I
4:
The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
only opposing what they regarded as a financial
heresy and a financial heretic. They did not
realize that 'free silver' was but tho accidental
and temporary shibboleth of democracy in that
fight, and that the 'gold standard' was the same .
for plutocracy. Governor Harmon did under
stand this, as Grover Cleveland did. And, like
Cleveland, his- opposition to Bryan was only
nominally for the latter's 'free silverism;' it
was really for the democratic spirit which1
Bryan's leadership represented. In other words,
Governor Harmon was then, as he is yet, a '
reactionary deiriocrat such as Grover Cleveland
was. Throughout Tom L. Johnson's democratic
struggle in Ohio, Mr. Harmon tried to thwart
his democratic policies, and often did thwart
them, by co-operating with the worst 'machine'
elements of the democratic party in that state.
In all probability Governor Harmon is sup
ported, and will be supported, by leading Ohio
democrats democratic demoorats.- But let no
one outside of Ohio be fooled thereby. No man
in responsible, practical politics can do exactly
as he wishes at all times; and one of the things
such a man can never do except in emergencies
is what democratic democrats of Ohio must do
in order to oppose Harmon. They must defy
the instruction! of their own party convention.
By a familiar political trick, Governor Harmon's
workers secured for him the presidential nomi
nation of his state convention when he ran for
re-election as governor. In view of that fact no
recommendation of Harmon by any Ohio demo
crat --Can be taken safely at face value. Nor
ought it to be taken even if there were no
coercion. Though democrats, who would want
Grover Cleveland for president again if they
couid get him are quite right in supporting Jud
Bon Harmon, nobody else would be. Gover
nor , Harmon is the one . presidential pos
sibility up to the present tiriie, except Mr. Taft,
of whom it can be said that any democratic
democrat who votes for him, either at primary
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squarely against his own professed convictions.
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BEEN JN OHIO
Waverly (Ohio) Democrat: For reasons not
difficult to understand, the Houston Post of
Texas goes, a good many miles away from home
to find a statesman whose promotion to the
presidency would cure "all. our ills, real or
imaginary" and who would refuse to riot in a
"wilderness of radicalism" to that end. Tt
locates that man in Mr. Harmon of Ohio. The
Post "gets right down to brass tacks" and speci
fies in detail just how the governor saved the
Buckeye state from tho demnition bow-wows.
It says: . '
"More eloquent than any speech is tho record m
of deeds which, marks him as a great man and
a faithful administrator of public affairs. Some
of his notable achievements may bo enumerated
as follows: - - ' .
"Ho has secured the passage .of a law which
eliminates partisanship in the choice of judged.
. " "He has caused to be enacted a workingman's
indemnity law.
"Pie has cauesd to be enacted a law limiting
the labor of workmen to fifty-four -hours per
week.
"IJo has caused tho public utilities to be regu
lated by Jaw. ' ' .
"He has appointed a commission by which .
the taxation of all public utilities has 'been in
creased from $300,000,000 to $1,000, 000,000.
Homes t and factories, consequently pay less
taxes. " v
"These laws did not come about easily by
any means. He had to fight powerful influences
to get them through but he fought patiently and
intelligently and succeeded."
In the first place, it will be proper to state
that this valuable information as to how Mr.
Harmon has saved Ohio, comes from a news
paper' owned by bne R. M. Johnson, the right
hand man of Senator Bailey thetrust's gr,eat and
good friend; and herewith the cat escapes from
-the. bag. -.
The Post must certainly be in error relative
to the claims of Governor Harmon as to. what
W, has accomplished during hjs, tenure of;ad-v
ministration.
If our memory is not at fault,. the Post claims
credit for Mr. Harmon for several things with
which he had little, if anything at all, to do.
So far as the law which eliminates partisan
ship in the choice of judges is concerned, tho
honor of that reform "belongs to Hon. W. W. .
Durbin of Kenton, O. It is our recollection
that Mr. Durbin proposed' a resolution to that
effect to the committee on resolutions at the
Dayton convention; that Hon. W. L. Finley was
chairman of that committee and that Judge
David Rockwell and the. Hon. Spriggs McMahon
were members of' the sub-committee, all of
whom were favorable to the, resolution and were
responsible for its final adoption. Mr. 'Harmon,
had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Perhaps it ought to be said just here, that
Mr. Harmon did prepare the part of the plat
form relating to national, affairs and that he
absolutely refused to put anything into it
pledging the primary election of senators and
that moreover, he was the one man responsible
for the convention not making a nomination for
senator at that time. .
The Post also alludes to Mr. Harmon's re
sponsibility for the fifty-four hours per week
for "workmen." No such a law was either pro
posed or enacted. A law was' proposed and
enacted that limited a week's work for women
to fifty-four hours. But the governor- neither
urged it nor signed it, as wo recall. He did
dodge it when it came to him for signature.
