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Jonos rldor,' should bo 'amended or repealed so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- .-.-
