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The Commoner
VQI,:21, NO. 5
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The Commoner
ISSUED BfONTHLY
Entorcd at the Poatofflce at Lincoln, Nebraska,
an noeond-clasH matter.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, CHARLES W. BRYAN,
Editor and Proprietor Associate ICd. and Publisher
Edit. Ilmn and Business Ofllce, Suito 207 Press Bldg.
One Yenr 91.00
Six Mouth RO
In Clubs o Five or
moro per year ... .76
Three Mnnthn 2J
Single Copy ....... .10
Sample copies Free.
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IUQNKWAIjS Tho date on your wrapper shows
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Jariuary 21 means that payment has been received
to and including tho issuo of January, 1921.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Subscribers requesting
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Address all communications to
THE COMMONER, LINCOLN, NED.
I
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGE
MENT, ETC., HEatURED DY THE ACT OF
CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1012
of The Commonor, published monthly at Lincoln,
NobraSka, for April 1, 1921. .
State of Nebraska ) M
County of Lancaster )
Boforo mo, a notary public in and for tho stato
and county aforesaid, personally appeared Chas. W.
Bryan, who, having been duly sworn according to
law, deposes and says that ho is tho publisher of
Tho Commoner, and that tho following Is, to tho
best of his knowledgo and belief, a true statement
of tho ownership, management, etc., of the aforesaid
publication for tho date shown In the above caption,
required by the Act of August 24, 1912,'ombodled in
section 443, postal laws and regulations, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of tlie pub
lisher, editor, associato editor, and business man
agers are:
Publisher: Charles W. Bryan. . . .Lincoln, Nebraska
Editor: William Jennings Bryan. .Lincoln, Nebraska
Associato- Editor; Charles W. Bryan. .Lincoln,' Nebr.
Business Managers: None.
2. That tho owner Is: William Jennings Bryan,
Lincoln, Nebraska.
3. That tho known bondholders, mortgagees, ana
other security holders holding 1 per cent 'or more
of tho total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other
securities are: None.
-CHAS. W. BRYAN, Publisher.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 21st day
of March, 1921.
M J. R. FARRIS, Notary Public.
(My commission expires July 19, 1924.)
It has now got to the point where it is a close
race between the vigilant policeman and tho
alert undertaker which gets hold of i;he man who
still persists in drinking the fearful concoctions
the moonshiners and the bootleggers dispense.
Old Dr. Tariff is again down at Washington
with his little bag of cure-alls. He is doubtless
much distressed by the refusal of that section of
big business that has made up its mind that if
it wants to sell goods abroad America must buy
goods abroad to accept his prescription.
Farm implements manufacturers announce
with a considerable flourish that they have re
duced prices from 10 to 15 per cent. This" ought
to bring joy to those farmers who are getting:
30 cents for corn that a year ago brought five
times that and a dollar for wheat that was more
than double that figure.
Possibly the bankers who aro so indignant
because the farmers refuse to sell their stored
grain the present low prices might have em
ployed their emotional powers with greater
effect had they used it on those of their city
fSE"? Wh mkes !t vory Profitable prac
tice to finance the speculators responsible for
slump in farm products' prices.
The newspapers aro beginning to run nronn
ganda of the profiteering cpal operatprs and"
dealers now that the season for laying in next
winter's supply of coal has again come' armm?
The story is to effect that there wfilta ann?w
coal famine The same trick was played last
year, and before the winter was over a KrSt
surplus ot coal had been accumnintn, i Jt at
pie should not fall f or the tr?cT Pe0
Voters To Choose
Party's Nominees
(By Olin W. Kennedy in News-Democrat,
Georgetown, Ohio.)
Miami, Pla., April 27.-Shortly after tho
, election last fall I heard considerable specula
tion in Ohio as to what course the Democratic
party should take to get on its feet nationally.
The result of the election seemed to have been
a surprise to many Ohio Democrats, although
tho result had been forecast several weeks be
fore in the east. The only way I could account
for this was the high regard in which Governor
Cox was held and the faith Ohio Democrats had
in his running ability.
It is now apparent that the leaders who made
Governor Cox the party's candidate for the
presidency will not be tho dictators of the nomi
nee in 1924. The rank and file of the party
will take more of a part in selecting the nominee,
since it is generally conceded that Governor
Cox suffered more from them than on his own
account.
During the season just closed in this tropical
city- many Democrats of influence in northern
states gathered for the benefits to be derived
from the climate. They didn't have much else
to do but to sit around beneath the palms and
talk politics. The trend of their observations
was that the party would be benefited by the
dethronement of the big bosses.
Soriie of these northern Democrats hereto
fore have played in with the bosses, but they
seem ti have come to their senses. Inhere was
considerable talk among them of letting the
people have their- choice. This was a confession
that the people had not been given much say
in the past.
BACK TO FUNDAMENTALS
When one talks of the "people" it is diffi
cult to determine just what "is meant. The
best I could deduct was that, the former friends
of the bosses were willing for the next Demo- -cratlc
nominee to be selected at state primaries.
