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About Will Maupin's weekly. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1911-1912 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1911)
duties, proper preparation of foods, care of children these are subjects of vastly more importance than the discussion of Ibsen, the modern drama, and other things that the womanly orator may dig out of the family encyclopedia. Senator Norris Brown is not going to have smooth sailing when he comes up for re-election. Representative Norris' friends are inflating a boom for him, and rumor has it that an occupant of a state office is also planning to shy his caster into the ring. In the meanwhile it is generally conceded that Ashton C. Shallenberger will have a walk-away for the democratic senatorial nomination. Will Maupin's Weekly regards as unfounded the rumor that James C. Dahl man is likely to announce his candidacy for the United States senate next year. Through some blunder or other Uncle Dan'l Cropsey, editor of a bank in Fairbury and "angel" for the Fairbury News, received a little note inviting him to subscribe for Will Maupin's Weekly. Uncle Dan'l wrote back a rather sarcastic letter in which he intimated that he might exchange, but sub scribe never. Then he confessed that he had found publishing a newspaper rather "unprofitable. We greatly fear that one rea son why Uncle Dan'l finds the newspaper business unprofitable as compared with his banking business is that he doesn't take as much interest in the newspaper business as he does in the banking business. The more you study that the clearer the joke becomes. The other day we heard a Nebraska Na tional Quard officer condemning Charley Wooster because Wooster does not believe in supporting a state militia. The officer called Brer Wooster a "coward," "a man afraid of a gun," and several other choice epithets. 'It reminded us of those enthusi astic republicans who charged John P. Alt geld with being a "traitor," not knowing that AUgeld eniisted in the Union army be fore he could talk English and served four years with honor to himself and to his coun try. Also to those patriots who condemned E. Benjamin Andrews as a "traitor" and "copperhead" in 1896 because Dr. Andrews espoused the cause of bimetalism, forgetful of the fact that Dr. Andrews was a gallant soldier for the Union, suffering the loss of an eye in battle. Brer Wooster, if we mistake not, wears the little bronze buton of the G. A. R. Because Representative Bassett refused to stand for the gold-bricking of the people under guise of relocating the capital, Willis L. Hand of Kearney says "your mistake was a fatal one." Measured by fleeting pop ularity, perhaps it was. Measured in the light of one's duty, performed at the dic tates of one's own conscience, not. A great many Buffalo county people who are now condemning Representative Bassett will " later be begging him to forget it and help save them from the consequences of their own folly. The school teachers of Nebraska have themselves to blame, in large measure, for the low wages paid them. Will Maupin's Weekly always speaks of teachers' emolu ments as "wages" for the simple reason that the emoluments never reach the dignity of "salaries." A few years ago the teachers of Lincoln organized on a trades union basis, but a . little later disbanded at the request of the Superintendent .of schools. When the teachers of Chicago started their organiza tion under the- leadership , of Margaret Healy, Superintendent Cooley objected and sought to prevent the organization. Then the drivers of the school supply wagons, mem bers of the Teamsters' Union, received more for, eight hours' work, per, day than the. ward principals did for their strenuous and diffi cult work. The teamsters exercised a politi cal influence through their organization. But the teachers persisted and insisted.. They organized and affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and the Chicago Trades and Labor Council. Superintendent Cooley is. down and out, but the Teachers' Federa tion is still doing business. The Federa tion has secured the abolition of a lot of arbitray and . senseless rules, forced a more equitable system of promotions and secured a salary increase, of about 20 per cent. The only organization Nebraska teachers have is one that makes them easy prey for the book agents and handy tools with which to work out the ambitious schemes of a few leaders. The teachers pf Nebraska the rank and file should ' think , it oyer ! Judge Alberts of Columbus, now a sena tor, is an "also mentioned" in the guber natorial discussion among democrats. While it is a little early yet to be selecting candi dates, it is not too early for preliminary preparations for the inflating of guberna torial booms, and Judge Alberts has plenty of friends to attend to that matter for him. He drafted the bank guarantee law that was set aside by a federal circuit judge and afterwards held to be valid by the supreme court of the United