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The Commoner.
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2J
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Mr. Bryan Forecasts the Democratic Convention
(Copyright, 1912, by tho Nowspapor Enterprise
Association.)
Tho courso of tho democratic convention will
bo largely shaped by tho action of tho republi
can convention. Tho democratic platform will
sot forth tho domocratic sldo of tho issues pre
sented at Chicago. For instance, if President
. Taft Is renominated a considerable portion of
tho platform will bo devoted to pointing out
and emphasizing tho difference botweon tho
presldont and congress on ,tho tariff question.
His administration will bo" condemned for its
sips of omission and commission and an appeal
will bo made to progressives to join in adminis
trating a fitting rebuke to tho administration.
if, on tho other hand, Mr. Roosevelt is nomi
nated, the paramount, issuo will be tho third
term "nll tho traditions of tho nation bo over
turned '( Shall wo embark on the road to a
dictatorship? Shall wo intrust the power and
patronage of tho presidency in tho hands of
a man who might use it to keep himself in
power for life?
Tho third term issuo is no trivial thing
tho protest against it is not an idle cry of
alarm. V dictatorship is tho ono danger which
.threaten ropublics. Because of tho intelligence
of our ,.eoplo tho danger is less here than, else
whoro,. but it is not a danger that wo can afford
. to invito oven hero.
No ono who has had experience in public
affairs is Indifferent to the fact that a president
has sovoral hundred thousand ofllcoholders who
can bo coorced into activity in his behalf; ho
has an army that Is obedient to his command
(and tho standing army has been doubled since
ninety-six) and battleships whose guns can over-
awe our seaport- cities. Given tho desire to
establish a dictatorship, and tho man in tho
White House has a material advantage over any
rival in his own party or in any other party.
But these suggestions are by way of illus
tration to show how the action of our conven
tion will bo influenced by tho action of tho re
publican convention. If a dark horso should
- -Imppon to ho nomlnatod ouv plotfnrm wnnld
have to bo written to correspond with tho new
to witness, and a judgment upon combatants is
expressed by a bit of paper (possibly yards of
paper in the near future) rather than the po
sition of tho thumb.
Woman has always been influenced by her
environment, so we find tho Judiths, tho Jaels,
tho AmazonB, tho Joans of ancient times giv
ing place to the Portias, tho Florence Nightin
gales, ' a Clara Bartons, tho Helen Goulds and
the : el Boardmans of this. Mind, in its
man.,, manifestations, is what engages, or,
shcv6r- engage, tho interest and attention of
th-o'o who today occupy the "highest station."
Everything deponds upon our point of view. If
our ideal of the "highest" is "character" and
wo recognize that its fundamental elements are
truth and altruism, a yielding not only to tho
"rights" of others, but a generous considera
tion of the wishes and tastes of those outside
the charmed pale of our own exclusive circle, if
we really believe there is something good and
worth knowing in every one, that "there is an
angel in every stone," and it may be our privi
lege to "get it out," if we ask with George Eliot,
What do wo live for if not to make life less
difficult to others," then do wo answer tho
requirements of our toast, and are "examples
of those occupying the highest position."
The desire for money and position, or, not to
be too grasping, money or position, is so general
that there is no use denying or disparaging it
If as an er - in itself, from which to look down
upon those Outstripped In the race, then does its
possession truly "Leave the soul in wider empti
ness," and proves tho owner not worthy of the'
gift. But if a means to an end, and that end
tho betterment and uplift of our kind, if wo feel
our souls responding to the cry of those who
come to us for tho "cup of strength in some
great agony," or oftenor still, for just a word
of cheer or,, advice because we are we then
may we be justified in our desire for' time
money or position and so catch a climnso nf
what "examples In the highest station" may
become. The responsibility of this "privileged
lan8LWnS .def!ned nearly two thousand years
no said, To whomsoever, much is given if him
conditions which such a result would create. .
In the selection of candidate, also, our con
vention can not escape from tho influence that
will be exerted by the republican nomination.
The democratic momjnee "will be a progressive
that is already settled. No reactionary could be
nominated now, even if the republican situa
tion did not forbid such action on our part. Mr.
Clark and Mr. Wilson, both progressives, will
have, together, more than a majority possibly
two-thirds of tho convention. . While a few re
actionaries may be included among their dele
gates the number' can not be great enough to
give any hope to those democrats who are hos
tile to progressive ideas.
Governor Harmon will have all of his own
state, Ohio having adopted tho unit rule, hut
to carry his state by 11,000 majority out of
nearly 200,000 votes cast, and receive less than
one-fourth of the vote he received when he was
elected governor, gives him no standing in a
national convention. The progressives elected
19 district delegates in Ohio more than 'twice
as many delegates as Mr. Harmon secured in all
the states outside of Ohio.
Mr. Underwood, the other reactionary candi
date, did not allow his name to go before the
people in 42 of the 48 states, and he carried
only four of the states in which he was a candi
date his own, and three that bordered on it.
In the three neighboring states he had a spirited
contest and his majority was not large enough
to emphasize his claims.
If these two men, selected from among the
reactionaries as the two most popular of the
men holding their views, have made so poor a
showing, what dark horse of the reactionary
type would have a chance to secure a nomina
tion at the hands of a progressive convention?
