" Jg5I-wT v -
4
JUNE 9, 19fl
The Commoner.
13
are being established; the whole
political atmosphere fs clearing and
changing; they aTe thinking, in part,
at least, for themselves; .the old
party battle cries, old political tricks,
and old campaign methods are fast
losing their magic sway. Political
"rallies" are less and less attended
and the quiet fireside at home is more
and more the place where the Oregon
voters "make up their minds." It
is becoming more and more difficult
to predict "what the people will do."
The distress of the old politicians,
trained in the days when men voted
like sheep, is rather amusing, There
is a grave shaking of heads prior to
an election, since there is a marked
tendency on. the part of the voters
to keep their own counsel. No one
knows what is going to happen either
to candidates or measures.
Your old politician and distin
guished party leader cannot under
stand all this. His scepter of power
has passed; the people are "running
after strange gods;" the party "is
being undermined;" the moral order
of things is, to him, in process of
destruction. His sense of ownership
of things political Is. rudely jarred
it Is challenged and denied and
repudiated; his advice does more
harm than good. His "turn" to oc
cupy some fine office is not respected.
His "machine" is on the scrap-heap.
In the casting up of results, then,
this education of the citizens must
be taken into account. There is an
other benefit; namely, the potential
power that "Monsieur Referendum"
exerts in legislative bodies, state and
municipal. I learn that it is no un
common thing to hear legislators re
mark, "What's the use of passing
that bill? The people will referend
It" Or again, "We might as well
enact it, for the people will." Thus
do representatives become represen
tatives. I am further told that the
bribery industry is in a bad way in
Oregon of late. Within the present
decade It was in a thriving condition.
"But what is the use, now?" The
bill will go to the referendum, if
notably bad, and there Is no possible
way" to bribe a whole state. Even
the old janitor at the state capitol
In Salem will tell you, "There ain't
so many of these lobbyists around
here as there used to be. Why, I
can remember " But we
all know that story.
The legislative product, then, of
the initiative and referendum1 is not
the' only thing by which it is to be
judged. These unseen psychological
results, so difficult to measure, are
a part of the equation if indeed not
the most important part. Bad laws
may be repealed; but how is a re
publican form of government to en
dure in which the people have grown
skeptical, disheartened, and have lost
capacity to depend upon themselves?
"What do they tell you about the
new system of things?" an attorney
asked me one day.
"There is a diversity of opinion,"
I replied.
"There may be a diversity of opin
ion," he replied with a grin, "but
I noticed there was no diversity in
the vote."
And so Oregon "stood pat."
BY AN ALUMNUS
Ball "What is silence?"
Hall "The college yell of the
school of experience." Harper's
Bazar.
& w tSwfhf (
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wmxto
s ABOUT AJJh
Bride "Were you very much em
barrassed, dear, when you proposed
to me?"
Hubby -"Only about 20,000,
love." Variety Life.
WAYS OP GBTTINa THERE
Some are appointed to the United
States senate, some are elected and
others -come from Ullnoi. Mil
waukee Sentinel.
The Melting Pot
Jasselink, Rocco, Murphy; Roloffsky,
Hruza, Schloss
With their hopes built high as the
free blue sky they travel the
sea across.
Celt and Dane and Russian; and
Hebrew and Slav and Pole,
They have caught a sight of the ban
ner bright that grips on the
yearning soul.
The soul that for Freedom yearneth,
That longs for a new birth;
And they come to this land that
gives it
From the utmost ends of earth.
Casey and Marco and Gottleib; Ivan
and Jan and Don
They long to stand on the greatest
land that ever the sun shone on.
German, Irish, Frenchman; Saxon
and Swede and Scot;
They'll be fused in one as the swift
years run in America's melting
pot.
The best of the old world races
Are molded a race anew
By the quick, deft hand of Freedom
'Neath the old Red, White and
Blue!
Scourged by their tyrant masters;
bruised by the heels that scorn,
They have seen unfold with a sheen
of gold the colors of early
morn -The
stars of a high-born purpose,
the red and the blue of hope
That bid men on the golden dawn
who now in the darkness grope.
The glorious land where Freedom
Has lighted her altar fires:
Where men who are true of purpose
May garner their heart's desires.
Scourged, by the highborn lordling,
bruised by the despot's heel,
Their souls seek rest in the sundown
west as men of a commonweal.
Emperor, king and baron; lordling
and duke and czar
All a dying power in this welcome
hour of Liberty's rising star.
The star that shall shine forever
To guide to the heights sublime;
Where man with all men Is equal,
And Freedom the ward of Time.
Over the seas dividing, riding the
billow's crest,
Hearts beating high as their eyes
descry the gates of the Golden
West
Saxon and Dane and Norman their
racial hates forgot
Fused patriots all at Freedom's call
in America's melting pot.
Doubtful
"I'm afraid Wingerly will never
make a successful politician?"
"Why not? He seems to be able,
popular and well informed on public
questions."
"He is all of that. But he Is so
peculiar."
"I never noticed anything peculiar
about him."
"Well there Is. He has the pecu
liar notion that platform pledges
ought to be redeemed.
of the sugar trust, the head of the
oil trust, the head of the cotton goods
trust, the head of tho tube trust,
and am ah, er ah . Yes, I guess
wo have finished. Shall wo now
adjourn?"
