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
