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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1915)
wgsrw TOWfnp; i mm mm f.i The Commoner VOL. '15; NO. 12 24 f ) - tf tT" s wmm Hi IS I 1 1 f ... f J fa w w i M'; 'V,' fl.V k" Mfr. ft' !?" 1C ': B8 ,"!"' ' iit ,W , Hearing from the People on "Preparedness" Win. Madison Hicks, Oolagah, Okla., undor date of Nov. 23, writes: I was at Gowota last Saturday, and delivered an address on the plan of the President for "preparedness," and the wholo country seemed to be aroused against the military scheme, no doubt put on foot by the steel trust. The citizens, without a pro testing voice, and without regard to political preferment, openly indorsed tho stand takon by Hon. W. J. Bryan on this issue. Tho citizens at Chel sea, White Hill, Sperry and Sageeyah have openly condemned this cringing wail to Wall street, but tho great dailies refuse to let tho country know what we are doing. I send you a let ter from tho Star of Kansas City, to gether with the resolutions passed at Claromore, Okla. Tho "editorial comment" was a three line sneer at the citizens of Oklahoma. In southeast Kansas in the last ten days, and in southwest Missouri in tho same time, fifty-three public mass meetings have been held condemning tho President's plan, and sustaining Mr. Bryan, and yet not one of these resolutions has found its way into print. Is there any way, known to you, through which wo can reach the country with our protests? It looks very much like a clear case of con spiracy to fasten a military autocracy upon this nation. With best wishes, and the hope for a living, vital dem ocracy, rather than a system of plu-i tocracy. Frank Dale, Guthrie, Okla.: I am of the opinion that it is necessary, in order to head off this craze of pre paredness, to organize, throughout tho country a scheme to get before congress and the President the real sentiment of the people. Of course, I have no way of knowing the situa tion in this respect back east, but out hero it is p-actically all one way; and, frankly the most silly and fool ish arguments I have ever read or heard in favor of so-called prepared- I Q On this and tho following pages we reproduce extracts from a few of tho many letters addressed to The Commoner and Its editor. Lack of space prevents the publication of more at this time. Theae letters, coming as they do from all sections of the country, are a good indication of tho sentiment of the people on the 'preparedness" program 'now before the country. In many states, mass meetings are now being called to protest against the saddling of a miHtaristto policy on this nation. Resolutions are being passed by different or- ganizatibns, and petitions are being circulated among the voters calling for immediate action to head off the movement for increased military expenditures. Let those who are awake to the danger of tho adoption of tills new policy make their positions known to their congressman and senators. If you have not written a letter to them, or to tho President, do so today. 0 ness are those 'being disseminated now in the current newspapers and magazines of the country. This must be headed off, and of course you are doing your full share to that end. I can only trail, but would gladly aid in any plan which may be suggested which would lead to bringing this country into sane thought upon this subject. ust the Difference Rockefeller will put his name for a million dollars on a little scrap of paper; that means it is worth a million: Tliat's Capital. Uncle Sam will stamp an Eagle on a piece of gold; makes it worth $20.00: That's money. A man will sell his services a whole day for $1.50: Tliat's labor. A woman will pay $30.00 for a hat, and a $3.00 hat will do just as well: That's foolishness. We make furnaces, stoves and ranges, and brand them: CLIMAX People who have tried them will not have anything elqe: ..' . that's Good Sense. .Send for our catalog and let us tell you tho balance. THETAPLIN-RICE- CLERKIN CO. AltitON, OHIO Manufacturers of Climax furnaces, stoves and ranges that helped n,ihaTe Akron famous. , . Geo. N. Jones, Cor. Sec, College Park Assn. of Friends, San Jose, Cal.: At tho semi-annual meeting of the above named association, the sixth inst., at the conclusion of the after noon session, when we were privi leged to listen to a most inspiring and instructive account of a recent trip to the Orient and Australia by one of our members, undertaken in furtherance of the spread of the Gos pel and the advancement of the peace sentiment, I was asked to write you in commendation of your fearlessness evinced in recent statement declaring your disapproval of the proposed measures to be submitted to congress which have the endorsement of President Wilson, authorizing ex penditure of greatly increased sums for arms and equipment to meet the possibility of war. This, we be lieve, is the surest way to provoke conflict, and a sad retrograde move ment of this country, in Imitation of those nations already fighting. Our position regarding war is based on the example and teachine of Christ.. wherein He expressly forbids the kill ing or our fellow men, and commands his followers to love their brethren as themselves. and as it looks now this question of preparedness for war, or for peace, will bo the overshadowing thing. . Thoiuas B. Scott, Keystone, Ind,: Th e are several addresses and let ters in the last issue of the paper that it does seem to me ought to be read and consllered by more people than seems likely to be done. They speak on the matter of "prepared ness" for war or peace in a fund amental, practicable wav t.iinf vn moderate common sense can certainly take account of, and be able to ap preciate. Especially it does seem that W. J. Bryan's address at Johns town, Pa., ought to have a wide read ing, by many at least. wVin lm f been reading and observing history in its making for tho past half or three quarters of a century. Perhaps you may have done so, if not it seems to mo you should send off a few thou sand of leaflets, or pamphlets of that speech for wide