v sr . tfwi&
The Commoner
VOL. 17, NO. 3.
The Commoner
ISSUED MONTHLY
I?ntor(l ftt the PoHtofflco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
n Hceoml-qlttfls mattor.
WlfcLtAM J. BRYAN. CHARLES W. BRYAN,
Editor' and Proprietor AHBoclato Ed. and Publisher
Edit. Rinh. ttnrt BtiHlnesH Ofllce, Sulto 207 Press Bids.
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THE COMMONER, LINCONJ NEB.
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGE
MENT, ETC., REQUIRED MY THE ACT OF
CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1012
of Tho Commoner, published monthly at Lincoln
Nebraska, for April 1, 1917.
Stato of Nebraska )
)ss.
County of Lancaster )
, Before me, a notary public in and for tho stato
' -itniv aforesaid, personally appeared Chas. W.
Bryan, who, having ucau -uuiy awom., according to
law, deposes and says that ho Is tho publisher of
Tho Commoner, and that tho following Is, to tho
best of his knowledgo and belief, a true state
ment of tho ownership, management, etc., of tho
aforesaid publication for tho date shown in tho
above caption, required tfy tho Act of August 24,
1012, embodied In section 443, postal laws and reg
ulation's, to wit:
1. That tho names and addresses of the publish
er, editor, associate editor, and business managers
are:
Publisher; Charles W. Bryan. . .Lincoln, Nebraska
Editor: William Jennings Bryan. Lincoln, Nebraska
Associate Editor: Charles W. Bryan. Lincoln, Neb..
Business Managers: None.
2. That tho owner Is: William Jennings Bryan,
Lincoln, Nebraska. " '
3. That tho known bondholders,' Tridrtgagees', and
other security holders holding 1 por cent or more
of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other
securities aro: None.
CITAS. W. BRYAN, Publisher.
Sworn to and subscribed before mo this 12th
day of March, 1917. . ,
J. R. FARRTS, Notary Public.
(My commission 6xplr6s. July 19, "1918.) '
, MISSPENT EFFORT,
"Were half tho power that 'fills the earth with
' terror,
' ''. ''Vi t
' i
f"K fr - ,
Were half the wealth bestdvecP bn; camps and
courts ,l ' - """' '
Given to relievo the human mind from error,
' There were no need of arsenals and forts."
PROHIBITION. NOV
i . ?
1 Trink does not make good fighters. It does
not turn out good work. Its manufacture uses
up good foodstuffs. A nation at war has no use
for 'drink. Russia learned it, France "learned
it, England learned it. Shall we learn it first
or. last? The Independents :
Extend civil service to poshnasters? Why
not extend', it to congressmen, senators, and
presidents?? That would effectually put an' end
to the "spoils v system" and substitute bureauoc
racyfor democracy, with revolution substituted
for elections.
.VNextlj'Vis thesign most conspicuously dis
played in the po.iyjo.al dental offices of Europe,
wftcre jmemajjehty) systems are 'extracted with
out, jpain.. 4.
n i Who's v Who?" will need considerable re
vision 'In Russia.
Gracefulness is a virtue even in the abdi
cation, of a Czar.
Selection of Postmasters
The suggestion that the postmasters of the
nation be selected by civil service will serve to
test public sentiment on an important ques
tion, namely, whether the people shall be de
prived of the right to select their postmasters.
At present they select indirectly through con
gressmen and senators; it is now proposed to
take it out of their hands entirely. ' "A gov
ernment of the people, by the people, and for
the people" is predicated on the theory that
the people are interested enough to do the work
necessary to insure good government, and this
means a sacrifice of time and the expenditure
of patriotic effort. Those who have the cour
age and patriotism to aid in the overthrow of
great abuses .and in securing remedial legisla
tion are more worthy of reward than those
whose only interest is in preparing for an ex
amination. Eternal vigilance is the price of
good government, when the people go to sleep
the predatory interests take charge of the gov
ernment. Official position is the one legislative reward
which a republic can bestow upon, its citizens in
recognition of service rendered. Monarchs can
confer titles; they can make knights of their
defenders and ladies of their wives, but in a
government like ours, public office is the dnly
expression of popular confidence and gratitude,
uivn bdmKo, iSr eliminating the element of po
litical merit, destroys to tnat eAtcut, aits ' in
centive to make sacrifices, and in its extreme
manifestation penalizes patriotism. In the eyes
of the politically inactive, work the work
without which reforms are impossible, not only
excites suspicion, but ' furnishes conclusive
proof of unfitness for the position.
Among such, an office given to a worker is
criticized as a "political appointment," while
an office given to one who was never Interested
enough to sacrifice, or even to vote is applauded
as a "recognition of merit."
It goes without saying that every predatory
interest is enthusiastically opposed to what they
caiH the "spoils system," for nothing so men
aces the favor-seeking corporations as an alert
citizenship, and nothing contributes so much to
the prospect of plunder as a system which visits
contempt upon those who labor to protect the
public from spoilation at the handu of a few.
