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Whether Common or Not,
The PJayroMJ Democracy.
Undorneath. tho spreading maplo happy children
meet and play,
And I lovo to Bit and watch them In tho closing
hours of day.
Watching thorn my thoughts will wander to tho
happy days gone by
When I, with tho neighbors' childron, counted, out
to play "I spy."
Onery, orry, ickery, Ann,
Fillison, follison, Nicholas, John;
Queovy, quavoy, English navy,
Itinktum, linktum, buck.
And I long to run and join thorn, long to be a boy
again;
Long to lay aside tho burdens borne by tired, busy
men.
And my blood leaps fast and faster, and I clap my
hands and shout
When 'midst merry peals of laughter my own boy
is counted out
Eeny, meeny, miny, mo,
Catch a nigger by tho toe;
If ho hollers lot him go,
Eeny, meeny, miny, mo.
Thus tho summer hours speed swiftly as the child
ish games are played
In my back yard by the childron gatkorcd ,'ncath
tho maple's shade.
Dancing feet and happy laughter make the hours
speed with hasto,
And tho back yard knows no rulers, knows no
pride of birth or caste;
For upon an en.ua! footing laero they gather)" girls
and boys, ..-,
And I sit and onvy them their "healthy 'lungs and
childish joys. ' '" ' ' v
Wire, briar, limber, lock, '
Three geese in a flock; ' "r
Ono flow east, one flow west, v "
Ono flew over the cuckoo's nest. ' '"
Pure democracy exists there, all for one and ono
for all,
Flitting here and romping yonder 'neata 'the green
leaved maplo tali.
And I wonder as I watch them why men grasp for
gold and fame,
Missing all tho joys of living, risking misery and
shame.
Monkey, monkey, bottle of beer, '
How many monkeys have we here?
One, two, three,
Out goes he.
0, that men might learn the lesson! Be from
greed and passion free,
Like tho happy childron playing underneath the
maple tree. ,
J
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A Case of Coercion.
The old gentleman gazed admiringly, at the
littlo boy drossed in tho latest stylo and wearing
Ijoautiful golden curls down his shoulders.
"Ah, my littlo man," said he, "I lovo to see
littlo boys like you whoso faces shino with inno
cence and whose bearing is ovidence of gentleness
and lovo."
"Aw, come off de dump,- ol' snooks! W'oJ yor
glvin' mo? D'ye fink I'm wearln' dis Little Lord
Fauntloroy outfit 'cause I like it?"
"I am enjoying this hugely!" exclaimed Mr.
Bildad, as he closed out all of his suits and began
throwing hearts upon his wife's leads. "I think
there can be nothing more enjoyable than husband
and wife sitting down to a quiet game of cards at
homo, with nothing to disturb tnom and nothing
but peace andnow whore in tho name of sons0
did you get that troy-spot? That was played three
luiuuB ago. ino it wasn't tho deuce, either. I
plnyed that trey on your six-spot. Not on your
The Commoner
life, madam! If you can't play this gumo without
rosort to tricks that would put a professional gam
. bier to blush you needn't expect me to play with
you! That trey was played on your seven lead.
Blamed if I'll play any more. A man has a right
to expect when he sits down to play cards with his
wife moroly to please her and not because he wants
to play that the game will be honest and fair.
I'm going down to the club."
As Mr. Bildad's footstops died away in the dis
tance Mrs. Bildad picked up tho hzrx Mr. Bildad
had laid down and noted the seven of hearts
therein. She smiled as she remarked:
"Tho poor, dear man is so worried about his
business affairs that ho really does not know what
ho is doing half the time."
A La Mode.
The poet in fine frenzy strode,
"" ' Composing a beautiful ode.
' " He climbed the long stair
To the editor's lair .
And a fow moments later it snowed.
cm
Thoroughly Civilized.
Not until John Chinaman spoke did we realize
that he was thoroughly imbued with our western
civilization.
"I know what 'A. D.' means in your Christian
calendar," he said.
Naturally wo asked him what ho thought it
meant.
"It means 'All Demanded,' " said John.
How could we longer doubt that he was thor
oughly civilized after this evidence of research
among our comic publications?
Cm
English as She Is Spelled.
A man bought an automobile,
A beautiful steed mado of stile.
With crudo gasoline
Ho propelled the machine,
And mile after mile he did rile.
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cm
The Disagreeable Man.
