P.PrjfWfV;
n
DECEMBER, 1913
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TKe Commoner
Topics of Interest
REASON'S advantages over violence are sug
gested by a -waiter in the Denver News who
says: The -difference between militancy as a
weapon of achievement in the cause of woman
suffrage in England and reasoning and diplo
macy in this country is well exemplified by the
figures showing its present status In 1909
foitr states, with a population of 1,644,031, had
voted the franchise. This year there are ten
with a combined population of 13,370,232, or
double the number of states, and an increase of
about 800. per cent in population. In 1909 the
j-n." .sh house of ' commons passed the suffrage
bill by a majority of 13, in 1910 by a majority
of 110, and ih 1911 by 167, the high water mark
of favor. But last year this was reversed when
the-bill, was beaten by 14 votes and this year
by .47.- This-.notwithstanding the militants con
tinue to- burn and disfigure and destroy and
make themselves Gbnoxious generally to the
conservative sentiment of the British masses.
They ought to take a lesson from the masterly
and womanly campaigns of the American suffra
gettes. The American woman is winning steadily
and rightfully because .of the innate justice .of
her demands. S,he doesn't have to resort to the
dynamite bomb or the torch to convince the
American man that, she is capable of exercising
the right of franchise and that her influence in
the affairs o,f government is desirable and up
lifting. Ne,itli(ji! does she have to lower her
dignity as mother, wife, sister or daughter. to
impress the fact that she. must be recognized,
whether other people like it or not. In other
words, the American woman in asserting her
rights adopts a sane, sensible and convincing
attitude, and,. , as the figures show, with fine
results. English, militancy is a failure to date.
The leaders of the movement abroad will be well
advised if they take heed of the American style
of campaigning. fThey will then be spared the
humiliation they ar.e forced tp meet .daily and
be in no worse positiqn, than they are now,' after
years of striving fpr what theyought to have as
a, matter of right., .,-.,. w
WRITING in the Review of Reviews, Ferdi
nand C. Inglehart says; It is generally
thought that Germany drinks more beer than
any other nation in the world. This is a mis
take. Germany comes second. The United
States consumes 1,851,000 gallons of beer
eacli year, which is 100,000,000 gallons more
than Germany's 'consumption. Russia leads the
world in its Use of distilled' liquors,, and the
United States cbines 'second "with Jts consump
tion of 133,000,000 gallons. Although the
United States Is firsb as a beer-drinking nation
and second as 'a 6onsumer of distilled spirits
among the nation's of the world, the liquor
dealers of America are having a desperate fight
for the life of their traffic. The saloon has been
expelled from oiQ-half of the population and
from two-thirds of the geographical area of the
country. In' 1868 there were 3,500,000 people
living in territory where the drink traffic has
been outlawed; In 1900 the number had in
creased to 18,000,000; in 1908, or only eight
years after, the number had doubled, to 36,000,
000, and tqday there are 46',029,750 persons,
or a fraction over one-half of the population of
the country, living in no-license territory. Jn
the last five years the no-license population has
increased a little over 10,000,000, which is more
than 10 per cent of the total population of the
nation and 30 per cent increase in the number
living in "dry" districts. Since 1868 the popu
lation of the country has doubled, while the
number of inhabitants of "dry" territory has
increased overthirteenfold. -'
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THE- American- commission,- which has re
cently returned from Europe where it had
gone, to study agricultural conditions, visited
while in Berlin the headquarters of the Ger
man alcohol trust, where they were told at
length of the important role the potato plays
in German agriculture. The acreage in potatoes
in Germany is rexy large, the total production
being about 1,1.60,000,000 bushels. The alcohol
industry absorbs 100,000,000 bushel3, which
produces 80,000,000 gallons of alcohol. From
80 to 85 per cent of this total production is in
the hands of the trust, which is composed of
two separate organizations, one of the distillers
and one of the rectifiers. The trust fixes prices
for both crude and refined alcohol, markets the
product and divides tho profits. It has also
devoted much attention to increasing tho lieo of
alcohol as a fuel and for Industrial purposes. It
has made a specialty of developing lampB and
stoves suited to burning alcohol, and in this
way it has succeeded in doubling tho fuel con
sumption In the last fourteen years.
tf & dt
SPEAKING of "Jim the Penman," a writer in
tho Loudon Chroniclo says: Tho real "Jim
tho Penman" was James Townsend Sward, a
barrister of tho Inner Temple, who was tried
in. 1857 for forging and uttering a bank check.
This was only one of a series of frauds com
mitted by the gang of which ho was mado chiof,
owing to his extraordinary skill with tho pen.
B He of exchango as well -as chocks wero dealt
with to such an extent that tho conspiracy was
beginning to affect the security of tho entire
mercantile community. Lawyers were repeatedly
victims,, a copy of their signature being obtalnod
by ono of the gang employing tho victim to re
cover a debt from another. At last, by a com
bination of detective work and accident, they
wero all captured, and Sward was sentenced to
transportation for life.
T'-IE genesis of tho "men of straw" is told by
a writer in Harper's Weekly In this way:
Mr. Engelbach, an English author, in a now
volume on humors of the law, relates tho follow
ing queer bit of history: "Some years ago men
used to walk about openly in Westminster hall
with a piece of straw in their boot. By this
sign attorneys know that such persons were in
want of employment as false witnesses, and
would give any evidence required for money.
For instance, if an advocate wanted an obliging
witness he would go to ono of those men and
Show him a fee, which if not sufficient, the wit
ness would not take any notico of it. The foo
was then increased until its weight recalled the
power of memory to a sufficient extent. By
this they derived their name, 'Men of Straw,' "
SPREADING DEMOCRATIC DOCTRINE
Mr. John Johnson of Fredericktown, ;Mo.,
writes; "Herewith find money order lor 16 now
subscribers and one renewal subscription to Tho
Commoner. The writer solicited 17 leading
democrats and business men of our town six
teen of whom subscribed. '
"The writer, an old soldier o the Bluo,and
onefwho can testify to the valor of the boy who
wore the Gray, inherited nothing democratic.
