WW"
4&.
The Commoner
VOL. 18, NO. 3
II
IB
I
It;
Iff
The Case Against
Alcohol
First. Alcohol Ib a poison and is Injurious
to tho body, the mind and tho morals.
Second. No ncrmal brain needs alcohol to
Htlmulato it to action.
Third. No ono is strong enough to begin
tho alcoholic habit with tho certainty that he
will not bocoino Its victim.
Fourth. Thoro Is no tlmo In life when It is
safo to begin the use of Intoxicating liquors.
Fifth. No "no has a mcral right to impair
his capacity for service by deliberately con
tracting a habit which ho knows to bo injurious.
Sixth. No one can. afford to spend any money
for' alcoholic drinks when so many worthy
causes need aid.
Sovonth. No ono can justify before tho bar
ol conscience tho putting of his influence on
tho side of a habit which brings thousands to
tho grave ovory year.
Eighth. No ono should put temptatlor in the
way of othors by offering tho social glass.
If tho use of intoxicating liquor is harmful,
no community can defend tho policy of licens
ing tho saloon which conspires against tho wel
fnro of tho pooplo, and no citizen by his vote
should becomp a partner In the saloon business
Unless ho Is cady to sharo moral responsibility
for what tho saloon does.
Prohibition has been testod by experience and
sustained in principle by tho highest court in
tho land. Exporlonc also has shown that tho
largor tho unit tho easier the enforcement of
prohibition.
, ,'Thd attompt to shield tho liquor traffic be
hind tho doctrine of states' rights is a sham
and a fraud. Tho men who use tho states'
rights argument In dofenso of saloons today
aro, in almost every case, men who have op
posed prohibition by state,-county or any small
er unit.
To the economic arguments, which have been
strengthened by experience, and the moral ar
guments, which have grown stronger v. ith the
rise of ethical standards, two patriotic argu
raonlb can bo added. First, we can not spare
fo alcohol tho foodstuffs needed for the table
and, second, wo can not in this crisis permit in
tqxcants to lesson tho lighting power of our
soldiers, or tho producing power of those who
toll in field and factory. W. J. BRYAN.
MR. THOMAS' APPEAL
On another pugo will bo found an appeal by
Mr. Addison C. Thomas, for many years prom
inently identified with the Associated Press. He
is convinced that the food question is a very
sorious ono more serious than is generally
supposed and ho outlines remedies that are
likely to be resorted to if the ,ar continues
Tho strain is felt 2rst by the young men of
military age and the- taxpayer, but as the war
goes on the burden will be distributed until
overy man, woman and chUd will be called on
to contribute in service or sacrifice
We must all be rcidy to do our part and to
do t as needed. There can be no excuse for
sacking or shirking in a crisis like the present.
CALL SPECIAL SESSIONS
In every dry state which has a dry governor
and a dry egislature, the legislature shouhlSe
assembled in special session to ratify the nn
tional prohibition amendment. Each ratification
swells the tide against tho saloon and iesses
the number of states in which a. fight is neces
Sliry W. J. BRYAN.
MANY THANKS
It Is hard to find anything whollv hn,i n
cloud generally has "a silver iTning " Zn"
premature death notice has its advktnn 5
generally brings out kind words that h?v wft
unspoken during life. So the TorontnVrf;, i66
has unloosed a flood of friiJ? incident
which I greatlyaapflp0r0edCiatef 'XXsTeThe'v
eVcau
misinformed ex-soidie FftJt VtwS S
housand ex-soldiers in the city ihn n
the meeting (only one of tithl rbed
and made it lifflcuU fo th? f ,metlnes)
cent of the audience tXa'? T JBrAV"
THE NATIONAL DRY FEDERATION
The following telegrams explain themselves:
Hon. W. J. Bryan,
Pope, Ark.
Twenty-eight national organizations, includ
ing Federal Council of Churches, Christian En
deavor Society, Trade Union, Dry League of
America, Prohibition Party, Woman's P)101
tion League, Catholic Priests Prohibition
League, Sons of Temperance, Good Templars,
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Unitarian, Re
formed, Christian, and other churches and or
ganizations, unanimously request you to accept
the presidency of The National Dry Federation.
Ratification of the national amendment, success
in six states which vote in November, and con
servation of men and resources through war
prohibition, make union of forces imperative.
Without distinction of creed, party, race or oc
cupation, we offer you the leadership of the
largest prohibition organization ih the world,
and promise loyal, enthusiastic support.
CHARLES SCANLON,
Temporary President.
Rev. Charles Scanlon,
Temporary Pres., National Dry Federation,
LaSalle Hotel, Chicago, 111.
My dear Mr. Scanlon:
I bog to acknowledge receipt of your telegram
and to express my profound appreciation of the
confidence implied. The character of the or
ganizations represented by the National Dry
Federation, the number and high, purpose of
the citizens for whom it speaks and the far
reaching importance of the work outlined
these, taken together, compelled acceptance of
the invitation so generously extended, Relying
upon the sympathetic and unselfish co-operation
of the splendid men and women whose energies
are thus united in a noble cause, I place myself
unreservedly at the command of the Federation,
and pledge it my services until the saloon is
banished from the land. I desire an early con
ference with you and the other officials that no
time be lost.
