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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1912)
T1 'W "I'TJ" ji-j-so'-jreniyTt r "j;-f nnwvw jmr 'rvnipr yt The Commoner WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR VOL. 12, NO. 29 Lincoln, Nebraska, July 26, 1912 Whole Number 601 $ Wanted a Democratic Campaign Fund by Popular Contribution Governor Wilson has announced that no campaign contributions will be received from corporations. This act of the democratic candidate for the presidency will be approved by democrats who want their party to be free from the control of the special interests. The National committee must, however, have money with which to carry on the cam paign and this money must come from the people. The COMMONER will assist in the collection of this fund and it will receive contributions, acknowledging the same in its columns and delivering the fund to the treasurer of the democratic national committee. Every democrat ought to have some part in this work. Do not be ashamed to make a small con tribution. Give what you feel you can afford and every penny will be acceptable. Here is a hint : Circulate a subsciption list at once among the democrats of your precinct and send the proceeds to The Commoner office without delay. The Democratic National committee must be supplied with funds immediately. THEODORE ROOSEVELT VS. DEMOCRACY On another page will be found Mr. Roose velt's editorial attack on the democratic plat form. It is fortunate that his objections are stated now and stated plainly so that they can bo consfderedcarefully by progressives in both parties. Mr. Roosevelt does not believe in the fundamental principles-upon which our govern ment is founded. Ho does not believe In tho declaration of independence or in tho division of powers provided for in tho constitution. In the Outlook editorial he criticises tho democratic position on the Philippino question, saying: "The democratic party denies to this nation the right to hold island possessions. It would treat the Philippine problem, not on. a basis of national sovereignty, exercised for con structive and humane purposes, but-on a basis of individualism and separation." In his Lon don speech ho emphasized his repudiation of the doctrine of government by tho consent of the governed and indorsed Great Britain's colo nial policy in Egypt. There aro but two ideas of government; tho first, that a government is an organization en tirely independent of the people and resting on force an organization that can be thrown over a weaker people as a net is thrown over a bird. This is the old and dying idea. The second theory is ours tho one set forth in our Decla ration of Independence and growing throughout tho world, namely, that governments are organi zations framed by the people for themselves and CONTENTS VS. THEODORE ROOSEVELT DEMOCRACY PUSH THE MONEY TRUST INVESTIGATION CHAIRMAN McCOMBS WILSON AND MARSHALL CLUBS WHAT IS A "PROGRESSIVE?" MR. BRYAN AND HIS NEIGHBORS "THE FOLKS AT HOME" IN WEST VIRGINIA BUY MONTICELLO NO CASH FROM CORPORATIONS PRESS OPINION ON GOVERNOR WIL SON'S NOMINATION BRYAN WINS GREAT FIGHT WHEN TIMID FRIENDS FALTER HOME DEPARTMENT WHETHER COMMON OR NOT DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN NEWS NEWS OF THE WEEK WASHINGTON NEWS derive their just powers from the consent of tho governed. Mr. Roosevelt is a believer in tho old. thepry-jiitliQory .that challenges tho Chris-' tiari "civilization of tho world. He would aban don tho doctrines that havo mado us the leader of the nations In their progress toward moro popular government; ho would put our nation at tho rear of the monarchical procession and make it a defender of tho policy of force and hypocrisy that has put commercial expansion above tho inalienable rights of man. Ho criticises our tariff plank; of course, ho does this because he stands for tho doctrine of taxation of the many for the benefit of a few, and he has done nothing to relieve the people of tho extortion now being practiced upon them through high tariff schedules. His references to state bank circulation, in come taxes and inheritance taxes aro aside from tho issue and only introduced to befog the sub ject. Income and inheritance taxes can be levied for revenuo only. Swollen fortunes can bo reached in other ways and can-bo prevented by the withdrawal of the privileges which Mr. Roosevelt defends. State bank circulation can be prevented by other forms of legislation, and besides the taxation of all the people for the benefit of a few of tho people does tho public infinitely more injury than a state bank circu lation ever did. On the trust question his position is radically wrong and probably accounts for the support which he is receiving from some of the trusts. Corporations engaged in legitimate business can and should be regulated, but a private monopoly is different It should not bo per mitted to exist. Regulation was tried under Mr. Roosevelt himself and trusts grew and fattened under him. One trust, the steel trust tho worst of all secured from him permission to swallow up its largest rival, and his most con spicuous supporter, Mr. Perkins, is connected with . several trusts. Mr. Roosevelt has recom mended federal incorporation the" very thing that the trusts desire. Tho trusts want relief from state laws and Mr. Roosevelt is tho first president to join them in advocating this legis lation. On the trust question Mr. Roosevelt Is hand-in-hand with predatory wealth. His policy on this subject is not only not progres sive, but Is reactionary and dangerous. But Mr. Roosevelt's errors are not to bo wondered at. His whole bias is wrong. He Is more .Harailtonian than Hamilton himself. No public man since the government was formed has treated constitutional limitations so con temptuously. Ho concludes his Outlook edi torial with tho following significant words: ."Tho i progressives would discard those limita-. tions surviving from tho past that 'hamper and interfere with-tho' progress dr tho people, and turning, forward, would insist that ninety mil lion people of tho nation should bo permitted to do whatever is necessary for the welfare of tho nation and for securing social justice." Away with tho constitution and let us decido what tho peoplo need and then do it for them! That Is tho Roosevelt program. Ho has a pas sion tov powor such a passion as no other president over had. No other president ever felt so rebellious against tho restrictions which our forefathers thought it wiso to throw about tho executivo ofilce. In his Ossawattamio speech, as interpreted afterwards in tho Outlook, ho outlined his policy, first, tho absorption by tho general gov ernment of much of tho power now exerefsed by the states; second, tho absorption by the federal executive of much of tho power now exercised by other departments, and, third, a president who will bo looked to as tho steward of tho people, This Is not popular government; it is despotism. Add to this centralization of gov ernment a man of Mr. Roosevelt's temperament and you havo tho man on horseback. Ho repu diates tho traditions against a third term and sets no limit to his ambition. Can he lead the progressive republicans to the extreme that ho represents? Did he not show by his conduct at Chicago that he is mora interested in obtaining tho ofllco for himself than in advancing reforms? Ho could have nominated any one of a number of progressives why did ho refuse to stand aside? Is there no other person big enough for such a swollen presi dency as he would create? If so, does not this show tho danger of enlarging the powers of the executivo as ho desires to enlarge them. Tho democratic platform contains all tho pro gressiveness that the peoplo aro ready to accept and Governor Wilson can bo trusted to carry out tho platform. Mr. Roosevelt stands for a num ber of progressive policies, popular election of senators, income tax, regulation of railroads and publicity, for instance, but theso things are prac tically secured, and tho democrats havo done much more than Mr. Roosevelt to securo them. Mr. Roosevelt is in favor of tho initiative and referendum but no moro than tho democrats are, and they aro stato Issues anyhow. On questions now before tho national gov ernment, such as tariff, trusts, national incor poration, imperialism and tho third term, Mr Roosevelt is wrong. On theso subjects he is reactionary and can not securo a following among democrats he can hardly hopo to hold progressive republicans. :. 4fc&USlxt -iA:.a . . iU tux'MSltMlmie . j , i x ir UUlfC. t ' itAIISLtllV L.iui i AiAr t .., .t.kJi . A itfitut., iiVarfe J&.