The Commoner.
7
Sept. 19, 190a
It will bo Interesting to observe the attitude of
the republicans .of those states. In Alabama tho
republican committee issued an address in which
it insisted that tho republicans were entitled to a
share of the credit for the adoption of tho Ala
bama constitution and that while tho constitu
tion was really adopted by tho democratic vote, it
had tho cordial sanction of tho republicans. Tho
republican stato convention of North Carolina
that met recently excluded negroes from partici
pation in tho party affairs. Tho chairman of this
republican convention congratulated his delegates
that thtey had released themselves from "tho body
of death," as he called it, which, being interpreted,
meant political "affiliation with tho negroes.
1.
AND NOW THE SPIRIT APPEARS TO BE
contagious and even that staid old repub
lican newspaper, the Kansas City Journal, in an
editorial printed in its issue of August 30, de
clares' that it is tho part of wisdom for other
southern republicans to follow tho example of
those of Alabama and North Carolina. Tho Jour
nal says that these republicans can never hope
to win except as a white man's party. Continu
ing on this topic, this republican paper declares:
"There is no disputing that tho weakness of the
republican party in the south since tho war has
been largely duo to its negro membership. Tho
interests of the people of that section have been
better represented and more effectually promoted
by the national republican party than by any other
party; and it is probable that but for the fear of
negro domination other states of the 'solid south'
would ere this havo followed tho example of Ken
tucky and Tennessee, which have returned occa
sional republican majorities and elected republican
congressmen. Tho elimination of tho negroes may
therefore reasonably bo expected to increase tho
white membership of the party in tho south ma
terially. There will for several years be a linger
ing suspicion that if the republicans should get
into power they would restore negro suffrage, and
this will count against them but if a consistent
policy is pursued in party affairs this fear will bo
gradually overcome and tho south brought to an
appreciation of the advantages to bo derived from
republican rule in the state as well as in the nation."
BOYS AND GIRLS OF THE LONG AGO WILL
remember Augusta. Evans Wilson as the au
thor of "St Elmo," a very lively bit- of fiction.
Mrs. Wilson is now sixty-seven years of age and
lives in Mobile, Ala. Although advanced in years,
sho has recently written another novel, entitled
"Tho Speckled Bird," which Is the first book pro
duced by Mrs. Wilson during the last fifteen years.
THE "PIOUS FUND" WAS ESTABLISHED IN
1607. A writer "in tho Chicago Record-Herald
says: "Tho purpose of this fund was to as
sist Roman Catholic missions in the Calif ornias.
It was confided first to the Jesuits, was taken over
by the Spanish government upon their expulsion
in 17G7, and was assumed by the Mexican govern
ment when the Mexicans had secured their inde
pendence. After the Mexican war the Mexican
government withheld payment on account of tho
fund from tho missions in tho territory which had
become part of tho United States by treaty with
this country,, but when the matter was brought up
before an international commission in 1868 it
agreed to the decision of the umpire, Sir Edward
Thornton,- in so far as to satisfy back claims
amounting to $904,700.79. It has refused, how
ever, to make any moro payments since, and tho
question before Tlie Hague tribunal is whether
the obligation is a continuing one, as tho bishop
of California Insists through the government of
the United States."
THAT THE LOT OF THE KING'S DOCTOR IS
indeed a happy one is revealed by a writer
in the London Chronicle, who says: The corona
tion baronetcy conferred on Sir Frederick Treves
will not be the great surgeon's only reward for
his successful conveyance of the king "out of
danger." For his four weeks' attendance at Sahd
ringham and recovery of tho king from typhoid
fever in 1871 Sir William Gull1received 10,000 as
well as tho dignity of baronet Twice cue amount
was paid to Sir Morrell Mackenzie for his treat
ment of tho late bmporor Frederick, and in ad
dition was presented with tho Order of tho Red
Eaglo. The doctors who attended Queen Vic
toria in her last illness received 2,000 guineas each.
But tho record in medical fees is held by the an
cestor of tho present lord mayor of London Dr.
Dimsdalo, who received for his journey to St
Petersburg and vaccination of the Empress Cath
erine II. 10,000 as his fee, 5,000 for travellngex
.penses and also the tlp of the baron and.allfo
pension of 500 ',yqar,,.SIr Frederick. Treves, has
certainly earned a gonorous reward for his skill.
