14
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
A NEWSPAPER FOR THE HOME
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WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL, 18
Man is in loss except he lives aright,
And help his fellow to be firm and
brave,
Faithful and patient.
—Sir Edwin Arnold.
MAYOR MEALS
THOUSANDS of Harrisburg peo
ple will mourn the death of
Mayor Meals. It is doubtful if
any man in local political life in re
cent years has attained the personal
popularity that took him to the
School Board as often as he chose to
go, to the Legislature for one term
and twice made him Mayor of Har
risburg. The fact that he was nomi
nated for his last term by a 55 per
cent, vote of all the registered elec
tors of the city is ample proof of the
hold he had upon his fellow towns
men.
Dr. Meals made his friends in the
sickrooms of rich and poor alike. His
services as physician were freely given
always, and it was never a question
of pay. At the end of every year, it
is said, he crossed from his books ac
counts far in excess of those he col
lected, because he felt that to enforce
pay would work a hardship upon
those already handicapped by pover
ty and the misfortune of sickness in
the family. Consequently, when he
aspired to office he was richly re
warded by the votes of tho?§ who had
enjoyed his benefactions and beside
■whose beds of illness he had minis
tered.
Mayor Meals made a gallant fight
for life in his last illness. His indom
itable spirit was the marvel of his
friends and the hope of his physicians.
As late as last Sunday he was confi
dent of recovery and was planning
for the future. His last official act
was the framing of a proclamation
to the people of the city requesting
that they join together heartily for
the observance of next Saturday as
Patriotic Day in Harrisburg. To few
public officials does it come to so
fittingly close a long public career.
What a fine account of the year's
stewardship was contained in the an
nual report of Mrs. William Henderson
at the annual meeting of the Civic Club
this week. This organization is going
right on doing admirable work with
out fuss dr feathers, and in this time of
stress th® club will be the rallying
point for much more service of the right
sort.
TIIK COMING OF MR. N'OYES
ALFRED NOYES, the English
poet, who comes to Harrisburg
Thursday evening under the di
rection of the Society for the Preven
tion of Cruelty to Animals, to lecture
on "Hunting the Submarine," should
be heard by a large audience. On his
last visit here he delighted a gather
ing that was far too big for the lim
ited space of Fahnrietock Hall, so that
the society has thought it wise to pro
cure for this occasion use of the more
roomy Technical high school audi
torium. Mr. Noyes, world figure that
he is, should be in himself sufficient
to crowd the auditorium, but when he
speaks on such a topic of lively in
terest as the hunt for submarines, in
which hazardous work he has partici
pated, and in such a worthy cause,
the attraction is trebled.
What are you doing to help along the
food supply this year? Every man and
woman and child can do something to
help.
BUYING OCR BONDS
THE government is about to float
an immense issue of war bonds.
It will constitute the first of
issues of the kind in this country, but
probably not the last. The bonds will
be of small denominations, so that
even persons of limited means may
subscribe. There is no question as
to the desire of Americans to "do their
bit" in this way toward financing the
■war, and doubtless they will come
forward as they have done before.
For example, there are some 35,100,-
000 savers among the Teutonic allies.
Their total of savings runs far ahead
of the sum in the savings banks of the
•atente allies. As compared with $4,-
200,000,000 to the credit of the thrifty
of England, France, Italy, Russia and
Japan, th© threr* Teutonic races have
just about $7,000,000,000 tucked
away In government and private sav
ings banks.
We, In America, have about 11,000,-
000 savings bank depositors, and they
own Just over $6,000,000,000 of sav
ings—enough to give about SSO to
every inhabitant. When we throw
our financial weight with the countries
lined up against Germany, the balance
will turn, and against $7,000,000,000
thrift resources will be pitted over
WEDNESDAY EVENING,
$9,000,000,000. In a war to the finish,
it is the saved coin of the people
which is expected to buy the victory.
Of all the warring countries, France
has probably met the financial strain
of the war with the least effort.
Why?
