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The Commoner
VOL. 16 tiO., 3
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The Commoner
1HHVDI) MONTHLY
Entered at tho Postofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
kh 'floctnd-chiSH matter.
WlTXTAM J. I3I1YAN CHARLES W. BRYAN
Editor and Proprietor Asnoeiato Ed. and Publlshor
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Till! COMMON nit, LINCOLN. NF.n.
"Dlscorning people long ago discovered that if
ono woro to believe those who were not of it the
government is always managed by tho most in
competent men who could possibly be selected.
For tho first time in its history tho woolen
trust has announced a dividend on its watered
common stock. The democratic tariff law, it
will bo remembered', completely prostrated this
industry.
Governor Whitman of New York, onco pointed
out as the Moses who would turn tho promised
land trick for tho republicans, says that ho has
but ono ambition, and that is to be re-elected
chief executive of New York. Mr. Whitman is
politically-wise at any rato.
The two republican delegates from the Third
Missouri district announco themselves in favor
of tho nomination of Senator Weeks for presi
dent. It is a long way, in distance and political
thought, from tho Back Bay to Missouri, but it
looks as though bridging It was not impossible.
Patriotism has long been defined as a love of
country, but It has been noticed that those who
aro just now professing to be our greatest pat
riots aro tho ones who aro denouncing tho peo
ple as being white-livered and neither able nor
"willing to fight any foe that they may choose
to pick for us.
When any person can show resolutions en
dorsing tho "scaredness" program that- have
been passed by any bonafide convention of farm
ers, union laboring men or church organiza
' tions, we will begin to think that possibly there
is a sentiment in the country for it. None have
yet been printed.
Nearly 600 of the 985 delegates to the repub
lican national convention will bo elected from
states which provide for selection by direct pri
mary. Opposition to a declaration in favor of
tho. presidential primary ought not to be very
strong in a body bo largely composed of men
from states where the principle is enacted into
statuto law.
As an Indication of the strong trend of the
republicans and progressives to unite it may bo
pointed out that when the California progress
ives offered an even split of the delegation to
-the republican national convention they were
i turned down without hesitation. It is easy to
reach an agreement to unite, but when it comes
to disributing tho offices and honors, that's different.
In declaring that no peace proposals will be
acceptable until tho object of tho entente allies
siS achieved, the English press say that the
u avowed, purpose is to stamp out militarism in
Europe,, meaning thereby tho fully armed and
- equipped for war Idea. Yet sober, serious
mindQdimen in America are advising that we
adopt a, policy that Europe is so heartily tired
of that she is spending men and treasure without
stint to end.
Is Our Country Safe
from Attack?
Is our country safe from attack? Yes, never
more so. The one danger before us lies in the
spirit of militarism which is now being culti
vated and in the diplomatic policies which ac
company militarism. No nation has any inten
tion of attacking us, and if any nation had such
a design, tho ocean is a barrier which makes a
successful attack impossible.
We aro spending more today on the army and
navy than ever before, and our preparedness is
increasing relatively as other nations exhaust
themselves. There is no reason therefore why
tho country should yield to tho demands of the
munition manufacturers and burden our people
with enormous expenditures to get ready for
imaginary wars. To do so is not only indefen
sible from a financial standpoint, but it is a
challengo to Christian civilization and a surren
der of the ideals which have given the nation its
moral prestige. All history disproves the theory
that a permanent peace can bo built on force and
fear. Every consideration compels us to put out'
trust in honest friendship and the spirit of
brotherhood.
W. J. BRYAN.
IS IT WORTH A WAR?
The Chicago Tribune asks the very pertinent
question "Is the right of an American citizen to
ride upon an armed belligerent merchantman
worth a war?" Tho opinion of the American
people on that subject is all one way. By
an overwhelming vote they will say "No." This
country will not, by deliberate action, enter the
biggest, the most expensive, and the most in
human war in history to vindicate the right of
a few foolhardy Americans to disregard their
country's welfare as well as their own safety.
If the American people MUST go to war they
will select some cause worthy of the blood of a
patriotic people.
Peace advocates really owo a debt of grati
tude to tho persons who financed, the various
security, defense and navy leagues that have
been trying to organize preparedness sentiment.
Nothing has so cemented the belief of the peo
plo that a negro lurked in the big army and navy
woodpile as the spectacle of organizations so
well financed that they could turn looso a large
number of orators and deluge the country with
costly printed matter. Men will spend money
liberally for two things, for profit and for an
ideal. As thero is no idealism in getting ready
for war, the people had but one guess left.
A proposition to resubmit in 1917 the amend
ment granting the vote to women has been act
ed favorably upon by the New York assembly
judiciary committee almost unanimously, and it
is predicted that it will have easy sailing
through the two legislatures that must pass up
on it. The soul of John Brown isn't the, only
thing that goes marching on in this country.
