Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, November 20, 1916, Page 4

4 THE OMAHA DAILY BEE FOUNDED BY EDWARD ROSEWATER. VICTOR ROSEWATER, EDITOR. THE BEE _PUBLISHING COMPANY, PROPRIETOR. Entered at Omaha postofficeras second-class matter. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. B iy . b, b v an , three notice of of address or irregularity in livery to Omaha Bee, Circulation Department. REMITTANCE. Remit by draft, express or postal order. Only 2-cent stamps taken i: it of :fll mnn‘i’& nr:nnu! eh"u‘n. except on and esstern exchange, not accepled. OFFICES. Council Bluffs—14 N Main street. 26 Little 3 Chie 18 People’s Gas :l':v -fi—lo'; "“l, m‘m avenue. Washington—726 Fourteenth street, = w. ; CORRESPONDENCE. Address communications relating to news and editorial matter to Omaha Bee, ulwru"f)-wt-m OCTOBER CIRCULATION \ 53,818 Daily—Sunday 50,252 hbl(”l‘:’l"m Williams, b::m!:t:l manager of O.Thh:t’?:: 8 ing company, ing y sworn, says | average circulation for the of October, 1916, was 63,818 dlflyl.) and 50,262 Sunday. i WIGHT WILLIAMS, Circulstion Manager. i 4 Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me ] this 4th day of November, 1916, C. W. CARLSON, Notary Publie. P Subscribers leaving the city lmpan;fll i should bave The Bee mailed to them. | dress will be changed as often as required. i’ The high cost of campaigning is also disclosed | by the expense fund statements, [ Nepotism run riot in public office is due for f a knockout from the coming Nebraska legislature. Shoemen predict $15 and $20 shoes in the near future. The spirit of the uplift properly grips the sole of business. f —— Unless President Wilson is too proud to imitate, gratitude bids him write a rival volume on “The Winning of the West.” Seats in the New York Stock exchange are marked up to $74,000. Shearing lambs’ wqol comes high as a luxurious indoor sport. | | "To the ultimate consumer lhe. night stickup is an object of fearless indifference. The day holdup leaves little room for additional trimming. ———— Kansas jackrabbits have jumped from 3 to 10 cents. The institution of the political somersault set all Kansas products on the jump. ‘For a bunch who have cleaned the platter, those victorious democrats seem still to be about 4s testy and irritable as if they had lost aM their bets. —— Marseilles is bidding for American bottles by the ton. Business foresight suggests extending the French city an invitation to attend Nebraska’s May day auction, ———— Reports of campaign expenses steadily pile up. These are not strictly a waste of valuable paper, hey are useful as an exhibit of the high qualities ~ Political hammers are working overtime in California. . It is an uncommonly foggy day in section when the natives overlook a chance send some roisy hot air over the mountains. y ; em—— ~ The country ‘is officially reminded that the _national treasury .holds $2,700,000,000 in gold. Doubtless the precious pile wears well and holds its color, though deprived of the personal touch which insures a change of air. ; E—— The winter campaign is on in the European trenches. That means that everything is ad- ted to carry war through till spring and ing but the wholly unexpected will interfere executing the plans adopted. esm——— Conflicting -statements of railroad brother: od leaders reflect the’ confusion enveloping the Adamson law. When interested parties can- ~ not agree on the meaning, manifestly the proper ~ course is to secure a judicial interpretation. . That iu. what courts are for. The Baltimore American points with pride to the Montana congresswoman as “a good republis can, good suffragette, good cook, good fellow, good spell-binder—an all-round corker.” Coming from an elderly political warrior, the tribute ex- presses the ardor and heartiness of youth and in- sinuates Baltimore’s readiness to give the Mon- tana bachelor-maid “a corking good time.” Blue and Khak: Louis Globe-| In a nauing way, and only on proper occa- sion, we have called attention to the fact that the khaki uniform is less inspiring than the blue used to be, in crowds which line the streets as soldiers A’k “Old Glory" go by. There is enthusiasm, of course, but it is for the fighting men and not - for the drab uniforms they wea here is nothing in the khaki to refiect a single one of the hues in the flag that floats above the march- mg column. Nor does khaki any better reflect the predominant color in the British flag, which the old-fashioned red coat, with all its faults and danger. cerl-inLy did. We are glad to find so high an authority as General Bell of the United States army express- ing the view that khaki has its bad points. He says that, because khaki was adopted for the reason that it does not show dirt easily, too many men of the ling are prone to let dirt accu- mu'ate on it. and contrasts that tendency with e one prevailing among the boys in blue, in ier years, to keep their uniforms free of all and splotches. He broadly hints, too, that men like the old uniform better than the neéw, as shown in their admiration of their of- ficers, and even of ghe United States marines, who still cling to the blue and braid. It was urged at the time the change was r.'