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The Commoner
JANUARY, 1915
Democrats against: Carlin, Montague, To
tal, 2. " .
WASHINGTON
Republicans for: Humphrey, Johnson, La
Follette. Total, 3.
Progressives for: Bryan, Falconer. Total, 2.
WEST VIRGINIA
Democrat for: Neely. Total, 1.
Republicans for: Avis, Moss, Sutherland; To
tal, 3.
Democrat not voting: Brown. Total, 1.
Jlepublican not voting: Hughes. Total, 1.
WISCONSIN
Republican for: Nelson. Total, 1.
Democrats against: Burke, Reilly. Total, 2
Republicans against: Brown, Cary, Cooper,
Esch, Frear, Lenroot, Stafford. Total, 7.:
' Democrat not voting: Konop. Total, 1.
WYOMING
Republican for: Mondell. Total, 1.
Mr. Smallafter having voted "Nay," called at
tention to a pair with Mr. Doughton arid changed
his record to "Present." Tho following -pairs
were also announced by the clerk:
Mr. Davenport and -Mr. Harris - (for) with
Mr. Konop (against).
Mr. Neeley of Kansas and Mr. Martin (for)
and Mr. Gregg (against).
Mr. Alney and Mr. Guernsey .(for) with Mr!
Fairchild (against). 1S
Mr. L'Engle and Mr. Doughton (for) with
Mr. Small (against).
Mrv.McGuire of Oklahoma and Mr. Garrett of
Tennessee (for) with Mr. Burke of Pennsylvania
(against) -
COMaiENT OF THE PRESS
(From the Milwaukee Journal)
Newspaper comment on the vote in.tthe house
on the Hobson resolution to submit a constitu
tional prohibitory amendment to tho state leg
islatures for the most part lays stress-on the un
expected strength manifested by thd prohibition
forces. The strongest factor which prevented
the Hobsont amendment from getting an even
larger vote is generally taken to be the belief
that such legislation, would be- an unwarranted
invasion of state rights.
The ,New York Times says: "If the, sale of
liquor is to be prohibited in the federal constitu
tion, to what cither preposterous ends may not
that fundamental law be amended?
But' the main issue was not the liquor question
at all, but a usurpation by the federal govern
ment of the rights of tUates." On the other hand
The Chicago Tribune says: " "We believe that if
a nation-wide votevupon the manufacture and
sale of liquor were permitted, the- nation would
prohibit it. , It s observable and con
ceded that the drift of the nation is toward re
striction, if not extinction, of the liquor business.
Nation-wide prohibition in ten years? It may
be.."
OPPOSITION NEVER SO POTENT
"The strength displayed by the supporters of
prohibition is surprising," says The New York
Sun. Nor does the vote "denote by any means
the f ulf strength of prohibition." The future
political beneficiaries of prohibition and the
probable fate of, the amendment "are but specu
lation and surmise." The momentous fact "Is
thai- the combination of factors agalhst alcohol
was never so potent as it is at present." The
New York Evening Mail is convinced that the
strength shown in the' vote in congress "por
tends national prohibition."
The Now York World sees in' 'tie fatot that
about 80 per cent of the southern representatives
voted for' tho amendment, "an alarming symp
tom of political as well as social revolution."
Tho World further says: "It is going to be neces
sary pre'tty soon for men and states that would
Russianizo this republic to operate under true
colors. The thing can not be done in the name
of democracy."
The Philadelphia North American considers
tho fight jigainst the liquor traffic analogous to
tho fight- against slavery, and asserts, that the
argumenUs against prohibition "were almost
identicaln inspiration and manner of presenta
tion" with the old pro-slavery arguments. It
goes on to say: "Of course, ultimate victory is
certain. Already fourteen of the stales repre
senting 56 per cent of the population and 78 per
cent of the territory pf the countryare under
prohibition; and tbe. mere momentum,, of , the
movement will carr it to t completion."
