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The Commoner
VOI.l6, NO. 4
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George W. Berge
For Attorney General
Tho person who holds tho position of attorney
goncral of Nebraska during tho next few years
will have an opportunity to givo special service
to tho public. If tho constitutional amendment
prohibiting tho manufacture and sale of Intox
icating liquor Is adopted at tho November elec
tion, tho enforcement of that law will fall
largoly to tho attorney general of the state. It
is of vital importanco that the attorney general
to. bo elected this fall should- bo a man who is
not only in favor of tho adoption of the dry con
stitutional amendment, but one who has tho
ability and courage to enforco the law Impar
tially. Gcorgo W. Berge, who has filed as a
candidate for tho democratic nomination of at
torney general, has these qualifications. He has
beon opposing tho special interest's domination
in Nebraska politics for a number of years.
Thoro is no equivocation in Mr. Borgo's state
ment as to his position on tho paramount state
Issue this year in. Nebraska. Mr. Bcrgo favors
tho dry constitutional amendment and gives as
suranco In his own words that tho people's
wishes will bo strictly observed In law enforce
ment. Ho has Issued the following statement
to tho public as to his position:
"Tho great and important Issue in this cam
paign, when stripped of all fuss and confusion,
Is to dissolve tho unholy allianco between poli
ticians and favor-seeking special interests. The
influence of corporate and other special inter
ests in government is possible only through
ofilco holders and politicians. During the years
I have lived In Nobraska I know that the people
liavo many times beon given sugar-coated and
decoy candidates over whom tho eclipse of cor
porate influonco constantly cast its shadows. The
result has boon that our legislators and those
charged with tho enforcement of law have spent
thoir timo trying to chloroform the peoplo with
burlesque legislation and sham law enforcement
bo that tho pain of tho people would not seem
so groat while tho surgeons for the special in
terests were extracting from them all kinds of
plunder.
"Thoro is a difference between tho candidate
and ofilco holder who battles in good faith for
something ho knows the people want and some
thing ho bolloves to bo right, and the candidate
who is simply running for ofilco and doing any
thing and everything, oven betraying the people,
to win tho office. It is discouraging sometimes
to hoar people talk of tho vote-getting qualities
of this or that candidate, forgetting the fact that
too many candidates flirt openly with the people
and make them boliovo that they are tiieir true
representatives, while at tho same' time and in
socret they make their bargains with favor-seek-
ing interests. This is the time above all times
In tho history of tho state when the people
should mako careful scrutiny and determine
what candidates stand four-square on the issues
involved in. tho campaign.
"During tho last fifteen years we have made
good progress in driving malign influences out
of politics. Twelve years ago tho democrats
and populists honored me with the nomination
for governor. In that campaign I battled to
wrest tho control of the state government from
tho railroads and restore it, to the people. I said
that tho railroads through the instrumentality
of tho freo pass procured the government away
from tho people. I branded the railroad pass
as a bribe and battled to arouso the people on
this quostion, and although I was defeated, the
legislature a few years after sounded the death
knell of thefroe railroad pass in Nobraska. Ever
since that timo the wholesome sentiment of the
peoplo has more and more curbed bad influences
working in politics. And while the battle has
been on and while wo openly fought againt the
evil influences of certain corporations in politics
Wo have been constantly attacked from ambush
by the liquor interests in the state. No one
knows this bettor than I do. Every time I have
boon a candidate I have been blacklisted by this
influence. Tho same has been true with every
other candidate who stood openly and "above
board on all public questions and who refused
to mako any bargain in secret and thus betray
tho interests of tho people. The timo has come,
as in tho course of events it was bound to come,
when this debauching influence must bo driven
from our politics.
"I had no desire to become a candidate lor
attorney general. For a number of years I nave
cherished tho ambition to become governor and
to servo tho people in that capacity. On several
occasions I would havo been nominated and
elected except only for this very influence. In
190G the nomination was stolen from me through
this influence. For twenty years I have helped
battle for real democracy and I have always
battled open and above board. There is not that
person living in tho state who will say that I
ever made a secret political bargain. What I
did I did and said from the housetops. From
all over tho state I have been importuned to be
come a candidate for the effice of attorney gen
eral because the belief is cherished that I could
do more in that office than I could as governor.
I have deferred to their wishes in the matter.
I shall vote for the prohibitory amendment, and
if the people of the state will elect me to this
ofilco I will promise them an era of law enforce
ment and bring about a more wholesome respect
for tho law.
"I yield to no man in the state in my loyalty
and devotion to democratic principles and to
Woodrow Wilson, our great leader, and I cherish
with confidence the hopo of seeing him renom
inated and re-elected to tho presidency.
"GEORGE W. BERGE."
T
"THE SWEETEST NOTE OF ALL"
"To the minds of the many, a meadow lark is
a meadow lark, and those who have been raised
in Nebraska are likely to be familiar with but
ono of several sub-species tho so-called West
ern Meadow Lark. This beautiful songster was
discovered near the present site of Omaha .'way
back in tho forties by Audubon himself, who was
then tramping all over the country on foot,
making his wonderful paintings and observations
of American wild bird life.
Audubon was charmed with the delicious
carol of this creature of the meadows, and spoke
of it many times in his writings. Most bird
lovers and skilled ornithologists agree that the
note of the western meadow lark is' the sweet
est and purest of all.
