Evening public ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, January 23, 1915, Night Extra, Page 8, Image 8

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VVBl.tG LEDGER COMPANY
CtnUB It. K. 9UIWI8, Ttmtnut.
. John 0. Martin, Treasurer! Charles It. Ludlngton,
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CLASS 1UIL WATTO.
fniLADELTUIA, SATUItDAY, JANUARY 33, 1916.
The Itggcst thing any man can do Is the build-
in a of hla own character, and ho
can never get through
doing that.
Cut the By-laws From tho Constitution
NOW that talk of a constitutional conven
tion has begun and plans for It aro tak
ing shapo every citizen Interested In tho free
government of tho Common-wealth should de
mand that tho revision of tho Constitution bo
radical
It la now a mass of legislation tying tho
hands of this elty and of overy other con
siderable community. Regulations Intended to
cover local and changing conditions havo
been embalmed in tho fundamental law, Pa
tronago grabs, devised by political machin
ists, havo tho sanction of constitutional au
thority. Petty courts which tho city Itself
hould havo tho power to creato or destroy,
have bean fastened on this community by the
chains of an amendment to tho Constitution.
All this sort of thing should bo cut out of
the document when a constitutional conven
tion meets. All that Is needed Is a broad
groundwork of fundamental principles of
government guaranteeing to tho peoplo of
tho Commonwealth tho greatest liberty In
managing their own affairs. Tho number
of constitutional offices should bo reduced
to tho lowest minimum consistent with a
proper division of tho functions of govern
ment between tho legislative, cxecutivo and
judicial branches. Tho General Assembly
should havo full power to creato such other
offices as tho exigencies demand and It
Bhould have control over the detail of all leg
islation within tho four corners of tho prin
ciples of popular government laid down In a
new and simplified Constitution.
There are broad-minded men in the Btato
who understand this great need. There are
public-spirited citizens of Philadelphia who
have had experience with tho cramping and
constricting provisions of tho present doc
ument when they sought to frco the city
from some of the abuses of machine rule.
' They are expected to use their Influence to
secure a real Constitution and to persuado
the politicians, who seem at present to be
thinking more of a revision of tho hampering
by-laws than of drafting a real fundamental
law, that they aro making a mistake from
tho point of vlow of their own Interests, to
say nothing of the interests of the Common
wealth as a whole. There Is legal ability
' enough In the State, and political wisdom
enought to draft a model Constitution for
submission to the voters. If this ability is
not used In this -way the voters themselves
must bear the blame.
A New Naval Reserve
TIIE passage by the House of the Coast
Guard bill, which had previously been
beted favorably on by the Senate, makes cer
tain tho merging of the Life-Saving Service
fcnd the Ilevenuo Cutter Service. A mistake
Jwas roado when the two were separated more
jthan a quarter of a century ago. Tho services
supplement and complete each other, the one
feavlng life on the open sea and the other
along the coast. One of the most satisfactory
Keatures of the bill is tho extension to tho
life-savers of retirement and longevity pay;
another Is that it practically creates a naval
Reserve of more than 1000 men, who In peace
br war can be transferred to tho naval serv
ice by order of the President.
How Big Are We ?
THOSE "Washington statisticians who are
trying to hold a stop-watch on the growth
pi population to discover the exact minute
vhen It reaches the 100,000,000 limit may well
Abandon their effort. It Is a waste of time.
$Jo one cares to know tho second when that
handsome figure is reached, because In tho
tiext minute it wilt be excoeded. Babies are
born here with encouraging frequency and
Immigrant ships are landing new residents
by the hundred every few days, so that no
record stands for longer than the moment
when It was mode.
But wlilla the statisticians have their noses
buried In their tables of figures the rest of
ua can look abroad and wonder at tho mar
velous expansion of life on this continent
nJnco white men first Bet foot here. Wo hold
dominion from sea to sea and we have
builded cities and highways and Industries
that demonstrate what free men can do under
favoring conditions. And while wo are won
dering at the great material progress a little
time could profitably be spent in a careful
jwarching of the heart to discover whether
there has been spiritual progress as well,
whether the driving- force of great ideas is
Still potent.
