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ftVENItfG LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA, WEDNESDAY, SEPSMBEB 23, 1014.
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EVENING tMi LEDGER
PUnLlC LEDGER COMPANY
CYItUS It K. Ct'IlTIS. rntMDItST.
Gtfi. XV. Ochu, Secretary: John t Murtln, TreaMirerl
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Pcnroscisin is Democracy's Chief Asset
THERE will bo no weeping In the White
House If Penrnsolsm la lmlorscd In 1'etin
eylvanla. Tho Democracy is unite ready to
do without ono voto in the Senate In return
tor tho continued use of Ponroselsfm as cam
paign material. It lms it majority, anyhow.
Tho President knows, and his advisers know,
that Palmer victorious will not bo worth half
bo much to the party ns Palmer defeated. If
tho Republicans in this State wish to deal tho
Administration a mighty blow, they can do
It by eliminating PenroseNm as an Issue in
American politics.
Intoxication of the Panuclus Pilaccns
NO, THIS is not a now cocktail nor a cor
dial of monastic manufacture. For the
devotee of tho "glass that cheers" many and
various have been the substitutes deviled,
but It has remained for modern .science to
discover a stimulant more potent than alco
hol and, If reports are correct, with no ufter
dcpresslon. Tho panoelus pllaceus Is said to confer
upon tho partaker thereof visions as radiant,
as exhilarating, ns finely hallucinatory as
those of hasheesh, as subliminal as the men
tal vaporlngs of opium and a senso of snpor-well-belng
and fit-feeling transcending that
afforded by the vintages of Burgundy or
John Barleycorn.
Tho panoelus pllaceus Is a mushroom. Its
discovery is announced by no loss a savant
than Dr. A. E. Verrlll, of Yale University.
In the current number of Science ho de
scribes the "case of Mr. W.,"a middle-aged
man, vigorous, strictly temperate and a bot
anist, who experimented with the hilarious
fungus. According to tho description, the
panoelus pllaceus is delicate, umbrella-shaped
and will grow In any garden.
Possibly with fields, gardens and flower
beds given over to a fond and assiduous cul
tivation of tho newly discovered fungus, the
reign of Bacchus may bo over!
Imagination Lifts Up Posterity
WE, THE people, need to have eyes of
imagination In order that wo may bo
good citizens. A voter with sufficient ability
to see the rest of mankind nnd tho genera
tions yet unborn will sacrifice his conven
ience, and even much more, to go to the pulls.
The better we como to know mankind
the actual character and lives of people whom
perhaps we have never seen or never will
see tho stronger grows our altruism, which
Is a normal quality of human nature. Tho
literature of the magazines Is rendering an
Invaluable service. It Is forwarding a grad
ual reconciliation of classes and races by its
vivid portrayal of what people really are.
It is bringing our conception of "the rest
of humanity" nearer to the humun reality.
The psychology that tells us clearly how
wo are separated by time, rather than spuce,
from tho-fe who will be affected by our acts,
Is important in the development of civic
Imagination. For every ton of coal that wo
mine, for every beautiful hillside that we rob
of its forests, for every law put mi the stat
ute books by the Legislators that wo elect,
for every vote that is cast at the polls, we
are answerable 10 future generations.
Without imagination It Is impossible to
comprehend our civic responsibilities.
Young Men Will Not Be Tricked
TIME was when men voted as they wor
shiped, us their fathers did before them.
Example was everything. Party lines were
rigid and men voted blindly, as they wero
told, for the parties' candld.ite, irrespective
of the merits of the other side.
Times are changed. That's trite, but true.
We live in a different day and generation.
Today the intelligent man who Is not tied
down by paid party s-ervlce owns his own
vote. Ho and his ft-llowa have begun to
weigh men, methods and policies. They are
thinking for themselves. Their ranks are in.
creasing dally. You see It Jn the revolt of the
Progressives, Jn their return to the Repub
lican fold when they found themselves tricked
by their leaders and deluded by false prom
ises.
These, are the men who count, the men who
tMnk for themselves. Through them the
hope of scotching tho snake of Penroselsrn
comes.
Worth tho Purchase
WHILE Congressmen are busying them
selves over a bill fir emergency taxa
tion, it may Interest others to taUf a little
historical excursion back to February 16,
1783. On that day Pelatlah Webster published
In Philadelphia, at the very doors of the
Congress of the t'onfed-ration, an entirely
new plan of Federal Government. One of
the basic principles involved was the inde.
pendent authority of thf Federal Government
to levy taxes. No Federal system that had
ever existed had been armed with the power
to tax, and Pelutlah's prcjujsal was without
a precedont in history. In the Constitutional
Convention of 17S7 it was adopted, though
writers of text-books have been in the habit
of giving the credit to other men.
