-arrfliflWJrW' n 9
The Commoner
SEPTEMBER, 1914
President Wilson will need a Democratic Congress
during the coming two years.
The Peace Treaties
It may not be out of placo to recall to the
readers of The Commoner two editorials which
appeared in February, 1905 nine years ago.
The first was published on the 17th of February,
1905, and reads as follows:
"TIME FOR MEDIATION
"It is time for the leading nations to join
together in proferring their good offices for tn.
settlement of the war in the east. There nuirft
be mediation some time, why not now? Russia
can not hope to retake Port Arthur in years, if
at all, and Japan will find war more expensive
and more hazardous the farther her army march
es inland. There has been killing enough on
both sides to satisfy that absurd sense of honor
which requires bloodshed. There never was
a time when the Christian nations were under a
more imperative duty to throw their influence on
the side of peace, and the United States can well
afford to take the lead because our relations
with both. Russia and Japan are such as to re-
lieve us of any suspicion of selfish interest. And
when peaco Is restored our nation should take
the initiative in promoting a system of arbitra
tion so comprehensive that all differences will be
submitted to the arbitration court, reserving to
each nation the right to refuse to accept the
finding if it believes that its affects its honor or
integrity. Such a system would make war a re
mote possibility."
Here will be found the germ of the plan
which has since been accepted by thirty-four na
tions, and which has been embodied in twenty
six treaties. The system as proposed, was to
provide for the investigation of ALL cases, the
contracting nations reserving the right to refuse
to accept the findings.
The second editorial appeared on February
24th, 1905, a week later, and presented the idea
more at length:
"It is possible to provide for the impartial in
vestigation of any international dispute, leaving
the final submission to arbitration to be a mat
ter of treaty. The president might be author
ized to enter into an agreement to submit any
and every international dispute to The Hague
court for investigation. When the court reports
upon the facts and presents the real issue be
tween the parties, then the parties can decide
intelligently whether it involves a proper ques
tion for arbitration or affects the integrity and
honor of either nation. Such an investigation
would, in most cases, remove the misunderstand
ing and bring about a reconciliation, and public
opinion would exert a powerful influence in har
monizing any differences which might be bound
to exist. If such a' plan had been in
operation the Russian-Japanese war might have
been prevented. It is quite certain that a prelim
inary investigation by an impartial board would
have prevented most of the international wars
of the last half century, and would be still more
effective in the future."
In-the fall of 1905 at a banquet in Tokyo
Mr. Bryan presented the plan in a speech. He
later secured an endorsement of the plan at a'
peace cdnference held in London in July, 1906.
It was afterwards endorsed at a peace congress
in New York, and still later at a peace meeting
' in Edinburgh, Scotland,. It was then parti
ally embodied In the peace treaties proposed by
President Taft, and this clause of the treaties
was approved by.the senate, but objection was
made to other provisions which limited the right
of the senate to decide what questions should be
submitted to arbitration.
The plan has grown until it is now an accept
ed fact, and is likely to be adopted by other na
tions in their dealings with each other.
The idea of investigation was suggested by
the methods employed for the settlement of In
dustrial disputes. Investigation is usually suc
cessful in bringing the parties into agreement,
and it was an easy step from the industrial dis
pute to the international controversy. If investi
gation will, as a rule, bring about an adjust
ment of differences between employers and em
ployees, why should not investigation bo em
ployed to bring about an adjustment of inter
national disputes? That it can bo so employed
is now universally admitted, and twenty-six na
tions have agreed with the United States that It
shall be employed In disputes between them and
this country.
How simple the truth is and how easily un
derstood! It only needs to bo stated clearly to
be accepted, for it appeals to common sense and
to the common conscience.
The speech of Mr. Bryan at the London peaco
congress will be found on another page.
SENATOR NEWLANDS
In the candidacy of Senator Newlanda for re
election the people of Nevada have a rare oppor
tunity to demonstrate their desire to support
the administration, their loyalty to democratic
principles, often tried and never found wanting,
and their disposition to recognize long and able
service. The public work of Mr. Newlands forms
a record of which the party is justly proud.
. He was a leader in the campaign for the na
tional control of Irrigation development in the
west and author of the law bearing his name. Ho
has always been an earnest and consistent friend
of the settlers under the reclamation projects.
