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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J, BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 12, NO. 17,
Lincoln, Nebraska, May 3, 1912
Whole Number 589
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The World Moves
Recent dispatches from Washington provo
that tho world moves. The house has at last
come around to the Henry resolution with tho
exception of tho personnel of tho committee.
The investigation is to go forward in earnest
along the lines laid down by Congressman
Henry.
Good! Now, on with the investigation. The
house has just passed a bill applying publi
city to contributions made to aid those aspiring
to presidential nominations. Good again, and
let us hope that the senate will caucus at once.
Tho house has already passed, a bill requesting
the president to make public the recommenda
tions, written and verbal on which the president
appoints United States judges, and it ought to
have passed the senate weeks ago.
Before this issue of The Commoner reaches
the readers tho house will have adopted an
amendment to tho postofllce appropriations bill
compelling publicity as to newspaper ownership.
This is the most important of all. Besides these
there are several other reform measures in
preparation, one restoring the strength that the
supreme court took out of the anti-trust law
by inserting the word "unreasonable" in it, an
other giving trial by jury in contempt cases
where the offense charged was not committed
In the presence of the court; still another limit
ing and regulating injunctions, and a fourth
. providing for less than a unanimous verdict in
civiL cases. When the program is completed tho
democratic house will have made a remarkable
record in progressive measures; and its investi
gations have added to the value of its work.
It investigated Ballinger and drove him out
of the cabinet; it has exposed the secrets of the
steel trust, and revealed its strangle-grasp on
the nation; and, it may yet turn the light on the
anthracite coal trust. The house deserves con
gratulations. If we can make this much pro
gress with a democratic house what could wo
not do with a democratic senate and a demo
cratic president?
PRESSURE CONTEMPLATED
It is quite evident that the advocates of the
Aldrich currency scheme are planning to bring
pressure upon congress. 4- deliberate decep
tion is being practiced now in the attempt to
make it appear that there is a western contin
gent that is trying to eliminate Wall street in
fluence. The western contingent is working in
perfect harmony with the eastern group of
financiers, and a bigger bunco game was npver
planned. Not only are they resorting to decep
tion', but there are indications that financial
pressure is to be brought to bear upon the busi-
CONTENTS
THE WORLD MOVES
AN IMPORTANT REPORT
MORE WIRELESS OPERATORS
MONEY TRUST INVESTIGATIONS
THINGS THAT LIVE
MR. BRYAN IS FRIGHTENED
A COLORADO. BOY'S GOOD WORK
JEFFERSON DAY BANQUET GIVEN BY
THE NEW YORK DEMOCRATIC CLUB
DETAILS OF TERRIFIC FIGHT BE
TWEEN TAFT AND ROOSEVELT
MR. TAFT PRESENTS SOME DOCUMEN
TARY EVIDENCE
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS
ness men of tho country and through thom upon
congress to force tho passage of tho bill.
The Commoner has recently recoived a letter
which is supplied "privately to subscribers"
from" a news bureau in Washington. Tho letter
is dated Feb. 10. It rejoices over tho action of
the democratic caucus in preventing an investi
gation of tho money trust by a special com
mittee. It then proceeds to review the situa
tion and contains tho following:
"If the public mind is thoroughly clear as
to the merits of any bill, -and such bill meets
practically the needs of tho country, any
obstinacy as to giving it favorable treatment it
is thought, might bo nullified, by, restraint of
financial accommodation among the people's
representatives by tho banking interests.
"The supposition as suggested to us seems
to be reasonable, that their needs in this way
average along with other classes; hence, if they
want liberal treatment, they must stand for
good business laws. We have had it strongly
intimated that tho position of national legisla
tors relating to money reform will be reminded
of them before the fall elections, and their
attitude fully understood before they received
the people's verdict as to their suitability to
legislate."
Here we have it plainly stated. Financial
accommodation is to be denied by tho banking
interests as a means of compelling the represen
tatives to favor the measure. And it is further
stated that this interest in tho Aldrich bill will
insist upon knowing tho attitude of members
of congress before the .election. As the money
trust never works openly, it is safe to assume
that this attitude will bo ascertained privately
and that big business is now at work laying its
plans to 'ffutwit-the people in the- mattor of
financial legislation. Every democratic candi
date ought to be compelled to put himself on
record against the Aldrich scheme or any other
central bank plan.
A DESERTED VESSEL
Senator Hitchcock's paper, the Omaha World
Herald, had a cartoon just before the Nebraska
primary, which represented Mr. Bryan as an
iceberg and the Titanic ship "primary law"
about to be wrecked. Now that the primary
went against his candidate he might have an
other cartoon with the ship's name changed to
Harmon and with Senator Hitchcock escaping
"in a life boat with an Ismay-like expression on
his face. Why did he not go down with his
ship?