It sometimes seems as If the little nation
of 8,000,000, Inspired by a" thrilling dream of
liberty 10 years ago, was really bigger than
this great agglomeration of materialism to
day, but that may be only because of the en
chantment of distance.
Winn Is a Life?
A TRAIN from West Cheater stopped the
other morning, with a sudden Jelt. just be-
, for it reached the Wwt Philadelphia Station.
j,yfhen it did not start again men impatient
M gt to their offlos went to the door of -the
jr and looked out- Some of them got down
p the track, glanced toward the engine,
luuved forward and then they waited. In a
tw swwsnts,- aftr oae or two unsuccessful
HtUHUJts, the engine was uncoupled and
piU4 ansae! about its own length. Then
fcrflf ti dozen train luuds bent down over a
ihnvriv awi that bad once baan a mac
ius iJftitd it. i xirMcher Th passsager j
..trjt t tt.4 m.m at MptaA&sd th
EVENING LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1915.
womon should hear. The engln6 waB at
tached to tho train again and It moved on,
arriving at Iho Broad Street Station only 10
minutes lat. Tho pepplo disembarked and
haslencd to the street to recover, If possible,
tho llmo they had lost and for tho prior
workman who got in their way, time had
stopped altogether.
What Is the life of nny man that Its taking
oft should mako us lato to business? The
way tho torld answers this question Is a
measure of Us enlightenment.
Talk tho Mad 1'rnjcct to Death
THE country may well pray for strength
for tho "nilbustcrors," Not In years has
bo Iniquitous and subtly dangerous a propo
sition as the ship purchnso bill como beforo
Congress, with such powerful backing. Tho
menace Is tho greater because tho men be
hind tho movement, Including tho President
himself, nre sincere In their belief that the
method proposed Is tho only feasible ono for
tho rehabilitation of tho American merchant
marine.
Tho arguments and promises supporting It
nro contradictory. Tho Government ships,
avors tho President, would bo used only In
unprofitable tratlo which private ships would
not enter, yet tho fact is that tho shortage In
bottoms is felt only In tho European trade,
in which rates- at present are tho highest over
known. The Government cannot want ships
for South American trade, for they aro not
needed, it can wnnt them only for the Euro
pean trade, In which there Is no pretenso of a
lock of profit.
Tho Government cannot buy any sturdy
vessels at fair prices except German Bhlps
which nro Interned. Freight rates are so
high that a craft can practically earn Its
cost In ono voyage. What neutral vessel,
with tho seas open to It, would bo sold In
such circumstances? There remain only Ger
man ships, useless to their owners whllo Eng
land controls tho seas. These aro tho ships
that the Administration Is after, as Secretary
McAdoo has boldly Intimated.
Yet American shipyards are languishing.
Tho Administration does not propose to kill
two birds with ono stone by building up tho
marlno and tho shipyards at the sarao time.
It wants to buy from a belligerent, bocauso
thcro is nowhere elso It can buy, and It wants
to do this at a time when the conduct of Its
foreign affairs Is so muddled that tho Dacla,
having been adopted, remains whole or half
orphan.
We shall not havo a marlno until we
have constructive statesmanship. Tho Ad
ministration's Idea seems to bo that it
will buy Its way onto tho oceans and keep
tho flag afloat by never-ending streams of
gold, taken from the taxpayers. It cannot
be done, and It ought not to be dono. Senator
Lodge and tho other gentlemen who are
assisting him will deserve tho thanks of the
nation for talking tho mad project to death.
Blackball or Speller
SPEAKING In favor of the Immigration
bill, literacy test and all, Professor Fair
child, of Yale, declares that "It is Illogical to
say to the foreigner that ho can get along all
right hero without education and demand
that our own children shall be educated
under compulsion." That Is just the reason
many mon who havo been denied educational
advantages come., to America, because they
know that what they lack their children will
got. Cases havo been known, too, plenty of
them, In which tho foreigner did not wait
for the second generation to learn a thing
or two, but by assiduous work In the night
schools acquired an education of his own.
"Why havo you come to America?"
"So that my children may get an educa
tion." "Havo you got ono yourself?"
"No, I never had a chance."
"Then go back and wallow in your igno
rance. There is no room for you or your chil
dren here."
Spelling-book Immigration would never bo
effective in keeping out undesirables, and It
could never bo anything but un-Amerlcan.
