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"A Paper Everybody Should Read"
Under the headline, "A Paper Everybody
Should Road' the Athena (Tox.) Itevlew prints
tho following editorial:
There Jb ono political paper that every man
and woman In tho United States should read,
"whothor ho or she ho a democrat, republican,
Hocialist, or nothing, in a political sense. It
makes no difforonco whether ono agrees with
tho editor not. One can not honestly, and with
u deslro to know tho truth, read this paper
"without being benefited. Ono can but be made
to think, and though ono may not bo convinced,
ho can bo induced to oxamino his own position
moro closely and thus bo benefited. Tho editor
and owner is the most influential man, whether
In ofllce or out, In tho United States today. That
ho is a patriot and has only tho interests of his
country at hoart is provon by his unselfish de
votion to tho public welfare during his whole
public lifo. Ho is porhaps tho only man that
has been as much in tho limelight as ho has who
has novor contradicted himself and whoso every
principlo advocated by him has been proven
true and in harmony with tho objects of this
boon hero two months ago if ho had not been
attached to democratic national headquarters
during tho Wilson campaign.
500,000 ARE AFFECTED
nMy caso is not at all unusual," Gordon said
to a reporter for tho World. "I suppose thero
is not ono among tho 500,000 travelling men in
this country who has not at somo timo or other
lost his voto bocauso tho law bars all but the
stay-at-homes. My case Isn't ovon unusual so
far as it concerns tho fact that I, in my thirties
as I am, votod for tho first timo last November.
"I have boon deeply interested in politics all
my life. I llko to talk politics, and I like to do
electioneering. Disfranchised as I have been
I havo still been ablo to do a lot of work in
behalf of men and issues to which I felt im
pelled to give my support 1 think I am a good
citizen in ovory sense of the word, and I cer
tainly do think tho law ought to take cognizance
of my situation.
"Particularly in New York state registration
days preceding the more important elections
come just at tho season of tho year when travel
ling men must bo away from home. Last fall,
for instance, they came when tho men were
out with their spring goods, their busiest season
of all. A man who wants to voto, and is quali
fied to voto intelligently, ought to have a chance
to do so.
''This is ho legislative adventure that we have
embarked on. Kansas has exactly such a law
as wo are anxious to havo in New York. Min
nesota has such a law, and there is now pend
ing in the legislature of Wisconsin a third meas-
St SM.thVani? end You can se then,
that this thing has already been put to tho test
A man who is not in tho position I am in
jUBt now can have no appreciation of the de
mand that exists for such legislation. It is not
travelling salesmen alone that are concerned
in this. Railway and steamship men, actors and
men of a dozen other pursuits must bear tho
same hardship. They havo been talking this
thing over for years, and now they are doing
something moro than talk alone. Look here "
Gordon throw open tho drawers of the desk
at which ho was sitting and began taking 'out
petitions. Last October ho began sendinc
blanks to the hotels of the country, asking that
they bo put where they would be seen, and that
they bo returned when they bore all the signa
tures possible. obu
Tho potitions that havo been returned in the
intervening timo bear 175,000 signatures
Theso signatures are being classified by states
and, as far as possible, by cities. When thev
havo boon segregated those of each state will
bo made the basis of a petition for action in The
state and for a local organization of the Good
Government association. In this way if is hoped
logSion eaCh StatG systeluati work for
Many of the signers added expressions of their
opinion of the movement. Ono man, who
signed in Denver, penned beneath his name?
"It cost me $18 to get back to Chicago ?nd
government as intendod by its founders. He
is tho peer of Washington in patriotism and of
Jefferson in statesmanship. His most recent
public acts in the Baltimore convention demon
strated uncontrovortibly his absolute fearless
ness politically and his undying opposition to
"big business" and predatory corporations that
have, under republican misrule, robbed and
plundered tho government and impoverished the
masses of tho people. If the nomination of
Governor Wilson was a blessing to the people
(and we believe it is) the boldness and wisdom
of this man contributed more to his nomination
than any other man.
This paper is "The Commoner," edited and
owned by William Jennings Bryan. The Com
moner is published at Lincoln, Neb., at $1.00
a year. If we were as rich as Rockefeller, we
would agree to give ovory man hack $2.00 who
honestly read it a year and then would say that
his dollar had not been profitably invested.
Tho Commoner is twelve years old and grows
better, if possible, all the time. Yes, every
citizen should road it. If not a subscriber now
don't wait longer but send your dollar.
vote in November." Another man wrote: "I
haven't been able to cast a ballot since Cleve
land ran tho first time." A third man said:
My great-grandfather fought in the revolution
for the rights that are denied me."
Assemblyman Lewis's bill looks to an amend
ment of the constitution which will provide that
No elector residing in a city or village who
s temporarily absent from his residence on the
last day of registration shall be deprived of his
vote, and that the legislature shall be em
powered to make suitable provision for the
registration of such absent electors."
