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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1918)
d WJWFT" A- 1 it V VOL; 18, NO. 2 The Commoner The Commoner is.siu?i monthly ISnlorod ut tho Pontofllco nt Lincoln, Nebraska, iih mocoiiJ-cIuhb matter. WILLIAM J. HRYAN, CirAIlLES W. BUYAN, Editor mil Proprietor AhhocJiUu Kil. and Publisher Kdlt. KniH. mill HukIiiphh Onirc, Hulto 207 PrcHB Bldg. Our Vrnr $1.00 Three IIoiiIIin US Six MoiiHih 00 Single Copy In Clubh of Flvo or Satnplo Copies Free, lore, pir year.. .75 Foreign Post, 2Cc Extra NirnNCHII'TIONH can bo went direct to Tho Com moner. They can also bo wont through newKpapors which luivo ndverlled a clubbing rate, or through local agenlH, where tuich aguntn Miavo been ap- pointed. All remlttanccH Khould bo sent by po&t ofllco money order, expreHH order, or by bank draft on Now York or Chicago. Do not send Individual eheekH, HlampH, or currency. IIMNMWAIiHTho date on your wrapper shows tho time to which your subhcrlptlon In paid. Thus Jnnuary 13 meaiiH that payment liaH been received to and Including tho Ihbuo of January, 1918. OH A NfilO OF ADimiWH Subscribers rcqucBtlng a change of addreHB nuiBt glvo old as well as now address. AnVHllTIHING Rate will bo 'urnlshod upon, ippllentlon. Address all communlcatlonfl to TIIM COMMONF.lt, LINCOLN, NI2I1. EDITORIAL PAGE OF 8ilusI)ini)ton unr (ARTHUR BRISBANE, Editor and Owner) DearWilliam Jennings Bryan Will You Answer One Prohibition Question? , Wo would not willingly disturb Colonel . Bryan, who is now eating oranges and custard " p!o In the pleasant climate of Miami, Fla., after having forced congress to pass a constitutional aniondraont that would put workmen on an ice water baBls. We disturb him only a moment to quote an extract from his little article on prohibition recontly published: "Tho law against selling to soldiers is in itself a torrlblo indictn.ont of alcohol. Th's protection is not thrown around tho soldier be causo ho is a weakling, for tho soldiers aro the pick of our young mon. It would bo an insult to our soldior to say that liquor is denied them because they aro below the average man in re sisting powor. Nojitholawis an indictment against ALCOHOL, jiand being an indictment against alcoholic beverages, it can be used to support prohibition , at home, as well as in the , army." Since you wrote that, Colonel Bryan, you and , the rest of the country have heard from General Pershing, in charge of tho" American army in Franco. - You learn that General Pershing, who has tho ' intelligence lacking in certain prohibitionists, "and knows onough to discriminate between a deadly poison and tho harmless, customary bev erages, PERMITS THE SOLDIERS TO USE LIGHT WINE AND BEER. Etc. Lot Colonel Bryan spend tho winter in Florida, eating custard pie, sucking oranges, ' drinking ico water, and suffering from dys popsia if he wishes that is his right. Etc Dear Arthur Brisbane Question Answered With Pleasure. i Your kind letter of Dec. 28th., "entered as En naSr " aiU iF at H10 FOBtomcQ at Wash mgton, D. c," duly received. You flatter mo. Congress, was not "forced" by any one-it submitted the amendment out StltSJSr t0 tUe Wi8hes of c But, aweet as is your undeserved praise vnn offset it by doing injustice to my health? 'indl sostion is unknown to me and I have i0 little fondness for custard pie that I am willing to eschew it entirely, if by so doing I can be e atored to that place in your affections whiqh l never held. .,. The extract which you quote from my little article on prohibition" does not disturb me even for a moment-neither does your question. The answer is very easy. You have simply fallen into the error of allowing the opinion of ONE MAN, who, you think, agrees with you, to outweigh the opinion of a majority of the Amer ican people, expressed through their represent atives. This error, while not uncommon, is un fortunate at this time when war is so forcibly br'nglng out the contrast between autocracy and democracy. It is not only unfortunate, but risky, because, having built your argument en tirely upon General Pershing's supposed opinion, you will be in an awkward position if he was misquoted or rescinds the order which has evoked your enthusiasm. You will be some what like the young lawyer who, having con fined his study to the statutes of his state, was warned by his instructor that a 'legislature might repeal all he knew. In fact, tho same mail that brought me your cherished epistle, also brought an extract from the Washington Evening Star of Dec. 29th which contained an Associated Press dispatch written on Dec. 28th by a representative who is "with the American Army in France." Under the startling headline, "Pershing May Make His Army Bone Dry," the correspondent says, "Gen Pershing, in an interview with cor respondents today, said the question of prohib iting