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The Commoner.
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What Fault Will You Find With These Questions?
Quincy (Ml.) Journal: We print on this pngo
of today's Journal what has been tanned Bryan's
"catechism" of democratic presidential candi
dates. Of course it is the business of republican edi
tors, and some "near" republican editors, w?io
claim now aud then to be democratic, to find
fault with everything that Mr. Bryan does.
These republicans, and near republicans, .read
the so-called "catechism" and see in it Bryan as
a dictator cracking the whip over a subject party.
What tommyrot all this is! Hasn't Bryaii the
same right to express his opinion that any other
democratic editor has? He certainly lias! Hasn't
he the same right to express his opinion that
these republicans, and near republicans, have?
lie certainly has.
.. The fact is that the habit of criticising Bryan
has become chronic with these fellows", and they
Rave to criticise him'in order to feel natural or
to. en joy good health.
What sensible human being can find any fault
with Mr. Bryan's article as it appears in full on
: this page of today's Journal? That person must
be hard up for a chance to find fault who finds
fault with that editorial. Head it for yourself
and sec how true it is, how reasonable it is, and
how modestly and becomingly the whole thing
Jk set forth.
Mr. Bryan says: "The Commoner SUGGESTS
that its readers put questions to those that aro
in the attitude of candidates for the presidential
nomination. Every student of public affairs should
bo able to frame his own questions; but for con
venience sako AND BY WAY OF SUGGESTION,
The Commoner submits some of the queries that
may in all fairness be offered to every man who
is regarded as a candidate for the democratic
nomination. If his answers arc uncertain and
ambiguous, ho may bo set down as friendly to
some particular interests.- The genuine reformer
is not afraid to speak out. Every candidate is,
to bo sure, entitled to his opinion, but the people
have a right to know what it is in order that
they may act intelligently when they conic to
choose their party's candidate for the presi
dency." Is there anything unfair about this. Is there
anything foolish about It? In there anything
dictatorial about it? Is there anything in any
way improper about it?
Ah we say, a man must be mighty hard up for
n chance to find fault,' who finds fault with an
article as fair as tills one in.
Mr. Bryan has no occasion to live the life of
a dummy or of a mummy. There is no valid
reason why lie should not take an active part In
politics and express himself as freely as ho
pleases. Mr. Bryan is an. exceedingly capable
man, aud a good one, too. The position he occu
pies lie docs not owe to accident, but to command
ing intellectual ability and sterling goodness of
heart, Mr. Bryan is an intellectual, a moral, and
a political force Unit must be reckoned with; and
he who doesn't know this has something impor
tant yet to learn,
It is all right for republicans and near republi
cans to criticise Mr. Bryan in season and out of
season, but democrats ought to keep their hands
off part of the time. Mr. Bryan has the samo
right to speak his mind freely as has any other
citizen of the United States; and, this right Mr.
Bryan will freely exercise to the joy und tho
satisfaction of millions of his good friends In
tills country.
.Mont.; H. M. Chitwood, La.; J. P. Spohr,
Pa.; J. P. Law, 'W. Va.; Mrs. E. D. Hurst,
Neb.; J. W. Benear, Kan.; B. C. Bradshaw, Mo.;
Jno. Shea, Mo.; Mrs. Jno. Elliott, Mo.; J. T.
Scott, Pa.; B. A. Kirchner, la.; Jno. Simpson,
la.; S. W. Denson, Mont; Wm. G. Hinzc, 111.;
, Dan'l. Jones, la.; Homer Abell, Mo.; G. C. Mar
tin, Fla.; J. W. Kilgore, O.; H. Cramps, Pa.; C.
3D. Blydenburg,. N. Y.; W., H. Ruvey, .N. C;
Frank Hammer, Ida.; A. L. Back, Wash.; R. T.
Thompson, O.; W. K. Bortleson, Fla.; J. Edwin
Wood, Va.; J, C. Custer, Mo.; Austin Colglo
zier, Ind.; C. E. French, Colo.; G. C. Shaw, Ky.;
E. G. Hiarn, Neb.; J. Kensinger, Jr., Cal.; J. F.
Fassett, Cal.; Al. Zeigler, .Pa.; E. M. Taylor,
fWis.-; C. C Cannon,-la. j-pli Gerber;.Ind.; J. A.
'.Alien, Ind.; Chas; H. Ketchan, N. Y.; S. J. Jen
son, la1.; S. P. White, Ky.; B. B. Workman, O.;
Chas. J. VauStralen, Wash.; L. L. Ray, Ky.;
F. E. Corachels, N. D.; J. B. Williams, O.; M. E.
Shepler, Ida.; E. C. Perkins, Wis.; W. H. Reedy,
W. Va.; Jno. J. Keating, 111.; A. J. Waldberry,
N; Y.; Silas K. Germond, N. Y.; A. A. Paul, Cal.;
A. V. Mounce, Ida.; Gilbert Faber, 111.; M. L.
Norton, Tex.; H. W. Graham, Ind.; F. H. Hey
don, Minn.; F. W. Pattridge, Minn.; W. J.
Sellers, Ky.; F. M. Wilson, Pa'.; J. J. Reiter,
Minn.; C. C. Davidson, Mo.; M. L. Boyd, O.;
P. W. Whatley, La.; C. E. Pullin, W. Va.; Jos.
E. Shufelt, Fla.; Jno. Mickelsori, Ida.; W.- G.
Epley, Pa.; T.- H. Burgess, Mo.; F. F. Plouf,
Minn.; F. H. Spon, Wash.; Wm. Reedy, Kan.;
'A. H. White, Okla.; Stephen F. Beer, O.; J. P.
