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The Commoner.
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 33
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Is It R.!git?
rrhoy starve by scores when the looms
are still
' And tho spindles re3t In the broken
webs;
'And childish waitings the night hours
fill
As the tiny life-tide slowly ebbs.
fTho mother hugs to her barren breast
Tho dying babe through the awful
night;
While the father, worn by his useless
quest.
Stands helpless, hopeless but is it
right?
The music rings through the palace
halls
And Newport homes are a gorgeous
blaze;
And laughter flows when the gold god
calls
To tho Smart Set choir for its songs
of praise.
The diamonds flash on tho bosoms fair,
While the reveU lasts through the
joyous night;
And tho ruby wine takes the golden
glare
Of festal scene but is it right?
The children stand in a ragged line
Through the chilly hours at the soup
house door;
Their faces light and theii starved
eyes shine
At soup and crust as thoy plead C01
more.
And the mother starves that the crust
she gets
May keep her babe from the famine s
blight;
While tho father's tear through tho
long day wets
His sunken cheeks but is it right?
The Newport dogs on their blankets 11?
And doze well fed as their glad
hours creep;
While the untouched" food on the
plates near by
The servants throw on tho compost
heap.
And dainty hands pat the shaggy hah
Of the well loved, dogs in the palace
the lucky beasts and the owners
fair
Go on their way but is it right?
The children starve when tho looms
are still.
But laughter rings through the New
port halls.
A mother's wailings the night hours
fill,
But the music swells at the Newport
balls.
The infants Walt at the soup house
door,
"But the Newport dogs blink their
delight.
For the dogs are fat and the children
poor,
And day goes on but is it right?
"What I say is top well-known to b
disputed, and I defy "
"Excuse me," piped a sad-faced man
near tho rear of the hall, "Excuse me,
please; but I dispute your assertion.''
"Throw him out! Hit him with a
brick!" "Kill him!" shouted the ap
plause makers on tho front seats.
Raising his hand with a stately mo
tion tho spellbinder commanded order.
"Lot the gentleman speak,' lie said.
"Wo rely upon the truth for our posi
tion Now, sir; have you the proof
that my assertions are ill-founded?"
"Yes, sir!" said the sad-faced man.
"Produce them, then," said the spell
binder. Walking calmly down tho aisle, and
mounting the rostrum, tho sad-faced
man thrust into the hands of the spell
binder the month's grocery and meat
bill, and followed it up by showing him
a request from the coal dealer to call
and settle up.
A Little Feeble
The scheming business man opened
his new factory and announced that he
was ready to empioy workmen.
"Gentlemen," ho said to the long
file of applicants. "The average wage
in this section for the kind cl work 1
have for you to do is $1.50 per day.
But I want to pay more than-that
want to pay at least S2 uer dav. fnr
think that is little enough wane. Bul
,ln order to do so I must. hare some on
couragement. '
"'Rah for the new boss!' Bhnntet'
tho crowd "What do you want itn tn
do?"
"Well, men," said the "business man,
"I have concluded that the way to do t
is for you to help me pay your in
creased wages. I will incibase vour
wages 50 cents per day above the aver
age providing each one of you wih
give me $3.50 at tho end of each week.
That will enable me to accumulate a
fund from which to pay the increased
wage." .
""That5 what we'll do!" snouted th
men.
And for several vears Hi mon hot
been drawing 50 cents a day more than
muu luiiuws in otner milla, and giv
ing back 60 cents a dav of if tn h mi-
employer.
Moral: The business man had senso
enough to call It "nrotacrlnn nn , .
workmen haven't seen the joke yet.
The Trxith
"I hear that Scaddsley took you out
in his new auto."
"Yes, and that's all he did do took
me out."
"What do you mean?"
"He took me out. but we walked
Proof Submitted
"The wage of the workingman has
increased," exclaimed iie spellbinder,
"and today he is getting more for hip
toil than ever before in history."
"'Rah! 'Rah! 'Rah!" shouted the
party hacks on the front seats.
"It is true that articles of necessity
have gone up," continued the spell
binder "but wag-js have increased
more than the increased price of what
tho workman must buy' ' -
"'Rah! 'Rah! 'Rah!" came from the
front seats.
Those Yellows
Miss DoMillyons How much is
there in the paper this morning about
our bal masque last night?
Miss Muchdoe There's only a half
a column, but the editor has given a
whole page to the story about women
and children starving at Fall River
Miss DeMllIyons (yawning) O, dear,
those yellow journals are growing real
ly insufferable. I must have papa,
speak to the editor about it
r
BrlHlocnt Thought
"What have you to report?" asked
the retreading Russian general, of hh,
orderly
"I regret to report that the Japanesp
are harassing our rear columns, sir,"
said the orderly, saluting gracefully.
"is thero nothing to oe done notn
ing to be done?" muttered the per
plexed general.
"Pardon mo, general, but have a
plan," said the orderly
"I presume it will do no harm to
listen to his plan,' muttered the gen
eral Then he exclaimed: "What is
your plan?"
Drawine near the orderly whisnered
.rapidly into the ear of his commanding
oincer, and as he whispered a smile
stole over the stern face of the general.
"You may try it," he said to tho or
derly. "We can but fail."
The orderly withdrew and called i
squad to his assistance A hurrieu,
round of the retfeatlng forces was
made, and then the squad dropped to
tho rear. An hour later the .Tananee
advance-was checked and the retreat
ing army was temporarily saved.
