3
MAY 3, 1912
The Commoner.
THINGS THAT LIVE
New York Sun: As long as the world endures
and has its memories the victims of the woeful
disaster that befell the Titanic will bo held in
high honor.
St. Louis Republic: Five professional card
sharps and swindlers are reported to have gono
down on the Titanic. Yet these poor brutes,
though they may have lived like muckers, died
like gentlemen, too.
Washington Post: Newspaper men will ever
cherish the thought that those precepts of
fidelity and honor which Archie Butt so nobly
followed in the army he first learned as a re
porter. Baltimore American: One redeeming feature
of great disasters is the heroism which seems
to be dormant in normal human nature until
some unusual impulse calls it forth. "You have
children; take my place," said a young girl on
the sinking Titanic. "I am afraid there are
not enough," said a steward when urged to
secure a life-belt for himself. What could be
added to such words at such a time?
Philadelphia Ledger: Charles Herbert Light
toller, second officer of the White Star liner
Titanic, was in the icy water, aided by a life
belt, for one hour and a half when ho was for
tuitously saved. He stood by the ship until the
last, working to get the passengers away, and
when it appeared that he had made his last trip
he went up high on the officers' quarters and
made the best dive he knew how to make just
as the ship plunged down to the depths.
Boston Transcript: It is difficult to choose
between a thousand stories of heroism, but the
people who knew and loved Henry B. Harris
will like to recall his last words to his wife:
"Don't worry, Rene, sweetheart. I'll get the
next boat, and you know I'm a good swimmer."
This was said with more of a laugh than a smile.
It comforted and reassured the woman, as it
was meant to do; but Mr. Harris was under no
illusions, and, when he had persuaded her to
safety, he turned to a fellow passenger and
observed: "Nothing for us, eh, but to die like
gentlemen?" Yet that was easy. It was the
spirit in which a man who was never "theatri
cal" outside of Mb playhouses had always lived.
THE MONEY TRUST INVESTIGATION
Bloomington (111.) Daily Bulletin: Mr.
Bryan wrote a letter to Congressman Henry
strongly urging a special committee to make an
investigation of the money trust instead of re
ferring the matter to the regular house com
mittee as desired by Mr. Underwood and favored
by the Wall street magnates themselves. After
hearing Mr. Bryan's letter, the house demo
cratic caucus sustained Mr. Underwood's plan
as against Bryan's by a vote of almost two to
one.
It is probable that some democrats voted
against Mr. Bryan on the ground that they be
lieve he meddles too much. There was a simi
lar situation with similar result in connection
with the meeting of the national democratic
committee when Mr. Bryan secured a proxy and
attended for the sole purpose of an attempt to
oust Guffey of Pennsylvania. His defeat in the
national committee was fore-ordained and prob
ably he saw defeat in the house caucus. There
fore some will ask why does he interfere and
create discord when there should be harmony.
Mr. Bryan has a very good -answer. Were it
not for the fearless few who put duty above
victory, interested leaders, with the aid of
honest but weak members who take the line of
least resistance in the interest of harmony,
would put the democratic party where the in
terests want it, as a mere sham or decoy enemy
of the republican party.
A considerable number of influential men "both
democrats and republicans seek to have the
parties in accord on the vital things affecting
special privilege, but fiercely wrangling over,
minor matters so as to take public attention.
Mr. Bryan has the courage to get himself dis
liked by the selfish and discredited by tho
thoughtless.
Roswell (New Mexico) Record: "The Bryan
influence," judging by the newspapers of both
parties, is a potent factor both in and out of
congress.
Without doubt it w,as Bryan's letter to Con
gressman Henry of Texas, 'urging the appoint
ment of a special committee to investigate tho
money trust that brought about the appoint
ment of the four committee investigation.
And what is the secret of this influence? It
is not tho ascendency of a man in high office
who has patronage to distribute, or tho ma
chinery of government to wield against the
disobedient; it is not a man who controls groat
wealth.
