Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, December 29, 1917, Page 4

and Qousies 121 YEARS OLD ll.e!l:lln-iprkr 12e ¢ Entered at the Postoffice at Norwich, Conn., es second-class matter. Telephone Calls: Bulletin Business Odice 480. Bulletin Editorial Rooms 35-3. Bulletin Job Office 35-2. Willimantic Office, 625 Mala Street. Talepborc 210-2. Norwich, Saturday, Dec. 29, 1917. GiRCULATION .. 4812 .5,920 1901, average .. 1905, average Dec. 22, 1917 MEMEER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press is exchusives ed to the use for republica- | news despatches credit- or not otherwise credit- per and also the local :cd_nerein. of republication of special despatches herein are also reserved. THE PEACE PROPOSITION. The peace projosition which was presented to the Russians at Brest Litovsk by Count Czernin, the Aus- tro-Hungarian foreign minster, is no more likely to result in the ending of the war than did those which wers previously suggested. With the bol- sheviki getting control in Russia and entering into negotiations for peace, following the declaration of an armis- tice, Germany sees the opportunity to get the bolsheviki to work fot the in- terests of the central powers and in- sists upon it being done before any . agreement is reached as to peace with 3 Russia. The kaiser is trying to sidetrack the bolsheviki for bigger game when S it is required that . all belligerents participate in the negotiations, and in' setting forth the terms under which the central powers are willing to make peace it cannot help being fully understood that such would never be accepted by the entente nations, in- cluding the United States. President Wilson and the leaders of the allied nations have made it plain that peace will come following vic- . tory and it is quite evident that the 3 terms which the central powers will 3 accept are far from what would be agreed to by the nations fghting them. In view of the manner in which Germany has been acting there is {gooa reason for believing that it is not mow acting in good faith and it certainly .cannot expect to strengthen its cause by having its terms urged by the bolsheviki E TOO MUCH RED TAPE. 3 That there. are times when red tape is of some benefit can unquestionably be pointed out, but it would be a dif- E ficult task to prove that it ever has- - tens the securing of supplies or the clothing of an army. On the contrary there is much to show that it works the other way and to the detriment of those who are forced to wait for its results. p This has been clearly demonstrated in the congressional investizations " which have been started concerning the war preparations. With hundreds of thousands of soldiers assembled in the training camps of the country the methods which have been follow- ed in securing supplies and clothing for them have shown a lack of ef- clency. There are thousands of these mem who are not as yet or who have = only recently been supplied with g proper underciothine: and overcoats and the reason for it is attributed to the red tapc: which has to he followed in securing them. TIn other words $ the same slow process of cetting these s necessities in times of peace is being fol:>wed now while the cotairy is at war. There has been no speeding up | of effort. We are tryinz to zet onto & war footing with the same machin- ery that has always been used when the question of time was not in- oived. That a certain _amount vo'ved methods have been aban- doned since the country entered the war is understood but there is more which show.l zo the same way and the orders which certain heads of des partments have ziven to cut the red tape skould be emphaticall. apolied along the whole jine. We cannot per- 3 mit the wheels of prosress to be clog- ged in any such manner. of the in- i PLAYING THE GERMAN GAME. For some time now the bolsheviki of Russia have been plavine into the bands Gf Germany. They were re- sponsible for the withdrawal of Rus- sian support from the ritions with which it had been fighting and which had from the first been fighting for it, and they have been thn means of yeleasing large numbers of troobe from the eastern front for the pur- pose of pitting them against the en- tente nations in the west. In addi- tign to this the central powers are aiready zetting or planning to get much of the food supplies and other mecassities, which Russia has and Meeds for its own pecple but is hav- ing trouble in transporting, for the use of the German and Austrian peo- ple. At the same time if peace is con- cluded between Russia and the cen- tral powers it means the release of a million or more prisoners to be added .to the war machine. Russia-] / the action of the bolsheviki has also put Rumania out of the war. Besides all this, however, Germany is playing loose and fast with the new leaders in Russia, as is evidenced by the report of, the present commander- in-chief of the Russiau armles that the agreement of Germany not to transfer troops during ths period of the armistice is aiready being vio~ lateq for large bodies of soldiers are belng sent to the western front. That little attention is likely to be paid to this vio'ion is t6 be gath- ered from the fact that the leaders of the bolsheviki have ordered the workmen of Russia to stop operatiens in the munition factories and devote their efforts to peace time Industries There cannot be desired any better evidence that the bolsheviki are play- ing