PAGE 4.
PLATTSMOUTH SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1. 1913
The Plattsmouthi Journal
Published Semi-Weekly
Entered at the Postoffice at Plattsmouth, Nebraska as second-class matter
fri tn PER YEAR IN ADVANCE . - .
OUR BOYS.
A commissioner having caught
a lot of youthful thieves in a
neighboring city said to a re
reporter: "The worst thing about
the boys nowadays Is that they
don't want to work unless they
get a man's wages. , When they
are put to work they are dis
satisfied because they don't get
more pay. Nowadays the Hrst
question a boy asks when he ap
plies for a job is: 4 How much
pay do I get?' It used to he, 'Can
I get work?' They are encourage!
in this by their parents who are
unwilling to see their children go
to work unless they can get big
wages from the start."
This is all well, but the greater
evil comes from the fact that the
bov of todav is not allowed to
learn a trade, and consequently
he drifts about seeking odd jobs
and naturally with him the ques
tion is, "How much can he get?"
The age limit-debars, him.fl'0in
learning a trade at a time when
his faculties are most susceptible
and so he drifts into mature life
only half educated. Here is the
trouble with too much legisla
tion. We have so protected the
youth of the. country by laws,
that we are turning them out
wholly incapable of making a liv
ing, and without the ability or
capacity to master the details in
any single calling. A boy can be
a telegraph messenger or a dis
trict messenger, where ho learns
more villainy and rascality than
in almost any other department
of lire, and then we expect him to
grow up,. ..into, sober and decent
citizenship.
:o:
To us it looks as though the
trade of the country is so scat
tered ttiat the town whi:h puts
forth the most effort in that di
rection will eventually succeed in
landing far more than her legit
imate share of business. At
present, while time hangs on the
hands of the average man, ho
takes time to look around and
then spends his money where it
will go the farthest and to us it
seems that the merchant who
offers him good values for his
money, will eventually reap gold
en rewards in the way cf hi:
future trade. This fact we. would
impress upon the minds of the
people and we would also as!s
them to aid us in establishing th1
fact that m our town can ne
found as good bargain-: as in any
other in this section.
:o :
Tafl has joined the boomers of
Klihu Hoot for the republican
nomination for president in 1916
He compares Root with Alexander
Hamilton. I he ex-presilent is
right i:i his comparison, both as
to the man and the principles of
government Hamilton tried to
inculcate in his iime, the same
as Hoot is endeavoring to do now
Alexander Hamilton was ml i
true American, and was a belter
friend to England than he ever
was to the United States.
:o:
Plenty of sunshine, according
to that philosopher and friend o
the people, John I). Rockefeller
induces more people to atten
church.. True, perhaps, hut John
I), should learn that men are
versatile, and that the weather is
lint one excuse among many; but
one among many.
:o:
Unless you are striving each
day to make your life better, and
make your town more beautiful,
you're not much of a citizen
just a common old stand-around.
Such persons deserve to ha
roasted. Make the stand-arounds
sit up and take notice.
at Plattsmouth, Neb.:
Democratic . economy experts
plan to abolish free telegrams for
congressmen and senators. Let
this and many other privileges
that are furnished these servants
of the people be cut out. Soon
they will want the people to pay
their board.
:o:
How the English premier must
envy the tact of President Wil
son. He received a delegation of
suffragettes, denied their petition,
shook hands all around and sent
them away satisfied." But maybe
the difference is in our suffraget
tes. It is hard to beat an Ameri
can woman by any test.
:o:
There should really he no un
necessary excitement on either
side of the river over the iiuding
of human skeletons in close
proximity to the river, since the
wholesale finding of human bones
right in Plattsmouth. There are
no doubt Indians buried all up
and down the Missouri, and have
lain there ever since the Indians
were very numerous, and white
men were almost as scarce as
hen's teeth a hundred years ago.
:o:
As a nation, we cannot very
well complain of narcl limes or
the high cost of living. It is
shown by the prvgress of the dia
mond industry that we imported
$57,000,000 in diamonds last
year, as compared with Sii.uuo,-
000 in 190G, the former high
record year, and Americans own
ever one-half of the diamonds in
the world. Uncle Sam's seems to
e stronger than any other coun
try in the world for the sparkler.