The explanation lies in the long
training of the French not only in sav
ing, but in investment in government
bonds (rentes). It was estimated
that before the war began, more than
4.500,000 French men and women
owned 3^per cent, rentes; and, of
course, the number who have bought
pieces of governnjent loans since the
war began have greatly increased—
probably doubled. No special "whirl
wind" campaign has been necessary to
induce France's thrifty money-savers
to invest in new issues
The other day, the treasurer of the
National Retail Dry Goods Association
wired the Secretary of the Treasury
offering the facilities of dry goods and
department stores all over the coun
try for selling government bonds.
Such stores, he said, would "afford a
means of reaching millions of people
who would purchase more willingly
through such sources than any other."
Without question, if a war loan or
other governmental securities, such as
State, county or municipal bonds, are
issued in small denominations, the
stores would be able to sell great num
bers —and lead the way to the sort
of thrift education so common in
France.
Why we must buy these bonds was
ably set forth in an article on this
page of yesterday's issue.
There were mighty few shirkers in
the '"■'-•U War days, older people
are now recalling how the first five
companies, afterward known as "First
Defenders," promptly responded to
Governor Curtin's call, and the sharp
shooters from the northern tier, other
wise the famous "Bucktails," came
down the Susquehanna on rafts and in
sisted on going to the front, even when
told their services were not yet needed.
And the spirit of '76, as well as the
spirit of '6l, is still marching on in this
country.
MR. VMBERGER'S RESIGNATION
THE vacancy in the City Planning
Commission caused by the
resignation of B. F. Umberger
will be hard to fill. Mr. Umberger.
who has found the charm of rural
residence too great to be resisted, is
not only well versed in municipal law
and as such has been of valuable as
sistance to the commission in its mul
titude of activities, but he is a close
student of municipal development and
a firm believer in the future of Harris
burg. His long career in Coutleil well
fitted him for the work of helping to
plan the future of the city.
The Planning Commission will be
indeed fortunate if it is able to enlist
the services of another so well quali
fied to succeed him. The value of the
pioneer work which the commission
has done since Its organization will
not be fully realized for many years,
and the sense of a duty well per
formed will be the only reward the
retiring commissioner will receive for
his services.
William Jennings Bryan says it is not
wise to starve the people in order to
make them drunk. He is in accord with
the proposition that the wheat and all
grain, instead of going for booze, be
saved for food.
TIIK BOY SCOUTS
THESE are days of many "move
ments." All manner of cru
sades and benefits, and cam
paigns are under way for a dozen dif
ferent worthy causes. So many In
deed that one pauses in confusion in
an attempt to enumerate them. But
there is none more appealing than the
Rotary Club's effort to raise a fund
sufficient to finance the Boy Scout or
ganization in Harrisburg for the next
three years.
There is no question as to the merits
of the Boy Scouts. On a thousand oc
casions thy have proved their worth.
In a myriad of ways the Scouts have
demonstrated their right to the hearty
support of . every community that
boasts a troop.
The lad who is trained under the
Scout code is put in the way of becom
ing a clean, courageous, useful citi
zen, able to take care of himself under
any circumstances. The organization
appeals to the spirit of adventure that
is in every boy worthy the name. It
teaches that "service, not self" is the
true road to happiness. It puts the
golden rule into every day practice.
It makes boys fearless and trust
worthy. It sets up ideals and pro
vides tasks the accomplishment of
which are necessary to advancement.
It preaches the gospel of hard work.
It shows how fun and toll may go
joyfully hand in hand to the detri
ment of neither. It is what YOU, as
a boy, wished for when you organ
ized your "gang," or tramped away
to the woods and fields in response
to that something which men for want
of a better name have termed the "call
of the wild." If your boy is not a
Scout he is missing a rare experience;
not only that, but you are lax in your
duty to him.
Scout work has been conducted
somewhat after a hit-or-miss fash
ion in Harrisburg. Many good men
have devoted much time and attention
to it, with excellent results, but their
efforts have not been concentrated.
The Rotary club proposes to head a
campaign that will put the Scouts on
their feet for a three years' period,
after which there should be no more
difficulty in maintaining the organiza
tion than there is in the upkeep of
the Y. M. C. A.
When the trout stream calls, all other
voices are lost to the ear. ,
For a nation "bled white," the French
appear to be doing pretty well, than)(
you.
Join the Red Cross. A dollar and a
letter In the mall box will do the trick.
Popuular air for next Saturday—
"Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys Are
Marching."
