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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1913)
- Tf ir wisetv"8' "ifjyyiWKWJw'T ys"fi The Commoner. iBRl'ARY 7, 1D13 'T -WJTTTVSI'"" h Vi' i Something About Fighting Democrats tThe field is full of strong, capable fighting bmocrats these days. Among these great lead- Krs is Woodbridgo N. Ferris, governor of Michi- jgan. a writer in tne Grand Kapius iMicn.j Herald says: Woodbridgo N. Ferris, democrat, with a little Sid," fighter, governor of Michigan. r Perhaps those two words better characterize the man whom the people havo chosen chief rtxecutivo of Michigan for the next two years, Ithan any two paragraphs could. Woodbridgo Ferris is a democrat with a little d." The tact that he is a democrat with a large "D" Is merely an incident. Woodbridcre N. Ferris is a lighter, too, a real fighter for all that is good, against all that is bad. Ills life has been a battle a battle won. His characteristics would Shave made him a great general in war as they five made him a groat general in peace. f Yet in calling him a fighter, one must not forget that his heart is tho kindest ever, that Iho draws toward him by his fighting qualities those whoso spirits are of conflict and by tho Have- of his soul every little child with whom he tcbmes in contact. uAnd being a fighter himself, he inspires in all $MM$h whom he comes in contact that same fight- Igpirit to fight for oneself, the spirit to fight for rail that is good, the spirit, too, to fight for him. Being a democrat with a littlo d, keeps mim rubbing shoulder to shoulder with his less fortunate, less able and less pugnacious brother rand sister and makes it possible for him to fi ?HHr uu lu u mo vuu (3ICCAU uiuiiui Wk 1 nave trieu an my me to maico nappy anu fto, make useful every man, woman and child who has crossed my path." i With that spirit in his heart, he has fought, &jith his fists when necessary, with his purse Im a good cause, with his voice and his mind and mis heart always. LHe has fought for the better government of Ichigan until today he stands as the first Ltmocratic governor-elect in twenty-two years, lid second since the republican party was or- a'nized, in 18,54. ?Now nothing has been, said about the politics jofj.this man, Ferris. Thus far all his democ racy has been spelled with tho little "d." How labout his political life and his democracy with Jtb big "D." This is not the first time Wood- RDjiage iN. nerris nas oeen a canumate ror omce, but it is tho first time he has been successful Jnj a campaign. Twice have the people of his nome ciiy, me city ior wuicu ne lias aone more than any other one man, turned him down as '-s candidate for mayor just because ho spelled his democracy with a big "D" as well as with y little "d." In 1892 he was a candidate for congress and again was defeated, his homo pity going heavily against him just because of Ais democracy with a big "D." In 1904 he was candidate for governor and ran 160,000 ahead tot his ticket, accomplishing what was believed itoibe impossible and narrowly escaped winning. LThls year he was a candidate for governor again. This year he overturned all traditions a,nd won. But he Is not an office seeker and has fcever run because ho wanted tho job. He has ijbb enough running Ferris Institute. He was a candidate 'first because he believes he can be of service to his state, that he has ideas which If put into operation will make Michigan a Ibetter Michigan, make her people happier, give ra greater degree of democracy with tho little fr"d." In every campaign ho has fought hard, Ifor he goeB into nothing with only a half heart. He has fought for all he ever got and when he leoes into a campaign, hopeless though he may uknow it to bo, he fights until the last gong has founded with all the energy of his nature. W J SENATOR SHIELDS OF TENNESSEE Referring to tho new senator (for the long term) from Tennessee, the Nashville Tennessean says: After a strenuous conflict in the general h assembly Judge John K. Shields was elected United States senator. Several worthy and distinguished citizens isysro contestants for the senatorship along with Tudge Shields, Che avowed candidates being Col. B. A. Enloe of Jackson, Congressman K. D. Mo Kellar of Memphis, Judge John Allison of Nash Till and Cdl. L. D. Tyson of Knoxville. When It was found by those wh6 opposed 'Judge Shields that Colonel Enloe could not be elected. It was determined to put another man against him, and Gen. C. T. Oates, Jr., attorney Ceneral of the state, was brought Into tho race. It was generally conceded that tho ballot Thursday would result in tho election of a sona tor and it was believed it would bo a close finish. This proved to bo true. General Gates, who was absent from the city, and who had declined to becomo a candidate, was put into tho race, the result in the voting being Shields GO, Cates 64 necessary to a choice, GG. Changes before this ballot was announced resulted in G9 votes for Shields and 61 for Cates. The election of Judge Shields as Senator cnd3 ono of tho most notable contests for senatorial honors that has ever been waged in Tennessee. It was a contest between democrats, and what ever might havo been tho result, a democrat would have been elected. Judge Shields is an able and distinguished citizen of the state and he has tho talents and the capacity to rendor servico to tho nation. SENATOR WEBB Referring to W. R. Webb, senator-elect (for the short term) from Tennessee, tho Nashville Tennesseoan says: Tho election of Prof. William Robert Webb as United States senator for tho short term is a happy solution of tho problem that has con fronted and harassed the general assembly, as the honors of the station will bo borne by him with credit and dignity. His commission will expire on March 3, 1913, tho brief time between now and then being tho unexpired term of the late Robert L. Taylor. His service in tho United States sonato and his commission will begin the day ho presents him self and his credentials, and on that day Sena tor Sanders' term and servico will end. Senator-elect Webb is a distinguished and eminent educator of the state. Ho founded tho Webb school at Culleoka in 1870, which in 1886 he moved to Bellbuckle, where under his guid ing hand it has becomo widely known as ono of the foremost schools for young men in tho state, and he himself has attained to that emi nence as an educator that few men enjoy. No better selection could havo been made for the bestowal of senatorial honors, for