The Commoner
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VOL. 15; NO. 7
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fluenco of high example. If we adhere to this
policy we LEAD the world and we should be sat
isfied with our primacy. If, on the other hand,
wo arc to revolutionize our methods, we must be
content to follow at the rear end of the European
procession. Wo can not take the lead if we join
the European group, for leadership in that group
requires tho acceptance of the doctrine of con
quest. Wo could at best be a poor second if wo
so changed our national policy as to become a
part of a European police force. We would not
be "one of of the finest" on parade day we
would limp along apologetically, with downcast
eyes and blushing cheeks. No, tho advocates of
tho European police force plan can not silence
opposition with an intellectual frown; they can
not dismiss their rpponents with such epithets
as "pacifist" and "non-resistant" they must
come out in the open and admit: First, that they
are willing to repudiate the teachings of Wash
ington; second, that they are ready to abandon
the Doctrine of Monroe; third, mat they favor
such an amendment of the constitution as will
transfer the power to declare war from congress
to the nations across the sea, and, fourth, that
they are tired of being good and hunger for the
excitemont of the camp and 'the man hunt.
Let the' people understand the real purpose of
tho "League to Enforco Peace," and not even
the, prestfge of the deluded scholars who have
casein their lot with it can save it from tlie ex
ecrations of an indignant public.
W. J. BRYAN. "
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. A' REFERENDUM ON WAR
A-southern congressman, in speaking on tho
prospectr. o Avar, recently said that he believed
In war if, the people wanted i war, but that ho
would prefer to have tho people voto on the
subject so as to be sure they did want it. He.
added tho suggestion that a vote be taken, with
thoi.understanding that those who voted for war
would .enlist, first and that those who-voted
against war. would not be expected to enlist un-til-a-fter
tho others had .been enrolled. . , , . .
Mr. Bryan repeated the suggestion to . tn
.newspaper men and it has gone over the. coun
try .ithefirei ciiu-.uomesnrroin tnejExpressjtLit-.
itJ5i. Lancaster, county, Pennsylvania. .The -Express
has -taken a referendum vo,to and so far.
theyplto. against war between the, .United States,
Germany,. Mexico or any ojther. country is 203;
tho voto for the war is so far 0. ,The idea is ,a
gPftftjWPpj.If.tlie other, papers take it up we will
S09fl Ymv..w)at public sentiment is on, the sub'
JPTT? anybody has any doubt how. '
l . , , ., AS TPE FARMER SEES, ja; ' , , ' ', .
'AtsHod-rjck, Oklahoma, an-agricultural com-
mivnity,-th;e following -petition was prepared
siged.;by' nearly 80 citizens, (95 per .cent of
those to whom it was presented) and sent to the.
president: . ,. i ..... ,, ,, .
HWe'doenot- believe that war-crazed-Europe
could offer any insult that -would, justify our.
country, in r joining, in . this .monstrous crime'
against civilization." n i . ,,,
How "unpatriotic such a petition must seem to
a man who is figuring on a million dollars profit
on s,n ammunition contract! And yet there1 are
many sensible people in the United States who
think -that there is as little glory to be won.,in
entering nto ,this fight as there would be in, chal
lenging the inmates of an insane asylum
If it hadn't been for the war, -thunder the re
publican .editors, there wouldn't .have been any
American prosperity and the igreat structure i of
Amerivn industrialism would have been. sapped,
at Its .foundations. After which they throw unr
opened .into.-their waste :baskets the statistical
record of, imports and exports showing just how.
small a "proportion of. the 'increased business is
due to the shipment of munitions ot. war., ju, ,"
A GLADSOME CHANGE
Did you notico the change? And isn't it grat
ifying? For ten days befere the second German
note was published, tho jingo press was filled
"What's what." Patience was exhausted: no
$ pace treaty parleys; it was time to act.' And
jWtfcen (about Juno 8th) prfcstb' change,, "ho w
lnoniuv uio spiru, now mnu tno tone"! "who
S" 't ihiilrl VArvrtrrl on oil o nnta na tniUniin4lf nun
should negotiations be cut eff?" "What is to in
trfer with an amicable nnrierfttsiTwiinfr?" t
gjeic. Well, it is worth something to have contrib
uted even a nttio to tno cnange.
