, 8
n -. ,
EVENING 3 LEDGER
J PUBLIC LEDGER COMPANY
CTItUS IL K. CURTIS, racstDSST.
Ofo. W. Ochit. Secretary; John r Martin, Treasurer;
atj " lanltngton, Philip B. Collins, John II. WH-
n, ", Afnt-viorM.
EDITORIAL UOAttDt
Ctncs li. K. Cl'rtis. Chairman.
K. WltALEY. Ewutlvi Editor
PHN C, MAHT1N.. fln?rl Hulnm Manager
bblUhci dally, etcrt Humlnr. nt Fmr.to LstxitK
milium, Independence Sqimrc. rhllndelimlft.
Man CitNimt.,.,. .Droad and Chestnut Btreeta
iTt-tNTio Cut.. rrr-t'nlon nulldlnr;
Jsw TotKt,.,,,, 170-A, Metropolitan Tower
iJmoAfio........ Rt7 Home lnurance nulttilnff
-ondon.,,. g Waterloo Mace. Poll Mall, S. V.
. NEWS UUIlUAt'S !
fiiutiaBtma neurit?..., The rafrlet nulMln
yianmsTON Hrniuij The Post nullcilns
Jew Yomc UctT. The Times nulldln;
JrattM Bcbkao 00 Frledrlchstranne
.ONDON Hoiead 2 Pall Mall East, a. W.
rials Uhimo...... 82 Hue Louis le Grand
5UDSCHI1TION TERMS
Ily carrier. Diii.T Om.t, six centa. Dy mall, postpaid
mtslda of Philadelphia, except Ther forelcn postneo
required, Daily o.ni.t. one month, twenty-five cents;
milt Oni-t, one year, three dollars. All mall subscript
Ions payable In advance.
jEIX, 8000 WALMUT KC5TO.K MAIN 3000
fET" Addreta nil communication to Evening
ledger, Indepundene' BQuart. Philadelphia.
implication uadb at tub rtiiLAnixpiiiA ronTorrtoB roa
mti as anooxp-ot.tsa mail matter.
rniLADKLniiA. Tuesday, atrrtMiiiJit 22, iu t
EVENING EEDGERPHILADELPHIA TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1914.
tlon In one of his poems. The fly-! however,
fared somewhat bettor in general esteem
until sclcnuo and education changed the atti
tude. Fifteen or twenty years ago children
In kindergartens sang llltlngly of "the fly In
baby's milk." Selected by Professor Qulller
Couch for "Tho Oxford Hook of English
Verso" Is an excellent poem of William
Oldys, beginning
Husy, curious, thirsty fly!
Drink with mo and drink as li
Freely welcome to my cup,
Couldst thou sip and sip It up.
Uut tho fly Is now our enemy, and tho rat
Is more knowingly dreaded than ever before.
There is safety In fear.
PASSED BY HIE CENSOR
'r
m
'They Who Offer Carrion for Meat"
pKITOOSB organs, whosa moral perspective
Lis oo blunt that it might as well not exist.
i are, attempting to porstlado their readers that
tho EStonuto IEDonu has become Democratic.
Waa thorn over a candidate who hid so
sloaely behind tho party emblem as Mr. Pen
rase? "I am a Republican," ho says, and nil
the. Uttlo satellites solemnly echo: "Ho Is a
tVrpubltcan.' Apparently Republicanism is a
Mao Vvithottt which the senior Senator could
tot hobble twonty yards. Yet he Is not a
(UpubUcon. Hla organization was denomi
nated by that true Bopubllcan, Senator Hoot,
"R, .criminal conspiracy," a, masquerade. It Is
Vtrtm garment In which this ootcrle of poli
ticians havo wrapped Pcnroselsm, a pretty
itess. Tear It aside and a stench of corrup
tlan deadens tho atmosphere. There arc the
trembling limbs of graft, the tricky fingers,
tho. dripping rovenuo from rum, tho long
Capitol ocandal, tho vicious debauchery of
Voters, tho tndoscribablo alliances with vice,
tho wholo composite body of social parasites
onfl hangers-on, combined in a vast con
aptrocy of loot.
Xt that is Republicanism, then America la
dona with Republicanism; and tho world Is
done with it! and decont men and women are
nono with it. But it isn't. Not a bit of It.
On tho contrary, tho vital principles of tho
party that saved tho TTnlon, first from dis
solution and then from economic calamity,
still live. Thoy aro the principles that thou
sands of men want to vote for, but will not
vote for If at tha same time they must bo put
on record as approving as Immoral a sot of
political adventurers as ever gathered to
gether on tho public highways or In the back
rooms of corner dens.
This nation will havo Republicanism with
out tho fraud that Penroselsm attaches to It
or It will not havo Republicanism at all.
That Is a patent, obvious fact. Men who
Imagine that the destinies of this nation will
ever again be entrusted to statesmen who
cannot stand daylight are eternally mistaken.
