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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1912)
NOVEMBER 22, 1912 The Commoner. How Father Voted A Touching Description of the Dis charge of a Patriotic Duty 00&2S)22)SS( 03I;5)Sj2)5)S)0 AN APPRECIATION This truo Incident in the life of my father Is recorded in print as a testimony to many sterling qualities which have manifested themselves in his life, not the least of which is his high sense of duty as an Ameri can citizen, which at all times amounts to patriotic devotion. To him the ballot has always been a sacred instrument to be used with great discretion to express his honest convictions, never his dislikes or prejudices. His judgment may not always have been Infallible, but his honesty and sincerity could never be called into question. If tho majority of voters possessed his sense of tho importance and sanctity of the ballot box, many of the ills which afflict our political system would have instantaneous cure. Aurora, Neb. J. G. ALDEN. 5)0C The night preceding election day mother awakened and being curious to know the hour snapped on the electric light which hung by her pillow. Tho hands of the clock pointed to half past twelve. Turning to observe if father wero asleep she noted that his eyes were wide open as if they had not yet tasted sleep. "Mary," he observed in a quiet voice, "if I had known you wished to know what time it is I could have told you that it is half past twelve." "Haven't you been aBleep?" asked mother. "No," replied father, "my thoughts have been busy and I have only just now begun to feel drowsy. There was silence for a few moments and then father asked: "Mary, does Maud always get up when Arthur does?" "Usually she does," was mother's response. "Why do you ask?" "Well, I have been wondering if she would have time in the morning to press my best pants before I get up." "Sure she will have time, and she will be pleased to do it for you." Again there was silenco for a time and then father said: "Mary, I want to get up real early in tho morning. You bo sure and call mo Just as soon as my coffee is ready. And don't forgot to put tho flat irons over when you first got up. I have many things to do in tho morning. I wish to clip my beard and shlno ray shoes bo foro I go down to vote. So call mo early so that I will havo plenty of time." "All right," promised mother, "I'll see that you get up in time. "Be sure those creases are in my pants good and deep," waB father's parting admonition be fore he dropped off to sleep. About eight o'clock next morning mother wont in to call tho anxious citizen. Ho said ho was not feeling well and would lio awhile. Not long after though he came out of his bedroom par tially dressed. His back had a bow in it and his face wore a dejected look. Ho was in tho grip of his old time enemy. Ho sat by the flro a while and warmed himsolf. Then ho drank his coffee and ate his breakfast. His preoccupied look suggested labored thought and soon his spirits rose and with them vanished aches and pains. His duty as a citizen was now sweep ing away all obstacles in tho way of its ful fillment. He arose from tho table with alacrity and called for his best pants. His request had been well heeded a lasting crease adorned each leg. He surveyed them with satisfaction and donned them. Then ho shined his shoes until they re flected the glow that was in his face. Next ho clipped hiB beard with great care and this pro cess consumed much time for his hand shook with weakness. Ho called on mother to trim the ragged edges of his hair and when it was done to his liking he fastened his collar and tied his cravat with much precision. Tho fore noon was half gone when his exacting prepara tions wero finished. Ho found his hat and started for the door. Then ho turned and camo back to survey the part of his hair in tho mirror. Mother had been an amused and interested wit ness lo all these painstaking dottailii In his toilot. "Why, father," sho inquired with a suspicion of iinpatiunco In hor volco, "Is It necessary that you have your hair Just so when you go to vote?" Father turned on her a look of mild reproof. "Mary," ho said, solemnly, "I need to havo my hair look well for when I go into tho booth to vote for president I always tako off my hat in deference to my candidate." Smoothing tho last strayod lock, ho carofully removed his glasses, put on his hat and loft tho house. As ho wont down tho alloy mother noted that his shouldors wero straight, his head high, his step quick and sure, and ho boro tho manner of ono who was engaged In tho per formance of a profound and honorod duty. Ho was not long absent and when lie returned thero was in his fuce a look of contontmont which follows a duty well dono. "I told tho men there," he remarked, "that I would like a place for my hat for I always took off my hat when r votod for president. A smile wont round among tho men but ono of them took my hat and hold it until I was through. I did not mind tho smile. I was thoro to perform my duty and I had tho assurance that I was doing my full duty as a man and a citizen." And so he had. Through tho long campaign ho had read with caro and weighed argument against argumont, man against man in tho attompt to come to a righteous Judgment. When ho had digested the facts he reached a decision which for stability and unchangeablllty rivalled the Itock of Gibraltar, In the pride of hlg citizenship and in tho exorcise of a solemn and honorod privilege ho went to tho polls and cast a vote which represented his hard-carnod Judg ment. And whether his vote swelled tho ma jority of his chosen candidate or was lost in an avalanche of negative ballots, it mattered not to him. Ho had performed his duty as a citizon in accord with tho promptings of his conscience and Its silent approbation fore stalled any sense of loss or sting of dofeat. USING OUR EX-PRESIDENTS An Associated Press dispatch from Washing ton says: A plan to admit ox-presidents, ex vice presidents and ex-speakers of the house of representatives to the floors of tho two houses of congress, with tho privilege of debate, but not of voting upon