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EVENING LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1914.
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Geo. W. Ortm. Heeretftry ; John r. Martin, Treasurer
II. Lndington. FhMp 8. Collins, John S, Wl
Htw, Directory
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JfclvHAhBt' ftttetilltre Maltor
0, JMAnTlM .General foulness Maneger
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5ff TSttit ITO-A. Mr trepolltan Tower
CKltUe SlTHWtto Insurance Iluttdlnir
KWK 8 Watetloo Place, Pall Mull, 8. Vf.
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WAiaSior IlnnaAi; The 1'eU llulldlnS
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subscription teium
Arrty, fojUi.T Ostt, lx rents.
a of Philadelphia, except wh
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twenty-five. eenmt
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erlptloitii payable In advance.
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KEYSTONE, MAIN 3000
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PHILADELPHIA. SATUHUAY, 1WVEMDEII 21, 1914.
Cniel Humor of n Statesman
-, COUNCILMAN1 CHAItt.ES SKGEU Is too
KJ busy to look at pictures allowing typical
Scenes lit tho slum district, for Councilman
Hcgor, It seems, Is a humorist and a wit, ns
his acquaintances would havo discovered long
ago had they not taken him so seriously,
Yps, Jlr. Soger Is a humorist do luxe. Listen
to him whllo ho explains "without cracking a
srnllo that tho Legislature of Pennsylvania
did not know what It was doing when It
passed tho housing law, and tho 'Governor
was deluded when ho signed It; wherefore,
' that tho dignity of government may bo pro
nerved, ho and his fellow Councllmon, states
men extraordinary, will modify tho mensuro
and sco that Us "drastic" provisions do not
go Into effect,
A law which provides that every living
. room must havo a window Is obviously "dras
tic" And who oro tho poor that they should
ejepoct their roofs, when thoy havo tiny, not
tb leak? Really, tenement dwellers might bo
nblo to resist tuberculosis In habltablo quar
ters, and what would life bo without funerals
to break In on tho dull monotony? Mr. Segcr
reasons Hko a buzz saw nnd an undertaker's
assistant.
How different from Mr. Soger Is Mr. rtans
loy, presldont of Select Council! Mr. Ransloy
had tlmo to look at two pictures, but "re
fused to bo drawn Into print." Tho avoldanco
of publicity has becomo ono of tho greatest
problems with which our public mon havo to
contend. They will not "leak" even If tene
ment houses do.
A gentleman suggests that If somo of tho
Councllmen spent a few days and nights ln
flldo of tho houses In tho slums they might
quickly chango their minds. Such an ex
perience would bo Instructive, of course, but
order from tho Organization, wo surmise,
would bo ton times more effective.
Fair IJlay for City Employes
THAT the interest of Mayor Blankonburg
In tho city's omploycd Is equal to his In
terest In tho unemployed of Philadelphia Is
shown In a message to Councils. Tho Mayor
seeks tho passage of an ordinance providing
for tho payment of the regular wages of
per diem employes whenever they are absent
from work on legal holidays, or on account
of Injury or sickness, and providing also for
a -week'a annual vacation under pay.
In a further message ho requests legislation
Which would rellovo tho Society for Organiz
ing' Charity of tho financial burden of con
ducting tho two "Wayfarers' Lodges. In sup
port of this recommendation he urges that the
municipality lias dono too little In aid of those
temporarily out of employment.
Calling- upon Councils to pass tho ordinance
providlne for tho substitution of gas for gaso
line lamps, tho Mayor includes among the
reasons for Immediate action the fact that
digging the trenches and making tho plpo
connections would give employment to a
largo number of men now out of work. In a
variety of ways ho has shown tho same con-
"aideration for the laborers who need Jobs, or,
naving Jobs, need fairer treatment.
Osborne: "Warden Instead of Prisoner
TROUBLE-RIDDEN Sing Sing is to be put
In the hands of a practical student of
prison, reform. From gross mismanagement
which had brought rebellion among1 tho pris
oners, and very nearly complete demoraliza
tion, it is to turn to a reglmo of enlightened
, prison, management under Thomas Mott Os
fcorne. No gTeat prison in America has yet beon
, eiven such a trial of the "new penology" un
der so well reputed an advocate of prison
. reform. Mr. Osborne is mora than an acad
emician. Last fall he put himself through
n. week of imprisonment at Auburn to learn
the practical effects of discipline and punish
ment as then dispensed. Ho makes no con
cealment of his intention to alter a great deal
or tho antiquated and cruel routine of Slnff
Sing.
In the face of the demoralization in Sing
Sing at present, it will be no surprise if Mr.
Qsborno fails, Yet the fact that the "new
penolosy" Js getting anything but a fair trial
will mean only the mora credit for It if it
succeeds.
Suffragists to Play tho Game
UtrUltt0
F KT0W and then a political result Is obtained
- J.N by a spontaneous uprising of the people.
fiut wi a 2un gffiouuauuu ia ueoBtiimi io auc-
eeaa. Male reformers have not yet learned
that they must meet Byatein with system,
nd that great ends aro seldom achieved and
yirely retained by spasmodic or hysterical
;airts.
