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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1917)
wtuytfywwppww The Commoner VOL; 17, NO. 3 & The Commoner ISSUED MONTHLY r ' Entorcd nt tho PoBtofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska, rh Bocond-clasn matter. WILLIAM J. BRYAN, CHARLES W. BRYAN Editor and Proprietor Assoclato Ed. and Publisher Edit. Rms. and BUbIiicbb Ofllco, Sulto 207 Press Bldg. Oho Year , . , fl.00 Three Month .... JM Six MonlliN ....... .50 SinKlo Copy 10 III .Clubs of Five or Sample Copies Frco. more, por year.. .75 Forolgn Post, 2Go Extra SUBSCRIPTIONS can bo sent direct to Tho Com moner. TlJoy can also bo sent through newspapers which liavo advertised a clubbing rate, or through local agents, whero such agents havo been ap pointed. All remittances should bo sent by post ofTlco monoy order, oxpresa order, or by bank draft on Now York or Chicago. Do not sond individual checks, stamps, or currency. ,. IUCNKWAIiS Tho dato on your wrapper shows tho timo to which your subscription is paid. TIjub January 17 means that paymont has boon received t to and Including tho lssuo of January, 1917. CHANGE OF ADDRESS Subscribers requesting a chango of address must glvo old as well as new address. ADVERTISING -Rates will bo furnished upon application. Address all communications to THE COM. II ON EH, LINCOLN, NED. . Colonel Roosevelt declares that what this country must do Is to go to war with Germany at once, and when it strikes to strike hard. If wo do not, go to war with Germany the Colonel could gain tho unstinted admiration of the allies if ho will slip thcikiithe tip whore to strike. ..Tho scared easterners who havo conjured up a fleet of submarines battering at their harbors' mouths might lessen the nervous strain by ban ishing from their homes all clocks -that strike. In this way they would not be so often remind ed that another hour has passed and we are not yet fully prepared for anything that may happen. , Hundreds of- labor organizations in the coun try have passed resolutions insisting that a ref erendum on the question of war, when this na tion makes the first move towards hostilities, is desirable. The labormen have tho curious delusion that the persons who are to do the fighting and pay the costs in blood and money should have the final word as to whether there should bo war. When Mr. Bryan arrived in Washington on tho morning of February 28th, he announced in an interview that ho would leave on the night train on tho evening of March first, after tho Nebraska dinner celebrating the fiftieth an niversary of its admission to the Union. But this fact did not keep tho jingo press from charging that he left Washington because of . tho publication of the Zimmerman note. It is another illustration of the desperation of the papers that are trying to force this country into .war. -Vj The attempt to fasten compulsory train ing upon the youth of tho country by disguising it under the smoother-sounding namo of uni versal training will never gain popular approval, A democracy and conscription in time of peace are contradictions. Thoreau said: "What is it to be born free and not to live free? What is the value of any political freedom but as a eans to moral- freedom?" If the individual wills of tho people are subjected to govern mental control, then $e are no longer a democracy. he sham character of tho contention that it itpi question of honor with us that we shall go t(l war with the nation that in its effort to win, torpedoes a merchantman that happens to have an American member of its crew is shown by the George Washington incident. Just as the jingoes were loudest in their demand that it was our solemn duty to avenge the death, of a seaman of that namo, tho British government came forward with a statement that ho was a Canadian. If the man had been born juet south of tho line instead of just north of it, national honor would have demanded, as tho jingo views it, that we avenge his death by offering thou sands of others on the altar of death, but as he was born on the other side we have no 'concern whatever. , The Gospel of Mars One of the modern exponents of thegdspel of Mars thus sets forth tho creed of his cult; "Man deteriorates in peace. Idle rest is the tomb of courage. Law is the friend of the weak, it aims at leveling all; it would reduce the world to a level. Wai brings out strength." The war argument can not be stated more strongly; it leaves nothing more to be said, on that side, but the fallacy of the argument is ap parent' to any one who understands the teach ings of Christ. The militant regards man as an animal, and as an animal only. To him, physical courage is the supreme virtue cour age to kill and meet death upon the Afield. Ho lives in the lore of battles nothing is heroic to him unless it is bloody. Even so great a soldier as Napoleon recog nized that this was the OLD system the system that must pass away. He said: "War is becom ing an anchronism. There are two systems, the past and the future. The present Is only a painful transition. Which must triumph? Tho future, will it not? Yes, indeed, the fu ture! That is Intelligence, industry and 'peace. The past was brute force, privilege, and ignor ance. Victories will be won, one of these days, without cannon, and' without bay onets." Napoleon knew what war was, and he had caught a glimpse of the new system which Christ' came to establish a system which puts love above force, which substitutes 'forgiveness for retaliation, and measures greatness by ser vice. The courage to endure suffering is greater than the courage to strike in anger, as forgiving is higher than hating. There are but two standards of honor, one invites us to seek' glory in war the other dff proclaimed by the Prince of Peace. Again, Christ stands before Pilate. TAXING THEIR CUSTOMERS The New York Sun in a"irecent