"JKSf ' ffWltWw'e?wWmWff f
The Commoner
JULY, 1922
11
Is Uncle Sam a Boot
legger? "Nio case of Prohibition vs. Undo Sam, boot
. , spems fairly conclusive," remarks the
Smond Tinies-Dispatch, which offers this
mtag-up of the situation:
"When John Doe turns to the illicit liquor
iraflic as a means of livelihood and gets caught
It It lie goes to jail that is, if he is so unfor
hinate as to face an unsympathetic jury.
'When Uncle Sam turns to the same illicit
traffic as a means of profit in keeping his mer
chant marine afloat, where shall he be prose
cuted except at the bar of public, opinion?
"When John Doe sneaks down a dark alley
and hands over his week's wages for a quart of
wood alcohol and fusel oil colored with caramel,
he risks death or blindness from his surreptitious
potations. . . . "
"But when Dives luxuriates in a sea voyage
aboard one of Uncle Sam's palatial liners,- rare
wines of ancient vintage and liquors to tease his
palate and addle-his brain are his for the price
and Uncle Sam is his bootleggei and his bar
tender." -r
William E. Johnson, known, to fame as
"Pussyfoot," recently took passage for Europe
on a British ship, explaining to' the reporters
that-
"It is safer to ride on British or French ships
that are loyal to the laws and ' institutions of
their country than an bootleg scows loyal to the
institutions of no country, not even of their own.
I don't see how self-respecting Americans- can
ride on these American alleged ships, anyhow. . .
"The Shipping Board folks declare they can't
run their ships at a profit .unless they sell liquor.
They do sell liquor and yet they are running be
hind $50,000,000 a year.'-'
Tho thing that disgusts us most is the as
lumption of tho Shipping Board that American
passengers will not travel on good lines of ships
that furnish good service, unless they can have
booze. We've seen enough of American travel at
ea to know that that is all nonsense. It's pos
sible the Shipping Board can not run our "ships
at a profit without booze-selling. But the trouble
is not in booze, or in the absenco of booze, but
in a bungling, incompetent management.
"It may be the Volstead Act needs to be
amended to make it clear that our ships come
under our Constitution; but something more
than that is needed. The boozy Shipping Board
needs to be kicked out, to follow the generals
who used to insist that wc coiildn't have an army
without provision for soaking tho soldiers in
Jeer, and the admirals who used to howl that
the navy would go all to smash without lots of
grog." Franklin (Pa.) News-Herald.
More than half of the Republican newspapers
in Iowa opposed the nomination of Coloned
urookhart, whom they denounced as a socialist,
-urticuiHt ana bolshevik, and now that h h
iXHffiK
harassing predicament0 'ponu'natefy "i owe"
they haVe in the Democratic nominee Claude
Herring, a man of ability with a thoroughly , ro-
SSt of trheCmdwmd lho P,red,Cti0n " "St
KU P r. ,ra w111 refuse t0 swallow their opin
ion of Drookhart and support Herring.
Mil. IMtYAN'S DECISION
(Ocala, Fla., Banner)
Now that Mr. Bryan has declined to enter the
rce for he office of United States senator from
Florida the best thinking people of the state are
beginning more and more to realiz5 that a great
opportunity awaited Florida if this man so pos
sessed of wonderful parts and influence could
have entered that bodyhow useful he would
have been to the state and to the nation.
We feel a degree of pride in being able to say
in the discussion his suggested entrance into tho
race precipitated, no supporter of his said one
word in derogation of Mr. Trammell's public
record or private character.
Their comments concerning him were along
lines of high-toned and commendable journalism
and without exception were couched in terms of
gent'lity and the utmost courtesy.
Wo wish it were possible to make the same
observation concerning the comments of those
who were antagonistic to Mr. Bryan's entering
the race.
Notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Bryan was
three times anointed as the leader of our na
tional democracy; that most of the principles
enunciated as the cardinal principles of the party
have s'nee been enacted into laws, he was never
theless denounced as illogical, visionary and un
sound. What are the things he stood for?
That the gold standard would not fix the unit
of values or stablize the international exchange
of moneys or perform the functions its advocates
so hotly contended.
When put to the test it is now seen that the
gold standard as a financial panacea is a deplor
able failure.
What else did Mr. Bryan stand for?
The election of United States senators by a
direct vote of the people. That is now the law
of the land.
Woman suffrage. Marvelous as it may seem,
that has also been enacted into law.
Prohibition, more marvelous still, forms a
part of the federal constitution.
Anti-imperialism or world democracy.
It is well to remember that Mr. Bryan set the
pace for world peace which has since taken
shape in the Versailles League of Nations and the
Washington Association of Nations sometimes
called the Disarmament Conference.
When secretary of state, Mr. Bryan secured
the signatures of the diplomats of thirty nations
to sign peace treaties embodying the fundament
al essence contained in the Versailles and Wash
ington treaties. ' . .
lie was not only called illogical, visionary and
unsound, but was made the target of much
strained wit and unmerited and undignified
jibes.
His name was associated with those of Debs.
Ponzl and others of unsavory roputo; ho was de
scribed as possessing a noisy and disturbing
tongue and a brazen cheek.
Great and unwarranted familiarity was taken
with his name. He was called "Grapo Julco
Bill," and other familiarities equally undig
nified and belittling.
In reading some of tho diatribes of our con
temporaries wo felt that wo could hardly do
otherwise than hang our head, in very shame.
But wo were reminded that tho "Father of hfs
Country" in reading what tho critics of his day
said of him was made sick at heart, and they
caused him to say that if ho had been an ordinary
gambler or pickpocket ho coujd not have been
more coarsely or severely censured.
So history is but repeating itself. Minnows do
not hesitate to nibble and bite at whales.
We call to mind the lines of Byron:
"He who ascends to mountain-tops shall find
The loftiest peaks most wrapped in clouds and
snow;
He who surpasses or subdues mankind
Must look down on the hate 61 those below." '
WILLIAM JENNINGS IIKYAX
William Jennings Bryan is a 'guest in our city
and El Paso is glad to have Mr. Bryan in its
midst. '
A good many citizens of the United 'States
have voted for Mr. Bryan at one time or another
and a good many citizenesses would have voted
for him had they been able to' in the dark ages
when free silver was the reigning issue.
One thing about Mr. Bryan he aways has an
issue and be it remarked that while numerous
persons are apt to regard his side of his issues
as visionary, it quite often happens that event
ually, after they have quit being exclusively
Bryan issues, they do become issues.
Witness prohibition.
i
One thing about Mr. Bryan that wo all love
he is an uncompromising fighter for'what ho be
lieves is right. Neither sarcasm, ridicule, argu
ment nor political expediency can sidetrack him
when he once decides to start. Arid America
loves a fighter, whatever his line of activity may
be. .
Consequently meetings at which Mr. B,ryan
speaks are usually attended by persons of all
.sorts of political beliefs. They are willing to
listen to what he has to say because they know
that he is thoroughly convinced that what he is
saying is the right tiling to say. And he has tho
respect of America which is more than can 'be
said of a lot of politicians who have been con
victed of expediency.
In matters of religious controversy, persons
of any religious belief can listen to Mr. Bryan.
Mr. Bryan is to talk this afternoon at Liberty
hall. Those who attend will at least be inter
ested. El Paso, Texas, Times.
Wisdom is better than rubies; and all the
things that may be desired are not to be com
pared to it. Proverbs viii, 11.