At little more than a month's notico ho placed his
whole time at the king's service, and for at least
seven days and nights ho nover went to bed,
snatching sleep at Buckingham" Palaco at odd
moments. His daughter's wedding occurrod dur
ring those critical days, and it was only when sho
herself drovo to tho palaco and put tho caso be
fore her father that ho took a hurried half hour
to attend tho quiet coremony.
ACCORDING TO THIS SAME WRITER,
tho medical men who are attending tho king
are all attached to his majesty's household, some
in honorary capacities and .othors under nominal
pay. For instance, Sir Thomas Barlow, as physi
cian to the household, is in receipt of a. small sal
ary, while Sir Frederick Troves and Sir Thomas
Smith, as "honorary sergeant surgeons," are not
in receipt of pay. Nor can thoy, by reason of
court usage, send lnl a bill' tot services rendered.
Tho king may, and ho usually does, send tho
"honoraries" a recompense of some sort, which
compares more than favorably with honoralums
received from private persons. Tho surgeons and
physicians to tho household, iJUch as Sir Francis
Laking, Sir Thomas Barlow, !Dr, Hewitt, Mr. Al
lingham and Mn Fripp, are in receipt of from
200 to 300 per year, for which thoy are expoctcd
to attond upon all tho members of the royal house
hold without further charge. For instance, it a
royal scullery maid so far rises above her station
as to acquire "housemaid's knee" she has tho at
tention of the most skillful medical men In tho
country. A call from a private jmtient, worth
perhaps 200, Is neglected for this summons from
tho royal scullery. If the wife of tile master of
the household or tho subdean of tue chapel royal,
or the master of music, or tho captain of tho yeo
men of the guard, wiBh it, they may havo tho ad
vice of any of theso gentlemen without paying
for it
THE NOMINATION FOR CONGRESS OF THE
three Landis brothers, two in Illinois and
ono In Indiana, prompted tho claim that if theso
gentlemen were elected, it would bo the first time
three brothers had served in congress together.
The Augusta (Me.) Journal, however, disputes this
contention and points to the caso of Maine's fam
ous Washburn brothers, four of them representing
as many states, in congress and three of them
being members at tho samo time and all three
later becoming governors of their respective states.
Tho Journal also points to another caso in which
Maine has repeated this achievement Tho threo
Washburns were all members of the Thirty-sixth
congress. In the Thirty-seventh congress were
the three Fessenden brothers, and in this latter
caso not only were they Maine men, but all three
represented Maine in congress. William Pitt Fes
senden, of Portland, was in the senate, and his
brothers, Samuel C. Fessenden, of Rockland, and
Thomas A. D. Fessenden, of Auburn, were mem
bers of tho national house.
A WEEK OR TWO AGO ANOTHER Evi
dence was afforded of eastern ignorance of
western conditions. A few drunken Indians at
Naper, Neb., became boisterous, whereupon a dis
patch was sent to an eastern paper. Upon tho
strength of that dispatch a number of eastern
newspapers wrote up thrilling stories about an
Indian uprising in Nebraska, and spoke about tho
danger to tho white Inhabitants from tho presence
of so many red men. There are some Indians in
Nebraska, to be sure, but most of them own farms
and till them, and there are not as many in Ne
braska as in New York The danger of Indian
uprisings in tho west exists chiefly in the imagina
tions of the gentlemen known in newspaper cir
cles as "string fiends."
"T)IG CORN" STORIES ARE GOING THE
O rounds these days, most of them being old
and very familiar. There is the one about the
boy who tried to climb a corn stalk, and tho stalk
grew faster than he could slide down. His father
tried to cut the stalk down, but it grew so rapidly
he could not hit it twice in tho same place. In the
meantime the boy is Jiving on raw corn and al
ready has thrown down two bushels of cobs. A
better, and newer story comes from Furnas county,
Nebraska. A paper in that county says that the
corn is so tall tho farmers will have to use bal
loons to gather it and then let the ears down with
parachutes to keep tho ears from driving them
selves out of sight in the ground when thoy fall.
