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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1912)
The Commoner. VQLUMJJ 12, NUMBER ft ? Mil. imVAN'S SI'KKOH ON GUFFKY Spoaklng boforo tho national committee In tho Ouffoy contoot Mr. Bryan said, in substance: "I did not know until I roachcd Washington that Dr. IIn.ll (tho Nebraska committeeman) had Hont mo bin proxy and I would not have used it but for the fuel that I regard tho Pennsylvania contoBt as ono of great Importance Its decision will affoct not merely tho contestants and their Btntos, but the standing of tho national com mittee boforo tho country. Mr. Guffey is not an unknown man. Ilo lo the man whose case was tried and whoso claims woro repudiated by tho last national convention. Ilo comes from a state notorious for its corruption. I am not roBponslblo for his dofoat at Donvor. When my advice was asked I told them that thoy need not bothor about him; that I would attend to him myself. Ilo dollborately stlflod tho voice of tho party In his state aftor it had spoken at tho primaries and I would not have permitted him to take part In the campaign. Tho con vention, of its own accord, put him off tho com mittco by unseating his fraudulently elected dologates. When Mr. Kerr died tho state com mlttoo of Pennsylvania, controlled by Mr. Guffey, put him back on tho national committee In contompt of tho national convention. It was an attempt on his part to rebuke tho conven tion. You, tho representatives of tho national organization ought to resont tho insult. If you do not, I, In tho name of six and a half million democrats, do rosont it. "After his soloctlon by tho state committee his conduct become so repulsive to tho party in tho state that tho vory commltteo that eolected him olghty per cent of the personnel of tho committee being tho Bamo rescinded Its action and soloctod anothor man, Mr. Palmer, for national committeeman. Mr. Palmer's selec tion has been lndorsod by moro than two-thirds of tho stato commlttoo, by all the democratic mombors of congress from Pennsylvania and by thirty-seven of tho forty-five democratic legis lators of Pennsylvania. At tho stato election in 1910 moro than two-thirds of tho democratic votors of Pennsylvania revolted against Mr. Gu Key's loadorBhlp thoy being convinced that ho was using his position and lnfluonco to aid tho republican machine Ho reduced tho democratic vote from over four hundred thousand to less than ono hundred and thirty thousand. "Now, this national committee Is asked to ignore tho wishes of tho domocrats of tho stato and allow this man to continue to misrepresent Pennsylvania democracy. His attornoy has not attemptod to deny that tho domocrats of his stato want him removed ho represents nothing but tho predatory Interests of Pennsylvania and tho republican machine of Ills state., Wo can not afford to weigh a technicality against tho known wishes of tho votors of our party in that state. To uso tho language of Burke, 'You can not draw an Indictment against a wholo people; neither can wo disregard the successful revolu tion which Is resisting political dishonesty in Pennsylvania. Wo have as brave and true a lot of domocrats in tho Keystone state as can be found in tho union and wo can not afford to enter a national campaign with tho odium that will rest upon us If we turn a deaf ear to the just demand of tho Pennsylvania democracy and retain on tho committee a man who is a burden to his party at homo and a disgrace abroad." SENATOR HITCHCOCK'S SPEECH The Irish World, published in Now York Patrick Ford, editor, publisher and proprietor! is making a great fight against the peace troatles and In its issue of January 13th, says Tho Commoner, which is tho property and tho personal organ of Mr. William Jennings Bryan, 1b very desirous that tho unlimited arbi tration treaty with England should bo rushed through the senate in short order. In its issue of January 5 it states that there is not much difference between tho view Mr. Taft takes of it and that held by Mr. Roosevelt! It declares k is a question of tweedledum and tweodledee. 2?Hfvn l imFor thInS 1b that the senate ratify tho Anglo-American treaty off hand Here is how The Commoner puts it: 'The treaty ought to bo ratified at once as it is if possible, with the Roosevelt change if neces sary ; but let it be ratified at once.' Wo com mend to The Commoner the reading of Senator Hitchcock's speech on the treaty Mr. Bryan's newspaper organ would have the senate dispose of in so cavalier a manner." appose Wo have read Senator Hitchcock's speech In that speech Mr. Hitchcock did not discus thl merits of the treaty. In fact in ?J f i which we find printed Mtii?IrtS Torlt ho said: "I have purposely avoided tho dis cussion of both of theso treaties for the reason that I feel that tho initiative in this matter is in Great Britain." Tho wholo point, therefore, in Mr. Hitch cock's speech was that tho ratification of tho peace treaty with Groat Britain would place us in "an entangling alliance" with that country. This point was well answered by a simple question submitted to Mr. Hitchcock by Senator Ilayner of Maryland. Senator Rayner asked, "Will tho ratification of these treaties place us in an entangling alliance with Prance?" That question remains unanswered and tho senator from Nebraska made no effort to answer it. Senator Rayner's question shows tho absur dity of the contention that tho ratification of those arbitration treaties means an alliance such as Washington warned us against. If the treaty made with Great Britain means an entangling alliance with that country then tho treaty with Franco will mean an entangling allianco with France. Then when Germany and Japan and other nations come in for similar treaties that will be an alliance with those coun tries, and soon America will have an "allianco" with all the civilized world an alliance for the promotion of peace and for tho abolition of war. God speed the day when such alliances as theso shall be made. THE KANSAS VICTORY At a special election held in the Seventh Kansas congressional district January 9th, George Neeloy, democrat, defeated