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THE REAL UNDERWOOD
Tho Washington Post, one of tho most un
blushing representatives of tlio plutocratic pro-,
paganda, has the following to say In regard to
Mr. Underwood as a presidential candidate:
"Tho democrats aro not only within their rights
in presenting Oscar W. Underwood as a candidate
for president, but thoy can do so with good logic
and an appeal to tho sentiment that the war is
over and tho south just as much a part of tho
union in its now development as any othor section
of tho country. Mr. Underwood represents tho now
south in sentiment and in environment. Ho was
born after tho civil war had had its beginning, in
Old Kontucky, and as a young man ho took up his
homo in Birmingham, which perhaps better typifies
tho now south than any othor city or community.
"When tho civil war closed there was a ruined
and' abandoned cotton plantation where now
centers tho greatest industrial development of tho
south. President Harrison no doubt had that
development in mind when in his Inaugural ad
dress ho said: 'Mill fires wero lighted at tho funeral
pilo of slavery. Tho emancipation proclamation
was heard in tho depths of the earth ad well as
in tho sky; men were made free, and material
things became our bettor sorvants.'
"What placo moro appropriate for tho homo of a.
candidato for president of a sensible and sano
democratic party, tirod of tho old slogan that pro
tection is a fraud and unconstitutional, than Birm
ingham, which has risen absolutely a new creation
and which shines brilliantly among tho southern
cities by tho mill fires lighted at tho funeral pilo
of slaory? Tho old abandoned cotton plantations
which were left as a desert after tho civil war
have, through tho riches from tho depths of tho
earth, taken the place as tho center of population
and ;dustrial development In Alabama. There is
no place in all this country where there has been .
such a complete revolution in industry and senti
ment as horo, whoro tho emancipation proclama
tion was heard in tho depths of tho earth and ma
terial things became tho bettor servants of tho
people.
"Mr. Underwood has tho proper environment for
a southern candidate for tho presidency. His work
as a public servant is in harmony with his environ
ment, Ho looks at tho tariff through eyes that
havo become Accustomed to tho now light of in- ,
dustrlal development, and has directed his effort
toward tariff reduction without utterly abandon
ing the policy of a tariff that will give incidental
protection. Mr. Underwood has also shown that
he is a capable and conservative leader in the
house, and ho has more recently given evidence
of conservative democracy in expressing his oppo
sition to the popullstlc vagaries of Initiative,
referendum, and recall, which some democratic
leaders havo recklessly seized upon as a good
enough Morgan for a campaign of opposition to the
presqnt administration. ' Let Alabama continue to
claim a placo on tho national stage and keep Oscar
Underwood thero as a safe and- sane democrat,
representing the new south In its best and most
brilliant development as well as the old Bouth in
Its best traditions."
It will be noticed that he possesses three
qualifications for- the position:
First He has shown himself a "CONSERVA
TIVE leade- in the house" and "has more re
cently given evidence of CONSERVATIVE
democracy in expressing his opposition to
POPULTSTIC VAGARTES OF INITIATIVE,
REFERENDUM and RECALL."
Herhis fitness is made to depend upon his
opposition to the progressive element of the
party and upon his hostility to reforms that rest
upon cflnfidence in the intelligence and patriot
ism of the people. Ho is put forward as a
"sensible and sane" candidate that sounds
quite like the "safe and sane democracy.' of
which we heard so much in 1904.
Second He has the proper "environment" -for
a candidate. Birmingham, we are told, is
"tired of the old slogan that protection is a
fraud and unconstitutional." Birmingham is
the home of one branch of the Steel trust and
the atmosphere, according to the Post, has be
come fairly charged with protective Bentiment.
Third Mr. Underwood's "work as a public
servant is IN HARMONY "WITH HIS ENVIRON
MENT He looks at the TARIFF THROUGH
EYES THAT HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED
TO THE NEW LIGHT" and "has directed his
'efforts toward tariff reduction WITHOUT
UTTERLY ABANDONING THE. POLICY OF A
TARIFF THAT WILL GIVE INCIDENTAL
PROTECTION."