"The power of taxation," Webster said, "Is
a dreadful enjrlne of oppression, tyranny and
Injury, when Ill-used, yet ... I do con'
tend that our Union is worth this purchase."
Socialists Flirt With War
ACCORDING to the reports of American
.correspondents, the Socialist movement in
Germany has disappeared In these times of
war. Vorwaerts, the famous Socialist paper,
has turned patriotic and for the rtrst time
In its history may be sold on Government
property and even In the army. A few weeks
ego the Socialist deputies in the Reichstag
Voted uuanlmoualy for the war credits. In
France, Marcel Sembat and Jules Guesde
Joined the Cabinet, abandoning their part In
pott political quarrels. Gustavo1 Herve,
called by somebody "anll-mllltarlst, anti-par
lliimentnrln.11, nntl-patrlot," asked the French
Minister of War to send him to tho front
with tho first regiment of Infantry.
In tho minds of those men there Is no
Issue now, If there ever was, between so
cialism and patriotism. Only the weakest
thinkers among the socialistic groups sen nn
antagonism between the two. Patriotism,
moreover, Is rooted far deeper In human na
ture than socialism, with a possible exception
In tho caso of tho Inferior soclnllsm of tho
very smallest men. Patriotism Is ..no or tho
highest expressions of tho human trait of
loyalty. It Is loyalty to "nil wo have nnd
are." It is really conservatism.
Using Childhood to Muddy the Waters
THE massed cohorts of the Organisation
were able by the slender margin of one
vote to override the Mayor's veto of tho
Municipal Couit grab. In explanation of this
action, John P. Connolly, commandor-lti-chlef
of Pcnroscisin In Councils, declared, so tho
report runs, that "It comes with exceedingly
bad grace from the gentleman on tho second
floor (tho Mayor) to obstruct the rftorts tho
Municipal Court is making to help tho delin
quent child."
Tho Municipal Court has been chiefly noted
up to thin time for helping itself to tho funds
of tho municipality. TI10 solicitude of Mr.
Connelly for childhood might have aroused
tho sympathy and support of all good citi
zens had they not rend elsewhere, In the snme
Issue of the Evunino Luoonit, tho declaration
of Paul N. Furman. secretary of tho Child
Labor Association of Pennsylvania, that cer
tain deplorable conditions in the matter of
child labor in Pennsylvania arc "due entirely
to tho Influence of tho Penrnse-controlled
political machine." It Is bad enough to have
such a grab as this Municipal Court adven
ture will be. If achieved, put through, but
It Is positively nauseating to have tho re
sponsibility for It placed on children Who
cannot speak for themselves.
Tilings That Ahide In a Changing Order
TIME never halts. War or no war, tho
seasons come and go. The rose withers
on tho stem, nnd already tho pencils of
autumn begin to tint tho leaves. The guns
of Europe do not stop tho sun, though they
may smash the clock. Tlmo moves on like
a river.
It Is a satisfaction to know that some
things are above the might of man. The
Imperishable forces of life abide above the
danger line of rust and moth nnd gunpowder.
The Rhelms Cathedral may be laid in ruins,
but the devotion that built It Is everlasting.
In the world clash between materialism and
Idealism It Is well to lay hold of tho best
things the lndestructlblo forces of truth,
true love, friendship and every reality of life.
These realities are llko blocks of granite in
a sea of changing conditions. Tho fact that
others have gone mad is only another reason
why tho rest of us should remain sane.
In Reply to Gerhardt Hauptmann
NO ONE will dispute Ilauptmann's conten
tions that Germany, the Germany of
"Kant and Schopenhauer," is tho great bea
con light of civilization. No one will dispute
that she has brought Immortal contributions
upon tho altar of art, science, industry and
literature. But all, all who think in the light
of Inexorable historical facts, will dispute the
bruzon claims of tho ruling class of Germany
that German industry and the leudal Ideas
of government and administration should
dominate the rest of the world. This is not
a light for the "preservation of German
culture." It Is r.uher a battle for the libera
tion of German culture nnd all culture from
military and financial Prusslaiilsm. The
defeat of Germany will bo tho victory of
Germany and the victory of the entire world.
Nefarious Political Brokerage
POPULAR government consists In the con
trol of political affairs by public opinion,
liofiiism and popular government are Incon
sistent. "The boss," says President Lowell, of
Harvard, "does not act mainly as an expo
nent of public opinion or frame the issues
therefor. Ho carus little for public policy or
legislation relating to the general welfare
so long a.s he is allowed to pursue his trade
in peace. Ho is a political broker, but one
whose business relates far less to subjects of
a genuine public opinion than to private
benefits."
