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The Commoner.
VOX4 21, NO 3
10
W .,
TyvF''W
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of these United States I should want one man In
my cabinet -whose duty it should be to" see that
the one hundred and ten millions and more con
sumers get the necessaries of life by paying
therefore the reasonable cost of production and
transportation with a fair profit added.
Geo. Win. Moore, Michigan. I am much
pleased with your National Legislative Program
and wish to emphasise some of the provisions.
1. The time has come for arbitration instead
of force in international affairs and the Bryan
plan ratified a few years ago by more than thirty
nations should bo the basis. With disarmament,
a tribunal for national disputes and the referen
dum, war will be only a remote possibility.
2. A national bulletin would be extensively
read and a great aid to the voter.
3. The Federal Reserve Bank changed our
currency system from theVorst to the best. That
system should be carefully guarded against
private control.
4. Regarding the guaranty of bank deposits,
the people are entitled to have a place where
they can deposit their money and know to an
absolute certainty that it will be safe. Today
,tho banks insure themselves against luss by fire,
embezzlement, robbery, theft, etc. Why not in
sure their depositors? Banks depend upon their
deposits for their profits. Why not protect those
deposits? It will be a benefit to the banks be
cause it would increase their deposits. People
would no longer hoard or hide currency. .
5. A public utility Is a monopoly which the
people alone Bhould own and operate. If the
managers do not produce satisfactory results we
should remove them and not confess that we are
incapable of self government by abandoning the
property.
C. To reduce the income tax and increase the
. tariff tax and add a sales tax would be to reduce
the tax burdens of the rich and increase those
of the po.r
W. E. Moody, California. I want to say to
'you that I endorse your National Legislative
Program unreservedly, and believe that It will
receive the endorsement of all thinking people.
For some reason we are in a worse condition
as a party today than we were in 1896. The
Republican party Is just as reactionary as it is
possible for it to be, and the Democrats would
have been in the same condition with Mr. Cox
as president. The interests were controlling
both the old parties, with an unequal swing, and
the heavy side was toward the Republicans,
hence It was successful at the polls last fall.
We cannot succeed as a party unless we can
direct its policies in a clean manner, and in
the Interests of the people instead of the in
terest of the classes When the people rule all
Is well; when the classes rule the masses suf
fer as a consequence. I am writing this because
I want you to know I am in sympathy with your
efforts at this time. You have always been right
on all public questions, and results have proven
it to a large majority of -our people. I shall
never be satisfied until we have you in the White
House. I only regret we can't always stay young
and be able to withstand the hardships that
come with service. If ever any man has served
a people, you certainly have and unselfishly. In
my feeble way I shall stand by your every effort
to better conditions and purify our party.
C. B. Jones, Virginia. I note with a good deal
of Indignation that certain elements in the
Democratic party are trying to force to the front
for the reorganization of that party, Senator
Underwood of Alabama. If the party is to be
rebuilt with that kind of timber the writer and
thousands will take no hand iu the rebuilding
Personally I wish to see the party reorganized
alqng the lines as laid down in your recent
promulgation of a platform. The unfortunate
conditions In thiu country and the lack of faith of
everybody in almost everything makes Impera
tive that wo Bhall adopt progressive sentiments
to be carried out by progressive men, and men
of truth and honesty. With the rotteness that
has developed, or been brought out by the war
and events since, have produced such unrest that
the people will be satisfied with nothing lets
than the adoption of the platform you stanl
for as shown in The Commoner. "'
- The profiteering of individuals' and private
ownership of public utilities should be broken
up, and there seems no sure way to do that er
cept through government ownership
Biyions of dollars have. in the last few years
been grabbed from ttie people in the sale of oil
stocks that were worth nothing, and likewise in
many other things that should be underTovIru.
ment control, but if those utilities could have
been under government ownership there would
have bfen no stocks to sell to a trusting public.
