The age-herald., 1901-01-24
FIRST ISSUE OF
 MR. BRYAN'S PAPER The Commoner is Neatly Gotten
 Up Geographically DEFINITION OF THE NAME Proposes to Represent the Common People and Takes Issue With Those
 Who Say the Title Is
 Il Chosen.
DEFINITION OF THE NAME.

Lincoln, Neb, January 23.-W. J. Bryans paper, The Commoner was issued today. It was a busy day for MT. Bryan, his busi- ness manager and his clerks. The. original intention was to print but 5000 copies. but the subscriptions came in at such rate yesterday that today's issue was increased to 50,000, and four presses were kept busy part of the day.
 The paper is eight pages, three columns to page, slightly larger than the ordinary magazine and of good typographical ap- pearance. The leading editorials start on the first page and continue through to the fourth which is devoted to short para graphs on public questions. There are few contributions and little reprint, but the greater part of the matter is Mr. Bryan's The following is MT. Bryan's sa- lutatory:
 The commoner.
 Webster defines a commoner as "one of the common people, The name has been selectd for this paper because The Com- moner will endeavor to aid the common people in the protection of their rights, the advancement of their interests and the re- alization of their aspirations.
 It is not necessary to apologize for the use of a term which distinguishes the great body of the population from the comparatively few, who, for one reason or another, withdraw themselves from sym pathetic connection with their fellows. Among the Greeks "Hoi Polloi" was used to describe the many, while among the Romans the word ''plebs" was em- ployed for the same purpose. These ap- pellations, like 'the common people," have been assumed with pride by those to whom they were applied while they have been used as trms of reproach by those who counted themselves among the aristocratic classes. Within recent years there has been growing tendency in some quarters to denounce as demagogic any reference to, or praise of the common people. One editor in a late issue of his paper takes exception to the phrase and says: This expression is an ill-chosen one and should have no lodgment in the vocabulary of an American patriot and statesman. If we sought it's origin, we would look for it in that specious demagogy which has evolv- ed the professional politician, arrayed coun- try against town-the farmer and his sons and daughters against the business and professional men and their sons and daugh- ters-capital against labor, and built up against neighbors the impregnable barriers of prejudice and hate.
 This quotation is reproduced because it fairly represents the views of those who criticise the expression. It has, however, an eminently respective origin. In the same chapter in which Christ condensed mans duty to his fellows into the com- mandment: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as myself; fin the same chapter in which he denounced those who devour widows houses and for a pretense make long pray ers-in this same chapter it is said for Him: The common people heard Him gladly.
 No higher compliment was ever paid to any class.
 The term, the common people, is properly used to describe the large majority of the people-those who earn their living and give to society a fair return for the bene- fits bestowed by society-those who in their daily lives recognize the ties which bind together the mass of the people who have a commonylot and common hope. Some- times they are called "the middle classes because paupers and criminals are ex- cluded on the one hand, while on the other hand some exclude themselves because of wealth or position or pride of birth. The common people form the industrious, in- tellfgent and patMotic element of our popu- lation; they produce the nations wealth in time of peace and fight the nations bat ties in time of war. They are self-relant and independent; they ask of government nothing but justice and will not be satis- fled with less. They are ot seeking to get their hands into other peoples pockets, but are content if they can keep other peoples hands out of their pockets.
 The common people do not constitute an exclusive society-they are not of the four hundred; any one become member if he is willing to contribute by brain or muscle to the nations strength and great ness. Only those are barred-and they are barred by their own choice-who imagine themselves made of superior kind of clay and who deny the equality of all before the law.
 rich man, who has honestly acquired his wealth and who is not afraid to intrust its care to laws made by his fellows, can count himself among the common people, while poor man is not really one of them if he lawns before plutocrat and has no higher ambition than to be a courier or a sycophant
 The Commoner will be satisfied if by fidelity to the common people, it proves its right to the name which it has chosen.
 NOTICE.