With cordial greetings, I am,
Very truly yours,
, WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.
A WOMAN WINS
Mrs. Boole, president of the Woman's Chris
tian Temperance Union of New York, carried
off the honors at the Albany hearing on Feb
ruary 26 th. Ex-Senator Bailey of Texas made
an eloquent plea against ratification of the pro
hibition amendment, and Mrs. Boole informed
the audience that the distinguished gentleman
had used the same speech against the suffrage
amendment before a committee at Washington
Mr. Gompers praised Porto Rica's wine
rooms and Mrs Boole informed the audience
that Porto Rica's native population had re
cently voted ihe saloons out of that island.
Mr. Gompers belittled the value of barley as
a bread grain, and said that he had never eaten
any barley bread. Mrs. Boole replied that she
had eaten both barley bread and barley cookies
and then modestly reminded Mr. Gompers that
KiS; to rformero8netho1
exolu
her hands while they rob her home o thS
children in whom she has invested her life
The women of New York vote, and they have
a worthy representative and champion $
The esteemed New York World is as lmHoi
as ever. It says that the adoption of nitwi
prohibition will be a triumph for fanaS
over reason. That is to say, if you d ll
right to get drunk when you please ,the
of what happens to other person X!iZlQfZ
necessity of furnishing facilities for that nu
atic6' Yet uff nable beInS and ot a fan"
rin t ricti0Darmte sist on refer
ring .to a fanatic as one havim? extra ,
ns as to his rights or desIr"oXw ""
leTdla ptUloiSateebr,la hav
that suspended th i limited MffM5S r,efer(mdu
by the 1917 lecislatuT ami ?uffraSe law passed
r,ip it K'siatiKe, and have a great dnni r
proof in support of their charce th XL ot
The Amendment Will
Be Ratified
The contest i8 on between the home and it8
greatest enemy, the saloon. The cause of pro.
hibition has passed through the narrows and now
has clear sailing. Seven years have been given
for ratification, but hardly more than three will
be required, and the end may come in even less
time.
The economic argument we have had with us
always, but It has been strengthened by experi
ence and scientific investigation. The moral ar
gument has grown as the public conscience be
came more sensitive. And now to former argu.
ments we can add two which are in their nature
patriotic; first, that we can not spare breadstuffs
for the maufacture of alcohol; and second, that
we need one-hundred-per-cent men, and can not
permit either our soldiers at the front or our
producers at home to he incapacitated by the use
of intoxicants. W. J. BRYAN.
NATIONAL PROHIBITION ASSOCIATION
3TORMBD
A Chicago, 111., dispatch, dated March 5,
says: Formation of a National Dry Federation,
which will be composed of practically every
leading prohibition society in the country and
will be the biggest organization in the world
opposing liquor, was announced here tonight.
William Jennings Bryan is president of the or
ganization and active speaking .campaigns will
be started at once.
The three fundamental objects of the organ
ization are ratification of the national prohibi
tion amendment in ttj,e shortest possible time,
success of the prohibition campaigns in the six
states which vote on the question in November,
and immediate war prohibition for the avowed
purpose of "conserving the man power and re
sources of the nation."
Included, in a long list of governors, senators,
representatives and congressmen who are ex
pected to take active part in the work of the or
ganization are Governors Milliken of Maine and
Whitman of New York; benators Kenyon of
Iowa, Borah of Idaho and Sheppard of Texas;
Representatives Webb of North Carolina, Ran
dall of California, Fess of Ohio, Barkley of Ken
tucky and Kelly of Pennsylvania.
National headquarters of the association will
be at Pittsburgh. Branch offices will be opened
in Chicago, Washington and New York and
many other bureaus will he established. The fed
eration starts work with more than $100,000
paid into the treasury and several hundred
thousand dollars in addition pledged.
Besi.des independent prohibition societies the
National Trades Union prohibition organizations
are merged into it, and State Senator Richard
Jones of Duluth, president of the National
Trades Union Prohibition Society, will be one
of the active campaigners.
The federation actually was organized in New
A. ? ,week ag0 at a Private meeting of more
than thirty of the chief national prohibition so
iv?8?ut announcement of its formation was
withheld until Mr. .Bryan accepted the presi
xt L rV Charles Scanlon of Pittsburgh, who
was appointed by Presidents Taf t and Wilson to
represent the United States at international con
8e! 5Bai?8t alcol"fiBra, wag elected presi-
SpSLi he N!w York meeting, out now becomes
general secretary.
AcZ soman's suffrage movemont grows. Tho
JE?ntic.p?ty ,must lead in thls gat moral
reform as it does in the fight for prohibition. '
. A TOAST
Here's to the Blue of the windswept North,
Mn v t WG m.eet on the flelds of France'
a ?,6 SSirIt 0f Grant be with you all
As the Sons of the North advance.
And here's to the Gray of the sun-kissed South,
When we meet on the fields of France,
V 6 SirIt of Lee be with you all
As- the Sons of the South' advance.
AnwAere'S t0 the Blue and Gray as one,
i, v ln WG meet ou the fields of France,
a !? BSirlt-ot God e with us all.
. As the Sons of the Flag advance.,
-ueorge Morrow Mayo, in Washington Star.
iO.s&2r?:x''