Enmeshed in a Definition
THE most brazen of all tho nntl-morallly
organs In Pennsylvania said this morning:
Facing dufent In their various districts,
tho pitiful appeal of Congressmen, "Let Us
Havo Pork," has changed to tho lnslstont
demand, "Wo .Must Havo Pork!" It is a
tough outlook for mushroom statesmen
whoso only stock In trade Is a faked prayer
and a trunktul of broken promises.
Pork or no pork was tho question licforo
ths United States Senate yesterday, Ity
somo strange freak of fortune, Mr. Penroso
happened to bo In his seat. Putting himself
In a class with "mushroom statesmen whose
only stock In trndo is a faked prayer and n
trunkful of broken promises," he voted for
tho Dork.
Checkmate llio Municipal Court Grab
ANEW Municipal Court grab, Involving
.eventually a million Instead of half a
million dollars, Is in process of accomplish
ment. Tho Mayor has boldly challenged the
men who propose to put this burden on the
municipality at a time when common sense
requires the husbanding of resources In order
to make tho way clear for transit. The
Mayor'B veto of the ordinance condemning
ground ns a slto for the projected buildings
should bo sustained. His argument against
It Is conclusive. There can bo no satisfac
tory answer. Tho city cannot be loaded down
with white elephants at this time without the
peoplo understanding clearly the purpose of
tho program.
it:
New IIose Must Be Got.
Me,i
I
u's Patience is in Their Pockets
rTT TS a mania of Congress to play with dy-
Xnamlte. ino American people win never
be content with war taxes In tlmo of pro
found peace, in a year when nature has been
magnificently prodigal and bumper crops are
tho rule. Millions which were formerly got
from tho customs houses wero helng taken
directly from tho pockets of citizens beforo
the European war broke out. Now It Is pro
posed to securo millions more from excise
taxes. From being tho most prolific source
of revenue, the tariff Is rapidly being made to
assume a minor rolo In national finance.
XMrect imports are taking tho place of In
direct levies. American history and American
temperament are against this procedure. The
Administration Is preparing to drive itself
into an Inextricable labyrinth of unpopularity.
League Island Gets a Chance
SHIPWAYS at League Island will onable
tho Philadelphia Navy Yard to demon
strate absolutely Its superiority over ovcry
other yard in the country. All things that
go Into the building of ships aro centralized
In this city. Private shipyards along the
Delaware testify to the unexcelled advan
tages hero offered. When next Congress Is
asked for an appropriation tho Philadelphia
delegation will bo armed with so formidable
an array of facts that opposition to support
of the local yard will be swept away. A be
ginning has been made, nothing more, but
It Is a beginning thut Is a promise of far
greater things to coma
I Open Markets Are Checks and Balances
f rpHE open markets recently established
' J. In New York city may bo made perma
f mt, though thera is some opposition from
1 middlemen, and there Is complaint
i from other quarters that the market
: privileges havo been abused by vendors who
are not farmers. So far as tho ubuso of
f privileges is concerned, tho remedy lies in a
system of careful regulation, and as for the
c middlemen their just proilta cannot bo at all
S- endangered by any number of open markets.
On tho consumer's side, only a compara
tive few of tho houbewives of a largo com
I rnunlty can utilize open markets. It is a
4 question of convenience and carfare, and the
t corner grocery Is not menaced beyond tho
. limits of reason.
f Open markets, tho parvel post and similar
f short cuts, which reduce several transactions
f to one transaction between one seller and
I one buyer, will never apply to a very large
H proportion of the business of marketing pro.
duce, but they will be exceedingly valuable
1" In restricting tho middleman to such proflts
I as will compensate him for the service which
he actually performs. Thoy will serve both
tho producer and the consumer ua an alter
5 native when the middleman tcojnea too
exacting a tollinaster. They are checks and
balances.
ector Porter's charge that a large part
of tho hoso owned by the city Is unfit for use.
It would bo ldlo now to quarrel about who
is responsible for the situation. The thing
of Importanco Is tho fact Itself. It must be
remedied, not next year, but this year. There
Is no other matter which so urgently requires
the attention of Councils,
Art "Made in America."
THE European cataclysm has at least tem
porarily affected tho buying of books and
attendance at the theatre. Book publishers
and play-producers aro unanimous In their
opinion on that point, but they predict a
"boom." American novelists and dramatists
will have the field to themselves.
No ono has ever contested tho supremacy
of Franco in the short story; yet tho
much-vaunted French writers, such as Flau
bert and Gautler, acknowledged their In
debtedness to Edgar Allan Poe. The short
story has reached a more perfect form in
America today than It ever has In France.
Wo have not yet produced a Shakespeare, a
Mollero or an Ibsen. Nevertheless, England,
France, Germany and the other continental
countries can boast of no living dramatist
whom wo may not hope to duplicate. It not
surpass.