The ultimate purpose is that the absentee
wherever he may be, may go before a notary!
answer the regular questions, affix his signa
ture, swear to his answers, and have the form
then forwarded to tho board of electors, by
which it shall bo investigated In this way, it
is believed, no door to fraud will be opened
"HOW TO BE A USEFUL MAN"
An Interesting dispatch, carried by the As
sociated Press, is as follows: "Albany N Y
Feb. IS.-.Vincent Astor has selected Uie field
of agriculture for aiding humanity. Governor
Sulzer announced today that he had appointed
i8tf01 lle"l tho delegation which will repre
sent New York state at the meeting of the
genera assembly at tho Internationa institute
of agriculture to be held in Rome ne"t May
Go vornor Sulzer said Astor recently asked Mm
for his advice on how to be a useful man VaH-
mimST fWP0 d,scussed. including the naval
Tii "E5,ibJ1it th0 young man selected agricultm-e
Ho told the governor he. would use th S
farm at Rhinecliff for scientific and experlm en
tal purposes with a view to benefiHni tE i
ers of the country. Besides at! 2KL ? farm
vention at Rome, the aiontlV Xo'tavEtT
-Uherayoung
able to accomplish geat good in 'fhe SfldBu?
ho has already accomplished good hv ni ,
example he has set in disnlnvfnS ? Ag00d
do something for hL felfow'Sn? nffS of
worth living; work for the awllcen nst8 Hf.
own consciousness of the ideals thnl! n one s
world beautiful; work for the Pln D reVG,al tho
ideals in Individl conduct SSTtto HS
government. Helen Gould now i at ifo of
was endeared to thoAnSSJ rXe hv
reason of her millions, but because of L b7
she has made to render service to sociev T
an address delivered in London, July 4 Wr
Mr. Bryan said: "The ddiuin whloh Ul 906'
the work of the hand ha! ,25r2d a baneUT
lluence the world around. Tho theory that Li i"
ness is moro honorable than toil-? w h? dle'
respectable to coneuiSo'olneUeT
VOLUME 13, NUMBER 7
duced than to be a producer of wealth has not
only robbed society of an enormous sum but it
has created an almost impassable gulf between
tho leisure classes and those who support them.
Tolstoy is right in asserting that most of the
perplexing problems of society grow out of the
lack of sympathy between man and man. Be
cause some imagine themselves above work
while others see before them nothing but a life
of drudgery there is constant warring and much
bitterness. When men and women become
ashamed of doing nothing and strive to give to
society full compensation for all they receive
from society there will be harmony between the
classes. While Europe and America have ad
vanced far beyond the Orient in placing a proper
estimate upon those who work, even our nations
havo not yet fully learned the lesson. that em
ployment at somo useful avocation is essential
to tho physical health, intellectual development
and moral growth. If America1 and England
are to meet the requirements of their high posi
tions they must be prepared to present in the
lives of their citizens examples, increasing in
number, of men and women who find delight in
contributing to the welfare of their fellows, and
this ought not to be difficult, for every depart
ment of human activity has a fascination of its
own. The agricultural colleges and industrial
schools which have sprung up in so many locali
ties are evidence that a higher ideal is spread
ing among the people."
"LOOK OUT NINE WINDOWS"
Vincent Astor, the young multi-millionaire,
recently passed a night at the governor's house
at Albany. He wanted to talk to the governor
about the subject uppermost in his mind the
question that ought to be uppermost in the mind
of every young man "how to be a useful man."
Governor Sulzer tells of his conversation with
y.oung Astor in this way:
"I told him he was living in a house with only
one window, that he was looking out of that
window every day and his views were conse
quently limited and contracted. 1 said, 'I am
going to put nine windows in your house. You
can look out of each of these windows with me
and you will get a greater perspective. After
you have looked out of all the windows, select
the view you like best, and the field wherein
you think you can be the most useful, and then
go to work and do something for your fellow
man. He spent some time looking out of these
windows, and he didn't seem to take much in
terest in any of them until I went to the agri
cultural window, and the moment he looked out
of that he said: 'That is my field, that is what
1 would like to do. I have one of the finest
farms in the state of New York down along the
Hudson river. My father never did anything
with it. I am going to make that farm an ex
perimental farm along scientific farm lines, and
everything I do there will be told to the people
ol the countryr "
WiS ?any ylng men are "livinS in a house
n,nL? nlyne window?" None of them have
S.nnrHiUVmCent, ASt01' bllt eVy 0ne haS
?nXv ny e(lual,with young Astor's oppor
tunity. One popular writer gave the world a
!eCwlSat -Ught t0 be po8ted ta "very nui
wSv 1! 1ia8m very counting room and every
ta thP ml l e lan?' when he wrote: "Bve
for Pol ic at iS ordinary the part that is done
monpv 2ri Snfirm0;8-.M So manv men with
SZlf ol their PPrtunities and going
ABtor?dnfprmrper of idleness that VInCnt
Is worthv n ?SSlnatl0n t0 beCome a ul man
Simon's" of Sin e a? ?rdinarv comment. With
abli to Li0llarB .at llis comniand Le will be
millions hP n. grGat. Service but wIth 11 of his
San that wS?0 ren(!er any more servIce
humblestan?toreTladnn(lere(1 ? T
catchy tho vitiiL lad in tlle world who
that hnvS hi! n f ,g00d d. follows tho ideals
lose ideals .a7alened withI Him, making
uiose ideals models for all his efforts.
A GOOD MAN
is boTd8 fn sonnn'wB1 Cal: 0ur community
1913 a B ythe Ca,atn heT dth, 'January 29,
and our heart? in ' Judge George Moore'
family The L? deep symathy So out to his
and with a 8m?lp Si suddenly at his home.
JudgeMoopo was fin tht ?" Ue pa8Sed away
of splendid rtues SeJ Hfe and a man
generous and humble loSS v a a w6man'
and respected hv on ,i , d by his associates
his ashes in tho iL i10 knew him peace to
Judge Moore was toy,i.SnPi0t Where tney lie'
Commoner. Klndlv n ,wi f1 8UPPrt01' The
Paper that his mnLP?bl8b tne .ave in youi
ms many friends may road it.
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