-’dh tmd as the particular reason for making , a the dull drab of khaki affords a much bet- rotection against enemy attack than the ter hlue, his objection may have had at a time when contending armies came 1o closer quarters than now, and when recon- ni in force was still possible and frequent. r the new conditions of fighting, wilhqlonl- - weapons, and with aeroplane scouting making sudden attack impossible, the of that argument against the colored would appear to be considerably re- At any rate, the blue might be used on , and generally in times of peace, it is thought necessary for the troops tral colors in time of war. We hazard 8§ that, with the boys put back in blue f they are recalled from the border, the re- cers and agencies would find enlist- ‘numerous find- e A {3 THE BEE: OMAHA, Farmers and the Middleman. The suggestion of President Wilson that the farmers raise such crops as will overwhelm the middleman when he undertakes to manipulate prices is the easy advice of an amateur economist. It is hard, even with his record before us, to be- licve the president meant what he said to the Grangers. Certainly those practical men of agri- culture, who for the last forty-eight yecars have been devoting the closest of study to the solution of the middleman question, were not deeply im- pressed by the words so glibly uttered. Recent experience rises up to confute Mr. Wilson's pro- posal. In 1914 a moderate crop was sold at record low prices of recent years; in 1915 a bumper crop went off at record high prices, only exceeded by the exorbitant figures now quoted. Not in many years has the supply of food animals been so plentiful as at present, nor were prices ever so high. It will take something more than a liberal supply to put the middleman out of busi- ness. The Grangers, with their co-operative sell- ing and buying, have not been able in more than a generation of well-directed effort to make much of an impression on the system. It is all very well for the president to jolly them along if he can, but these men know something of tonditions, and they know the cause lies deeper than is in- dicated by the suggestion. Price manipulation is not to be controlled by mere precept. It may not be impertinent to inquire why Mr. Wilson did not suggest a law to regulate dealings in “fu- tures” in grain and other food supplies, such as was passed to stabilize the price of cotton? Why a Water Board? Approps of the short ballot movement this question suggests itself: “Why a water board?” If there is any part of our local government where the so-called general manager system can be successfully applied, it is to the administration and operation of a municipal water plant, The fact is, though we have a nominal water board, the work is now all done by the general manager | subject only to perfunctory approval by his col- leagues. For whatever has been accomplished, to Mr. Howell, and to no one else, belongs the credit, and for any shortcoming upon him belongs the blame. It may be safely taken for granted that the present general manager will continue to rim the water works just as well, if not better, than he has in the past with or without the assistance or hindrance of a water board. In no other city in the country (with pos- sibly two or three exceptions) is a separate water board maintained like ours but, on the céntrary, water works practice and experience generally favors putting one man in charge with full au- thority and letting him be responsible for results. If the five other members of the board are superfluous, why then burden ourselves with electing them? Why not do away with the extra water district ballot and the needless names voted on every two years? — Greater Lincoln Consolidation. Following the lead of Omaha’s merger with South Omaha, Dundee and adjoining suburbs, Lincoln' is agitating for the annexation of the su- burban settlements that are an integral part of that community yet outside of the present municipal limits. With this ambition of our Capital City friends we are in full accord, but we will be in- terested obgervers of the maneuvers to secure the necessary enabling legislation. . Will it be “forcible annexation” down there or will it be consolidation only “with the consent of the governed?” We