Making a garden is one thing; mak
ing things grow is quite another.
OH, MAN! By BRIGGsI
J
" VVHEM I TELL. | HELLO -DBARIE . / T* I THE MAVO' 1 C"
wowat BIG -PeopLe who DO rou .sVbSE IvJeLL!/ I ' . / WELL .. /
OUT \AJITH - VA/ITH J 1 V _ Y^ b IR _MAYOR. J '
I sis.v-rwsrs sr 1 I h j ( 4 s X "h,/" N
"Pott&CO- MV
""PtKKOIfkKUUa
BBy the Ex-Committeeman
■ ■ -J
Men active in political affairs
throughout the State were speculating
to-day on the effect of the double de
feat administered yesterday to the
woman suffrage resolution in the
House of Representatives. The suf
fragists were inclined to demand an
accounting to-day and men who were
absent were busy explaining their fail
ure to vote, while the liquor interests
were allowing to go unanswered the
charge that they brought about the
downfall of the resolution.
That the result was a tremendous
blow to the suffragists was manifested
last night when the suffrage head
quarters put out a statement directly
charging that liquor interests defeated
the measure. The night before the
press agent of the suffragists was
claiming a dozen more votes than need
ed to pass the resolution and the trl- j
umph of suffrage was predicted In
typewritten statements. The anti-suf
fragists issued no statement, but Miss
Eliza D. Armstrong, the veteran leader
of the women opposed to suffrage, de
clared that the events were no sur
prises to her.
Defeat of the suffrage resolution yes
terday and the refusal to reconsider
means that it will be 1921 before the
people of the State can vote on the
proposition. If the resolution defeated
yesterday had passed this Legislature
it would have had to pass that of 1919
and the vote would have been taken in
192 ft, which would be exactly Ave years
from the defeat of the last resolution.
If the suffragists can get their resolu
tion through the 1919 and 1921 sessions
they will be able to get a vote in the
fall of 1921.
Democrats were not inclined to dis
cuss the resolution's overthrow to-day,
as there were numerous Democratic
votes to defeat it and to kill it finally
on the reconsideration motion.
—Presence of William Fllnn, the
leader of the Bull Moosers of the State
in the historic campaign of 1912, and
the open ally of the State administra
tion in Republican affairs, created con
siderable interest about the C'aptlol'
late yesterday and to-day. Fllnn said
that he came here to look on, but it
was charged that he was trying to
help put suffrage through. In any event
he hobnobbed with State administra
tion leaders most of the afternoon and
turned up at the Governor's reception
last night. Incidentally a number of
Flinn's friends appeared on the new
list of members of the committee of
public safety and defense. It is be
lieved that he has come here to dis
cuss appointments and fall campaigns
In various counties of the state with
administration officials and with legis
lators.
—Another interesting political fig
ure about the Cai>itol was Joseph R.
Grundy, head of the State manufac
turers. Mr. Grundy attended hearings
and mingled with the legislators, ad
ministration scouts being in the offing.
—Presence of ex-Senator W. 11. Man
beck, of Juniata county, revived th#
story that he was to be named as Su
perintendent of Public Grounds and
Buildings, but he said he did not know
much about it. The general belief
Is that Paul Houck, of Shenandoah,
has a pretty good place on the track.
—Members of the House were talk
ing to-day of the long session held yes
terday. The House was In session for
almost five and a half hours on suf
frage and capital punishment bills
alone. The defeat of the bill to abol
ish capital punishment by such a large
adverse vote was a general surprise.
—Philadelphia legislation bids fair to
hold the center of the stage In the
Legislature until the adjournment
comes. The bulk of the big bills are
out of the way and the Indications are
that the Philadelphia factions are get
ting ready to push their measures.
Transit will occupy considerable atten
tion the next three weeks.
Good Advice
If you should come to any place
where soldiers are on guard and one
of them orders you to "Halt," halt.
Don't ask questions and don't start an
argument.—Syracuse Post-Standard.
Natural Aristocracy
(Nicholas Paine Oilman)
The democratic element In mod
ern society Is undoubtedly'gaining In
strength every year, and there Is
no good reason for lamenting Its ad
vance. Cut It will never do away
with the natural aristocracy which
has made skill In the conduct of
business the endowment or the ac
quisition of a few. The weakness of
co-operative production thus far has
been its gross undervaluation of the
manager.