While neither Clark nor Wilson has enough
votes to make his nomination certain, the
chances are largely in favor of the nomination
of one or the other of them. If they differed
radically in the standpoint from which they
view public questions the contest between them
might bring out a compromise candidate, but
tneir supporter have rivaled each other in
praising their progresslveness.
The one Question which has beem nairori ,i
the answer to it has decided the complexion of
the delegates in most states is: Which of tho
two Is the better progressive? ' Which one can
be most fully trusted td carry out the principles
and policies to which the democratic party has
been committed f,or 16 yeas?
There can not be,a bitter fight between two
v such candidates, arid If one, - whichever one
finally withdraws, the other is quite sure to get
his votes. ' .
Instructions wili bind wherever., they have
been given the convention would hardly per
mit instructions to be violated but wo must
expect some influence to be exerted by the pub
lic opinion which will express itself after the
republican convention' has acted. . The demo
crats are anxious to win and while it now
seems almost impossible for them to lose, no
matter who is nominated by the republicans,
still the delegates to a national convention are
usually men of caution as well as men of
enthusiasm and some of them have ambition.
They want the strongest man nominated and
they will sacrifice their personal choice when
convinced that someone else is more available.
Then there will be a great many unofficial visi
. tors and they will have their influence in mould
ing opinion.
The men who attend a national convention
are the more active men in politics, many of
them candidates for local offices. They realize
that the national ticket can aid or hinder the
campaign in states' and counties, and, other
things being equal, they are ready to shout for
the man who, in their judgment, will poll the
most votes. This public opinion, while it can
not affect the instructed vote, may have a de
termining influence on the uninstructed vote,
and this uninstructed vote may determine the
result if a considerable majority of it is thrown
to one or the other of the two men now in the
lead.
The conclusion is, therefore, that either Clark
or Wilson will be nominated,, unless some con
tingency, now unforeseen, arises, but the Chi
cago convention may go a long way towards de
termining the relative availability of these two
- candidates. w. J. BRYAN.
shall be much required." Nothing could be
plainer than that, but our mental or moral
strabismus has been so great that we have con
fused it, or preferred the other saying, "Whom
soever hath to him shall be given and he shall
have more abundance."
I suppose we have all had occasion to wonder
why It is that those to whom we naturally look
as examples are often so markedly deficient.
Why, with, libraries that are wonderful, they
read and know so little; why, with so many
charities demanding help they are satisfied with
giving pennies to them, when they spend pounds
on superfluous baubles? Why, with their own
dear daughters wanting nothing and surrounded
by every protection, they should be so thought
less of the multitudes so woefully destitute, and
by nature as good as their own? Why so much
time and money is spent on pouring attentions
U?S? tA?se wll are satiated with them and
withholding them from others to whom they
would be as a gift from heaven? Why, oh why?
Because our perspective is all wrong. We for
get that "A man's life consisteth .not in the
abundance of things that he possessed," we
fail to understand the relative values of things
and by an insidious selfishness which we should
only admit as thoughtlessness If brought to our
notice, and of which we should bfheartUy
ashamed, we unconsciously take on an "I am
holler than thou" attitude so that the exainSnl
required by those '"highest in station"TP
S?rGf nftM it0 malfG angels weep ln P" But
this, too, is passing away, and a better day
even now is here. There are more young S
men interesting themselves in their factory
sisters, more friendly societies, more work
among women for girls and women in indus
trial homes and reformatories than ever before
??aJ J5no,w from ray own observation, a more
methodical consecration of a stated portion of
time to others that formerly was frittered away
on self and society. ay
We are hearing a great deal these davs
against "special privilege," and we, al loyal
democratic women, are not Tecreant to this vital
protest of our party (I mean our husbands'
party, as women we belong to no party, as yet
in this part of the country) when we glory in
the fact of our .special privilege, to prove to
others our belief in the principle as expressed
by 'Noblesse Oblige," and which we consider
good democratic doctrine,, and should rejoice
to see adopted as our motto; for isn't it also truo
democratic doctrine to disregard all artificial
lines of distinction, and isn't every woman, be
her purse light or heavy, her position Jhumble
or exalted, a woman of "highest station," pro
videdand here's the rub provided she is
nbIe Jn heart and purpose, if her eyes are
lifted "toward the hills," if she is gentle and
courteous and considerate of others, and of
whom rudeness to anyone, particularly a subor
dinate, would be an impossibility. Can any one
challenge her position as "highest in" station,"
or do aught but admire such an "example" even
in these unsettled days when many not to the
manor bom seem to fear their proper due will
not be awarded them.
But with the example of the lovely and
gracious lady whose anniversary we celebrate
today and whose reputation for charm consisted
largely in the traits and graces we speak of,
let us, her admirers and would-be followers,
rfB?iS that the next Dolly Madison reunion
shall find in us less incongruity between pro
fession and performance. So shall we not only
have been able to "lend- a hand" to others, but
and as a personal reward a new outlook on life,
a. greater joy in service and become ourselves
better exponents of "Noblesse Oblige."
SOME ANSWERS WANTED
Puck's magazine gives the republican leaders
80 mS"1!?5 t0 think about the following:
l he Politician What is the next question to
rm? fore ihe American people?
an;-i.e-:oter They have nad questions enough.
What they want is a few answers.
The United States senate agreed to a $150
per month pension for MrB. Schley, widow of
the late Admiral Schley, after it had rejected an
amendment proposing to cut ' this amount to
?50. Good for the senate.
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