remember the tender solici- tude of certain Lincoln statesmen for fear a few South Omaha pie-biters might have their offices extinguished by merger with Omaha without due consideration of their wishes and demands for per- petual segregation. The merger scheme finally put through by Omaha, we admit, was nothing but a gauzy cloak for forcible attachment, yet it was the only way to do the job and we commend it to our Lincoln friends if they find their worthy project blocked by similar obstacles that stub- bornly refuse to “listen to reason.” — Cosp of Running for Office. Publicatiorl of camipaign expense accounts may afford moralists opportunity for speculation, and give to economists occasion for study, but to the lay reader they will convey little impression be- yond the fact that politics is a peculiar game, and that running for office is not to be lightly con- sidered by anyone who is not provided with a long purse. The old-timers will find some justi- fication in the figures given. In days gone by it was a popular practice after each election to accuse one or the other, of the contestants of making an inordinate expenditure of money. Puf- chased votes were always -alleged, no matter which side won. Now, with laws to fix limits on expense, we find that sums of money that would have made the elder generation of politi- cians gasp are paid out in discharge of bills for purposes admittedly legitimate. Candidates find that running for office costs about all the place is likely to bring in return, and that recompense must be sought in the glory that comes through serving one’s country, Election expense bills pro- vide a most eloquent argument for better methods of choosing our officers, one of which will be found in the shorter’ ballot. S—— Looking After the Lame Ducks. President Wilson is back in Washington, mak- ing plans for his immediate future, part of which will have to do with caring for those of his party followers who fell outside the trenches in the late.engagement. Quite a few distinguished democrats will not answer when the roll is called in the next congress, and, pursuing a prece- dent set in the case of Chairman “Jimmy"” Hay of the house committee on military affairs, the president will have to make provision for their welfare, This may explain why he has delayed naming the tariff commission, the shipping board, the board to handle workmen's compensa- tion and a number of other places into which he will be happy to bestow “deserving democrats.” He has intimated his intention to push his pro- gram for legislation, that it may be all out of the way before the new congress comes in with its republican domination, if not control. This, therefore, is notice to those who will write “for- mer” along with their names in days to come that the president will expect nothing but loyalty from those who are looking for jobs. Otherwise they may have to go to work. The. same folks now charging the high prices to redundancy of the gold supply onee upon a time insisted that, unless silver were made the primary money metal, increasing scarcity of gold would soon work the utter ruination of all trade and industry. And they persuaded themselves, too, that they had their arguments backed with incontrovertible facts and figures, A Voice From Minnesota Minneapolis Journal. “I don’t carry a label any more; I vote for the best man, regardless of politics.” This is a typical utterance from many Minne- sota voters in these days of nonpartisan legis- latures, personal politics, and anemic party or- ganizations. Independent voting, long extolled as a virtue, has grown in Minnesota to such a degree that it has broken down the political fiber of citizenship. Personality rather than principle is what counts now with the great mass of the voters. The presidential campaign ‘of 1916 has ac- centuated this condition. Not only is party organization nearly destroyed, but a large per- centage of the voters really belong to no party. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1916. Thought Nugget for the Day. Perpetual pushing and assurance put a difficulty out of countenance and make a seermfng difliculty give way.