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The Commoner
VOL. 22, NO. 7
The Commoner
ISSUED MONTHLY
Entered at the Postofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
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THE COMMONER, LINCOLN, NEB.
With a coal strike on one hand and a great
strike o.f railroad shop workers on the other,
President Harding must he convinced that the
road back to normalcy is strewn with a great
many thorns.
Nebraska voters who are perplexed over the
question of which candidates to support in the
primaries when all of them are promising to re
duce taxation can relieve themselves of a lot of
worry if they will confine their choice to those
who have records of economical administration,
tnd whoso career has marked them as persistent
advocates of the people's cause in past cam
paigns and official positions.
Big Business is not slow to claim that the real
purpose of tho striking coal miners is to force a
nationalization of the industry. Consumers who
are usually left helpless before the profiteers in
the mining and retailing ends of the business
will not find anything to alarm them in the state
ment. About eight out of every ten persons asked
about it will tell you that they would be glad to
have just that situation brought about.
In tho Fourth Nebraska district a Republican
is running for the congressional nomination on
a platform of "repeal the Volstead law and pro
vide a means whereby anybody who wants in
toxicants for homo use may secure them." This
gentleman's grasp of public questions may be
understood when it is recalled that the constitu
tional amendment, which would remain in force
even though the Volstead law were repealed,
prohibits tho manufacture and sale of intoxicat
ing liquors.
Will H. Hays, who deserted a cabinet post to
clean up the movies, is busy trying to convince
tho women of tho country that their demand for
a censorship will be unnecessary after he gets
his broom to working properly. There doesn't
seem to be anything wrong with the movies ex
cept the plentitude of sex films and the dearth of
real dramas, the presence of a lot of directors
who have a wrong notion of tho public taste and
a lamentable lack of clothing on the part of the
gQlatin female stars.
The government figures show that the cost of
living is still around GO per cent more than it
was before the world war began. It requires an
unbelievable assurance on the part of the em
ploying class of the country, in the face of such
figures, to demand that labor should have its
wages reduced. Capital was the first to start rak
ing in the big money when prices went up and
business men could sell at a much larger profit
than ordinary because they held so many goods
purchased on the lower market level. Labor was
the last to participate in tho good times profits;
it ought to be the last to take a share of the
losses that accompany deflation.
A waiter for the "Review of Reviews" declares
that tho per capita consumption of intoxicants in
1913 was nearly twenty-three gallons, and that
in 1921 it was less than a half gallon, exclusive
of moonshine whisky. Louisville Courier-Joiumal,
The League an Issue
It is difficult for the Democrats to make the
League an issue. First, because the last election
turned, in part at least, on the League. But
that is not so serious a difficulty as the irrecon
cilable division between Domccrats as to the
proper statement of the issue if the League is
made an issue. A fight for the Covenant AS IT
WAS WRITTEN would be disastrous. No party
could hope to make headway in a campaign de
fending Article Ton. When there seemed to be
hope of immediate action it was accepted by
many with the expectation of amendment after
ratification. Now that the pressure is relieved
no party could appeal to the people to commit
our nation to a policy in which its action would
be determined by other nations. The clause re
quiring unanimity before an agreement becomes
effectivo does not give complete protection be
cause a representative, appointed by the Presi
dent and following instructions from the Presi
dent, might vote differently from a representa
tive responding to tho will of the whole country.
It would virtually place in the hands of the
President the power to declare war or to put our
nation in a position where it must declare war or
bo accused of breach of faith.
But it would be almost as difficult to frame a
declaration in favor of the League and suggest
ing amendments that should be made. Any
suggestion of change would be regarded as a
repudiation of President Wilson's position and
w&uld at once cause dissension. If, therefore,
it is impossible to urge the Covenant WITHOUT
amendment and also impossible to AGREE
UPON AMENDMENT, how can the League be
made an issue by the Democrats? It would
seem necessary to present the idea in a new form
so that those who differ upon details can agree
in spirit. If any compromise proposition can be
devised that expresses the spirit of the League,
The Commoner will be glad to publish sugges
tions along this line.
The Commoner's proposition is the cancella
tion of the debts PROVIDED EUROPEAN NA
TIONS WILL GET TOGETHER AND AGREE
UPON SUCH A DISTRIBUTION OF THE DEBT
AMONG THEMSELVES AS WILL ENABLE
THEM TO DISARM. The Covenant of the
League contemplated disarmament and some
progress has been made toward reduction of
navies but not towards reduction of armies ex
cept as nations have acted independently. The
United States has reduced its army and Japan
has just announced a reduction of twenty per
cent, but Europe has not done much yet. The
debt is worthless because it will never be paid.
It is worse than worthless because it is an in
creasing source of irritation. As long as we de
mand payment the Allies will bring pressure to
bear on Germany to secure money with which to
pay us. We may thus become the cause of a
condition of unrest in Europe and even the cause
of a future war.- Why not buy a PRICELESS
peace with a WORTHLESS debt? The democracy
might be united on such a proposition because
it is in harmony with the spirit of the Covenant
and yet does not conflict with reservations.