The masses, when they are consulted, are
quick to reward activity in politics; they re
ward their' friends with city offices, coUnty
offices,, state offices and national offices. Only
when direct selection is impossible when the
number is too great, or the appointees too far
away do they resqrt to' such indirect methods
as the short ballot and the civil service. No such
reasons exist in the case of the posthiaster. He
is nqt only NEAR and EASILY SELECTED, but
ho is the official who .comes CLOSEST TO THE
PEOPLE and in whose PERSONALITY they
are most interested. They deal with the tax
collector once a year, but they cofcie into con
tact with the postmaster daily.
The postmaster is- not a clerk, doing' an im
personal work. On the contrary, he renders
a personal service, fitness for which can not "be
accurately determined by examination. The
post office department may prescribe the qual
ifications, even minutely, if it .can not trust the
judgment of the voters who select other offi
cials, but it can not, by a civil service examin
ation, determine POLITENESS, COURTESY
or DISPOSITION TO BE ACCOMMODATING
qualities ESSENTIAL to satisfactory service in'
such a position. And, it may be added, NOTH
ING BUT DEPENDENCE UPON THE GOOD
WILL OF THE PATRONS WILL INSURE
AGAINST SELFISH AND ARBITRARY MIS
USE OF AUTHORITY.
The old method of selecting postmasters has
outlived its usefulness the President has . no
time to 'examine into relative merits of ;appli
cants, and it is not fair to allow a congressman,
or any other local advisor of the President to
use the treasury to build up a personal ma
chine. But the remedy is not in civil service
but in a TRANSFER OF THE RESPONSIBIL
ITY OF SELECTION TO THE PATRONS. If
it is safe to take the appointment of postmasters
- ' - ' '
.out of the hdnds of the President, senators ami
congressmen and give it to a civil service com
missioner, it would be still safer to trust ti
people to be served by the postmaster
LET THE POSTMASTER BE SELECTED nv
THE PATRONS OF THE OFFICE that is not
only democratic, but it is in harmony with ill
principles .of popular government.
.If it is desired to" keep the postmasters in
political sympathy with the national adminis
tration, let the selection be made at a PARTY
primary; if it is preferred that the wishes of
the entire community shall control rather than
the political complexion of the administration
let the selection be made at an election where
ALL can vote, but among those shown to tie
qualified, selection should rest with the people
.The country is not demanding a system which
would discourage political activity and put a
premium upon that indifference which breeds
corruption and mis-use of the government.
W. J. BRYAN.
BY-PRODUCTS OF WAR
The European war has resulted in several
reforms' which were not in the thoughts of those
responsible for its beginning.
1st. It has given a great impetus to prohibi
tion. Russia has driven out vodka as a war
measure, and Great Britain, France and Ger
many have adopted increasingly stringent
measures against the sale of intoxicating li
quors. 2nd. .Russia .has overthrown her Czar and
blossomed forth as a government "deriving its
just powers from the consent of the governed."
in Germany there are rumblings an uprising
may take place there any day, and the fall of
monarchy there would shake all the other
thrones in Europe.
3d. Great Britain is ready for woman suf
frage, the government has announced its inten
tion to introduce this reform.
Here are tnree great victories ror prugrcooivo
ideas and they are accompanied by the promise
of religious liberty where it has been denied.
AH of these MIGHT have come without war,
and SHOULD have come without the vast ex
penditure of blood and treasure, but, coming
as a result of war, they will appear on the
credit pide when the account is made up. It
is not right to do evil that good may come, but
when evii comes, in spite of all that can be
done to prevent it, it is proper to make use of
the evil to secure such good as may be extracted
from it. W. J. BRYAN.
Seventy-five members of the Nebraska house
voted to give to the women of the state the
right to vote for president and for municipal
offices. Nineteen members of the genate were
pledged to support the same bill, but four men,
the majority of the sifting committee of the
senate, refused to permit the bill to be brought
out to be voted upon. Nebraskans who object
to the plan of having a single house, as pro
posed by Representative Norton, on the ground
that it is un-American, are respectfully informed
that they don't know what they are talking
about.
RUSSIA A REPUBLIC
The far east, the home of .despotism, is set
ting the world an example. China, by a blood
less revolution, overthrew her monarchy arm
established a republic twice, in fact, for the
monarchial element regained power for a short
time.
Scarcely had the world accustomed itself to
the change in China when Russia, in even a
shorter time and with less bloodshed, recon
structs her government and makes it popular in
character. The transformation is startling ana
yet it is now ten years since Russian reformers
began to predict that their country would do
the next republic in Europe. The communities
were already self-governing, hence the change
at the top caused but little disturbance.
Russia's entrance into the sisterhood of re
publics causes rejoicing throughout the unueu
Stat.es. While we are now the THIRD republic
in population, we are still the oldest, and my
enough to enjoy the prestige that comes iroui
leadership in representative government.
Long live the United States of EuijJjAN
C2
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.-it!..,. jttM