"Musicians have been able to record his songs
upon paper and many amateurs are able to
whistle a fair imitation. Authorities disagree
on just what the western meadow lark says from
his fence post or from behind his clump of grass.
A Nebraska farmer, whose potato crop had been
saved from the beetles by the larks, told Dr.
Solon R. Towne, president of the Audubon so
ciety, that to him the western meadow lark says
nothing but: ; . "
" 'Whoop la! Potato, ,bug!'
"Another well known song of this delightful
bird appears to be: .
. "'My, what a lovely creature!'
"And still another
" 'Singing about as usual 1'
"There is a story of' the streets that tells of a
bemused party who .heard some folks talking
about the western meadow lark.
" 'Oh, yes!' interrupted the dizzy' nerson
SS Jha ttat ms: Bett ta
J'ButA matter -nat he says Ms song is a
thing of beauty and a joy forever. These larks
appeared in the outskirts of Omaha aW two
beTs aB Ere rai?idly Creasing in num-
"If you take your Sunday stroll throuch tho
country-sde. today you will i doubtless heir the
caro that startled Audubon so many yerS aKo
for tho songs of the California and eastern
meadow larks can not compare In tone and
sweetness with those of the western variety that
belong to us of the plains, and to us alone."
The above editorial,, which appeared in the
Omaha World-fterald recently, is not only thl
sweetest note it has struck for many months
Jl VUCh str.Ikine contrast with to Wek
and thin" support 'of the liquor interestS
The Commoner gladly reproduces inierestVnat
SS55SKANS TELEPHONE ALL YdXTR
NEIGHBORS AND SEE THAT. THEYV&TE S
THE PRIMARY, APRIL 18. Sll
POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF BREAK
WITH GERMANY
Tho many Americans who have been demand
ing for months that diplomatic relations with
Germany be suspended at once are reminded by
the Springfield Republican that the consequences
of that action must almost certainly be war. A
long continued struggle would result in the fol
lowing possible consequences, which the people
should squarely face before the government be
comes irrevocably committed to this course:
, (1) , The shifting of tho burden of financing
the war against the central powers of Europe to
the. back of the American taxpayer.
.... (2) Bedeviling of American politics for a
generation at least, because o the large num
ber of people in the United States who sympa
thize with Germany.
(3) The formation, in bitter hostility to the
government, of secret organizations which would
far exceed in their capacity for mischief the
"copperheads" of the American civil war.
(4) Chronic riots in New York, Cincinnati
Cleveland, Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Louis',
where pro-Teuton sympathy was strongest and
most aggressive.
(5) The blowing up of the Panama canal
locks.
(6) The blowing up or burning o the na
tional capitol building and various state capitols.
(7) Raids of the most recently builf German
cruiser submarines across the ocean to attack
shipping at the harbors of Boston, New York
and Philadelphia.
(8) American boys your boy being sent
to die in the trenches of France and Flanders
so that the map of Europe might- be drawn to
suit London, Paris, Rome and Petrograd.
Nebraska State Journal.
AVAR A DUEL OF NATIONS
The duel, as practiced by individuals,- was out
lawed by public sentiment: years ago. because it
was not only murder but because common sense
dictated that a question, of personal Jionor could
not be. definitely and absolutely settled by kill
ing somebody else or being; killed yourself. War
is simply the duel as practiced by nations. When
men say that the nation must go to war to de
fend its honor they are dealing in the same sub
tleties that were employed to defend the duel
before the bar of public sentiment. If this na
tion s honor is affronted and stained by the kill
ing of an American or Americans, who have
knowingly and deliberately boarded the vessels
of belligerent nations that they were perfectly
aware would traverse the war zone, to the ex
tent of going to war over it, will it be made
white as snow again by sacrificing. .the lives of
hundreds,, of thousands of our, citizens? The no
tion that blood wipes out honor's stain is a relic
Sni5aS9,-n,BJS and of barDarism People do not
SJinAv?"016? relations with one.another; why
snould the nation, made up of individuals, do it?
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; PROTECTING AMERICAN INDUSTRIES
"iiMhll9l?VerB are warnlil'g the congressmen
I lilZ KV m Europe stWft there" will be
m 1 T,nnt ?f g00ds now atred there which
S f??ed0nt0 tlie markets bt America,
5S?..L a necessary that a tariff wall be
"Rft J? sh away so higa. llat none can get in.
?SST!Sef are,toli Ainica industry will
85 Kl ,t P?ratf Peacj Europe W also
niJ ?n tm7 a tpmenoup influx pf laboring
'SmiflS1 comete, ith American labor. As
orL??rrUrferAS des!lre tne WBH -tariff only in
order to protect American labor we quote from
SSJ"1?"1 Is a 1Ittle Pdd that Whi
rLJ andlng,nigher taiffs to keep out
lSSSfflfS, ?S ?d,Si ?bey are not also demanding
We trul? twir ke,ep out fc?reign born labor
bodv wfn Wat Juncture in the debate no
Eer n wD! t0, point nt that the greater nuni-
wages SS f5m abroad tn(? less M e the
because i?S55Va,?tUPOPB here wil1 have to Bay
his thonX? n? edly Sone of manufacturers
Slower 1nL UlIS; J0U see if they have to pay
tarSF Lnb0rnC0St they V(m't need so high a
LubMian nSf?1 iiUBt tariffs-we quote from re-
fabornRf?ib0rityTrepresents & difference in
laDorcpts here and abroad.
Shbw This Issue of The Ccmmti f$K
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