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The Commoner
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NEWS ITEM: BRYAN BROTHERS TO REOR
4; GANIZE THE PARTY
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St. Louis Times.
, for rovonue only. Ho may - have overlooked
them, or decided against their importance at
this time.
These are a few of. the twenty-two planks of
' the platform Mr. Bryan offers. The platform
is loiigy and in part without the merit of vigor
ous challenge. But it contains a good deal of
challenge; and there are Democrats as well as
Republicans who may, and will, find in it some
thing to1 set, and keep, them thinking.
For a man three times defeated for the coun
try's groatost prize, Mr. Bryan keeps up his
interest in politics amazingly well, and evidently
intends to apply his best powers to the game
during the coming three years. Washington
Star.
REHABILITATING THE DEMOCRACY
The Bryan BrothersWilliam J. has taken
Charles into full partnership out in Lincoln
have issued a twenty-two plank program for the
rehabilitation of the Democratic party. It does
not matter what the twenty-two planks are. Any
twenty-two would do just as well, providing none
proposed a repeal of the eighteenth amendment,
the full enfranchisement of the Negro, or an alli
ance withy Great Britain.
There is nothing the matter with the Demo
cratic party except that it has lost elections and
is out of office. That will produce a change in
its activities but not a lessening of them. The
Democratic party is taking a seat by the edge of
.the ice to watch the Republican party do the
skating. It hopes and will continue to hope that
the ice breaks.
It has become the party of opposition and
criticism. There must be a party of opposition
and criticism, and Republicans think that the
Democrats wore providentially created for that
purpose and should remain at it. In this valu
able function the Democratic party will con
tinue, formulating a program as the Republicans
-open the way for one. No prophet, not even
Mr. Bryan, can tell the Jeffersonians What to do
to win back the purple and the pork chops. Thai
they will learn from the mistakes of the r op
ponents. Chicago Tribune. ' " p
REORGANIZATION OP THE DEMOCRATIC
J. ARX
Now there is a triangular light for control' M
ia, ?TC ??"??? ?!m'tte8,CaSd0con!
""lirr. .V""4" uVlUB Priy. The tWO fnrnno
gressivo elements of . all
parties, regardless of party,
seeking their union under
the democratic banner. Let
us review tf bit of history.
The widespread unrest
and dissatisfaction under
which the country is labor
ing is too obvious to permit
of doubt. This unrest ex
isted before the world war.
It has been aggravated, in
tensified, by the war. The
gravity of the situation is
such as to threaten even
the destruction of the gov
ernment itself. It is too
serious safely to permit in
difference. Unfortunately
among those whom the peo
ple have elected to place
and power, in executive and
legislative branches of the
government, are too con
tent with their own well
doing to have a care, if they
even see, the impending
clouds. There are
others who meet the grow
ing discontent by incite
ment to revolt, by endeavor
to create class prejudice be
tween man and manual la
bor. Others recognize the dis
content, Btudy its causes,
seek for its remedies, and
as the very first step, strive
to reconcile the discordant
'elements, bring together
the disunited, induce co-
operation where only con
tention exists.
Among these latter, we
have one who stands pre
eminent. To a lifetime of
study of political government and economic prob
lems he has added the indispensable supplement
(or corrective) of actual political experience.
And" neither to obtain power or prestige has the
one, to whom The Journal has alluded put his
party above the good and welfare of his "people
and country, browbeaten any one, cajoled an au
dience, deceived the electors, promised reVards
or immunities, flattered factional leaders, con
doned unworthy partisan methods, or sought for
the rights of his fellow citizens by any other
means than free, full, open and straiglit-forward
disruss'on of public measures. v
"Whether in the east or the west to the auto
crat or Democrat, to the capitalists or the la
borer, to the borrower or lender, he has always
spoken the same direct, uncompromising truth,
making no pretense to omniscience of infalli
bilitv, making no promise of universal panacea,
but bringing hoine to every separate element In
the community its special responsibility in bring
ing about the union of every interest throughout
the tjountry in the support of a government wili
ng and capable to correct any maladjustments
in the body politic, and secure to every citizen
his moral rights.
For a quarter of a century he has been in the
public eye, his.ev'ery act, private and public, has
been noted by Vess and friend and foe, and in
the meantime he has given time and labor to
the survey of the whole country, making himself,
as familiar with the needs and aspirations of
every section, south as well as north, the east
XS " E? thn W?8t'A the New Bngianfl as well as
SfffSlfiCua8states' as he har&hown him
self tb be within the narrow confines of his state
Learning, experience, open-mlndednoss, cour-
HfonfVea,rlG35 ?nd with othor essential quali
ties of head and heart, he has shown himself pe
culiarly qualified for the onerous task he hS
now undertaken to reorganize the Democratic
Z'JJ1? U back t0 life' aki it a facto?
iJa In ?0VGrninent in the future as in the
past, by a union of the forces of progressiv SS
the elimination of so-called "leadeS" and ill
substitution th for Qf priYa adopt
Platform of principles that will make "the ? iFartv-
SmaniS8tlfr ttT Can, be '" taS
mat man is William Jennings Bryan nnrt A
him are the people looking as the MoS's of f h
party. Montgomery, Ala., Journal e
THE DEMOCRATIC 1PART1T
vember would be a national calamity. This is
a government of parties under "the law, and the
friction- which they produce la. competition is
essential to good government.
