immfmrsri smnqi!VPiintmrrym)iV' jjfr?r7fycTfiiii!iiilig!ii i-T-',"','!7'iriw The Commoner. . WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR ty VOL. 10, NO. 3 Lincoln, Nebraska, January 28, 1910 Whole Number 471 A FamiliarWarning When President Taft visited Arizona and New Mexlcohe took occasion to warn them not to write constitutions like Oklahoma's. Well, ho gave tho same waTning to Oklahoma but the people there ratified the constitution by over 100,000 majority and, as the democrats carried the state by only 30,000 it was evident that a large number, of republicans endorsed the. con stitution. ' And 'so a large number of republicans in Arizona and New Mexico are likely to insist upon the right of the people of the' territories to write their, own constitutions whether those constitutions please the president or not. Those on the outside are at liberty to make sugges tions but the people who are to live under the constitutions are the ones to determine their provisions, subject only to the condition that they do not violate the fedoral constitution. The provision in the Oklahoma constitution which seemed to arouse the ire of the president most was that embodying the initiative and ref erendum, but that was the most important pro vision in the document. It gave the people con trol over their government and insured them against misrepresentation. The initiative gives the voters the means of compelling the submis sion of any question upon which they desire to act, and the referendum enables them to veto any legislative measure to which they ob ject. To attack he initiative and referendum is to attack the doctrine of self-government; to oppose it Is tor question the capacity of the peo ple for self government. - . Jf the people of the territories are careful to geethattheircbristitutions contain the initiative and referendum they need not worry about other provisions' because "with these they can soon cor rect any mistakes that the constitutional con ventions may make. Oklahoma is the only state to begin with these guarantees; the other states have had to add them. Missouri, Maine, Oregon, Montana and South Dakota having already act ed. The others will act in time. Arizona and New Mexico have waited long; they can mate up for lost time by beginning right. "CORRUPT AND CONTENTED" Lincoln Stefflns, a magazine writer, visited Philadelphia recently and addressing a repre sentative of the Philadelphia North American, Baid: "When I was here before Philadelphia wa"s corrupt, but not contented; but today I see that it is both corrupt and contented." It is bad enough for the people of a munici pality, of a state or a nation to become so care less that their public servants become corrupt and carry on their infamies, aB they often do, all the while their constituents imagine they are rendering faithful service.' But when the corruption has been exposed, as is the case with Philadelphia; when it has beefi shown that the CONTENTS "" " A FAMILIAR WARNING ' " ' UNSPEAKABLE WOE "BRINGING PEACE" "MR. BRYAN'S GREATEST SPEECH" ' AFRAID OF THE TRUTH, AFRAID OF THE LIGHT JOHN W. KERN'S OPINION PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS MONEY EDUCATIONAL SERIES FEDERAL IN CORPORATION CURRENT TOPICS WHETHER COMMON OR NOT "" HOME DEPARTMENT NEWS OF .THE WEEK WASHINGTON NEWS . . ,.. , WILX2 YOU HELP MA30D IT A. ' , .'. MILLION? 2), ' Charles V. Dieter, Mondak, Mont. If you run the subscription price at 60 - " cent's per jrear in clubs or five for a' few . . ' months we" ought to be able to put The ' ' Commoner in a million homes before next November. Why not make this suKKestioh a war cry: - - "A million subscribers for November, 1910.". " " ' '' ' If you would just put this in on the front page of The Commoner that you want a minion suDscriDers Derore me election next November and make the price 60 cents, and ask all your readers to help in getting them, you would bo surprised at the rate names would come in. If every doctor and lawyer that takes The Commoner and believes in its teaching would just ask their clients to subscribe for the paper when they came into their office, there would be a million subscribers in two months, or less. The four names that I send you herein, be sides my own name, are men that came into my office and I just asked them if they didn't want to subscribe for The Commoner and told them that I was go ing to send in a list of names and asked them if they didn't want to join the list, and they all fJaid that they did and gave - me their 60 cents and three of them told .