\ •
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
TRIBUTE TO MR. ROOSEVELT
FROM AN OLD FOE
Another Famous Colonel, Watterson of Kentucky,
Wants to See Him Carry the Flag Across the Rhine
THE COURIER-JOURNAL has re
ceived from "an old subscriber"
a letter taking it facetiously to
task for its "change of heart" in the
matter of Theodore Roosevelt. "Can
this be the same Courier-Journal," our
critic asks, "that was erstwhile so sure
the Man on Horseback was going to
ride down the libertks of the people
—Mexicanize the Government—Dlaz
tfy the White House—and so on?" And
the Courier-Journal, unabashed, an
swered with cheerful alacrity "the
same."
There are many things twixt heaven
and earth not dreamed of in "an old
subscriber's" philosophy, "which the
same we'll proceed to explain."
In the first place the Courier-Jour
nal has had no change of heart with
respect to Theodore Roosevelt. It has
always loved him. Brutus loved not
Caesar more. "If there be any dear
friend of Caesar's, to him I say that
Brutus' love for Caesar was no less
than his. If, then, that friend should
demand why Brutus rose against
Caesar, this is my answer; not that I
loved Caesar less but that I loved
Rome more. As Caesar loved me, I
weep for him; as he was fortunate, I
rejoice; as he was valiant, I honor
him; but as he was ambitious, I slew
him." In other words, when Teddy
was right we praised him, and when
he went wrong we lammed him, never
a lick amiss or below the belt nor a
word writ down in malice!
Caesar being dead, Hrutus wept for
him. Happily, in the case of Theodore
Roosevelt there is no occasion for the
Courier-Journal to weep. He is yet in
the land of the living and very much
alive. The dagger with which the
Courier-Journal so often laid him low
was never a poisoned dagger. Its
blade where it cut at all went little
deeper than the cloth of his coat. Not
infrequently he was able to parry the
blow, for he is very dexterous. And
crafty—la, how crafty! In short the
Courier-Journal, jealous for the liber
ties of its country and holding men in
power ever to a rigorous accounta
bility, intended merely to warn the
people against the menace of a friend
ly blow in time to save Theodore
Roosevelt from himself. The issue
has proved that in all this it was not
wholly unsuccessful.
(Now? That is quite another breed
of dogs! Woody will take no risk in
giving Teddy a chance! Congress
need not fear an enabling act if one
ibe requisite. Even the General Staff
'of the army—! Rut never mind the
General Staff, just send Leonard
Wood as Chief of the Foreign Legion,
Theodore Roosevelt as General of Di
vision and trust the rest to God. They
did very well together In Cuby.)
The reader will please excuse fer
vor, haste and a bad pen! It is hard
to write of Theodore Roosevelt with
the solemn dignity of the historic, or
even the stereotype of the official page.
He is the Peter Pan of our public life.
Highest Peaks Never Scaled
(I-'rom the Scientific American)
At a recent meeting of the Royal
Geographical Society, Dr. A. M. Kellas
presented an elaborate discussion of
the question whether it is possible for
well-trained mountaineers to ascend to
the summits of the loftier peaks of the
Himalaya Mountains more than 25,000
feet in altitude none of which has so
far been climbed.
The present altitude record In moun
taineering is 24,000 feet, by the Duke
of the Abruzzi's expedition to the Kar
akoram, 1909. The altitude of the high
est mountain in the Himalay and in the
world—Everest—is 29,141 feet. At that
height the barometric pressure and the
oxygen supply is only about one-third
as great as at sea level.
The experiences of balloonists is not
conclusive as to the physiological diffi
culties of such an ascent, because the
rapid rise of a balloon does not give
the aeronaut time to become acclima
tized to great altitudes. On the basis
of a large amount of data Doctor Kel
las (himself an experienced mountain
eer) expresses the opinion that a man
In first rate training, acclimatized to
maximum possible altitude, could make
the ascent to Mount Kverest, provided
the physical difficulties are not insu
perable.
A supply of sodium peroxide, to pro
vide oxygen as an occasional refresh
ment would be of much assistance. At
present one of the "physical" difficul
ties of ascending Everest Is the fact'
that the government of India will not
let travelers approach within one hun
dred miles ,of the mountain.
