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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10, NUMBEH 27
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The Commoner. "Catch -My -Pal" A Tremendous Nickname
ISSUED WEEKLY
Entorcd nt tho PoBtofllco ftt Lincoln, Nebraska,
rb HcconU-claHB matter.
WII.1.IAM .7. llHYAN
Editor and Proprietor
ntciiAHt) Ju Mktcai.fk.
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Address all communications to
THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
The Million Army
Among tho letters received In reply to Sen
ator Owen's question, "If the people really rule,
why don't the people get what they want?" was
one from Mr. J. F. Huntzinger, Enid, Okla. Mr.
Huntzinger's letter is interesting for several rea
sons and is printed hero in full. Ho says: "The
reason tho people do not rule, therefore do not
get what they want is their own inactivity.
Action is the law of God. Tho good people gen
erally as members of one or the other party
are like many church members; all they think
necessary on their part is to send out a petition
in words and expect their wants or rather de
mands to bo supplied. If men want results
they must have right motives, followed with
right thinking, taking form in right actions right
now.. Every man should make it his business
to watch tho caucus and the primaries. Ques
tion all candidates closely on the many vital
questions before the public today, and work
openly for the man who declares himself for
tho people. Then and not till then will the
people rule and get what they need, if they
don't get all they want. To those who are
willing, but don't just know how to act, I would
advise them 'to at once join Tho 'Commoner's
Million Army and follow the line of action laid
down every week in The Commoner and the
results will be for tho good of all."
Archie A. Shanburg, Goodland, Kan. We all
realize Mr. Bryan is doing a great educational
work among tho people. I am sending you two
applications for The Commoner's Million Army.
Will send more as my time permits.
Albert A. Mann, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
I am grateful to you for tho Invitation to co
oporato with you in the matter of obtaining
candidates who stand for the people instead of.
for special interests, and I appreciate the good
work of The Commoner in championing this
cause. I am with you, and trust that the demo
crats of tho next congress will be found loyally
standing on tho platform, and that the platform
is up to the standard of the Denver platform.
Henry Wilbur, Hutto, TexaB. I am not a
citizen of Texas only visiting relatives and in
search of health. I am in sympathy with your
good work and duly appreciate your efforts in
the work" of regeneration, and only hopo I may
live to see tho overthrow and downfall of the
party in power. Pontics are at a very low ebb,
and to purify them it will take drastic measures.
When a man Is elected and violates his oath of
Some movements are better known by their
nicknames than by the formal titles attributed
to them by their organizeVs. It is a good aug
ury for tho success of any reform when the
public attaches to it a pet name. It at least im
plies interest, a little admiration and sometimes
no small affection for the cause. In Ireland
just now we have a remarkable example of this.
Tho most popular movement that has stirred the
Emerald isle in years is known wholly by a
nickname.
The formal designation of the "Catch-My-Pal"
organization is the somewhat prosaic title,
"Protestant Total Abstinence Union." But it
must needs be a very formal occasion indeed
when that title is heard.
The movement began in a very simple way.
On the evening of the 13th of July, 1909, Rev.
R. J. Patterson, pastor in Armagh, was coming
home when he noticed a small group of men
lounging around a lamp post. He bade one of
them "good-night," and in response to the salu
tation the man made some slighting remark
about his companions and their weakness for
drink. Mr. Patterson stopped, asked the man
if he really meant what ho said, spoke to the
others, took them round to his manse, and in
the dining room that night the society was born.
These six men went away pledged to turn
up again in the same place on a succeeding 'even
ing, each with another man who wanted to give
up the drink. Prompt to the moment they all
arrived, bringing their boon companions. They
prayed together, and all pledged themselves to
go out and get others to join with them.
Since that night the movement has steadily
grown until now there are over 70,000 mem
bers. The incidents told 1n the various meetings
aro sometimes very thrilling. Men who had
never been sober for a week at a time since
they remember have been stanch teetotalers and
aggressive temperance workers for the last six
months. The men who drink have proved them
selves best suited to persuade their comrades to
join them in this new crusade.