—Jeremy Collier One Year Ago Today in the War. Bulgarian offensive against Monas- checked. Vigorous bombardment British warships Lord Kitchener had audience King Constantine at Athens. German guardship reported sunk by Russian destroyers mear Libauw. French guns destroyed German de- fenses at points in Belgium and south of Somme. tir of Ostend by with They claim no political allegiance. The reaction against the old “political machine” has gone to the opposite extreme, which is chaos. Political conditions have been unsettled all over the country this year, but probably worst of all here in Minnesota. . The once strong party spirit, the party alle- giance that could give a reason for the faith that was in it, is weak as dish-water in these days. Real leadership has almost disappeared. Young voters, for the most part, did not align themselves at all. “Thinking men,” politically speaking, were scarce, especially among the younger men. Thousands-“made up their minds” with the least possible effort. They hadn't studied the issues on their merits. They made their choices through prejudice, through some whim or catchword. “I'll never vote for a man who wears whisk- ers,” said one who had found “a reason” for o posing Hughes, “I can’t stand for a knocker said another, forgetting that every opposition candidate for president in the country’s history has necessarily “knocked” the administration in power. Everywhere the same sort of trivial talk was heard \from men who boast of their inde- pendence. These men are not republicans, democrats, progressives or anything else. The fact is, they are nonpartisans, which means™ “neither fish, flesh, fowl, nor good red herring.” Priding themselves on their independence, they really advertise their lack of political principles, the lack of solid ground beneath their feet. _The “mugwump” of thirty years ago was a thinking independent, a force for progress in political affairs. The honest independent thinker in many 9:mpli%ns has turned the scales toward better things, But the unthinking independent is a ready tool of demagogues, a dangerous factor in the electorate. —_—— Is it merely a coincidence that this condition has come about in Minnesota, with its peculiar nonpartisan system? Is the weakness of party organization a‘'danger? Party organization in Minnesota was weak- ened first by the direct primary. It was fairly strong, up to the time the primary was extended to state officers, thus doing away with gather- ings of party men in conventions. The state- wide primary sapped the strength of party or- ganizations. Then came the nonpartisan law and dealt them a death blow. First judges were -made nonpartisan, a move to take the judiciary out of politics. Then came nonpartisan city elections, looking to “business administration” of cities. Then came a bill to extend the nonpartisan law to county officers. There seemed no good reason to draw party lines on these minor public servants. But unexpectedly the nonpartisan legislature idea was grafted onto the bill. It took instantly, was backed by the solid “brew- ery” influence, and was put through the 1913 legislature without a glimmer\ of the conse- quences.. .. Nothing is leftfor the party baliqt but na- tional and state officers and members of con- gress. No candidate running in a territory smaller than a congressional district has the party label. The local candidate, without ex- ception, is a pale-blue “nonpartisan,” generally fearing to say his soul is his own and avoiding party issues and candidates as if they were small- POX. Without local organization, there is no longer any party solidarity, no propaganda, no com- munity leaders interested in preaching political rinciples. As a result, there is little clear think- ing on the i of the day. The tariff is “too hard,” and few-voters seem to realize how it concerns them. It is “dry stuff.” They no longer realize that the nation’s tariff policy is vital to the individual, that it is a most practical business proposition, not only for the business man, but for the farmer and the wage-earner, that the nation's “trade bal- ance” is a vital factor in the prosperity of all of us, that American labor cannot compete with 30-cent labor abroad and keep up its standard of living and its purchasing power. Instead of studying such questions and form- ing principles for themselves, many voters in resent-day Minnesota take their Eolitics from illboards, headlines, campaign lithographs, or mouthy street talkers. In this way they lose no time from the “movies.” Public men in Minnesota are beginning to realize the ¢ondition and its canse. They blame the nonpartisan craze for the political indiffer- ence and silliness of the day, and from all parts of the state is coming a demand for repeal of the nonpartisan law, at least as to the legislaturé, Coupled with it is another demand for restoring political conventions to an extent that will bring men of like faith together once more to delib- erate, to voice their ideas, and as leaders to light the way for the rank and file of, parties built on real principles. . People and Events One of the pioneer brides of the plains passed away in the death of Mrs‘({ulatha Ann Richard- son, 90, at Junction City, Ore. She was married ¥llins in 1848 and home- 1 on the trip across the ty-one