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The Commoner
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Answer to Criticism
My suggestion, that tho President, by resign
ing, haBton our nation's entrance into the Abbch,
elation of Nation (to which President-Elect ,
Harding Is pledged) and at the same time avail t
himself of the opportunity to give more attention
to Jiis health, has boon widely commented on in
this country and in Europe, While the plan has
bean heartily indorsed by many, it ban called
forth some bittor criticism, t
tfirst. It haaJjoon doBcribod in the headlines
as a DEMAND for tho President's resignation;
Thosfc who took the pains to road what I said
need not bo reminded that it was meroly a sug
gestion, .pupportel by tie roasonstherof-r.
Second. Some havo charged mo with attack
ing a siok man, It was hot an attack but art
explanation of a way by which tho President
could conserve his strength and atttie same time
advance a cause very doar to his' heart. It .is
hardly fair to tho President, to claim for him
immunity from criticism wboj. ho, by continuing
in office, announces to the country that ho con
siders himself well enough to discharge the dfl ,
HUB Ui. UJB B" uiv.w. -u.u (" vw w" 'i-"
jP The Commoner 'tl
fr" , wishes a 3k
f. Merry Christmas
' HappyNewYear J
jk to Everyone, Every- Wf
Tff where, and For-1 jS
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Leadership v
ARMAMENT because we are not members of the
league. As the President can not carry, out the
plan, to which President-elect Harding is pledged,
and as Mr. Harding is powerless to do anything.
iinM'K nffor Mnvnh 4 tho wnrlrl must. wait. DIS-
entiugh to hold office and yet not bo well enough, , ARMAMENT is the crying demand of the hour;
to be criticized,?
Third. The charge that I was actuated by a
spirit of rovetigo, if worthy of any attention at
all, is answered by the 'service that I havo ren
dered him sincd my resignation. I helpod to re
oleqt him In 1016, making more spoeches than
any other public man (campaigning for seven
weeks in nineteen states) ; 1 made more speeches
than any other public man in Support of tho ad
ministration during the wax. I made more
speeches than any other,, public man in :avor of
RATIFICATION WITHOUT RESERVATIONS,
evter suggesting a compromise until it became
evident that compromise Was necessary , to rati
fication, At San Francis, I tried, to save him,
the 'party apd the league from the defelf that
has 1 0vertaken them, .and 'now T, anl trying to
cusliibn liis fall. No kindlier suggestion has ,
been made oi Will o ntadq, , - ..
Fourth. orao have characterized the sugges
tion as cruel. HoW-can tho advice tliat he jic
quiesce in the will of the people, expressed aT.
the polls, bo regarded as cruel? 'Hqw can it bo
Regarded aS cruel to Suggest that he save the
Jives of thousands by giving our nation a chance
to efcert AT ON 2 its influenco for the preven-,
tlon of war? Within ten days the President has
declined to allow this nation to take part in the
discussion of; disarmament jecauso we are not in
tho loagua. Two and half months more before
our nation can 3 its influence. ,.
Fifth. Some ridicule the suggestion as ab
surd, and yet we are about the only great nation,
having a H parliamentary government, that do33
not provide for an IMMEDIATE change in ad
ministration when a vote of confidence is refused
by parliament. AT THE LATE-ELECTION THIS '
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE WAS REFUSED BY
, THE. PEOPLE THEMSBVL133." It will not be
long before this nation will follow the example
of i other governments and. shorten tho time be
tween elections and the commencement of the ,
Presidential Terra, Before Ion,g the President
will be inaugurated In January. President Wil
son might havo recommended the change and
emphasized the recommendation by offering to
tosigUt But the overzealous friends who have
encouraged him to xnakethe mistakes, that
cloud the settinr of his Bun now rail at anyone
who tries to help him out of the mire into which,
he has fallen.
The reasons given for the . suggestion still
stand and no critic has been able to answer them.
First, resignation would Jiasten tho carrying out
of the people's decree and make it posi'ble for
our nation to enter at once into an a'ssociafjon
of nations. Second, it would enable tho Presi
dent to laY aside the burdens of office and devote '
Ms attentions to his health. Third, it would re
lief e him of a thrco months' cqnflict with a hos-
our governments helplessness makes an amend
ment necessary.
LIBELLING THE JEWS
The libel that is being- circulated against the
Jews, based on the so called protocols, is ab
surd as well as cruel. It is astonishing that
anyone would build upon an anonymous pub
lication an indicimdritjagainst one of the great
est races in history "
I have read the protocols' carefully and believe
that they were either manufactured by an
enemy of the Jewish people or written by an
Insane fanatic, more probably the former. 'If, .
as seems less likely, they represent the im
aginings, of an unbalanced brain, it is grossly
unfair to charge them up against the Jews in
general. ' The diabolical character of the plot .
is onough to stamp it as either fraudulent or
foolish. No such conspiracy could be planned
by any considerable number, not to spek of
the Impossibility of carrying it out. It would
require the joint effort, of all tho leaders of the
race to make it areal conspiracy, and what
representative . Jtew in the whole world would
be suspected of contemplating sudh.a, crime? .
I have the pleasure of knowing quite intl v
mately, many prominent Jews, among them (only- "
to mention a few). Justice Brandies, tif the Sus,
preme, Court, the great lawyer, Samuel Unter
meyer, tho eminent jurist, Judge Mack, Nathan r
Strauss, the world famed philanthropist, and
his brother Oscar, equally distinguished as a
diplomat and peace advocate; Rabbi Wipe, fear-
less preacher of righteousness; Julius Rosen
wald,. business man and. humanitarian; Ambas
' sador Morganthau, who recently represented the
United States at Constantinople; the two Kahnsr,
Otto and Julius; Bernard Baruca, Sigmund
Zelsler, A. jT Ellas, etc, etc.
