8
EVMIKft tiBDaEB-PHirABBLPHM, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1915;
Sr
Rtftitlttg
Wtytt
TtJULtC M3DGER COMPANY
crfnufi H. k. cuiitis. rE.iiBT.
irUi h l.Hittnirton Victrklnt. John 0. Mattfn.
r'v-rsiirjr ni Trriuureri I'runp h. (.oiiin;, jonn u.
Tflllfi
uijamv, -
, Directors.
ElTani At, BOARD f
Ctses It. K. CtTi, Chklrmin.
r. H. wttAl.tey ,. . ExtrSfr Sdlter
tmJ?C. MAIITIN...
General tiutlnesa llntr
PuUUtaeil dally at Fcblio LDat BulIJInt,
lnacpndenc Squire, Philadelphia.
luitaawt CtnTt.. .,..,.. ..Drourt and Chestnut Street
AtUNfrO Crrr, rrtm-Unto DulI'llM
jxk Tone. ..... ...... ..170-A. Me tropolltan Tower
Cifrcund ...,... 817 Home insurance Dullillne
toKoo.v 8 Waterloo riacc. fall Hll, S. TV.
NKWOnfUEAlISl
WiammiBiia nemo Thi rotrtat nutMtnc
WiSUIKCTON tionito. The Po( UlllMlne
Ifrw Von ncucitj The rim9 I'ullillng
flcuMM IIcaiiD ,., ......... .00 rrielrlchtraM
xlKMM UctEiO 2 I'd 1 1 Mull Kait. 8. W.
pAjkia Hfotio... 32 Hue Louis la Grind
sunscmrrioN temis
tl tierlm. Tlktt OHM. ! cnta flw mall ttAilnaM
Autfcld of Phllii1)nhliu -scent tthpre forlm nottflra
C required, Diliit 6Lt, one month, twenty-five cent":
jj 1aI!-t, Only, one year, three dollars All mall sub
m crtptlona payable In advance
' EU,SOOO "WALNUT
KCYSTOME, MAIM 3000
W A&irtts all communication to Evening
Ltigtri lndtperdnc Square, Philadelphia.
"'
ax-intSATTiiarnfUDiu-niA rosTorrtci is aicox
CLUS Ml It, IJtTTtlt,
t'lllLADELriHA, MONDAY, IMinlMftY 22. 1918,
ifcrt can be moved by an appeal to their
courage and unselfishness as icell
as by interest and fear.
Find Out Where Your Councilman Stands
THE great meeting of protest against tho
"fako" transit ordinance will bo held In
the Academy of Music Wednesday night,
before then tho citizens of every ward In
tlio city Bhould call on their councllmanlc
representatives to declare themselves, not
Wi'i generally but specifically. At that meeting
ijj- should bo read tho name of every Councll-
, man wno is openly for tho betrnyal or so
j! .cretly for It by refusing to commit himself.
SHI It Is up to tho Individual Councllmen. They
i are- for Philadelphia or ngalnBt Philadelphia,
for their wards or against their wards, for
1 , tho public interest or for some concealed and
j !" hidden special Interest. Bring them into tho
i open. Mako them stand up. Let tho city
, J-know who tho men aro who back up tho
betrayal and expect to assist In It. Let tho
4 roll be. read and published. Lot Philadelphia
,i ;. know what Councllmen havo their knives out
tor rapid transit. Separato the friends of tho
V causo from Us enemies. The people want to
J know whom they havo to fight.
Of Course He Opposes Fusion
SENATOR PENROSE announces that ho Is
In favor of a law to prevent tho fusion
Of political parties. Ho believes, according
J.0 his statement, that after a man has ac
cepted a nomination he should not bo allowed
to withdraw In the interest of another candi
date on another ticket.
Of courso Senator Penrose favors a law
forbidding this practice. So docs every other
Organization politician. If strong opposi
tion to them and their system develops
they can very easily nlvldo that opposition
by securing tho nomln. -Jon of an "independ
ent" ticket, and If the candidates on that
tickst are not to bo allowed to withdraw tho
machine ticket Is safe.