"Tho adulating imitation of Europe's
middle-ago art has brought about mediocrity
in our own," recently declared America's
famous sculptor, Gutzon Uorglum. "There
is no reason why we in America should not
produco an Angelo or a Da Vinci."
Lot us have a declaration of independence
In art.
Holl of the Thunderbolt
THE history of representative government
is tho history of the gradual assumption
of power on tho part of the people. The French
Revolution, which Victor Hugo called "the
most profound thing In all history," would
never have left Its Imprint upon the social
and political soul of mankind had It not been
for the current of life and action supplied by
tho people. They made real the teachings of
tho French materialists of the ISth century.
Rousseau and Diderot and Voltaire, and the
entlro coterlo of philosophers and thinkers
of that period, would have remained dead
letters had It not been for the dynamic power
which tho revolution supplied for the realiza
tion of their Ideas. Their thoughts wero but
the rustling murmur of a new day. The
power supplied by tho people was a thunder
bolt that has since rolled around the earth.
THE wonderfully blue waters of tho bay of
Funchal, off tho coast of Madeira, glit
tered translucenliy. In Btnall boats a party
of American tourists landed from the steam
ship. McNnb, who had a mania for collect
ing outre things, announced that ho would
buy tho finest old Mndelra wlno on tho Island
and, with that, ho disappeared on his hunt,
the whlto the others saw tho sights.
And then tho unregeneratcs laid a deep
and wicked plot to commandeer tlftt wine,
So they got back to tho steamship well In
advance and awaited events. Just as the
whistle blew Its "all aboard," McNab hove
In sight in a small boat, lovingly caressing
a basket. He tied It to a rope, mounted to
tho steamship's deck and began to hoist up
his precious burden.
Rut the wicked ones were prepared and
when the basket was passing a certain port
hole, a hand protruded and two bottles, cob
webbed and ancient looking, wero lifted
bodily Into tho Inner recesses of the steam
ship, Whereupon the ship's surgeon brought
fine cigars and tho tlrst mate nuts and bis
cuits. Then tho nurlolner, after a mora or
less neat speech of triumph, pulled the corks
and poured out the clearest, nicest water
over seen!
McNnb had paid J5 each for the bottles, but
ho never knew the unregeneratcs hnd Just
enough self-respect left not to tell him the
awful truth.
IT HAPPENED last week, when tho sun
shono brightly and the poesy of autumn
wns In the air. I wandered far afluld Into the
lands beyond folllngdale over tho hills and
far away, until t came to a tumble-down
stone bultdtng. decayed with ago and redo
lent with historic memories. There arose
visions of Washington, of Grant, the heroes
of our wars. Memory painted pictures of
love and Intrigue and bloodshed and the pur
suit of peace and then came the most an
cient inhabitant.
"Pretty old building'.'-' ventured the writer,
seeking Information.
"Pretty old." responded the man.
"It's probably played an importnnt part in
our country's history?"
"Not that I know of." responded the old
man; "It's been a cow barn nigh nil Its life."
Whereupon I beat a masterly retreat.
sired change In tho old Constitution, which
dated back to Charles II. Rival factions
wero formed tho "Suffrage" and tho "Law
and Order" parties. Each elected a set of
State officials and each sought to gain con
trol of the State Government. Thomas W.
Dorr waa chosen Governor by tho Suffrago
party and nttemptod to seize tho Govern
ment, but was sontonced to Imprisonment
for life, being pardoned subsequently.
Cold slaw, a dish essentially American In
Its popularity, In said to havo been Invented
by tho early Dutch settlers, who called it
kool-slnn.
John Mull's sister Peg Is really Scotland-
a poor girl raised on porridge and water and
qttartorod In a garret oxposed to the north
wind. In Arbuthnot's satirical "History of
Europo" alio Is represented as madly In lovo
with Jack John Calvin.
DONE IN PHILADELPHIA
IN A SPIRIT OF HUMOR
HEINHICH HEINE, the German poet, lay
desperately ill in Purls, an exile from his
nativo land, shunned by members of his race
because of his change of faith, disliked by
those of his new religion. But though
paralyzed, his mind was as clear and ncuto
as evor and his wit as cutting. Dally he
wroto for a French paper; incisive, rapier
like, cutting and sharp wero his remarks.
And the butt of his daily joko was one of the
Rothschilds. For months this had continued,
and then Rothschild could stnntl the jibes no
longer. He sent a friend to Heine to offer
him a lifo of ease if he would forego his
satirical attacks.
"Stop?" asked Heine. "Stop the attacks on
Rothschild? What other pleasure havo I left
in life? Tell Rothschild that all his millions
could not buy health for me. Tell him that
my lampooning pleases me more than It hurts
him."
So to the day of Heine's death, Rothschild
had to endure.
J. wc
PARIS, Heine had married a French
oinan of dubious antecedents and utterly
at variance with the spiritual nature of tho
poet. She was a good nurse, however, divid
ing her time between Heine and her parrot.
