5ptt"V",!r ' ' K17 rjjff
I)EGEMBER,;i9H
The Commoner
3
ELECTION OF POSTMASTERS
The plan of selecting postmasters at a primary
election, as devised and Is being carried out by
Congressman Dan Stephens of the Third Ne
braska district, is attracting considerable atten
tion throughout the country. Following the in
auguration of President Wilson, Congressman
Stephens announced that he would direct that
primaries be held in the various tflwns for the
selection of postmasters and the candidates for
the ofllce receiving the highest .number of votes
in their respective towns would be endorsed by
the congressman to the postoffice department at
Washington for appointment as postmasters. At
some towns in JVIr. Stephens' district where the
democrats preferred it, t;!ie voting for the seiec
tion of postmaster was confined to democratic
patrons of the office only. At other places in the
district the plan was tried of permitting all pa
trons of the office to express their choice for
postmaster, Inasmuch, however, as the postoffice.
appointments are made by the president and as -the
administration is democratic and the ap-.
pointments are political, Mr. Stephens rules
provided that only democrats of standing' in
their respective communities could file as candi
dates for postmaster. The plan of selecting
postmasters. whether the voting was confined to
democrats or to all patrons of the office caused
Mr. Stephens, to be censured by local democratic
leaders who felt that they .were entitled to the
office without submitting their candidacies to
the public. Opposition to Mr. Stephens was not
only carried into his campaign for renomination
but one or more democratic papers of his district
and a number of local democratic leaders bolted
Mr. Stephens' nomination on account of their
opposition to his postoffice primary plan, and
opposed his re-election during the campaign. It
has been said by some of the Nebraska opponents
of the plan of electing postmasters at primaries
that the re-election of 'Congressman Stephens,
by double the majority that he received two
years ago, was not an endorsement of his plan
of selecting postmasters by popular vote, but
that his re-election by an increased majority
should be attributed to his good record at Wash
ington. ...
Although "Mr. Stephens made a splendid
record at Washington, the attributing of his
re-election to his good recor I at Washington
would, if carried to its logical conclusion, give
the impression that, other prominent Nebraska
congressmen, who were defeated at the recent
election, were defeated on account of their fail
ure to inake a good record at Washington. The
Commoner knows of no one who would criticise
the splendid record made by tlie democratic con-,
gressman from Nebraska who was defeated at
the recent election and therefore agrees with
Congressman Stephens that the ' decrease
in his majority from 4,000 tw years ago to
8,500 in the recent election must be 'construed
as a splendid vindication of the plan of permit
ting the people to . rule in the selection of post
masters. In announcing the rules for the con
duct of postoffice primary elections in eight ad
ditional towns in his district, Congressman
Stephens is quoted in press dispatches from
Washington under date of December 11,
as follows: "I will never hold an
other primary in which democrats only are per
mitted to vote Such primaries have caused me
trouble. All patrons may vote. I am con
vinced of the wisdom of this method of selecting
postmasters." A further trial of Congressman
Stephens' plan will be watched by all who are
interested in the progress that has been made
during the past few years in bringing the gov
ernment closer to the people.
In the publication of Mr. Bryan's lecture en
titled, "The Making of a Man," in the November
issue of The Commoner, omissidn was made of
the fact that the lecture was copyrighted by the
Fleming H. Revell Co., publishers, New York
City. The Revell Co. is publishing the lecture
in pamphlet form for sale, and all requests for
copies of the lecture or for permission to re
print should be directed to the Fleming H.
Revell Co., New York 'City.
THE VOTE IN ILLINOIS
The following figures, which are taken from
The Commoner, plainly shpw that near demo
crats are not popular in Illfnois: For president
1896, Bryan, 464,632; 1900, Bryan, 503,061,
1904 Parker, 327,606; 19.08; Bryan, 450,795
1912, Wilson, 405,048. For senator ' 1J"
Sullivan, 372,005. The Jeffersonian, Los An
geles, Cal.
Boys, Will You Sign the Pledge With Me?
