Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-29
THEN AND NOW

i
presidential campaign would degenerate
into campaign of personalities, In the
acrid discussion of which the main is
sues would be lost sight Of. Mr.. Hearst
is at his best--or worst-in the role of
mischief-malxer, for which nature has
fitted him. But since he is engaged In
the miserable business Of attempting
to turn the national campaign into
series of personal squabbles, and since
he has attacked personally prominent
Democrat, and since he has actually
succeeded in enticing his excellency the
president of the United States into the
fray, as the result of a carefully con-
structed plot which had that as well
as other ends in view, let us ask him
to imagine, If he can, what kind of
reply might be made to the accusation
that Republicans obtained the long
reign of power (Which, in spite Of them
and of their ally Hearst, is about to be
terminated) by availing themselves Of
the services of one Of the most un-
scrupulous politicians in the United
States, who escaped scathless? To. be
sure, he was cartooned in clothes that
were dollar marked, but he was of such
peculiar temperament that to him the
dollar mark on his clothes was a mark
of distinction. Under the positively
and absolutely conscienceless manage
ment of this nlan-and how utterly con-
scienceless he was in political matters
only those who knew him personally
and knew him best can realiZe-the Re-
publican party bought its way into
office. His plan of campaign was sim
ple He used method equivalent to
bribery where he thought 1t would be
effective, and many voters were bribed
unconsciously When bribery was not
persuasive he no longer tried to per-
suade. He used coercion and intimida-
ton.
The voters affected were wage earn
ers. A few months before election their
wages were reduced. They were further
intimidated by being told, both by
word of mouth and by notices posted
in factories, that in the event of a
Democratic victory the factory would be
run on half time, or would be closed.
On the other hand, If the Republicans
were returned to power, there would be
a definite assurance of a full dinner
pail Employment at high wages would
be guaranteed to all workers, and pros
perity would continue as long as Re-
publicans were allowed to govern the
country. Terrified by the prospect of
% N1cx-- anf1f a nd
kept out of employment for an in
definite period of time If the Demo-
Gratis were successful, and at the same
time enticed by the promise that there
would be steady employment all the
year round, year after year, If the Re-
publicans were elected, it was not to
be expected that wage workers with
dependent families would take any
other course than that which they took.
From the results of the course their
fathers took at that time, the betrayed
and deprived children of the nation are
suffering today.
No plot was ever more carefully laid
than that which with marvellous skill
and cunning, combined with unscrup-
ulousness which 1t is hard for men of
normal moral balance to comprehend,
gave power to the party which has
robbed the children and sacrificed the
nation to the trusts.
Shortly before that election the
wages of the workers were reduced.
When they asked the reason they were
told that fear of Democratic victory
was the cause of the reduction.
When they were thoroughly discon-
tented and disgruntled they were in
formed their employer, out Of the good
ness of his heart, would send them on
an excursion to Ohio to meet the Re
publican presidential candidate and
benevolent old gentleman who was
deeply interested in their welfare.
When they returned and had adopted
resolutions pledging themselves to vote
for the Republicans their wages were
raised to old standards and they re-
mained at the old standards until after
election, when the Republican cam
paign committee was no longer con-
tributing from the campaign funds to-
ward the payment Of the high wages"
Mr.. Bryan's first defeat was accom-
plished by ounningly contrived trick
cry and dishonesty which staggered
Republican newspaper correspondents
who were allowed to be aware Of the
true inwardness of the plan of cam
paign, but, by circumstances over
which they had no control. were pre-
vented from saying one word on the
subject or even from dropping hint.
That is all ancient history now, but
it is time for revival Of interest in it,
because If it had not been for that
ancient history political conditions
would have been far different from
what they are today. Millions OF chill
dren who have been robbed Of their
education by Republican rapacity, mil
lions Of people who have been deprived
Of the means of subsistence by Re-
publican tariff, unite in demanding the
election of william Jennings Bryan, a
man of sterling honesty of character,
who is above fear and above reproach.