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Commoner.
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v Vt.
rThe -good people of Dcerfield, Mass., dc
iring to pay a tribute to the momory of Miss
Martha Piatt, a woman loved
Practical by all her townspeople, put
Tribute ..aside all spggestion that a
to Dead. marble shaft he erected and in
stead chose a library and club
room. The building has been thrown open to
the public and has come to bo an important
feature in the life of this Massachusetts town.
The best monument to any worthy man or
woman takes the form of something that will
contribute to the welfare, the happiness and
'general advancement of the living.
Two hymns, "Nearer my God to Thee" and
"Lea'dJ Kindly Light" have recently attracted
universal attention because of
A Pair their association with the late
of Famous. president. The first named
Hymns. hymn was written by Sarah
Flower Adams in 1845. She
was a member of the English Unitarian church.
The hymn was first set to the muiic of an air
that had no hope of ever becoming popular
and in 1800 Dr. Lowell Mason gave to the
sublime , words the equally sublime music to
which it is now sung. "Lead Kindly Light"
was written in 1833 by John Henry Newman,
then an Episcopalian clergyman' but later a
'Roman Catholic priest and finally one of the
famous Cardinals of that churchi
a A, pjpagp.Qcietyy. composed 46f women,
Jjasiecidedi.to 6pen a winter refuge' for ;sick
and homeless cats. A large
Chicago's barn will be rented, fitted
Cat .. with steam heating apparatus
Hospital. and placed in, charge-of at
tendants who. iWill see to it
that .the feline inmates are properly cared for
during the winter. This wll cost several
thousand dollars, and while it . does credit to
the humane instincts of the women -it does
poor credit to their judgment. More humans
than cats will suffer from cold and hunger in
Chicago this winter. While human beingB are'
starving and freezing to death it is a poor time
to waste thousands of dollars in providing a
comfortable home for stray cats;
Joseph Lawrence, a member of parliament,
recently visited the United States and on his re
turn to England made an in:
$26 in America teresting report to the New
But $16.50 port Chamber of Commerce.
in England. The' Springfield, (Mass.) Re
publican" says Mr. Lawrenco
told his audience that Charles M. Schwab as
sured him that the steel trust could deliver
steel billets in England for $16.50 per ton,
whereas the lowest price for which British
manufacturers could make them was $19.00.
Mr. Schwab also informed him, Mr. Lawrenco
said, that, when the trust had completed certain
ocean transportation arrangements now pend
ing, the American price would be still lower.
In addition to this statement, Mr. Schwab
called the attention of Mr. Lawrence to the fact
that his steel workers got double the wages
paid British workmen in the same line. The
steel trust charges Americans from $20.00 to
$27.00 a ton. According to Mn Lawrenco the
steel trust could, and tho inferenco is that it
would, sell steel in England for $10.50 per ton
which is about $10.00 less than the trust charges
the American consumer and which is also $2.50
per ton less than tho English manufacturers
charge the English consumer. Such figures as
these speak for themselves. They are, how
ever, not a new variety of figures to the Amer
ican people. It is strange that the people have
not long ago awakened to the' imposition that
has been put upon them.
Twenty years ago R. F. Wolfe emerged
from the Jefferson, Ind., penitentiary, where
ho had served a five years'
Great sentence for assault with in-
Moral tent to kill. While confined
t Victory. in jail on a false charge he at-
tempted to escape and in so
doing assaulted a guard, but with no intent to
kill. While in the penitentiary he learned to
make shoes, and when discharged he wont to
Columbus, Ohio, and worked at a shoemaker's
bench. Ho invented some shoe machinoy,
used his energy and his talents and is today
president of the National Shoo Company.
Men who knew of his prison record tried to
blackmail him. In self-defense Mr. Wolfe
Wrote a history of his life, suppressing noth
ing, and gave it'to the newspapers a few days
ago, thus blocking the efforts of blackmailers.
His moral victory is greater than his financial
- victory, and today all right-minded men think
more of him for his courage and candor.
