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GEORGE W. BERGE, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Volume 18
Lincoln, Nebraska, January 18, 1906
Number 35
People Should Direct Efforts in Politics Totfard
control una united mares &enare
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llcccnt revelations in the kingdom of high finance have made represented by the railway machine. This machine elects the legis-
it possible for the people to understand with clearer vision just where .laturo-and the legislature elects the United States .senators. 'JW
' , . 1 . 1 . . , 4 i rri ! chief rehanco of ''the system," as Thomas W. Lawson lias de?f; . oil V
the real power n Au . tkwi polity is located. The insurance dis- Q fa VnitM enate.
closures showed that the money of the great jna-ii at .; ynpames had Ono who grasps tiiebc, facts in ihAi ful; :f$5i:V 7fc
been used for years by Wall Street speculators. At the end of that f0 Wondcr at the corruption existing in the United States senate.
investigation the kings of finance found themselves temporarily cut Indeed, the corruption beneath the surface is as much more extensive r
off from one source of money supply." This was particularly unfort- f,au the surface corruption as the lava within the ear! his more cx-
unate for them because at that very time they were engaged in the tensive than the lava that has been poured from tho various volcanoes
old game of inflating stocks with the intention of unloading upon tliat curse the earth with their presence.
the public at ridiculously high prices. ' , The few senators who go to Washington with good intentions
As soon as the dominant faction in Wall Street the Standard mi( that the machinery is in the hands of an influential few. The new
Oil crowd realized that more money was needed to continue the senators fall in line under the party lash. If they remain insurgents
process of inflation, it put forward Jacob Sch iff to demand govern- they earn the reputation of a Tillman, who was villified for years bo-
ment aid. Tin's aid hasjiot yet been given, but if the. gamblers- cause of his honesty, while the. most fulsome puffery was purchased
continue to feel tho need 'of more money government aid will probably to keep Depew's reputation above par. Senator La Follette is' the
be forthcoming. Why? latest, insurgent in the senate. If lie remains an insurgent he will
Standard Oil is supreme in politics as in business. A New York soon share with Tillman tho reputation of being a wild disturber
paper some months ago gave the following estimate of the market and a dangerous character.
value of the stocks and bonds held by the Standard Oil crowd: Standard Oil has taken possession of the United States senate
T.,v,i- cfL-a k 9'.T 109 r00 because that body controls legislation, It has an absolute veto on all
JJtUlK blOCkS ......................... r i'Ji)jiWw,t)uw t . ii , o t
.Industrial stocks 3,888,248,235 legislation and is protected from the people by the indirect vote.. 1 ho
, Kailroad stocks , 5,004,518,255 . framers of our constitution feared pure democracy and provided for
Other stocks 2 000 000 000 a hunted democracy which finds itself so restricted at the present
Bank deposits . ' 419,808,342 av by the constitutional checks put upon it that it cannot make or
Dividends, profits and Vu'rpius'.V.V.'.V.' '. '. '. 100,000000 execute laws, butmusf surrender this power to a moneyed oligarchy.
' Wherever senators are to be elected the people should interest
T - , OOC themselves in direct primaries as the sole means of securing popular
J,otal ' ' i 1 representatives in the upper house of congress. Conventions are liable
In itself this accumulation of wealth denotes vast power, but to be controlled by party bosses and indorsements by conventions are
its power is greatly increased by the wealth it dominates. Standard apt to register the will. of tlie corporations rather than the wishes of
Oil controlled, and still controls, the great insurance companies, the rank and file of a party. Uut even in those states where a direct
although the assets qf these companies belong to thousands of policy- primary has not yet been provided for by law tho .people may obtain
holders in this and other countries. satisfactory results by providing direct primaries within the party.
Standard Oil dominates the banking business, the transporta- The purpose should always be to eliminate corporation influence,
tion business and the industrial interests. And by the power that The United States 'senate has been corrupted and degraded by this
it wields in business it. dominates 'the politics of the nation. In pernicious influence, and the people are no longer able to exercise
, every state and city of the country its will is supreme because of . that control over legislation which is necessary for the preservation of
eager dependents and retainers. In .Nebraska, for example, it is their rights and liberties
TriAoin&mrlomt Snirit and IKtriftxizYvi
All eves are turned mi congress with an interest that has not is limited by the constitution and thev know that the government's
been displayed for many years. It is the popular hope that con- power to regulate the railways is also limited by the constitution,
gross will adopt some legislation "which will serve to free the nation Senator FWaker has declared that most of the proposed legislation
from the iron yiue of monopoly. How far congress will succeed-in is unconstitutional and that if congress passes any of, the radical,
meeting this hope it is impossible to predict, but in the end there is ' measures the railways will at once take the fight into the courts,
sure to be grave disappointment. The question therefore? resolves itself into this: Congress must
After facing the trust problem for twenty years the people act within the constitution, or the constitution must Ikj amended
have finally decided (hat the chief cause of trusts is railway favorit- by two-thirds of tho states. There are two courses open to con
ism. They believe (hat if railway discrimination can be prevented, gross acting within the constitution. It can pass a law giving to
the trusts will lose much of their power. If competition can Ik; re- tho intorlate oomnuree commission a certain measure of control
Moved, if the power (o tax the people can be taken away, the trusts over the railways, subject always to review by (he court, or it can
will cease to monopolize business and a new commercial en will U- provide for government ownership. It i understood, of course,
gin an era of fair competition, normal prices and high wages. that no attempt will 1 made to secure public ownership. President
Solve the rail wry question, and you solve all the other question. lj!oojeveW is opposed to it, and it ha few .supjorters in the house or
ly this i meant tint the railway question, once satisfactorily ad- senate.
juried, all other question can in adjured with cum-. I tail way regulation i.-i the only hope at present, but o limited is
The jKople are now trying to remove the railway peril through ihe ower congress can delegate to the interstate commerce commi-
coiign -'sional action. Thev recognize that the power of congress that railway regulation is !ound to pnoe futile. The scope of tho
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