If anyone has a better proposition The Com
moner will be glad to present it to the Democrats
of the nation. W. J BRYAN.
TINKERING WITH THE TARIFF
They aro still tinkering with the tariff. The
chief question now seems to be whether enough
farmers can be trolled into the slaughter house
.to keep the plant going. The protected manufact
urers are so few in number that they can do
? Alinig T f8S thS? Can secure tne cooperation
of their victims. Strange, isn't it, that the sheep
will enter into league with the shearers We
Sr?r had a delusion more delusive than
the delusion that leads the farmers to join the
protected manufacturer in the exploitation of
the country. It is a partnership in which the
farmer loses many dollars for every dollar that
ne gets W J. BRYAN.
ANTI-OPTION BELL PASSES
By a vote of 208 to 76 the Capper-Tincher
bill has passed the House. It attempts to restore
m unobjectionable form the clause of the ant
option law nullified by tho supreme court It is
onSn? ?nTreV RGCent Sambling transactions
on the stock exchange may lead congress to ex
tend the anti-option, law to include all kinds of
market gambling. Why prosecute the little
gamblers -and let tho big ones go free Tliev
should both be made unlawful.' ' y
MRS. OLESBN, SENATOR
Mrs. Peter Olesen, or Mrs. Anna Dickie Ole
sen, as tho law requires it to bo written on the
ballot, has received the Democratic nomination
for senator in the State of Minnesota. She was
recommended by the state convention and her
selection is the mare complimentary because she
had as an opponent Hon. Thos. J. Meighen, one
of the most, popular Democrats of the state a
pioneer progressive. Mrs. Olesen is a woman of
rare oratorical ability and is as sound in her po
litical principles as she is persuasive in present
ing them.
The statement which she issued is character
istic of her. She modestly denies that her suc
cess is a personal tribute; she gives the credit
to the platfonti of the party. She says she simply
brought the platform to the attention of the
members of the party, and regards her nomina
tion as an acceptance of the platform. She is go
ing to make a thorough campaign of the state.
She is a friend of the common people and one of
the most sincere champions the people have had
in recent years. It would not take tho Democracy
long to win the nation if all the Democrats fol
lowed her motto: "Let us raise a standard to
which the wise and honest can raljy the event
is in the hands of God."
Every Democrat in Minnesota should rally to
her support. Every progressive Republican
should give her a vote; every woman in Minne
sota should feel a pride in sending to the na
tion's capital such a splendid type of the woman
ly woman wife, mother, citizen.
The Commoner expresses the hope that, when
the votes are counted, it may be able to send its
hearty congratulations to Mrs. Olesen, Senator.
W. J. BRYAN.
M'CUMBER'S DEFEAT
The defeat of Senator McCumber in the recent
North Dakota primaries is almost as significant
as the nomination of Brookhart in Iowa. Mc
Cumber has the prestige of long service and tho
advantage of great prominence in the party and
in the Senate. More than that, he is one of the
best of tho reactionaries. He is a clean man and
a leader in the world peace movement.
In fact, his bias in favor of big business is his
chief weakness, but otne sin is enough if it is a
serious one and this sin is serious when one seeks
to represent a western constituency. As a Sena
tor from Massachusetts he would be more ac
ceptable to the east than Lodge; and on economic
questions Wall Street would find little fault with
him. The fact that he has been repudiated by his
own state, North Dakota, shaws that the people
of that state understand the division between the
non-producers and the producers on economic
questions.
That there is a reaction in the Republican
party against the reactionaries is evident; hovr
far will it be carried?
W. J. BRYAN.
FIVE NEEDS
First Banish liquor from American ships.
The United States government can not afford to
violate its own laws. To sell liquor for pecuni
ary reasons puts it in same class with bootleg
gers. Second We should make foreign ships con
form to our laws. If they want to compete with
our ships they should compete on the same
terms.
Third Extend three mile limit or provide for
search and seizure of ships anywhere within a
hundred miles WHEN THEY ARE CONSPIR
ING TO VIOLATE OUR CONSTITUTION AND
OUR LAWS.
Fourth Neighboring nations should bo
asked to adopt" shipping and other regulations
that will prevent their flags from being used to
PROTECT CONSPIRACIES against our laws.
Fifth Citizenship should be withdrawn from
any American .who USES ANOTHER FLAG to
protect him while ho CONSPIRES AGAINST
HIS OWN COUNTRY'S LAWS.
W. J. BRYAN.
It takes every kind of a sensation to produce
emotion. A number of newspapers published in
tho cities where the government has been main
taining navy yards for a number of years are
much disturbed over the fact that a great many
men will be thrown out of employment by the
adoption of the navy reduction program agroed
to by the Washington conference. Evidently the
men thrown out of employment for all time by
the use of a navy in wartime does not enter into
consideration.
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