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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1912)
mSEm&mSmmmtm mmmmimmmmmmmmm T if JIWWR" W" """VJj "lO' m,., ' 4 1 T AUGUST 'riDU .ii. ,,' , The Commoner. pqiftlcs. " Sorao sad BVyan'was'bniy atechief-:' maker, but ho was a misehiefniaker only wlien the wrong people woro trying to guide the party." One of the striking things about this cam paign is the spectacle of men like Mr. Osborne awakening to warm admiration at a time when so many of Mr. Bryan's friendB of 189G, earnest ly' enlisted in behalf of Champ Clark, could view him only as an egotist and "marplot." The right perspective must como to thoBQ immediate actors, if it has not already done so. Even the democrats of -Missouri are- applauding Ttfr. Bryan. 7 A UNIQUE CAMPAIGN TREASURE Editorial in Brooklyn Citizen: The Hon. Herman Ridder, treasurer of the democratic national committee has been subpoenaed as a witness before the senate investigating com 'raittee to tell what he knows of the financial side of the campaign of 1908. -Immediately on receipt of the summons Mr. Ridder sent the following note-to Governor Wilson: "Governor Woodrow Wilson, Seagirt, N. J.: The senate committee has telegraphed me to appear- tomorrow (Saturday) morning with the books as treasurer of the democratic national committee covering the campaign- of 1908.- I will present an itemized detailed account, giving date, .name, address and amount of all contribu tions received, and also a similar itemized account-of all expenditures. I will be able to. state fr,om whom I received every dollar and what1 1 have done with it. I have preserved all my books and records, my memory is good and my health is excellent. . . HERMAN RIDDER." 1 -Those who. , have followed the testimony of Cbrtelybu,' Hitch'coclc, Sneehan, and others directly interested in the national campaigns of 1904 and i908 will -appreciate the note of irony in Mr. Ridder's letter. Here is a man who says his memory is good, his health excellent, and 'who did not find it necessary to destroy the books. ' All -of which' goes ,to show 'that polity eal anipaignBcan 'be conducfe.d,wltnou Involve ing questionable r; transactions that wouVd -not lodK Well Vriftor Hue gm.'re'.bf publicity. "Mr. Rid-: der woUld 'riot be' "a t party to anything that saVoVed of a betrayal of .public, interests. ' ' . Nevertheless, conditions, the experience' of the1 past," and the frailty of human nature, all combine to urge upon the congress tho need of subjecting national party conventions and na tional campaign committees to federal regula tion kand supervision. We have seen in Chicago to .what-extremes arbitrary and irresponsible power will go under stress of necessity. The debauchraent of voters by money contributed to national campaign committees has been a stand ing practice in American politics in both parties. The public conscience no longer tolerates Buch things, arid the practitioners are rapidly being driven out of public life. Even the republican county committee of Chicago has found it ex pedient to drop Lorimer from its rolls. And this word "expedient" is precisely the reason why dependence in such matters can not be placed on voluntary party organizations or committees. Many things are done by the poli ticians for expediency's sake that they would not do if they believed, the public would stand for it. Fifty years ago Fernando Wood saw the necessity of "pandering to the moral sense of the community," but nevertheless the regime of Tweed followed closely on that of Wood. Only by stringent laws will it be possible to purify our elections and conventions. There is a largo hody of the electorate willing to be debauched and a considerable number of professional poli ticians ready to purchase what they have for sale. And some of these bribe-givers dress in frock coats and silk hats and wear Van Dyke beards. In view of the fact that Mr. Roosevelt is de termined to keep after the White House job wo would advise the gentlemen who operate the linotype machines to attach a treadle to the key dropping the cap "I" mats and work it with their feet. This would save valuable time for the operation of othor keys. "Party lines are disappearing!" shout numer ous exchanges. But Is this true? Is it not a fact that party lines are becoming more distinct js the people learn how to better distinguish between tha Hals and the true? The Most Flagrant Exhibition of Bossism James Morgan in Boston Globe: Tho extra ordinary figure which Mr. Bryan has cut in tho convention fills tho eye hero and exhorts the admiration even of those who hate him. Surely there never was another instance of tho kind in a national convention. Here is a man who really has no considerable personal following among the delegates. On a secret ballot he could not be eloctod a door keeper of .a convention hall, yet ho- has tho convention frightened out of its wits. Those who believed he was coming hero to capture the convention for hiirisolf expected to' see him beguiling the delegates with his smilo' and his oratory. But from his first appoaranco before tho convention 10 minutes after Cardi nal Gibbons had concluded his opening prayer, he has worn to all "a damned, disinheriting countenance." Not a smile, except a smile of satisfaction as ho viewed the angry turmoil ho had created when ho announced from the rostrum that no man with the voto of New York could havo his vote has he vouchsafed the assembled represen tatives of the democratic party. Not a fight of eloquence has ho essayed. An imperious scorn has marked his expression on every occasion- Gracious and laughing with all at the republican convention in Chicago, he strides across the platform to tho speaker's stand hero without a shake of the hand or oven a glance for the leaders filled with panic at his approach. Dictatorial and threatening in his attitude toward all. Before he came to Baltimore he had forbid den the consideration of tho candidacies of Har mon and Underwood, and here he has drawn a black line through Clark's name. He wpuld just