But tho people who nre Interested in decent
government bellove in n union of all tho
forces, that can bo mustered to fight under
one banner whether before a primary or
after.
The Ulishap Off Borkum
ALL the known facts Indlcato that tho
. sinking of tho American steamship Eve
lyn off the German Island of Borkum was
accidental. The sea thereabout has been
strewn with mines for the protection of tho
German coast. Tho Evelyn carried a careo
of cotton and was bound for a German port.
v The Qerman authorities were awaro that sho
vaa about due. It Is inconceivable that tho
ship was deliberately attacked in German
Waters by Oerman submarines. And it Is
also Inconceivable that British or French sub
marines wero in that vicinity prepared to
Wow up an American ship carrying a cargo
of noncontraband goods. The shiD undnuht.
edly came in contact with a floating mine.
inera is no occasion for excitement, there
fore, in this incident, so far as present evi
dence reveals the conditions. The crew nf
the ship wero caved and the shin and carrro
-trera Insured. Those alarmists who havo
been threatening diro things If a single Amer
ican ship wero sunk may now husband their
' superlatives and pack their heated exnletlvea
Jn cracked ice. Uncle Sam will keep his head
u tta ytcBojii. at any iu-ib.
A Job for a Patriot
feTXTW would not ba superintendent of In-
K YYaependence Hall? The Job Is vacant.
And the Civil Service Commission Is ahmtt in
! bald an examination to test the fitness of
M applicants. Tho salary is not large only JSOO
i r year put tha privilege and distinction
iV'M could fco made to earn a much larger sum
F3rrvw,y year.
M cununa uosse is iiorarian of the House
Wji( Jords, but his fame does not rest on that.
i mm omco is mo easy cnair in which ho
; writes. Woodrow Wilson was a college pro.
ttssor at a, small salary, but he doubtless
sJouW4 hl3 salary by his historical writings.
iflls professorship was tho pedestal which
; yajsed him high enough to attract the atten-
lm St iSPHshers to him. Likewise tho
, uMperintendoncy of Independence Hall, which
w$ul4 not make too great demands upon tho
time and attention of Us occupant, ought to
appeal to soma ambitious young man seeking
n assured income while ho devotes himself
' to serious study of tho origins of American
fSberty. Tb possibilities of tho olflc are too
Ljrreat tor them to be wasted upon n. mere
twilltical underline who Will ba content with
lIPirUMs petty salary offered
i uusiuus mr ma urmegroom
WURMINB MARTILLA has set an exam-L-Bt
to fathers, which if generally fol-
; Jawad would automatically establish a prao
Ftintf wypttm Of eugenics better thar any
-fbt ea jHetw by law. Qennaro Demoro
iHf. Sirtd gone to the Uarrlage License Bureau' to
HNiPjtui a. umilh to nuarrv the dauehtep of fap.
S"h tatber objeettd, however, and In
tpt wr license h lssu- until a. man
iuuw Do tpouW arrlyo and aweaf
-jfi wwldibs fciidegroom is a, 'jf0Qt
w ioeiff aaaia Biter a, aelay of
. ' the iteease was issued.
t to ati-ratty t-ertain that there bavo been
uw frUUam In tUU city within the past
pp rJ wMete wtwid net have occurred It
" U - ,t!w tt tt brW a4 insbrtod. that
s,a wfe9 ar iMm XiotB AhwU wwr
that ho would bo glad to have tlio man
marry his Own sister.
Parents should not find It difficult to estab
lish this custom of; sponiorlng those who
would wed their dnughlera. It is needed
among tho welUtodo as much as among tho
poor, for the dissolute and tho adventurer
are foUnd everywhere.
Where Are the WasliinRtoiis of Today?
