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The Commoner
VOL. 15, N(X 11
Lincoln, Nebraska, November, 1915
Whole Number 679
INVESTIGATE
INVESTIGATE the activities of the business group pecuniarily interested in increased appropriations for army and nxyy,
which has become so active in pushing its selfish demands. Congress ought to at once appoint a committee to investigate. It is
more than a lobby. It in a concerted attempt to misinform the whole nation with a view to the securing of enormous profits at
the expense of the tax payers. Publicity is the surest weapon with which to meet an evil of this kind. Let the people once know the
real motive back of this movement for preparedness and it can not succeed. Exposure will kill it. TURN ON THE LIGHT and let
the country see the fraudulent character of the pretended patriotism which is now being paraded before the country by men who
claim a superior attachment to the nation, but are in fact nothing but leeches and parasites. THE INVESTIGATION OUGHT TO
COMMENCE AT ONCE. W. J. BRYAN.
w,
ANOTHER "INSIDIOUS" LOBBY
In "iOl'Sroti after taking office, President
Wilson electrified ''the country and started a
stampede out of Washington, when he charged
that the capital was infested by an "insidious
lobby" which he was determined to smoke out.
The heglra which followed this presidential
warning left Washington hotel men to mourn
the good old times. There was never before
such a hustling to get out of the City of Mag
nificent Distances. '
But the "insidious' lobby" of mVas'a neg
ligible force in comparison with the more insidi
ous lobby which now infests the capital. The
lobby which challenged presidential attention in
1913 and which fled before the scourge which
the Whi-houso brought into view was frankly
selfish. It made few if any pretensions of patri
otism. It was not saving the country. It was
not buttressing our shores against a threat
ened invasion. . it was not partic
ularly anxious about the flag. It was
troubling itself little with the Yellow Peril or
the German bogey. It was there merely to -get
all that was to be had for the railroads, for steel,
for sugar, for glass,, for ship yards, for powder
mills, for gun factories, for lumber and for all
the other pets of privilege which republicanism
had been nurturing for so many years.
The word from the White house gave this
lobby a great shock and occasioned unconcealed
alarm in many" quarters, but it was highly effect
ive. The hotel business in Washington was never
so poor as it was in 1913 and 1914, But it must
be improving now. For there is another and an
infinitely more dangerous lobby infesting the
capital of the natiq$today. It is. a purely
"patriotic" lobby,, a lobby which has wrapped
the flag about it, a 'lobby profoundly concerned
over the welfare ofrh nation and theperpet
uity of our sacred institutions, a Jobby which Is
in deadly fear of soie Imaginary; foe,: Jobby
that thinks in terms of air ships, submarines,
dreadnaughts, l$-inch guns, torpedoes, shells, a
huge standing army and' a navy greater than, a
HoBson ever dared to propose.
Even the railroads when carrying forward
their successful campaign to force the govern
ment to permit an increase of freight rates,
flooded the mails with no such a deluge of lit
erature as that which the Preparedness lobby is
today disseminating. Never before in the his
tory of the country has, an equal activity in any
behalf been witnessed. Evidently this lobby is
richly endowed. It Is nagniflcently organized.
It is splendidly equipped. And it Is carrying
forward its work with a thoroughness and with
an indifference to the cost which may well chal
lenge the curious interest of the American peo
ple who are being asked to approve of vast ex
penditures on the "natlpnal defenses," the Im
plication being that our shores are menaced by
some powerful oppressor.
The ramifications of this lobby are widespread.
Scores of leagues, societies, clubs and associa
tions have been formed to push particular
phases of the general campaign. There are na-
CONTENTS .
ANOTHER "INSIDIOUS" LOBBYi
PRESIDENT WILSON. ON "PREPARED-,
NESS"
THE NEW CHERUBIM
THE ELECTIONS OP 1915
BACK TO BARBARISM i
TWO INTERVIEWS BY MR. BRYAN
"PATRIOTISM IS NOT ENOUGH"
NEBRASKA IN LINE FOR PROHIBITION
WHAT THE WAR JPttUVJUB
PREPAREDNESS A REPUBLICAN PLAN
THE THREATENING DANGER OF A
MILITARY AUTOCRACY
MR; KITCHIN'S LETTER ON "PRE
PAREDNESS" -
THB WAR IN EUROPE AND ITS
LESSONS. FOB US
PRESIDENT WDLSON'fl NEW YORK
SPJCKCH
tibnal security leagues, national rifle associa
tions, national aorco clubs and national organ
izations of various sorts designed to arouse the
country to some Impending peril and to bring It
to a realizing sense of 'what la expected of It la
the way of funds for buying battleships, cruis
ers, dreadnaughts, submarines, destroyers, air
craft, powder, war material and equipment ana
for the Increase of army and navy to a war foot
ing In a time of profound peace. School!,
churches, political organizations, the magazine
and newspaper press, chautauquas, the lyceuin,
everything which contributes to tho molding of
public opinion, Is being utilized by this lobby
as far as possible In spreading the gospel of, pre
paredness and in dragooning popular sentiment
into an acceptance of the Tantastlc notion that
preparation for war Is a guaranty of peace.
Tho President might well turn his attention
to this lobby. Tho one driven by him from
Washington two years ago was praiseworthy
by comparison. There was little false pretense
in that "Insidious" aggregation which haunted
the halls of congress and beselged the depart
ments of government In pursuit of favors. But
tho lobby of which tho Army and Navy league,
the National Security league, the National Rifle
association, the Aereo Club of America and
scores of similar organizations aro the visible ex
pressions, is of the very essence of false' pre
tense. It Is greed masquerading in the vest
ments of pariotism. It is militarism cloaked Am.
the garb of peace. It is selfish ambition posing
as disinterested public spirit. It is imperialism
of the sordid sort whose democratic habilimemts
do not conceal the iron hand or the two-drd
sword. That if should indefinitely pursue its
sinister work unchallenged seems unthinkable.
Tho President and congress shoula notk call it
to account and force a revelation of the secret
springs of actioa and the secret sources ofcisp
ply. And the country will be mack disappoint
should the President and congress fail totUra
on the light. -4 n
WARREN WORTH BLKY5