circulation during tho next eight months. It is so plain and fundamental and has no flavor of partisan politics about it. In the present state of public opinion on this rush towards, militarism the luougni 1 suggest, and would empha size, is an important one. Without uuuut it win do an important item in the declaration of all political par ties the coming year, but the contest will be between two great parties, James A. Rice, Canton, Ohio: Your opposition to the so-called pre paredness plan deserves the open and hearty co-operation of every true American. Tho mask should be ruth lessly torn from the men and inter ests who are responsible for this un American movement. Tho President, congressmen, senators, and all, should, be made to see that back of the man and interests that will profit by piling upon the people these un necessary burdens of hundreds of millions of taxes stand the tariff ba rons who will in turn and due time step forward with a demand that high and oppressive tariff duties be restored in order that these millions may be provided. And all the time the dear people, by subtle arid in direct methods, will, bo made to stand and deliver. If the President and our conerrfiss- men and senators who favor this mil itarist movement, reallv hfiHovo that we are in danger of attack by any oiner natton or alliance of nations, and all insist that defense is tho only object they have in view, is there not a better kind of preparedness open to us than through the bundl ing of battleships and providing of army and navy equipments which ev ery sane person knows will be on the Junk heap and obsolete before any of the nations of Europe now at war can recover from the effects of that war, or could prepare to attack us? i i iLbe true that lt is the man be hind the gun that counts for most, that tt.3 highest efficiency and loftiest patriotism is found among men of high mental, moral and physical de velopment, sober men free from temptation and taint of nlnnimifn li quors, would it not be better to begin our preparation by providing men of this type first of all things? Rus sia, Germany, Franco, England, in fact, all of the nations now at war, experienced great difficulty even in the mobilizing of their armies be cause of the menace of alcohol, and iiuu it u, constant Hindrance to effi cient service in both their armies and navies. Why not destroy the traffic in this destroyer of men and turn our attention to providing men of tha highest efficiency before providing the implements for land and naval warfaro? Have we not an abundance tIme in which to do this and still provide the implements long before wo become liable to attack? And implements, too, that will be modern instead of obsolete when needed. Furthermore, the saying annually of about $2.000.0on.onh-:At7!r."i worse than wasted througji the open saloons in our country tfould be an Important item in tlie .way' of re trenchment,' would it ' hot? " -'Also would not good road for the saf and speedy movement of our arm! equipment and munitions, and prompt and orderlv mnhii.. a. our land forces and tno transportation w. w wm uvm Dases, bo of great advantage? Out of this savin of $2,000,000,000 annually we couW do much toward providing every sec tion of our country with roads that would not only avail us in times of war but would be of great benefit to business and commerce in times of peace. I believe the people who real ly bear the burdens of our govern ment, whether at war or peace, would approve of such retrenchment and preparedness as this, if we are to prepare at all. I regret that on this issue many democrats must and will differ with the President, but our highest duty ia to our people and country first. It is a matter for regret, also, that so many leaders in our party, in and out of congress, show so great readiness to encourage a movement that is con trary to the high ideals and purposes of our party. While this is the kind Qf question that ought never to bo made a party issue, none but the blind can fail to see .that it will be made so by the enemies of tho pres ent administration, and at the first opportunity. W. Clay Huston, Belief onlaine, 0.: I want you to have a word from a Bellefontaine, Ohio, republican, who was a member of the party that dis played the yellow, signifying the gold standard, upon your first visit to our city, as to your recent campaign for prohibition in -Ohio.- -in my opinion no dozen men in the state made as many votes for the .cause of prohibi tion as you did. Your power, when freed from any vestige of political partisanship, is absolutely unlimited so far as human influence does, in my opinion. I am with you in tho stand you are now taking on tho question of preparedness for war and I hone VOll will mnlro vnnr fipht. in such a way as not. to give honest, sin cere people any excuse for charging it to political preference or prejudice in any manner or form. n H. Everett Farnham, St. Joseph, Mo.: Nothing could be finer than tho fight you are making. The Common er came yesterday, and it is splen did. Start a campaign for a big on to Washington" edition with which to greet congress! Give the friends of peace a chance to subscribe for a few months at a small cost, and make special prices in bundles. The am munition i3 worth using very exten sively. Many, many people who can not write letters would bo glad, I be lieve, to aid with subscriptions. Now is the time! Is every member of congress receiving your paper? If not, let's supply them for a few months. Give a 1"t of people a chance to do a little. Thomas P. Culiar, Bartlett, Tenn.: Wonder if you remember this: "Not by might (big army), nor by power (big navy), but by my spirit (love), saith the Lord of hosts." Zeclmriali 4-6. L, P. Maxam, Clarkston, Mich.: It is with pleasure th t I note the stand you have taken in opposition to the war scare to stampede this govern ment into squandering 400 or 500 million, dollars on so-called ae- fanan T liova linorrl HOVPrftl DCOPlO : express their opinion that you were right on that question. It is evident - I'- n t "J' && s-yj. ' MU'.