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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 1908)
v--nrnr."vwi,w"injtqpwn'-? The Commoner. NOVEMBER , 108 RECENTLY THE Louisville Courier-Journal 8aidr,: "The quotation in a recent play which was" 'put on in Louisville of the lino, 'Water, water 'everywhere, and not a drop to drink,' suggests the fact that this is pdrhaps the most misquoted verso in English poetry. It is taken, of course, Xrom the classic poem of Coleridge, , 'The , Ancient Mariner.' Correctly quoted, it is 'Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.' Second place for misquotation honors is said to go to Keats' lino, 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever,' usually quoted with an 'and' instead of an 'is.' Another is Milton's phrase, 'Fresh woods and pastures now,' which is frequently rendered, 'Fresh fields and pas tures new.' " X REFERRING TO the Courier-Journal's com ment, the Nashville Tennesseean says: "Among other lines almost universally misquot ed is, 'When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war,' which in its proper form is, When Greek joined -Greek, then was the tug of war.' The lines are from -Lee's tragedy of Alexander. Another that suffers a like fate is, 'Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest,' which should be, 'the going guest.' 'Westward the star of empire takes its way' has become almost classical in its common form from hav ing the sanction of misquotation by the historian Bancroft. Nevertheless, the correct and better phrase is "the course of empire.' Sometimes , popular misquotation is a distinct improvement on the original as in the oft-quoted line from Sir Walter Raleigh, 'the shallows murmur, but the deeps are dumb.' In the correct version, we have 'shallow' and 'deep' as adjectives in stead of the nouns.. The correct form is mora beautiful and .expressive. The common form of a quotation from a play of Beaumont and Fletcher, 'What is one man's, poison is another ma,n's,-meat' is.. better, because.,-more epigram-inatio-than the true. phrase: 'What is one man's poison, signor, is another's meat or drink. V PRIOR TO THE. election Mr. S. R. Davis wrote to Governor Vardaman's paper, "The Issue," this letter: "Your splendid tribute to the great qualities of Mr. Bryan as a. man and a statesman in last week's Issue is alike sincere and just. William Jennings .Bryan's place in history is assured, o matter how the campaign of 1908 terminates. If he is, elected, we will have an executive with the calm poise of Madison, the serene democratic faith of Jef ferson and the courage of Jackson. Ho will cleanse the Augean stables and cause, .the dry bones to rattle in the charnel house at Washing ton where the principles of justice and democ racy have been long burled. If defeated, the example of the great commoner will be an in spiration to lovers of liberty the world over, who will keep up the good fight till justice is enthroned and political righteousness is re-established in the hearts of men. If in the provi dence of God he Is defeated his historic figure will inspire his followers to resound the bugle and form the lines again for a renewal of the assault; and it will recall the days of Spanish chivalry when the Cid, falling on the field of battle, was remounted and strapped to his steed and his corpse led his hosts to final victory. . X THE MONUMENT to the late Benjamin Har rison formerly president of the United States, was unveiled at Indianapolis October 27. An Associated Press dispatch says: "The cere monies were preceded by a parade in which all of the Grand Army of the Republic posts of the city, numbering 700 men, participated, as well as 500 members of the regular army, 600 national guard and 500 of fraternal orders. Tho. speakers were Vice President Fairbanks and General John W. Noble, Mr. Harrison's sec retary of the interior, and John L. Griffiths, the Harrison- biographer. James Whitcomb Riley read a poem written for the occasion. The monument Is in University park, facing New York street. Miss Elizabeth Harrison's part In the exercises made tho event unusually- pret ty. Escorted by four members of her father's regiment, the - Seventieth Indiana, she-walked from the reviewing stand, on the south sido of the street, to tho monument opposite. Thoro she pulled tho cord that unveiled the flguro of her father. Tho veils' wero two flags, one rep resenting the army and the other tho navy. Tho cord pulled by the littlo girl drew tho flags from around tho figure of tho statue. A company from tho Tenth regiment saluted with their guns. "Thon tho veterans acting as a guard of honor to tho daughter, drew tho flags to the tall flagpoles at each side. The polo at tho right bore tho escutcheon of tho army and that at the left the insignia of the navy. This done, tho daughter and her escort returned to tho reviewing stand. President Roosevelt sent a laurel wreath and cut flowers to bo placed at the base of the monument. Following the cere monies the wreath and flowers wore placed on the grave of General Harrison in Crown Hill cemetery." T HE SPRINGFIELD (Mass.) Republican says: "William R. Hearst read some more Standard Oil letters at political meetings in New York Saturday night. One was from John D. Archbold to Governor William A. Stone, of Pennsylvania, dated December 5, 1902, ask ing for the appointment to tho Pennsylvania supreme court of Judge Morrison, of McKoan. Then follows a batch of letters touching John P. Elkin, then attorney gonoral of Pennsylva nia, now a judge of the Pennsylvania supremo court. The first (from Archbold to Elkin) in? closes a letter of introduction from William Rockefeller to II. McKay Twombly. It is dated September 28, 1899. Another, under date of Marph 15,, 1900, incloses a certificate of de posit to. the favor of Elkin for $5,000, 'in ful fillment of our understanding..' Another, under date of February 5, 1900, incloses a certificate of deposit for $10,000 in Elkin's. favor, 'in ac cordance with tho request in your telegram of today.' What the relations between tho Penn sylvania attorney general and Archbold or the Standard Oil company wero may possibly be In ferred from the following letter