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JfThe Commoner 1
&. '; WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR " If
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..MncoTn, Nebraska, September, 1920
Wliole Number 737
Befeof a Wet
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Every f rielmpt prohibition- should ' stand
guard until tUopplls close and prevent, the elcc-
tlon of a weapon gressr The two contentions, in-
stead of puttih'gnir" end to the' liquor question
by adopting dry platforms and nominating dry
5 ' ; -candidates,
hayo'mado prohibition an issue in
every congressional district and in every-, state in
which a senator is .to be elected. As the Senato
is more than: o-thirdTs dry now and as only
one-third of thes Senate is to be elected this
year it is not. likely -that tho liquor forces can
come anywhere v near securing, a, majority in the
senate, but theysliputd not be allowed to make
any gains ai'll; :if by the -apathy, of the drys " "
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the wets shbuldhappen, to .make a gain of even"
one in the SenThe senator thus ..ejected MseJ
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years. A mistake, therefore, in the election of
a senator maylSe thee times as serious as a
mistake -in theV election of a member of the
House. ; ;. ." ...
Tho repeal, of the presenVonforcement law can
be proventod byble' iSenlate even though the wets
obtain control ofvtheHouseMbut a wet House
would be a terrible" calamity even if it could
not alone repealjqr weaken the Volstead act. It
could by withholdings or duttlhg down appro
priations for' enforcement paralyze the statute
and inaugurated reign. o lawlessness. A wet
president would be' encouraged by. k wet house
and might not feel disposed tp enforce the law
vigorouslyn(-i';":iawis)no-stronger than its
enforcement. TlienTuxvA wet. congress wjjuld
relieve a wetrresiden.t..Of- fear of impeachment;
lie could violate his4path in this respect '.with
Impunity. , J , ,:
The two ca'ndtjSSfeaiC. Harding.antl Mr. CoX
have gone iiofriiehv way '.to!. invito the wets
to elect a wVr conereW they point out that
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Is Your. Candidate on Record?
tlyJtT" T 'Ue ?.ItCd SlatS Snat0 aninou8 t ItaiiwUathM aro copporallng off
Tanv I? ?!3 t119 "ntry '" '4,! ",0 ",I,,or 1"01,tlo out ' Hl .ca.n.a.K in M.
many districts and states as possible.
- Both political parties having failed to include a plank on prohibition that would liavo nulo
ma cally pledged all candidates to support the party platform on that qutotlon. rafcos tho pro-'
hibltion question as tho paramount issue in every district in tho United States. Tho friends of tho
saloon are organizing their forces to elect a wet congress for tho purpoae of nullifying tho Vol
stead enforcement law,
The friends of -the home must not be caught napping. It 1b no reflection on a candiduto tot
congress to ask him to publicly pledge himself to vote, if elected, to uphold tho 18th .'amendment
and the enforcement .law. " '
Congressmen servo in a representative capacity. Who is your candidate going to bofvo, tho '
home or tho saloon? ' J'- - ''
Friends of j;he home should bo proud to assure the volors of their resjiectlvo districts that .
.they may bo depended upon to uphold the prohibition enforcement law wiliohcongrcsB adopted by.
more than a two-thirds, vote. " 4 , ' -,
The Commoner submittdd in its August issue -a form of a pledgo for tho convenience of-Coi-;v
gfessionat candidates. One-hundred and forty-throo candidates, irrespective of litfrly. fiayo' alrofSfr -d T j8
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.fi the joters that, ifelected, Jth3y; will yjte to'prvont-thc raising or tho alcoholic content 'V.M
.eake'ixihirof any of the enforcement nrovfsions of tho Voh fend net. ', .
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A's We go to press additional pledges are being recolvod on every mall. On another page will
bo found names of those" whoso pledges have already been received. Is .ho namo of your candi
date, on the list? ' r-"-The
Commoner is urging congressional candidates who aro friends of Iho.homo to Immedi
ately go on record as a notice to the vice element of tho country that prohibition that prohibits
has come to stay.
The Commoner has not tho time to look up the past records of congressional candidates or .
the space to' publish lengthy statements of explanation from candidates. Tho Commoner cannot'
assure .the public that a candidate can be depended upon to uphold the Volstead act if tho candi
date himself is not willing to frankly tell the public what they may expect of him if ho is elected
to represent them in congress.
The dry forces of the country are urged to immediately, request candidates for congress to
sencU.The Commoner their pledges at once. All additional pledges received will be published in -our
October issue, and the dry forces of the country will be urged to support at the polls, lrro-
spective of party affiliation, those candidates who publicly take their stand on 'tho sido ol tho'
homeby signing the follo'wing pledge:
- Pledge "Will you, if elected to congress, use your TOtc and your Influence for Ujc cflfcctlrT
enforcement of tho present prohibition law, honestly "and in good faith, without nny jncrcac in '
(he alcoholic content of permitted beverages and without weakening of any other of ffe provisions?
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tied- JEven in .senatorial contests the attitude
the law can jjf 4cliangod ' by congress a fact , of the candidate on the liquor question cannot
mat has no barin;von this' campaign unless the be gnored. While the parties nave piu mo
treaty question iu tuo i.uv, v.w . -thatr.
neither party can hope to have within five
votes of a two-thirds majority in that body
probably not within ten votes, Until the -constitution
is changed so as Jtp permit ratification
by a majority neither.party can expect to secure
tho ratification of any treaty by a party vote.
But a majority is enough to pass an ordinary
bill and therefore a majority can repeal or
weaken the Volstead act. The drys must take
nn 'nuances. Since the wets, by their influence
in the two Parties, have forced this issue in, the
campaign the drys must be present at the polls
candidates wariilt understood that they would
sign any wet Q&$assedby congress. ''The drys.
should accept gre-cjialienge" thus issuedand. poll
'very vote thap&Qy hay.e in the House. Hold
toe of the lawUji : be the 'paramount issue no
Whor issue approaches it in Importance,
Tho drys should 'disregard politiqal affiliations
R&d party nanJehtirely.'.in any contest be-"
tweea a wet XdaUy -candidate -for the House
DI epresontativesTNo. dry Democrat or Repub
icaa can atfprpvW be less interested in tho
me than theyeis are in the salooh. Party
llQea do not dlydjahowets; they unite on the
et candldate..fogardless of party; that Ab why
Politicians are mmA nirnia nf thA wet.vote than
Progressive Democ
racy Still lives
In another editorial attention has been called
to the paramount importance of electing the dry
candidates to both the Senate and tho House
because of the tremendous importance of main
taining the stand taken by the cjuntry against
alcoholic beverages, but no one should overlook
tho fact that there are other issues which, but
for the saloon questidn, would engross attention
and be big enough to dominate the-situation.
The fundamental economic distinction which
runs through society everywhere is that which
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f tho dry votii:?rllwoc.;a.u holdjho present en
Jrcoment ia'Ciwnlf ,tfioext four, years and
tomFol' obediencetol-n; the, question wfll bft aet
;: :ittt trength to guard the victory pnr" IZZLI, ;. fc nr.
: "the adoption of the Eighteenth amo.dment -ZZZco
and in the passage of the Enforcement act, representativea of the two
To your tents, 0 Israen RRYAN ciasses but, unfortunately, tho two classes aro
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W. J. BRYAN.
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