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The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL 17, NO. 8
Lincoln, Nebraska, August, 1917
Whole Number 700
FOR NATION-WIDE PROHIBITION
Text of Joint Resolution Adopted by the United States Senate, August 1, 1917
'As adopted, the resolution, which was submitted by Senator Shcppard of Texas, democrat, would add the following
article, to the federal constitution :
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled (two-thirds
of each house concurring therein) that the following amendment to the constitution be and hereby is proposed to the states,
to become valid as a part of the constitution when ratified by the legislatures of the several states as provided by the con
stitution: Article Section 1. The manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into,
or the exportation thereof from, the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes,
is prohibited.
Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall' have been ratified as 'an amendment to the constitution by the
legislatures of the several states as provided in the constitution within six years from the date of the submission thereof to the
states by'the congress.
Section 3; The congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Resisting the Draft
The number o those .resisting the draft is,
fortunately, very few": there should - he none.
Some are conscientiously opposed to war any
war and may prefer to submit to any punish
ment the government see's fit to inflict rather
than to take up arms, but even such can not
justify resistance or the giving of encourage
ment to those who do resist. Still less can tol
erance be shown to those who, while opposing
conscription, attempt to DRAFT others to join
them in opposing conscription. War is a last re
sort it is a reflection upon civilization that it
still reddens the earth but so long as nations
go to war the citizen can not escape a citizen's
duty, if his conscience forbids him to do what
his goverument demands he must submit with
out complaint, to any punishment inflicted,
whether the punisament bo imprisonment or
death.
This is the best government on earth the one
wost responsive to the will of the people, but it
s a government of the people'-1-not of one or a
few men. If a few are permitted to resist a law
any law because they do not likexit, govern
ment becomes a farce. The law must be en
forcedresistance is anarchy.
W. J. BRYAN. .
THE FOOD LAW
Congress has by an overwhelming majority en
acted a food conservation law. It gives' large
powers to the executive, but not too large. The
conditions are extraordinary, and. the remedies
must fit the conditions. The President ought to
have power to protect all the people from the
greed of any unpatriotic few.
And the cloture rule ought to be so changed
as to give the majority the right to close debate.
This right should exist in the majority at all
times, but it Is especially necessary during the
war, when immediate action may become neces
sary at any time.
If the war keeps up much longer Germany
will run completely out of nations to anger to
the point of declaring war upon her. ,
CONTENTS
China has successfully resisted the attempt to
carry her back to monarchial forms and Russia
seems determined to continue her progress to
ward constitutional government. Now if the
People of Germany will only awaken to their op
RESISTING THE DRAFT
ABUSING FREE SPEECH
WRITE TO WASHINGTON
WHY NOT TERMS?
A JUST COMPLAINT
WELCOME, MR. TAFT
PEACE RESOLUTION
THE OFFICER'S RESPONSIBILITY
POCT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES TO
U NATION
aqhttttH STATES PEACE TERMS
qlcRETARY -LANSING'S SPEECH
INCOMERETA ETION ON BOND
POLITICS IN GERMANY
Abusing Free Speech
Before our nation enters a war It la perfectly
proper to discuss the wisdom of going to war,
but the discussion is closed when congress acts.
After that, no one should be permitted to, cloak
attacks upon his government or aid to the enemy
under the claim that he is exercising freedom of
speech. No sympathy, therefore, will bo wasted
upon those who have been arrested for unpat
riotic utterances. They abuse free speech. And
this applies to attacks on the Allies as well as
to attacks upon the United States. Wo canno
more allow our allies to be crushed than we can
afford to be crushed ourselves. The defeat of
our allies would throw the whole burden of tbo
war upon us. We must stand together and fight
it through. There are only two sides to a war
every American must be on the side of tho
United States. W. J. BRYAN.
THE OVERSHADOWINC FACT
Do not try to guess how long the war is going
to last guesses are of no value. Hero 1b a
FACT which is more valuable than any guess,
prediction or prophecy namely, that WE
MUST STAND TOGETHER AND FIGHT tt
through, no matter whether the war be long o
short.
CRUEL TO SEPARATE THEM
Separate the brewery and the distillery? No,
it would be cruel. They have been partners la
crime for a generation they have been co
conspirators against all that is high and holy.
Let them die together and be burled In the game
grave
-X'lj