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The Commoner.
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 3
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The Commoner. Qooc Work by New York Democrats
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Address all communications to
THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
MY 3VIORNING PRAYER
Today lot mo live content; be clean; refind;
worthy; act frankly, go slowly, listen well, think
quietly, fear nothing, do my full share of the
world's work, and rest tonight knowing I have
injured nothing that exists.
Four years ago Mr. Roosevelt could find
patriotic reasons to justify every trust magnate
"in supporting the republican ticket" but now if
any republican prefers Wilson to Roosevelt it is
accepted by the ex-president as conclusive proof
that there is something wrong with the demo
cratic candidate.
Governor-elect Haines ,of Maine seems to have
both "bull moose" and "steam roller" guessing.
Taft acclaims Haines' victory as an administra
tion victory,-and Roosevelt hails it as a grand
gain for the new party. Mr. Haines seems to
have carried water on both shoulders without
spilling a drop.
If in Vermont where the republicans are in
fluenced by heredity rather than by reason
if in Vermont more than one-third of the party
prefers Roosevelt for a third term rather than
Taft for a second term, what hope can the presi
dent have in other states?
Communities whose professional baseball
teams failed to win a pennant during tho play
ing season may now proceed to win some pen
nants in the winter season games played around
the radiators.
Professional baseball players have formed a
union. Doubtless the umpires would like to
discover some scheme calculated to afford them
mutual and adequate protection.
The republicans used to say, "As goes Ver
mont so goes the nation." Well Vermont has
gone and it looks like all doubt of Wilson's elec
tion has gone with. Vermont.
If Mr. Roosevelt erred in judgment when he
commended Mr. Taft in 1908, may he not be
mistaken in judgment in commending himself
so highly now?
Where was Mr. Roosevolt when the progres
sives were risking their political lives trying to
reduce the tariff? In hiding, waiting until it
was safe.
It will be hard for the republicans to uso. the
fear of a panic to scare tho voters into electing
i republican president which republican, they
will ask.
It remains to be seen whether the sovereign
Mate of Wyoming is content to remain an oyster
to afford Senator Warren pleasure in the opening.
Governor Wilson lias a double strength his
own virtues and the weaknesses of his opponents.
The New York democrats are doing great
work in preparing the way for the defeat of
the renomination of John A. Dix, the present
governor. All over tho state democrats are de
manding that the Charles F. Murphy hold upon
New York politics be released. Tho New York
World is tho newspaper leader in this great
fight and in a powerful editorial that gives cheer
and hope to democrats everywhere the World
says:
"Tho World will not support a Murphy candi
date for governor. It will not support John A.
Dix for re-election. It will not support a can
didate for governor who owes his nomination,
directly or indirectly, to the sinister power of
Tammany. It will not support a candidate for
governor who is not avowedly anti-Tammany
and who does not measure up to the political
idealism, courage and independence of Woodrow
Wilson. Even if the Tammany boss were not
the dominating power in the state administra
tion, independent democrats can not support a
governor, who, as a delegate to the national con
vention, meekly allowed himself to be voted 'as
a unit' forty-five times by Charles F. Murphy.
They can not support a governor who in that
great test of democracy willingly allied him
self with the forces of plutocracy and reaction.
They can not support a governor who saw no
meaning in the great victory of that convention
except that Bryan should bo eliminated from
tho party."
LINING UP AGAINST MURPHY
Tho Knickerbocker Press says: Petitions for
placing anti-Murphy delegates to the democratic
state convention on the primary ticket of Al
bany county wero filed at 12 o'clock Saturday
night by Colonel Jacob L. Ten Eyck, leader of
the movement which is opposing the state domi
nation of Tammany's chief. The petitions in
cluded signatures from the first and third dis
tricts only. An additional petition, bearing
names of residents of the second district, will
be filed later.
The fact that petitions from all three districts
were not handed to tho election commissioners
by midnight Saturday may necessitate a court
contest to determine the validity of names sub
sequently filed. Under the law, all designations
for the primary ticket must be in the hands of
election commissioners not later than five days
after the third Tuesday preceding the date for
the primary voting., The fifth day falls on Sun
day, and Monday is a legal holiday, so the
validity of any filings made after Saturday night
may have to be settled by the courts. Colonel
Ten Eyck will carry the question up for litiga
tion if necessary, he said.
' i
The Watervliet Argus prints the following:
The Watervliet Wilson and Marshall club held
an enthusiastic meeting at its club house on
Broadway. Forty new members were voted in
and some rousing addresses were delivered. Be
sides address by John Eddy, of Glenmont, and
John W. Kenny, there were short speeches by
the democratic candidates on the Watervliet
city ticket. Mr. Eddy discussed the national
ticket and alluded at some length to the fight
in the interests of tlie Rochester conference, in
which he has proved an ardent worker. Mr.