One trouble is that tho people-seldom bother
about politics or nominees until the game has
been rigged up by the bosses and the slate pre
sented for their o. k. About the only way for
the people to get anywhere in the way of choos
ing their own candidates fs for them to start
early and stir up sentiment for someone before
the bosses get busy. A dozen influential men
in each county could, in two or three years,
create a wholesome movement for progressiv-
"StT1.?116 ?arty and for a Popular candidate.
William J. Bryan lives here. He retains his
residence in Nebraska, but there are some signs
.that he may finally make Florida his voting
I have been a guest at Mr. BrySn's home on
two or three occasions, have talked with him
on the street and he has called on me at my
office other than to suggest that The pany
must be reorganized within itself and by its
own members, I have not heard -Mr. Brvan inti
mate in the slightest that he wrfSSTto leaded
ship otherwise than as a. lay member.
BRYAN ONLY SMILES
But among the Democrats who have bean
visiting here the remark is often hear? Mr
Bryan is in his prime, only sixty-one T years of
??,' i WlH be hard frora m When
callers have suggested to Mr Brvan tw I
.mighty be the nominee in 1924 l7X Al
n resnhowbj sn? tW
Democrat with the people nn.1? tG stronfest
since 1896, it xnlghtTot h 15 eCam?ai8ns
?iognSe8tItthhats nG iS SSoS S
enforcgementmwiri ZyelX Wbltlon
within the next fouryea?s A th?0litCal issue
slightest possibility of tho IwmS is not the
ment being repealed SlTtworaeaif"
enforcement or non-enforCfimof are open
effect, means enforcement
of law. No one can question where MrSgard
would stand on that issue Mr Bl7au
EXPECT FARMERS ACTIVE
Mr. Bryan's strongest support rL ,
been among the farmers orSK couX? The
troubles of the farmers have been more acuta
within tho last six months than at any timo
within the last 24 years. The average farmer
attended pretty much to his plowing in tho
past and allowed the politically inclined farm
ers to organize parties. The" time has come
when they realize that it -would have been better
for them to have stopped plowing a few daya
and given their timo to politics. .And, if all
signs are not wrong, that is what they are go
ing to do the next few years. It may be that
they will again tunr to Mr. Bryan.
Mr. Bryan remained in Miami all winter
with Mrs. Bryan, who is a semi-invalid. Thoy
have a beautiful home on the bay. The gates
are always wide open for visitors. Mr. Bryan
responds in person to the knocker on the door.
This is quite different from other places near'
him, Where the gates are closed and visitors
are warned not to enter. He will bo in the
north soon and is scheduled for a number ot
addresses in Ohio. It may.be that some of my
Ohio friends who aro closer to him than I am
can get an expression out of him as. to the fu
ture. I am sure it would be to the benefit ot
many southern Ohio Democrats to take his ad
vice on the reorganization of the party.
SECRETARY MEIiLON'S TAX
The Wall Street Journal does not wholly ap
prove of the corporation tax 'Secretary Mellon
has suggested to take the place of the excess
profits tax.
We need not go into the argument, it is
enough to State conclusion of the Journal:
"Mr. Mellon's proposal of a 15 per cent flat
income tax on corporations would, "by imposing
what is virtually an excess profits tax, severely
penalize every corporation with earnings so
small that it does not now pay an excess profits
tax, and would relieve practically every corpora
tion with such generous." earnings that it now
pays in the higher bracket of the excess sched
ule. This is highly desirable to those relieved;
but it is little less than murderous in -the case
of corporations that do not earn at least 20 per
cent on invested capital." Des Moines, la.,
Tribune. -
Confronted with an organized' effort on the,
part of theproducers of the'country to tako
charge of and control the future marketing of
their wheat through co-operative elevators and
a national sales agency, the Chicago board ot
trade comes forward with another promise to
reform. As most of the rich picking its sev
er.) 1 thousand members gets is from the back
country -fellows who fall for the lure of the
speculative market, any reform the hoard prom
ises would fall far short of anything that goes
to .the heart of the whole difficulty :
THE LAND OF BEGINNING AGAIN
"I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again,
wnere all our mistakes and all' our heartaches
And all our poor, selfiBh grief .
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at tho
door v .j -
And never jut on again. .
I wish we could come on it allunaware,
a , re a unter who finds a loaf trail;
And I wish that the one whom ou?-bTindness had
done.
The greatest injustice of all v
Could be at the gates, like an old friend that
waits
For the comrade he's gladdest to hail.
Wewould And all the things, we intended to do
t ufi forFet' aia remembered'too late,
kittle praises unspoken, little promises broken
urn ia:1, of the th0sand and one.
mu Ies ne&elcted that might have perfoctcd
he day for one less fortunate., "
It 'wouldn't be possible not to he kind
Arw? ? Land ot ginning Again:
Ana tho ones we misjudge and fo'e ones whom
we grudged,
wIma?!116? of vjtctry "ere;
SKI ?d ln the graBI) 0lr Coring handclasp
More than penitent lips couldexplain.
For what had heen hardest we'd knbw had been
best, - -
Fnt'lw1 ? seemed loss would'be gain;
4we lB,n a stin8 that will not take wing
And t Jei v!vfaced ifc and laughed' it away;
l lUi.nk iat the laughter U most wha
were after' - - ,.;
au the Land of Beginning Again!
By Louisa FletefiepT,
-By Louisa Fleteffe?"Takington
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