NEARLY all of the solid citizens of George
Washington's day were loyalists. They
wero opposed to stirring up trouble,
They Insisted that the mother country was
Justified In her course, or that If mistakes
had been matlo in London tho colonists should
possess their souls In patience until the
abuses of power wero corrected.
They were conservative-!, absorbed In Ihclr
own nffalrs and did not want business unset
tled by war.
Tho Revolution was the uprising of democ
racy. It was a people's rovolt.
The mon who had nothing to loso but their
llbortlcs wero willing to lay down their lives
rather than bo deprived of their most pre
cious possession.
Tho rest were Indifferent to Ideals so long
as their Investments wero not seriously Im
paired,
Washington belonged by birth and associa
tion to tho loyalist class. Ho was a landed
proprietor. Ho had n splendid estnto In Vir
ginia. Ho could sit at his door and look over
an entrancing panornma of hill and valley,
with tho Bllvory Potomac winding In nnd out
ns It found Its way down to tho sea.
It would havo been easy for him to say
that tho discontent of tho people was no con
cern of his.
Ho could hnvo remained on his estate,
managed his slaves, rested In tho evening
with a company of congenial friends on tho
lawn that sloped down to tho river, and lot
tho Revolution fall.
But ho led tho peoplo to freedom.
There Is a revolution browing In this city
today.
Tho Tory class Is Indifferent.
It sits idly In its homes or lounges in Its
club3, plainly bored by tho agitation for pop
ular l-ulo.
"Tho Organization docs well enough," those
men Bay, "so why tako tho troublo to force It
to bo decent?"
They get their dividends.
They havo their understanding with tho
gang leadors that they aro to bo protected,
and they do not caro whether the children
of tho poor die In disease-breeding tenements
or whether the monny that ehou'd be used
for public improvements in appropriated to
pay tho salaries of political workers.
They do not caro whether tho working peo
plo have to spend one hour or half an hour
In getting to their work, or whether they
have to pay eight cents fare Instead of five
cents.
They do not, caro whether tho rapid transit
system Is developed In tho interest of tho
whole city or for tho benefit of tho Rapid
Transit Company and a few real estate spec
ulators. (
Whero aro tho Washingtons In Philadel
phia today?
Whero aro the men with public Bplrlt
enough to glvo their time and their energy
and their money to making this city tho best
governed on tbo continent, and tho most at
tractive, both to working people and to largo
industrial enterprises?
Whore are the business men who will sur
render a small temporary advantage for tho
greater good of the community at large?
If they are here It is time that they came
Into the open so that they may be counted
and weighed.
Let every "big man" look into his own mir
ror this nfternoon to see if ho can find in tho
face reflected there any of the spirit that
transformed Washington from an aristo
crats Virginia planter Into the successful
leader of a great popular revolt.
One Man Rule
The wholn purpose of democracy Is that
we may hold counsel with one another, so
an not to depend upon the understanding
of one man, but to depend on the counsel
of all. Woodrow Wilson In "The New
Freedom."
THIS Is what Woodrow Wilson thought
beforo ho entered the White House, but
ho tins learned better. When ono man Is
equipped by years of study of public ques
tions In the quiet of his library, and Is im
bued with the belief that the British parlia
mentary system Is superior to tho American
system with Its division between legislative
and cxecutlvo branches of the Government,
that man, when put to the 'test, discovers
that his theory of universal counsel preced
ing action breaks down; and mora or less
direct orders must be Issued, If Congress is
to carry out tho program decided upon by
tho elected head of his party.
Mr. Wilson does not consider himself
President of the United States. He Is an
elected premier, commissioned with the duty
of carrying out the policies which he thinks
best. It Is tho Wilson Government here, as
It is now the Asqulth Government In Eng
land, and was tha Balfour, the Salisbury or
the Gladstone Government. It is Wilson who
holds Congress In Bcsslon and who decides
whether the new Congress shall meet in
March or In December. It Is Wilson who has
forced the ship-purchase bill through the
House, and who decides what measures ara
to bo considered for the next two years,
Wa are dependent "upon tha understanding
of one man."
