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V01. XVI.
LINCOLN, NEB., JULY 14, 1904.
No. 8.
Bryeur Will Vote For Parker
, - (W. J. Bryan in The Commoner of July 15)
V7 V7
I shall vote for Parker and Davis, the nomi
nees of the democratic national convention, and
shall do so for the following reasons:
First Because the democratic ' ticket stands
for opposition to imperialism, while the republican
ticket stands for an imperialistic policy. On this r
Question, which was the paramount issue in 1900,
and which must remain an important issue so
long as an attempt Is made to hold colonies under
the American flag on this issue the convention
was unanimous, the platform emphatic, and I have
no doubt that the candidate will carry out the
platform. w '
Second Mr. Roosevelt is injecting the race
issue into American politics, and this issue, if it
becomes national, will make it impossible to con
sider . economic questions that 'demand solution.
The election of the democratic ticket will put a
quietus upon this "attempt and permit the race
question to work itself out without the bitterness
which Mr. Roosevelt's conduct has engendered.
Third Mr. Roosevelt stands for the spirit of
war. His friends present him as a man of blood
and iron. He believes in strenuousness and in
culcates a love for war-like things. The demo
cratic ticket stands for peace, for reason and lor
arbitration rather than for force, conquest and
bluster. ..- " "
Fourth The democratic platform declares in
favor of the reduction of the standing army, and
as this plank was unanimously adopted there is
reason to believe that a democratic success on
this subject would bring some advantage to the
' people. . -
. For these four., reasons I feel justified in sup-
porting the ticket, but. I shall , not mis-"
represent the situation, or appeal for votes for
the ticket upon false grounds. A democratic vic
tory will mean very little, if any, progress
on economic questions so long as the
party is under the control of the Wall street
element. On the money question Mr. Parker is as
thoroughly committed to the side of the financiers
as Mr. Roosevelt. If he does not go as far as
the republicans . would in retiring silver dollars,
in establishing branch banks, In enlarging the
powers of the national banks, and in the sub
stitution of an asset currency for the present cur
rency, it will be because he is restrained by. the
democrats in the house and senate. Nothing good
can be expected of him on the money question.
On the trust question the democratic plat
form Is very much better" than the republican
platform, but the nomination of Judge Parker
virtually nullifies the anti-trust plaak. : Unless in
his letter of acceptance he commits himself to at
tempt anti-trust legislation we need not expect
him to pursue a different course from that pur
sued by President Roosevelt.
So far as the labor questions are concerned we
must await Judge Parker's letter before we shall
know whether the laboring man has anything to
.expect from his election. The labor plank as pre
pared by Judge Parker's friends on the sub-committee
was a straddling, meaningless plank. In
the full committee planks were adopted in favor
of arbitration, the, eight-hour day, and against
government by injunction; also a plank on the
Colorado situation. If Judge Parker is silent or
ambiguous on these subjects it will mean that the
financial mfiuence back of him will not permit
him to take the labor side on these disputed ques
tions. ,
On the tariff question some little progress
may be hoped for,- but the Parker men on the
committee were nearly all in favor of a very con
servative tariff plank, and it remains to be seen
whether Judge Parker will carry out the positive
and definite plank which was submitted by . the
full committee. This is the situation.
Judge Parker, stands for enough things that
are good to justify me, in giving him my vote, but
as I have tried to point out for several months,
the triumph of the Wall street element of the
party denies to the country any hope of relief on
economic questions. I have nothing to take back,
I have nothing to withdraw of the things that I
have said against the methods pursued to ad
vance his candidacy. It was a plain and deliber
ate attempt to deceive the party. The New York
platform was vague and meaningless and pur
posely so, because the advocates of Judge Parker
were trying to secure votes from among the people
who would have opposed his views had they known
them. If he had sent to the Albany convention
the telegram that he sent to the St. Louis con
vention he would have had very few instructed
delegates from the south, and no possible chance
for the nomination. But he and his managers
adroitly and purposely concealed his position un
til the delegates had been corraled and the nomina
tion assured. Then his friends attempted to
secure a gold plank, which was overwhelmingly
defeated In the committee. After the party had
rejoiced over the harmony secured by the omis
sion of the question, and after he had secured
the nomination, he Injected his views upon
the subject at a time when be could not be
taken from the ticket without great demoralisa
tion. The nomination was secured, therefore, by
crooked and indefensible methods, but the demo-"
crat who loves his country has to make his de
cisions upon conditions as he finds them, nut upon
conditions as he would like to have them.