Tho reason why the boss has been allowed
to continuo at his nefarious trade Is public
indifference. So declares James Bryee, whose
Judgment comes of long and close observa
tion of American politics. How long Is this
Indifference to continue? How long are tho
voters to overlook the weapon which lies at
hand? Unless all signs fall they are going to
use It In Pennsylvania on nest election day.
Indifference to public welfare is a crime
of citizenship.
The "safety first" program Is not making
much headway In Europe.
Everybody except tho Interstate Commerce
Commission thinks the railways nro entitled
to relief.
Doctor Brumbaugh la confounding his
critics and ho will confound Penroselsrn bo.
fore he gets through.
New Jersey has a habit of standing by the
President. Tho Democracy gts tho credit
for Wooijrow Wilson's personal victories.
Herman Rldder explains that the war is
"an expression of tho acute neurasthenia
from which tho nations are suffering." This,
of course, makes It entirely plain: but isn't It
stealing Mr. Wilson's psychological theory?
New York's UQ0.0O0.0Q0 loan oversubscribed
three times by private investors and a tidy
bit of the money from Philadelphia! We still
have a few pennies to rub together in spite
of the pessimists.
It would have been a fine thing for Penn
sylvania If Mr. Knux had offered for the
Senate last spring. It would be a finer thing
If Mr- Penrose would retire in his favor now.
Out such things, do not happen In Penroselsrn.
The world does move. It seems but yester
day that universal excitement was caused by
a successful aeroplane flight across the Chan
nel from France to England. Just a few days
ago 38 British army 'planes were reported to
be making the passage from Engjand to
France at one time.
Thlrty-slx thousand tons of British ar
mored erutittrs are at the bottom of the North
Hea as the result of a submarine attack
Measured in dollars, there is no comparison
between cruisers and submarines, measured
in results, the little fellows have nothing to
be ashamed of.
PASSED BY THE CENSOR
THAT Joseph lllrt, the artist, married a
Philadelphia girl shows his good senBe;
that ho was chased a couplo of thousand
miles by nn earthquake Is Indicative of his
ability to dodge trouble. It began In San
Francisco, where lllrt was more or less busy
drawing cartoons for a dally paper. It so
happened that ho was not busy on the night
In question, that Is, not Until the earthquake
started then he became extraordinarily so.
In fact, ho never stopped being busy until
ho reached Oakland In safety, minus cloth
ing and money. For three weeks he lived In
tho refugee camp, nwaltlng a remittance
from his family In this city. Then, dis
gusted, he became a passenger de luxe on a
freight train for Los Angeles. But work and
money wore even scarcer there, 'and so ho
continued In hnphnzard fashion until Chi
cago was reached.
Thcro he became chef In a quick lunch
room for a week, but, having higher aspira
tions, ho started once again, this time for
Buffalo. There, too, work was unobtainable.
For two weeks ho managed to eke out a de
cidedly precarious living. One day, Just by
chance, ho sauntered Into tho postofilco and
Inquired nt the general delivery whether any
mall had been forwarded to hltn via Los
Angeles, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chlcngo,
etc. Thcro was, snld tho man. In tho letter,
which was from home, was nn express order
for $200.
Itltt says that ho dined that night and tho
after effects of that dinner will be his death
some day, but he doesn't care now, for ho
Is wed to that Philadelphia girl and has
more orders than ho can fill.
rt
I HAVE no ilesiro to claim credit for
the discovery, but I have found tho
champion fisherman, and he halls from To
ledo. His name Is Howard Welgle and ho
dates his fish story from Frankfort, Mich.
According to this modorn Iznak Walton, ho
went fishing near Frankfort during his va
cation in 1913. In tho course of tlmo he
hooked u hugo pickerel, which, nfter n long
struggle, got away. This summer Welgle
went to the same stream nnd dropped his
lino Into tho hole loft in the water by tho
dropping of the escaping fish. A cast was
made, a blto and Welgle had caught the
same fish, so ho says. In Its gill was fast
ened tho selTsamo bait which Welgle had
lost tho previous summer. Which proves
that, after all, some fish arc honest enough
to return things which do not belong to
them.
TAKING breakfast with a real, live Presi
dent Is undoubtedly an honor, but some
times there are drawbacks, as In thl3 In
stance. I had been In Johannesburg, South
Africa, for well nigh a year, when William J,
Leyds, Secretary of State, Invited mo to par
take of a frugal morning meal with Presi
dent Krugcr. So to Pretoria, the capital, I
went by stage coach, 35 miles In six hours,
and called upon the Staats-Sekrotner.