"It makes me tired to read the remarks made
by men who try to explain why more girls than
boys are graduated from our high schools," said
the Disagreeable Man.
Of course we had to ask him why.
"The boys don't dig and study with the idea
of appearing before admiring friends in a costume
mado up of a lot of fluffy stuff w.ith their hands
full of roses and ribbons," said he.
While we did not say so, we felt quite sure the
Disagreeable Man had flunked on his final examination.
cm
Sized Up..
"What kind of a fellow is that Mr. Blank who
was visiting you last week?" ' v.
"Well, Blank sings first tenor in the town
quartette."
cm
The Lucky Auto.
The wornout horse thrust his head over tho
top rail of the fence as the gaudy automobile went
sailing by.
"You are far luckier than you realize," solilo
quized the horse. "Your owners do not torture
you with blind bridles and overhead check-reins."
Then the horse returned to his grass, ponder
ing on tho unthinking cruelty of mankind. . .
W. M. M.
No More Franchises.
After all, the right thing to do is always easier
than tho wrong thing to do; it. is only the wrong
thing to do that is truly tortuous and hard. Tho
plain, straight path goes tho best.
Courage to walk straight ahead is better than
genius.
This is just as true of municipalities as of indi-
viduals. As observe:
Two months ago some excellent citizens of
Chicago and somo that were not so excellent wer
in a state of natural excitoment 'about the traction
situation which certainly did look pretty bad.
The legislature was about to adjourn without
doing anything to holp municipal ownership or
taking any interest in the traction needs or the
city. - j
Tho franchises of the companies would expire
in about two years and the city was apparently be
tween two imminent dangers: to have the present
wretched conditions prolonged for many years by
the renewal of existing franchises or -to be with
out a street car service.
In this emergency the excellent and other citi
zens, including the street railway c6mmtssion,
counselled surrender to the companies on the best
terms obtainable.
"They will get their franchises anyway," was
the argument. "It is better to give it to them for
some advantages than to have them steal it. What
would happen if tho companies should go out of
business?"
You can see from recent doings at the City
Hall how much thero was in this argument.
The council committee on transportation, in
stead of giving up before the fight could begin, laid
down a certain platform as indicating the plan to
be followed in dealing with the traction question.
Thus:
1. That indefinite term franchises be given
which shall be revocable by the city at any time.
2. That the whole of the systems be unified or
consolidated and the people be given the benefit of
the consolidation.
3. That universal transfers be given.
4. That better facility for cars be provided In
the downtown district by loops or through runs!- .
, 5. That overhead trolleys be abolished in tho
congested districts.
G. That underground trolleys supplant cables.
7. That a subway be built in ther. downtown
district.
8. That lower' fares be given.
9. That the police powers of the city be aug:
mented if necessary by contract. ' ,
10. That the. whole .proposition of intramural
transportation be embodied in a report to the city
council which shall be the basis of a franchise ordi
nance. We suppose there has never been In any city a
traction platform so good as this.
The "indefinite term" revocable franchise is, of
course, only another name for tho Chicago Ameri
can's plan of an annual and revocable license for
the companies. This and the rest of the commit
tee's platform will beyond doubt receive the com
mendation of every friend of reform in Chicago.
Chicago American.
Social and Political Conference.
To be held at Detroit June 28 to July 4.
The program for the first three days is most
carefully digested and balanced. There will be
discussed, among other things: The Function of
the Church in Furthering Equality; How to Uso
the Press, (a) Newspapers, (b) Pamphlets, Maga
zines, Books; tho Unification of Reform Forces
and Organizations, (a) How Far Desirable, (b) tho
Place of Trade Unions in the Reform Movement,
(c) Relation of Temperance Organizations to Econ
omic Reform, (d) Other Non-Partisan Organiza
tions and Federations (o) Is Political Union Pos
sible? American Ideals Abroad; America's Position
as to Colonies; Snail We Enlarge or Decrease the
Army and Navy? The Ruslrin Hall College Move
ment; What Can bo Secured by Working Locally;
What Can be Secured by Working on State Linos;
What Can bo Secured by Working on National
Lines; Should Political Reforms Precede Social
and Economic Reforms? Are Political Parties
Necessary, or Are They Obstacles to Progress? Can
Reform bo Gained Through the Old Parties? iho
Best Methods and Their Relative Place, la) Papers
and Tracts, (b) Clubs and Public Speaking, (c)
Classes and Personal Work, u) Existing Organiza
tions, (,e) New Organizations.
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