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The Commoner
VOL. 18. NO. 11
jr "TJif-ty1
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The Commoner
I8NUI3I) MONTHLY
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THIS COMMOXKIl, LINCOLN, NED.
STATIfiMISNT OF TIII3 OWNIOIISHII, MANAGE-
MIONT, KTO HKUUIIliai) I1Y TII13 ACT OF
'CONGIUC8S OF AUGUST til, 112
of Tho Commoner, pubtalicd monthly at Lincoln,
Nebraska, Tor October l 1018.
Statu of Nebrauka )
County of LancaHtcr ,; )
Boforo mo, a notary public In and for tho fltato
and comity aforewild, personally appeared Chaw. W.
Bryan, who, having boon' duly nworn according to
law, dopoHCB and miyH that ho In tho publiBhor of
Tho Comrnonur, and that tho following la, to tho
boat of hiH knowludgo and bollcf, a true state
ment of tho ownership, management, etc., of tho
n foresaid publication for tho date shown in tho
abovo caption, required by tho Act of August 24,
1912, embodied In section 443, postal laws and reg
ulations, to wit:
1. That tho names and addresses of tho publish
er, editor, associate editor, and business managers
nro:
Publisher: Charles "W. Bryan. . .Lincoln, Nebraska
Kdltor: "William Jennings Bryan. Lincoln, Nebraska
Assoclato Editor: Charles W. Bryan. Lincoln, Nob.
Business Managers: None.
2. That tho owner Is: William Jennings Bryan,
Lincoln, Nebraska.
3. That tho known bondholders, mortgagees, and
other socurity holders holding 1 per cent or more
of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other
Hecurltles arc: None.
CIIAS. W. BRYAN. PubliBhor.
Sworn to niul subscribed boforo mo this 27th ilny of Sop' ember,
1018.
J. R. FARRTS, Notary Public.
(My commission expires July 19, 1918.)
Ex-Kalsor Wilholm started out to find "a place
in tho sun" for Germany but landed himself in
the midnight of obHvl'n.
- -
Tho Gorman shock ''troops seem to bo hotter
ablo to stand tho impact of a peace treaty than
thoy were tho onslaughts of tho Yankee soldiers.
Tho President's fourteen statements of prin
ciples underlying a treaty of peace do not seem
to havo ploased Mr. Roosevelt as thoroughly as
ho thought they would. Ho didn't think they
would.
Tho sonato flnanco committeo is seeking to
savo tho salaries of public officials from tho
operation of tho incomo tax, tho house having
specifically designated them as included in tho
list of those who niiiBt hand over to tho govern
ment a part of their intake. The senate finance
committee is breeding a lot of trouble that it
will be difficult to explain away when tho voters
want to know tho reason why.
An 'Omaha editor who was among those who
died in tho ditch fighting prohibition declared
during the epidemic that thousands of lives were
being lost because tho narrow-minded prohibi-
.tionists had mado impossible tho securing of an
adequate supply of liquor to save lives. In view
of tho fact that very few doctors used whisky
as a stimulant for influenza patients, it would bo
,an illuminating event if it were possible to
measure tho width of that editor's mind, but
then we" doubt if there aro any instruments
delicate enough to perform such a task.
Ratification Assured
Ratification of the national prohibition amend
ment is now certain. The elections held on No
vember 5th definitely settled the issue. Four
teen states having ratified, only twenty-two more
are necessary. As there are nineteen dry states
which have not yet acted on the question all
of which aro sure to ratify--but three states
now wot are needed to complete the number
(thirty-six) necessary to ratification. Instead of
three the returns show that we have TEN Ohio,
Florida, Wyoming, Nevada, and Minnesota (all
of which adopted constitutional amendments
also) and Vermont,. Pennsylvania, Illinois, Mis
souri and California, in which dry legislatures
havo been elected.
There will be at least SEVEN more than the
number actually required, and it is probable that
the other states will make it unanimous Mien
they find that opposition is futile. It is a won
dorful and far-reaching victory, with glory
enough for all who have contributed to it.
It is the greatest moral triumph of the gen
eration: tho two great parties laid aside, for the
moment, their differences on other questions and
united for tho protection of the home against
its greatest enemy alcohol.
W. J. BRYAN.
NOW FOR INTERNATIONAL PROHIIMTinv
STATEMENT
Nqw that the election returns show that tho
fight against tho saloon has been won and that
the prohibition amendment is sure of ratifica
tion, the United States is in position to lead the
civilized nations in the banishing of intoxicants
from the globe. The moral sentiment of tho
world should be mobilized at once: the spread
of democracy and the abolition of the liquor
traffic should go hand in hand.
. W. J. BRYAN.
IMPERIALISM
In view of tho overthrow of the imperialistic
government of Germany and of the militarism of
autocracy, tho readers of the Commoner may
find interesting Mr. Bryan's speech on "Im
perialism", delivered by him in 19o6 following
the Spanish American war. Mr. Bryan's speech
against imperialism is reproduced on another
page of this issue.