"I suppose 8 o'clock Is the breakfast hour?"
I asked.
"The President has a Cabinet meeting at
4 In the morning, so you'd better come half
an hour beforo that," replied Doctor Leyds.
Regretfully I retired, sleepily I arose,
dressed and went to the little cottage which
served for the Boer White House. It was
still dark, but the President, surrounded by
Generals Joubert, De Wet, Botha and Doctor
Leyds, was awaiting my coming. For ten
minutes Oom Paul cross-examined mo on
America: then Vrow Kruger brought hugo
bowls of stenmlng coffee and black bread,
covered with real creamery butter. And at
4 a. m. sharp tho Boer Cabinet went Into
session with prayer.
DO YOU recall thnt when you wont to
.school you were Induced to learn some
thing about Peter the Great and Catherine
and how wicked and cruel Catherino was?
Well, she wnhn't so bad as you Imagine,
for Diderot, the encyclopedist, says she was
not, and he knew. Desiring to provide a
dowry for his daughter nnd not having tho
means, Diderot decided to sell his magnifi
cent library. It came to Catherine's ears
and she sent for Diderot.
Thon she showed how cruel she could
really be when the occasion offered Itself.
Sho bought tho library at Diderot's own
price, made him tho librarian of her new
purchase nnd
Paid him 50 years' salary In advance!
IT IS a considerable step from Presidents
and Empresses to a mere Mayor, but
there was ono Mayor who was as autocratic
In his way as was Oom Paul or Catherine
the Into William J. Gnynor, whose last offi
cial words wero, "I have been Mayor." In
contradistinction to some of his predecessors,
who wero mcro tools of Tammany, Mr. Gay
nor was recklessly fearless In his outspoken
opinions. Ho cared not whom he hit nor
what tho consequences might be. Ono Inci
dent shows this clearly. Ho had been in
otllco two days when a friend called on him.
After the usual preliminaries, Mr. Gnynor
commented upon previous administrations
nnd their lack of common sense.
"My predecessor in this oilice was the
smallest man who ever sat in tho Mayor's
clmir!" thundered Mr. Gnynor, bringing his
first down on his desk. That predecessor
was George H. McCiellan, son of the Little
aeneral, who fought Tammany furiously
and was crushed beneath tho claws of the
tiger. Not that there was ever a breath of
suspicion of wrong against Mr. McCiellan,
but he played politics Instead of governing
the city and paid the price.
ONCE upon a time thero was a political
bobs In Philadelphia, and there are more
of them now. A reporter asked him one day
whether Jones, which wasn't his name, would
bo nominated for Congress,
"If WE think our opponents will win,
Jones will bo nominated; If WE think WE
will win, then I will bo named."
Jones was nominated. If this were a bhort
story or a play, Jones would have won, Just
to make a dramatic climax. But this being
ft true tale, Jones was everlastingly licked,
BRADFORD,
CURIOSITY SHOP
The famous Salic Law is .1 chapter In the
Saltan code regarding the succession to Salic
lands, which were limited to male heirs,
chiefly because certain military duties were
connected with the holding of those lands. In
the fourteenth century females were excluded
from the throne of Franco by the application
of the Salic Jaw.
"Jerusalem" Whalley walked from Dublin
to the Holy Land and back In one year, on a
wager of marly $lw.0Qo, a large sum in the
das of 17&&-VJ Being asked In Jest where
he n us going, he replied "To Jerusalem" and
then and there the wager was undertaken,
the condition being that tho Journey be made
on foot, save where It was necessary to take
a ship, lis started In 17S3 and finished in
Juno of tho following year, winning In addi
tion to tho money, tho sobriquet of "Jeru
salem." "Fleet marriages' wero so common In Eng
land at ono tlmo that botween October 19,
1701, and February 12, 1703, thero wero con
tracted 2954 marriages In Fleet prison, Lon
don, from ,whlch the ceremonies derived their
nnme. Twenty tn thirty couples were wedded
In a day, their names bolng concealed by pri
vate marks upon payment of an extra fee.
The first marriage net of 1753 stopped this
abuse,
Tho English word "lullaby" Is thought to
have a strange origin. It Is snld that Llllth
or Lllll.i, the first wlfo of Adam, according to
tho legend, haunted ttfo abodes of men, seok
Ing to kill their children. So when mothers
lulled their babies to sleep they exclaimed,
"Lllln, nbl!" ("Hcgono llllth"), fills being con
verted Into "lullaby."
IN A SPIRIT OF HUMOR
Why Exchange Editors Die
With n daring worthy of n better cause, tho
editor grasped his shears, adjusted his eye
glasses, and from the heap of newspapers
before him extracted the following gems:
Adolbert Fuller is back at homo from Pltts
flcld, where ho attends school on account of
Illness.
