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The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR .
VOL 15, NO. 8
Lincoln, Nebraska, August, 4915
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Whole Number 676
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WRITE AND WRITE NOW
The power toDECLARE WAR is vested in congress that is the nearest body to the people. The referendum was then
unknown if the constitution was being written today the people would probably be given a referendum vote on war, and
women the greatest sufferers from war would doubtless be given a voice. But as we do not have a direct referendum we should
use every means we do have to impress upon senators and members of congress the fact that THE PEOPLE ARE OPPOSED TO
ENTERING THE PRESENT WAR: They are IN FAVOR of using the peace treaty plan to preservo peace and, if that fails,
they are in favor of postponing final settlement until -this war is over. This course will enable us to assist as mediator in bring
ing this war to a close and then we shall have no difficulty in adjusting our differences. WRITE YOUR SENATORS AND
YOUR CONGRESSMEN, protesting against war. They will listen to you. W. J. BRYAN
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Preparedness
The jingoes are now talking about spending
threo hundrcid million dollars on the navy and.
ono hundred and fifty million dollars on the
army, or four hundred and fifty million dollars
per year getting ready for wars that ought never
tc come. Four huudred and fifty millions a year
would amount to about five billionsin eleven
yrs! That sum would gridiron -the United
States with hard roads twelye miles apart, so
that no citizen -vould live more than six miles
from a good road which would enable him togo
everywhere. It is estimated that a farmer can
haul four times as much on a hard road as oft a
dirt'road. What a boon it would be to a farmer
to bo relieved of tho mud embargo! The sum
above mentioned would in ten years, revolution
ize the road travel and traffic of the country, but
half that sum would probably supply present
needs. If we keep our army and navy appropria
tions as they are now and simply use for good
roads the sum which the jingoes desire to add
to these appropriations, the benefits to business
will be enormous.' -Good roads or frenzied pre
paredness, which? - W. J. BRYAN. -
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' i&fitjfeft '' ' t)N THE WAtf'BACK - .,.. ,'
, Those who 'have read ex-President Roosevelt's
views on the return of the progressive prodigals
of New York to the republican party, will be
able to guess with some accuracy as to his own
future course. He is sure they-the returning pro
gressives are "conscientious" in returning and
ho appreciates . the service they rendered while
outside the republican party. When the proper
time comes Mr. Roosevelt may be expected to
conscientiously return to the republican party,
content to know that he rendered great service
by temporarily separating himself from Penrose,
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Barnes & Go.
Before wo begin squandering money io meet
the jingo idea of preparedness we had better
consider the journey which the warlike nations
are making toward exhaustion. If they go on
killing off soldiers and burning money at tho
present rate, there will be nothing to fear when
they get through.
APOSTLES OF PEACE
A few of our ministers have been abroad so
much that they have loct the American point of
view, and some of these have talked war until
they have lost the Christian point of view. But
a vast majority of the clergy are not only neu
tral as between belligerents but are intensely on
the side of Christ's gospel, and against the doc
trine that Might makes Right. They are apostles
of peace, and are using their great influence
against the crusade for war which the jingoes
are trying ta organizer-" ; -" u
CONTENTS
GOOD ROADS VS. PREPAREDNESS
A FEW WAR FACTS
THE SHIP PURCHASE BILL
A NATIONAL BULLETIN NEEDED
CLOTURE COMING
NEUTRALITY TOWARD BOTH
PROHIBITION
WASTING TIME
TEMPERANCE CRUSADE ADVANCING
AMERICANlNOTES TO GERMANY AND
AUSTRIA
THE POLITICAL SITUATION
BUSINESS AND THE LAW
STORY OF MR. BRYAN'S EFFORTS TO
PROMOTE WORLD PEACE
SECRETARY M'ADOO SHOWS URGENT
NEED OF MERCHANT MARINE
TWENTY-ONE MILLION of soldiers are en-'
gaged in the unparalleled war now raging in.
Europe; what will be our quota if we ure roow
ish enough tp enter into it?
More than TWO MILLION men have bee
killed thus far. What will be pur toll If wo take
part?
Over FIVE MILLIONS wounded. What will
be our share if we become a participant?
The nations at war are .now spending FOUR
HUNDRED MILLION dollars per week more -than
TWENTY BILLIONS per year wht will
our expenditures be? '
. Before we decide to "go in" Vat any cost'.' let
some of the advocates of war give us an dsti?
mate. We are a great nation and can not be
stingy with blood or money if we cast in our lot '
with the belligerents.
And what is to be gained by war? Protection
of American rights? No, that'ean be secured
without loss of life, money or honor; it can be
secured without arousing hatreds which would
last a century.
And what would we loseby entering into the
war? Men? Yes, no one knows how many.
Money? Yes, no one knows bow much. But
more than that, we would lose our place as the
leader of the neutral nations and the opportun
ity to mediate when the time for mediatloa
comes; we would lose the priceless privilege of
using our good offices as a friend to assist in lay
ing the foundations of permanent peace.
There is no excuse for war. Our grievances
we "have them against both sides do npt justify
war; and the treaty plan furnishes the machin
ery fpr maintaining an honorable peace. Those
who talk war misrepresent the wishes of the peo
ple. You can no more measure -the sentiment
of the masses by the froth of the jingo press tha
you can measure the ocean's silent depths by the
foam upon its waves. 'W. J, BRYAN.
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