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When the girl of today votes for of course she will vote
although the girl of today may not be in her twenties then,
she will have no time to waste on the pin hung ornaments
which cover her walls, ready to be knocked down by any
unsuspecting male relative who docs not give them elbow
room when he posses. When one considers the amount of
time spent needlessly upon this foolish fashion of overdoing
the decorative, one can but wonder what the next era will
bring forth.
It has been wisely suggested that among the additions to
this school, we add a new department, namely, that of do
mestic economy. If the young ladies could receive scientific
instruction in that veiy useful and important school of learn
ing, where they could learn the chemistry of cookery, it
seems that it would not be time thrown away, and would aid
just as materially in training the student to be a careful ob
server as other departments of science. The young ladies
have such a department in connection with one of the Iowa
colleges, and the class in cookery is said to be the most
largely attended of any one class in school."
CURRENT COMMENT.
The University now has four literary societies with ac
commodations for but two. Two societies are thus placed
at a disadvantage. One is quartered in the chapel where
the wilderness of empty seats is, to say the least, discourage
ing; another is camping in a recitation room. These so
cieties with permanent halls are capable of doing much
good work. The literary society may be regarded as the
oratorical laboratory, and as such has as much right to a
permanent room for practical work as any other department
of the University.
The republican tariff bill has passed the senate. The
bill is so thoroughly saturated with the protection doctrine
that it ought to satisfy the most exacting monopolists. It
reduces the tariff on pearls and increases it on wool. It puts
attar of roses on the free list and leaves the tax on salt. The
bill provides that a bounty of one cent a pound shall be paid
on all sugar produced in the United States. It is hard to
understand why the farmers of Nebraska, who raise profitable
crops of corn and hogs shall pay a tax to the farmers of Lou
sinna, who choose to raise an unprofitable crop.
The Ford immigration bill which was lately introduced
in the lower house of congress provides for the exclusion of
anarchists and socialists from the United States. As all
thinking men are anarchists to the extent that they would
like to overthrow some existing laws, and many are socialists
inasmuch as they have some plan, high protection, free traJe,
or perhaps prohibition which they think would be a panacea
for some or all political and social -evils, it would be interest
ing to know just where the line is to be drawn. Michael
Davitt says that private property in land is robbery. Ivan
Tolstoi, the great Russian religious and political thinker is as
radical as some who have been hung in this country. Should
the gates be barred to such men? It is a step backward for
the United States to shut men out because their political
economy is not of the orthodox brand.
Mr. Inspector Bonfield of Chicago has been sat upon in a
very scientific manner. For some time the gentleman lias
considered it his duty and privilege to dictate to the citizens
of that city what their belief should be on some disputed
points of political economy. The rights of public meeting
and free speech were denied to a large part of the com
munity. An organization calling itself the Arbeiter Bund
hired a hall and attempted to hold a meeting. Bonfield in
terfered, claiming that in his opinion the organization was
composed of anarchists who took this method of prorogating
their peculiar doctrines. The Bund appealed to the court
for protection and a decision has just been rendered. The
opinion was written by Judge Tujey of the circuit court,
who says that he is "astounded" that the police should claim
the power to declare men guilty of that which is not a crime
under our law and then punish them for it, thus taking the
place of both legislature and court. The decision was
against the police at every point. It is to be hoped that the
inspector will realize that anarchy in office causes disorder
and creates crime instead of preventing them.
The last election was perhaps the most corrupt in the
history of the republic. Another contest of the kind and
such terms as fat," and "blocks of five" will have a perm
anent place in our language. This corruption was made pos
sible by our present system of voting. It is possible for a
man to buy votes and be absolutely certain that he gets the
goods. Voters aic bribed and intimidated, and the parly
with the greatest number of two dollar bills has the best
chance to win the election. What is known as the Austral
ian ballot system has been entirely successful in curing these
evils in Australia and Great Britain. This plan provides that
the tickets shall be printed and distributed by the state. No
one but the election judges and a challenger from each party
is allowed within the polling place. The voters enter one at
a time and each receives an officially stamped ticket from the
judge of election. This ticket contains the names of all the
candidates for the different offices. The voter retires to a
private booth and prepares his ballot, placing across opposite
the name of the men of his choice. After depositing his vote
he must leave the polling place. This would render the bal
lot absolutely secret and prevent bribery. For, as no man
could tell how another had voted, the vote buyer would have
only the sellers word in return for his money and little would
be risked on this security. This system has been tried in
Great Britain and is a success. The character of the Irish
delegation in parliament shows this, for, if the voters could
be bought or bulldozed, the landlords would see to it that
Parncll and his supporters were defeated. Massachusetts
has already adopted this plan. A bill has been introduced
in New York legislature that is as good as the one Gov.
l, i Hill vetoed a year ago, and enough votes are pledged
to pass it. The scheme is favored by both republicans and
democrats in Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota. The fact that
it is opposed by the Hill and Dana democrats in New York
and Dudley republicans in Indiana should give it much
strength. This system will not solve any of the great politi
cal problems, but it will make a solution possible by making
our elections a full and inteligent expression of the popular
will instead of a contest in fat-frying and bribe giving.
"PIE, CANIS PIE."
Dark night,
Wild ki-yi,
Bright light,
Gun on high.
Sharp crackl
Knocked stiff
On his back
Scientif.