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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 12, NO. 13,
Lincoln, Nebraska, April 5, 1912
Whole Number 585
V'
Watch Jones and Others
When astronomers . find an eccentricity in tho
orbit of a planet they search the sky for the
body that is drawing the planet out of its
course. So, when you see a public man do some
thing that can not be explained you should
search for the secret cause of his unaccountable
act. Senator Jones of the state of Washington
entered upon his duties with tho confidence of
his constituents and everything went along well
until after the first trial of Lorimer. Senator
Jones not only voted against Lorimer but spoke
against him and declared his belief in Lorimer's
guilt. Then came the demand for a second
investigation. The reactionary democrats
joined the standpat republicans in opposing a
special committee they were shocked to think
of slighting the regular committee that had
made a farce of tho first investigation. Finally
a compromise was made. A sub-committee of
tho regular committee was agreed upon the
sub-committee to be composed of two republi
cans and two democrats who had voted for
Lorimer and two republicans and two democrats
who had not voted at all or had voted against
him. Senator Jones was selected as a republi
can SUPPOSED TO BE AGAINST LORIMER
BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY VOTED
AGAINST HIM. Now he turns up on the Lori
mer side ON EVERY PROPOSITION. His in
clination toward Lorimer became apparent soon
after the second investigation began. When did
he change? Is it not possible that his change
came BEFORE the second committee was ap
pointed and that he was selected BECAUSE Mr.
Lorimer's friends KNEW he had changed? He
may have thought that the whole question could
be disposed of by a resolution declaring the"
,,. first Investigation a bar to any further investi
gation although this question was settled when
the new investigation was ordered. But this
scheme did not work and he was compelled to
come out into the open and join the Lorimer
group on every phase of the subject.
The KNOWN facts do not explain this re
markable change the evidence is much
stronger against Mr. Lorimer than it was before.
Watch Senator Jones and see if you can find
an explanation of his change of front. What
influence has drawn him out of his orbit?
And, while you are watching, see what sena
tors change their votes and try to seat Lorimer
by declaring that the former trial was final.
Some of the men who voted against Lorimer
have been re-elected and may be more free now
to follow their own inclination. Some have
been defeated since they voted against him and
may feel still more free to vote for him now.
Watch the vote it may be interesting.
WHICH IS DEMOCRACY?
Since Senator Hitchcock is claiming the honor
of being elected a delegate-at-largo on tho
CONTENTS
WATCH JONES AND OTHERS
"MISLED, BETRAYED, DESERTED"
WALL STREET TACTICS
AN OPEN LETTER
MR. BRYAN AND HARMON
INSTRUCTIONS
PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS
START THE 1912 FIGHT NOW
THE MONEY TRUST
HOME DEPARTMENT
GEORGE E. DICKSON OF ILLINOIS
SAMUEL M. RALSTON OF INDIANA
NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS
ground that he is a better democrat than Mr.
Bryan, it is only fair that their records be com
pared. In the winter of 1899-1900, Mr.VHitch
cock tried to secure from Governor Poynter an
appointment as United States senator IN SPITE
OF THE FACT THAT THE DEMOCRATS AND
POPULISTS IN THE LEGISLATURE HAD SUP
PORTED SENATOR ALLEN FOR RE-ELECTION.
The rule of tho peoplo was not in Mr.
Hitchcock's thoughts when his ambition stood
in the way. Mr. Bryan's indorsement of Sena
tor Allen aroused Mr. Hitchcock's wrath, which
after a temporary outburst, was suppressed so
long as an appearance of friendship was advan
tageous to him.
In 1904 Mr. Bryan opposed Judge Parker's
nomination and was supported by a UNANI
MOUS vote in the state convention. In spite
of this Mr. Hitchcock threw whatever influence
he had in favor of Judge Parker tho rule of
tho peoplo did not weigh with him then. At
this time Senator Hitchcock is seeking to pre
vent co-operation between the progressive demo
crats of Nebraska in the hope of securing NOT
A MAJORITY but MERELY A PLURALITY for
Governor Harmon. While he is shouting for the
rule of the people he is openly working to de
feat the will of tho people.
Tho voters can decide whether Mr. Hitchcock
has been, is now, or is likely to be, moro loyal
to democratic principles than Mr. Bryan. And
a word as to Mr. Hitchcock's charge that it is
undemocratic for Mr. Bryan to resign if ho is
elected a delegate. Mr. Bryan can not know
before the delegates are elected what instruc
tions may be given. Ho must therefore choose
whether ho will: first, refuse to run; second, run,
reserving the right to resign; or, third, run and
consent to. obey whatever instructions a plurality
"fiJaTfve "even though the instructions may
compel him not only to do what ho believes to
be disastrous to the party but may compel him
to help a minority of the democrats of Nebraska
to defeat the will of a majority, for if Mr. Wil
son and Mr. Clark divide tho progressive voto
equally Mr. Harmon may secure tho instruc
tions, without polling moro than thirty-five per
cent of the democratic vote polled.