Ono daj" she disappeared and a friend, con
doling with the sick man, suggested that she
had eloped.
"Is her parrot still hero?" asked Heine.
"Ye"
"Then she'll como back." And come back
she did.
ROMANCE Is a thing of the past. Our
childhood dreams and fancies have been
relegated Into the serapluap of materialism.
Tho thrill of old la replaced by the certainty
of knowledge. What Is It all about? Oh, yes,
Robinson Crusoe's Isle has been connected
with tho rest of the world by wireless! Can
you concelvo it, Robinson signaling to Fri
day to como to his aid? Or home one far
away punctuating tho air with electric flashes
to warn him that the savages wero coming?
Gone are tho days of the buccaneers, the
rovers of tho f-ea!
Robinson Crusoe's Isle has been annexed to
the rest of tho world!
Popularity Aisurctl
That proposed 'bus lino on Broad street
should becomo Immensely popular with tho
young folk, for bussing has over been a
popular pastime.
A Dittcr Dose
Pctrogrnd and Jaroslaw,
lludupest and Crccy,
Kaiser Wllhelm, General Pau
Drive mo nearly crazy.
Uut tho worst Is yet to come,
Tasting rather plll-y,
Reading like prescriptions all
"Take somo Przmysl-y" ( Choose your
"Tnito somo Przymsl-y" -l own
"Take somo Prmzsyl-y" i Spelling.
Twouldu't be Tolerated Here
From the Iluenoa Aires Standard.
"Again I wns welcomed by my cheery host
ess, and once more partook of her slmplo
yet palatable face,"
Casualties
From Allied sources wo learn that 4,356,711
Germnns were killed, 11,G99,326 were wound
ed and 900,467 wero tnkon prisoners, In the
Inst four days of fighting.
From German sources we learn that the
total German loss to date was 11 slightly
killed, 43 seriously dead and G6 compre
hensively wounded.
Fowl Play
"Why have vou clven your hen such an
outlandish name aB Footpad, .links?"
"Because she's laying for me."
The Natural Sequence
It now behooves all good exchange editors
to dig up the Ingoldsby Legends and reprint
"The Jackdaw of Rhclms."
Heartburn, Probably
From the Elkton (Md.) Democrat.
"Fire of an unknown origin totally de
stroyed tho contents of Clarence H. Krauss
ono night last week."
Huh!
Mary had a little lamb,
And then I heard her holler:
"What does that waiter think 1 am?
He chnrgeU me half a dollar!"
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Domestic Discord
"My husband used to call me his lovely
lute."
And now?
"Now he picks on me."-Journal,
.Louisville Courler-
Wliat's In a Name?
"Wc'ro giving our pastor a new drawing
room carpot on the occasion of his jubilee.
Show me something that looks nice but
Isn't too expensive."
"Hero is tho very thing, madame real
Kidderminster." London Punch.
Altruism
Teacher Johnny, you have been writing
your own excuses.
Johnny I know, muni; It takes all pa's
time to think of his own. New York Sun.
A Fall Time Singer
Golden punklns glenmln' bright
Yander in de patch.
Never seed a purtler sight
Laying In a batch.
Trouble dis way's frald to steer
"Como right In an' havo a cheer."
Dixie Land's de land fo' me,
No whar elso I'se boun'.
Possums roamln' roun' so free.
Ntiff to make a darky grin
"Bring yo' folks an' cnll ag'in."
Jacksonville Times-Union.
B
Our Enemy the Rat
WAR has been declared on the raw
of Philadelphia. They have not yirt
scourged this city with the bubonic plague,
but science and education have convinced tho
modern age that they are menaces to the
health of any community Philadelphia will
lyoiribly do at once what New Orleans did
After the rats had been the means of deetroy-
lnff many human lives. Thu is a wls maxim
fir citlea, "to take naming from others of
what may be to your own advantage "
The rat never enjoyed the popularity with
which the fly used to be favored. Shakespeare
and Cervantes both referred to Mm in slight
s' lnsr metaphcrl-al pbrasfs evl Frcwring gave
prominent but not complimentary men-
No Quarter to Political Plunderers
OUT In Kansas City tho friends of good
government are quoting what Hugh
O'Brien, a former Mayor of Boston, said In
an official message after his re-election in
JSSij:
If political parties put unscrupulous men
to tho front, they ought to b voted down.
If political parties make combinations with
men whosu morality and Integrity ar ques
tionable, such combinations should be dis
couraged and discountenanced by every
good citizen. If no quarter Is given to men
who have no moral principle behind thorn.
who connect themaolve with leading
parties merely for plunder, thoy should bo
stamped out, and then tlm business of the
country will b Jondueted, likt any other
large lorporation. on business principles.
These words apply to ull combinations for
plunder in municipal, State or national poll,
tics. They point to the responsibility o(
every American citizen.
