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WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL 20, NO. 5
L H
Come Into the Open
Tho Democratic convention is not far off; and
a number of Democrats are offering themselves
as candidates they are not making a canvass
for delegates, but are EAGERLY RECEPTIVE.
Strango that none of them have seen fit to out
lino a platform or announce their position on
public questions. Why? Do they think .them
selves so superior to platforms that issues cut
no figure? Or do they think there are no is
sues? Or are they afraid?
Prohibition is an issue. Shall the Democratic
party stand for the amendment that was ratified
by EVERY DEMOCRATIC STATE, or become
the champion of an outlawed traffic? What say
you, candidates?
And the profiteer? Shall our party be in
active while Tie shames tliB highwayman by his
conscienceless extortion? "'What say you, candi
dates? Have yotf-any plans, or" are you flirting
with the predatory middleman?
Do you stand for privato monopoly, or with
tho people? Are you- with the pirates of high
finance, or with their bleeding victims? Speak
out NOW so the people can choose intelligently.
"Where do you stand on thelabor question?
Shall those who toil on farm and in factory' have
an even chance, or do you favor class govern
ment by tho business class?
And what about the treaty? Do you believe in
the right of the majority to rule, in the Senate, or
Js Democracy good for Europe only? Do. you
want the treaty ratified with reservations agreed
upon by a large majority, or do you want to play
policy with the peace treaty while Europe drifts
back into war and republics return to monarchy?
The Juno Commoner will be pleased to publish
the platform of any Democratic aspirant who is
filing to take the people into his confidence.
W. J.' BRYAN.
A FALSE KEYNOTE
The selection of Chairman Cummings , to
"sound the keynote" at the Democratic National
tonvontion is worse than a comedy; it is a
tragedy, it ia a melancholy beginning if the
Democrats have any intention of making a cam
paign this year. If .the- Democratic party is to
Jj wrapped in a "wot" shroud, .locked up in .a
wall street safe and buried at sea, Cummings is
list the person to offlciate, but his selection isja,
jerious handicap if the party proposes to appeal
to tho progressive sentiment of the country. Mr.
Cummings is a "wot;" he. hails from one of the
re states THAT DID NOT RATIFY THE PRO
HIBITION AMENDMENT AND HAS NOT, YET
RATIFIED THE SUFFRAGE- AMENDMENT.
selection will give offense to every Demo
!a lc state (for every Democratic state has ratl
in tho Prohibition amendment), to tho thirty
t Ur states that are dry by .their own act, and
k e forty-five- states that have ratified. He
reactionary Wall street's "choice for chair-
Lincoln, Nebraska, May, 1920
To the Democrats of Nebraska
. By your votes you have given Nebraska
her old place among tho progressive states
of the union; you have put her again on
tho firing line. Turn nn car toward the
West on Juno 28, and listen. When you
hear tho sound of battle, bo assured that
Nebraska's standard is in the midst of the
fray and that the State's flag will not bo
lowered to either Wall street or tho liquor
traffic.
Nebraska tests 100 per cent on every re
form. I am grateful to you for your con
fidence, expressed after 30 years of as
sociation, and for the ten loyal friends
whom you have given mo as colleagues.
I am proud to bo one of your representa
tives at San Francisco.
Faithfully yours,-
BRYAN, OF NEBRASKA
man! And he is the moro unfit because ho was
once a progressive and fell. He is just the kind
of man Wall street will want for vice-president if
it can control the convention.
Do tho rank and file of the party understand
NOW why he attended tho Edwards "coming
out dinner" and was then himself banqueted, by
the Wall street Democrats? Will the progres
sive Democrats get busy, or have they given up
hope? W. J. BRYAN.
THE RESULT IN NEBRASKA
The World-Herald, still ashamed to discuss
the real issue, tries to make it appear that tho
treaty had a part in the contest. It knows bet
ter. The Hitchcock-Mullen machine was
smashed because it represented Wall street
schemes and used Wall street methods to pro
tect the liquor traffic. The bulk of Mr. Hitch
cock's supporters were opposed to the treaty in
any form, but they were more interested in beer
and wine than in any treaty. As the leader of
the wets, Senator Hitchcock has for ten years
made subserviency to the booze crowd a condi
tion to preferment, but his reign is ended. Tho
women smote him with the ballot as he shep
herd lad once slew another boastful giant with
-a pebble. Nebraska is free; decency can now
wear tue. Democratic, garb without fear. It has
Whole Number 733
TO THE WOMEN OF NEBRASKA
Thanks, a thousand thanks, for your cordial
Z I shall be your ambassador at San
support. I snail , sMng mQ
TbSt We shall guard your homes
ten co-laborers, w the prof.
from your three eemie i f
lrtirU Howers." W. , BRYAN.
Ratify at Once
The Biblo suggests tho most appropriate
comment to bo mado on tho Proiidont'a lot
tor to the Democrats of Oregon, Fathor, fojr
givo thorn, for they know not what thoy do."
Broken down in health by tho wolght of cares
and anxiotios such as havo fallen to no other
occupant of that high ofilco, tho chief oxooutlvo
has boon denied tho information essential to
sound judgment and safo leadership. For
nearly eight months ho has boon aurroundod by
physicians and uuablo to confer with tho sena
tors and membors of congress to whom tho
American pooplo havo ontrustod the legislative
affairs of tho government. For tho greater
part of the time ho has boon unablo to confer
with tho members of his cabinet. How can,
he bo expected to know actual conditions Jh
the United States and across tho soas, and how
can he advise wjsojy without -full knowlodgo -oL
tho situation? , ' .f"'
Ho brought back as good treaty as
wo havo any right to expect, when wo
remember that he fought singlo handed against
the selfish interests of all tho other leading
parties to the treaty, and tho Democratic party
stood by him and fought for ratification without
reservations as long as there was any hope of
securing ratification without reservations,, an
effort in which I heartily Joined, but tho effort
failed.
No matter whether tho Sonatc acted
wisely or unwisely in tho adoption of reserva
tions, it acted upon a constitutional authority
as complete as the authority which the samo
constitution confers upon tho President. Tho
Senate endorsed reservations by a majority of
18, and tho 57 senators 34 Republicans, and
23 Democrats who agreed upon reservations;
constituted moro than two-thirds of tho 77
senators who favored ratification, but differed
upon reservations,
Tho Issue now is whethor the Demo
cratic party believes in . tho fundamental
principle of Democracy; namely, the right1
of the majority to rule. Tho President
asks the party to make a campaign on tho
theory that the presumption of wisdom Is with
twenty Democratic sona'tors, plus tho Preslr
dent, instead of with the majority, of the sena
tors, or even with the majority of the Demo
crats of tho Senate. Ho asks tho party to
make this fight at a time when problems of
transcedent importance demand Immediate at
tention. We may assume that tho President
knows that the Allies are so anxious fojr us to
to enter the League of Nations that they pre
fer ratification with tho reservations agreed up
on rather than the postponment of ratifica
tion, but does he know that tho world's re
covery from war Is halted by our delay. Does
he know that while the Senate wrangles over
tho phraseology of reservations newly estab
lished republics are threatened, on one side,
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