the German game and playing it strong. = RAISE MORE HOGS. By the report of the department of agriculture there is shown, a decrease of approximately half & million in the number of hogs slaughtered in this countfy for the vear ¢nding June 50. It is also pointed out that -the de- crease in the pork production for the Yyear ending at that time was greater than the decrease in the number of kilungs would indicate. This was de to the fact that the hogs butude ered in the year ending June 30 were lighter in weight than the same num- ber killed in the previous itwelve months period. But what is of equal- Iy great importance is the fact tlat while the number of hogs kiilel has decreased the number of stock hess in the country does not show the in- crease that ought to be exppctd. In- stead of there being a gain there is a decrease, the estimate placing the number on. the farms of the country the first of September at 60,218,090, whereas at the same time last year there were 65,645,000, or a decrease of nearly five and a half miliion. » ‘With such facts presented is there any wonder that there is a demand for the raising of more Hogs? Pork was never so high as it is today and yet the decline in the number of hogs holds out no hope for improvement. There is great need for the farmers to devote more attention to hog rais- ing even as there is for them to raise more sheep and corn. The price which pork eommands today oughi to arouse the farmers to take advanfage of the opportunity to not only better the nation's meat supply but to use the chance to get the financial benefit. WOODEN SHIPS. In view of all the trouble that has been experienced in zetting the s! - building programme cf this country underway, the difference of opinion at the start regarding the merits of wooden and steel ships and the con- troversies concerning the matter of ruthority, it was an interesting state- ment which was made before the sen-. ate committee by Rear Admiral Bowles, assistant to the general man- ager of the Emergency Fleet corpora- tion, when he said that the wooden construction venture was a mistake and never should have been attempt- ed. He attributes this to the fact that contracts for such ships have been let far beyond the ability of the yards to get the necessary supplies and pro- duce them and added that it was im- possible to build wooden ships as fast as those of steel, ana he showed that] it was necessgry to make many chgnges in the first pians in oFder to make the wooden vessels more sea- worthy and to speed- up e construc- on. He didn’t say that the wooden ship programme ought to be abandoned at this time but it was his opinion that 90 per cent of the employes of those yards could be used in the el ship- yards. Because of the arrangements ‘which have already been made_the wooden contracts will doubtless be completed but no more will until .the corporation is satisfied that the contractor is in control of suffi- cient supplles to carry on his work expeditiously. Should, however, there be any of these wcoden shipyards without cen- tracts the opportunity of employing them for the construction of barges and coastwise coal carrying ships ought not to be overlooked. There is need for such transportation facilities It is in the dawn of the New Year that nearly every mother’s son of us call ourselves to order in a self accusa- tory way and say: “You are no better than you should be!” and belleve it But conviction doesn’t take deep’ root, and the more good resolutions we make the more pitiful is our plight later on. If good ngsolutions could have redeemed us, the whole human race wauld have been saved long ago. It 16 easy to think right, but so diffi- cult 1o do right that we abandon the job. In the way of reform what we propose te do this new day is of much 1more conscquence than what we plan for ourselves for the new year. The kangaroo can go by leaps and bounds, but the Savior knew man could not when he instructed him ‘to say: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Day by cay is the divine pace set for us, and those who gauge life by this rule are thé onés who progress spiritually, men- tal'y and industrially. Try it H you_fo to feeling bright. Do not let the blues get so thick you can cut them with a knife Everybody has the blues, which begin with _little discouragements. It is strange so few people realize that they may be masters of the situation. Peo- ple are mentally and physically indo- lent who let gioomy forebodings run away with them. What half the world needs today is gimp—and then more gimp! It ie discontent and doubt that create sndrlevows and grouches. In this world everybody has a fizhting chance. There is no use of praying the Lord to help vou if you are too ignorant or .indolent to help yourself. We all need new vibrations now and then to get us out of the ruts we have sotten into. If you do not -want to be 2 fossil realize and declare “I am a force.” It is force which creates new be leti conditions. There are people who believe that able, ready-made prayers are neces- sary for the average human soul to express himself properly to the Lord. So many people, pray as if they had no conception of God it is not sur- prising prayers had .to be furnished: but the only ready-made prayer wiich reaches heaven is the * one supplied with the personal emotions which should lend it fervor and make it per- gonal. If “a grateful thought toward heaven is of