MRS. OLESEN'S VICTORY
A Cloquet, Minn., dispatch, dated
uno 20, says: To the country at
'arge she may be Anna Dickie Olesen,
Dtto this city of 8,000 population
jo will always bo Mrs. Peter Olesen,
nough even her husband, who is
nS! iendont of Cloquet's schools,
nLntlatth0 "Anna Dickie" be
Stlite(l to" the "Mrs. Peter"
erg sho is referred to' in newspap-
And tonight the little family of
l4.voes,P,Gcially the husband and
thriii!i" , (lailsuter, Mary was
?R iWlth the knowledge that the
lo'w motUor had been chosen
Pioneer a trail for women in poli-
tarmed u 01esen herself has
"tJd,8tn0ir80nal tr!utef" sho in
Presa 0n,B,lt to tu Associated
"It j
DeniocraMlly.the endorsement of tho
fetea hv ?n !Ug l)latform, as formu
'lorsed mJ ? Stat0 convention that en
irtos thnt , the Senate. I sought to
Qf our n?Jt? tform to lha members
pl.v anPJJ: my nomination Js,s1m-
Biit tWn co oC its -acceptance."
utre was no denying -'slid, was
happy happy and' enthusiastic, al
most eager to be into, the campaign
for the November election, which she
will press as persistently as he did
her primary campaign, she said.
"I am deeply grateful to the people
that have stood by mo in the primary
campaign," she said. "I did not seek
So nomination in the Minneapolis
convention but having accepted it,1
did the best I could-with the limit
ed funds at my command to make
an effective campaign for the furtliei
ance of the party's interests. It was
as Citizen Olesen she gamed the
nomination, she insists, ami not
through any advantage gained by nei
SG "I made no plea for recognition of
women in politics; I was ad am
ready to accept on equality with men
whatever the fortunes of politics may
ffNow that I am nominated," she
continued '"I-ivill do the best ;i can
for the party throughout the fan
campaign, and I think we will haje a
united party when the Noemuei
olection comes 'round.
-It is for. tho common people si
stand; the-true democracy of -the,
Sd If elected in November, I shall
do the utmost to serve the people
well.
"During my primary campaign I
set up as my motto and I shall con
tinue to keep it before me in the fall
campaign the words of George
Washington:
"Let us laise the standard to
which the wise and honest can rally
the event is in the hands of God.
"My campaign, my desire for the
nomination, were not for personal
vanity or gain at all; my one desire
is to serve the people of the Demo
cratic convention and the other peo
ple of the state who nominated me.
I Jiave no personal ambitions at
stake; everything Is for the people."
Not more than $500 was spent by
Mrs Olesen in her primary cam
paign, she said tonight. She visited
Sly 40 towns and cities in every
section of the state, traveling in a
Small sedan automobile given her by
friends. Most of the time she did her
own driving.
It was only after she received the
nndorsement of the Democratic state
convention that Mrs. -Olesen became
knoVn as Mrs. Anna Dickie .Olesen.
A nUingof the state's --attorney gen
eral office that she could not legal-
ly file as Mrs. Peter Olesen necessi
tated the change to the name that ap
peared on the ballot today.
Interest in the welfare of young
girls four years ago brought Mrs.
Olesen to the attention of her com
munity, then the state, as she took
up the cause of girls through the
agency of women's clubs.
In 1918 she became president of
the Women's clubs of the Eighth
Minnesota district and later was
named a vice president of the Minne
sota Federation of Women's Clubs.
During the war Mrs. Olesen deliv
ered many patriotic talks, and these
brought her to state-wide attention.
Subsequently, with hostilities at an
end, sho engaged in Chautauqua
work.
Mrs. Olesen explained her parjy
affiliations with the assertion that
she was just "born a Democrat," 'an
admirer of William Jennings Bryan.
Born in Le Sueur county, Minne
sota, 3C years ago, Mrs. Olesen came
from a family which had ' pioneered
Jn .Minnesota. .Her agEandparentsinade
this state tlieirdiome-in 185i('!ahd
;bothher-grandfather8wero Givil-war
veterans.
N f
m
l
HMfH tin' - - tff.