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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN. EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 11, NO. 48
Lincoln, Nebraska, December 8, 1911
Wholt Numbtr 568
Why Not More Light?
The Baltimore Sun is right on some ques
tions hut it seems to be a little muddled on Mr.
Bryan's suggestion that the public ought to
know upon what recommendations the judges are
appointed. Mr. Bryan has answered Mr. Taft'i
challenge by naming three corporations which
are declared guilty of violating the law but
against which' Mr. Taf t fails to bring a criminal
prosecution. In the case of the Standard Oil
and Tobacco cases the supreme court has already
declared the defendants guilty. Why not prose
cute the officials? The administration has
recently commenced an equity suit against the
Steel trust, accusing it of violating the law. Why
not bring criminal prosecution? But the presi
dent's attention is called to two other cases
the Trans-Mississippi case of thirteen years ago
and the Merger case of more recent date. Ac
cording to the reasoning of the court in the
Standard Oil and Tobacco cases, the Merger case
and the Traffic case would now be decided in
favor of the defendants, whereas, both of these
cases were under a formor interpre'tation of the
law decided against the defendants. The trouble
about President Taft's challenge is that it would
be impossible to determine his proposition by
suit before the next election. He is therefore
in a position to run a bluff upon the public.
But the Baltimore Sun does not seem to
understand the importance of publicity as to the
appointment of judges. Will it give its readers,
any good reason why the public should not know
upon what recommendations the president ap
points? How can the public know that ho
selected the best men brought before him with
out knowing something about the recommenda
tions? And how can the public be sure that the
great corporate interests have not dictated ap
pointments so long as the recommendations aro
kept secret? We are now to have publicity as
to campaign contributions, and we are to have
that publicity before the election the presi
dent has signed the bill. If it is desirable to
know before the election what financial in
fluences are at work to select congressmen, sena
tors and presidents, what harm can there be in
knowing what influences operate in the selec
tion of judges.
It is no indictment of the president to urge
him to make the recommendations known but
a refusal to make them known when there is no
good reason for refusing, can not but excite
suspicion. The Baltimore Sun 1b respectfully
invited to treat this question with the candor
and frankness which characterizes its treatment
of other 'questions. 'It is no longer sufficient
CONTENTS
WHY NOT MORE LIGHT
"THE SALT OF THE EARTH"
INVITING SOCIALISM
' WHARTON BARKER'S TESTIMONY
MR. TAFT'S BLUNDERS
DIRECT LEGISLATION BEFORE
SUPREME COURT ,
PRESIDENT TAFT'S MESSAGE
THE STEEL TRUST IN THE 'HOUSE
THE HARMON BOOM
THE SITUATION IN OHIO
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS
to demand proof of a corrupt motive. Publicity
serve a double purpose. It not only furnishes
proof of a corrupt motive If such motive exists,
but it also tends to prevent action from a cor
rupt motive. The day is past when the preda
tory interests can put our courts into a glass
case and then command pcoplo not to throw
stones. The day of publicity is at hand, and
we need it not only In regard to recommenda
tions for the bench .but in regard to tho owner
ship of our metropolitan papers and in regard
, to the campaign funds employed to nominate
presidential candidates.
MORE WIRELESS OPERATORS
Mr. Bryan learned a lesson from" the wreck
of the "Joachim." Ho believes this lesson
ought to be utilized for tho protection of the
public. The passengers on the vessel owe
their rescue to the wireless. Without it they
would now be on AtwoodsKoy, the littlo island
near which their ship went upon the rocks; and
as the island is about thirty-three miles off tho
line of travel they might have been there for
some time. ' But while the wireless brought a
ship they learned that the smaller ships havo
BUT ONE OPERATOR and, as ho must havo
time for sleep, there is a part of the time
approximately one-third when a distress signal
can not bo heard, no matter how near a ship
may be to tho scone of the accident.
Take this particular case, for instance; .the
ship wont upon the rocks at 3:45 a. m. The
wireless operator at once signalled for help. He
received an answer from New York, and from
six other stations scattered along the coast be
tween New York and western Cuba, but could
not get into connection with any ship, for tho
reason that tho operators rest from 1:30 to 6
a. m. In thi3 case the danger was not Immediate
and a few hours did not make any difference,
but an hour might mean life or death to all on
board. It is the opinion of all tho passengers
on tho "Joachim" and officers as well as pas
sengers share the opinion, that provision should
bo made for at least two operators on each ship
so that signals of distress could bo heard at
all hours.
This matter should bo brought to the attention
of the appropriate committees of the senate
and house.
