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NOVEMBER 1, 1912
The Commoner
MR. BRYAN'S PANIC PRIMER (Continued)
Last week Mr. Bryan used one chapter of
liis "Panic Primer." There are three chapters
in the primer and in this issue ho uses the
second and third. They are as follows:
I have in tho first chapter brought out the
historical fact, that of tho three panics that have
come since tho republican party elected its first
president, the panics of 1873 and 1907 came
under republican presidents and with republi
cans in control of both the house and senate,
and that the only remaining panic of that period,
the panic of 1893, camo under a president who
was elected by tho democrats but helped to
elect a republican to succeed him, and that this
panic came under republican laws tho McKln
ley law and the Sherman financial law being
still in force.
I now present another answer to the panic
threat which is even shorter and more easily
understood.
Q. Is Mr. Taft afraid a democratic victory
will bring a panic?
A. His friends are threatening a panic in
case of his defeat.
Q. Is Mr. Roosevelt afraid, that a democratic
victory will bring a panic.
A. His friends are threatening it.
Q. If Mr. Taft and Mr. Roosevelt really be
lieve that a democratic victory will bring a panic
or hard times why did they not stand together
and try to defeat the democratic party? Why
did they enter into a personal fight and make
democratic victory certain? Do thoy not know
that the democrats, with six million and a half
of votes four years ago and more now, can do
feat either branch of tho republican party?
A. Of course thoy know that neither ono can
bo elected with tho republican party dividod.
Q. Why did thoy divide thon in tho face of
their political opponents?
A. Either because thoy do not fear a panic
or hard tiraeB in case of democratic victory or
else is thero anything elso that thoy might fear
more? Yes. Mr. Roosovolt may think that a
second term of Mr. Taft would bo worse than
hard times and Mr. Taft may think, that a third
term of Mr. Roosevelt would bo worse than
a panic.
Tho democrats believe that Mr. Taft and Mr.
Roosevelt aro justified in their opinion of each
other but aro euro that a democratic victory,
instead of bringing a panic or hard times, would
bring a greater and more equitably distributed
prosperity.
But let us approach tho panic question from
another angle. What is there in industrial con
ditions to suggest a panic at this time? Wo have
had no period of depression; wo havo had no
era of falling prices to drag dobtors to tho verge
of bankruptcy. From what direction does tho
fear of panic como? Thoro is only ono thing
that can bring a panic at this timo and under
present conditions, namely, tho dellborato with
drawal of monoy by the monoy trust. Is It pos
sible that a fow financiers can bring a panic at
will? Will any republican say that? Will any
republican say that ninoty millions of people aro
holplcHs and can bo thrown into bankruptcy at
tho whim of a fow financiers? And, If a fow
financiers havo It In their powor to bring a panic,
would thoy bo heartless enough to do so? If wo
havo reached a point In tho centralization of
wealth permitted and oncouragod by the privi
leges and favors granted by tho republican party
If wo havo roachod tho point whoro wo aro not
at liberty to consldor public questions or to
adopt remedies but must purchase Industrial
peaco and prosperity by submitting to tho dic
tation of a fow financiers who havo onthroned
thomselves in Wall street If this is tho situa
tion, wo aro not a nation of froo men but a na
tion of serfs and the sooner wo rlso in revolt tha
better. If wo aro slavos, thon tho first need is
emancipation. No other question can bo con
sidered until wo havo domandod and secured tho
right to decide upon public policies, unawod and
untorrlfiod. Whether tho panic threat Iff con
sidered from tho standpoint of history, from tho
standpoint of politics or from tho standpoint of
finance, it ought not to bo allowed to infiuonco
a single voto unless it bo to mako tho pooplo
moro indignant at tho emissaries of plutocracy
who are now attempting to lash a nation into
subjection to tho will of tho plundorbund.
IN NEBRASKA
The prospects for a democratic victory in
Nebraska aro excellent. In the opinion of care
ful observers Governor Wilson will havo a strong
lead in this state and democratic candidates
generally will win. The democratic candidate
for United States senator, A. C. Shallenberger,
made a good record as a member of the lower
house of congresB and as governor of Nebraska.
Ho will carry tho same painstaking effort to the
senate that he displayed in other public posi
tions. Governor Wilson will undoubtedly be elected
president. The lower branch of congress will
"be overwhelmingly democratic. It is of tho most
vital importance to the democratic party and to
tho entire country that the democrats also come
into control of tho United States senate, thus
placing all three branches of tho government
under democratic control. Unless tho United
States senate is democratic, it will be almost
impossible for tho democratic party to carry out
its pledges to the people and give them the legis
lative relief that, they have been promised. It is
therefore important that democratic candidates
for the legislature in Nebraska should bo elected
and that Mr. Shallenberger receive a large popu
lar majority for the position of United States
senator.
John H. Morehead, democratic nomine for
governor is ono of Nebraska's successful busi
ness men. He has carried the republican county
in which he lives whenever he has been a candi
date for office, thus demonstrating that the men
who know him best have full confidence in him.
Mr. Moorehead stands upon a strong progressive
state platform and ho promises to devote his
energies to build for the democratic administra
tion in Nebraska a thoroughly constructive
policy. The democratic state ticket will compare
favorably with any other nominated in this state,
the candidates being men of good character and
worthy of election.
