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The Commoner
' VOL. 18, NO. 0
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The Commoner
j.ssm:i) monthly
En lured ut tlio l'oHtofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
a flccon.l-clttHM matter.
W1LLTAM J. RRYAN, CHARLES W. BRYAN,
Editor and Proprietor AHBoeluto Ed. and Publisher
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TI1I0 COJUMONUK, LINCOLN, NEIl.
If Moxico and Cuba undertake to sottlo their
difference with their fleets it will probably bo
necessary to call on the-Swiss navy to enforce
tho peace.
If tho folk loro of Ukraine did not contain
tho story Illustrating tho wisdom of him who
loapod from tho frying pan into tho fire, its re
jection of Russia as a master In favor of Ger
many has givon it a direct application that will
inauro Its insertion thero in tho future
Having failed to sccuro the official scalps of
Daniels or Dakor tho magazine Indians are pur
suing Goorgo Creel, director of public Informa
tion, with tomahawks awhirl. Having thus
boon assured of a long official life, Mr. Creel
can go about his duties with complete serenity.
After ono has studied tho authenticated rec
ords of tho atrocitios committed by the German
soldiorB and their reckless bombing of Red Cross
hospitals and like unbelievablo acts, he gains
tho diBtinct Impressions that the kaiser has
substituted "forward march" for tho ancient
ton commandments.
Tl.j current idea that tho real reason why tho
Allies so hurriedly agreed upon General Poch
as supromo commandor was that they heard
that Colonel Roosevelt was coming to Franco
has no other basis than that everybody knows
thero would havo been a supremo commander if
the colonel had gono.
Devotees of tho prixo ring are in deep mourn
ing over tho fact that nobody will pay good
money to como out and see them play at knocking-
tho stuffing out of oach other. The real
explanation, of course, is that there is only one
man in tlio world -tho Amorican peoplo would
delight in seeing tho stuffing oxtracted by blows.
According to a finding of tho government
commission of investigation the profits of the
cannors of tho country increased from 9 ner
cent in 1916 to 32 per cent in 1917. Like the
packers and the grain trust these canner boys
don't boliovo in this idea that during tho pe
riod of tho war tho slogan should be "business
as usual." M
It will bo noted that none of tho extremely
angry and abusive gentlemen who wanted a firo
put under the entire national administration
because it had not met expectations and prom
ises with reference to the production of air
planes wero so incensed that they hired a far
tory of their own to turn out a sufficient bu
Tho kaiser having failed to scare anybody
In Europe by his campaign of frightfulness ha?
now sent some of his submarines to the AtlanUc
coast in a forlorn hope of frightening the Amer
ican people What W. Hohenzollern tfot
nSSJ wftef Amc,rICnn IePl would Si
largo t number of pouderous volumes.
Case Against the
Saloon
From speech of Win. J. Bryan at Rochester,
N. Y., as president of National Dry Federation.
No brewer or saloonkeeper ever wrote at, the
end of a letter of recommendation for a friend
seeking employment "and he drinks."
I challenge you to find a billboard between
the Atlantic and tho Pacific setting forth the
merits of this city or that, that advertises the
number of saloons in town. If the saloon is a
blessing to a town, as some voula have us think,
why don't those billboards state the number of
those blessings along with the number of man
ufacturing Industries, business houses, schools,
churches and libraries? If the saloon is the
worthy institution the liquor interests say it is,
every town ought to give a bounty for every
new saloon opened, instead of making it pay an
enormous tax for the privilege of doing- busi
ness. Why discriminate against the saloon in
that way?
Tho town licenses tho saloon to make men
drunk and then fines them because they get
drunk. Why don't the town put the finished
product outside the saloon and let him advertise
the business that has produced him, instead of
putting him away in a cell for a time and let
ting the saloon "refinish" him later? Did you
ever stop to think that the saloon is the only
business that does not advertise its finished
product?
Do you think for an instant that the citizens
of any community would permit the licensing of
men to go around and spread disease germs
among hogs? All we are trying to do Is raise
manhood to the hog level snd not allow people
to disease men in body, mind and soul. I can
not frame an indictment halt so savage-as that
to which the man behind the liquor business
commits himself when he confesses that he has
more Interest in hogs than in man, made in the
image of God.
The man who supports the saloon by his vote
hasn't even the low, mean, contemptible excuse
of the man who has put money into the liquor
business.
The saloon is what it is. You can not clean
it or purify it. You can only get rid of it by
driving it out.