his republi can opponent by a majority pt about 1,500. This is the district represented by the late Edmond H. Madison, insurgent republican. Two years ago Mr. Neeley was defeated by Madison by 5,000. This gives the second democrat to the house of representatives from Kansas. Joseph J. Tag gort having recently been elected to succeed the late Representative Mitchell. Surely Kansas has turned its face toward the light. , CONGRATULATIONS TO VARDAMAN Former Governor and United States Senator Elect James K. Vardaman was exonerated of all blame in alleged irregularities concerning the handling of state funds. This was the re port of Mississippi's joint legislative investigat ing committee and both houses of the legisla ture adopted tho report. Friends of Governor Vardaman in other states had Implicit confidence that he would be exonerated and they will be glad to see their judgment vindicated. Mr. Vardaman is a faithful friend of the public interests and he will be a power for good in the United States sonato. SENATOR JAMES A Kentucky legislature, by a vote of 105 to 28, selected Ollie M. James to succeed Senator Thomas H. Paynter. Mr. James' term in the senate will begin March 5, 1913. Ollie James is now serving his fifth term in J fAA0Wer house of congress. He has been a faithful worker for democratic principles and he will faithfully represent Kentucky in the senate. Democrats in every state in the union will join Tho Commoner in congratulations to Senator Ollio James and congratulations to the great state of Kentucky. "BIRDS OP A FEATHER" If the readers of Tho Commoner will run over the names of those voting to retain Mr. Guffey on the committee against the protests of tho democrats of the stato they will find ALL the members who are closely affiliated with the in terests and a few who ought to have known bet ter than to take his side. A few VighT plead coercion by conditions. P a OHIO DEMOCRATS The Democratic Progressive league which was organized at Columbus January 2nd, has opened headquarters at bus nL511 HarrlBOn Gilding, Colum bus, Ohio, secretary of the league, W. S ,et ln cmmunication with the Ohio democrats who approve of the work that the league has 'undertaken THE THIRD TERM Now that Mr. Roosevelt's attitude as to third term is known "he does not desire it and will make no effort to secure it but will accept it if it comes to him" the country may well consider the third term precedent which he stands ready to disregard. It is not worth whilo to quibble as to whether it would be a third term. Mr. Roosevelt set that question to rest by his own clear and emphatic interpretation of the case just after his -election in 1904. The only question presented is, Are the people ready- to overthrow the precedent set by Wash ington, Jefferson, Jackson and o'thers and open the executive office to the ambitions of. those who may want to hold the position permanently? When the two-term precedent is violated who will set us a new and more binding precedent? If Mr. Roosevelt can bring' himself to accept a third term will -he refuse a fourth and a fifth? And why should he be asked to run again? la ho more deserving than Washington and those who have refused to rush where Washington was afraid to tread? Are we confronting any crisis which he alone has the ability and courage to meet? " , The issue between plutocracy and democracy is clear. His election is not necessary for the protection of plutocracy predatory wealth can be safely entrusted to President Taft or to a Wall street democrat. Neither is his election necessary for tho advancement of democracy, Mr. La Follette goes farther ' in that direction than Mr. Roosevelt (if the people demand a republican) and progressive democrats go farther still. What emergency coerces the country into ex tending an invitation to some future "man on horse back." Is Mr. Roosevelt the only man whQ can save the republican party from defeat? And if so, is a party worth saving that has but one man fit for the presidency? And again why reward Mr. Roosevelt for forcing Mr. Taft on the country? That is a queer way of making good the guaranty he gave the president. . Who will give a gooa reason for a third term? - : BALTIMORE, JUNE TWENTY-FIFTH The democratic national committee in session at the national capital, selected Baltimore as the place and June 25th as the date for holding the democratic national convention for 1912. The committee also adopted a presidential primaries resolution. The resolution adopted was a modification of one proposed by Senator Chamberlain of Oregon. It was framed by a sub-committee, headed by Clark Howell of Georgia, and was as follows: ? "That in the choice of delegates and alter nates to the national democratic convention of 1912 the democratic state or territorial com mittees may, if not otherwise directed by law of such states or territories, provide for the direct election of such delegates or alternates f in the opinion of the respective committees it is deemed desirable and possible to do so !5roper and sufflcient safeguards. Where such provision is not made by the respective committees for the choice of delegates and alternates and where the state laws do not provide specifically the manner of such choice then the delegates and alternates to the said national convention shall be chosen in the man ner that governed the choice of delegates from the respective states and territories to the last national democratic convention." A sub-committee on arrangements for the convention at Baltimore is to be appointed b? the chairman of the national committee tn on! sist of the chairman, Vice ChairnZ P L Haff Secretary Urey Woodson and seven other inem- Lthe cmmittee. Chairman Mack wHl name the seven additional members m?rm 5l return to his home In Buffalo D n WS Democratic conventions and nominees IipM and made in Baltimore were as follows? 1 1ll' ay 2nl Jackson and Van Buren ' lilt-, j BBuUr R- M- '' 1844, May 27 Polk and Dallas. 1848, May 22 Cass and Butler. . 1852, June V-Pierce and King. . J ' i7J, July 9 Greeley and Brown democrats as the nlar in ?, i sen by & 0 1 - I'M' .i.-. lSl .w-.Vla. !.,!