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SCORE ONE for the much abused tramp. This
story was printed recently in the New York
World: "The village of Delaware, N. J., has
enrolled a distinguished citizen-elect in the per
son of "William Nixon, for many years a Weary
Willie of the roads. He has been elected a mem
ber of the volunteer fire department and is in a
fair way to become one of the town's illustrious
because of an act of heroism. Several days ago
Nixon's peregrinations took him to the back
door of the home of Charles Quigg, for a 'hand- '
out.' Miss Emily, daughter of the family, was
lighting the gasolene stove so she didn't answer
the tramp's knock. The gasolene exploded, the
young woman was swathed in flames and
. shrieked for help. Nixon broke down the door,
threw his ragged coat about the girl, rolled her
, in a rug and smothered the blaze. Miss Quigg
. and her rescuer were so painfully burned that
they were placed under the care of a physician,
the family nursing Nixon in their gratitude for
, his brave act. Nixon told them of his life on
the roads and they reclaimed him. Hiram Dur
kin yesterday offered the man a position as- clerk
in .the village store, and Nixon, in new duds
that would shock his companions of the road,
.will serve out coffee, tea, sugar, nutmegs; etc.,
from now on. Nixon once was a prosperous
.business man, but lost his fortune -through re
verses and took to the road. He. is determined
now to settle', down, and Delaware folks expect
great things of their town pride." -
A SEATTLE, Wash., dispatch to the Minne
apolis Journal follows. "Colonel F. C.
Robertson of Spokane, assistant United States
district attorney of this state during the last
Cleveland administration, formally launched the
presidential boom in Washington of Governor
John A. Johnson of. Minnesota in Seattle today
at Hotel Butler. Mr. Robertson was democratic
candidate from eastern Washington for repre
sentative in congress in 1900 and no man is
more widely known in democratic politics. 'The
west,' said Colonel Robertson, 'is now the con
servative element of the community, and it is
my judgment that the west will 'be for Johnson
of Minnesota, along conservative lines. I would
not detract in the slightest from W. J. Bryan.
But it is my belief that the south and west will
, find in the last analysis that Johnson is the man
for the job.. -Mr. Johnson can be depended .upon
to carry his own state, Minnesota, . as, well as
-gWJsconsinand Iowa. Colonel Bryan has thou-
4-yqu.uuD ui mcuuo xu iuo wcou wuu Ul'U loyui UJ
Mm, out 1 believe that if Tart is nominated by.
the republicans, the west, as well as the south,
will select Governor Johnson of Minnesota as
the man to be the democratic candidate.' "
THE FAIRBANKS boom was formally
launched at Indianapolis December 6. An
Itidianapolis dispatch carried by the Associated
Press follows: "Resolutions were adopted
unanimously today at the biennial love feast of
Indiana republicans urging the nomination of
Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks for the
presidency. The resolutions were introduced by
J. Frank Hanloy and were adopted with a round
of cheers by the thousand and more active party
workers of the state who were present. The
resolutions were as follows: 'We, the republi
cans of the state of Indiana, In biennial love
feast assembled, send greetings and felicitations
to the Hon. Charles W. Fairbanks, vice president
of the United States, and turn to hira for leader-'
ship in the pending presidential campaign. We
have often trusted him and have many times
given him high commission. His clean life in
public and in the home; his clearness of concept
his poise of character; his conservative courage
and his great ability have long appealed" to us.
His love of the people, from whose loins ho
came; the faith ho has ever manifested in Amer
ican institutions and in republican principles
his ripe experience in public affairs"; the sup
port ho has given President Roosevelt in the
senate and in his present ofllce and in the mem
ory of the confidence and the affection which
the late President McKinley held him,, load us
to declare him great and broad enough to deal
With the now conditions now before the country.
We ask his leadership with full confidence in
his wisdom and his. patriotism, and promise him
in return our highest effort and best endeavor
to secure for him the commission of his party
at the national convention to be assembled at
Chicago next June,' United States Senator Albert
J. Beveridge presided and made the principal
address, dwelling on the notable accomplish
ments of the vice president's public career and
averring that the Indiana delegation would stand
solidly by him in the national convention. Others
present Included Senator Hemenway, many of
the Indiana representatives' in congress, many of
the legislature, county and city officials and a
number of candidates for places on .the state
ticket with their friends. The gathering was
large and enthusiastic."
THE FOLLOWING editorial recently appeared
in the Omaha (Neb.) Bee, a republican
paper: " 'Let the tariff on wood pulp and paper
remain and the more newspapers killed the
merrier,' says Congressman Sereno E. Payne of
New York, chairman of the house committee
on ways and means. Mr. Payne's chief, distinc
tion lies 4n the fact that he is recognized by the
speaker, every day to make, the motion to ad
journ.'.' Replying to this statement the Omaha
World-Herald says: "Softly, neighbor, softly.
This republican leader who scoffs 'the more
newspapers killed the merrier' does something
more than make the motions to adjourn in the
house. He is chairman of the most important
house committee that on ways and means, and
is floor leader of the republican side. In other
words, next to Speaker Cannon himself, he is
the most1 influential and important ' republican
member of the house. The World-Herald does
not -wonder, that' its contemporary, disgusted
at the boorishness of Mr. Payne, should try to,
detract from his importance in the councils of
his party. , But the fact remains that this man
who says 'the more newspapers killed the merrier'-
is no obscure, cross-roads leader, but so
great a power in the house that, together with
the speaker, and one or two others, he controls
absolutely the activities of that body; Mr.
