! "."Hermit
W"fgi,r
ii
The Commoner
i&
iVOL, 20, NO. 2
n
I
li
tb breeding places of plutocracy. Tho Initia
tive and referendum givo thorn thin powor, They
put tho people In- possession of tholr government
and make it posalfclo for them to secure
THROUGH THE BALLOT anything and every
thing thoy want. For any man who suggests
forco or violonco, wo say: "Out of this Country!
Wo have no room in our broad land for uny
onomy of a pooplo's government," The more
sdcuroly we build this government upon tho poo
plo'd Will; tho more complete tholr power to
control it, tho stronger and safer it will bo.
Mr. President and gentloraon of tho conven
tion, I cannot adoquatoly oxpross my gratitude
for your consideration and attention.
CAPPER URGES JAIL FOR BIG PROFITEERS
A Washington dispatch, dated Jan. 24., says:
Jail for profiteers was urged by Sonator Capper,
Republican, Kansas, in on address today in tho
Sonato. Profiteers ho said, were more danger- x
ous than Rods.
Advocating legislation by Congress--to curb
profiteering, Senator Capper said tho people
thomsolvos could help "if thoy would organize
to boycott tho profit hogs by refusing to buy
goods offered at extortionate prlcos." Thorp
could bo no doubt that. "tho general public is be
ing sandbagged" in view of tho profits reported
by largo manufacturing corporations and tho rise
in tho value of their securities. Ho cited fig
ures concerning the American Woolen Company,
tho Central Loathor Company, the Crucible steel
company, tho United States Steel Corporation,
and othors.
Reforrlng to tho increased prlcos of clothing
tho Sonator read a tologram from tho National
Wool Growers' Association stating that the wool
in a suit of clothes soiling for $100 costs only
$7.37.
"A 50 per cVmTlu crease in, the price of shoes
by next summer is predicted by the President
of tho National Shoe Travelers Association,"
ho continued. "Tho day this prediction ap
peared another oxtra dividend was declared by
the Central Loathes Company. Tho common
stock of this company was rated at 58 a year
ago. It is now quoted around 105. While the
people contomplato going barefooted the leather
trust walks on volvot made thicker. A year
ago it was tho war demand for leather that
'ihado shoos high. Now it seomB to bo the peace
domand for volvot.
"Just now tho groatest 'got rich quick' game
in America is gouging in suar. Tho increase
in tho price of sugar will add $1,000,000,000
to tho burdons now being borne by the Ameri
can pooplo. Tho stock of tho Cuba-American
company has advanced more than 208 per cent
in the last twelve months, probably because of
the 'BUgar shortage.'
"We have 4,000,000 homeless people in the
United States as a result of the melon cutting
in lUmbor. There has been and is shameless
profiteering in that industry.
"The market price of tho farmer's live stock
haB declinod nearly 50 per cent, bringingmany
farmers to the vorgo of bankruptcy, but the high
prlcos the consumer pays for meat are virtually
unchanged. ,
"Tho income tax returns prove the mine
oucrators get excessive profits.
"AJl the quotations I have referred to combine .
to prove that it is profiteering In the groat in
dustrial corporations that has sandbagged the
public, rather than by merchants who deal di
rectly with the consumer. No doubt there is
price gouging by some of tho retailors, but it Is
tho price of goods when thoy leave tho factory
to whioh the Administration's best attention
should bo first directed."
There is a very strong suspicion that tho in
tenso criticism leveled at tho railfoad workers
evor since thoy- secured a wage schedule that
permitted them to have a little loft over at tho
end of each month is duo to the fact that the
standard thus set for labor forced thousands
of manufacturers to increase the wages of their
own men, In recent telephone hearings before
the Nobraska state railway commission it was
insisted that higher rates wore necessary be
cause tho railroads paid so much better wages
that the telephone companies could not keep
men at the old homo.
Considerable excitmont was created in Chica
go the other day by tho announcement that aT
dealer in foodstuffs had failod. It was not ma
terially allayed until it was found that ho had
been trying to koop up alimony paymeutsTto
three former wives.