There you have it. When Mr. Bryan sug
gested that Mr. Underwood was tainted with
protection it made him very mad. Some demo
crats who had not become acquainted with him
accused Mr. Bryan of misrepresenting him.
What will "he and they say now, when he s
praised for his conservatism, for regarding pro
tection with a friendly eye and for being en
vironed by the Steel trust?
Will he rise to a question of, personal privi
lege and denounce the Post for this praise, more
" daihjning than any .criticism Mr. Bryan has
uttered?
And yet with the corporation papers picking
out-" presidential candidates and urging them
BECAUSE they are AGAINST PROGRESSIVE
LEGISLATION some democrats are shout
ing harmony. Is it possible that the masses
will cherish the delusion that all is well while
Wall street lays its plans to. capture the con-
The Commoner
vention, write tho platform and nominate the
ticket? Is it treason to expose 4tho plot .and
urge resistance to it?
v THE PRIZE PLUTOCRAT
The New York Herald quotes Rev. James R.
Day, chancellor of 'the Syracuse university, of
Syracuse, N. Y., as saying at a recent New York
.banquet:
"James R. Day, chancellor of Syracuse uni
versity, opened his speech by saying of the Sher
man law that its father was political expediency
and its mother demagogy.
." 'It Is a fine law for the politician,' he said.
'It is an efficient instrument of torture for the
demagogue. It is a wonderfully efficient menace
for the unsuccessful competitor. The law is
tying up our vast movements, while Germany
is capturing the commerce of the world and even
little Canada snaps her fingers in our face and
laughs at our proposal of reciprocity.
" 'Has this law helped anything it has
touched? Has it promoted trade? Its purpose
is to secure competition, and competition is
called the life of trade. Competition is a fetich
which should have come off its pedestal long
ago. It is not the life of trade; it ir fhe destruc
tion of trade. As a matter of fact nothing has
promoted trade for all the people like those
mighty organizations which the Sherman law
is t"day paralyzing. This law proposes to under
take a work that the Almighty has never at
tempted to do give all men an equal chance.
The law should be repealed because it restrains
trade and destroys traders.' "
Many men have spoken foolishly on the trust
question .but it is doubtful whether any one of
equal prominence ever uttered as much tommy
rot in the same length of time. He is the prize
plutocrat of the country and his offense is the
greater because he professes to be a follower
of ttie Nazarene. Has he ever read the story
Of the Rich Young Man who wenf away sorrowing?
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
The defeat in the republican committee of
the presidential primary plan was not in the
least surprising to students of politics. The re
publican machine Is in the control of men who
have no sympathy whatever with popular
government reforms and a presidential primary
might endanger Mr. Taft's chances for renomi
natlon. The presidential primary plan was de
feated in the same spirit that antagonized the
admission of Arizona with its popular govern
ment constitution the same spirit in which the
republican party has been persistently led and
firmly held within the corral of the special
interests. Referring to the proceedings before
the national committee the Chicago Record
Herald says:
"The Borah plan was sensible, moderate and
practical. It left the choice between presiden
tial primaries and the convention method of
electing delegates to the state committees. The
majority plan actually adopted permits the state
co'mmittees to disregard or override presiden
tial primary laws and require the selection of
delegates to the presidential convention by
'caucus and state convention. This is needlessly
bourbon; it is calculated to offend insurgents
and progressives everywhere. It will, however,
stimulate the idea of legal, carefully regulated
presidential primaries, and thus may prove a
blessing in .disguise."
volume" ii, Dumber 5t
tus shall be capable of transmitting and receiv
ing messages over a distance of at least 100
miles, night or day.' "
In a letter addressed to The Commoner,
Senator iHtchcock says: "I find that the statute
as it exists now provides for an operator for
every vessel carrying 50 or more -people, crew
and passengers included. By the amendment,
of which I herewith enclose you" a copy, you will
see that I add a proviso' that after July 1st any
vessel carrying 100 persons, including crew and
passengers, shall havo at least two operators.
