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About Will Maupin's weekly. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1911-1912 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1911)
TALKING OF MEN AND THINGS An enterprising local dealer in furniture and other things has his display window full of baby carriages, and the display la beled, "1911 Styles." Of course, he refers to the carriages, not the babies. There will be no new styles in babies this year. They will be just the same little, red-faced, fuzzy haired, wrinkled-nosed, pudgy-fisted little darlings that have been coming into the world ever since Eve presented Cain to Adam and shortly after presented him with another one because she was able. They will come into the world with the same shrill cries of protest, and through the tra vail of mothers who have gone down into the valley of the shadow to bring their little souls into the sunlight. They will come along with the same old croup, and measles, and sniffles and colic; develop into stone bruises and sore toes and blistered fingers and aching hearts, and wind up by becom ing mothers and fathers themselves and watching with delight the unfolding of the mysteries that have been locked up in every baby that has come crying and protesting into this old world. New styles in babies? Never ! For all of which let us be duly thankful. Justice to Mayor Love demands that an explanation be given of the interview print ed recently in a Sioux City paper, and which was republished under a Sioux City, date line by an enterprising evening newspaper of Lincoln that gets a large volume of "spe cial telegrams" via the scissors route. Mayor Love wrote the letter early last Oc tober, and addressed it as a personal com munication to an inquiring friend. It was written at a time when local labor condi tions were good, and with the laudable in tent of giivng Lincoln a boost. By giving the letter to a newspaper for publication, three or four months after . it was written, was something of a breach of confidence on the part of the lecipient. It was an injustice to Mayor Love, which injustice was inten sified by the enterprise of the local news paper that made a "special telegram", of it without' explaining that' the matter was about four months old. Labor conditions in Lincoln are not near ly so good as they might be, but to claim that this is due to any civic policy is merely to write one's self down as easily deceived. Lincoln is just like every other city, be it "wet" or "dry" the victim of a slump in all lines of trade and industry. The only difference is that the slump has not hit Lin coln quite so hard as it has some other cities of its class. There are many of us perhaps a majority who do not agree with Mayor Love on the excise policy. But although claiming al legiance to the republican party, Mayor Love is fundamentally a democrat. This is not meant in the partisan sense, but in the broad sense of the definition of "democ racy." He stands for municipal ownership of municipal utilities; for the initiative, ref erendum and recall ; for what is commonly , called "the" single tax," and for other things that wage-earners and thoughtful students of economics stand for. The mere fact that he differs from many of us on a proposition that has no place in economics should not deter us from giving him credit for being a progressive. The sooner we quit meas uring all our heights and depths and lengths "and breadths from a point we call "liquor regulation," the quicker we will solve some of the problems that vex us. It is really pathetic to note the fear some of our good friends have that the corpora tions will find it easy to suspend a statute under the proposed 5 per cent petition for a referendum. The corporations may try the scheme once or twice, but after squander ing their good money in vain a time or two they will quit it. And the 5 per cent prop osition simply protects the people who are not, equipped with a fine organization and supplied with unlimited means. Like the good old lady who was pained to learn that many people were dying who had never died before,' some of our good friends who were never before greatly concerned about the interference of corporations in our po litical affairs are fearfully wrought up right now. Noting that the train of Miss Gould's wedding gown was five yards long, the Kan sas City Star cruelly remarks that it was "almost as long as some of her papa's Cen tral Branch trains." It is too bad that our American aristocracy should be thus sub jected to jibe and jeer. The presence of a few silver coins in his vest pocket is all that saved the life of Guiano Lavanture at New Haven, Conn., the other day. The coins stopped a bullet fired at him by an angry compatriot. We hope no irate party will shoot at the editor Qf Will Maupin's Weekly until after a few more enterprising and appreciative Nebras kans have come across with their subscrip tion. Right now a bullet would go through the editor with a rush. Representative Norris of Nebraska ceased insurging long enough to line up