The sun. [volume], August 11, 1915, Page 6, Image 6

About The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916

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Published dally, Including Sunday, by the
Pun I'rlnllnu ami l'ubllshliis AMOcUtlon at
110 Nassau street, In the HorouKh o Man
hattan, New York, President and Treas
urer, William C Itelck. ISO Naeiaii streeti
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our frletuii uAo favor ua tcith menu
tortpte and llluitratlont for publication ulih
to Mvt refected articles returned then must
la all catet tend iem for thai pur ton.
A Valuable Suncittoa from the Old
Confederate) Conitltutlon. '
The Confederate Constitution was
fashioned mainly after the United
States Constitution. Where its pro
virions departed from those of the
original Instrument they -were in mora
than one particular of even wiser con
ception; a circumstance due to the
teaching of experience. One Instance
where the departure from the model
constituted an undoubted Improvement
is found In the ninth flection of Arti
cle I., as follows:
"Congress shall appropriate no money
from tho Treasury except by a vote of
two-thirds of both houses, taken by
yesus nnd nnys, unless It be naked and
estimated for by some one of the heads
of departments, and submitted to Con
gress by the President"
The rest of this rnrngrnph stated
the exceptions to the rule; namely,
appropriations for tho expenses and
contlngt-iicles of the Oonitress Itself,
or for the payment of claims against
the Confederate Government Judicially
ascertained and declared.
Hero, then, were two things entirely
lacking In the Federal Constitution:
first, a definite recognition of the
principle of the executive) budget, and
secondly, the requirement of a two
thirds vote to pass any appropriation
not specifically proposed by the execu
tive; a requirement at first sight
equivalent to the institution of the
executlvo veto of separate items, but
on close examination practically dif
ferent from that
No question before the Constitution
makers at Albany 1s more urgent or
further reaching In Its Importance to
the citizens of this State than thnt of
the check to be put upon the appalling
Increase In the cost of State govern
ment. As Is shown In tho masterly
report on State finances autrmltted
for the committee on that subject by
tta chairman, the Bon. RcniT I
Stimson, the general running ex
penses of the State have increased
almost elx hundred per cent. In thirty
years, a period during which the popu
hatlcra has Increased but a little more
than eighty per cent. Moreover, tho
Increase Is almost at? a geometrically
progressive rate, as 1s shown by this
table of Ave year periods:
1.85.. !T,ls,asi
1890.. 7,200,050
1895 n:,06,646
1000...... 17,696,898
1905 24,511,946
1910 84,791,67)!
1914 42,408.438
This points, If not toward ultimate
bankruptcy, at lenst toward an In
definite vista of endurance of taxation
high enough to amount to confiscation,
nut, gloomy ns Is the prospect Indi
cated by Mr. Stimsos's exhibit of
the Increase of ordinary Stnte expen
diture, has his committee really told
the worst?
Outside of the general running ex
penses thai are growing at so alarm
ing u rate that .Mr. Stimhon's com
mittee has felt the surpassing lm
iKjrtanre of controlling them by nn
adequate budget system attended by
safeguards against graft or extravH
gance, there nr,-. the special nppropria
tloirs U i. often afford the favor
ite lurking place of graft or political
concession of the worst kind and of
extravagance to tho limit. The re
form proposed In tho Finance Com
mittee's iK-mllng resolution relates to
this special or extraordinary class of
appropriations only as It provlile.sth.it
they shall not be considered by the
Legislature until nfter the budget or
safeguarded appropriations shall havo
been disposed of. These "further ap
propriations" can only be made by
separate hills, each for n separate
wont or object; and these bllla -shall
be subject to the Governor's approval,
ns at present.
Now, speaking roughly, the Increase
In these special nnd extraordinary
appropriations not safeguarded by the
projioscd budget (system and Its at
tendant checks Is even more alarm
ing than that noted In the cable
printed above, For Instance:
In 1001 the appropriations for cur
rent expense, appropriations of the
el mm covered by the committee's plan
of safeguard amounted to about f 22,
000,000; while tho total expenditures
out of the treasury, Including both
general and special appropriations,
amounted to about $23,000,000.
In 1013, nine years Inter, the ordi
nary appropriations had Increased M
nbout ?1 1,000,000 and the total of all
expenditures to $8(1,000,000; so that
while the general appropriations had
Increased $10,000,000 the nggrecate of
expenditures had Increased about
$01,000,000.
