Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1912)
jit&emd&i-j-L, wif -.rl Ml it . "Jk W r . ipMUWMUieft-BWSiif'-- f'k V M. i m 1?', Pfr m. J.. 2 THE ENEMY UNMASKED Under tho hoadlino, "Tho Enemy Unmasked," tlio Johnstown (Pa.) Domocrat prints tlio follow ing editorial: Tho voto on seating Mr. Guffoy in tho national committee served tho main purpose of those who insisted on forcing tho contest to a show down. It dourly soparated the sheep from tho goats. While ostonsihly tho voto turned on the techni cal point that, while stato committees wero empowered by the itogor Sullivan resolution to fill vacancies in tho national committee, no power was conferred upon them to create va cancies, as was dono by tho committee in this stato, tho roal Issue was between roaction and progrosB, tho reactionaries winning simply be causo tho national committee docs not now ro fioct nor has it over reflected tho progrossivo sontimont of tho country. Tho national com mittee hns boon callod a Bryan committee, but it was novor so. It was not a Bryan committee In 189G; it was not a Bryan committee in 1900; It was notoriously anti-Bryan in 1904; in 1908 It was but nominally with tlio Nobraskan, and now in 1912 it openly roveals its truo quality by a voto of 30 to 18 in favor of James M. Guffoy and of all for which Mr. Guffoy stands. Mr. Bryan knew precisely what ho was about in forcing tho issuo. Tho reactionaries tried to koop him from undertaking what they assured him was certain to bo a losing battle. But thoy might as well havo sought to induce him to foroako his wifo or to disown his children. Ho roalizoB in tho cloarost manner that tho demo cratic party can not bo truly progressive whilo dominated in greater or less dogreo by a reac tionary organization; and ho found tho Guffoy issuo ready to hand .as a test of the quality of tho great committeo which can make or mar the fortunes of domocracy. It is doubtful whothor Mr. Bryan hoped at any timo to win in this particular contest. Certainly some of those most closoly concerned in making it woro anything but sanguine. But they wanted tho issuo tried out and thoy did not doubt that Mr. Bryan would stand with them in tho face of inevitable defeat. Ho did not flinch. Ho recognized tho vital character of tho situation and with characteristic courage and integrity of , purpose ho threw down tho gage of battle and facod tho onomy with a power and a determina tion undaunted by tho ond foreseen. - And now ho will carry tho issuo for final sottlomont directly to tho people. A majority of tho national committeo stands for Guffey and for Guffoyism, but do a majority .of democrats do tho same? That Is the question. And every man In tho national committeo who stood for Guffoy and for Guffoyism must give an account of his stewardship to tho democrats of his stato. Ho must dofond his action as best ho may. He must show tho honest democrats whose suffrages ho has betrayed that a technicality is more sacrod than any principle and moro to bo con sidered than tho wolfaro of tho party itself Ho must show his constituents that in wounding the honest domocracy of Pennsylvania he was not at tho samo tlmo inflicting a deep hurt on tho party in tho nation and in "vindicating" Mr Guffoy ho was not at tho samo timo buttressing the position of tho Roger Sulllvans, the Don-nelly-Ryans, tho "Jim" Smiths, tho Boss Nu gents, tho Charles P. Murpheys and other traders and trafflckors wtjo havo used tho party as merchandise and who euro no more for its prin ciples than thoy do for tho ordinary decencies of political life. Probably for tho first time since 1896 Mr Bryan now has the enemy within the national organization completely unmasked. Some who had successfully masqueraded as his friends in tho past are now Been stripped of their disguise and properly aligned. No possible professions which thoy can now make will servo to offset tho damning fact that they have given Guffey a clean bill of health and havo dono all they could do to enthrone Guffeyism in Pennsylvania over tho protest of more than 300,000 loyal democrats. Yot some would describe that as a bad day's work which W. J. Bryan undertook when he cast in his lot with Mitchell Palmer and courted tho "humiliation" which tho Macks tho Taggnrts, tho Sulllvans and the Stones ad ministered when thoy rallied their cohorts to tho Guffoy standard and carried joy to tho hearts ?,' tt ?nnolly-RyanB, the Dewalts, the Gri ms tho R liters and tho Brennens in Pennsylvania and other states. vuuui The outcome is likely to show that on tho contrary it was one of the best day's work Mr Bryan ever performed. It was first of all an honest day's work. It was done with courage With sublime intoerr tv nf nnvnnDQ .t: ,.?r; Wlnn in o l,ii, iL-V A'. 7,l'u.' "ltu '"J .... w ..ifall iueu, wun indifference to Kk IBK The Commoner. , immediate results, with characteristic faith in tho ultimato good. And today those who havo made themselves responsible for Guffoyism stand naked before tho people, re vealed for what they are. There is no chance for apologies, explanations or disguises now. The deed is done. Its meaning "is understood. Its possibilities are apparent. And Mr. Bryan has seized the fiery cross and will carry it from shore to shore in the determination to rouse an honest and a progressive democracy to purgo itself of an element which co'rrupts and defiles. WORK OP THE INTERESTS Editorial in New Philadelphia (Ohio) Times: Notwithstanding the effort on tho part of tho reactionary element and, the political agents of tho "interests" to belittle and humiliate William J. Bryan, he will bo a factor to be reckoned with in tho coming democratic national convention. Tho adherents of progressive ideas in govern ment headed by the great commoner will havo a voice in making the platform and naming the candidate for president. The rank and file of tho party will never submit to a surrender to Wall street and Standard Oil interests, and a nomination dictated by those interests will be repudiated at tho polls as decisively as was the nomination of Judge Alton B. Parker in 1904. The people of the country have grown restless under the political and commercial oppression of the "system" and demand a radical change; not merely a change in party name, not merely a change from republican to democrat, nor from