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The Commoner
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VOL 16, NO. 8
Lincoln, Nebraska, August, 1916
Whole Number 688
The Mother Argument
The strongest argument in favor of woman
suffrage is the mother argument. I love my
children as much, I think, aB a father can; but
I am not in the same class with my wife. I do
not put any father in the same class with the
mother in love for the child. If you would know
why the mother's love for a child is the sweetest,
tenderest, most lasting thing in the world, you
will find the explanation in the Bible: "Where
your treasures are there will your heart be also."
The child is the treasure of the mother; she in
vests her life in her child. When the mother
of the Gracci was asked: "Where are your
jewels?" she pointed to her sons. The mother's
life trembles in the balance at the child's birth,
and for years it is the object of her constant
care. She expends&upon it her nervous force
and energy; she endows it with -the - wealth of
her love. She dreams of what it is to do and
r
bo and, O, if a mother's dreams only came
true, what a different world this world would
be. The most pathetic struggle that this earth
knows is not the struggle between armed men
upon the battlefield; it is the struggle of a
mother to save her child when wicked men set
traps for it and lay snares for it. And as long
as the ballot is given to those who conspire to
rob the home of. a child it is not fair no one
can believe it fair to tie a mother's hands
while she is trying to protect her home and save
her child. If there is such a thing as justice,
surely a mother; has a just claim to a voice in
shaping the environment that may determine
whether her child will realize her hopes or bring
her gray hairs in sorrow to the grave. Because
God has planted in every human heart
a sense of justice, and because the mother
gument makes an irresistible appeal to this uni
versal sense, it will finally batter down all op
position and open woman's pathway to the polls.
W. J. BRYAN.
0
DRYS WIN IN TEXAS
A Houston, Tex., dispatch, dated Aug.
7, says: The proposition to submit a
constitutional amendment for state wide
prohibition received a favorable majority
of 1,784 votes in the July 22 Texas
primary, according to the complete and
official canvass of a sub-committee of the
state democratic executive committee
here today. The total was: for 173,069;
against, 171,285.
the parties insures fairness. The commission
on investigation provided for in the treaties is
composed of five members, one appointed by
each nation from among its own citizens, one
appointed by each nation from a friendly nation
and the fifth is agreed upon by the contracting
parties.
: In applying this plan,vttow'the present labor
dispute,veaclLside could-appoint one member
from among its own, ranks, and j.pne member from
the outside. The fifth member could be agreed
upon by" the parties or be selected by the Pres
ident. Pleading as justification for this suggestion
my deep interest in the industrial situation and
my earnest desire for an amicable settlement
which will be just to all concerned, I am,
Very truly yours,
W... J. BRYAN.
MINISTER SULLIVAN
Instead of dealing with the entire diplomatic
service, Mr. Hughes seizes upon one minor ap
pointment, that of Mr. Sullivan to Santo Domin
go, and makes it the basis of a sweeping attack
against the entire service. If he will take the
trouble to examine the recommendations, he will
find that Mr. Sullivan's qualifications were cer
tified to. by the dean of the Yale law school. But
Mr. Hughes has no trouble in overlooking a
little matter like that when he wants to divert
attention from the railroad question.
A SUGGESTION BY MR. BRYAN
Mr. Bryan sent the following telegram sug
gesting the peace treaty plan for the settlement
of the differences between the railroads and
their employes in the present crisis:
August 14, 1916.
Messrs. Garretspn, Stone, Carter and Lee, ,
Railroad Brotherhood,
New York.
If it is found impossible to agree upon ar
bitration, I venture to suggest for your consid
eration the' plan embodied in the new peace
treaties between this nation and thirty other
itions representing three-fourths of the popu-
turn of the world. These treaties provide for
investigation of all disputes Wore resorting to
war, but reserve the right of independent action
at the conclusion, of the investigation. The fact
that the commission's report- is -not binding on
CONTENTS
THE MOTHER ARGUMENT
"DESERVING DEMOCRATS"
HUGHES'S SPEECHES
LEAVING IT TO THE EXPERTS
THE .THIRTY PEACE TREATIES
THE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
HUGHES WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED
HUERTA
POPULAR ELECTION OF SENATORS
THE INCOME TAX AMENDMENT
IOWA DEMOCRACY'S VICTORY
A FINE LEGISLATIVE RECORD
DIGEST OF RURAL CREDITS ACT
HUGHES'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
WHAT WAR IS
"Deserving Democrats"
i
"Now that you have arrived and are acquaint
ing yourself with the situation, can you lot me
know what positions you have at your disposal
with which to reward deserving democrats? I
do not know to what extent the knowledge of
the Spanish language is necessary for omployea.
Let mo know what is requisite, together with the
salary, and when appointments are likely to be
made."
The above is the letter which I wrote to Mr.
Vick, the receiver of customs at San Domingo.
Read it carefully. Scan each sentence, examine
each word, each syllable. Mr. Hughes, once
governor of New York, afterwards justlco of the
supremo court, arid now republican candidate
for President, thinks It Important enough to
quote in his campaign speeches. Ho is so in
dignant, so, mortified, that he asks: "Should, ncjt,
every American hang his head in shame, that
such a thing should occur in our highest depart
ment of government?"
I, alone, am responsible for that letter, and
I am not ashamed of it. Attention is called to
it, that I may expose the desperation of the man
who has sought to use it as a means of advanc
ing himself politically. The letter was writton
to an appointive- ofllcer, whose ofilce WAS NOT
UNDER THE CIVIL SERVICE, and the inquiry
was made in regard to offices which WERE NOT?
.UNDER THE CIVIL SERVICE. There was
nothing" in aim iettor to ftulfratn a doslre or in
tention to select men who wore incompetent.
On the contrary, inquiry is made as to "what is
requisite." By what logic does Mr. Hughes
reach the conclusion that "every American
should hang his head in shame" because a dem
ocratic secretary of state expressed an interest
in the appointment of deserving democrats to
positions NOT UNDER THE CIVIL SERVICE,
for which such democrats were competent? Mr.
Hughes had appointments to make when he was
governor. Did he give those appointments to
deserving republicans or to undeserving repub
licans? If to deserving republicans, did his ac
tion cause every citizen of New York to "hang
his head in shame"? Or, is he so partisan that
he regards it as entirely proper and patriotic to
appoint deserving republicans and only shamoful
to appoint deserving democrats?
Mr". Hughes recognizes political obligation!
and has shown himself quite prompt in discharg
ing such obligations. When he was a candidate
for governor, he received the support of the
railroads of New York and he generously paid
the debt by vetoing the two-cent passenger rate
bill. He does not describe that as shameful.
When a candidate for governor, he received the
support of the New York tax dodgers, the own
ers of "swollen fortunes' and he paid his debt
by sending a message to the legislature protest
ing against the income tax amendment. to the
federal constitution. He does not describe that
as shameful. He Is now being supported by the