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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1912)
APRIL 5, 1912 An Open Letter Lincoln, Neb., March 25, 1912 Hon. E. H. Moore, Columbus, O. My Dear Moore: Tho press dispatches published extracts from an open letter which you gave out before starting' for Nebraska. Assuming that the gist of your letter is included in the quotations made from it by the papers, I venture to answer before re ceiving the letter itself. You demand proof that "Mr. Harmon is a reactionary and a tool of Wall street." I have not charged him with being a tool of Wall street but I have charged that he is a reactionary and the CHOICE of Wall street. That he is a reactionary will not be questioned by any fair-minded man the -proof Is sufficient for any one open to conviction. Governor Harmon refused to support the democratic ticket in 189 G. He was a com missioned officer in the democratic army a member of the president's cabinet and he car ried the standard of our party over to the enemy. He supported the ticket in 1900 but the next year he was a leader in the movement organized in Ohio and throughout the country to turn the party back to Wall street control. In 1904 he was active in aiding the Belmont Ryan crowd in putting Wall street in control of the democratic organization. His conduct since 1900 shows that his support of the ticket in 1900 was not due to belief in the progressive policies of the party. Early in 1908 he hoped to secure the presidential nomination through tho aid of Wall street influences. Since 1908 his political influence has been thrown on the side of the reactionaries notably when he ap peared before the constitutional convention in the state of Ohio and advised the members of that convention to reject the initiative and referendum and in spite of the further fact that a majority of the members of tho constitutional convention were pledged before the election to the initiative and referendum. He thus showed himself not only a reactionary but a repudiator of platform pledges and an advisor of repudia tion. This is enough evidence on this point for one letter. You surely can not believe that a demo cratic candidate with such a record can prove a popular leader at this time when nine-tenths of the democrats are progrescives and nearly if not quite half of the republicans are aroused to the importance of taking the government out of control of the predatory interests. You demand proof that Wall street is back of Governor Harmon? You know enough about politics to know that Wall street acts in secret and that it is difficult to furnish written proof of the movements and indorsements of those who control the financial affairs in our business centers. Circumstantial evidence is good enough to "furnish a ground for a conviction even for the crime of murder, and it ought to be suffi cient to guide public opinion in the nomination of presidential candidates. You are the manager of Governor Harmon's campaign "in Ohio. Are you not aware of the fact that he has been attorney for corporations in which Mr. Morgan was interested? Do you not know that the fees collected for such legal services amount to considerable? Do you not know that Mr. Morgan is favorable to the nomi nation of Mr. Harmon? And do you believe that at such a time as this the democratic party can afford to let its presidential candidate be selected by Mr. Morgan when tho public atten tion is focused upon the fact that Mr. Morgan collected sixty-nine million dollars as his com pensation for organizing the steel trust con spiracy against ninety millions of people? Do you think that Mr. Morgan is the proper person to pick out a candidate at this time when the democratic party is championing the cause of little children who have been mistreated by protected employers mistreated even to the extent of being charged five cents a week for the water they drank while at work? Do you deny that Mr. Hill who organized the merger that was declared unlawful and yet was not destroyed favors tho nomination of Mr. Harmon? Do you think that he is a good man, to advise the democratic party in regard to nominations when he has been conspicuous In opposing our party on every progressive measure? Do you not know that the predatory corporations are deeply interested in the selec tion of a president who will honor their recom mendations for men aspiring to the United States judgeships? Do you not know that al most without exception the members of the plunderbund favor Mr. Harmon as against any progressive who can bo named? Are these men mistaken in their man? Do you not know that The Commoner. tho Wall street controlled papers aro almost without exception presenting Mr. Harmon and urging his nomination as against any progres sive? Aro these men mistaken in their man? May wo not judge a man by his supporters when we find him supported by thoso who want to con vert tho government into a private asset. Can tho people take the chanco involved in putting such a man in supremo control of tho party and the administration of tho government when men can bo found equally competent and who havo tho merit of being opposed by Wall street? You assert that another candidate whom you mention is spending more money than Mr. Har mon. I am not interested in any one progres sive against other progressives I am for that progressive in each state, whatever his name may be who can make tho strongest fight against any reactionary candidate, whatever may bo tho name of the reactionary, and I am urging and havo been for some time the pass age of a law requiring the publication of contri butions made to the funds that are used to secure presidential nominations. I beliovo that the people should know the sources from which these contributions come. Aro you and Governor Harmon trying to secure the passage of such a law? So far as I havo been able to judge, a great deal more money has been spent in behalf of your candidate than in behalf of any other. If you deny this, you have a chance to find out. Publish a list of tho contributors to the Harmon fund and challenge the other candidates to do likewise. You can thus smoke them out, or if they refuse, you will then bo in a position to use their silence against them. Until you do this, why should peoplo give weight to your words when you make charges against other candidates? If Wall street has any other candidate, Governor Harmon has a right to complain and the people have a right to know. In conclusion allow me to say that I am glad that you aro coming to Nebraska. You will find no moro real Harmon sentiment in Nebraska than there