The Commoner
VOL. 17, NO. 10
Lincoln, Nebraska, October, 1917
Constitutional Rights
T " cri iclsms directed against the utterances
of certain senators and members of congress on
subjects connected with the war turn public at
tention to the consideration of constitutional
rights and guaranties. There has been some reck
lessness on the pa.'t of both critics and criti
cised. Serdtors and represrntatives in congress
are pait of the gt-ernment; they exercise au
thority conferred upci them by the constitu
tion. They r.re as mucl u part of the vern
m a the President himself and the oath
which they take is as acred and binding as the
one administered him. A senator or repre
sentative has as much right to express himself,
on matters properly coming before congress as
the President has to express himself upon sub
jects with which he has authority to deal. They
not only have the right to express themselves,
but they shoulddo sot -when such "expression be
comes necessary., to the discharge"ro"ftheirb ra
cial duties. 'Only by properly discussing meas
ures ean. they live up to the requirements of the'
office w'-ich they -hold.
To say that a senator or representative in
congress must of necessity agree with the recom
mendations made y the President iscquivalent .
to advocating the substitution of a despotism
for a republic equivalent to advocating the es
tablishment of an autocracy here while we are
trying to overthrow autocracy in other lands.
The obligation o: a senator or representative
is to the people whom he represents, not to the
executive. If a federal legislator acts corruptly,
lie should be expelled, but so long as he acts
honestly and from a sense of duty to his con
stituents, he is within his rights, arl it is not
likely that any legislative body would entertain
a thought of expelling him for the full exercise
of his rights.
With the citizen the question of duty is some
times more important than the question of
rights. The vital question is not what he can
do but what he ought to do. The legislator
must discuss questions before congress this is
necessary to .intelligent action by congress, but
this necessity does not confront the citizen in
private life"". There is no reason -yhy anyone
should discusc that which has been done when
final actiffn is taken, acquiescence on the, part of
the citizen becomes a duty.
In the case of proposed legislation, it is bet
ter that tho citizen should communicate directly
with those empowered to act the President,
senators and congressmen than to speak
through the press, on the platform or on the
street. If one is really anxious to, serve his
country, he will choose the method of expres
sion that promises the maximum of good and
the minimum of risk of. doing his country harm.
patriotism requires some to give their lives; it
-ciuireB others to give their money; it may re
quire some to hold their peace rather than risk
STAND BY THE
GOVERNMENT-
Stand by the government
it is our government. Help
the organizations that are
helping the soldier boys
they are our boys. Buy a
Liberty Bond it
war.
is our
creating- dissension or discordbypubliCjtexpres
sibn of opinion when 'such expression .Is unneces
sary. , W. J. BRYAN.
DEPOSITORS' NEED OP GUARANTY
The disclosure o". the Martindale embezzle
ment, which -will be found on another page, is
another proof o' the need of a. law guarantee
ing ".apositors. The Chemical National Bank of
New York is one of the oldest and best known
banks in the United States. It boasted of its
conservatism and caut on. And yet it wac found
that its late president, Mr. Martindale, was for
years a forger and an embezzler. While he sat
with tho directors in council he wa secretly
taking the money of a trusting depositor, his
stealing running up to ?300,000! The remedy
is the guaranty of depositors.
If a bank president can deceive his directors
a"d stockholders, what chance has a depositor
to find out whether h 'money is safe Guaranty
would protect depositors from burglars on the
inside. Why not? W. J. BRYAN.
CONTENTS
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
DEPOSITORS' NEED OP GUARANTY
FOLLOWING A BRUTAL EXAMPLE
TO AN UNINFORMED CRITIC
TUMULTY ON LOCAL OPTION
THE ISSUE IN IOWA
TO THE VOTERS OP OHIO
THE CRUSADE AGAINST GAMBLING
MR. BRYAN AT HOME
WASTAGE OP WAR APPALS HALL
W CAINE
POOD CONSERVATION
FAMILY ALLOWANCES AND WAR IN-
SURANCE
LICENSE OR PROHIBITION?
Whole Number 702
Following a Brutal
Example
On another page will bo found American
newspaper comments upon the decision reached
by Great Britain and Franco to rctaliato on
their enemy by tho dropping of bombs on de
fenseless won on and children in Germany In re
turn for Blmilar brutalities practiced by Ger
many. It is quite human to yield to a feeling
of resentment and yet, human as It l to adopt
retaliation, this form of retaliation 1m none tho
loss INHUMAN, and It is to bo regretted that
tho allies have, by adopting an indefonlblo
course, surrendered tlulr protest against a pol
icy that has brought upon Germany tho censure
of the civilized world. The logic witli which tho
allies attempt to defend this proposed action
will not stand the light of history. Future gen
erations will bluah to read that BOTH nldc rc
sorted to tho deliberate murdor of Innocent wo
men and children. "Thy did It flrflt" will Who
Its power to soothe the conscience whon the pas
sions of war have cooled and reason has re
sumod her sway. It Is a false logic which could
be used Just as well to excuse the mutilation of
prisoners or the use of submarine against pas
senger ships.
If the oxample of Germany, Instead of being
denounced as infamous, is to be followed, we
shall lose a moral argument which has been of
great value In strengthening the purpose of tho
American people and which has made it caslor
for German-Americans to divorce their sym
pathies from the fatherland. It Is most unfor
tunate that this moral argument can no longer
De UBQl it is a distinct loss that will far out
weigh an advantage to be gained by imitation of
a form of cruelty so revolting.
W. J. BRYAN.
THE REASOX IS PLAIN
In a recent issue of the World-Herald, atten
tion is called to the fact that the Omaha play
houses have experienced a decided Increase in
patronage over the September business of last
year. Manag2r Burgess Is quoted as saying:
"I do not pretend to know what cause, or com
bination of causes may be responsible for this
highly agreeable state of affairs. But it well
may be that despite the high cost of living, peo
ple can better afford to spend money for amuse
ments than In the days before Omaha went on
the water wagon."
Mr. Taft is to invade the west again on .
speaking trip, this time for tho purpose of im
pressing the people with tho unwisdom of an.
inconclusive peace. In view of what happened
to spoil tho ex-president's trip west In August
last it is to be hoped that he will make & wJmt,
choice of hotels or of menus therein,
t.