: -; Sagacious plans have . Just been made by
Suffragists of Pennsylvania to create an
- rjfanteatlon as thorough and effective as any
that the politicians have ever made. They
w(U raise $160,000 and assign duties to 60,000
iirra8B, The State will be divided into 13
"ltrits with 13 leaders. The 67 counties will
(eh have a ohalrmanj every city, borough,
swfwliip or rural district will be under an
eitfwtlve; each ward and wen eaah polling
tiiktelot will have a worker; indeed, the entire
iwifa voting population will be divided into
imlte tt 19. and eaah 19 men will have a suf-
itsW aU&ofetd whw duty It shall be ta
tiM the individuals and sew re thir
If thla plan la carried out the Issue
b in doubt.
The Crime of Being a Commuter
;iff CHAKLES LAWB could write as linuior
jL UU JMay upou "l'k iucocvHiiturvcan Arla-
:te $Mm Beats Ha4,u what coU4 U not
MJ uuou tb MtJet, "9b Otima at
CteouHuter'T Thousand eJWty maa
r)w miiMM & :
MKaHisEr'rflE MEH - '
LeKStV K2 -...s .-fcJ!.--si
country, bteauso of their own frayed nerves
and mined digestions, or because of tho
frailty of. their wires, or tho need of frosh air
and space for exercise for their growing chil
dren. Kveti where physical necessity has not
been laid upon them, a temperamental" con
straint has led them out Where they can hear
the birds and see green grass, and grow flow
ers and know that there are still stars In tho
sky. For years the railroads have encouraged
this trend.
Now the necessities of tho men who need
the heallnn of God's meat Unspoiled world
will be lined or their preference penalized.
No wonder they feel the Increase of rates to
bo utiJtiBt, and that thoy stand In rovolt
against the Imposition. For many of them,
particularly those who havo children who
must come Into tho city to school, tho In
crease Is big enough to blot out tho bluo sky,
wither the flowers and drive them back to
the Imprisoning tcnomenls of tho noisy, nar
row nnd beautllees streets. Tho country may
linger In their dreams, their hearts may hun
ger for It, but the rallrond toll will be an In
surmountable barrier.
The Cily Holds the Club
PHILADELPHIA Is now In a position to
establish adequate rapid transit fnulll
tiers Director Taylor.
Tho Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company
cannot survlvo the ruinous competition of an
Independently oporntcd nnd city-owned high
speed system. Such n solution of the problem
would wlpo out tho valuo of tho Union Trac
tion Company, destroy tho largo roventto yield
to Its stockholders and leavo Its property a
whlto elephant on Its handa".
To prevent so calamitous nn Issue, tho
Union Traction Company, through tho Phila
delphia Rapid Transit Company, Is offered
terms that protect It absolutely. Tho stock
holders nro not being nsked to sacrifice any
thing; on the contrary, they nro being urged
not to commit liarn-klrl.
So obvious nro tho benefits lo bo derived by
tho Union Traction Company from tho ar
rangement, and so apparent Is Its helpless
ness In enso tho city goes abend with tho
program anyhow, Hint the roluctnnco of cer
tain stockholders to participate In tho pro
posal can bo based only on tho assumption
that In somo way tho cntlro rapid transit
schema may bo defeated and Philadelphia
left for nnother decado with wholly Inade
quate transit facilities.
Such nn assumption Is absurd In view of
tho status of public sentiment. No Councils
would daro fall to meet tho people's wishes on
this Issue. By tho very forco of circumstances
tho city holds a club over tho Union Traction
Company, a club not of Us making, but nono
tho less real on that account. Tho Union
Traction Company faces tho alternative of
coming In or being frozen to death on tho
outside. Progress nnd prosperity nro forcing
themsolves down Us throat.
But why delay? Tho Union Traction has
had ample tlmo In which to decide Thoro
should bo no further hesitation. Tho city Is
restive. It wants to sco tho dirt fly; It wants
to sec tho beginning of tho Greater Philadel
phia. If the Union Traction Company docs
not act within a specified period, Councils
should Ignore It entirely and get down to
business.
Put a Full Cargo in the Orn
A CENTRAL committee In Now York an
nounces that 17,000 tons of food havo been
sent to Belgium, thnt 30,000 moro nro now
afloat, and that 40,800 are In sight. And yot
"In splto of tho subscriptions to tho Bolglan
relief funds, the efforts of tho Rockofellor
Foundation and of many other organizations
at work In the "West, Belgium cannot bo fed
at this pacp."
The terrible fact stares America In tho face
that tho stricken country will need half a mil
lion tons of food before spring. It Is no
tlmo for lying back on tho oars. One ship Is
gone, but tho second should bo flflcd quickly
and mndo ready for sea. Philadelphia must
bo truo to its traditions of two centuries of
wholesomo generosity.
Saving the Saloon From Within
mi
JLs
HE saloon3 must reform from within or be
so drastically dealt with by statuto as to
suffer something very closo to confiscation.
Nobody knows this better than tho saloon
men themsolves. Whllo California wlno In
terests plan a "clean-up" campaign, the Na
tional Browors' Association, In annual con
vention at New Orleans, speaks as unmistak
ably for measures of reform to savo the beer
trafllc.
