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EPTEMBER 28, 1106
The Commoner.
5
FROM THE PEOPLE.
"TRY, TRY AGAIN"
OBSERVATIONS
D. W. McKee, Connersville, Ind. On page 12
of your issue of the 7th, there is an error in the
article on the Solar System. The mean distance
of the moon from the earth is about 239,000 miles
Instead of 340,000 as stated. (The article to which
Mr. McKee refers was accredited to Chambers
Journal.)
L. N. Davis, Troy, N. Y. Please inform mo
the amount of the government debt at the close
of the civil war; also at the close of Harrison's
term in 1893; also at the time of Mr. McKinley's
tfnn.fh in 1901. (Thru nrlnotnnl ff fVio rviiV.Hr. ,lnVf
7"wiyTHk865 was $2,680,647,869.74; December 1,
1892, $1701)3,612,455.63; November 1, 1901, $2,151,
585,743.89.) John C. Bouer, Sparta, N. C. -I notice thai
you say in your paper on August 3, that Repre
sentative Blackburn was defeated for renomlna
tion. This is incorrect. He was nominated by
acclamation on June 27. However, if there is any
thing in the "signs of the times" E. Spencer will
be badly beaten by the Hon. R. N. Hackett on the
8th of next November. Hackett is a strong man
and one of the finest campaigners in this state.
Ben A. Neal, Millersville, 111. I am in per
fect sympathy with your efforts, and offer this
suggestion: Have the democratic executive com
mittees of the various states in which elections
will be held, arrange with the Globe-Democrat of
St. Louis, Mo., to send hundreds of copies of this
paper into doubtful districts; I believe nothing
in the way of campaign literature would get more
votes for democracy than a wide circulation of this
republican paper.
Dr. A. C. Matchett, Bourbon, Ind. By what
authority of the law has the secretary of the
navy to take two or three of our most powerful
vessels of war on a junket trip to Porto Rico at
the expense of the people of several thousand
dollars a day to take his family and a lot of civi
lian friends on a pleasure trip? (It was claimed
that the voyage was necessary for the transaction
of public business.)
Linn A. E. Gale, East Pharsalia, N. Y. At
a time when civic and economic issues of unpar
alleled importance confront our citizenship, de
manding immediate and satisfactory adjustment,
It Is obviously incumbent on every true democrat
to materially aid the party In its work for re
form. Many of us are unable to render financial
assistance, for the democratic party Is the party
of the tolling millions, rather than the protege
of the idle rich, but we all may circulate demo
cratic literature and copies of The Commoner and
other periodicals such as The Public, the Arena
and the Independent, and there is no better method
for reaching the intelligent and thinking classes.
In the democratic party lies the hope of the
masses, and as loyal citizens we are in duty bound
to give it our earnest support. The republican
party has proved itself the foe of the proletariat
and the menace of just legislation. In its thirty
eight years of almost continuous power it has not
enacted one single law, which has been a source
of positive good to the real supporters of the na
tion's burdens, but it has forced on a wronced
Is people hundreds of statutes that are but added
links In the chain of industrial bondage. But let
us not .despair, for the day of victory Is dawning
with dazzling and resplendent glory, and even now
the chariot wheels of truth and equity roll down
in majestic grandeur, though the votaries of error
be cruslied in their mighty revolutions.
Maurice O'Connor, 1102 Elliott St, St Louis,.
Mo. I will be always ready to lend my assistance
in the good work The Commoner is doing. I
think that when they read The Commoner the rest
is done for facta is a very hard thing to get
h srrmruT The trusts and corporations of all kinds
flaro doing just as much dirty work as they did In
It JLolO. xuey reaiiisw mo xuub mtv vuwiiwv.
r victory will put an end to tneir career as law
breakers and are already using any
means they come across to gain votes. I will
sdve you an Idea of some or tneir mens, i was
Employed by the American Express company, and
forhen I received the papers 1 gave one or iwo io
liome of the men I was working with and as soon
rms the manager found it out he came to me ana
Esked me if T was a democrat. I told him I was.
fe wanted to Itnow if I had made up my mma to
te the democrat ticket I told him I had, ana
iHanhnrcrGd me immediately. That is tne way
ley .think, they can scare their men into voting
le republican ticket I thinK it woum ue weu
The Commoner to mention tnis one oi meir
lemes and to put in a word of encouragement
John A. McNeel, Rockbridge Baths, Rock
brldgo county, Virginia, write: "In last week's
issue of The Commoner which reviews John J.
Ingall's poem, 'Opportunity,' you refer to the little
poem known as 'Try, Try, Again,' and you ask
the question, 'who can toll the author of that lit
tle verso, "If at first you don't succeed try, try,
again?'" If you will look In Dr. William Mc
Guffey's Fourth Reader, page 28 you will sqo tho
entire poem of three verses, which Is accredited
to T. H. Palmer as the author. Now who T. H.
Palmer was I can not tell, but I did know very
well, indeed, Dr. McGuffoy certainly as well as a
schoolboy ever knew a teacher. After tho close
of the civil 'war in October, 1866 I went to tho
university of Virginia and was there three entire
sessions as a student. Then it was I got to know
Dr. McGuffoy, who was tho professor of moral
philosophy and political economy at tho univer
sity. In the year 1867-8 I attended his lectures;
he often referred to his Readers that were then
used in all the schools that I had attended prior
to the university course. More than once have I
heard Dr. McGuffey refer to the poem of 'Try,
Try, Again.' Some, of the. text books of Dr. Mc
Guffey's course were hard, dull stuff, especially
Sir William Hamilton's lectures on Metaphysics
and Logic, and 'Try, Try, Again' was tho only thing
that many of us young fellows of Dr. McGuffoy's
class could do. In conclusion I desire to say that
I am an ex-confederate 60 years old, still enjoy
ing almost perfect health and The Commoner."
