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The Commoner
-liLLjJ9, 11
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Hon of their loyalty, and sacrifice In every" pos
sible way but it will, at the same time, jlo its
titmoKt to prevent wars for tin future. It will
discouragG tho military spirit and to this end
will substitute for the proposed univoai mU
tary training an inexpensive system of national,
gamoa with scientific physical training for both
boys and girls. It will, still further safeguard
peace by favoring a referendum on war, except
in -case of actual attack, so that the final de
cision botwoen peace and war shall rest with
those who, In case of war, will have to fu ni h
the- blood and money to carry it on.
The democratic party is especially needed just
now to reduce war revenues to a peaco basis in
such a way that the" transition will be made wUh
justlco to the common people.
Tho democratic party believes that the poop'o
are tho source of power and that their will
should bo tho law. That .will should b i ex- -pressed
through constitutional .methods and tho
time has come whon, by direct legislation se
cured through tho initiative and referendum,
they should safeguard themselves against mis
representation by their legislative agents. To
fhls end provision should beimadofor the initia
tive and the referendum in the states that havo
not already provided for it-andiin tha nation
at large. . ,, ,
As our government becomes more popular in
character it becomes more. necessary that the
people should be fully informed astto the issues
to bo decided and thoroughly acquainted with,
tho reasons for and against the .propositions sub-.
mitted. Today tho avenues of information are
entirely in pvivato hands and political bias, not
to speak of tho polluting influence of predatory
wealth, prevents a fair and impartial presenta
tion. This condition demands' correction. The
government should issue, 'not a .newspaper but'
an ofllcial bulletin containing a statement of
all the issues before the people with editorial
space containing each party's interpretation, 6f
the issues and the reasons in support of b6th
Bides. This bullotin, published under bi-partisan
management, should bo issued at nominal
cost and at intervals as frequent as may be
aocossary to fully inform the voting public and
thus hasten the wttlemon.t 0 public questions.
Prohibition id now the permanent policy of
the country and must be 'rigidly- erifofced.a Equal
suffrage is near and woman's entrance into tho
arena of politics, ,1ust when tho corrupting in
lluonco af the saloon is banished, givos a doublo
assurance that the triumph of every righteous
cause will be hastened.
The democratic party has faUh in tho capa
city of tho people for self government and
makes its appeal to those who believe that it
is the business of tho government to bring the
rewards of toil into harmony with the Divine
law which proportions returns to intelligence
and industry, and H believes that tho nearest
approach to exact justice can bo made by apply
ing in all -the- departments of government the
Jeffersonian maxim "Equal rights to all and
special privileges to none."
W, J. bryan:
NO MORE MILITARISM
On another page will bo found a Washington
dispatch reporting the growing opposition to
universal military training. Of courso it grows
militarism will be in full retreat by nextsum
mor. Tho waf is over and the American'peoplo
will not revive tho war spirit by providing for
in.iversal military training,
5 ON THE DOWN GRADE
A London dispatch reports that the British
government is considering a "bond lottery"
Lot us hope tho schemo will be rejected. It is
onough to have her people maimed physically
and crippled financially without iuviting whole
sale moral degeneracy.
! WHY NOT KENYON?
If the republicans want a presidential candi
date with patriotism, sense, experience in public
life, and sympathy with the common neonlo
why don't they nominato Senator Kenyon of
Iowa? l
j .! A HARMLESS MISTAKE
ThOrosldent erred greviously when he vetoed
?Q bii forcing war prohibition, but congress
immediately corrected the mistake by naim
Prqsiden. Taft made a similar mistake when
bj vetooa; the Webb-Kenyon bill, bu congress
mjado the bill a law in spite of ilia veto? It !s
a groaUthing to have a good congress when
presidents go wrong. wiien
.W. J. BRYAN.
Labor's Bad Advisors
Labor has' been badly advised recently with
tho result that her enemies are happy and her
friends distressed. The policeman's strike in
Boston turned tho public's attention to the fact
that tho local police organizations in thirty
cities had joined tho Federation of Labor. It.
was a mistake to join a grave mistake, but the
danger involved did not become apparent until
the Boston polico struck and turned the city
over to rioters. Then tho people realized that
a policeman can not havo a divided allegiance
his whole duty is to his government.
Tho coal. strike is even worse. The attempt
to use tho "winter's cold to coerce the public into
supporting the strike was a gross miscalcula
tion it alienated sympathy. The public can not
be expected to reason calmly while a mob is in
control of tho city or where there i? no fuel for
the firo. The policemen and miners may havo
grievances there should be investigation, but
these two strikes have made it impossible for
genuine friends of the wage-earners to defend
the methods employed. The crying need of tho
hour is machinery that will bring about a sett'e
ment of industrial' disputes before they reach.
he strike or .lockout stage.
W. J.- BRYANT."
f.
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VOTERS WERE ALERT
U
By the decisive vote of 3,027 to 682 the voters' '
of the city of Lincoln, on November 4th, de--"
feated a proposition to enter into negotiation-
for the purchaso of the street car system that '
gridirons the city and connects it with variotts'.
suburbs. This will doubtless be heralded by 4
private monopoly organs as a defeat for public
ownership, but it is not. The principle of public! ' -ownership
was not involved. Mr. Charles Wv
Bryan, chairman of tho Municipal Ownership" :
campaign committee, led the fight against the
proposition, and he -based his opposition upon
the fact that the law under which the proeeedT;
ing3 were initiated did not provide any method,,
by '.which -the people themselves might pass upon
whether they should pay tho price -the apprais-.
ers might fix.
