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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1915)
DECEMBER, 1915 best of the issues since it was first published. I have read every issue since Mr. Bryan first began publish ing the paper. I admire Bryan more and more as the years go by. I ad miro him for the noble stand he is taking on the liquor question, the woman suffrage question, and also tho "preparedness" question. I hope those who believe in Mr. Bryan and the principles for which he stands, will never cease till they have run the subscription list of The Common er up to one million. If we all put our shoulders to the wheel and make a united effort we can reach the mil lion in six months. It was never easier to get subscribers for The Commoner than now, and the very modest sum of 60 cents per year puts it within the reach of every lover of truth and justice. This will extend and increase Bryan's influence many fold. Who said we could not have prosperity during a demo cratic admir'-tration? Old Pennsyl vania was never more prosperous. Her mills are running day and night and orders booked frr months in ad vance. Laborers are now hard to se cure at any price. John Aubrey Jones, San Francisco, Cal.: God bless and give you added strength and power in your noble fight against the insidious attempt being made to militarize, thereby to undermine and destroy, .this demo cratic republic. The perniciousness of this preparedness propaganda in heres in its deception. It is a most soulless subterfuge, cloaked as pat riotic policy. It emanates from a spirit of greed on the part of private interests that would be pecuniarily profited to the tune of hundreds of millions. In a seUence: theirs is a patriotism for profit, and they are willing to coin the blood of their brothers their betters into dollars as they have been and are now doing by supplying1 the war mad govern ments, of Europe the means of car rying on their r turnalia of blood and fire, which is bringing civilization and Christianity to the very verge of the abyss of madieval "barbarism. The horror of it! These patriots for rev enue only who call themselves Amer icans, with all that that honorable designation implies, would have our beloved land prepare to go over tne abyss, instead of c ing all in its pow er to hold back the old world coun tries from taking the plunge. Na tional bankruptcy, and its co-comit-ant chaos and anarchy, would con stitute this final plunge. For then would come such a time of savagery as h manity has never known. And nature's climateric law survival of the fittest, the physically fittest .would be asserted. God defend us aguinst such an awful doom! The noble work you arc doing, as the valiant leader of the great common people, is part of God's plan to rescue humanity from tl.j clutch of barbarism. The Commoner J. W. Fowkes, El Centro, Cal.: Please allow me to suggest an idea on tlie manner in which the funds to prepare can be raised if our people back up our President and congress in preparedness, or returning to bar barism that I think is logical. As the present European conflict proves conclusively that they with all their professed civilization and Christian ity were following in the way that led to death; so let us know we are wrong, and then go ahead.. The means can be raised by discontinuing all churches. If this is not sufficient, then all charitable efforts can be dis continued. This may seem hard, but if we set up the other ideal, we don't need those influences, they retard the warrior's influence. , Wm. Itussel Smith, York, Pa.: The people are, beginning to suspicion the eastern Dress, nnri rnn,i v.. whniw6? b,Vi0,US Idico if not wholly false slush about you, until ZZ thG fal truth ls Owning upon them. The New York Herald, for instance, has excited mo to action in your behalf, until I am most anx ious to show my appreciation of the noble stand you have so courageously taken, and will do all I can to help. " i ii Rachel A. Bailey, Paw Paw, Mich.: l wish to congratulate you on your courage in proclaiming tlio Christ message of "Peace on earth and good will to Men." Enclosed please find a copy of a letter that T had the tem erity or perhaps tho audacity to send to President Wilson some days since; therefore I was pleased to see an nounced in the papers that there 13 ueing an effort for the organized motherhood of this nation to send in a protest against the contemplated militarism that would mean the slaughtering of their children. The question of peace has ever been dear to my heart psibly in consequence of my Quaker ancestry. I have been able to distribute many thousand pages of peace literature, where I thought it might do the most good, and introduced many peace programs in the public schools in commemora tion of the peace efforts inaugurated at The Hague. It was my privilege to present a resolution at a .conven tion of the National Fraternal con gress held in St. Louis some years since, of greeting to the International Peace convention that was being held in Switzerland at that time; said res olution was to this effect: "That in asmuch as this Fraternal congress representing a constituency of nine million people, is for the protection of homes, the widow and the orphans, we are pleased