itself a prayer.” the li orary qualification to ekpress one's feelings must take a second place in the category of effectiveness. The per- son who is devoutly thankful to God need not labor to clothe his feelings in weak words. God understands ev- ery emotion of the human heart and 1esponds to sincerity, but not'to a recitation without it. Too many things are done by rote which should be done under conviction. Too many reople pray for provender in prefer- ence to anything else. The greatest prayer is said to be patience. It has become a proverb that a lie well told is better than the truth wavering. This is because the truth needs courage back of it instead of fear. There are various kinds of liars, but the willful liar is far less common than we think. Many people misrep- resent because they tell what they think as_though it was what they know. . Behind many falsehoods Ies an unbridled imagination. Two ‘and two make four. but two . suspicions added 'to_two more suspicions seldom can be depended upon' to produce a fact. It is no uncommon thing for a person to lie when thé truth would serve him better. and_many lies are rransparent as air. The worst kind of a lie is a mallcious falsehood. and it is surprising how innocent people will be inveigled into spreading it. Somehow we readily believe unbelieva- able thingg of those against whom we are prejudiced. Some ministers and pcliticians and editors get mighty care- less about the truth if in their opinion it will not help them. One of the easi- est liars is the person_ who becomes addicted to praising himself. It only takes half a fact to make % whole Tie! The family has been pointed out to have been the first form of the church on earth, the forerunner of the church, because it heid thé reign of affection and submission to love. Tt is this com- bination which is capable of producing civilization as well as the church. It has been well said that the caurch {pride of dying Tich may (Written Specially For The Bulletin.) Having devoted attention to James Tiley, born in 1740, a Hartford silver- smith of original ideas not alone in his craft but as an,advertiser, also to Thomas Hilldrup, watch-maker, jew- sler and silversmith from London, who, in 1774, announced his purpose to “settle in Hartford if health per- mits and the business answers’ George M. Curtis goes on to consider other men famous as metal workers in early Connecticut. He ‘deals with such silversmiths af the period in Hartford as Ebenezer Austin, Caleb Bull and Norman Mor- rison, the last named s grandson of Dr. Norman Morrison. “Bull ana Mor- rison worked in partnership, although there are evidences that Morrison was the_silversmith -of the firm.- Morrigon was reared in the family of Captain Tiley. He was lost at sea | in 1783, and shortly after Caleb Bull, who had married his widow, adver- tised the silversmith’s tools for sale, stating that they “are the most com- Plete in the state.” Captain Bull was a member of Hartford's first city council and was one of the first board of directors of the Hartford Bank. At a somewhat later date, Jacob Sargeant was working in a shop next door to the United States Hotel. His spoons are still found in Hartford county. Middletown’s silversmith life too short if it ends earliest the longest in failure How do you suppose those who can- not pay their debts can have a happy New Year? In the world of credits there are those who could pay but won't: those who would pay but can't; and those who believe the world owes them a living and are persistently trying to make it maintain them and their families. It would not be strange it the hopeless accounts in a city of the size of Norwich fizure up a half million or more. It is quite difficult to conceive how a merchant can have a happy New Year who has uncol- lectable bills owed to him which rep- resent 40 or 50 per cgnt. of the vear's profits. If all the dead beats the mer- chants carry were in the poorhouse our taxes would be trebled. “The raise the joudest laugh in hell;” but there is not much consolation’ in dying poor with ledger accounts wiich ~_show your family you were a victim. Youth is warned to look upon debts ‘“as furies”—“as calamities:” but the old rounders habit come to -regard debts as The bills they cannot pay seem almost as good as presents. When one such comes round and wishes the merchant a Happy New Year he has made the irony of life complete. COLONIAL ;!ACKS-OF -ALL-TRADES VETERANS IN ARMS. John Milton wrote of Oliver Crom- well: “He was a_soldier disciplined to perfection in a knowledge of himself.” He had either extinguished or by habit learned to subdue the whole host of vain hopes, fears and passions that infest the soul. He first acquired the government of himself, so that. on ‘the first day he took the field against an external ememy, he was a veteran in arm The young men in onr national army will reach the firing line very different, in physical aspect and in character, from what they were a year or so ago. They will have learned obedience, source in emergencies and various other virtues we associate with mili- tary life. Most of them will be stranger in body and mare courageous in spirit than when they entered can- tonment gates. The government will have tried to teach them the great lesson that the first foe any fighter must conquer is that within himself. Until a soldier has achieved self-con- quest. he is no match for any enemy outside. An