it
The Commoner
14
VOL. 15, NO, 9
EWMR
mms
"
Another Insidious Lobby
From tho Johnstown, Pa.f Dem
ocrat. In 1913, soon after taking office,
Prqgidont Wilson electrified tho coun
try and started a stampedo out of
Washington, when ho charged that
tho capital was infested by an "in
sidious lobby," which ho was de
termined to smoke out. The hegira
which followed this presidential
warning left Washington hotel men
to mourn tho good old times. There
was never before such a hustling to
get out of tho City of Magnificent
Distances.
But tho "insidious lobby" of 1913
was a negligible force in comparison
with tho more insidious lobby which
now infests tho capital. Tho lobby
which challenged presidential atten
tion in 1913 and which fled before
the scourge which the White house
brought into view was frankly sel
fish. It made few if any pretensions
of patriotism. It was not saving the
country. It was not buttressing our
shores against a threatened invasion.
It was not particularly anxious about
the flag. It was troubling itself lit
tle with the Yellow Peril or the Ger
man bogey. It was there merely to
get all that was to bo had for the
railroads, for steel, for sugar, or
glass, for ship yards, for powder
mills, for gun factories, for lumber I
and for all the other pets of privilege
which republicanism had been nur
turing for so many years.
The word from the White house
gave this lobby a great shock ana
occasioned unconcealed alarm in
many quarters, but it was highly ef
fective. The hotel business In Wasn
ington was never as poor as it was
in 1913 and 1914. But it must be
improving now.
For there is another and an infin
itely more dangerous lobby infesting
the capital of tho nation today. It
is a purely "patriotic" lobby, a lobby
which has wtaptfed the flag about it,
a lobby profpundly concerned over
tlfe welfare of the nation and the
perpetuity of our sacred institutions,
a lobby which is. in deadly fear of
some imaginary foe,, a lobby, that
thinks In terms of air ships, sub
marines, dreadnaughts, 16-inch guns,
torpedoes, shells, a huge standing
army and a navy greater than a Hob
son ever dared to propose.
Even the railroads when carrying
forward their successful campaign
to force the government to permit an
increase of freight rates flooded the
mails with no such a deluge of liter
ature as that which tho prepared
ness lobby is today disseminating.
Never before in the history of the
country has an equal activity in any
behalf been witnessed. Evidently
this lobby is richly endowed. It is
magnificently organized. It is splen
didly equipped. And it is carrying
forward its work with a thoroughness
and with an indifference to the cost
which may well challenge the curious
interest of the American people who
are being asked to approve of vast
expenditures on the "national de
fenses," the implication being that
our shores are menaced by some pow
erful oppressor.
The ramifications of this lobby are
widespread. Scores of leaguesi so
cieties, clubs and associations have
been formed to push particular
phases of the general campaign.
There are national security leagues,
national rifle associations, national
aereo clubs and national orgariiza
tions of various sorts designed to4
aryouse the country to some impend
ing peril and to bring it to a realiz
ing sense of what is expected pf it in
the -vay of fund? lor b.uyirig battle
shins, cruisers, dreadnaughts", sub:
marines,, destroyers, air craft, pow
der, war material, arid equipment
and for the increase of army and
navy to a war footing in atime of
profound peace. Schools, Ainurches,
political organizations, the magazine
and newspaper press, chautauquas,
the lyceum, every thing which con
tributeo to the molding of public
opinion, is being utilized by this lob
by as far as possible in spreading the
gospel of preparedness and in dra
gooning popular sentiment into an
acceptance of the fantastic notion
that preparation for war is a guar
anty of peace.
The preside . might well turn his
attention to this lobby. The one
driven by him from Washington two
years ago was praiseworthy by com
parison. There was little false pre
tense in that "insidious" aggregation
which haunted the halls of congress
and beseiged the departments of gov
ernment in pursuit of favors. But
the lobby of which tho Army and
Navy league, the National Security
league, the National Rifle associa
tion, - the National Aereo club of
America and scores of similar organ
izations are the visible expressions, is
of the very essence of false pretense.
