I The Commoner
- ' - WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
WVOL. 21, NO. 5 Lincoln, Nebraska, May, 1921 Whole Number 745
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Disarmament
'he United States is in a position to render
calculable service to the cause o universal
tee. The nations of Europe, gory with the
Eood of war and bent to the earth under the
Sttrden of militarism and navalism, are power-
js to emancipate themselves from the false
Systems that have brought woe upon them.
The United States, and the United States alone,
Bntn furnish the leadership necessary for their
siease. The figures which represent the policy
if preparedness in this country, as well as in
trope, are appalling. The expenditures of the
Hiding nations for army and navy todajr. are
iveral times as great as in 1913.
Br y ,
pur government should immediately invite all
nations to join it in prpgressive disarmament
land and sea, with -a view to the reduction of
lies and navies until they will represent a
ie sufficient only for the preservation of do-
itic order and the policing of the seas. If all
tions cannot , be -brought4nto an agi;eem,ent wo
Lould co-operate with such natlgns'as w,ill join
s and'goasfar as 'they cambe -persuaded to go
to United States should 'stand for the maximum t
disarmament for all that can be secured and'
ithe earliest possible moment.
ypur nation should do even more. If other na-
tums will not join us, we should have the faith
the courage to set an example by acting
5pne, if necessary. We should call Upon the
tassesfhroughout the world to urge their gov-
uiments into disarmament. The professional
Soldiers and the navy heads in the old world
m hardly be expected to lead in such a move-
int. Their business tends almost irresistibly
5 create in them an exaggerated idea of the
:essity for force, just as their separation from
ie producing masses makes them less sensitive'
the weight of the people's burdens. The mak
ers of munitions men who feel that they have
vested interest in carnage are still powerful
i& the European capitals. These will, of course,
oppose reductions. We cannot afford to allow
Coreign militarists and folreign manufacturers.
S decide our nation's policy on so vital a.. ques
tion. The masses cry out for relief and need
nmly a standard around which to gather. Le
ie United States raise the "standard. Let the
mill be issued in the name of humanity; in the
Fame of brotherhood and it should be issued
fefore the threat of universal bankruptcy drags
the question down to a, money level and makes
a matter of "stern necessity. -,
Let the appeal be made to the conscience of
the world before it becomes necessary to make
ft to the world's pocketbook.
If -The churches of the United States should in
cite the churches of alienations to unite in 'peti
tions to. their governments and in prayer to God
tor aid in putting an end to.he scourge of war.
ition should be immediate, universal and con
tinuous. Our motto should be: "Disarmament
-by agreement if possible, by example It neces-
i
THE WAGES OP SIN
- The Commoner does not bring before its read
ers news items that relate to infidelity on the
part of husbands or wives, but it would neglect
an opportunity to serve the cause of morality it
it failed to call attention to the punishment re
cently visited on one of the most prominent
business men of New York because of charges
affect'ng his moral character." He instituted
proceedings for divorce on Statutory grounds
and his plea would have caused no sensation but
for a counter charge that brought the same ac
cusation against him. In society some took his
side and some the side of his wife, but in the
business world he became an impossibility. His
bank at first refused to accept his resignation,
but a little later reconsidered and accepted. He
steps down from the presidency of the nation's
biggest bank to fight out his domestic quarrel
as a private citizen. "The wages of sin Is death."
Public opinion will not tolerate a lowering of
the standard of chastity; the family is still sa
cred and he advent of woman into politics is
likely to bring the law into harmony with con-scJerice-T-nbt'by
degrading woman but by raising
man- to her level. W. J. BRYAN.
. ".PACKERS. BLAME BUTCHERS'
On another page will be found a Washington
dispatch which will be read with interest. Presi
dent Brown of the Live Stoclf Exchange says
the butchers are charging excess profits and .-he
gives the figures to prove it; Hogs and cattle
are down to pre-war prices. The meat markets
should be notified they seem to be ignorant
of the fact.
There should be a trade commission in every
.state and in every city. The charges of the
middleman are intolerable.
W. J. BRYAN.
AMERICA IN CONSULTATION
r
President Harding has acted wisely in "ac
cepting the invitation of the Allies to send a
representative to confer on world politics. Our
representative is not to have a vote and our na
tion is not to be bound by action taken. That
is as it should be. We give them the benefit of
our wisdom and experience but we -do not sur
render independence of action. s
W. J. BRYAN.
isary
W. J. BRYAN.
DISARMAMENT NOW
Senator Borah and Senator Pomerene are
right in their efforts to secure immediate action
. on the subject of disarmament. We can not af
ford to wait a day. , Every hour adds to the
burden of armaments; every contract postpones
- reduction. Eyery Democrat in the Senate and
' House should talk and vote for disarmament
disarmament NOW. Disarmament by agree
ment if possible, by example if nece'ssary.
W. J. BRYAN.
Dollar a year men are reported as being very
numerous around Washington at the present
time. Theyare anxious, however, to draw sal
aries ranging fron five thousand a year upwards.
Shifting The Burden
Now that Secretary Mellon has made his rec
ommendations the lines can be drawn on the
question of taxation, Ho advocate's the repeal
of the excess profits tax and a flat rate of fif
teen per cent on all corporate incomes. That
relieves the profiteer and shifts the burden over
on to the small corporations, most of which
have dealt honestly with the public. The peo
ple will not stand for it. The word EXCESS
explains the tax on profiteers; the tax is in
tended to take a part of that which the prof
iteers should not have collected from the con
sumers. It was intended partly for revenue and
partly to discourage excessive charges. To take
it off- will encourage profiteering; to increase
the tax on all corporations will discourage
legitimate business.
The secretary also recommends a reduction
in the large surtaxes but does not propose a
reduction in the lower rates. He suggests .that
the maximum rate should be 40 per cent this
. yqar'and 3& X,-3 jpeit pent ,, riext yejuv-This is one
thifd oji o Ljthojowneni of" big incomes without
relief, to the poor. It will hardly pass. Soaud
Democrat will propose a horizontal reduction
on all income tax rates then watch the roll
call. One-third of the Americans live on farms
and farm prices have been deflated. Wheat,
cprn, oats, hogs, cattle and eggs are selling at
pre-war -prices, but'the farmers can not buy much
more than half as much with the money re
ceived for their crops. If any one needs a little
favoritism the farmer surely does, but instead
of favoritism he gets discrimination against
him. The masses must be on the alert the re
actionaries are at work.
W. J. BRYAN.
PROHIBITION GROWS
f Ontario has gone dry by 200,000 majority.
That, dries up the Canadian border for a long
distance. New York has passed a law in har
mony with the Volstead law; so has New Jersey.
Soon Great Britain, Mexico and Cuba will be
asked to withdraw protection rfom smugglers,
and Americans goiiig from this country to join
in conspiracies against our prohibition and other
laws will be -denied the privilege of returning.
Prohibition grows.
W. J. BRYAN.
THE LIQUOR QUESTION
Chairman Volstead has introduced a bill to
close the leak in the enforcement law made by
the Palmer ruling. It will prevent the use of
beer as a medicine and limit the uge of wine
and alcohol for medicinal purposes. Volstead
is right. The medical profession, one of the
noblest, would be degraded by the Palmer rul
ing; a wave of general debility would sweep
over the country; men would have to pretend
.sickness in order to get a drink and the more
they drank the sicker they would be. Stop the
leak. w. J. BRYAN.
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