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The Commoner,
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL. 8, NO. 22
Lincoln, Nebraska, June 12, 1908
Whole Number 386
WHAT THE ALDRICH-VREELAND CURRENCY BILL
WILL DO TOLD BY A REPUBLICAN NEWSPAPER
Here are some of the things which the Philadelphia North American, a republican
newspaper, says of the new currency law:
"This law will mean the turning over of the treasury of the United States to the gamblers of the New York stock exchange
for a period of six years.
"It will mean the making of 'good times' and 'bad times of 'bull markets and 'bear markets according to the pleasure of
Rogers and Rockefeller in the National City bank and J. P. Morgan in the National Bank of Commerce.
"It will mean not the slow and certain movements' of contraction and inflation by the natural laws of commerce, but sharp
changes forced at will by the master gamblers.
r .. "It will mean the gift to the chief enemies of the nation of the power to issue or retire half a billion of dollars, exciting specu
lation or compelling disaster according to whichever best suits their betting book.
"What the effect will be upon the coming elections we do not know. We do not know what measure of punishment a long
suffering people will inflict upon their betrayers." ' . .
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THE TEST OF PATRIOTISM
-V
At the first reunion of the Spanish war vet
erans of Nebraska held at Lincoln Thursday,
June 4, Mr. Bryan delivered a brief ad
dress, 'taking as his subject "The Test o
Patriotism." Below will be found a brief ex
tract from Mr. Bryan's addresd:
Meeting again the men with whom I served
for a few months ten years ago, my memory re
calls many pleasing incidents and many sad ex
periences connected with the service. Among
those who -are missing I recall with great
distinctness my lieutenant colonel, General Vic
tor Vifquain, who some four years ago ariswered
to the roll call of the Great Commander. Those
who served with me in the Third Nebraska will
never forget him. Of all the members of our
regiment ho was the chief in all that related
to army life and he won his way into the hearts
of the members of the regiment by his kindness
and consideration for all. We miss him tonight.
I would not take a great deal for what I
CONTENTS
THE TEST OF PATRIOTISM
ZOLA'S TRIUMPH
; -"BRYANISM J.N PENNSYLVANIA"
THE MASSACHUSETTS PLATFORM
THE CURRENCY CRIME AS SEEN BY. A
REPUBLICAN PAPER
WHERE THE SPECIAL INTERESTS ARE
JAMES K. JONES
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTIONS
WASHINGTON LETTER
COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT , ,
WHETHER COMMON OR NO,T,;
NEWS OF THE WEEK ; -
learned about human nature in the army. Mili
tary service brings out the best, as well as the
worst, that is in men, and there is no place
where we can learn to know each other more
completely. I became well enough acquainted
with many of my regiment to feel sure that if
duty required them to march straight up to the
cannon's mouth, they would have exhibited as
much courage as any of the heroes who have
fallen upon the battle field.
I think I learned in the army what I never
could have learned outside of the patient suf
fering endured by those who spent a lingering
illness in the hospital. Those who die upon the
battle field are Inspired by the fife and drum
and sustained by the ardor of their companions,
but those who are fever stricken and who, far
away from home and family, spend weary days
upon the cot or die without the comforting smile
of. kindred, these give to their country a full
measure of devotion.
I never knew so much of sickness as I
learned in the hospitals and my experience with
the sick suggested an improvement which I
think might be made In our military service.
The chaplain is a necessary part of the army
and the difference between the religious forms
of various churches has convinced me that we
ought to have two chaplains in each regiment
instead of one. I had in my regiment both
Catholics and Protestants and I learned how
great a solace It Is to a dying soldier to have
one of his fai.th with him to administer the
last rites and speak words of hope and comfort
to him. The Protestant clergyman can not at
such times fully meet'Jthe needs of the Catholic
soldier and the Catholic priest can not at such
times fully meet the needs of the Protestant
soldier. Can not our government in its abun
dance supply the needs of both and contribute
in this way to the peace of the last hours of
those who enlist In their country's service?
The moral needs of those In health could
be more fully met also by this recognition of
religious preference and surely it Is Important
that the morals of our soldiers should be guard
ed and cared for as well as their physical well
being. Those who are called upon for military
service prove their patriotism by an obvious
test, for no one can doubt the love of country of
those who are willing to die for their country.'
I can not, however, allow such an occasion to
pass without suggesting that a man's patriotism'
can be tested in other ways than by army service!
A generation has grown up since the civil war
and until the Spanish war these never had occa
sion to respond to a call to arms and only a
few of the present generation wore needed in
the Spanish war. It would be sad Indeed If only
those would be regarded as lovers of their
country who had had the occasion to don the
uniform. The real test of the patriot Is to be
found in his willingness to perform whatever
duty his country calls for, and in a country like
ours every year furnishes a battle field and every
day there is a call to service. War might be
described as the surgical operation that severs
a limb that might be saved by earlier treatment.
In proportion as wo discharge our civic duties
in time of peace we can prevent the resort to
war. The world is moving away from bloodshed
and the time will yet come when men will be
able to settle their differences without killing
each other.
Lincoln, in his incomparable speech at
Gettysburg, spoke of the unfinished work to
which the nation should consecrate Itself the
work of preserving the government of the people, -by
the people and for the people. This is a
continuing war. The war of government, the
war of society, the war of civilization is never
ended. Each generation finds an unfinished
work when it enters upon the stage and leaves
the work still unfinished when It departs. The
generations which have preceded ours have done
their duty, they have given us a wonderful
heritage. Those who have worked In peace and
those who have striven in war hure alike con
tributed to the great structure irlL i the revo
lutionary patriots planned. Our j'on is the
world's leader In all that goes tomako up a
great nation and a high civilization and we, the
people of the nation, must prove our patriotism
as generation after generation is called upon to
meet new problems and new difficulties.
The Spanish war removed the prejudice that
the civil war aroused. The sons of those who
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