Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-24
MIR. BRYAN'S COMMONER
Made Its First Appearance Yester-
day-The Salutatory Utteraaces of
the Editor


the Editor.
LINCOLN, Neb., January 23.-The
first number of THE Commoner." the
weekly paper published by William J.
Bryan. was issued this afternoon. 1t
is neat-appearing sheet, typograph-
ically. The following is the saluta-
tory:
The COmmoner.
Webster defines a cOmmoner as "one
of the common people" The name
has been selected for this paper be-
cause The COmmOner will endeavOr to
aid the common people in the protec-
ton of their rights, the advancement
Of their interests and the realization
Of their aspirations.
1t is not necessary to apologize for
the use of a term which distinguishes
the great body of the population from
the comparatively few, who, for one
reason or another, withdraw them
selves from sympathetic connection
with their fellows. Among the Greeks
'iHoi Expolloi' was used to describe
the many, while among the Romans
the word Pldos" was employed for the
same purpose. The appellations, like
the common people," have been as
sumed with pride by those to whom
they were applied, while they have
been used as terms of reprOach by
those who counted themselves among
the aristocratic classes. Within re-
cent years there has been a growing
tendency in some quarters to denOunce
as demagCgic any reference to, or
praise of, the common people.
One editor in late issue of his pa
per takes exception to the phrase and
says:
This expression is an ill-chosen one
and should have no lodgment in the
vocabulary Of an American patriot
and statesman. If we sought its orr
gin, we would look for it in that spe-
cious demagogy which has evolved
the professional politician, arrayed
country against town-the farmer and
his sons and daughters against the
business and professional men and
their sons and capital
against labor, and built up against
neighbors the impregnable barriers of
prejudice and hate.
This quotation is reproduced be-
cause it fairly represents the views of
those who criticise the expression.
1t has, however, an eminently re-
spectacle origin In the same chap
ter in which Christ condensed man S
duty to his fellows into the command
ment: Thou shalt love thy neigh
Dor as myself" in the same chapter
in which he denounced those who de-
YOUR widows houses and for a pre-
tense make long prayers-in this
same chapter it is said of him; The
common people heard him gladly
Nc higher compliment was ever
paid to any class.
The term, the common people, is
properly used to describe the large ma
jority OF the people-those who earn
their living and give to society a fair
return for the benefits bestowed by
society-those who in their daily lives
recognize the ties which bind togeth-
er the mass of the people who have
a common lot and a common hope.
Sometimes they are called the mid
die classes" because pauper5 and Grim
inals are excluded on the one hand
while on the other hand some exclude
themselves because of wealth or po-
sition or pride Of birth. The common
people form the industrious, intelIi-
gent and patriotic element OF our pop
ulation; they produce the nation
wealth in time of peace and fight the
nations battles in time OF war. They
are self-reliant and independent; they
ask of government nothing but jus
tice and will not be satisfied with less.
They are seeking TO get their hands
into other peoples pockets, but are
content if they can keep other people 5
| hands out of their pockets.
The common people do not consti-
tute an exclusive society-they are
not of the four hundred: any one can
become a member il he is willing to
contribute by brain or muscle to the
nations strength and greatness. Only
those are barred-and they are barred
by their own choice-who imagine
themselves made of a superior kind
of clay and who deny the equality of
all before the law.
A rich man, who has honestly ac-
Quired his wealth and who Is not
afraid to intrust its care to laws
n H. n - fo1l