Is It only the general running ex
penses of State Oovcrnmrnt, the or
dinary or regular appropriation bills,
that need to be safeguarded by the
admirable budget scheme which Mr.
Stimhon's committee has proposed
to the convention at Albany?
Are the special appropriation bills,
which are to obtain consideration
only after both houses of the Legisla
ture have Anally acted on the regular
bills, less clamorous foT restrictive
treatment?
How doea the wisdom of the Com
mittee on State Finances, Ilcvenues
and Expenditures regard the proposal
not only to adopt tho budget feature
of tbe Confederate Constitution, but
also to apply courageously to the en
tire class of special or extra-budget
appropriations coming subsequently
before the Legislature nt Albany 'lie
requirement of the rwo-thlnls vote to
pass them, Instead of the mere ma
jority vote as now?
What public Interest would suffer?
What honest claim would be Ignored?
What millions would be saved!
Caperton In Ilaytl.
The American navy seems to be
well supplied with otlleers who can
las trusted to represent the country in
emergencies requiring u sound knowl
edge of International law and admin
istrative ability. In his dealings with
the Ilaytlaus Hear Admiral Wii.ua i
11. CArtaTox, who was a Captain two
years ago, but for all that Is a vet
eran, has restored order, conciliated
the revolutionists, and won the confi
dence of the iwlltlcliius as If by magic.
All his arrangements have worked
smoothly. It was a "detail" that no
naval officer wanted, that Is If ho had
read Ilaytian history thoughtfully.
The politicians who have kept the
republic In a turmoil for twenty years
must be more surprised by the turn of
events thnn American observers. The
Huytians were supposed to be so
Jealous of their Independence and no
ready to fight for It that the achieve
ment of the American Admiral seems
too easy to be true.
if any native Oenerol believed that
ho could rally the peoplo to resist In
tervention In their affairs and she I
their blood for Haytl he was soon dls
lllusloned. Even tho redoubtable Dr.
Bobo, who is an antl-Anierlcan agita
tor, meekly submitted and agreed to
the dlsbandment of bis forces. General
nouBAND also sheathed his sword and
accepted Admiral Caperton as a War
wick. As for the rank and tile of
tbo loyal and rebellious troops, they
made no objection to the distribution
of American rations among them and
agreed to go home with a few dollars
In hand borrowed from the public
funds. Imagine 73(1 musket carrying
Haytians coming In on board the
famous gunboat Nord Alexis and de
mobilizing at tho request of an Anir
lean naval otlleor whom they hid
never seen before! We huve beard of
a Ilaytian General In a gold braided
coat and a casual pair of trousers ac
cepting a tip on tho street In Port nil
Prince, but here was a whole regiment
disbanding for hard tack, coffee and
bacon, and "a small sum of money
from Admiral CAruitTON."
This revolution In public sentiment
could hove been accomplished only by
a shrewd mingling of firmness, tact
nnd benevolence. The Haytians aw
a simple people after all, nnd heartily
sick of the politicians' wars into which
they are drafted without pay or even
rations. When Caperton persuaded
them that he had not come to seize
the government and murder them in
their beds; that, In fact, It was hl
mission to abolish war, settle -,x)llt.
clans' feuds and provide work by
cleaning house In fetid Port an Prince,
their hostility vanished nnd the Amer
ican occupation liecamo popular.
Carrying the War Bark to the Hal
kans. The Grecian Parliament, tho mem
bers of which were chosen upon the
wnr Ihsuo and mnlnly 111111 their
friendliness to the cause of the Allies,
will meet next Monday, nnd Ki.i:u-
thkrios Vknizeih, the leuder of the
opposition to tho pro-German sympa
thizers, will 10 restored to his former
post of Premier, The weight that
will thus be thrown In the favor of
the Allies and the desire to offset
actual intervention in the war by,
Greece evidently explain tho massing
of the Austro-Gcrman force along the
Serbian border.
In an Interview which the enter
prise of the United Press has secured,
Bulgaria, through her Premier, Dr.