was in Oklahoma and Kansas. Do you know of any reason why there should be? You will find that Governor Harmon's support in this state is confined, first, to reactionaries, and, second, to thoso who favor him not be cause they believe he is a progressive, but be cause I incurred their hostility by opposing them In 1910 on a local issue. You will find that tho supporters of Governor Harmon do not ex pect to secure a majority of the democratic votes even with the support that auxiliary organiza tions are giving him on local grounds. Tho most that Governor Harmon's supporters hero hope for Is to defeat the progressive forces divided between two candidates and thus enable a minority to triumph over a majority. Kindly report to Governor Harmon what you find In Nebraska and see whether he is proud of his Nebraska campaign. Yours truly, W. J. BRYAN. AND MR. MOORE SWITCHED From the Piqua (Ohio) Dally Leader: Ed. Moore, Ohio manager of Harmon's presidential campaign first and Ohio insurance commissioner second, was opposed to the statewide presiden tial primary except under one condition, namely, that tho state convention bo held before tho national convention. Ed. poses as a progressive. Ho does not undertake to explain how a real progressive can consistently be opposed to the separation of state from national politics. Nor does ho take the people into his confidence and tell them that ho wanted the state convention to precede the na tional convention for the solo purpose of adopt ing the unit rule, if tho Harmon forces aro in tho majority, and thereby tie the hands of tho minority. But Ed. is a progressive he can progress out of ono political camp into another more quickly than any person in tho state. Ed. has not al ways been in the Harmon camp. Oh, no. Even up to ten days prior to the last gubernatorial election Ed. was sulking in his tent, refusing to support Harmon because, as ho claimed, the governor was a rank reactionary. Suddenly Ed. was converted, Harmon was re elected and Ed. was made insurance commis sioner. At the old salary of $4,000? That's an insult. Ed was making nearly that much practicing law. Then new duties had been added to the office of insurance commissioner that of Ohio manager of the Harmon presiden tial boom. He wanted $6,000 per $4,000 for performing the old duties of the Insurance office and $2,000 for the new duties of managing a presidential campaign. Did he get the increase? Examine the laws passed by tho last legislature and see how nicely our economical governor put this ono over on tho dear pooplo. Of courno there aro uomo cruel persons who say that Ed. receives the extra $2,000 not as a presidential manager, but as a professional; that ho would havo been willing to jump upon a band wagon at $4,000 per, but ho regards tho Harmon vehicle as a hearse and believes that any good llvo professional mourner '.a entitled to $2,000 oxtra for following a "dead one." Then Ed. is so gentlo and unselfish. Ho says cvory anti llarmon democrat is a disappointed office seeker. What does Ed. care for an office or consis tency, or political principle, or other littlo things like thoso If ho gets $0,000 a year from tho stato and devotes all his time to boosting Harmon? TO STOP COERCION Congressman Pepper of tho Second Iowa dis trict has Introduced a splendid bill which will be found below. It ought to 'pass; it would bo a great protection to employes. The bill Is as follows: "A bill prohibiting threats, expressed or im plied, by employers of labor intended or calcu lated .to influence the political opinions or ac tions of workmen or employees In presidential elections. "Be It enacted by tho senate and house of representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled, That In all elections at which electors for president or vlco president aro to bo chosen no person, being an employer of labor, or acting for or on behalf of an em ployer of labor, shall give, distribute, or cause to bo given or distributed, to any of his em ployees any printed or written matter contain ing any threat, notice, or information that In case any particular ticket of a particular party or organization or candidate shall be elected, or any measure referred to a vote of tho people shall bo adopted, work in his place or establish ment shall cease, In whole or In part, or his place or establishment bo closed or tho salary or wages wages of his workmen or employees bo reduced, or other threats, expressed or Implied', Intended or calculated to influence tho political opinions or actions of his workmen or employees in said elections. Section 2. That every person willfully violat ing tho foregoing provisions of this act shall upon conviction be fined not more than ono thousand dollars or be imprisonel not more than one year, or both." WALL STREET HAS SOME PLANS An article reproduced In the Charlotte (S. C.) Observer from tho Lincoln County (S. C.) News says: Tho News man had a very pleasant chat with Mr. S. B. Tanner, of tho Henrietta mills, on a train a few days ago and during the conversa tion Mr. Tanner was asked what ho thought of the presidential situation. "Well," said Mr. Tanner, "I have just returned from New York, where I spent ten days on Wall street, and to my surprise found a very strong sentiment among tho moneyed men for Oscar W. Under wood. And this among a great many staunch republicans, too." Being asked how he accounted for this strange stato of affairs Mr. Tanner said, "I found that the. men of money, and of big affairs, aro very weary of this constant agitation and have made up their minds to sidetrack both Mr. Taft and Mr. Roosevelt, Ignore completely Mr. Bryan and support a conservative democrat for the presidency this time. They feel that the hour has struck for a change in the administra tion of the affairs of the nation." Mr. Tanner stated that ho firmly believes Mr. Underwood will get the nomination and bo elected. DEMOCRATIC DATES Democratic primaries or conventions will bo held as follows: April 9 Primaries for Illinois. April 12 New York democratic state con vention. April 13 Primaries for Pennsylvania. April 17 Illinois congressional district con ventions. April 19 Primaries for Nebraska. April 19 Primaries for Oregon. Primaries for Tennessee. -Colorado democratic state con- April 27 April 29 vention Apnl 30 Primaries for Florida. May 1 Connecticut state convention. May 9 Iowa stato convention. May 14 California primaries. May 21 Ohio primaries. May 28 Primaries for New Jersey. June 4 Primaries for South Dakota. r5mryjv..xr: S3SK 4jt m j) - l gJftQsfrtf..tyMgTOXV-SgJJ.j '" - i .W .' i i in, . mi - ii ii ii i - , wi; c t f