:o:
The suffragettes in Washing
ton quarreled anions them
selves. The Illinois delegation
made an appointment with Presi
dent Wilson to discuss the ques
tion of constitutional amendment
with him granting women the
right to. vote. The national as
sociation wanted to confer with
the president on the same sub
ject, but Grace Wilbur Trit re
fused to give way and the resull
was that the president had a con-
venient cold and refused to see
any of them.
:o :
One of the best things said at
the recent convention of the
American Federation of Labor
was the utterance of President
Oompers when asked to endorse
this organization: "I have heard
enough about Industrial Worker?
of the World charging the
American Federation of Labor
with not doing its duty. It will
be a sorry day for labor when we
stoop to meet the frivolous, pur
poseless charges made by that
sort of people. Every time they
have made a row we have been
called on to pay the tiddler and
the piper. I don't think we should
be disturbed by what they think
of us."
:o: ;
4T do wish your parents would
stop leaching you this Santa
Claus foolishness," snarled
school teacher to her pupils a
few davs aco. Sue knows it is a
myth, but whoever heard of a
child 'being ruined by it. The
Santa Claus is not the only myth
grown folks discover as they
grow older. The writer of this
used to believe he could eat raw
dog and get away with it, but
that, also, has proved a myth.
Men believe they can fool with
booze without injury to them
selves. Another myth. Children
get a lot of innocent pleasure out
of the Santa Claus idea and the
school teacher who tries to up
set them is just a little out of
sympathy with children.
NOT BIGNESS, BUT BADNESS.
An authentic report from
Washington represents that
President Wilson is not opposed
to big business because it is big,
but at the same time he is un
alterably opposed to monoply and
will not ''mother" huge trusts.
The report puts him in emphatic
antagonism to the progressive
proposal for a commission to
license and regulate trusts, but
says he will not object to the in
stitution of a commission or
agency charged with advising big
corporations what they can and
cannot do under the law. He
favors strengthening, not weak
ening, the Sherman anii-irusi
act.
This report is significant for
the reason that no press associa
tion would make it without
authority. Therefore, it may be
accepted as if the president had
sent it out over his own signat
ure.
The policy outlined is sound
and wise; it is just what the, sober
thought of Ihe nation demands.
There is no objection to the big-
uess of a business; there is only
the apprehension that by strength
of its bigness it may become bad,
and the apprehension is well
grounded in the fact of ex
perience that individuals or col
lections of individuals are prone
to abuse power whether it be
power in office or power in com
merce. The reason for legal re
straning, however, is not as to
bigness, but as to badness.
There is no sound objection m
thics to a large corporation.
riiere are circumstances under
vhich mergers of firms or cor
porations are economic adjust-
nents. There are circumstances
tinder which competition becomes
lestruclive and therefore in
jurious to the whole community,
because there is no general good
n waste or loss. Much more
night be said to the same effect.
nit it all would be commonplace
md more or less platitudinous.
These statements of primary
economic fact, though, do not af
reet the larger and more import-
int fact that in practice, under
luman greed, most mergers are
effected for purposes of monopoly
y restrain of trade' and that when
orporations or firms become
large enough to exercise a domin-
xnt influence in a particular line
if trade they use their power to
lestroy wholesome competition
ind to oppress their patrons.
Since the law cannot discover
commercial motives, it must so
lefine the operations of com
nercial enterprises as that their
methods will reasonably imply
'heir motives. The result may be
!o prevent some desirable com -filiations,
but that is the neces
sary incidence of the universality
of the law; it is the penalty which
the righteous few must pay for
the sins of the unrighteous many.
President Wilson's policy is a
fair reflection of what we believe
to be democratic sentiment, and
ve are glad to see him thus ad
vise the country of his views.
The publication will serve to quiet
any fear of radical action upon
his initiative and at the same time
it will lend to discourage thai
seductive suggestion of the
Rooseveltians for the government
o license trusts and limit their
profits, for that means ultimately
for the government to fix the
prices of all primary articles and
the means of their production.
:o:
Omaha is about the only city
that is getting along peacefully
with its commission form of gov
ernment. And the outside towns
predicting all manner of trouble
when it was adopted. Compare
the moral, peaceful town of Lin
coln with Omaha, will you? Ain't
they having a jolly time up there?
:o: .
The two soldiers' homes are in
excellent shape, and since weed
ing out, the other institutions are
also in fine shape, much to the
credit of Governor Morehead.