Charity Worth While
THOSE who sleep In comfortable beds may
be thankful that they do not belong In
that group of 300 homeless men and boys who
slept on Tuesday night on newspapers spread
out on tho floor of an empty factory building
at 12th and Huntingdon streets. A spaco on
tho floor big enough to turn over In is moro
comfortable than a doorway. Whoever
thought of opening that factory for the ac
commodation of the homeless was Inspired.
But ho had no monopoly of this kind of In
spiration. There aro scores of vacant build
ings, some of them belonging to the city,
which could be, opened to the men who other
wise would have to walk the streets through
the night or run the risk of arrest as va
grants whllo seeking shelter In the lee of a
packing box or In the entrance of some busi
ness building.
"Billy" Sunday Is as willing to preach In
the Eastern Penitentiary as in Illttenhouse
Square.
A grass bath may bo good for hot feet, but
many persons are more interested in a cure
for cold feet.
The German Idea of neutrality seems to be
that the United States' should not sell any
thing to the Allies,
Of the t,wo evils, the country would prefer
an extra session, of Congress to the ship pur
chase bill. It may get both.
The Prohibitionists want to rewrite "Fair
Harvard" so as to read "Dry Harvard," with
the emphasis on the dry.
If you will look at a map you will discover
why Russia orders 15.000 freight cars from a
Seattle Instead of an Atlantic coast firm.
New York, It seems, has a law under which
married men who have "affinities" can be Jn
diated. It remains to be seen whether they
oan be punished.
Mr- Bryan, who Is the bully If not the
bouncer of Peace, would have appreciated
bat LowUlarja centennial peace medal much
mere than the Presidents save for the fact
that it is made pf gold.
The House has decided that the railroads
fthouid gt tot carrying the mail exactly
what the) Fcatoftlce Department wihs to
give Umm and no mum ?& oaaunulMj, of
oaufM, can suite up the Uffrwn.e.
TRAINING TIIE WILL IN
TIIE HABIT OF MASTERY
Will Power Can Bo Developed Only by
Exercise IIpw to Go About tho En
largement of Your Mental and Moral
Calibre.
By JOSEPH 1LODELI,
VERY llttlo has been written about practl
cal methods of dovcloplng the human will.
And yet volitional power Is a growth Just Hko
nny other function, The sooner we realize
that tho will la weak and can be strengthened
only by tho observance of certain rules the
moro Ukoly wo shall bo able to evolve an In
vincible faculty of resolution. For It is only
by regular exercise that the will grows vig
orous. Thcro Is no artificial or accidental way.
Thcro Is no wlll-bullding compound that
can bo prescribed. Wo can mako bono,
or blood, or fat, by what wo cot or drink.
But tho will Is Immaterial and nothing ma
terial can affect it ono wny or tho othor. Wo
sometimes speak loosely of alcohol weakening
tho will. It Is not tho alcohol but tho willing
to ttiko It. Every tlmo wo resolve to drink
wo cxcrclso tho will In a given direction and
tho cxcrclso makes it easy for tho will to
hiovo In that direction again,
Then tho key to tho development of tho will
Iks In tho word exorcise. The potentiality
tho vital, plastic, responsive thing called tho
will grows In proportion ns It Is used.
" Fight it Out on That Lino"
It Is necessary that wo should learn how
Important It Is for tho will to triumph ovor
physical reluctance. Most mon havo a
marked dislike of cold water. Supposing wo
"fight It out on that lino If It tnkca all sum
mer" and all winter, too, Wo lay down tho law
that wo must take a cold bath overy morn
ing. Tho mere thought may bo appalling at
first. To mako our resolution surer wo fill
tho bathtub on tho preceding night. Tho first
morning It Is agony, but wo survive. With
tho brisk rubbing thcro comes tho grateful
glow of tho reaction. Tho following morning
wo arc fortified with tho ono successful ex
periment and force ourselves again to pass
through tho ordeal,
Thus wo go along for months; each morn
ing requires a now exercise of tho will, but
each day bcglnB with a dcclslvo victory. And
there Is always something In a local victory
which makes for n general triumph. Later in
tho day we find a situation from which wo
shrink, tho hnblt of tho bath Is in our minds
and wo say, "I can do that, too." In course
of tlmo the will gets a settled habit of mas
tery, dislikes to bo thwarted, nnd establishes
a long line of minor conquests which mako
tho Issue lnevltablo when tho critical battlo
ground Is reached upon which our success or
falluro for Ufa Is to bo determined.
