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The Commoner.
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blood of wild beasts. Up goes the cry, 'Wo want
Toddy; wo wunt Toddy.' Not even La Folletto
not oven CummlnB 1b advanced enough. They
do not know tho moaning of progrosslvcism."
Mr. Dies attributed to "ignoranco at homo
and cowardice hero" hlB charges that tho re
public was going ahead at home, more and more
slowly by reason only of Its acquired momen
tum." Thcso distinguished representatives of a pass
ing order should calm themselves. Mr. Dies
will, at tho expiration of his present term of
olllco, retire from public Hfo. Jt is very lllcely
that Dr. Galllnger will soon go tho way that
Aldrlch went, tho way that Eugene Hale went,
tho way of W. Murray Crano. These people
will go into private Hfo because they do not
have the proper conception of the duties of a
public official. Thoro have been times and it
is oven so in some instances today whon men
woro presumed to represent in public office
special intorosts rather than the public welfaro
but "tho tendency of the times" against which
these gentlemen complain is bringing about a
change. A public office is presumed to bo a
public trust rather than a private snap and tho
private monopolies which these private snappers
havo helped to build up aro now regarded as
Indefensible and intolerable. It is a brighter
day when "tho greatest good to tho greatest
number" rather than "all thoro is for tho hands
of a few" is tho thought uppermost in tho mind
of tho public official as ho approaches the dis
charge of his public duty. Tho Martin Dies and
tho Dr. Gallinger's, tho Aldrich's and tho
Crano's aro to leave tho public service because
they aro not in harmony with this new fashioned
old fashioned idea that in America government
is for tho peoplo and must therefore necessarily
be of tho peoplo and 'by tho people.
LA FOLLETTE, THE LOGICAL CANDIDATE
Tho Sioux City Journal points out that:
Candidate Taft lost his home state, Ohio.
Candidate Roosovelt lost his homo state, New
xTork.
Candidate Cummins lost his home state, Iowa.
Candidate La Folletto carried his home state,
Wisconsin.
Tho Journal therefore concludes: "If tho
home state argument is to bo conclusive, tho
moral is that Senator La Follotte, tho only
candidate who had strength enough to carry tho
state where he naturally should command the
most enthusiastic and loyal support, is the logi
cal nomineo of tho Chicago convention."
But tho nomination of Mr. La Folletto could
bo urged on a much broader ground than that
suggested by tho Sioux City Journal. Mr. La
Folletto is a real progressive. His heart as well
as his tonguo is in tho work. Ho may bo de
pended upon to protect tho public interests.
None of tho factions among tho special interests
aro supporting La Folletto.
If tho republican party means to bo progres
sive let it nominate a progressive in whom men
of all parties havo faith.
MONEY, MONEY, EVERYWHERE
, Mr. Taft's manager charges that three hun
dred thousand dollars was spent in Ohio for
Mr. Roosevelt, while tho Taft managers spent
only twenty-five thousand dollars. The New
' y?rl5 World correspondent says, however, that
JIOO.OOO was spent for Mr. Taft and 300,000
for Mr. Roosevelt.
Neither side in tho controversy is in a posi
tion to make any complaint in the matter of
money used in elections. Repeatedly money
has been spent for tho benefit of both Taft and
Roosevelt and these gentlemen had overy reason
for knowing that tho money came from special
interests that were looking for some favors at
tho expense of tho public.
A NEWS ITEM
Mr. Hearst sends the following letter to the
editor of Pearson's Magazine: "I have declared
a preference for the man (Champ Clark) who
I believe represents them (my policies) best
and I shall labor to secure the presidential nomi
nation for him. If at any time, or for any
reason, he should retire, and the selection of a
candidate to represent true democracy and genu
ino progressive principles should lie between
an avowed reactionary and a pretended progres
sive, I might become a candidate."
Tho democratic congress marches on with a
large contingent of the republicans voting for
ill the democratic measures.
A SINGLE TERM
There are a few who object to the proposed
amendment limiting the president to a single
term and tho chief objection advanced is that a
president may become Indifferent to the wishes
of the public if he is not a candidate for re-election.
This is a very shallow argument and
would apply to the second term under the two
year limit. Shall wo re-elect presidents CON
TINUOUSLY in order to keep them sensitive to
public opinion? The presidency is usually given
as a reward for services performed in the sen
ate, house or in some state office, so that tho
unworthy are sifted out. Surely, the desire to
earn an honorable place In history ought to bo
sufllcient to bring out the best that is in a man.
There is more to b'e feared from the misuse of
patronage than from indifference to obligations
and to the wishes of tho pebple. One term is
enough one term of four years is preferable
but a single term o'f six years would be better
than two four-year terms. Now is the time to
push tho single term amendment.
OHIO IS DIVIDED
Full, returns from the democratic primary in
Ohio aro not yet obtainable. The seventy-five
counties that have reported officially give Gover
nor Harmon 7G,237 and Governor Wilson 68,
042, a majority of about 8,195 for the former,
but in these same counties 2,806 wrote Mr.
Clark's name on the ballot and 2,108 wrote Mr.
Bryan's name. Subtracting these 4,914 pro
gressives from Harmon's vote and his majority
in the seventy-five counties is reduced to a little
more than 3,000. Of the forty-two district dele
gates Mr. Harmon has secured twenty-two and
the progressives nineteen one district being
still in doubt. Governor Harmon having carried
tho state, will have the choice of the six dele-gates-at-large,
which will give him twenty-eight
and possibly twenty-nine out of the forty-eight
delegatos. If this can be construed as a vic
tory for the reactionaries, they are welcome to
whatever satisfaction they can get out of it.