Wisconsin's Objectors
An Ohio man who alleges his wifo
collects hia wages, scalds him with hot
coffee at breakfast and beats him
with a stove poker at night, says ho
wants to go to war. Of course, what
the poor devil really wants is to re
turn from war.—Peoria Transcript,
Wayward, headstrong, upright, re
sourceful, lovable—with talents to
burn and a genius for getting there—
in this dire emergency he becomes a
national—an international asset.
It is of supreme import that we
strike the European situation while
the iron is hot—that we do not let it
cool—that we do not allow the oppor
tunity, the psychic moment, to pass.
At longe range we shall come down
with the stamps; at short range help
to clear the sea lanes. Hut some
thing visible must go to the front —
must go at once—the shine of Yankee
steel, the glint of the Stars and
Stripes.
The President is a man of imagina
tion. He is largely possessed of the
Initiative. In this war he will have to
originate many things—maybe break
many precedents. He must look to
the spiritual and spectacular as well
as the physical. He knows that what
we are here saying is true and we
take it for granted that he is consid
ering how it may be made effectual.
There is inspiration in the pic
turesque. The commonplace of the
soldier's duty—the humdrum of his
technical routine—even martial or
ganization and discipline—yield before
the actualities, the startling evolutions
of war. What was Bedford Forrest
but a military paradox? What was
Grant but a prodigy? At first they
said Sherman was crazy.
The "LJttle Corsicans" of history
defy all rules. So does our "Teddy
Bear" of Oyster Bay. That is what
makes him so interesting. Turn him
loose in the Low Countries and Quen
tin Durward will live again. As of
old Israel Putnam it was 9 said, "If
there's an injun to be killed, or a red
coat to be found, he's the man to do
it," may we say of Theodore Roose
velt: "When deeds are to be done
you'll find him in the thick of them."
He will carry the flag and lead the
boys across the Rhine —no River of
Doubt to him!—and march into Ber
lin shouting, "To Hell with the Hohen
zollerns!" He will not have to be in
troduced to William of that ilk, either
—as like as not he will call him
"Bill" —and John Bull will hurrah
and Johnny Crapeau exclaim, "By
gar:"—whilst
The Star Spangled Banner in triumph
shall wave
over Potsdam and the dead of Water
loo rise from their graves and stand
upon the grassy slopes to give the Na
poleonic salute!
Go to it. Mr. President! Teddy
alone with the flag in his hand were
worth an army corps to those war
worn braves in the trenches away off
in Flanders, God bless them! Rut
Toddy with an army corps were a vic
tory! Yea, a victory for us no less
than for them; proof of who's who
and what's what; a breezy promise of
what Is yet to come! Go to it. Mr.
President! —From the Louisville Cour
i ler-Journal.
Corkscrew Losing Its "Pull"
(Collier's Weekly)
At the annual dinner of the National
Retail Dry Goods Association, former
Congressman Frederick Landls of In
diana summed up the whole thing In a
gemihumorous but wholly real speech
as follows: •
"The corkscrew is losing its 'pull,'
and It's good-by America. Think of the
straitjackets made obsolete; padded
| cells empty, insane asylum and prison
forces thrown out of work! Shall we
strike at the divorce lawyer, and shalf
we confiscate tuberculosis?
"Then, too, universal prohibition
would put our steel Industry out of
business with no demand for handcuffs,
Jimmies, blackjacks, prison bars and
the like. And what of the glass indus
try? What of the embottled hosts, and
of gamblers, reduced not only to want
but to work? Think of the change on
Saturday night when the head of the
family comes home on his feet Instead
of drifting In on the tide, and think
of the sitting room of the future, no
body throwing anything or upsetting
the lamp. Then again, think of watch
ing the old year out and the new year
In, sober. This is a situation to en
gage your most earnest attention."
"Handing It" to Rover
The most peaceable dog Is the dog
that is there
With the liuckle and clinch when he's
caught unaware,
And who "never starts not'n" that's
not on the square.
And licks his own wounds when it's
over.
