Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-05

be withheld Unused communications
will not be returned Correspondents
are advised to limit their letters to 800
| words or they will be subject to being
cut down TO that limit at the discretion
of the editor. Publications OF views OF
| correspondents must not be taken to
commit The Bee to their endorsement.
That Post-PrandiaI Joint Debate.
OMAHA, March ITO the Editor of The
Bee: That post-prandial Joint debate be-
tween Mr. Bryan and Henry NJ. Whitney on
| government ownership OF railroads, as re-
ported by The Bee. was something much
more than interesting. Mr.. Whitney Is
| an owner OF one of these railroads, the
Boston & Maine, and with the true Yankee
| instinct his concern about the matter was
to have Mr.. Bryan give him the assurance
/ that he would pay him fair price for MS
| road and that he would not attempt TO
| confscate It. Mr.. Bryan, with sense OF
his power, kindly assured Mr.. Whitney that
he had no intention of coniscating the
Boston & Maine, or any other trunk line
of railroad and Mr.. whitney Immediately
| remarked that he saw much good in gov
eminent ownership
| This is an astonishing exhibition. MI.
Bryan says he is a democrat and believes
It. This, with his marvellous intellectual
/ and moral force as a leader OF public
opinion, which is without parallel In modern
| times. is what makes him dangerous.
democrat only in name; a federalist OF
| the Hamlltonian brand multiplied many
times, in fact, he would place In the hands
| of the federal government a power Of con-
troll over the states through the ownership
of the trunk lines of railroad against which
even Alexander Hamilton would have drawn
his sword. Such a calamity would mean,
| and could not fail to mean, the instant
extinction of republican self-government In
the United States. Not less than 100000
votes held as a balance OF power In the
various states would be under the direct
control of the president. and 100000 more
could be safely added that would be under
his indirect control through iron and steel
| magnates and labor unions. Is there
| white man, or a mulatto, of average intel
ligence in America who can have shadow
| of doubt about II? The republic In every
thing except the empty forms, behind which
tyranny and oppression would instantly
masquerade, would be dead the moment
! such condition should come upon us.
Federal satraps would swarm all round the
people in every state, in every municipality,
to dictate and dominate the local gov
ernments, as they recently swarmed into
u federal court in this very city, to strike
down and overawe the real fortress of
personal TlBntS anu lDciNg Wy upon o<oS1NAe
upon an honest and upright federal judge,
a loyal and able United States district at
torney and a United States marshal void
of all intent or act of personal or official
wrong-doing.
Does not Mr.. Bryan know-how can
man of his masterful mind fail to know
that given the power, the principle and
measures ne openly advocates, would de-
| stroy lf-government in our country in
! a day7 Concede TO him patriotic motives
in the same moment must be denied to
him frightful incapacity to foresee the
fatal consequences of his own acts upon
the political and personal rights and lib
critics which Thomas Jefferson wrested
from the monarchcal GENERALIZATION of
federal power. which George Washington
and Alexander Hamilton meant to fasten
upon this nation, by his great triumph in
1901.
And now as to Mr.. Whitney. He. too,
is a democrat, a good democrat in theory
as his famous brother. William c., the
founder of the United States navy was, in
fact. in other days. 1t was he and Daniel
Manning who made the nomination of Mr..
! Cleveland to the presidency in 1884, and
1t was he and A. p. German who elected
and seated him. The Whitneys are blooded
IDENTIFY giving way to the white in the Wig
orous veins of Henry. In the joint debate
neither he nor Mr.. Bryan saw anything
but the commerclalism which is destroy
ing free government in our country
through a plain plot, openly avowed and
advocated by President Roosevelt and Sec
rotary Root in a certain contingency
which. with the aid OF Mr.. Harriman's
genius and popular clamor, they are doing
their utmost to produce. Mr.. Whitney
wanted nothing but fair pay for the Boston
& Maine and Mr.. Bryan. with the cool
nonchalance with which he could tell ten
years ago. as now, how to uplift fifty
centuries of civilization among 400, 10000 of
the people of China at a single sitting with
his pen
THAT mighty instrument OF little men"
Not that Mr.. Bryan is little" by any
means in point of great and brilliant
talents, but that as a lawgiver he is not
merely unwise, but dangerous.
But the astounding things in the Joint
debate seemed to be the audacity of the
thing. The idea OF even thinking seriously
of Mr., Bryan or any other man or any
other million Of men. talking about CON
fiscating'' billions Of private property In
this country Blood would run in red
rivulets on a thousand battlefelds before
such crime could be seriously discussed
by any president or congress for those
days, and the men who should have to
lead in a cause that even contemplated