TV -.? '? ty?
n
The Commoner
3
VOL. feO, NO. 6
i.
F
IB-
xriiro 'insistent, strpnghtohs the opposition, Jto the .
expenditure of sovon hundred "millions a year in,;
preparations fbr wai, whllo tho peaco sentiment
of'tho country revolts agalnsti system baspd. on
tli'6' theory that war Is a necessary part ot civil-,
ization,
Fifth Tho profiteer will recoiYO particular
ttttentlon, especially if tho issue Is accentuated
by failure of tho Republicans to deal with tho
question satisfactorily. Some party must take
th6 pooplo's side against the middlemen, and tho
-Democratic party is in a hotter position than thq
Republican party to do so, because tho latter
cdhtains most of tho profiteers.
The following romed,ies have "been suggested,
increasing In severity: First, A trade commis
sion in oach state and in each community em
powered to investigate; second, tho disclosure of
profit on ea'eh article sold, and, third a' limita
tion of profits, as in tho ' case of interest on
loans. ' '
Tho convention is likely to d.eal'wltlrtho prof
iteer also in dealing with tho soldiers'' bonus,
which can bo most easily collected by a tax on
war profits. '
Sixth Tho convention will have 'to deal with1
the' subject of private niondpoly.
Xtlis the" most pormanerit 'domestic issue rind"
the beneficiaries of all tho favor-seeking cor
porations are massing under Republican leader-"
ship to opposo government ownership in rtny and
very form. Tho Democratic party must ulti
mately become tho champion of government
ownership of all1 NATURAL MONOPOLIES but
tho corporation contrelled press" has so grossly'
misrepresented the experience of the government
under war control that the opponents o"f private
monopoly may have to content themselves with
holding the ground already occupied, leaving tho
advanco to bo made by future conventions. But
tho Democratic convention will at least reiter
ato tho doctrine already ombodied in four, na--tional
platforms; namely, that a private mono
poly is indofonsiblo and intolerable. J
Sovonth Tho labor' question will recoive tho1
.attention due it. The Democratic party Will in
sist upon tho toilers right to equal treatment.
He is not only a citijfon but he is an indispen
sable part of our industrial machine. Ho should
bo a WILLING WORKER if ho is to give to so
ciety his maximum offoft. He must feel that ho
is receiving justice He must be welcomed as.
a co-worker and doalfc with as a brother in tho
matter of wages, terms and rights.
Eighth Tho farmer also has grievances; his
interests can not bo made subordinate to the
claims of the commercial classes.
' Ninth Tho Democratic party has already' en
tered upon a good roads program and will ex
tend it; I hope it will extend it sufficiently to
endorse a National Peaceway connecting all the
statos.
Tonth I am hoping for a plank pledging the
party to the advocacy of a government bulletin.
not a newspaper, but a bulletin under bi
partisan control, which will give tho voters, for
a nominal subscription price, information as to
issues before the country with the reasons ad
vanced on both sides of oach issue.
Eleventh Woman suffrage will be indorsed,
with congratulations if the amendment is rati
fied before tho convention with a pledge ot
supjport if ratification is not then complete.
Twelfth Prohibition cannot bo ignored. The
wots want a plank condemning the prohibition
amendment, but it is quite cortain that beforo
tho convention assembles, they will find their
case hopeless. ' They will then try to prevent any
declaration on the subject, plodging for the
'harmony" to which they would bo indifferent
if. they could secure a wet plank. But they will
not deceive any one.
Tho drys will insist Upon a declaration in fa
vor of the prohibition amendment which has
been ratified by every Democratic state and by
all' but throe of the Republican states. They
will also insist upon an indorsement of tho en
forcement law, supported by more than two
thirds of congress.
The convention fights are likely to be over
the treaty, the profiteer and the liquor traffic,
with the chances in favor of ratification with
reservations, and against the profiteer and tho
saloon. W. J. BRYAN.
