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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN; EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 12, NO. 22
A financial publication, devoted to the boost
ing of the Aldrich currency scheme, has many
compliments for Mr. Oscar Underwood and in
terprets the Alabama democratic platform as
being favorable to that (the Aldrich) measure.
This financial publication quotes the following
editorial from the Atlanta Constitution:
"Mr. Underwood's record during the past
session of congress has been very clear-cut on
the currency and banking question. He was
opp'osed at the start to the money trust inquiry,
not because he did not want an investigation,
but because of the shape that had been given to
the subject by so-called progressive republicans
who apparently had not the remotest conception
of banking principles, and who were bitter in
their opposition to all existing conditions, as
well as to rational methods of reform. Later
on, when Bryan democrats were misled into tak
ing up the progressive scheme, Mr. Underwood
stood firmly for keeping the investigation out
of the hands of the extremists and political
schemers and for putting it into the hands of
the regularly organized committees, which
would be likely to deal with it in a more sincere
and effective manner. This attitude caused an
immense amount of controversy and denuncia
tion in caucus, but was successful in attain
ing its object, the final vote being overwhelm
ingly in favor of the Underwood plan."
But there are later returns. The house of
representatives finally retraced its steps and
under the pleas of such democrats as Robert L.
Henry, adopted the plan whereby a real investi
gation is to be had. It was not at all to Mr.
Underwood's credit that he fought this investi
gation. It would have been better if he had
yielded in the beginning. Some of the men who
followed him at first changed their attitude
after they had heard, from "the old folks at
home."
CHANCE FOR JURY REFORM
Judge Charles B. Letton of the Nebraska su
preme court recently delivered an opinion in
which he ' condemned what he calls the ''bar
barities of the common law" resulting in jury
men being shut up until they consent to re.nder
a verdict. In this particudar case the jury re
tired about noon Wednesday and reached a ver
dict Friday morning. The Lincoln News report
of the case says: "Some of the jurymen stated
in affidavits that they were not allowed to sleep
for forty-eight hours and were forced to bring
in a verdict on account of physical exhaustion.
Other jurymen signed affidavits declaring that
they had a comfortable room, with table, chairs
CONTENTS
WHAT A PITY!
REPUBLICAN PARTY TO BLAME
MR. BRYAN ON "THE LARGER LIFE"
HIGHER BUSINESS ETHICS
BISHOP SCHINER'S POSITION
THE MISSOURI TAX QUESTION
PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS
MR. BRYAN IN KENTUCKY
WISCONSIN'S VENTURE IN LIFE
INSURANCE
HOME DEPARTMENT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS
Lincoln, Nebraska, June 7, 1912
Whole Number 594
Later Returns
and writing material and had plenty to eat and
drink and that they were not exhausted."
Judge Letton, in condemning the practice gen
erally, said:
"It is high time that tho barbarities of tho
common law should bo done away with and that
verdicts should be reached as a result of thought
and deliberation and not as a result of
physical compulsion. There is no more
reason for subjecting jurors to confinement in a
small room for two nights and a day without
opportunity for rest or repose than there would
be for subjecting the judge himself or tho
other officers of tho court to like privations.
"The strength of memory and capacity for
sound judgment usually found in persons in
elderly life, as a number of these jurors were,
is apt to be impaired if they are deprived of
sleep for forty-eight hours.
"Moreover under such conditions tho man
who is physically stronger may by force of that
very fact prevail over the judgment of his
brother juror who may bo stronger mentally
but physically weaker. We criticise the prac
tice unfavorably in the hope that it may not
be repeated, but in this case we are of opinion
that the evidence sustains tho finding that the
verdict was not produced as a result of the ex
haustion of the jurors, who make the affidavits."
Judge Letton has offered timely criticism. It
would be well if judges and lawyers generally
could take up the suggestion made by this Ne
braska jurist in order that reformation may bo
accomplished.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO BLAME
A woman has hit-ttfeniallothnieaaT'rrs.
Harriett Stantonr Blatch, speaking in Now York
City said: "Can'nothing halt the vulgar quarrel
which goes on day by day between our two
leading citizens? Have we forgotten that the
one raging combatant is an ex-president, and
the other the chief executive of these United
States? I am not so narrow-minded, so unin
formed, as to hold that men 'are incapable of
lasting friendship,' that when ambition steps
in between them they will always turn and
rend each other, but I do think tho love the sex
has for a fight has laid hold of our men and led
them to form a ring about the combatants in
stead of stepping in and ending a quarrel which
has become a national disgrace.