W. J. BRYAN.
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Force Only a Last
Resort
On another page will be found an editorial
which appeared in the Nebraska Daily Journal,
published at Lincoln, on tho morning of July'
1st. The editorial is written in a kindly spirit
and is duly appreciated. The Bryans find it
quite comforting to compare the attitude of this
"homo city" paper today with its attitude when
Mr. Bryan first entered politics.
Reference is at this time made to the above
mentioned editorial because it displays a certain
blindness of which the editor of the Journal, un
fortunately, has no monopoly. The readers of
The Commoner, having had an opportunity to
read all Mr. Bryan has said on the subject of
peace, do not need the enlightenment which this
editorial is intended to furnish, but it will still
further equip them for the discussion of the sub
ject. The title, "Force only as a last resort,"
has been selected because the purpose which I
have in mind in writing is -to assist, not tho wil
fully blind for no one can help them but those
who, becauso they have , ot read, or having read,
do not understand my position. The intentional
misinterpretations, h.owever, could not go fur
ther or be more hurtful than this unintended
one. My chief contention is, and has been, that
the treaty plan should be adopted. And what
is tho treaty plan? Is it possible that any intel
ligent reader does not understand the plan em
bodied in the thirty treaties which I have had the
honor of negotiating? For the benefit of those
if there be such who do not understand these
treaties, let me emphasize the following points:
First: The treaties apply TO ALL disputes of
EVERY kind and character. There is NO EX
CEPTION whatever. Thpse treaties were intend
ed to make it impossible for war to begin with
out a period of Investigation, during which
anger may cool, and .questions of fact be oep
eratfid from questions of .law. This provisipji in the
treaty is -pretty .generally understood, but many
are not so familiar with the f apt, that the treaties
??ffiJ?B;RVE? t0 eac& country the,,right, of
INDEPENDENT aqtion WEN the' investigation
is completed. Those who believe that a resort to
force may become necessary ought to rejoice that
the way is thus left open for war, if other means
fail. The friends 6f tlicise treaties believe, NOT
SSibJSfr lmae IMPOSSIBLE, but that the
POSSIBILITY of war is made REMOTE. Can any
friend of peace mourriv that "under these treaties
war, instead of being probable, becomes merelV
possible? Is this not a long step in advance? In
order to make the treaties include ALL disputes
it was necessary to permit a FINAL resort to war
if peaceful methods fail.
We have twenty-six arbitration treaties "with
as many countries, and these treaties preclude
the possibility of war over the issues to which
they apply, but unfortunately arbitration treaties
contain certain important EXCEPTIONS; name
ly: 'National honor," "independence," "vital in
terests',' and the "interests of third parties." The
mere enumeration of the exceptions shows how
many disputes, being unprovided for, MAY result
in war. And these disputes which are not cov
ered by the arbitration treaties are the very dis
putes about which wars arise. "National honor"
alone would suffice for an excuse
for any war that a nation really
wanted to wage: "Independence" is also
a sufficient cause for war if nations want to fight
And "vital interests," what phraso could ho
more comprehensive? Every interest becomes
"vital' when nations are angry. The fourth eS
ception-'tho interests of third par ties" (.overs
nearly everything -else. A nation can not fall to
find that third parties are interested if it Is lool
iny for a pretext for a fight. ' '
Tho arbitration treaties, while preventing war
over disputes to which they apply, ieaVe I Mg
door wide open a door through which on, na-
auy cSaSl" tt S 5' marCh int
'"ho thirty treaties which have been concluded
under this administration, do not, anTsta fed
; make war impossible, but they appl, tc ALL
dishes of every kind and interpose a period of
investigation and deliberation between the time
when diplomatic efforts fail and the ?i,ne vhei
war can be declared and hostilities commen, od
I trust that as civilization advances our arbitra
tion treaties will include more and more of t
. disputes that arise between nations, Tit for e
present we must content ourselves with the in
ystigatjon of ALL- questions and hope that tM
investigation may result in the finding la'fth,B
amicable solution. unuing of an
If the editor of the Journal will mn,i
statements, interviews, and uttlrances' on Z
subject of peace he will And that the p" ace pan
which I advocate does not contemplate passltS
acquiescence in wrong; it is far from non-resist
nu d? P0int out' however, that the sn ?h
which tends towards peace is diametricallS
posed to the spirit which has during pas" a2S
lead nations into War and is even now lea
nations into War. With the growth of the S
sentiment, diplomacy more and more turns it
ward the employment 'of persuasion ami away
from the "firmness" which contains a hint of
force firmness which appeals to fear ra her
man to love. I believe that it is wise to cultiviS
a belief in the effectiveness of appeals tfr ien i'
ship; I dissent entirely from tho theory that a
nation's rights can best be preserved by lan-'uace
which but thinly veils a threat. My VomSSn!
