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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1919)
-Trww"' ' 3?w 'i"Vp' ?t ? The WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR 1 I - "-' v " -f-3",'' .: j -. ;. " "V "'-. m ,.;.'-.;. ,'..- - ' "' "" miiiMin . i iiimiiii m ,. 1 1 ihmbu VOL 19, NO. 9 Lincoln, Nebraska, September, 1919 J at vamiiiuuimjawKjaniw't Whole Number 725 The Leper's Choice What the Democr ILis strange that any senator can be so blind to conditions in Europe as to assujno respon sibility for a single day's delay In ratifying Hie treaty and the League of Nations. The covenant of the league is not. perfect, who would be sc; foolish as to expect perfection? It is a choice' between alternatives, and (luty compels our na tion to choose the best alternative in sight. The Bible tells us of a leper who sat at the gate of a besieged city when the people within the walls were reduced to the point of starva tion. The leper reasoned thus with himself, "If I stay I perish; if I go to the camp of the enemy I may live". Neither alternative was bright but ho xUobo the brightest. He went to the- camp of the enemy and found that the enemy had bedn frightened in the night and had fled, leaving bread for a starving city. We are confronted by the same alternative; if-jve stay wWish;, if. w'e.go Q&ditli iuu uewKuo ol iNuiions -wo xnay live. 7fiiiwereiuse to go forward woinvite'?recurring waraaudUie 61(1 ways of blood and slaughter. Wo must go forward; it is better to take our clt&jices with the League of Nations than to endure the cer tainties that will, follow a refusal to join in tho promotion of world peace. . . . . ;. ' '": Our delegates to the League of Nations will represent our nation; they can be chosen. In any way the people desire, and they cn .bo- In structed as to the course they Bhall pursue." If congress has any instructions to give, let them be given but let the treaty bo ratified at once so that the world may have peace and begin the work of rebuilding tho waste places. By friendly co-operation wo can secure any desired changes jj the league more easily than we. can secure them by an attitude of unfriendliness, which would simply create opposition elsewhere. The easiest way is the best way; it is the only way we look toward peace. - ' Those who believe war desirable or necessary cannot be expected to look kindly upon a plan w , for its PurPose the prevention of war; "f .a laree majority of the American peojilo E peace' universal peace prolonged peac,q j 2 forward? they pray for, the time when t In mn bQ be(aten int6 plowshares and na on8 win war noinote The League of Nations 5ii..ii ?on tllQ comiue of that day; the treaty oum ratified immediately and unanimously: W. J. BRYAN. - . , PROFITEERS STILL TJN WHIPPED cont1.ma!r i8 ful1 ot treats, but the profiteer tat inn , Sir, ply hIs trade without serious malef action y?, Because the case requires state fluent w,e11 as foderal action. Governors Becurfi iQ f1 SpECIAL SESSIONS at once and slons lTga la,tIon creating state trade commis trad6pnaVth.orizil,S cities and towns to create err Lrt ?imlBSI0nB- Give tlie People the machin machtairv1?7 lu U5e ifc- At Present there is no eopi?SE fu ,dealIn'e witl 1 cal profiteer! 4: Tho XhS remedy. How V'g wfile. tlJ,Zmlt thist ono-sided situation to'coh into M,,rV ? m?f chants can call' their' customers fore whJoi, i?1 tho-customer has' no! tribunal b'e- mch h0 can call tW profiteer. Why? ' W. J. BRYAN. Done atic for Labor Party Ha s To the Wage Earners of the United States: . The press dispatches announce that a national convention has been called to meet at Chicago in November for tho purpose of forming a Labor party. The reason given for tho organization of the now party is "tho hopeless bankruptcy of tho dominant political parties and their ulter in ability to function in the interests of tho people In the present crisis and to meet the profound economic and social problems that now portend". I do not attempt to speak for the republican party, but so far as the democratic party is con cerned, its record since 1896 ought to be a suf ficient answer to the charge that it is "hopelessly bankrupt" or "unable to function in the interests', of the people in the .present crisis". ..Laboring .irie1n,.;ie"ast of all, havo reason to make such' a Enrn'ffffli'TiiV i$LaI0 'hecausel the ''democratic party' has c'oil folwll WWm$irit&iiy champioii-eu" tlio dahso of the toiling masses, wage earners as wen as farmers. In 1896 the rank and file of tho democrat- rirty reorgar'ed tho party and made it the champion of the interests of the people. Dur ing tho twenty-three . years that have elapsed Since that time, with a fidelity to tho public wel fare never excelled by any party and seldom equaled, it has kept the faith with the exception of a few months in 1904 when it passed tem rrarily Into the hands of the reactionary ele ment. It sinned groviously then but it answered so greviously for Its tin at that time-that it was immediately cured of its apostacy and in 1908 presented to the public a program, since carried out, which has given the country a series of great economic reforms more numerous and more important than were ever secured before i the same length of time. The platform of 1896 registered the first emphatic protest, made since the Civil war, , against: the control of American politics by pred atory, corporations. That platform demanded CONTENTS THE LEPER'S CHOICE WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS DONE FOR LABOR PROFITEERS STILL UNWHIPPED l ' PROHIBITION IS HERE THE VATICAN FOR DEMOCRACY A GOVERNMENT BULLETIN WHO WILL ASSUME THE RESPON SIBILITY? "THE HEART OF THE LEAGUE" . FIRST STEP OF THE PYRAMID ' MR BR Y AN'S STRIKE REMEDY , PUNISH THE PROFITEER "TOP -PLUMB PLAN FOR OWNERSHIP ND OPERATION OF RAILROADS tho abolition of "Government by injunction". Tho democratic party continued tho fight for this reform until it was securod during Prosldont Wilson's first term. That plank, demanding jus. tico to tho wago earners cost tho democratic party moro votes than tho silver plank, but tho party was right in taking tho stand it did and it was right in maintaining its position until It won out. Can the laboring men forgot that Im portant service rendered then by tho democratic party? . In 1900, the democratic party advocated tho appointment of a socretary of labor in ordor that the wage earners might havo a ropresontativo in the president's cabinet, and Its efforts wore con- xBlrMSJ1' U,,B rIfiht tot th0 lorlnF monanjl Secj-etty;y Wilson took his placets -one' . pfjAthpprjOflldont counselors. Is this not &.. victbry worth romomboring? In the campaign of 1916 tho eight hour day became an Issue, with tho democratic party sup porting It and the republican candidate opposing . it., By the aid of tho democratic party tho Brotherhoods won out. Can such a triumph bo ignored? Tho child labor law, enacted under tho demo cratic administration, had the support of tho wago earners, as did legislation looking to tho .puri fication of politics. Tho laboring men havo also , shared In tho advantages brought by tho popular election of senators, securod under tho leader ship of the, democratic party, and by currency reform secured in spito of tho activo opposition of republican leaders; and by tho income tax which tho democratic party has champion od for a quarter of a century. The popular election of senators gave tho laboring men a larger sharo in tho selection of United States senators; tho currency law gave labor protection from recur ring panics, and tho Income tax transferred from tho shoulders of tho masses to tho holders of largo incomes a considerable part of tho burdens of government. Taxes upon consumption had overburdened tho poor while tho rich escaped their share of the taxes. Tho income,, tax per mitted a more equitable distribution of taxos Tho farmers as well as tho wago earners havo been benefited' by the above remedial measures, and they have received a special benefit from tho farm loan law, the first distinct boon to the farmers In a generation. Botli wago earners and farmers were likewise interested in tho promise of independence to tho Filipinos, a promise first made in 1900 and repeated in platform after platform until finally during Mr". Wilson's first term, It was embodied in a resolution of cVngrcss. This promise mad it possible for the United States to preach demoo Mi 1" , y mt; :f IT- 1 K WA ' . . 1 r . Si J J& k '.A: