The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, February 26, 1903, Page 2, Image 2
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT "A' FEBRUARY 26, 103. to that city, circumstances threw us together.. - Mr. Bryan was touring the state and attracting such crowds that the Chi cago Chronicle was sending with him a special correspondent. This special correspondent happened to be Mr.- F. A.vStowe, an old school-mate of mine. Mr. Bryan was also accompanied by Mr. Chas. A. Walsh, ex-secretary of the national democratic committee and at that time chairman of the Iowa state committee. With this gentle man Iwas also personally acquainted. Mr. Stowe,.. who represented an al leged democratic paper, "was not in harmony with Mr; Bryan's policy, he, Stowe, being personally a gold demo crat. Therefore Mr. Stowe was tin concerned because of the fact that my jine of work did not harmonize with that of Mr. Bryan. Not so, however, with Mr. Walsh, who, anxious to re move all opposition to democracy, thought if he could but get me under the. hypnotic power of Mr, Bryan I would see a great light and become a convert to democracy. He took me to Mr. Bryan and presented me to him-and an hour's conversation or rather controversy began, for I was just as positive in my opposition to fusion as Mr. Bryan was in its favor. During the course of this conver sation we went carefully over the sit uation as it presented itself at Chi cago and St. Louis, and it was during this conversation that Mr. Bryan stated, to me in positive terms that his nomination at Chicago was not due to his speech, as many supposed; but to the fact that it had been arranged for, some months before, through the co-operation of the leaders of the peo ple's party and the silver republicans, looking to the selection of a candidate who could unite the three elements above classified. Mr. Bryan stated that he had been chosen as the one who would be the most acceptable to all' parties, and that his nomination at Chicago was due to that fact. t It therefore follows that the people's party national convention was pur posely called to meet after the demo cratic convention 60 that the logic of events would be on the side of the fu sionlsts as an argument, leading to fusion. Everything ' worked out just as had been planned. Teller shed tears before the republican national convention and walked out, all care fully planned, even to the tears. The democrats nominated Bryan at Chi cago, and the silver republicans called their convention to meet at the same time as the populists at St. Louis. Senator Jones, chairman of the demo cratic national committee, was repre sented at the seat of action and the whole procedure at St. Louis was but the fulfillment of the policy agreed upon months before. Now, Mr. Editor, I do not believe that you will have the courage to deny this and I know that Mr. Bryan will not. Had these facts been known to the members of the people's party in 1896 a disgraceful surrender of the party organization and the party strength, that was the result of sac rifice and fidelity on the part of the western and southern farmers, would not have resulted. Any populist edi tor who knowingly covered up these facts is just to that extent a traitor to the honest men who trusted in his fidelity and honesty. It is a poor time to attempt to re vive the people's party after the dag ger of treason has pierced its vitals and its once powerful press and fol lowing scattered to the four winds of heaven. There are but two possible things for the populists to do, one is to go back to the old political par ties, both of which are capitalistic in their tendencies, or else join the so cialist party and begin the struggle for liberty anew. The populist edition of the Appeal to Reason is plain and explicit The article oil the first page to which you refer was written by me personally and there is not a line in that paper calculated to deceive anyone and ev ery paragraph is touched in the bold est and plainest language possible. I think, Mr. Editor, I have an swered your interrogations fully and in justice to me and to your readers and to the people's party I request that you publish this letter in full and display it as prominently as the ar ticle which called it into existence. Respectfully yours, A. W. RICKER. And Mr. Bryan's reply is as follows: Baltimore, Md., Feb. 17, 1903. Dear Mr. De France: ' I am in receipt of your letter enclosing your article in reply to the Appeal to Reason and a copy of Mr. Ricker's letter to you. I remember that, some years ago, I spoke at Onowa, la., in the afternoon, after a "middle-of-the-road" populist had spoken there in the forenoon. I do not remember the name of the populist who spoke there, nor do 1 re call meeting him. It is not, however, improbable that I was Introduced to him and talked, with him, for in my tours, I have talked with many politi cal opponents,; but I am sure that I never said anything that could by any reasonable construction be tortured into a basis for the charge which he, makes. Not remembering the con versation at all I cannot repeat what was said by either of us, but I would not have stated what was not true and It would have bepn both false and absurd to have made-the statement at tributed to me. ; z. It Is not true thaC "MrJ Bryan and the populist leaders arranged months before so that peQple$ party would be placed in this humlliattog position" (that Is, ; be ' compelled -i6 nominate Mr. Bryan); ..The resulf bl the Chica go convention was riOtfc anCl could not have been, arranged in advance. I do not remember to have talked with any populist ;leaaenabouis one candi date prior to our convention and I knew that there was no "plan among the populists to have me nominated at Chicago. : ! As to my convention speech I have been disposed to attach less import ance to it than the press did