democrat to republican, but an actual .change of pollcios and methods. Tho great principles of democracy advocated by Bryan for the past fifteen years have become great living truths that are justified in the minds and hearts of the people of this nation and they will not down, because time and experience have demonstrated beyond dispute that they are eternally right. The seeds of progressive ideas sown by Mr. Bryan fifteen years ago have taken root and their influence is today a potent factor in both the democratic and republican parties. It must be understood that William J. Bryan is the pioneer progressive of this nation and is recognized as a world leader of progressive ideas. He has stood in the front rank with his face turned toward tho enemies of representa tive government fearlessly and bravely fighting for the interests of tho common people. Of all tho great statesmen and leaders among living men today, Bryan towers above them all. We wish to take this opportunity to say, Bryan and Bryanism are not dead. FOLK MAKES A POINT The message that Governor Folk carried to the Jackson Day banqueters at Washington was worthy of a man coming from the state that pro duced Thomas H. Benton. He warned democrats that the proposed new central bank would not only consolidate the pri vate financial energy of the country but that its advocates also contemplated transferring to Its keeping the financial affairs of the United States. It was to escape such an arrangement as this that the democrats in the days of Jackson, Van Buren and Benton established the independent treasury. A later generation la not likely to undo that work altogether. As Governor Polk points out, many of the reforms contemplated by the monetary commis sion bill are needed, but if the price to be paid for them is the abdication by government of control over its own money matters we shall have to endure existing evils for a long time What is wanted in the new centralization of the money power is not less but more public regulation and responsibility. The monetary commission's bill concedes too much to the bankers and too little to the representatives of the people. St. Louis Republic. eHeniatlves of IN NEBRASKA Louis Lightener, a young Columbus lawver in niaVe S0t s,ought th0 sreat ur of attend ing the national convention, and there "annnkw and voting the sentiments of tho amSSSd democracy of my district and my state but if "i?11?1! bM the wish of the majority that I h6 called to that duty, then I promise that my vote YOTJTUM 12, NU&BEB S upon every question of principle ihall be j harmony with the progressive viewg enunciated by the democracy of Nebraska during the past fifteen years, and in complete accord with the declaration of the Denver platform. As" to tho candidates for president, I shall vote for that one whose record shall show me that he has been and is earnestly devoted to the cause of progressive democracy my own definition of progressive democracy meaning the kind which Nebraska and Nebraskans have proclaimed and made manifest in all the nation." Albion (Neb.) Argus. FIGHTING THE JOCKEYS OF PRIVILEGE Editorial in San Francisco Star: The courageous, stubborn, unyielding fight of Wil liam J. Bryan against the agents and jockeys of privilege and corruption in the democratic party endears, him to tho hearts of all true demo crats. Ho is still the fearless and the peerless leader of the real democracy of this country. The rank and file of the party look to him and trust. him as they look to and trust no other man. They are not interested in the nominal success of the party under monopoly leadership; their interest is wholly centered in the triumph of the principles for which the party is supposed to stand and of which Bryan is the greatest living exponent. They will not follow the leadership of the traitorous John M. Guffey, of Pennsylvania, nor of any national committee, nor of any national convention which is dominated by such men or which seeks alliance with such men. It may as well be understood that no demo crat can be elected president in 1912 who is not actively supported for that office by William J. Bryan; for the democrats who three times forced his" nomination for president are in earnest and will not bo fooled or jockeyed by the domesticated wolves in the democratic fold. The republican party represents special privi lege in this country, and all supporters of privi lege belong in that party and should be driven into it, or at least driven out of the democratic party. ... There is not room in this .country, nor in any country, for the two parties of privilege, and if the country is to be governed by the agents of privilege it is better that the governors should be avowed enemies of the people republican lions than skulking wolves, in sheep's cloth ing, masquerading as democrats. The foregoing suggestions are prompted by the manly fight made by Bryan in favor of Congressman Palmer, a democratic democrat, against Guffey, a monopoly tool, as national committeeman from Pennsylvania, and the com ments of some so-called democratic papers upon the alleged "squelching" of Bryan by the com mittee's vote. Bryan need not have said a word in. defense of his loyalty to principle above every selfish consideration, but he did truly say: "No friend of mine need be told that I am much more Interested in the things for which we are struggling than I am for office." ' ' THE HYDRA SPITS IN UNISON The United States supreme court not long ago decided to make a hydra out of the Standard Oil company. Now we notice that the Standard Oil company has suddenly raised the price of oils. How can the Standard Oil company do that if it is actually competing in the market with other oil companies? The answer Is simple. It is not so competing. The trust is still in existence and still quite as powerful as over. It has changed its form, not its nature. The several heads are spitting out their venom in unison. Charleston (S. C.) News and Courier.. 00 OHIO DEMOCRATS J Democratic Progressive league, Tnnrv at ColumbUS " No 61 0 ll i' S .Pene( headWrters J?,?: I,11 Harrison building, Colum bus Ohio, secretary of the league W W. Durbin in charge. Mr. Dwbta fle sires to get into communication with the that tdhm?.CratS h approve of e work that the league has undertaken. $)00 S in - if-