with such fine old tariff reformers as Dalzell, Ford ney, Gaines, Fassett and Scott against the adoption of the Canadian reciprocity agree ment. We greatly fear that Representative Norris is allowing his insurgency to siton crooked. The congressman who insists that he is for tariff revision downward and op poses reciprocity with Canada; owes it to himself and his constituency to do a lot of explaining. Reports are to the effect that the wheat has come through the winter in good shape, despite the absence of snow. The North Platte country has had more moisture than the South Platte, but right now it seems that the entire state is enjoying" an un usually fine February soaking. This means a lot that is good for the coming season. The grave danger now is that we'll have spring weather too early,' followed by a freeze that will knock the fruit buds. But what's the use of being pessimistic ? Haven't you noticed that you get about as much fruit, and as cheaply, after a spring that killed the -fruit as you do after a spring that is ideal? C. R. Oyler has been nominated by the socialists for mayor of Lincoln. Of course Mr. Oyler stands about as much show of be ing elected mayor of Lincoln as the editor of Will Maupin's Weekly does of being made king of the Aleutian islands. But the , fact remains that Mr. . Oyler would make a good mayor if allowed to put into practice someof the principles for which he stands. Our socialist friends may not have their heads in the clouds, although their feet may be a long ways from the ground, yet they offer solutions for some, vexed problems. In this respect they've got the old parties i skinned both ways "from the ace. Some of "these' days ; the people will awaken to the fact that the old party leaders are throw ing off a lot of " B. S." which initials stand for "balderdash stuff " and when that awak ening comes there will be something doing. A "woman's magazine," which is edited by a man, offers some menus for the' con sideration of "average families." The edi tor of Will Maupin's Weekly dearly loves a good laugh, and every time he reads of lot of. "menus" dope from the women's maga zines he sneaks off by himself and has a good one. Here is a sample "menu" for a Wednesday as offered by the" man-edited magazine " in question : Breakfast : Grape fruit, cereal with sugar and cream, minced lamb on toast, coffee. Luncheon: Macaroni with cheese, toasted muffins, orange mar malade, tea. Dinner: Corn soup with popped corn, fish balls, hot brown bread, cold slaw, apple pie." Now study that over a bit and then pic ture the average American family. It will u r:i. r c it, r ii, i uc n ittiuiiy fJi live, me lamci it nickname earning an average of $50 a month, and the mother doing all the housework, includ ing the care of three children, the oldest aged ten and the youngest a babe in arms. Wouldn't a bricklayer feel fine after a break fast of grape fruit, costing about 35 cents for the family, a little cereal with cream at 15 cents the pint, some minced lamb at 30 cents the pound and a cup of coffe? And r- 1 i r r. i CL1LC1 WUl Mllg UHC L11U11UC1 lUr 1UUI 11UU1 S wouldn't he be greatly nourished arid re freshed with the lay-out offered above ? And just imagine the average workingman be ing satisfied with the evening meal outlined above. Why, his week's wages ' would :be knocked galley west betore- Wednesday night if he undertook to follow out the scheme of the man-edited woman's maga zine. Will Maupin's Weekly 'wishes some magazine would employ an editor who knows a thing or two about real life, and then insist upon that editor dealing out some dope that would fit the average fam ily. "How to build a lovely little' cottage for $11,700," doesn't interest 79;000,000 of our 80,000,000 people. How to build a com fortable house that will shelter seven peo ple at an expense of not more than $1,200, payable $100 down and $10 a month that's what a majority of us are looking for. Some of these days the Woman's Club may invite the editor of Will Maupin's Weekly to address . it, and he will accept with alacrity. His address will not deal on tne miiuence ot iDsen upon our modern life," nor "the beauties of the rennaisance," nor "the care of oriental rugs." Not much; he will get down to brass tacks arid discuss such ordinary topics as how to support a family of seven on $450 a year," or "the evil effects of the fool dress habit," or something like that. Owing to the fact that he is the father of some six or seven fat, lusty, hearty, healthy, hungry and rantakerous kiddies, the editor will not discuss "how to raise children. lhat is a waste of time, for there are as many ways of raising children as there are children, so he will leave that subject to the maiden ladies and the wives whose families consist of a husband at the club, " a poodle dog and other things not necessary to mention. The Woman's Club movement is a splen . did one, - and it has brought ' about some sweeping reforms. Nebraska's splendid child labor law is due to the interest of the Wom . an-'s Clubs pf the state.. -But the field for ed-