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The Commoner
I.M.Sft,
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY MUST
WIN
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Tho democratic party is now face to faco with
tlio campaign of 1920. In a littlo moro than a
yoar it will writo its platform and nominate its
candidates. To tho casual observer tho situation
would look anything hut favorable. After tho
most splendid economic record that a party ever
raado in tho same length of timo, and after tho
successful carrying on of a war, it went down to
defeat at tho last election. Tho now congress,
which spoalcs for tho peoplo as their latest ex
prosBion of purpose, is republican. Having ac
complished tho reforms for which we had
laborod for a quarter of a contury, we cannot
ubo them as a reason for -omaining in power.
Tho people do not act through gratitude, but
from expectation, and now that tho war is .over
wo can. no longer call upon the pooplo to sup
port the administration as a patriotic duty. Not
.. only havo tho old things passed away but wo
. are confronted with Issues of tho first magni
tude. "Wo may hopo to secure some advantage
" from the conclusion of tho treaty and from the
establishment of tho league of nations, based
.upon principles that appeal to our pooplo, but
"we 'Crtnnot overlook tho necossity for tho im
mediate mobilizing of strength for tho demo
cratic (asks that Ho before us. ..Tho democratic
party is built from tho bottom and its strength
comes from tho masses. It has convictions, and
It fights for them, but these convictions must
ho expressed, and the forcoa must bo organized
i tqr .effective action. We nor 7 ns wo seldom have
boforo brainy men whoso hearts. aro -with tho
pooplo and who are not afraid to riak their all
in tho holping of their country. They cannot
stop to calculate upon t" chances' of roward.
- Tho patriot serves and trusts the people to ap-
"No -Beer, No Work"
The few wet branches of tho labor organiza
tions aro threatening that they will refuse work
if they cannot got beer. There are several things
that tho laboring man should consider before ho
joins in this appeal to lawlessness. In tho first
place, ho is a part of our citizenship and he has
had his share in voting and ho has had his op
portunity liko any other voter in the settlement
of this question. Ho helped elect tho congressmen
Who submitted national prohibition. Ho helped
to elect the legislators who ratified the national
amendment; he helpod to elect the congressmen
who votod for war prohibition almost without
nn opposing vote. Can he thus have his share in
tho making of the laws and then claim a veto
ovor thoso laws because ho is a laboring man?
The quostlon of an eight hour a day was up
two years ago last fall in tho campaign of 19 1G
and tho pooplo votod to support the President
in hio position on this subject. There was oppo
sition very strong opposition. Many of tho
uig employers of labor fought tho President
bitterly on this proposition. What would the
laboring men think if after they had won, tho
employers started out with tho slogan "no em
ployment" for a laborer if lie demands an eteht
hour a day?
It ought to bo remombored also that in tho
long fight for prohibition tha various unions
connected' with tho liquor trafllc, the beer mak
ers, bar tenders and bottle blowers havo never
been able to secure from the national Organiza
tion a declaration against prohibition. When
??;, Gmers appeared in Washington on the
17th of December 1917 the day tho house
concurred with tho senate in submitting tho
amendment he made an appeal on the ground
that labor was opposed to it, but ho was earn
Jul to explain that ho did not spoakTor tho
National Federation. If prohibition wasn't
dangerous enough to justify action by the T na
tional organization of labor, s it dangerous
enough to justify a revolution against ihf gov!
preciato and reward. But whether they roward
or not, ho finds' sufllcient satisfaction in tho
consciousness of doing his duty. The profiteer
is abroad in the land. Ho has 'been the blot
upon tho war. He has sucked the blood of the
people at home whilo tho soldiers spilled their
blood abroad. Has tho democratic party tho
courage to challenge and overthrow the
profiteer? Tho party must provide for tho re
turning soldiers. They were called into tho
service by conscription. They had to leave their
employment no matter whr t it was. Every man
should bo able to return to his employment
and resume his place in industry. During the
period of readjustment care must be taken that
no soldier shall suffer, and the unemployed must
be taken care of whether they be soldiers or
not. Tho right, to live is an inalienable right
and the government must feed its people until
it can give them work. The war has ripened
into maturity the issue between the peoplo and
private monopoly. The republican party will be
on the side of the private monopoly. Its organ
ization is again in control of the reactionary
element and the reactionary element- of the
republican party is simply another name for
predatory wealth. If the democratic party takes
the side of tho monopolist there is no chance
of success. Tho pooplo need a party never
more so than now. Will the democratic party bo
their champion?
