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The Commoner
ISSUED MONTHLY
"Entered at tho Pofltofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
as ,qccond-cluH8 matter.
WILLIAM J. BllVAN. CHARLES W. BRYAN,
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THE COMMONER, LINCOLN, NEB.
"If Chanco could fashion but a little flower,
With perfume for each tiny thief,
And furnish it with sunshine and with shower,
Then Chanco would ho Creator with tho power
To build a world for unbelief."
Fred Emerson Brooks.
It is asserted that tho private fortunes of
Czar Nicholas total seven billions. He would
have diillculty in cashing in his political for
tunes for any sum in excess of thirty cents.
The men who make the prices of what we
at seem to be tho first tp learn ,of a scarcity
and tholuBt to hear that a bumper new crop is
en tho market.
With the tramp threatened on one side with
having to go to work and on the other' with
having to go to war, it will soon get so that it
won't be really worth while being a tramp.
" - P. .!- II II .L
Every once in awhile some paragraph is
printed in the papers that reminds us that they
still have a king in England. Most of- tho
children who have learned to read the last year
or two are firm in the belief that his name
must bo Lloyd George.
A special committee of the New York
chamber of commerce has discovered, by an in
vestigation, that it takes nearly 10,000 carloads
of foodstuffs each week to supply that city. A
considerable saving could undoubtedly be made
if the people could bo induced) to go to bed at
the same time as the people tlo in other parts
of the country. We pass this suggestion on to
Mr. Hoover.
It is now charged that two men connected
with the republican campaign last year divided
$60,000 between them out of the funds col
lected. The congressional committee is .so as
tonished over the matter that it Is talking of
an investigation. It is not stated whether the
astonishment is over tho size of the amount of
the rake-off or the fact that being found out
indicates exceeding crude work.
The last Nebraska legislature passed a bill
granting to the women of the state the right to
vote for all offices not created by the constitu
tion, as large a grant of suffrage as that body
.was empowered to give. A group of German
American democrats who represented the liquor
interests' in politics have hired a republican re
actionary to secure the necessary 30,000 votes
to secure a referendum. This, will suspend the
operation of tho law until after the 1918 elec
tion. It ought to bemade plain to the voters of
tlie state that It will be regarded as an unpat
riotic actfor a man to sign a referendum sus
pending tho suffrage law at a 'time when the
natlpii, is 'demanding of the mothers of the
.'country; that their sons bo sacrificed in war and
all th'cr remainder of the women asked to bear
their full shall of war burdens.
President Wilson's
Statement
The regulars will be the first troops sent to
France, the President announced in a statement
issued after signing tho selective conscription
bill. Tho statement follows:
"I shall not avail myself, at any rate at tho
present stage of the war, of tho authorization
conferred by the act to .organize volunteer di
visions. To do so would seriously interfere
with tho carrying out of the chief and most im
mediately important purpose contemplated by
this legislation; the prompt creation and early
use of an effective army, and would contribute
practically nothing to the effective strength of
the armies now engaged against Germany.
"I understand that the section of this act
which authorizes tho creation of volunteer ui
visions in addition to the draft was added with
a view to providing an independent command
'for Mr. Roosevelt and giving the military au
thorities an opportunity to use his fine vigor and
enthusiasm in recruiting the forces now at the
western front. It would be very agreeable to
me to pay Mr. Roosevelt this compliment and
the Allies the compliment of sending to their
aid one of our most distinguished public men,
an ex-president who has rendered many con
spicuous public services and proved hjs gal-'
lantry in many striking ways. Politically, too,
it would no doubt have a very fine effect and
make a profound impression. But this is not
the time or tho occasion for compliment or for
any action not calculated to contribute to the
immediate success of the war. The business
now in hand is undramatic, practical, and of
scientific definiteness and precision. I shall
act with regard to it at every step and in every
particular under expert and professional advice,
from both sides of the water.
"That advice is that the men most needed
are men of the ages contemplated in the draft
provisions of the present bill, not men of the
age and sort contemplated in the section which
authorizes the formation of volunteer units,
and that for the preliminary training of the
men who are to be drafted we shall need all of
our experienced officers. Mr. Roosevelt told
me, when I had the pleasure of seeing him a
few weeks ago, that he would wish to have as
sociated with him some of the most effective
officers of the regular army. He named many
of those whom he would desire to have desig
nated for the service, and they were men who
can not possibly be spared from the too small
force of officers at our command for the much
more pressing and necessary duty of training
Tegular troops to be put into the field in France
and Belgium as fast as they can be- got ready.
