slnco its commencement, and rejoice that you have been ablo to compel even our ene- mies to recognize and adopt so many of our democratic measures, but havo been greatly disappointed that tho enemy in front aided by tho so-called conservative democrats (or near republicans) Iqd by our jealous leaders in tho camp havo been ablo to encompass your personal defeat. I am only an Insignificant mem- ber of the majority who believe in meas- ' ures and principles for w,bich you havo so ably fought and so my opinion is backed by little if any force but may indicate the common feelings and conclu- slons of very many of the common mass of voters which have been divided and hitherto cheated. I fear the old demo- cratlc ship can never shake off enough of the barnacles to enable her to land a presidential candidate In the white houso, who Is a radical and I am sure I don't want any other. I voted for Judgo Parker In obedience to your advice ("out -of two evils choose the least") but you need never ask me again to support a conservative or near republican. If the special interests succeed in controlling tho machinery of the two old parties In the next election it will insure a largo vote for tho socialist paTty and a good chance for a socialist president in tho succeding election, I am not a socialist, but if my only choice Is to be between socialism or, a continuance of the present rotten rule In favor of favored private Interests I'll take socialism but with a 0 desire that pure progressive, yea', radi- cal democracy, may win. I am sendng you herein $5.00 for which please send The Commoner for two years to each of the following named persons. 0 0 i i ? y ? ,v jvj rs) 0 q n