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THe Commoner
VOL. 20, NO. 1
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h- ACQUAINTED WITH THE PRINCIPLES
OF POPULAR GOVERNMENT AND WHOLLY
IN SYMPATHY WITH TUB EFFORTS OF THE
PEOPLE. Such a minister would bo an ad
viser of lnostimablo vnluo, His couiihoI being
voluntarily sought would bo accepted and there
foro ho would havo an Influence far greater than
any tnfluonco that could bo oxortod by any of
ficial who was independent of tho people's
wlBhoa. He could explain tho development of
our constitution, tho disoovory of defects and
thfclr correction by amendments and now laws.
Ho could point out tho-pit-falls and warn against
threatened danger. In a word, ho could do all
that a mandatory could possibly do and do it
much bettor, and at the same timo tho nation
would, by tho development of its own strongth,
bocorao stronger ntid stronger for tho work of
Bolf-govornmont. Now Is the time for tho United
States to sot an example tliat will hasten tho
world's progress toward democracy; it cannot af
ford to oncourago error by abandoning its own
rightoous attitude, W. J. BRYAN.
'MIEIIt NET LOSS SMALL
1 Tnoso wlio ask sympathy should stato the
facts upon which their claim is based. The
manufacturers who have liquor on hand com
plain of injustice dono thorn tfy prohibition. Lot
uVhavo ALL tho facts.
'' First HoW much did they havo on hand
whon manufacture was stopped?
Second What was tho value measured by
COST?
Third What was Upvalue when' measured by
price thon prevailing?
Fourth How much has boon sold since manu
facture wob stoppod?
Fifth What was received for tho amount
sold?
Prohibition raised tho price of liquor on hand '
and tho Increased value of liquor should be de
ducted in order to find, not loss. If prohibition
is blamed for any loss, it must bo credited with
gains as well only NET loss can be considered,
anflthat can not bo rogarded as oither a legal
or, a. moral claim; it is insignificant when com
parod with the injury dono by liquor.
WHY NOT CHANGE CANDIDATES?
General Wood is quoted as saying: "War
will come again. Wo don't know whon it will
come or whoro it will 'come. But it will come
just as surely as epidemics, pestilence, tuber
culosis, cancer and Other diseases. War will
always be with us unless God changes tho
character of the human, race. Let ,us bo ready."
It is not necessary to change human nature
ontlrely. If it is changed sufficiently to elimin
ate professional soldiers from the list of can
didates somo progress will bo made. Why not
help nature remove tho friends of war?
SUFFRAGE NEARLY HERE
Twenty-fivo states havo ratified the suffrage
amendment andscveral more will within a
month. It will sbon be a race for the distinc
tion, of being state 36 tho last necessary to
complete the ratification. Which state will win
the honor? Why not Mississippi, the first to
ratify tho prohibition amendment? Here's to
-Mississippi may she bo tho Alpha and Omega
of two great reforms.
NOT A "SPLIT" BUT A FIGHT
The republicans are chuckling over the pros
pects of a split in the democratic party, but they '
will not chuckle long. If tho democrats throw
tho responsibility for delay on tho republicans,
the ,G. 0 P will soon be lighting with its back
tofthe wall. "Compromise NOW or an appeal
AFTER ratification" will rout tho republicans.
. , NO -TIME TO LOSE
''The states that favor woman suffrage should
lose no time in ratifying the amendment.
Women should be admitted to suffrage in time
tpake part in tho conventions ,as well as in
tho elections." The democratic party is not
afraid of woman's conscience; it is needed in
politics right now.
A TRIO OF TRIUMPHS
Prohibition and Peace will come abxut tho
same time, and Woman Suffrage, which will fol
low soon afterwards, will make both perman
ent. What a trio of triumphs!
Constant Reader: Yes, hogs havo. gone down,
but' the pews of the fall has ndt-yctreacued the
polling agents of the packers,
The Silver Situation
mi.. nt,- iirocrn,i fnr twrmtv years prior to
189G for the remonetization of silver, was forced
upon tho world by falling prices. Three inter
national conferences were hold during that pori
od to devise somo way to escape from the banic
ruptcy that threatened tho debtors of all lands,
and, through them, business in general.
Even in 189G tho Republican party pledged
itself to international bimetallism and one of
tho first official acts of President McKinley was
tlio appointment of a commission to solicit the
fo-oporntion of the loading nations of Europe
in oponing tho mint to tho white motal. Former
Vice-President Stevenson and Senator Wolcott,
of Colorado, were members of this commission,
and the latter, speaking in the United States
Senate, charged that tho failure of tho commis
sion was duo to tho fact that Secretary Gage
of the Treasury department was making speeches
in favor of the gold standard whilo the com
mission was appealing to Europo for aid in tho
re-establishment of the double standard.
Tho general objection raised by tho financiers
to bimetallism, whether independent or inter
national, was that it is difficult to maintain an
exact parily botweou tho two metals but this
argument was conclusively answered by inter
national bimotallists who contended that a joint
anvonient between nations would reduce fluc
tuations to a fraction so small as to create no
disturbance to business, and they pointed out
that a continual rise in the value of the dollar
waj3 moro injurious to the world than any slight
variation in tho relative value of the metal un
der international bimetallism could possibly be.
Tho theoretical objections to tho double
standard, however, had but little influence
compared with the practical objection raised by
Great Britain's opposition. Being tho great
creditor nation of tho world, Great Britain throw
her influence on tho side of a rising dollar,
her financiers being shortsighted enough to
imagine that she could permanently prosper by
a policy that did injustice to other nations 1
and it was injustice to compel debtorsv to pav
in a dollar that constantly appreciated because
of legislation that gavo to gold a monopoly of
the privileges of mintage.