President Schmidt, of Philadelphia, struck
tho keynote of tho meeting In his plea for
the "bier hallo" of Europe. The selling of
malt liquor Is a very different matter from
tho "boozo business"; tho drinking of beer
and alo, from the drinking of spirituous
liquors. Presldont Schmidt wants to seo tho
shutters, tho blinds and alloy entrances torn
away, tho saloon mado ns open and friendly
a place of general refreshment ns a soda foun
tain. Nothing elso will savo It.
Joy-tnkers From Fun-makers
HAPPINESS is tho inalienable right of
every one. Sorrow, sadness, gloom, pain
and misfortuno must come, but it wast never
the Intention of the Creator that thoy should
dominate life. The capacity for happiness,
always found In little children, should persist
through each succeeding ago. Men and women
who accept a melancholy theory of living and
only snatch a furtive Joy now and then are
wronging themselvos and others. To take tho
ills as exceptional and to bear them bravely,
but believing always that happiness belongs
by birth to all and is obtainable by all, is the
spirit each should cultivate.
Among the indispensable benefactors of hu
manlty, not the least are the fun-makers. We
can ill afford to lose one of them, especially
when his humor was so clean, healthy and In
vigorating as that of Robert Burdette. His
genial wit filled multitudes of homes with
wholesome merriment, and he pricked many
a bubble of human vanity with good-natured
satire. The man who teaches others to see
the beauty and feel the Joy of living has made
a distinct contribution to his age.
If Mr. McAdoo 1 elated over the new cur
rency system, isn't that satisfaction enough
for the rest of the country?
Anybody can guess whleh part of Napo
leon's earr Villa Is thinking of as he
marches on Waxioo City, taking n Carrania's
ex-soldiftni on the way.
Th weather of the pat 24 hours has hen
spaetaular from tho profewional point of
view, at any rate. The South went 1 far
p freoaliur ". aaA white PWtadsJnhJa sut
feredwltb br, SaMport, Me., shot up to
H and Beyr to K ,
Chair aunt Cw thinks the Republican Or
ganisation needs bin'nUu mug in Penn
sylvania. Hector brumuduvn replies by ask
in hW CitlwajT ConintiUe ty continue la of
ftce in order to givo bint the Utckin of a
mmS 1idMant Santo. Ha may need it a
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BiastsOHHiv
SUBURBIA, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE,
IN ALL ITS INFINITE VARIETY
Living in the Open a Professorial Cure for Slums and a Pleasant Personal
Dissipation Will the Futuro Sec One Big City or Ono Big
Suburb? Tho Endless Joys of "Roadtown."
By KENNETH MACGOWAN
HOltACK, so far as we moderns can learn,
never commuted. Ho loved his Sabine
farm with tho passion of a denizen of. the
Main Lino. Luxurious as It was, it rejoiced
In no moro of "all tho modern conveniences"
tlinn any dwelling in Jcnkliitown or Cynwyd.
Vet ho did not dosort It dally for tho marts
and thentrcs of Rome. And so Micro was no
commuters' crisis In thoso days over a
threatened ralso In railroad rales.
But it tho commuter and his problems nro
a very modern matter, thoy nro Important
and absorbing In Invorso ratio to their ngo.
Whllo tho ordinary citizen feels that ho
wants a bit of open nlr nnd acts on that
feeling, tho professors aro busy backing him
up with the best of reasons. University stu
donts can toko no course In city government
without a lengthy disquisition on tho evils
of urban housing conditions and tho neces
sity of drawing tho poor out Into the suburbs
by lowering tho transit rates and increasing
tho facilities. Somo of tho professors find
themselves Indorsing municipal ownership
as a means of bringing down fares and di
recting, dollberntoly and wisely, the planting
of tho human snpllugR out In the open where
there Is a real clmnco of lite.
At this point, hoWovcr ns tho professors
nro forced to admit tho real cstnto man
steps in. If ho owns property in tho slums,
ho objocts to tho city "going In for rnnk
paternalism." If ho owns property In tho
suburbs, ho puts up his prlco when rapid
transit brings Ills' land into hnbltnblo rango.
Meanwhllo tho city has to faco tho fact that
it has reduced tho assessed valuo of Us own
urban nrea, nnd Increased that of outsldo
villages. Not every city Is rfo luclty ns Phila
delphia In having largo portions of tho
"suburbs" within Us own limits.
Comfortnblo Country Life
But what docs tho commuter care? Tho
man who discovers that ho wants a llttlo
clean air lo breath or a bit of garden to
chnso tho bugs off, sets himself down by tho
sldo of a railroad or tho end of a subway,
and enjoys' life. His Is tho pleasure of green
things and a look-off. Ho can mess round
with a bit of land and produce n string bean
crop or a tennis court. Over there a mllo
away ho has a golf courso. If ho owns a
car, tho Inviting country roads run right up
to his door. And at night ho sleeps after ho
gets used to tho unearthly quiet.
