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The Commoner
VOL; W, ftO. 2
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IX"
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HThe Debt of the Allies
Tho cat is out. British authorities announce
that thoy proposed a cancellation debts among
tho Allies that Is, each of the nations was to
write "paid" on the obligations it holds. Our
govornraent wisely refused to enter into such an
agreement. Cancellation of, debts would mean
little to Groat Britain for she would be relieved
of her indebtedness to the United States on tho
ono sido, while on the other s do she w.uld be
releasing those who owo her. With us it would
tie ontiroly ono-sidod. Wo would cancol obliga
tions to the amount of nearly 10 billions and
roceivo nothing in roturn. This proposition is
entirely different from one I have been advocat
ing; namoly; that wo use tho debt TO PUR-
CHASE DISARMAMENT. If wo make ths can-
collation of the amount duo us dependent on
disarmament it can be used to so revise the
terms of tho treaty as to permit a lifting of the
burden of militarism from tho toilers of tho
, world. To use tho debt to purchase peace uni
.. vorsal and perpetual is ono thing to give it to
" the 'Allies to bo used in getting ready for an
other war would bo worse than wasting it. The
expenditure of such a sum by tho Allies on pro
' parednoss would bo used as an argument in favor
of incroasod expenditures on our army and
navy. If wo can purchase disarmament the
amount duo us would soon be saved in reduced
appropriations. W. J. BRYAN.
MAKING ANARCHISTS
In a single week wo find Senator Calder of
Now York declaring that the coal men have
robbed the public of a billion and a half of dollars
Xthat is protty strong for a senator from Now
York). Sugar men imitated for trying to corn
er tho molasses market, builders, material men
and labor leaders being indicted in Now Yorlc
and Chicago for conspiracy against the public,
a bill to regulate the packers passed by the
Senate after a ten years' fight against obstruc
tion, and a lumber combination being investi
( gated. V,A11 this plundering by big business ana
yet none of the guilty sent to the ponitontiary.
No wonder the anarchist crop grows. What are
you, going to do about it, Mr. Honest Business
,Mdn? Are you going to join with the plain
, people and stop this highway robbery, this de
fiance of law? Those are tho things that en
courage tho bandit and the burglar. If law is
to be onforced we must stop grand larceny as
.Well as petit larceny. W. J. BRYAN.
A WELCOME TO WEEKLIES
A progressive Democrat writes of his Inten
tion to start a weekly pa"per. Good. As a rule,
that is the only kind that can be kept Demo
cratic in the north. There should be such a
weekly in every county and in every state.
Democracy real domocracy, which means
progressive democracy must be known to be
accepted, and until we have a National Bulle-
tin to present both sides our party must rely
largely on tho weekly press. The Commoner
will gladly welcome all such papers they are
badly needed. And thoy afford the earnest ad
- vbcate of Democratic principles a splendid field
for service. w. J. BRYAN.
'
PROHIBITION IN SCOTLAND
The Associated Press reports that at tho re
cent election in Scotland 1,153,978 votes were
42'530 woro cast for prohibition, 19.
226 for limitation and 692,222 against any
change. While the majority against prohi
bition was considerable, the vote of 422,530 for
'.prohibition was surprising. If prohibition can
"SSUeS?01? Lhan one-third of the vote at tho
, FIRST olection we may expect a dry Scotland
in a few years. Some 447 licenses were can
colled. Good for Scotland.
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A GREAT MAN DEAD
On another page will bo found a brief Teport
Of -a memorial manflnfr hat , ri.ii. .
honor of General Gorgas. He was a really great
SSrw wilff- ouraseous' and as modest as
av child. His life was consecrated to service and
it was a very large service that he rendered
o ho world What he drew from sodeTj 'was
insignicant in comparison with the immensl
good he did. And his wife as a fitting Com
panion for such a man. y. J. BRYAN
rfif nhGm.?Cratic orSanl2ation is stranded a
rise in the tide may sot it afloat, but .it must
be remembered that the tide is furnished by tho
voters not by the officers on tho ship
BIG PROFITS
Tho "National Acceptance Journal" has an
article from a St. Louis business man from "which
the following Oxtract is taken:
"From every angle, trade and commerce seem
fairly nafo against radicalism and offer the most
wonderful opportunities for profit ever known in
commercial history. The United States is in tho
midst of domestic and foreign trade, the volume
of which is overwhelming Profits aro extraordi
nary. Turnovers of capital aro quick;, orders
easy to secure; the demand .often greater than
the supply. Tho game is exciting and, at the
same time, creditable and useful to mankind.
Men of great ability aro attracted by its magni
tude and profits. The genius that might have
built and successfully operated a railroad Is now
constructing a giant industrial plant, or building
a vast commercial enterprise, trading at home
and with the countries across the seas.
"Tho pecuniary rewards are greater than ever
derived from organizing and financing railroads
or trolley lines, but not so conspicuous and
therefore not so vulnerable. Probably no other
country and no other timo in all the commercial
eras of the past offered such wonderful oppor
tunities for business success and wealth."
Pecuniary rewards aro GREATER but not so
CONSPICUOUS and therefore not so VULNER
ABLE. It seems about time for another investigation.
The Cabinet
The President-elect s picking a cabinet a
business so personal that no one feels like mak
ing any suggestions. There aro three positions
which will have a groat deal to do with the
success of his administration secretary of state,
secretary of the treasury and the attorney-general.