- me that they have been wanting to sub- . ' scribe for The Commoner for some time, 5l but just. neglected to do so. One. of these " men was a' republican, hu,t he. don't like the new tariff law. I think that the ' prospect's for a democratic housp next fall neverwero better." -When -the price. . of everything begins to raise, tho people ' will fregin to realize the makeshift the new tariff bill really Is. I will', send in the names of some more subscribers soon. Best success to The Commoner and to Mr. Bryan. people of that city have been plundered by public officials and by rings that have fattened upon public contracts; when it has been made known to .the people that vice and crime has been protected systematically and persistently, then to be told that the town is thoroughly contented with its plight is deplorable indeed. No wonder men who earnestly strive to Im prove conditions lose courage. Is it not, how ever, true that the very blackness of the cloud that presents itself to the reformer In Philadel phia, ought to give new strength to the re former's arm and new courage to his heart? "BRINGING PEACE" 't Republican editors and politicians are busy devising "means of bringing peace In the re publican paTty." One suggestion is that the regulars under President Taft withdraw the threat to withhold the postofflces from the in surgents. Another is that Secretary of the In terior Ballinger resign. It can not be that re publican insurgents have no firmer base than would appear in the light of these suggestions. If Secretary Ballinger should retire and If every insurgent received every office for which he asked, the fact would remain that Aldrichism and Cannonlsm is rampant in the capitol building-, In the White House and throughout the departments of the public service where the re publican organization is dominant. Some politi cians may be Interested in the distribution pf the offices but the rank and file of the American people are interested In the cause of popular government and Aldrichism and Cannonlsm, which is fast coming to be regarded as another name for Taftlsm, is an ever increasing danger , to the principle upon which our government was- founded. Unspeakable Woe The Christian Endeavor World, Boston, Mass., printed in its Issue of January 20 ah article written by Mr. Bryan and relating to total abstinence. Tho article follows: Why should one sign a total-abstinence "pledge? First, because it marks tho crossing of 'the lino into the total-abstinence brotherhood; second, because It strengthens one in tho hours Vf temptation; and third, because It encourages others to abstain from Intoxicating liquor. A pledge is merely tho written evidence- of an obligation already taken. A man can hardly call himself a total abstainer who has never in wardly resolved not to drink. It is the decision that he makes which fixes his status; and, whon he has made that decision, there is no reason why ho should object to its being known, unless he is either ashamed of it or afraid that ho can not keep it. There is nothing humiliating about taking a pledge. Every man who becomes a member of a fraternity or secret society of any kind binds .himself by a solemn obligation; every person who becomes a naturalized citizen takes the oath of allegiance; every official is sworn into office by subscribing to a pledge to support the constitution, obey the laws, and perform the duties pertaining to his office. The church member takes upon himself certain obligations as a condition precedent to membership, and .marriage is solemnized by an exchange of pledges. . The husband and wife do not regard It as a' sign of weakness to enter, tno holy estate of 'wedlock by promising fidelity to' each 'other In the presence of witnesses. The man who ver bally declares that he will pay a debt," bu fro- fuses to put the promise into writing, is not likely to be pointed out as an example of hon esty; the official who says that he Intends to perform tho duties of his office, but does not want to make the promise a matter of record, excites suspicion,. . Why 'should tho man who intends to abstain from intoxicating liquor refuse to let it be known? In hours of temptation it Is a source of strength to one to feel that his word Is out, and that otliers expect him to live up to It. Tho expectation of friends Is in itself a factor to be considered, and then the pledge of total abstin ence helps to determine the circle of acquain tances. Tho total abstainer makes friends among total abstainers, and his friends consti tute an environment that is helpful, while one who objects to tho pledge is more apt to mingle wi.th those who are not restrained by a pledge; and this environment In turn may lead one into moderate drinking, and from moderate drink ing into the excessive use of liquor. But there is another reason for signing the pledge, which must have great weight with those who recognize that man Is responsible for the influence which he exerts as -well as for his conduct. Tlrls sense of responsibility can not be enforced by law, and it can not be cultivated except through an appeal to the conscience. . It Is not sufficient for a man to say that he can drink in moderation and without harm to himself. This might be entirely true in his particular case, although many overestimate their capacity to drink in moderation, and they often underestimate the harm done to them selves. There is a- moral question, which is much larger; namely, can a man afford to in dulge the appetite for drink, even when he can do so without harm to 'himself, if by so doing he leads weaker men to ruin? The great apostle declared that if eating meat made his brother to offend, he would eat no meat. Why this resolve? Because the love of his brother was stronger in him than the desire for meat; and so we may hope, even expect, that with the growth of the idea of brotherhood and of the sense of comradeship one with another the individual, especially the ruu.. . .'- auta.T . u -, :.. . i . -