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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1915)
"Tn'W?i'wrr -HJTJCfpSf -' ."v 9 11 li . ', The Commoner Kl '. VOIi. 15, NO. 1 ryf"y&Wffgppqvgprr? jr k tf V. ,JSM ; K-- 4-- to. b: .?. M V :. ' l.- ' !- th heart when one is conscious of Its own wrong doing, and does not Intend to reform. Every word bears the imprint of the arrogauce which tilt possession of power breeds in little minds. And it must be remeraborod too that this at tack, made by a railroad president upon the dem ocratic administration, follows Immediately after the announcement that the interstate commerce commission, a majority of tho members of which aV0 democrats, has permitted an increase in rail road rates. A subsidized presB has for xrionths bde'n making tho air vocal with the promise that art increaso In railroad rates would at once start tho wheels going and Insure prosperity. But something has happened since these promises were made; tho olectlon Bhows a' gain for the republicans in tho house of representatives a gafn duo almost entirely to tho return of tho progressives to the republican party, but a gain. Penroso is ro-olectod to the senate, and Cannon goes baclc to congress, and tho whole pack of reactionaries begin to yelp as if they already scented blood. Wo shall hear no more of pros perity from these sources for their purpose is to delay prosperity, if they can, until the repub lican party returns to power and spreads another Belshazzar's feast for the favor seeking classes. A generation ago the Brio was brought into prominence by the political activities of one of its magnates; tho present head of tho road seems ambitious to win an equally odious prominence. W. J. BRYAN. CREATING PUBLIC OPINION A glance at the columns of the daily and week ly; papers of tho middle west will convince any one that a campaign is on by the railroads to se cure an advance in passenger and freight rates. Thousands of dollars are being spent in the col umns of tho newspapers in an effort to convince the. newspaper owners or the people that general business prosperity is impossible without per mitting tho railroads to charge the public a high en rate for their service. Creating public opin ion at so much, per inch advertising space will .cost tho railroads a. few hundred thousand dol lars, but the rise in rates, if granted, will 'cost tho public millions of dollars each year for years to, como. On what basis of valuation of the roads J their claim for an increase in Income made? What will tho physical valuation, of railroads be ing made by the, federal government show when: completed, and is it possible that the cyclonic demand campaign created by tho railroads for higher rates is for the purpose of having their own valuation figures used as a basis before the government figures are ready? The report of Secretary McAdoo showed that in spite of the withdrawals that followed upon the heels of the war-created panic, the treasury lost less than 90 millions in gold, while none was suffered by tho country at large. . The advant age of a stable system of finances that is modern in its workings and, able to promptly cope with every emergency was never more strikingly hown. And it was the democratic party that gave this to the nation, after republican secre taries had been recommending changes for more than three decades. One of the delusions that official representa tives of the democratic party should refrain from entertaining is that during their term of office they can pursue a course that sets at naught the policies of the president and interferes with the accomplishments of his party-aims, and then ap peal with confidence to his supporters for re election on tho ground that Wilson needs them In congress.- That tho presidential campaign is only one year distant is shown by the increased bitterness ahd the added vituperative quality of the speech es of republican members of congress, when the democratic administration is their theme. This Is what is called manufacturing campaign capital and is supposed to aid the critic's party, but is really illuminative only of his conception of pub lic intelligence. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 AT FIFTY-EIGHT Our President Patient and -calm, in silent strength se rene, Amidst tho storms a beacon tower Friend, fellow citizen and president, To whom wo give imperial power, All eyes where breakers roar to him are turned, Uncrowned world leader of tho hour. Imbued with Washington's enobllng-aims, And Jefferson's democracy Which sees God's image in the common man ,- . And Franklin's wise simplicity, He acts with Jackson's firm, unbending will And Lincoln's Christ-like sympathy. Heir to the wisdom of the centuries, ' And making all the best his own Filled with the spirit of .his favored land, Where sceptered rule was never known, He rises over Caesars, kings and lords By grace of right and truth alone. Lead on! The hearts of all are hunger ing. For fellowship and unity; None pray for war; men long to sheathe the sWord, , ...... And end the age Jong tragedy. ,, , Lead us, and guide our friends ,6f other' lands In peace to perfect liberty. Martin' F. Tew; 0 0 0 0 -0 . 0 . ' ) ' PAID LECTURES , Vice-President Marshall was recently inter viewed at Boston as to, .whether he,, aa .putfe official, had, a r.ight, to ,deliyer lectures for com . pensation. His reply was short and to the point. He holds1 that a public official hag 'the right to appear on the lecture platform so long as it does hot interfere with his official duties and also approves of a plan which gives the people an opportunity to see their public servants and to judge as to their sincerity. Mr. Marshall's in terview follows: "It is really nobody's business but my own whether I deliver lectures or what I do while the congress 1b not in session so long as I behave myself," said vice-President Marshall, in ex pressing himself on the right of public officials to lecture for compensation. "I do not believe the people of the United States care whether I am paid for lecturing or not, or whether I am worth a million or nothing. I believe they do care whether I am on the job as president of the senate when