States. He has been a leader and a wise counsellor in democratic affairs, and he enjoys a personal popularity that would give him a big start in the race. A constitution is always a mighty sacred instrument in the eyes of people who want it undisturbed so long as it enables them to get what they want. As soon as a con stitutional inhibition hurts them the con stitution be damned! We are reminded of this fact by the wonderful concern exhibited by, some of our friends over what they call a plan for mending the constitution that is altogether ,too easy. A constitution that fet ters the limbs of the people is usually all right ; a constitution that fetters the limbs of predatory wealth is usually set aside with insolence and ease. The scheme of the Lincoln board of educa tion to stimulate the habit of saving is a good one in many respects, but it is lack ing in at least one detail. It makes no provi sion for stimulating the habit of industry. It is easy for the child to beg a penny or a dime from papa and mamma and then de posit it, but the matter of earning the penny or dime is given little or no consideration! Will Maupin's Weekly suggests to the board of education the offering of moderate prizes for the best garden patches, further suggest ing that the owners of vacant lots in Lincoln of which there are more than there would be under an equitable system of taxation, but which is another story offer rthe use thereof to young market gardners. A dollar earned and saved is worth vastly more to the boy or girl than the dollar "mooched" from a proud parent and deposited in the bank. Little importance is attached to money that is not .earned by diligent and honest labor. Both Sides Considered A Lincoln man has sued for ,a divorce oil the ground that his .wife is a fiend for pa tronizing the -picture shows arid cheap vaudeville stunts, to the neglect of her household duties. Without knowing a thing on earth about the family in question Will Maupin's Weekly ventures the opin ion that the wife who is sought to be di vorced, doesn't spend any time around the pool halls, does not spend ten or fifteen cents a day for tobacco, does not stand on tn the corner and spout politics, does, not try to be a "good fellow" by blowing money on treats, and does not meet with cronies .and. relate stories that would make a blush .come to the cheek of a man only ordinarily accustomed to worldly . affairs. And Will Maupin's Weekly ventures the further opin iion that she like the average housewife, has to ask hubby for money every time she needs , a dime or a quarter, and that when she does ask for a dollar hubby wants to know what'n thunder she did what the dol lar he gave her six weeks ago last Saturday. Mind you, this paper is not discussing any particular family, but merely cites the di vorce action in question for the mere pur poses of a text for a gentle homily. Rule Seventeen Killed The excise board has abrogated "rule 17," for which there never was any reasonable ground in the first place. As a method of catching "bootleggers" it was about as ef fective as a "want ad" asking the aforesaid bootleggers to come in and report their .sales, but in the matter of annoying people it was a distinct success. One mistake that a lot of "dry" advocates make is to act on the assumption that every man who is op posed to . the open saloon is opposed to the sale or use of beer and liquors. It is a mis take usually made by those who believe that all who do not believe with them on the liquor question are "brewery hirelings" and "emissaries of hell." We A wait an A nswer The American Protective Tariff League r-fnaintained and financed by the contribu tions of tariff beneficiaries, is, of course, op posed to Canadian reciprocity. Its secre tary has issued a pamphlet detailing some reasons why the League is opposed thereto. One is that "it aims at a reduction of prices of such necessaries of life as the farmer has to sell, but provides for no reduction of prices for the necessaries that the farmer has to buy." Will the American Protective Tariff League endorse a bill which provides for a reduction of the tariff equally upon what the farmers has to sell and upon what the farmers has to buy? We inquire to know, as our Japanese friends would put it. Again, has Canadian wheat at the point of export ever sold for any less than Am erican wheat at the point of export? Is the price of Canadian wheat anywhere in Canada any lower than the price of United States wheat anywhere in the United States, freight rates being taken into account. When we have wheat to sell abroad does the tariff add anything to the. price the wheat raiser gets for it? And when we have to buy wheat because of a crop shortage, if the tariff does not add to the price the consumer must pay, of what benefit is the tariff on wheat ? The average advocate of a high protective .tariff is so constituted mentally that .when . he starts out to argue, the ques tion his logical cow-catcher butts into his caboose before he reaches the first curve,