Government ownership seems to be a phrase
to shock with, to many people who carelessly
forget that our public school system is covered
by that fearful phrase, that our efficient postal
system comes under the same head, and right
here I wonder If under private ownership this
letter that I am writing would be carried to
Lincoln as efficiently and as cheaply as this one
will be; instead of being done fo 2 cents it
would m3re likely be done for 3 to 4 cents or 5
cents.
There are many other illustrations that could
be presented to show that phrase Is a foolish
bugbear and Is used by the designing to prevent
action along the lines of government ownership.
Mr. Bryan's platform should-be our platform
and Mr. Bryan our next presidential candidate.
A. Gunnarson, Nebraska. A reorganization
in the Democratic party must be made. W. J.
Bryan is big enough to do It. The landslide of
1920 was largely due to some of our leaders
carrying water on both shoulders. Light wines
and beer was a trap. As a champion of prohibi
tion and a real leader for his party, W. J. Bryan
is very much alive. Then came the League of
Nations as a main issue of the day, very wrong.
A. C. Ruland, California. My prediction is
at this time that the Democratic party in 1924
will be in a better position to win at the. polls
than they have nines 1912. I am in hearty sym
pathy with the platform just read in pres3 dis
patches, and can see no excuse for Democrats
hesitating to place their approval upon it in
every detail. Am ready for the "next battle."
A. J. Anders, Iowa. I heartily approve the
Legislative Program outlined by The Commoner,
and will do what I can tp have it written into
the law of the land.
W, A. Toler, Illinois. There are so many
things to be done. First, military preparedness
must be stopped; second, profiteering, or steal
ing the people's labor In all forms must be
stopped. Something must be done with the Idle
land. I see land all over the country lying idle,
and that has not been cultivated for years. You
can't rent it or buy it. People are needing homes
and can't get land to build on. I understand
this earth was made for the people, not for 'a
few to corner and speculate on.
J. A. Kemp, Indiana. The proposed legisla
tive program will receive sympathetic reading
among progressives regardless of party affilia
tions an excellent basis on which to reorganize
the party machinery of the Democratic party.
E. W. Painter, Missouri. You are the leader
who can reorganize and lead the party again to
victory, and, in my opinion.you are the only one
In the party who can do so successfully. For
one I will be only too willing to add my mite arid
follow your leadership.
Nels O. Alberts, Nebraska. Well, again we
find ourselves stranded on the rocks of defeat,
and again we must go at it, and reorganize the
masses and fight our battles over again for the
welfare of the common people. I believe that
the people will respond with more activity, and
earnestness, than they ever have before, because
I notice that organizations for the betterment
of all classes are growing at such a rapid pace
as was never known before. It indicates self
protection and that no protection can be relied
on, except' through their own efforts, in organiz
ing and fighting their own battles.
Therefore I am in favor of the reorganization
of the Democratic party, but with no men like
Cox at the head of it. It must be on the pro
gressive basis, and I believe that wo can control
the south, and the west, by organizing early.
C. P. Peterson, North Dakota.! am heartily
In favor of the Democratic Legislative Program
outlined by the greatest living AmericanWilN
lam Jennings Bryan and shall do what little I
can to help to promote it. It embodies true
progressive principles, but why not add to it
an amendment to the Federal Constitution that
the President and Vice-President be elected hv
2!?f.ta 0th& P60ple- lt shortens ballot
and is more democratic. imh
, L; r?",0S 0reeon- A good deal has been
said of late about the reorganization of the
Democratic party. I am inclined to think C
reconsecration is needed rcconsecratioto thri
fundamental principles upon which thTnJ'
cratic party was foundedall leSStatlon VK?S?"
-greatest good to the greatest numbor r th
Editor Ohio State Journal:
As a constant reader of your esteemed paper
I cannot let pass unchallenged youreditorial 0
Feb. 12 on "Mr. Bryan as Lea'der."