WORTH CONSIDERING
Some one has suggested that passengers and
crew should be assigned to life boats at the
beginning of the voyage so there would bo
neither conflict or confusion in taking and man
ning boats in case of accident. It is a sugges
tion worth considering. Order at such a time
is of the FIRST importance and a previous
understanding of each passenger's place would
secure this.
TREASON ! TREASON ! !
In his speech at Boston Mr. Taft intimated
Jthat after all, Theodore Roosevelt is "not neces
sary to the life of the nation." It will occur to
a great many people that the man who is im
portant enough to select his successor as presi
dent of the United States is not to be sneered
at just because he is now trying to name a
successor to his successor.
AN AWFUL INDICTMENT
The New York Sun says: "The colonel (Mr.
Roosevelt) is now a wildVr and more irrespon
sible demagogue than Mr. Bryan ever was."
What a horrible charge to bring against a
man and an ex-president at that!
Senator Jones will ,soon adopt the Missouri
song, but won't soon quit kicking his argu
ment (?) around not soon.
An Important Report
One of the most important reports ever mado
by a congressional committee is tho statement
recently issued by tho Stanley steel trust Investi
gating committee. Tho conimitteo finds that
twenty-three directors of the atoel trust control
investments in industries and banks aggregating
$17,755,000,000. Ten billion dollars of tho
eighteen billion of railway capital is controlled
by these steel trust directors and through this
influence they dominate prices of commodities,
banking business, telegraph tolls and insurance
rates. Tho story of this report Is told by tho
following dispatch to tho Chicago American:
Washington, April 21. With a guiding hand
on a controlling percentage of the capital in
vested in railroads and an influential voice over
banking and industrial wealth in tho United
States, the steel corporation, according to a
statement issued by the Stanley steel investigat
ing committee today, is tho real "money trust."
Of the eighteen billions of dollars invested
in railroads in the United States, the steel cor
poration, through its directors, controls moro
than ten billions.
Through this influence the steel trust, it Is
alleged, Is able to control tho prices of steel
rails, steel cars, oC locomotives, car wheels, of
bridges and of all other steel equipment for
railroads.
Reaching out to aid this giant among indus
trial organizations, it is charged, its directors
have identified ftiemselves with other industrial
concerns with a, total capitalization of $2,803,
vf09,348; with banks, trust-compiinIeB and llfo
Insurance companies whoso capital, surplus and
deposits aggregate $3,314,811,178; with ex
press, steamship, telograph, street railway and
terminal companies capitalized at $1,271,
778,890. The twenty-three directors of the steel cor
poration control a total of $17,755,000,000 in
vested in railroads and industrial corporations.
Members of tho Stanley committee are ap
palled at the magnitude of the Interlocking in
terests uncovered by their research.
They feel that they have found a concrete
money trust that Is charged with destroying
competition, with shaping or delaying develop
ment, with building and wrecking fortunes.
Tho twenty-throe directors of tho financial
and industrial welfare in this country are:
George F. Baker, E,. C. Converse, William E.
Corey, Henry C. Frlck, E. II. Gary, C. A. Gris
com, W. H. Moore, J. P. Morgan, Sr., J. P. Mor
gan, Jr., Samuel Mather, G. M. Lane, J. A. Far
rell, George W. Perkins, Henry Phlpps, Norman
B. Ream, P. Roberts, Jr., Chas. C. Steele, D. G.
Reld, Henry Walters, P. A. B. Widener, J. H.
Reid, Alfred Clifford, Robert Winsor.
Of this remarkable group, J. Plerpont Morgan
stands out in bold relief as the dominating
figure.
The Standard Oil group, with John D. Rocke
feller at its head, has not been investigated and
Individualized by tho Stanley committee. But
from tho testimony adduced by Mr. Stanley it
would appear .that this group is neither so largo
In number, nor so great in influence, nor so
diversified in its actions. Working together tho
two groups complete a money power represented
as holding the entire United States in the hollow
of Its hand.
An idea of the Morgan power Is gathered from
the extent of interests which Morgan and his
associates dominate. J. Plerpont Morgan holds
voting power in $1, 090, 078,607 invested in in
dustrial corporations; $1,923,085,550, in rail
roads, telegraph, express and steamship com
panies; $102,275,956 in banks, insurance and
trust companies.
J. P. Morgan, Jr., votes $1,468,935,467 in
dustrial corporations; $741,690,706 in railroads,
telegraph, express and steamship companies;
478,291,340 in banks, insurance and trust com
panies. Charles Steele, a partner of the Morgans,