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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1915)
The Commoner NOVEMBER, 1915 8- The Elections of 1915 Tho elections of 1916 ought to serTo as a warning to the democratic party. They indicate that tho progressives have returned to the reg ular republican party and that the democrats can no longer hope tot win by division in the ranks of the opposition. Neither can the dem ocrats afford to dally with vital issues. In Mas sachusetts our candidate for governor, an able man with a splendid official record, was defeat ed. The democrats of that state endorsed pre paredness. If it did not defeat them, it at least failed to save them. As a matter of party pol icy, it is seldom, if ever, wise to attempt to gain votes by appropriating the policies of the oppo sition. When the republicans borrowed the pro gressive ideas of the democrats it split their party and gave success to the democrats. It will not pay democrats to borrow preparedness from the republicans. If the country wants the frenzied preparedness that is now being ad vocated by militarists and jingoes the republican party will be entrusted with the carrying out of the policy, because the republican party likes to pilo up taxes and spend money. The democratic party can not hope to bid against the republicans for the vote of the jingoes. In Kentucky the democrats were unfortunate in taking the side of the liquor interests against prohibition. Their candidate, Congressman Stanley, made an admirable record in congress, and is a great campaigner, but he was badly handicapped by the position taken by the party. The democratic party can not afford to tie itself up with the liquor interests on any phase of the question. Alcohol will prove a mill-stone to any party that tries to carry it. While the elections contain a warning, there is no reason why a democrat should be discour aged. If the party will take up the reform work where it was left at the end of the last congress, adopt cloture, proceed to carry out the platform and add to its excellent record on economic questions, it has no reason to fear the campaign of 1916, but this is no time to try ex periments .or to exchange the substantial sup port of the democratic masses for the flattery of the metropolitan press. There is an essential difference between the democratic party and the republican party, and it is never safe to over look this difference. If tho democratic party triumphs it must triumph on its merits and by strict adherence to tho interests of the people W. J. BRYAN. THEN AND NOW The jingoes of the country are quoting a pas sage from one of Washington's annual addresses to congress. It reads: "There is a rankodue the United States among nations which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness. If we de sire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it. If we desire to secure peace one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, It must be known that we are at all times ready for war." If you will compare the situation now with the situation when Washington used these words, you will see how little application they have. In Washington's day we had just secured our freedom and were assuming an independent position with old and large nations menacing our existence. We are now tho leading nation of the world, the greatest republic of all time we have an ocean rolling on either side of us and a potential power of defense unequaled by any other country living or that has lived. In addition to that wo are spending 250 millions a year on the army and the navy, and yet there are those who would turn the country from peaceful prosperity Into a nation of swaggering swashbucklers looking for a fight. W. J. BRYAN. r A REPUBLICAN SCHEME If the readers of The Commoner will watch the progress of the propaganda for prcpareduee they will be convinced that it is a part of the republican scheme to return to a protective tariff. Can democrats who have fought for a genera tion for tariff reform be led into the fold of the tariff barons by the scare manufactured by those who profit by preparedness? DANGER OP PREPAREDNESS frn0,0 ZiU be f0UIld a QBB dispatch fn Sihlt0la nNcw York' recently published In the New York Times, which tells about a vol unteer firo company which found business no dull that Its members decided to enter upon arson as a business in order to furnish themselves em ployment putting out Ores. As a result a number of houses were burned and eleven of tho firemen arrested. They had prepared themselves for fires and when the fires did not come, they could not afford to waste their preparedness and so they started some Ores. Tho logic applies much more strongly to preparedness for war than to preparedness for fires, for in war tho injury is upon others while in the case of tho fire tho loss fell upon people of tho town. Tho dispatch says: "Tho town of Hartsdale, strange as it sounds, feels safer than It has felt for some time." Yes, and this nation will never feel as safe after it gets good and ready for war as it has felt under the old system when It relied upon friendship and justice to keep It out of war. If wo build costly battleships and fill our land with profes sional soldiers, trained in tho art of war surg ery, it will bo quite natural for them to want to U30 their tools, and why should they caro for either tho expenso or tho suffering that follow? W. J. BRYAN. Mr. Ford now understands how necessary It is to consult tho metropolitan dallies before hav ing an opinion on any subject. His opposition to tho doctrine of frenzied preparedness has called down upon him tho wrath of these repre sentatives of the predatory interests. The cen sorship established by tho belligerent govern ments of Europe is nothing compared with tho censorship of tho plunderbund of this country. The only oscapo from their impudent, insolent and malicious attacks is to be found in servile submission to their dictates. However, if Mr. Ford has not won the admiration of these, ho may bo to some extent compensated by the fact that he has won the approval of about everybody