Senator Newlands has recently added to his
record a signal achievement in carrying out a
part of the administration's program for the
regulation of trusts. Always a progressive, ho
has been a leader of thought on this subject, ,
upon the soundest lines. The federal trade com
mission act recently passed by congress contains
every essential feature of a bill introduced by
him more than three years ago. It is a singu
larly happy circumstance that the chairman of
the senate committee entrusted with this im
portant legislation should be the man who had
been the pioneer in that field of thought. In
conducting this legislation Mr. Newlands showed
ability of the very highest order. His committee
brought out a bill which was a model of well
considered, carefully-drawn legislation; and ho
piloted it safely through much opposition In the
senate, andsecured its passage in a form not
weakened, but strengthened and Improved. The
passage of this act is one of the most important
achievements of President Wilson's administra
tion, and the work of the commission is expected
to mark a new epoch in the effective regulation
of trusts.
Mr. Newlands was a pioneer in advocating the
formation of a reserve board system for the re
form of our banking laws. In this he anticipated
the national monetary commission. He was the
first democrat in congress to bring out a definite
proposal for a democratic program of banking
reform in opposition to the Aldrich plan.
The work of framing this important legislation
fell to other hands, but this does not alter the
fact that he anticipated, in the main, the most
important features.of the legislation which was
finally passed.
Senator Newlands is a consistent friend of the
working man, and has an unbroken record of
having supported all the reasonable demands of
organized labor. He was active and effective In
the legislation for the eight-hour law, for the
benefit of railroad telegraphers, for automatic
couplers and other safety-appliances on rail
roads, for the employer's liability bill, and other
similar legislation.
His most valuable contribution to the cause of
Industrial peace was last year, when, as chair
man of the senate committee on Interstate com
merce, he introduced and expedited the passage
of a bill in time to prevent a most disastrous
railroad strike on the lines east of the Missis
sippi river. This legislation, generally known
as the "Newland's Arbitration Act," Is the most
important step which has been taken in this
country for the peaceful adjustment of labor
disputes.. It has already prevented many rail
road strikes, the most rocent instance of which
is tho arbitration of tho threatened strike of
Southern Pacific employees a mattor in which
the people of Nevada arc deoply and directly In
terested. Senator Newlands is entitled to bo
considered a benefactor of the whole country for
his efficient services in this mattor.
The most recent sorvlco to tho cause of free
labor performed by Senator Newlands was the
favorable reporting by his committee of a bill to
limit the interstate character of goods made by
convict labor. The effect of this legislation,
when passed, will bo to reduce tho competition
of such goods with the products of free labor.
Mr. Newlands belongs to that class of men
who, having imagination and the constructive
faculty largely developed, are often in advance
of their times; but he has had tho good fortune
to see many of his Ideas enacted into law and
others on the highroad to enaclmcnt, thus prov
ing his claim to practical constructive states
manship. He has been an earnest advocate of
a legislative program, to bo formulated at tho
beginning of each session, to put the work of
Congress upon a more orderly footing, and thus
reduce the length of its sessions. He is a leader
in tho propaganda for the scientific co-ordination
of the work of river regulation and flood reduc
tion, by putting tho work upon a' national, in
stead of a local, footing. His efforts along this
lino, long continued under tho most discouraging
circumstancos, have recently received tho ap
proval of the secretaries of war, interior, agri
culture, and commerce, and have been adopted
by the administration as a' part of its program
for the near future. He is a believer in tho up
building of a well-proportioned navy, by tho con
struction of auxiliary ships in proportion to tho
battleship fleet, so that In case of war wo will
not be dependent upon the buying of boats for
scouting and other similar duty. This plan has
the approval of the present secretary of the navy.
Senator Newlands has long been a national
figure, but it is only since tho democratic party
came into power that ho Is beginning to see tho
ideas for which ho has so long contended car
ried into effect. He Is popular in Washington,
and occupies a position of power and influence
there. The fact that he had no opposition at tho
primaries for the democratic nomination for sen
ator is a cause for congratulation. That Nevada
should send anyone else to tho senate now, after
the services which Mr. Newlands has rendered
to the state, the party, and the country, is un
thinkable. The Commoner earnestly commends
Senator Newlands, not only to all the democrats
of Nevada, but to members of all parties. The
nation can not afford to lose the services of such
a public servant. W. J. BRYAN.
The fact that in every state from which re
ports have come, the democratic campaign man
agers propose to make national Issues and the
support of the national administration the basis
of their fight, is excellent proof of the strength
of President Wilson with the masses. The ad
ditional fact that most of tho republican cam
paign managers in these states want to shift the
campaign to state issues is the best possible,
proof of the fact.
0
A MAN AT THE HELM
Fortunately, we have at the head of
the government at this critical time a
man in whose calmness and judgment we
have as great a confidence as we have in
his patriotism. He will, we are euro,
make no mistake, nor will he permit any
to be made if he can prevent it.
The American people must do every-
thing in their power to help the president
They should be aa neutral as their gov-
ernment is, and ai it must remain.
New York Herald. Q
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