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The
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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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
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