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Commoner
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WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
voLs2q,;N0. io ;
.A' ""M
ftlssiue Joined
Lincoln, Nebraska, October, 1920
Whole Number .738
WhilVp.th;tthe leading candidates declare
the L'eaguelf NatioW to be the paramount is
sue, neither of. them has so far stated it as to
enablothej: people to votgupon it intelligently.
SenatorHarfding 1s not free to outline a plan
for an'asstfctatibn of- nations" because the "lr
reconcliaBres',' are as much opposed to-ahy "as
sociation!.! as. they are to a "league." In like.,
manner, 'Governor Cox is noffree to say what
reservations -he would consider reasonable be--cause
the. president does not admit the need
of any Teiseryatioris - af all.
ButeyeiiiUf each .candidate clearly set forth
In detail hisydea of a league or association it
would-D.q..b-wof til while to consider the
merit's pjftae two plans, jbecause neither could
be carripdkout it requites, two-thirds of the
Senate jo&ktifc,. and as neither party can hope
to ctoSNriu
genatprHaWingll Set. together and agree
upon awnp,ro'hiiser 'and then .pledge ;tji6 sena
tors tov,caxry jtt;p'ut; progress will be' possible.
A referendum is impossible under the pjesenT
conditioS?' " - ' ', ' f
We had a "solemn referendum" in 1918, but.
a Democratic president did iiot heed it any'moro
than Sjd;ent Taft lieeded the re-election of a
Bemocrafe.coiigres In 1910. f
No wonder, rthei, people 'are 'apathetic :.how, can
they Jent&VWout something definite to
shout $oi; (to thoieague question the voters
will 'woiyjjaitfc .rather than by sight each
will Wfeith he party in -which he has the.'
most 'confidence and Onist it. towork out-the
problenSSpeat ItJcanV - -W, J,. BJRTAN.
v;."ri''DBAD;AS SLAVERY"
One oflhei presidential candidates is quoted
as saylngfat ''the liquor- question is as ..dead
as slafefef; That is true, but both conven
tions 'ISfepaT of th'e corpse. In the Demo
cratic ptidtt neatly one-third of the -delegates
.wte'dtp resurrect John Barleycorn. As
no vofteaf;taliin,the Republican conven- .
tion dbt'knok how largo a percentage
favoreifljig,: the question. There, is a
BtoPleJjo( testing a 'candidate's opinion as
to whethier life Is actually extinct. Of course,
the candidate's would, if; elected, veto any at-
tempttoeopen. the slavey question; IP THE
LlQUoiQfBSTIoiSjS JUST AS DBAP, Wy
8hould;:(eSHr; candidate hesitate to promise Xo
Veto anWt'teniSt to reopen"the. liquor questionr
"8?&r , " W. J. BRYAN.
Vote for Dry Candidates -
On another page of this issue will bo found the namoH of upwards of two-hundred candidate
for the United States Senate and. House of representatives who havo publicly pledged themselves
if elected to use their influence and vote in congress to prevent raising the alcoholic content'
of permitted beverages or otherwise weakening the enforcement provisions of tho Volstead act; ''
The Commoner- sent letters to all candidates for congress of all political partios, and enclosed
a copy of tho following pledge: f
QucstiontVill you, If elected to congress, mo your vote and your influence for the
effective enforcement of tho present prohibition low, IionosMy and in good faith, without" ;
any increase in tho alcoholic content of permitted beverages and wUJiont ny weakening of
any other olfc Its provisions? '
V
Not all the candidates for congress who are In favor of upholding tho Volstead act hava yet
signed The Commoner's pledge, but all candidates whoso names are listed In this issue hav
publicly taken their stand and may be depended upon by tho people to vote in congress to protect the'
homo against tho attacks that the liquor interests and tho vice olomeut have undertaken.
Some candidates for congress have been trying to make themselves bolleve, And to mak
the public believe, that tho liquor question is settled and that it is "as dead ls slavery." Tho Hcuofc
interests of the country do not be,libvo that theliquor question is dead, They are .attewljHfuip,
&yCTl9iHPMJHMNdiSif i !tf-vr"" , ,'yHTrt' A J3mmBMm&'
4thor4nwinci:tionvoistu6JrvoiBteaavaci oy -raising me aiconouc conient, oi pormmvu efrg9, nu"
to cnah'go the law no as to permit each state tp determino for Hsolf whdt tho alcoholic oonfeW
. shall be and and to what extent prohibition would bo enforced within Its boundaries.
On another page will be found a copy of a membership blank that is being sent out in an,
effort to secure members and contributions for' an association that will devote its energies tp nulli
fying the Volstead act. As the people are becoming aroused in the various congressional dig
tricts over the efforts of the liquor interests to override the state and national prohibition enforce
ment laws, they are questioning their candidates as to their position on tho Volatoad act. As a re
sult of this questioning, Tho Commoner is continuing to receive pledges from candidates asking
that their names be published on The Commoners roll of honor as a notice to tho liquor iutoresjl
that they have taken their stand in favor of the homo against the saloon. Tho dry , forces of the
country are urged to continue their efforts to get pledges from their candidates for congress,, and
they are urged to vote on election day for those candidates who havo the-moral and political
courage to take their stand on tho side of the home. . ...
the right to decide the question when it arises,
what harm could a reservation do? Why ob
ject to it Both sides have exaggerated the
importance of Article 10 both sides have been
foolishly obstinate. Together they have dis
graced, our nation. "A plague on both their
houses." W, J. BRYAN.
f .'mryTi -t e . ,.'.
.-.' : AVJL'MjIJM J.U
Whyvlntiid'MicllO be allowed td delay
the pioMo worfd? If congress can not be
robbed of. its' consUtutional right to declare war,
a mor,al obligation would be of no value. Then
Why M(fl&i prevent ratification?
Andifn-t imoral obligation is not binding,
Why insist upon itt It congress is to retain
HAS PAID THE PENALTY
If the British government desires to extend
clemency to Mayor MacSwiney it can find, an ex-
" cuse'in the fact that, having Imposed upon him-
, self a penalty more severe than any government
would inflict, he has satisfied tho demands of
the law. A pardon under these conditions
-would not establish a very dangerous precedent.
V . BOLL AWAY THE STONE?
" The League of Nations was buried on March
19 when the Senate refused to accept the
president's plan and the president refused to ac-
' cent the .Senate's plan. Who will roll-away
the stone? , '
One of the wets thinks it was "silly" for. a
candidate to declare the liquor question, as dead
Tslav but a good many silly things hap
pen during ft campaign.
Dodging on Prohi
bition -.
Governor Cox and Senator Harding continue
to dodge tho prohibition issue. Both declare
vopr positively in favor of ENFORCEMENT,
but their promises add nothing tp the oath of
office which the president must take when he
enters upon his duties. What candidate would
deny, before the election, that ho Intended to
keep his oath? But what constitutes enforce
ment? A wet 'may have a very different' taw
of enforcement from that entertained by a dry. .
A wet might probably wouldfavor a smaller
appropriation for enforcement than a dry would
think it necessary, and a WET MIGHT AP
POINT WETS TO ENFORCE THE LAW.
But enforcement Is not the only Issue, or
even the chief Issue connected with prohibition.
The wets are trying to secure a wet congress,
'and a wet congress would be sure to repeal the
Volstead act or weaken It by increasing the
alcoholic content. Would the candidates sign
.on veto such a bill? THAT QUESTION HE-
MAINS UNANSWERED. Botn canaiaaiea
it that Is, neither answers; tne quesuou i
43
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