He goes on his way without picking a
' scrap;
His bark is of peace, but the scars on
his map
Are nothing compared with the cuts
on the chap
That thought he could hand it to
Rover,
>
APRIL 18, 1917.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
The new President of China was
educated in the United States. The
new Russian Minister of Foreign Af
fairs, Miliukoff, was a professor at the
University of Chicago In one of his
periods of exile. If any other effete
monarchies are looking for substitutes
for kings Uncle Sam will be glad to
furnish them.—Nebraska State Jour
nal.
A mosquito fleet may be expected to
come up to the scratch.—Wall Street
Journal.
The Hohenzollern line is putting its
faith in the lllndenburg line.—Buffalo
Express.
Those Cuban rebels who stole a cir
cus intend to allow no rival In the
Held.—Boston Herald.
Prom autocracy to democracy in
half a week—there sure is a "rush" in
Russia.—Wichita Beacen.
Inhospitable Georgia went "bone
dry" just as the 700 interned German
sailors arrived.—Boston Herald.
The Ham the Germans attacked was
not the kind they would prefer Just
now.—St. Louis Globe Democrat.
Labor Notes
The Monon Railroad has granted Its
shop men an increase of 2% cents an
hour.
Tin cans are used extensively in the
manufacture of toy soldiers by Jap
anese toyuakers.
On May 1 Granite City (111.) Amal
gamated .'-.ssoclatlon of Iron, Steel
and Tin Workers will convene.
The number of women coremakers
in the foundries of the East is rap
idly increasing.
Representatives of Machinists'
Union tn several Ontario (Canada)
cities hut decided to inaugurate a
joint w&tnv movement.
The State University of Kansas Is
preparing to establish a four-year
course in city management.
Summer time In Germany is to be
gin on April 15 (instead of May 1)
and to continue until September 15.
The Women's Co-Opcratlve Guild
of England, which has been In exist
ence thirty years, has 30,000 mem
bers.
A war bonus of 50 cents a week has
been granted to the surface workers
in the mines at Cowal, Scotland.
1 OUR DAILY LAUGH
GREAT EVENT.
Visiting Pro
§ feasor- —My, the
college building*
are all decorat
ed. Some edu
cational society
going to meet
Resident P'-n
fessor —No. The
athletic associa
tion has discov
ered a new full
back for the
f~fH football team,
i and he pays his
first visit to the
college today. I
HE KNEW
BETTER. Jgf Tsk
Are you going j
Paint" sign on IlpSs /'Wi
that fence of | jj
Not on your : 111
life. Do you > | __i=Ssi_ I
think I want to -U- "~ T
have finger
marks all over
'it?
S RESOURCES
ON DISPLAY.
Do you think
spies should
have so littl*
difficulty In be
coming ac
quainted with
our country's
contemplate any
better to aend
them home wall
dlacouraged.
Stoning (Efjat
First and last there are probably
between 1,500 and I.COO bills before tho
present legislature. The lists show
higher figures but as a bill passes
from one branch to another It Is given
a new number so that while the House
list may show as high as 1,500 bills
there are probably not more than 1,-
250 strictly House bills. The Senate
probably has something between 400
and 500 original bills. In the nuin
are hundreds ol' appropriation bills
which for various reasons are pre
sented separately instead of all hos
pitals and charities being lumped as
has been suggested. Probably 200 bills '
In hand are Important, not including
appropriations. A number of the
measures are curative, but the quantity
of bills of strictly local Interest is
larger than known for many months.
In fact, there has not been a session
In years in which so many bills of
purely local importance have appeared
and the committees are sending tliem
to subcommittees for study. Just as
an Illustration it may be stated that
the other day there appeared bills for
additional State road routes in two or
three counties, for two changes in
the school code to suit just two mu
nicipalities and for one or two alter
ations to the borough code which
would affect only a few places. A bill
'came in to repeal an old act of .1823
relative to the borough of West Mid
dletown In Washington county and
Allegheny county has sent in at least
a dozen bills to wipe obsolete laws off
the books. All this is in addition to
the general repealers which are dis
posing of something like $1,005 old
laws. The other day seven bills to
permit people to sue the State passed
in a bunch and a bill came in to re
imburse a township for money paid
out for a road Improvement, which it
is claimed should be met by the State.