L
Poetor Brumbaugh is Immune to spitballs.
A man with a feather in his cap usually
has an eagle in his pocket.
Was the recent eclipse of the sun an Eng
lish plot to deprive Jerm' of hr well,
known place therein "
Tlie Mayor has done his duty in tho matter
of the Municipal Court grab. Councils gl
have another chance this afternoon-
There is no Question about what Mr. Pen
ros stanSs tor- The record shows jhat
tnrmjgh his Organization he has stood fop
anything.
. hiii. iaii i iiii
Mr. Roosevelt says that Mr. Pinchot will
not retire, but what does Mr. Roosevelt know
about it? A man is not addicted 'to coffee If
he has never been able to get a first cup.
Regular steamship service from Philadel
phia to the Pacific is a good sign. Shipping
guods fr-iin o tine a port as this to New
York to be loaded on vessels was a kind of
extravagance wh'h sound business could not
long endure.
This war tax on gasoline Is a direcJ blow
j at the poor, down-trodden automobile owner
J f- z - - z,. - - j '" ' -aSfa- - ? '
F.NEATH tho great St. Stephen's Cathe
dral In Vienna, which may yet bo taken
by the Russians, Is a labyrinth of catacombs,
nearly equal to that of Rome. For miles the
subterranean passages twist and turn In
Cimmerian darkness. When a very small boy
I was taken Into the depths by my father,
accompanied by a guide who carried a torch.
Somehow or other, I went astray and wan
dered off. Tho reflected light of the torch
Ehowed skeletons of Capuchin monks, nr
rayed in the hooded vestments of their order,
standing In silent, gruesome rows against
tho damp walls; horrors were multiplied In
my childish brain.
"Papa!" I yelled, and tho echoes sounded
and resounded Ju quavering tones, dying
away In ghostly whispers. And when I was
safe with my dad, a moment later. I was the
happiest youngster In nil Kurope.
WHEN William C. Reick wns editorial
manager of tho New York Herald It was
well-nigh lmposslblo for any ono from the
outsido world to see him. But Hurold J. Lit'
tiedale. an English newspaperman, accom
plished the seemingly Impossible, and here Is
told how he did It. Ho sent word Into Mr
Field; that he bad a stury which ha would
tell only to him. Mr. Relck sent a reporter
to bee Llttledule, who declined to reveal hif
story to any one save Mr. Reick. After a
long wait he was taken Into the august
presence.
"Well, young man, what's your story?"
asked Mr. Relck.
"It's a hard-luck story; I want a job." said
Ltttlcdale, and then ho was ushered out.
BRADFORD.
Sign of the Times
A Baptist Church In Paterson has Bpoken
the lust word in business administration of
religion. This is the sign erected in front
of the edifice:
Love and Sunshine Company,
Wholesale and Retail Christians:
Distributors of Joy and Goodwill.
In Essentials, Unity; In non-Essontlals,
Liberty; In all things, Charity.
The Church with tho Royal Welcome.
CURIOSITY SHOP
It was John P. Calhoun, who In a speech
delivered May 27. 1636. coined the phraHe,
"cohesive power of public plunder," baying:
"A power has risen up In tho Government,
greater than the people themselves, consist
ing of many and various and powerful In
terests, combined Into one mass and held to
gether by the cohesive power of the vast
surplus In the banks."
That other well-known phrase, to "die In
the last ditch," originated with William of
Orange, who, on being asked by Buckingham
whether he did not realize the Inevitable ruin
banging over the Commonwealth, replied:
"There is one certain means by which I
can be sure never to see my country's ruin.
I will die In the last dltf-r-,"
Dorr's rebellion t"'; r-yn In Tthndn Island
, in 181S, the boa cf retention being a de-
A Villainous Joko
Who is tho Villa of Europe?
Which of tho embattled emperors Is the
friend of the Euro-peon?
This is Too Punny
We labored hard to pen a pun.
An hour passed, and It wns done;
Wo nearly died of sheer surprise;
Wo pinched ourself and rubbed our eyes;
For. as we lookod on it In prlde
And, as wo said, so nearly died
Wo found wtt'd made a double hit
(Of wisdom. Infamy or wit)
For then wo saw, and not till then.
We'd pennpd a pun that punned a Penn,
A lot of fuss over a Uttlo thing, perhaps,
but it occurred to us that William Penn
looks rather Inky compared to the rest of
the City Hall tower.
One Had Turn
Brown (whose new cook Is worse than the
last) It was you who recommonded that
new cook to mv wife, wasn't it?
Jones (with diffidence) Yes, old man.
Brown (vengofully) Then. I must ask you
to come homo to dinner with me tonight.
London Sketch,
A Prayer
God of the warring nations,
God of the ways of peace.
Hark to the pleas of women
And bid tho wnrfaro cease!
Hark to the prayers of children,
Their small bands lifted up,
And from tho world forever
Remove this bitter cup!