On the contrary was reared as a republican of
the N. E. Ohio brand, said to be immune to
democratic tendencies, through business changes
located at Carlyle, Illinois in 1892, among the
many friends of that grand old man, Judge
Bryan, father of our William Jennings Bryan,
for whom I cast my first democratic vote in 1896,
and whose splendid courage and leadership
through sixteen years of struggle w'th graft and
corruption in high places, has given our nation
a new birth, and with Woodrow Wilson, our
great president, at the helm,' 'great Is the victory
for righteousness."
Here is an example of the good that is being
done by many faithful democrats In tho
work of spreading democratic doctrine in their
home community. Tho year 1914 will be an im
portant one in the political history of this na
tion. The democratic party will appeal to tho
people of the country to sustain them in the
work of tho great reforms they havo undertaken
in their behalf, and it behooves every earnest
democrat to do his part in keeping before
the pepple of his community a medium that will
keep them in touch -yvith the work of the pres
ent democratic administration. The Commoner
for 1914 will bo found indispensable to every
one who wants to keep posted on what Is going
on at Washington, who wants to know the truth
about public questions and public men. Will
you join in the effort to extend The Commoner's
circulation in your community for the year
1914? A special rate is made for tho purpose
of forming clul s to circulate The Commoner for
educational purposes. Who'll be the next to
take up this good work?
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Secretary Houston is of the opinion that thero
Isn't any reason why the farmers, with their ex
cellent land security, should not havo cheaper
rates of interest. The only reason that has here
tofore existed has been that the surplus capital
of their section,' which should have been avail
able for them, was down in New York working
for the stock speculators. The president's cur
rency bill aims to cut off this money siphon.
GRADY'S STRIKING PIOTURK
Tho following striking picturo was drawn by
tho south's great orator, tho lato Ilonry W.
Grady:
"Lot mo picturo to you tho footaoro confeder
ate soldier, as buttoning up In his Tadod gray
Jacket tho parole which was to boar testimony
to his children of his fldolity and faith, ho turned
his faco southward from Appomattox in April,
1865. Think of him as ragged, half starved,
heavy-hearted, enfeebled by want and wound,
having fought to exhaustion, he surrender hi
gun, wrings tho hands of comrados In sllonce,
and lifting his tear-stained and pallid face for
the last time to tho graves that dot old Vir
ginia hills, pulls hlB gray cap ovor his brow
and begins tho slow and painful Journey. What
does he find lot mo ask you who went to your
homos eager to find In the welcomo ydu had
Justly earned, full payment for your four years
sacrifice what docs ho find when, having' fol
lowed tho battle-stained cross against over
whelming odds, dreading doath not half so muck
as surrendor, ho reaches tho homo ho left se
prosporouB and beautiful? Ho finds his house
In ruins, his farm devastated, IiIb slaves free,
his stock killed, his barns ompty, his trade de
stroyed, his money worthless, his social systom,
feudal in its magnificence, swopt away; his
people without law or logal status; his com
rades slain, and the burdens of others hoavy
on his shoulders. Crushed by defeat, hta vary
traditions are gone. Without monoy, credit,
employment, matorial, or training; and beside
all this, confronted with tho greatest problem
that over mot human Intelligence tho estab
lishing of a status for the vast body of his
liboratod slaves. What does ho do this hero
in gray with a heart of gold 7 Does he sit down
in sulIennesB and despair? Not for a day. Sure
ly God, who has stripped him of his prosperity,
inspired him In his adversity. As ruin was never
so overwhelming, novor was restoration swifter.
Tho soldier stepped from tho trenches Into tho
furrow, and fields that ran red with blood n
Aprjl wore green with harvest in June; women,
reared in luxury cut up their dresses and mado
breeches for their husbands, and, with a pa
tience and horolsrrf that fit women always as a
garment, gave their hands to work.
"I see a south, the home of fifty millions of
people, who rise up every day to call froni
blessed cities, vast hives of industry pnd thrift;
her country-side the treasury from which hor
resources are drawn; her streams vocal with
whirring spindles; her valleys trampled in tho
white and gold of tho harvest; her mountains
showering down the music of bells as lier slow
moving ttocke and herds go forth from their
folds; her rulers honest and her people loving,
and lier homes happy and their hearthstone's"
bright and their waters still, and their pasture
green, and her conscience clear; her wealth dif
fused and poor-houses ompty; her churches
earnest and all creeds lost in the gospel. Peace
and sobriety walking ha.id in hand through
her borders; honor in her homes; uprightness
in her midst; plenty in her fields; straight and
simple faith in the hearts of her sons and
daughters; her two races walking together in
peace and contentment; sunshine everywhere
and all the time, and night falling on her gent
ly as from the wings of the unseen dove."
'NEVER MIND"
When childish cares assailed his heart
Her Voice was always kind,
As lovingly she took his part
And said: "There, never mind."
Tho boy who once had boyish cares
And wept o'er littlo woes -
Now dabbles in the world's affairs
And faces heartless foes.
But when the skies are dark today
Ho may not turn to find
Tier comfort, and-to hear her say:
"Ah, well, dear; never mind."
Tho grieving boy had need of cheer,
What of the man who frets
When he is crowded to tho rear
Or plagued by vain regrets?
Relieved of care, sho sleeps away,
Tho man remains behind,
And thero is no ono left to say:
"Ah, well, dear; never mind."
S. E. Kiser In Chicago Record-Herald.
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