The Queen of the Belgians has pawned her
Jewels, and no one thinks any tho worse of
her for it.
Naturally Villa wants to meet President
Wilson. Ho would not be half a man If ha
were riot anxious to express his gratitude In
person.
Alliteration seems to be all there Is In A J
Drexcl's remark that the Oerman blockade
Is a' bluff. Four ships have already been
sunk since Thursday by something mora
effective than bluff.
Tha Kaiser s setting a, good example to
thoso who complain of the high cost of liv
ing, by having his potatoes boiled with tho
Jackets on. They say that ho eats tho Jackets,
too, but that Is an example to be avoided.
Samuel Gompers said that If the Federa
tion of Labor paid the Danbyry Hatters' fine
It would encourage more suits. Representa
tive FlUgerald wanted to know why payment
of the fine by Government appropriation
would not also encourage such suits. And
tbo matter rested right there.
' L ' ' W mil I i
It may bo proper for Secretary Garrison to
Insist that an army captain explain why he
said In public that it would take a year tor
tho United States to train an army of 1,009,
00 men, especially as Great Britain has
tralaod tin army of 2.W.W Iq six eat,hs.
ftueb. a dlparagram of tha abll cf tils
NM4ty pniat st too sftrtfeC
LAST HOPE OF THE
MERCHANT MARINE
Subsidies and Revision of Navigation
Lawa Could Not Save It, in Opinion
of Believer in Government-Built
Trade Ships.
By A RETIRED NAVAL OFFICER
THE reason that private capital In the
United States has not Invested in merchant
ships under the' United States flag Is because
American capital has found that It can cam
larger dividends by Investing In Bhlpa flying
foreign flags, Tho war In Europe, however,
has made nil Investments In German and
Austrian vessels a dead loss; nnd it would
bo very interesting to know Just what per
contags of tho stock of tho German nnd Aus
trian ships now interned tn tho ports of this
country Is owned by American cnpltul, for
this may account for tho dcslro In fiomo
quarters to havo tho United States Govern
ment purchase these ships.
Ah tho operation of a merchant marlno by
prlvnto capital Is a mnttcr of dollars and
cents, and not of sentiment or publlo policy,
we may bo suro that prlvnto capital In this
country will never of itself establish an
American merchant marlno, unless tho Gov
ernment corner tn Its assistance and pro
vides a subsidy of somo kind In order that
tho dlfforcnco In tho cost of operating tho
ships, which is claimed, may bo made up.
Foreign Advantage la Insurmountable
It Is very doubtful, even after a careful ro
vlslon of our navigation laws nnd antiquated
steamship Inspection requirements, which Im
pose unnecessary expense on owners, whother
we can make it possible for prlvnto capital
ever to competo with foroign ships and glvo
a good, safe service without a subsidy; for,
not only nrc theso ships subsidized, but In
order to make larger profits, a great many
foreign ships aro operated In tho cheapest
and most unsafo way, with tho exception of
somo of tho flrat-clas") passenger and mall
lines. There Is no doubt that the manning
of theso ships, nlmost without exception,
could bo greatly Improved.
About 20 years ago, In conversation with a
friend, tho wrltor remarked that in tlmo tho
Government would own and operate the rail
roads of this country. The reply was to tho
effect that this would bo very bad on ac
count of tho amount of Federal patronage
Involvod, nnd my answer was, "This Is a
cholcn of ovlls tho Government had better
own the railroads than have the railroads
own the Government."
Why Shouldn't Uncle Sam Make Money?
Railroad nnd steamship transportation, the
mall nnd telegraph service, aro natural mo
nopolies, and as such they Bhould be owned
nnd operated by the public municipality.
State or nation. It Is strange that no one
ever objects to tho public engaging In tho
operation of necessary utilities whero there
aro no profits Involved. For Instance, thero
Is no voice of protest against a city main
taining and operating tho sowers, which
service occasions a very largo outlay, but
brings no revenue to help defray tho ex
pense. It la only when profits are involved
that a cry Is raised against public ownership
and operation.
