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WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL 19, NO. 12
Lincoln, Nebraska, December, 1919
"The Philistines Be
Upon Thee"
The democratic leaders at Washington need
to be aroused by some' such startling warning
as that used to stir Samson to deeds of strength.
And surely tho Philistine? are upon us. The
republicans, made hopeful by the victory of
1918 and confident by the elections of. last
month, are arranging their forces for the bat
tlo of 1920. They will have money in abun- .
dance, as the Newberry campaign of last fall
proves; thoy will have the press of the north
almost unanimously on their side, they will
have tho mistakes of the administration many
of them unavoidable in so big a war to fur
Dish a basis for attach and they will have a group
of new issues that give opportunity for misrep
resentation. The. harvest is ripe for the re
actionary and the reapers, . with sharpened
sickles, wait impatiently for" the signal to begin. '
And the defenders of advance ground' taken
the champions of. the,people's -interests arid
rights, where are they? No candidate has an
nounced his willingness to assume the leader
ship, and those whose names are discussed have
not divulged their views pn the issues now di
viding the people.1 What is the matter? Is
this the party that triumphed in 1912 and wrote
such a glorious chapter of reforms between 1913
and 1917? What has palsied the party's arm
and sapped its vigor? ' '
Awake democratic leaders; face -the new
problems. Apply democratic principles to the
questions that have arisen; agree upon a demo
cratic program and call the rank and file of the
party to the colors. The time for aion is here.
W. J. BRYAN.
A SECOND "NEW" PARTY - ,
Another new party has flung its banner to
the breeze, taking as its name the Liberal party.
As government ownership of all monopolies is
the principal plank in its platform, it is -headed
to the right direction; but why., not act" with
the democratic party? For twenty years it has
declared and reiterated that a private monopoly
Is indefensible and intolerable. Nothing can bo
stronger than that. . ,
COMPROMISE THE. ONLY IipPE
Is ratification to be defeated by a democratic
Minority? can the democrats hope to .escape
responsibility if thoy ! prevent a compromise?
tis mockery to talk about favoring a League
I Nations if we favor only such a league as- is
factory to a minority of the senate. We
an uot g0 before thQ pQople on such an isgue,
.senate is a constitutional body, and the right
a majority to rule applies there as else-
th ere' The People can change the senate if
y do not approve of its course, but a minor-
y of the senate can not disregard the will of
lue majority. ' ;' .
W. J. BRYAN.
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The Commoner
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and a
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DR. GARFIELD'S POSITION
Dr. Garfield is right in opposing the plan
adopted n-settling the coal strike; no commls
cion should be allowed-to jnake a final docislon
in. the matter? sq.. important . to the public. It is
gambling oh 'the -Judgment of the man supposed
to represent the public, and he may be outvoted
if the other two agree upon terras that transfer
the burden to the whole public.
CLOTURE
The joy brought to the country by the iuvok
ing of the cloture rule in the senate ought to
convince the senate of the wisdom of allowing
a MAJORITY to close debate. The present
rule requires TWO-THIRDS; it puts the senate
in the hands of a minority. That is not democ
racy; it is a survival of the aristocratic fear
of the rule of the people.
With the bullion in a silver dollar worth
five cents more than the bullion in a gold dol
lar the cross of gold does not look so yellow
and the crown is not so thorny as it was. .
Now, if the senate will reach a compromise
on the reservations and enter the League of
Nations, and then reject the proposed alliance
with France, all its sins will be forgiven.
CONTENTS
-THE PHILISTINES BE JPOX XHBR"
nniwPwnMISE THE ONLY HOPE
r?RATION ON BOTH SIDES
a wOETUNATB RECOMMENDATION
AN UTHE NEWSPAPER MONOPOLY
wS NEW LABOR PARTY
MAPmNERY THE WORLD'S NEED
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Whole Number 7-28
Exaggeration on Both
Sides
The breathing apell between tho special no
fiion and the regular one has given time for calm
deliberation, and the senators Iiuvg doubllMfl
found upon reflection that thoro has boon ex
aggeration on both aide and that this exag
geration has boen the chief cause of disagree
ment. Take two proportion, for. Instance; tho
Republicans have strenuously contended for
what is known as tho preamble in which it in
provided that three of the principal nations
must accept the senate reservations before tho
treaty will become binding. The situation in
Europe is such that the reservations would in
all probability be accepted, because tho United
States ftj ndceesary to the laguo, but why in
sist upon acceptance? Aatufbscortea; li th,p, ,
reservations la much easier, for. tjie otli&r pa- ,t
tions anil juUfji'.jafoctivcr.In-pr,otcctJnffvr'o'ur
rights If othtir governments are reauljod ' to
formally ' a'cfidpt tho reservailbns ' aoptiS", they ;
may arouse in other legislative bodlos debates v .
similar to that which has dolayod ratification
by the senate, and any number of counter res-
ervatlons may be proposed, and if backed by
popular seutiment may bo adoptod, and then
wo would bo called upon to formally accept or
reject. Surely, tho .Republicans who roally fa
vor ratification will see that aoceptanco by
acquiescence Is the lino of least resistance; it
would make acceptance of our reservations by
other nations certain.
Thecservatlon of Section 10 is the other .
stumbling block. Its importance has also been
magnified. The language of tho covenant really
left no doubt as to the right of each nation to
decide whether it would follow tho advice given
by the League, and the requirement of an unan
imous vote still further protected us, because
we can absolutely control the action of our
delegates by the law that creates them or by
subsequent instructions. But the reservation v
provided in Article 10 raises no real difficulty
Both aides agree that congress and congress '
alone can declare war, so that any promise now
made that a future congress will declare war is
without legal effect. Having admitted that con? .
gross cannot be deprived of tho war making
power by treaty, tho Democrats are In no posi-;
tion to go before tho country on tho proposi
tion that this congress can enter into a MORAL
obligation which wilUVIRTUALLY deny to con
gress it right to act independently and with
the light that it has, when the tlrno for action
comes. t
If a promise made NOW Is morally binding,
liow can congress refuse to ke$p the promise
without a repudiation of tho nation's honor?
And how can the promise be binding without
robbing congress of a constitutional right?
Eighty-one senators have voted in favor of
ratification In some form. It would bo a re
flection upon their Intelligence, their honesty
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