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The Commoner.
SEPTEMBER Vt, 1911
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Woodrow Wilson's Western Tour
Following are Associated Press dispatches re
lating to Governor Wilson's western trip:
Chicago, Sept. 16. Through Ohio and In
diana Governor Wilson did somo impromptu
campaigning that was as vigorous as It was un
expected. No previous arrangements had been
made for speeches, and the train's schedule
was twisted by delays early in the day but crowds
gathered along the route and Governor Wilson
made nearly a dozen, speeches from h.is car.
He replied to Senator Beveridge of Indiana,
who charged in a recent speech that Governor
Wilson, if elected, would bo boss-controlled.
State Senator Fred Kisstner and Mayor Fickle
of Logansport, Ind., boarded the train and told
Wilson about Senator Beveridgo's speech, so that
when the democratio candidate reached Logans
port he hit at Mr. Beveridge to a largo crowd.
"I understand that in a speech made last
Saturday night," said Governor Wilson, "a much
esteemed friend of mine, namely, Senator Bever
idge, said that he entertained a very serious
fear about me, namely, that if I were elected
president I would be controlled by the bosses.
I never supposed before that Senator Boveridgo
was a humorist, because if he did not know that
was a joke he ought to have known it. When
did he ever hear that I had changed all my politi
cal habits? The way you can tell whether a man
is going to be controlled by the bosses or not Is
to judge whether he is jn reach of a boss or not.
Do you know what a boss is? A boss is a politi
cal agent of certain special interests who see to
it through him that people they can control are
put In office and that laws they do not want are
kept off the statute books; and the men who do
that are the men who are interested in the great
monopolies of this country.
"I am Borry to observe that whereas the re
publican party has practically fostered the trusts
and the democratic party proposes to prevent
monopoly in this country, the third party, repre
sented by Senator Beveridge, proposes to take
the monopoly into partnership with the govern
ment by accepting It as an inevitable necessity
and bringing it under the 'regulation of law;
that is to say, making It a legalized institution
of the country. And when the men who have
created monopoly are accepted as partners of
the government, do you suppose they are going
to dispense with the men who are their neces
sary agents, namely, the bosses who determine
who are to occupy office and what the legislation
is'to be?"
"Who created monopoly?" Interrupted a man
in the crowd, and he repeated his question
several times.
"The men who created monopoly, my friend,
to answer your question," continued the gover
nor, "are the men who have taken advantage of
protection to get together to make groat combi
nations of industry to shut out competition and
to mako sure that prizes are in their own control.
Every republican leader in our generation has
been in league with these men."
"Who are they," broke in another voice and
the governor's reply brought cheers.
"They are the men who have set up the great
trusts," he said, "everybody knows the list of
them. These are the heads of the steel trust, of
the tobacco trust, of the Standard oil trust and
of all the other trusts that everybody knows. I
am surprised that you did not know the names
of them before. These men have supported
those who jiave controlled our government in
the last fifteen years and they are supporting
them still. And I, for my part, do not entertain
any hope of the government of the United States
being freed of the control of the trusts and the
control of the bosses who are agents of the trusts
. through the instrumentality of the adoption of
the trusts Into the care of the government itself.
"I am not here to attack the reputation or tho
integrity or purpose of any man, but the only
way you can tell whether a man can assist you
in politics or not, is by finding out whether he is
following tho direction in which freedom is to
be discovered These gentlemen have not found
the direction for they do not even propose the
abolition of monopoly and until monopoly Is
abolished; until it is destroyed, the government
is not free. Until the government is free it can
not serve you or any man.
"Now, you can't tell by looking at me whether
I am the man to do this job or not. You can not
tell tho contents of my character by looking at
my face. But I want you to study the programs
that lie back of the various candidates. We are
all of us Interested in those measures which will
benefit the great mass of our fellow persons.
The governor was well received throughout
tho day. Ho shook hands with people who
flocked to tho rear platform and wavod greetings
to those not so near. Tho nomlneo oxpectod to
bo two hours late into Chicago, but tho railroad
attached an extra locomotive and brought tho
candidate to Chicago only seven minutes late.
