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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1912)
y 'APEIL 12,1911 Harmon in Nebraska O'Neill, Neb., April 6, 1912 Hon. Judson Harmon, Governor of Ohio, Columbus, Ohio Dear Sir: When it was announced that you would make a fight to secure the preference vote in Nebraska as the democratic candidate for president, many of us were much surprised. Wo knew that you were not making any effort t9 capture the delegations frdm Iowa to the east of us, from Kansas to the south of us, from South Dakota to the north of us, or from Wyoming or Colorado to the west of us. We have naturally inquired why you selected Nebraska as the only state west of the Mississippi river in which to make a fight for delegates. We readily realized that the Wall street interests were bitterly hostile to Mr. Bryan, who was the biggest factor in taking the democratic party out of Wall street's con trol. We know that two years ago there was a sharp difference on-a purely local question the liquor question and that by reason of this un fortunate local difference many democrats had become hostile to Mr. Bryan personally. It seemed to us that big business thought that it could utilize the liquor question to divide tho democrats of Nebraska and repudiate in Mr. Bryan's home state the principle's of progres sive democracy for which he has stood. That .we were right in this is apparent from the work of your organization in Nebraska. The organi zation is spreading literature' in foreign lan guages for the express purpose of stirring up opposition to Mr. Bryan on the question of sumptuary laws. Practically the entire fight against you in Nebraska has been conducted by the friends of Woodrow Wilson. You are coming to Nebraska for the purpose of explaining or denying, it is said, some things we have been saying about you. What the people want, governor, are the facts and not explanations. Is it true, governor, that the platform on which you were elected declared for the initia tive and referendum? Is it true, governor, that you went before the Ohio constituional conven tion and.opposed the placing, In the' new consti tution of a provision providing for the initia tive and referendum? The records in the federal court at Cincin nati show that in December, 1905, on tho appli cation of the Pierpont Morgan interests; you were appointed receiver of the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton railroad, in which the Morgan interests were trying to freeze out the small investors. The record does not show what your salary was as receiver. If you and the Morgan interests settled this privately it was not legally necessary that the record should show it. You continued to be such receiver, until the property was practically disposed of, in so far as a receivership was concerned, in August, 1909. What salary did you receive from the Morgan interests during that period? There is no way in the court records to discover it. But you know what it was, governor, and so does Pierpont Morgan. The checks with which you were paid are still in existence. Publish the checks, governor. When you were appointed receiver, the law firm of which you were a member, was, upon like request of the Morgan interests, made counsel for you as receiver. The salary fixed for the counsel fees was $10,000 a year. You have abundant time between now and the time you deliver your address to secure from the Pierpont Morgan interests, the checks given to you as receiver, and the checks given to your law firm. In the presidential contest the people are not interested particularly in "explanations." They are not interested in any local question. But they are interested In your relations with the Morgan interests. Give us the facts. Pub lish the checks, governor; publish the checks. Very few democrats in Nebraska would vote for Pierpont Morgan for president. But they would rather vote for Morgan than vote for . Morgan's hired man. Publish the checks, gover nor; publish the checks. Yours truly, M. F. HARRINGTON. WALL STREET FOR HARMON On March 30, 1912, the correspondent of the Philadelphia Enquirer sent the following special telegram which appeared on March 31st: "It was reported on good authority tonight that E. R. Bacon, a prominent Wall street finan cier and railroad man, will meet Governor Jud son Harmon, of Ohio, here tomorrow for a con ference regarding the financing of the Harmon The Commoner. campaign for tho democratic presidential nomi nation. This is taken to indicate that Governor Harmon has now secured powerful Wall street backing in his campaign." True to prediction made, the next day found Mr. Bacon who is a prominent Wall street financier and railroad man, an intiraato friend and representative of J. Pierpont Morgan at Washington, and all tho papers reported that he dined with Governor Harmon and- discussed plans with him for tho carrying of tho presi dential primaries of the several states includ ing Nebraska. If any further evidence was wanted as to who Wall street was for this furnishes it. If the democratic party wants to tie itself to Wall street's kite, let them nomi nate Governor Harmon but let no democrat say that he has not been warned in advance "that Wall street is for Harmon. From circular is sued by Ohio Progressive league. LEST WE FORGET As a reminder of tho calumnious attacks that were made on Bryan and Bryanism 16 years ago, a brief extract of an editorial commenting on the defeat of the democratic candidate in 1S96 is herewith reproduced: "The thing was conceived in Iniquity and was brought forth in sin. It had its origin in a mali cious conspiracy against the honor and integrity of the nation. It gained such monstrous growth as it employed from an assiduous culture of the basest passions of the least worthy members of tho community. It has been defeated and destroyed because right is right and God is God. Its nominal head was worthy of the cause. Nominal, because the wretched, rattle-pated boy, posing in vapid vanity and mouthing resounding rottenness, was not the real leader of that league of hell. He was only a puppet In the blood-imbued hands of Altgeld the anarchist and Debs tho revolutionist and other desperadoes of that stripe. But he was a willing puppet, Bryan was, willing and eager. Not one of his masters was more apt than he at lies and forgeries and blasphemies and