A Child's Discovery
If wo nro really serious In wishing to de
velop a strong will tho motto that must be
placarded beforo tho eyes Is: "No Exceptions
Allowed." Ono exception may end weeks of
laborious training. It is well, theroforo, that
wo should not undertake too largo a contract
In tho boglnnlng. This Is tho law of peda
gogics. Tho alphabet Is usually the starting
point. Then words one, two, three and four
syllables. Why docs tho child flush with pride
when ho can read tho simple lesson of hla
first book? Not because ho hns gained a val
uable stock of knowledge. Long before he
rend ho know that tho dog could bark, thnt
the bird could sing nnd that the fire Is warm
Everything the book contained ho knew be
fore ho read It. The pleasure lies In the
sense of victory; he Is conscious of an en
largod power; he revels In tho knowledge
that there nre difficult things ho can accom
plish. It constitutes a discovery that tho
will can bo trained to win victories.
No bettor lino can bo chosen for tho grown
man than to enlarge the sphere of action of
the will and the realm of knowledgo at ono
and tho same time. You aro busy. Thcro aro
a score of different things you would Uko to
do. But throughout nil your occupations you
realize that your will Is not the robust, effec
tive nnd reliable force It should bo. You re
solve: "I will read a book for ono hour each
day!" It Is wise to select an easy and an
Interesting book for tho first. The exact time
of study docs not matter morning, noon or
night. But tho third day you aro rushed and
when the reading hour comes you aro tired,
nervous, sleepy. Shall tho rule bo broken? If,
In spite of everything, you read desperately
and doggedly through the dragging minutes,
you have added muscles to your will, you
have struck tho pace that leads swiftly to
larger conquests, you havo added a new and
dominating note to your personality. But If
you Buccumb, If you allow an exception, you
have keyed and trained your will to the halt
ing, vacillating step that leads to failure, you
have accustomod yourself to surrender and
Invited a sorles of defeats.
The Stamp of Victory
For the next stop take d more difficult
book, one that requires moro attention, closer
thought. By sticking to your resolution, oven
though you master only a paragraph In the
hour, you will bo building now fibre and
calibre Into tho will. The other tasks of life
will not seem half so hard; ono by one they
also can be accomplished. Their very diffi
culty will come as a challenge and you will
spring at them as though the mero act of
overcoming were the chief privilege of living.
A sense of mastery will steal into your atti
tude; a tone of sure and calculated confidence
will be heard in your voice. Other people
will set you apart from tho crowd as a man
who can do difficult things and success will
grow still easier becauso every one expects
you to succeed. The mob divides and makes
a clear way for the man with a will.
Now what has happened? You have not
really added a rtew power or faculty to your
original equipment. You havo simply in
creased your will by exercise and established
its undeniable affirmations as a fixed habit
of your life. This Is stamped all oyer you;
It shows in bearing, gesture, accent, even in
your clothes. You could not have bought it
with all the money in the world; but you
have won U by patience, self-denial and
fidelity to your own best Instincts, Whatever
other gifts and graces the really great men
of the world possessed they were all alike
In this one essential feature of a self-developed
and well-developed mind. v
Sad. Taite a Seen in Japan
Flora the Londou Saturday' Bevlew.
Doctor Alton, the scholarly Japanese secre
tary to the British Legation In TokioJ sum
marized what Kenko, the 11th century writer
of "Tsurezure Quia," considered to be "bad
taste," thui:
Too much furniture In one's living room.
Too many pens in a stand.
Too puny Buddha In a private shrjna.
Too many rocks. irs and herb la a garden.
Too many children In a house.
Too aiaay wortl whso ma meet
Too many books ia a boolteMe there can
Mvtr l, nor too ranch litter in a duet heap
WA
VIEWS OF READERS
ON TIMELY TOPICS
Discussion of the Bennett Article on
War Atrocities The Case of the Dacia.
Councils, Housing and Other Local
Questions.