Just now sleeping porches aro stylish as
well ns hygienic. But nils' tlmo tho stylo
seems to bo the result of a genuine liking,
nnd tho ends of sclenco nro secured by tho
ordinary prejudices of man for making him
self comfortable. Tho suburbanlto tries tho
screen porch somo hot summer night, and
after that ho is an open-air victim. His re
sistance to tho bad atmosphere of the a-er-ngo
bedroom is so broken down that ono
night Indoors means a "head" in tho morn
ing. Even tho city fellow Is beginning to
try It. Tho result in health well, aslc any
specialist In lung troubles.
Social Sides
Of courso there aro drawbacks. Butchers
and grocers and even department stores
aren't so easy to get at. Schools and doctors'
nre a llttlo of a problem. Worse still, all
that communal fellowship of the city goes
glimmering. Man loses a bit as a social
animal. Certainly, theatre-going Is placed
under n handicap. MusoumS nnd libraries
aro not to be so easily enjoyed. Thoy are
Btlll accessible by long distance, if only tho
wholo population doesn't movo out or If
thoso who remain aro good enough to pay
for these luxuries of tho commuters. But It
is such things, as well as tho still laggard
transit facilities, that givo the city Us charm.
Back in Centennial days, somo now name
less person took tlmo by tho forelock with a
Utopia that pictured something very closo
to present suburban development. He had
airships ornamenting tho skies and supple
menting tho trains, and ho didn't dreani,
with Director Taylor, of high-speed subways.
But In the main his outlines were right. He
drow present-day Philadelphia.
In tho same way, a lot of peoplo nowadays
are busy with tho future of suburbia. The
results are delightfully and encouragingly
diffuse. Somo of them seo a reaction to the
cities again. Water-mado olectrlclty will J
CURIOSITY SHOP
Tho result of careful observations mado
nt battlefield hospitals by ono of the lead
ing surgical authorities of tho French gives
tho relative frequency of wounds not In
stantaneously mortal ns: Slight, 60 per
cent; sorlous, IB per cent.; vary serious, 25
per cent. Tho experience of recent wars
shows the head and the right nrm as tho
most frequent lodging places of projectiles.
Collop Monday is tho Monday before
Shrove Tuesday. The namo refers to the
dinner which In somo parts of England Is
almost universal on that day. It Is cus
tomary to have collops of bacon and eggs
for dinner. Go into somo districts In Eng
land at dinner time on Collop Monday, nnd
you will be sure to be saluted by the smell
of fried slices of bacon and eggs.
The expression "sardonic smile" Is as old
as Homer. It means literally to "grin like
a, dog," and bears reference to the hideous
contortion of tho facial muscles produced
by eating the sardonlan, a plant of Sicily,
which was said to screw up the face of the
eater, giving It a horrible appearance.
Mahan, In his "History of England," says:
The island of Sardinia, consisting
chiefly of marshes or of mountains, has,
from the earliest period to the present
beon cursed with a noxious nlr, an Ill
cultivated soil, and a scanty population.
The convulsions produced by Its poison
ous plants gave rise to the expression
of "sardonlo smile," which Is as old as
Homer.
"To meet one in the Duke's "Walk." This
is an Invitation to fight a duelt In the vi
cinity of Holyrood House, Scotland, there Is
a place called the Duke's Walk, bo called
from 1U being the favorite promenade of
the Duke of York, afterwards King James
II, This walk Is said to have been the com
mon rendezvous for settling affairs of honor,
as the slta of the British Museum was in
England.
TOE coanc SINGEH
The Veil before the mystery of things
ihall stir for him with iris and with light;
ntiiana mhall have no terror in his slzht i.
Nor earth a bond to chafe his urgent winss
Wltn sanaais pesii irom w womw vi k"S3
tifea.ll he tread down the altars of their nleht,
And stand with SUenee on her breathless
height
To baar what song the star of morning sings.
With perlshtd beauty in his hands as clay,
MhaU lie rsstora futurity its dreani.
Behold hu feci shall ttXa a heavenly way
Of uhurlc silver and of e banting lira,
TlU in his hands unsbspta plaaals 1uh,
StW murmur froas tha XJoo and the km-
$ Stafhax jptfaaO the BflE aad
UyMHiJ.
Jt
oust tho smoko nuisance. Commercial life
will settle down to a less hurried way..
There will be more time and appreciation for.
the theatre, museum, lecture hall and library,
upon which bo much of civilization rests.
Some, llko Lady Warwick, building on
swift and practically free transit In what
they call the Great Stato of tho future,
expect tho cities to disperse -into many
smaller towns, wllh a very closo interrela
tion, By this means they expect to seo the
advantages of city llfo tn education and
amusement brought to every one's door, even
to the farmer's, and the city population put
within reach of the fields', Everybody will
Hvo in towns nnd everybody will live in
suburbia.
