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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1919)
n,y, ri The Coiiimoneir ''y'Cfcr V0L. io4 NO. 6 2 -,, j - """mpins 1 1. , r Both Sides Displeased Tho Now York TJmes publlslios the following: "Tho Association Opposed to National Prohi bitions, with national headquarters at 194 West Forty-fourth Street, issued a statement last ' night on thct part of President Wilson's raes- sago which dealt with wartime prohibition, ' which follows in part: " 'Tho Association Opposed to National Prohi bitions is neither surprised nor overju ilant over the recommendation contained in the President's message to tho congress that tho act approved November 21, 1918, sometimes referred to as tho Sheppard amendment and sometimes as tho Jonos rldor,' should bo 'amended or repealed so far as it applies to -wines and beers.' Our ad vices from Paris two weeks ago were that the President had in mind to make this recom mendation to tho congress whon it was called In extra session. " 'But if the operation of such a piece of na tional legislation would bo unfair and unjust to those employed in tho wine and beer business, it -would bo oqually unfair and unjust to those omployod In all other lines rl the liquor busi ness. Why play any favorites? There is not a single good reason why a single word of the act of November 21, 1918, should remain on tho statue books of the Unitod States, because tho solo reason for tho operation of the act stated In it was 'conserving tho man power of tho nation and to increase efficiency in tho pro duction of arras, munitions, ships, food and clothing, for tho army and navy.' As there is no longer any need for such conservation and efficiency, so there is no nood of any statute to promote oithor.' " With the drys fighting mad because the Pres ident favors wine and beer, and the wets dis satisfied because ho limited his recommendation to wino and beer, tho executive" seems tc be soatod betweon two chairs. Ho ought to know that no compromise is possible. W. J. BRYAN. WILL they turn rack? Throe-fourths of the senato and two-thirds of thq house voted to submit an amendment which passed to mako prohibition a PERMANENT policy, and forty-five states ratified tho amend ment. Both house and senate were DEMOCRATIC. Will a REPUBLICAN house and senate give tho country a six months' spree as a prelude to tho bone dry law that will go into effect on the 1 6th of next January? LEAGUE, NOT ALLIANCE Keep in mind tho distinction between tho league of nations and the proposed American-British-French alliance. Tho league is intended to prevent war and promises to do so: the alli ance discredits the league and increases tho probability of war. Tho proposed alliance should bo defeated. THE BEER MAKERS ACTIVE A significant sentence appears in the an nouncement of tho proposod anti-prohibition demonstration at Washington. A delegate denied that tho BREWERS wero footing tho bills and explained that "the expense was being homo bv the BREWERY WORKERS". This is illuminating. WHY NOT? Why not fix the terms and allow Germany to enter tho League of Nation when sho complies -with tho conditions? .If tho league is intended to promote peace tho more nations In it tho better. NO REPEAL OF WAR PROHIBITION .The repeal of war prohibition would be con strued as a repudiation of tho amendment, and would bo followed by an attempt to nullify it by tho enactment of inefficient enforce -ant laws. Those who think wino and beer necessary ; between July 1st and January 16th would think them more necessary after January 16th No w, -v v, w liujujuierea. W. J. BRYAN. .& ' SECRETARY DANIELS ON THE NAVY "When I recommended this program last October tho war was on, and I was insistorit that th,o program bo carried out as the peace conference had only begun itsjork. It had not yet taken up the question of tho league of nations, which is to secure peace by arbitration and not by force. "I havo so much faith in what will be tho outcomo of tho league of nations that it would bo inconsistent if I were to urge a large naval program. If wo go on now with this greatnro gram of naval armament our action, is an in timation to all the other nations that we our selves doubt tho good faith and the efficacy of tho league of nations.. "Wo ought to show our faith and set an example to tho other nineteen nations, repre senting, four-fifths of tho world, by not at this time authorizing this increase in the naval building program." A FIZZLE The widely advertised fight which tho pro gressive republicans were to mako against tho Penrose-Warren combination in the senate proved to be a fizzle. The progressives expended all their energy in threats and had none left for execution. They went into the republican cau cus with the understanding that they would mako rude remarks about the reactionaries and then vote for them. "They used their speeches to fumigate their votes." Thus ends the first chapter will they yield on measures as they have on men? 