Probably one of the oddest bills to
appear called for repayment to a
Lycoming county man of $25 which
he claims he erroneously paid the
State. It will cost over $25 of public
money to print tho bills to enable the
man to get his money. The State will
probably be out of pocket $35 to S4O
by the time it pays the man the $25.
9*4
One of the old militia pension bills
turned up in the House on Monday
night. Years ago the State used to
grant pensions to members of the Na
tional Guard who were injured wliilo
at camp or on duty. There was no
compensation law in those days and
the practice was stopped when it was
found that the buisness was costing
the State a great deal of money. There
are probably a score of State pension
ers. In this case an Erie majl was
awarded S3OO and an annuity of $96
for injuries received while serving
In the Seventeenth Regiment. lie
wants the annuity increased.
Representative Rlclmrd Powell, of
Luzerne county, who is one of the
active men In the "Big Brother" move
ment in his part of the State, tells a
pathetic story of how he never saw
a boy to whom he had promised to
be a caretaker. This boy had been
confined in one of the State institu
tions and when his time came for dis
charge it was arranged that the Ed
wardsville man would keep an eye on
him. It happened that Mr. Powell
was away from home on the day that
the lad returned to his home town
and for the first two or three days
the legislator sort of kept an eye on
him by proxy. The*, he found that
the boy had gotten a job in one of the
mines and he arranged when he went
back to his home from the legisla
tive sessions last week to look him up.
He had been receiving good reports
and expected to make something out
of the lad. When he got home Mrs.
Powell told him that the boy was
dead. .He had been electrocuted while
trying to show some younger boys
how he could climb a pole and balance
himself on the wires.
Representative George W. Williams
was undisputed monarch in the House
yesterday. He was presiding during
the long debate on the capital punish
ment bill and it happened that all of
the clerks, who had been on the alert
for three or four hours during the
suffrage taking their ease.
The speaker iwo tem. occupied the
rostrum with aft of the desks vacant.
There was no one within twenty feet
of him. And during part of tie time
a member who had a cold insisted on
making his speech to a stenographer
with a full complement of gestures.
About all the Speaker got was a view
of the gestures. );* could not hoar
a word.
Return of mild wen*her has caused
the benches in Capitol Jark to be very
popular, and there w w 'o few vacant
seats to be found abou* }he park last
evening. Tt seemed as though every
one was so glad to welcome the com
ing of spring that they the risk
of colds.
WELL KNOWN PEOtE
—W. I. Schaffer, the lawyw* who
appeared at the compensation Sear
ing yesterday, has arguod beforo leg
islative Committees hero for the ist
twenty years.
—Senator E. H. Vare attends
ably more hearings than any Sena.f.r.
He frequently drops into hearings i>f
House committees when there *
nothing doing on the Senate ma*.
—Senator A. F. Daix was guest f
honor at the banquet of the Unite!
Tiusiness Men In Philadelphia
night.
—Senator W. C. McKee and Rep
resentative S. A. Whitaker are ofllcer
of the First Artillery.
—Chief Clerk Thomas M. Oarrtiu
the oldest officer of the House in point
of service, used to be a member of
the House.
—Speaker Baldwin says his golf
game is as good as ten years ago,
which Is going some.
DO YOU KNOW
—That Harrisburg lias a loco
motive repair capacity equaled
by a few places on tlic Pennsyl
vania railroad?
HISTORIC HARBISBUKG
Steamboats made regular trips on
the Susquehanna In the twenties.
The Great Experiment
(Edward Everett)
We are summoned to new energy and
zeal by the high nature of the experi
ment we are appointed In providence
to make, and the grandeur of the
theater on which it is to be performed.
At a moment of deep and <f®neral agi
tation In the Old World, it has pleased
Heaven to open this last refuge of hu*
manlty. ... It rests with us to solv*
the great problem fn huirtfcn sdcietyi
to settle, and that forever, the momen
tous question—whether mankind can
be trusted with a purely popular sys
tem of government. One might almost
think, without extravagance, that the
departed wise and good, of all places
and times, are looking down from their
happy seats to witness what shall be
done now by us; that they who lavish
ed their treasures and their blood, of
old, who spake and wrote, who labored,
fought and perished, in the one great
cause of Freedom and Truth, are now
hanging from their orbs on high, over
I the last solemn experiment of human-
I Ita.