In years of peaceful living
Thy servants have forgot
The grief that follows carnage.
And now, their blood grown hot,
They challenge each the other,
And with no heeding for
Tho necklaced arms of loved ones
They clatter forth to war.
Oh, God, remove this madness,
And make Thy servants sanel
Remove tho fields of carnage,
Where wounded and where slain
Are trampled to gory remnants!
Our God, of war and peace.
Remove from men their blindness
And bid the wurfure cease!
A wife stands all forsaken
And peers into the storm.
Above the smoke of battle
She marks the vultures swarm.
No loved one hears her pleading
And to her succor tiles
Besldo where she stands weeping
A baby starves and dies.
God, lift the burden from them
Who bear the burden most!
God, touch the hearts of rulers!
God, turn each warring host
From ways that lead to slaughter
Back to the paths of peace 1
God, hear the plaints of women
And btd thn warring cease'
Judd IVirtimer Lewis, in Houston Post.
A FRIEND put into my hand tho other
day an old pamphlet written by John
Roach, the shipbuilder of Chester, which
describes rather fearlessly tho causes of
the decline of tho American merchant
marine and denounces in positive terms what
has been called free ships. Both these ques
tions aro uppermost in the minds of tho peo
ple at tho present time, and It Is curious to
noto that they occupied a somewhat similar
position 40 years ego.
Roach waa an Irishman, who came to this
country as a boy early In ho 30s, and first
went to work in a foundry for 23 cents a
day. In tho course of his long career as a
shtp and engine builder he failed four times,
and, had ho survived, undoubtedly would
have successfully passed through his fourth
failure to fortune again. Ho built four of
tho warships which wore known as tho Whlto
Squadron, tho beginnings of our present mod
ern navy, and It was due to his suggestion
and advlco that the United States ventured
upon tho development of its navy along mod
ern lines.
IT WAS this venture that finally caused
the death of John Roach. First ho aston
ished tho Naval Advisory Board by making
his bids on four ships far below their esti
mated cost. When the Dolphin was com
pleted tho new Secretary of tho Navy,
William C. Whitney, would not accept It.
Although another board conductod a strin
gent test and also rejected tho vessel, Sec
retary Whitney changed his view. Ills action
camo too late. Roach, with so much of hla
capital tied up, stopped business for ths
benefit of his creditors. He declined in health
from that time, and two years later, or In
1887j ho died, a broken-hearted man.
Roach wns rcsponslblo for a largo propor
tion of tho Iron steamship tonnage which
carried the American flag after tho Civil
War. It Is said that his yards built In all
114 ships of the most modern typp for their
day. He wns naturally a stern advocate for
the protection of the ship Industry In this
country, and one had only to mention Clyde
built ships to him to stan him off on a
tirade.
IN ROACH'S pamphlot which my friend
hnnded me, I And an explanation of the dis
appearance of our flag from tho merchant
marine of the world. "When our Civil War
began," the shipbuilder states, "we hnd a
largo commerce but a small navy, ami the
lntter, to protect national life, purchased
215,978 tons of our best steam tonnage. The
War Department absorbed, by charter and
otherwise, 757,611 tons more. Of tho re
mainder, to avoid war rates of Insurance or
destruction by Clyde-built cruisers, under tho
rebel flag, 801,311 tons sought refugo under
the flag of England or other European bunt
ing, while 104,605 tons were actually destroyed
by the Alabama and other pirates.
"Of the ships of all sorts employed thus
by our Government few wero afterward of any
commercial value, though resold at compara
tively low rates, partly because of tho altera
tions they had undergone In tho process of
adapting them to war uses, but more on
account of the revolution which had taken
place In commercial naval architecture and
In the application of motive power."
ROACH comments upon this proccduro as
one of the most extravagant and ruinous
methods that could have been devised for
supplying tho United States with a navy.
But at tho opening of the Civil War, as at
the beginning of every other war In which
tills country has engaged, something like this
has had to bo done. Wo always have been
unprepared. Indeed, tho method appears to
be tho approved method of augmenting naval
services all over tho world. We chartered
ships during the Spanish War, and Eng
land, Germany and Japan, with tholr subsi
dized lines, also havo found it convenient to
take over certain vessels from their merchant
mnrlno in war times.
It has been generally understood that it
was during tho period of our Civil War that
England and to a lesser degree Germany
took advantago of our preoccupation to
snatch away from us tho commerce-carrying
trade of the world. From 1830 until the open
ing gun of tho Civil War was fired our for
eign trade increased regularly and enor
mously, and In 1860 It was questioned whether
tho United States merchant marine was not
first. In any case, It was a close second to
that of England.
DURING that long-continued strife, how
ever, England had her opportunity and
was keen to tako advantage of It. Some per
sons may have thought that our presont con
cern to regain our proud position on tho seas
while Europe Is busy is a trifle unethical,
buUto the persons who feel that way about
It Mr. Roach 40 years ago supplied the
answer.