else, W. J. BRYAN. A ONE-SD3ED PATRIOTISM The Navy league has organized a women's sec tion, tho members of which pledge themselves "to think, talk and work for patriotism, Amer icanism and sufficient national defenso to keep the horrors of war far from America's homes and shores forever." Hero they are trying to incul cate in tho hearts of patriotic women the idea that it is American for us to imitato Europe and enter into tho mad rivalry in preparedness which has led to tho European war. If theso women are willing to apply their philosophy at home, why not change the pledge to read: "I will think, talk and work for patriotism and Americanism, and in order to keep tho horrors of bloodshed away from our homes forever, will urge every man to carry two revolvers so that ho will be sufficiently prepared for defenso." Why don't they do this? Because when they deal with every day lifo they know that tho pistol-toting man Is tho one to get into trouble. Why not apply ev ery day common sense to national affairs? The same moral principles that apply to Individuals also apply to groups of Individuals, and the samo logic that would lead the citizen to win respect by upright conduct rather than by arms will lead a nation to cultivate the disposition of peace rather than the spirit that leads to war. W. J. BRYAN. Back to Barbarism Under tho titlo "Tho Sham," tho Now York Tribune attempts to use tho alleged lack of pre parednoBs on the part of Great Britain (Groat Britain was prepared on sea; Germany was pre pared on land) as a rcbuko to the United States and as an argument In favor of a largo increase in tho appropriations for tho army and navy, but tho odltorlal Is really an oxposuro of tho pur pose of those who are back of tho expenslvo pre paredness propaganda. Tho purpose or tho Jingoes In not to PREVENT war but to got ready for an EXPECTED war. Tho Tribune says: "Wo shall not cscapo our part in tho world conflagration. Wo can not hope permanently to avoid participation in a world at war." Why? Because, it explains, "the whole world has turned to arms and force to settlo tho great questions that divide nations and races." Here wo have It a shameless surrender of all that civilization stands for. "Back to bar barism," it shouts, and calls loudly for some one "big enough and bravo enough to tell tho Amer ican peoplo the truth about tho conditions now existing in the world." Tho mask Is laid aside, and the war party steps into tho nrona Insolent ly demanding that wo bond our energies not to ward preventing war but toward preparation for immediato participation in this war. It is fortunate that the Tribune has raised the war standard thus early, before democrats are misled. Mr. Roosevelt demands that we enter the war at once; and Mr. Taft insists that we should enter into an agreement to help police Europe, and thus take part in their quarrels. Both plans contomplato war not for tho pro tection of our rights, not for the safeguarding of our interests, not for tho advancement of our civilization, but because "the wholo world has turned to arms and force." Republicans as well as democrats will decline to respond to tho call of tho brute; they will refuse to exchange the joys of fraternity, Christianity and civilization for the animal pleasure that they might find la blood-letting. W. J. BRYAN. Ex-President Roosevelt is still engaged with characteristic energy in elevating the plane of public discussion. His latest contributions to re fined language arc: "Damn the mollycoddles" and "To Hell with the hyphen." These emana tions during his calmer momenta give us some Idea of the explosive power of his vocabulary If he were to become excited. The best shrapnel which !s being used in -Europe la warranted to break Into not less than one hundred and twelve pieces. But that is nothing; the war scare which the jingoes are trying to work np in this country breaks into a great many more pieces whenever It comes into contact with common sense. Among the recent resignations are those of the premier of Greece, a member of the British cabinet and a member of the French cabinet InA two of these while their countries are at war nd yet none of our plutocratic papers de nounce them as traitors. Speaking of scares, why accept a little one when, wo can by a slight twist of tho imagina tion, manufacture a big one? Suppose ALL the nations should combine against us? This is just as likely as that one alono would bo foolish enough to attack us, what then? Must wo have a navy equal to all the other navies combined, and an army equal to tho combined arnles of the world? Whero shall wo stop? LEADER KITCIIIN ON PREPAREDNESS On another pago will bo found a very inter esting and instructive letter written by Honor ablo Claudo Kltchln, democratic leader of the house of representatives, to tho World Bureau In this letter Mr. Kltchln, after correcting the misrepresentations of his position, presents a strong argument against the frenzied prepared ness which Is being urged. Ho points out first that our preparation is much more complete than tho jingoes would have tho public believe, sec ond, that thero Is less danger from attack than over beforo and, third, that our finances are lm no condition to stand the largely increased ap propriations that would be required for the proposed preparedness. Ho also calls attention to the relative superiority of the submarine over tho dreadnaught. It is fortunate for the party and the country that tho democratic leader is too well poised to be "shooed" into tho coop of tho special interests by manufactured scares. Mr. Kltchln is not only a man of ability, but a man of courage, and tk jingoes will have a hard time meeting his at tacks. Mr. KItchln's letter is commended to th readers of The Commoner for their careful perm sal. W. J. BRYAN. 0 00$ "i 8 ABRAHAM LINCOLN SAYS I am not bound to win, bnt I ana bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but X am bound to live up to what light I have. I most stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right, and part of hint when he goes wrong. 0 9 0 r0 And after preparedness? War. v u v