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The Commoner
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VOIi. 15, NO. 1
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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.
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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;
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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.
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' 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.
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