Commoner
VOL; ,20, NO. 4
,2
B
try and opposing any weakening of the enforce
ment law now on the statute books.
Ninth I am in favor of the immediate rati
fication of the treaty with tho reservations al
ready agrood upon by a decisive majority of the
entire Senate and by moro than two-thirds of
those favoring ratification. Any needed changes
can bo made in tho League. X shall, if a dele
gate, opposo any and every attempt to make the
reservations a campaign issue. No party, least ,
of all a Democratic party, can afford to claim for
& minority of the Senate tho right to declaro the
policy of tho nation. To deny ratification and
make tho treaty a partisan issud -would be a
crime against our own nation, -which has press
ing domestic problems to meet, and against tho
world that needs our counsel and advice in the
League to save civilization from tho horrors of
anothor war. I am in favor of electing our rep
resentatives to the League by popular vote, and
boliovo that they should bo instructed to favor
tho immediato admission of Germany to the
League, tho immediate reduction of armaments
in all nations, and a referendum on war except
In case of actual invasion. World peaco is pos
sible only on tho basis of brotherhood.
SENATOR HITCHCOCK'S CANDIDACY
Tho above statement of my views explains
why I can not support Senator Hitchcock for the
Democratic presidential nomination. The Sena
tor's record follows:
First Bight years ago ho was the Nebraska
representative of tho Wall street group that tried
to pocuro for Governor Harmon tho Democratic
nomination for president, and ho has since indi
cated no change of heart. His nomination wouid
bo a triumph for Wall street and a rebuke to the
Baltimore convention.
Second Ho joined the Republican members ot
tho Currency committee opposing tho Currency
bill" now a law. Ho stood with Wall stroet In
fighting this measure, the most Important eco
nomic reform accomplished by the Wilson admin
istration, and his nomination would bo construed
aa a pledge to put Wall street in charge of thb
Federal Reserve System. ' -l
Third Ho is opposed to -prohibitionr He op
posed it before Nebraska adopted it arid,' 'even
after Nebraska had adopted it by 29,000 major
ity, ho voted against the submission of the Na
tional amendment which was ratified by tho Ne
braska legislature with but one dissenting vote.
Tho National amendment has now been ratified
by forty-five states, including every Democratic
state, and we are now living under an enforce
ment law parsed by more than two-thirds of
both houses. Senator Hitchcock has declared
for such an amendment of tho enforcement law
as will restore tho use of wine and beer, without
defining the alcoholic content, thus reopening
tho entire question and trying to make tho party
the champion of an outlawed traffic. His nomi
nation would be an offense to the conscience of
tho nation. It would make the liquor question
tho .paramount domestic issue and condemn the
Democratic party to disgrace as well as defeat.
Fourth He opposed equal suffrage oven after
Nebraska had conferred suffrage unon woman by
gtatute. He voted against submitting the Na
tional Suffrage amendment at a time -when his
voto would have carried the resolution and given
to a Democratic congress the honor of submitting
thiB great amendment. In so doing he declined
to follow tho wishes of his constituents expressed
by the unanimous vote of tho Nebraska legisla
ture. His nomination would doubly offend tho
women voters of tho 'nation he would tie the
mother's hands and at the same time permit the
saloons to rob her of her children.
Fifth After fighting forthe 'ratification of
tho treaty for eight months, ho helped tho ir
reconcilable foes of tho treaty to defeat it and
now, holding in contempt the needs of our own
nation and the welfare ot tho world, he seeks to
further4 hlB ambition by using the treaty as an
issue.
Having in mind my obligation to the
progressive Democrats of tho nation as well as
my interest in the success of my party and the
good Of tho country, I can not vote for Senator
Hitchcock's candidacy. If I am chosen as a delo
gate and ho receives tho state's instructions, I
shall .epresont the Democracy of tho' state on
other matters but leave an alternate to vote for
Mr. Hitchcock. I can thus carry out tho wishes
of my party expressed at the primary instead of
repudiating the right of tho people to rule as
Senator Hitchcock did when he refused to give
expression to the known will of the people of
Nebraska on prohibition and suffrage. I stated,
when a candidate for delegate in 1912, that, if
tho state instructed for Harmon (Senator Hitch
cock's candidate) I would resign as a delegate
and allow someone else to carry out the state's
Instructions. Senator Hitchcock attacked mo
then as now. I received 5,000 more votes than
he did and the state convention endorsed my
course at Baltimore.
If the' Democrats of Nebraska desire me to
represent them as delegate-at-large, I appeal to
them to elect thoso upon the ticket with me, as
follows:
National Committeeman W. H. Thompson.
Delegates-at-Large Dan V. Stephens, J. J.
Thomas, George W. Bergo and William J. Bryan.
District Delcgat6$ First District, Charles A.
Lord, Joseph H. Miles; Second Dist., Mrs. B. B.
Towl, Lieut. Albert E. May; Third Dist., Seymour
S. Sidner, Mrs. Marie Weekes; Fourth Djst.,
George Landgren, V. B. Stahl; Fifth Dist., Geo.
E. Hall, W. M. Somerville; Sixth Dist., Frank J.
Taylor, Charles W. Beal.
My associates are all progressive and deserve
tho confidence of the party. I urge also the elec
tion of our veteran Democratic warrior, Hon. W.
H. Thompson, as" member oflhe national com
mittee. He has always been loyal to the party
and tireless in laboring for it. He represents
all that is highest and best in our party and will
be a credit to the state in its national councils.
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.
Will Democracy
. Turn Back?
