The Commoner
lY, 1921
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A National Legislative Program
forward-looking: Democratic legislative pro
it Treoarcd with the advico and approval of
lntfl of governmental needs, and represents tho
jn&us or opinion or progressive jjomocrais
isnout tno country, xno program as not com
. and will bo added to as means for dcai-
Swjth other questions aro worked out. The leff-
ve rcmeaies arc oniy prieiiy ouuincu, mm -win
tore ciaDoraiexy ace lorin anu uisuuaauu uuiu-
i rpVin rr-nm fyVi tin fnr rlavtlnnnrl In fltt
f!X A k"-U ! J .. - . v.w.. . ,-
wa:
PEACE PROGRAM
league of nations or an association of na-
iprovidlng for arbitration of all disputes
lean do arbitrated and an Investigation of all
rsf as provided for In tbe plan of the thirty
treaties, each nati.on reserving the right
jcopt or reject the findings.
DISARMAMENT
re united Slates snouia immediately en-
y?fe to assemble the representatives of the"
fiag nations of the world in a smcere effort
Ffng about disarmament.
A REFERENDUM ON WAR
Kjfavor a nationalreferendUm on war before .
tlaration of war" can be made by congress,
the country is invaded by a foreign foe.
LIMIT TERM OF PRESIDENT
fe president of the United States should be
Sed ta one term of not more than six years
taking him ineligible for re-election, and the
(juration of the president and the assembling
new congress should be set for January
ring the November election.
A MAJORITY SHOULD RATIFY
favor an amendment to 'the federal con-
m permitting a majority or tne united
senate to ratify a treaty.
PROHIBITION
pnational prohibition amendment should
ircdd by the national, state and municipal
without fear or favor.
MILITARY TRAINING
Share opposed to universal compulsory mili-
itrainmg In time, of peace. :
PROFITEERING
mem
Democratic party pledges the nation to
of the profiteer and to close the- door
t his return". It will endeavor to eliminate
cessary middlemen by the encouragement
anlzations among producers that will bring
who produce and those who use nearer to-
5 It will enact and enforce laws that will
ively prevent excessive charges by such
emen as are necessary. To- this end it will
Sad legislation subjecting to the penalties of
iminal law all corporate officers and em-
who give or carry out instructions that
in extortion: it will make it unlawful for
e engaged fn interstate commerce to make
le of one article dependent upon the pur-
-- of another article, and it will require such
ation to disclose to customers the differ-
between cost price and polling price or limit
profit that can -bo legally charged as the
of interest is now limited.
RECOGNIZE THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
We favor a liberal policy in providing for soldiers-
and sailors who made sacrifices in the
world war.
A NATIONAL BULLETIN s
Wo favor a national bulletin, not a newspapor,
but a bullotin, issued by the federal government,
under the fair and equitable control of the two
leading parties, such bulletin to furnish infor
mation as to the political issues of the campaign.
ARBITRATE DISPUTES
In the settlement of disputes between capital
and labor wo favor a board of conciliation pat
terned -after the tribunal created by the thirty
peace treaties, the board to have power to in
vestigate all disputes but no power to bind the
parties.
PROHIBIT GAMBLING
Gambling in food stuffs should be prohibited
by national enactment.
: BANK DEPOSITS
Wo favor national and state legislation guar
anteeing the people's deposits in national ,and
state banks against loss through bank failures.
LIBERTY BONDS
We favor federal action that will maintain
the price of liberty bonds at par.
--FEDERAL RESERVE BANK SYSTEM
We favor the federal reserve baking law but
insist that It must not be used to squeezo the
debtor by deflation processes.
FARM LOAN BANK
The farm loan bank law should be maintained
and strengthened to extend credit to the farmers
and' to protect them from high interest rates.
MONOPOLIES
A private monopoly is Indefensible and intol
erable. All necessary monopolies should be taken
over" by the government, national, state and mu
nicipal, ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY
We favor the reorganization of the administra
tive and executive departments of the federal
government on an economy and efficiency basis,
including the establishing of a budget systom and
a reduction in the number of departmental em
ployes to the minimum needs of the government.
EXCESS PROFITS
Wo are opposed to the repeal of the excess
profits tax law, and aro opposed to the enactment
of a sales tax law.
REDUCE TAXES
For the purpose of lightening the people's
burdens we favor an immediate return to a peace
footing basis to bring about a reduction in taxes,
and that in reducing taxes consideration should
be shown to those least able to pay.
VOTING BY MAIL
We favor a legislative provision for voting
by mail for votes away from home and for col
lecting ballots in order to accommodate women
and men who are disabled or distant from the
polls.
- NATIONAL PRIMARY LAW
Wo favor a national primary election law.