Ml?s Vera Castncr returned to tho hospital
In Grand Rapids after nearly two months'
vacation.
G. R. Clifton, Third, and Lowell Boncwcll
have gone to Grand Rapids, Minn., for a visit
with those who have gone beforo.
Hut Not for Father
LOTT-IIARDER
Caption of lluffalo wedding report.
Fair Warning
Maid at Country Hotel "Please, sir, will
you use tho hot water soon, as there's an 'olo
In the can?" London Punch.
Internal Strategy
For idiotic strategy why not havo tho
French name ono of their towns Ipecac and
let the Germans take It? It would bo all up
with them. Chicago Tribune.
A Burning Question
Parke Is your house Insured against fire?
Lane I don't know. I've Just been reading
over tho Insurance policy. Life.
For Home Industries
"What Is your opinion of our foreign rela
tions?" asked the patriotic citizen.
"They don't do you any good, replied tho
local politician. "What you want is a lot of
relations right hero In your own country
that'll vote the way you tell 'cm to. Wash
ington Star.
Wedded Persiflage
Miss Fluff Mr. Deepthought, do you think
marriage Is a failure?
Mr. Deepthought Well, tho brldo never
gets the best man. Judge,
International Diet
It Is reported that the animals of tho Ber
lin 200 havo been killed for food, whlcb
may explain why the Germans have latelj
taken to eating crow.
War Fever
I used to think that Jones was strong
Within tho law's domain,
But now I know that I was wrong
His forte's Alsace-Lorraine!
And Smith (another sudden blow)
His hobbles, I was sure,
Were golf and cigarettes, but no!
They're Brussels and Namur.
And Brown, so reticent beforo,
Now keeps waylaying mo
To mobilize whole army corps
Of words on strategy!
And Green, who thought tho one best bet
Was peace. Is now alas!
Continually storming Metz
Armed with a demi-tasse.
And Johnson but enough of spite!
Tho worst of all I nm.
For on a tablecloth last night
I drew a diagram!
New York Times.
The Inmiiry Courteous
Exasperated telephone subscriber (having
found six different numbers engaged)
"Well, what numbers HAVE you got?"
London Punch.
The Horrors of War
Ethel (In apprehensive whisper which
easily reaches her German governess, to
whom she Is deeply attached) Mother, shall
wo have to kill Frauleln? London Punch.
To Cover the Ground
The great American novel that
Tho nation still expects
Will have to bo, experts agree.
In 40 dialects.
Loulsvlllo Courier-Journal.
A Man and His Money
A Scot of Peebles said to his friend MncAn
drew: "Mac, I hear yo have fallen In love wl'
bonny Kate McAllister."
"Wee!, Sanders," Mac replied, "I wis near
vcrra near daeln' It: but tho bit lassie had nae
oilier, so I said to inaself, 'Mac, be a mon.' And
I wis a mon, and noo I Jlst pass her by." Ar
gonaut. The Retort Frosty
"I suppose, captain," said the Inquisitive
ocean voyager, "that tho passengers make
you dreadfully tired with the questions they
ask."
"Yes, Indeed," replied the captain. "What
else Is It you want to know?"
- ,
Funny
Turkey protests against the Jests in
American newspapers at her expense. If
Turkey will stay out of the war she will not
be a Joke. Washington Post.
Super-Optimist
"What a cheerful woman Mrs. Smiley Is,"
"Isn't she? Why, do you know, that wo
man can have a good time thinking what a
good time she. would have If she were hav
ing It." Boston Transcript.
STAIJN NOT THE SKY
Ye gods of battle, lords of fear,
Who work your Iron will as well
As once ye dirt with awoid and spear,
With rifled gun and rending shell
Masters of sen and land, forbear
The fierce Invasion of the inviolate air!
AVIth patient daring man hath wrought
A hundred years for power to fly,
And shall we make his winged thought
A hovering horror In the sky,
Where flocks of human eagles sail.
Dropping their bolts of death on hill nnd dale?
Ah. no, the sunset Is too pure.
The dawn too fair, the noon too bright!
For wings of terror to obscure
Their beauty, and betray the night
That keeps for man, ubove his wars,
Tho tranquil vision of untroubled stars,
Pass on, pass en. yo lords of fear!
Your footbteps in the sea are red.
And black on earth your paths appear
With ruined homes and heaps of dead,
Pass on, and end your transient reign.
And leave tho blue of heaven without a stain.
The wrong ye wrought will fall to dust.
The right ye shielded will abide;
The world at last will learn to trust
In law to guard, and love to guide.