The democratic candidates for congress in
Nebraska are worthy of support by men who are
interested in the triumph of the principles of
his first term service; in tho Third district Dan
gressman Maguire, who has made a splendid
record, is candidate for re-election; in tho
Second district Mr. Lobeck is a candidate for
second term, winning votes upon the quality of
his first term service. In the Thjrd district Dan
V. Stephens, present congressman, is appealing
for re-election on his good record which is an
open book; in the Fourth district Charles M.
Sidles, who as state senator, introduced tho
initiative and referendum measure, is the demo
cratic nominee and his excellent record in the
stato legislature is full assurance of tho good
work ho will do in congress; In tho Fifth dis
trict R. D. Sutherland, who, during several terms
in congress, rendered most faithful service to the
people, Is again a candidate and is receiving tho
support of those who aro familiar with his splen
did efforts for the public good; In tho Sixth
district W. J. Taylor is tho candidate, and Mr.
Taylor Is known to tho people of Nebraska as
ono of tho most able of all tho men serving in
the Nebraska state legislature and a man jpon
whose fidelity to the public interests tho people
may rely.
THE PANIC BUG
The panic bug is a sort of a, foux-yoar locust.
It comes out of the ground about tho middle of
October; grows rapidly for two weeks, reaches
its majority the day before election and dies
the next day. There aro three kinds of insect
powder that aro fatal to it.
First, tho history of panics: for history shows
that of the three panics which havo como within
tho past fifty years, two have come under repub
lican presidents and republican laws, and tho
third under a democratic president, but before
the republicans laws could bo repealed.
Tho second remedy Is logic. If Mr. Taft and
Mr. Roosevelt really thought that a panic would
como with a democratic victory they would not
have jeopardized the country by entering into
a personal quarrel which divlt'ed tho ropubllcan
party and made democratic victory certain.
Tho third specific for the panic bug is pa
triotism. If a few Wall stroot financiers can
bring a panic whenever thoy deBiro and are
heartless enough to punish tho country for not
submitting to Wall street dictation, then tho
sooner they aro driven from political power tho
better.
THE "ARMAGEDDON" SLOGAN
We hear a great deal now of "meeting at
Armageddon" and "battling for tho Lord."
Unless Mr. Roosevelt insists on the doctrine
that "the first shall be lasLand tho last first,"
tho democrats ought to have some credit for
reaching Armageddon before ho did. They de
serve some credit for having battled for the
Lord in matters of reform for from five to
twenty-five years longer than Mr. Roosevelt has.
But returning to Armageddon, when I saw that
Mr. Roosevelt was using this as a campaign
slogan I turned to the Biblo to refresh my
memory as to the connection. I generally do
this, for I find that, as a rule, tho republicans
find it necessary to misapply tho Biblo In order
to use It at all. I found Armageddon referred
to In tho 16th verse of tha 10th chapter of
Revelations. It reads as follows:
"And ho gathered thorn together into a place
called In the Hebrew tonguo Armageddon."
Now I find that tho verso Just before that
has been strangely overlooked by Mr. Rooso
volt and his friends. Verso 15 reads:
"Behold I como as a thief. Blessed Is ho that
watchoth and keepoUi hlo garments lest ho
walk naked."
I recall that whon I followed Mr. Roosovolt
at tho constitutional convention last March tho
Ohio Stato Journal welcomed mo with a cartoon
illustrating tho Idea sot forth In tho 15th verso.
Tho hero of tho modern Armageddon was repre
sented as having takon my clothing and, accord
ing to tho cartoon, I had to contont myself
with fig loaves until I could got up some now
reforms. Of course, the cartoonist did mo honor
over much when ho represontod Mr. Roosovolt
as taking my clothing, but Mr. Roosovolt has
robed himself, in so far as his political cloth
ing is worth wearing, in tho garments of tho
democratic party. My regret is that thoy do not
fit him better, that he did not take moro and
that he was so long in picking out what ho
did take."
Mr. Bryan then proceeded to show tho dato
whon Mr. Roosevelt appropriated tho democratic
garments and how long the democratic party
had worn the garments before they attracted Mr.
Roosevelt's attention. From Mr. Bryan's speech,
at Cleveland, Ohio.
LOOKOUT FOR CONGRESS
President Wilson must have a democratic
senate and a democratic house in order to carry
out the great reform to which ho is committed.
Do not overlook tho importance of striving hard
for tho election of democratic candidates for
senator and representatives in congress. Placo
tho democratic party In power in every branch
of government and that party will bring about
reforms that will mako for tho prosperity of
all tho people.
GOVERNOR WILSON'S APPEAL
On another page will be found Governor
Wilson's appeal to tho voters. It is plain, direct,
and candid. He presents the one paramount
issue put tho government into the people's
hands let thom run it in their own Interest.
Mr. Roosevelt believes that the trust has
come to stay that It should bo accepted as a
permanent institution. Why shouldn't tho
Standard Oil contribute to his election?
Every Commoner reader is asked to hand this copy of The
Commoner to some neighbor with the request that he read it
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