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The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL 16, NO. 6
Lincoln, Nebraska, June, 1916
Whole Number 686
Wilson and Marshall
As this issue of The Commoner contains the
democratic platform adopted at St. Louis, the
speech of Temporary Chairman Glynn, and
my own speech, and an analysis of the platform, "
it is not necessary to say more now than that
the spirit of the convention presages victory
for the party.
The fact that there was no contest for the
first place and but little for the second, accounts
for the lack of excitement. Even the suffrage
plank did not stir up much feeling the vote
was so one sided.
There was enthusiasm whenever emphasis
was placed upon the fact that the President had
kept us out of war, or when a reference was
made to the fact that the nation favors peace.
The preparedness plank drew forth but little
applause a good omen. The delegates went
home happy and the visitors were satisfied.
,Nowlf6r the campaign. We must win; lot
every democrat go to' work. - -ttyM'
W. J. BRYAN.
prejudice which does endure. This prejudice
has been accentuated by what happened in the
war of 1812 and in the Civil war.
"It is not important whether this prejudice
be right or ridiculous. It seems to The Tribune
utterly ridiculous, but it is a fact."
Here we have it unneutral and boasting ot
it. There Is no disposition in the United States
to recall the wars of 1776 and 1812 but there
is a decided objection to a present day disloy
alty that subordinates the interests of the
United States to the interests of ANY foreign
country. "
W. J. BRYAN.
TWO OF A KIND
One Illinois preacher, stirred by the prepared
ness parade, declared himself a believer in the
doctrine that "death in battle atones for all
previous sins." A few years ago another Illinois
preacher called one of his congregation "a
fool for going out of the saloon business," said
that a man could be "as good a Christian in
that business., as outside."- They are two of a
kind, but they are" raren, the mlnistryand for
tunately so,.
'
THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE'S POSITION
The New York Tribune presents the follow
ing as its profession of faith:
"In this time there has seemed to be a strange
confusion in the British mind over the situation.
It seems to have been assumed in Great Britain
that Mr. Wilson was acting in regard to Britain
in a manner determined by American sympathy
and by the fact that the mass of American pub
lic opinion was not only pro-ally, but pro-British,
and was willing to seo American rights
waived, because by the waivers the redress of
the wrongs of Belgium, of France, of humanity
generally, would be helped.
"This is not the case. Conceivably the mass
of the American people should have accepted
the British point of view; concaivably tho mass
of the American people should have sympathized
with Belgium and with France so completely as
to bo prepared to surrender rights or adjourn
discussions of injuries. England has felt that
America should sympathize with her as the
soldier of Belgium. But the truth is that no
large section of the Amer'can people has ac
cepted this view. The Tribune has.
"Holding this view, however, the Tribune has
never imagined that it had with it the majority,
or any very considerable minority, of the Amer
ican people. It has recognized that three wholly
diverse elements in th? American population
contributed largely to the rejection by ,the Amer
ican people of the idea that Great Britain is
fighting for Belgium and for humanity and is
unselfishly and quite chivalrously champ'oning
an unfortunate and suffering Belgian nation.
These three elements are the native American
of revolutionary stock, the Irish and the Ger
mans. "Whether the mass of the British people like
or dislike Americans, their feelings are not
founded upon Revolutionary memories. No
Briton dislikes Americans because of Revolu
tionary history. But Ihis is not true of Amer
icans. The traditions which come down from
the Revolution and are nourished in all our
school books are antl-Brlt'sh, In our histories
and our experience tyrant means a British mon
arch; the stories of Concord, Lexington, Valley
Forge and all the rest are storifs that are told
to our youth, and the telling has built up a
VOLUNTARY OR COMPULSORY?
Colonel Roosevelt complains because Presi
dent Wilson would have military service volun
tary the Colonel wants it compulsory. What
a transformation! Mr. Roosevelt Is naturally
bloodthirsty and always brutal, but it never oc
curred to him while president to recommend
universal military training, even of the volun
tary kind.
BUT WHAT ABOUT HIM?
A Chicago preacher Is quoted as saying "I be
lieve in the baptism of blood that death in
battle atones for all previous sins and that the
souls of warriors go straight to heaven." But
what about Christian ministers who preach such
a doctrine? Where do they go?
Our preparedness is increasing relatively as
olher nations exhaust themselves. A few more
battles like the recent one in tho North sea and
we will have the biggest navy in the world.
CONTENTS
WILSON AND MARSHALL
HUGHES AND FAIRBANKS
HONESTY VS. THE BLUFF
MR. BRYAN'S ST. LOUIS LETTERS
THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVEN-
' TION
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL PLATFORM
CHAIRMAN GLYNN SOUNDS CAMPAIGN
.KEYNOTE
MR. BRYAN'S CHICAGO LETTERS
SECRETARY M'ADOO ON PROSPERITY
MR. BRYAN'S ST. LOUIS SPEECH
WHAT ARMED PEACE LEADS TO
Hughes and Fairbanks
The republicans have presented a ticket com
posed of men of high character, acknowledged
ability and largo experience. No tlmo will have
to be spent In defending then against personal
attacks they are Immune. They represent
stand-pat republicanism tho republicanism that
looks after the captains of industry and takes
advice from the monopolist and tho exploiter.
It is a very respectable republicanism but the
kind that caused more than half of tho repub
licans to revolt against tho party organization.
Both candidates belong to th Taft wing of the
party. Mr. Hughes vetoed tho two-cent passen
ger rate bill which even a Now York legislature
was willing to support. Ho was tho only gov
ernor who aBked a legislature to refuse to ratify
tho ineomq tax amendment to tho constitution.
And tho legislature, supporting his views by a
small majority, denied to tho ..ate the glory of
the jlctory. He led Mr. Taft's fight in defense
of the- trusts against the democratic attack in
tho campaign of 1908. Ho is satisfactory to the
big corporate interests aud yet his sdral-inde-pendenco
of the bosses anc" hfc advocacy of tho
primary make him less objectiona'blo to tho pro
gressives than almoBt any other prominent re
publican. W. J. BRYAN.
HONESTY VS. THE BLUFF
The course pursued by Col nel 'Roosevelt
at Chicago will teach an I- important lesson,
namely, that honesty is the best policy. If, last
February, he had frankly told the progressives
that, while he would willingly be the candidate
of a UNITED party, he would -not, by being the
candidate of one party alone, assume respon
sibility for a democratic vi tory, there would
now be neither humiliation to him, nor soreness
among progressives toward him. It would hava
been a frank and manly waj of dealing with the
situation. But instead of making his fight for
the nomination in this way, he led, or at least
allowed, his followers to '. I. ve that he would
run on a progressive ticket regardless of the ac
tion of the republican convention. He permitted,
if he did not encourage, an atta:". on every can
didate who showed any strength In tho repub
lican party. He consented to, If he did not ad
vise, an attempt to coerce the republicans into
nominating him. The progressives were in earn
est, but he seems to have been bluffing, and Mr,
Perkins seems to have had an Inside knowledge
of the Colonel's plans which he did not com
municate to the confiding convention.
Now, the bluff having inglorlously failed, Mr.
Roosevelt leaves the progressives to their fate.
His course calls down u;ou him the wrath of
his worshippers while he smarts under the rid
icule of the old line republicans .whom Ire tried
to frighten into nominating him.
It does not pay to deceive in politicsjess, if
possible, than elsewhere. "Be sure your sfhs.will
find you out.""' "' " " ' V. J. BRYAN
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