The present undertaking of the -Democratic
official organization to prepare nowfor the fu
ture is based on a -wrong vision. It is a fight
between men of ambition, who are out to con
trol, and not a fight between opposing, principles.
The rank and file of the Democratic voters of
the country are not .interested in the victory of
any one of the three men, Cox, McAdoo and
Bryan, over the other two, and that" is just what
all this bother is about.
The defeat of the Democratic party last fall,
principally at the hands of its own membership,
was administered because Democratic leadership
had ceased to be Democratic. There is no place
for the Democratic party in this country unless
it deals with Democratic principles df control as
they have been preached since the days of Jef
ferson. There is no magic Jn the names of Cox,
McAdoo and Bryan unless they are linked up
with sound Democratic doctrine. The future' of
the Democratic party, therefore, depends upon
the revival of the doctrine and not the revival
of personalities. The nati'onal committee by
meeting and chucking out Cox's chairman and
chucking in McAdoo's chairman will not stir a
needed vote from one end of the country to tho
other. New Haven Journal-Courier ' (independent,)
KING COMMONER'S RETURN
The Bryan Brothers, William J-. .an:d' Charles
W., -are rather eager to take over the. Demo
cratic party. It is natural they should be. They
have found the Democratic party a mighty valu
able property. Through its proprietorship they
have accumulated a respectable heap of treasures
on earth, as well as distinction and, -.prestige.
So, on March,- the anniversary of Mr Bryan's
birthday, a" plan of reorganization is to;tbe an
nounced. The details have not yet-been dis
closed, but may they not lie, anticipated?- Surely,
therewill be aparamount issue. A' Bryan plat
form without a paramount Issue were a Dane
less Hamlet. Wall street will be depicted as a
crooked path which all true Demoprats will
shun. The forces of rum will :b& challenged.
Bimetallism may k rest undisturbed" " in its
cenotaph, but monomoralism the Bingle stand
ard will be paraded in full Bryanicals.
But what of the paramount issue? -Whatever
it may ostensibly appear, the paramount issue
will be the restoration of Mr-Bryan to imperial,
absolute leadership. Those who question the
JrBu0m,virtue and necessity of that article of
faith will not be accepted into lull fellowship.
Those who oppose it will be cast into the outer
darkness.
Is Mr. Bryan's ambition preposterous? Who
can say so? Is not Constantino back'in Athens?
is not Hungary looking Swissward Jcindly tow
ards a pendant Hapsburg ljp? Are the Hellenes
and the Hungarians unique in. their fidelity to
royalty? Is not this love of Kings a common
human failing? '
TnAn3J0W' a lot of Democrats have, worshipped
King Commoner. And a good many otthem are
still ready to throw their hats in the air as his
eloquent majesty rides back triumphantly from
that obscurity of a Lusitania's May.St. Louis
Post-Dispatch.
go.ng directly alter tho t.t 7i.V. to.r.COi Every thoughtful ..in,., i xc. ... ;.
to capture it, are those of -Cox and 'iSZlT8 sircs " reorganization lot "the Dem ? T
The one adopting different methods is lyC ft hasis o t"'UtPand -SSSggjffi?-.ho
is appealing direct to the dissaUsTrol SeavSTZ tSSS
MR. BRYAN AS DEMOCRA
There are Democrats who resent Mr. Bryan's
infvnc ,e Hlernc?- ThBy do not concern them-
II u Wh? terms' but with thVfact, that
i wBtill. consider biraself free to advise
' as .to Democratic policies.
What right has he to do so? The weight
plfS'ftwT861' thrwn against
frnmi8 "Cl,cet last year- H keW aloof
?J JS e Pn. He made, no speeches. His
Sn thftUS,iha5 lf. th? Party made its aPPeal
Snotr? w ?? treaty ,!J would be defeated was
rov th?, opPsitin. and frequently after
Gov. Cox's call at the white house.
navan,n' a,U of iL.And fc M- Brya& as a
Peew TH i?Val.,Wltl5In' Wa rShts :all; ' along.
Feeling as .he did about the peace treaty and
rtVHoXLrneCOrd aa a wet owed T to the
Soli wasTaS. " be'6 party
VtnY11?? the pary ttcted indefla,nce,o his ad"
Hofcmiiii i, v Tw 'hi suuNiy.nimsen.
ft? .23ftLS'2 "? ? f e man
'-nor JivrtA. . . "";"'' P1 tie .presidency,
- sffiiWiga-wit's; Sftbr tto
ovot " h7aL' ""i1 a De"?t all right. More
over, he haa shown himself, possessed or
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