.etters From The
People
IL. Lowrey, Pennsylvania. I have not
a single issue of The Commoner" since
Irst issue. I sw'ear by it and by its great
fr. There are 4,000,000 of us Progressive
crats who absolutely refuse to be led
uad l)y the nose by the Murphy," Taggart,
cy gang who forced the Issue at San Fran
The last "land slide" proves 4hat; the
),000 loyals will not follow blindly false
irs and allow those degenerates to spjt, in
Race of the "Great Commoner" with impun-
pad they taken Bryan's advice at San Fran
i and come out strongly for morality and
mcy, the Democratic party would not now
rrecked and be on the defensive as It is. The
tocratlc party should take, the "moral side of
y issue and then it w,iU ".deserve to, win"
It will receive the 4,000,000 votes which
have proven on two occasions that they cannot
ber corrupted and that they will' notvote for the
Democratic party Just becauso it is the Demo
cratic party. The party must be progressive,
must bo clean, must take the side of moralityr
must $tand by the common people If it ever
hopes to win. The Democratic party was de
serted by the women because it took the side
of whisky ' and corruption. What a wonderful
opportunity it had to win the millions of "first
voters" among 'the women if it had had fore
sight enough to declare for morality,. Now the
opportunity- is gone The "first vote" hag been
cast and we all know what a wonderful influ
ence the "first vote" had in one's future voting.
People dislike to change their party once the
choice is made. It will take a generation of- "de
serving to win" to overcome the influence the
Republican party gained by winning theso
'first votes.
I hope to again see William Jennings Bryan
take the helm and organize the party along the
lines cf decency. He is the greatest leader De
mocracy has ever had since Jefferson. He is
great because -'o his sincerity, honesty of pur
pose, wonderful forosight, ability to lead. He in
loved and respected by more people in the
United States regardless of party lines than any
other man or woman in our country past or
present. Ho is the only man who will bo ablo
to rally the forces around issues whlcb will
make our party strong again. Lot us force
him to the front and again make our party do
servo to win.
R. D. Norton, Now Jersey. "Deserve to win"
that Is the slogan the masses will bo only too
glad to avail themselves of, and get bohind
such a ticket and elect it, if they can be sure
the elemonts of the old Democratic party, con
trolled by the special privilege class, have
been eliminated from control.
"Monopolies A privato monopoly is Inde
fensible and intolerable. All necessary mono
polies should be taken ovor by the government,
national, state and municipal." This plank will
array the elements of special prlvilogo against
the ticket with all the vohomonco they can pro
duce. In fact, they see government ownership
of the railroads, and other necessities. There
is no monopoly more oppressive and offensive;
they should bo driven out of the government
business, and- the government enter the bank
ing business, to the end that farmers and all
other lines of business could borrow money at
4 per cent Interest, and such quantities as they
need on suitable collateral.
In 1896 W. J. Bryan, a young man, unknown
to the masses, and at a time the Democratic
party had nothing to commend it to the public
and then President of the Democratic party still
Invtho chair, and repudiating both the -platform
and the nominee, made tho fight almost without
help against the bankers and the" greatest slush
fund that has ovor been used, as well as many
other reprehensible methods, and came nearer
to winning than ne ever has since, when he did
not" make the money question the paramount
issue.
Theses-conditions are very different now. No
person now enjoys tho confidence of the masses
compared' with him, and the false and scurrilous
propaganda so successfully omployed in 1896
would now bo hurled back from every gathering
all over the country, at any platform orator that
undertook to use it.
The government under our present constitu
tion has the right to Issue money and make it
legal tender for all dobts public and private
and should issue to holders of government bondd
and take up all bonds now drawing interest
as fastvas they are presented.
The powers, of the Federal Reserve banks
should be enlarged and other banks added to
take care of the business interests of tho coun
try, and no longer deprive business of a suf
ficient quantity of the medium of exchange, and
no longer suffer the people to pay over 4 per
cent interest for the use of money.
No one understands tho money question bet
ter than William J. Bryan. If he Will consent
to favor us with the use of his name once more;
have him write one more plank to your platform
covering this question and tho election will be
a walk over. The only fight will be in the con
vention, to got rid of what should be in the Re
publican party, but who are always trying to
control the Democratic party.
J. M. Clark, Ohio. I indorse tho new proposed
principles as given In The Commoner. I would
like to propose another: That we reduce the
number of congressmen and our several state
legislatures if possible. If wo could got a reso
lution submitting it to tho people, I believe tho
people would get better service and better laws.
There should be a limit, and a reduction of the
present apportionment. .
II. B. Young, California. I have been a dyed-in-the-wool
Bryau man since I heard him at Ann
Arbor, Mich., when he was running for presi
dent: I only hope that he will be the means
through Tho Commoner of carrying out his po
litical sentiments. W, J. Bryan is the first lead
ing politician with backbone enough to work for
a prohibition plank in our constitutional plat
form. God help you.
Georgo S. Lutz, Indiana. As one of the rank
and file I want to first thank you Mr. Bryan for
the privilege given us to express ourselves re
garding the reorganization of the Democratic
party, and to suggest anything that lays heavily
on our hearts, a precedent that is Democratic
pure and simple.
In the second place I want to say that I
heartily endorse your. National Legislative Pro
gram. Tho namo of your paper, its spiritual
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