TRUTH ABOUT ATROCITIES
To tht Edttor 0 the Evtnino Ledger:
Slr I bolloo cory render of tho Evenino
LKDaisn should feel thankful for your editorial
In tho Issue of January 1G, entitled " Tho Truth
About tho Atrocities," In which you say: "Wo
In America ought to bo able to keep our heads
and not fall Into tho stupid error of assuming
that all tho members of ono group of armies
arc beasts nnd all tho members of another
group aro saints."
Poace on earth will only como from good will,
which rests on truth. J. Fit. WALSH.
Florence, N. J January 17, 1915.
THE BENNETT "DOCUMENT'
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir Thoro Is only ono answer to James
O'Donnell Dennett. Ho has been eating out
of tho slop pots of the Gormans. They bought
him cheap. In justifying tho Germans he
raves over their magnanimity In foedlng COO
destitute families, and says not a word about
tho C.OOO.OCO who were fed by tho Americans.
Ho has utterly failed to explain how tho Ger.
mnns get Into another man's house, destroy
his possessions, nnnihllato and starve his wife
and children. I agree thnt this document Is
a "stnrtllnR" one, but wholly from tho puerile
character of Its attempt to Justify the greatest
cxamplo of baibarlty and vandalism tho world
hns known.
F. II. MACFAItLAND.
Philadelphia, January 19.
SENTIMENTALITY AND TIIE WAR
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir Tho (lame of Sir Arthur Connn Doylo's
emotional appeal to Amorlcan sentimentality,
bo effectively put out by the cold water of
Jnmcs O. Bennett's reply printed In the Even
ino Ledger, Is not likely to break out again.
Tho dead ashes may smolto nwhllo, but aro no
longer able to kindle. If ono did not recall
how sentimentality has governed public opin
ion in this country, as It did to our everlasting
harm at the time of tho wnr between Ilussla
and Japan, it would be difficult to account for
tho vehemence with which many Americans
are reiterating absurdities as great as those
of tho British novelist.
In tlmo of war, while soldiers remain sane,
It seems to be Inovltnblo that civilians grow
rabid Lord Crewe lately expressed regret
that Winston Churchill seemed determined to
make war on tho Germans on his own nccount.
The same regret might bo expressed as to tho
utterances of a number of Americans, who
until a few months ago never know tho con
tents of a single treaty, who yet know little
or nothing of the history of treaties, who are
unaware how few treaties have i been kept, who
are absolutely untrained In the consideration
of treaties and yet aro now ti.klng upon them
selves with national self-confidence and rash
ness the duty of guiding thelr'fellow citizens
where tho lndlvlduat sympathies of the writers
would have their readers go.
As to a number of tho pamphleteers nnd
speakers. It Is apparent that they are not even
familiar with current expert discussion of the
subjects concerning which they have set out
to mold public opinion. An acquaintance of
some years standing, an odlcer of the English
army, n well-known writer and lecturer to
army oincers on military car. palgns, has been
Bending me from London a series of his arti
cles on the present war, which havo been ap
pearing In tho British Itevlew. In the January
number there is this paragraph In Major Bed
way's article, and It could bo recommended to
a number of our eager controversialists as a
palliation for a certain form of hysteria:
"The time for apologies and explanations is
when the war Is over, and then they would bo
naturally colored by the status of the ap
pellant whether victor or vanquished. And, of
course, the verbal abuse of an opponent whom
you have failed to overcome Is essentially
vulgar, and the people who Indulco them
selves In this way, on tho plea that It la
patriotic to do bo, display a weakness that Is
femlnlno and a spite that is childish."
American sympathizers with the English can
be recommended to read Major Redway's three
articles, which, though they have been slashed
by the censor, contain much that Is Informing.
They are written In a temper that could serve
as a model to Borne, of our home disputants.
But then he Is a trained soldier, and our home
product Is wlwly untrained in this direction,
and as novices approach an I volved and diffi
cult subject.