Which is tho moro democratic for Mr. Bryan,
to announce in advance, that he will resign and
allow Mr. Harmon's interests to bo protected
by those who can do it conscientiously, or for
Mr. Hitchcock to seek to help a Harmon minority
override a progressive majority?
Mr. Bryan is following the course ho has fol
lowed for twenty years with tho approval of
tho democracy of tho state. In 1894, soon after
Mr. Bryan became editor of tho World-Herald,
Mr. Hitchcock, the proprietor of tho paper, sold
two columns to the republican committee to bo
used to oppose tho gubernatorial candidate
whom the paper was supporting. Mr. Bryan
announced to Mr. Hitchcock his purpose to re
sign if tho contract was not cancelled. Mr.
Hitchcock did not deny the right of resignation
then but cancelled the contract (but was after
wards compelled by the court to carry it out.)
In 1893 a democratic state convention Indorsed
tho unconditional repeal of the Sherman act and
Mr. Bryan, a congressman then, refused to
accept it as the settled policy of his party. Ho
made a fight against it and was next year nomi
nated for the United States senate without oppo
sition and has been nominated for the presidency
three times since.
In 1900, after being instructed for by nearly
every state in the union ho refused to promise
to run unless the platform was one which he
could honestly defend. His course in reserving
the right to refuse to run was indorsed by his
nomination at that time and by a subsequent
nomination. Mr. Bryan Is taking exactly the
same position he has taken -heretofore he
recognizes, and will protect, tho right of the
people to have what they want BUT HE RE
SERVES THE RIGHT, BY RESIGNING, TO RE
FUSE TO BE THE PEOPLE'S SPOKESMAN
WHEN HE CAN NOT, WITHOUT VIOLATION
OF HIS CONSCIENCE AND JUDGMENT, SAY
WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT SAID especially
when under tho law a minority may, by uniting,
to override a divided majority.
"Misled, Betrayed, Deserted"
"Misled, betrayed, deserted" this will be tha
epitaph written on democracy's torabstono tho
day after tho election if it allows Wall streot to
lead it into tho nomination of Governor Harmon
or any other reactionary. President Taft Is tho
choice of Wall street no ono can got it away
from him. If Wall street wore authorized by
tho democratic convention to write tho demo
cratic platform and nominato tho democratic
candidates, Wall street would not support our
ticket as against President Taft. Wall street
has no politics: it worships money and money
only. Its heart is a pocketbook. A surrendor
to Wall streot would mean tho alienation of tho
rank and file of tho party and, after having
disgraced the party, Wall street would desert
it. That is what it did in 1904. Why go
through that humiliating experience again?
And yet somo of our democratic leaders, for
getting 1904, favor Governor Harmon. Mr.
Harmon's nomination and defeat would end for
some time tho power of tho reactionaries to
deceive but why postpone success. Mr. Bryan
is anxious for A DEMOCRATIC VICTORY now,
and he is trying to get it in tho only way pos
sible, namely by the selection of a positive, ag
gressive candidate on a progressive platform.
STEPHENSON AND LORIMER
The Stephenson and Lorimer cases should not
be confused. Stephenson spent an enormous
sum of money (ten times as much under the now
law as any sonator can spend again) and It can
be assumed that ho spent it corruptly. It can
also bo assumed that he knew it at the timo
or accepted the results aftor ho had reason to
know how it was spent, but tlicro was no such
intimate connection between him and the cor
ruption as there is between Senator Lorimor
and the wholesale bribing of a legislature. Mr.
Lorimor was on hand directing the purchase of
the legislature. Lee O'Neil Browne reported to
him constantly and he admits that he furnished
the money to defend Browne. To seat Lorimer
is to declare that nothing short of a WRITTEN
CONFESSION and a RESIGNATION BASED
UPON IT can get a senator out when charged
with corruption. Lorimer must go or tho senate
reduces itself to his level.
THE REPLY DOES NOT ANSWER
On another page will be found the reply made
by Hon. E. H. Moore to Mr. Bryan's letter. If
the reader will compare the two letters ho will
notice that Mr. Moore's letter does not answer
Mr. Bryan's it evades the main points. But
it makes one important admission, namely, that
when a delegate in 1904, Mr. Moore refused to
vote for Mr. Harmon in the convention NOW
he is an appointee of Governor Harmon's then
he was not.
THE ILLINOIS PRIMARY
Illinois haB just adopted the presidential pri
mary the vote in the districts to govern dis
trict delegates. It is not known yet just how
many candidates will be presented but there i3
one rule that should be followed in all districts,
namely, voto for the progressive who is stron
gest in the district. Do not allow a division in
the ranks of the progressives or a reactionary
minority may defeat a divided majority. ,
FALSE WEIGHTS
A New York butcher has been sent to the peni
tentiary for temporarily inserting a pound of
lead in each turkey he sold. If the same law
applied to speeches Mr. Roosevelt could be sent
up for life for giving weight to his speeches by
inserting chunks of the democratic platform.
LIBELLING ILLINOIS DEMOCRACY
Mr. Caldwell says there will be a "Caldwell
landslide" "down the state." What a libel on
the democracy of Illinois! Tho party ought to
suo him and recover damages for such an
assault upon its character.
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