army of undisciplined men is no better than ‘a mob. It is good to believe that the over- whelming majority of our young men now preparing for duty overseas will right now and they cannot be pro- |Cces not produce civilization, but that return safe to civic life when peace is vided any too soon to meat domestic The wooden shipyards should be kept busy if mot on”ceean going vessels. EDITORIAL NOTES. Any spare time these davs could be put to good use considering the/ New Year’s resolutions. If winter makes a finish in keeping with the running start it has got it ought to establish a record. When Germany moves. troops =pite of the armistice it is simply in- creasing its pile of scraps of paper. The way in which the Italo-British airmen are fighiing is bound to he a great inspiration to the forces on the around. Those Mexican bandits crossing the border piliage trip who for murder or is fraught with mueh danger. 1f Germany to obtain the approval of the enmtente allies to its peace proposals, it might as well end its now. Every reduction in the toll of the submarines means just so many ships saved, and a ship saved is better than a ship just launched for €t is already in commission, - The man on the corner says: Dur- ing the shortest days of the year some Ppeople think they are justified in put- ting off a greater number of things until tomorrow. A record soft coal output is report- °d for November. It would be well if this could be continued each suc- ceeding month with - transportation showing a like gain. Germany favors peace with Turkey remaining intact. The allies say that Jerusalem will mever be restored to the Turks, which shows Row near the belligerents are to peace. - ‘With Germany ™ need of shoes, it must make that country groan te learn that shoe factories in this country, aside from those engaged om war or- ders, ‘are running at only 50 per cent. capacity. > When the people of this country realize that they have heen saved $200,000,000 by the agreement regard- ing’ sugar prices they have nothing but praise for Mr. Hoover. The con- sumer has long needed such a cham- pion - - expects the bolshevik! | Success. negotiations Tight|the discerning many civilization improves the church. Over this, of course, there may be an end- less’ quarrel by those who are dispu. tatious and love to argue. It is -the family which malkes secure the ‘well- being of the church and the state. and a, good mother is the security of the family. The world’s indebtedngss ,to mothers is immense. Domestic hap- piness is something a prince may en- vy, and it represents the heavenly bliss which survived the fall of Adam. and Eve, although it takes the inno cence, love and trust of little children declared, and that they will be better citizens for all their hard experiences. A Pittsburgher %ho gave up a $12.000 job to enter the officers ‘training camp patience, self-restraint, ra- | but who failed of a commission wrote thus of the military school the govern- ment is running up on Lake Cham- plain: “I believe Plattsburg has added 10 years to my natural life. I know that it has put 24 hours more into each day. I now function fully, mentally, spiritually. physically, for the firat time in my life. I can - accomplish steadily twice as much as I could be- 6 make the picture complete. ¥Woman | fore I came here. This may sound like in ¢his age is claiming equal rtights but her ability and_genius in every field of endeavor, and she deserves to get them. Young people should cultivate the art of observation. In this world it i8 quite as Important to discern things as to gain wealth. If knowledge is power, ~discernment is_more power, net. Disappointment tracks the stens of putting this sleuth off the track and putting one on the hizhway to It requires perception to dis- cover what we desired was not best far ue. and that what dld happén was to our everlasting advantage. Th a keen disap- pointment has later loomed up as a genuine blessing. Things- in- life are not always what they look like at first. Although the world hows down to money it cannot be denicd that vir- tue and character are of much more gonsequence. Money canmot change he characfer of those who have it, or offer them any assurance of redemp- tlon. Only those who see straight in Ife can put acorrect valuation upon chances in life are feeling about this time that “the best throw_ with dice is to throw them ‘away.* The sporty spirit is quite popul but it _cannof cepe_with_ straightforwara purpose. bet has long been recognized as a fool's argument, .and every sort of gaming foolish because it represents a waste of time and _money, Those who are regarding lifé as a same are very likely to win a gamester's re- ward. Competition makes. of life a strife religion has never succeeded in abating: and it is not that in lite’s comflicts -man - often his way.. There is nothing .man- finds it harder to.define. Colton says: “What TRaT o cail Bdath 1o paspore 16 we Y ‘ lite.” The 1 that whieh “lite is a important eXaggeration. Just remember that we in | Dot only based upon her home-building | have been tempered here in a furnace under constant forced draft, the use- less - burned .away, the strengthened metal left.” ‘What the regular, hard regimen of the military life means for thousands of city-bred men may be indicatci in this further . leaf from _experience: “Like all my fellow candidates, I have not had a drink since I came here. I are|for