Would any Jewish plan amount ,to, much' in
this country without tho support of these rep
resentatives of the ,race? And what Christian
wuld be "more prompt than they to expose anfd
denounce such a conspiracy it evercame to
their notice?' r
The libel, while irritating, can not do any
permanent harm; it will soon be, forgotten.
'-.,; ' W. J. &ELYAN.
The air is full of rumors as to LEADERSHIP
in the Democratic party. One faction insists that
President Wilson is still leader; lanothetiaction
Insists that Candidate Cox Will remain the leader
for four years; still another faction- insists oi
new leaders. It is a waste or time; the party's
real noed is members. Leaders. are not created
by position: they are "hot "ox-officio'.' leaders.
Neither are permanent leaders chosen bj?, con
ventions Candidates are nominal leaders dur
ing the campaign andT officials are nominal lead
ers While in office, but REAL leadership" "Is an
entirely different thing. Former 'Governor
Oglesby of Illinois is credited with defining a
leader as "ONE WHO IS GOING IN THE SAME
DIRECTION AS THE PEOPLE AND A LITTLE
BIT AHEAD.' No one can lead unless he has the
people with him, and they will not be with .him
unless he is going THEIR way. The 'VOMERS
will select nominal leaders as theyare needed,
but tho real leaders are the ones who suggest
the best policies at the right time. , y" ,
The laws prpyide for the selection ot a com
mitteemen in nation, state aid couny.ilThey
strengthen the party just in so laf as they, faith
fully reflect the will of their constituents, but
they "do not always dd this. The special interests
are alert; they never sleep. They work their
representatives into these places of influence
and these mqn mere agents of predatory wealth
betray their constituents. The Democratic
national committee contains representatives, of
nearly all the big interests; it is time to:have
a housecleaning. The Democrats in ech tstate
should examine the financial connections of their
committeeman, and every man. who ia NOT .
ABOVE SUSPICION should be retired anda
trustworthy man selected in Jbls place.- - , o
The traveling expenses . of committeemen
should be paid; we cannot afford to limit mem-
bership on the National "committee to the rich.
IT IS' UN-DEMOCRATIC. The people must be
able to select representatives on meit ahdnot
xm-a pocketbcok basis. The chairman- of the
national committee should be paid a, salary suf
ficient ta enable a competent man to giverhi
entire time to' committee work, The party" cannot
make the preparation necessary for .the'next
campaign unless the organization is in1 the
hands of real Democrats who are free to fight
the. people's' battles. W. J, BRYTn ,
' WHY NOT?' ' " ' ' '
The Washington. Star prints the following:,,
t "A bill-forbidding all American fclti tens. abroad
in offices cbntrolled by the United States'' 'from
serving liquors at public or official functions has
been prepared for introduction by Senator Jones
of Washington. The bill is broad enough In
its terms, it is believe'd, 'to cover th, embassies
q the United States abroad as well as. the con
sular offices. The bill; is framed particularly
with reference to "United States consular offices
in China.k ' ;';
Why. not? Why Should .our nation, encourage
abroad a practice which it prohibits at home?, A
s sober diplomacy is good enough' for theOtJnlled
States. , -r'
- . REACTION IN EUROPE
Greece has recalled her king by tya overwhelm
ing majority (08 per cent of th& vqte). This is
a remarkable manifestation of rdacon; it i
ominous. Will the Kaiser be the 'next king to
be recalled? The right of self-determination is
sound doctrine, but the application of it isnot
always pleasing to the friends of democracy.
ttfe congress encouraged by a, popular endorse- v Progress doo3 not move at a steady pace; it has
W. J. BRYAN.
ment.,
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V" . .'"A DANGEROUS INtTJBJRIr " - '
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On' another page will be found an editorial fiom
tho Chicago Tribune calling attention to the
need for ah amendment to the constitutipn mak
ing the presidential term begin soon after the
lection. It is worthy of perusal; the needwhich.
it describes is imperative Following the Trib
une editorial WJH lie found the President's refus
al to send delegates to , the conference on DIS-
the. irregularity of the rising tide, but the world
is not going back permanently and our nation
must;do what it can to prevent even .a temporary
setback. ' o -
CHANGING THE SUBJECT
CHICKENS COMING JEOME WQ BOOST
The middlemen Who. weje plundering ;their
patrons without conscience or thought of tho
tuture are now coming to light. .Adopting the
motto, MEasy come, easy go," they splurged in
the day of plenty and in the day of adversity'
they are ' udt getting any' large i amount of
sympathy. "Be sure your sin will flncL you out."
'" I i m i .j in; f !,
' , .PRESIDENT WINS PEACE SUISSE " .. '
The President has earned the Nobel -I Peace,
Prize just- Awarded him. 'His wqrkin behalf ,pf
peace has been his most conspicuous achievV
ment. It Was his administration fcliat gave' to
the world the peace plan embodied' first in thirty
treaties and then made part of the league of na
tions. The doctrine, 'Investigate before you
fight," will Jive whether( the world acts through
a league of nations pr an association of pations .
xne euucaonaiwork thp, president .has dong foe
.. -'v' ' .LV K' ., peacP in- connection with fhe league entitles hiju
The. Democrats w.hp are respQnsible fort.the1( to a.permanept place ampng the $reat pear-e;? ad-,
, platform, and the Qonduottoi: the campaign spend, , vocates of hfstory, even th.o.ugh his orefpsai to an-.
thsrfr time denouiRiiHlWhose who are not re- cept the proposed reservations denied him his
sponsible for the disaster instead of, trying, to ex- rightful place at the head ot thet greatest of in
plain the defeat,, ternational tribunal W. J, BRYAN.
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