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The Commoner
VOL. 21, NO. 2
'4
The Commoner
ISSUIDD MONTHLV
Entered at tho Poatofflco at Lincoln, Nobraaka,
ar nccond-clano matter.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, CHARLES W. BRYAN.
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Address all communications to
THE COMMONER, LINCOLN, NEB.
Lot every American, every lover of liberty,
every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the
blood of tho revolution never to violate in the
least particular the laws of the country, and
never to tolerate their violation by others.
As tho patriots of seventy-six did to tho sup
port of the declaration of independence, so to
tho support of tho constitution and laws let
very American pledge his life, his property and
his sacred honor, let every man remember that
to violate tho law is to trample on tho blood
of his father, an(LJ.o toar the charter of his own
and his children's liberty. Let reverence for the
aws bo breathed by overy American mother to
he lisping babe that prattles on her lap J let
Jt bo taught in schools, in seminaries, and in
colleges; let it be written in primors, spelling
books and almanacs; let It bo preached from the
pulpit, proclaimed in the legislative halls, and
enforced in courts of justice. In short, let it be
come tho political religion of the nation.
ABRAHAI.I LINCOLN.
It Is now predicted that the price of sugar will
bo down to pro-war levels before the spring
time arrives. The explanation is found in the
fact that the people refused to pay profiteer
prices. If the people will continue to refuse to
pay tho continued high prices for things to wear
they will force tho prices of these down also.
Thirty-one billions of tho fifty-four billions
that made up the total production of the United
States in the last statistical year came from the
ground, from the farms of the country. It is a
sad commentary on our national sense of justice
that whereas 57 per cent of the wealth is pro
duced on the farms, the greater bulk of it event
ually lands and stays in the cities.
The coal dealers of tho country were restricted
during the war to a schedule of prices that kept
them sternly out. of the ranks of the war prof
iteers. The present high prices they aTe asking
represent merely what they thought themselves
deprived of in the way of profits during the war
If every city in the country would follow tho
example of Denver find Omaha and establish a
municipal coal yard this sort of profiteering
could be checked.
One of tho bills before the Nebraska legis
lature that has received favorable consideration
so far requires all bread loaves to be sold by tho
pound. That was tho rule until tho bakers dis
covered that in this way purchasers of bread
were able to tell how much they were getting
for their monoV; then they substituted tho pres
ent method of Belling by tho loaf. Tho bill
ought to pass; it should stop at least part of
the profiteering going on in thia necessary food-
Sabbath Observance
Tho anti-Sabbath observance crusade has
reached a point where its purpose and methods
force themselves upon public attention.
It will bo noticed, that it claims to be de
fensive when, as a matter of fact, it Is distinctly
aggressive. The attack has apparently a double
purpose; first, to arouse opposition to prohibi
tion by connecting it with other reforms thought
to bo unpopular, and, second, to force the repeal
of laws intended to present tho commercializing
of the American Sunday. The advocates of pro
hibition are in no way responsible for the rais
ing of this issue. The organizations most ac
tive in securing and enforcing prohibition have
repeatedly disclaimed any intention of propos
ing now Sunday laws.
Equally inexcusable is the raising of the Blue
Law bogy. The term "Blue Law" 4s an epithet
hurled against any Sabbath restriction to which
tho user of the epithet objects. There never
was a system of laws that bore that name; those
who use the phrase attack the spirit of the
Puritans rather than any particular statute. If
epithets were in placo those who believe in a
day of rest a day when the physical man can
be recuperated and the spiritual nature nour
ished might with moro justification protest
against the Yellow Laws that would convert the
Sabbath into a money-making day. Surely, the
motive of the early settlers ought not to be
ridiculed by those who are unwilling that one
day in seven shall be given to the higher
thoughts and better impulses.
If the purpose of this new move is to obliter
ate the Christian Sabbath it will fail, for the
Sabbath is necessary to the nation's welfare.
Worship of the supreme being is a personal mat
ter between the individual and his Maker. It
is a matter of conscience above and beyond the
domain of law and education must be relied
upon to cultivate a desire for worship, but the
law can and should secure to each citizen leisure
for h.s devotions and protect the rights of those
who congregate for worship.
Those who believe in a Sabbath may differ as
to restrictions existing or proposed, if oo, these
differences will be settled, like all other differ
ences on matters of .government, namely, by the
people. Bach measure, whether intended to in
crease or decrease the restrictions, must stand
or fall upon Its merits, but the people will not
abandon the American Sabbath.
