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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
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as second-class matter.
Wn.tr M J. Hiiyan
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RicnAiiD L. MwrcAtiFit
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CHAntra W. Bryan
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
Where Folk Stands
The Plattsburg (Mo.) Democrat prints - the
following striking sentences from the writings
and speeches of Former Governor Joseph W.
Folk of Missouri:
"All the democratic party needs in order to
succeed at the next election is to keep the faith
of the people, and be true to its own principles."
"There is an embezzlement 'of power, as well
LOanamhazzlGinan.r--.ot money-," ., .
"Some think so little of their obligation to the
general welfare that they are indifferent to being
robbed, so long as they do not feel the effect
directly."
"The indifference of voters is the greatest
menace to a republican form of government."
"There is no such thing as an automatically
good government; we must have good men in
public office."
"Political bosses are usually of strong men
tality and of feeble morality."
"As privilege increases, opportunity must
diminish, and as opportunity diminishes the
rights of the individual are destroyed."
"Criminal wealth, when assailed, always tries
to hide behind the skirts of legitimate business,
and claims that business is harmed when at
tacked."
"If the people can not be trusted to govern
themselves, who can be trusted to govern them?"
"Progressive democracy is constructive, not
destructive."
"A municipality must either be governed' by
Ytr -"opie, for the people, or it will be a syndi
cated form of 'government."
"Individuals are of passing moment. Prin
ciples are immortal."
"The need is for more citizens who can be
aggressively honest."
"Negative honesty is the next thing to dis
honesty." "No man, no nation, no party can stand still
we must progress or decay."
"The gTeat question be'fore the country is, ,
Shall there be government by the people for all,
or government by privilege for a class?' "
"There is little danger from error when public
opinion is enlightened and reason is free."
"The only purpose of the privilege accorded
by a' high-protective tariff is to Btifle competi
tion and give monopoly."
"It is neither fair nor just for ninety millfons
of people to be taxed in order to make a few
very-rich."
"The time of the hermit nation has passed.
American ships should carry American products
into every land."
"We should have reciprocal trado relations,
not only with Canada but with, all the leading
nations."
"Legitimate commerce .follows in the wake of
peaceful industry, fair dealing, and freedom
from artificial restrictions upon trade."
"No city, no-state, no nation can be injured
by the enforcement of the people's laws."
"The same logic that would deny the right of
The Commoner.
recall to the people could be- used against the
election of their officials by the people."
"I advocate the initiative and referendum as a
means of lessening corruption in our leg.ola
turos." "Tho demand for direct election of United
States senators shows the growing desire of the
people to take the government into their own
hands."
"If a government anywhere neglects the
people, it is because the people first neglect the
government."
"Predatory interests have nothing to fear
from passive opposition, but they must yield to
active and aggressive fighters."
"The first difficulty was not to uncover
bribery, but to prove that bribery was a crime."
"Liberty is no fair young maid, with light
and delicate limbs and flowing locks. It i a
bearded man, full armed and seasoned to war
and conflict."
"The democratic party must convince the
people not what it purposes to do for itself, but
what it can do for them." v
"Contempt for the law is no less reprehensible
when plotted over a directors' table than when
shouted under a red flag at an anarchists'
meeting."
"Tho doctrine of equal rights should be made
a living, vital, controlling force in government."
"The record of every candidate should be
scanned to see whether he is so situated asto
be able to serve the public without bias in favor
of any interest antagonistic to the people."
"There should be a greater Individual respon
sibility to the criminal laws on the part of
operators of corporations."
"What hafe been accomplished in applying
moral ideas to public and private acts has been
brought about because good people have gotten
Into politics."
"It is a question for us not of founding a new
party, but in the preservation , of the idealB of
tho old party."
"On one side are tho advocates and the
beneficIarJosot special privilege; on the other
side are those who stand ""for equality of oppor
tunity to all."
"The capacity of a people for self-government
is to be proven by the happiness and welfare of
the average man."
"Let us have neither the conservation, of stag
nation, nor the radicalism of indiscriminating
destruction. We want progress along right
lines."
"The government does not guarantee the
farmer, the lawyer, the doctor or the banker
a 'reasonable profit,' and why should the manu
facturers alone be so favored?"
"Under our system of government the rights
of individuals and corporations are protected,
but the rights of the public are not .protected."
"The rising tide of democracy is not for the
democratic party no matter how controlled, but
in favor of real democratic principles."