V. ItAnoHi.Avorr, has so clearly stated
hor demands thnt there no longer
seem any doubt of the price she asks
for her aid. In risking, for the collec
tion of the Htilgars under the Bul
garian flag be renfUrms her stand for
nationalism, a principle to which tho
Allies are already committed. In car
rying out this plan Bulgaria demands
Iwsldos Serbian territory in Mace
donia the ceding of certain territory
by tho Oreclans. It has been already
Intimafxtl that Serbia will relinquish
her claims on southern Macedonia If
she Is recompensed by territory oc
cupied by people of her own raco to
tho west of her present border.
What the Bulgarians nsk of Greece
Is a strip along tho Kgcan east of
the Struma, Including Demlr Itnssnr,
Seres and Kavnln, all awarded to
Greece by the final treaty of the last
Balkan war. Vr.tmELOs nnnounced
hist winter that ho favored relin
quishing Kavala, tho most Important
of the towns, to Bulgaria and seeking
in return for Grecian aid Islands In
the .Ivgean nnd n part of the Ash
iMlnur coast In which there Is n pre
K)iHleniuce of Greeks. It was n dif
ference with King Oonbtantink upon
this iKlnt that caused his retirement
from the Premiership. When M.
(i'ol'Narib, his successor, was ap
proached a few days ago by represen
tatives of the Quadruple Entente he
Is reported to have said that Greece
would give not n foot of Hellenic ter
ritory to Bulgaria.
With the return of Vknizhlos to
power there Is, however, no reason to
lelleve that he will not hold to his
former oplulons and that with the
Riipport of a Parliament In sympathy
with him ho will not be unwilling to
tnnke the concessions asked by Bul
garia. In the question of the conces
sions by both Serbia and Greece the
attitude of Italy must be considered;
for with tho Allies' success Italy will
set up claim to much of Uie cast
Adriatic coast and to the .ijgeaii
Islands that she has I wen holding
sltMV tho Trlpolltnn war. But It Is
generally accepted that the rights of
Italy and Sorbin to the east Adriatic
coast and hinterland were adjusted
before Italy undertook her part In the
war; nnd It Is also said that Italy
and Greece have arrived nt an under
standing regarding the division of the
Egcau Islands and tho Asia Minor
coast In case of the complete triumph
of the Allies.
The Balkan situation, which has
been so erplexlng, Is thus apparently
clearing. The assistance of Greece
Is. itcrhnps, less valuable now than It
would have been earlier In the attack
uhii the Dardanelles: but the Bul
garian army, which Dr. Uahoni.woff
says Is ready to march against Con
Mnntlnople on short notice, will 1k a
strong determining factor In the cap
ture of that elty nnd the ending of
the wur. The promised delimitation
of southeastern Europe, If It can be
carried out. would go further than any
ever before attempted toward solv
ing the question of nationalism, and
If, ns has been so often contended, the
collection of nich race Into n State
under Its own flag nnd ruler Is the
great consideration, then It should yo
far toward bringing permanent ietice
to the Balkans.
The Wild Mfe In New York.
The Incident told In Tiik Sun re
cently of a (lock of sparrows tlylng
to the kitchen window of an uptown
niKirtment house for protection from
n inn rand lug hawk which, circling In
the nlrshaft, was picking out his
lmiil from the te frilled little birds
with all the glaring nnd freedom of
the open country, recalls that In this
great city closely packed with houses
nnd humans there are many Interest
ing phases of wild life.
A blacksnake family was seen the
other day sunning themselves, the two
old ones and 11 whole drove of small
squirmers, on rovks In the more rug
ged northern part of Central Park.
Tho heads of the family had been
there evidently long enough to grow
to the length of three or four feet,
and perhaps had paid their keep by
destroying rats and mice thnt may
have wandered over from the rows of
houses nernss the street. A few days
ago a policeman was called to lead
mt of tt north Third avenue shop n
hlg bird with 11 villainous beak which
had walked In without explaining Its
errand or giving Its name and had
taken ikisscssIoii.
'Every now and then some amateur
trapper along the streams of the
Bronx reports the capture of a musk
rat, mink, beaver or ferret. Not long
ago some residents of Borough Rich
mond witnessed n strange battle In
air between a hawk and n snake that
the big bird was endeavoring to lly
nwny with. As this kind of air con
tests are decreasing in frequency
while those between air craft ninth!
by man Increase It might be added
Unit the hawk was not equal to Its
undertaking and that tho two com
batants dropped like lead to the street
when the reptile got n firm constrict
ing grip on Its enemy's neck.
