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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1915)
r The Commoner, APKIL, 1915 29 Indiana's Fight for Primary Law BALLOU, THE BRAVE Indiana voters of all parties will cheer for Senator O. L. Ballou of La grange, and praise him for his brave fight in the Indiana senate on the pri mary bill. Standing free from cau cus manacles, speaking the plain words of sound reason, calm logic, fairness, courtesy and truth, Ballou, in his gallant rally, made a splendid figure of a man. His sturdy purpose, his magnificent courage, his eloquent appeal, were inspiring. He won the respect of all and earned the admira tion of foe and friend. Ballou has made some notable fights for the right in the present session. In his revolt against caucus repudiation of party pledges and in his consistent, compelling fight to induce the senate democrats to measure up to duty and opportunity, he surpassed all former heights and gained state-wide fame. Ballou's appeal, inherently strong be cause basically reaoonable and just, gained tremendous additional force by reason of the breadth and stature of Ballou, the man. If a good, fight develops nothing more than good leadership, then the fight has been worth while.N Recent fighting has de veloped Ballou in a way to make him loom, large on the political horizon. The rank and file has come to know and love Ballou, the brave. Hats off to Ballou. Indiana Daily Times. ever make you touch a button. Look at my shirt!" National Food Magazine. JOHN R. JONES Two years ago, ' out of Marshall county, came Representative John. R. Jones, a quiet, unassuming, modest personality. Of medium height, wiry, dark, with a good eye, rugged. features,, no great claim to oeauty, but with firmness of character mark ed in all the lines of his intelligent face, Jones went about his business without noise and without bluster. At first he did not attract much atten tion, r Later the legislature heard from Jones. In 1912 the democratic state plat form pledged an honest primary law. Jones, elected representative on the democratic ticket, up home, stood on that party pledge. Jones believed in the primary principle. More than this, Jones believed the democratic party meant what it said when it promised to give the people an hon est primary law. So in this belief Jones brought with him, in his grip, d.own from Marshall county, an hon est primary bill. On this bill Jones had worked intelligently many months. It was a good bill, and it was drawn on intensely practical lines, for Jones is a practical politi cian of fine ideals and he combined idealism with practical working pol itics. History tells what a misguided democratic state organization did to the Jones primary bill of two years ago. In defeating the primary bill, however, the democratic legislature gave Jones state-wide fame and won for him the honored title, "Honest Primary" Jones. Jones was a good loser. He went home with the honest primary bill in his grip. He told the home folks the story and they renominated him for representative unanimously, and he was re-elected without trcuble and back he came this year with the same grip and in the grip an honest pri- Ynnw "hill The democrats had gone on record once more, in 1914, in favor of a pri mary law. Jones believed the dem ocrats of the rank and file meant what they said when they put the primary question in the party platform. So he dropped the Jones primary bill once more in the legislative hopper. It was not so easy to down Jones Oils year. He was backed by an or ganization of platform pledgo keep ers. President Wilson gavo his aid. Secretary of State Bryan helped. Sen ator Kern made the primary fight his own fight. Other big democrats helped, and all the way the Jones forces kept up a press bombardment from all over the state. Jones made a magnificent fight in his quiet way, forcing his bill on the house demo cratic majority as a platform meas ure ana getting the form and most ol the substance of his measure through the senate and again through the house. When the democratic party jewels are made up J. R. Jones ought to come In for something substantial in the way of praise and fair recogni tion. He has done large service on behalf of his party and on behalf of the rank and file voters of all parties. For he has made It possible for tne voters to try out a primary law in Indiana. Indiana Daily Times. PEACE AND ARMAMENTS Were anything ever needed to shat ter the argument that heavy arma ments make for peace, surely it. is found in the spectacle of the greatest war in history; when millions of men in arms are drenching the world with human blood. It is generally agreed among fair-minded observers that the old doctrine of milifurism being a preserver of p'ace has utterly col lapsed. Yet with this "terrible ex emple" before us, the jingoistic ele ment of the United States would have us emulate the nations of Europe and build up, and forever build up, great er armies and navies. The Citizen does not attempt to say that we should not have an adequate navy, and an army large enough to ensure proper defense in case of at tack, but to undertake to build the "greatest navy the world has ever known," as some demand, would put us in the light of inviting attack from all quarters. And at this time, when no great power in the world can assail us, surely there is less need for increasing our armament. The powers of Europe nave enough troubles of their own without looking for more, and who, then, can throw down the gauntlet to the United States? And whether or not this war shall end in ten aays or in ten years, the nations now engaged will require many years wherein to re cuperate before they can possibly be come a menace to the United States. So why howl about war when no danger threatens? Is it not reasonabe to assume that the warring nations, all of them seeking to cultivate our friendship, look upon this country as the final arbiter, and may we not assume aiso that the first requirements which the United States as mediator will lay down will be a limitation of arma ments? And in the event of the latter being acceptable the peace confer ence, how foolish it would be for this government to plunge furiously into the reckless building of cruisers and dreadnoughts. It would be an in vestment of many millions of dollars from which there could bo no re turn. The Asheville (N.C.) Citizen. slow down, so called valuablo live might bo saved Chicago Tribune. TREASON IN THE CITADEL OP PROTECTION "During the period of tho free wool Underwood-Simmons tariff tho growers of wool in the Ualtcd States havo received higher prices than when there was a duty of 11 or 12 cents nor nound. and the manufac- m , 9 ,, - - turers havo been put on a basis of equality with their Buropon compet itors as far as raw material has been concerned." Annual report of Pres ident Wood of tho American Woolen Company. Here is treason within tho very "cit adel of protection." Tho facts, of course, are that tho wool-growers havo been ruined by tho democratic free-wool tariff, ao they said they would bo, and that the wool manu facturers are selling their mills for old junk under an avalanche of pau per Imports, as it was said they would be doing. This defection of a whole army corps in tho standpat camp calls for the most riuorous measures of sup pression. A treason which breaks out at the very moment when tho camp is rallying to recover tho lost trenches of 1912 should bring tho firing squad into Immediate action. New York World. A SAFER WAY TO TURN You've noticed that every time a party of joy riders comes to grief It is because tho motor car "turned tur tle." Now, if some of these speed ing cars would only turn tortoise and LIFE INSURANCE Is needed today, NOW. Nothing can tako its placo. It is needed (1) If you have not enough wealth to mako your family inde pendent. (2) If you havo wealth you art well ablo to pay for it, and wealth may not always bo yours. (3) Sinco it will cost you less to day than when you arc ft year or more older. (4) For sickness or accident may placo you In tho uninsurable class, which is by no means a small one. (5) Since It Increases your asoeU and makes your credit better. (6) You may suddenly bo taken away and your obligations be shifted to those least able to bear them. 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