measures, was broached hero recently by William J. .Bryan. Mr. Bryan's state ment was coupled with a declaration that ho favored a change in the time of convening con gress, so that the new sessions would begin shortly after new members took office, March 4. "The question is often asked, 'What shall wo do with our ex-presidents?' " Mr. Bryan said. "Now that we soon will have two ex-presidents and three ex-vice presidents, it might be worth while to consider what means could bo em ployed to utilize their experience and accumu lated information. It seems to me that tho nation might avail itself of their services and at the same time afford them a dignified means of keeping in communication with the public. "It has occurred to me that both these ends could be attained by a law giving an ex-president tho privileges of the floor In both tho senate and house, with permission to take part In debate, without of course the privilege of voting or serving on committees. The retiring vice president should be given privileges of tho floor of the senate under the same limitations, and I see no reason why they should not bo accorded to an ex-speaker of the house if ho retires from congress." Asked if his plan contemplated salaries, Mr. Bryan replied: "Not necessarily; In fact it ought to be con sidered from tho standpoint of benefiting tho persons to whom the privileges should bo granted. "At this time, tho plan proposed would find its benefits in the main to republi cans, as there Is now one republican ex-presl-dont and soon will be another, while there are two republican ex-vice presidents and one re publican ex-speaker and one democratic ex-vice president, Mr. Adlai B. Stevenson. "It looks now, however, as If we were enter ing upon a democratic era, and that the pro posed law would not be a one-sided one. Be sides, such a matter ought to bo looked at from a higher standpoint than that of political ad vantage." Mr. Bryan made suggestions similar to this many years ago. During Mr. Roosevelt's term of vice president ho urged a plan for making tho office of vice president moro serviceable than it now is. At that time ho wrote for Tho Com moner an editorial in which ho said: "It has been intimated that Vice President elect Roosevelt is desirous of receiving more consideration at the hands of tho president than has, as a rule, been given to those occupying his position. Whether or not tho report is true is not material, but tho ambition, if ho does enter tain it, is an entirely worthy one. Why has tho vice president been so generally ignored by tho chief executive In tho past? It is said that Mr. Breckenridge was only consulted onco by President Buchanan, and then only In regard to tho phraseology of a Thanksgiving proclama tion. This Incident was related to a later vico president who was noted for his skill at repar tee, and he replied, with a twinkle In his eye: "Well, there is one moro Thanksgiving day bo fore my term expires." According to tho con stitution, the vice president succeeds to tho offlc in case tho president dies, resigns, Is removed, or becomes unable to discharge the duties of tho office. The public good requires that he should be thoroughly informed as to tho details of tho administration and ready to take up tho work of the executive at a moment's notice. The vice president ought to be ex-offlcio a member of the president's cabinet; he ought to sit next to the president in the council chamber. Receiv ing his nomination from a national convention and his commission from tho people, he is able to furnish the highest possible proof that he enjoys public respect and confidence, and the president should avail himself of the wisdom and discretion of such an adviser. While the responsibility for action rests upon the occu pant of the White House, he is entitled to, and of course desires, all the light possible before deciding on any question. Congress can, by law, impose upon the vice president the duty of giv ing such assistance to his chief, or the presi dent can of his own volition establish the pre cedent, and it would, In all probability, bo observed by his successors. Many public men havo avoided tho second place on the ticket for fear it would relegate them to obscurity; some of Colonel RoobovoR's friends objected to his nomination on that ground. A cabinet position has generally been considered moro desirable than tho vice presidency, but tho latter in dig nity and Importance Is, In fact, only second to the presidency, and tho occupant deserves the prominence and prestige which would come from more Intimate official association with the executive." GREATEST PRIVATE CITIZEN Raleigh (N. C.) News-Observer: Tho best thing said by any citizen since tho election was by William J. Bryan, when ho declared that instead of singing tho songs the third term party had tried to monopolize ho felt Ilko sing ing tho old orthodox tuno: "This is tho day I long havo sought. And mourned because I found it not" The Baltimore Sun, which was ono of the oarlicst and most influential factors In securing the nomination of Woodrow Wilson, on tho day after tho election paid this high and deserved tribute to the great commoner of Nebraska: "In the midst of democratic jubilation lot us not forget the man who fought so bravely at the Baltimoro convention tor the nomination of a candidate acceptable to tho peoplo. Moses led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt and through tho wilderness, and gave them a code of laws which has come down to us through many centuries, but ho was not permitted to enter the promised land. Mr. Bryan's experi ence has been similar in character, and though he has been a great leader of his party, as well as political thought, ho has been shut out front the happy land of Canaan. "But the" country dees not forget tho splendid service ho has rendered during all these years, nor his part in makfng certain the nomlnatiom of Wilson. Like Clay, he may never reach th summit of political ambition, but thero will b room and opportunity for him In national affairs during the next four years." Not a few people, who did not know the spirit il 1 jmmftnf ?'