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The Commoner
VOL. 21, NO. 6
frago tho south's attitiulo waft determined by the
raco quostion rather than by any differenco be
tween tho sections in tho appreciation of "wo
man's influenco and duty.
On ponding issuos, such as tho enforcement of
prohibition, tho establishment of universal peace
through disarmament, tho reduction of taxes
in a manner oquitablo to tho masses, and in the
elimination of monopoly and privilege, tho south
and west aro in hearty accord, aad on theso
subjects I shall find myself as much at home
fn Florida as in Nebraska.
I first learned of Florida through letters writ
ten by my wife bofore wo wore married; I next
loarned of Florida when my regiment was sta
tioned thoro for a few months during tho Span
ish War; my visits thoro during the past eight
years havo increased my fondness for tho state
as they have increased my acquaintance with
it. I havo found there unexpected opportun
ities of reaching tho entire country in religious
matters through my Sunday School class, which
moots under tho palm trees and is attended by
citizens from nearly all the states of the union.
I havo opportunity there, also, to meet political
loaders who visit tho magic city in which we
dwell. Miami's increase of 440 per cent during
tho last ton years entitles her to bo called
"Magic Miami" and an increasing multitude is
drawn within her extending boundaries.
It is probably too much to hope that at my
period of life I can ever become as well ac
quainted with tho people of Florida as I am with
tho peoplo of Nebra'ica, but during my stay in
tho state I havo found many congenial friends
who will vio with the friends in Nebraska in
adding pleasure to the days that lie between me
and the sunBot. My 1'eart is largo enough to
lovo both tho great west and the great south,
and there is then affection enough left to be
stow upon tho devoted co-laborers who, in tho
states of tho north and east, have shown a cour
age and devotion to principle not inferior to that
which I have found beyond the Mississippi and
south of tho Ohio. W. J. BRYAN.
Tho Commoner will continue to be published
at Lincoln.
THE PRIZE KING
Commenting on the prize ring tho Chicago
Trjibuno laments over two facts; first, that some
women insist on attending prize fights and, sec
ond, that ministers do NOT attend. The Tribune
is half r.ght the ladies should not attend, but
why should men? There is plenty of sport
that is innocent. Why should anyone want to
see men try to injure one another? Tho influ
enco is not elevating and it is not necessary
to physical development.
"NEVER AGAIN"
Tho President has given the advocates of dis
armament a great slogan "Never Again." Why
not organize "Never Aga'n clubs" to fight the
preparedness that loads to war? We are just
coming out of a "prepared war" with a world
debt six times as large as it was seven years
ago and war expenditures many times as great
as before the war. "Never Again!"
WANTED!
Some substitute for the excess profits tax that
will relieve tho predatory interests without
arousing tho masses. The change will be made
in the dark if possible.
A REWARD
A liberal reward will bo paid to any exnert
who will show the Republican leaders how to
reduce the income tax on large incomes with
out reducing it on small incomes.
WHY NOT?
Tho Austrian Tyrol seems to have voted about
10 to 1 in favor of union with Germany Whv
not? And why not self-determination for Austria?
MILITARISM DYING
Who says that militarism is not at ebb tide'
A year ago Chairman Wadsworth of the Military
Affairs committee of the Senate reported a bill
providing for universal compulsory military sor
vice, and said it, would require an annual i"
penditure of about $700,000,000. The Demo
crflts with the aid of a few Republicans, klHod
MmV ii WU? Javocate s a measure no v"
Militarism is dyingpeace to its ashes
The "Liberals"
The Indianapolis Star has tho following:
"When Justice Brandeis was elevated to
a position on the bench of the supreme
court of the United States there was much
criticism and some alarm. Objections to
h.m were based on his 'liberalism' or 'hu
manitarianism.' He had espoused the cause
of tho so-called 'progressivism' in govern
ment as against a safe and sane conserva
tive policy. A recent decision on the 'Rent
Law' by the court 5 to 4 in which
Brandeis cast the deciding vote, seems to
justify the fear of conservative men who
revere the constitution as the bulwark of
our liberties and the protector of our prop
erty. Congress and the state of New York
passed laws providing that a landlord can
not get his property back from a tenant at
the end of his lease if the tenant is willing
to go on and pay the same rent. The act
of congress applied only to the District of
Columbia. By a vote of 5 to 4 the supreme
court upheld those laws. The five justices
upholding the law are the o-called 'lib
erals,' and the four d ssenting justices, aro
the 'seasoned' conservative men on tho
bench. The decision is considered a menace
to the rights of property and t blow to the
constitution itself?"
The above is interesting; it is the old con
flict between human rights and property rights
and in this case the "liberals" won. But the
"seasoned" conservatives seem to have won when
they nullified the child labor law and when they
set Newberry free. We need one or two more
liberals on the bench.
W. J. BRYAN.
BORN AGAIN
On another page will be found a news item in
regard to the conversion of Jim Hicks. He was
raised by a moonshiner and was in a Virginia
reformatory at 11. He served time in nineteen
pr.sons. That is about as bad a start as he
could make, but eight years ago he was con
verted in prison and "prayed his way out.' Now
In travels over the country distributing Bibles
to prisoners and helping them after they come.
If an uneducated man with such a criminal
record can render such a service what can a col
lege graduate do if he has the same spiritual
urge! w. J. BRYAN.
