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The Commoner
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SEPTEMBER, 1919-
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A t Government
Bulletin
nnvernment by -the' consent of the governed
nnnt bo what it should be unless the people
hA80 consent is asked understand the issues
which they decide. At .present all the avenues
nfnformation arj in private hands. Even if we
rnuld assume that all th- newspaper owners and
Sitors were disinterestedly seeking to promote
the public welfare, we would have to take into
consideration the unconscious bias which, to a
ereater or less extent, impairs the vision. Honest
men differ on public questions, and an honest
difference of opinion makes it impossible for
a journalist to present both sides of a subject
Impartially. In order to decide a public question
intelligently, the people ought to have -first, a
clear statement of the issue, and, second, the
arguments on both sides. If the American people
understand the issues to be settled and have a
chance to weigh the arguments for and against
any proposed legislation, they can be trusted to
decide wisely and in the interest of the whole
country. Unless we believe in the capacity of
the people for self-government as well as in their
right to govern, we cannot be counted as sup
porters of popular government. Confidence in
in the people is the first law in a government
like ours, and it is a law founded in fact and
supported by experience.
But the people must have reliable informa
tion, and this cannot be ass ired so long as they
must rely entirely upon privately controlled
newspapers, especially when many of the large
newspapers are controlled by representatives of
predatory wealth and used, not so much for the
dissemination of news as for the misje.ajding of
the readers. Such papers are not in any proper
sense newspapers, they are merely adjuncts to
predatory enterprises their main object being
to deceive the public.
The only way to insure intelligent action on
the part of the voters is for. the government to
issue a bulletin not a newspaper, but' a 'bul
letin presenting tlie issues upon which'" the
people are to act with the interpretation of those
issues as made by the leaders on both sides.
Such a paper would not cost a great deal, and
what expenditure is more fully justified in a
government like ours than an expenditure for
public information. The government bulletin
ought to be managed by a bi-partisan board, the
parties being represented on the board by per
sons of their own choosing. -For instance, the
board might consist of five members, one ap
pointed by the President, one appointed by the
majority of the house, one by the majority in
me senate, one by the minority in the house
and tie fifth by the minority in the senaie. This
would insure representation by the two dom
nant parties, the party represented by the Pres
ent having a majority on the board. In order
io nsure the publication of every important act
Wi xecutivG and cf congress any two of t: a
uoara should have power to compel the publica-
JI ,,any such official ict or law or measure
under discussion.
nnn??11!61!11 sllould have editorial space, ap
Tlfif Jetw,een rtlle Parties all parties
aS g it0 tlieir-representation in congress,
renrein?,!?? "W4 a11 "nes of-thoughts
to eaS. ,n ih? 4flcussion, thqpace assigned!
of S I y 8hal)Pe aportionqd among factions
inufnn arty' as represented in congress accords
Partv nl JtVng S0f 3th oC those factions, each
tative choosing its editorial represent
offlTciaeiBb1fetin ?llould UQ furnished free -to all
and ,?i ona1, state and loca1' t0 a11 libraries
8chooiH Bnrooins and t0 a11 colleges and.
to all w m maeazines and newspapers and
with nffiir ?e?,so that every Person intrusted
mental! v 1 1 ?ty and evory organized instru
would bin nd in,tue distribution of information
'Ornish o!lle advantage of it, and it should be
cents aw i noniInal Price, say. twenty-five-scribe
for ?f ' n?, QTy Persn- desiring to sub
t courBft Vle twenty-fivo cents would not,
wuiaiidiS n?riB cost'ot th0 PaPer' hutdt
and thtS iS aosIreo the' part of the;voter;
u v.:4US serve ,aa iHrninffltR JLtAt. . .
UQUU1 Si nd that anyne)fwriHing-to pay-for
Bay monthiv alIoulds'ue Published t'lfitervats,
apaigno . '' !emi-inonthly or -weekly between
5 ' and as frequently during campaigns
000000000(5j
O
THE ROLL OP HONOR
List of States That Hnvo Ratified the
National Woman Suffrage Con
stitutional Amendment
1 WISCONSIN, Juno 10, 1919. .
2 ILLINOIS, Juno 10, 1919.
3 MICHIGAN, Juno 10, 1919.
4 KANSAS, Juno 16, 1919.
6 NEW YORK, Juno 16, 1919.
7 PENNSYLVANIA, Juno 24, 1919.
8 MASSACHUSETTS, Juno 25, 1919.
9 TEXAS, Juno 28, 1919.
10 IOWA, July 2, 1919.
.11 MISSOURI, July 3, 1919.
12 ARKANSAS, July 28, 1919.
13 MONTANA, July 30, 1919.
14 NEBRASKA, August 2, 1919.
15 MINNESOTA, Sept. 8, 1919.
16 NEW HAMPSHIRE, Sopt. 10, 1919.
00000000
as may be necessary to insure full publicity for
all the questions under discussion.
Such a government bulletin would bo worth
infinitely more than it would cost, and would
hasten the settlement of questions as they may
arise and thus shorten the period of agitation
and uncertainty. Senators and members with
out regard to party ought to support a measure
.providing for such a bulletin. The newspapers
ought to support it, because it would give them
. authentic information as to what tho government
is doing, together with the best arguments pro
and con on the subjects under discussion. Tho
time is ripe for such a publication; the welfare
of tho nation demands it. W. J. BRYAN.