it leads the way where books do | haven't missed it. I'm off alcohol for good, too. Insomnia is banished.. We are findinz out that such a|of hope, and discernment is capable [ have learned to sleep soundly from almost the instant we slip into our springless bunks, and cheerily to jump out of bed at a given minute. It used to take me 45 minutes to dress for ‘breaktast. I do it now in 20, counting the shower, too.” It is easy to see that disciplined and éfficient youns officers are to command our men in France. , That it is a tough struggle for many an American youth to submit to in- flexible. rules goes without saying. We have never in this country, thank God, been Prussianized. But we do need to be disciplined, to canquer our appe- tites, to bring our individual wills_into subjection te proper authority. k Such Iessons our young saldiers, a long time before they reach the_trenches, are t is slow to mighty amt he “that ruleth his epirit than he that taketh a city.” There might be writ- ten over the grave of many a man who has already fallen in the great world struggle for democracy the epitaph: - Here lies a soldler, whom all muet applaud, Who fought many battles, at home and abroad, oo But the hottest engagemént he ‘ever was in, . ‘Was the conquest of self in the battle with sin. If war teaches us s & nation, . 2 control, it will prove far from complete calamity. If it develops nl,mon‘ of nio was apparently Timothy Ward, the son of Captain James Ward, and born in 1742. He was lost at sea in 1767 or *68. In November, 1766, he made a will in which he says he is “bound on a long sea voyage and may never see land again. The Boston commissioners’ records of July 10, 1767, announce the arrival of ‘the sloop Patty from Connecticut, Peter Boyd, master, with Timothy Ward on board, a goldsmitk from Middletown. Less than a yvear later, his will was proved in court, and his inventory was filed, this containing a list of au\el?nnhs' tools indicating that he was # craftsman of merit. Apparently the most skilful of Mid- dietown’s_silversmiths was Major Jo- nathan Otis. Eleven of his beakers and cups have been jdentified in Con- recticut churches—six in Middletown, four in Suffield and one in Durham. Antipas Woodward, born in Wa- terbury, in- 1762, began busigess in Middletown in May 1791, taking the shop under the printing office made vacant by the removal of Timothy Peck, another smith, who was going to Litchfield. He must have been a fine silversmith, judging by a porrin- ger made by him and owned in Bos- ton. Other craftsmen of the period. were Samuel Canfield, his apprentice, Wi ifam Johonnot, Joseph King, and Da- vid Aird, the last named a watch- maker from London, whose adveny and exploitation of his skill moved Daniel Walworth, a local resident, to announce with due and becoming hu- mility that, while he was not from | London, he was a goldsmith and brass-founder, and that he “perform- ed all kinds of gold, silver, copper and brass work in a shop nearly opposite the printing office.” About 1800, Judah Hart and Charles Brower were working at the silver- smith’s trade in a shop at the north- east corner of Main and Court streets, Middletown. Two or (hree vears ter, Hart moved to Norwich, while Brewer took as a partner Alexander Mann. In a’year or two Mann left Brewer and began to manufacture guns. Brewer continued to do business at the same old stand, in later vears as a jeweler only, and died in 1860. poons bearing his mark are common Middlesex and New Haven coun- ties; and in the Congrezational church in Durham are three beakers made by him and presented in 1821, in The activities of Joel Allen. who was born in Southington, in 1755, de- serve attention. He was a spoon maker, brass-worker, carpenter, gen- eral store-keeper and tinker, vet he did_excellent work. Mr. Curtis had an opportunity to examine Allen’s day-book, running from 1787 to 1792. In his shop he sold everything from pinchbeck “jeweiry to castor hats. This pinchbeck jewelry, by the way, took its name from Chr. Pinchbeck, a London watch-maker, of the eight. eenth century, who invented an ailoy of three or four parts of copper with one of zine, much used in cheap jew- elry, and giving the name to cheap finery even tg our own day. Joel Allen’s sales included -spelling books, Bibles, ry goods, groceries, drugs, meats and hardware. In 1799, he moved to Middletown from South- ington, and began to engrave for the’ silversmiths, working principally for Samuei Canfield. In 1760 he rendered a bill to the Middletown Congregational church for taking down the organ, adjusting and mending the pipes, putting in new ones, mendinz the bellows, and rharged nine pounds for all this work. Allcn engraved the man of Con- necticut published by William Blod- gett, in 1792, an excellent piece of work. He made bookplates, engraved seals and coats-of-arms, he pajnted and gilded chairs and mirrors. and when Major Jonathan Otis died, in 1791, he lettered his coffin. During his busy career he found time to male silver spoons and jewelry. He died in 1825. Guilford is cited as the home of two skilled silversmiths, “Billious” Wara and Capt. Samuel _Parmele. Ward, the son of Willlam Ward, died from small-pex in Wallingford in 17 having gone there to visit his intimate friend, Rev. Samuel Andrews, rector of the Episcopal church, who at that time was In dire disgrace because of his_sympathies with the British side of the Revolutiopary guarrel, and who was a prisoner on his own premises. Mr. Curtis’ records now bring us to our own Norwich, at that early date one of the most important and weal- thy towns in the Connecticut Colony, and which had a number of skilled smiths. THE DICTAGRAPH. