The Commoner.
WILLIAM J BRYAN EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL. II, NO. 33
Lincoln, Nebraska, August 25, 1911
Whole Number 553
Publicity Wins
Wo now have "publicity before the election"
all that we asked for on this subject in the
platform of 1908, and even more. But senti
ment has grown until we are in position to ask
for still more. Wo should now have publicity
as to expenditures of those organizations that
NOMINATE presidents. Why not find out who
puts up the money for nominations? And why
not find out who recommends appointments?
Why should an appointing office act in the dark?
Why not compel the president to open the record
for inspection so that the public can know the
power behind the throne? Why should the
president appoint judges for life, and other
officials for a limited term, without disclosing
the Information upon which his appointments
are based. Let us have this publicity and it
should be BEFORE presidential nominations
are made and BEFORE appointments are sent
to the senate.
We should also have publicity as to the
ownership of our big newspapers. Why should
a paper's ownership be kept in the dark? Tho
value of an opinion depends on tho character
and disinterestedness of the one expressing it.
Let us have publicity as to newspaper owner
ship. We have had enough of assassination
methods In subsidized journalism. A little
light would be helpful, and it ought to come
before the next presidential election. A demo
cratic congress ought to inaugurate thejreform.
And now'that the publicity campaign is
started it should bo kopt up until all elections
and nominations are made public affairs and
secrecy is driven from the administration of tho
government.
', YIELDING TO NECESSITY
' Congress acted wisely in yielding to the
president's demand and making the elimina
tion of the recall of judges a condition precedent
to admission. The president's position was
indefensible but he was in a position to block
statehood, and as the people of Arizona can
restore the provision immediately it would have
been folly to have opposed the president. Ari
zona's voters will' doubtless accept the condi
tion and come in they can then- exercise the
rights enjoyed by the people of other states and
restore the recall of judges.
PRESIDENT VETOES WOOL SCHEDULE
The president's veto of the wool schedule, was
not unexpected but it will not strengthen him
before the country. His contention that the
country wants a scientific revision by a commis
sion is not borne out by the facts. The election
of 1910 was a rebuke to the republican party
CONTENTS
PUBLICITY WINS
VETOES RECALL '
IN KENTUCKY
"DICTATORSHIP"
THE ARIZONA CASE
THREE QUESTIONS
MISSOURI AND FOLK
HOW WALL STREET MADE THE
1907 PANIC
JUDGE WALTER CLARK OF
NORTH CAROLINA
"THE PEOPLE ARE BRYANIZING'"
SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA
EDITORIAL ACROBATICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
x NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS
and included a repudiation of the commission
Idea. The people elected a congrese to reduce
tho tariff and If it had wanted reduction by
commission it would have elected a republican
congress. Ho says ho was elected upon a plat
form and is carrying it out. That is a stronger
position. Ho should bavo said: I was elected
on a platform pledged to protection, and whilo
I recognize that tho country has repudiated tho
platform, still I feel bound by it and prefer to
go down with tho ship. I expect to bo defeated
and am bracing myself for it but I will not go
back on thoso who elected mo.
f HERE'S TO NEW MEJXICO
Tho admission of New Mexico Is hailed with
satisfaction. Sho enters the sisterhood of states
with the cordial good will of tho other members
of the union. Less has been said about her
admission because her constitution is reaction
ary, while Arizona's constituion Is progressive.
Congress very wisely provided that tho peoplo
of New Mexico may, at the first election, so
change their constitution as to make It easier
to amend it. It is to be hoped that tho people
of the now state will avail themselves of tho
opportunity and thus bring tho constitution
more into harmony with the thought of modern
times. Now Mexico wants an Increasing popula
tion and she can not hope to secure now settlers
If she allows a corporate minority to tio her
hands and hamper her freedom. Hero's to Now
Mexico! May sho give her voters control of her
government.
WELCOME, ARIZONA
Welcome, Arizona. Tho long-delayed right
of statehood is now yours. " By intelligence,
courage and patience, your peoplo have rescued
a wide area from tho desert and made it a
fruitful land. Your climate, your minerals, and
your fertile valleys invito an increasing multi
tude and give promise of a splendid career.
Your constitution Is one of the best In tho union,
wisely framed and bravely defended. The per
sonal objection of a president, biased against an
elective judiciary, compels you to eliminate tho
recall as applied to judges, but you can restore
it and should as soon as you are a state. Bo
bravo and wise the future is yours. Thrice
welcome, Arizona.
