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JIAY, 1920
ihe Commoner
Democracy's Law
Giver
1 ,
William Jennings Bryan A Vindication By Hon.
Wayne 0. "Williams, Ex-Industrial Com
missioner of Colorado
From July 9th, 1896 to" 1916 and even to the
present hour, Bryan has been the leader of the
Democratic party and for mosj; of that period its
solo loader. As leader and candidate In three
presidential campaigns; as the arbiter of the
other three campaigns; as the writer of four of
Its six platforms; and as the directing spirit of at
least one of the remaining two platforms; wo
may well seek to comprehend the compelling in
fluence of this man upon the political life of
this generation.
Excepting only Henry Clayhe has led his
party longer than any other man in American
public life. For an entire generation his ideas
have dominated Democratic councils and in
spired Democratic platforms. Thrice defeated,
consigned to oblivion on numerous occasions, po
litically buried at a score of funerals, yet mani
festing an astonishing political vitality that must
be explained.
NOT A PRESIDENTIAL PROPAGANDA
But a' preliminary word will be, necessary lest
Borne reader jump to conclusions. Is this ar
ticle written with another fight for the presi
dency in view? Answer Not that I know. of.
Mr. Bryan has declared that he is not seeking
a nomination. "No one knows what will be thb
situation two months from today in America
or how the political scenes will have shifted.
Tho presidency could offer Bryan but few at
tractions compared with the exalted platform
from which he now Influences public life. "Why
should a leader of public opinion, whose in
fluence is almost without a parallel, exchange
this sure record of triumphs for the uncertain
ties of the presidency where the mistake of a
single subordinate or a mistake in the choice of
a single official might mar the presidential rec
ord? Why change the prestige of a Henry Clay for
the empty honors of a Millard Fillmore? Who
has a real place In American history Daniel
Webster or John Tyler? Of course, Bryan would
not be a Fillmore or a Tyler, but I mentioned
these names to show that the presidency of it
self brings neither lasting fame or persbnal hap
piness. To desire the presidency for solid
achievement, for results that is worth while;
but to desire It for mere glory or fame, just to
be pointed out or deferred to that is quite a
different thing.
r APPRECIATION OF PRESIDENT WILSON v
What about President Wilson? Are we at
tempting invidious comparisons? Not at all. If
je prize Bryan, do wo thereby decry Wilson?
io ask the question is to reveal its absurdity.
wo single Democrat in America surpasses tho
writer in admiration of President Wilson. Ho
p On0trOf tho three greatest presidents of Amer
ica. He has performed a service for mankind
) n? other American president has. ever per
j , ' HIs League of NationB is the greatest
nai political achievement In the history of
mankind. Undoubtedly the president will bo
nfLi predIt the Nebraska leader with re-.
uioiamg the Democratic party along progressive
M m? layInff the foundations of the great
jat political advances of the last twelve years in
11118 country.
' A VINDICATION OF POLICIES - -
Brvl1 the most remarkable thing about the
IpS leadership is not even the fact of that
reili i ft' unprecedented as that may be. The
7rkab!e thing is the vindication of the Bryan
histm. i polIcIes Probably no other man in
them? i s adyocated so wide a program and
w.i V8d to sgg his principles receive such unl-
I tersal
Mr. Bryan.
n:ia.p?rova and adoption as has
Win h Jy' thls is tre of any political leader
the vn?8 ? to dePand upon public opinion and
his M Belf soverning peoples to carry out
days wii. A monarch of the old autocratic
and iifB5 . caulre m idea Bome fine morning
decrefi Vvnto Pwer before night by imperial
Press It Ln a Damocracy, a leader must im
BerRnooj deaa uPn men only by reason and
ideas11 and by the force a valuo of those
to tw8 h,Is Pnciplos comprehend themselves
tod ?S W!10 li8ten aim, ke nas no foUovIngf
cannot realize any .achievement in putting
those nrinnlnloo . i
A MAKER OF PLATFORMS
aEJkl DemocratIc Platform of 1896? Ho was
and i9y0firenPnS 0r th0 Platfor of 190
Spv190'on wliich ho again ran for tho presl-
SS&JX i4?mlly assi8ted ,n framIn
He wrote the platform of 1912 on which Wil
son successfully ran for tho presidency? and
5 1Q1? f d?as ero written in the platform
or 191b, the latest pronouncement of tho Demo
cratic party. Wo are not now speaking of gov
ermental measures and politics and laws. Wo
are speaking of the giver of law to tho Demo
cratic party. A consideration of tho govern
mental measures which represent tho Bryan
.wU1 como later- The Chicago platform
of 1896 contained the following planks:
1. Bimetallism. 2. Tariff for revenue on
ly. 3. Income tax. 4. No importation of
pauper labor. 5. Arbitration of disputes of in
terstate railway employes. 6. Enlargement
of powers of interstate commerce commission;
enlarged control of railroads. 7. Opposition to
government by injunction. 8. Monroe doctrine
to be maintained. 9. No third terra in tho
presidential office. 10. Fixed term in civil
service. 11. Federal government to improvo
tho Mississippi river and internal waterways.
PRINCIPLES IN DETAIL
These principles and planks will repay care
ful study. Aside from the civil service plank,
they have all been adopted or realized in sub
stance and time in some manner or another has
vindicated them.
Bimetallism never did have so great a vin
dication as at this hour in world commerce.
The. gold dollar is a fifty cent dollar. Nations
are' clamoring for silver. Banking and currency
bills, to the passing of which Bryan contributed
so much, destroyed the grip of Wall Streot fi
nanciers on the currency of the nation.
Tariff for revenue only is the law of the land.
The income tax is in force. Bryan fought for
it actively from 1893 to 1913, when as secre
tary of state he signed the final certificate pro
claiming the income tax amendment adopted.
