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The Commoner.
VOLUME 12, NUMBER
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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
Entered at the Postofflco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
ax second-class matter.
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THE COMMONER, Lfncoln, Nob.
of the man, supposed before the Baltimore con
vention that ambition was stronger in Bryan
than love of country. The bulk of the people
knew that ambition in Bryan is small compared
with his consuming zeal to serve the masses of
mankind and his friends know that there has
never been a moment when his chief interest in
politics was not to secure justice for all the
people.
There never was a day when Bryan was so
strong with the whole country as today, and
he is too young a man for any one to predict
that he may not yet fill the presidential chair.
But, like Clay and Webster and Calhoun, he will
go into history as greater than any man who de
feated him for the presidency.
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania, occasionally referred to aB "the
most thoroughly boss-ridden state" in the union,
has made marked progress during the past two
years. A legislature was chosen at the 1912
election and 180 members out of the 205
elected subscribed to the following progressive
state platform:
1. Direct nomination of all candidates for
public office.
2. Direct presidential preference primaries.
3-4. Direct preference primaries and direct
election of United States senators.
5. Limitation of purposes for which cam
paign contributions may be made and expended,
with public audit.
6. Punishment of election crimes by im
prisonment. 7. Comprehensive and effective public utili
ties law.
8. Employers liability and workmen's com
pensation act,
9. Prevention of swindling by fraudulent
stock schemes.
Good for Pennsylvania. May it continue to
progress along the pathway of genuine popular
government.
PRESIDENT TAFT TO THE SOUTH
On another page will be found President
Taft's address welcoming the Daughters of the
Confederacy to Washington. In sentiment and
language It will stand out as one of his greatest
speeches and it is needless to say it charmed his
hearers. Only a president could make such an
acceptable address and his words had more
weight than the same words would have If they
came from a democrat. The war is over all
are brethren.
SENATOR RAYNER
Newspaper dispatches say that Senator Tsador
Rayner, of Maryland, is critically ill. This will
be sad news to the American people, for Sena
tor Rayner has been a faithful public servant.
Those having the pleasure of Mr. Rayner's per
sonal acquaintance know of the tenderness as
well as the strength of the Maryland senator
and they will watch with the keenest sort of
interest the messages from his bedside. Let us
hope that the senator will be speedily restored
to health.
A Great Event
The Washington (D. C.) Post, in its issue of
Nov. 13th, described a great event In this way:
In beautiful Arlington cemetery yesterday
afternoon, where the blue of the union soldier
mingled with the gray of the confederate
veteran, and the daughters of the north joined
with the daughters of the south in cheering the
sentiments of perpetual national unity and
honor for the dead heroes of both armies of the
civil war, the cornerstone was laid for the first
confederate monument to be erected on that his
toric spot. It was the one event, which, more
than all others, brought the nineteenth annual
convention of the United Daughters of the Con
federacy to the nation's capital, and signalized
the sentiment, oft expressed yesterday after
noon, that this nation, under God, will forever
endure, united under one flag.
William Jennings Bryan, orator of the day;
Col. Hilary A. Herbert, master of ceremonies,
and Corporal James Tanner, former commander-in-chief
of the Grand Army of the Republic, were
intrusted with the task of paying tribute to the
valor of both armies, and expressing the senti
ments of the historic occasion. Six thousand
people cheered the sentiments expressed by the
orators, while the generation of today mingling
with the generation of yesterday, spoke to the
world of the nation's struggle and the unity of
the American people.
All eyes were centered on the immediate cere
mony of laying the cornerstone. First, Colonel
Hilary A. Herbert placed a trowel full of the
mortar on the spot where the stone lies, then
Corporal James Tanner 'placed a trowel full of
mortar there. Miss Mary B. Lee, only living
daughter of Robert E. Lee, likewise placed a
trowel of mortar beneath the s'tone, and finally,
Mrs. Frank G. Odenheimer, first vice president
general of the United Daughters of the Con
federacy, representing the president general,
Mrs. Alexander B. White, placed a trowel of
mortar over the box containing various emblems
placed beneath the stone; the stone itself was
gently tipped into place, and the ceremony was
an event of history. As the stone dropped into
place a mighty cheer arose, and the vast throng
turned to listen to the orator of the day.
On the platform overlooking the spot where
the cornerstone was laid, sat the master of cere
monies, Colonel Herbert; Colonel William J.
Bryan; Bishop Robert A. Gibson, of Virginia;
the Rev. Dr. Randolph H. McKim, of the Church
of the Epiphany; Miss Mary Lee, daughter of
Robert E. Lee; Mrs. Frank G. Odenheimer, of
Baltimore, presiding officer of the convention;
Mrs. Marion ButleT, president of the District of
Columbia division of the daughters; Corporal
James Tanner, former commander-in-chief of
the Grand Army of the Republic; various
division officers of the United Daughters of the
Confederacy, and many invited guests.
The exercises incident to tbe laying of the
stone began with a selection of southern
melodies played by the Fifth cavalry band,
after which Bishop Robert A. Gibson, of Vir
ginia, pronounced the invocation and the band
played "Nearer, My God, to Thee." Mr. Wallace
Streater then read a list of the articles placed
in the zinc box which lies beneath the stone.