The g. o. p. trill make the cam
paign next fall on the issue of
sound money.
:o:-
A Chicago preacher says the
American woman spends 90 per
cent of her husband's earnings.
This being the case, she at least
has within 10 per cent by right.
:o:
Have you done your Red Cross
shopping yet? A little good work
of this kind may at least have the
effect in the next world of caus
ing them to let the gas burn low
under your oven.
:o :
An Illinois judge holds that a
husband who enlists in the reg
ular army is not guilty of wife
desertion. Nevertheless, an en
listed man cannot contribute very
much to the support of a family.
:o:
There is not a dope fiend in
the penitentiary now. Quite a
different slate of affairs since
Warden Kenton took charge.
Good warden is Tom Kenton, and
the people of Nebraska praise
him loudly.
:o : '
The Recording Angel never
makes a mistake. And you should
not make the mistake of not re
membering those whom you
should remember, and especially
those who are too poor to remem
ber themselves on Christmas day.
:o:
Everybody who doesn't live in
Hrazil ought to be happy. Eggs
ire selling there for a dollar a
dozen, iney are lugli enough in
this country. "Raise more hens!"
will have to be added to the
' Raise more hogs!" advice to the
farmers.
:o:
Perhaps, after all, prison re
form begins at the right end of a
vexatious human up-HH problem.
Failure to reform man by statu
tory laws and regulations,
suggests making prisons so com
fortable, quiet and monotonous
that deliquent citizens will quit
in self-defense.
;o:-
Twelve thousand Chicago club
women, it is reported, are boy
cotting eggs in an effort to re
duce the prices. Twelve hundred
thousand speckled hens are boy
cotting the nest, supremely in
different to the boost in prices.
The country never lacks for great
outbursts of fuss and feathers.
The evacuation of Mexico by
Huerla may be momentarily ex
pected from now on. A Iryant
cannot rule very long anywhere.
His government has been on the
decline for some time, and it is
intimated that the first good
chance the old cut-throat gets he
will "fly the coop," and out of
the country'.
:oi
John 1). Rockefeller has been
indulging in praise of sunlight,
rr he secures control of this the
time may come when a poor devil
will have to drop a nickel in the
slot to get enough sunbeams to
find the way home in the daytime,
and the city gardener will have to
stand over his garden and coax
the sprouts out of the ground by
striking steel against flint.
:o:
Every loyal democrat is hope
ful that the affairs of this gov
ernment will be conducted with
such wisdom that the opposition
will hot be able to present a for
midable front in the next election,
and there is no justice in one ele
ment of the party seeking to dis
credit another and such a policy-
is not calculated to increase tho
democratic ranks. President
Wilson is well versed in govern
mental affairs. In the theory of
government lie is perhaps niort
learned than any man -who has
accepted that station in years,
and every man who is in a posi
tion to aid him in carrying out
his policies should rally to his
support. This paper has great
faith in President Wilson, and
believes he is nearer to the peo
ple than since the administra
lions of Washington and Jackson.
FRUITS OF SUFFRAGE.
Since woman suffrage ; " has
come to be an actual political is
sue, as undoubtedly it is in every
meaning of the term, we submit
that it should be discussed in
the light of practical results as
well as theoretical philosophy
and abstract rignl.
This is one case in which
principle is not the first con
sideration. We may grant that
woman suffrage lias a sound
foundation in political philoso
phy; that is to say that there is
no reason of sex why a woman
should not vole and a man should
vote, yet there may be other, rea
sons why women should not vole.
So we may say that there is no
reason of. sex why a woman
should not practice law or do a
banking business, while there is
i reason of sex why she should
not be a carpenter or a black
smith, or a soldier. Yet it need
not follow that woman should
practice law- or conduct banks.
There are negative reasons and
there are affirmative reasons
touching the question of suffrage
as it relates to political activity,
and there are considerations in
woman sullrage that relate to
oiner auairs man poiuicai
I - 1 I 1 i t
ictivity, and there are considera
tions in woman sullrage that re
late In other affairs than political
activity domestic affairs especi
ally. Hut. at this juncture the im
portant point to te determined is
the practical ell'ect of suffrage in
state affairs alone. If it can be
demonstrated that -woman suf
frage will contribute to Ihe ef
ficiency and righteousness of
civil government, then it will re
main to be decided whether it will
cost anything in the domestic and
ocial welfare and if so whether
the gain in one respect is greater1
or less than the loss in the other.
