'i
The Commoner
NOVEMBER, 1915
i
liquor Issue Must
Be Met
In Nebraska, and in other states In which the
question of prohibition is before the people, tho
democratic party will meet tho issue frankly.
Whenever the people are ready to act upon a
question, parties, like individuals, must be bravo
enough to take sides and stake -their success up
on tho righteousness of the position taken. This
is especially true when a moral issue becomes
paramount. In such a case to dodge is not only
cowardly but disastrous. Personalities disap
pear when principles aro involved and men be
come popular or unpopular according to tho side
they take. In every state in which the prohibi
tion issue is before the people, prohibition dem
ocrats should put up a ticket for every state
office and let the question of control be settled
at the primary. If a majority of tho party favor
prohibition tho party will benefit by tho stand
taken; if a majority of the party is against pro
hibition, then the party must bear the odium of
allying itself with the liquor interests, which
stand for everything harmful to the home, hurt
ful to society and corrupting in government.
Candidates for the United States senate and
for congress must be willing to voice the senti
ments of their constituents on the liquor ques
tion. I hope that the prohibition question will not
enter into the Presidential campaign next year,
but it will necessarily come bafore tho senators
and membersof congress to be elected next year
and they should be in harmony with their con
stituents on this subject. No state "or district
can afford to be misrepresented by a senator or
member of congress voting contrary to the wish
es of those for whom he speaks.
The same is true of national committeemen.
The state's representatives on the national com
mittee should bo in harmony with the views of
the state; no man who takes the side of. the li
quor 'iriterests" can fairly represent a prohibition
side. - f"s''- i -
There', needbe no animosities but tho lino
should be" clearly, drawn wherever- this question
is an isse," .so tb'at the majority may everywhere
rule. ' , V .
W. J. BRYAN.
i
CONGRECfATIONALISTS AGAINST PRE
fi ' .j PAREDNEStf ,.
-Resolution's against preparedness were adopt
ed by the Congregationalisms at their recent na
tional assembly.
They were proposed by Dr. Jefferson of New
York and seconded by Dr. Gladden of Ohio.
As first introduced they voiced the opposition
of the church to the- attempt which is now be
ing made to stir the country into-a frenzy of
preparedness aiid Were intended as a protest
against any -increase in the appropriation for
our army and navy.
In supporting the resolution Dr. Gladden said
that never since the surrender at Yorktown has
there been less danger of attack than today.
Some eastern delegates, however, objected to
the resolutidn as introduced, arid urged an
amendment which very much weakens the reso
lution by opening the way to misconstruction
and misinterpretation.
The .amendment limited the preparedness to
that necessary; for defense,, and this will be con
strued by jingoes to justify all they ask for, be
cause all preparedness is asked for- upon the
theory that it will bo used for defense only. But
in actual practice this preparedness stimulates
a war spirit which usually culminates in an
aggressive attitude, and this aggressive attitude
is excused upon the ground that aggression was
necessary to prevent threatened attack.
It is necessary for peace organizations to ex
ercise great care to prevent the introduction of
these "weasel words" which suck the meaning
out of well-intended declarations.
It would strengthen the fight which the peo
ple have to make against the powder and bullet
trust, if all church organizations and other as
sociations having the country's welfare at heart,
would protest in positive terms against any In
crease in the appropriation for the army and
navy beyond that which is annually appropri
ated. Such a protest to be effective should express
the belief that no new dangers threaten us and
that the nation is not justified in preparedness
beyond the present scale of expenditure.
MR. BRYAN ON LEAVING WASHINGTON
Mr. Bryan gave out tho following Interview
as he wbb leaving Washington:
I camp to Washington two years ago last
March at tho invitation of tho President becauso
ho thought I could render a service to tho gov
ernment. I was moro than pleased with tho op
portunities offered and am satisfied that the
work done in tho stato department, especially in
the negotiation of treaties and in cultivating
better relations with Latin America, will stand.
I resigned only whon I became convinced that the
opportunities for servico were larger outside of
the cabinet. On nearly every question I found
it possible to agree with tho President, and in
those matters it has givon mo pleasuro to socond
his efforts. In the few instances in which wo
could not agree, I have stated my views with
frankness, and am willing to risk tho judgment
of the party and tho country.
"The republicans must not put tho differences
between tho President and myself In tho same
class with tho differences between Mr. Taft and
Mr. Roosevelt. Mr. Taft and Mr. Roosevelt had
personal differences which led to a division In
the republican party. The differences between
the President and myself aro differences of prin
ciple and will not disturb tho friendship between
us. I rely upon my record during tho last 25
years to prove my devotion to tho democratic
party and that devotion was never greater than
today. My obligations to tho party have con
stantly increased, and tho six millions and a half
of democrats who have three times voted for
me will never have reason to doubt my loyalty
to the principles which havo made tho demo
cratic party a living force in politics for more
than a century, and which, in spite of any mis
takes it may make, will continue to make It the
party of the common people and the champion of
tho rights of tho masses."