to send greeting to the International Peace congress now in session in Switzerland, realizing that their avowed purpose Is to pre vent the making of thousands of wid ows and orphans by the barbaric agency of war." This was immedi ately cabled to said Peace congress, and in their appreciation of the same they cabled back asking that a dele gate be sent to a Peace conference to be held in London a few months later, and I understand that Presi dent Talbot was able to secure there for the truest and bravest representa tive of the neace question that this nation owns, viz.: William J. Bryan. I so rejoice that in face of the fire of criticism by steel or steal magnates you remain undaunted and continue to hold the banner aloft of Christ a message, knowing, as you evidently do, that "Even one with God can con stitute a majority which shall eventu ally usher in a glorious victory. That God will continue to bless ana strengthen you is the prayer of your long time admirer. Following is the letter written to President Wilson: Paw Paw, Mich., Nov. 11, l,91- Hon. Woodrow Wilson, Washington, D C, Dear President: I, who am a mother and a grandmother have been watching with praytfhlig est your admirable administration during these crucial times and unti quite recently I had strong faith that for such a time as this" to demon strate tSat the Christ who two thou sand years ago brought the new d nencation for "Peace on earth, gooa win to n. n" was and is now no myth. Yea and I Prayerfully hoped that you man." anu wm. ";--.. , atnt. 27 er so an military .Id. which la tatoj trongly an Lnd which? if in the dust, and be sucn to civilization that the prophetic vi sion of the vineyard, as portrayed In isaian VM may be realized for our be loved United States, and the fruit of wild grapes with all tho attending blight supplant tho grand fruitage that thi3 nation is so providentially situated to develop and maintain. 1 ardon my temerily In addressing my beloved President, but my excuse must be that I am anxious that ho shall constitute God's agent to dem onstrate that love never falleth. (I. Corinthians, XIII chap.) Most loyally yours, llachel A. Bailey. onclosod club of subscribers. It seems strange to mo why the President, who was elected by tho masses or tho peo ple, or progressive element, would advocmlo immunso appropriations, when tho taxpayers would havo tho burden to bear, and tho "intoroatB" would get tho gain. It seems to mo that he litis made a serious mistake, I have hoard expressions of dlsap proval of his stand by a great many In this community. R. L. Gordon, Jr., Louisa, Va.: I havo never had occasion to feel so profoundly gratef i tj you as I have since your stand for tho preservation of tho peace of tho world, and I be lieve tho American noonlo will en- dorso this position, even against tho I views of the moat democratic presl dent wo l'avo ever had. Elizabeth Sheets, Alcony, Ohio: I want to thank 3'ou for the stand you take for peace. I havo always be lieved that preparedness only invited war and I am so anxious to livo to see the time the world will learn this. J. Thad Ray, Hannibal, Mo.: En closed find post ofilco money order for $4. SO to pay for tho enclosed list of eight yearly subscriptions at your special club rate. Will try to send another list soon. Will do anything for peace. When Europe gets through with this scrap there will be nothing left even for tho winner to war with. Olaf Forsse, Falun, Kans.: Here with find check for $3.00 to pay for tho enclosed club of five yearly sub scriptions. We, in this part of tho country, are for Bryan against any body. Wo are against preparedness for war. We favor reducing tho army wo already have, it is not needed. We are sorry to see that President Wil son has taken a stand on tho wrong side of this great question. E. W. Hughes, Louisville, Ky.: I am enclosing a check to pay for the J. A. Froollch, Oshkosh, Wis.: En closed please find list of six sub scribers, and money order for ?3.G0 to pay for tho same. I saw your re sponse to tho President's Manhattan, speech in tho daily papers; It is not only good, sound doctrine for dem ocrats, but for all good and unselfish citizens. A. G. McConnghy, New Castle, Pn.j Enclosed find $3.00 to pay for flvo yoarly subscriptions to Tho Common er. I wish to commend you on your stand for poaco, prohibition and pre paredness, and bono you will succeed in your course. J. E. Ryan, Blue Rapids, Kansas: I am enclosing check for past duo subscription to.' Commoner. I read it with a great deal of pleasure, and especially at this particular time I do not want to miss an issue. I am very glad for tho stand you havo taken In regard to this preparedness, against an imaginary foe. I am sure tho common people are with you. 1 am sorry that tho President has been In fluenced by those who are interested in themselves, more than In the coun try In which they live. I have been a great admirer of President Wilson, but can not support him in this IIopo you can turn tho great wave. DESCRIBED "Father," said a small boy, "what Is a demagogue?" "A demagogue, my son, is a man i who can rock tho boat himself and persuade everybody that there's a ter- J riblo storm at sea." Woman's Journal. 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