descendants sur- steaded in Oregon. F vive her. A California professor told his class of male students that spooning is a waste of time and that men should seek beauty of the soul rather than of the skin. An impertinent youngster asked how beauty of soul could be measured without snuggling up and caused the professor to switch the subject. A score of women. and several men who loaned money to, or endorsed the notes of Annie E. Sharpley, just naturally came together in' a Chicago court to look over evidence of debts totaling $81,000. Miss Sharpley is a chicken farm plunger, “an energetic woman of disarming simplicity” ands demure glims. The pen-picture is life-size and fairly accurate, as is shown in her ability to borrow money without security.” One woman friend advanced $47,000. The freak better presists in spots. At Findley, 0., a woman sport did the wheelbarrow act for the winner, Another Ohio loser at Lorain walked twenty-one blocks clad in bathing suit and straw hat. An Indiana man shaved off one side of his mustache, and an Illinois man at Pana cooled his disappointment by jumping into a well. One admirer of socialism in New York proposes to let his beard grow until Benson is elected presi- dent, and a neighbor of J. Frank Hanly promises to remain dry until J. Frank hangs his hat in the White House. So the saving grace of political humor brightens the gloam. The outcome of judicial inquiries into the whereabouts of the fortune of Edward W. Mor- rison, Chicago's millionless millionaire, confirms carly suspicions. Morrison was trimmed for $8,- 000,000 and is considered a bankrupt. All kinds of people of the crooked world worked on the senile pion¢er and knocked off chunks. The big- gest job of all was put up by his alleged attorney and reputed guardian, James R. Ward, who se- questered $2,000,000 worth of Morrison’s real | estate. The federal court has its hook on Ward and is reaching for otBer crooks with the object of making them disgorge. / ® In Omaha Thirty Years Ago. At an entertainment of the Wyman Commercial College Ex-Graduates’ association, the following assisted in the program: Prof. . P. French, G. T. Zimmerman, Miss Nellie Rapp, D. D. McDonald and Ella McBride. Dr. J. A. Riggen of What Cheer, Ia, was in tife city for the first time since Sherman’s march to the sea, to meet his old friend, O. BE. Beswick. Sam Jones, the evengelist, accom- panied by the singer: xcell and Max- well, indulged in a little dissipation in the style of a buggy ride. Ex-Rev. J. W. Harris, formerly of the First Baptist church, held the ribbons very tightly over the backs of a very worldly looking team. As the ex- Rev. Harris has graduated into a real estate man, it is not unlikely that he may induce Jones to invest in corner lots in Omaha. Through his attorney, Park God- win, John H. Penman, the noted jockey, hds commenced suit in the district court attaching the race horse “Jack Gamble,” which has been for several months past quartered at the fair grounds. C. J.,Ryan of West Omaha has been appointed notary public, and the parchment upon which the authority has been outlined has been rendered doubtly impressive by the frame which he has placed around the docu- ment. . Neil McLeod, one of Himebaugh & Taylor's clerks, was married to Miss Mollie McKennis. They will make their home at Twenty-fourth street and 8t. Mary's avenue. This Day in History. 177%—Forts Mifflin and Mercer, on the Delaware below Philadelphia, captured by the British. 1837—Queen Victoria opened the session of the first parliament of her reign. 1848+—Opening of the Galena & Chicago Union railroad. 1866—First national convention of the Grand Army of the Republic met at Indianapolis. . 1870—Paris was engirdled by the Germans with a second line of invest- ment. 1893—S8everal prominent young French Canadians were arrested while preparing to blow up with dynamite the Nelson monument in Montreal. 1894—Anton ' Gregor Rubensteln, famous Russian composer and pianist, died in St. Petersburg. Born 1830. 1899—The German emperor and empress and their sons arrived at Wihdsor castle on a visit to Queen Victoria. 1909—TUnited States circuit court decreed the dissolution of the Stand- ard Oil company of New Jersey. 1911—Ramon Caceras, president of Santo Domingo, was assassinated by two political malcontents, who were captured and shot. The Day We Celebrate. Frank L. Haller, president of the Lininger Implement company, was born November 20, 1861, at Daven- port, la. He is a member of the Board of Regents for the state uni- versity. % C, C. Troxell, manager of the Ne- braska Moline Plow company, is celebrating his fifty-seventh birthday. He was born at Hagerstown, Md., and lln;.sahee.n in his present position since 93. Warren 8. Blackwell is 50 years old today. He was born in Durant, Ia., and devotes his time to the real estate business when not looking after his own property. D. B. Marshall of the Western Iron and Wire Works is 39 years old. He was born in Boston. James Allan is 45 years old today. He is in the ice machine manufactur- ing business and he first saw the light of day in Dysart, Scotland. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, former premier of Canada and now leader of the liberal opposition, born at St. Lin, Quebec, seventy-five years ago to- day. Dowager Queen Margherita, mother of King Victor Emmanuel of Italy, born sixty-five years ago today. Archduke Franz Josef Otto, heir presumptive to the Austrian throne, born at Richenau, four years ago to- day. Kenesaw M. Landis, judge of the United States district court for the northern district of Illinois, born at Millville, O., fifty years ago today. Cranston Brenton, president of the national board of moving picture cen- sors, born at Jamaica, N. Y. forty- two years ago today. Selma Lagerlof, the most famous of Swedish women writers, born in the province of Vermland, fifty-eight years ago today. James M. Curley, former congress- man and present mayor of Boston, born in Boston, forty-two years ago today. Rt. Rev. Patrick J .Hayes, auxiliary bishop of the Catholic dincese of New York, born in New York City, forty- nine years ago today. George Stovall, first haseman of the Toledo American association hase ball team, born at Leeds, Mo., thirty-gix years ago today. Timely Jottings and Reminders. The newly elected Mexican congress is scheduled to meet at Queretero to- | day for organization. William J. Bryan is scheduled to speak in Chicago tonight at the open- ing of a campaign for a “dry Chicago by 1918 and a dry nation by 1920.” The house committee on naval af- fairs is to begin hearings in Washing- ton today on the new naval appro- priation bill. Sir Robert Borden, prime minister of Canada, is to be the guest of honor and chief speaker at a dinner to be given tonight by the Canadian club of New York. The so-called transcontinental rail- road rate case, invoiving rates on a vast traflc in commodities between the Pacific coast and the east, is to be reopened today with a hearing before the Interstate Commerce commission in Chicago. Hearings by the Newlands con- gressional railroad investigation com- mittee are to begin in Washington to- day with representatives of the rail- Jroads, state commissions, commercial, farming and banking associations, em- ployes, economists and publicists in attendance. TheDees e Demurrage Game Just a Trick. | Richfield, Neb, Nov. 17.—To the Editor of The Bee: Yesterday's Bee contains an account of railroad man- agers having a meeting and discussing the ‘‘car shertage” trouble, laying great stress upon the abuse shippers give by the holding of cars too long. experience 1 From some personai 4 think that if they would look into their own bad management they| might relieve things some. Three times within the last year 1 have shipped hay to the Peters Alfal- fa Milling company, Omaha, and in each case it has taken from two weeks to twenty-five days to get returns; the | milling company claiming that it un- loaded as soon as the car could be gotten onto its track, and then re- mitted at once. While believing the company to be honest, yet it looked very strange to me that when my car weift out of town along in the eévening. and had less of a haul than fourteen miles, they ought to get it within a day or so, and 1 asked our agent to| trace the last car and find out when | it had been unloaded after 1 had, waited two weeks, and he found that | the same day I asked for the inforama- tion the car had been run onto the milling company’s tracks and unload- ed and released. Think of it, two weeks for a car to be held by the railroad company to make a transpor- tation of twelve tons of hay over less | than a distance of fourteen miles. We | could deliver it by team in less than | half the time. One neighbor teld me it took a month for one car he shipped from the switch at Rum which is four miles nearer, but, of rse, went on the same freight as mine did. Imagine a receiver of freight holding a car that long, well, I guess he would pay some demurrage. Now the railroads talk of raising the demur- rage. It is simply a trick by which to bleed the public a little more. W. D. STAMBAUGH. Hughes Fought a Good Fight. Council Bluffs, Ia., Nov. 18.