MAY 17", 1912
The Commoner.
3
Will Democrats Invite Defeat?
Surely no well-informed democrat can bo
deluded into the belief that it would be party
policy to nominate a reactionary. While the
division in the republican ranks seems to insure
success, unless the Baltimore convention makes
some egregious mistake, still the party's chance
of success rests' entirely upon the nomination of
a progressive democrat, upon a progressive plat
form. In no possible contingency would it bo
politic to nominate a man suspected of reaction
ary tendencies. "
The republican national convention may do
one of threo things, and no one at thfs time can
say which. It may renominate President Taft,
but if it does so, it will be through the influence
of the southern delegates, for Mr. Taft is not
likely to have a" majority of the delegates from
the northern states. In case Mr. Taft is nomi
nated, the progressive republicans that is, the
rank and file would be likely to support any
democrat known to be progressive; but as be
tween Mr. Taft and a reactionary democrat,
they would naturally prefer Mr, Taft, and thus,
with the slump that would follow among pro
gressive democrats, would insure Mr. Taft's
election. """
But the Chicago convention may nominate Mr.
Roosevelt for a third term, in which case tho
nomination of a reactionary democrat would be
equally fatal, because Mr. Roosevelt would draw
enough progressive democrats to offset his loss
among the stand-pat republicans, so that his
election would be assured. The nomination of a
progressive democrat, on the other hand, would
insure the defeat of Mr. Roosevelt, because a
progressive democrat would hold the progres
sive vote, and the republicans who oppose Mr.
Roosevelt would have nowhere else to go and
would vote the democratic ticket from necessity.
But a third contingency is possible... The fight
between Taft and Roosevelt lias become so bit
ter, that they may be put aside and a dark horse
nominated. If La Follette should happen to bo
the lucky man, it would take a very strong pro
gressive democrat to hold all of tho. democratic
votes. A reactionary democrat would be de
feated before the battle was begun. If the dark
horse proved to be a man satisfactory to both the
Roosevelt and the Taft element, democratic
chances would be very much lessened, and no
one could hope for success, unless. he was in a
position to take advantage of the progressive
sentiment of the country a reactionary would
have no possible show of election. This is the
situation, as anyone must clearly see who will
give a moment's time to the serious considera
tion of politics.
Why, then, are the democrats wiling to invite
defeat by encouraging the candidacy of a re
actionary? It Is easy enough to understand the
tactics of Wall street, because Wall street has
no politics. It does not matter to Wall street
whether the president is a democrat or republi
can, provided he goes to Wall street for advice.
What Wall street wants is to nominate both
tickets, and then elect tho republican ticket;
for it is beyond Wall street's power to elect tho
democratic ticket, oven if it wanted to. It can
not throw its entire influence to the democratic
ticket, for however satisfactory the candidate
himself may be to Wall street, Wall street is
afraid of the democratic party, and it knows that
a democratic president could not carry out Wall
street's policies, even if he used all the patronage
in his effort to do so. The most that Wall street
could do is to nominate a demo'crat who would
be easily defeated; and having nominated a man
whom the rank and file of the party would not
support, it would then abandon him to his fate,
and leave the party where it left it in 1904.
Can it be possible that the democrats, who
have fought so loyally for twenty years against
tho predatory interests, can be duped at this
time; and are they willing to throw away the
best chance they have had of victory, merely
to please the element that has brought defeat
to the party for sixteen years? Will the demo
crats risk the election of Mr. Roosevelt for a
third term, with all that that means in the over
throw of the traditions of the nation? Will
they, by nominating a "reactionary, enable Mr.
Taft to regain the confidence of the people
confidence which he has lost as few presidents
have lost it?
Tho1 road would seem to be a plain one
leading to victory, with all that victory would
mean to our party. Both principle and policy
point tho way. The party needs only to "have
faith In tho wisdom of doing right," It needs
only to stand firm and retain tho confidence that
its splendid fight has won.
If tho republicans had authorized tho demo
crats to map out a course for tho republican
party with the view of securing tho overwhelm
ing defeat of that party, a democratic com
mittee could not. have advised all of the mis
takes that tho republican leaders havo made,
and the democrats would havo been ashamed to
ask tho president and the ex-prosldont to enter
into tho unseemly fight in which they are now
engaged. Surely tho circumstances favor tho
democrats, unless the democrats themselves de
liberately destroy the hope of democratic vic
tory; and they can destroy it In but ono way,
viz., by surrender to the interests, by retreat
from tho high position that they havo occupied,
by compromise with those who aro exploiting
tho masses.
WALL STREET'S MISTAKE
Editorial in Cincinnati Enquirer: Reaction
ary bulletins claiming Texas and Maryland for
a reactionary candidate no longer pass, even
"with the most gullible, and tho Indications aro
exceedingly strong that Tennessee, Michigan
and Kentucky have all disappointed the hopes
of the managers of tho ex-attorney general of
tho United States.
In every state of tho union, save in Ohio, this
candidacy is at an end, and that May 21 will
end it In Ohio no one who is in touch with tho
progressive sentiment of the voters can doubt
for a moment.
' Those who promoted it were guided by false
hopes, Inspired by selfish considerations to a
largo extent, and were wonderfully obtuse to
the prevailing political conditions, which vetoed
such a movement, barred such a candidate, and
decreed defeat to both from the very inception
of the plan.