In 1912, Governor Harmon, Senator Hitch
cock's Wall street candidate, recoived only 12,
557 votes out of 47,533 cast at the Nebraska
primary. Is tho Wall street idea any stronger
in Nebraska today than then? In the Baltimore
convention, Governor Harmon, Senator Hitch
cock's Wall street candidate, received only, 148
votes out of about eleven hundred New York
furnishing 90 of the 148. Will the Democratic
party turn back?
In the Currency fight Senator Hitchock was
the only Democrat who joined the Republicans
and Wall street in fighting the main features of
the bill. Is the party ready to repudiate this,
its greatest economic reform?
THREE-FOURTHS of the Democratic sena
tors and TWO-THIRDS of the Democratic con
gressmen voted fpr submission of national pro
hibition (when Senator Hitchcock voted against
it) find EVERY DEMOCRATIC STATE RATI
FIED THE AMENDMENT. Will tho party turn
back? A majority of the Democratic senators
and congressmen voted for submitting the Suf
frage amondment (when Senator Hitchcock
voted .against it) and thirty-five states have rati
fied. Will the Democratic party turn back?
Nebraska has been one of the leading Progres
sive Democratic states in the union; she has
prohibition and woman suffrago in spite of the
opposition of Senator Hitchcock and the World
Herald. Will Nebraska turn back Jn order to
please Senator Hitchcocll?
, W. J. BRYAN.
HITCHCOCK DISTURBS HARMONY
Nebraska's Democracy would be, harmonious
and full of hope but for the vaulting ambitions
of Senator Hitchcock. He and his masters dis
turb the harmony of tho party'. To advance his
political interests he demands that the party put
itself on the side of Wall street and against the
people, on the side of tho liquor traffic against
the homes ot the state, and on the side of those
who, fearing woman's conscience in politics, op
pose woman suffrage. In order to secure a few
delegates to trade for some political honor, he is
willing to create discord in the party in state and
nation. Will he bo allowed to make such a self
ish use of the Democracy of this state?
THEY NEEDED HBI
If the Suffrage amendment had only had a few
more or a few less votes in the United States
Senate, Senator Hitchcock might havo been able
to vote for it and.then appeal to tho women for
their support, but 'the traffic that fears and fights
woman suffrage NEEDED him and now ho has
to explain why he considered them beneath his
bar-room friends in capacity for citizenship,'
But Where Are the
Nine?
In, Luke (17-17) Josus administers to ingrati
tude tho severest rebuke recorded in literature
"Were there not ten (lepers) cleansed? but
where are the nine?" Ingratitude has been de
scribed as worse than revenge because it js re
turning evil for good, whereas revenge returns
evil for evil.
But the purpose of this editorial is to call at
tention to the fact that the burden of carrying
on reforms falls upon a relatively small number,
while the benefit is enjoyed by all. Scarcely one'
in ten, as a rule, feels obligated to make return
for the unspeakable gifts that come from pre
ceding ' generations. They ENJOY but do not
turn back to render thanks.
Just now the people of tho United States are
celebrating the greatest moral victory ever won
at the polls. A considerable majority contrib-
, uted to .the victory by casting a dry ballot, but
how many made any real sacrifice to secure it?
For nearly fifty years the W. C. T. U. has la
bored for prohibition and the victory could not
have been won without its aid, and yet, out of
twenty-six million women of voting ago, only
about 500,000 are members.of that great organ
ization 1 in 50! ALL ha've-their homes safe
guarded but Iho burden of tho .fight, has fallen
upon a relatively small number. ,
So with the Anti-saloon League. It has la
bored for nearly twenty-seven years and has
grown until it has headquarters in every state.
It has led the fight and, more than any other or
ganization, can claim' credit for the victory, and
yet probably less than one "in twenty-five of the
adult citizens of the nation .have ever contributed
to its work in any year. The 'benefit is enjoyed
by all the labor has fallen on a few. And now
that the constitution prohibits the manufacture
and sale of intoxicating beverages, how many
will stand guard at the polls to prevent tho re
turn of the .saloon? How many of the friends
of prohibition will take the trouble to attend
the primaries where the real work is done
where platforms are determined and candidates
selected?
In Nebraska the fight is on between the home
and the saloon tho champions of the home
sho.uld assemble at the polls on April 20 and pre
vent any reopening of the ca'se.
W. J. BRYAN.
Mr. Bryan in his snecches in tho West has
mentioned Senator Owen among the available j
candidates, saying that while he does not desire j
to pick out or urge any particular man for me
nomination, he not only regards Senator Owen
as among those eminently worthy of considera
tion, bu knows of no other Democrat whom it
would give him greater pleasure to support for
the Democratic nomination. In Nebraska the
Democrats will have an opportunity to write in
any name that they please. They have the wholo
country to choose from and can express their
choice with entire freedom. It-is not necessary
to put a cross after any candidate whose name is
printed on the ticket. A name written in counts
just the same.
NEBRASKA IN POLITICS
Nebraska is a progressive state. It has the
Initiative and Referendum, Prohibition and Wo
man Suffrage tho three reforms that set the
standard for today. Until 1916 Nebraska hau
for twenty years played a leading part in tue
Democratic national convention's her place was
on the firing line. Will she resume her place oy
standing for accomplished- reforms or will sne
nllow Senator Hitchcock to raise the black flag.
He stands for the reactionary policies of waii
street and also for the Tiar-room and the boot
legger. Nebraska is entitled to her place at tue
front.
WOMAN'S OPPORTUNITY
Tho women of Nebraska shave a rare oppor
tunity on April 20 th, an opportunity to protect
their own homes and tho homes of the nation
by defeating th,e absurd aspirations of Senator
Hitchcock. He is as servile a champion of tue
saloon as there is In the country; and the nation
has no more bitter enemy of womanBuffrage,
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