at the time. I had been identified with the silver fight since 1893 and became personally acquainted with many of the delegates in my trips through the south and west and a number of the delegates had announced their pref erence for me before 'the speech was made, but there is no foundation what ever for the statement that my nomi nation was the result of a deep laid scheme entered into by the populist leaders and myself. As there was no such scheme I prefer to believe that Mr. Ricker's memory is at fault, or thtt his political hostility led him to p.' ace a false construction on what I paid, rather than believe that I out lined a scheme that did not exist. Tours truly, W. J, BRYAN. To Plutocracy By way of preface, in order to get acquainted quiekly, I want to say to the plutocrat, to the monopolist You look like a fool to me. For several and sufficient reasons You look like a fool to me. The first one is that you fail to recognize that the protection . of your great property interest depends upon the honesty and integrity of -what you are pleased to term the eammoh herd. You fail to recognize that the honesty of the great mass of people is your protection, and your only protection, in your property rights. In this You look like a fool to me. You reserve to yourself the right to play the part of thief or "robber, and then appeal to honest people to protect you in your rascality. In this You look like a fool to me. In your acts of outlawry, in your utter disregard and defiance of law, and then in your cowardly appeals to this same law for protection You look like a fool to me. For years past the whole mob of you have been bending every energy, have been spending millions, in the effort to corrupt the moral sense of this people. Through the medium of corrupt publications, and corrupt pub lic speakers, and in thousands of oth er ways, you have sought to destroy the honesty and integrity of this peo ple; yet in all that time you have never thought of what would be the consequences to you if you should succeed in your attempt. In this You look like a fool to me. In your assumption of superiority, in your claims of proprietorship of the common people, and in your exhibi tions of hostility toward them You look like a fool to me. True it may be, true it is, that in the last two elections, the majority of this people bent both neck and knee to you, that they entered your service politically. But that was only voluntary, on their part; they can put an end to their term of service any time they get ready. And" what would you do about it? How would you help yourself? How would you keep them from it? You have been preaching and teaching the doctrine that "might makes right." Have you figured out how you are going to con troll this people by might; when the might resides not with you, but with the people? You look like a fool to me. Suppose that you could get the peo ple to believe your teaching of this "might makes right" proposition, where would your protection como from? You look like a fool to me. Now, if you had a large army at your command, you might accomplish your purpose of the enslavement of the people; but that you haven't. When you demanded of the president that he employ the army in shooting down striking miners, he refused to do your bidding, and I want to switch off my subject long enough to say that I think I can appreciate to some extent the manliness and heroism of the stand the president took in that matter. t He had no assurance that even the fool people would sustain him in his position; he has none yet that they will; he is slated for political punishment for that very act. I could criticise a great many of the presi dent's official acts, but I am not go ing to do it; for the reason that I ap preciate the hardness of the position he is placed in. He is not a king he is president, and as president heJs in duty bound to carry out the ex pressed wishes of the majority. He cannot do that and do the right thing at the same time. But I believe if he had the assur ance that the people would back up and support him that he would lead reform in any direction they would indicate, with all the strenuosity of his nature. At any rate, by his action in the matter of the coal strike, he has earned the admiration of all lovers of fair play. .But to return to you, my pluto monopolistic friend. In your exhibi tions of selfishness You look like a fool to me. In your hogishness, not satisfied that you have many times the amount of wealth that you are able to use; you must root and roll in the trough of plenty and destroy, for the use of others, what is left You look like a fool to me. You labor " not to bring happiness, peace and contentment to the mass of the people. But to show yourself off as something grand, as a superior order of being. And you think you can best accomplish that by bringing dis content and distress and trouble on the people, the people that you are indebted to for everything that you have You look like a fool to me. You remind jne of the glutton who enjoyed his feast all the more be cause hungry eyes were looking at him You look like a fool to me. No right-thinking person envies you the possession of your great wealth, if you behave yourself with it. But it is in your disposition to use it as a weapon for the destruction of all human rights and liberties that you lay your wealth liable to con fiscation and yourself to imprison ment. And finally in your fatalism, in the blasphemous impudence of your claim of partnership with God You look like a fool to me. ' " SID FOREE. A PHILIPPINE OUTBREAK "Ladrene." Capture Three Detachmenti of Constabulary War Breaks Out Anew Some time ago The Independent quoted from a private letter from a resident of Manila as follows: "Civil government here so far has been a huge joke, but a very expen sive one, for the cost of living is out