DECEMBER, 1915
A Constituent's Letter to His
Senators at Washington
The Commoner
v.
29
Raymond H. Miller, Portland, Ore.:
I enclose herewith copy of a letter
addressed to our United States sen
ators from Oregon, on the subject of
the contemplated preparation for
I am sorry to see Woodrow
war.
Wilson won over by the jingoists,
but am glad to know that you are
doing all in your power to oppose
this sentiment for preparedness
which has sprung up in some quar
ters.- I believe the common people,
and they are in the majority,
are with you.
The letter above referred to, ad
dressed to Senators Chamberlain and
Lane, is as follows:
Portland, Ore.: I trust you will
permit one of your constituents to
address a few words to you on a sub
ject which seems at this time to be
uppermost in the minds of the men
who control the press of our country.
I refer to the preparation for war.
While. the newspapers and politicians
of the country seem to have sudden
ly gone crazy on this subject, I find
no such sentiment in the minds of
the common people the common
people who would have to fight the
battles and bear the sufferings of
war.
In the first place, I believe that
this sudden frantic cry for prepared
ness is a piece of political strategy
on the part of the republican party
and its supporting press. For if the
democrats should take the position
against preparedness, they would
make that the iBSue of the 1916 cam
paign, (and on which I believe they
would be overwhelmingly defeated).
If, on the other hand, the democratic
representatives in congress join with
the republicans and jingoists in vot
ing increased appropriations for war
preparedness, it will again give them
an opportunity to bring up the tariff
question as a jneans of raising this
additional .reyenuj for preparedness,
which would of course be very embar
rassing for the democratic party.
Secondly, I believe it is the manu
facturers of munitions, armor plate,
etc., as well as army contractors,
who are back of this agitation for
preparedness. I , suggest that when
congress convenes in December, a
thorough investigation be made to
ascertain the identity of the people
or forces who are back of this fren
zied demand for preparedness. It is
not the common people who are de
manding it, nor is it justified by facts
as exposed by the present war. Pre
paredness did not keep any nation out
of it, but on the contrary has drawn
them into the war. And those who
were not prepared have been drawn
into it just as fast as they have be
come prepared.
If there are reasons for dreading
Invasion, why not be frank and let
the people know them. They will
have to do the real defending, and
not the politicians and newspaper
men, or profit-seeking manufacturers.
If newspaper accounts can be re
lied upon, it appears that President
Wilson has been won over for pre
paredness. It is unfortunate that he
too should be milled, and it will un
doubtedly, in the end, cost him the
confidence of the majority of the
people of the democratic party. Mr.
Bryan has In the past done more than
any other man to keep the democratic
party progressive and alive, and I
would caution those who now seem
to be in control of the party's destiny
to pay heed to his warnings against
this jingoism that has seized the
minds of some of our public men. Do
not be fooled. Mr. Bryan is closer
to the people than any other man in
the democratic party, and the people
will eventually speak as to whether
or not they want preparedness for
war and militarism and taxes, and
some day the war that imn ni,a
followed the false philosophy of pre
paredness. Public opinion has advanced and
we no longer have the duelist's stand
ard of honor in our individual life,
and why should not that which ap
plies to individuals also apply to na
tions. Men who carry guns are
much more likely to bo shot or to
shoot and murder than those whn
are not "prepared" with a pistol in
their hip pocket or belt.
Wo have spent much money, too
much, in the past for preparedness,
and it certainly is ill-fitting that we
should increase this expense at this
time when the principal nations of
the world are exhaustinc and bank
rupting themselves to such an unpar
alleled extent.
Furthermore, it has been a hope
that after this awfulist of awful
wars, the world might lay down its
arms and abandon that false philos
ophy of preparedness which has
thrown it into this bloodiest and most
horrible conflict, but how can our
own country encourage such a course
or lead the way when we ourselves
listen to the tempter and fly into
frenzied preparation.
I, therefore, hope you will do all
in your power to oppose any increase
in army and navy appropriations for
the coming year, and that you will
give heed to the wishes of the com
mon people who own no newspapers
to voice their views on this subject,
and who have much to lose and noth
ing to gain by war and preparation
therefor.
I hope you will vote against "pre
paredness" when the question comes
up in the senate.
Respectfully yours,
RAYMOND H. MILLER.
AN INSULT TO DEMOCRATS
In a lengthy attack on Mr. Bryan
the Birmingham News says:
"It would be most unwise, there
fore, for the democrats of the south
to help Mr. Bryan in any scheme ho
may be trying to put over, even if it
looks to 1920. President Wilson is
the party's leader and the party's
only hope. His counsel should be
followed in all respects, not that of
Mr. Bryan in any respect. The dem
ocrats of Alabama particularly should
not listen to any of Mr. Bryan's un
wise crfunsel."
Th Times-Union holds no brief to
protect Mr. Bryan and it does not de
fend him nor does it attack the Pres
ident. Both are men of the greatest
national prominence, but both are
microscopic pygmies as compared to
the democratic party. If what we
say is construed as an attack on Mr.
