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WEEKLY JOURNAL OF CHEERFUL COMMENT
Volume 8
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, AUGUST 25, 1911
Number 23
COMMENT ON TIMELY TOPICS
Doubtless Judge Cosgrave is more
than willing to have a recount of the bal
lots cost for district judge. Certainly, if
there is the slightest doubt about the cor
rectness of the count a recount should be
had. The closeness of the vote and the
well known lack of ability possessed by
the average board of election demand
that the matter be settled beyond any
shadow of a doubt.
The democratic house has every reason
to be proud of the work it has accom
plished, and of the work it was prevented
from doing by the veto of the president.
The democratic house was elected upon
certain specific pledges. It pledged it
self to enact a reciprocity measure, to
economize, to revise the tariff downward
in certain specified cases, such as wool
and cotton schedules and other things. It
did economize. It exposed a lot of cor
ruption and removed it. It enacted
a reciprocity law. It revised the wool
and cotton scheduels only to have
them vetoed by a president who is on rec
ord as declaring the woolen schedule to
be infamous. It submitted to ratifica
tion a constitutional amendment provid
ing for the popular election of senators.
It passed a campaign publicity bill. It
liberalized the rules and provided for the
election of house committees, and it
adopted a resolution to admit Arizona
and New Mexico. Only those blinded
by partisanship will deny that the demo
cratic house of representatives has thus
far made a good record.
Paul Schulze, president of the Nation
al Association of Master Bakers, declared
recently that it is a crime for women to
bake bread at home. In a very great
measure this is true but it is not wholly
true. We hold that intoxicating liquors
have been blamed for a lot of things that
should properly be blamed upon soggy
bread and jaundiced biscuits. Many a
home has been wrecked by dyspepsia, su
perinduced by bad cookery, and the
wreck charged against whisky. But while
sorrowfully admitting that too many
women are ignorant of the art of making
bread and it is an art although per
sisting in trying to do so, we unhesitat
ingly declare that there are thousands of
housewives whose bread is an angelic de
light, and by the side of which the bak
er's loaf is unworthy to be placed. We
know hundreds of young women who can
make "angel food" and cocoanut "fudge"
and construct wonderful - rarebits, but
who are as ignorant of the fine art of
"salt risin' " or plain white bread as a
porker is of personal knowledge of the
pliocene period. Tempering copper is a
lost art. We demand here and now that
immediate steps be taken to prevent the
art of making edible, digestible, appetiz
ing home-made bread be not allowed to
follow the tempering of copper into the
limbo of things lost.
Be not alarmed over reports coming
from railroad headquarters to the effect
that business is slumping frightfully.
True, a large number of employes are
being laid off, and the explanation is
"lack of business." But you are foolish
if you believe all you hear. The various
organizations of railway employes are
asking for increased wages. Whereupon
a large number of employes are laid off
with the explanation that decreased busi
ness demands economy. This is the first
answer made to the prospective demand
for increased wages. Just take notice,
if you please, of the fact that all the laid
off employes are in departments that are
not industrially organized.
The determination of the city authori
ties to prevent itinerant hucksters from
operating street stands during the" state
fair is a good one, and it should be ad
hered to. The merchants who occupy
permanent locations, pay taxes and. em
ploy men and women the year 'round are
entitled to protection against the fly-by-night
and often irresponsible itinerants. .
Is there no, way by which the eternal
"rag-chewing" in the city council may be
stopped? Is there no relief in sight for,
taxpayers who are much more interested
in civic improvements than they are in
the matter ,of authority to be. exercised
by this or that cty. employe ? The antics f
of . our city councilmen have long since
ceased to be either amusing or instruc- '
time.. They have become wearisome.
Another year of aviation exhibitions
at state fairs and other gatherings, arid
the people will have had their fill of such.
Then we may hope -to have something
done to advance the art beyond the mere
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