CONTROLLING THE PRESS
On another page will bo found an intorvlow
With ex-Congressman Barnhart of Indiana. It
will be a surprise to the public to know that
former Vice-president Fairbanks was three
fourths owner of the Indianapolis News and had
been for a long while a fact not disclosed
even by. the law fathered by Mr. Barnhart, re
quiring disclosure of ownership. Secret owner
ship of the avenues of information is one of tho
gravest menaces of today. Great financial inter
ests are at this very moment extending thoir
control of the press. A government Bulletin is
the only protection within the reach of the peo
ple. It must come. 9
Senator Knox says that he is opposed to tho
treaty because it works a horriblo injustice on
the Germans, and because its enforcement will
create 'in the breasts of the Teutons a hatred
that will be manifested in war as soon as they
are able to make themselves strong again. Then,
in order to bo fully consistent, he opposes tho
League of Nations which is the only method so
far devised that tends to prevent future wars.
Several southern legislatures have voted re
fusals to ratify tho suffrage amendment to the
national constitution. Apparently it will be nec
essary to change the personnel of several south
ern state legislatures. The section that covered
itself with glory and honor in leading the battle
to malce this a dry nation certainly will not re
fuse the women the right to determine whether
it shall continue dry.
Theodore Roosevelt, jr., is touring tho country
in the interest of the' legion of honor, the war
world veterans' association, and, it is also sus
nected in the interest of Theodore Roosevelt
?r who has inherited a political estate that may
be" well worth cultivating in the future.
"The Heart of tho League" and the "First
Qfon in the Pyramid" these are two pretty
strong endorsements of Mr. Bryan's treaty plan
?o come from such high authority in so short a
time. " .
Onnosition to prohibition has become so weak
w thl wets did not ask for a roll call when
fhf enforcement bSl passed the senate. How
have the mighty fallen!
rhairman Escirof the-Interstate 'Commerce
iTJ-f Hift.hbuse does not approve of tho
ffiftSwX&tomiBrBUi. but be was
enough to give Mr. Bryan a hearing.
Who Will Assumed
Responsibility? "
Prohibition has beon in forco now for nior
than two months and ovorywhero the police
court records show a falling off not only in
drunkenness but In othor crimes. From murder
down to tho lowest mlsdoraoanor thoro has been
a roductlon In offenses, showing tho closo rela
tionship botwoen tho saloon and crime. Domobll
izatlon is likely to alow up as it proceeds be
cause It will tako Bomo tlmo to clean up the
camps and put things in order.
Demobilization would have to bo hurried up
beyond tho natural spood to comploto it before
tho ICth of January, tho dato when constitu
tional prohibition goes Into effect. Who will
tako tho responsibility of speeding up demobil
ization inoroly to glvo tho saloons a chanco to
open up for a few days or a fow wooks boforo
constitutional prohibition begins? What official
will bo willing to tako upon his bouI tho re
sponsibility for tho increased murders and othor
crimes that would come with the restoration of
tho saloon? Tho people have burbd Intoxicating
liquor, tho world's groatost enemy, tho man
who reopens tho gravo will assurao a respon
sibility that fow will bo willing to bear. Tho
gravo will not bo rooponod prohibition has
come to stay. War prohibition will brighten
into constitutional prohibition as the morning
opens into day.
W. J. BRYAN.
ORGANIZED LABOR AND PROHIBITION
Labor Temple, Seattle, Washington, Local
Union No. 302, August 18, 1919. Mr. Jotfopli'!
Proobstlo, Goneral Secretary, International,'
Brewery Workers Union, 2347 Vino St., 01 n,-'
clnnatl, Ohio. Dear Sir and Brother: Your lottor,
of recent dato was received and road before our (
local union, and I am instructed to .Inform you
that while many of our members word against
prohibition bofore wo got It, thoy wore unani
mously In favor of a resolution introduced Uy
delegate Duncan at tlio Atlautfc City convention
in accordance with instruct! ms by the kcal con
tral labor council.
It may bo of interest to you to know that
while organized labor here was largely opposed
to prohibition in the wet days, thoy are now
overwhelmingly for it since they have experi
enced its good effects.
Wo look upon tho demonstration held June
14th, at Washington, D. C, as a disgrace to the
labor movement of this country and sometime
in the future this vill undoubtedly he the al
most unanimous verdict. ,1 further desire to say
that the supposed representatives of organized
labor would have served labor hotter if thoy
had stayed on the job and wound up the busInoHft
instead of taking their trip on the "booze apo
dal" and having to run ovor two weeks in ses
sion. With all duo respect to President Compers
and giving him credit for whatever ho has ac
complished for the movement, wo look upon him
with regard to his attitude on booze as a labor
misleader.
In rtjly to your request that we notify our
congressmen of our attitude upon this question,
we will most cheerfully comply.
Trusting that our action upon this matter fs
perfectly satisfactory to all true champions of
labor, I am Yours fraternally,
JAMES A. CROW, Secretary,
Local 302, Hoisting Engineers.
The clothing manufacturers and the retailers
say that prices will be 25 to 50 per cent hfgljjft"
next spring than they are at present. The rea
sons given are that wool lias increased so greatly
in price and labor is getting so much more (liaft
ever before that it will cost from $15 to $0"O a
suit moro. This is propaganda pure and simple,
profiteering propaganda. A suit of clothes weighs
four pounds or thereabouts. If it is pure wobl
the wool therein cost about $5.50, wh,lchcis
about twice what it did two years ago. That ac
counts for $2.75 of the increase. The' tariff
hearings of a fow years ago showed labor cbt
to average about 20 per cent. As prices have
kept iaeo with wage increases, thfa cost does hot
exceed 25 per cent at the present time, it is safe
to say. There is no possibility of justifying-'at
S20 increase on a ?'40 suit of clothes nnleaa tne'
first price represented a grab. ' '
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