Payne, it is hardly necessary to say, is a famous
standpatter. That explains his glee when he
sees the tariff crippling newspapers." .For he
knows that newspapers, as instruments of pub
licity, constitute, whether willing or not, the
most potent foe with which a robber tariff has
to contend."
HARRY S. DUNGAN is a democrat and is at
present county judge of Adams county,
Nebraska. O. A. Abbott is a distinguished re
publican living at Grand Island, Nebraska. Not
long ago Mr. Abbott sent some papers to Judge
Dungan, county judge at Hastings, to be filed
and accompanied them with a cashiers' check
for $5 as advance costs. The .following letter
shoVs the reception of the fee and something
of the nature of the cautious county judge:
"Hastings,, Neb., December 24, 1907. Hon. O.
A. Abbott, Grand Island, Neb. My Dear Judge:
Your letter of the 24th inst. was received en
closing bill of particulars in the case of
and vs. ;
also notice to take deposition in said case. In
the light of political history of the last eleven
years, I was staggered upon reading your letter
which states, 'Enclosed please find $5 for ad
vance costs in r et al. vs. . et al.'
I rah with the eye of a detective through all
the papers to find this $6, but up to date I
have been unable to discover it. However, there
was a piece of paper accompanying this letter
which if it had not been for the education, given
us by the astute republican financiers of which,
my dear judge, you were a shining example
in the campaign of 1896 might have passed for
$5. But when I , think, judge, of your able ex
position of the financial question in the year of
1896 and subsequently, of your setting forth
that every dpllar which wo issued must be as
good as, gold that every dollar which' was
issued must be good in Europe and when I
think of the times that I withstood all the vitu
peration, calumny and invectives that my repub
lican friends could command because I advocat
ed the 'fifty cent dollar,' I am at a loss to under
stand your mental condition when you forward
to me this piece of 'rag money.' Probably it is
a ghost of that long departed era of wild cat
money of which I have heard so many republican
spellbinders speak with such fluency. As a mat
ter of fact, it follows the line of the three card
monte man and the shell game, because, in bold,
black type U purports to say, that it will 'Pay
-to the bearer the sum of $5,' but I notice, in
much smaller type, or under its breath, so to
speak, it says, 'in eastern' exchange or credit
only.' Judge, I am willing to stand for a green
back or 'fifty cent, dollar,' but when, in this era
of republican prosperity, in this very dawn of
the golden age of the. republican administration,
in the third year of the reign of 'Teddy the
First;' when you come to try to work off on
me any bank shin-plasters or rag money, after
having educated me in that school of sound
money in, the year 1896, I must protest. I en
close you this nondescript piece of paper issued
without authority of law and revolutionary in
every respect and say to you, my dear judge,
when you forward me $5 as. you stated you had
done in your letter, though they be 'fifty cent
dollars,' I will at once file, these papers and
issue ( summons. I await with breathless ex
pectancy your explanation of this peculiar atti
tude which you have taken upon the financial
question.. However, judge, assuring you of my
continual personal regard wherever your finan
cial vagaries may lead you, and hoping some day
you wll be, able to come back to that sound
and stable doctrine of the 'fifty cent dollar,'
X remain,, yours, very respectfully, Harry S.
Dungan." '...'.-.
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THE KENTUCKY Association gave a notable
v banquet to Justice John M. Harlan of the
United States supreme court in New York City.
In the course of his address Judge Harlan said:
"The American people are more determined than
at any time in their history to maintain both
national and state rights, as those rights exist
under the union ordained by the constitution.
I say the people of the. United States, for al
though the constitution was accepted by the
separate action of the people in their respective
states, they moved together, in their collective
capacity, as one people, in creating a nation for
certain specified objects of general concern.
They will not patiently consider any suggestion
or device that looks to a union ufron any other
basis. They will maintain, at whatever cost
and in all their integrity, both national and
state rights." In its report of the dinner the
Associated Press said: "A pretty touch was
added to the function when Mr. Carlisle began
his speech introducing Justice Harlan. At this
time the band galleries of the banquet room
were filled with ladies. Mr. Carlisle said that
while the guests were gratified to have Mr. Har
lan present he knew that all of them also would
be glad to have Mrs. Harlan present on an occa
sion which, while in honor of her husband, also
was the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage.
A storm 6f applause greeted Mrs. Harlan who,
from a balcony, blushingly acknowledged it with
a smile and a nod of her head. Justice Harlan
prefaced his set speech with a loving tribute
to his wife. He told of the happiness of their
wedding day and said happiness had followed
them all through life. At the close of this trib
ute the applause was loud and long. Then tho
band struck up Mendelssohn's wedding march.
More cheering followed this and a rendition of
'My Old Kentucky Home.' "
EVERYONE IS familiar with the quotation,
"Corporations have no souls," but few
are familiar with the story of its. origin. A
writer in the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch
says: "This memorable expression of a legal
and a popular maxim grew out of one of the
most celebrated causes in the history of English
jurisprudence. On Juno 22. 1611, Kipg James
I, citing o.n 'act to confirm and to enable, the
erection and establishment of a hospital intend
ed to be done by Thomas Sutton,' by letters
patent granted said Sutton a license 'to found
a hospital for the relief of poor and aged peoplj
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