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The Commoner
FEBRUARY 1921
3)
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Mrl Flagler's Vision
(Abstract of address of William Jennings
Bryan, Dec. 8, Flagler Day, Palm- Fete, Miami,
Fla.M . - , '
Memorial days are not for the benefit of the
dead. Ther author of Grey's Elegy very beautiful
ly expressed a sentiment which is appropriate for
such an occasion ad this.
"On storied urn or animated bust
Back tb Its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can lienor's 'Voice provoke the silent dust
Or flattery soothe the dull cold ear of Death?"
No, it is for the living that this program is
prepared; to enable the present generation to
prove by manifestations of appreciation that it
Is worthy to be the beneficiary of Mr Flagler's
foresight and indefatigable energy, and that
lessons, drawn from his life, may inspire others
to like achievements. Mr. Sewall, because of his
official position as President of the Chamber of
Commerce and his long and intimate acquaint
ance with Mr. Flagler, was the proper person to
bring before you an outline of his life and some
of the details of his work, and his address ad'
mirably measured up to all the reguirements of
this great occasion. My task is an easy one; I
.in to emphasize the value of a man with a vision.
Solomon uttered the final word on this subject
w.hen he said, "Where there is no vision the
people perish." Without such men there can
be no progress.
But let no one think that the dreamers lot is
as happy while he lives as it is imperishable in
history. He is often ridiculed and sometimes
persecuted. The Bible tells us that Joseph's
brothers hated him because hewas a dreamer.
They even conspired to put him to death, but,
fortunately, "Some merchants passed that way
and the brothers sold him into bondage instead
of taking his life. They thougfithe had put
the dreamer brother out of the way, and had
almost forgotten him when a famine came upon
them and they were sent down into Egypt to
buy corn. When they arrived there they found
their dreamer brother and he had the corn.
The dreamer turns scoffing into reverence when
his vision is Vindicated. Mr. Flagler had the corn.
Some men have ideas but no money
with which to carry them out for this
reason most inventors make others rich arid die
poor. Some have money but no ideas to spend
it on. Mr. Flagler had both the vision and the
money with which to make his vision a reality.
When he built a railroad to Palm Beach and
planned a big hotel to accommodate expected
patrons, the doubters laughed at his faith
neighbors are not always prompt in honoring
their prophets. .He saw the possibilities of the
East Coast and had the courage to risk his rep
utation and his money to make his dream come
true.
Dreams grow; and, so, Mr. Flagler's vision ex
panded. After he had started Palm Beach on its
career he heard of a climate still more congenial
and chose the mouth of the Miami river as the
aite for the greatest child of his brain and heart.
Other adventurous builders sought out fertile
plains or pleasant valleys or the sides of moun
tains rich with ore, but the founder of Miami
dared to suspend a city from the skies and to
trust its future to surf and sunshine and to
ocean breezes that carry healing in their wings.
He had an instinct for values; as his eyes
feasted on Bay Biscayne his ears could catch
the words of some future poet sinking of its
beauties, as one has sung of the bay of Naples:
JI care not if my little skiff,
Floats swift or slow from cliff to cliff,
With dreamful eyes my spirit lies,
Beneath the walls of Paradise."
Later his vision, was enlarged again and he
constructed the overseas road to Key West, an
other ambitious project which time has vindi
cated. The city fathers do well id giving our princi
pal street the name of Miami's Patron Saint. If
they have erred at all it is in not affixing to hia
name a word more dignified than street. Avenue
would sound better, but if that would bring con
fusion into the plan adopted, why not Flagler
Way, as the Appian Way the great Roman
highway was named for Appius Claudius who be
gan its construction.
John Boyle O'Rilley lias coined a striking
phrase" In praise of the man with vision: he
says, "The Dreamer lives forever while the toil
er dies in a day.' His words are no reflection
on the masses without whom no dream could be
realized they simply focus attention on the
valuable service rendered by the designer, the
architect, the man .whose vision is wrought out
y the multitude.
And now what shall w do with the city which
Mr. Flagler conceived and of which he laid the
foundation? What is our vision of what Magic
Miami should bo? We can best honor the name
that will forever bo dear to the people of Miami
by giving to this beautiful spot a wholcsomo en
vironment which will attract the best citizenship
of the nations and thus mako permanent the
city's growth and progress.
WHEELER ON POLLOCK
"United States District Judge John C. Pol
lock ought to resign, if he is quoted correctly
as saying, 'Unless such prohibitory laws as the
Eighteenth amendment are repealed while there
Is yet time, bringing an ond to the present
epidemic of liberty-curtailing legislation, the
United States faces inevitable revolution.' " This
is the comment of Wayne B. Wheeler, General
Counsel of the Anti-Saloon League of America,
when informed 'that Judge Pollock had made
this attack on national prohibition.
"A judge who takes an oath of office to
sustain the constitution and enforce the laws,
and then gives out a statement which tends to
bring enforcement of the law into disrepute, is
unworthy of the high office which ho holds.-
"Many judges on the bench who are strong
prohibitionists refuse to become propagandists
for the law, because a judge is supposed to take
the law as it is and enforce it, without making
comment as to the wisdom of the legislative
department.
"There is some reason for a judge commend
ing a law enacted for the public good, but a
judge who declares that an amendment to the
constitution, which prohibits a recognized evil
like the liquor traffic will bring on revolution
is going far afield of his judicial duty.
"If Judge Pollock cannot enxorce an amend
ment which was -submitted by more than two
thirds of both branches of congress and ratified
by fifteen-sixteenths of the states of the union,
he ought to resign, rather than embarrass the
government, which has honored him, or weaken
the law which he has taken an oath to enforce."
