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responded with a spirit and a genius for action
that lias thrived the world. I now calf upon it,
upon its men and women everywhere, to see that
its laws are kept inviolate, its fame untarnished.
Let us show our utter contempt for the things
that have made this war hideous among the wars
of history hy showing how those who love lib
erty and right and justice"" and are willing to
lay down their lives for them upon foreign fields
stand ready also to illustrate to all mankind
their loyalty to the things at home which they
wish to see established everywhere asa blessing
and protection to the peoples who have never
know the privileges of liberty and self-government.
I can never accept any man as a cham
pion of liberty either for ourselves or for the
world who does not reverence and obey the laws
of our beloved land, whose laws we ourselves
have made. He has adopted .the standards of
the enemies of his country, whom he affects to
despise. WOODROW WILSON.
a
Whether at the primaries or at the polls the
voter's most impressive duty is to distinguish
between the man who has a real program of
economic, moral and political reforms and the
one who insists that -he be taken at the high
value he puts upon his own patriotism. It is
highly essential that while the war is in prog
ress only men are placed in positions of power
who are intent upon placing the public interest
first. This war will not last many years longer,
possibly the end will come before the men to
be elected this fall have finished their terms,
and it is vitally, essential that there be men in
public onice who have a real basic program upon
which the work of reconstruction can be built.
One of the problems connected with the win
ning of the war is that the various states will,
if the officers and'.legislators have vision enough
to catch the real meaning of the phrdse, find it
necessary to consider and solve during the next
six months will be how to protect the $18 a
week man.wjth a family from being engulfed in
a sea of debt. It is difficult, for a man, no mat
ter how patriotic he is, to keep his whole en
ergies bent on winning the war when he knows
what is happening to his larder at home as. the
result of other men's greed in trying to make
profits out of the fact that the nation is at war.
When John Sherman said that the way to
resume was to resume, he pointed the way to a
great many persons who talk a great deal ahout
what ought to be done, but go no further. The
way to stop profiteering in the nation and in the
states is to adopt means by which profiteering
can be stopped. That is to deprive the toll
takers on the road from producers to consumers
by building ,a new and more direct road for the
products of the farm to travel to the tables of
the consumers.
The government has taken over control of
the telephone and telegraph and all other wire
communicating companies, and the opinion of
a great many intelligent observers is that by
the time the government gets througli with the
consolidations and connectings up it will have
made it impossible for an unscrambling ever to
occur. Which is another thing for the general
public not to worry over. A
The democratic state convention of Nebraska
was advised by a United States senator, the
national committeeman, the governor and a
candidate for United States senator not to adopt
or to favor any economic program or present
the same to the people. And yet there are peo
ple who say there are no reactionaries 'in the
democracy.
Old-time republicans are beginning to be
suspicious of the competency of the youthful
gentleman from Indiana who was named as na
tional chairman six months ago. Mr.- Hays has
as yet failed to state that "there is no doubt hut
mat the solid souh will be shortly broken up
the growth of republican sentiment.
ri Tih?ire are a lot of German generals who have
oubtless begun to wonder, after having wit
nessed what General Foch terms a counter-at-"ck,
what a real offensive by the allies will
wean to the fatherland.
Apache scouts, are doing excellent work with
general Pershing's army in France. Maybe
hppna?, American force -that the kaiser has
tu telling his people is so small in numbers.
War Prohibition
Statement of William Jennings Bryan in
support of war prohibition, before the agricul
tural committee of the United States senate.
Mr. Bryan. Mr. Chairman, will you tell mo
ust how much time I have?
The Chairman. You have now nineteen min
utes left to present the views of the proponents
of the amendment.
Mr. Bryan. Mr. Chairman and members of
the committee: When I realize how short a time
those have had who have spoken before mo, I
realize J;hat you are very generous with mo;
and I know how difficult it is for anyone inter
ested on either side to present anything like a
complete argument in so short a time.
But those who have spoken after Miss Gordon
have been relieved of some embarrassment by
reason of the fact that she went over the ground
so fully in the brief time she used that what we
say who come after her is merely exhortation. I
desire my speech to be regarded rather as a
brief argument in support of what she so well
presented as the representative of the 450,000
women who have now for more than a genera
tion been seeking to emancipate this country
from what they believe to be its greatest curse,
the drink evil.
Let me say in the beginning that it is hardly
possible that we shall be able to convert each
other on this question. Tn order to act, it is not
necessary for the members of this committee
to have unanimous consent; they wll not ob
tain unanimous consent from those opposed to
prohibition any more than they would secure
unanimous approval of those in favor of prohi
bition "if they decided to reject this amendment.
The difference' of opinion on the liquor ques
tion is very deep-seated. I take it for granted
that we all will make allowances for individual
opinions on the subject of prohibition, when we
consider the weight of arguments advanced pro
and con.
For instance we have liad an appeal from a
man connected with the brewery workers union.
It is needless to say that no argument that could
be made on our side would ever convince a man
engaged in the brewing business or representing
those who gain 'their livelihood from it. No
arguments that we could present would convince
him that prohibition is a good thing now, or
that it would ever be a good thing, for he based
his argument upon the theory that beer is a
necessity.