The peace of God that answers prayer
Will fall like dew from the Inviolate air.
-Henry Van Dyke, In the New York Independent
DONE IN PHILADELPHIA
AN INSTITUTION that enters upon Its
91st year of activity, It seems to me,
might very well bo called Venerable,
but knowing the enterprising character of tho
Franklin Institute as I do, tho term vener
able does not exnetly fit. It Implies weakness
along with respectability; It seems to echo
the past. But, whllo 90 years ngo tho Insti
tute wits tho most progressive organization in
Its own field In this country, so It Is tho very
last word In modernity In sclcnco applied to
mechanics today.
And I write this Just because I had my at
tention called to the reopening of the school
of tho Institute Inst week.
I BELIEVE that probably holt tho popula
tion of Philadelphia, If asked, would con
fess to a belief that tho Institute was founded
by Benjamin Franklin. I do not know how
this idea got abroad, but I find thero Is a
strong Inclination to attribute to Franklin
oven more numerous achievements than ho
claimed for himself. But when It Is renllzed
that tho Institute Is only now entering upon
Its 01st year It will bo needless to nssuro any
ono that the Immortal Ben had no hand In
Its organization.
However, I feel sure that it was out of
compliment to tho valuablo contributions to
science mndo by Franklin that tho group of
young men who formed tho Institute took
"prldo In associating his namo with tholr
movement.
IN 1S24, when the Institute was formed, nn
Inspiring movement nmong young me
chanics spread over tho eastern part" of the
country. It led to the formation 1 f mechanics'
Institutes. I believe thero were several of
them In this city at the time. But It was
rather exclusive. Becauso of tho stringency In
their qualifications for membership, tho very
names of these organizations are forgotten,
but the namo of tho Franklin Institute Is
held In high repute by scientists all over tho
world.
Snmuel Vaughan Merrick, afterward ono of
Philadelphia's most noted Ironmasters, found
himself, as ho onco mentioned, tho owner of
a workshop nt 21 years, but without a me
chanical education or with scarcely a me
chanlcal Idea. Ho believed ho could Improvo
himself In order to properly superintend Ills
foundry If he could become a member of a
mechanics' Institute. Ho nppllcd for ndmls
slon to ono of them. But Mr. Merrick was
promptly blackballed, becauso ho was not aj
mechanic. Ho was nn employer.
v -
HE COULD not sny in 1824 what a man In
a similar position today could say; ho
could not tnko his rejection lightly and turn
his stops to a technical school. If ho could
not share the Information with those young
mechanics, ho must settle himself to learn
his trade and Its secrets by tho slow process
of observation In his own foundry. Mr.
Merrick did not choose to do that, but deter
mined to Interest others In the establishment
of an Institute that would be founded not
only upon more democratic principles, but
also would considerably expand tho original
Idea of mechanical Institutes.
THERE aro not mnny young men of 21
with tho force of character or the neces
snry Initiative, for organizing such nn asso
ciation. But young Merrick managed to
Interest such men as Matthias W. Baldwin,
who, It must be remembered, had not yet
built bis first locomotive; James Ronnldsnn,
tho typo founder; Dr. James Rush, who
founded tho RIdgway Library; William II.
Knoass and Samuel R. AVood, among others,
in his plnn.
Consider tho method by which those
organizers obtained an audlenco for their
meeting. They held It In what wo now nllude
to as Old Congress Hall, at Sixth and Chest
nut streets. They selected and sent Invita
tions to a list of 1500 names taken from tho
directory. Unless you realize that in 1824
there was no postal service such as we now
enjoy, you cannot appreciate the magnltudo
of this attempt.
Tho meeting was attended by a largo num
ber of young men, and within two weeks
thero were enrolled between 400 and 500
members.
IN ITS declared object to promote and en
courage tho mechanic arts tho institute
oven in its infant days was true. It held tho
first Industrial exhibitions In this country.
Small us thnso were nt tho start, they grad
ually became more Important, and for many
years were continued annually, attracting
manufacturers nnd Inventors from nil parts
of the United States. Tho exhibition tho In
stitute held In 1874 in tho old Pennsylvania
Ralhoad freight depot, on the site of Wnna
maker's, Is romembered with pleasure by
many Phllailclphians. Tho Electrical Exposi
tion which the institute held at 32d and Mar
ket streets in 1884 wns tho first universal
showing of tho mysterious new force that
the world had seen.
THERE aro half a dozen medals and pre
miums at tho service of tho Institute to
bestow upon inventors and discoverers, nnd I
need not tell you that they are prized far
above their monetary value by their winners,
who aro not always Americans. They nro
not bestowed until a committee, thoroughly
examines tho claims for tho Invention or dis
covery cnteied for tho prize, and the award
In Itself is proof everywhere of tho value of
the idea that Is accepted.