tho sale of all intoxicating liquors to American troops, which he favors, is being dis cussed with the French government." Th.nk of it, my dear Arthur, the very day you published your letter chiding me for taking the side of the American people against the purported opinion of one general, that very goneral is quoted by a representative of the press and the ASSOCIATED PRESS, at that as favoring the prohibition of the sale of all in toxicating liquors -to American troops and is discussing the subject with the French govern ment. If you excommunicate me because of my humble part in support of prohibition, what w.ll you do 'o an American general who has the temerity to take the same position in France where the water supply is not as pure as ours, and where they have no "custard p o to subs.itt.te for your favorite beverages, light wine and beer.? Cheer up, Arthur, "the worst is yet to come," --that is, national prohibition which you so dread; but you will in time, when the tempta- vL 5f?Ut ar fr,m 70U' agree with e other Wise Man that wine is a mocker. W. J. BRYAN. Three years ago 2G per cent of all thP fAm Hies and individuals, aided by the De MoS Mi 'H Ue WCre In a eonSiUou oov ertji through the drunkenness of the father or Caffi Araemberi0f the usehold, says the closedVhert Vmlf after the "5o cioseu there, the percentage had fallen to in ' per cent These figures, however, win not an pear in the literature the brewers ari rP out to fight national prohibiten with J S aSnsiciatl!!iey,d n0t -ttlate tte tZ at on such literature always carries that nrnhi bition doesn't prohibit and tha liquor-drinkin1: has no connection wjth poverty. arlG fplrn i PfCkrS have been exposed' "by" the it might l)e a good idea to omarim IV.,? sentences ad seeVhTX SeoYr0e?arBXn5S tM not beon converted tnLvJ! Vhat he had r GRAND OLD, MAj.7 OF THE ,-ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE From The American Issue, December 28 1917. Twenty-five years ago he was "called an idle dreamer and a fanatic. Many of his friends thought him foolish to abandon" a"' brilliant ca reer for the uncertain pathway trod by the re former. A few, very few, frieuds backed him with meager funds which he1 spoilt for the cause and not for himself. ' He came to Columbus and rented a one-room office. He pawned his watch, hot once but many times, to get something to eat." , He decided he did not need an overcoat and that the old suit would do for another season. He prayed, .planned and worked., He kindled the fires of local option throughout. Ohio. He spoke to audiences on every, possible occasion, and many of them received his .message coldly or with indifference. The greater the obstacle, the greater his determination to overcome it. Throughout the months am years of his gruel ing and. seemingly hopeless taskj he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the goal national prohibi tion. He never wavered in his purpose. He never thought of turning back. He was of the heroic type. If he became discouraged, the world never knew it. He h-d a smile and kindly word for all even for those who maligned him. The fierce light that beat upon the throne found no flaw jn his armor, no stain on his shield. The most virulent enemies of the cause for which he fought never assailed his charac ter, for it was invulnerable. Through the years of trial he stood, as he stands today, without spot or blemish. And yet his blows were those of a giant and he never gave nor. asked quarter. With him it was a battle of right against wrong and he had the simple faith ofra xjhUd that right would conquer. r " . It is not often that the founder of a great re form lives to see it accomplished.' This instance is believed to be an exception. This man has lived to see his great idea sweep the country, making cities and states dry,- ancT ddminating the national capital and' the political parties. He has lived to see his dream fulfilled in the action of congress submitting national prohibition to the states. He has lived td see his idea en ' dorsed'by science and medicine, by the world of business and of industry He has lived to see capital and labor standing shoulder to shoulder, in advocacy of the principles for which he struggled through the years. Governors, senators, and congressmen leaders of thought and action, are now standing with him, praising him and congratulating him. And throughout the land, in thousands of homes, men and women who have been and are now beneficiaries of this man's dream, thank him and pray that God will spare him to see his dream fully realized, and that before, he passes on he may be permitted to witness a stainless flag tfloating over, a saloonless nation, t, Howard H, Russell, Grand, Old Man of the Anti-Saloon League, we salute you! . , -H NOW, TJttEN, ALL TOGETHER! Raleigh, N. C, Nbjvs and Observer. ..jajWjt ij &&4