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SEPTEMBER 24, ltOt
The Commoner.
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GOVERNOR John A. Johnson, of Minnesota,
died at 3:35 o'clock in the morning of
Tuesday, September 21. The governor had been
operated upon at Rochester, Minn., this being
tho third operation for appendicitis. Governor
Johnson was born at St. Peter, Minn., July 28,
1861. Ho was educated in the public schools
and became editor of a weekly newspaper at St.
Peter. He served in the Minnesota stato senate.
In 1904 ho was elected governor of Minnesota.
He was re-elected in 1906 and in 1908.
HERE IS A story from life carried from New
York by the Associated Press: "When he
died of a fractured skull at tho Flower hospital
Stephen Vogvodich, eight years old, made his
last sacrifice for his baby brother. Stephen had
always loved the baby better than ho did him
self. He had watched the baby without com
plaining while the other boys played in the
streets, and had held him in his arms out on
the fire escape in front of his flat, on the fifth
floor of No. 538 West Forty-seventh street, so
that he might bo cooled by whatever breezes
wandered thero. It was while he was holding
the baby on the fire escape that Stephen met
With the accident that resulted in his death. He
went too near the edge and lost his balance. Ho
screamed as he swayed for a moment on the
edge, but he did not drop the baby that he might
clutch the railing and save liimself. Instead ho
threw tho child toward the open window, where
tho mother, Mrs. Peter Vogvodich, grasped its
clothes and clung thus to the baby. But tho
very act of throwing tho child forced Stephen
ba'ck over the edge and ,ho fell to the street, five
8t6'rieg down. I-I, was 'unconscious when they
picked him; up, and when Dr. Charles Barton
of' tho" Flower ffospitai' arrived, che told the "
mQth'er tHatlier 'son could riot live."
A NOVEL CHURCH service is described iri'a
dispatch carried by the Associated Press
under date of Cincinnati, Ohio, September 10:
"Charles H. King, once a minister in the Episco
pal church, who has been retired and in busi
ness in Cincinnati for several years, has just
done something that perhaps no other minister
has accomplished. He preached a sermon at
tho Wyoming Episcopal church without a con
gregation. He faced the empty seats and talked
away about the spirituality of some men and the
non-spirituality of most men. Ho argued for
a universal goodness in man and told the walls,
the pews, and the pillars of that beautiful
church and his organist just what he thought
th,o matter was with moflern, coin-loving hu
manity. Of course his organist, John W. Hill,
heard all this, as he has heard it often before.
He and ho alone heard the sermon. When the
time came for the collection he played the
offertory, got up went to the bundle of baskets
in the collections room, laid a $5 note in one,
and passed the basket to tho Rev. Mr. King.
Then he heard the minister's tirade against ex
isting corruption in our cities, played the
hymns, sang them with the minister, and the
two left the ctiurch. It all happened because
ttie pastor of the church is away on his vaca
tion. It was given out that there would be no
services, then Mr. King said ho was going to
preach. No one except Mr. Hill heard about
this."
THE ASTRONOMERS are just now interested
in a comet. A writer in the Lincoln (Neb.)
Journal says: "Halley's comet, which was re
discovered a few night ago 1y Professor Max
Wolf at Heldelburg, Germany, will probably ba
a bright comet and visible to the naked eye
according to astronomers. Professor Swezey,
head of the astronomy department at the state
university, said that at present the comet is only
visible with, the largest telescopes, but that by
the time it is due to pass the earth's orbit It
will probably appear very bright, though this
is hot definitely known as this will depend upon
the position of the earth in its orbit. If the
earth will be In that part of the orbit near which
the comet will jmss the probability is that the
corned will be visible to the naked eye. Pro
fessor Swezey, about a yeaT ago, figured the
path of tho comet relative to tho position of
the earth will have as tho comot passes tho
orbit, and he said that according to tho formor
orbit tho comot would pass closo to tho earth.
But as It is subject to many perturbations new
observations will have to bo takon bofore this
can be predicted with any certainty. Tho comot
has been seen by a number of astronomers in
different parts of tho world. A few nights ago
it was observed at the X-ick Observatory In Cali
fornia, and a photograph was secured of it by
the aid of the largo reflecting telescope. From
the different positions It has in the sky each
night astronomers will be able to calculate its
present orbit, and they will then bo able to
tell how near it will come to tho eart,h. At
the time of its last appearance in 1835 it passed
within 5,000,000 miles of the earth and was
then very bright. Halley's comet is an inter
esting one in that it was tho first one known
to be periodical. Its first return was predicted
by Halley, Its discoverer, as March 13, 1759.
Halloy showed by mathematical calculations that
tho orbit of this comot was an oclipso and he
calculated its period as about seventy-five years.
Halley's prediction was found to bo nearly cor
rect, but owing to the perturbations of the
planets it was not exact, though the comot
passed the sun within a" month of tho tirao pre
dicted. Tho old records show that this comet
was first seen in the year 1066. It can not be
proved absolutely that this comet and Halley's
are tho same, but it is believed to be by as
tronomers, as it has reappeared at tho regular
interval since that date, and the orbits have
been the same, at least Mck to 1531. Tho years
that'it has reappoared since 1066 are 1145, 1801,
1456, 1531, 1607, 1682, U75S, and 1835, Since
1835 the comet has been journeying out to a
point leyond the orbit of tho farthermost known
planet, 'Neptune. Its farthest distance from the
suri, 3,270,080,000 miles, Was reached in 1873.