Doubtless the majority of The Commoner
readers remember McGuffey's Readers and in an
other Issue of The Commoner Mr. McNeel will
have something to say about his experiences as
a Btudent under Dr. McGuffey; something, also,
of the characteristics of the distinguished teacher.
Perhaps some Commoner reader can give
some information concerning the origin of the
really famous verse called "Try, Try, Again."
Perhaps some one can tell something about T. H.
Palmer, to whom Mr. McNeel accredits the little
verse which has been of such great service to the
world. As that little verso served the children
of the long ago it may be of service to the chil
dren of today, and, indeed, might well be displayed
in every counting-room and work-shop as well as
in every school house In the land. The boys of
forty years ago will enjoy reading it again, so
here it Is together with Dr. McGuffey's charac
teristic warning on pronunciation:
TRY, TRY, AGAIN
Utter each sound distinctly. Do not say
firss for first; 'pear for appear; lass for last; tass
for task; youreward for your reward.
1 'TIs a lesson you should heed, .
Try, try, again;
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try, again;
Then your courage should appear,
For, if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear;
Try, try, again.
2 Once or twice though you should fail,
Try, try, again; ,
If you would at last prevail,
Try try. again;
If we strive, 'tis no disgrace,
Though we do not win the race,. 'C
What should you do in the case? ;
Try, try, again. -" : -
3 If you find your task, is hard,
Try, try, again;
' Time will bring you your reward,
Try, try, again;
All that other folks can do,
Why, with patience, should not. you?v '
Only keep this rule in view:
Try, try, again.
in the. paper for the poor man that is in such
places and has to depend on the salary he gets
to keep his family. There are several men who
are- in that condition, but dare not stand by their
principles for fear they would be discharged. I
can assure you that you will find me ready at all
times toyglve any aid I can to bring about a vic
tory for. the people this fall. Hoping to be able
to send in some new subscribers soon, I remain
yours 'truly,
SKi'AlAS
ji w
At Mompkis Secretary Shaw is reported to
havo said:
"I submit that there aro more points of
similitude botween a monarchy liko England and
a representative government liko the Unitod
States, than there are between a representative
government liko this and a pure domocracy."
Exactly; and I submit that men liko Secre
tary Shaw, in tho republican party, today, havo
more sympathy for those "point of similitude"
than for thoso that presorvo our Independence
of oil monarchical forms. And I go further, and
say that tho teaching of such doctrlno is so near
treason, that in the time of tho fathers who found
ed this republic, such language would havo won
for Mr. Shaw tho full and deserved tltlo of tory,
no is late, but ho Is loyal to that which
tainod tho opposition to our government tfV
Tho secretary also said, same tlmo and
place:
"If a person become a director in. oven ono
concern, say nothing of two, with intent to mo
nopolize a product and control tho prlco thoreof
to tho projudlco of others engaged In the same
line of business, ho violatos both tho civil and
criminal provisions of the existing Sherman antl
trust law." (That sweot Httlo word, "Intent!")
But why had no porson been approhonded by
the republican party, under that law, during these
many years of its violation? Secretary Shaw con
victs his party of a neglect of duty, or ho con
demns it now for prosecuting tho lawbreakers.
But ho is silent on that head. His party has been
in absolute continuous control of all departments
of the general government, and the Roosevelt
administration, taking democratic suggestion, has
pursued, caught and Is trying to punish, some of
tho rascals. But tho evidence shows that the
law has been violated for years, during repub
lican ascendency. Verily, Mr. Shaw Is a fine
man and magnificent orator, but ho is short on
logic. Howovor, it takes a steady and somewhat
assertive nerve to tell the people that existing
laws are adequate to punish wrong doers and, at
tho same time, sustain a party that has for
years neglected the enforcement of such laws,
and also, at tho same time, be a member of an
administration that convicts his party of such
laches. However, as I havo elsewhere said, it
requires no especial political belief to bo a con
sistently loyal republican only an abiding faith
in the everlastingly almighty dollar. And on
this republican icon the secretary is an authority,
that advises a system to stretch w-a-y out, and
then snap back commonly called tho elastic sys
tem. But a tory in the year 1906!
Speaking upon tho subject of injunc
tion, the secretary said: " " Anglican Jur
isprudence Is the best safeguard not only to prop
erty, but also to personal and Individual rights
which the race has thus far evolved." On this
application I will agree with the secretary, but
the Anglican system of adjudicature would never
admit of an Injunction to forbid tho violation of
a law. Perhaps tho secretary la not right fresh
on tho subject of equity jurisprudence that so
much worried us years ago. An injunction, under
the jurisprudence he so lauds, is issuable for three
and only three causes: First, without remedy at
law; second, an irreparable injury; third, prevent
a wrong, for which there Is no law (such as an act
of bankruptcy). Now how can Secretary Shaw
get a Jackson Injunction against men violating
tho law, so that a violation of the court's order
may impose a more severe penalty than is pro
vided for a violation of the law? Or, probably,
tho theory of Anglican legal adjudication Is not
as familiar to the secretary as his words would
give us to conclude. It Is a great science, and
the secretary's defense of the injunction, without
giving one of the Anglican grounds upon which
it rests, rather inclines one to the belief that
this venture is one with a divine-bell so that he
will be safe in his soundings even if It amount
to nothing. I am beginning to think not so favor
ably of Secretary Shaw's ability; too often have
I found him indulging in oratorical bluffs like the
above. They "hear" all right, but when you read
them they are not very adhesive. However, he
stands for "money" the republican party's god, so
anything he may say will be as from a prophet
Indianapolis, Ind.
W. S. RYAN.
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