'if so, the democratic party will make them answer for it before their constituents. SHUT OUT DISEASE In considering restrictions to be placed on immigration, why not shut out the venereal diseases? The records show that the venereal diseases .are ravaging Europe. Why permit the poison to come here? We have enough, of this evil among oar own people without inviting it from abroad. The abolition of the saloon will mako it easier for us to deal with this as with other evils, and rigid restrictions against diseased immigrants will compel Europe to giye more attention to the subject. Venereal diseases must be stamped out. W. J. BRYAN. THE BEER IMAKERS' PLEA Tho beer makers complain that prohibition will throw them out of business. What of it' Must we allow the use of poisons because some men are engaged in making it. When we prohibit the sale of other poisons we throw some out of employment. Quite a number of workmen were thrown out of employment by the law prohibit ing the carrying of concealed weapons. The abolition of war will diminish the profits of battleship builders and munition makers must wo continue- war to furnish employment to these men. Moral movements will not be halted by NOT A NEW SCHEME The President's proposal to discriminate in favor of wine and beer as against whiskey is neither good nor novel. It has .been discussed for many years but discussion does Tot strengthen it We have- thirty-two dry states not one has favored beer and wine. Gongr refused to accept the doctrine when it was con ' ?Sng ?, tional amendment and war Ivt hibitton. Michigan turned down the wine and boer amendment by two himrWi Yi , majority a fow wJS ? $, "ether! V "Ve1 t0Eet"0r! let . toS REDUCING THE ARMY The dispatches report a vorv irrntifi auction in the army. The War aL-l?t . S ,re for an army B0D.0MFtta . ta? VoZmZZ ported in tavor of 400.000- thn i, tteee" agreed upon 300,000 . Now 'f tt8 bZ? SmluB . w. j. BRYAN. Will a republican congress carrv f m fonow the Pres,Uere,nC;nheCnn1ferr rS.n0t es Deport Undesirabl The increase in the use of the hnmfe . the nation to consider the matter at ot?Th is, the freest country in' tho world. Ha nearly, than anywhoro else, THE ppnm RULE Wo have made revolution unneS by making evolution easy. If any citizen ha" improvement to propose ISt it be considered w we have no room for those who advocate XL torch and the bomb. Open murder and secS assassination are alike un-American and can be tolerated. Wo must protect the liberty lotiS and the law abiding from the lawless, whether the lawless be the desperate poor or tho nred atory rich. The plutocrat is tho forerunner of anarchy Democracy must guard society against him as well as against his victims. Lawlessness must-go. ' w. J. BRYAN. A LETTER AND THE ANSWER . Tho following appeared in a recent issue of The Commoner, under the caption. "Which Ib Right?": "Mr. Bryan has received the following letter from a subscriber . name and address are with held out f consideration for the writer. There is evidently a wide difference of opinion. Time will decide which is right. Tin. letter follows: " 'Dear Sir: Just in re, !pt of your letter of 26th inst. In regard to my renewal of The Com. moner, I have been a subscriber for several years and enjoyed reading it very much till Mr. Bryan went crazy about woman's suffrage and I have been burning them up to get them off ray desk as fast as I could find one with a long article about woman's suffrage in it. I am sure that a greater curse could never be put on the people than woman's suffrage; if we have to put up with either let's have the liquor, for woman's suffrage will cause the death of 10 men where liquor will cause one. God never intended for the women to have equal rights with the men or he wpuld havoflxed it that way in the be ginning, the Bible is strictly against it and I can neyer support it or ask any of my friends to support it so you can cancel my subscription at ydur earliest convenience.' " The following is a reply received from G. W. Murphy of Illinois in answer to the above letter: "Editor of The Commoner: Enclosed please find $2.00 for two subscriptions for The Com moner for one year, in answer to tho above letter printed in The Cpmmoner. You can be gin our subscriptions -where he left off. His wife and daughters, if he has any, are surely unfortunate. There was another crank who once said: 'God never made man to fly; if lie had he would have put wings on him.' But man did fly just the- same. Why shouldn't the women vote? They surely have as much brains as some men." HARDLY Query: If a republican congress had thf nerve to. pass the Webb-Kenyon bill over a re publican president's veto seven years ago, wi a republican congress hesitate to reject today a democratic president's proposal to repeal war prohibition? AN ENCOURAGING SIGN The fact that many labor delegates tromM states refused to oppose prohibition shows now labor-will stand on prohibition when tho nauon is dry. Prohibition vindicates itself when laiw tried. JULY 1ST JANUARY lfith Tho saloon will be in a comatose state aKe July 1st. It will adjourn sine die on Janus; 16th, 1920; Nebraska fixed the day by rauryiw on January 16, 1919. With NATIONAL prohibition we will I not have tho opposition of great combinations capital. We will enforce the law against Vidual violators and each bootlegger ww running so fast that he cannot co-operaw any other bootlegger. Each new strike hastens tho day wben wp apply to labor disputes the peace plan no plied to international differences; najneu, vestigation in all cases with right of inaept action when tho report is made. 'MMMfakji btj&fc&rjimw- .-.-