Philadelphia With Forty Millions
Another "dlffuslst," H. O. Wells, goes oven
further. These "railway-begotten giant
cUIcb" aro "destined to such a process of
dissection and diffusion as to amount almost
to obliteration." Philadelphia ho thinks,
will reach forty millions: but, by aid of
wider gaugo and much swifter railroads, as
well as motor ways, It will be spread over
somo thirty thousand Bquaro miles. Facto
ries will not congregate In ono spot. Such
business! ns book publishing and a hundred
other smaller enterprises will bo operated,
by tho aid of cheap telephone and messenger
sorvlco, from suburban houses. Tho "city"
that remains will bo a centre for great stores
and tho fountain head of recreation: "essen
tially a bazaar, a great gallery of shops and
places of concourso and rendovouz, a pedes
trian place, Us pathways reinforced by lifts
nnd moving platforms, nnd shielded from tho
wenther, and altogether a very spacious,
brilliant and cnlortalnlng agglomeration."
Ono can't help feeling, howover, that there
Is a flaw In Mr. Wells' telescope" It produces
nn nffoct of magnification. Railroads of tho
futuro may run with tho speed of 200 miles
an hour, but that- enforces, rather than
alters, tho fact that suburban llfo will ray
out llko tho spokes of a wheel In long lines,
spreading rapidly away from ono nnothcr.
High speed prevents branching: both by tho
Imposslbllty of Btops and Blowings down nnd
by tho fact that there must bo very thickly
nettled strips alorgslde Ho terminals to
mako It pay financially. Every mllo out
from a city means great areas between tho
few spokes of transportation, nnd thoso great
areas, If filled, becomo virtual cities' in them
solves. If mon then find themselves living
In tho crowded llfo that they once left tho
cities to avoid, nothing on earth will prevent
them from becoming permanent commuters
to tho Middle West.
Tho Shoestring City
Still another vision of futuro suburbia has
como out of tho last few years. More re
mnrkablo than any of the rest, and far moro
bizarre and Impossible-appearing on tho faco
of it, Edgar S. Chambloss' "Roadtown" docs
take notice of that tendoncy of rapid transit
to distribute population In straight lines.
Indeed, his scheme seems to havo gono mad
on tho subject. For It Is nothing more nor
less1 than a city ono houso thick nnd as long
ns a river. Yot Edison has donated his
cement-pouring patents to Roadtown and the
Boyos Monorail has offered Itself os tho
moans of transportation.
Tho practical part of tho proposal Is )to
build these Roadtowns out from tho edgo
of a great city; tho Inventor's ideal of seeing
it wrlgglo endlessly over hill and dale a city
In Itself may bo dropped for the moment.
Mr. Chamblcss proposes a sort of Intermina
ble row of houses end to end, with a high
speed and local subway In thp basement,
nlong with sewage, water, gas and electric
ity, with factories, stores and common dining
rooms on tho first floor, apartments abovo,
and on tho long roof n promenade and
bicycle path. With all the services of tho
city within, It will havo tho fields and woods
of tho country stretching beside It, clear to
tho next Roadtown. Mr. Chamblcss proposes
to wed tho city apartment and the farm
house. Tho hopes of suburbia cannot go
farther.
Meantime, Philadelphia makes a dash for
the 6:03 or hangs to a strap for throe-quarters
of nn hour with a hopeful eye on
Director Taylor.
HUM OF HUMAN CITIES
"Tho biggest business In Los Angeles" la
what tho Los Angoles Express calls the city
government. Tho biggest employer, tho big
gest purchaser, tho largest agency for pro
moting the health, safety and convenience of
tho people, the greatest educational insti
tution, the greatest provider of recreation
the greatest owner of land, buildings and
equipment, the greatest builder of material
works in this community is the city govern
ment Itself,
Six million dollars from the general treas
ury and four millions moro from Bpeclal as
sessments were expended last year to fur
nish water, clean streets, inspect milk, con
struct sewers and perform the hundreds of
other kinds of special service that make ud
what wo vaguely think of as the government
of tho cltyr
To perform this service 4000 officials and
omployes are engaged in the 80 or more
departments and bureaus. To arrange the
work of this vast army; to assign definite
duties to each employe and each group of
employes; to relate properly the work of
each to that of all the others; to prevent
overlapping, duplication and confusion of
duties and authority; to establish standards
of service and distinct lines of responsibility
these problems require tho highest type of
ability in management.
Such problems will not solve themselves.
So long as they remain unsolved there wilt
be lost motion, waste and Inefficiency in the
city's management.
The fact is, however, that there Is no cen
tral officer or authority whose business it
is to mako these adjustments; to insure the
smooth running of the municipal machinery.
The result Ib Just what It would be in any
business .enterprise run without a well de
vised ane! well-managed business organiza
tion. Of the $10,000,000 a year spent by the
city, It la safe to say that 10 per cent.
Jl.000.000 Is absolutely wasted.
In private business, a ten-mllllon-dollar
business would Justify the employment of
trie highest ability obtainable In the man
agement. The difficulties and technical
problems Involved in city government are in
no way different from those commonly dealt
with In private business. And yet the city'a
organization for doing business la unsys
tematic, incomplete and defective In moat
glarlntr ways.
CRISES IN GREAT LIVES
The career of AlelbJadea, the Athenian, is
one of the most fascinating in all the Greek'
annals of heroes. Handsome and rich and
ambitious he waa, and undoubtedly arrogant
and headstrong. But he attached to him
self the popular affectum which waa so
Mceeeary at Athena, aad eves when he lost
It by his revUeeaiMMui be NimUad an tmnor
Jat $xm fc H ?" aIrjt was aftar
gB-Sln&iiSE
hs had been exiled from Alhetfs that he
showed himself n great man.
