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The Commoner
8
VOL. 17, NO. 2
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A Foretaste
Tho speech of Congressman Miller of Minne
sota, published below, Is a foretaste of what wo
may expect If tho jingoes and militarists securo
control of the government.
I very much appreciate the bravo and gen
erous replies mado by Congressman Huddleston
of Alabama and Congressman Sloan of Ne
braska. Tho latter, though a political opponent,
is too good an Amorlcan to remain silent when
freedom of speech is assailed. My grateful ac
knowledgment to both. W. J. BRYAN.
CONGRESSMAN MILLER'S ATTACK
Addressing the house of representatives, Feb
ruary 5, Congressman Miller of Minnesota said:
"When our fathers struggled for their inde
pondenco in this land there were royalists
abroad. When tho dark days of tho Civil war
wpro horo thoro were 'copperheads' in the
north. Today England has her pacifists. In
this hour of great peril to our land wo .have
William J. Bryan.
"Mr Speaker, it Is my opinion that tho meet
ing which ho fathered In New York but a few
days ago, the meetings which ho fathered in
this city more recently, are not calculated to aid
our nation in this great hour, but are calculated
to do tho public great harm. I therefore wish
to raiso my voice againBt such conduct. This
is a time when there should bo neither creeds
nor politics, just plain American citizens. Our
Presidont, yours and mine, has passed the hour
for deliberation, has passed tho hour of doubt.
Ho has taken a position, and there can be no
stops backward. It is tho duty of every man in
tho United States to back him up to the utter
most. And I decry those who seo it their duty
to work against tho common weal by trying to
create a public sentiment opposed to tho Pres
ident's course.
"Mr. Speaker, thoro ia;frea speech in the
United States at all times, 'and there should be.
When wo are striving to arrive at a policy, freo
speech is wolcomo and should bo had. But when
tho time for deliberation and doubt is passed,
when our country is dedicated to a purpose or
a plan, then the time has come to act, and tho
only way that a patriotic citizen can act is to
follow tho great leader, tho President of tho
United States. C
"Freo deliberations and free discussions are
born of a legal right. Wo can not cry out
.against them when they are in their place. But
I' for one believe at this time they begin in
skimmed-milk patriotism, and, if continued,
they are destined to end in the shadow land of
treason. Wo need a urtited, a harmonious, a
perfectly organized nation of men and women
in this hour. Let there bo no division of senti
ment, no diversity of purpose, and no stragglers
from tho ranks. .
"Tho public press of our land has always been
patriotic, perhaps never more so than now. Let
, mo urge them to one further act of eicalted pat
riotism. I urge the press to close their columns
a'gainst this Bryan back-fire, and until ho joins
tho ranks of patriotic Americans, that he be con
signed to the shades of oblivion. .,
"I have just received a letter from a constit
uent of mine in whoso veins flows tho blood of
Puritan sires, whoso forefathers fought in the
colonial wars of tho land, in the great Revolu
tionary struggle of our country, and in every
"war sinco, and I want to Toad to you what ho
says: '
" 'Washington, D. 0.. February 4, 1917. Hon.
Clarence Miller, House of Representatives. "My t
Dear Sir: Mr. William Jennings Bryan asks the '
people to advise their representatives in con
gress of their wishes in this crisis. In accord
ance therewith I would say to you that it is my
opinion that tho interests of bur country would
bo conserved bythe immediate internment of the
said Bryan. Yours sincerely, Wm. E. Richard
son.' "I hopethat sentiment will find a responsive
echo in the heart of every true citizen of this
land."
SPEECHES IN REPLY
Congressman, Huddleston of Alabama made
the following -reply to Congressman Miller: '
Ji rise to protest against the cowardly com
munication that has been read into the Record
attacking that splendid American, William Jen
nings Bryan. Ho needs no defense from me,
but tho dignity of tho American house of
representatives demands that such a pusillani
mous attack upon him should bo resented. Ho
has been three times tho nominee of a great
party for president of tho United States and has
received tho suffrage of American citizens to a
total aggregato greater than any other man who
over lived in America.
"This is not tho time for cowards; it is not
tho time for jingoes; it is not the time for swash
bucklers, bluffers, and braggarts. This is the
time for men, and William Jennings Bryan is a
man. In a time like this moment of the nation's
peril it takes a lion-hearted courage for
a man to stand up on his feet and dare to
speak for peace; but let us not forgot that peace
should bo spoken for and that, after all, the
great American people are the real rulers of
this country, and it is their will that should be
done, not the will of any executive nor of any
other one man.
"The American people are entitled to say
whether they will go to war or whether they
will stay out of war, and the most distinguished
private citizen of our country has the right to
say that ho thinks, this question ought to be
submitted to the people. I want to say that if
we are not to have free speech, if it is not to be
tolerated that men shall give cool counsel in mo
ments like this, all, our teaching has been, in
vain and Americanism is not what we have
thought it was, and is scarcely worth fighting
for. If the time has como when a great man
may not speak earnestly, truthfully, and wisely,
oven though it be in opposition to the views of
the highest official authority, if that time has
come, then what is it that our flag stands for
and what are American liberties?
"I protest against such an attack. I protest
against it because it is unfair. I protest against
it because it is inspired by tho despicable prin
ciples, the vicious qualities, that have been so
falsely ascribed to Mr. Bryan."