I regard the action of our congress in mak
ing the District dry, the greatest single thing
that has been accomplished in our fight against
the saloon. We have captured the Hill and
planted our guns upon the political heights. We
are now in a position where we can shoot in all
directions and have a downhill shot.
Men graduate from the beer kindergarten in
to the whisky college. If it is wise to close the
college, it is foolish to keep the kindergarten
running. Tho beer trade and the whisky trado
have stood so closely side by side, that it would
be cruel to separate them. It would be better
to let them die together and bury them both in
th same grave.
The claim is made by some of the democrats
leaders in Nebraska who are attempting to ex
cuse the failure and refusal of the governor and
;ndratic state senate to consider ratifica
tion of the national prohibitory amendment
LnJf?ft i thef ?9'000 majority tor the anS-
J?v ?i e St1te conatituto, that the major
ity of the people voted out the saloon and not
liquor. Some little credence might be placed
in the claim it they would name somebody who
was known to be for prohibition at the sTate
election who Is now contending that the brew
ers should be free to sell wherever they can fl d
a customer in the state. a
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IT MUST BE RATIFIED
woras ny mrs. wiinam Jennings Bryan. G
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Tune The King's Business.
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The states are free to say
They will be dry for aye,
For congress passed an act
That makes our hopes a fact.
With power to right the wrong,
With voices clear and strong,
Tho Temperance forces sing thjs song. 0
Chorus.
This is the message that we bring,
Oh, make the very welkin ring:
It must be. ratified.
It can be ratified,.
It shall be ratified this year '"
To save our boys from sin,' '
To give them strength to-win -The
battles o'er the sea,
Where many perils be;
To save the homes we love,
To guide our thoughts above,"
The Temperance forces sing this song.
' Chorus.
Then work from sea to sea
And make the country free;
Vote for the men who stand
For home and native land.
To every candidate
In every doubtful state
The Temperance forces sing- this song.
Chorus.
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O PSHAW, liESIilE SHAW
Leslie Shaw, seeking to get into public no
tice, appears in San Francisco and tells how he
refused to meet William J. Bryan at Pasadena
by dodging him. That is characteristic of
Leslie. All his life he has been dodging. And
bold warrior that he is Leslie holds Bryan
in contempt because, he says, Bryan is a pa
cifist. As -it happens, few persons have heard
of Shaw since our country entered the war. But
the moment our country declared war on Ger
many, William Jennings Bryan pnt away ni3
pacifism and was "all American" saying:
"I don't know how long- the war will last,
but I know that the quickest way out is straight
through. Any division or discussion now would
simply prolong the war, and make it more
costly in lives and money.'
For more than a year Bryan has been help
ing in war work, in Red Cross work, in work
for Liberty Loans by speaking, urging h'3
fellow countrymen to stand fast to help, to
contribute. What right has that Iowa ass to
bray at Bryan? San Francisco, Cal., Star.
When Germany reads over the treaties of the
future years between the various co'untries of
the globe she will feel more than ever like
treating them like scraps of paper.
LOYALTY
This is no time to quibble or to fool;
' To argue over who was wrong, who right
To measur.e fealty with a worn foot rulo;
To ask: "Shall we keep stflI"-or shall .vre
fight?"
The Clock of Fate has struck; the hour Is here;
War is upon iis now, not far away;
One question only rises, clarion clear:
"How may I serve my country, day by day.
Not all of us may join the khakled throng
Of those who answer and go forth to stem
The tide of war. But we can all be strong
Anu steady in our loyalty to them I
Senator Lenroot traveled all the way from Kot with unfettered thought, or tongue let loose
Washington to Nebraska the other week to in- In bitterness and hate a childish game!
form a republican Rtnto invaitv .... . . . But wttvi fui, ,, vi.j -u.. ...
the renuWi democrats win not permit That honors tnosa who put the rest to shame!
the war is that the tomowt&vinttoZS
t?? PTO LDreStige ttach?d toSt Matter tt
is too bad the senator didn't remain inni it ?
ed to have a part in managing it Wn,f want
body might just naturally think thS ?lS0?e"
cause they wanted to nSi at " was -
PW.ouf otSXSuST&S' M"ub,ican
There is no middle ground; on whicfi to stand:
We've done with useless pro-and-con debates;
The one-time friend, so welcome in this land,
Has turned upon us at our very gates,
inere is no Way, with, honor, "to stand back
Real patriotism isn't cool then hot;
You can not trim the flag to fit-your lack;
You are American or else you're not!
Jack Appletoflu
ja&gfeW