As to the censorship, Major Redway asks us
what way the English polloy of mystery and
silence has aided "operations which are no
toriously dull. Inert and wanting In enter
prise," and adds:
There Is small chance of 'mystifying, mis
leading and surprising the enemy while along
three-fourths of our front the trenches are
vls-a-vls and the fighting men so bored with
the proceedings that they have established an
unofficial truce for Buch purposes as the ex
change of news, the amloable robbing of hen
roosts and the arrangement of times and sea
sons for. performing a toilet and partaking of
meals without disturbance. In these regions it
is not war that Is being waged, but the polic
ing oft a new boundary, a boundary fixed by
the Germans."
And again:
"In striking contrast to her allies, encum
bered with large armies, Servla appears to be
able to maneuver her six divisions with facility
and effect."
Anqthor military writer tn the same number
declares that the way the JourntlUts are wip
ing the Austro-Hungarisn amiss oXC the list
of efficient forces in the path of Russia is ab
solutely nonenlcal, aa4 h adds that but for
ltul. Gsrwaa bsgeroony would now bo es
ttaLhd opposite ih shores of Bngtsad, and
tb dys of BngUitd would be numbered. It 1$
POOR THING, BUT MINE OWN!"
Bad to think how tho mass of Americans
turned their backs on Russia and BOmo of them
ran up Japanese flogs. Tho writer then de
clares thnt Russia having her hands full, Eng
land and Franco will have to win by them
selves, and that no ally can shift any part of
Its burden from Its own back.
Polltoly, but nono tho less pointedly, tho Re
view editorially reminds Americans that soma
of tho mattois on which some of us havo beon
rather 'free with our opinions aro nono of our
business, nnd this Is strictly true. It might be
snld, however, that thero aro other matters
nffectlng very seriously our business that wo
have put up with and said little or nothing
about. ISAAC R. PENNYPACKER.
Ardmoro, January o.
"AMERICAN FROM STEM TO STERN"f
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir Your edltorlnl, "Amorlcan from Stem to
Stern," waB one of the ablost editorials that hns
appeared In any Philadelphia paper for a long
time nnd comes ns a wclcomo Indication thnt
at least a part of our press Is not of the spine
less sort. I nm glad your excellent paper comes
out strong for America and American rights.
After rending the many toady and nauseating
sproutlngs of Lodge, Choate, "Jellyfish" Bryan,
tho discredited Eliot and the un-American Ben
nett, It takes something to nrouso us to a re
alization thnt wo Amerlcnns really have some
rights distinctly our own, and some of us are
beginning to wonder after reading such articles
whether wo actually have tho right of sending
our ships even as far as three miles from our
own shores (whon some belonging to othor na
tions, all with steam up and ready for action,
aro Just a llttlo beyond our three-mile limit),
and would have us bellevo that America Is ter
ribly defenseless; which, were It true, would be
nn awful Indictment of some of our former very
nble Administrations. But they might save
their wind; we know It's bluff, when In reality
vc know tho fellow on tho othor side Is tho
bluffer and Is probably already complaining
" 'ow 'orrlbly hlmpudont the Hnmerlcans are
becoming," mistaking- our mere expression for
a respect for our God-glvcn rights as Impu
dence. When any American has the nerve to Invest
his good American cash In a vessel of any kind
to compete with the carriers of other nations,
he Is merely exercising his inalienable rights,
and there should bo no question as to his right
to sail his ship to any port of any nation In
the world with which we nre at peace; nor
should thero be any question of his right to
load his ship with the product (not reasonably
cnnttiband) of our merchants and farmers, more
especially so after he has taken overy means
to Inform our Government as to the details of
tho purchase In acquiring the vessel, and which
purchase our Government hns pronounced reg
ular In evcrv wny, open nnd abovo board, nnd
ho has registered the vessel, Balling It under
the protection of the Stars and Stripes. "Vhon
such a purchaser, an American citizen, has his
rights Interfered with nnd does not receive our
unequivocal protection, backed up by all the
power our nation possesses. It surely Is an evi
dence of our weakness and an asinine act of
which no true American desires our nation to
be guilty. Such failure to protect our citizens
and their property Is not the experience of our
people to date, nnd should not be now, as Old
Glory hns ever stood for Independence on land
and must now stand for our rights upon the
sens.
It Is a pity our peoplo must allow to remain In
ofllco a man of who It Is' said, acting as Secre
tary of State, has written to a foreign nation
seeking to compromise our rights to deal where,
when and with whom wo deem It desirable. All
American citizens should demand full protection
for their fellow Americans, and especially at
this time, for the American who has the nerve
to own and sail an American ship.