Without the income tax tho rich could not havo
been made to pay a single personal penny to
the war.
PAYING A PENALTY
America is paying tho penalty at this hour
for tho importation of pauper labor.
If we had had a law for the arbitration of
railway wage disputes, the Adamson law and
its attendant crisis would never have confronted
America, and a great industrial crisis looms be
fore the government, and the United States
has no law to meet It.
Enlarging the powers of the interstate com
merce commission. The great light of Presi
dent Roosevelt in 1915 and 1916 was oyer this
very question and Roosevelt was Bryan's most
raUroaas? Unquestionably it will be further
eXrged The most hardened reactionary ad
SfiS ft The only difference of opinion is as to
what form future7 governmental control will as-
BU rovernment by injunction has been curbed
bv?aw Can any one recall the fierce .and bitter
Dy iaw. tt" j .. f foroire over the head or
storm of cr ticism ttat emVwhIch ,8 now -a
Bryan in 189b roi 'i lg96 Roosc.
Pa? fVat any one1 who opposed government
SuiSSn if Sr disputes was fit only to wear
stripes and live in a cave.
A TRIUMPH OF LEADERSHIP
,19 furflaw? hK dK
3SSST5 rErlS Tred
amendment has been ratified i & unI(m
a department of labor : In tne cabInet
man ?,eaTsiaent in WaBhington at this hour.
irlth the P1 nteroceanic canal.
It declared for an intero lrrJgat and
It declared for s" f west, the fore
improve 0deaSamation project. It de
runner of the great i position from
clared agains t ship JJJ'treatbd. In 1908
,C plaaorm "d for governmental guar-
13
antoo of bank deposits and tho reform is in
i3!inima?y .?talos and tho ,doa na D0n
sustained as to its constitutionality nnd logality
yu 8UDron10 court of tho United States.
When wo add to thoso substantial achiove
S,i5?ith? s,UCCO80fuI Bryan light for campaign
publicity boforo elections, for Initiative and ref
erendum and his aid in tho movement for a
cmid labor law, wo Tiavo a substantial pro
gram to command tho attontion of tho men who
must write tho political history of this genora
tion Hero is crodit enough for any slnglo life,
but the main chapters aro yet to bo written.
The great achievements havo not been re
counted. Between 189G and 1902, now Issues
were thrust upon tho country. Tho Ihkucb of
tne trusts and imperialism, tho serious problem
of colonial expansion. Upon theso two issues
Mr. Bryan took advanced and decisive ground
and upon them ho has received hla greatest
vindication.
I'ROM A COMMONER READER
Theo E. SHnlcard, Indiana Evorything in
shaping itself for tho nomination of Hon. W. J.
Bryan for president on tho Democratic ticket in
the next campaign. There aro no soldiers ' hero
in this community who want any moro wars
that is, those who saw actual service in Franco.
Mr. Bryan Is favorable to peaco which is well
known to this nation. The fight to mako the
liquor quostion an issue will throw tho south and
west to Mr. Bryan. Ho has said nothing nor has
ho dono anything in rogard to tho Covenant of
the League of Nations and tho Peace Treaty but
what will have tho approval of a great majority
of the people, in my judgmont, Tho fact that
he left tho cabinet will mako littlo difference to
tho people, as no ono knows whether we could
havo kopt out of tho war, if Mr. Bryan's counsel
had been followed, and as war-weary as tho pet
pie are, no other argument noed bo made, ex
cept to say, that no one knows what tho result
would have been had his counsel been followed.
We have hoped for years that ho would some
day be president.
'.
JVER. BRYAN VINDICATED
Every prediction, every political principle,
every course of public action, both domestic and
foreign, laid down by Mr. Bryan has boon vin
dicated to dato. Even the much derided freo
silver policy is now seen to havo been correct.
The quantitative theory of money Is everywhere
being accepted and tho right of tho people to de
termine their own financial policy instead of
leaving it to a group of big bankers and specula
tors has been fully agreed to by tho great ma
jority of the people. A long list of sound, prac
tical government reforms advocated long before
they wore popular, by Mr. Bryan, havo come in
to being and been enthusiastically and generally
accepted. Now Mr. Bryan steps forth and begins
to point the way once moro. Ho will be derided,
ridiculed, maligned, slanderednnd abused as
usual, but the course ho maps out will bd tho ono
the majority of the people will finally come to
believe in, Just tho same. Mr. Bryan may never
occupy any high office, but his place In history
as a political seer and wise prophet Is secure.
Fairbury, Neb., Journal.
BOOKS RESERVED
With Ono Voice. A study in Prohibition in
tho U. S. A. By Robert B. S. Hammond, of
Australia. Published by N. S. W. Alliance, Mc
Donnel House, Sydney, Australia.
No-wa-na. An Indian Tale. Told In Verso.
By John Fremont Kyger. Fremont Publishing:
Co., 106 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, 111. Price
'$1.25 net.
The White Ribboner or How Paul Hamilton
Won Victory. By Horace C. McDonald. Bothel
Publishing Co., Portland, Ore.
The Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow of
Motherhood. By Aurore Dudevant. The Bur
ton Publishing Company, Publishers, Kansas
City, Mo.
The Opium Monopoly. By Ellen N. La Motto.
The Macmillan Company, New York. Prico
$1.00.
Leonard Wood. Soldier. Administrator. Citi
zen. By William Herbert Hobbs, Professor o
the University of Michigan. Member of tho
Executive Committee of the National Security
League, Author of "Tho World War and Its
Consequences," Etc. With an Introduction by
Henry A. Wise Wood. Illustrated. G. P. Put
nam's Sons, New York and London. Price ?2.00.
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