in Sena tor Webb are all the qualities of both heart and mind that constitute real greatness. Ho has lofty ideals and the purest sentiments. IIo has tho deepest convictions and tho staunchest cour age to maintain them. Ho is a student, a scholar, a thinker and a man of tho best and noblest type, and Tennessee has paid a graceful tribute to the tutor, friend and admirer of tho late lamented Edward Ward Carmack by plac ing this man in the seat formerly occupied by him, and we heartily and cordially congratulate Senator Webb and tho people of Tennessee. SENATOR ROBINSON OP ARKANSAS St. Louis Republic: Tho election of Joseph T. Robinson to tho United States senate from Arkansas introduces a new figure into our na tional politics. The circumstances of tho intro duction are unusual. Previous to his election to the governorship last November, Robinson was unknown outside of Arkansas. Indeed, he had hardly occupied a commanding place in tho state's politics. The announcement of his can didacy for the senate, following fast upon the November result, evoked powerful opposition within his own party. The indications for a deadlock were bright. Nobody would have been surprised had the Arkansas legislature become involved In a long senatorial struggle. Tho first ballot, however, was decisive. Before tho result of tho roll call was announced and when apparently no choice had been made, several republican members followed by democrats arose and changed their votes, giving Robinson a clear majority. Tho senator-elect from Arkansas, therefore, has proven his possession of political acumen and given an exceptional example of political leadership. His victory acclaims him a man of force and foresight. Such talents, if accompanied by the equipment that ordinarily goes with them, should make the new senator from Arkansas a valuable addition to tho senate's democratic majority. TARIFF REDUCTIONS AND THE REVENUES When the federal income tax. is ar federal law something certainly wll have to be done to make up tho deficit in revenues, if the democratic party reduces, the tariitf. The government will not have sufficient fahda to operate, and it will depend largely upon the income tax to meet this deficiency. Memphis News Scimitar. Here is the same old republican roorback, which did duty In tho north and west for ao many years, resurrected from tho burial of lost November and appearing In ghostly coremonts in tho editorial column of a southern news paper. Wc will not gratuitously assumo that tho Scimitar knows that tho higher tho tariff tho fewer tho importations and, therefore, tho smaller tho amount of duties collected into tho federal treasury. Wo much prefer to credit Its repetition of this oft exploded economic fallacy to ignorance than to conscious menda city. For surely no ono possessed of ordinary regard for a decent reputation would knowingly saddlo Itself with a statement so plainly at vari anco with fact. Tho intent of tho democratic leaders in con gress is "To reduce tho duties to a revenue basis;" and that Is precisely what their reduc tion below tho prohibitory scalo, which is pro tective, will bring about. Under the high pro tective tariff tho trusts havo been collecting tho tax from tho people and putting it in their pockets. Undor a tariff for rovonuo only tho government would collect the tax from tho foreign manufacturer and put It In tho national treasury. On this subject, in response to a query from a northern journal, Mr. Bryan made an answer which covers briefly tho whole ground. Ho ro ferred to tho records of tariff legislation in this country for fifty years past to show that a re duction In tho tariff would increase tho revenue by Increasing tho imports and at tho same time increase tho demand for labor by Increasing tho domestic output. Whore, said ho, tho tariff is prohibitory it may result in placing a hoavy burden upon tho consumer without yielding any rovenuo at all It is a common mistake of pro tectionists to measure tho burden borno by tho consumer by tho amount of the taxes collected, wheroas tho peoplo may pay to tho protected interests many times tho amount that reaches tho treasury. If, for instance, wo import one tenth as much of a given article as wo con sumo and tho domestic industry collects approxi mately tho full amount of the tariff, tho burden upon tho people is ton times as great as tho amount received by tho government in revenue. In such a case a reduction in the tariff might double tho rovenuo and at tho same time com pel such a reduction In the price of the domes tic article as to greatly increase tho demand and thus aid the consumer and tho laborer. "The question permits of an additional answer, namely, that no now form of taxation would bo likely to bear as heavily upon tho masses as tariff taxation, for there Is no other form that bears more unequally upon the public. It would be difficult, thoroforo, to find a now system which would not bo more just to tho masses than tho tax on consumption which they have so long borne a system under which tho poor man pays more than his share, and the rich man less than his share." Mr. Bryan might havo added that ono of the republican indictments against tho Cleveland administration was tho excess of money flowing into the federal treasury, creating a surplus which stimulated congressional extravagance. This was an object lesson on ono of tho work ings of low tariff which republican organs seem anxious to ignore. Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. "BIG ENOUGH FOR TEXAS" IS PRETTY BIG Tho Houston (Tex.) Post, whoso owner has just been defeated for United States senator, shows its soro spots in this way: "Positive, small; comparative, smaller; and then Morris Sheppard." But then Morris was big enough for tho peoplo of Texas to directly elect to the United States senate for tho long term and In directly, through tho power of public opinion, to tho short term. "Big enough for Texas," is as big as any human being could comfortably be. 0 RENEWALS NOW DUE The close of tho subscription year for the great bulk of Commoner subscribers ended with tho last issue in January. Subscriptions ending at this time should be renewed with as littlo delay as pos- sible in order to facilitate the work of changing and re-entering the addresses 0 on our subscription books and obviate expense of sending out statements an- nouncing that renewals are due. Sub- 0 scribers are asked to assist by sending their renewals promptly. 0 0 Mi Jj$V,ii.ilt;lkJl-Slt ii.U.i-v. . jl. u