At John Barleycorn's
onetorcfte?tWh D?USt d mBt 0f th0 Wori o
Wake
(From tho Washington Herald, Jan. 1.70
With song, banqueting, speech making and
genoral rejoicing, church folks and visiting re
formers wound up yesterday tho weok-long wake
thoy have been holding over the very much de
funct J. B. and lowered him into the grave with
enthusiasm. '
William Jennings Bryan occupied the center
of tho stage throughout tho day, speaking both
at the Victory Dinner in the Metropolitan Baptist
Church and at tho big mass meeting in the First
Congregational Church. He took occasion at the
Victory Dinner to deny more pointedly than he
did at the Jackson Day dinner that he is a
candidate for the Presidency.
Referring to a straw ballot taken by leaders
of the National Reform Bureau, under tho au
spices of which the dinner was held, Bryan said
ho would not be put in tho race by a straw bal
lot, because he did not want to be a "straw"
man.. He said ho would tell the people when he
wanted to be President.
TRIBUTE TO POLITICIANS
c GOTHAM BAKK PLACES WORLD DEBT AT
$200,000,000,000 l AT
A New York dispatch, dated Jan. 26 sava
The world's debt was estimated by tho NatE'i
City bank today at $200,000,000,000 comnaZ
with $40,000,000,000 in 1914. compared
PaPr currency tnruebout tho world in
creased 600 per cent since 1914, while cold !"
serve behind it increased only 40 por cent 2"
cording to statistics compiled by the bank
face value of paper currency of 30 principal
countries which totalled $7,250,000,000 in 1914
had Increased to $40,000,000,000 at the time of
the armistic and to $50,000,000,000 in December
1919 exclusive of $34,000,000,000 issued by the
Russian soviet government
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bul
garia show an advance in noto circulation f,
$1,200,000 000 inl914nto $12,8000?S
tho close of tho war and $18,770,000,000 in De
ertm?QJ' 1919 the sold reserve was falling from
$600,000,000 in 1514 to $327,000,000 in 19?S
.MUM,m w uuiea ,aecnning from 49.7
per cent in 1914 to 5.5 per cent in November,
1918, and 1-7 per cent in December, 1919.
In the. oight principal countries of tho o'inn
paper notes increased . from $1,166,000 000 in
1914 to $2,240,000,000 in 1919 while the gold
nnSAeAVn0rtlnCreaSed fr0m $51M00,000 to $1,450,-
vvv,Viu, a ruuo 01 ss.a m iyj.4 to 59.9 in 1919.
Am. BRYAN IN LINCOLN.
(From Nebraska State Journal, Jan. 13.)
Bryan paid forceful tribute to the work of
Senator Blair , of New Hampshire, who introduced
tho first Prohibition bill morn than fnrtv-fnnr
years ago, and to Miss Anna Gordan. nreslddnfc-flw
of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, rfogp
aiDu LuuiuLummi iuii in imiiiicr him wiki nun. - -- w.
put the prohibition legislation through. ,V?"- ryan Is -wapnf welh His smiI is aa
"There is one thing I know better than any- X?ai"J e7er. h? VOiC0 tears lts way thru
thing else," said Bryan, "and that is politics. And ?, , "x?1 a.out as much Punch as at any
my knowledge of it makes me appreciate what .t?m,e.ln,hhe Ia!fc tweny years. He achieved four
the people owe to their leaders in Congress wlitfTTjiJP D1skaaaressos yesterday, tbreVin Lincoln
PniM'fnrl flila .mmn 4-n irln nw.r ' &UQ. OHO m Omaha, and TTUinnpfOll r rritrn nnM,
audience tho impression that it was" especially
carried this cause to victory."
r With a prediction of worldrwide prohibtion
and religious, revival Bryan closed his speech.
"John Barleycorn is dying tonight," and in
speaking of his passing, he said, "We can well
quote these words from the Bible, "They are
dead that sought the young child's life," for our
children and our children's children will be free
from this groat peril."
Although thousands of Washington church
members crowded tho First Congregational
Church at the mass meeting last night, It looked
like .a rather thin evening until about 9:30, due
to tho failure of scheduled speakers to arrive be
fore that time.
Not one of them was on hand with the excep
tion of Mr. Bryan, whose face glowed beaming
ly from the center of the speakers' platform.
