that Richard L. Metcalfe is amply able to
hold his own in a conflict of opinion with
all comers.
This, is a safe conclusion: The ovation
tendcte.l Bryan simply means that the peo
ple are !?oing to get the reforms they have
tough so lorg, and they are not caring
whether i hey come through a Bryan or a
LaFolletU-, as the result of democratic vic
tory or republican renovation. The re
form's the thing! Men are of little moment
save as they give voice to the hopes and
aspirations of the people.
r i
Dr. Nelson E. Metcalfe and daughter,
Miss Nellie of St. Louis, are visiting with
Dr. Metcalfe's brother, Richard L. Metcalfe.
Dr. Metcalfe is one of the foremost physi
cians of St. Louis who has found time dur
ing a busy professional life to become one
of the most widely read men of his day.
A keen thinker and with a kindly heart.
Dr. Metcalfe is quietly but effectually
spreading the gospel of sunshine and good
cheer wherever he goes, and he is helping
men in far better ways than merely curing
them of physical ills. It has been the
pleasure of the editor of Will Maupin's
Weekly to know Dr. Metcalfe through a
correspondence that had its inception in
some little verses written for The Com
moner. Through that correspondence has
grown a deep-rooted friendship that became
all the stronger when we were privileged
to clasp hands in the flesh a few days ago.
To know this splendid, sympathetic, kind
ly physician is in itself an inspiration, and
to sit in the sunshine of his kindly smile a
rare blessing. The silver is showing in Dr..
Metcalfe's hair, but age has made no mark
upon his big heart, unless it is to make it
beat more warmly for the oppressed and
the unfortunate. When a mere ( boy Dr.
Metcalfe accompanied his father, also a
physician and surgeon of the Seventh Illi
nois "Volunteer Infantry during the civil
war. Several veterans of this regiment are
living in Lincoln, and while here Dr. Met
calfe, looked them up, and all of them re
called the slender lad who spread so much
good cheer in camp and field and hospital.
He snatched a few days away from a busy
life to visit in Lincoln, and when he returns
home he will be followed by the hearty
good will, the firm friendship and the es
teem of scores of Lincoln people who have
been attracted to him by his winning per
sonality. The memory of the late Edward Rose
water has been handsomely honored by
naming the new school house at Fourteenth
and Phelps streets, Omaha, "The Edward
Rosewater School." A few years more and
Nebraska as a whole will be better able to
make a just estimate of this really great
man. He lived during stirring political
tirnes in Nebraska, and being by nature
bold and fearless he made bitter enemies
on every hand. He was among the last
of that sadly depleted school of journalists
who impressed their personality upon their
newspaper pages, and he made the Omaha
Bee a reflex of himself. But while engag
ing in these bitter struggles he was build
ing for Nebraska, and building upon lines
that mean more to the commonwealth than
a majority of today yet realiza. . But in the
fullness of time Nebraska will realize what
she owes to the splendid work of Edward
Rosewater, and then, with animosities all
buried, and remembering. T only what he
builded for lasting good, Nebraska will pay
him the tribute that his character and work
deserve. The naming of an Omaha school
in his honor is an indication that the time
of.fc7?' rr$?f2j.ilon is close athnc!, '
Comparatively few Nebraskans seem to
realize that right here in Nebraska is build
ing an insurance company that is the ad
miration of the huge insurance companies
of the east. The plans and purposes and
accomplishments of the Old Line Banker's
Life is constantly being studied and com
mented on in insurance circles, and its
solid success excites the warmest praise
from men who are acknowledged leaders
in the insurance world. Measured by every
standard, except the standard of inflated
size, the Old Line Banker's Life stands at
the forefront of successful and solid insur-.
ance concerns. It is one of the best ad
vertisements Nebraska has.
The contract for the erection of the Com
mercial club building at Eleventh and P
streets has been let, the contract totaling
about $80,000. There are two reasons for
rejoicing over this one that the Commer
cial club is going to have a commodious
building, the other that a Lincoln contract
or secured the contract. The Commercial
club's activities are constantly enlarging,
and always to the advantage of Lincoln.
But for a year or more it has been ham
pered by a lack of room, and many a project
has suffered as a result. All this will soon
be overcome and the Commercial- club will
be in a position to work out its manifest
destiny. This new building will not only
be a decided improvement to the business
section of the city, but it will mean a great
deal ofwprk for the building tradesmen of
the citf'.