from the latter to the former under date of May 9, 1901: 'I inclose copy of a measure pending, I am not sure whether in the house or senate, being an act to amend an existing statute, as stated. For reasons which seem to us potent, we would great ly like to have this proposed amendment killed. Won't you kindly tell rao about it and advise me what you think the chances aro?' These are sickening disclosures, and in line with what have before come out affecting other public officials." X IT IS A MISTAKE to believe, says the Pitts x burg Post, that there is not just as good poetry turned out in the United States now as In those far off days. The Post adds: "Twenty years ago some publishing house, wo do not re call the name, Issued a volume entitled 'The Humbler Poets,' which was a collection of verso from persons unknown, much ot it culled from the newspapers. Rarely will bo found crowded Into one small volume such a meritorious col lection. One can scarcely pick up a newspaper today without finding at least one poem that is worthy of preservation. It is the peculiarity of the age that makes poetry so little appreciated. Sentiment exists the same today as it ever has and ever will. Love is the same, nature Is tho same, and there are many, instead of few, who are able to stir the emotions with their verse. They who weep because this Is not an age of poetry are the ones who are constantly wishing ios,' over tho countries of the 'Arabian Nights,' over tho countries whore Xenophon marched with the 10,000 and Aloxandor with tho com panions: where tho Christ began his mission and Mohamincd undortook to givo It another fulfillment, and whero tho Crusader lod tho followers of tho ono against tho followors of tho other. Moro will bcheard of these anclorft races,, as a. result of the document that gives them a voice 'in an Imperial parliament. Tho long sllenco and paralysis of absolution will bo lifted. That silence has not yet boon complete There had boon material, If not political, pro gress railroads onterlng historic lands, devel opment of regions which had not lost their old fertility, discovery of renounces, work on now trade routes. Now political Beli-conselousncai will supplement such industrial revival as has appeared." r I I7 RNEST C. STRAUS, writing from Berlin to li tho Louisville Courier-Journal; (ells this in- toresting Btory: "Tho Hfo of the ordinary Ber liner is indeed an Interesting ono. From tho tlmo a child Is thrco weeks old Its days aro' spent In the open air, and tho result Is fho healthy, sturdy specimen. Whilo I do not find tho Gorman mother any moro ntlentJvo to Jcr children than tho goneral run of American mothers, yet tho careful way In which tho child is kept and nourished In tho opon naturally makes Its vitality tho strongest. If circumstances warrant, and a nurse Is provided, the mother . sees vory Utile of her child. From early morn ing, when tho Infant has Its bath, until lato in the evening, all of Its naps are taken In tho parks. There are many of these small opon places here. and, some of them are nnU beauti ful. There Is no 'race sjilcldo' here, particularly among the poor and thoro aro many children. Of course the poorer classes can not afford a hired nurse, yet tho Ultlo ones havo the same good caro and advantages, as it 'seems tho duty of older children to take, caro of and nurse the younger. Early In tljc morning they start' lor the playground, whero they remain all day. Weather has no terrors for these youngsters. They are practically fed'on void 'baths. By tho time the baby is ton months old he 1b strong and healthv, with an nppotito that can not ho satisfied with milk. So to the natural dlot aro added potatoes, fruits, especially stewed apples, and all kinds of vegetables. Some of the babies can even digest tho almost indigestible sauer kraut. This same manner of living continues until the child is perhaps six years of age, with tho exception of added diet. Now the child la ready for 'school. Unless sickly or specially deli cate every child Is compelled by the government to enter a school at tho age of six. The schools are divided Into two classes ono for the poor and tho other for tho more prosperous. To the ono for poor called tho 'volk'sehool' a child can go absolutely free and receive a: fair education, but these schools are attended by the very poorest classes. Thero Is a charge at the other schools, and this Is at tended by tho ordinary and best classes. Tho cost amounts to quite a bit, all things considered, especially to an American, who comes from the best free schools on earth. Tho charge for tho first year Is 125 marks, nearly $32, and when there are four or five children you' can see that this amounts up to a consid erable sum. Tbeso tuition fees make tho schools practically self-supporting. So goes tho Hfo of the child for twelve years, each year in turn filled with Its own pleasures. Of the play grounds here much could be said. mcy are ?or the "good old daya" that exist only in fancy..: indeed wondorfn! There are ltnMM. each class or age having Its own space set apart. Each park has a number of milk halls or stands, where certified milk is sold to tho little There are no days so good as these." X WRITER In the. New York Hfntt xnTrni AWrUiJiitv in me iew zuia. man ou;o, " Russia and Turkey, between them, gov- a. r 4-VkA TTj-hii4-i'r i- ir?t-4-t4st io rou :tfiiiiifi ik ter the cradle lands of most-Of the world's great- penalty on the parents for failure to report a ier.lP. , !,&:&.. nnnt,,rv whnn' T.lrth. After the ace of twelve the boy begins religions, tunny iu no uiuoiwcuiu ,wuv.rf, - r.r0ap mri Eevnt wore still In the Ottomans grasp, the Turk might claim that nine-tenthh nnoR nt a nominal nrlce. Each birth Is record ed with the government, and mere is a neavy birth. After the age Greece and Egypt were still n the Ottoman's, to arrange for his military service This Is for Greece ami awl iAtnHitf twn vram. but students are let off with one SX heritage of "ho'ancierft world was in his . year of strenuous army life. Each section of XLning the city Is divided into corporations, and eaeh Srated in Rawlinson'6 'FIjj fcreat Monarch-" corporation has its defenders. Dueling-now bo- A .0