II. A. MEYERCORD.
Philadelphia, January IS, 1915,
WHAT CAN U S. DO ABOUT IT?
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger;
Sir I notice your paper Is once agatn'gettlng
agitated about "rights on the ocean" in an
editorial In today's Issue, entitled "American
From Stem to Stern," In which you' use your
stock phrase, "Cannot and will not" The only
trouble Is you "can" nnd you "do." You "were
not going to be driven from the ocean by the
"hogs of the sea" was, I think, the term you
used. That's a fact, as the New York Sun
would say, "wot ain't so," because, while not
"driven," you simply failed to exist on the sea,
and, practically speaking, you don't exist yet.
Now, In regard to this latest case If the British
permit this ship to sail she will sail, and If
they don't give permission she won't. Really,
are you not a trifle childish, because, Irf any
case, what can you do about It?
V. E. LETTS.
Philadelphia, January It, 1915,
SNOW AND TDJE TARIFF
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger;
Sir We hope when D, M. Barclay has finished
hi Investigation In NorrUtown he will come to
Philadelphia and give us snow shovelers a
chance to show how the new tariff has de
stroyed our pauper Industry. n. V.
Philadelphia, January 20, lSU. ,
WAR AND WAGES
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger;
Sir I am a workingman in the texUle line,
which is vsry slow at the present. I have Juet
finished the editorial, "American from Stem to
Stern." Don't you think you are drawing it very
strong? I don't think you have considered all
that tho Allies have dono for America In the
way of favoring our Southern cotton planters
by admitting cotton free to Germany, thereby
giving our Boutbern cotton planters an extra
output. Suppose the Allies should, in return
put back the embargo on wool and rubber and
stpp the cotton sxports to Germany, and Stop
the export ot cloth both for men's wear and
women's wear from England, where, would the
Importer and merchants and clothing manufac
turers get off? If we have no vooi we wilt
have m sloth for the wearing apparsl makers
It looks to me like biting off pat's ne to spits
one's face.
jfranas and England havo th trump, n4
, 8 HSt
-.'jS
what will we do with an American fleet of mtfft
cbnntmcn If thero Is nothing for them to dofW
It seems to me that you editors have a lotttf
thing of it in compnrlson to us poor workeftJ
You don't consider that If your advice ti folTj
loweu in tnis euitonni tnnt It will be a boom
erang to us.
The Dacla will bo sold back to tho Hambnri
Line ns soon ns tho war Is over. sure, becimi
America ennnot compete with the German shlpi,!
The same conditions will follow as before this
wnr started. The naunor lnbor of Germany run
bent tho civilized world. Just think of a rat. ,
chnnlc working for JG per week of 12 hours per ,
anv. inis tow conuiuon oi wages prevails in sa
Industries In Germany.
If Germany had paid $2 per day there woull ti
imvu ucmi iiu war. j-iiu win wub caused Df
Encland to knock out these starvation vrero.
It had to come, and It will never be settle'
right till universal wages nro more equal. Either-,
we nave 10 come auwn to uia uerman sianaara
of (4 and t per week or Germany has to comi
up to ours of $12. As the cost of production U
at least two-thirds of the cost of manufacture,
flguro It out for yourself nnd see where Americal
comes in. i nave ueeit uikihi; u,o &vj.mna
LEDOEn over since the first Issue, and I rauit
say you havo been fair to both sides.
R. B. Jl ,
Philadelphia, January 16, 1915. ;
"SPLENDID REPORTS"
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir I desire to express to you my personal,
trrntitude for the SDlendld reports of tM
Sunday meetings In the Evening Ledom txin
to thank you for tho sympathetic way in Tthlci -von
have been handling the material. I en
tho more nnxlous to send this word In vltlpljS
ihi4 nnmnlnlnta nt tlinnA nnt Interested. a&3.-!fil
hope you will not curtnll In the lenst became1.
of the fow who feel or spenk otherwise. I hlJ
shown mv nnnreclatlon in a more substantial,!
