The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, October 01, 1922, Image 1

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The
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WILUAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL 22, NO. 10
Lincoln, Nebraska, October, 1922
Whole Number 762
Money for All But
Soldiers
If the Republicans had been economical along
other lines, the ex-service men would wait pa
tiently for their turn, but there was money
enough to give the profiteers 450 millions relief
a year by the repeal of the excess profits tax
(that tax would have paid the bonus in ten years
besides penalizing profiteering).
There was money enough to give less than
five thousand millionaires a relief of 90 millions
a year by the reduction of the rates on big in
comes. There was money enough to give the railroads
over half a billion to guarantee dividends (when
did the government guarantee a fair income to
'farmers, laborers or merchants?).
, There was money enough for a Republican
House to pass a bill loaning another half billion
to the railroads.
There seems to be money enough, accordingto t
Republican leaders topernlijltheoting'of -a -
Bhip subsidy. " " U; ?P .
Why does the 'money suddenly fail when a
oonus is asked for the boys who bore the risks
yrhile big business made ohormous profits? The
ex-service men have had a test of Republicanism.
' W. J. BRTAN.
The Issues in Nebraska
Address by Charles W. Bryan, Democratic Nominee for Governor
senator mroHcocfc
Senator Hitchcock should and will be re-elected.
On economic questions he is the champion
of the over-burdened taxpayer and he stands for
the enforcement of prohibition in state and na
' tion.
His convincing arguments against the piracy
practiced on the masses by the Republican
revenue law, against the highway robbery per
petrated on the producers of wealth by the Re
publican protective tariff law, and against the de
flation of the farmers by the Republican admin
istration of the currency law, are making a pro
found impression on the Nebraska voters.
W. J. BRYAN.
AMERICAN SHIPS GO "DRY"
The government has made a new ruling .that
excludes liquor from United States government
ships wherever they sail no more ship saloons
under the American flag.
The ruling goes farther and prohibits the car
ing of intoxicants by any ships, foreign or do
mestic, within the three inilo limit. This is an
other blow to the wets. Uncle Sam is to be sober
on the water as well as on land. Another step
flas been taken in the "forward march" toward
ft saloonless world.
MRS. OJjESEN GAINS
Mrs. Olesentlie Democratic candidate for
senator in Minnesota, is -gaining as fhe campaign
Proceeds. The unfair effort to defeat hSxyby
Putting up an independent .candidate .ought to
react in her favor. " ' ' ' ' -s ' .
, Below is reproduced a speech delivered by
Charles W. Bryan, Democratic candidate for gov
ernor, at Papillion, Neb., October 5, in which he
discussed political issues in nation and state, and
in which he outlined his program of specific
measuies for the relief of the people of the stato
of Nebraska. An account of the meeting, and an
abstract of Mr. Bryan's address, as reported by a
staff correspondent in the Omaha World-Herald,
follows:
Papillion, Neb., Oct. 5. Charles Bryan,
Democratic gubernatorial candidate, bringing the
campaign into Sarpy county here tonight, called
a spade a spade, so to speak, when he met every
paramount issue of the campaign squarely and
avorred the trend during both national and state
Republican administrations has been:
First: To shift the burden of the war from
, .those who had profited most by the war onto
'tfieDaclcsbf thdse'wnowere'ieas't dSle financially
to bear it.
Second: To transform government affairs
out of reach of the electors into the hands of
groups, "who are controlled by special inter
ests." Mr. Bryan, in his talk said:
"I did not come to deliver a Fourth of July ora
tion but to talk plain facts and figures. I'm the
silent member of the family; my work has been
in the office of The Commoner at Lincoln, but in
the twenty-one years I've been there, associated
with my brother, I've been trying to apply busi
ness principles to government and never have I
. known a time when business principles were so
badly needed in state government as now,.
"During the present 'national administration,
we have seen many things happen, chief among
which was a trend to transfer the burdens of the
war fromMhose who made the profits out of it,
onto the backs of the pommon people. The most
striking example of this was through repeal of
the excess profits tax, a piece of legislation de
signed and put into effect that those men could
escape with the loot they obtained during the
war.
"We next see it in the effort to pass the ship
subsidy which provides for the sale of our fleet
of vessels which cost approximately $3,000,000,-.
000 during the war for $200,000,000 to the
shipping trust, or at a price which will net the
government about 7 per cent on the original in
vestment, and, in addition, the administration
"ogive them $750,000,000 , lo the form
of a subsidy, payable in ten annual installments.
PEOPLE MUST PAY
"Next came the tariff which put up a wall so
high on imports that all necessities of life are
hlmid to increase heavily. The country's treas
Tv is being deprived of about $400,000,000 a
.fn lo s of revenue in addition, and you peo
'ple wm be caned upon to make up thdiffer-
enco in some kind of taxation, no doubt. A Now
York Republican newspaper estimates tho cost
of living in this country will increase about $3,
000,000,000 a year as a result of this prohibi
tive tariff. I was told today in Omaha at Hay
don's and at Brandeis' that tho advance in wear
ing apparel already has started.
"The soldiors' bonus, which I was sorry to see
tho president voto, could almost bo paid out of
tho installments of tho ship subsidy or out of
tho revenue lost through repeal of tho excess
profits tax.
"So, you see, they find ways to relievo tho
groat captains of industry by giving them sub
sidies, repeal of their taxes, etc.
"The President vetoed the bonus bHI or ad
justed compensation as it should be called be
cause, he said, there was no sales tax attached
to finance tho measure. A sales tax is merely
a consumption taxa tax on practically every
thing you buy, and its effect would bo that tho
soldiers, to whom adjusted compensation Is bo
justly due, would virtually bo financing it.
BIG BUSINESS IN SADDLE
"I just mention these things to show, you tho
trend of tho times that big business is in tho
saddle.
"The men who made tho profits out of tho
war should be made to pay the bonus. J wish
legislation of that sort could bo enacted. If
such a thing were possible, they could financo It
out of one year's profits.
"If you agree with us, then it Is your duty and
to your Interest to support as a unit our candi
dates from Senator Hitchcock and tho entire
Democratic ticket.
"The same trends are noticeable possibly
more so In stato government. Commencing
four years ago, we saw the cost of government
jump until now our taxes alone have more than
doubled. We find that under Governor More
head's administration, the appropriations for tho
first two years were $8,000,000. During the sec
ond term, it was' reduced $500,000 and under
Governor Neville's administration a war period
the appropriations for state government wero
$9,000,000 Four years ago came the change in
government with an accompanying jump In tho
state appropriations from $9,000,000 to $20,
000,000 and then during the past two years to
about $30,000,000. Such a protest went up from
the people that a special session of the legisla
ture was called and a slice of about $2,000,000
taken from the appropriations and then they
went around boasting of how much they had
saved the taxpayers.
THE CODE LAW
"I now want to discuss the code law in our
state government which the Democrats are
pledged to wipe off the statute books, If elected.
It is a law created by Governor McKelvie four
year ago by which the power vested In tho
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