You say Mr. Bryan doubtless is receiving a
great deal of Republican encouragement in his
effort to assume the task of reorganizing the
Democratic party. That may be true, but he
is also receiving a great deal of encouragement
from those Democrats who would rather be
right than be successful.
Mr. Bryan has accomplished more in defeat
than all his opponents In success. It is true ho
was three times defeated for president, but it
was his leadership in the fight against Wall St.
that made Wilson president. You say he sulked
through two national campaigns. He did not
sulk; he simply followed his conscience, like
millions of others, instead of Wall St. in all its
crooked ways.
Do you speak as a Democratic or Republican
editor when you say "Either his consistent rec
ord of defeat or his penchant tot substituting
sensationalism for economic soundness is enough
to disqualify him as a party leader in whoni
there is any hope save fop the happy op
position?" This has been the cry of Wall St.
and the privileged classes ever ''since the cam
paign of '96. Whom do you represent that you
speak with such authority? When you repudiate
Bryan as a leader then you repudiate those re
forms he has stood for -and whicli have been
forced upon the politicians and -adopted one
after another by the people through his
wonderful leadership. Your editorial is tinged
with the hues f the politician, who sees no dis
tinct colors in anything but party success, rather
than that of the statesman whp can distinguish
between black and white. -
Shakespeare through Hamlet was soliloquizing
on suicide when he said "Conscience does
make cowards of us all' If he had 'been a polU
tlcian and soliloquizing upon "modern politicians,
methlnks he would have said "Politics makes
not only strange bed-fellows but cowards of us
all." You say Bryan was itot eat oat for suc
cessful party leadership fcut might have been
graat preacher and perhaps would have been
but for his fondness for money. Sch insinua
tion is unjust and unworthy of so highly es
teemed -a paper and reflects upon hia honesty
.and sincerity as it likewise reflects upon yours.
34r. Bryan is a preacher, and a good one, preach
ing the gospel of cleaner politics and better citi
zenship. He is not preaching in the pulpits or
synagogues, but out in the wilderness of politics,
in the highways and byways and wicked ways
of the politicians, and is driving them out of the
temple of justice and high places. and establish
ing the rule of right and righteousness coming
up out of the hearts of the common people who
are receiving the trutk gladly as they did in
Christ's time.
You say he was a failure as secretary of state.
I say Christ himself would, likewise have re
signed from a war cabinet after preaching all
nis life peace on earth and good; -will toward
men.
You can follow whom you please, but it re
quires a stronger chain of argument than you
have forged to lead from Bryan the millions
of Democrats who believe in and follow him. As
for me, I had rather follow .Christ and my con
science to Gethsemane andCalvary and William
!? S n170, aPParent defeat all my life
JolI?w Y&11 Su in lta wicked ways down
to Washington for a season. M. L. BOYD.
Columbus, Feb. 14;
A NOTABLE NEW LAW FIRM
SUJ1168? that wdrow Wilson and
Balnbrldge Colby have formed a partnership for
nn waoCoe?f law th offices in New York
Kff YnllS10 ?rgs td to111 the probably
half forgotten fact that Mr. Wilson began his
career as a member of the bar. Graduating from
iteAHnnn?r8iiy fLV I8 priced
at Atlanta 4a 1882 and 1883. ,His legal work
TnWS?6 b,y a Pst-graduate course at
Sh55pW?8' ,T?? inctdmt court activity in
?or VS! Aln, 1J?85' bowever, he left the law
tZt Jw1?, educat,n. The most gratifying
rMtfnn ilffif resent announcement the sug
ftiu Whlc, ? convevs that the former Presi-
?SflIcieUy, gained his health to en
mm JSh!?1 .S8rvrco- Other Presidents have
H55JS f mfnt aPPeargd in court as counselors,
ilm w &eJlnd BJ&nln Harrison and Will
ilSim: Taiavo.Ieturned the law upon corn
ea tostholr Presidential terms. In Mr. Wilson'fl
that lnethr!tUf? Vftr a muoh "long interval
than In the other instances. Washington Star,
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