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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1916)
$FrwWs!ipmlr The Commoner SEPTEMBER, 1916 .3 lfrjmt" PresidentScores Reac tionary Republicans With an incisiveness that makes the issue clear and distinct, the President indicts tho re publican party on the charge of being a reac tionary organization, from which progressive ness can not be expected. He says: "The republican party was put out of power because of failure, practical failure and moral failure; because it had served special interests and not the country at large; because, under the leadership of its preferred and established guides, of those who still make its choices, it bad lost touch with the thoughts and the needs of the nation and was living in a past ago and under a fixed illusion, the illusion of greatness. "It had framed tariff laws based upon a fear of foreign trade, a fundamental doubt as to American skill, enterprise and capacity, aw a ery tender regard for the profitable privileges of those who had gained control of domestic markets and domestic credits and yet had enact ed anti-trust laws which hampered the very tilings they meant to foster, which were stiff and inelastic, and in part unintelligible. "It had permitted the country throughout the long period of its control to stagger from one financial crisis to another under the operation of a national banking law of its own framing which made stringency and panic certain and tbc control of the larger business operations of the countryiby the bankers of a few reserve cen tres inevitable; had made as if it meant to re form the law but had faint-heartedly failed in the attempt, because it could not bring itself to do tho one thing necessary to make the reform genuine and effectual namely, break up the control of small groups of bankers. "It had been oblivious or indifferent to the fact that the farmers, upon whom tho country depends for its food and, in the last analysis, for its prosperity, were without standing in the mat ter of commercial credit, without tho protection of standards in their market transactions, and without systematic knowledge of the markets themselves; that the laborers of the country, the great army of men who man the industries it was professing to father and promote, carried their labor as a mere commodity to market, were subject to restaint by novel and drastic process in the courts, were without assurance of com pensation for industrial accidents, without fed eral assistance in accommodating labor disputes, and without national aid or advice in finding the places and the industries in which their labor was most needed. "The country had no national system of road construction and development. Little intelligent attention was paid to the army and not enough to the navy. The other republics of America distrusted us because they found that we thought first of the profits of American investors and only as an afterthought of impartial justice and helpful friendship. Its policy was provincial in all things; its purposes were out of harmony with the temper and purpose of the people and the timely development of the nation's inter ests." After reviewing the work of the democratic party in carrying out its program of promises, President Wilson said: "There is one circumstance connected with this .program which ought to be very plainly stated. It was resisted at every step by the in terests which the republican party had catered to and fostered at the expense of the country, and these same interests are now earnestly pray ing for a reaction which will save their priv ileges for the restoration of their sworn friends to power before it is too late to recover what they have lost. "They fought with particular desperation and infinite resourcefulness the reform of the bank ing and currency system, knowing that to be the citadel of their control, and most anxiously are they hoping and planning for the amend ment of the federal reserve act by the concen tration of control in a single Irnnk which the old familiar group of bankers ioan keep under thejr eye and direction. "But while the 'big men' Wjljp, used to write the tariffs and command the assistance of the treasury have been hostile-alll'bUt a few with vision the average business firiatf knows that he has been delivered, and thatfltlifcfear that was once every day in his heart?rthai- the men who controlled credit. and. directed enterprise from the committee rooms of congress would crush O (3 0000000 A GOOD WORD House of Representatives U. S., Wash ington, D. C.r August 22, 1916. Hon. W. J. Bryan, Lincoln, Nebraska. My dear Mr. Bryan: I have just read with vmuch satisfaction and pleasure "The Commoner" for August, 191 C. This issue of "The Commoner" is a complete democratic textbook for the approach ing campaign. I am delighted with the article on "Deserving Democrats." It is absolutely unanswerable. I am voicing the sentiment which I hear expressed among democrats here in congress from all the states. Very truly yours, H.- T. RAINEY, M. C. 000 0 him, is there no more, and will not return unless the party that consulted only the 'big men' should return to power the party of masterly inactivity and cunning resourcefulness in standing pat to resist change. "The republican party is just the party that can not meet the new conditions of a new age. It does not know the way and it does not wish new conditions. It tried to break away from tho old leaders and could not. They still select its candidates and dictate its policy, still resist change, still hanker after the old conditions, still know no methods of encouraging business but the old methods. When it changes its lead ers and its purposes and brings its ideas up to date it will have the right to ask the American people to give it power again; but not until then. A new age, an age of revolutionary change, needs new purposes and new ideas." Here is an issue which demands Mr. Hughes's attention. He can not afford to spend his time hunting for