Those legislators who look upon the non
partisan judiciary as a joke have a queer
idea of humor. That is one of the reforms
demanded by the people, and just now the
people are in the habit of securing the re
forms they demand, even if they have to
apply the steam roller -to the eminent gen
tlemen who imagine themselves superior to.
the people.
The Real Job
A few months ago" the Social Democrat
of Milwaukee had the writer "on the shelf"
and it seemed to be mighty glad of that
fact. Evidently, however, the judgment of
this Milwaukee paper was premature.
Something must have happened since. that
time to change the editor's mind, for, in a
recent issue, he has an editorial which seems
to indicate that the writer is still on the job.
To be sure the job doesn't suit the editor.
And hisr criticisms is summed up in the
following, words : "In a feature interview in
the Cincinnati Inquirer, Mr. Stelzle un
burdened himself of his heartfelt hope.
And his heartfelt hope what is it ? Is it
to shorten the hours of labor? Is it to
abolish child labor? Is it to stop white
slavery ? Is it to end the profit system ? Is
it even to curb corporations?. No. His
' express aim is to build a $200,000 church on
a $200,000 lot in New York. 'And the Son
of Man had not where to lay his head.'"
Now, under ordinary circumstances, no
attention would be paid to such a slam, for
they have come at the rate of at least one
a -week and sometimes half a dozen in a
Remember i April 21st
OPENING
BaseBall Season
week from all classes ; but the statement
permits the writer to say just a word about
the Labor Temple to which reference was
made in the labor press about a jear ago
when the enterprise was started in lower
New York in the most congested district of
the world. Here an opportunity was of
fered to set up an enterprise which should
minister to all the needs of the people in
the community physical, social, mental,
moral and religious and the writer was
challenged to make good on this proposition
the understanding being that if the plan
worked out within two years, the property
would' be purchased for $200,000 and a
$200,000 building would be erected.
This enterprise is distinctively for the
benefit of working people and their families,
and here Jew, Catholic, Protestant and Ag
nostic come together for the discussion of
the most vital problems of the day. Every
problem which the editorial in the Social
Democrat hints at has been discussed many
times at the meetings in the Labor Temple.
This has been one of the most important
parts of the job and out of it has grown a
brotherhood whose chief business it is to
take up legislative matters having to do
with the conditions of the workers. Half
of those who attend the Temple meetings
are Jews, for our building is situated near
the great Ghetto district of New York, and
probably 50 percent are socialists. The lat-.
ter have found that here they will get a
square deal in an open forum discussion on
any theme which seems worth while taking
about. The big auditorium is open every
night in the week. There are over thirty
meetings from Sunday to Sunday, and fully
5,000. persons attend them. There is a big
chorus of 100 voices. There are health
talks ; both vocal and instrumental music
and some of the best concerts given in the
city. There are fully a dozen clubs for men
and-women, boys and girls, with cooking
classes and a penny savings bank. On
every Saturday night there is a people's
popular program with music and motion
pictures. Indeed, there is no phase of life
untouched in this people's palace. No ad
mission charge is made for any of these
features because we do not wish to keep
out any workingman who cannot afford to
take his family to a good evening's enter
tainment. The religious discussions are
particularly attractive for the reason that
every meeting the audience is permitted to
ask questions of the speaker, no matter
what the topic discussed.
This work has had the closest supervision
of the writer for nearly a year. Not only is
it true that a cent of extra salary has been
received by him for this work but he has
sacrificed engagements which might have
brought him a large revenue, for the reason
that he wished to demonstrate to the church
what were the possibilities in such a -locality.
The plan has succeeded. Undoubted
ly the property will be purchased and a
Labor Temple which will be really worth
while for the people in lower New York
will be erected in the near future. It is not
a church and probably -never will be.
Now this is the whole story of the Social
Democrat editorial. The job has been no
cinch. Any other man who can make good
here is welcome to it. And after the dem
onstration has been completed and the
building set up, we will tackle another
proposition just as big Rev. Charles
Stelzle.
I ain't sprouted no whiskers yet, but I've
lived long enuf-t' be able t' tell by de ack
shuns o' some young girls wot mudders is
goin' t' do a lot, worTiri' jj.efQ're ery.