, . POLITICAL STRENGTH FEARED,,, .
Fear of tho political strength o the.,prohibl
tion movement is taken by some-papers as an ex
planation of the unexpected strength developed
in tho vote. Vlf tho voto today were to be a re
flection of tho real sentiments of each of tho 435
members of tho houso of representatives," says
Tho Now York Evening Post, "tho amendment
would not have a ghost of a chance of obtaining
tho two-thirds voto required. Tho cowardice of
members in tho face of just that kind of moral
pressure which tho prohibition forces aro ablo
to exercise, is notorious." This samo political
fear, according to The Louisville Courier-Journal,
"is tho explanation of tho cowardly voto in
tho houso by which an actual majority was re
corded for abandoning tho lifo principles of our
republican form of government and surrendering
its stars and stripes to the black flag's piracy.
They sacrificed dully to what they re
garded as expediency."
Other comments:
Boston Transcript National prohibition
would bo an invasion of a right that bolongs ex
clusively to tho states if anything docs. Tho
resolution is dead, for tho present at least, and
it should havo no resurrection.
OPPOSE SALOON INFLUENCE
Brooklyn Eagle "One more such victory and
I am undone," tho comment of Pyrrhus on his
triumph of Heraclea, might be well quoted by a
champion of tho brewers, tho distillers and tho
liquor sellers. Prohibition, nation
wide prohibition, may some time be an eventual
ity; but the hopes from it will bo likely to prove
illusory in this case, as in the past of tho world.
St. Louis Republic It is not tho right of tho
individual to drink . which the aver
age voter calls in question when he votes "dry."
for myriads of dry voters aro themselves mod
erate drinkers. It is the political and social in
fluence of the saloon which they oppose.
Philadelphia Public Ledger If this country,
as a whole, shall ever bo prepared to deal dras
tically with the liquor evil and no one can
doubt thalu that time will ultimately come it
will only be when the overwhelming sentiment
of the people -in every community where such
drastic regulation is to bo applied supports tho
law with substantial unanimity.
Philadelphia Record TJie republican support
of prohibition was much more vigorous. Of
the 124 members of that faith, 54.8 por cont
favored the proposed amendment, while only 37
per cent were against it. From this it appears
that as a party tho republicans were strongly for
the resolution, while the democrats as a party
were against it. This accords with tho tradi
tional attitude of tho two parties on the ques-'
tion.
THE WRONG WAY
New Bedford Standard The defeat of the
Hobsqn amendment is to be approved because It
involved the wrong way of accomplishing some
thing which may or may not be desirable. s
Emporia Gazette Prohibition is coming; in
ten years the nation will be virtually dry; but
today is not the time to crovd national prohibi
tion on the people not ready for it even though
a majority of the townships, counties and small
towns are for it. Majorities can wait.
Duluth News No observer of public affairs
can fail to believe that Minnesota will have one
or the other, county option or prohibition, and
that before many years. Which shall 'it be?
Which is the more rational, the wiser, and prom
ises the surer results for that temperance and
good government which is the aim of be Mi?
Boston Christian Science Monitor The oppo
nents of submission have simply delayed the
final action. The question must go to tho states
sooner or later. Unless the vote of Wednesday
is absolutely misleading it will go to the states
earlier even than the most ardent supporters of
the prohibition cause have dared to hope.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican But if the
sound view that prohibition is a matter for local
action can so increasingly gain support as to
win final acceptance as a settled principle, the re
moval of the question from congressional contro
versy would tend to relieve tho whole body of
congressional action from the taint that comes
from cowardice and hypocrisy.
war crisis, Fourth, tho presentation of the con
structive Work of tho -United States toward
poaco.