Bryan or an attack on the president
we do not mean it as such. They are
mere unimportant incidents of the
discussion. What we mean to do is
to express our bitter resentment of
the idea that the seven million dem
ocrats belong to any man or should
accept without question the views of
anw?do'not know that Mr. Bryan Is
trvinc to put over any scheme for
1916 or 1920 or for any other time,
and we do not care. If he has a
scheme we will be prepared and the
democrat voters should be Prepared
toXdge it on its merits when it is
to JuB ' " w an not conceive of
announced, we ca ""; .. AmGr
anything more insulting to the Amer
anyinuifa .. democratic citizen
lean cim- --- flItIon that
. man
K ,'!
Subscribe flflwtlslng Dtpfc
should follow the President's counsel
In all respects."
The proposition lnnvoa mit f ,
sidcration tho fnct that tho demo
cratic voter may follow his own
counsel, and in fact that ho will do it
If he is fit to vote. If all democrats
must rollow the President's counsel pczKMA specific will abHolutejy
in all resnectH whnr. la dm nan r rf curo ocxnnm, unit rheum, barber
-- w VS I. UU UL I All . . .11... ! ... r m. ..-
ThlH department In for tho bnfU of
Commoner ttubhcrlbcrM, and a special
rata of rIx contn a word per Insertion
tho lowcnt rate han boon mado for
them. Addroxit aJI communlcatlona t
Tho Commoner, Lincoln. Nebraska.
holtlintr nlnptir.ua? mm... i T I ,lcn Hn" "ior " dlHoauoii. Hent by
"? u E, ecU?,18? Why SO through mall. i.SO. Hcnd for recommendation.
ouuu u uirco u uie will of one man aiiukiovji I'lmrmacy. Cooperutown,
zftorth Dakota.
nnl description,
apollii, Minn.
is to control?
The Times-Union has been with
Mr. Bryan many timea and it has
been against him often. It has also
Often been With tho nroRlflnnf nml
often against him. It will continuo 1 B V2XLlUi
to go with or against cither as its ' ly
own judgment may direct. Every
honest man decides for himself what
is right unless he is lacking In intel
ligence or manhood. This wo pro
pose to do and wo will not blindly
accept the opinions of any man and
no man can deputize another to think
for him without tho loss of his self-respect.
We go with Mr. Bryan if he is go-
YYMNTRD to hoar from ovnor of Rood
V f fi fill fnr an In Utrito nmli nrfnn
.. , .?.. v... w . .uw
D, F. Uunli, Mlnnc
- DlMcovored root ourcif
tobacco habit and lmllKontlon. Glad
tu'tid nnrtlculiirfl. J. W. Stoke.
Mohawk, VUu
"hooks"
USI3D nooks. Blvc bargain. Cain
Ulgeiia'M, G-tMU lot. San F
ClBCO.
Catalog.
ran-
1720 Colorado
Boulevard
Denver, Colo.
ing our way, and wo go with tho I Wnnfpfl Trims w.r,t0 r:T 1Anl r 'vontion
president if he is going our way, and "anlcaA(1CflS KffW'.ISr
in either Case We have distinguished 'r book mil free. I'aU-ntMHiirrd or loo rnturned.
nnmnnnv ,f w rln nnt iir nr vr.J. Ki & Co.. mftlli. ashlnutou. W.O
! . I V. V ..VV- I1VI1 t
road for the sake of the company we
will have on our journey. And in
politics no man does who is fit to take
any part in politics. Jacksonville
(Pla.) Times-Union.
the proposition
BOOKS RECEIVED
Woman and Home. By Orison
Swett Marden. Thomas Y. Crowell
Company, New York, publisher.
Price ?1.25 net. Postage extra.
War and the Ideal of Peace. By
Henry Rutgers Marshall, author of
"Instinct and Reason," "Conscious
ness," etc. A study of these char
acteristics of man that result in war,
and of the means by which they may
bo controlled. Dufflcld & Co., 211
West 33rd St., New York. Price $1.25
net.
Apostrophe to Hope and Other
Poems. By Laura Hull-Morris. The
Knickerbocker Press, New York.
Land Credits: A Plea for the
American Farmer. By Dick T. Mor
gan, representative from Oklahoma
in the 61st, 62nd, 63Td and 64th con
gresses of the United States. Thomas
Y. Crowell Company, Publishers,
New York. Price ?1.50 net.
The Seven Searchers and Other
Poems. By Paul Baumgartner. Fort
Wayne Box Company, Fort Wayne,
Ind.
Fireside Papers. By Frederic Row
land Marvin. Sherman, French &
Company, Boston, Mass. Price $1.50
net.
The Great News. The relations of
"Big Business" to the government of
the World. By Charles Ferguson.
Mitchell Kennerley, Publisher, New
York. Price ?1.25.
Your Baby. A Guide to Young
Mothers. By Dr. E. B. Lowry.
Forbes & Co., Chicago., 111. Price
$1.00 net.