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Prohibition - Amendment . and- State Rights. Mr. Editor: It is an unfortunate di- version® of public sentiment from the real issue when certain leading news- papers in discussing the proposed pro- hibition amendment fall back upon the exploded “states rights” theory as a defense for the local maintenance of a national menace. One editor says: “It is not prohibition ive are tryi to dodge;” and the prohibitionists may well reply: “Neither is it only prohibi- tion that we are favoring, but rather the constitutional right of this nation to eliminate any institution which en- dangers ‘the general welfare’” T! supreme court of the United States h: taken a decisive position against the maintenance of even slaughter houses, if T remember correctly, and it is not a far cry to include -aicoholic dring houses in that category, with the dif- ference that human victims are more directly concerned. Do you realize, Mr. Editor, that “lo- cal option” is nothing other than our old friend, “squatter sovereignty,” in a new guise—and a guise which is not disguire nor even “camouflage,” so ill does it conceal the real character of the menace? 1t is particularly unfortunate thac some of the anti-prohibition news- papers are attempting to attribute a mectional color to the. - prohibition mavement. It is ‘indeed true that the west and the south are ahead of New England and the north in this move- ment, but this is because they. have realized more clearly” than the pectle of this section the damage and menace of the liquor trafic—perhaps also be- cause, broadly . their poli*ical and financial interests have not becomo so deeply involved with the liguor power as in the east and north. - But the liquor evil is not naturally sectional or reglonal. It ie_damaging. wherever it is centralized. Shouid not care that the léadership and south in driving out shall not have the effect the liquor power in the north as the.| slave power was once intrenchel-m the south?. >4 ve not those old pro-slavers dot- trines which. some of the oppononts of prohibition are trying to galvanizo into lifo_been forever settled in this co.n- try? The Rip Van Winkle quality of their arguments is surprising; vet, 1 may add that it is distinctly encourae- ing to the prohibition eause that tiey can find nothing but these old “cues’ nuts” to fall back upon. Why not get into line with the de- cisions in recent years of the United States supreme court on this modern issue, and realize that the coast.tu- tional status of the matter is practica’ ly settled by the piain trend o: th: court of last resort, and that the saly question now remainins is whether the American people will follow thit trerd ard eliminate the alcoholic drink traf- fic. or be destroyed by it. The real need is that these opponents of prohibition, and indeed American citizens everywhere, shail wake up to the new truth about alcohol: to the fact that the revelations of modern sclence, abundantly confirmed by ex- perience, show alcohol to be not a food not even a stimulant, but a deadly nerve paralyzer, and that its effects, 50 long thought to be beneficiary, aré a delusion—possibly a desirable delu- slon for temporary sellef in some physical emer: s, although the uniform experience of non-alcoholic hospitals tends to discredit even that! Certain it is that any considerable or frequent use of alcohol as a drini| is unfailingly and without exception a damage to any and all who sv use it Ien't this true—does any inteiligent ferson now gainsay it for a moment: oes anybody today defend the use of alcohol as a drink? Even most of the liquor men who are today advertising their wares so eloquently know better than to drink the stuff themselves—as you will find wherever you look into the matter. As to the traffic, can 2nybody name a single place where alcohc: is sold as a drink which is not far more damag- ing thap beneficial to the social order? Then what possible standing has such a trafic under the “gdneral welfare” clause of the American constitution? These are the real questions to meet. Instead of getting excited about ths idea that somebody is trying to put something over on us as to legai or constitutional methods, or tryin: interfere with the “sacred right” of a man's_“personal liberty” to destroy himself or damage the community! The liquor question is primarily national because the alcoholic drink traffic, by the mistaken public polics following the Civil war, was made the cornerstone of our national revenue system, and on that rock the lizensc policy of the states has been buiit. The recent enforced suepension of Ris- tilleries and the limit of the aleoholie content of beer. as & war necessity, is one welcome phase of the nationa crisis. and seems likely to prove as effectual check upon what was threat- ening to prove a still stronger in- trenchment of the liquor power, name- Iy, an increasing dependence upon the taxes from it. The familiar statement that “you canpot make men moral or virtuous by law” is entirely true, and I have never heard of any sane lawyer who made an attack from that standpoint upon hthe decalogue or its sevaral derivative statutes down through Roman_ances- try to English common law. Such is not the purpose of law, but rather to safeguard the commonwealth from manifestly evil institutions and evil practices which menace the civil order. It is well to keep always in mind tne Gladstonian principle that “it is the business of the government to make it as easy as possible to d& right and as hard as possible to do wrong.” 