the congress is in session. I was on the job when the senate was sitting and when it adjourned, and I will be back n the job when it convenes Monday. I hold that public officials have a right to make public addresses and to accept compensation when neglect of duty is not involved; and more than this. I hold that it affords them opportunity to face the American people and to be judged by the people as to their sincerity." THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT The children have received their presents and are happy the older people have given presents and are happier still. How our conceptions of enjoyment change as we grow .older! The child, the recipient of gifts at each Christmas time, and of care and kindness all the days between, looks forward to receiving; and its joy is full if its letters 'to Santa Glaus, or its expressed wishes to parents cover the tree, or fill the stocking, with the things desired. It would be cruel to take away from the child this ideal before it is able to indulge the larger and more permanent passion for doing good. But If the child development is normal, it grad ually becomes aware of a change in its concep tion of life, a change which should take place as it becomes able to be helpful by word, by act, or by gift. It becomes more and more conscious of the truthfulness of the doctrine "It Is more blessed to give than to receive," and, thenr as "life exemplifies the "scattering tha increaseth," one becomes instructed in the great. truth of human existence, namely, that man is put upon this earth, not to' absorb from'his" fellowmen but to spend himself ;ln their behalfV1 He finds that his happiness, as well as his greatness,, is 'meas ured by what heputs into the t world, rather than by what he takes out of it. v Christ, to whose birthday the children look forward so impa tiently, furnished us the highest example of giv ing, but oven the humblest of us may take in spiration, 'from ;HIs life and make our own lives .fruitful and full of satisfaction, , by rendering heljpful service.' ' ' W.' J"; BRYAN. When General Crozier of the army and Ad miral Badger of the navy appeared before the house military committee, each displayed an en tire absence of panic over the condition of the inational defense. They had the advantage of knowing what they were talking about, an ex ample that, If followed by the republican con gressional jingoes, might bring about in them the same calm state of nerves. The naval reserve plan championed by Sec retary Daniels has the distinction of fitting in wi'fti the traditional policy of this nation upon the question of preparedness for war. That pol icy is a small army and a capable navy, backed by a citizenry that stands ready to defend the nation from any aggression. Mr. Daniels' plan is to utilize the trained men who leave the naval service as a reserve to bo called upon when it is necessary to man the fighting machines with capable men. Its utility lies in the fact that necessarily, under a four years' enlistment, there must always be a large percentage of only partly trained men upon our cruisers. ii 'it: t . ' The firhi and "dignified 'chara'tiler of the note sent by the a'dmihistratfoH to England In support of the protest- against uhjustifled.seizures of mer chant vessels,, gained for it the instant close at tention of tJie.E.nglish cabinet., . jtrseems tp have disappointed some of the jingofsts who think that no government protest -is forcible unless it I indicates that the national saberdias been loosen ed in the scabbard,, or gives a hint .that smoke is UP in the embattled fleets but it seems to have satisfied the plaih citizen whois Interested only in getting what lie ,'js entltted'to., an$ Vwho Re lieves that Rations, in their dealings piie wiifo an other, should follow the same method as do: in dividuals. ;,v .: " The vote in congress upon the question of nation-wide prohibition gave strong testimony to the virtue of that policy as it has been applied, to the states. The south is one section of the coun try that has attempted the abolition of the trade in liquor by the adoption of, state-wide prohibit ory laws. Ot the 197 votes cast in favor of ex tending that policy towards the nation, 89 were furnished by southern men,, and eleven of the sixteen southern states either unanimously or by a majority vo.te were lined up in its favor. It was the voice of experience speakipg in behalf of a policy, tried and found successful. The New York stock exchange has been open for six weeks or. more, and thatv'6f London for two weeks. In neither of them has there ap peared any of that panicky desire to .throw over American securities that our wise men believed would follow the declaration of a generaLwar in Europe. Instead there has been shown a dispo sition to make still further investments on the theory that if there is any one country where it is perfectly safe nowadays to invest it is America. The exchanges were closed on the theory that the money Invested in our securities would be needed to finance the war. It is merely another illustration of how even the wisest are misled by their fears. The declaration of the president that much of the depression, from which business suffered was pyscholQgJcal in character is being proved true by events. Every daily newspaper one picks up makes note of the fact of such and such a mill reopening or increasing its working forces and not a single democratic policy or law that were blamed for their suspension has been repealed meanwhile. With the convening of the various state legis latures, there emerges the patriotic citizen who has a scheme for making the direct primarv more flexible. The fact that eight out of ten of the suggestions made for "improvement" of the primary includes the reinstatement of the con vention in one form or another as a part of the election machinery is significant of their prigin THE FIGHT IS ON The readers of The Commoner will notice the evidence of concerted attack on the administra tion. .Plutocracy has been scptched, not killed. Every democrat must buckle on his armor and get ready for the fray. We must hold the ground already taken, and then wo shalL-be able to go forward. f, ..J 5 ! iii