microscopic faults in this adminis tration while this grave accusation remains un answered. W. J. BRYAN. HUGHES OPPOSED TO "MEDDLING" In his speech at Los Angeles Mr. Hughes re vealed his real self for a moment. He assured his audience that "We can protect ourselves against every kind of monopolistic practice without meddling." Yes it is "meddling" to which he objects. That is one of the words most frequently employed by the trust magnates. All restraining legislation is regarded by them as "meddling." And again he says: "I would have it understood that we have passed the day when we had to restrict what was legitimate in order o crush out what was illegitimate and unfair and illegal." To what day does he refer? When did we restrict the LEGITIMATE in order to re strain the illegitimate? And what has ho ever done to protect the public from monopolistic practices? The language he uses discloses his point of view. He looks at questions from the standpoint of the trust magnate, not from the standpoint of the people. THOMAS R. MARSHALL During the late session of congress Vice-President Marshall added to his reputation as a fair and impartial presiding officer of the senate, and reflected credit on the party that has chosen him for the second time as the running mate of President Wilson. Vice-President Marshall will take an active interest in the pending campaign and use his well known talents as an orator campaigning for the success of the democratic party in November. Thomas R. Marshall is en titled to re-election at the hands of the Amer ican voters. STILL INDEFINITE Mr Hughes is still muddying the waters. He has not announced a definite remedy for any official act of which he complains. Tho nearest he has come to saying anything was when he declared that the government shall be adminis tered on "correct principles." But what are the CORRECT PRINCIPLES? He does not take the public into his confidence. He reminds one of the candidate who, when asked his position on a proposed measure, answered: "I am for it if it is right and against it if wrong." ; The President is a lucky man. The "ravens" brought him the strike and by doing the right thing at the right time and in the right way he made a good political meal out of . Libelling the Prince of Peace ' " Not content with falsifying tho past and, mis representing the presont, the Jingoes nro oven attempting. to tako from Christ tho tltlo of iVlnco of Peace and dress Him up in tho garb of a war rior. One of the most reckless of tho Hlandorers of tho Nazareno says: "Had ho boon a pacifist after tho mind of Mr. Bryan and tho peace movement Ho would havo carefully avoided tho bordors of Judea, would havo withdrawn into tho interior of Galileo, whore Ho would havo lived safely among a friendly populace, and would havo died of old age and Christianity would havo died with Him." How bloody tho world looks to those who wear red glasses! Tho author of tho language abovo quoted ho writes for tho North American Review and signs his name Samuel McComb seems to havo no con ception whatever of Christ's purposo or teachings. Ho fails to distinguish be tween tho philosophy of lovo proclaimed by Jesus and tho philosophy of Force, represented by Pilate. Ho does not seem to understand that it requires more courage to bo a dlsclplo of Christ than it does to be a follower of Pilate. Tho Christian is not a coward; on tho con trary, ho is called upon to display tho highest form of bravery. It is more heroic to restrain one's anger than to commit violence "Ho that ruleth his own spirit is better than ho that taketh a city." It requires more courage to enduro martyrdom than to take another's life. Tho Christian is a warrior and always at tho battle's front, but he risks himself not others. Ho would rather bo wronged than do wrong, and seeks to "overcome evil" not with force but "with good." The jingo, unablo to attack the Christian as ho IS, pictures him as a molly coddle and then ridicules him. Christ was en ergetic and red blooded; Ho taught manliness and virility, but there was no swagger in him nothing of tho brute. Ho did not bluster or threaten Ho conquered with love, and preached tho glory of service: "Whosoever will bo chief among you let him bo your servant." The world calls for real Christianity today the Christianity that Christ taught. It is needed to bring the warring nations together and to help them to build an enduring peace on the foundation of love and brotherhood to substi tute the spirit of co-operation for the spirit of combat. It Is needed in every country to Inspire that moral courage necessary for tho overthrow of abuses and the remedying of evils. The Christian does not "avoid Judea," no mat ter; what dangers may threaten there ho goes, as Christ went, wherever there is work to do. He goes "to save men's livesr not to destroy them," and ho risks any harm that may como to him while in the path of duty. He puts on "the whole armor" and "fights tho good fight." W. J. BRYAN. "SWAT TIUJ FLY" Some one describes Mr. Hughes's compaigri as a sort of "Swat the Fly" campaign. He con tents himself with trying to kill Insects, in stead of devoting himself to large game. One cartoon represents him as finding a "crisis" in the appointment of two democrats in the place of republicans. SWAT THE LABORING MAN Mr. Hughes attacks on the eight-hour law would seem to indicate that he is disposed to substitute "swat tho laboring man" for "swat the fly." Well, he has at least found a big issue, even if he has taken the wrong side, of lt A STRAW Straws, they say, show the direction of the wind. Tho fact that the railroads are taking liquor off the diners is a good sized straw? The sentiment against alcohol is growing. i .. If Mr. Hughes happens to be elected a very remote possibility and keeps his promise not to remove "experienced officials," it wil.be, a great boon to the democratic postmasters. Chejr will all bo "experienced" by March 4, ljl'. But he may feel it his duty to take care of "(jesenr ing" republicans. Or j4lfiu