Rose 0' Paradise. By Grace Miller
White, author of "Tess of the Storm
Country." The H. K. Fly Company,
Publishers, New York. ?1.35, net.
Then I'll Come Back to You. By
Larry Evans, author of "Once to
Every Man." The H. K. Fly Com
pany, Publishers, 263 Fifth Ave., New
York. Price $1.35, net.
The Protection of Neutral Rights
at Sea. Documents on tho Naval
Warfare. Stiirgis & Walton Com
pany, New York. Price 25 cents.
IlKEGiraiE
SMITH
2
IIVUhMTx
SHJMP PULLERS'
yrf UVW 'Mlini3MUUdLtt.L.U
CATALOG FnEE-OEPT. t LA CRESCEHTf MiNR
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WC CM ARdC NO COMMISSION. Send
today for fHEE prico Hit an.) partfc
lam of our fRCK OirT to traiitxr.
HILL BROS. FUR CO. S06H. MAIN ST. ST. LOUIS, MO.
v2r m
fsl
H thrm. Ul
M tatintaetU
jf -. pay. Don't boy till yiw ct ny rataioi
fdHBJBmftW tt U "xl vtlirr I'm tA hu.tAi -wi
rMBWffWB In: A Ul rta)l, n '!(' '.
SEPARATORS, EH0IHE8, SPREADERS
200.000 ciwioinwii Usury Urn my
dculirners iuuI f actoric bulM duality into
thrm. Ilollt for Ion if, hard, continuous umt'
wUflfactlon. HIGHEST QUALITY LOVCST
rRICES. About 1-3 to 't (Ma Winn you usually
van
makdoun LULL Tm. Jmc'
1 i. ?JZTTw'7mmMrrTWllmrmmmmmmmm
uwm - y' nu.-fciz v t m mkm
6f Zt ?"?, LT
Ufa," L Vsr
C0nNp9& TolnUod
or wonStit) n if iUm
buMni not mtiile by mll, -i'
viHh null.. If AtiAtAlm. flafio.Orf An ot Ctffitt.
MI .l'. wu . AmnAw lnltuKul lUbUUhr tktC IDt IlirlOtM I
onct. SpUI If.tt to flrti p.pli- Ke oUnillon UHtKNLAM'
BAJjB of unallotted lands
and Surfnco of Segregated Coal and
Asphalt Land Area Uclonging to
the Choctnw and Chickasaw
Tribes, Eastern Oklahoma
By tho
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT,
Those Small Bertlis
Fat Passenger There is no danger
that anyone will pry into these berths,
is there? , , .
Pullman Porter Lan' sakes no,
man. On de contrary, we generally
has to pry folks out of dem. Judge.
Them will be fold At public auction to the hle'iM
bidder at different railroad point In tho rhoeUir
and Chlcltajvr nation In eurtern Oklahoma. Uom.
January 3. 1116. to January 31, I0IB, nomltfi, 31,700
atTcofunallottfdlandsandlM.tOOacroftli6iiurfao
of tbCMCT'CKaU'd rral and apliallland4 bclonnicto
tho Chortflw and CblcVawiw trlbi of Indiana, atnot
leai than tne apprauco vaiue, no pawn can pur
chaxn mora than ICO acre of agricultural land, nor
mora than MO acres oi rrazlntr laud. Itcaldencc on
land not required. Hid can be aubmltted In Jxjrwn
or by mail. accwmiarild by a oertlflul checlc or
bank draft for por cent of tho amount -f tho bW.
Terms on xale of surges ofcoal and axphalt lutnW25
per cent caah, 25 per cent witliln one ypar, and bal
ance within tiro year from data cranio, and terms
of a! of unallotted landiir por contlricaihatiiiiin
of ale and balance in three equal annual laHtall
monU ot Vtper cent each, payable in one, two and
three yeara from diUorialo;alldererrfl payments
todrawlipcrcentlnL per annum IromdaleoIfctle.On
ly the Hiirfaco ol the iwicrfcated coal and atphnlt land
area will be sold, the coal and a,Tphalt underlying
belBK reaor'ed. except whero tho tlcjcr ptjvc circu
lar jrtatei that tho coal and axplialt underlying will
benold with the surface. The entire Mtnto in th
unallotted landn will bo sold without reservation.
Whore houws or other valuable Improvements, not
Including fencing and tlllare, aro located on th
surface ot tho coal and asphalt lancbt, the rami; will
be sold with the land at not lesx than the combined
appraised value, iminovcmcntn to bo paid for Jn
full at time of sal. The right It resrved to reject
any and all bids. For maps and full printed Inform
ation, communicate with the Superintendent fer
the Five Civilized Tribe. Muslccgec Ofclahcra,
OATO HELIS, Commissioner of Indian Affaircc
PATENTS
T
Watcaa K. Ctmmmf
Patent Jxtvj'er.Waahingtoa,
D.O. Advice and books free.
Bates reasonable, TJiccsst references. Beatserrtottv
. l
ki&&