Eddy gave notice that after tho primaries ho
should offer his services to the organization and
work with all his might for tho success of tho
ticket.
"There is every promise," he said, "of suc
cess this year for the democratic national ticket.
There is a good prospect of success for tho Btate
ticket if the right sort of men are nominated
and tho right motives and influences are behind
them. The time has arrived when tho people
L . f ltate of New York demand that their
officials be chosen by themselves and not foisted
upon them by the bosses of any party. The tlmo
of tho political boss has passed. It nover should
have como. I believe wo should bo progressive
but we can never make real progress so long as
we bow in submission to tho mandates of Charles
F. Murphy or any other boss. It is right that
we should have leaders; they are necessary, but
should be of the right sort. They should be
honest men who have at heart the public good
and not personal aggrandizement. They Bhould
bo real leaders not bosses.
"The state-wide movement to throw off tho
shackles of bOBS rule, which is being streneth
oned every day by victories for tho right is a
movement calculated not only to promote the
welfare of the democratic party but of the whole
people. It is not a fight being carried on hv
political malcontents or disgruntled men to sain
their own ends at the expense of the democracy
It is a fight strictly within the party to purm!
it and put it back on tho proud plane it should
occupy. It is not a fight against the democratic
organization anywhere, for it is entirely amonc
the enrolled Voters of the party and they arc
the organization.
"I want to say right here that after 1 have
fought with all the energy and force that is in
me for what I know is right, the fight will not
go beyond the primaries. The issue will be de
termined at the primaries, and as I believe in
the majority rule, I shall abide by tho result
I think that is the way every man enlisted in
the Rochester conference cause feels. When
the primaries are over I shall offer my
services to the organization and work tooth and
nail for the success of the ticket. I shall put
my shoulder to the wheel and do everything I
can do to advance tho democratic cause. That is
the right spirit, and I believe it is the sentiment
of every man connected with this fight for the
uplift of the democratic party in the grand old
Empire state."
BOSS MADE CONGRESSMEN
New York democrats are also after sonio of
the boss-made congressmen. The World prints
the following editorial: Henry George, jr., was
nominated for congress two years "ago in a
heavily republican district. He surprised his
nominators by winning and followed up a bril
liant campaign by an admirable record in the
house. He has been turned down by Boss
Murphy.
Steven B. Ayres served one term and gave
promise of usefulness and independence far
above the average. He was set aside by Boss
Murphy to make room for a relative-expectant,
but the plan got tangled up at the last moment
and Mr. Ayres's predecessor, Joseph A. Goulden,
was named. Jefferson M. Levy was displaced
for Peter J. Dooling, a district leader and a
friend of the boss.
Over in Brooklyn Representative William C.
Redfield was euchered out of his seat by gerry
mandering his district so that he could not be
elected. He has declined the nomination. Like
Mr. George, ho can get republican votes, but lie
could scarcely do the impossible. He has so
served as to reflect credit upon the city. Ho is
not a "Cannon democrat" but a democrat. He
is not a district leader but a manufacturer who
knows at first hand how the tariff oppresses tho
people.
Such acts of boss autocracy explain why tho
city's representation in congress has so little
weight in national affairs. Instead of profiting
by reapportionment and a larger number of
representatives, we are losing men of ability,
character, independence and experience. The
bosses do not want such men, and that is why
true democracy must have a housecleaning in
thia state.
PASS IT ALONG
The Beatrice, Neb., Wilson and Marshall club
adopted the following resolutions:
Whereas, Governor Wilson closed his remark
able speech of acceptance of the nomination by
the democratic party to the office of president
of the United States by these hopeful words:
I thank God and take courage." Be it, therefore
Resolved, That the secretary of this league
have printed upon all letter heads, envelopes,
stationery and other papers used by tho league,
the following: " 'I thank -God and tako cour
age.' Woodrow Wilson."
The concluding paragraph of Governor Wil"
son's speech of acceptance ought to bo com-1
mitted to memory by every student of govern
ment. Here it is:
"Should I be entrusted with the great office
of president, I would seek counsel wherever it
could bo had upon free terms. I know tho tem
per of tho groat convention which nominated
me; I know the temper of the country that lay
back of that convention and spoke through it.
I heed with deep thankfulness tho message you
bring me from it. I feel that I am surrounded
by men whose principles and ambitions are tliose
of true servants of the people. I thank God
and will take courage."
If a man has had, seven years of uninterrupted
opportunity to do something, and didn't do it,
what hope have we that he will do it if given
another chance?
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