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
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