No, it is nono of these things. William J.
Bryan has neither wealth nor position; ho has
nothing to offer but tho stamp of his approval;
tho only club if you choose to call his power
by that name that ho holds, is tho club of
justice, and this weapon is built from the faith
that the rank and file of democracy have in his
honesty, his wisdom, and his shrowdness in see
ing into tho plans of tho enoniy. And all of this
influence is given to a man who has been de
feated three times for the presidency. Two de
feats, yes, one defeat, would have been tho
political -death of a politician, a raoro offlco
seeker, but Bryan possesses that rare quality
of statesmanship which puts the cause he repre
sents before his personal advancement, makes
the principle paramount to tho man.
When he was defeated it was tho defeat of
the cause for which ho stood, not tho defeat of
tho man, for men clothed, only in their own
strength and their own personality do not rise
from such a fall.
Principles do not die of wounds; just causes
thrive on persecution. Right knows no defeat.
And tho proof that Bryan has from tho begin
ning of his career been fighting for truth, jus
tice and right principles is shown by tho fact
that defeat has left him unscathed, untouched,
just as it has tho principles for which he stood.
His strength is now and always has been in tho
justice of the cause for which ho fights.
The theories of government which Bryan has
advocated are accopted today by both parties
and, just as these theories grow in popularity,
so grows the influence of William Jonnlngs
Bryan. Ralph Waldo Emerson must have had
a prophetic vision of Bryan when Tie wrote:
This is he, who, felled by foes,
Sprung harmless up, refreshed by blows;
He to captivity was sold,
But him no prison bars would hold;
Though they sealed him in a rock,
Mountain chains ho can unlock;
Thrown to lions for their meat,
The crouching lion kissed his feet;
Bound to the stake, no flames appalled,
But arched o'er him an honoring vault.
This is he men miscall Fate,
Threading dark ways, arriving late,
But ever coming in time to crown
Tho truth, and hurl wrong-doors down
MR. BRYAN IS FRIGHTENED
Following is an Associated Press dispatch:
Tampa, Fla., April 26. Declaring ho believed
the result of the Roosevelt-Taft fight would bo
the nomination for tho presidency of a third
man by tho republicans, W. J. Bryan, in a
speech hero today, used tho alleged words of
each against tho other.
"Indeed," said Mr. Bryan, "I am daily appre
hending tho suggestion that I bo nominated as a
compromise republican candidate on tho decla
ration of Roosevelt that I am more progressive
than Taft and of Taft that I am less dangerous
than Roosevelt."
Mr. Bryan, in denouncing Underwood as tho
"candidate of Wall street," explained that ho
was not necessarily against a southern man but
that if the nomination of a southern man was
desired "why not a real southern democrat like
Hoke Smith, Ollie James or Charles Culberson?"
He reiterated that ho had no preference be
tween progressives,' but that tho democratic
party should not throw away this greatest of
its opportunities by nominating a reactionary.
He added that if a progressive wore nomi
nated at Baltimore ho would show the country
that he could fight more effectively for another
man than he had. fought for himself.
The speaker left immediately after his ad
dress for other points on his Florida itinerary.
HARMON AND BRYAN
Philadelphia Public Ledger: Mr. Bryan and
Governor Harmon have lately been having a
little debate. Mr. Bryan has been invading
Ohio in response to a sort of hato for Harmon
which seems to bo as inveterate as that
cherished by Mr. Roosevelt for Mr. Taft. The
colonel has been denouncing Harmon and de
claring that ho is the ono particular person he
will not support for tho democratic nomination;
and of course he has been twisting facts, mak
ing false charges and doing other things which
only a very advanced progressive can do with
out a sense of shame.