The first will represent the President in
tho carrying out of the plan for am -Association
of .Nations -he should be favorable to interna
tional co-operation ns far as it can be carried
without a surrender of American rights. The
secretary of tho treasury will represent him
in matters of taxation and finance. It is import
ant that ho shall not fayor a transfer of tax
burdens from the rich to the poor and it, is also
important that he shall not turn the Federal
Reserve Bank system over to Wall street.
If the profiteers are to be punished and pro
hibition enforced the work "Will naye to be done
by the department of justice a strong man is
needed to do the work. There are Republicans
who meet the requirements ot these positions.
Will the President call them to his aid?
W. J, BRYAN.
JUDGE POLLOCK'S INTERVIEW
Whenever one criticizes a judge, he is usually
rebuked by those who are especially zealoud in
upholding the disnity of our courts. What will
thtfse self-appointed guardians of justice say
when a judge gives out a statement like the one
recently credited to Judge Pollock of the United
States District Court? He attributes the crime
wave to the prohibition law which carries out a
constitutional amendment and has been su
stained by the highest court in the land. The
men who are smuggling liquor into the United
States and selling it in violation of the law are
encouraged in their crime by a judge before they
may be brought for trial. Judge Pollock in ef
fect brings an indictment against the congress
that submitted national prohib'tionand against
the forty-five states that ratified the amendment,
as well as against the thirty-three sta.tos which,
by their separate action, adopted prohibition. It
is amazing that any man with standing enough
to secure a judicial position should bo guilty of
such inflammatory utterances. If Judge Pollock
desires to join in tho crus.ade for the restoration
of the saloon, with all its Iniquities, he ought to
resign. Ho has no moral right to use his office
for so base a purpose. W. J. BRYAN.
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U. S. DRANK LESS LIQUOR
"Whisky consumption in the" United States
decreased from 89,641,985 gallons In 193,7. to
5,581,533 gallons in 1920, the first year of pro
hibition under the constitutional amendment,
according to figures announced by 4he Anti
Saloon League of America, Consumption of al-
XyJioJn e same yeara decreased front 71,
081,121 gallons to 22,039,355 gallons the fig.
trnm foTio"6 consuPtion dropped
from 60,81,379 barrels of 9,231,280 barrels.
pI.Viaa?itl,lgi.it?at m.a,ny milIlon gallons of al-'
coho and whisky withdrawn for non-beverage
use have been diverted to beverage use said
an accompanying statement y the league 'and
granting that many m'llion gallons ofbeer have
been made an consumed illegally, a consent
fTn?,Jmate , shows tnat k People of The
United States have saved over one billion dollars
previously spent for beverage intoxicants "
A WORD TO STUDENTS '
Study is a letter of introduction to all that
man has recorded on the written page. It givel
one the companionship of books and th0 be?em
of the experience of others. "Time is monS$-Z
it is more valuable than moneyfor widely Lm
(and study is a wise use of in it uJl!t y setl
service, anlt increase v'ahTe lTi
DRINK BELL DECREASES
Prospects are reported excellent for the pas
sage of the Capper bill putting so high a tax on
all board of trade transactions that do not in
clude the actual delivery of the grain dealt in
that it will end gambling in farm products. The
idea that in order to find out what is a proper
price for the producer to receive for his wheat it
Ja necessary to have a lot of men selling what
they haven't got and what they do not actually
want in order to find out at how low a price they
can buy it back is dying hard but fast.
Congress has about decided to get along wjth
the same number of members of the lower liouse
that hate been the rule for the last decade. This
will result in a readjustment of membership as
between the states that will cause losses in sev
eral states, but we may depend upon tho Repub
lican legislatures that will do most of the. reap
portionment to seo that a good job of gerry
mandering -in the interest of -tho party in. power
is., done. , . '
Nearly a thousand bills have been introduced
in the Nebraska legislature, ajid tfcase embrace
almost every subject upon, which legislation has
been suggested. A number of them contain
promise of economic relief for thos6 who have
been the victims of organized greed. It will be
interesting to note just how little the peoplo
will get out of it. '
It comes with ill grace, from the wets of the
country to criticise the enforcement of the Vol
stead "act, when so many of the wet Democratic
politicians controlled the appointment of the
men to do the enforcing. In afraid in New York
the other day the man who was found in a room
dispensing the drinks had a badge as a law en
forcement officer.
The Anti-saloon League announces th.
B5,B& -frags g KSfo"4
MEN TOLD -MB, LORD
(1851-1921)
wv!i t0lm,me' ,rd' lfc was vale of tears
Where Thou hadst placed me, wickedness and
woe
S?iy 5a5 companions whereso I might go:
q?m,M tr?UJ ten ld tnree-Score weary yeara
5wJ ?inm?lG on boset by Pains and rears,
Fierce conflict round me, passions hot within
Enjoyment brief and fatal but in sn
W?npnai!nla ??deJ theiL should l dend
5? ?Hmunsayn from Tuine austere hand;
K h ?? Pltt!Ure' aU taxation. past,
ro be not just but generous at last.
Alirci?nda fi M three-score years and ten
Crossed Thv S5SirfUll;I V fou Though,
ha'rsLig'htf VallGyS' 8Cled Th cW
Borne all Thy burdens Thou dost lay on men
Sore11 T111' "e-aoore years Zd ten.
?w I henow I make my claim, O Lord!
What shall I pray Thee as a meet reward?
An8thatrTnnins!i Lot thQ balan fall! '
iM.fflSS' sssss-sssa?
AndLove n WonU7 ' inou Sav-'Btttn'e -bore,
anu- uoyq is Heaven's very atmosphere-
DAVID STARR JORDAN.
SUMEHS. Who 3a,r that prbnT:
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