1 am guite willing to concede taut the prohibitionists themselves do not give sufficient attention to the moral considerations really underlying the enforcement of all law, and to the creation of a public sentiment which shall realize the truths upon which the law is based: as, for instance, in the present probiem. the truth as to the nature and effect of alcohol. Now, allow me to consider briefly the surprising ‘strictuves offered by some urcn the American method of amending the constitution. That aw- ful bugbear of which one editor speaks. “the principle * * that the federal government can regulate by consti- tutional amendment the domestic hab- its of the states of the union” etc., is a principle which has already been solidly “established,” so it is too late to worry about it now. Slavery was once referred ‘to as a “domestic” in- stitution, but nobody now regrets that the siaves were emancipated and slav- ery abolished, even If certain states did, at the time, regard those govern- mental acts as an_interference. Let us not lose sight of the great under- lying fact that emanclpation and abo- lition were legal metnods, done in full accordance with the fundamentals of the copstitution and finally incor- porated and upheld by the court of last resort! The Civil war was not a necessary consequence, but camec only because so many shortsighted people on both sides got mad about the matter, in- stead of clearly foreseeing the inevi- table. preparing for it, and accepting it. as true Americans should. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that African slavery was doomed because it was “against nature,” and the same indict- ment can truly be made against the alcoholic drink traffic. The established method of amend- ing the American econstitution was originally adopted after full delibera- tion by those who framed that instru- ment, as on the whale the better way of aftaining and maintaining “repre- sentative government” instead of the “pure democracy” which some seem to; e AUDITORIUM THEATER Four Shows Today—1.30, 3, 6.45, 8.45 — ¥ Coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Wm. Fox HALIFAX DISASTER BREED THEATRE TODAY—FOUR SHOWS 1.30, 3, 6.45, 8.30 The Greatest Screen Sensatien DRAFT 258 STARRING MABEL TALIAFERRO A Flaming Torch of Patriotism Without Battle Scenes 7—ASTOUNDING ACTS—7 Hearst-Pathe News Coming Monday and Tuesday PAULINE FREDERICK m THE HUNGRY HEART tew thousand dollars for a_postoffice in “my district,” are the foundation stones to this insurmountable barrier. The membership of the eight commi tees are jealous of their hold on the federal purse strings and they will not let go. Today there stands before con- gress requests from the government departments for a total of 313,018,725, 594.64 to run the business of this na- tion next year. What does that mean to_the individual citizen It means that an oblization of $130 will be charged up against the Indi- vidual citizen as his share in the cost of operating the government during war time. The individual citizen, or his_children, must pay it oft. The president asked for a Single appropri- ations committee when he outlined his war policies at a joint session of the house and senate. “That was the only part of the president’s speech which did not “get over.” The question for the individual citizen is: Does he want eight committees. most of which have twenty-one members, each helping to spend that amount of his money, or does he want one committee to welgh the relative needs of each government department and appropriate money only where it is most needed? The chairman of each committee handling appropriations has entered a vigorous protest against a single bud- get committee. Why is opposition so strong? Because a single budget plan would mean the death knell of con- gressional junkets. Members of the several committees find it is easler for them to get results from the depart- ments when they in part have charge of the appropriation of money o run those departments. To the credlt of most congressmen they admit private- ly that vast expenditures of money ought to be handled by one commit tee of strong men. What business concern would stand for eight branch- les of its business spending money without restriction or consideration of the demands of the others? Under the precent conditions these commit- tees make up appropriation bills, mili- tary, agriculture, foreign affairs, post- office and post roads, rivers and har- bors, naval affairs, Indian affairs and appropriations. And the jealousy of committee chairmen predominates. and the adoption of a budget system seems further away than ever. J. H. COMMINGS. 