Listen to this: "England saw tho oppor
tunity thus afforded her and availed herself
of It to the utmost. She spent millions on
millions In subsidies under various forms;
she used even the agonies of our Htrlfe for
her own advantage, and the Clyde builders
were enriched In the construction of blockade
runners, not to speak of the Alabama and
other representatives of the 'British neutral
service.' Unobstructed and unrivaled by the
only peoplo who had shown a capacity for
competing with her upon the sea, she made
the first fruits of the great naval revolution
all her own."
IT MUST be remembered in reading that
sentence from Roach's pamphlet that It
was written less than ten years after the
Civil War, when the wounds and prejudices
of that strife had not yet been effaced; nev
ertheless, it Is likely to mako ns feel a little
more comfortable about seizing the present
opportunity to get our flag on the sea again.
GRANVILLE.
TIIE IDEALTST
Did you ever tell a "white He"?
After you had told it, did you feel any
Jess mean, small and disposed to creep
snake-like into the nearest hole than when
you had told a real substantial one?
It Is curious how we grease our con
sciences In tho "white lie" habit. I sat In
a man's office when his messenger presented
a visitor's card. After a quick glance he
returned it to the boy with the trite In
structions to "tell him I'm out."
This fellow forthwith established his repu
tation for wilful inaccuracies among two
people, the boy and myself; perhaps in It
self not a serious handicap to his standing
but Just as a drop of aniline dya will tint
a hogshead of water this man's lack of re
spect for pure truth will gradually permeate
his entire environment. This Is as Inevitable
as the law of gravitation is Inevitable.
Doubtless the mental process is; "Well I
don't want to see this visitor and I don't
want to Insult him by telling him so. Hence,
I abstain from making him angry by leading
him to believe I am not in my office."
Did you ever see a sin marching alone?
Never' Always it is found li the onjnauy
of Its own bone and marrow. The thief
becomes a murderer; the drunkard becomes
a liar; tho liar becomes a coward.
Benedict Arnold did Iho most convenient
thing; It took too much courage to do tho
Inconvenient thing. And that's exactly tho
situation with the toller of the "whlto lie."
TUB IDEALIST.
VIEWS OF READERS
ON TIMELY TOPICS
Contributions that Reflect Public Opin.
ion on Subjects Important to City,
Stntc and Nation.
To the Editor of tht EvtitUa lAigtr:
In reading your efficient newspaper I And an
nrtlclo entitled, "British Diplomat Criticise
Wilson on tho Mexican Policy." Tha British
Ambassador, Blr Lionel Garden, was nothing
but a warm partisan of the Huerta regime.
At one time I was a Huerta sympathizer until
after he committed murder tho killing of
Francisco I. Madero.
Sir Lionel Carden cannot by any means
compare with tho great President Wilson; the
troops were ordered from Vera Crux. AVhyT
Because tho President knew that he was
leaving the situation to nn honorable and edu
cated man. Sir Lionel's statement Is against
Senor Carranza, becauso ho ordered that he (Sir
Lionel) should leave the republic for being a
Huerta partisan. So let mo explain, In a few
words, that Sir Lionel contradicts himself by
saying that Carranr.a has no sort of Govern
ment. He must know that If Senor Carranza had
no sort of government he would not have told
Sir Lionel to lcavo tho republic.
J. R.-M13XICAN CITIZEN.
Philadelphia, September 21, 1914.
FIGHT TO TIIE FINISH
To the Editor of tht livening Ltdgtr:
Sir A campaign Is on In this Commonwealth
which Is being watched throughout the longth
nnd breadth of our land. It Is a tight to a
finish betweon tho discredited old machine and
tho forces which must provnlt If the old Keystone
Stnto Is to bo lifted Into the place It must
occupy If wo as Pcnnnylvanlans nre to stand
erect ns men worth white.
The Issue Is Penrose as the embodiment of
practices which no longer have any proper
plnco In our political and Industrial life. Thcso
nre tho days for tho valiant on both sides ot
the ocean, and tho call of duty is Just as clear
ns If It were "To arms" Instoad of to tho ballot
box. When tho Evxnino LEDOEn enlists In this
campaign, aggressively opposing this blight tin
our national life. It, in my Judgment, porfotms
a groat public duty and makes a contribution to
the cntiso of good government Bncond to none.
DAVID J. PEAP.SALL.
Mnuch Chunk, Pa., September 15, 1911.
GIVE HONEST POLITICS A CHANCE
To the Editor o tht livening J-fdacr:
Sir I have read for many yenrs and have
appreciated deeply the splendid work which
the Punuc LnuaEn has done toward the puri
fication of Pennsylvania politics. Another
great opportunity lias now nrlsen for It and the
Evuninu LKiionn to continue this service, to the
advantago of both Stnto and nation. IX rofcr to
the opportunity of defeating Mr. Penrose for
i e-clectlon to the United States Senaf!'.