"Beg pardon," piped up a thin
voice. "I haven't been heard yet."
"Well, who are you?" queried tho
chairman, as ho and tho other mem
bers turned to gaze upon a meek
looking little gentleman who was
crowded into a corner.
"I'm nobody but Ultimate Con
sumer," murmured tho little man.
"Such effrontery!"
"Isn't that nerve for you?"
"Tho idea!"
Theso are only a few of the ex
clamations which followed.
Then tho comraitteo adjourned.
Wonderful Invention
"Biggerly claims to have invented
a wonderful alarm clock."
"What is there so wonderful about
it?"
"When It Is set to spring the alarm
at 6:30 in the morning it does not go
off until 7:45, and then the hands fly
back to 6:30."
Fnvorito Songs
Mr. Rockefeller "Whiter Than
Snow."
Mr. Carnegie "Steal Away."
Mr. Morgan "Over and Over
Again."
Mr. Lorimer "Though Your Sins
Be as Scarlet."
Mr. Roosevelt "O, for a Thous
and Tongues."
Mr. Taft "In tho Sweet By and
By."
Mr. Madero "Over There."
DISTRACTING
"What drove tho lady exchange
editor crazy?"
"Reading of bargains in cities a
thousand miles away." Toledo
Blado.
PATENT
your Invention. Rnul forfrtt
oxamlnnUon offer. MIKO II.
BTKVKN8 A CO., Kat. ISOI.
C80F St. Washington: 391 Monadnock Ulk., Chicago
Foolish Questions
"Lovely day, isn't it?"
"Ah, you're back homo again?"
"Can you let mo have ten dollars
till tomorrow?"
"Did you catch any fish?"
Signs
To forget to mail the letter your
wife gave you a' sign that you'll
have to think up a new excuse.
To get off a rapidly moving street
car backwards a sign that you will
havo dizzy spells, a sensation of fall
ing and visions of stellar constellations.
Brain Leaks
No Consideration
Tho chairman of the ways and
means committee yawned, looked at
his watch and remarked:
"Has everybody been heard?"
"I think so," replied a member.
'Let's gee," mused the qhairman;
"we've heard the head of 'the wool
trust, the head of the steel trust, the
head of the cordage trust, the head
Every baby's first step is the most
wonderful thing that ever happened.
One of the drawbacks of poverty
Is that there Is no exclusiveness
therein.
If It wasn't for our troubles we
wouldn't know how to enjoy our
pleasures.
The easiest thing in the world Is
to frame up an excuse for doing
something we want to do.
The wise pastor doesn't start on
his summer vacation until after the
June wedding season Is over.
A lot of homes are made sad be
cause the father oxhausts himself
trying to be a "good fellow" down
town.
As for gossip, we fall to see the
difference between the one who re
tails It and the one who eagerly lis
tens' to it.
Maybe one reason women get so
worked up at a bargain sale is that
they so seldom receive any money
from their husbands to spend.
It Is tho best policy holder's com
pany in tho United States.
ASSETS, $4,400,000
Twonty-flvo years old. Wrlto
The Old Line Bankers Life
UhcoIh, Ncbraakst
Missouri and Arkansas havo had
tholr Jolco books and now It is Ken
tucky's turn, so Samuel D. Osborn has
written "The Dark mh1 Bloody flroHHrf,"
a history of Kentucky, guaranteed to
mako you laugh, whether you want to
or not. You can got a copy by Bending
lOo In stamps or sample pages by
sending a 2c stamp to
GRIST HOOK COMPANY,
CSrltt, KeBtMcky.
The Guaranty
State Bank, -
Muskogee, Oklahoma,
offers to their customers and mulcts' ofthutpftiXHr
throughout tho country exceptional fecJllUeft fw
handling account by mall. Tho Depositors Guar
anty Fund of tho stato ofOkkihoma huuroialMolute
flafctyofaU fund deposited with uk. Wo behove
In tho Integrity and conservatism of our officer,
hutyouaro not compelled to rnlyonthls. What
protection do you get from your homo bank? Writ
Tor booklet to-day. interest paid on Tlmo Deposits
and Savings Account.
M. Q. HABKELTj, vico President.
M. O. SKLL8. CaAhiar.
Free To Boys
I Havo a Glove, Mitt, Mak, BmII, Bat,
Cap and Belfc for Every Boy
Who Will Write to Me.
Huff ytMffi-wSfk.
ill immnif WmSB
fill ll$ 7&W$!&ymfM
111 WLWtWm
111 IhIw
KfifflH YSPJLJJW53I I ?fflrrJ0
Wmmm m
Thero aro seven splendid pieces In this great out
fit. Tho ash bat la a good ono. Tho mask Is made
of heavy wire, full size Tho catcher' mitt Is
thickly padded, very heavy and has patented,
fastener. Tho glovo la or tanned leather and has
patent clasp. Tho ball la strongly stitched and wilt
last A neat, adjustable belt and a dandy cap
complete this great outfit. Remember you get the
wholooutfltof fovcn pieces for a llttlo easy work.
Wrlto mo to-day and I wilt tell you Joat how'to
get lb
A. M. PIPER, 220 Popular Bldg.,
Des Moines, Iowa.
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