The weekly soliphone., 1916-12-08
PROHIBITION AND
 EQUAL SUFFRAGE
Bryan Names Reforms to Which He Hopes to Conn
 init Democrats.


 which he hopes to commit the dem ocratic party and which he hopes to see accomplished within the next four years were outlined last night by William Jennings Bryan at a dinner given in his honor by ad mirers among democratic officials and members of congress.
 Nationwide prohibition, he urged as most important, and other causes on the list included woman suffrage by federal amendment, election of the president by direct popular vote, and changes to make the con stitution more easily amendable.
 In addition to his program to be advocated, Bryan gave. a prominent place to two things he proposes to fight. The effort to give the feder al government exclusive control over railroad regulation, and "the menace of militarism," presented by proposals for universal military service.
 Speeches lauding Bryan and par ticularly his work for the party during the campaign just won, were made by many of the diners, and a letter was read from President Wilson, with whom the former sec retary and Mrs. Bryan had lunched during the day.
 The president wrote:
 "Will you not be kind enough to convey my very cordial greetings to Mr. Bryan and to those who are assembled to do him honor at the dinner on Wednesday evening? In the recent campaign no one render ed more unselfish service than MT. Bryan, and I am happy to know that this dinner expresses the gen uine admiration of all democrats for him. May I not by this means convey to him my warmest congrat- ulations and best wishes for his continued health and happiness" In reviewing at length the ac- cOmplishments of the democratic ad- ministration Bryan said the work had been done in one short term under the leadership of a great democratic president, Loyalty sup ported by a congress equally demo- cratic.
 "I shall take advantage of the opportunity which this dinner af- fords," he continued, "to point out few of the issues which seem to me within the range of accomplish ment during the next four years But before taking up the things which should be secured, it is worth while to consider for mo ment two things that should be prevented.
 "An effort is now being made by the railroads to secure legisla tion and if necessary a constitu- tional amendment, depriving the states of all regulative power over them, and giving to congress ex- elusive control over railroad regu- lation. The consolidation of all railroad legislation at Washington would not only transfer to the na- tional capital an amount of work which would overwhelm the nation al authorities. and therefore de- crease the efficiency of federal su- pervision, but it would bring a railroad influence into the election of every congressman and every sen ator as well as intensity the rail- roads interest in presidential cam paigns.
 "It would do more than that. It would practically obiterate state | lines and lead to a centralization which would threaten the very eX istence of the dual form of govern ment.
 "We cannot afford to shut our eyes to the menace of militarism as it is now presented in concrete form. A large increase in the number of army and navy officers drawing salaries for life and train ed in a profession which teaches re liance upon the steel blade rather than upon the sword of truth, tends to substitute false standards of hon or for the more peaceful standards that prevail among the producers of wealth.
 ''It is not unnatural that the magnifying of the profession of arms should give support to the proposal for universal military ser vice, a system which is not only unnecessary, but the adoption of which could not fail to breed that military spirit which has contribut- ed so largely to the encouragement of war in other lands"
 To inform the voters of questions under consideration at an election, Bryan proposed the publication of a government bulletin. with space