"And are there no wise men nay, just men,
with common sense in the republican party?
Surely the squabble is but a family affair.
Every tu quoquo reveals only a skeleton in tho
republican cupboard. What profits it when the
cx-presidont says the chief executive was at a
certain cabinet meeting and the latter says he
wasn't, when in any case the responsibility each
Is trying to shift to the other's shoulders is the
responsibility of a republican cabinet?
"Our president says the ejf-presldent wrote a
letter and the latter says he didn't. What mat
ters it so long as the policy each tries to blamo
on the other was a policy of a republican ad
ministration? If there be any with brains in
these shouting hosts of backers, can they not
draw apart and formulate a principle about
which the sane men of their party can rally?
"For the sake of the reputation of men In
friendship, for tho sake of realities in political
life, for the. sake of our nation's good name, let
this nauseous war of personalities cease!"
FIDELITY
Written in a personal letter to Mr. Bryan:
"A friendless warfare! lingering long
Through weary day and weary year
A wild and many-weaponed throng
Hang on thy front and flank and rear.
Yet nerve thy spirit to the proof,
And blench not at thy chosen lot;
The timid good may stand al6o'f,
The sage may frown yet faint thou not..
Nor heed the shaft too surely cast,
. The hissing, stinging bolt of scorn;
For with thy side shall dwell, at last,
The victory of endurance born."
What a Pity
' The editor of tho Wall Street Journal is dis
consolate. Ho supported Mr. Roosevelt for vlco
president and for president. Ho told his readers
that in doing so ho was defending the national
honor. Now tho Journal editor expresses groat
regret that Mr. Taft found It necessary to go
upon the stump. Tho Journal editor says:
"Could not Mr. Taft have trusted his follow
countrymen to have protected him, and with him
the dignity of his ofllco? Is every public officer
obliged to turn from hiB appointed duties and
bandy epithets with any blackguard who chooses
to abuse him? Can he in any way help his
position by so doing? Must he not necessarily
forget that ho merged his personality In his
great office, and that he at least can afford to
despiso personal attacks?"
What a pity that the editor of tho Wall Street
Journal finds It necessary to use such cutting
terms in referring to the gentleman whom ho
once regarded as the chief custodian of tho na
tional honor.
AT LAST! AT LAST!!
Mr. Bryan may say with Job "that which I
greatly feared has come upon me." Hero comes
tho Washington (D. C.) Horald, actually propos
ing Mr. Bryan as the republican nominee at
-Chicago. In a fearfully and wonderfully mado
editorial, tho Herald says:
"There was a. time when tho great business
interests of the country-feared Bryan above all
other men. Outside of his 1G to 1 free silver
coinage theory, tho main ground of objection to
him was his attacks upon tho courts ('govern
ment by injunction.') Today Roosevelt has
gone so much further against our judicial sys
tem, not to speak of his other extreme notions,
that the mild protest of Mr. Bryan against gov
ernment by Injunction now seems rather tamo.
But this very change in estimating tho Nebras
kan's former objectionable attitude as compared
with the man whom' ho openly charges with
stealing all his planks and pushing them to ex
tremes, is a factor that republicans will do well
to bear In mind in connection with what might
occur at the Chicago convention.
"We hardly believe tho people are ready to
accept either the Roosevelt or Bryan typo, but
If the republican voters are confronted by tho
necessity of selecting a president without
reference to party Interests, they might be ex
cusable if they preferred Bryan to Roosevelt,
because of the lack of consideration which
Roosevelt has shown toward lira party, which
he probably stands ready to bolt unless he is
nominated.
"Bryan would start out with one great advan
tage. For whatever may be his shortcomings,
he is regarded as absolutely honest by the great
mass of the voters. What we especially mean
by this statement is this: What would happen
if Roosevelt, on being nominated and elected,
should solemnly declare that 'under no circum
stances will I accept a fourth nomination?' All
would laugh, just laugh!
"People never realized before, as they do now,
that Roosevelt is ready to appeal to popular pas
sion, public unrest and discontent. Considera
tions like these may bo leading many republi
cans to say that, if they were forced to choose
between Bryan and Roosevelt as individuals,
they would not hesitate to vote for the. former."
In spite of the Heraldis eloquent pleas, Mr.
Bryan persists in his declination. He can not
conceive of any situation In which his nomina
tion at Chicago would be permissible.
NOT ALWAYS
In a newspaper interview, Chauncey M.Depew
declares that "gall and gab" is all that is neces
sary to win the presidency. Still the rule did
not hold good in Mr. Depew's case".
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