way by mailing my papers, after read'nf, to
various menus anu in Buuscnuiu .-,, ,as
special dollar proposition of Bending to aeveralaM
regularly. A. E. haiuub. a
Philadelphia, January 15, 1915. j
GOV. BRUMBAUGn ON nOUSINC
To the Editor of the Evening Ledger:
Sir It Is Indeed a good omen that OoTer
nor Rrumbauvh has at tho outset ot till term
of office emphasized the Importance of im:
...... I It., . .... I... ttl. '
proving nouainK conuuiuua nt ui m,w -;7,
Every one who hns Investlgnted this subiMt
Vint. liien Imnreased with the necessity of lo-.
modlate notion If we are to prevent Jhe apreaJ
of dlsense and the Impairment of the healtn W
the community, .,,,.
CHARLES J. RHOADS.
Philadelphia, January 19, 1915.
NOT ONE CENT FOR TRIBUTE
To the Editor ot the Evening Ledger:
Sir While we sit In Innocuous desuetude,
.. . i. ...t.i. iH...jniuv nt thA nnsalblllty PI
UnU JUUIt Willi iiiWBm...., -"- r ..!'
wnr being waged upon us, we are PrJ'",
the way for any nation to attack ui QMM
might care to at this particular time. W-1
we are making protests and feeble PWml";iI
othor nations are making aemanoa mm -
T.tun. .. ... .hlnnlni- ntlF VRTY life, OB1 1
IVIIUU W "o BIHl'K-O t.,,.1, Mil1
food supplies, out of the country, which "';
being controlled by the trusts, we awoWI
....... i,.. -n thn, nrtinrH before the wiaww
Is over we will be paying 10 cents a loaf W
bread. If not more, and 2 a bag ; for wheat fl
For wnaif -jriouvo m u..ou - - - ,ti
Is exacting tribute and has been '"
tor iw years or "',"'? .?".," ,VV. -Oltll
wheh inspirea x-ainc. '- r,.V pauieli
me liberty or give me deatht" and a o cawtji
me ,HDeriyor h. .- ?-"". -- - ,. era
that famous remarK, "ye "" "
defense, but not a cent for tribute.
" "mSX "rr.nV for tribuS5 mi
this country ..way.? act as tho "catspa" m
this country ar
another nation?
FRANCIS G. DA1LBT. '
Camden. January 19.
COUNCILS' BREACH OFFArni
To me Conor vi .uv- "-- . jijj.,1
Sir If all the people of the city, In ilrm.
otheMhan the older part of Ihedfrg
HV...IJ.I.I. irinhfnwn. lower Kensington, ?"-;
i'sa
avenue, miu n - -.-.. ---- ,. eMii
knew the terribly Immoral "?M,n""ltArLffi
dltlons exl.tlng there they MWrm
i th.n.ioivm. Althoueh the sanitary fTS
dltions are almaceful. the Immorality U
ana ciaim i ut Uvu-,,-. "i , com
easily remedied things to degrade our com
munity. Are they human . h .
makers who refuse to even listen to W . w
nixed cry of the nine ooy ."., .
lives may bs wrecked and whose f?W JPWTVI
tost through the Jmmorat m "? ,
... in ihi..h thev mow upT We (r?BTt;
n the city) are our brothers' hyHI
responsible to God for the "1.rint v!M
and the poor. Many of e Phlldren la w
dirty districts will become bad men. ww
have been saved If they had been J"" ' -
a dean atmojphers. Nine out oi wi !L'Ml
sons who are dirty you will nnd -"gn
(although .very lmmors4iPsr.on I. not awr
crlng toho men whom Br
cil for the purpose of making- laws r jm
welfare and uplifting of our citizen gjKg
and future! Do they bava to stand oy aw v
Ql ueurauauun , -" "
will not help themT ... ,ol,
Connelly gives m view , '"n ieiati
low suit Who road the people wait rWj
months for things. which they hitl
"."K .'nothing for t
wefareet 'hTpe whom hs LZ
Uct WW Oet rid of him and wt jrtU
our high-speed Uanlt. You will fin I tnw
to the new future. h wilt bs putting r ohjUsW
we supposed to toady and b of hlrn .for
ws want, or If he supposed to do as th !
command? ...noji,
MICHAEL F RW1&
MBtlaflslpWa, Janusry . -
I
fit