rageous, and the whole country is paralyzed, what with the currency question, cholera, ladronism, etc. They are not called insurgents now only ladrones. There is general discontent among all classes, including Ameri cans, at the situation here. Taxes are higher than ever before, and every one grumbling. The whole thing is a farce, and I should not be surprised before many months, that 100,000 sol diers will be needed here, unless things change rapidly for the better. ... it is not safe to drive to the waterworks now, and the constabulary had a fight the other night with ladrones at the powder magazine, which you remem ber, just across the San Juan bridge The troops should never have-been reduced so soon, as the work will probably have to be done over again some time." 6 This was the opinion of a republi can who believes that the military government should have been main lined. How well he foresaw that the work" would have to be done over again is best told in the following Associated press dispatch: "Manila, Feb. 22.-A force of la drones under San Miguel reappeared m Rizal province yesterday. Tiey avoided an engagement with the main force in the south, but captured three small detachments of constabulary The enemy surrounded the towns of Cainta and Taygoar, eleven miles east of Manila on Saturday and captured thirty scouts and ten men of the con stabulary, whom they disarmed and set free. "Today Inspector McIIwaine, at the head of ten constabulary, was sur prised and captured near Montalban sixteen miles northeast of Manila. The ladrones promised to release them if the constabulary would surrender their arms. While they were con ferring on this point, McIIwaine made a dash or liberty and he and all the I Will Cure You of Rheumatism Else No Money is Wanted. After 2,000 experiments, I haye learned how to eure Rheumatism. Not to turn bony joints into flesh again;) that is impossible. But I can cure tha disease always, at any -stage, and for ever, I ask for no money. ' Simply write me a postal and I will send you an or der on your nearest aruggist for six bottles Dr. Shoop's Kheumatic Cure, for every druggist keeps it Use it for a month and, if it succeeds, the cost is only $5.60. If It fails, I will pay the druggist myself. 1 I have no sam: -es, because any med icine that can affec: Rheumatism quickly must be drugged to the verge of danger. I use no such drugs, and it is folly to take ; them. . You must get 'the: disease out of the blood. My remedy does that, even in the most difficult obstinate cases. No matter how impossible this seems to you, I know it and take the risk. I hare cured tens of thousands of cases in this way, and my records show that 39 out of 40 who get six bottles pay. gladly. I have learned that people in general are honest with a physician who mres them. That Is all I ask. If I fail I don't expect a penny from you. Simply write me a postal card or a letter. I will send you my book about Rheumatism, and an order for the medicine. Take it for a month, as it won harm you anyway. If It fails, it is free, and I leave t3 derision with you. Address Dr. Shoop, Box 940, Racine, Wis. Mild cases, not chronic, are often cured by one or two bottles. At all druggists. constabulary effected their escape. "When the news of the reappear ance of General San Miguel's force reached Manila reinforcements of scouts and constabulary were hurried into Rizal province. General Allen and Colonel Scott went to Antipolo and assumed command of the forces there. They met with small detach ments of the enemy and a few skirm ishes took place. They were unable to locate the main body of ladrones, but continued the pursuit and hope to overtake the released prisoners. It is said that General San Miguel's force consists of 300 men, armed and uniformed. The zone of ladrone activ ity extends from Caloocan, four miles north of Manila, eastward to the mountains of Rizal and skirting the northern limits of Manila. "The Manila police co-operated in Saturday's efforts to corner the en emy. Secretary Winthrop, in the ab sence of Governor Taft, requested General Davis to furnish additional scouts and General Davis has ordered another battalion to report to General Allen. It is expected that additional troops will be ordered out. "San Miguel's force is small and the governor is determined to suppress it. San Miguel claims the insurgent lead ership and fights under the Katihunan flag. According to news from Albay, Lu zon, a force of ladrones attacked a small detachment of constabulary on Friday. The constabulary retreated leaving two, but killed eleven of the enemy." A change of names has not helped matters. From "criminal aggression" to "benevolent assimilation" and thence to a "stable government guar anteeing the greatest liberty" the Filipinos are capable of enjoying; from rebels into "insurgents" and la ter into "ladrones" (Spanish for thieves); and from "soldiers" into "constabulary," a change in names has made no real change in the situa tion. It is bloody war yet Only four miles out of Manila! Think of that No matter whether they are called ladrones or insur gents, they have been able to surround towns and capture scouts and "con stables" and come within four miles of the capital. The cry is sure to go up, "Increase the army and put down this ladronism" but will it ever be put down? Spain tried it for hun dreds of years and wound up with actual control of, about the same amount of territory that the Ameri cans control today that is within a radius of about four miles surround ing Manila. Is it statesmanship to persist in a mistaken course, simply because a wrong start was made? Is it wisdom to hold the Philippines at suc h enorm ous cost? The United States has nlen ty to do at home, with a race question of great magnitude, without attempt ing to force republican carpet-bag gov ernment on an unwilling people.