Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-26


life his consistent coui Sc. his appeals for
earned the confidence and personal az.
lection OF millions Of his Countrymcn, and
gained the respect and admiration Of all
the people of the world, who love liberty
and humanlty-then the distinguished
gentleman was right, With. respect to the
one man power Of William Jennings Bryan
MI. Bryan has exerted no other power.
He has had no subordinates to
no office holders to direct, / think II may
be safely said that there were no post
masters nor other federal office holders or
employees IN the Denver convention. Every
delegate to that convention carried his
sovereignty under his own hat" and as an
independent American freeman, owing no
allegiance save to country and flag, cast
his vote for Bryan because in his heart he
Of such a man were demanded By the best
interests OF the republic.
the republican nominee for vice presl-
dent in his recent speech n acceptance at
feeted the belief that the question. @sSal
the people rule implied a charge Of
y%snality against the American electorate,
under recent republican administration the
people have ruled without let o. hindrahce.
~ Is passing strange that in a republic
like this there should be occasion for a
discussion Of this questions r. Is, a gov
eminent of the people by the people. They
presumably govern themselves through
their servants whom they send, to represent
them In congress. Their win, when known,
ought to be supreme, and should be given
Immediate effect.
VIII of the People,
And II the Will OF the people once known
rule.
VIII any intelligent man claim that there
is or has been any substantial diversity of
opinion In this country on, the question as
to whether the tariff duty on wool pulp
used IN the manufacture of paper should
tariff tax operated for the benefit OF the
paper trust alone, allowing that combine
TO levy millions Of tribute each year upon
the newspapers OF the country and their
readers. The press of the country, without
regard to party united In demanding re-
lief. The people of the republic unahi-
dent OF the United Stats threw the in
fluence of his great office in favor Of the
demand OF the press and the people. But
within the republican party had established
In the ower house OF congress a parlia-
mentary condition, in the interest of mo-
nopoly- under which the sole power to de-
termine whether a measure should be all
lowed to become a law or not was lodged
In the speaker OF that body and his COM
mittee on rules, and by the fiat of that one
man the Will OF the press, the people and
ne president was set At naught Behold
the RpectaCle! On one side $1,000, 900 OF free
people demanding legislation to right an
admitted wrong. On the other side. a few
men engaged In public plumber, aided by
can party, represented by the presiding
officer Of the once popular branch OF con-
Eress: And the plunderers and these UNI
faithful public servants prevail over the
people OF this great republic. In this in.
stance did the people rule?
on February I, 1902, Congressman Bah.
COCK or Wisconsin, then chairman of the
republican congressional committee, In
speaking OF q bill he had introduced. to re.
duee the tariff on iron and steel, and after
showing conclueively that the interests of
farmers. laborers, builders and pther
classes would be conserved by the passage
bill to revise the tariff at every possible OBJ.
portunity. II it, goes before the house 1t
Will mass by three to one"
Refers to Legislative Rules.
But pnder the. .rules of the house. the
REPRESENTATIVES o. the people in that branch
free themselves nom the strange hold"
under which this moderniEed system Of
popular government, devised by the pres
upon the American public. This power to
slubvert the popular viii Is exerted by
notably In the appointment by the speaker
Of the house OF committees, which are in
many ihstahces 40 constituted as to quietly
siR1nedd f 81 the relief Of tRe people. 70 o r.
lustrate, permit me to quote from a petit
ton presented to congress by the great
The executive council Of the American
| Federation of Labor:
""The committee on labor Of the house OF
representatives was instituted at the. de-
mand - labor to voice tts sentiments, to
advoeatc Its rights, and to protect Its in
~terests.
tee has been so organized as to make inef-
fectual any attempt labor has made for
redress. This being the fact, in the last
appoint on the committed of labor mem
beers who from theiF experience. knowledge
sress such service as the committee was