Other temperance movements have been ap
parently run too much by total abstainers, and
those who needed most to be reached could not
bo approached by men of that type. They re
sented all Interference with their personal lib
erty from men who had apparently never under
stood the so-called friendly ties developed round
the social glass.
All great institutions, as some one I:as said,
are but the lengthening shadow of some unique
personality. This truth is at once apparent in
this instance. Mr. Patterson is a man in a
class by himself. He combines in a marked
degree devoutness and humor, sanity and en
thusiasm, simplicity and eloquence. He can at
tract men and set them to work. How he has
been able to do so much in so short a time it
is difficult to understand.
The distinctive feature of the union Is of
course the fundamental principle of each ono
pledging himself to get another. There is noth
ing new about such a principle, but somehow it
has never been applied in connection with tem-
offlce prosecute him for perjury, and when he
is elected on a good platform fix it so when
he steps off that platform he steps off the earth.
Then we will have honest politics. A long
time ago Henry Clay of v Kentucky said
every man had his price, but I did. not think
perance in just the same way or with the same
beneficent results. The men who have stopped
drinking need something to occupy their at
tention and excite their interest. Nothing seems
so fitting to do this as trying to persuade some
other man to leave liquor and join the society.
Some Irish towns of 3,000 or 4,000 inhabi
tants have been so influenced by the movement
that almost all the men who tippled have talcen
the pledge and left the public houses without
customers. Over the whole province of Ulster
the effect has been noted in the great decrease
of crime, so that the judges at the recent as
sizes had to compliment several of the counties
on their unusual condition of peacefulness.
The movement has created a sentiment in favor
of sobriety among the very ".lasses who formerly
thought it no disgrace to get drunk. It has also
awakened enthusiasm in all districts it has
reached, not only among the drinkers but among
temperance workers who had fallen into a rut
and were making little if any impression onthe
community.
Another very important effect of the union has
been the bringing together on a common tem
perance platform of all Protestant denomina
tions. Never before in Ireland have the Espico
palians, the Presbyterians and the Methodists
fraternized as they are doing now in connection
with this organization.
The pledge and ritual are as simple as t:an
be. All members stand, hold up the open hand,
and repeat together phrase by phrase these
words:
"For God and home and native land, I promise
to abstain from all intoxicating drinks as bever
ages, and to do all that in me lies to promote
the cause of total abstinence by getting others
to join the union."
Then they shut their fists and say word by
word:
"We will see this thing through."
The pledge may be taken for months or years
or for life. The weekly .meetings are maTked
by this public -pledge-taking. If a man breaks
his pledge he can be restored only by the vote
of the members and must be restored publicly.
It is remarkable how few have -as yet broken
these pledges. Perhaps the publicity has helped
to keep the pledge-takers constant. I fear that
a large majority of the pledges signed in private
are broken in a very short time. These men
can get those who have broken their pledge to
come back and face their fellow members again
when Christian workers would have very little
chance of succeeding.
All the meetings are opened and closed with
religious exercises and the Lord's Prayer is re
peated In unison by all present.
It Is too soon yet and we are too near the
active participants to express any opinion as to
the permanence of the movement. However, all
admit It is doing a splendid work and the or
ganization has in it all the elements of success.
Never since the days of Father Mathew have
temperance meetings been so popular, the au
diences so large, the speakers so effective or the
results so satisfactory.
at that tlmo they would
bargain counter. I am a
on the Mississippi and
been since 1856 and am
the age of 74 years, and
I can for you.
ever be placed on tho
river pilot and captain
Ohio rivers and have
on the down grade at
by the' way will do all
5a
I
APPUCATION BLANK
The Commoner's Million Army
Signed.
Adlres8...
HMWHtMIllfnIHMW
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