i
The Commoner
DECEMBER, 1915
17
Assessing Manufacturers to Raise
Fund to Oppose Prohibition
Tho following letters explain themselves:
Charles W. Bryan,
Associate Editor The Commoner:
I am sending you a letter which you might
hso in Tho Commoner, which in my Judgment ia
a very clever scheme for taxing the people of
this country regardless of their preference for
the purpose of fighting prohibition.
You will notice that this letter is sent by each
manufacturer and jobber only to people from
whom the manufacturers buy goods. This makes
it a cinch almost that the ax will be paid with
out protest, because, first, the amount is small,
and second, because the party on whom it is
levied does not wish to offend a good customer.
It is a scheme that ought to be bawled out from
the house tops, thus making those who attempt
to use it rather careful about doing so on ac
count of public sentiment. The manufacturer
who received this letter did not want his name
or town used in connection with it, but I assume
the letter is a duplicate of what is being sent
everywhere to further the propaganda.
A COMMONER SUBSCRIBER.
The following letter, addressed to a manu
facturer, is tho one mentioned in the above let
ter:: '.;.',.:. ;
Dear Sirs:
In forwarding you our check in settlement of
attached invoice, less the amount of ono por cent
represented by discount stamps of tho National
Association of Commerce and Labor, wo dcslro
to explain that these stamps, purchased by us
from said association, represent tho contribution
which members of tho association have offered
to make towards tho educational campaign now
being CARRIED ON BY IT AGAINST NATION
WIDE PROHIBITION.
We have been asked to aid in tho collection
of this contribution by deducting ono per cent
from tho invoices of all members of trades and
industries allied with our own, who, realizing
that their interests and ours in this campaign
are identical, havo consented to tho same, and
it is with tho understanding that you are one of
these, that we havo deducted said discount from
your invoice.
In case this understanding is erroneous, and
you are neither a member, through a local man
ufacturers and dealers association, or the Na
tional Association of Commerce and Labor, nor
interested in contributing to its funds, wo shall,
upon receipt of advice from you to this effect,
remit to you the amount of discount deducted,
with due apologies for our error.
Very truly yours,
THE BISHOP-BABCOCK-BECKER CO.,
POPE BENEDICT CONDEMNS THE HORRORS
OF WAR
A ' Rome cablegram, dated Dec. 6, says: The
secret consistory, at which new cardinals are to
be appointed and other important business trans
acted, began shortly after 10 o'clock this morn
ing., Notwithstanding the world war it was pre
ceded' arid 'attended with tho same pomp as was
customary under Pope Leo. The only difference
today was the absence of some of the foreign
cardinals,, especially those from tho United
States.
The, cardinals from the belligerent countries
were almost all in the group of cardinal priests,
in their order of seniority. Cardinals from the
entente countries were separated by the monk
Cardinal Seraflni from Cardinal von Hartmann,
archbishop of Cologne.
Pope Benedict looked well and strong. He
was full of determination, especially when de
livering his allocution in which he again con
demned the horrors of war. In his allocution
tho pope after speaking of the difficulties in con
voking the sacred college because of war, said:
"In this grave and historic moment before the
assembly, notwithstanding the ruin accumulat
ing during the last sixteen months; notwith
standing that the desire for peace grows daily
in many hearts and that numberless- families in
their sorrow long for it; notwithstanding we
have tried every means which might hasten
peace or allay discord, nevertheless the fatal
war still grows in fury by land and sea and
threatens unfortunate Armenia with extreme
ruin.
"The letter which on the anniversary of the
beginning of the war we addressed to the bellig
erent peoples and their rulers, though it re
ceived a reverent hearing, it by no means pro
duced the beneficent effects expected.
"As vicar of Him who is the peaceful king
and prince of peace we can not be but moved by
the misfortunes of so many of our children; we
can not but continually raise our hands in sup
plication to the God of mercy, entreating Him
with our whole heart that he might deign in His
power to end this sanguinary conflict.
"While we seek all resources to alleviate the
doleful consequences, we feel obliged by our
apostolic offices to inculcate anew the only
means which can quickly put an end to tho tre
mendous conflagration.
"Prepare for that peace which the whole or
humanity ardently wishes for, this is a peace
which is Just and lasting not advantageous to
one alone of the belligerent parties.
"The way which can surely lead to this happy
result is that which already has been, tried ana
found satisfactory in similar circumstances, rnat
Is an exchange of ideas, be it direct or Indirect,
Bec'y & Ass't Treas.
based upon good will and calm deliberation and
set forth with clearness, duly recognizing tho as
pirations of all, eliminating tho unjust and im
possible and taking into account with equal
measure what is Just and possible.
"Naturally, as In all human controversies
which must bo settled through tho efforts of tho
contending parties themselves, it Is absolutely
necessary that concessions be made upon some
point by both parties; that some of tho hoped
for advantages must bo renounced so as
not to assume before God and man the enormous
responsibility for the continuation of this shed
ding of blood, of which history records no coun
terpart and which, if prolonged further, might
mean the beginning of decadence from the de
gree of prosperous civilization to which tho
Christian religion has raised her from nothing."