. w W. J. BRYAN.
AND THEY CALL WINE HARMLESS
A poignant editorial comment Is the observa
tion of The American Issue on cabled reports
of the murder trial in Italy where the Italian
Cocchi was convicted for the slaying of Ruth
Cruger in New York city. This charming young
Sunday school girl was done to death under cir
cumstances revolting and appalling, and the
murderer escaped to Italy, where the government
refused to extradite him but agreed to bring him
to book there for his crime. The lawyer defend
ing Cocchi did not deny his guilt but urged an
extenuation Cocchi was not" responsible for his
deed .because "he had just had five glasses of
California wine." Five glases of wineand a
fair, innocent girl robbed of both honor and
life! Yet Italians are repeatedly quoted as wit
nesses that wine is a harmless, non-intoxicating
beverage. Manifestly the lawyer who devised
this defense knew better than that and counted
ononis twelve countrymen in the jury box to un
derstand also the mischief contained in five
glasses. of the "harmless" stuff. The alleged
temperance argument for light wine and beer
has always been a colossal deceit, and it is a
comfort to know from many recent signs that tho
American people have not been and will not be
caught in its lying snare. The Continent.
then with men of the opposition. Mr Cleveland
used to confer with Republican leaders', and Re
publican presidents have often conferred with
Democratic leaders. So if In some matters o
state President Harding should follow this prac
tice he will be within the conventions.
While not in offlceMr. Bryan is undoubtedly
a Democratic leader. -Indeed, he is the recog
nized leader of a large number of Democrats,
some of whom have been under his spell for a
quarter of century. His eyes are peeledior 1924
not confessedly for that year's presidential
nomination, but for putting his party, in phape
to make its nomination then effective".
It may be, therefore, that in passing through
Washington at any time while Mr. Harding is on"
deck Mr. Bryan will find his way to the white
house for the purpose of paying his respects, and
find a welcome. He is no stranger to that
domicile, though his three attempts to take up
residence there were frustrated by circumstances
which he found beyond his control. Washing
ton Star.
MUST BE A BROTHER OR A BRUTE
At the world brotherhood conference held in
Washington, William Jennings Bryan set forth
a two-fold classification of humanity which
seems as true to reality as it is inclusive in reach.
Said the eloquent statesman: "All dealings be
tween man and man are based on one theory or
the other they are either brotherly, or brutal;
there is no middle ground. One may be a very
weak brother or a very feeble brute, but each
person, either consciously or unconsciously, is
controlled by the sympathetic spirit of brother
hood toward his fellow man or he hunts through
the world for spoil with the savage hunger of the
beast of prey. Which he will be is a choice that
each human being is compelled-rf make a
choice as distinct and fundamental as the choice
between God and Baal and a choice not unlike
that." The Continent.
Thousands of appointments made Jiy the presi
dent within the last six or eight months havo
been held up by the Republican Senate. The
plan is to sift these over thoroughly, and then
when the Republican administration takes hold
to name only Republicans. In this way we seo
how the Republican politicians regard the public
service to be of paramount importance.
The ministers of Philadelphia spent five
minutes in prayer at an agreed time not long ago
for the mayor of that city. So many city execu
tives are representatives of predatory business
that it is doubtful if that would be long enough
to do much good in the case of some of them.
PRICE OP HAPPINESS
No man can be happy when he despises his
own acts, when he has any consciousness of
wrong, whether of motive or act.' No man can
be happy when he harbors thoughts of revenge,
jealously, envy or hatred. He must have a clean
heart and a clean conscience, or no amount of
money or excitement can make him happy.
Exchange.
No man is good enough to govern another man
without that man's consent. Lincoln.
"EVENTUALLY WHY NOT NOW?"
HARDING AND BRYAN
Mr. Harding and Mr. Bryan are getting
Mr. Harding at Marion, and now Mr. Harding
has called by invitation on Mr. Bryan at the lit
ter's winter home in Florida.
Mr Bryan is an agreeable man. His nersonni
relations with the opposition have always bn
cordial. He and Mr. McKinley hit It off togethe?
very well, while he and.Mr. Roosevelt when thlj
met wore positively chummy. The bounce in Mr
Roosevelt responded to the bounce in Mr. m-yan.
Vchhr8iriighhetf looked at
When Mr. Harding as President gets into hia
stride ho may want to talk things 0 now and
- . . - - ..I-!" II '
Copyrighted, 1920, New York Evening Post, Ino-
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