DEMOCRACY'S TRIUMPH A BLESSING TO
GERMANY.
(Extracts from an address by Mr. Bryan' at
St. Josoph, Mo., Sept. 18, 1918.)
When our nation entered this war the char
acter of the conflict as a combat between "two
forms of government was greatly emphasized,
for now, standing face to face upon the battle
field, aro the greatest republic in all history'and
that government which in modern times best
represents all that is antagonistic to our ideas of
government. Ours is a people's government.
Hero tho people rule. Those who temporarily
exercise authority are chosen by the people, and
while they act for the people they act within the
limits of a written constitution.
Our soldiers fight with an inspiration. They
are not fighting for land; they are not trying to
grab indemnities. Thoy are fighting foj a cause
and thoy believe that the triumph of that cause
will bo as much a blessing to the people whom
they meet upon tho battlefield as to themselves.
And they aro right. I believe that fifty years
from now the masses in Germany will thank God
that this nation helped to break the yoke of a
ruling family and set a nation free to share in
the world's greatest progress in government.
Several western states voted this fall on
amending their constitutions so that none but
citizens of the state could vote. When these
states were young tho competition between
pioneer bosses for votes was so keen that they
had their constitutions drawn so that anybody
who had been six months or a year inside its
borders could vote, whether he was a citizen
or not. It wljl get so after a while lligjt the
alien who wants to take part in an election-iwM
have to vote in the country to which he belongs.
Demobilization of the army of the various in
dustries and enterprises drafted for war work
aro some of the immediate problems that will
engage attontion after the peace treaty is signed,
but a more popular movement than any of these
would be the demobilization of what the pro
fiteers havo got together.
Scarcely two million American soldiers were
in Europe and only half of them in action when
the central powers threw up their hands. This
affords ground for lively speculation as to what
would havo happened when five million of them
had landed and started for Berlin.
If some of our war-made millionaries over be
gin boasting in the future that they are the
architects of their own fortunes, we will feel
sorry wo didn't have a building inspector or two
on tho job during tho last several years.
I
Meanwhile it is still a fine and patriotic thing
to do to keep on buying war thrift stamps and
liberty bonds whenever the opportunity offers.
Kaiser Wilhelm must feel very unkindly to
wards the man who first urged him to read tho
life of Napoleon.
THE KAISER ABDICATES.
Abdication by the Kaiser and renunciation by
they crown prince bring Prussian autocracy to an
end. In Germany, its stronghold, Nietzche's su
perman is dead. The masses are demanding the
throne. The might of arbitrary power is gone.
The day of republics is at hand. Democracy is
King. Long live the king!
FOCH A NEW MILITARY HERO
Marshal Foch has written his name high on
the scroll of fame. Liberator Foch he should
be called, for he was not fighting for dominion,
but to save his country from the heel of the
conqueror, and Haig and Pershing and Diaz
were worthy to bo his companions in arms.
FATHER OF THE REPUBLICS
President Wilson's pen has-been potent in
overthrowing so many monarchs and in estab
lishing popular government in so many countries
that he will be known in history as the Father
of Republics. W. J. BRYAN.
FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN
The fourth -Liberty loan was overwhelmingly
successful. The total subscription was in excess
of $6,850,000,000, an oversubscription of $850,
000,000. The estimated number of subscribers
is in excess of 21,000,000.
The next day after the national food admini
stration announced that the monthly sugar
ration would be increased fifty per cent would
have been exactly the day for Herbert Hoover
to say if ho intends running for president in
1920.
IMMEDIATE STEPS TO CURTAIL WAR
EXPENSE
A Washington dispatch, dated November 7,
says: "Senator Martin, of Virginia, democratic
leader in the senate, said today that congress
will call on the executive departments of tho
government to curtail war expenses immediately
upon the signing of an armistice by Germany.
He also sai1 that the war department will be
asked to stop calling men into the military serv
ice as soon as the war .ends.
"Senator Martin declared that appropriations
for war purposes in the last two years have ag
gregated $57,000,000,000 and that he is deeply
concerned over the effect the expenditures are
having upon the country. Leaders of both par
ties share his views, he said, and added that he
soon would have something to say In the senate
on the necessity of curtailing government ex
penses after the armistice is signed.
"Extravagance in war expenditures is ad
mitted by democratic leaders, the senator as
serted, but it has been justified on the ground
that it has been necessary in order to guard
against having troops in the field inadequately
equipped with ammunition, food and clothing.
"The democratic leader declared his opposi
tion to universal military training, saying it
would lead to continued heavy expenses for can
tonments and other war necessities in peace
times.
"One method of curtailment of war costs sug
gested by the Virginia senator was reduction in
the number of clerks employed in Washington
and abandonment of the constructions of hous
ing for purely war activities. Senator Martin
said he recently had been informed by Housing
Commissioner Eidlitz that it is his intention to
curtail this construction."
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