all the nameless Iniquities of that campaign against the Ten Commandments. He goes down with the cause, and must abide with it in the history of infamy. Ho had less provocation than Benedict Arnold, less Intellec tual force than Aaron Burr, less manliness and courage than Jefferson Davis. Ho was the rival of them all in deliberate wickedness ad treason to the republic. His name belongs with theirs, neither the most brilliant nor the most hateful in the list. Good riddance to It all, to conspir acy and conspirators, and to the foul menace of repudiation and anarchy against the honor and life of the republic." This is not a quotation from some little coun try weekly in which partisanship is' supposed to take the place of brains, but Is taken from an issue of the New York Tribune of the latter part of November, 1896. This paper was founded by Horace Greeley and was one of the great forces that made for the freedom of the slave and the maintenance of the union, but which since has sold out body and boots to the parasitic crowd that hang about the house of Dives. It is significant that at this time so many people who applauded such sentiments as expressed in this Billingsgate editorial have experienced a change of heart and-now see In this Mr. Bryan a leader of great courage and sound judgment. This all goes to show that the country is almost to overtake Bryanism of 16 years ago and that when he stood way out above and beyond the small-bore politician and time-serving office seeker, they could never understand his creed nor fathom his motive. The last decade and a half has witnessed a wondrous change in the conscience and wisdom of American citizenship and it may not be many years until the old rule, that a brilliant man can not be elected president of the United States, may have its exception, and when a man of great heart, clear foresight and unselfish patriotism may sit in the execu tive chair and in appealing to the honor and understanding of the citizens of our country ho will not be called a-demagogue and anarchist. South Bend CInd.) New Era. THEN AND NOW There are some democrats in the state of Ohio who seem to forget that the mighty uprising of the masses of the democratic people in 1896, tho revolution within the party and without the party, was the beginning of a distinctive era in the political history of this country. Some there were then who failed to note its significance, failed to measure its power, failed to compre hend Us breadth and its depth as a popular movement, and do not today realize what it 'has done for tho pcoplo in its transformation from a state of dormancy into full and living action of their powers in tho government of the re public. The democratic party was defeated in 1896, but was tenfold stronger with tho people after that defeat than it was before tho convention of that yoar. Defeated in 1893, 1894, 1895, it socmed for a time that tho party was to ho lost forever through errors of administration, resultant disorganization, loss of confldonco by the people and deadly antagonism of tho voters to tho policies of tho Wall street of that time, and to tho mon in power who were banded together to carry them into effect. Tho democrats of Ohio wore in the very front rank of tho progressives of 1896, they fought splendidly tho contest in tho state that yoar and bore the brunt of tho fight for tho nation. There were a few deserters thon; there wero men who wero controlled from Wall street then and there are men who today take their orders from the captains of Industry and shape their political courses upon exactly the same Instruc tions as they did In 1896. They said tho democratic party was wrong then In Its progressive action, and they are just as reactionary today as they were when they deserted in 1896. They aro not for tho people; they are for those who exact financial tribute from tho people Thoy are for tho trusts, tho combines and tho corporations. They have boon devoted servants to them and owe allegiance to their Interests. These men do not control tho democratic party of the state and they can not deliver that superb fighting organization to the support of any Wall street attorney, agent or representa tive. The democrats of Ohio are thoroughly progressive, and they will stand by progressive men and progressive leaders In spite of tho efforts of supersorvlceable placemen, or of tricky politicians or other Wall street assistants to use them to advance the interests of tho combines. There will be not one backward step taken by the democrats of Ohio. They will support no one for president who is not a recognized pro gressive. Cincinnati Enquirer. THE IDEAL REPUBLIC William J. Bryan at Indianapolis In 1900 (reproduced by the South Bend, Ind., Now Era) : I can conceive of a na tional destiny, surpassing tho glories of the present and past a destiny which meets the responsibilities of today and measures up the possibilities of the future. Behold a republic, resting securely upon foundation stones quarried by revolutionary patriots Irom tho moun tain of eternal truth a republic apply ing in practice and proclaiming to the world the self-evident proposition that all men are created equal; that govern ments are instituted among men to secure these rights; that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. ' Behold a republic in which civil and religious liberty stimulate all to earnest endeavor, and in which the law restrains every hand uplifted for a neighbor's in jury a republic In which every citizen is sovereign, but In which no one care3 to wear a crown. Behold a republic standing erect, while empires all around are bowed be neath the weight of their own arma ments a republic whose flag is loved, while other flags are only feared. Behold a republic increasing in popu lation, in wealth, In strength and in in fluence, solving the problems of civiliza tion and hastening the coming of a uni versal brotherhood a republic which shakes thrones and dissolves aristocra cies by its silent example, and gives light and inspiration to those who sit in dark ness. Behold a republic gradually but surely beconiing the supreme moral factor in the world's progress and the accepte" arbiter of the world's disputes & re- public whose history, like the path of the just, "is as the shining light that shlneth mor.6 and more unto the perfect . day1." . ,. ' 'jj ' J ;3 i 4 J a