Its closest approach to the sun will probably bo
about 65,000,000 miles, which it Is due to reach
probably some time in March 1911. It is now
almost midway between tho orbits of Jupiter
and Saturn, having passed Saturn's orbit late
in 1908. According to the present calculations,
the comet provided there will bo no change in
its orbit owing to the perturbations of the larger,
planets, will pass the earth's orbit sometime
early in next March, though it will probably be
visible for a considerable time before."
ASTONlNGTON, Conn., reader of the New
York World writes to that publication over
tho name "Julius" to say: "I have read your
editorial In tho World of August 31 under tho
heading of 'Equal Rights,' discussing tho future
of the democratic party, etc. I have been a
regular patron of the World since Its Initial
number, and, if you will allow me, I beg to ex
press my doubts as to tho sincerity of the
World's, democracy, as that term is understood
by old-fashioned Jeffersonian democrats. It is
no use in denying the fact that the democracy
of today Is an adulterated combination of tho
all-pervading spirit of the times graft, spoils,
loot, etc. engendered by tho late civil war and,
unfortunately for our country, is growing from
bad to worse, but it is unkind and unjust to
charge Mr. Bryan with the sins of omission or
commission of the last Cleveland administra
tion. I. voted for Mr. Cleveland for both terms
of his presidential incumbency. My gratifica
tion and satisfaction with his first administra
tion were grievously disappointed with his sec
ond. The first wasjm exponent of democracy
as I understand It; the. second was one of plu
tocracy. Do not condemn Mr. Bryan for the
sins committed by a debauched democracy a
democracy that for the once forsook its princi
ples and succumbed to Mammon and tho flesh
p6ts of Egypt."
AN EXAMINATION for positions in the. cen
sus department will take place October 23.
Appointment Clerk. Lindell of the census bureau
says that the distinction between the permanent
census force and the additional temporary emr.
ployes provided by the thirteenth census act is
quite Important and should bo romemborcd. Aa
vacancies occur on tho permanent census roll
thoy will bo filled, as heretoforo, by transfers
from olsowhoro In tho Borvlco, or by selections
from tho existing registers of tho civil servico
commission. Persons now on tho registers of
tho commission are, therefore, eliglblo for ap
pointment to vacancies on tho permanent census
roll, but thoro Is no groator opportunity during
tho decennial period for such appointments than
thoro has been heretoforo. Tho additional tem
porary positions, authorized by tho thirteenth
census net, except those above $1,200 per an
num which will be fillod largoly by trausfors
from tho permanent consus roll, will bo given
to thoso persons who pass tho test examination
on October 23. Thoso now on tho registers of
tho civil servico commission, who desire appoint
ment to thoso additional census places, should
take tho test examination as their preaont eligi
bility avails them nothing in respect to appoint
ments to these positions. Tho fact that a per
son is on tho civil servico register does not pro
vent him from taking this test examination. Of
tho four clerical divisions Into which tho addi
tional consus force are separated, class A com
prises thoso engaged in tho operation of card
punching and card tabulating machines; class
B, those operating typewriters, adding machines,
or combined typewriter adding machines; class
C, thoso ongnged in manuscript tabulation and
other clerical work; class D, tho sub-clerical
workers. Tho entrance salary for classes A, B.
and C will bo $600 per annum, subject to pos
sible promotion to at leaet $900 a year. Tho
minimum of $6,00 per year will also apply to
employes paid on tho pleco-prico basis. Class
D will be: Messengers, $840; assistant messcn-
gers, $720; messenger boys, $480; watchmen,
$720; laborers, $720, and charwomen, $240.
All original appointments for theso classed will
bo made from tho ollglblo registers furnished, by
test examination, Thoeo will bo Are in number."
The first will carry tho names oC all persona
eighteen years of ago, or over "who pass tho
examination. Tho second will list thoso on tho
first register, who have had previous experienco
in operating card-punching, card tabulating or
card-sorting machines In census work. Tho
placing of a person's name on this register will
not affect his eligibility on tho first, third or
fourth registers. The third register will contain
the names of all those on the first register who
make an average of 70 on tho test In typewriter
tabulation. Persons who pass this test will, by
so doing, improve their chances of appointment.
Nor does entry on this affect eligibility on the
ficst, second or fourth register.
NOW THE corset trust has taken a steel
ribbed grip upon tho neck of tho down
trodden and garroted it with linen strings. But
the squeezed and gasping common people have
found a champion. A Chicago dispatch to the
Cincinnati Enquirer says: "The Retailers' Com
mercial Union has come to Its rescue with lance
in rest and determined to enforce the rule of
trade that 'Free strings go with the corset.'
At the Grand Pacific hotel today a shot was
fired that will be heard around tho world. It
was this: 'Resolved, That a' corset lace Is a
part of the original construction and as neces
sary to the corset as laces in a shoe or buttons
on a man's trousers and coat, and should not
be considered a by-product for which extra
charge should be made; and that we vigorously
condemn all manufacturers In the corset trust
for refusing to include a pair of laces in tho
sale of each corset Liberty shrieked for several
hourri before the declaration of war was com
piled, but all tho speeches were on the one side.
It was a meeting of the executive committee
of the union which has for its purpose collective
buying by retailers in the middle west. Tho
pull back on corset strings was denounced by
President W. H. Genner, of Farmlngton, Iowa,
as 'unfair, unjuit and illegal and an injury to
the middle classes and laboiing people who stand
the burden of the extra cost.' 'A long pull and
a strong pull and a pull all together on this cor
set string thing, and we'll break the trust'a
backbone,' said another speaker."
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