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"DECEMBER 29, ltll
The Commoner.
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The New Year
"Ring out the old,
Ring in the new;
Ring out the false,
Ring in the true."
-,
Bing, ye bells, for the 'Glad New
Year
"Whose dawn appears o'er eastern
"' ' slopes.
- Ring out each dismal doubt and fear,
, Ring in tho dawn of .rosy hope!
Ring out till o'er the whole world
swells
; The music of your joy, O, bells!
Ring in the bonds of brotherhood,
'- Ring out the power of greed and
. ' ' might.
Ring in the work of common good,
Ring out the wrong, ring in tho
right. . '
Ring out till brother brother tells
- Your glorious message, O, ye bells!
Ring in the truth that makes men
free,
Ring out the false that binds in
chains.
Ring in the good that is to be,
Ring out the greed for wrongful
gains.
Ring out until the hills and dells
Send back the echoes, O, ye. bells!
Ring in the "Fatherhood of God,
Ring out the wiles that mar the
day.
Ring till tho paths that men have
. "-.- trod
3ecome again the bettor way.
Ring out till o'er the whole world
swells
The music of your joy, 0, bells!
reasons. First, I don't want to.
Second, why should I? I got too
much comfort out of it, and I have
too much affection for the Little
Woman. Several years ago ehe had
a noart-ro-heart talk with me about
my smokiug, and as a result I laid
the pipe away and resolved that I'd
quit. In less than a week the Little
Woman hunted up the pipe and to
bacco pouch, and drawing nigh unto
me she remarked:
"For goodness sake, "Will, fill up
and take a good smoke. You'll drive
me aud the children crazy!"
She informed me after I had
stoked up that for a week I'd been
crosser than a boar with a sore
head. Once in a while I get a bit
impatient around the house and
threaten to quit smoking. That
makes 'em all get good.
But, my young friend, if you have
never learned to smoke, don't. And
if you have only been smoking a few
years, quit. I never saw a middle
aged man who smoked who did not
regret that he had formed the habit.
Nor have I ever seen a middle aged
man who did not smoke who re
gretted that he had not acquired tho
habit in his younger days..
And, good father of the growing
boys, if you are addicted to tobacco,
for goodness' sake don't make a
monkey of yourself by telling your
boy he must not learn the habit. A
little bit of example beats a wagon
load of precept.
pocket and pulled out a plug of to-1
uacco aoout eigntecn inches long and
two Inches thick and handod it to me.
Then he turned and went out into
tho yard and then into tho house.
I had reached for that plug almost
mochanically. I turned it over and
over, thinking mighty fast and hard.
Then I climbed up and laid that plug
of tobacco on a rafter, and so far as
I know it is there to this day. I
never saw it again, nor did I toll
anvono whoro It war. And thn nhnw
of tobacco I had that morning was
tho last I took for many a long year.
I opine that my father know as
much about boy nature as any man
that ever lived. lie know that it
wouldn't do nnv cooil to forbid mn
to chew. Ho knew it would bo a
waste of time to whip mo for it. So
ho just shamed me out of it that's
tho word, shamed me out of it.
But this is no time for maundering
about the past. This is a time to
think about the future. So here's a
Happy New Year to everybody and
especially to my friends, known and
unknown, far and near. And every
reader of Tho Commoner is my
friend, I know. May all that Is good
and true be yours to have and to
keep, not only through tho coming
new year, but through all tho years
that are yet to be.
Speaking of Resolutions
:. Of course you are going to make a
lot of good resolutions next Monday,
regardless of the fact that in all the
years gone by you made the same old
resolutions and tnen ten down. iar
be it from me to discourage anyone
who is trying to break away from
the bad habit, but I have my doubts
about the man who waits until
January 1 to quit. Oh, yes, I've sup
plied a considerable lot of paving
material for that other place, and
I suppose I'll furnish a lot more, but
of this you may be sure I am not
going to make" any good resolutions
next Monday. I'll either make th'emi
the day before, or the day after.
But next Monday I'm going to re
new some resolutions I made years
ago, and ask for strength to carry
them out a little better in future
than I have been able to do in tne
past. One of the best things Kin
Hubbard of Indiana ever got off was
his remark, credited to "Ike Martin,
to this effect: "If you don't know
enything good t' say of a man, think
np something" I've been trying for
Ear. to say only good things o
men ana womeu, auu ------
day I'm going to renew that resolu
tion made a long time ago. I am
going to ask for help to carry out
lid resolutions-that I will do all I
can to make smiles grow, to make
cnHdren happier to be a neighbor
and not a near-dweller, and to so
Sive that somebody, sometime, will
25 Well, he made us all feel bet-
ir& if that last I saU
me after Thar gone over, HI
U. mighty proud.
Many years ago say about thirty
five, when I was a lusty boy, it was
one of my Saturday duties to saw
and split enough wood to last over
Sunday. We had a fine woodshed In
which I might work. One particu
lar Saturday I was hurrying to get
the wood sawed so I could go fishing.
I thought father had gone down
town, so I took a big chew of to
bacco and sawed and chawed for
dear life. But just as I spat out a
huge mouthful of the juice father
appeared in the doorway and looked
at me over the rims of his spectacles.
He didn't say a word, but turned and
went away, I saw him headed to
wards town, and the way I made that
saw fly was a caution, i tnougm
that perhaps the blow might, be
softened a bit if I had a big pile split
ur -tt'lifm-fnidipr cot back.
' A coulfro liours later father ap
peared in the woodshed, seated him
self on the woodpile and asked:
"Son, how long have you been
chewing tobacco?"
I stammered a bit and then re
marked that I hadn't chewed long.
"Where do you get your tobacco?
he asked.
I told him I bought it out of my
weekly allowance of 50 cents, or with
money earned running errands.