THE MICHIGAN CITIZEN
The Democratic state committee which is in
the control of the progressive element of tho
party, has established a weekly to which it has
given the name, The Michigan Citizen. Secre
tary A. R. Canfield is editor, with Chairman Wil
liam A. Comstock and Treasurer Frank D.
Eaman as backers. It is a splendid idea. The
Commoner welcomes it into the field, of journal
ism and wishes it success. Every state in the
contested area should have such a paper. Here
is a chance for well-to-do Democrats to render
a real party service. w. J. BRYAN
VINDICATED AGAIN
Mr. Bryan will be pardoned for feeling just
a little pleased over the fact that the Colombia
treaty (which he negotiated in 1914) has. been
ratified. The 25 millions agreed upon was not
reduced a dollar and the arguments contained
in the report prepared seven years ago were the
ones used this year. It takes the Republicans
quite a while to come around to the Democratic
position but they generally come if you give them
time.
THE REACTION HAS SET IN
'The victory won by the Democrats in tho
Senate, reducing the army to 150,000, is import
ant in itself and important as evidence of re
action against the Republicans. The Democrats
are on the popular side of the army question
Keep your eye on tho Democrats at Washington
they are making a brave and winning fight.
DISARMAMENT AT ONCE
There should not be a moment's delay in be
ginning disarmament, whether it is to be se
cured by agreement or by our example no time
should be lost. Every new ship built Will make
reduction that much harder. Up1 'all and at the
A PRAYER ANSWERED
Below will be found a press dispatch from
Pueblo. Materialists may scoff at prayer and
deny that it is ever answered, but Mrs. Ellis
and little Mildred will not be disturbed by
doubts or fears. The dispatch follows:
"Pueblo, Colo., June 6. A graphic descrip
tion of the plight of passengers caught
by the flood on the Missouri Pacific and Denver
and Rio Grande tracks during the flood hero
Friday night, was given today by Mrs. Ruby
Ellis, of Wichita, Kans.,. who was imprisoned
in an overturned Pullman coach with her 9-year-old
daughter for more than four hours.
"We were in the car next to the engine, and
the train was pulled out of the station yard to
a point near the river,' said Mrs. Ellis. 'The
car turned over gradually onto its right side,
as the water rushed under the bottom.'
"My little daughter, Mildred Mary, and I were
thrown to the bottom of the car into the water.
I struggled to the surface and found mattresses
and bedding over me. Then I found my little
girl and pulled her to the top of the car,
which was not yet filled with water. We stood
on the rods of the upper berth and held onto
the rods on the other side of tho car.
"The water rose rapidly until it had reached
my chin. My little girl was clinging to my neck.
Fortunately the ventilator windows were opened
and wo were able to. breath freely. , .
"I had given up hop of life when the water
came to my chin. Mildre"1 Mary had. not cried
nor complained up to this time, and she asked:
'What shall I do, mother?' and I told her to
pray.
"Then she repeated over and over, 'Jesus, I
trust you.'
"It seemed only a few minutes' until tho
water began to recede. We made our way to
the end of the car, where some women in tho
train had broken a window were helped to tho
side, of the coach by the rescue party."
WHY NOT OTHERS?,
A Senate bill, aimed at Judge ' Landis, pro
hibits a federal judge from accepting .a salary
outside his official salary. In this case, tho
wets, the representatives of big business and
the gamblers are trying to drive Landis from
the bench because he enforces prohibition, pun
ishes big criminals and is trying to make base
ball a clean game.
If the purpose of this bill is to serve the pub
lic, why not prohibit judges from enjoying an
income from the stocks and bonds of CORPORA
TIONS? These may affect the judge's decision,
and yet no effort is being made to protect the
bench from this REAL menace. Senator Ken
yon has introduced an amendment compelling
senators and members to give up salaries incon
sistent with their public duties. This, too, is in
the right direction. W. J. BRYAN.
The total appropriations made by the late Ne
braska legislature were oyer 30 millions, a con
siderable increase over the amount authorize 1
by the preceding legislature. The late Ne
braska legislature was elected on the pledge to
reduce taxation, and there is much talk of hold
ing a statewide Indignation meeting to protect
and possibly to order a referendum. The news
papers say that the legislature was beset all
through the session by- a lobby of contractors
and c, rporation representatives. Will the peo
ple have forgotten by the next election?
Washington correspondents say that nobort?
at the national capital takes seriously the emer
gency tariff bill just enacted by congress, no
cause nobody expects that any relief to the
agricultural interests can come from it. Con
gressmen excuse their adoption of it by sayinj?
that tho farmers wanted it. The ideals that
govern legislation at the national capital are
not of a very high order if that bo true.
!ary of the steel trust says that the retail
ers are keeping up prices. No doubt of it. Now,
if the retailers will tell us what Gary is doing
we may get another side light on the situation.
The farmers need not worry over the pos
sibility of their condition becoming worse As
they are sleeping on the floor they can not fall
off the bed.
As Mr. Bryan's change in "citizemship was
made for family reasons, no one in Nebraska
or Florida, outside df tho family, was consulted.
The excess profits tax is still in the air; it has
not yet found' a place to land,: but 'it can bo
depended on to land on the people.
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