—To the Editor of The Bee: 1 want to en- dorse every word in this morning’s Bee, “He Fought a Good Fight.” Yes, Charles E. Hughes certainly did fight a good fight. The Bee admits mis- takes had been made and always will be made. This is but human, but, con- sidering the great popularity of Pres- ident Wilson (and may his second ad- ministration bring better results than his first did), it is open to argument, as The Bee puts it, if any aspirant could have done as well as Mr. Hughes. (While the writer is in love with T. R.) I don’t believe he could have been elected. Nor do I believe Governor Johnson could have done any better as a running mate than Fairbanks. We might have gained California and lost Indiana. There were too many voters that really did not kmow the great and good qualities of Charles E. Hughes, | one’of the “greatest, brainiest men” in America today. I also believe had Mr. Hughes stayed at home during his campaign (like McKinley) he would have pulled through. I hope the time will come in the United States when a presidential candidate will not have to stump the country. J. G. BLESSING. , As to Churches in Politics. Silver Creek, Neb., Nov. 18.—To the Editor of The Bee: In his letter on re- ligion in politics, Franklin A. Shotwell says some excellent things which can- not be too often repeated, but in one or two things rather overshoots the mark. It is scarcely true to say the con- stitution of the United States Wwas built upon the foundation of religious liberty; that was only one stone. An- other stone in that foundation is the principle of three great co-ordinate departments of government-—legisla- tive, executive and judicial—but the structure of the government still sur- vives, notwithstanding that since March 4, 1913, the legislative depart- ment, to all intents and purposes, been absorbed by the executive. I think it will continue to survive for four years more, when, 1.trust, we shall be able to elect as president some level-headed citizen, content to keep within constitutional limitation, and, a congress of men who will have patriotism enough and virility enough to see that he does that whether he wants to or not. .But when Mr. Shotwell objects to raising religious issues in politics and says we ‘should treat as traitors to our government those who desire for political reasons to array the mem- bers of one religion against those of another,” he is treading on absolute- ly solid ground. But if that be true, we should also treat as traitors those who desire for religious reasons to array politically the ‘“members” of all, or some, religions against those of no re- ligion; for, under the constitution one citizen has just precisely as good a right to no religion as another citizen has a right to any religion. In either case, It is ipjecting religion into pol- ities, a place where it has no-right to be, whether the purpose be to benefit polities or to benefit religion. The Protestant churches, alias the Anti-Saloon league, alias the Dry Fed- eration, with possibly a few exceptions, arrayed themsylves together in sup- pori of the prohibition amendment and against the non-church people— non-church in the sense that in their P opposition to the amendment, they, quite unlike their opponets, did not | make religion an issue, either openly or covertly. Of course many church people were against the amendment, and many non-church people for it, but guch were the exception and not | the rule. | it anyone deny, let me ask, how it happened, that they worked together at all as churches. (The term “Dry Federation” s a misnomer; honestly the organization should have been called the “Dry Church Federation’). I would further cite the fact that the Anti-Saloon league have said of them- selves “that theirs was a church work; that the saloon was in their way; that they wanted a freer field if they had to fight for it.” (I quote from mem- ory.) Finally, as quite conclusive on s point, I call attention to the fs that in the twentieth and last parsa- graph of the official argument by Dry, or church, deration, as sent out by the secretary of state, is this sentend Religion declares the liquor traffic to be its greatest foe.” If the preachers had been as “wise as ser- pen as they are commanded to be, Yhey would have omitted that consid- eration from their argument; it is a give-away Amplifying somewhat on Mr. Shot- well's argument, 1 think T have now clearly shown that the Anti-Saloon Jeague, church federation aggregation are traitors to our government. CHARLES WOOSTER. Simplified Spelling. Omaha, Nov. 15—To the Editor of The Bee: I was glad to see you deal editorially with the problem of phonetic spelling in the wake of its advocacy at the state teathers' meet- ing. 1t would be a fine thing if we could keep our roots alive, like Greek, Latin and German. But like the French we have drifted into idioms and colloquialisms and go to l‘he dic- tionary to hunt up the original or derivation of our words. The word owe once meant to own or