But I think you have a right to consider this
fact, viz: that those for whom he speaks do not
represent all of the members of the American
Federation of Labor. You have the right to fake
into consideration also the fact that when that
federation met it confronted not only the possi
bility, but even the probability I might say, the
certainty of national prohibition. If they had
anything to say in favor of beer as a necessary
form of food, if they had anything to say against
the wiping out of both the manufacture and sale
of beer, the time to speak was when that con
vention, representing the federation, was in ses
sion. He said that they learned of the war prohibi
tion movement about an hour and a half before
they adjourned. The members of that convention
knew that war prohibition had been discussed.
They knew that a year ago a bill passed the
house, which, when it passed the house, in
cluded beer as well as whiskey; and it passed by
almost a unanimous vote.
And they knew that it was stricken out in the
senate only because the representatives of the
beer industry were able to frightn the country;
they threatened to prolong debate and delay the
passage of the food bill. To prevent delay, beer
was dropped out; and because it was dropped
out, the brewing interests have had over a year
now that they would not have had if that bill
had passed the senate as it passed the house.
Senator Gronna. I think it is only fair to say '
that the bill was favorably reported from the
committee on agriculture to the Eenate.
Mr. Bryan. Yes, that makes it stronger.
Senator Thompson. And I want to call your
attention to senate bill 2357, which I introduced
myself on May 24, 1917, and which was also
favorably reported to the senate.
Mr. Bryan. Yes. These people secured a lease
of life for one year in that way; and they did It
because the friends of prphibition were more
patriotic than the enemies of prohibition; the
friends of prohlbtion were stlir willing to cllnj
Inato the beer clause in order to hasten the pass
age of the food bill. ;
The members of the American Federation of
Labor knew that this question was before the
country; and thoy might have acted on war pro
hibition, had they thought it wise to act. They
certainly know that national prohibition was bo
foro the country, and that 12 statos had already
ratified the prohibition amendment; and that
five of those sates wore wot when that amend
ment was submitted. !
Facing the almost certain adoption of the na
tional amendment, the laboring men, if they had
any protest to make, ought to have made it in
convention. These officials assume to speak .for
the labor organizations of this country, and you
know that some of the labor rganlzatlons wore
not only not represented in the list which that
speaker gave, but are in favor of prohibition.
Take, for instance, the railroad organizations,
which represent, I suppose, the largest of the
organized labor organizations. Those organiza
tions are not fighting prohibition; some of thorn
have declared for prohibition.
These facts ought to be taken into consider
ation when you consider the statement made by
the representative of the brewery workers.
A word about Mr. Co! by. Mr. Colby says he
is afraid that this amendment, if adopted, will
affect shipbuilding injuriously. As Bishop Can
non very well said, it is better to rely on history
than prediction. It is better to take facts than
guesses as to the future an ounce of experience
is worth a pound of prophecy. The facts are
that where we have prohibition the offlciency
of labor has not been decreased, but on the con
trary has been increased. The facts are that
shipbuilding is carried on more rapidly without
intoxicating liquor than with intoxicating liquor.
For instance, at Mare Island, it was made dry,
and they got out their ships there on record
time. Does anybody say that they would have
done better at Mare Island had those people been
allowed to have liquor? Bishop Cannon also
gives the experience down In Virginia; and hbro
we have this telegram from Massachusetts which
has been read to the committee.
Secretary Daniels declares that the dry ship
yards at Charleston, Portsmouth and Bremerton
show increased efficiency.
If you will take the experience of Oreat Brit
ain, you will find that they had this same mat
ter to deal with, and that they met the same
opposition that wo have had. Those advocating
prohibition over there have been able to show
what the actual effect of intoxicating liquor Is.
The premier, Lloyd George, standing before par
liament, gave the statistics to show that the
effect of intoxicating liquor upon men making
ammunitioncaused a loss of 150,000 men's work
a day, at the time when Great Britain's life was
trembling in the balance. Lloyd George is also
responsible for the statement that Great Britain
is fighting Germany, Austria, and drink; and
then, he added, that so far as he can see,, the
greatest of these enemies is drink. If we want
to invoke the experience in Europe, that Is the
experience over there.
But, while Mr. Colby's argument would seem
to be completely answered by experience In
Europe, as well as in this country, the advocates
of war prohibition can easily meet his objection.
If Mr. Colby Is convinced that the efficiency of
the men working In the shipyards will be In
creased by the use of Intoxicants why does he"
not ask for an exception in their favor? It is
not necessary to continue saloons everywhere in
order to supply liquor to the men in the ship-
yards under the control of this board. If a mus
tard plaster Is needed It Is applied not to the
whole body but only to the diseased part; why
not follow the same course here. If the com
mittee is impressed by his argument, the war
prohibition amendment can include an exqep
tion in favor of employees of war work boards
whenever such boards present to the President
a written request for the sale of intoxicants to
their employees in such quantities and under
such conditions as the board shall prescribe, pro- -vided
the President approves their request
This is not a sectional question. Some people .
speak of it as if It might be sectional and say
that we should consider the Interests of the wiai
(Continued on Page 10.)
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