Ho had gono to live with TIsaphernes,
tho Persian satrap. Still friendly to the
Athenians, ho arranged to help them ny
keeping TIsAphcrnes from attacking tnetn.
His secret negotiations were not kept in
confidence; Intrigue after Intrigue threat
ened to placo a pries on his head among
Persians and Greeks alike. Alclblades was
too gaily impudent to worry about this.
Athens had, at his Instigation, jmade Itself
into an oligarchy. Then it repudiated him.
It was enough to mako a merely selfish man
tho enemy of his country forever.
Not so with Alclblades. Ho was called to
Ramn ntirl nulnrl in land Ihn I1A.VV flGTalllSt
tho Athenians. Suddenly exalted by tho
!-,,.. r.f l. ,,.llll..,1 nt,lnff nmlllrl hflVO
:: j.': "" '.'.v"v .u" .r.";" r- ,iT,,t,i r
UtCIl IIIU1U UtlLUIill I HUH llltlV IJ --
his head and make tho attack. But he re
fused. His wholo future was nt stako, but
ho resolutely turned hln face against tho
attack on his country. Ho knew that onco
ho sailed ho would disrupt Athons and mako
all Greece a prey for Sparta and Persia. It
was Alclblades alono who prevented Buch a
disaster, and tho fact that ho did It ngalnst
his own natural Inclinations adds greater
glory to his name. Inaction was tho course
of Alclblades in a crisis fraught Hvlth dlro
possibilities for all Greece. And inaction
was bettor thanxuiy action would have been
in that crisis. U
VIEWS OF READERS
ON TIMELY TOPICS
ContrihutionsThat Reflect Public Opin
ion on Subjects Important to City,
State and Nation.
To th$ EdUnr of tH Euenln? Lcdptri
Sir Goodwill and gratltudo nlone stir the
hearts or tho honest citizens of Philadelphia
toward Mayor Blankcnburg in Ills gallant cru
sailo against corrupt municipal politics, nnd
his term ns Mayor of Philadelphia will slilno
resplendent In the annals of this city, n beacon
light of hopo to thoso who may In after yearn
grow weary In tho fight for honest govern
ment. It was loyalty to thin sentiment and not any
baser reason, as Intimated by tliftso Interested
in giving a wrong impression of her addrtiss,
which actuated Mrs. .1. V. Thomas, president
of the County Suffrage Society, when alio asked
for a confereiH'o of tho Mayor, His Honor's
Cabinet, clergymen Interested In organized
charities ami members of Select and Common
Councils to force the Issuo on the question
which had been hurled by sinister Influences
In hypocritical rcproiichfulncss nt Mayor
Blaukcnburg, viz., the forced unemployment
of thousands, who, In all sense of civic respon
sibility In thoso who control municipal gov
ernment, havo tho right to expect somo action
for speedy relief. .
"I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke.
But hero 1 am to speak what I do know."
At tho conference the County So
ciety's prcoldent expected to meet Ills Honor,
the Mayor's Cabinet. Select nnd Common
Councils, clergymen Interested In organized
chanties nnd nowBpniicr men. Nor did sho re
ceive any Information which would have made
known to her tho fact that there wero not
present representatives of all tho bodies whom
clic had Invited to bo present. It was to this
nudlcnce her petition wns addressed. For, out
Blila of Mayor Illankcnburg, Mrs. Thomas wns
not nwaro of tho Identity of the other gentle
men present. So it was not only unjust but
untrue to construe her petition Into nn attack
on the Mayor, nnd In thlo matter Mrs. Thomas
was not "lll-advlscd," as ono woman crltlo
says, but serenely persuaded sho was In tho
right. Sho may bo accused of ultra-enthusiasm,
"yet enthusiasm Is tho genius of sincer
ity, the real nllegory of the luto of Orpheus,"
and without tho agency of the surrounding
atmosphere oven tho luto of Orpheus had ac
complished no magical result; but neither can
moralists "with axes to grind" nor the merely
vulgnrly Insolent sway the crltcrlons of cour
ngo and character to any othnr decision than
that tho courso she took was tonic to tho
apathetic stuto Into which tho question was
drifting, tho history of human achievement Is
tho record of conflict.
I would further add that In the action taken
In tho recent meeting of certain officers of the
County Society on tho only courso left open
for Mrs. Thomas by thoso misrepresentations,
her letter of resignation, neither tho sentiment
of tlio majority of the Executive Committee
nor tho Society as a body was represented.
Philadelphia, November 10. SUFFRAGIST.
ERROIt OF THE ADMINISTRATION
To tho Editor of tho Kvtnino Ltdaer:
Sir It Is a principle of true democ
racy that a buyer should be as untrammoled
nB a seller. Yet Attorney General Gregory pro
posed a clinrgo of "Conspiracy" becauso cotton
seed was selling nt half tho price of last year.