Ill tho weekly lectures and meetings of the
various sections of the institute each winter
the visitors will hear tho last word on tho
latest contributions to the mechanic arts.
I know of no Institution that Is so young
and modern in spirit and feels so llttlo tho
effects of nge when passing Its 00th birthday
as the Franklin Institute.
ORANVILLE.
Ethics and Politics
From the New York lltral.l.
Statesmen of past generations always sought
to conceal tho hand of the tax gatherer, but
our Washington colons of today, having cut
down the levy concealed In the tariff schedules,
seem determined to let every citlien know and
feel where the Federal Govrriment pinches him.
H's good thlcs. But Is it good politics?
THE IDEALIST
Every display of valor, from football to
warfare, brings out a curious trait In tho
human make-up. Shortly, the feeling tho
discussion, tho enthusiasm Incident to tho
present conflict will resolve themselves Into
a very definite human desire a deslro nt
old us time.
Tho moli wants a hero!
A contest proves listless unless It un
covers nn Individual star. A battle is only
a free-for-all unless a hero emerges
Few folks realize the tremendous 'part this
instinctive mob-craving has played in tha
eruptions of history. The Individual calm
and cool, away from tho crowd, well knows
that Just so long as the laurel wreath U
placed upon the brow of thos.0 that rnalm
and kill. Just so long will blood be spilled n
war. And ho abhors the reflection
But the mob spirit alters him. He be
comes a weakling. " ""
We have succeeded la educating the IndU
vidua! at tho hearth of his tiom6 to Ihn tW '
found wisdom of peace. Wo still hnv "St
our hands tho task of educating a coli?ii:rt
of Individuals, tho mob. cocctlon
Europe's dolugo of blood nnd palh ,m 1
develop only ono true hero. Ho will L vi1'
man who changes It to peaco. Ul4 i
TUB IDEALIST. J
VIEWS OF READERS
ON TIMELY TOPICS
Contrilmtions That Reflect Puhlic Ophv
jou on oiiujcms Aiiiporinnt to Cliv'.
State nnd Nation.
To thi r.Mlor of the Kventnu trdoer!
Sir-England did not envy Germany h6r wll'
earned commerce nor wns sho Jealous of n
many's army for defense, nor of Uermntiv
small but efficient navy. r'
But Germany violated tho neutrality of Bi
glum, and England, all at once, becamo horrl
fled nt such a breach of International faith
nnd declared war on Germany or rather 0
Germany's commorco nnd navy, primarily n3
on her army, but with less alacrity about
facing It. Why couldn't France, Russia ma
hor (Englntid's) numerous other nlllcs face lh.
Germnn cannon? She would rather th.
would, for Englishmen, would rather nt..
cricket nnd football than faco ennnon ..L
cnuse. n a"lr
Does England forget-tho world does not-n..
own crlmo at Copenhagen, In Napoleon's tlm
which the Japaneso nation used ns n preeenW
to excuse its nftnek on tho Russian fleet w ih
out a declaration of war or other wartime)
Has Englnnd forgotten, too, her part In it,
Pnoll, tho Cherry Valley nnd tho WvomlnJ
Valley massacres, nnd In tho battlo of hi
Cowpons, where no quarter wns given tha
wounded Americans, still brave, but too weak
to reslat their slaughter In cold blood?
And has England further forgotten her
prison ships in which many bravo American
patriots were doomed to starvation and death)
And Is It. ns a memorial to England's own
past good faith with other nntlons, that th
Hollander, the Belgian and tho Frenchman
her nearest neighbors aro alike always readV
to exclaim, with feeling of contcmnt 'm
thou perfidious Albion!" ' un'
Philadelphia, September 21, 1914. '
ENTITLED TO APPROVAL
To tho l'ditor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir Since tho first lssuo of your paper I
have tnkon It each evening and studied it with
Interest. Tho opposition that is made In your
columns to Penrose nnd nil that ho represents
Is of Itself enough to earn tho approval of
every right-thinking citizen In this boss-rlddn
Stnte. GEORGE Z. ILLINGTO.V '
Philadelphia, September 21, 1914.
STATE IS TIRED OF BOSSES
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir In mv vlow ihn Rtntn ,f li..t..,..i. ...-, ,
-.. -.. .... ..... ..u.v A .iiiioj 1, rtula IS
tired of Boles Penrose ns its representative
In tho United States Senate, and more tired
of n corrupt State Government known as
"Penroselsrn." Patriotic citizens want to de
feat both. The Evening Ledger will be o
powerful aid in that righteous work.
