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The Commoner
MAT, 1M9
Denounces Primary
Repeal
From tho Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln,
APVnrmer Mayor Charley W. Bryan in a state
ment made public Wednesday denounced the
nit mi of the legislature in repealing the Ne
braska primary law as a surrender of the rights
S the people to the special interests who act
fhrouRh political bosses. Mr. Bryan also points
nut other acts of tha pr dent legislature to in
dicate t' e influence that has dominated tho Ne
braska legislature during tho past two weeks.
Ho calls on the governor to recommend specific
itainHnn to auiot the growing unrest in Ne-
II braska and urges him to veto the bill that re-
peals the JNeorasKa irimu.r,y ww. m. uijuub
statement follows:
"The action of the N.raska legislature in
practically repealing all of the Nebraska primary
law that gave the public the right to select by
direct vote its public officials will be a shock to
the people of Nebrr -.a. The question of re
pealing tho primary law was not discussed be
fore the voters of Nebraska. No political boss
had tho courage to face a Nebraska audience
and intimate that there would bo an attempt to
take away from the peoplo the right to select by
direct vote the state officials who were to con
duct the state's affairs.
Tho defeat of other billp by this legislature
that were intended to repeal parts or all of the
primary law gave the public the assurance tb,at
this legislature could be trusted to protect the
people's rule in Nebraska. When the house
mustered enough votes to pass the present bill
ropealing practically all th.e effectiveness of the
primary law, members of the state senate, in
response to inquiry, said that they felt sure that
tho senate would kill tho measure that was
passed by the house as they had killed the other
similar measures that had been up this session.
The action of both the senate and house in tak
ing this backward, reactionary step without the
knowledge, approval or .consent of the people of
Nehraska is inexplicable. The Nebraska primary
law was passed in order to enajble the people to
shake loose tho stranglehold that the railroads,
packing houses, stockyards, telephone companies
and other special interests that had dominated
Nebraska politics. After jetting rid of domina
tion by public service corporations through the
primary act that permitted th.3 people to select
their own state officials by direct vote, the liquor
interests organized and in conjunction with
other special interests in tho state, had suc
ceeded for the past six ye'ars by the control of
tho state senate in preventing the people from
passing any progressive legislation along econ
omic lines. To break up this combination, the
progressive and moral forces of the state joined
hands and put tho liquor Interests and their
representatives and lobbyists out of business in
Nebraska last year. '
ELECTED AS PROTEST
The present legislature and state administra
tion were elected largely as a protest by the
Progressive forces of Nebraska against the
failure of the former Nebraska legislature and
the state administration to give the public any
jelef from speclal interest domination and for
jauure to give tho peoplo any protection against
the organized greed and profiteering that was
going on unmolested in the state. This legis
lature now hands back tho people of Nebraska
nog-tied to the political bosses, otherwise known
as special interest lobbyists by the repeal of the
bJLi primary w. The country has been
III . for a recnstruction program that will
Rniii the comnion people and tho American
BoiUiers from the unconscionable profiteer who
ims preyed upon the patriotism of the people
rSgfthe war The People's expectation for
hvt, from this legislature has been answered
wn 7?feat of the trade commission bill, which
sinn i?ii terned after the federal trade commls
lPMai 1 and was tue only measure before tho
offlni.1 ure that was designed to give the state
ornn- t.powep to investigate profiteering and
to HB the Profiteer in the interest of- the public
mnr t 6 necessaries of life without paying
meaLrr tUem tnan a reasonable profit. This
wq J Passed the senate unanimously, and
8 defeated by the house.-
ue People's expectations for relief have also
been mot by tho defeat of tho co-oporatlvo bank
ing bill that was intended to protoct tho peoplo
against tho bankers' trust.
Tho people's expectations for relief through
co-operation was met by tho defeat of -tho co
operative credit association bill.
Tho people's expectations for relief have also
been met by tho defeat of tho bill fixing a stan
dard of weight for loaves of bread to correspond
with the action of tho fodoral government dur
ing the war. The defeat of this bill turns tho
public back to the mercies of the bakers' trust,
which juggles the weight of bread and socures .
unknown and enlarged profit.
Tho people's expectations for aid to tho sol
diers whose supreme sacrifico has made it pos
sible for the profiteor to survive has boon an
swered by tho defeat by the legislature of tho
bill recommended by tho secretary of tho intorior
for states to co-operate with the federal govern
ment in land grants and employment to onablo
them to again make a start in lifo.
MUST QUIET UNREST
Tho course of the present Nebraska legislature
will not quiet the unrest among tho peoplo that
tho president and the progressive statesmen of
both parties are warning , tho state executives
and legislators of. It shoul " not be nocessary for
the farmers to feel compelled to quit thoir work
in the fields and organize themselves into polit
ical bodies to protect themselves against so
called business men's organizations. It should
not bo necessary for tho wage-earners of tho
country to organize a political party as has just ,
been done in 'Illinois for tho purposo of securing
control of tho municipal and state governments
to protect themselves against the organized so
called middle men who are systematically keep
ing up the war prices, which prevents the man
with a small fixed income from buying tho neces
saries of life and supporting his family on tho
basis that he was able to do before tho war.
If a small part of tho time that has been spent
by the present legislature in tho discussion of
bills that arouse antagonisms between one group
of Americans against another group of Amer
icans and arouse one religious sect against
another was devoted to providing legislation
that would give the peoplo protection through
legislation against tho many combinations and
plans that tho profiteers have devised for taking
advantage of them, a great deal of tho present
unrest, throughout tha Btato would disappear.