For more than four years it has been apparent
that the republican party was abandoning Its
old leaders, getting away from embarrassing
alliances, and in every campaign since it has
been, approaching closer and closer to tho
principles and policies outlined by tho demo
cratic party in 1896 and in tho subsequent
campaigns. v
" Tho voters of the two parties have become
very much closer in thought, and leader after
leader of the standpat republican clement has
been quietly relegated to private lifo, or pub
licly executed by compelling him to walk the
plank to political doom.
The republican party has been reformed, and
transformed, and its members are no longer
thinking upon tho same lines that they did
even ten years ago.
A republican who is not a progressive has
no standing or influence in his party, and that
being so with our political opponents, what
consummate folly it was in a few men of Wall
street to think they could capture and control
the great party of progress, the democratic
party, by nominating a candidate who, if suc
cessful, would turn back the hands of the na
tional timepiece 20 years, as -far as national
issues were concerned.
Well, they tried their best, and have failed
In every state, for Ohio, on May 21, will record
her vote in favor of progress and will elect pro
gressive delegates to the Baltimore convention.
It is most fortunate that these baseless claims ,
of tho reactionary managers have been so com- '
pletely exploded in the outside states before tho
democrats of Ohio are called upon to chooso
their representatives to the convention.
Every democrat in the state can now see
there has never been any foundation for tho
claims of these so-called national and stato
managers.
It has been a series of bombastic utterances,
their campaign; a tissue of misrepresentation
as to democratic sentiment, in all the other
states, through which they hoped to delude tho
democrats of Ohio.
Hove that in tho candidacies of Champ Clark,
Woodrow Wilson, Thomas It. Marshall, Joseph
W. Folk, Governor Burke, Olllo Jamos and
Governor Fobs, tho democratic party has suffi
cient material from which to select tho most
capable and acceptablo leadership; and that
under such leadership an aggrosslve democracy
will move forward to certain victory.
Second Wo aro opposed to tho nomination
of any reactionary presidential candidate Wo
do not believe the democratic party can afford
now to look back, having oncp moro put Its
hand to tho plow. Wo aro opposed to Parkcrlz
ing and paralyzing tho democratic party this
year.
Third We do not believe In tho candidacy
of any man who, In tho trying days of '90, whllo
a "watchman on tho tower" preferred to aid
and abot In tho election of tho high priest of
protection,' rather than to contribute by volco
or vote to tho success of progressive democracy.
Fourth Wo do not believe in tho candidacy
of any man who wanted In 1873 to "kill tho
democratic party."
Fifth We do not believe In tho candidly of
any man who as governor would leave hlU- post
of duty and for upward of four weeks resurao
his old rolo of "special pleader" for a giant cor
poration (Tho C. & O. R. R.) In a suit to de
prive a widow of her due.
Sixth We do not favor. tho nomination of a
"double dealer" who Is all things to all people
under all conditions a "wot" amongst tho
"wets," and a "dry" amongst tho "drys" and
nothing any place.
Seventh Wo do not favor tho nomination
of a candidate who, twlco elected on a people's
platform, will openly repudiate that platform
and, In a game of "mock heroics," urge a con
stitutional convention to repudiate tho personal
pledges of practically four-fifths its members
much as ho himself would bo capable of repu
diating and advise them not to give tho people
even the opportunity to say whether they want
the Initiative and referendum embodied In tho
constitution.
Eighth Wo are In favor of a "statep ride"
that will lead a progressive and militant de
mocracy to keep its banner of progress waving
and to save itself from tho impossible candi
dacy of an impossiblo candidate.
OHIO INDICTMENT OP HARMON
Progressive candidates for delegates to tho
national democratic convention present tho
following Indictment against Governor Harmon;
First We favor the nomination of a demo
cratic candidate of the "Bryan school" and te-
A DOUBTFUL COMPLIMENT
The following compliment will not impress
favorably those who object to having a presi
dent who is on intimate terms with tho heads
of big business, but Governor Harmon's friends
seem to rely on such indorsements. The Balti
more Sun says:
"Judge J. A. C. Bond, of Westminster, was In
Baltimore recently and talked a good deal
about Governor Harmon, of Ohio. He was at
the railroad station to meet Mr. Harmon when
he arrived in Baltimore and Is strongly In favor
of his nomination by tho Baltimore convention.
Judge Bond was a close friend of tho late John
K. Cowen, with whom ho was associated In tho
law department of the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road, and after Mr. Cowen's death Judge Bond,
then president of tho stato bar association, got
Governor Harmon to read a paper on Mr. Cowen
before tho bar association. He selected Mr.
Harmon because he and Mr. Cowen were friends
and boys together in Ohio. Indeed, Judge Bond
said that he knew it to be a fact that President
Cleveland offered tho portfolio of attorney gen
eral of the United States to Mr. Cowen, but ho
declined and urged tho appointment of Judgo
Harmon. Tho office of attorney general, Judgo
Bond added, was also offered to Mr. Cowen by
President McKinley."
It seems that Mr. Cowen suited-two presidents.
GAYNOR A "PEOPLE'S MAN"
To tho Editor of Tho New York World: My
choice for president Is W. J. Gaynor. Ho has
proved by his work throughout his whole career
as lawyer, economic preacher, Judge and mayor
that ho possesses the most salient qualifications
for chief magistrate of tho United States.
With knowledge of tho laws of tho country,
executive ability of the highest order, moral
courage to administer his office to the best good
of most of the people, he is fearless, honest and
not a political demagogue.
His little eccentricities are to be overlooked
as harmless and characteristic of a man' of his
type. If ever there was a people's man, literally
"speaking, Gaynor stands out today as ono.
Brooklyn, May C. A. K. S.
JB.