WILLIAM I. HULL.
Swnrthmore, Pa., Soptember 14, 1914.
WESTMORELAND AGAINST PENROSE
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir As an Independent Republican, Interested
In raising my party to a higher standard of
citizenship, I am glad that you are opposing
Pcnroselsm. You deservo tho gratitude of the
good citizens of Pennsylvania. Our county was
strongly antl-Pcnrose at the last primary, and
the sentiment ngalnst him continues to lncreasa.
E. E. SSURK.
Mt. Pleasant, Pa., Septombor 14, 1914.
PENROSEISJI NOT REPUBLICANISM
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir T am a reader of tho Evening Ledger
and like your paper, but I am a Republican.
As I believe that Is your policy, I cannot
see how you can consistently support Palmer
nnd a Republican platform at tho same time.
Ho does not stand for Republican principles
nnd, therefore, should not be supported by any
Republican. JOSEPH RICHARD.
Slatlngton, Pn September 18, 1914.
m
UdM
Praise From Sir Hubert
From the Boston Transcript.
George W. Clillds himself might have issued
the order under which, with tho beginning of
this week, nn Evening LnDonn flashed upon
the Philadelphia public and tho community nt
large. It wns n llbcrnl move to extend In these
hours of retrenchment tho expense of publica
tion. A false Idea prevails that In "war circu
lations" there Is great profit. Circulation In
Itself Is of no value. It Is only ns It commands
respect nnd thus advertising patronage thi.t it
Is even self-supporting.
Thus the expansion of tho Punuc Ledoeh it
this tlmo Is purely for the advantage of ns
renders, though let us hope In the long run its
publishers, too, may reap their reward.
Tho Infant marches liko a veteran. It Is
edited by a "distinct organization," which we
may bo huro In this case does not menn thut
please-everybody policy "support" 'In tha
morning, "opuoeition" In tho evening to
"catch them coining and going."
A newspaper "without a history" Is as happy
as tho proverbial "country." For the years of
Its existence the Pt'nuc Ledger's has been
most brief. It wns conceived a thoroughbred
and thoroughbred it has remained in spite of
tho temptations of mongrelizatlon by voting
contests, money prizes, tango teaching, etc.,
etc.
Its history Is tho personality of a few clean
minded, public-spirited individuals with a tru
sense of what "enterprise" really Is. Never
has It been nearer Its best than today.
Silence Not Golden
From the Chambereburi (l'a.) Valley Spirit.
A strange, weird tllcnce falls upon tho lips
of tho Republican candidates when the name
of Penrose is mentioned.
Not ono of them hus so far dared to dcclura
himself either for or against the machine that
srck3 to continue its corrupt management of
this Stato for Its own advantage.
Welcomes Evening Ledger
From the Jewish Exponent.
The Evbninq Ledger is a welcome addition
to tho ranks of Philadelphia uewspaperdom.
There Is no better paper In the United States
than the Punuc Ledger, and few us good. If
the evening edition keeps up tho Una tradition
that the Punwo Ledger, has established, it
will be a potent force for good.
NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW
Along with the day of prayer for the pace of
Europe it might with propriety be uumested
that a day bo set apart for a popular memorial
to the Interstate Commerce Commission for a
Just rendfrlng of the public account with the
railroads. Chattanooga Times.
Nothing can bring back the glory of r-helms.
Imagination Is touched with the heat 1 1 pas
sion when armies heedlessly deflower a country
of Its noblest church, and It recoils with scorn
and loathing from the guilty horde. Ne v York
Tribune.
The struggle In Colorado la sure to j-.
newed, unless the State takes back its a1 n ated
authority, resumes Ub forgotten dutln and
both makes and enforces laws whloh v " pro
mote peace In the mining regions.- Icij
Journal.
Every well-informed commentator th
problem of building up our trad wlti. Jomh
America agrees that It is mainly a qiws'.ou at
establljhlng a proper system of ex. nangee.
vvhejeby ample credit facilities may be cxisndod
to tha Latin-Americana and payment ofl trans
actions carried out with facility St paul
Pioneer Press.
Railroad men should lean on themes, . more
and on the Government less. Tly ehould not
stand back helplessly without oonomlilng und
ask the Government for a llMnso to raid
shippers and railroad passengers. Milwaukee
Journal.
The extension of American banking facilities
to South American cities ehould be followed by
the establishment ot cheaper ratus of postage.
New York Times.
If President Wilson and the Democratic
leaders desire to go into the toming election
with an Indefensible grab even a 20,000 009
appropriation to their discredit, (they hay 'ud
ueniy uecoino tees vuieiui oi wie political as
pert of administration than they have been
harotnfnva Vnnr Vrt lj- 1l til IM ail I '
WWVWiWI . 1vl V VliMM J
j irtfnr A nuifnii ittl lagfaMMJaJtlal