Now, In regnrd to tho shipping Industry,
let us examine for a moment tho enormqus
outlay that the United States Government,
through the taxpayers, makes each year to
benefit American shipping of all kinds. The
only protest we hear Is about tho expendi
tures for rivers and harbors. Notwithstand
ing this, wo know that by far the greater
part of this sum for rivers and harbors Is
necessary, nnd Is properly expended; how
ever, for tho sake of tho argument, we will
assume that $25,000,000 Is expended for rivers
and tho balance for Improvements to salt
water harbors. Then tho annual expendi
tures which may be properly charged to the
nccount of the American merchant marine
benefit fund stands ns follows:
Harbor Improvements $26, 120.017
Lighthouse service 6.199.2SS
Coast guard service 5,000.000
Coast survey 997.220
Ocean surveys, Hydrographlc Office.... 90,000
Total J3S.406.E65
Henco It surely does appear in tho casual
observer that when wo consider tho slzo of
our merchant marine under private capital,
tho Government Is certainly put to an enor
mous expense. Why not lot it go a stop
further nnd Invest sufficient working capi
tal In ships to get somo return for its money
In the Bhapo of an efficient mall and passen
ger service over tho principal trade routes
of tho world? Even if this business was not
run at n "profit," the additional cost com
pared with tho present expenditures and the
service rendered would amount to an exceed
ing small percentage.
One More Chance for Private Capital
To do this, however, there Bhould be no
partnership between the United States Gov
ernment and private capital. Nor should
any old ships be purchased by the Govern
ment. Some might be leased for the pres
ent, but If tho Government goes to buying
up these old ships It will ba very apt to get
some scrap Iron in some of them. Let the
Government build Its own ships or have
them built. By working night and day
these could be turned out rapidly. There Is
no logical reason why a Government Bhould
not operate a merchant marina as well as a
navy, and In this way a naval reserve could
be established that would be valuable both tn
ships and men, which would earn Its living
In time of peace and ba Immediately avail
able for service in time of war.
Now, If this proposition offends the dem
ocratic ideas of governmental functions, and
it la thought best to give private capital one
more chance, let the Government establish a
first-class mercantile shipyard and build
ships at cost for the foreign trade, sell thern
to parties In that trade, revise our naviga
tion laws and steamship Inspection regula
tions and service, bring them up to date by
removing all useless restrictions on shipping
and allow the nationality of the owner to de
termine the nationality pf tho ship and not
tha country in which she was built; In other
words, allow Americans to buy ships where
they please without any restriction. It is
time the Amerioan shipbuilder ceased to play
tha part of tho dog in the manger, as he has
dona for the last CO years to no purpose,
when, as a matter of fact, the stimulation,
given to trade by the plan outlined above
would greatly benefit bis business.
LINCOLN AND STANTON
Much has been written of the dlffioultles
between
piA ana secretary Btanton, But
here are
jaalfdoUs which set the matter
in a. ltej
aWo to tooth, men- Homebody
And Mttariy dejwuned ta-
m otkr. Th? PrMat r
JyQKj
ftawta fsf IssiMpOfA
ppyvfVF
HIGH
piled: "Go home, my friend, and read at
tentively tho 10th verso of tho 13th chapter
of Ptoverbs." The verse reads: "Accuse not
a servant to his master lest he curse theo and
thou bo found guilty." John Hay in his
diary tells of Lincoln's death:
A loolt of unspeakable peace came upon
his worn features At 22 minutes after 7
lie) died. Htanton broke the sllonco by Hay
ing: "Now he belongs to the ages."
PLAYING AT "HAIRPINS"
The New Springtime Sport Which Has Set
Boston All Agog.
Newton KewMrk, In the Boiton Post,
THE Goat Editor, whoso desk is next to
mine, thinks lie Is quite expert at this
new outdoor sport, und yesterday morning
ho challenged me to a gamo of hairpins.