Mrs. Frank G. Odenheimer, of Baltimore, in
troduced Colonel Herbert, who, in a masterful
address, told of the perpetuity of the union and
expressed the belief that the civil war had for
ever settled several important problems which
had roused the passions of the seneration of
civil war times. He traced the various epochs of
American history, declaring that the general
adoption of the states' rights ideas In the times
of Jefferson, Monroe, and other presidents of
that time prevented earlier conflict
The next epoch, between 1830 and 1860 he
described as the period of unrest which finally
culminated in the civil war. "The stern arbiter
of war settled forever the question of secession "
said he. "And incidentally, thank God, slavery
disappears."
The speaker said that the next epoch extended
from 1865 to 1899 the year ofthe peace jubilee,
and during his discussion of this period he made
it plain that the southern states did not consider
"their withdrawal from the union as a rebellion
or a revolution." He said they had but followed
the ideas of Jefferson.
"Tme, A tneile8sed mother of reconcilia
tion, said he. "The- embers of passion die out.
The kindly winds of heaven blow away the
smoke of battle and the bright sunshine falls
upon growing crops and green fields." The
speaker then paid a glowing tribute to the
memories of the great confederate and union
commanders and outlined the work of prennr.
ing for the erection of the monument
In closing, Colonel Herbert said: "We thanv
the Giver of all good that He has bounteousb
lengthened our lives that we might behold thl
glorious day and that He gave us the courage S
stand in battle by the side of, and be able to
claim companionship with the soldiers in whose
memory I now lay this cornerstone."
A cornet solo, "The Lost Chord," plaved by
one of the Fifteenth cavalry band musicians fol
lowed by the laying of the cornerstone, after
which Mrs. Odenheimer Introduced the orator
of the day, William J. Bryan.
Colonel Bryan read his speech and, in open
ing, declared that he always welcomed every
evidence of a reunited nation. The speaker said
that it was appropriate that the work of erecting
the monument should have been left to the care
of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
"Woman, last at the cross and first at the
sepulcber, holds undisputed sway on an occasion
like this," said he. "Her ministrations link us
to the past, and she points us to the future."
Colonel Bryan said that It was fitting and
proper that the Daughters of the American
Revolution should participate in such an oc
casion and that the president of the United
States should welcome the Daughters of the Con
federacy to the national capital.
Taking up the civil war period, Colonel Bryan
said that the north and tbe south jointlv shared
the causes of the war. "They Bhared the respon
sibility for slavery, they bore together that
mighty struggle, and together they have in
herited the glories of that conflict. Charity and
forgiveness spring like a flower from the battle
fields of that war, and its frasxance will endure
forever. The years have healed the wouuds of
battle, but the wounds of angry words and sor
row for the death of friends have not been so
easily healed," said he. He declared that his
story shows no parallel to the great conflict of
the civil war, and that, now that the war is
over, the sections of the nation are working
together to perpetuate ttie union. He closed
his address by expressing the hope that the
monument will breathe the spirit of national
unity forever.
Then occurred, one of the prettiest incidents
of the afternoon's exercises. Colonel Herbert
called on Corporal James Tanner, of the Grand
Army of the Republic, to make a few remarks.
At first there were some murmurings of disap
proval, but when the gallant soldier had
launched into his magnificent extemporaneoua
address the crowd literally went wild with
cheering, the greatest demonstration of the
afternoon occurring as the aged veteran, his
body racked with pain, faced that audience and
exclaimed: "Today children pick flowers where
the shells of battle tore the earth; cannon that
once belched forth death and destruction now
Tust on those fields, the Tose leaves twined about
them, and the little birds in safety build their
nests in the cannon's mouth. I thank God that
I have lived to see this day."
Up went the confederate battle flags, strong
men wept, and the vast throng cheered as they
had not cheered before. Corporal Tanner, pay
ing tribute to the valor of both armies of the
" eivll war, again aroused the multitude when be
declared: "We are through fighting; we quit at
Appomattox, and we don't make war on dead
men. No language of mine Is sufficient to
speak the scorn and contempt I 'eel
for that nation or that people who refuse to
honor the memory of those who died in battle
for the principles in which they firmly believed.
Corporal Tanner said that the occasion of
yesterday had his hearty approval, and expressed
gratification at seeing the boys in blue and those
in gray mingling together-in historic Arlington
pay tribute to the memory of the southern sol
dier. His tribute to John W. Daniel, of Vir
ginia, was beautiful, and brought forth cheers
from the Virginia delegation.
The exercises of the afternoon closed with the
band playing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," after
which the Rev. Dr. Randolph McKim pronounced
the benediction, and the band played "The Star
Spangled Banner."
Near the monument tho Daughters also
planted a redwood tree from California, ana
named it "Robert R Lee," Mrs. Odenheimer
christening the tree. Announcement was made
by Col. Herbert that it is the hope of the associa
tion to dedicate the monument the last of June,
1913, just prior to the reunion of the unJ?
confederate soldiers on tho battlefield of Gettys
burg, Pa., July 1.
A Washington Herald report says: Wil
liam Jennings Bryan addressed 2,000 persona
yesterday afternoon at the laying of the ww-
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