Governor Harmon carried t"ho war into Ne
braska and not only declared that tho ono
spoclflc "chargo" was a rank falsehood, but
proved it. Then ho allowed to amused audi
ences that tho progressives of Ohio to whom
Mr.Bryan was giving his moral support against
Harmon wero discredited politicians, oiflce
brokers without any offices to handle, convicts
and a most undealrablo collection of citizens.
Anybody who has noted tho habits of a real
friend of tho peoplo of either party can shrewdly
guess how a progressive liko Mr. Bryan mot tho
arguments of his opponent. Did ho rcfuto his
statements or controvort his facts? Ho dis
dained such prosy and undramatic methods of
debato; ho mado tho crushing rejoinder that,
anyhow, this man Harmon was a "reactionary,"
and added:
"I affirm that Harmon has not changed his
sympathies since 1890 when ho was with Prcal
dent Cleveland in opposing tho domlcratlc
party."
At last Mr. Bryan is unwittingly doing Mr.
Harmon somo sorvico and tho country Is gain
ing an exact and valuablo knowledgo of what
much of tho demagogic progressivonoss actually
means; to bo "reactionary," in tho mouths of
tho radicals, both republican and democratic,
often moans to bo honest and sano. The chargo
against Mr. Harmon is that ho Is not a Bryan
Ito and will not strike his colors to Bryan oven
for the sako of a nomination; all tho others
except Underwood have done so or pretended
to do so. What a curious and depressing fa:t
it is that after 1G years of so-called progress a
leader like Bryan with his following should
have tho Impudence to hold a candidate up to
obloquy on the ground that ho Is STILL STAND
ING OUT obstinately against the movement
which is "progressing" away from tho courago
and statesmanship of Cleveland and tho gold
democrats toward tho ghostlike reappearanco
of Bryanism and folly!
MAYOR GAYNOR
William Jennings Bryan and Mayor William
J. Gaynor lalked to a largo audience in tho
Graco M. E. church recently. Mr. Bryan de
livered his lecture on "The Signs of tho Times."
The Nebraskan was introduced by the mayor,
who flooded him with compliments and called
him "tho greatest teacher in tho world today."
"Mr. Bryan ran three times for tho presi
dency but was not elected," said tho mayor.
"But that does not mean ho was not successful,
for tho man who Is elected is not always tho
successful one. I have known somo who would
have been more successful if they had been
defeated. When you aro elected your (rouble
begins.
"Bryan was not elected, but he was successful
In helping tho men of his generation more than
any man I know of to take a few steps forward,
and that is as successful as a man can be.
"Mr. Bryan has advocated reforms in poli
tics, and though ho has not come to office, theso
reforms have gone forward because they havo
had merit In them. In this way he has com
bined the great office of a statesman and that
greater ono of a teacher."
Mr. Bryan thanked tho mayor for his' expres
sions of good will and said ho heartily recipro
cated them.
Mr. Bryan referred to the mayor as having
stood up for him often as a man who was not
afraid to bo his friend when he needed one.
"In the office of judge as well as mayor Mr.
Gaynor has had the courage to speak out for
what ho has thought right," Mr. Bryan went on.
"This city is fortunate to havo a man whoso
sympathies aro .on tho side of tho people. I'vo
known the mayor for a great many years and
I'vo always known that his heart was on tho
right side."
HOW OFTEN, OH, HOW OFTEN?
James E. Corey, a Crawford county, Ohio,
reader of Tho Commoner asks: "Will you tell
the readers of Tho Commoner how often, by
message, Mr. Roosevelt, during his two terms
as president of tho United States, asked con
gress to provide for tho election of United
States senators by popular yote; to provide for
a general primary election law, including can
didates for president; to provide for the initia
tive and referendum, and for tho better control
of trusts. Is it possible that his sense of jus
tice was so abtuso that he did not see tho
necessity for these reform measuresv until on
the eve of a presidential campaign in which ho
hoped to be the recipient?"
Surely theso are embarrassing questions fox;
Mr. Roosevelt.