UNDERWOOD'S HUMILIATION
Chairman Underwood pursuaded the demo
cratic caucus to consent to delay in the Intro
duction of a bill reducing tho iron and steel
schedule and now comes the democrats of tho
senate and Insist on such a reduction on Iron
and steel as a senate amendment to tho cotton
bill. It must humiliate Mr. Underwood to have
the credit for this reduction taken from his
committee and a democratic house and given to
the senate minority. It would have been far
better if that branch of congress having a clear
majority had taken the initiative.
VETOES FREE LIST, TOO
The president's veto of the farmers' free list
does not deserve much comment. The reasons
given were absurd; after vetoing the wool bill
he doubtless felt that it was useless to mako
further pretense of being in favor of tariff re
form. He has gone over bag and baggage into
the protectionist camp. Revision was but a
fitful dream; he sleeps soundly now.
Whether it was wise for tho democrats to
take advantage of the trick played by the regu
lar republicans on tho insurgents depends on
the facts. The democrats will need the insur
gents in the next session and they can not
afford to be unfair even though the Insurgents
bo too exacting at times.
Procrastination is not only the thief of tlrao
but the purlolner of prestige as well. Mr,
Underwood's delay In reporting an iron and steel
reduction bill lost him whatever advantage' ho
might have gained from a good bill.
Vetoes Recall
On another pago will be found President
Toft's veto messago, giving his reasons for re
fusing statehood to Arizona. His opposition is
based entirely on his objection to tho recall of
judges. His objection to this provision is so
great that ho Is not willing to loavo tho ques
tion to bo acted upon by tho peoplo at tho first
election. Even though ho knows that tho people
of Arizona can reinstate tho provision immedi
ately after thoy securo statehood ho Insists that
they must eliminate tho provision boforo thoy
como in. His veto raises two questions: First,
tho right of a stato to mako its own constitu
tion, and, second, tho merits of tho recall as
applied to judges. Many senators and membors
of congress who look with disfavor on tho re
call voted for tho Arlzona-Now Moxlco resolu
tion because they believe the states should bo
permitted to framo their constitutions to suit
themselves. Thoy were not willing to deny
statehood to Arizona merely because she saw
fit to Include a constitutional provision that
Oregon already has and that any state Is free to
adopt. Tho president, however, has no such
respect for the rights of the states; ho takes tho
Hamlltonlan view rather than tho Joffersonlan
view, and does not hesitate to uhq tho veto to
enforce his own view upon Arizona. This is
likely to give him some troublo during tho com
ing campaign, although it will affect fow votes
compared with tho number affected by tho
reasons given by him for opposing the recall.
Tho veto message presents, with considerable
elaboration, his arguments against tho recall as
applied to judges. He does not say whother ho
is still opposed to the initiative and referendum
it will bo remembered that ho went all tho
way to Oklahoma four years ago to oppose theso
reforms he does not say whether ho opposes
tho recall as applied to other officials ho rests
his case entirely Upon tho objections which ho
presents to tho recall as applied to judges. Ho
remarks, incidentally, that insufficient time is
given for deliberation and for tho subsiding of
passion, but it is only fair to assume from his
language that ho would oppose the recall of
judges NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME WAS
GIVEN FOR INVESTIGATION AND DELIBE
RATION. His veto message will stand or fall
upon tho judgment ultimately rendered by tho
people on the recall as applied to judges. What
are tho president's objections? Tho principal
objection is that it, in his judgment, will rob
the judge of his independence to have this
"sword of Damocles" hanging over him. He sug
gests that "self-respecting" men might refuse
to accept judicial positions If subject to the
recall. This is really an assault upon tho popu
lar election of judges, for every judge who holds
office by election is liable to recall at the end
of his term, and, In proportion to the shortness
of his term, may be influenced by tho fear of
being retired because of an unpopular decision.
If Independence of. the wishes of the peoplo Is
the one thing to be desired in a judge and that
is destrdyed by the recall then there is but ono
complete remedy, namely, APPOINTMENT FOR
LIFE. That is the alternative, and Mr. Taft has
not yet attacked the life tenure of appointivo
judges as dangerous to the country. He was,
in fact, a federal judge with a life appointment
before ho became a cabinet officer.
It will bo noticed, too, that the president
magnifies the position of tho judge. He Is put
in a class apart from and above other officials.
From his lofty position ho looks down upon
legislators and executives and, purged of tho
dross that is mixed in them, reigns and rules
uninfluenced by "momentary gusts of popular
passion" or by the "hasty anger" of tho ma
jority. This Is tho Ideal that President Taft
sees before him. Why does he shut his eyes to
actual facts? Does he forget how five United
States supreme judges divided along partisan
lines in the TIlden-Hayes controversy and voted
A
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