Mr. Bryan on the
Mandate
Any mandate is impossible. The one proposed
for Armenia, if accepted, would involve us in an
enormous expenditure in a time when war taxa
tion is still so grievous a burden that Congress
has difficutly in finding the money necessary to
do justice to the men who served in tho world
war.
It would involve us in the politics of Europe,
and would compel us to deal with implacable
race hatreds.
It would Involve us in the fierce commercial
rivalry of the big nations.
But, worst of all, it Would compel us to sur
render a vital principle of democracy namely,
that all people are capable of self-government.
Nearly ono hundred years ago Henry
Clay 'set forth the American view on this
subjects in dealing with aspirations of
South American republiqs. Referring to the old
contention of monarchists that subject peo
ples ' were ' incapable of 'self-government, Clay
declared it to b'e a reflection on the Almighty to
assume that Ho would create peoples incapablo
of self-government and leave them to be tho
victims of kings and emporers.
All the colonial exploitation of helpless peo
ples is defended on tho theory of their Incapac
ity for self-government. Wo cannot indorse this
theory. It would bo injurious to tho Armen
ians, instead of a kindness, to affirm or admit
them incapable of self-government. If" it were
once admitted, they would never be permitted
to outgrow the presumption of incapacity, be
cause consent-to their independence would en
courage other, subject peoples to ask for inde
pendence. Christlunty does not require us to abandon
our ideas of government or to adopt monarchial
forms in rendering- aid to suffering peoples.
American idea? are entirely consistent with
Christianity.
Wo can recognize the independence of the
Armenian republic and send as minister to
.Armenia a man who has faith in democracy and
who believes that governments should rest upon
consent of the governed. He can advise with
Armenian officials when they desire advice and
help them as a friend. Wo can be of much moro
sorvico to them in this way than we can by
exercising authority over them. Then, if wo will
ratify :the treaty, and enter the league of na
tions as tho friend of all the little countries and
insist on universal disarmament, we may be
able to make tho world safe for democracy
even for democracy in Armenia.
RATrFY AND DISARM
ABE MARTIN SASt
X wuz just tblnkin' about tho old Bryan ban
quets wild lettuce an try-coiorod ice-cream.-
On another page will be found avcomputation
made by tho statistician of tho National City
Bank of New York, showing that the world's
issue of paper money has increased from 7 bil
lions before the war to 40 billions during the
war and to 56 billions since the armistice. The
debts of the world have Increased from 40 bil
lions in 1913 to 265 billions in 1920. The ratio
between the gold coin of tho world and the paper
currency has fallen from 70 per cent to 12 per
cent, and yet there are those who would con
tinue the old program of force and terrorism.
The only hope of the world lies in, the success
of the League of Nations, and delay in ratifica
tion only decreases its powor to save the world
from war. The Republican party may be will
ing to wait, but tho Democratic party can not
afford to share responsibility for the chaos that
may engulf the world whijo senators wrangle
over the phraseology of reservations that are
insignificant in importance as compared with the
remedies embodied in the undisputed provisions
of the league.
There are throo provisions which have been
accepted by everyone. Tho first providos time
for deliberation and machinery for investigation
before a resort of war; the second abolishes se
cret treaties; the third looks toward universal
disarmament. Why not accept AT ONCE the
.reservations favorod by the majority and make
afterwards in the league any changes that may
be thought necessary. Why not proceed to DIS
ARM THE WORLD, reduce taxation and build
universal peaco on the spirit of brotherhood0
Tho laborers of the world plead for peaco and
brotherhood; they want tho burden of militarism
lifted- from their shoulders. The farmers of th
world groan beneath the weight of guns and bat
tleships; they cry out for relief. Business suf
ero, and the churches unite in the demand for
Immediate ratification and disarmament. Only
the politician wants delay. Shame on the man
or party that would drag tho treaty into tho cam
paign. Let the majority rule. W, J. BRYAN.