Woman sullrage has been in
practice in one or two slates for
some forty years and in others
for periods ranging from twenty-
five to live years, not to mention
those that have lately adopted it.
Now in twenty-live or forty, years
woman suffrage ought to be able
to show frujts of its civic value.
What are the achievements of the
equal suffrage stales clearly at
tributable to the votes of women?
In what respect do they excel the
states of manhood suffrage?
We recall a series of articles
published in a woman's maga
zine two or three years ago com
paring certain laws and con-
equences in equal suffrage
states. The laws' compared re
lated chiefly to the social welfare,
to schools, health, woman's
property rights, women's and
children's labor, Ihe social evil,
etc. in brief, those particular
affairs of state which are pre
sumed to concern women more
than men, and as to which there
are the- largest promises of re
form through the instrumentality
of women's votes. The com
parisons were rather unfavorable
to the equal suffrage states; in
no particular did they show more
progressive laws or more satis
factory results, and in some par
ticulars they showed less pro
gressive laws and less satisfac
tory results.
We were much impressed by
those articles and we have never
seen evidence or even representa
tion that they were incorrect or
unfair. On the score-of practical
demonstration they made out a
rather strong case against wom
an suffrage.
We agree that a philosophy is
not to be discredited by one or a
half dozen unsuccessful experi
ments, but surely in the face of
unsuccessful experiments its ad
vocates are called upon to await
the outcome of other experiments
before they should grow impati
ent with unbelievers.
If the good women who are
railing at man's injustice to wom
an in politics and are demanding
Ihe right of suffrage would ex
hibit the good fruits of suffrage
they would make a more effective
appeal. And if men would con
sider practical results as well as
abstractions of theory and emo
tions of gallantry they would the
more justify their own efficiency
as sovereigns of the political
commonwealth.
:o:-
It is aid that Americans spent
more for automobiles last year
than they did for household fur
niture, but when one has an auto
mobile he doesn't need the fur
niture. :o :
One of these mornings the
people of the United States will
awaken: from their peaceful
slumersito find that Hucrta has
Hone glimmering- among things
that were presidents of Mexico.
:o;
Karmers are worrying about
wheat. It is full of sap and a
hard freeze would be disastrous.
Reports from Texas are that
farmers art! mowing wheat to
prevent -its jointing; fields have
been tni soft for grazing. There
are report of wheat jointing in
Missouri, not far south of Kan
sas City.
to:
President Wilson js very long
headed, and as we have repeated
ly asserted, we have great faith
in him. If he has made any mis
lakes we have failed to realize
just what they are. He has watch
ed closely congress' action on the
currency bill, and if it is finally.
passed as ho would have it we
believe, it is lisht in every par
ticular, as regards to the best in
terests of the country at large.
:o:
Henry Spencer has been sen-
fenced to be hung next Friday'
ior tnurdeiing Mrs. Allison Rex-,
roat. The murder was un
provoked. 'The assassin is a
degenrafe and belter out of the
world than in it, but now comes
Miss Itelle Huzzell, a member of
the. Law and Order League, who
is now attempting to secure a
commutation of his sentence from
death to imprisonment. . If ever
a pian deserved .dealh it. is this
iufernal scoundrel, Spencer.
: r:o:
Every democrat and every re
publican has a right to his own
opinion in regard to tin cur
rency bill, Jis well as other meas
ures of public interest, and no
one has anv business in condemn
ing that privilege. We believe
Senator Hitchcock is honest in
his .views on the currency ques
tion, no matter how much we may-
differ with him thereto. There is
too much of this questioning the
right of democrats (o differ with
other members of the party on
matters of public interest, n j
the right that ' every American
citizen possesses, and when this
right is taken from him, this is
no longer the land of the free.
:o:
The Papillion Times rertainly
gives Senator Norris a jolt in the
following he justly deserve, ami
is the truth in every particular:
"Senator Norris - now .says that
Ihe organization - of the bull
moose party was a mistake. How
ever, he did not make this state
ment while riding into the United
States senate on the popularity ol
die hull moose parly a year aco.