The first troops sent to France wilL bd taken ,
from the present forces of tho regular army and
Will be under the command of trained soldiers
only.
"The responsibility for the successful conduct
of our own part in this great war rests upon
me. I could not escape it if I would. I am too
much interested in the cause we are fighting for
to be interested in anything but success. The
issues involved are too immense for me to take
into consideration anything whatever except
the best, most effective, most immediate means
of military action. What these means are I
know from the mouths of men who havo seen
war as it id now conducted, who havo no illu
sions, and to whom the whole grim matter is a
matter of business. I shall center my attention
upon those means and let everything else wait.
I should bo deeply to blame should I do othr
wise, whatever the argument of policy or of
personal gratification or advantage."
PRESIDENT ORDERS DIVISION UNDER
. , . PERSHING SENT TO FRANCE
Tho President has directed an expeditionary
force of approximately one division of regular
troops, under command of Gen. John, J. Persh
ing, to proceed" to France at as ear$ a date as
practicable. General Pershing and. staff will
Recede the tr6bps abroad. It iaSuesTed
that no details or speculations with regard to
the mobilization of this command, dates of do-
rtS' z Sate!
SIMMONS COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT
Editor Tho Commoner: Simmons Pnii
Abilene, Texas, has just closed the greatest Iff'
in its history. Practically nine iS d ?
dents were in attendance tho past year Th,f
marvelous statesman, and world citizen th
Honorable William Jennings Bryan, delivered
the commencement address. People came in
their automobiles, many of them, for a hundmi
miles to hear him. Hundreds wero turned
away, not being able to get inside tho creat
auditorium. He had an overflow audience
again in the afternoon where he delivered an
address from tho Chautauqua platform Col
Bryan grips, tho American peoplo yet as no cit
izen, of this republic. President Sandefer of
the cpllege in presenting Mr. Bryan to the great
audience pronounced him tho greatest privato
citizen on the face of the earth and tho ono
man who needs no introduction to an intelli
gent audience anywhere in tho world.CIaudo
Lloyd, Member Class '17, Simmons College.
A "COUNTRY PRESS" ITEM
, William Jennings Bryan of Lincoln, Neb., a
prominent citizen of that section of the country,
made a visit to Kansas City yesterday, com
bining business and pleasure. While in our city
Mr. Bryan ordered 'eight full-sized Liberty
Bonds, one for each of his grandchildren. Mr.
Bryan , declared that Kansas City has tho finest
Liberty; Bonds to be found anywhere, and Mr.
Bryan travels about considerably for a farmer.
The fact that such a well known man should
come all the way from Lincoln to Kansas City
to make his purchases and to lay in his winter
supply of them, proves what this paper always
contended: That Kansas City is the best market
in the world for Liberty Bonds. We welcome
Brother1 Bryan to our already large and grow
ing circle of Kansas City customers aud we
confidently expect the people up Lincoln way
to follow' the example of their illustrious neigh
bor. Come to Kansas City when you want Lib
erty 'Bonds! Kansas City Star.
THE NEW BANNER
(By Katrina Trask, author of "In the Van
guard.") O. .feUow.-rcitizens of storm-tossed lands,
5Yar weary! Sounds the bugle-note! Arise!
New steadfast standards wait your eager hands,
The. Star of Promise orbs to meet your eyes.
Great kings must pass, that mankind may bo
free,
Beneath the banner of democracy!
ThevMighty Ruler of this mortal life
"JIas wisdom, not by mortals understood;
The see.ds ot blood, the deeds of wanton strif
Shall somo day harvest unexpected good.
Great kings shall pass and every nation be
Ruled by the people for the people, free.
When the mad anguish of this stricken world
Where valiant heroes daily fight and fall
Has passed and Freedom's banners aro un
furled, , ,
Then shall wo know the reason for it an.
Then every .waiting, heart-sick land shall see
The ultimate design of Destiny!
Brave men and women laboring in toil
Who, faithful, fight with willing sword or
pen, ,,
Who work to break the rock or till the sou
Shall wear the high insignia of men.
All kings must pass, that every man moj do
A monarch in his manhood, strong and wee.
Beypnd-the present, unimagined woe,
A glorious day. is breaking '' nd
As spring flowers blosspm, after i"
SUPWi. ' . nw things to
The Gpd of Gods shall bring new tnufa
birth, , frp0!
It is the dawn! Great forces are set ire
All .hail the day! World-wide democracy.
-J.'sJ&
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