as readily turn on Wilson and might oven verify., the rumor that he entertained the thought of i doraandjng the adjournment of tho convention and tho submission of tho soloctlon of a candi date to. a nation-wide primary. It Is tho most flagrant exhibition of bosslsm Imaginable, but his despotism is relieved by tho fact that his power comes only from public opinion and not from private intrigue. He never had A reward to glvo or to promise, and if tho convention did prosont him with tho opportunity to bring public censuro upon it, he could bo laughed out of tho hall. But tho Parkor can didacy and tho Clark alliance with Now York wero free gifts to Mr. Bryan and ho simply ac cepted them. Bryan needs only to stamp lilo foot and people rise up all ovor the country and make the tele graph wircB hot with their protests to their dele gates. These protesting porsons look upon him as tho great tribuno of the peoplo and tho scourge of tho money changers in the temple of domocracy. But the delegates who sit under his stormy frpwn bco in him a terrorist of '1)3, ready to toss them into the tumbrel on the slightest dis pleasure. And he has made cowards of thorn all. New York can only sit In dumfoundod silence while he excommunicates her, whilo ho imposes a boycott on hor nlnoty votes. She has no one to answer him, for unfortunately Mr. Murphy has not encouraged orators and tho de velopment of oratory. If Tammany had a Cockran it might be dif ferent. But tho only, map among tho ninety who could speak .with any appeal to public opinion Is Senator O'Gorman, and ho is a pro gressive himself. So New York does not answer, and the only replies to Mr, Bryan como from tho screaming throats of a few excited dele gates scattered hero and there in tho hall. James Morgan's Baltimore correspondence in tho Boston Globe.,, ,, ' THE" OLD GAMES OF CIIIUDHOOD Kansas City Star: Do you remember that old play of your childhood (lays, "King William?" Of course you do, because you have played It, oh, so ihany, many times.. But can 'you recall tho song that was dung as you attempted blush Ingly to "go chooso your east, go choose your west?" You can? Well just try it before you read further. Two dozen persons were asked to recall tho lines of the old song recently Some of them were' young persons, too, not many years' out of high school, and some were older; so old; indeed,' that they refused to state how 'long it had been since they played "King William. ' But none of them was sure of the lines. None quoted them correctly. And hardly any two agreed as to what the old song really said. Thtji nearest approach to an agreement was oV U version something like this: l u "King William was King James's son, . - And from the royal race he sprung. He wore a star upon his breast, Which pointed to the east and west. Go choose your east, go choose your west. Go choose the one that you love best; If he's not here to take your part, Go choose another with all your heart. Down on this carpet you' must kneel. As sure as the grass grows in the field, Salute your bride and kiss her sweet, Ariso and stand upon your feet." Is that the way you remember it? If it ,is, you are wrong. The play came from England, of course, where practically all the old games of your childhood came from. It appears that it has been changed to suit the convenience of the tune adopted for it in the different Com munities of America, so that the various verses of tho words in this country come as a result of local application. But you thought, certainly, that King Wil liam was King James's son. Not because you learned that from history, of course, but you thought that was what the song said. Wrong again. The English children never sang it that way And there was nothing In, .It about a star upon his breast "pointing east and pointing west." Hero are the words of the old song which wero sung for the play of; "King William," which was known, by the wa', as "Kiss in tho Ring." "King William was King David's son, And all the royal race is run; '"Choose" from th'e erfst, chooso front' the west, " Choo8e'the"oripyou lovo the best. ' "Dowrif,on this carpet 4you shall, knool J While, the' grass grows In yonder field; Salute ydur brido and kiss her sweot. Rise again dpon your feet." In Ireland, whore not even the children were allowod to agree in their play with anything that was English, the song declared that "King William was King George's son," with a num ber of variations, 'among tho others being that ''He'.woro.a staitmpoi his breast," but declaring that. King! , William hailed "From tho Bay of Biscay '04(iwhidh was obviously a geographical error. ,' But evenr Ireland invited Its young folks to ' - . "Go 'choose you east, go choose you west, j' G o choose tho !rie that you love best. And. the remainder of the Irish- play was tho samo as tho English. From tho samo source also comes London BriUgo',' and "Ringa-Ring the Roses," and "Oats and Beans and Barley." But in none of them have the words been materially changed. Centuries ago tho children of England sang: "Oats and beans and barley grow Oats and beans and barley grow Do 'ydtr'or I or anyone know How oats and beans and barley grow? First tho farmer sows his seed, ' Then he stands and takes his ease, Stamps his foot and' claps his hands, Then turns round to view tho land. Waiting for a partner, waiting for a partner Open the ring and take one in." And after tho ring had been opened for the admission of tho "farmer's" partner, all joined hands again and gave tho young couple this tuneful advice: n . - 1 - wow yuu ire jujuxica you must ooey. ,.; You must bo trut to all you say, . ; Youmust be kindou must bo good,' . , Andi help your wife to chop tho wood." Which is about tho way the children of today play "Oats and Bean's and Barley." ' But not" being "up" In the matter of kfngs, 'ybung America will persist, perhaps, trt Insist ing ttintKrag William was King James' son," and that is nothing like as far from the truth, by tho way, as to make believe that "King Wil liam was King David's son." i ; " , w ill -w Skar "
