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The
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Commo
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
ner
VOL. 18, NO. 12
Lincoln, Nebraska, December, 1918
Whole Number 716
The Superman Dead;
Nietzsche tried to substitute Worship of the .
"superman" for the worship of God. Ho dreamed
of a lawless human being, living without re
straint and free to do as 1.0 pleased, regardless
of consequences to others.
Following his logic to its legitimate conclu
sion he looked upon religion as the doctrine of
degenerates and upon democracy as a refuge for
weaklings. Tho kaiser was the most' modern
illustration of one who thought himself a super
man. In him the "will -to power" was given
free reign and he was- ready to trample on any- "
thing or any person in "his way.
But he fell, and, with him, autocracy went
down. His fall stimulated a revival of the prin
ciple of love and confidence in dealings between
individuals and nations, and' in his fall dem-
The
Merry
Commoner
wishes a
Christmas
and a
k
rk
$L t0
Happy New Year
Everyone, Every- $
where, and Forever.
jf
mm
toracy found a new .birth..v
f. v. :.. . :--y-
PRIVATE MONOPOLY INDEFENSIBLE
A;private monopoly, is Indefensible and in-
The Railroads
- ' v 'tiflk&.
Tho successful management of tho railrowfe &
oirdtAmn nP 4l 1.tkM ilkK ...... ir iL.ri'i . . 1
o;oiciua vl utu tuuuujf uuiiug iuu war in tjuuu:
sure to furnish a final and conclusive argument '
in favor of government ownership and it is
worth while, thoreforo,- toconsldor the largo
questions involved in government ownership.
While the President's authority over tho rail
roads is a war power and will torminato with
tho end of tho war, tho lessons learned aro not "
likely to bo forgotten.
Tho growth of sentiment In favor of public
ownership is due in largo part to threo things.
First, to tho economic advantages to bo found
in tho elimination of watered stock and of the
wasto caused by tho duplication of roads be
tween competing points. Second, to tho resist
ance offered by railroad managers ;tp efforts at
There ommmkoi
ea&-uie KaiBer'stneoryvtneriietiacnemtneo
vk., that authority' comes down Iromth;e'.man
at the top; tho .'other, the democratic theory,
that authority comes up fro . the people.
The democratic theory has triumphed; it is
spreading throughout the world; It is the theory
of the democratic party In the United States.
New issues have arisen; they must be decided
by the voters. .Lot the.pobple get together in
their several communities and compare views.
f Let them communicate4 their conclusions to those
who represent them then" and then only can
the representatives at Washington Bpeak with
the authority of the people. ' :
Study decide instruct.
v; W. J: BRYAN.
Mfe: ikl&S
V-&ni6n
lii
Snpriysoith
edlwlth' the 'power
mmoHvn . lnrrlolnllnn flilr1. .in., tl.n- Ant...nUM. ' . . "
- - . j j ., r t. -r -z. - . -" ww m w w w mm m m m, w na m , iai &. u ur m. m, 1A Br b mM M. t 1 .
j 'w" . -- --. .1 immir-m (ti - - . - r . - - -jt-4 -i - - rw 1 imZ' nm.
SHiSliififli
jaispiTrn!M
Univprsal military training ,lot if the peace,
soon to be agrrfuponprp&ises to" be perma
nent. This.ishftUJgpo'd'ti in.
the United States the Priissianism overthrown in
Germany. .'",'"' , , . '
' ; ;0. 0 00 (5)
3
0
Q
$;
THE ROLL OF HONOR
I
..
List of States That Havp Ratified' tho.
National Prohibition vCojistitu-
tional Amendment
J MISSISSIPPI, Jan. 8, 1918. . . .
2-7IRGINIA; Jan. U1QI8.- :
2SSSESl CAR(NA, Jan. 25 1918.
p""5?5l? DAK0T- Jan. 25, 1918.
I"JH?TANA, Feb, 19, 1918.
Q Ar "' MarC l9i8-
a monopoly is able to exerdse. It Is for this
reason that a telephone monopoly is Intolerable.
The telephone- system has become as necessary
a factor in business and social intercourse as tho
mails and for the same reason must sooner or
later become a government monopoly the
sooner the better. But in the telephone business
a very clear lino can bov drawn between long
distance messages and local calls. It would seem
betiiey, therefore, to divide tho system and- put
the-long distance lines under federal control and
local exchanges under the control of cities ,pr
counties. In this way wo could secure the max
imum of advantage .from public. ownership with
$he mlnimum'of risk. W. J. BRYAN.
THE ISSUE AT, PARIS .
The real issue at Paris is whether the peace
agreement will, as the President and "Lloyd
George ask, "Initiate on earth the reign of the
Prince ."of Peace" or invite a return to the.
Nietzscho theory wi.th its "old national rivalries,
animosities and competitive armaments," That
is the "issue again .the wprld is called upon
to chQose between God and Alammon.
G0VERN1MENT OWNERSHIP OF TELEGRAPH
SYSTEM
The sentiment fn favor of government owner
ship and operation of the telegraph'lines In'con
neciion with the postal service Is stronger than
it Is in the matter of telephones and railroads.
The telegraph business will never be turned back -to
private corporations.
If peace Is to be permanent; if gwords aro to ,
5 men who, In their ambition Tosbcuro lucrative"
railroad positions, separate themselves from tho
mass of the people, and uso their Influence to
shield tho railroadff from needed supervision.
Tho country has boon passing through tho
same experience with railroad corporations that
cities have had with franchise-holding corpora
tions, and are being driven to government owner
ship as a matter of self-protection. Tho war
has simply made more plain the evils insepar
ably connectod with private ownership, just as
It has, made more clear the necessity for tho
abolition of the saloon. While the war lasts
unity of management Is necessary; and there in
no-time for careful consideration of tho qus-'
tions which must be welghod before a permanent
system can bo decided upon.
Believing thak government ownership and op
eration of railroads will bo tho natural outcomo
of tho President's action in taking over tho
management of the railroads during, tho war, I
venture, to outline a plan which will, in my judg.
9 DELAWARE. Twwi, i ic' 1010
) rH? &AKOTA, March 20,m8. bo beaten into plowshares and spears Into prun-
! ltARBrnT?ln?,BTTS' ApM V 1918. '. ing'hooks why n6t have universal training :
plowing and pruning?
0 i nfTrvTwi;' lviay z y is.
14 TnTTTCT:xT';June 26 1018.
15-FLORIDA, November 27, 198.;
, le ,, ":,' I
Republican senators who have tried tov-cash
in" their partisan checks' have -loarnetoj thQ
earjiestdate is March 4th, a HttlF'pTsFnopn.
.. .TrHE SUPERMAN DEAD
PRIVATE MONOPOLY INDEFENSIBLE
; ': r: THE RAILROADS
;igH'B RAILROAD MAGNATES' PLAN
,-; A SPLIT IN SIGHT -
, -, THE LAS;T REFXTGB
. y,- FLORIDA RATIFIES . ' s.
v A HIGH NOTE
W PAYMENT MADE EASY.
PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL MES3AGE TO
i-. CONGRESS
FREEDOM, OR SLAVERY, OF THE
-. SEAS?
FEDERAL. GUARANTEE OF DEPOSITS
Iiy NATIONAL BANKS
WORLD-WIDE PROHIBITION
M'ADOO'S RESIGNATION -
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