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The Commoner
6
VOL. 20, NO. 1
,r t vptv ' IT . '
If s
a
I
ri'
by"' Amorlqan citizens, than to enter into war
With Moxlco for, tho protection of these invest
ments; the' monoy cost of ouch a war would far
exceed all tho monoy invested by Americans in
Mexico, not to speak of loss of lifo or of tho loss
of Latin-Araorlcan , friendship. Tho amount of
tho damago could bo colloctod from Mexico after
tho restoration of poaco and order.
If it becomes nocossary to ontor Mexico' for
tho purpose of protecting American citizens
rilong tho boundary from bandits and despera
dos, that object can bo attained by patroling a
harrow strip of Mexican territory along tho
'border wldo enough to prevent tho Mexicans
from crossing tho boundary, possession being
taken for tho special purpose of protecting
Amorlcans, with tho promiso to return It as soon
as order is restored. In that case force would
be used only for dofonse against attack, not for
rovongo or for torritory.
But, whilo protecting American citizens from
nttack, wo should lose no opportunity to aissure
tho Moxican pooplo of our desire to aid' them
in roalizing their own destiny and in tho. de
velopment of their own resources. Wo have
loaned ovoinin,o billion dollars to our allies in
tho war against Germany; why not give Moxco
tho bonoflt of our credit as soon as her people
turn from war and strife to the building up of
their country? Mexico needs largo expenditures
for oducation and for tho development of her
resources. Our government can well afford to
announco its willingness to celebrate tho restor
ation of law and ordorly government by under
writing tho bonds nocossary for reconstruction
work. Mexico is a groat country and onily
neods Justice in government and tho encourage
ment of her people to insure progress and pros
perity, Our nation, tho friend of all Latin
Amorlca, should bo especially generous to our
nearest noighbor, and our friendship shquld bo
shown in ways that will convince the people of
Moxlco that wo seek to promote their intorests
rather than our own. Tho European idea of
protecting weaker nations is to.dovour tbem bo
?v ?"? nations are able to do so. Our policy
shbuld bo tbo policy of tbe good Samaritan,
who rondorod a roal sorvico and found his re
ward in tho consciousness of doing good. Mexi
co Is at our very doors and there is no other
nation to which she can look for help. We have
a groat opportunity to tie all Latin-America to
tis by dealing patiently and sympathetically with
our unfortunate sister republic. .
W. J. BRYAN. .
A STEP TOWARD DEMOCRACY
5n another, page will be- found an important
Snvn3.ndiSPaJC,h rTPfftlnS long stop toward self
government in India. During, the war the Lon-
fovornmnt announced its intention of in
creasing popular representation in tho Indian
government, and tho promise has been Tulfilled
?? nnnnUm, r 0f G,e5torB hs been increased from
3d, 000, the present number, to about 5,000,000.
the number who will vote hereafter. While this
?A?n,0emB,.Iar8e'iit ,fl lQ8s than 21"2 Per
cent of tho Indian population or something liko
.12 per cent of the adult male population. That
however, s a great gain over the system that
has prevailed and will inevitably lead to" new
demands and new concessions until universal
outrage will finally be reached. Great Britain
' is to bo congratulated upon this recognition of
tho growing doctrine of self-government
Britain's act is not only good in itflf buT the
( example will stimulate like concessions else
where. It is a stop toward the dawn.
W. J. BRYAN.
s
J
i,
IN THE WILDERNESS
One natur'ly supposes,
From the way things now appear.
That a democratic Moses
,.. May bo spoken of as "hero." -Ho
is roaring like a Hon,
He is working with a will,
And his name is William Bryan, v '
v And his home is in Asheville.
Many democrats have cherished
., u uKjir iiearis a nope of bate
That. he might have kindly perished
Ere this inauspicious date.
, AThey have heaped him with reviling,
tt They have buried him in dirt; .
Bt again he comes up smilitfg
. ,.,-. remarks, "There's no one hurt."
I A" L. Bixby, in Nebraska State Journal.
, ."
THE ROLL OP HONOR
States That Have Rntificd tho National
Woman Suffrage Amendment
1 WISCONSIN, June 10, 19,19.
2 ILLINOIS, Julie 10, 1919.
,3 -MICHIGAN, Juno 10, 1919.
4 KANSAS, June 16, 1919.
5 OHIO, June 16K 1919.
6 NEW YORK, June 16, 1919.
7 PENNSYLVANIA, Juno 24, 1919.-
8 Massachusetts; June 25, 1919.
9 TEXAS, June 28, 1919.
10 IOWA, July 2, 1919.
11 MISSOURI, July 3, 1919.
12 ARKANSAS, July 28, 1919.
13 MONTANA, July 30, 1919, "V
14 NEBRASKA, August 2V, 1919.
15 MINNESOTA, Sept. 8, 1919. '
16 NEW HAMPSHIRE, Sept. 10, 1919
17 UTAH, Sept. 30, 1919.
18 CALIFORNIA, Nov. 1, 1919.
19 MAINE, Nov. 5, 1919.
20 NORTH DAKOTA, Doc. 1. 1919.
21 SOUTH DAKOTA, Dec. 4, 1919. - -22
COLORADO, Dec. 12,1919.
' 2 3 RHODE ISLAND, Jan. 6,. 19 20.
24 KENTUCKY, Jan. 6, 1920.
25 OREGON, Jan. 13, 1920.
THE PROFITS OF COAL MINING
(Theo. Price, "in Commerce and Finance, N. Y.)
We have received several letters taking ex
ception to our endorsement of the views ex
pressed by Mr. McAdoo in regard to the profits
made by the coal operators and criticizing him
for revealing facts of which, it is assorted, ho
had knowledge only because he had been -Secretary
of the Treasury.