Never having played the gamo I stalled along
and told him to tako tho matter up with mo
again In a day or two and I would talk busi
ness with him. Then, when he went out to
lunch, I went out for an hour's practice at
"Hairpins."
This ruso of practicing the game myself
beforo taking him on was deucedly clover of
me, was it not?
I started In on Tremont street at Winter
and walked slowly toward Boylston; and as
I walked along my bright llttlo eyes wero
searching every foot of tho pave. I hadn't
gono but a rod or two until a well-dressed
gentleman stepped up to me and said, "Par
don me, sir, but havo you lost something?"
"No, sir, I have not," I replied curtly. "If
you have not lost anything," ho resumed,
"may I make so bold as to ask you what
you aro looking for?" "I am looking for
hairpins," I retorted. "Ah, I see!" ho ex
claimed, his faco lighting up with an intelli
gence that was almost human, "ah, I see
your wlfo lost tho hairpins!" "My wife did
NOT loso tho hairpins!" I snapped. "What
would you do with a hairpin if you did Und
one?" ho asked.
"I would stab you with it," I hissed, stop
ping and glaring at him. Thereupon ho grew
slightly pale nnd drew away from mo. I
heard him say to another pnsserliy, "Crazy
as a loon escaped from Danvers, probably."
Before I reached West street, I had found
seven hairpins
I was standing on tho curb with tho hair
pins In my hand whein suddenly two beauti
ful girls paused beforo me and one began to
open her pocketbook. "Ask him If he's deaf
and dumb, Mary," said one, "and then If he
says 'yes,' why he isn't and we'll know he's
ImpoBtor." "Clara," said the other, "you're
to suspicious I'm going to give him some
thing, anyhow."
Then before I could protest, "Mary"
dropped a quarter Into my hand, patted me
on the shoulder and said with tear-filled
eyes "There, poor man that will get you
a sandwich and a cup of coffee, I won't take
your hairpins sell them to somo ono else."
Suddenly I saw a nice, new hairpin that
had Just been lost, and I pounced on It. As
I stood examining it a great big, beautiful
doll who had -Just passed me turned and
came back. "Sir," she said, pulling herself
up to her full height, "If you don't glvo me
back that hairpin I Just dropped, I'll have
you arrested!" Pretty creature," I replied,
bowing low, "pray do not talk to me In such
a harsh, cruel manner. What do you wish to
do spoil my whole afternoon?" "Are you
going to give me my hairpin?" she demanded,
"Take your choice, my dear lady," I replied,
holding out my handful of hairpins." She
took three of the best hairpins I had found,
and deftly tucked them Into her hair. Then
with a remark about what she thought of a
man who was engaged tn the business of tag
ging along after ladles In order to pick up
whatever hairpins they dropped, she sailed
on up street with her chin in. the air.
You will see that my meeting with this
charming woman set me back three hairpins.
I hurried along until I saw another hair
pin. When I stopped to pick it up somebody
ran Into me from behind and I nearly
qracked the pavement "with my poor bean.
When I got straightened up I made another
effort to pick up the hairpin, but a passerby
Btepped on my fingers and nearly smashed
'em. Then I left the hairpin and proceeded
on my way.
By the tlmo I reached Boyliton street I
had only-1 hairpins and my hour was about
up. So I dropped Into a smallwares shop
and purchased" a g.uarter'a worth pf hairpins
with the SS cents; the kind-hearted lady bad'
given me.
When I returned to the office and told the
Gpqt Editor I found 219 hairpins between
Winter and Boy!toa streets, he got cold ttt
right oJC and rfusd to Play "Hairpins"
with JB
TIME TO CHANGE THIS
THE CHERRY TREE AND THE HATCHET
The Famous Story as Mason Weems Told It The Mythical Georgo
Washington, Despite the Higher Criticism, Remains a Valued
Inheritance, and the Legends Are Worth Keeping.