After having stated that I shall support the
ticket, and after having given my reason for go
doing, i tninK it Que to tne democrats or tne na
tion to say that while the fight on economic
questions is postponed, it is not abandoaed. As
soon as the election 13 over I shall, with the help
of those who believe as I do, undertake to or
ganize for the campaign of 1908, the object being
to marshal the friends of popular government
within the democratic party to the support of a
radical and progressive policy to make the demo
cratic party an efficient means in the hands of the
people for securing relief from the plutocratic ele
ment that controls the republican party and for
. the time being is in control of the democratic
party. This plan of organization will be eiabor
; ated soon. It is only mentioned at this time that
the readers of The Commoner may know that
the contest for economic and political reform will
begin again as soon as the polls close, and be
continued until success is achieved.
Which Shall It Be?
Editor Independent; Three possible
courses are open to the populist state
convention when it meets next month:
1. To sppoint a conference commit
tee to meet the democrats and en
deavor to secure a division of the state
ticket whiCh both conventions - will
ratify. ;
To name part of a ticket, leaving
the remainder blank to be filled by
the democrats, with power to a com
mittee to effect fusion.
o.To nominate an entire ticket,
auopL a platform and adjourn, leaving
tiie rest to the voters at the polls.
, ihe events of the past few days
re-ne'er some clear, frank discussion of
thert courses in advance imperative
if we are to have clear thinking,
straightforward action and unicu. I
am no longer In active political life
and have other work which demands
more time than each day contains, but
after fourteen, years fellowship with
men professing common ends ol pub
lic policy one does not lightly contem
plate separation and I am convinced
. that for many members of the peo
ple's party separation from the organ
ization Is certain In the event of pos
sible action which may bo taken by
the coming state conveniiou. As one
of these I am unwilling to remain
silent In this crisis,
First of all the practical political
problems of the time In which we live
is that that of union how to unite
In one compact, homogeneous organi
tatlon the progressive elements in our
society In order to accomplish politi
cal changes made necessary by the
gnat change In production ami Uis
tilutiilon of wealth In the p.u cen
tury. Under a system of party gov
ernment such na ours 1 do not believe
it reasonable to export th ! rhangrs
until ft political party united upon
them Ih formed. Including the great
ma.i of those ho favor them and
trow? enough to carry them Into
operation.
Twelve years ago we met In f)maA
to form such a party, Who of tuo
THOMAS II. TIUBLES
present will ever forget that conven
tion? The union of north and south,
th Kplrlt of fraternity and altruism,
the great wave of enthusiasm for hu
manity and popular rinhtH the
narked a new political era for Ameri
ca. hVUe of all the critics might say
of th "freaks" on th floor and the
erudition In the platform .then wax a
genuine foundation for. a new party
-a groat, hont, level-headed, tour
aKoou.4 majority, bound by th tin of
common ideal a. well a romutou In
tereatU. The fumUmvntal principle
for Society there declared will outlive
the ridicule and "hatred of this gener
ationthe brief vogue .of -half-way
patchwork compromises and become
the basis of the future social struc
ture. I mean such declarations as
these: "Land, iucludlng all the nat
ural sources of wealth, Is the herit
age of the people and should not be
monopolized for ; speculative pur
poses." "Transportation being a
means oi excuange ana a puoiic nec
essity the government should own "and
operate the railroads In the Interest of
the people." The one serious mistake
the1 convention made, repeated in the
campaign that followed, was In empha
sizing the free coinage of silver as a
means nf sorMirlnrr , nnl.tii
- - O vus. II . ILUI I.,
By none of the strong thinkers In the
movement then was silver regarded
as the important question. The temp
tation to make it such arose from the
defeat of the silver mining Interests
in the democratic national convention
and their promise of substantial sup
port and an Immediate harvest of
votes from men who were ready to
follow the free silver -fine m tar At A
not educated up to tin fundamental
doctrines of the platform.
Eight years ago there was a revolu
tion In the democratic party. Pri
marily a fight over free silver, In the
outcome It went farther than that
and touched the Hges of deeper prob
lems. The victory of the free silver
element In the democratic national
convention wa made the bash for an
upnoal to the populism to "place prin
ciples above party" and Indorse tho
democratic nominations. The nomi
nee for vice president wan notoriously
out of sympathy with the purposes of
i l;e people a party ami the effort to ln
dorao Mm failed properly. Alter a
struggle which rent the party organi
sation, whoso Intensity only (has.?
who went through It can ever ralli:,
the people party convention nomi
nated the democratic candidate for
president and for vtco president
named one of Its own nonst a man nf
democratic antomJenta mho should
have been moro acceptable ta th