Conditions are now entirely changed. An
abundant currency haB been secured from other
sources; but, wh'le the debtor class is no longer
suffering from a rising dollar and falling prices,
as It was prior to 1896, the chief argument
against silver "oinage has disappeared and new
arguments bring a demand for bimetallism from
the very classes that previously opposed it.
Now that tho bullion in a silver dollar is worth
mono on the market than the bullion "in a gold
dollar (a situation produced, not bv leg'slntion"
but in spite of it) we hear no more of the "dump
ing ground" bugbear or of the "melting pot
test." Tho silver dollar is no longer a "chesp
dollar;" it is tho gold dollar that is cheap, if
wo may borrow the phraseology employod by
the financiers twenty-five years ago.
And, just as the objections tors!lver ar,o benr
silenced by the unprecedentejt;d.emand for that
metal, the world awakens M a l bash
money so great that gold 'M;& lumMfe'l
tho situation in Europe f'HflbnmBS
bv the fact that we hwe$&mwm JBKrovo
than our per capita share. oWofttraiTf tho
world. During and s'neo the war tho volume of
paper money has been swollen to fabulous
amounts and no resumption of Bpecio pavmuits
can bo thought of without a very large increase
in the quantity of standard money. Gold is a
fair weather friend. To use a familiar phrase,
often applied to individuals, it is "invincible In
poaco an invisablo In war." It goes into hiding
when it is most needed. If it had silver- for a
companion it would bo more bold, but gold and
silver together m'glrt not have "been sufficient
to moot all demands made upon them during the"
conflict through which we havo just passod.
-Bimetallism would furnish anojther advantage,
namely, a stability in exchange between the east
and tho west. Under bimetallism debts can be
paid at a fixed ratio in either metal and busi
ness can be carried on without violent fluctua
tions in the charge for exchange. No one dan
now doubt our ability to maintain bimetallism
Independently of the act of other nations, but
bimetallism would give us suh an advantage
in trading with the two halves of the world
that the commercial nations would soon be
compelled to join us.
Great Britain, no longer In control of tho
credits of tho world, may find it to her inter
est to proposo International bimetallism and
such a proposition, cdming from such a souroo
wouhl doubtless find tho rest of the world will
ing: to accept international bimetallism. If our
nation1 rejected such an offer the very com
mercial interests that clamored for a po d
standard a quarter of a century ago would
clamor as loudly for a financial system that
would give thom an equal chance wth Knro jo
in tho contest for Oriental trade. China's de
velopment would bo impossible on a gold basis
and China is a growing factor that cannot bo
ignored by those who plan for the future
W. J. BRYAN.
A PLAN FOR PnYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
(Suggestions by Mrs. William Jennings Bryan.)
One of tho valuable by-products of the reent
war is the information gathered by statistics.
Physical examinations, for instance, have proven
tho young mon of tho land below par. Instead
of tho vigor of which we had boasted, we find
a large per cent who are either diseased or
poorly developed.
vThe ancients trained their youth by oxercisas
and games. Tho statues of those days show how
perfect was tho development attained. Can wo
do better than to revive this syBtom, modifying it
to meet present condit'ons?
The task would not be difficult. The games
should be arranged under tho supervision of tho
best medical authority -with a view to g.vinK to
oa?h chi'd the highest possible physical develop
ment. To give theso games tho maximum effect,
thoy should be mrde so aHract've thft tl'p chil
dren will bo glad to "enter the contests and will
enjoy them. A great deal will depend upo-i the
cultivation of publip opinion which will sur
round the children with an, atmosphere favor
able to the games and. prizes in the form of
both medals and money' will help to stimulate
The division of tho country into districts
bpf?innin'? with tho school, district and proceed
ing upon any basic whi6h will be just and im
partial ran be readily aconmpl'shcd.
A number of stadia which hark back to Gre
cian days aro even now owned by colleges and
no better places could bo provided for the groater
Contests .
Tho contests for girls should bo separate from
those for boys and the exercises provided should
havetf?pecial regard to' the needs of. members of
Tho final contest should bo heM in Washing
ton; be witnessed by our high officials and tho
victor should not only bo crowned with laurel by
the President of the United States, but should
receive a cssh prize worthy of the straggle.
It is believed that some srh system as the
one outlined would go. far toward raising the
physical development of the bo&s and girls oi
the U. S. and would be as Taluablo to those wno
fafed-as to those who wcro tho successful con
testants. PROFITEERING IN COAL
On -another page wiU be found an extract
frrtn Commerce and Finance, containng an ar
ticle Tjy'Theo. H. Price on "The Profits of Coal
Wining." No wondor the operators squeaoa
when Mr. McAdoo called attention to their tax
roturns. Seventy-five made from 25 to 5U per
cent, on capital stock; 87 made from o0 to 1U"
per cent; 75 from 100 to 200 per cent; 57 "om
200 to 5J)0 per cent; 21 from 500 to 1,000 per
cent, and four made over 2,000" per cent--
rwas whilo calling for sacrifice from soldiers auu
'citizens.
THE WISE WOMEN FROM THE WEST
-' Of cpurge, California won the democratic con
vention. 'The wise men fr-om the east
not a match for "the wise womon from u
west" who gave our party victory in 191J J"d.
the east rejected tho splendid record o : tne
miniBh-atJoa, All aboard for San Francisco.
JOHN'S ENt IS NEAJR
John Barleycorn's boxing mtc !! bJen
supreme court is nearing its end. He .nab
knocked down .twice within two mnt .
groggy. Can he get up-for another roinm-
. Wanted: . A democratic candidate with a pro
gram; one who is niore' nterestedjn his pa
than in his own political Bucce--inoic i
cVed in his countrys welfare than in any
fice; one who stands for something yrno
the courage to. express his convictions ana
cept responsibility for them.
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