The non-partisan leagues, labor parties, socialist
parties, I. W. W. parties, through which their
respective members now believe that it is neces
sary for them to act in order to got relief, would
lose their force of appeal where they now find
ready converts. A few practical measures to
protect the public against the many forms of
profiteering would go a long way towards quiet
' ing tho unrest.
MUST HAVE SOME RELIEF
Will the governor permit the legislature to
adjourn without recommending some relief for
tho people? The creation of a state trade com
mission with power to investigate and expose
the many plans for raising prices and reaping
fortunes out of the sacrifices of tho people would
help. The creation of a state grain bonded com
missioner similar to what the states of Illinois
and Washington have and almost every country,
would save the farmers of this state from two
to ten cents a bushel on each bushel of grain
produced in Nebraska by preventing the manipu
lation of grain-gradings by tho exchange and
elevator combines. Tho creation of a state
bonded livestock commissioner similar to what
was recommended by tho federal government
after its investigation of the stockyards at St.
Paul, Minn., would save the live stock Producers
and feeders of this state several million dollars
that i now mulcted from them by the stock
yards and packing houses.
The adoption of a general state law that
would g?ve every city, town and village authority
To establish public markets, municipal coa
yards! municipal produce stores and municipal
HiRnehter houses without having to stop to
3 tetheir own charters, without the expense
nZ delay of local elections to amend charters
aSd five these municipalities authority to create
and appropriate funds for these purposes, would
or apPro;"t;nlTfft between the producer and
shorten to,? reduce the cost of
SS5mwl is one1(1ofSthe Teal causes of a good
living wiwi," o larcer towns and cities.
ta 0unrardiontarit e reHeve y '
(Continued on page 12.)
Not a Fair Trial
Tho oppononts of govornmont ownership arc
rejoicing ovor tho propped return of tho tole
graph and telephone linos; they seem to think
that tho issuo is settled in favor of private
ownership. This is a hasty judgment. "No ques
tion is ovor settled until it is sottlod right' and
thoHo franchise questions v. ill never be settlod
right until tho natural monopolies are own (id
and oporatod aa GOVERNMENT MONOPOLIES,
as tho postoffico is to';
Thoro can be no real competition between lelo
graph or telephone systems ithout g"at lneo
vonionce to tho public, not to speak of costly
duplication of plants and running exponses. They
aro by naturo monopolies and, being monopolies,
must bo owned by tho people and operated in
bohalf of the people.
Government ownership has not had a fair
trial. Tho II s wero taken ovor as a war mea
sure and war conditions made operation ab
normal. War prlcoB Increased expenses, and
changes duo to tho govornmont's military plans
i.ocessarlly impaired elllcloncy. The difficulties
being at a maximum tho benpfits could not but
bo at a minimum, and, to still furthor embarrass
tho govornmont, some of tho high corporation
officials were anxious to advanco tho cause of
privato ownership by proving government owner
ship a failure.
No one who is reasonable or open minded can
regard o-r brlof experience as a fair test of tho
government's ability to administer those mo
nopolies to tho ndvantago of tho whole people.
Tho postoffico dopartmeut is a standing illus
tration of efficient operation under tho govern
ment. There Is no reason wh tho telegraph
lines aul ljng-distanco telephone lines c anot
bo operated by the government as successfully
when tho government Is at 11L jrty to com lldate
and introduce economies.
In tho final adju-tmont It Is probable that tho
local exchanges will bo owed and operated ' r
the municipalities E"h community will then be
in charge of its own telephone system and con
duct it to Its own advantage, conneetln . with
tho long-distance lines at th p' Office. This
dual plan of govornmont ownership avoids cen
tralization and yot puts tho people In control.
Tho issue is govornmont ownership vs. privato
monopoly, and jjovjrnment wnorshlp Is b-und
jo win. W. J. BRYAN.
WHAT OF TUB PROFITEER?
And, what of tho profiteer? How many.of the
states have dealt effectivel with tho subject?
Why do cltlc oppose tradt comn'Ions and
boarJj of inquiry? Tho business men aro in
dignant when farmers an. wag.-oarners organize
for st!f protection, and yet tLeso organizations
find their origin and tho necossity far their
existence in tho failure of legislatures and con
gress to affor'1 protection to tho h lploss masses.
The Individual Is powerless to protoct himself
against '-he profiteer ho needs the aid of tho
government. As long as tho commercial interests
shelter the profiteers from punishment so long
will tho masses seek to secure through organiza
tion tho protection which tho government should
furnish.
ALWAYS "UNPJtOVOIUSD"
The proposed alliance binds us to am" Franco
In case of an "unprovoked" attack; but when
did a nation over admit that it provoked an
attack? And. what time would wo Jiavo to in
vestigate? Those who favor an alliance will
favor a high state of preparedness so that wo
will always bo ready for the attack.
MOVING TOWARD MONOPOLY
Railroad Director Hlnes advocates a consoli
dation of all the railroad systems Into about
twonty. That is moving toward monopoly fast
enough, but It will bo five next and then ono.
Tho aim of tho private ownership advocates Is
ono gigantic privato monopoly tho biggest tho
world has over seen.
Up to the hour of going to press no cases of
indigestion had been reported among tho Ger
man delegates to -tho peace conferencoduoto
the number of banquets and dinners tendered
them by tho representatives of tho allies.
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