Brown, Ind.; R. W. Tuttle, Colo.; Grover F.
Housman, O.; D. G. Foster, 111.; Erasmus Peter
son, Neb.; R. D. Robinson, Mo.; C. J. Nagy, la.;
Mace Parrietta, la.; C. F. Michael, Conn.; H. E.
Wilson, Neb.; A. M. Smith, Kan.; C. Cooper,
111.; L. Phenlx, D. C; A. B. Moores, O.; Chas.
H. Bush, Ind.; F. T. North, Kan.; H. Vinceton,
Pa.; Cyrus E. Fink, Ind.; A. M. Brown, Okla.;
I. W. Enman, Ind.; Jno. N. Shaw, 111.; J. H.
Byran, Cal. i Robt. Weirs Md.; W. A. PIxlee,
Wash.; B. F. Johnson, Ind.; Jno. Shelley, Ore.;
J. E. Anderson, la.; D. E. McClelland, la.; Dr.
D. L. Mitchell, Minn.; G. M. Morriset, Wis.; Geo.
H. Burkhalter, Kan.; J. E. Penny, O.; J. R.
Churchill, 0.; C. L. Maloy, la.; Albert White,
Nev.; F. H. Goff, Tex.; I. E. Do Shazo, Cal.; L.
M. Montgomery, Ind.; M. D. Dodoz, 111.; Jno.
McConough, O.; J. B. Shilhouso, Va.; Wesley
B. Frey, Wis.; W. W. Palmer, Kan.; Eli Pringle,
Ind.; A. A. Ayars, N. J.; T. Lay ton, 111.; G. H.
Gray, la.; W. Gillilan, Wis.; Wm. Penisten,
Kan.; T. H. Aakhus, Minn.; M. C. Coplen, Ind.;
.W. A. Wells, Ore.; W. S. Siers, W. Va.; 0. T.
Black, Tex.; 0. Scott, la.; J. H. Ball, Tex.; W.
'J. Dent, Miss.; Alfred Dlcus, Colo.; R. J. Fer
nandez, P. I.; Wm. P. Gregg, N. J.; Frank
Roberta, N. Y.j Marlln Grass, N. Y.; Thoo. C.
Swenson, Wis.; die 0. Olson, Ida.; J. P. Calvin,
La.; M. L. Fuller, La.; Albert A. Mann, Colo.;
Tnos. Houghton, Ind.; R. Q. Baker, Fla.; H. A.
Hughes, Ariz.; B. S. Hinds, Colo.; E. V. Bly
Btono, Pa.; J. P. jQuinlan, Colo.; J. M. B. Catron,
Va,; L. B. Sanborn, 0.; A. F. Seagmillor, Ida. ;
M. D. Spencer, Kan.; 0. E. McCulIoch, N. C.;'
32. M. Parker, CaL
"ASK THE CANDIDATE"
Commoner readers everywhere aro advised
to submit to tho various presidential candidates
questions something like tho following:
1 Question Do you favor tariff for revenuo
only?
character of support each party and candi
date receives?
10 A.
1 Answer
2 Q Do you . favor free ' raw. , material, 7and, the
' ''placing of "a revenue duty "onlybn, manu-
', factured goods?.. .; . ;,..,, M ,
2 A.
3 Q Do you believe that in the revision of the
tariff tho element of protection should bo
given consideration?
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?
.' . - i i -t
nl A !', ' il' I ''..
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..' . .:'.,,
12 Q Do you beliovo in tho support of tho
state governments in all their rights?
12 A.
3 A.
4 Q Do you believe that tho three branches of
government are co-ordinate and . that each
one should keep within its constitutional
sphere?
13 Q Do you Indorse tho labor planks of tho
1908 platform?
13 A.
14 Q Do you. believe in the strict regulation of
railroads?
'4 A.
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?
14 A.
5 A.
15 Q Do you Indorse tho democratic platform
of 1908 respecting trusts wherein it de-
clares that "a private monopoly Is indefen-
- siblo and intolerable" and presents a
remedy?
6 Q Do you favor the repeal of tho criminal
clause of tho anti-trust law or do you be
lieve that in view of supremo court legis
lation congress should make it clear that
all restraint' of trade Is unreasonable? .
15 A.
16 Q Do you approve tho plan known as tho
Aldrich currency scheme?
10 A.
6 A . .'.'.-.. --.:-.'.--. .v.r.:or.-.tr-.- j 17 Q Do you favor asset currency in any form7
.7 Q Do you favor tho election of senators by
tho people?
17 A.
v'
7 A,
8 q Do you favor the income tax?
8 A .-.'.-. .v.-.-. .. . ..- j
9 Q Do you believe that it is the duty of tho
American people to promise Independence
to tho Filipinos immediately and to givo
it in tho same way in which they gave
independence to tho Cubans?
9 A c;'5rrs.ri'i"s-Tri-'Ty vrr-fl
10 Q Do you believe In the publicity of cam
paign contributions and expenditures both
before and after election day- in order that
tho peoplo may know In advance tho
18 Q Do you believe In the establishment" of
what is known as a central bank,?
18 A..
;.''
....... .M
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 tho re
plies made to these questions by gentlemen
whose names have been mentioned In connec
tion with the democratic presidential nomination.
...x,i..,