"Women can have suffrage when they want
it. Every fight for better things to be successful
must have the moral support of the women."
"The fight of the farmer is not to. obtain
privileges for himself, but to keep others from
securing privileges at his expense."
"Taking the tariff out of politics sounds well,
but what does such a move mean other than
taking it out of the hands of the people?"
"Tho new type of citizen is demanding no
special advantages for himself, but is asking
legislation for the common good."
"Insurgency in the republican party is what
there is of conscience in that party."
"Bad citizenship is nearly always aggressive,
whereas, good citizenship is too often apathetic."
"One good, honest vote for the right is worth
an eternity of private declamation against tho
evils of corrupt politics."
"Whether the political party shall remain or
not is not so important as how it shall perform
its duties while here."
. "The democratic party is not against wealth,
but the conditions that create poverty."
"Behind every political question there is a
moral question."
. 'Honesty is not only the best policy; honesty
is tho best politics."
"A tariff other than for revenue is a legalized
graft."
"There is as much patriotism in the ballot as
in the bullet."
"Those who profit by abuses are usually the
loudest in denunciation of those who point out
abuses in public affairs."
"Safety lies in placing law above lawlessness."
"Give us more of tho kind of patriotism that
VOLUME LI? NUMBER 51
will-go into .battles of-peace ag rcacU)y. as- into
the battles of war." '- ' 'C .:
"Publicity is the best cure for corruption."
A FINANCIAL WATERMELON PATCH
An analysis of the first 40 annual reports of
the New York Central and Hudson River Rail
road company, filed in compliance with the New"
York statutes, shows that a clear net profit of
a fraction over 24 cents remained to be divided
among the owners of the bonds and stock, from
every dollar of income from all sources during
the entire -39 years and 8 months of operations
covered by those reports.
Aggregating the operating expenses during
the first 40 years of this company's corporate
existence
included in winch expenses ar.e
liberal amounts alleged to have been expended
for repairs to
road bed,
rolling stock and "l
buildings ; CiZ- ' -
together with prodigious; sums 'reported-tiv have
been paid for " " "
printing and , t " '
advertising,
insurance,
legal expenses, . , ' s '
all costs for damages to persons and property,
the clearing of all wrecks,
the generous salaries' paid to officers,
millions for oil and m
waste for locomotives, '
other millions said to have been paid for water
for locomotives.
many millions reported to have been disbursed
but for what specific purposes does not appear
except that they are said to have been paid for
"other expenses,"
and to this aggregate add
all disbursements for purposes other than
operating expenses,
the aggregate taxes of 40 years,
rentals for leased lines,
considerable sums reported as real estate ex
penses, and -t
several millions reported to have, been set aside
to redeem financial obligations without explain
ing how or when they were redeemed or offer
ing evidence that they over were redeemed;
adding all those disbursements together, all
which are indicated above, all of them, and de
ducting the grand total from the aggregate in
come or revenue reported for the same period,
and the remainder shows the profit of twenty
four cents net on each dollar of income.
It is a clear profit of several thousand dollars
in excess of 457 millions about $1,315 for
every hour, day and night, from October 31,
1869, to July 1, 1909. Levi Stevens Lewis, in
The Public.
WHY?
Commenting on the Oil and -Tobacco decision,
President Taft said:
"The most extreme critic can, not instance a
case that ought to bo Condemned under the
statute which is not brought within its terms as
thus construed. ,
.
"A reasonable restraint of trade at ccnmon
law Is well understood and4 is clearly defined.
It does not rest In the discretion of the court.
"Mere size is no sin against the law. The
merger of two or more business plants neces
sarily eliminates competition between the units
thus combined, but this elimination is in con
travention of the statute only when the combi
nation is made for tho purpose of ending this
particular competition in order to secure con
trol of and enhance prices and create a
monopoly.
"The suggestion is made that we may have a
combination of two corporations which may
run on for years and. that subsequently the
attorney general may conclude that it was a
violation of tho statute, and that which was
supposed by the combiners to be Innocent turns
out to be a combination in violation of tha
statute. The answer to this hypothetical caso
is that when men attempt to amass such stupen
dous capital as will enable them to suppress
competition, control prices and establish a
monopoly, they know the purpose of their acts
Men do not do such a thing without having tfl
clearly in mind."
Why not then cause the arrest of the Stand
ard Oil magnates and the Tobacco trust mag
nates under the criiriinal clause of the Sherman
anti-trust law?