MARSHALL MOURNING AT THE BEER
Vibe-President's Marshall's bid for the wet
vote is ludicrous. He seems to think that tho
cause of the saloon needs RESPECTABILITY
and he offers himself in a religious garb. Speak
ing to the State Bar Association of Virginia re
cently, ho declared himself "an old-fashioned
dyed-in-the-wool, local self-government, pre
destination Presbyterian Democrat, bottled in
bond and guaranteed to be pure."
He announced that ho was a teetotaller and
added:. "So far as I am concerned I pray God
that no man will ever again take a drink of in
toxicating liquor but the states should handle
this question rather than, for- Washington to
legislate for the morals of tho nation. If a se
cret vote had been taken on that amendment be
hind closed doors, it would not have received
twenty votes in the United States Senate."
No wonder the Baptist convention, which he
had recently welcomed to Washington, censured
him forecasting reflections on the senators who
voted for prohibition. How fortunate that his
vote was not needed.
The vice-president seems to' havo outlived his
time. He harks back to a day that is gone. He
seems to be willing to carry his religion into
the bar-room to please the drinkers, but he can
not carry the bar-room into the church; he can
not even bring the bar-room back into the com
munity. But what a spectacle! A vice-president
attacking a prohibition amendment AL
READY ADOPTED AND A PART OF THE CON
STITUTION. For shame! W.J.BRYAN.
BRYAN WELL BE A' BIG FACTOR
r Whether people like it, or. not, William Jen-
nings Bryan is going to be a big factor in the
Democratic National convention , at San Fran- a
cisco. It will not bo at all surprising if he.
should duplicate his marvelous performance at I
Baltimore in 1912. Linked with his own per-,
sonal following, which like the soldiers of Na-1
poleon, would follow th.oir leader through hell
the strength which "will rally around Mr. Bry
an as the bearer of"the Prohibition standard,
alone would "make Bryan . a man to be both
feared and oourted in the proceedings at the
Golden Gate. .That term "Golden Gate" will be,
apt to make .Bryan smile. Away back in 1896,
he cried out against crucifying mankind on A
Gross of Gold' In 1920 he willcry with gleej
as he nails his. enemies, at the Golden Gate. His
wuuucuui ciuucuvju, uia iutta.aij yt jju,i.i.u"n
psychology, his exhaustive knowledge of po
litical precedents make him an almost invincible!
antagonist In a national convention. All his na
tural gifts are greatly enchanced by tho presents
situation.. In his opposition to the League oi
Nations without reservations he will have one A
set of delegates supporting him, in his fight for
t Prohibition he tvIH have another set of delegates;
standing behind him so at about every minute
of the convention Bryan is quite apt to be the.
center of the contest. When Bryan laid him low:
in Nebraska. Senator Hitchcock said Bryan a
would "keep hell a-poppln at San Francisco, and'
it rather looks as if Hitchcock were right. Roger;
Sullivan is dead. Arthur Mullen has been de
feated. And so Brvan's two most vitriolic
enemies will not be in the ficht to harass and:
annoy Bryan at Frisco, From the outset ct thO
convention Bryan will have the moral issues. He
has made them synonymous With himself, and;
back to him stand the creat army of rigid church :
people-a mighty host on election day, no matter
how sports may sniff ar wets snort, wis nei"ii
is in the ficht. and he has the flery zeal or a.
crusader. Then, too, he has alwaysjieen in the
forefront 'of tho womon'a imttle. and on a shoW-J
down today we think that Bryan has rnorej
shoutim fitrhtincr friends amonir- womn WhOj
tnlro nn intovnof in -nnMiina fhnn hflR anV Olheri
man in the country, Bryan may or may not bej
n pn-nrllflnto Vilmoolf Wa don't IcnOW. If "0i
really is, the other aspirants havo reason to
tremble. If he is not, no man whom u"";
openly assails, can in any likelihood, be om'"1
ated at Snn TTrnnfilseo. AlbariV. W. X., axiu ?
Union.
W i JftttuJhMiUMitx'I
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