As wo understand it all that the progressive
party leaders ask of tho republicans is that the
next republican national convention select a
progressive for president and adopt the pro
gressive national platform. We suspect, how
ever, that the right to move an adjournment will
not be sufficiently alluring to satisfy Mr. Root.
If there are any fluttering hearts that need
treatment after reading Senator Root's key-note
speech in denunciation of the democratic ad
ministration it might be communicated to them
that Mr. Root would not have been any better
pleased had the democratic administration done
exactly the opposite of what he objected to.
THE NEW SECRETARY OF WAR
The appointment of ex-Mayor Baker, of
Cleveland, as secretary of war to succeed Mr
Garrison will greatly please the progressive
democrats of the country. Secretary Baker grew
up under the instruction of Tom Johnson wE
is certificate enough. He has abilUycharlcter
and experience, and his sympathies are with tm
people The President could not have doneb
ter The public has yet to learn Setarv
Baker's views on tho size of the army and the
general subject of preparedness, buty t tn
nothing in his past career to indicate a tendlncv
toward militarism. W. j. BRYAN
ROOSEVELT AS HE IS
On another page will be found a statement
which ex-President Roosevelt gave to the public
at Trinidad, West Indies. It was prepared with
care, and furnishes as good a photograph of
himself as hehas ever offered to the public. It
exhibits his two controlling impulses. First,
he is a partisan no one more blinded by par
tisan zeal. He helped to defeat the republican
party in 1912, not because he wanted the dem
ocratic party to win, but because he was egotis
tical enough to believe that he could defeat both
Taft and Wilson.
Ever since he found that he could not
build up a successful party around himself he
has been working his way back to the .repub
lican party. He will be back in line this year,
getting any crumbs he can, but back, no matter
how humiliating the terms. He would support
Penrose for president if necessary he would
even allow Barnes to write the platform.
His last statement shows the partisan side of
his character, and it also shows the Hamiltonian
strain in him. He is more Hamilton than' Ham
ilton himself, and has not the excuse that Ham
ilton had. Hamilton lived at a time when dem
ocracy was UNTRIED, but Roosevelt lives in a
day when democracy has been vindicated, and
yet he would turn the clock back toward au
tocracy and arbitrary power. His "new na
tionalism," which died aborning, contemplated,
as he boldly stated it, the absorption by the
federal government of some of the powers of
the states, and the absorption by the federal
executive of some of the powers of the. other
branches. Since the war in Europe has come
with its excitements, he wants to add the bru
tality of a war lord to the consolidated civil
power which he covets. He wants to- do some
thing "heroic." Well, the people are not ready
to abandon their high ideals and lofty hopes for
the pleasure" of following an ambitions' glory
hunter through blood and mire. Not yet.
To illustrate just how large a horizon unrolls
before the eyes of American manufacturers it
may be pointed out that tney are already in
sisting that they must have a bigger tariff wall
built than now exists bylaw If they afe'to Share
in the world trade after the -war ends and un
looses the energies of the business men of the
belligerents. They want a wa.ll high enough to
keeD foreign goods out, and then expect to sell
their surplus at lower prices in world competi
tion than they do at home. The fact that the
world long ago adopted goods as the medium of
exchange between nations hasn't permeated far
into Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. If Amer
ica expects to sell abroad she must also expect
to buy abroad, and a tariff wall that is so high
that it keeps out imports will bo too greatly ele
vated to allow exports to be hoisted over it.
The Washington correspondent of the Hous
ton Post is quoted as saying that a belief exists
in the capital that the President isn't at all
displeased by the opposition of western con
pessmen to his preparedness program, and that
he thinks a little holding back by sections other
than the east, which is frankly alarmed, will
prevent the country from being swept off its
feet To which it might be added that this is a
pretty big country, with its feet fairly firmly
planted.
The Krupps kept a large lobby and a number
of press agents busy in Germany for a number
of years telling the people there that the surest
guarantee of peace possible is a strong organ
ization that can fight at the drop of the hat.
History is as surely repeating itself in America.
How far that repetition proceeds will depend up
on how far we follow the example of Germany in
tho matter of preparedness.
Former Senator Root's speech before the New
York republican convention has been heralded
as the keynote of the republican campaign. In
asmuch as the only possible interpretation- of
that speech is that the United States should go
to war with Germany and Mexico, there will be
no mourning in democratic circles if it is offi
cially adopted as the republican attitude.
It is significant to say the least that those
newspapers which profess to believe that the
surest guarantee of peace is a large army and
navy are also the same newspapers which sneer
at Henry Ford in every issue and call him crazy
because he is willing to spend his money in the
Interests of peace. -"..- -.
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