Ills car was switched around for a half hour
and tacked onto a train on tho Chicago & North
western, leaving Chicago at 6:05 o'clock for
Sioux City, la., and Sioux Falls, S. D whoro two
speeches are scheduled for tomorrow.
Union City, Ind., Sept. 16. Unoxpected'y Gov
ernor Wilson did a little campaigning today from
the end of his car as it sped toward Chicago
through Ohio and Indiana. At ever;' step .en
route crowds collected and the governor shook
hands and made speeches. At Bradford, 0., ho
said:
"Tho real difficulty with this country Is that,
supported by somo parts of tho protect! vo tariff,
a very small group of men have controlled In
dustry and trade and tho labor market, and so
long as they keep that control It Is perfectly use
less to declare yourself a friend of tho people,
because they will defeat you every time. If you
don't get their grip off you aro absolutely help
less In protending to bo a servant of tho people."
Tho governor also made a brief speech at
Union City, Ind.
At Ridgevillo, Ind., the governor said: I
have a rather strong objection to talking from
tho back platform of a train. Wo belong on tho
front platform."
At Hartford City, Ind., some one in the crowd
shouted:
"Talk to us about Bryan."
"I could say a great doal in admiration of Mr.
Bryan," said tho nominee in reply. Just then
the train pullod out.
Urbana, 111., Sept. 16. "No more private cars
for me unless bettor arrangements can bo made,"
said Governor Woodrow Wilson today. The pri
vate car, according to railroad rules, could not
be attached to fast trains, and as a result Gover
nor Wilson was forced to spend all day on the
train, when ho might have been in Chicago. To
add to the nominee's discomfiture the private car
went through a scries of maneuvers in the rail
road yards at Columbus that were far from
pleasant. It was shoved around in short, quick
jerks, which played havoc with the breakfast
table, where tho nomineo was seated. Tho
governor made up his mind that unless tho rail
roads could attach the private car to faster
trains he would take the ordinary reservations
on sleeping cars.
Governor Wilson's train was two hours late
leaving Columbus, and indications were that the
nominee would have moro difficulty in Chicago,
where his itinerary called for only an hour's
delay in making connections with the train that
was to take him to Sioux City, Ia tonight.
The governor spent the day reading and dic
tating to his stenographer. A crowd greeted the
governor hero and he shook hands, leaning over
the rail of his car.
Sioux City, la., Sept. 17. Governor Woodrow
Wilson found this city astir with enthusiasm and
decoration today when he arrived at 9:30 o'clock
for a program of speeches, most Important of
which was an address at tho interstate fair.
Situated In the northwestern corner of Iowa
where the span of bridges across tho Missouri
and the Sioux rivers separates Iowa from Ne
braska and South Dakota and where only a
few miles to tho north runs tho state lino of
Minnesota, the city was thronged with people
who came from all parts of those four states to
participate in the day's festivities.
Though it had rained continuously for a week,
"sunshine spread a balmy atmosphere around and
Governor Wilson began tho day refreshed by
cool, bracing air from the tiresome ride of the
last two days.
The democratic candidate was disappointed to
learn today that his secretary had neglected
to wake him late last night to meet the crowds
that had gathered at Clinton and Cedar Itaptds,
la as the train reached there. It was midnight
when the latter place was reached, but hundreds
were waiting. The governor gave orders today
that hereafter whether he Is sound asleep or not
he wishes to be called to greet any folks who
may want to see hlra, if they aro a half a dozen
or a thousand people.
Anticipating the stops at many points early to
day the governor ate breakfast ahead of time
and' greeted groups of people about tho bumper
crops and said he waa glad to be in Iowa again.
which he had not visited sinco tho primary cam
paign. When tho govornor reached Sioux City, Mayor
A. A. Smith and F. L. Eaton, president of the
Interstate Fair association, welcomod him. A big
crowd cheered tho candidate, who wan taken by
automobile to Morningsido collogo, whoro ho
spoke to 800 students, boys and girls. Return
ing to town ho shook hands In a public rocop
tlon with a long procossion of people.