The bright young orderly had strin-
ped every Russian soldier of the con
sbnants in his name and scattered
thorn in front of the Japanese. Even
tKe little Japs were thrown into con
fusion by the sharp points.
The Russian orderly is now awaiting
Ills decoration.
-.- wny ma'am," sail
he, 'here you have given me a tract
on the sin of dancing when i'Ve
both legs shot ofL"-S'an Francisco Ar-
gonads r
Whistler's Nerve
Clyde. Fitch 'tells a now story of
Whistler. The artist was in Paris at
tho time of "the- coronation of King
Edward, and at a reception one even
ing, a duchess said to him: "I believe
you know King Edward, Mr. Whist
ler." "No, madame," replied Whist
ler. "Why, that's odd," she mur
mured; "I met the king at a dinner
party last year, and lie said that ho
knew you." "Oh," said the painter,
"that was just his brag" San Fran
cisco Argonaut.
Called Down
"Is this an 'open shop?" queried the
man who entered. "
"Yes, sir." said tho boss.
"Any man can work here whothpr
lie's union or not?"
"Yes, sir."
"All right, put' me to work." . -
"But I have nothintr for' von tn An
said the boss.
"Thought you said anybody could
woric here."
flWell, I meant that "
"O, yes," sneered the applicant
Your 'open shop is closed just likrf
the rest of .'em." ,
BraJn LeoJcs
You can not get close to God by
drifting away from your fellowmen.
Loick is usually only crystallzed po
severance. Money may command obeisance bac
it can never purchase love.
Satan Is quick to accuse us of cow
ardlse if we admit that we are ai'ram
to do wrong.
Gifts should, "be judged by the mo
tive, not by the value.
An Earlier Generation
A Russian, immigrant of tender ago
was being registered in a downtown
Philadelphia school The teacher ques
tioned, "What is your name?"
"Katinka' replied tho child.
"And your (father's name?"
."I never fiat one." came the quick
response.
Then tell mo your mother's name,"
again said -the teacher kindly.
"I never liat no mudder, neither,"
answered the little child seriously. "I
was born off my gran'miidder." Llp-pincott's.
Out Of Tune
"Has public 'sentiment in this local
ity cryaialized in favor of aiiy partic
ular candidate?" inquired the scholar
spellbinder who. had been sent to do
a little campaigning in.one of the back
counties.
" LoOif here, mister.-" said the local
political magnate.- "If you xpect to
pull oft any votes n thesp diggin's you
ant to cheese that there Boston dia
IpcI o' yourn." Chicago Tribune.
Ghastly Humor
The late Rear Admiral Henry C.
Taylor often cited as an example Df
ghastly humor an incident that'beftli
a young woman who was doinsr mis.1
s.onary work in the hospitals during
me Miyu war. une aay. during hot
rounds, a young soldier, immediately
she liad passed, set 'up a loud lauga.
She turned and looked at him in sur
prise. He seemed a pitiful case. Noth
ing of him but his face was visible a
Ko UUe white bed, and this omv
face war sadly thin and pale. Never
theless, he laughed like one possessed
His mirth resounded through tn
growsome Toom. The visitor return h
to him. "Will you tell me what amuseb une.
Studies of The Vernacular
This is the conversation, substan
tially, that took place between the girl
at' the ribbon counter and the girl at
the glove cdunter:
"Saybet!"
"Wot smater, now?",
"Yawta herdwot Lildixon sedda
bouchoor feller Jasnite."
"Wodlil say?"
"S'eddy zonnizeer."
"Gway! Wottabout?"
"Howja spo2ino?"
"Yawtano. Yuratellinit, aincha?"
"Wottaflam? S'aybet! Jooever meet
a feller nayma Dickskittle?"
"Betcha! Wotzegot do with "
"Nuthlnsfurzino, only Jieenoze "
"Nozoo?"
"Cancha lemmytellit? Saybet!"
"Glong yerownseffl" Chicago Trib
al
&
a iiffi. J SNGTHAT TOUCHES THE HEART.
?in fI?iaIe,K Wf-Will M. Maupin, of The Commoner staff, wrote
faflS no?? J 1 ? A S?SUJ3? of My Mother When a Girl." The words camo
mrfnani1C0 ' J111 Shet talantea musician of Lincoln, and ho
SFmonf a,mtlody that is wonderfully in harmony with the beautiful
w5: VhePBn3- The song, words and music, has fceen printed in
u?f l?",IC f0n?' on suPrb calendered paper, with beautifully illuminated
SernSSj"0 offereafor sale. This beautiful song has been
IS.TOJfS?16! wh,orver sung, and is sure to become one of the great
song hits of the decade. Following is the refrainr
A TIetnre old and faded, taken in the long ago
1 uvo tho old-timo days when upon. Ma face I gaze-
: "l.ul" Ul Ul muiner wnen a gin.
TIia Mm.i.. j pxmnuiwjr muiner wnen a gin. ,
ifiSF01? have arranged I
with the publisher for a large number of copies and am enabled to offer 3
Jf ., -f u ucui-puuo-vM uouui per copy. rvmiymx.
atampa or silver. Addrese, Jessie Brink, lai6 O St.. Lincoln", Wb. - 8
'3RHtntmU0KtllStMRKHKnR " ' ' ' ' ' i ! !! 1 " h'mm nnnn1
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