27, 1917, Norwich, Dec. Something for Coal Users to Consider. Mr. Editor: The following from the Saturday Evening Post should be thoroughly considered by all who use coal: “We need in the next twelve months a hundred miilion tons more coal than we produced during the last twelve months. Production may be increased by fifty million tons. The other Afty million tons must be saved. This is a war of industrial production, and that means coal. It is worth fabulous prices in France and Italy now. For winning the war a shovelful of coal counts for as much as a loaf of wheat bread. We have always burned cofl extravagantly. In factories and houses defective appliances and careless stok- ing waste millions of tons. A furnace to advocate. This whole matter was thrashed out through the French Rev- olution-as well as the American Revo- lution, and the American constitution is generally held to provide the best form of governmeent yet framed for the welfare of mankind. Will anyone ques- tion thas statement?. What we all need to do i5 to live up to established American standards. Finally, add this concrete fact: Of all the amendments to the American constitution this far adopted by the method now objected to, not one has failed to work out for the natiomal welfare, and not one would be repealed by the people of this nation today— isn't that true Are not the constl: tutional objectors to prohibition now practically purposing to overhaul and revamp the whole American frame- work, in order to get a drink—even when they know that the drink fsn't worth while when they get it? Let's keep.the main {ssue in mind. Cordially yours, ALLEN B. LINCOLN. New Haven, Conn.,, Dec. 27, 1917. 3 Wartime Extravagance. Mr, Editor: Washington, the seat of government. refuses to adopt wartime dfMciency. methods in conducting its own affairs. Railroads must be oper- ated as ome gigantic system to meet wartime demands. The housewife is told to save a slice of bread a week in order to win the war, but—gongress is going to work in the same old free and easy way. And every man, wom- an and child in the country must pay. Millions of donmh;f-‘nuba Wasted this year, because eighi c fists—each one the hidden of appropria- fion committee—is to be allowed t5 dip into the coffers of the strongbox, the federal treasury. Congress is perfeotly willing to vote the president @s many millions of dol- or stove without proper dampers will comsume twice the coal in a_strons wind, with no more heat. Dampers cost little. Look to them. If your furnace is out of repair. it mot only wastes the nation's coal. but wastes your money. In office buiidings, apart- ments and houses our custom is te keep up a roaring fire, and then mod- erate the temperaturo by opening the windows.. Reagonably careful stoking alone will save millions of tons. Leok at the ashes. Through worn grates or defective combustion you may be throwing away a Iot of slightly burned fuel. We have not to save coal and many other things. ‘There simply, is not enough to go round for the old DQLLS GIVEN AWAY TODAY Presents GEO. WALSH in THIS IS THE LIFE—Six Acts ROSCOE (FATTY) ARBUCKLE—Laughs THE FIGHTING TRAIL The Picture They Are All Talking About LAST CHANCE TODAY TO SEE “CAMILLE?” MUTT and JEFF TOLAL A1 1ag, o The Finest Photoplay Bill Year Douglas Fairbanks —IN— “Reaching for the Moon” | Six Acts—This production and shoulders above any Previous Fairbanks Comedi: You Cannct Afford to Miss It. Fairbanks’ LATEST is hea Another Wonderful Pic: “THE PRICE MARK" A Great Drama With a Powerfu Element of Heart Interest in 6 Acts | CURRENT EVENTS FOUR SHOWS TODAY Course of | 3 Concerts $1.00 Y. M. C. A. AUSPICES See Write Up LAST PAGE {free-and-easy peace program pew war program. The people Uhited States, we kfow, are ready to do all the situation They require only Intelligent tative direction as to just wha The government asked them. specific directions. to_save foo they are -doing it. The gov 8o that. They 11 meet quirement the war lays upon t WILL % Dee. Eagleville, Philip Ruxton. who printers’ ink /manufac failed to impress either the board or the president the necessity of not classing c: black as a non-essential, ink can be manufactured has at last gome to the § claring that if carbon blac back much longer under an no newspaper in the c able to print. We have no this appeal will turn the Washington understands as essential as paper, represent do that a paper isn't readable, Washinzt reverse itself—Waterbury rica What is the matter? Are the who run the city court bad men? they are rather dbave the aver: mankind. Are the county c sloners bad men? No. they rather above the average ank The same is true of the mayor the boss who stands behind the mavo ang the chairman of the repu! town committee, to whom Bab: in his hour of peril, called as source of relief. The difficult the system. All these men t with many others have bu system of operating govern t the mutual benefit of those who com trol the government. All the n attempts to maKe a little the side, are but so many sticks the great bundle of evil, fn_which 1 the institution overated by Baby and many similar institution: Bridgeport Farmer. Hitting -High Places. Silk 1s the next thing to hit the hi places. The Italian lines are just th other slde of the mulberry country northern Italr, where the sflkworm are raised—Springfield Republican Advantages of Expecting Nothing Having got used to doing witho: Thanksgiving turkey will make ¢t absence of the Christmas bird come easier.—Columbia, S. C. State. ~ VERNON STILES, Tenor SINGING LEADER CAMP DEVENS SOLOIST BASS-CLEF CONCERT SLATER HALL, FRIDAY, JAN. 25th BENEFIT RED CROSS Central Baptist Church UNION SQUARE Great Sunday Evening Service For All e Subject : HOW TO BECOME BANKRUPT < (New Year’s Sermon) A Good Place to go on Sunday Evenings