A resident of the District of Columbia, writ
ing to the Washington Times suggests that
, Valley Forge be converted m
.Valley Forge to a national park. Valley
a National Forge is not a great distance
Park. from the city of Philadelphia
and the Times' correspondent
has the following on the matter:
"Hero General Washington, in command of the
American army during the revolution, suffered
most and passed through the darkest period of tho
revolution. It was in Octoher, 1777, when tho
American army went into winter quarters at
Valley Forge and spent the long and desolate win
ter in gloom and suffering. Many were without
shoes and clothing, and all without sufficient food.
Many of the soldiers in their marches over the
frozen ground left blood in their tracks. Some of
the patriots sat up- by tho fires at night rather
than to cover wiih sheets of ice and rest their
heads on pillows of snow. It was during this" per
iod of suffering and anxiety that the nefarious
'Conway cabal' was hatched. Washington, to over
come all of this, must have been a Fabius and his
' men made of steel and iron. This handful of
American patriots at Valley Forge evidenced to the
world the indomitable courage and determination
of American valor to secure Independence at any
price. Had the army quartered at Valley Forge
during the winter of 1777-7S given up in despair the
American cause would have been lost."
It is suggested that the preservation of this
historic spot in the form of a natiorial 'park
would be "a reminder to posterity of 'Ameriban
independence and would inspire future ''genera
tions to nobler deeds and greater achievements."
This appears to be a worthy suggestion. The
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American people will do well to keep ever in
mind the sacrifices which tho fathers made in
laying the foundation of the government under
which wo live. If wo appreciate these historic
sacrifices we will be slow to" do anything that
will tend to destroy or weaken tho form of gov
ernment bequeathed to us by the men who laid
the foundations.
Congressman Sherman of Hew York, an
nounces in an interview: "I am opposed to
government ownership of tho
"Encouraging" TranB-Pacific cable, but I
The Cable think thero should be no dc-
Bulldcrs. lay jn the construction of a
private cable encouraged by
the government. The necessity for direct
communication with Hawaii and the Philip
pine Islands is imperative. We must have the
cable and havo it right away." Is it not
strange that Mr. Sherman should be so vigor
ously opposed to government ownership of
this cable while at the same time he is cnthu
siasticly in favor of a "private cable encour
aged by tho government?" This word "en
couraged" covers a multitude of political sins.
In this instance it means that tho government
shall pay for the cable in the form of subsidy,
but that individuals, high in the favor of the
Republican party, shall own the cable after tho
government foots the bill. If thero are good
reasons why the government should not own
tljis pablc,. then there arc good' reasons why
ithe government should not -pay . for the ' con
struction of this cable. If it is proper that
individuals should own the cable, then it is
also proper that individuals should pay for tho
thing which they desire to own.
The summer season is on in South Africa
and Kitchener has asked for 25,000 more men.
And this for the purpose of
Kitchener increasing an army of 200,000
Demands to 225,000 in order to subdue
Moreflen. a handful of Dutch farmers
who are fighting for home and
liberty. Where will Great Britain get the 25,
000 men? Volunteering has declined to noth
ing. Will Great Britain have to resort to the
draft? The South African war has been in
progress more than two years. The strongest
kingdom in tho world has been pitted against
two of the smallest republics. Yet today tho
men of tho republics are holding their own,
while the great kingdom is at its wits end to
provide men and money enough ta keep tho
fight going on. British greed has sacrificed
the lives of 10,000 English subjects on tho
veldts and kops of the Transvaal. Thousands
more will be sacrificed in the future. For
what? A few pal try, gold and diamond mines.
And this great republic has not only neglected
its duty to a people struggling for freedom, but
has lent its tacit aid and support to the nation
that seeks to lower the flags of two republics
and extend to their territory the rule of a
crown.
These cool evenings would be a good timo
for Attorney General Knox to study President
Roosevelt's Minneapolis Labor Day speech.
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