Should cotton seed sell high bocauso it is prin
cipally used by the people? Tho Jacobins of
the French 'Revolution were tho first to try
with wheat to regulato prlco by law. The
Standard Oil, In Now Jersoy, was to be pur
sued for lowering tho price of oil again In
the Interest of tho peoplo. I3urke held that
"lawyers nro naturally bud statesmen." Mr.
Wilson began as a lawyer, and If ho wishes to
forco tho people to pay high prices It may bo
because, as Jeremy Bentham says, the "opin
ion of lawyers is- that cheap Justice la bad, nnd
dear Justlco good."
Montaigne says, "Tho world's errors nre
chiefly grammatical," and tho Clayton anti-trust
act Is mostly remarkable for Us "split infin
itives." Yet tho first administrative measure
after its passago was a Government cotton pool.
Thus confirming Montesquieu: "Of what use
in law? Almost all cases are hypothetical and
outside of a general rule."
LESLIE. CHASE.
Atlantic City. November 18.
PAYING FOR THE RAILROADS
To the Editor of th Evening Ledger:
Sir The commuters who aro organizing to
protest against tho raise In passenger rated are
wasting their time. They should not direct
themselves to the railroads, but to that group
of hard-headed Individuals now sitting In Wash
ington as the Interstate Commerce Commis
sion. Let them go there and mako their plea,
not for restored passenger tariffs, but for an
equitable freight tariff, which will permit the
railroads to do their business on a profitable
basis. If the Commission had shown sense last
July and awarded tho Increase asked for, there
would not be this Intolerable condition of af
fairs. Somo one has to pay for the railroads.
PANTAGRUEL,
Philadelphia, .November 19.
WANTS J3ETTER TRANSIT SERVICE
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger: -.
Sir In connection with the proposed tralse
of railroad rates for commuters, It Is distress
ing that Philadelphia should have suah poor
ccnnectlons with its suburbs. For e. distance
of five and a half miles we must rldo either
3(t "minutes or more on the surface cars, or
else take a train coat Ins: 11 cents. Compare
tnis situation wnn jiew low, wnero you can
ride a similar distance in the subway for E
tonts within about 20 minutes. Would it be
possible for Philadelphia to learn something
from her neighbor, or might she not be a bit
original and try a municipal undertaking- as a
real public service?
JOHN UNDERHILL.
Wayne Junction, November 19.
AUTO LINES TO TIIE SUBURBS
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger t
Bt- In some parts of tho country automo
blle busses aro being operated in lieu of trol
leys or as competitors to trolleys. Would It
not be quite feasible for some of the suburban
placaa to eatanlUh suoh routes In competition
with the railroads that have so unjustly raised
the oommutars,' rates?
GRIFFITH THOMAS.
Philadelphia, November 80.
Open Wall Streot
From the Vtm Ywk un.
Thsre s goad hope for lh speedy openlna
nf all tho Bxehaaaas. The first etsp has been
taken and presently, when the euess of the
experiment la established, the linanolal world
will be ready for another. The consummation
to be reached Is the resumption of trading on
the Stock' Exchange so that fluidity may be
restored lo iuvc&tiuitu securities and lh values
tUty revreeaut UntU this occurs business and
finance uiuat roiutlu senouate hampered and
eoUBXled The event t Mr Mwre nearly la
' i1? . V" ? fcaiiae
Knti illn Ii 1 1 il tv Wsa guuBMeasBhsMikm ,. A
w !i4t by
avert a paaje.
I SCRAPPLE
Hollo Learning to Work
finis dav when Rollo was about 9 yfi"
otHlM'Sald to nollrt matter gat
It was about tlmo that tho boy was uegm
"'when atearfthls. livery-.
plcasd, and so expressed himself. Because.
If there was anything J",4"0'? I ,,- it
foods which ho liked less than ll tho teA"
was salt. Therefore, ho reasoned wltii mm
self, if 1,1s salt waa all ho was wPft'cd
earn, ho could amass enough of that to m
him all his life, mere y by work ng between
' Wl JJ n "hc0 was tired of thinking what
times, WI1CH "" "J " . .,
i io woum into
3 WOUIU 1IKO ID V'V-S " - ,1,-Knfnr,.
ivin,n,i) divine nil his reasons, therefore.
Hollo said to his father that he wfj
glad indeed It was tlmo for him to earn hlH
salt, an ho thought, perhaps, ho might uo
less of It If ho had to earn It.
His father looked nt him earnestly for a
tnomenn as though ho was undecided
whether to reply to his ltl ""Jj-mMK-o
Bomothlng. He decided upon '0tift'!;cf11aJl"
nnd bndo Rollo company lilm.--l' rom
"Chimes From a Jester's Dells," by tho into
Bob' Burdette.
The Siren
There was a man named Jacques Do Hntnm,
Who snug so very well,
To henr his volco the festive clam
Would crawl out of Us shell.
Once, as ho sang pathetic songs
In earshot of tho deep,
An oyster ducked the catcher's tonga
And camo ashore to weep.
But sllll ho sang in doleful tone,
This operatic lubber.
Until tho ocean wavo did moan
And e'en tho wlinlo did blubber.
Double Trouble
"Spell your name!" eald the clerk sharply.