THE PROMOTERS DO NOT FIGHT
The Philadelphia Inquirer says:
"The fact Is that war is generally promulgated
by those who have-tho most to gain and least to
lose in the conflict, whose own skind are safe,
ahd who aro enabled to drag after them all of
their followers by holding up a 'sacred banner
of patriotism' w'hich is often false. Economic
pressure has had much to do with war, but am
bition has had more."
Quite right; and it might have added that
the doctrine of frenzied preparedness is pro
mulgated by those who havo most to gain by
army and navy contracts. They also use the
"sacred banner of patriotism" to conceal tho
sordid pecuniary interests back of tho propa
ganda. Yes, it is wrong for a foreign-born citizen to
ajlow his sympathy for a belligerent country to
make him forget his duty to tho land of his
adoption, but is it not "een worse foran Amer
ican born citizen to become so engrossed 'in mak
ing money out of the" war as to jeopardise tho
neutrality of the country of his birth?" The: mem
ories of youth furnish a better excuse than the
worship of mammon. V
Congressman Gardner, the inventor of ijio big
array and navy excitement, sedately remarks
that the tentative program put out by members
of tho president's cabinet is an excellent start,
but that it is merely the beginning of what should
be done. Yet some folks still think there is no
militarist group in the United States.
Suffrage lost in New Jersey by many thou
sands in spite of the open supp&rt given the
state amendment by President Wilson. This la
no measure of tho president's influence in that
stato. It merely proves that tho liquor Interest
is well dug in in the voting trenches there.
A number of our largo dailies havo allowed
themselves to "become asphyxiated by tho poison
ous gases discharged. from the furnaces of the
munition factories. Let us hopo that the weekly
papers will remain at a safe distance and thus
escape.
And what of the unhyphenated Americans
who, because they love money more than they
love any country, are willing to plnpge the
United States into war for the profit on muni
tions? If "necessity knows no law" this must be the
school that the belligerent nations are now attending.
The 'Note to Great
Britain
v
Tho position taken by tho United Spates 1
tho note to Groat Britain protesting against In
terference with neutral trade, Is sound; our
trade rights havo boon violated and tho protest
should bo pushod with all vigor.
Tho pcaco treaty made with Groat Britain 911
Septombor 15, 1914, covt 3 this caso and pro
vides for investigation by an International
tribuno In caso diplomatic representations fail.
Tho matter, therefore, will proceed without
excitement as tho discussion of our protest t
Gormany would havo dono had wo had a similar
treaty with Germany, or had this government
announced that tho treaty plan would, If neces
sary, bo resorted to.
If tho treaty plan is resorted to and It falls
to bring about a settlement of tho dispute, then
final settlement should bo postponed until tan
war Is over, for tho samo reasons which have
been given In Tho Commonor for tho postpone
ment of settlements with other countries under
similar circumstances. This government should
insist upon its rights, but no resort should b
had to force DURING THE PRESENT WAR. M
it Is necessary to resort to forco at all !t should
be AFTER this war is over when wo can have a
war of our own to ontcr Into this war would
bo to take part In a war that belongs to every
body, and we could not take part In this war
without being drawn Into tho sottloment of dis
putes with which wo havo no connection.
W. J. BRYAN.
DEFENDS PREPAREDNESS .
Tho New York Telegram dcfcmlB preparedness
on tho ground that It Is "bettor to bo safe thaa
sorry."
If the editor of this paper will look up the
records in tho frontier sections, ho will n4
that Is. exactly tho theory upon which the pio
neers acted when they made walking arsenals of
themselves. If he will read tho news items in the o
pjoncor proas, ho will find that those who car
ried weapons wero anything but safe.
JIo will also .And that tho standard of hon6r
is identical with that which tho jingoes have
adopted as a national policy a standard which
puts a premium upon bloodshed and stigmatize
all peacefully Inclined citizens as "mollycoddles."
VTHE .DOCTOR KNOWS" -'
Every one -has heard the story of the little
boy who, whon asked how ho know a neighbor
was going to idle, responded: "The doctor said
he could not live 'till morning, and tho doctor
knows what kind of medicine ho gave him' So
theso jingoes must think they know what kind
of diplomacy, wo aro going to use when they say
that wo eau ndt keep out of war.
European diplomacy is conducted on the the
ory that ibis a. poor foreign office that can not
find an excuse for doing what the war depart
ment wants.it to do.
Chas. B. Chancellor, Parkcrsbtirg, W 0
Va., writes: &
"Permit me to suggest that you ak
your readers to mark editorials and other 0
articles In TI16 Commoner that appeal to 0
them, or that they think would he of ser- 0
vice and interest to their local commuM- 0
ity and to the democratic party in geifer- 0
al, and hand the marked copy of The 0
Commoner to their local editor request-
ing them to publish each item marked 0
some time during the month. By tills 0
method they can reach a great many 0
more than by passing the paper on, to 0
some friend. Of coarse many of those 0
known as "the big newspapers" are jjot
friendly to Mr. Bryaa and The COnlnioa- 0
er, hat if we could get the smaller and 0
the local papers to copy more from The 0
Commoner, it wonld not only do mtach 0
good for the democratic party, but the 0
country at large, and eventually it would '0
have its influence with the larger id
hostile press." ' ,0
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