He accepted Ihe nomination of
thai party and advocated it
doctrines and received Ihe vote of
its members , wit hout protest. Hut
since he has landed in the .senate
he has seen a great light, lias
voted with the stand-pat repub
licans ami against the progres
sive party principle, went, -to
Massachusetts a fyvv week ago
and campaigned for the stand
pat republican nominee for gov
ernor. It is a shame that the
people will have to wait five
years heroic they have a chance
to convince Senator Norris that
they also have seen a great lithl
and that they believe they mad'
a mistake. When Norris doe
come up for re-election, should
he have the temerity to do so, tie
will be convinced that hi Jlip
llop ladies are not relished by
the people of Nebraska."
You can now count the hop
piny day almost on one hand.
:o:
The report that American
capitalists arc loaning Huerla
large sum 4 of uiorey has en
really exaggerated. Tin aver
age Yankee j f,,o smart with hi
money for that.
:o:
A "beast" i the man who wiil
go down town a few day before
Christina ami buy himself a
pair .if house slipper-, d'librate
ly spoiling his wire's plans lo
surprise hi,,,. I).. n't, t. guilty,
gentlemen.
rot-
Even the h.-ils read til. l:.v.
paper. Out III the Wsf ..,r . f
the stale the women t It r-.t I -t t
to boycott d,e market un:d
Ihe price cat own. The i,.,,r.
ler was given wide publicity, the
hens began to cackle an. I the e
market win -on relieve..
:o:
At a great e.c,i-e tills , i-
fere-ting publical ioii ha- ;,M-. ,--taird
that tlo approximate
weight or the World j- n.non imu.
i)iiii.oiio,otiii,niMHii)) Ion. Al
though that is a iJrge ti i i r-. w
assure our readers thai the c..il
man scale were ,i..t u-e..
:o:
According" to slali-le--, ..-.
posit in Nebraska bo:! .ire
greater than they were a year
ago, which show the l.le ,
pro-perous condition, an 1 should
go Tar o shame some of lh"
calamity howjer who stale.) that
there would be a "';ll'l-" whu
the democrat got ,ui.. power.
:o :
Occasionally we hear ..(:;.
people bewailing the present and
wanting to to back lo the -...
oh day" of long a-. The
old day had their advantage, of
course, and they had their -
al anla-'e. of which we hear lit
tle, but eei, living at present !;.i
much in store f.r the man r
woman who wi-hc In get tj.e
maximum or hnppine- o,t i f
life.
:o:
The 1 1 1 - i - I people in the w..r!d
about Christmas time are th
couple with their lir-l child. .No
matter if he in"l quit" a je.,r
old, elaborate r reparation nm-f
be made for Ct.ri'm:i. and. f"r
ten days before the event both
parents are carrying bundle
home to make decoration and
supplement whatever Sarili
Claus may bring, nil Chritma
eve Ihe father has to mike w
or three trips to get o,ue thing
that Were overlooked, but finally,
about midnight, everything i- ar
ranged, and they retire. WIomi
the morning arrive the ..un-'
son and heir or daughter and
heires i carried o the room
that ha been visile. by S.in'.i.
and the parent are breadth' ;
the voungling js .shown do win
ders. e or she, if lie' a her
seeins interested. and. wh-:i
placed in die mid-t r the ..-.
select. an empty lex that -on e
of the things were packed in. or
a rubber ball that ha hern ah
the place for i month-, and
shows every evidence of tij -v-merit
until fe ! it i al-" '
lime lo cry. Willi the ec I
child tin preparation i -..-n- -what
les elaln.rate; witii H -third,
everything can ! an-.f - 1
in a week, ai d when the ninth
tenth arrives, the father -ie I ! '
mother a hair dollar at iv-u
Christina eve and Sell- her
save all sin- can out or i'. '
children make a great mi-'.'e !"
not beipjr die firl child. 'I -parent
thin ju-t a im-rh
lat n they d of die t.
they have learned th '.. -U
per jet:c4 o demand t h--:r
rifthtsj. and the chil l vrln. d- I
hi appearance until do- !-'
find it more di("iMi!t to 1 1 '
h u-ehoM thaii the fir-f "! 1 !
If a man' tirt child y-t a !
eye d,e rather i ready ! -
from the union. It !' 1 " -:'
coine in with ope h wi;! fej: f
t lie a piece of raw beef-''1'
over it, and k-o f.. -t. .ii: - ' '
lessons with the one he hi '"'