The president recommended in his message
to congress that tho money to secure the largo
sums demanded by his "preparedness program"
should bo secured In part by somewhat lowering
tho present limits of exemption In the income
tax law and suggesting the figure at which the
surtax shall begin to be imposed and by Increas
ing step by step, throughout the present gradu
ation, tho surtax Itself. Kindly note the waning
enthusiasm of those distinguished rich gentle
men, income taxpayers at present, for a large
military program.
All prophets agree that the session of congress
which began on December 6th will be a very
long one. Not the least potent reason for this
belief is the fact that so many republican mem
bers have speeches attacking the democratic ad
ministration that they desire to get Into the rec
ord for campaign use. Apparently the Idea has
never penetrated that these purely partisan ar
raignments have practically no effect upon the
minds of the voters.
We are soothingly informed that all of this
trrpit urenaredness program that the east Is urg
g upon confess can be cared for "without any
appreciable burdens upon the American people."
A hundred million or two hundred million Isn't
much of a sum in the eyes of a man who doesn't
oract to have to pay it. It isn't much of an "ap
pUSablo burden" to him If the common people
who create wealth pay It.
ttii nroposition to increase the Income taxes
. ntnrl in the east because It is "another
Sece 8 of aggres'ionpon people of snbstance "
Snff JEh easterners have so long been able to
all tales oTo the poor that they can't un
5a ffialm administration that Insists on a de
naVaVuanycompels them to pay a share
of the cost of their own protection.
A WORD TO FRIENDS
That .nearly all Commoner readers will take
an active part in tho fight against militarism Ik
this country, is wolcomo news In this office. The
thousands of letters commending tho work of
Tho Commoner aro highly appreciated. Mr.
Bryan Is devoting his timo and Jncomo to tkla
work, and desires to co-opcrato with all citizens
who aro against militarism. Through tho col
umns of Tho Commoner, ho will uso all the re
sources nt his command In tho fight against co
called preparedness. That preparedness leadi
to war Is conclusively proven by tho present con
ditions In 'Europe. Every ono who dreads war
and the results that Inevitably follow war should
got buoy. The defeat of tho policy of militarism
means tho saving of many dollars In taxes to each
citizen, to say nothing about tho cost in blood
that results Crom wars that follow preparedness.
Wrlto your congressman nt once, and to both
of your senators, and lot them know how you and
your neighbors feel about saddling a big army
and navy on the taxpayers of this country.
If you feel that a larger circulation of The
Commoner will help to uphold American Ideals
and traditions, then Mr. Bryan Invites your ac
tive assistance In securing now readers; ho must
depend upon those who are In accord with him
in this fight, to place subscriptions whore they
will do the most good. This 1b a real fight a
man's size fight. Those Interested In tho manu
facture of munitions of war, building warships,
furnishing army and navy supplies, a higher
protective tariff, newspapers that profit by ca
tering to such Interests and tho attorneys and
lobbyists of tho various interests that will profit
at tho expense of the people, arc all co-operating
In ono gigantic effort to commit this country to
the polcy of militarism. Tho great common peo
ple of America must bo awnkencd to tho real
situation; they must bo made to fully under
stand what It means to them for our nation to
forsake a policy that has beon followed for more
than a hundred years, and Instead thereof to
adopt a program of militarism, such as has
brought poverty and distress to European coun
tries, until great numbers of their people seek
our shores each year for peace and contentment.
To make It easy to secure new readers, a club
bing rato of five yearly subscribers for $3 (sixty
cents each) has been made. If you can not send
tho five at once, Just send those you secure
with remittance at tho rate of 60c each, and say
you will try to send more later. May wo depend
upon your help? If you can not act Just
now, write the editor of Tho Commoner a card
saying that he may count upon you, and that yo
will report the results of your efforts later.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR.
Comptroller of the Currency Williams was
sharply called to account by big bankers for his
charges of shylocklng. They assorted that his
criticisms applied only to some sections and are
not general. Mr. Williams' reply Is that he
found ono national bank In every three charg
ing a usurious rate of interest and that in forty
one of the forty-eight states sworn reports of
the bariks themselves showed a charge of 12 per
.cent or more In a few instances as high as 100
per cent and this at a time when these banks
could get all the money they needed from the
federal reserve banks for from 3 to K per
cent. The bankers have not yet framed a reply.
One of tho grave delusions entertained by the
professional exploiters of the people Is that the
people of the United States aro so distracted by
world events that they aro not concerned with
the old problems of home government. Watch
the old crowd try to put things across in the next
two years.
As was expected Henry Ford Is accused of
promoting the peace expedition to Europe In the
interest of his supposed candidacy for president.
Mr. Ford Is meeting tho same fate that others
have who have tried to make the world better,,
that of being accused of having some secret mo
tive of self-interest behind every action.
The president may have some difficulty in get
ting republican support for his preparedness
program If be puts the cost so low that it can
not be urged by the G. O. P. statesmen as a
excuse for raising the tariff rates.
Tho war-mad easterners are now referring to
those who oppose their program as "professional
mollycoddles." Thus we see how continued dis
cussion of a proposition brings out the strongest
arguments of the debaters. f
A
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