T. KITTERA VAN DYKE.
Harrlsburg, August 31, 1914.
WILL NOT VOTE FOR PENROSE
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir I have been a lifelong Republican, but I
won't voto for Penrose! And thero are a lot of
us who leei me snme way. it riles me when I
get out of tho State to hear the choice slurs
that are enst at tho quality of Pennsylvania
Republicanism which will nominate Coles
Penrose for United States Senator. But I have
to swallow the pill and reply, "Ho Is not elected
yet." L. C. DENISE.
New Kensington, Pa., September 21, 19H.
An International Police Force
From the Itlclimond Tlmes-DIspatch.
The war of nations in Europe has revived
tho tnlk of a combination of the forces of the
nations to police both land nnd sen, nnd keep
the peace among nations Just as our present
police forces ktep the peaco among Individuals.
Tho Idea Is an old one, but has never made
much progress until recently. Now even so
conservative n writer ns Henry Clews accepts
it, saying In his latest report that Its adoption
is necessary to permanent peace. It Is hardly
to oe suppcseil mat so radical a clinnge In cus
toms and tho point of view will be brought
about soon, If at all, but It Is certain that
without practical disarmament there can never
be a permanent peaco In Europe. If the war
result in that consummation. It will have been
worth while. If tho Powers that win Insist
upon It as a pieccdent necessary to the end
of the war, those f'owcrs will havo justified
their entrance Into It. If they do not. they will
havo to fight another war at some future time.
Let the President Alone
Trom the New York World.
This wnr Is not our war. We did not make It
nnd we cannot end It. If we mind our own busi
ness, however, we may be able to bmooth the
pathway to peace when blood and Iron ha8
determined the main Issues. If wo do not mind
our own business, we shall bo regarded as
Impertinent meddlers and shall have no Influ
ence for good whatever.
Tho President hns been petitioned enough and
nagged enough. He knows the situation better
than any of his self-appointed counselors. Ills
motives nro quite ns exalted ns those of his
volunteer advisers. Let him alone.
Looking Toward Peace Sunday
Trom the New Haven (Conn.) Journal-Courier.
We may well be .thinking during the comic
days how wo are going to make of "Peace Sun
day" something better than a perfunctory per
formance, something infinitely finer than mere
lip-service. To ndd to our supplications for
happier days an offering for the relief 0'
afflicted nations will put our religion to
practical and blessed use.
Asking Too Much
From the St. Louis Poal-Dlspatch.'
Apropos tho Incident of tho steamship Robert
Dollar, It may be remarked that, with all du
respect and rogard for England ns the land 01
Shakespeare, wo really cavvn't, you know, oil
chap, admit that tho Atlantic Ocean, or anf
other, is an English lake.
NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW
Mr. Roosevelt Is correct In announclnff that
bo Isn't a candidate. But wait until U"
Springfield Republican.
The railroads can hardly be so bad as "ftf
have been palmed, If President Wilson be
comes ono of their advocates. Baltimore Even
ing Sun.
In comparison with the present European
war, Caesar. Alexander and Hannibal
guilty of nothing more serious than illsoroerir
conduct. Kansas City Star.
The Government ought to show Its appre
und avail Itself of his capacity fpr '"rtj1" 8
service of tho same general kind Chariest" g
iicna uuu iuuiit:r.
Reports of the first football Injuries, broken
collar bones and tho like, cause small thrill w
piotest this year. Thero are too many '"
tilings going on behind the veil of the fcu'
pean censorship. Springfield Republican
One small, Imagined sigh from sweet Cor
delia, one fancied smile upon the HP' '
Imogen, one fleeting dream of Juliet from n
flnrmwr lannlnt, liplnira lTflnnil closer lu '
........... . , .,..,.-..... -"- n
D0)lft
COUli
land of ours, than Klnllng. Pinero,
Bridges and all thut list of authors ever
Chicago Herald.
The President's remark upon the acUvl''"
of certain professional Jingoes who are
crazy for peace that their program ' hl
practical and sl!y"-ls mildly true MJ "
might have said If he had been in "'-""r
would have been much more to the point-"'
York World.
Senator Burton's brilliant struggle ha b
amply lepald, and the admirable rules ana ,
toms of the Senate which made hi slaDab.,a
Justice to the taxpayers possible have
ubundantly Justified. New York Sun.
The British navy has done nothln ? .JT
Ing as the exploit of the German "-0Brf3Uf
One of the oldest lessons of human bw,
i .t i,.. . j ,, .,. inerfly-'' L
a mv tuny ui ueyiM jww -
York World.
j j.. ,j Aj..-..wr llfllmn
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