We are open minded and are always willing
to admit ourselves mistaken, but there is noth
ing in any of these letters that has. changed
our opinion In regard to the merits of the ques
tion discussed or the propriety of Mr, McAdoo's
statement which, as. we have already pointed
out, was simply a quotation from a report made
and published when ho wate in office. This re
port, which was printed at the Government
Printing Office in 1918, is entitled "Corporate
Earnings and Government Revenue," and is
accompanied by a "letter from the Secretary of
the Treasury transmitting in response to a Sen
ate resolution of Juno 6, 1918, certain facts,
figures, data, and information taken from 1916
and 1917 income and excess profits tax returns
of corporations to the Treasury Departm&ht, and
a statement of Government revenues (including
loans) since the beginning of the war."
It is entitled Senate Document 259, and con
tains on pages 130 to 134 detailed statement of
the capital stock, invested capital and earnings
of 360 corporations engaged in mining bitumin
ous and lignite coal. The names of the corpora
tions aro not given but they are distinguished
by code numbers. From this report we have
prepared the following summary of the profits
of tho 360 corporations during the year 1917
in relation to their invested capital and capital
stock:
Number of
Companies
66
129 x from
9 ' from
Gp ; ;;;, from
13 v : from
3 ,'' -?"' 'from
Percentage of Profits
on Invested Capital
less than 25 ner cant
50 per cent
100 per cent
200 ner cent
500 per cent
25 to
50 to
100 to
200 to
500 tn innn r
from 1000 to 2000 per cent
over zuuu per cent
Gore's Referendum
idment
Amen
On another pago wilLttk found an extract from
Senator Gore's speech, made during the treaty
discussion, in advocacy of an advisory vote on
war. His amendment was voted down, but tho
vote does not indicate the real attitude of tho
senate on the subject. The Democrats who were
likely to favor Mr. Gore's amendment were re
strained from voting for it while they were en
deavoring to secure ratificaton without reserva
tions. And then, too, there would bo some hesi
tancy about forcing such a provision on all tho
nations even though our senators might unan
imously favor an application of tho principle
to our own nation.
Tho- principle for whioh Senator Gore con
tends is entirely sound and ought to be adopted
by this country and ought also be brought be
fore the Loagne of Nations by our delegates. If
there is any merit at all in the doctrine that
-governments must derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed, surely the governed
ought, to have the right to decide for them
selves, by popular vote, a question as important
as going to war. No other subject comes so
near to the people. It has long been the cus
tom to submit constitutional amendments to
a popular vote and, in cities, bond issues and
grants of franchises are submitted to popular
vote. If people have the right to bo heard on
such questions, how much greater Is their right
to be heard on questions that involve their
lives and the exercising. of tho taxing power as
it is employed in time of war. A referendum
on war would give greater assurance of peace
than any other provision- that could be made.
With the advent tf women into politics, tho
argument in favor of a- referendum gathers ad
ditional strength and the probability of a peace
ful solution of international difficulties increases.
Senator Gore should1 hot be discouraged by the
defeat of his resolution; the principle is right
and a -righteous principle always triumphs
finally. . , . ' . w. J. BRYAN.
TO THE OLD GUARD
'$
5&
360
Number, of .
.Companies s-"1
. 7T5 '''
" 87 '".
V.7-5
57 " r
'21
7
'4 I
Percentage of Profits
uu uapitai stock
from
from
from
from
from
from
less than
25 to
50 to
100 to
200 to
500 to
1000 to
over
25 per cent
50 per cent
100 per cent
200 per cent
500 per cent
1000 per cent
2000 per cent
2000 per cent
Often in these days I am. tbinking lovingly
of the members of the Old Guard in Nebraska
-7 tjjat Old Guard whose members for more than
quarter of a century have been as true to
one groat captain, and as true to the
pure principles of government which he advo
cated, as were ever the members of the Lannes
Legion true to the Little Corslcan.
On a thousand occasions I have seen your
breasts pierced by the shafts of ridicule, hurled
by the cross-bows of pre judico which special in
terests have purchased and placed in the hands
of thoughtless benders at the feet of tho power
ful. Although your great leader has never pro
claimed harm to any human being, nor to any
legitimate interest, yet often you have been
hailed as anarchists. -
But you never quailed in the face of the
enemies of your leader and his sublime prin
ciples. Undaunted and unafraid you met tho
mockery of the ignorants, true In every hour to
your matchless leader, and firm in the belief that
some day the American people would be won
to the support of his pure principles of govern
ment. And now, in this glad New Year hour, here
Is my toast to all the living members of the Old
Guard in Nebraska:
"May all tho days of the nearing new year
be as bright to you as the present prospect for
triumph of our great leader over all opposition
to his principles of government; and within tho
year may every member of the Old Guard be
privileged to witness the full fruition of that
great hope which made him bravo to follow our
loved Jeader in days that wero-dark, and to hold
fast to the sublime gospel of human rights which
he proclaimed to men." Edgar Howard, in
Columbus, Neb., Telegram.
'360 . '
cTh??e fPre Bhofw that Mr. McAdoo under
stated rather thaV overstated the profits of the
coal operators. Of his right to quote' his own
SSes ioa rPOrt t0 ConBre?s the can be nS
The public is willing to pay a fair price for
what It must have; as long as that price Includes
a fair return for the labor that went into the
making of the article, but it takes no stock in
the business methods that include a publicity
propaganda to the effect that prices are going
to bo 'higher in tho .near future. That is a
vpart of the plundering and beating game that
-the government ought to stop by some drastic
means.
,.'-'Mmlf,twlrtft'ir t