just the opposite and we go to the dictionary to find why. Sfill there are compen=- sations, for idioms make a language far more flexible and interesting, even if jt lose in scientific exactness. As I understand it, the words that we are to use as a starter are tho, thru, thruout, thoro, thorofare, thoroly, catalog, decalog, pedagog, program, prolog and to spell all words that end with ed with only a t. Thus we ave drest and kist, but how about must from mussed, or guest from guessed. or the old word buss, mean- ing to kiss or smack. Would a man say he bust his wife? But what is more important than the etymology of words is, that we should insist upon holding them to a logical meaning; that is, the thought as represented by the word or term help us make correct, logical propo- sitions and judgments that we may sst up_syllogisms for proof; and in this way free ourselves from dreams and delirium tremens—and this is what is’ meant by consciousness. Since thought at once embodies itself in language and this, that is known as a conception (and made up from perceptions) then takes the form of a word or term and a term then is the expression of a con- ception, and here is where the scrap between logicians begins. The question is whether the name of a thing is the thing itself, that kept the Middle Ages busy at the time of the scholastics, under what is known as the metaphysical philosophy of nominalism. Realizing that thought is real, or, better, that some kinds of thought are real and that it is the only reality that we have any knowledge of, so far as our minds are concerned, I should like to try and tell where modern science is today upon this awful bugab6o and to say that it is not clear yet. but still in debate. Here it is: We say that a word or term stands for a conception as a symbol if you like. That would seem to be so if the conception stands for an outward object, for then the word stands for the conception and indi- rectly the thing or object. But sup- pose the word answers only to an abstract conception like a 'dream, is it ‘real then? The abstract ideas of Plato were that such ideas were as real as thingg objective; that virtue and piety and\justice were as real as an objective watermelon. To use the expregsion of the recent prohibition campaign, “Think it over,” and the worse of it is that while we know what is the truth in this matter somehow, yet to this day no one has explained it satisfactorily in words and that is one of the reasons why it is_so easy to start a religious cult nowadays, or medical, either, for that matter. GEORGE P. WILKINSON. Plea to Forget Party Differences. Crete, Neb., Nov. 18.—To the Editor of The Bee: Now that the election is over with and we are to enjoy four more years of democratic adi tion, a review of the campal and its effect on sentiment, at home and abroad, would seem to be in order. Any intelligent person, with ome grain of horse sense, knows that the “high cost of Wilson” is not due to the present Underwood tariff, but is caused by the increased demand for our products abroad; and the shortage in this year’'s crops. We wonder if our revered friend at Silver Creek will be able to stand the existing con- ditions for another four years? But as to the sentiment abroad that has been created by this recent elec- tion. Are the people of war-stricken Europe too busy to think of America, and the United States? The pelicy of the present administration, with its faults and virtues, has been highly successful in its foreign relations, and we as a nation, are to be con- gratulated upon having the services of Woodrow Wilson for another term. The divided front and lack of con~ fidence, that would have been shown by a republican success, would have caused a mighty reaction at home and abroad. As united Americans, and one peo- ple, let us support the present ad- ministration, forget party differences and petty dislike, and help to keep the United States, a peaceful, benevolent, and honorable nation. NEIL R. BAKER. SMILING LINES. “Now that congress is to have women members, what do vou suppose one will dd when she gets on the floor 2" “Order a new rug for it and have it all stained over fresh.”—Baltimore American.. They sat looking at her engagément ring. “Did your friends admire 1t?"" he tenderly inquired, “They did more than that” she replied. ‘““Three of them recognized it."—New York Times. \ “Son,” sald ghe old man, “I think yowd better change ‘the windows.” “Huh?" “Dress 'em differently.” “Aw, whats' the use?" “Time to show winter stoek,” declared the old man firmiy. “The windows are full of dead flies. Fine samples, but flles are out of season in November."—Baltimore Amer- e PURE FOOD WHISKEY GROTTE BROTHERS CO. Omaha, Nebraska -