This law was passed at the last session of the
legislature, and provided as, the initial step in
taking over a public utility that a popular vote '
should be taken. If the voters declared they
desired to ascertain the purchase price, the next
step was the appointment by the supreme court
of a board of appraisement. The objectionable
feature was that if the city council did not re
ject the appraisement price, tlie purchase would
become binding on the city without any oppor
tunity beint? given the voters to say whether
they wished to pay the appraised sum for the
property.
Omaha had been compelled, through a simi
lar law, to pay twice what the water plant it
now owns was worth, because the voters had
nothing to' say after tho appraisal had been
fixed. Mr. Bryan led a vigorous fight against
the possibility of Lincoln being caught in -a
similar trap and the five to one vote in support'
of his position proved that he-did not appeal'
in vain. - iK
KENTUCKY GOES DRY
The dry amendment has been adopted in Ken
tucky by over 7,000 majority. Thin' mes
thirty-four states dry by their own actf Con
gratulations, Kentucky! You havo done, nobly
You are on tho side of the conscience of the
nation, and you are also in harmony with "tho"
democratic leaders in congress.
W. J. 'BRYAN.
A New Yorker has invented a, device in the
form of a gas mask which it is claimed will
invariably detect from a man's breath the
character and alcoholic content of what he has
imbibed. There ought to be little sale for 1
out west where the atmosphere is -not in such
a condition that it enables a manHemi
whether the other party to the conversation has
Yimous g Wlmt U l0ngGr makCS S
NECESSARY
!nl?S?trt?iy0?.,8ibiJ1' rovidin& r tho teach:
ing of the English language to foreign-born
adults meets a long-felt need. This is the land
-IcPle Peoi)Ie rul- How can they rulo
intelligently Unless .they understand IheTssues
arid-how can thfcy understand the Issues 2
rHESIDENT'S TOANKSGlVINfi PlU)(,M
MATION. ulIl0(U.
A Washington dispatch, dated w, t
Hays: The. people of the SnifnH S mber 5,
called upon' "to bulwark with i0J?i.8tate" a'
riotism those Pfinclnl fll i0111? wd Dat!
of the earth, fought and died fn Peop,e
WUson'a aUal anksgiving messaeo ?ldcnl
today, The proclamation sets S ln "
17- thanksgiving day. T&Vr&2
"The season pf the year has aeiii. .
when the people of the United statS are
tomed to nnite in giving thanks tiK ".T
God for the blessing which hi Has co ? Shll
-upon our country during the twoL Crrc4
that have passed. 'A year ago ou nlmnlhs
-out their hearten praise anu ? sg M
through divine ad the right was victorious an
peace had come to tho nations which had co?
ageously struggled in defense of human liE
and justice. . N6w that the stern task : ta 22j
and the fruits of achievement are ours ve 1 v
forward with confidence to the dawn if an 2
where-.the sacrifices of the nations will
recompense in a world at peace.
"But-to attain the consummation of the went
worlctOwhich the American people devoted their
manhood'trad the vast resources of thdircountrr
they should, as they give thanks to God re
consecrate themselves to those principles of
right i.Which triumphed through His merciful
goodness Our gratitude can find no more per
feet -fijepession than to bulwark with loyalty
and patriotism those principles for which the
free peoples of the earth fought and died.
"During the past year we have had much to
m?5P .s grateful. In spite of the confusion in
ome-coiibmic Ijfe resulting from the war e
htfyg jn'ospsxed". Out harvest has been plentiful
ana, of ouV abundance we have been able to
reriddr 'stiecoi to less favored nations. Our
democracy romains unshaken in a world torn
with political and social unrest. Our traditional
ideals asestill our guides in our paths of pro
gress and civijizfition.
"!hesp,, great blessings thus vouchsafed to us,
for .-.which,. we devqiitly give thanks, should
arouse U9 to a fuller sense of our duty to our
selves and to mankind to see to it that nothing
'we ,may do shall mar the completeness of the
victory which wo helped to win.
4rNo selfish purpose animated us in becoming
participants in the world war, and with a like
spirit of unselfishness we should strive to aid by
our example nnd by our co-operation in realizing
the enduring welfare of all peoples and in bring
ing into being a world ruled by friendship and
good will. t3 k
"Wherefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, president
of the tinited States of America, hereby desig
nate Thursday, the 27th day of November next,
for- observance as a day of thanksgiving and
prayer, by my fellow countrymen, inviting them
to cease on that day from the ordinary tasks
and to unite in their homes and in their several
places of worship In ascribing praise and thanks
giving to God, the author of all blessings, ana
tfie master of our destinies.
i'ln .witness whereof, I havo hereunto ise t my
hand and caused tho seal of the United btaies
-to-be fixed. .... fli.
.i'Done in' the District of Columbia this J w
-day 'of November in the year of our Lord, . law.
Xnd of tho independence pf the United &wiw
tho ,14 tli. r TTT onvT
"WOODKOW WILSON.
Egyptian Mohammedans have solemnly pKJ
claimed Woodrow Wilson to be a Pr0Pu"- '
' attempt of the republicans in the senate to pw
tho contrary might courteously bo e"s;uMo.
the 'ground that- they dpn't like Egyptian Mo
hammedans. NOBILITY
True worth is in being, not seeming, -;
In doing .each 'day: that goes by
'Some little good not in dreaming
00. groat things to do by and by
.Tor, whatever men say in blindness,
jxuu. spue 01 taw nmuioo .. ---.
There is nothing- so kindly as k ndne.s,
"tAnd nothing, so royal as truth.
Wo cannot make bargains for Misses.
-Ndr Oatch theni like fishes in ;
And sometimes'the thing one lire m tg
s Helps, more -than -the thing which 11 fa
For good li'eth not in pursuing,
Nor gaining of .great nor of sma,
But. just- In tlie doing, and doing,
As wo -would bo dono by is an. Car7,
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