The Commoner
VOL. 16, NO. 11
Lincoln, Nebraska, November, 1916
Whole Number 691
The Election of 1916
The election of 1916 hag passed into history
the nation has set the seal of its commendation
upon the administration of President Wilson.
Ho not only has a majority in the electoral col
lego but, what is even more significant, he has
a popular plurality of some four hundred thou
sand. A constitutional victory, that is, a mere
majority in the electoral college, without a pop
ular plurality would have been very unsatisfac
tory. A President could not put much heart
into his work if he ItNEW that a plurality of the
voters favored the election of another man.
The victory is. more than a party triumph it
is highly creditable to the country, and espe
cially to that' part of the country which is re- .
sponsible for the result..
The record endorsed was of Unparalleled ex- ,
cellence so complete that it left little to be
hoped for during .the next four years in the way
of remedial legislation. Gratitude for .fayors
done is not nearly so active a force in polftics as
expectation, and in this case expectation had
been more than realized.
Tho pvo ft'S""11"" -. Uari more
weight than arguments based upon ecoifoW
progress; the country is against war. It is op
posed to intervention in Mexico, and it protests
against being drawn into the var in Europe.
But for the high tariff delusion, still clierished
by a majority of the republicans, the victory
would have been even more sweeping than it
Was but It was enough..
And its value is greatly increased by the fact
that it was won BY THE WEST AND SOUTH
WITHOUT THE AID OR CONSENT OF THE
EAST. The scepter has passed from New York,
and this is sufficient glory for one year. And,
blessing upon blessing, Chicago had as little
to do with the party's success as New YorK.
Even Indiana, which has rested its quadrennial
claim to the vice-presidency on the ground that
its electoral vote -was necessary to success-
even Indiana has abdicated the political throne
and is now in the "others also ran" class. It
very much simplifies politics. Heretofore, New
York has entered "the conventions of both par
ties arrogantly offering no choice but surrender
to its dictation or defeat and, it must be ad
mitted, New York has usually been on tho win
ning side. But thjs time the people broke away
and left New York 'ihigh and dry or rather,
high and WET, for it was the DRY states that
furnished most of the electoral votes. TWENTY
THREE DRY STATES AND SEVENTEEN OF
THEM CAST THEIR VOTES FOR WILSON
AND MARSHALL. Here is the list: Virginia,
North Carolina,! South Carolina, Qeorgla, Ala
bama, Mississippi; Tennessee, Arkansas, Okla
homa, Arizona Washington, Idaho, Montana,
North Dakota, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska.
Oregon and West Virginia came near doing so,
'
MR. BRYAN CONGRATULATES PRES
IDENT WILSON
Lincoln, Nob., Nov. 10, 191G.
Hon. Woodrow Wilson,
President,
Washington, D. C.
The returns are now so nearly com
plete that I shall not longer deny myself
the pleasure of extending to yotf heart
iest congratulations upon your re-election
and earnest good wishes for the suc
cess of your second term. Am proud of
tho west Including Nebraska. The
states beyond the Missouri have rallied
to your support and saved the day, and
in doing so have honored themselves no
less thau you. They have been largely
benefited by the great reforms secured
under your leadership, and they stand
with you for peace, prosperity and prog
ress. WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.
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,
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and In addition to these the President secured
the votes of four more in which the amendment
will soon be submitted. In Utah and Now Mox
niissAVAl1 Partes nave declared in favor of sub
clared for submisslon?ni0&ratic primary has de
is committed to submission. "'a democracy
The party is now --,. , toto un n,nht
against the saloon it must do so unless'lt
willing to exchange the support of those who
'saved It from defeat for the support of those
who in the year of our Lord 191G would have
led it into a slaughter house.
, W. J. BRYAN.
What Is the difference between Mr. Hughes
and George Washington? Well, there are sev
eral but one is enough. Washington did the
damage with a hatchet; Hughes played havoc
with a hammer.
CONTENTS
. THE ELECTION OF 191 G
THE GREAT MORAL ISSUE
NEBRASKA DRY
THE WOMEN DID IT ' '5
DEMOCRACY'S GREATEST NEED
. MR. ROOSEVELT'S SHARE.
CAMPAIGN COMMENT
THE PAST SECURE
ELECTION RESULTS
THE ELECTORAL VOTE
CONGRATULATORY
' HEART TO HEART
nRY DENVER GETS NEW LIFE
ON TH CHAUTAUQUA CIRCUIT
.
The Great Moral Issue
The prohibition issue is hero, nnd hero to
stay until tho saloon is drivon out of tho Unltod
States. It is tho great moral issue of this gen
eration and tho democratic party Is tho party to
lead the fight In the nation.
Tho election just hold has unexpectedly re
leased tho party of any obligation it may havo
been under to tho liquor interests. They throw
their influence to the republican ticket and wont
down to defeat with it. And tho democratic
bosses lie in tho same dishonored grave. They
must confess EITHER THAT TIIEY WERB
REALLY AGAINST THE PRESIDENT OR THAT
THEY CAN NOT DELIVER THE VOTES
WHICH THEY CLAIM TO CONTROL. Which
position will they take? Did they betray lh
party or are they impotent to aid?
Let the dry democrats begin work at onco to
securo control of the democratic organization,
stato and national. Nearly half tho states ar
hovrdry, and tho humbor will bo swelled to near
ly, if not quite, thirty befJro 1920. To take the
side of tho salodn is to invito disastrous defeat.
To take the side of tho u"w iD to ara,vr t0 tnd"
party tho strong young men who are coming out
of the schools and colleges and who will, within
a few years, be the dominant force in politics.
Auuiniu- cue uuiiuii s life the old question de
mands an answer: "Choose ye this day whom
The Commoner is m mm 0 -its
readers to organize for the struggle which Is
to determine the party's attitude and its future
strength. Space will be given to letters reporting
the situation In different parts of tho country.
Let the work of organization begin, and begin
N0W W. J. BRYAN.
NEBRASKA DRY
Nebraska voted dry do you catch it? Dry,
D r y. Tho majority is about thirty thou
sand. Onjy thirteen counties out of ninety-thrco
went wet, so decisive that the question is settled.
And, to make it still better, it is surrounded by
dry states. The grand old state is again on the
firing line where she has been for twenty years.
' Let the battle begin.
THE WOMEN DID IT
' It Is not too much to say that It was tho
women who turned the tide of battle and won the
fight for the President. Little did he (think
when he trudged down to Princeton and cast
his vote for woman suffrage that the women of
tho nation would save him from defeat and
give his party an opportunity to add to ts al
ready long list of reforms a still greater reform
which will bring into tho arena of politics a new
moral force destined to make its influence felt
whenever'tho welfare of the home is involved
but these women will not stay with us if wp Uk
tho side of the saloon. W. J. BRYAN,
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