It means much for tho betterment of condi
tions in America that tho chlof of tho president'
cablnot should bo a man who rojolces to stand
on tho public platform and .eupouso tho causo of
righteousnoss; that ho should count It a duty,
an honor, a privllogo, to como as a delegate to
tho groat council of Fcdoratod Protestant
churches. It Is not surprising that official
Washington should nttrlbuto to lifo at tho capi
tal under tho present administration tho health
iest moral tpno of any administration In tho
moinory of tho present generation.
Before tho sessions of tho commission yester
day aftornoon, whon tho question of temperance
arose, or rather whon ho had an opportunity to
speak, and thoroby brought out tho tomporance
issue. Mr. Bryan rightly stated that tho ques
tion of tomporance holds a moRt important place
in tho religious, social an1 political lifo of Amer
ica, and thoreforo should bo treated as. ono of
tho greatest Issuos of tho day. His statement of
his steady belief In. tho temperance pledgo as a
moans of tying ono up to some doflnlto declara
tion Is In keeping with Mr. Bryan's record. The
action of tho commission In adding him to the
committee on temperance moans that a most able
advocato of tho. cause of temperanco has boon
acquired by tho working force of tho council.
It Is plain that Mr. Bryan Is living up to his
reputation as the spokesman of tho administra
tion before tho people. It is pleasing to note tho
manner in which he puts tho policies of tho
party and tho words of the president boforo tho
peoplo as that which tho nation should follow.
Ills definition of and plea for neutrality In
thought and action that wo may bo ablo to deal
ably and' adequately with tho warring nations
in their coming need Is a word of advice that the
country should hoed.
It would seem a difficult task to speak with
satisfaction on tho topic of International peace
at a time such as this, but tho secretary's pre
sentation was ablo. Ho holds, as does any man
-of average Intelligence that preparedness for
war can in no measure be construed as an aid
to peace. His statement, "If preparedness pro
vonts war thero would bo no war in Europe,"
Is axiomatic In its simplicity, and irrofutablo in
its logic. "To Induce a nation to proparc fpr'
war you must leach tho peoplo to hato some
body." Tho fact that tho state department has con
cluded treaties with thirty nations, comprising
two'thirds of tho population of tho world, and
that thoso treaties provide, In the secretary's
words: "You must wait a year for Investiga
tion beforo you begin to shoot," was probably
distinct news to most of his audience. Mr.
Bryan dfd not seem troubled over the proba
bility of theso treaties being kept. As The
Virginian pointed out yesterday, one of tho most
Important contributions of tho peace movement
evidences Itself In tho refusal of any nation to
accept responsibility for war. It Is gratifying
to note that Mr. Bryan holds tho samo view.
Richmond has gained from tho Secretary's
visit, and wo trust ho will give us as much
to think about during tho rest of his stay. It wa"g
evident that his audience was not Inclined to
jingoism. The Richmond Virginian.
FOUR LKSSONS FROM BRYAN
Four features stand out as the leading im
pressions of Mr. Bryan's first da: of his present
visit to Richmond. First, the personality, the
integrity and the- Worth of Mr. Bryan himself.
Second, his outspoken stand' for, absolute tom-i
peraiwe, and his opposition to any form of the
liquor traffic. Third, his Representation of the
attitude of tho government and its policy in the
HOPE ON
"There was never a day so misty or gray
That the blue was not somewhere above it;
Thero is never a mountain top ever so bleak
That some little flower does not love it.
"There was never a night so dreary and dark
That the stars were not somewhere shining;
There Is never a cloud so heavy and black
That it has not a silver lining.
"There is never a waiting-time, weary and lon
That will not sometime have an ending; '
The most beautiful part of the landscape Is where
The shadows and sunshine are blending.
"Upon every life some shadows will fall,
But Heaven sejids the sunshine of love;
Thro' the rifts ,in the clouds we may, if we wih,
See the beautiful blue above.
"Then let us hope on, tho' the way be long;
And the darkness be gathering fast;
For the turn in the. road is a little Way on.
Where the home lights will greet us at .last.?
Anonymous.
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