The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL. 21, NO. 6
Lincoln, Nebraska, June, 1921
The Farmer Dies
Last
THE DEATH RATTLE
The sound that you hear in the wet sections
is what drys call the "death rattle." It became
audible when congress voted the money to en-,
force prohibition.
In a fight to the death the farmer will die
last. If big business thinks it can bleed him
without limit it had better consider his re
sources. When it comes to the pinch he can
stand squeezing better than any other class.
Food is the first necessity, and he can feed him
self. He can raise all that he and his family
need, but if he raiseB no more than he needs the
rest , of , the people will starve. The farmer's
surplus supplies the world suppose the sur
plus fails?
The farmer can raise the material necessary
to clothe himself and family wool, cotton and
silk, but if he raises no more the rest of the
people will go naked. It is the farmer's surplus
material that, clothes the world suppose the
surplus fails?
The farmer can, if necessary, produce his own
fuel, He can raise his own wood; hecan.burn
corn cobs and even corn if he .must, but what
tywill become of the railroads when the farmer
neither buvs or sells?
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have no meat to pack? And what will become
of the grain gamblers when there is no market
grain to gamble on? What will become of the
little stores when the farmers cease to trade?
And what will the wholesalers do when the lit-
the store close? And what will the manufac
turers do when the wholesalers go out of busi
ness? And what will the clerks in the stores
the workers in the mills and the railroad em
ployes do when business stops? And what will
the banks do when they can not grow rich loan-,
Ing the people's money? What will all the peo
ple do, when nobody needs them? What? Go
to work WITH THEIR HANDS and wring a liv
ing from Mother Earth that is the last resort
as it was the first.
Will the middlemen continue to lord it over,
the producers of wealth, or will they learn that
they must SERVE if they would live, and serve
for a reasonable toll? The flower that blooms
in beauty on the stem should not despise the
roots that do their work in the dirt. The roots
will live when the flower fades not only live but
furnish the sustenance for new flowers, season
after season. So with the farmer, he lives near
to Nature's heart, he draws the milk from Na
ture's breast and Nature will protect him as a
mother protects her child. He will be last to
die in the struggle for existence. But why this
conflict? Why not love and brotherhood and
cooperation? Why not work together for the
common weal? Why not justice to each and
all? W. J. BRYAN.
"SHALL AMERICA LEAD?
I look to America as the greatest fac
x tor in the world crisis on international
peace. Combined reduction of expendi
tures by the great naval powers is essen
tial. America, trained in great principles,
is free to act and malo her own proposals.
We have a common object and all nations
must work loyally for agreement in effec
tive methods. Win. H. Gladstone, Form
.er Secretary of State for Home Affairs of
Great Britain.
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
REPUDIATED
When City Commissioners Zehrung, Dayton,
Schroeder and Wright disregarded the will of
the voters of Lincoln, Nebraska, and gave the
office of mayor to Zehrung after he had been
defeated for that position, representative gov
ernment was repudiated and the commissioners
were, guilty of an offense which no European
monarch-would dare to commit; - The -issue pre
sented by the recall of Zehrung gives the vot
ers an opportunity to express themselves for or
against this inexcusable usurpation of power.
Those who supported Zehrung when a candidate
in the recent election ought to be as prompt
to rebuke him as those who voted against him.
Principles of government are more important
than candiadtes and the fundamental principle
of popular government is the right of The people
to rule. The economic issues can be decided
as those issues are presented on separate bal
lots, but the overshadowing question is pre
sented by the recall. Zehrung and Wright shouid
be recalled by majorities so overwhelming that
no city official of Lincoln will ever again dis
regard the expressed will of the voters.
W. J. BRYAN.
"IT MUST NOT BE AGAIN"
"It must not be again" is the title of Presi
dent Harding's greatest speech. It was de
livered on May 23d at Hoboken, N. J., at the
memorial service for 5,000 who died in the
world war. A report of the speech will be
found on another page. If he succeeds in bring
ing about disarmament and world peace his
words will be recorded in history with Lin
coln's Gettysburg speech.
So may it be.
W. J. BRYAN.
NO PROMISE NECESSARY
In declaring for a conference on disarmament
it is neithev necessary, nor wise to announce in
advance that we can not begin disarming alone.
We can reserve decision on that question until
we try out the question of agreement. To prom
ise not to act without cooperation may stimulate
the old world militarists, navalists and manu
facturers of munitions to try to control this gov
ernment by controlling European governments.
W. J. BRYAN.
Whole Number 746
From Nebraska to
Florida
The following news item was given to thu
press in New York on May 31st:
"Mrs. Bryan's health is such that it is
necessary for us to live in the south, and,
having tested Miami's climate for eight
years, we have chosen that city for our
permanent home. For some time I have
been, politically speaking, in a state of
suspended animation, living in Florida, but
voting in Nebraska. Being as much inter
ested as ever In the problems of government
and desiring to make my remaining years
as valuable to my country as possible, I
have decided to transfer my citizenship to
Florida, and thus make my actual residence
my legal residence also."
It announces a docislon reluctantly reached af
ter months of deliberation. For more than
thirty-three years I registered from Lincoln,
Nebraska, and my name has been associated
with ,CUp name of the state as I have been intro
duced to speak at" "&iiLlf&ftTffgii3or evry kind. I
look back over a third of a century with feel
ings of profound gratitude to the people of Ne
braska, as well as to the members of the Demo
cratic party, and the attachment based upon ap
preciation is not lessened by the separation
which I have felt it my duty to make.
Beginning in 1888 the Democrats of Nebras
ka have expressed their confidence in me time
and time again. Twice they nominated me for
congress, once for the Senate, three times they
have supported me for President, and many
times for delegate to national conventions. Only
once have I been defeated by Democrats for any
position to which I aspired, and that 'as in
1916, when the prohibition question was be
ginning 'to be a national issue. In 1920 when
prohibition was an established policy in both
Nebraska and the nation, my party not only
selected me as a delegate to San Francisco but
elected eleven delegates out of sixteen in sym
pathy with the policies which I advocated. This
was the last expression of my party, and I shall
treasure the compliment while I live.
I shall not lose interest in the welfare of the
state and in its attitude on political questions.
On the contrary, I shall not only remaiu in
touch with public sentiment there, but will re
turn as frequently as I would If I were still a
legal resident of the state. I can never be in
different to the interests of the state or to Ne
braska's position in the councils in the nation.
By transferring my citizenship to Florida I shall
increase my capacity for usefulness because, liv
ing there, I can take part in the politics of the
state and share also in determining the state's
position on national questions. This will re
quire no change in my attitude on public ques
tionsbecause the south has been a loyal sup
porter of every reform in which I have been
interested. With the exception of equal suf-
frage, the south has stood with the west even
against the northeast and in the case of suf-