I think perhaps it would bo easier to secure the
enactment of this than to make it apply to' ves
sels Carrying only 60 -people?" '
WIRELESS OPERATORS, ,
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska has introduced,
the following bill:
"A bill to amend an act entitled 'An Act to
Require Apparatus and Operators for Radio
communication on Certain Ocean Steamers.'
Approved June 24, 1910.
"Be it enacted by the senate and house of
representatives of the United States of America
in congress assembled, that the act entitled 'An
act to require apparatus and operators for radio
communication, on, certain ocean steamers,' ap
proved June 24, 1910, be amended by the addi
tion of the following words to section 1: 'Pro
vided, also, that on and after the first day of
July, 1912, it shall bb unlawful for any ocean
going steamer of the. United States or of any
foreign country, carrying passengers and carry
ing 100 or more persons, Including passengers
and crew, to leave or attempt to leave any port
of the United States unless such steamer shall
be equipped with an efficient apparatus for radio
communication in good working order, in charge
of two or more persons killed in the use of
such apparatus, one. of whom shall bo on duty
at all hours of the day and night, which appara-
PASS THE HENRY BILL
Tho Henry bill, providing that the first' ses
sion of congress shall be held soon after elec
tion instead of thirteen months later and pro
viding also for the change in the date -of inaugu
ration ought to be passed. Now the congress
men elected in' November does not begin his
congressional work until December, thirteen
months later, and the congressman who may
have been repudiated in November goes to
Washington in December following the election
and has the opportunity of again misrepresent
ing the people. The congressman chosen in
November should begin work as soon, after the
election as possible and the second session of
congress ought to close before the succeeding
election in order that the people may have a
chance to pass upon its work.
The Henry bill will have the effect of abolish
ing the "job session" as the session of congress
in December, following the election has come
to be known.
HONESTY- IS THE BEST POLICY .
A London cablegram, carried by the As
sociated Press, says that the British government
has decided to exclude the American meat pack
ers against whom prosecutions have been in
stituted in the United States from contracts for
the supply of meats lo the British army and
navy,. pending the settlement of the suits. -This
cablegram adds:
"It was explained by officials of the .war office
that the government's action was in accordance
with' its regular policy, In-qase any company
with which the government dealt .becamein
volved in serious litigation, the government im
mediately refrained from giving it contracts.
British firms received the same treatment under
the same circumstances."
The members of the meat trust will learn the
old, old story, that honesty is the best policy.
They have everything to loose at home and
abroad for the violation of the laws of their
country. - .
A "LOSING CANDIDATE"'
The NeWswYrk Evening Mail, a republican
newspaper, prints an editorial entitled, "Taft a
Losing Candidate." The Mail says: "A leader
less republican party staggers along toward a
presidential campaign with the slow and halting
step of 'The Dead March.' If hope abides, It is
not centered in Mr. Taft; if conquering spirit
lingers, it Is not quickened or vitalized by the
thought that a president always controls the
nominating machinery of his party.
"Mr. Taft now proposes to do this, just as
President Harrison did in 1892 when he found
his renominatlon opposed by a substantial ele
ment in his party. If he persists, the same fate
avaits him on election day. An unwilling sup
port never achieved victory in politics or else
where, and Mr. Taft 'can not be blind to the
unwillingness of the republican party to name
him for president. He Is not its choice. Ho
has lost its leadership and its confidence."
BETTER GET ON GUARD
The Houston (Texas) Post quotes, former
Governor Shallenberger of Nebraska as saying
that the proposed initiative and referendum
amendment to the state constitution will fail
of adoption when submitted to the people next
November. All- parties in Nebraska are sup
posed to favor this great reform but it is very
clear that there are In the democratic party as
well as tho republican party powerful influences
that are seeking the defeat of direct legislation.
Nebraska democrats, particularly, should bo
on their guard. They should see to it that not
only their own party again goes on record in
favor of this constitutional amendment, but they
should talk about tho reform to their neighbors
and by this missionary work seek to impress
upon their thoughtless fellows the importance,
of' an active interest in popular government.
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