Tho wltnoss began: "O, doublo T, I, doublo
V, E, doublo L, doublo " ,
"Waltl" ordered tho clerk; "begin again.
Tho witness repeated: "O, doublo T. I. dou
ble U, E, doublo L, doublo U, doublo O
"What is your name?" Mkctl tho Judge,
"My namo, your Honor Is Oltlwoll Wood,
nnd I spell it O, doublo T. I. doublo V, E. dou
ble L, double V, doublo O, D." Ladles' Homo
Journal.,
A Certain Supply
"Why, man, you enn't raise chickens on
ground llko this. It's nil rocks."
"I know what I'm doing. Brown hna clear
ed tho adjoining lot for a truVk patch.
Buy a Mine and Help tbc Consumer
Somo of tho Mayors at tho recent confer
ence tried to piungo tncir cities uuo huuu in
teresting occupations ns buying lco cream
cones. Why not purchnso a mlno Instead and
pcddlo coal at something near producing
cost?
Watson, tho Needle nnd Thread
I found a button in my hash,
But when my lro I loud expressed.
Tho waiter said my words wcro rash,
Tho beef tho cook had used was dressed.
Well Done I
It is told of a group of actors that thoy
wore onco nt tho Lambs' Club on a rainy day
and vero feeling very blue. There wasn t a
smllo in tho place.
Wllllo Collier, tho comedian, camo In, breezy
nnd cheerful as a spring lady, and looked
nbout. Georgo M. Cohan wns scowling. David
Wnrflcld looked llko tho third act of ono of
his plays. , ,
"How nre you?" Collier asked Leo Dletrlch
stcln. "Rotton." , . ,
Collier wont on nnd asked Richard Carlo
how ho felt. "None of your business," was
tho reply. Seeing that the glooms had como
for keeps Collier looked about nnd then with
an air of profound relief ho said:
"Well, I'm glad to seo tho Ink-well."
Somo dayw later an English friend was tell
ing tho story of this occurronco to Georgo
Arllss, nnd when ho camo to "Woll, I'm glad
to seo tho ink-pot," ho didn't seo why "Dis
raeli" refused to laugh.
Close on Its Heels
First Father What? Your son is an un
dertaker? Why, I thought you said ho was
a doctor.
Second Paternal Rolatlvc No; I said that
ho followed tho medical profession. Harvard
Lampoon.
Allies
Somo notion of tho harmony with -which
Generals Joffro and French work together
may bo gained from tho following discovery
by J. W. B.:
;JOFFRE :
PRE NCH :
That Is, they work together, either offens
ively or defensively. St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Tho New Contraband
Macsle Teyte. tiny song-bird, Is back
Europe and without her riding- breeches,
lritlnns crot them no fttie Bays. Nawi item.
from
Hark to tho press agent, gleefully gubbllng,
"Poor Miss Teyto Is back from tho war;
Back from tho war and nngrlly bubbling,
'I can't go out riding ain't it a bore?' "
Why did tho Uhlans captu-a her breeches?
What had breeches to do with their fight T
List to tho tiny songbird's screeches:
"They took 'em they took 'em, because
they were Teyto."
The Tortnro of Silence
"I did not think I should live to toll It.
"How you must havo suffered!"
Another Siamese Twins Evidently
For Sale An electric suitable for a lady
with two bodies in good condition. Sign on
Woodward avenue, Detroit.
Tho Popular Course
The way of tho transgressor's hard
(At least I've heard them say);
The path's been packed down, yard by yard,
By others on their way.
A Rejection Slip
Tho Editor's Daughter No, Mr. Perkins", X
can never be yours but tho rejection of a
man does not necessarily imply that ho Ih
lacking in merit. Any one of a number of
reasons may render you unsulted to jny
present uses. Life.
The Tailor Wins .
Now, the careless young man's fancy
Sadly turns bsfck to the spring.
When he bought a suit, and on It
Paid the tailor not a thing.
Now he needs an outer garment.
When the blizzard starts to blow;
But tho pallor, when he orders.
Mutters, "Pay up what you owe,"
"
The Babbling Fool
Emerson, who occasionally said things he
hardly meant, onco wrote an epigram to tho
general effect that Heaven forgives every
thing except awkwardness. This Is a vary
true saylntr, because It Indicates how much
more Important manners are than morals.
Morals can be taught, but manners must bo
inherent in a mans soul.
It la very easy to be good, hut very hard
tp bo graceful, if ono isn't naturally pos
sessed of grace, A man may laa4 a wicked
life and reform, but there is no case on
record where a man led a Ufa lacking lri
"it3f ft? rf,rormedV -Children often are
"awful llttlo llara" when they are young,
yet grow up to be even stupidly truthful--they
can t tell a lie even when they should.
Whereas children who do not know how to
stand like Greek statues, or who. insist on
walking bow-legged whan they are young;
never grow np to look like Apollo. This U
very bad for morals, but H is true.
The consequences of this profound and
overwhelming revolution In our Ideas of
w i?l ls ?" what isn't Important hTllfa.
will be above all, that we will stop tiiuhlna
gaud, who wiu, efSrsir cZZZZLri'l
rac of mttfig! SSffiVi
important th
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