Governor Wilson soloctod for his speech at
tho fair xrounds tho puro food laws and ques
tions contnrning tholr enforcement, which ho
said tho other two parties woro Incapable of
accomplishing.
Tho governor's sponch at tho fair grounds was
scheduled Tor 2 o'clock and tmmod'atcly after
wards a special train, arranged for South Dakota
delegates, was to carry him to Sioux PallB, S. D.,
for an evening speech.
At MornliiBsldo collego Govornor Wilson was
greeted by collego yells and cheers from under
graduates and improvert-tho occasion to urge cbl
logo studonts ,o tako life moro sorlously and do
somo thinking in order to bo of sorvlco In help
ing to solve tho problems of tho country. Tho
governor said, In part:
"I have never looked at a group of collego
students without thinking of my own disappoint
ment ns a teacher. Tho students would not tako
thomsMvcs seriously enough to grow up and
think like American citizens. Our collego men
take llfo too hoylshly. They call 'entering llfo'
the time whon they graduate.
"IT you llvo until you aro 60 or 70 and havo
not begun llfo when you aro 21, you aro a llttlo
late. You havo lost a running start. Isn't it
singular that nobody takes student opinion In
America seriously, but that everybody takos
student opinion in Europe sorlously?
"In my twenty years as a teacher I tried to
make young men think themselves grown-up.
Isn't it about time American graduates as think
ing men joined tho ranks of thinking student
all over tho rest of tho world? My objoct Is to
challenge you to Join tho ranks of thoso who
mako opinion, dctormino opinion and act upon
opinion with independonco and courage. Don't
go to class like birds, with your mouth open to
get pro-digested food. Go there to dlgost food
yourselvos.
"There Is sorloiis business In this country,
thero Is a task to bo performed, which requires
sound, dispassionate courage and thinking. Wo
must have not passion of feeling, but passion of
conviction. Somebody has said we do not get
excited enough ahout thinking. Wo see mon do
outrageous things in public life and people say:.
'Well, that Is only politics and a part of tho
gamo.' Popple that treat politics as a 'gaino'
should be out of business."
Sioux Falls, S. D., Sept. 17. People in north
western Iowa and tho southeastern part of South
Dakota turned out In great numbers at every
stop Govornor Wilson made In his Journey hero
from Sioux City, Iowa, tonight. Tho governor
mado a half dozen speeches and shook hands
with thousands. At one town an aged farmer
reached up and gave the party a two-dollar cam
paign contribution. Ho modestly declined to
give his name. Tho governor spoko at Joffer
sonla, Elk Point, Westfiold, Akron, Hawardcn,
Hudson and Canton while enrouto to Sioux Falls,
He arrived hero at 8:40 o'clock and addressed a
big meeting here In tho city auditorium and aa
. overflow meeting at another hall. Special trains
had brought people to hear him from Mitchell,
Canton, Huron and Watortown In South Dakota.
It was at Elk Point that tho nominee summarized
his objection to tho regulation of trusts by a
' commission as advocated by tho third party.
"Tho democratic program," said tho govornor,
"Is to see to It that competition is so regulated
that the big fellow can't put tho llttlo fellow
out of business, for ho has been putting the
little fellow out of business for the last hal
generation, whereas the program of tho third
party Is to tako these big fellows, that have been
putting the little fellow out of business and
regulate them, saying, 'That is all right; you
havo put the other fellows out of business for
tho last half generation, but wo aro not going
to put tho llttlo fellows back where you destroyed
them, but we aro going to adopt you and say,
you run the business of. the country, but run it
the way we tell you to run It.' "
St. Paul, Minn.,, Sept. 18. Governor Wood
row Wilson struck the trail of Colonel Roose
velt for tho first time in tho campaign today
when he whirled through a program of spoechei
and receptions in the twin cities. The demo
cratic candidate started for Chicago and De
trolt, Mich., tonight deeply ploased, he said,
with the spontaneous responso and enthusiasm
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