IT IS not by any means strange that George
Washington bocame something of a myth
to later generations of his countrymen. Pop
ular imagination, mixed with gratitude and
sentiment, could hardly have failed, In any'
era or place, to have clothed tho national
hero with mythical attributes and surrounded
his namo with mythical anecdotes. It hap
been so from tho dawn of history even to the
present. Wo must remember, moieovet, that
It was a long vlmo after Washington's death
boforo America ceased to bo a pioneering
country. Tho ptople wore battling with
wilderness, wresting a living from the plains
and prairies, from iho mountains and val
leys, until well along into tho 19th contury.
Tho period, with Its Intellectual simplicity
and comparative lack of that literature which
reflects culture and scientific Judgment, was
remarkably favorable to the growth of le
gends concerning the character and deeds of
so great a figure as that of Georgo Wash
ington. Tho highor historical criticism of re
cent decades has analyzed nnd labeled these
tales, without at all lessening the world's ad
miration of tho noblo Amcrlcnn, and, of
courso, without In any wlso ' vitiating the
valuo of his memory to the people for whom
ho wrought more than a hundred years ago.
To the stock of fictitious stories which
made of Washington, tho boy and man, a
faultless demigod, tho principal contributor
was the Bev. Mason L. Weems, "Rector of
Mount Vernon Parish" ho called himself, but
thero never was a Mount Vernon parish.
Weems used tho title to convoy to his readers
a suggestion of his intimacy with tho hero of
his book. It rosts on the fact that Wecnn
had onco preached to a congregation which
Included Washington. Tho nuthor, Indeed,
wns hopelessly given to overlnylng his fncts
with fiction so deeply that tho facts wore
woll-nlgh covered up. Ho revealed In his
biography of Washington tho nlmost com
pleto absenco of what Henry '"'abot Lodge has
called "historical morals."
Weems "Fond of a Good Story"
Weems wrote the book for tho pioneers and
frontiersmen, the hard-working "plain peo
ple" of an ago of strenuous battle with an
untamed continent. It was not Intended for
the educated and cultured society of the
older communities. It was written In the
period of the pale didacticism of Maria
Edgoworth, Hannah Mora and Jano Taylor.
HIh nccount of the boyhood of Washington
was mostly sheer fabrication, but ho bor
rowed complete stories from Doctor Seattle's
life of his son, published in England in 1709.
The famous Incident of the flower bed Is a
plagiarism from Seattle's book.
It can be said for Weems, the Itinerant
parson, hook writer and book peddler, that he
wrote, not only to make money from his
books, but to Instruct and eJlfy, Tha liber
ties that he took with truth seem not to
have troubled him. Apparently ho had no
literary or historical conscience, When some
body took him to task for Inventing the
cherry-treo story, ha Bweetly smiled and
asked, "Was It not good for the boys?"
Weems was a clergyman only In the sense
that in his constant wandering he sometimes
preached. For tho most part he 'spent his
time writing books which he Intended to ba
popular and peddling them about the coun
try. Perhaps the most famous of Weems' tales
is the one which concerns the cherry tree
Mid tha hatchet, It follows, Just as Weems
wrote it:
George Receives Instruction
"Never did the wise Ulysses take mora
pains with his beloved Telemachus, than did
Mr, Washington with George, to Inspire him
with an early Jove o? truth.
" 'Truth, Qeorge,' said he, 'is tha loveliest
quality of youth. I wquld ride 60 miles, my
eon, to see the little boy whose heart Is So
honest and his lips so pure, that we may de
pend on every word he says, O, how lovely
does such a child appear In the eyea of every
body! His parents dote on him. His rela
tions glory tn him. They are constantly
praising him to their children, whom they
be? to Imitate him. They are often sending
for him to visit them, and receive him, when
he comes,' with as much joy as If he were a
little angel, como to set prtty examples to
their children.