There is no hope in the selfish politician. He
is too much afraid of 'disturbing the harmony
of the party to take a new position or to oc
cupy any advanced ground. We must look to
the rank and file. The democratic theory is that
In a democracy the leaders arise whenever
ornment? A large percentage of the people in
this country of foreign birth have never taken
the trouble to become citizens. They have not
cared to take upon themselves the burden of
American citizenship. Would it not be a little
impudent for them to put on a "no beer, no
work" button and domand the right to veto the
laws passed by thoso who are citizens?
.'. man who, having spent moro for beer for
himself than he has for bread for his family,
puts on a button and goes out declaring he will
not work for his own child if he can't get beer,
will not have much influence upon public opin
ion. The protest of that kind of a man is not
apt to move the conscience of the nation, and
the absurdity of his position is so apparent that
it is not likely that there will be any buttons
worn by July first. The world is moving for-
wfth minn1!001101, Which fills 0Ur Pen"ontiaries
with ci iminals and our poorhouses with paupers
Z 10 V the Tnace of the uome' the enemy
of the wife and the children, and all that is
precious, is overthrown, and if a few of its
victims are able enough to come out and at!
tempt to strike, it will only prove more con
. vincingly the hellish character of th? business
and noble " !Ve' VTbryaS;0
HIS REPUTATION PRECEDED HIM
Colonel Raymond Robins, testifvhm wrt
the Overman committee last week S ,i!
Secretary Root's ability in li aU1 tn,at ex"
United States "safe for g5J?. Tf
national reputation is a reat thin w Jntep"
prove at times embarrassing. g' bUt !t may
A1! these
beer, no work" crowd will i lhe "no
.their buttons. " I)0 aslled to wear
needed, called to leadership by their neghb(.r
who know them and hy larger circles that ha
learned to trust them. Te
The Commons is anxious to do what It ea
to help the democratic party to win, and it Jj
be pleased to receive suggestions from it,
readers suggestions by them as to things to
be don'e and the men to do them. We need a
presidential candidate. Is there not s. no strong
young; man who is willing to undertake the
marshalling of the hosts of democracy? .
task is so Important that he cannot accomplish
it. if he must d;:.id himself from attack. He
must he free to do the attacking. He must be
a ma'n known to favor the enforcement of the
prohibition amendment, and to be trusted as
such a man he'must be known to have, favored
the amendment. When forty-five states have
outlawed the brewery, the distillery and the
saloon, it would be an offence to the whole peo
ple denominate a candidate, who fought on the
liquor ,slde. He must also favor woman suffrage.
With, tho submission of suffrage a certainty,
and the amendment an issue in all the slates
'at the election of 1920, the democratic candl
date cannot spend his time explaining his op
position' to this great movement.
It need hardly be added that he must not he
a' Wall Street man, for Wall Street is a power
today as it has been in the past. The 'currency
law stripped. Wall Street, of its power to ter
rorize the banks, but a Wall Street president
could turn the ivholo' 'banking system over to
Wall streetVand malcehe thraldom even worse
than it was before. The fight is on. Who will
help?
W. J. BRYAN.
OUR MILITARY COURT MARTIALS
It makes ones blood boil to read of the
punishments inflicted on American soldiers by
the military court . martials. They are so out
rageous in many cases that toleration of them
is a reflection on the nati n's civilization. To
send a soldier to the penitentiary for periods o
ten, twenty, and even forty years for trivial
offences would shock the conscience of a semi
civilized country. It behooves our government
to establish at onco a court of appeals where
tho rights of a soldier can be protected from the
cruelty and vindictiveness of officers. It is due
to the honor of the army as well as to the
good name of the nation.
NO. MINORITY RULE
The republican senators who are confident-0
their ability to muster one more than one-tWjJ
of the senate in opposition to the treaty ougw
not to forget that in this country the minority
does not rule. A minority may postpone we
ratification of a treaty, but the American peop
will never consent to permanent obstruction w
a minority. It would only take the issue beiow
the country, . nd the result would finally depenj
upon the will of tho majority, who would
sho'rt .time bo able to make their will lei
the new' elections. "
v A- DISGRACEFUL FILIBUSTER
Tlie,;fact that a handful of ronators can block
important legislation by use of the rules on
senate,, proves anew the importance of a cnaw
in these rules. The filibuster will continue to o
grace the closing days of our sossions un" oS.
senate rules .are so changed as to make u i
Bible for a -majority to conduct business.
FEW OF HIS 3QND
If the republican party hud even a small num
hereof 'senators- like Senator Kenyon or j
there might be. hope for it: His heart is on
side of the pooplo, and he has the courab
'fdlloV'hhi convictions.; But alas; there are
su6lnIn-'the republican gali-:y,of senators..
jLmzjxJ. ' mAW'