against the jingo is that he would put this coun
try in an attitude of unfriendliness to peaceful
means and thus contribute toward the possibility
of war; that he would leave to the nation with
whom we have a dispute the prestige to be won
by proposing a peaceful solution.
I have faith in the persuasive methods inspired
by the spirit of friendship, and crave for mv
country the honor, not merely of ACCEPTING
but of PROPOSING peaceful methods. Our na
tion can -not afford to bo behind any other na
tion in its efforts to avoid war.
In the present dispute there is every reason
why our country should make the advances to
ward peace - There is no pressure upon us Ger
many, oh the contrary, is excited. She feels, as
do other4 belligerent nations, that tho struggle
will tremendously affect her position and her
people. She is not, therefore, as free as we are
to suggest the measures to which people natural
ly turn when they are calm--measures which it
is much more difficult to propose when passion
runs riot. , ,
A word mbre. I"f. the editor of the Journal
will do me the honor to rdad what I have sai'l
and written he can not fail to Notice that I have
tried . to apply to the question under .discussion
the fundamental principles of Christian religion.
AS I UNDERSTAND THEM. 1 do not' claim the
right to interpret 'Christianity for anyone else
but I have' felt it -my 'duty to present Christianity
as I see it. I believe that Christianity presents
not only a solution but the BEST solution of in
ternational problems, as it presents, in my judg
ment, the best solution of the everyday problems
which confront the individual; and I feel that
this is ari opportune moment to press upon the
world the difference between the new system of
the 'Prince of Peace and the brd system which
has' during the centuries Collected its toll in
blood aiid treasure, and left after each war a
legacy of hatred, the fertile soil in which new
controversies germinate. 1 may' be'-' mistaken,
but I'havo sufficient confidence in my interpreta
tion of the- Scriptures to appeal, net only to all
Christians' in the United States, tout to all Chris
tians everywhere, to consider Whether the time
is not ripe-for tho application 'of the teachings of
Christ to. international affairs. I recognize how
little one person can do, but God does not requ're
of us that1 we do great things; he' only requires
that we do what we ;an. The measure of respon
sibility is the same for all; each must improve
tho opportunities that come to him. To me thoro
came what seemed to be an opportunity to tes
tify to my" faith in the wisdom of Christ's teach
ings; I could not shirk the responsibility wnich
accompanied' that opportunity. '
It is a joy for me to know that none of my
official associates have doubted that I have fol
lowed my conscience not a tie of friendship has
been broken, so far as t know. ' ItJ Is an addi
tional jov to k'n'o'w'that mv neighbors and iho
friends of a lifetime not only concede that I did
what I thought was right, but increasingly ap
provo of the course which I felt it my duty to
Pursue. w. J. BRYAN.
After having spent months manufacturing
rhetorical chips for Uncle Sam's, shoulder and
after making themselves hoarse 'shouting war
commands to him, tho jingo papers unanimously
resent tl)e making of any speech or the writing
of any editorial' "by any one cwho opposes thir
plans. Can you beat it?
It would be difficult to catalogue anything
arising from the gigantic'clash in Europe as ben
eficent, hut it is not assailing the verities to say
that it is giving th&repnMtcans an excellent alibi
for tho existing prosperity.
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