Dr. Daniel A. Poling, presiding over the meet
ing, which opened at 8:15, made an extempor
aneous address while his eyes wandered over to
the door in search of the delinquent orators,
who included Secretary Daniels, Commissioner
Daniel C. Roper, Commissioner Kramer, Attorney
General Palmer and oight Senators and Repre
sentatives. To fill in tho gap, Dr. Poling called
upon Miss Anna Gordon, Virgil Henshaw, Oliver
W. Stuart and Dr. J. Russell for speeches. Thoy
all responded readily, although Miss. Gordon ap
pealed to the audience as to whether it was fair
to call upon her so unexpectedly for a speech
Dr. Poling admitted it was unfair to her, but
said it would not be fair to the meeting to de-'
prive them of a chance to boar her.
In the course of their speeches, Mr. Henshaw
and Mr. Stuart referred to Mr. Bryan's possible
.nomination for the Presidency. Both references
were enthusiastically cheered, many in the au
dience rislncr to their fnf who m tji
alluded to Bryan as the "greatest living Ameri-
iavorea in recelvine: his host onririon r0 niCrt
shook an innumerable number of hands and
bestowed personal attention upon a host of old
friends, just as he did in tho old days when he
was a candidate. The impression left by the
noon address at the commercial club was that ho
is the same old Bryan,, just enough ripened and
mellowed to be willing to criticize liis own party
a trifle .while showing up the faults of the oppo
sition. In the old days he coudn't do that with
any grace, if he cquld do it at all. The result
was a political speech that provoked less resent
ment than any address from his lips on a live
and controversial subject for a quarter of a
century.
can.'
PLENTY OF TALENT PRESENT
DEM6CRATS OPPOSE UNIVERSAL MILITARY
TRAINING
A Washington dispatch, dated Feb. 9 says:
Rejecting President Wilson's advice, house demo
ocrats in caucus tonight went on record as op
posed to universal military training by a vote of
106 to 17. The president, in letters to demo
cratic leaders earlier in the day, asked that action
bo withheld so the party's stand might be left
to its national convention. The rejection of the
president's appeal was double in its scope, for
before declaring against military training the
caucus rejected, 88 to 37, a proposal that all ac
tion on the question be deferred "at this time."
This vote, cast on the motion- of Representative
Doremus, Michigan, came after a three hour dis
cuBion behind closed doors, and immediately af
terward on the straight-out question universal
training -advocates dwindled to seventeen
"It is the sense of this caucus," declared the
. resolution adopted by the democrats, "that no
measure should be passed by this congress pro
viding for universal compulsory military service
or training."
. About 9:25 everyone was-.becoming quite ac-
customed to the absence of the scheduled speak
ers, and Dr. Poling assured the audience ho had
enough oratorical talent among tho reformers in
the organ loft to keep the meeting going until
the peace treaty was ratified. Ho said he has
received acceptances from all speakers on tho
XPay,i,.alUi0?6h , the Attorney General had
notified him later that ho might not be able to
attend.
At this juncture the benevolent countenance
of the Secretary of tho Navy hpvo above the
horizon. Mr. Roper and Mr. Kramer came in a
minute or so later, followed by all but three of
.the Congressional speakers.
Commissioner Roper in his address empha
sized tho fact that the enforcement of prohibition
is not a one man job and that it is tho citizens
y .... TWO TELEGRAMS -
Chicago, 111,, Jan. 23,' 1920. Mrs. J. D. Hess,
Pittsfield, 111.: Hope that you are for General
Wood for tho Republican nomination for presi
dent. If you are Tve want to use your name
on state committee and will appreciate your
services. Please wire Saturday 'our expense if
we can count upon you. Literature will follow
on your acceptance of membership on commit
tee Harriett E. Vittum, Chairman Woman's
Dopt., Leonard Wood National Campaign Com
mittee. Pittsfield, 111., Jan. 24, 1920. To Harriett E.
Vittum, Chairman Woman's Dept., Leonard
Wood National Campaign Committee, Chicago,
Illinois: Cannot accept, I am for Peace, Pros
perity and Sobriety and-William Jennings Bryan
for President. Mrs. J. D, Hess.
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