It is greed masquerading in the vest
ments of patriotism. It is militarism
cloaked in the garb of peace. It is
selfish ambition posing as disinter
ested public spirit. It is imperialism
of the sordid sort Whose democratic
habilsments do not conceal the iron
hand or the two-edged sword. That
it should indefinitely pursue its sinis
ter work unchallenged seems un
thinkable. The president and con
gress shoufd both call it to account
and force a revelation of the secret
springs of action and the secret
sources of supply. And the country
will bo much disappointed should
the president and congress fail to
turn on the light.
ACT NOW, TIME FOR TALK PAST,
COLONEL AVERS
lations. The time for words on the
part of this nation has long passed.
It is inconceivable to American citi
zens who claim to be inheritors of the
traditions of Washington and Lincoln
that our governmental represent
atives shall not seo that the time for
deeds has come. What has just oc
curred is a fresh and lamentable
proof of the unwisdom of our people
in not having insisted upon tho be
ginning of activo military prepared
ness thirteen months ago."
A special dispatch to tho Chicago
Tribune, dated New York, Aug. 21,
says: Col. Theodoro Roosevelt today
broke tho silence he has maintained
about this country's international re
lations with Germany since the sink
ing of thb Lusitania. Referring to
the destruction of the Arabic, Col.
Roosevelt said it would bo a fresh
sacrifico of American hono'r'and in
terests for tho administration merely
to dismiss Count von Bernstorff, the
German ambassador, and sever dip
lomatic relations with Germany. The
colonel's statement reiterates moro
forcibly his previous utterances on
the subject, maintaining that the time
for words passed long ago.
Hopes Administration Will Act.
"I see it suggested In tho papers,"
Col. Roosevelt sacfd, "that tho Ger
man answer to our last note, which
is tho sinking cf the Arabic by a Ger
man submar'i.o ar.d tho consemiMnt.
murder of American citizens, will be
adequately met by tho administra
tion dismissing Von Bernstorff and
severing diplomatic relations with
Germany. I earnestly hopo tho ad
ministration will not talto this view,
for to do so womd. be a fresh sacri
fico of American honor and interests.
"Tho president's note to Germany
in February was an excellent note if
only it had been lived up to. But
every subsequent noto has represent
ed nothing but weakness and timM-
Ity on our part, and tho sinking of
the. Lusitania Tnd of-the Arabic, the
attacks 'on tho .Giilflight.and the FaU
aba, and nil the similar incidents that
nave occurred -Tepresent arrogant
answers which this weakness has in
spired, Timo.for Words -Is Past
"Germany will caro nothing for
the meroBever,nce- of diplomatic re
GARRISON RAPS COLONEL
A press dispatch from Washington,
D. C, dated Aug. 27, says: Secre
tary of War Garrison made public
today Maj. Gen. Wood's reply to the
secretary's telegram of yesterday di
recting that no repetition be permit
ted of tho incident at tho Plattsburg
camp precipitated by former Presi
dent Rgosevelt's speech to tho men
in training there. ,
"Your telegram received and policy
laid down will be rigidly adhered
to," Gen. Wood telegraphed.
"I.havo just read Mr. Roosevelt's
statement," Secretary Garrison said
today. "I see he blames the whole
thing on me. He takes the position
that it is notorious that he has the
habit of makiner indisnrpp onaanimn
and that it therefore was my duty
lu imu out lr no intended to go to
Plattsburg and, if so, to head him off
and save him from himself.
"Well, maybe that's so, but it is a
rather large order. He is a very
active man. and I am a. vprv hnov nna
and its going to be a pretty hard
jou ior me to keep an eye on him
all the time. The colonel's attitude
about himself reminds mo t 1,0
story otJthe Maine farmer who was
uix ma way to tne railroad station
onemorning when he met a friend.