"You never steal it, do you?" he
asked.
I resented that idea.
"Ever beg any?" ,
I replied that I got an occasional
chew from a chum.
"Well, my son, I would rather you
wouldn't chew tobacco, but If you
have formed the habit and want to
continue, I certainly don't want you
i i o,. nnd T know I am
nnaWe to allow you enough spend
ing money to supply you if you are
going to Indulge In such habits But
I have bought you a piece of to
bacco, and when that is gone HI get
you iome more, m keep you in
chewing tobacco if yon are bound to
With this father reached, into M
ANOTHER POLITICAL FUNERAL
FOR MR. BRYAN
It is now some fifteen years since
publicists and press of a certain per
suasion began holding political
funerals for William Jennings Bryan
on frequent occasions. Meanwhile
Mr. Bryan has flourished as tho
green bay tree and been able to com
mand the nomination of a exeat poli
tical party for president wnenever ne
wanted it. General expectation Is
that 1912 will be his fallow season,
but that his word will be potent
enough to prevent the nomination
of any man he will not approve.
The Underwood-Bryan controversy
has afforded another opportunity for
those platitudinous panegyrists or
the Uriah Heap school to unburden
themselves of another set of funeral
orations. Let us urge ardent mourn
ers not unduly to hasten in buying
tickets to the Bryan obsequies. Mr.
Bryan is represented as "repudiated
by his party's leadership." Bosh!
Mr. Bryan made a mistake, which is
one of his specialties. He made a
hm?A one In 189G and got more
votes then, and twice afterward, than
any candidate for president had ever
polled before 189G!
The strength of Mr. Bryan .does
not depend "on the attitude of the
democratic representation in con
gress. It never did, and never will.
It is with tho plain people, not the
party managers. It is not based on
Qnv jiRSHTrintion of Mr. Bryan's in
fallibility, but on a firm conviction
of his honesty.
Mr. Bryan made a mistake that
was made by plenty of other people.
He observed Mr. Underwood's politi
cal geography, and ho noted the de
lay about bringing forward a steel
schedule. Ergo, he assumed a casual
relation that did not exist. Mr.
Underwood's explanation, backed by
the members of the ways and means
committee, is complete and satisfy
ing. It is merely regrettable that
this explanation was not given to the
public sooner.
But as to any serious, permsiucui.
impairment of Mr. Bryan's hold on
public confidence as a result of his
fulminations on the steel schedule,
it is nonsense. Mr. Bryan does not
play the sort of game for polnta that
smaller politicians play. He doesn t
maneuver to "get something on' his
antagonist and credit himself with
a number of point proportioned to
the bigness of the something or the
skill of the maneuver. Ho plays for
tho masses of his party, and his hold
on them In what enables him to In
fluence Uiobo loaders who arc always
so ready to claim tho platform with
funeral elegiacs. Mr. Bryan has
proved time and again that ho is
stronger with any other democratic
organization In tho nation than with
tho caucus of domocratic representa
tives In congress. Ho will provo it
again. Washington (D. u.) Timoa.
THE REFERENDUM AND RECALL
To tho Editor of tho Phlladolnhia
North American: Tho principle
which undorllos what Is known
as "tho recall," tho writer be
lieves will persist and grow
strongor as it goes. The belief that
appears prevalent among cortain
poople that they wore born to rulo Is
only a fragmentary, porsiatenco of
tho ages of tribal oxlstonro, when
tho chief could, In a way at least, do
as he pleased. Kings and emperors
and other species of despots havo fol
lowed as time went on and took
their places and assumed thoir
powers, always not by tho foolish
Buporstltltlon of what Is called di
vine right, but always In keeping
with what was the subject's ability
to rulo himself. If tho Amorlcan
people conclude that It would bo
wise to recall thoir judges It would
be tho most encouraging thine that
has happened in this union since tho
adoption of the constitution. It will
not only bo an indication that tho
efficient portion of the electorate Is
recognizing and assuming Its re
sponsibilities, but also a gratifying
forecast of the coming day of the
peoplo's rule.
President Taft and others appear
terribly afraid of tho mob. There Is
not tho least dangor of tho mob when
tho initiative and referendum and
tho recall is under discussion. Tho
roal dangerous mob In this country
Is composed of those who sell their
votes, either for dollar bills or
special legislation, and it Is ruling,
or, rather, misruling, now. It Is
laughable to hear men exalted to
power by purchased votes expressing
solicitude for free Institutions, and
it would be even more laughable if
it were not a tragedy to listen to tho
expression of fear about tl.e recall of
judges who have been elevated to
positions which should be sacred, by
men who were given their power by
purchased votes.
JOHN S. HAMILTON.
FRANCIS M. DANAHER
Francis M. Danaher, a well knowu
and highly respected Albanian, died
at his homo, 139 Lark street,'after
a long Illness. Mr. Danaher was
born In Charleston, S. C, seventy
seven years ago and had resided In
Albany for the past sixty years. He
married Mary E. Hlllenbrant, who
died twenty-flvo years ago. Mr.
Danaher was an expert machinist
and engineer until he retired irom
active work several years ago. Ho
was a student and devoted much of
his time to books.
Mr. Danaher Is survived by three
sons, Judge Franklin M. Danaher, of
Albany; John E. and Edward A.
Dalahaner and a daughter, Miss Ella
N. Danaher, of New York. Albany
(N. Y.) Knickerbocker Pre3S.
LOYAL
Marks "So your Italian barber
refused to shave you?. Why was
that?" 1 L . .
Parks "i told him I'd just had
a Turkish bath." Boston Tran
script. HE WAS MISTAKEN
"I asked your husband last even
ing If he had his life to live over
again If he would marry you, and
be said he certainly would."
"He certainly wouldn't.": Hous
ton Post.
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