The hours that passed between 3:45 and the
answer from the relief ship were anxious ones
for the "Joachim" passengers, and it Is easy to
imagine tho greater anxiety that would have
been felt if the ship had been sinking.
IT OUGHT TO PASS
Representative Cyrus Cline of Indiana, Intro
duced in the house of representatives a joint
resolution having the following title:
"To declare the purpose of the United States
to relinquish control over the Philippines, estab
lish an independent government for them, and
protect the same by a general treaty of neu
trality." The resolution follows:
"Resolved by the senate and house of repre
sentatives of the United States of America in
congress assembled,
"First. That it is the ultimate purpose of tho
United States to cease exercising sovereignty
over the Philippine Islands as a dependency of
the United States.
"Second. That the United States declares its
purpose and settled policy to be to establish
and grant a stable and independent government
for the Philippine Islands as soon as conditions
necessary for such government shall exist.
"Third. 'That tho president of the United
States be respectfully requested to consider tho
expediency of opening negotiations with the
great powers of the world with a view of estab
lishing, by joint treaty, the neutrality of the
Philippine Islands and the protection of their
independence."
It will bo the duty of democrats in congress
to declare themselves on this Bubject and Mr.
Cline's resolution conforms to the position taken
by the democratic party In at least three na
tional conventions.
"The Salt of the Earth"
The Now York JournaJ takes Mr. Bryaa to
task for a speoch mado by him recently at Ltsr
coln, Nob., and not correctly roported. The
speoch from which tho Journal quotes was
short extemporaneous addrcoB at a Y. M. 0. A,
breakfast. It was not roported with absolute
accuracy, but reproduces SUBSTANTIALLY
what ho said, although some qualifying words
aro omitted. Mr. Bryan took "Salt" as his subject
and after pointing out tho necessity for It and
Its value as a preservative ho quotod Christ's
striking uso of Bait as an illustration of the
influence which his followers would exert upon
tho world. Tho application, of which the
Journal complains, was then mado and Mr.
Bryan cited his own community as proof. He
said that among those who openly declare
allegiance to tho Christian church would be
found, not all, but practically all, who are a
force In the community's progress and ho added
that among the others would bo found, not all,
but practically all, who aro worthless, criminal,
degenerate and a burden to society. Ho con
cluded with tho generalization that tho Christian
group comprises tho salt of tho earth, tho salt
of tho nation and tho salt of tho community.
The statement in regard to Lincoln might not
bo true of all communities, but spoaklng gener
ally, Mr. Bryan has not claimed raoro than
other Christians claim, or more than tho facts
Justify when ho quotes with approval Christ's
description of those who would accept him. If
tho Journal complains that Christians do not live
up to tho Christian standard It will be within
tho truth but that Is because the Christian
standard is so much higher than any other.
But if It denies that tho Christians, oven though
they but imperfectly reflect tho ligbt from the
cross, aro tho salt of tho earth, its dispute Is
not with Mr. Bryan but with tho Blblo and with
history.
It Is hardly to bo expocted that those who
reject Christianity will admit that Christ Is the
light of tho world; but it Is not tho fault of
tho light If tho darkness does not compre
hend It. Possibly tho editor of tho Journal does
not look at Christianity from the standpoint of
ono who accepts It; ho says, In tho criticism
above referred to:
"Mr. Bryan may believe that Christianity Is
the religion of good men, that other religions
are tho religions of the worthless, tho criminal
and. the degenerate. That belief is not unusual
in deeply religious minds especially among
those of simple hearts and childish Ignorance.
Every Buddhist, of course, supposing him to
havo grown up In Ignorance and egotism In a
small corner of tho world, believes that his re
ligion contains all that is worth while. And the
dancing dervish believes it of his religion. And
the fire worshipper believes it and tho poor
African, hammering his head on the ground in
front of a painted idol, believes it also."
The above language may give us the point of
view from which the Journal's editor looks at
Christianity, and it may reveal the answers of
his criticism. It Is not worth while to expect
justice to Christianity from ono who puts It
in a class with tho religion of the Buddhist, the
dervish and the African worshipper of idols.
Mr. Bryan has no apology to make to the editor
of the Now York Journal for believing that
Christianity is the salt of the earth.
Christians would not build churches In every
community, establish colleges throughout the
world and spend twenty-five millions a year to
carry tho gospel to heathen lands If they thought
Christianity was on a par with Buddhism, der
vishism and African Idolatry. Many vho are
not personally connected with any branch of the
Christian church openly acknowledge allegiance
to the church by contributions thus admitting
that the church exerts an influence for good. It
is unfair to count against the church those who,
though not members are Indebted to a Christian
homo for their moral character and who are
under the continuing restraint of a Christian
environment.
The Atheist and the materialist of today can
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