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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1921)
wy y "H'fM p'ki laii-mwi wi.ni iilii im w "BT" "jor?" f"9!r' v i-';, RTHif"1 .-!(? 'n.5, -"" ' ' " . ' " '"-"J""!" " "' " . ' ,U LV "- - . "", : ' ' 1 THi Commoner '" - ' :-:?';f: WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR ' - -W . .. - - - -. . : - JL. 21, NO.l Lincoln, Nebraska, January, 4921 Whole Hiimber 741 . . a The Farmers Condition ' U . t. yd following letter from a prominent farmer llefallirestern State discloses a very serious -con- 'that demands serious attention: U. am writing you in regard to the Wheat JWers' Association. Do you think the pliers can make a success in organizing, Swould you Drefer "Government control of W price of wheat and other commodities? wl am a farmer, and a subscriber of The raimoner, and I favor Government control lit can .be obtained. ,1 raised 40,000 , lels of "wheat this year and at the pres-' ' (time I cannot get the cost of production. wThe International Harvesting company binders last year for $300.00, and sent. rd the other day of a 20 per cent raise. tat will become of the farmer if there ijt some adjustment made? KjSThefe aro hundreds of farmers on the siflc coast facing bankruptcy-at. present. IpYour opinion would be ' appreciated' e Wheat Growers association is legitimate . Plprove vot:mM$$:? he Jarjejgbutt rell to understand the' farmer's handicap; as tared with large manufacturers. Th& farm- are too numerous to permit of the forming fin effective combination for the limiting of action or for the holding of crops. Farm- i annlafloc) Afin nrwlonf onrl 1lrrlnilfA 1tvfiitnn ; arouse public sentiment and exprt political Ojjuence in the farmer's behalf, but they can. not rm a trust. Manufacturers are comparatively in number and can combine for the lfiiiit- ,of the output and for the fixing 0f the price; ice, tne rarmer is uie vicum or. an comoma- s without being able to protect himself' ef jtively by combination. Legislation is-his hope and his only security. tt now he may and should be protected from )0 sudden a return to pre-war prices; Jtie ,wm fbt complain of changes that are NATURAL and 2NERAL, but he SHOULD complain of, artl- tcial fluctuation in the price of his products and h a depression in price that does not include Ehe things that he must buy. The farmer feeds the "world andthe govern ment protects ALL when it assures liim, . as' it "Should, of a tfric3 that will guarantee a sufficient food supply. There should 'also be legislation tr&'goinst gambling in his products. It would seem "incredible, if it were-not an actual fact, that con gress would for a single day. permit a few. specu lators to make fortunes by selling and buying grain .which they do not own, and never expect to accept or deliver, ' ' If the farmers will take the trouble to bom bard their senators and congressmen yfith spediflc demands they can get what they need In the' way of legislation. The law recently passed over the President's veto is an illustration of this. , If the Harvester company is overcharging the' 'facts should be brought before the Trade commissi jm. It would seeni unnecessary ,to rajsJ9p'ricesnow when the trend of prjceste downwajoVfr J ' ' "; '-.""".. W. JBRYAN. Deserve to Win Then Organize The day is past when the liquor machines and Wall Street interests of the large cities can successfully dictate to the great moral majority of the nation. Make the Demo cratic party deserve to win, then organize for the coming-struggle. The Republican party, as organized, officered and controlled can not bring content and prosperity to the masses the reaction will come fast ana emphatic. Democrats, progressives and in dependents should meet, confer, plan and outline legislative needs, municipal, state and national. The Commoner desires to hear from those who will undertake to help -rehabilitate the party in their respective counties . and states. ' - . K mtiti4': You have to deal with an IMMEDIATE -need. Each state should have a Trade commission pat terned after the Federal Trade commission, and each community should be authorized I) create such a local commission when it desires to do so. The Federal Trade commission ca-- attend to trade conspiracies and profiteering when they operate throughout the nation, but this com mission has neither time nor authority for local wrong doing. The state must look after trade combinations and profiteers operating wholly WITHIN the state and each county and munici pality should have power to deal with injustices that are purely local. Publicity may be sufficient at least it is the easiest remedy to try, and ex perience with this remedy will point the way. to such other remedies as may be needed. Every merchant and manufacturer has the courts at his command; he can collect his accounts by judicial process, but the purchaser has at present no tribunal before which he can call the extortioner and the profiteer. Why this one-sidedness? Be cause the middlemen have more Influence than the masses. The masses should demand and the legislators should provide state and local trade commissions. ' W.J.BRYAN,-. The Commoner's "":" 21st Year '- Jn its initial issue, January 2.3, 1901,'ie Commoner published the following statemehtsIn its dedicatory editorial: ( The name has been selected for this paper because The Commoner will endeavor to aid the common people in the protection of their rights, the advancement o- their, inter ests and ,the realization of their aspirations.- ' The Commoner will be satisfied if, ,. by fidelity to the common people, it proved its right to the name which has been chosen. These statements have oeen repeated from time to time on recurring anniversaries, and aro repeated now, at the beginning of The Common er's 21st year of publication, as an evidence of its purpose to dedicate itself anew to the solemn pledges made in its initial issue, and, also, to ta hounce its intention to outline a new construc tive program, national, state and municipal, tot the betterment of the common, people. The de tails of this program are being worked out, an 'lftvbe",annouridedA in a- later fiesue.- '1 'telh'fV flcient to say that this program will embody many now remedies for the correction of glaring -evils and gross injustices of the present day. During the twenty years of its publication, The Commoner has witnessed the fruition of a large number of needed reforms which it has ad.i vocated. It can truthfully be said that more has been accomplished for the common people in the past twenty years than during the entire half century preceding. These accomplishmenFs have been so substantial in character as to give re newed hope for greater things in the immediate future. . The Commoner is proud of the part it has played in helping to bring about the great re forms of the past two decades. The god;d- that it has been able to accomplish has been made pos sible by the steadfast cooperation of its readers in extending its circulation in their communities, and for their hearty, support at critical periods of the fight. To this loyal band we wish to, ex press our gratitude and assurance" of the un ceasing advocacy of Democratic principles in an effort to protect the masses from exploitation. ' COtfGRlCSS, ATTENTION! What are you going to do with American: citizens who go into British; Mexican or Cuban territory to Jind a base of operations against'the prohibition laws of the United States? They should at least lose their citizenship. Punish them and then we shall be in position to protest against such Use of foreign territory by for eigners. J Retailers report that Christmas shopping was not so- great in volume as the previous year,'but that profits .remained much Hhe , same. . Xiie figured it out from ftie price. sheets thaj?wasthe intenthm. " ' '" v " ' ' ' s -'A..'- PROFITEERING CONTINUES .-., Investigations are revealing profiteering so flagrant and conscienceless that it is hard to understand why congress dges not. act (see, coal; jjrices, for instance). Instead of protectingrtli.e .people from the profiteers congress is now ..con sidering the repeal of the excess profits tax r'a gift of a billion to the profiteers. While congress is investigating coal profiteers and lumber profiteers, it might be well to turn the searchlight on the new combination of prof iteers recently organized as the National Pros perity Bureau. Its announced purpose is to pur iuade the public to buy at present prices, which would seem to be an organized effort tp.prevent the reductions necessary. '" "'" " , - J-i'