CHICAGO SHOULD HAVE MINT
The west will heartily endorse Secretary Hous
tion's recommendation in regard to the establish
ment of ft mint at Chicago. The west is entitled
to it. He says:
"it is recommonded that the congress consider
the advisability of establishing a coinage mint
in Chicago. A mint in that city would better
adjust the facilities of coinage to represent busi
ness conditions in the-country; assist in meeting
the demands for coinage, particularly in the mid
dle west and south; facilitate distribution of
coins to those points; reduce the expense of
shipping, the cost of which is now burdensome
to the government and to banks by reason of
the remoteness of existing mints trom new busi
ness centers, and relax the present excessive
pressure on the existing mints
"It. is recommended'that the congress consider
ent business conditions the facilities that were
provided fifteen years ago. The process of ex
changing the output of the present mints has
reached the utmost limits of safety. Should con
gress1 authorize the -establishment of a mint at
Chicago, the business interests of the entire
country would be served. It is further suggested
that the vaults of a mint at Chicago could bo
used for the storage of government funds previ
ously in the custody of the subtreasury now discontinued."
William Allen White, who still clings to the
notion that the Republican party is the one hope
of the nation, recently made the prediction that
if the rights of the farmers were not adjusted
and if they were not put on at least an equality
with speculators at the counter of the banker, the
nonpartisan league would sweep the country.
When it is noted at Washington and every state
capital there is a well-paid and numerous lobby
maintained by the business interests and what
they are there for, it is apparent that the non
partisan league has cause for complaint.
A DESERVED REBUKE
General Chas G-. Dawes administered a de
served rebuke to the Republicans who have been
hunting for mistakes in the prosecution of the
war. He reminded the committee that it was
a national war, not a party war, and insisted that
the emphasis should be placed on the achieve
ments and not on small details. This testimony
may not improve his chances for a cabinet posi
tion but Dawes' patriotism is above his ambition
any way. He even had the courage to urge the
confirmation of John Skelton Williams, our
great comptroller. .- - W. J. BRYAN.
Smuggling Should be
. .Stopped '
Statistics show that British territory on the
north and just off the oast coast of the United
States is being used as a base for the wholesale
smuggling of intoxicating liquors into this coun
try Thoro Is no more excuse for thfr use of
adjacent territory for conspiracies against the
prohibition law a law darrying out tho consti
tution and sustained by the Supreme Court
than for the use of such territory for conspir
acies against any other law of tho land. Piracy
would not bo given protection under the Brit
ish flag, why should smuggling?
Congress should pass a now resolution 'asking
the President to bring tho subject to the atten
tion of the British government, but to have full
weight such a resolution should bo accompanied
by legislation providing adequate punishmont
for American citizens who mako use of foreign
territory for conspiracies agflinst the laws of
their own country. "Wo should do all in our
power to prevent violations by our own citizens
and then our appeal to Great Britain cannot bu
disregarded.
The easiest way to punish such American citi
zens is to withdraw citizenship from him when
ho loaves the country for the purpose of violat
ing his country's laws. If he violates tho law
while in this country ho can bo punished as a
criminal; why should he receive the protection
of his government while he is conspiring against
his country's statutes? If he leaves for that
purpose, or while away becomes a law-breaker,
his return should be barred as wo bar the en
trance of any other criminal. W. J. BRYAN.
JACKSON DAY, 1920
A. year ago last night in this good town Mbv
Bryan, at a Jackson day dinner, warned K J
party against making the league of nations us
negotiated by the President tho Issue in the ap
proaching campaign. In tho circumstances, it
was a bold thing to do. The President had a
firm grip on the democracy, and the league was
upper-most in his thoughts and purposes.
Mr. Bryan's warning went unheeded. The
President called for "a solemn referendum" on
the league, got it, and for him it proved to be
very solemn. The largest plurality ever recorded
In this country was recorded against the league.
Mr. Bryan emerged from the wreck a prpphot.
His stoutest opponent could not deny him the
credit of having sensed the situation correctly.
The people would not have the league, and
among those rejecting it were hundreds of thou
sands of Democrats.
What will It profit the prophet being thus
confessed a prophet in his own country?-
Wash!, rfon Star. .
Agitation is so often criticised as a poor
method of securing what is wanted that it ii
worth while to call attention to the fact tnat the
organized opposition of consumers to the sale
tax as a substitute for the excess profits tax has
killed It definitely aa a revenue measure. Tho
merchants of the country who have been com
pelled to split their big profits with Uncle Jam
hart devised a plan v;Leicby they were to add 2
per cent "to every ale they .made and collect it
from the customer. lie boldness of the scheme
was only exceeded-,!) its baldness.
- A New York baker is making and selling
bread for five cents a loaf. Elsewhere the
prices is ten cents, and the loaves are no larger.
Which reminds us that during the war, it was
developed in a court trial, that one of the larg
est makers of flour in Nebraska charged to over
head expense all that he contributed for liberty
bonds and war activities, and added it to the cost
of his product.
RECORD FOR 1024
One of the United States senators most re
sponsible for tho overwhelming defeat last fall
of the Democratic nominees is telling the public
how our party can win next time. He thinks it
all depends on congress. Democrats of the pres
ent congress will -make the congressional record
for 1922, but it will need a lot of activity among
the rank and file of the voters to give us a con
gress to make the record for the campaign of
1924. The progressive Democrats should lose no
time in organizing for the next congressional
election, and to begin with, they should organize
around a constructive, progressive platform, the
thing, that the last national convention failed
to do.
w m. Vtiwi' fc &.
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Jt .K
U.S
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