CRANE WILL RETDRE
Senator W. Murray Crane of Massachusetts
has announced that he will retire Irom the
senate. This announcement came as a surprise
to the public, although it does not greatly sur
prise close students of political trend. Mr.
Crane is a standpatter among standpatters. He
is one of the leaders of tho "old guard" He
follows into retirement his old comrades, Hale
of Maine, and Aldrlch of Rhode Island and he
goes for the same reason that Aldrlch went. He
sees the hand-writing on the wall. Massachu
setts is in no mood to return him.
THE REST WAS "WALK AWAY"
"This is the end of the contest," said Senator
Dixon. This is what Senator Dixon said in sub
stance after tho returns were received from
Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland
and California. Sioux City (la.) Journal.
Perhaps Mr. Dixon did not regard anything
after California as real contests. He might have
thought of it as walk-away and that is about
the way the onlooker regards it. The fact is the
farther Messrs. Taft and Roosevelt go the worse
Mr. Taft's chances look.
MAYBE NOT
Senator Elihu Root was chosen temporary
chairman of the republican national convention
by the national committee, but the committee is
in control of the Taft forces, while the conven
tion may be in the control of the Roosevelt
forces. Senator Root has "accepted," but The
Commoner advises him not to set his heart upon
the position. Mr. Root is very apt, in the par
lance of the next republican nominee for presi
dent of tho United States, to be "slugged over
tho ropes." && uva
ROOSEVELT WINS IN OniO
In the Ohio primary Mr. Roosevelt won a
pronounced victory, securing all but 10 of the
42 delegates and a majority of the preferential
vote which would give him the six de?ete
at-large. Taft men threatened that if they con
trolled the state convention they would in
struct the delegates for Mr. Taft but Roosevelt
captured the state convention. -"oaeveit
GOOD FOR MASSACHUSETTS!
Tho Massachusetts house of representatives
was the first legislative body to act upon the
ratification of the proposed amendment to the
federal constitution providing for tho direct
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 21
election of United States senators. A few days
later tho Massachusetts senate acted. In this
way Massachusetts has the honor of being tho
first state to formally ratify the amendment em
bodying one of the greatest reform measures.
Good for Massachusetts.
DEMOCRATIC LITERATURE
Dr. J. M. Fulton,' Audubon, Iowa It seems
like Mr. Bryan not only has to defend democ
racy against the onslaughts of Aristocracy but
against enemies in our own "party. Therefore it
behooves all believers in good government to
assist Mr. Bryan in keeping up this defense that
was commenced twenty years ago and which is
not finished. The special interests are practi
cally in control of all the large dailies in the
United States and by deceiving the public into
the false notion that they are progressive foist
their publications upon them.
Just now another struggle has to be made for
real democracy and we need literature to
counteract the false doctrines set up by Wall
street boosters. Why not circulate The Com
moner in every county in every state. It al
ready has a large circulation all over the state
but we can't have too many. Circulate The
Commoner and it will have the desired effect.
THE POSTAL VOTE
The traveling men are organizing to secure
the postal vote, as it is called in New Zealand.
It is a vote sent by mail under proper regula
tions, when the voter happens to be away from
home on election day. Mr. Bryan has been an
advocate of the postal vote for years; it ought
to be provided for in every state. It would be of
special service to the 800,000 traveling men of
the United States and would also be convenient
for students and for others (including the sick)
who can not go to the polls on election day.
The postal vote is just and being just it will
come "eventually, why not now?"
COMPLIMENTS
Compliments fly think and fast through tho
republican atmosphere. Here 1b a sample of the
things being said by republican leaders of one
another:
Senator Root intimaled, with a smile, that
the Chicago convention might.be a very lively
affair, and that the fighting wpuld, probably start
at the door.
"Do you look for Mr. Roosevelt to bolt if he
fails to win the nomination?"
"He will not bolt if he is nominated," said Mr.
Root with the wisdom of a delphic oracle.
THE HENRY AMENDMENT
What is the matter with Congressman Henry's
amendment to change the date of inauguration
and the time for convening the sessions of con
gress? It ought to be submitted. The first ses
sion should begin soon after the members are
elected and the second session should adjourn
before the following election.
IN NEBRASKA
A typographical error in last week's issue of
The Commoner made it appear that J. R. Tulley
was one of the district delegates to the demo
cratic national convention from the Third Ne
braska district. It should have been J. R. Kelley.
Later returns also show that In the Sixth Ne
braska district George C. Glllan instead of Orin
Reed was elected district delegate.
DISHEARTENING
"Probably never in our political history has
olS CUn4rry,faed an outlok so disheartening,"
S the Wa" Street Journal, in referring to the
Roosevelt-Taft controversy. Oh, cheer up; the
worst is yet to come at Chicago, June 18th.
THE ROLL OP HONOR
Massachusetts leads off In the ratification of
H aS?? ue? ProvidinS for the popular elec
Sh? i w teJ States senators by direct vote.
Next! n the new ro11 of honor-
thnnnni0 ratify the amendment for
Wnmn A ie,CtLn of senatrs the senate will
wort? ifnJllgest leSislative body in the
JtitPBSihSeni,)SB renresonting the ripened
statesmanship of the nation.
whIth.tr8lf,?t,inlBm ln a rePucan editor is
whether he still speaks of the coming republi-
1 2ent,onB1 in the singular-there will be
the 0nteo?m?ny.PreB,den,; WithdraWS ln