Congressman Sloan of Nebraska addressed
the house as follows:
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"An attack has been made on a distinguished
citizen of my state, Mr. Bryan. As soon as the
author of the attackhad taken his seat I was on
my feet desiring to defend a man whom I never
defended before; a man whom I have opposed
in all his political views for years. He has ac
tively opposed every political ambition I ever
had with all the force of his matchless elo
quence. But whether his views then or now
agree with ours it .matters not. Affairs have
not gone so far that either Mr. Bryan or1 any
other American citizen can be charged with a
lack of patriotism for advocating peace. He
comes from my state, and is the idol of a large
number of people of that state regardless of .po
litical "affiliations. He has spoken to more peo
ple' in the United States and in the world than
any other living man. I protest against men on
this side or that side coming in and branding as
treasonable tho fairly considered words or sen
timents of any man, no matter how much he may
differ from me.
"I think it is time that we all should be calm
and dispassionate. The test of patriotism is not
whether we are opposed to the President of the
United States or whether we support him. If
there is a crisis, we know that It will come
without action .of tljo President of the Un'ited
States. He has (Zeroised his right and prerog
ative of severing diplomatic relations between
us and one of our old-time friends. It can only
bo precipitated when the congress of the United
States, after deliberation at both ends of the
capitol, shall declare that we are in a state of
"war. It is not for gentlemen to talk of patri
otism or nonpatriotism now; but when the con
gress has had the issue before it and made its
deliverance that we may draw strictures in"
BSf BC; ,Yntii then 1 think that mn on either
s de of this chamber would do well to withhold
their epithets and their compliments."
THE BOKAH SOLUTION
A Washington dispatch, dated Jan. 25, says:
Senator Borah of Idah-o, introduced a resolution
this afternoon calling upon the senate to "re-
S5F tSi.aitl1" in the Monroe doctrine and t
strict adherence to Washington's warning
v-against entangling foreign alliances. Warmns
The resolution was read, , and,, t Senator
RnrnTi'a rriftnoaf -mnnf ,.. ..j
. ... -v,.u, irub uyw uuaer tho mior. .
til the next day. There was no debate on Z
measure. The resolution will bring tho v
idont's international peace league plan, as ES
down in his address to the senate, January lo
into direct issue and will have tho effect of r
fining peace debates to tho particular sublet
The resolution is designed to eliminate w
hazard peace discussion and divide senator ST
or against tho extension of the Monroe doctr
to the entire world. ""
The text of the resolution follows:
"Whereas in September, seventeen hunclmi
and ninety-six, George Washington, then Pre,
ident of the United States, declared, 'The ercit
rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign na
tions is, in extending our commercial relations
to have with them as little political connection
as possible .' And that 'Europe has
a set of primary interests which to us have none
or a very remote relation. Hence, she must bo
engaged in frequent controversies, tho causes of
which are essentially foreign to our concerns
Hence, therefore, it must be unwise In us to im
plicate ourselves by artificial ties in the 'ordinary
vicissitudes of her politics or the ordinary com
binations and collisions of her friendships or
enmities' and
"Whereas in response to a letter addressed to
him by James Monroe, then President of the
United States, concerning the policy afterwards
declared by President Monroe, and since thou
known as the Monroe doctrine, Thomas Jeffer
son said in reply: 'The question presented by tho
letters you have sent me is the most momentous
which has ever been offered to my contemplation
aince that of independence. That made us a .
nation. This sets our compass and points the
course which we are to steer through the ocean
of time opening on us. And never could we em
bark upon it under circumstances more auspi
cious. Our first and fundamental maxim
should be never to entaglo ourselves in tho
broils of Europe. Our second, never to suffer
Europe to intermeddle with cis-Atlantic affairs.
America, North and South, has a set of interests
distinct from those of Europe, and particularly
her own. She should therefore have a system
of her own separate and apart from that of Eu
rope'; and
"Whereas James Monroe, President of the
United States, afterwards amplified this policy,
incorporating it in a message to the congress or
the United States, declaring in effect that any
attempt on the part of foreign governments to
extend their system to any portion of this hem
isphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.
and setting forth in fjill the pplicy which was
afterwards and ever since has been known as
the Monore doctrine; and
"Whereas the policies thus early announced
by Washington, Jefferson, and Monroe, and ever
sinco adhered to by this country, regardless of
political parties, have contributed greatly to the
peace and happiness of the people of the United
States; and
"Whereas we believe any material departure
from these policies would be fraught with dan
ger to tho peace and happiness of the people of
the United States, involving us in all probability
in the controversies of other nations: Therefore
be it
"Resolved, That tho senate of the United
States reaffirm its faith and confidenco in tho
permanent worth and wisdom of these policies
and shall seek in all matters coming before it
touching the interests or affairs of foreign
countries to conform its acts to these time-honored
principles so long and so happily a part oi
our own policy."
Notice: Any subscriber sending to a senator,
congressman or state legislator, the editorial on
"'Constitutional' Lawyers," appearing on an
other page, can, upon application, securo a du
plicate copy of this issue. for his files.
Nearly every wife was elected on an economy
platform, and she is" finding it about as dIfllcu"
a task in these H. C. L. days to make 00d
the party candidates who got in on the samo
plank.
- The "bone dry" law is spreadingT-thanks to
the decision upholding the Webb-enyofl i w
The' states can goas,far as they please aicou
has no constitutional rights.
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