M'Sut oal bey 0JJfr4At,Oorg, Ut tfea cut
ATTITUDE
with tho boy who is so given to lying that
nobody can bellove a word he says I He !
looked at with aversion wherever ho goes,
and parents dread to sen him como among
tholr children. Oh, George! my sonl rathei
than seo you como to this pass, dear as you
aro to my heart, gladly would I assist to nail
you up in your llttlo coffin, and follow you
to your gravo. Hard, Indeed, would it ba tn
mo to give up my son, whoso llttlo feet ari
always so ready to run about with me, and
whoso fondly looking eyes, and sweet prattH
make so largo a part of my happiness. Bui
still, I would glvo him up, rather than sea
him a common liar.'
" 'Pa,' said Georgo very seriously, Mo 1
ever tell lies?'
" 'No, Georgo, I thank God you do not, mj
son; and I rojolco In tho hope that you nevei
will. At least, you Bhall never, from me
havo cause to be guilty of so shameful a
thing. Many parents, Indeed, oven compel
their child run to this vilo practice, by bar.
barously beating them for every little fault;
hence, on the next offense, tho terrified llttl
creature slips out a Ho, Just to escape th
rod. But as to yourself, George, you know
I have always told you, and now tell you
again that whenever, by accident, you it
anything wrong, which must often bo the
case, as you aio but a poor llttlo boy yet,
without experience or knowledge, you must
never tell a falsehood to conceal It; but corns
bravely up, my son, llko a little man, and tell
mo of It; and, instead of beating you, George,
I will but tho more lovo you for It, my dear.'
"This, you'll say, wns sowing good seed.
' Yes, It wns; nnd tho crop, thank
God, was, un I bellovo it ever will be, when a
man nets the truo parent, that Is, tho Guar
dian Angel, by his child.
The Doy and His Hatchet
"Tho following anecdote 1h a enso In point.
It Is too valuable to bo lost, nnd too true ta
bo doubted; for It wns communicated to
by tho same excellent lady to whom I am In
debted for the last.
"When George, said ehe, was about 6 years
old, ho was made the wealthy master of a
hatohet, of which, like most little boys, he
was Immoderately fond, and was constantly
going about chopping everything that came
In his way. Ono day, In tho garden, where
he often amused himself hacking his mother's
pea-sticks, ho unluckily tried the edge of bis
hatchet on the body of a beautiful younff
English cherry tree, which he barked so ter
ribly that I don't believe the treo ever (jot
tha better of It, The next' morning the oM
gentleman, finding out what had befalls
his tree, which, by the by, was a great f"
vorite, came Into the house; and with much
warmth naked for the mischievous author,
deolarlng at the same time that he would not
have taken five guineas for his tree. Nobody
could tell him anything aout It, Presently
George nnd his hatchet made their appear
ance. 'George,' said his father, 'do you know
who killed that beautiful llttlo cherry tre
yonder In the garden?'
"This was a tough question; and Georgo
staggered under It for a moment; but quickly
recovered hlmsolf; and looking at his athej
with the sweet face of youth brightened with
the inexpressible charm of all-conquertn
truth, he bravely cried out; t
"'I can't tell a He, pa; you know I c0
tell a He. I did cut It with my hatchet'
" 'Bun to my arms, you dearest boy,' cried
his father in transports, 'run to my rnn.
glad am I, George, that you killed ny '
for you have paid me for it a thousand 'W
Buch an act of heroism In my son It Wrtl
more than a thousand trees, though W
spmed with silver, and their fruits of P"
gold.' "
Buch Is the story of the hatchet and the
cherry tree. Weems Intended no harm by
and probably no harm has come. As to W
style, the reason why It has usually been tow
in other words In the reading books l lul"
obvious. But with all Its faults the ttonr
will always have Us place in the W''0""
traditions. Wo cannot part with It B0B"
of us even regard it with a real affection.
MISUNDERSTOOD
Pay Um a kindly, loving heart, thw ?..--Whll
nlsht la wad of cold and '" m
But ofta, alter Night fca sono wa.
I've found her tears upon tt m
flowers , , .rf,.