On another pago will be found the Detroit
Times' description of tho Ann Arbor, Michigan,
meeting, of November 28th. The pledge of total
abstinence is being signed by a host of boys !u
Michigan why not the boys of other states as
well? A book will bo opened at The Commoner
office, wherein will bo entered tho namps and
addresses of those who sign this pledge witn
me. Cut out the pledge, pasto it on a pieco of
paper and sign it. Lay the pledge away that
you may hav6 it as a, reminder of the decision
you have made, but send a poatal card to The
Commonor, stating that you have nlgned It, and
giving yournge aud address. If you do not care
to state your age liso the word "adult," instead
, of giving the number of yoara. Receipt of these
pledges will bo acknowledged by publication In
The Commoner In which only the name and ad
dress will bo given. Auk others to clgn with
you -secure as many signatures as possible
and thus bo the means of spreading the influence
of tho pledge. Thooo who abstain from, drink
do good not only to ihom&olvcn, but to those
also who nre encouraged by their example
W. J. BRYAN.
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(This is the temperance pledge In Mr. Bryan's own handwriting. thaUio presented, to 5,00.0
t..- 4. tA ii,'ft Ifrnlll 1,. Mrmilntarl nil nvflr thn Htfttfi bv bOVB Ot'tllG Y.-M. C. A. Mr.
Bryan believes that' G0,000. Michigan boyd will sign with. him. Detroit (Michigan) Times.).,
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TOTAL ABSTINENCE PAYS
"Panama Col. Geothals has signed an order
placing all persons engaged in canal transporta
tion on a strict temperance basis
' "The order provides that 'all persons employ
ed on the canal who have marine licenses must
abstain absolutely from liquor.'
"This Includes pilots taking ships through
the canal, the captains of tugboats, mates and
others."
The above order is another evidence that total
abstinence pays. No man can afford to employ
a man who drinks even the moderate use ot
alcohol impairs one's usefulness, and you never
know when tlie moderate drinker is going to
drink to excess. All the drunkards como from
the ranks of the moderate drinkers. Some one
has described the difference between the mod
erate drinker and the .drunkard as the differ
ence between the' pig and the hog the hog is
older than the pig. If a man can not afford to
employ one who drinks, can he afford to drink
hiniself? If a man who drinks can not be
trusted to conduct a boat through a canal, can
he .be trusted to look after the welfare of a wife
or pilot a' family? The temperance movement s
growing. Every good force in society s aiding it;
are you? w- J- BRYAN-
MR. BRYAN CRITICISED
It is not creditable to the New York
World, a paper that has never supported Mr.
Bryan in any of his campaigns as the democratic
nominee for the presidency, and has done what
It could to embarrass him and obstruct his ad
ministration of the affairs of secretary of state,
Sat it should heckle him at every turn and
even refuse to give him credit for good inten
tions of which Mr.. Bryan admittedly has enough
to pave tho streets of Lincoln.
The World's ire appears to have been stirred
narticularly on account of the fact that the
World has not been admitted into the full con
fidence of the state department. Occasionally,
as it deyelops, Mr. Bryan has failed to give out
for publicity matters, as it afterwards develop
ed of no particular consequence.
There is no denying the fact that every de
partment of tho national government has car
ried caution to tho oxtromlty of socretiveness
during the lost few months. But there hafi
been occasion for this. Tho United States has
occupied a difficult and trying position. In say
ing little Mr. Bryan has done credit to his posi
tion. In saying nothing concerning tho war sit
uation .he has exemplified the ideal of strict neu
trality and preserved the' government from the
possibility of misunderstanding and misinter
pretation. Nashville (Tenn.) Banner.
Those who kept accurate track of the matter
say that not one newspaper paragrapher in ten
failed- to state that the recent outbreak of the
foot-and-mouth disease at certain public markets
was very mild compared to. what would happen
at each of the state capitals where the state
legislators are soon to meet.
LEAD LrS AGAIN
Father, our hopes are bivouacked in our hearts,
Our fears and prayers are all-a-wing to Theot
Stretch out Thy holy hand, we humbly ask.
And lead us with Thy clear, all-solving light
Out of the desolate darkness of our time,
As Thou didst in the bleak, black ages gone.
Gvo .us again the Sight that we may see;
Once more set spinning all the looms of peace;
Rekindle the reason, faith, good-will on cartti.
Lord, Thy almighty arm alone can quench -The
fire that girdles all the world with woe. '
Drench Thou the pyre of flesh and bone and
blood
Whose glare reflects the stubborn pride of kings
And shows the fellowship of man at end!
The flow'r of sturdy nations withers fast,
And fruits of mellowed genius rot apace
In shell-swept trench of many battlefields;
Babes sleep unmothered in their cradle nests,
While orphaned children weep in wakeful
dreams,
And women robbed of father, husband, son,
Trudge' troubled through the dustclouds of the
ploy.
Christ did not die upon the Cross for this
New York Sun.
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