.But the Post mentions, also, tho public
utilities bill. Well, what we want to know is,
if this bill was a pet measure of the governor
why did Ire dodge it also? He didn't sign It,
as this watch-dog of the peoples' interests re
calls and It Is only fair to assume that all
- governors sign bills that they are specially In
terested In having- passed. But let us sup'pbse
that Mr. Harmon now believes In .this bill. The
public utilities have not only been increased in
value but all other forms of property havo been
increased, so that throughout the state, cor
porations will not pay any more taxes, in pro
portion to the ability to pay, than, owners of
ma)l homes In "Waverly and Pike county. The
reason, of course, that some governors do not
sign bills, is, that they get "between the devil
and the deep bluo sea;" In othor words; betwixt
the corporations and tho people -and so-they're
damned If they do and damned if they don't and
lacking the moralcourago that should possess
VOLUME li NUMBER 5 1
every executive, they hide behind the "ho "signal
turo" fence and take their chances'.
In conclusion, this little rag of freedom out
hero In the hoop-pole district of. Pike county,
is going to havo the audacity to make an inquiry
of the palavering and militant metropolitan
dally of Houston.
If Mr. Harmon is such a transcendent "good
friend of the common people and such a determ
ined and persistent enemy of the moneyed in
terests of the country, how does it come that
Wallstreet and the trusts andrthe corporations
and the SenaorBaileys and he Houston Posts
are all lining up for him for president next
year? '. .
" Six millions of the friends of William J. Bryan
want to know, also.
"BRYAN A REPUBLICAN ASSET"
ft
W. W Mnriihyin the parlington (Wis.)
Democrat An article appeared in a recent
issue of the Republican-Journal w this city,
copied from .the Milwaukee Sentinel of 'a recent
date, referring to Mr. Bryan as "a republican
asset," implying that he was valuable in pro-,
moting republican success. 1 am pleased to see
these -respectable journals accqrdingMr. Bryan
sonio meed of praise, "though it be with veiled
sarcasm.
As a result of the entrance of Mr; Bryaninto
the politics of tho nation wo see the hofd of
the. priVllqged interesta-on, the,, nation's, re
sources is being broken and their Belshazzar
feast approaches its end. Democracy as ex
pounded by .Mr. Bryan is meeting the approval
of the nation. His battle in behalf of the people
against commercialism. is meeting with such un
exampled success that the representatives .of the
people are in control of one branch of the na
tion's legislature and the privileged interests'
representation in another has so lost its power
as to render it impotent.
Again we see Mr. Bryan Jn the forefront (as
"a republican asset") when there appeared an
article from his pen at the- beginning of- Roose
velt's term, entitled "Roosevelt's Opportunity,"
setting forth, in forcible terms the dangers that
menace our national existence through vast
aggregations of capital seeking to control all the
avenues leading, to .the absorption of the na
tion's wealth. Even the fiscal policies of our
nation are not free froni their sinister designat
or Ihe judicial ermine untarnished from their
desecrating contact.
Mr,. Bryan's appeal did not fall on barren
soil. It struck a responsive, chord in the great
heart of Theodore Roosevelt, and we see him
sending, a message to congress which was a
virtual- 'declaration qf war on plutocracy that
he never ceased' waging until he Surrendered
the reins of government to his successor.
Mr. Bryan was delivering a lecture in New
Jersey when the news of the Roosevelt message
reached him. He said to hfs hearers that he
hoped all democrats in congress would hold up
tlie president's hands in the good "work and
history' records that every measure 'designed for
the nation's weal and made effective "by demo
cratic support another instance of Mr. Bryan's
having "been a valuable asset.
Later in Roosevelt's administration the great .
anthracite coal strike occurred, 'in the dead of
winter, and great privation and suffering were
likely, to result. All the usual resources for
settlement had been exhausted when Mr. Bryan
suggested the appointment of a national board
of arbitration. President Roosevelt, acting on
Mr. Bryan's initiative, appointed such a board,
without waiting for congress to act, and the
board settled the strike. Tally another for Mr.
Bryan as an asset. . .-
.Passing to the present administration we see
its political representative, Prosiderit Taft
traveling to the confines of the nation proclaim
ing the doctrine of tariff revision downward,
the same doctrine that Mr. Bryan "advocated
seventeen years ago in a masterly speech in
congress, and has continued to advocate since.
Again, we see President Taft convening con
gress In extraordinary session, advocating' reci
procity, a fundamental principle of democracy,
which Mr. Bryan, in common with all other
democrats, maintains.
Again, we see Mr. Bryan as a valuable asset
when, In tho namerof the people and in the in
terests of the purity of elections-" he demanded
publicity of the sources of campaign contribu
tions, both before atfd after elections. Roose
volt derided, politicians scoffed, but the -peppl
commended and their voice was potent, Congress-
heard and heeded and passed a publicity
bill. It was signed by President Taft, who had
previously criticised it. That was, .an occasion
when Mr. Bryan was an asset; and forced tk
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