A FEW YEARS. AGO THE WESTERN COUN
try Was up , In arms against .tho Russian
thistle. Stringent laws were enacted to prevent
its further spread; and In some states the man -who
let the thistle grow on his premises or along a
pubac highway adjoining, wasJIable to fine or im
prisonment During the drouth years, however,
it was discovered that cattle loved the thistle,
and that whon it was slightly damp from melting
snow or light rain thoy would loavo common hay
to feast upon tho much maligned wood. Imme
diately scientists conncctod with agricultural col
leges took up tho matter, tho investigation result
ing In tho discovory that tho thlstlo was a nutriti
ous forago plant A great many people may not be
aware of tho fact that tho Russian thlstlo and the
"tumbloweod" aro ono and tho samo thing.
THE AGE OF REAR ADMIRAL THOMAS O.
Selfrldgo, retired, Is Just now a mattor of
considerable speculation. Tho admiral is tho only
ono who knows his oxact ago and ho will not dl
vulgo it Ho has a son, Roar Admiral Thomas O.
Seirrldgo, jr., who is 60 years old. Tho senior
Selfrldgo ontored tho navy In 1818, and figuring
that ho was not less than 15 years old at tho tlrao
ho is now past 90 years old. Ho says it is nobody'g
business how old ho is and he will not discuss the
subject But thero Is every reason to bellovo that
he is tho oldest naval officer in tho world. Ho
was born in Hubbardston, Mass.
THE GROWTH OF ELECTRIC CAR LINES
has boon demonstrated recently by a Chica
go man. Ho tried tho experiment of traveling from
Chicago to New York wholly on electric cars and
succeeded, making tho journey In nine days. He
was enabled to do this because of tho growth of
interurban electric lines, and tho faro was a llttlo
loss than ono-half that charged by tho steam
lines between Chicago and Now York. Ho men
tions tho fact, however, that what ho saved in
carfare was moro than equalled by tho cost of
living during tho nine days.
THE MANAGERS OF THE ST. LOUIS EXPO
sltlon will act wisely if thoy Investigate the
merits of newspaper advertising as compared with
pamphlets and tho use of bill boards. This is a
busy age and tho avorago man has very llttlo time
to spare wherein ho may stop to read gaudy
hangers or sizeable bill boards. Ho wants some
thing ho can read while eating breakfast, or going
down town on tho cars, or in tho evening after
supper, and tho dally and weekly newspapers fill
the bill to his complete satisfaction. Expert ad
vertisers express tho opinion that If tho St Louis
exposition managers will reduce tho "circus"
advertising to a minimum and come out strong
on newspaper advertising they will reap a rich
reward.
FROM NEW YORK COMES A STORY CAL
culatcd to arouse sympathy for an unfor
tunate man. John B. Hendrlckson is tho unfor
tunate ono. He had served a short term in prison,
had established a homo for his wife and children,
and, according to his fellow employes, was trying
hard to better his condition In life. Thero Is a
law in force in New York making tho porson
guilty of misdemeanor who obtains employment
through a falso statement as to name, residence,
previous employment, qualification, etc. John
Hendrlckson had been convicted of securing a
business man's signature to a bogus petition and
using it to draw funds from a savings bank. Judge
Hurd took pity on tho prisoner and sentenced him
to only eighteen months at Sing Sing. At tho ex
piration of the. sentence Hendrlckson determined
to redeem himself, applied for and secured a po
sition as trolley car conductor, under the name of
Cox. His wife and two babes were re-established
in a neat home, and their happiness was com
plete. Recently Judge Hurd, who, since tho hear
ing of Hendrlckson's case, had retired from the
bench, boarded the car in charge of Cox. Tho
conductor spoke to his passenger, recalling tho
case ,and thanked Mr. Hurd for his leniency. Tho
ex-judge, in conversation with a friend later, men
tioned the case. Othors took up the story, and
finally it reached the railroad officials. Cox was
at once dismissed and arrested.
A GREAT MANY DISEASES HAVE BEEN
given names that aro self-descriptive. "Re
porter's paralysis" is a new phase of "writer's
cramp," and Housemaid's knee" is an affliction
common to those whoso work keeps them in a
kneeling position. The "bicycle face" explains It
self, and tho 'automobile face" is an aggravated
form of "bicycle face." Ono of the latest is "mo
torman's ear." It is said to bo an affliction of the
ear caused by the constant ringing of the signal
bell.
THE HAYTIEN ARMY IS COMPOSED OF
four thousand generals and four thousand
privates. Only four hundred of theso generals
receive pay, the remaining thirty-six hundred do
pending upon the hoUor of their positions for full
compensation. ' .