issue carries a very interesting story of a plan of the brewers which wjll bo found on another page. The plan is to collect a tax from all with whom they do business. Hops and malt are among the things upon which they have th ready levied tribute,, but they have not exhaust ed their list. If they are going to appeal to all whom they aid, they will soon be trying to col lect a tax from the undertakers, because of the number of corpses they furnish them. The un dertakers, however, may be able to defend them selves against the tax on the ground that the persons buried could have afforded to buy much better cofllns, but for the money wasted in the saloons. But it adds gayety to the contest to see how busy the liquor dealers are trying to raise money to fight the growing sentiment against intoxicants. MAKING BOOTLEGGERS ADVERrrieu The senate' 7763 bill introduced by w Curtis of Kansas strikes a death blo7t 52 the annoying evils, connected with the i For a great many years the opponents of tho saloon have pointed out the fact that thn n eral government virtually goes into partner with the bootleggers by permitting tKm M in dry territory. Ben At first it was proposed to remedy this hv m fusing license, but several constitutional nUeT tlons were raised against such a measure aSd these, objections have served a useful nurnZ in preventing legislative action. Several vlT ago The Commoner suggested a way aroumi this difficulty, namely, the requiring of "ouS to the public through the newspapers in ad Vance of the taking out of. government license" This does not embarrass tho saloon keeper who has a local license, but it handicaps the boot leggers, because a man who is planning to vlo late the law can not advertise his purpose and" give the location where he expects to conduct his illegal business. Senator Curtis of Kansas has embodied this remedy in a bill (copy of which will be found on -another page), and The Commoner gladly commends the bill to the attention of those who are trying to exterminate the saloon. The anti-shipping provision contained in the post-office appropriation bill will be a tremend ous aid towards enforcing the law against the sale of intoxicating liquor; Senator Curtis's bill will add the finishing stroke. When tho federal forces join with the state officials in prosecuting the bootlegger his days will be numbered. w. J. BRYAN. THE POSTAL VOTE Why should a man's right to vote depend up on his being at a particular place on a particu lar day in the year? Why penalize traveling and reward those whose business enables them 4 to stay at home? Is it not reward enough that one can enjoy the delights of home'1 Without giving him a political advantage over his less fortunate neighbors? The traveling man is a necessary factor in the commercial world. Why' should he be com pelled to pay a poll tax for that is what it amounts to equal to the cost of traveling to his honiGand back for the privilege of voting. The railroad man is also at a great disadvantage without the postal vote, not to speak of those who are called away from home on business, or because of sickness. The student, too, would find the postal vote very convenient. And in time of war it is imperativety-Trcelled by the soldiers. It will not be difficult to so safeguard it as to prevent fraud. Let us have the postal vote everywhere. W. J. BRYAN. GUARANTY OF BANK DEPOSITS ' On another page will be, found my speech on the guaranty of bank deposits, delivered in the campaign of 1908. The democratic platform of that year said: "We pledge ourselves to legislation under which the national banks shall be required to establish a guaranty fundfor the prompt pay ment of the depositors of any insolvent national bank, under an equitable system which should be available to all state banking institutions wishing to use it." This platform demand was made just after the panic of 1907 in fact, before the Country had recovered from it. With the return to normal times the pressure was lifted and the reform has not yet been secured. Fivo states, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Mississippi, have adopted systems applicable to state banks, but depositors in na tional banks are stiH unprotected. The new currency law has greatly lessened the danger of panic, but an occasional bank failure still gives evidence of the need of a svs tem which will furnish absolute protection to depositors. A certificate of deposit ought to be as- good as a government bond;' then a bank failure would cause no loss to depositors and no disturbance of the business community. W. J. BRYAN. A JINGO COLLEGE PRESIDENT ,.The New York Times contained the following news item on February 26, 1917: "John Grier Hibben, who became president of Princeton university when President Wood row Wilson first entered politics, demanded be fore an audience of 1,500 persons in a Brooklyn church last night that America should enter the war on the righteous side of the Allies, and not wait until she was driven in solely for the pro tection of her commerce. President Hibben'fl declaration, made near the close of an address in which he scored the United States for lack of an international, conscience, was received in earnest silence by the congregation of the La fayette Avenue Presbyterian church, which was prevented by the conventions of religious service from rendering applause." This is the same Dr. Hibben who lias been shouting for "preparedness," the same Dr. Hib ben who joined in the recent warning a6a'nJl a "premature peace" and ihe same Dr. Hib ben who opposed President Wilson when, as president of Princeton, he tried to introduce democracy into that institution. PERSUASION VS. FORCE Napoleon thus compares persuasion and force: "Force is never anything but force, en thusiasm never anything but enthusiasm. J persuasiveness endures ad imprints itseii v on the heart." . , n