'Where are you going?' said the
menuy The farmer replied: 'I'm go
ing down to Bangor to get drunk
and, great Lord, how I do dread it.' "
Bryan Han Word to Say
Kansas City, Mo Aug. 27. Wil
liam J: Bryan had this to say today
egardmg the developments growing
out. of ex-President Roosevelt's
speech at Plattsburg, N. Y military
"I am glad to notion sWoo n
:rison, is disposed to restrict the .camps
I xJiT . r wmcn they wre es
tablished. Durinir thn in,
weeks they seem to hav6 served more
as a nlatform fnr -nv. v .,,,
from than for instruction in -the art
. CONCERNING THE COLONEL
Secretary Garrison is unfair; and
the newspapers which- are "panning"
Jv???8,1 for-his violent speech
"" .;" " are lorgetting the un-
luvw iw wnich makes T R a
licensed libertine in language.'
m V 1 arsan language at
taste. Considering the semi-official
character of that ,twi - -J Y?:
wholly official position of GGTri
a guesi Tof thoeVelt pract-cay was
?t 7 , ?f the government of the
bos' with aanSand he berate "J
colVmS.1110 S0UUd and
WJiat of it? Roosevelt and good
taste never have been on spealdnc
terms with each other, and he is mf
der the physical necessity of beraT
ing something ti,0 t1. oerat-
ln!foth
tlon of PrSe
&feyas
no -common Z L"inl "f I'
in by such petty :thggs "aR f,?50?
if air- nlav. w - L luel a8 Xac and'
ing show on earth, he is the man who
UMUVft "" wnwBon, the ragintr
roarer of the roundup, the dauntless
daredevil who tied knots in the tail
of the clawing catawampus and sent
the frightful beast racing toward the
far horizon, yelling at every jump
What has such a hero to do with
the rules of conduct that govern mere
gentlemanly mollycoddles? Let him
rave. Chicago Journal.
MR. BRYAN
The. presence, in the city of Wil
liam Jennings Bryan on his first visit
since his resignation from the cab
inet brings to mind the numerous
adverse commeuts which we have
heard since tho rather startling an
nouncement that the great Common
er, had decided to leave the post at
Washington. These comments have
been as varied in form as aro the
temperaments which conceived them,
and it seems that in every case they
can be traced to some motive far
from the broad attitude which should
be the foundation of everyone's pub
lic utterances. We are all of us so
human that most of our opinions,
when we are startled, are made up
from some selfish or unreasonable
prejudice having its origin in the
past, and wj are prone as humans
to let these prejudices govern our
present feelings.
Going bac!: over the views heard
in regard to the resignation of Mr.
Bryan we can trace with undeniable
suri ess the m-tive behind those v,iio
appeared against him. Some say lie
killed himself politically. This should
be a fair indication then that those
who have said in the past that he was
seeking office were wrong, for he
would not kill himself politically if
he was seeking an office. The truth
of the matter- is that Mr. Bryan is so
absolutely governed by principle that
for twenty years he has not given a
thought to the political results of
any stand he has taken, often caus
ing his advisor3 much concern. Many
of the other adverse comments are
traceable to the efforts of the inter
ests to discredit him. These ideas
have been formed in the minds of
his present critics wJien they did not
know it by reading- newspaper ar
ticles prepared im the press bureaus.
of the interests.
Since 1896 an- unfair, villifyms
and desperate warfare has been
waged, against Mr. Bryan. He has
been a valiant soldier in the cause
of the common people. Great men
are always misunderstood. There
will come a time, however, when the
name of Bryan will .-be hailed with
the glad acclaim of a united and con
tented people who have learned final
ly what he has meant to them.
Kearney (Neb.) Times.
WEAITH AND. BOOZE
The liquor cranks are excited be
cause the anti-booze agitation threat
ens "properties valued in the aggre
gate at perhaps $2,000,000,000. "
may comfort them to reflect that tins
"perhaps" total of theirs is almost
exactly one-ninety-fourth of the es
timated wealth of the United States.
But it causes an altogether dispropor
tionate part of the total crime, dis
ease, suffering, and waste with wmcn
our country is afflicted. The rest 01
us pay mighty heavy taxes in all these
wnvd tr. Iroor nn tlmir "values. JiOOZfc!
wealth is the most selfish, tyrannous.
and wooden-headed form 01 PluCiVl
known to our civilization, and h
.,!. 1 tiA.,v CaiA its frac-
tion lownaha out) -with perfe
B9fntv.nn(l'"-tfrofl.)Tiin. Why SllOUJ"
a Tninor iinterestrbe-a'major nuisance .
Collier's
submarinebutrJanahwvas the in
LO 'OBCOTUGatlXniJlHI "Wit" v.
lumbia State.
m- M
w a luc "Greatest -travel-
