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The Commoner.
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 35
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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
Entered at tho Postofflco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
mm second-class matter.
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IUOIAIID L. Wktcaik
ffcclntc Editor
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb,
Wonder if any of those who voted to seat
Lorlmer did it because of his opposition to the
Initiative, referendum and recall?
A candidate for the democratic presidential
nomination can not serve two masters. If lie
is not AGAINST Wall street ho is WITH IT.
What is Virginia going to do on the income
tax? Will her tax dodgers he able to control
her legislature and prevent the Indorsement of
the amendment.
The president indicates that he will rely on
tho tariff commission to tell him how much
reduction the protected Interests can stand.
Isn't that all that the woolen trust asked of the
papers It tried to bribe with advertisements?
Arkansas has not yet Indorsed the Income tax
amendment. 'The voters ought to see to it that
every candidate for office Is pledged to it.
Arkansas can not afford to stand with the pluto
crats on this important question.
Tho president is in hot water. The democrats
aTe showing how far he falls below the stand
ard as a tariff reformer and the insurgents are
expelling him from the ranks of the moderate
protectionists. Tho only enthusiastic friends ho
has left are the men who, by contributing to
tho presidential campaign fund, purchased tho
right to continue their exploitation.
Yes, Constant Reader, tho democrats who
"stood up and cheered" when Mr. Underwood
denounced Mr. Bryan aro now explaining to
their constituents WHY Mr. Underwood apolo
gized for accusing congressmen of "playing to
the galleries," WHY he delayed the preparation
of an iron and steel bill until an insurgent re
publican robbed him of that honor, and WHY
Mr. Underwood has at last consented to an
open caucus.
TYRANNY AND TYRANNY
President Taft is so afraid of the tyranny of
the majority that he shudders at the recall, but
he approves of Now Mexico's constitution which
subjects the majority to the tyranny of tho
minority.
"ASK THE CANDIDATE"
Commoner readers everywhere are advised
to submit to the various presidential candidates
questions something like tho following:
1 Question Do you favor tariff for revenue
only?
1 Answer
2 Q Do you favor freo raw material and the
placing of a revenue duty only on manu
factured goods?
2 A.
3 Q Do you believe that In tho revision of the
tariff tho element of protection Bhould bo
given consideration?
3 A,
Q Do you believe that the three branches of
government aro co-ordinate and that each
one should keep within its constitutional
sphere?
4 A.
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 A.
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 mako it clear that
all restraint of trade is unreasonable?
6 A,
7 Q Do you favor tho election of senators by
the people?
7 A,
8 Q Do you favor the income tax?
8 A . r
9 Q Do you believe that it is the duty of the
American peoRle to promise independence
to the Filipinos immediately and to give
it in the same way in which they gave
independence to the Cubans?
9 A.
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
A PLUTOCRATIC PROTEST
Tho Chicago Inter-Ocean, one of the thick and
thin defenders of plutocracy and one of the
few papers supporting Lorimer, is very much agi
tated over the questions submitted to the candi
dates. It says, editorially:
"WHERE IS MR. BRYAN'S AUTHORITY?"
"G. W. Nagel writes from Fremont, Neb., to
ask why we do not seem to take kindly to Mr.
Bryan's catechism 'plan of informing the people
as to tho views held by those who expect to be
candidates for the presidency,' and he further
asks:
" 'If you are objecting to the public being
informed, will you kindly so state and give your
reasons? Or if you think the people have a right
to know these views but are objecting to Mr.
Bryan's method of obtaining the information,
will you point out wlierein Mr. Bryan's method
is defective and suggest a better plan?'
"No, Mr. Nagel; we are not objecting to tho
people being informed. We aro in the business.
And it Is so difficult a business that every honest
man in it welcomes every sincere effort to make
It easier to reach tho desired goal, which is to
get tho people really and truly informed.
"We object to Mr. Bryan's method because it
seems to us not a sincere effort Mr, Bryan's
method is obviously not that of the inquiring
publicist seeking information for tho people.
It is that of the tricky legal cross-examiner)
character of support each party and candi
date receives?
10 A.
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,
12 Q Do you believe in the support of the
state governments in all 'their rights?
12 A,
13 Q Do you indorse the labor planks of the
1908 platform?
13 A.
14 Q Do you believe in the strict regulation of
railroads?
14 A.
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.
17 Q Do you favor asset currency in any form?
17 A.
18 Q Do you believe in the establishment of
what is known as a central bank?
18 A.
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.
framing his questions with intent to discredit
some witnesses and exalt others in the jury's
mind.
"Furthermore, and as we understand it, Mr.
Bryan Is simply a private citizen, holding no
official position in the democratic organization,
having no commission from the democratic party
to catechise other democrats, having no au
thority to require them to answer his questions
just as he sees fit to put them, under penalty
of being regarded as heretics to the democratic
faith.
"That Is why we object to Mr. Bryan's at
tempted catechsm. We consider it an impudent
intrusion and an egotistic usurpation upon tho
functions of the democratic party through its
national convention and other accredited or
gans." Chicago Inter-Ocean.
Isn't that an awful indictment to bring
against a private citizen whose only offense is
that he asks candidates where thoy stand? Has
it come to this that democrats who are simply
private citizens must keep still while papers like
tho Inter-Ocean nominate the candidate? Tho
Inter-Ocean does not hesitate to suggest repub
lican candidates it even suggests a democratic
candidate for governor of Illinois in tho samo
issue in which it denounces Mr. Bryan for ask
ing troublesome questions. But while tho Inter
Ocean and papers like it aro spluttering around
tho candidates are answering the questions.