This city has more squirrels than
most up-State counties where the hun
ters have their way. It lias one of
the largest herds of American bison,
or huffnlo, In the world; nnd If tlu
prnlrle dog colony In the Bronx keeps
on Increasing while the trllie de
creases on the plains It will have the
largest prairie dog town. We have,
too, the most varied flock of any town
III the world of wild fowls, made up
of migrants In their north nnd south
journey who liked our city well
enough lo slop over; and wo have a
bigger flock of Canadian geese, it is
said, than any town In Canada, one
pair Having fifteen goslings, flvo of
their own and ten acquired by, theft,
THE SUN, WEDNESDAY, 'AUGUST 11, 1915.
n wenkness In which, It Is said, thoo
Interesting birds In their nnttif.il
haunts never Indiilue,
And then we have it baby ssebrn,
which Bin, Swum, who has been
trained on by elephants, kicked by
camels, scratched by tigers, bitten by
wolvei, rattlesnakes and ojher things
and who liears more wounds than
ever attained by ony big or little
game hunter, says Is the only one
born In captivity and by which he Is
going to provo tho most Interesting
question of natural history, has n
baby zebra strliios?
Yes, New York, separate nnd npiirt
from Its gunmen nnd its "great white
way," has some most Interesting
phases of wild life.
Mr. I'ckkins snld that the spirit of the
Progressives Is mor militant than ever.
Political netci.
It may ultimately develop that the
1'rogrcs'etvrs sustained no actual de
feat In 1912, but merely "retired for
strategic reasons to a battleground of
their own choosing."
Only Turkish characters can bo Used
hereafter In slcns and ndvertlnements.
The same order applies to drug-jrlKts pre
scription. L'oHJdiiitlnoie (fiepntrn.
Writing druggists' prfscrlptlona In
Turkish mlebt tend to make some of
them n trifle more legible.
Wii.mam J. HrtrAN began yesterday
Ills Xcbrnakn-Chnutntiqtn oatnp.ilRii
for pence In Kurope The tie ui from
Omnha.
Tho Prince of Peacr-at-any-prlce.
Drunkenness In Toneka Is on tho
wane. The Topcka Capital.
Strango! Judging from the state
ments of stern disciples of prohibi
tion who come out of Knns.is one
would think that there wns no
drunkenness nt nil at the Slate's
capital.
General vow UiNnr.Nnfno In wood.
Hi ail line.
The General certainly has not
been acting ns a wooden man.
The news of the death rf GconnR
Fitch will bo received with much
regret by tunny who have read his
stories of "Shvash Colleue" and
"Homeburg .Memories." lie was
elected to the Illinois House of Rep
resentatives ns u Progressive In 1912.
Another honor that be held was the
presidency of the American Press
Humorists Awoclatlon. mnde up of
those good matured fellows who write
funny things every day or every
week for the newspapers nnd maga
zines, a hard Job If ever there was
one.' In telling of life In what he
onco described ns "fresh water col
leges" Pitch was at bis best, nnd in
these stories he showed n keen, droll
humor that was delightful.
Wo believe It to bo true, ns Senator
Pomkkknu of Ohio says, that "senti
ment throtnrhout the country Is un
questionably In favor of a stronger
national defence." That being the case
favorable action by Congress may be
expected, for what the country really
wants Congress Is dlsHscd to itlvo It,
eseelnlly on the eve of n national
election. However, nothing should be
taken for granted. The campaign for
preparedness otiKht to bo continued
vigorously to tho day Congress con
venes with n view to expeditious legis
lation. Reduced to exact terms the decla
ration of M. Ai-oacnkcr, the French
Minister of Marine, that "It was the
British lleet that saved the world from
destruction by the barbarians of the
twentieth century." means that the
British navy saved Paris nnd Prance
by lKrttllng up the German lleet. Can
there bo any doubt of It?
DREAM TWINS.
A Scientific Theory Assailed by a
Sleeper.
To the Kditor os- Tits: Sun Sir.- What
nonsense great learning shows In making
fncts fit theories !
The latest Is a dream book. A Hos
t on doctor with n long train of titles
connected with Insane asylums has pub
lished n theory that nil dreams are re
sults of wishes Wishes submerged In
that other theoretical thing, tho sub
conscious mind.
No one knows whether there Is a sub
conscious mind. It Is necessary to have
one for a dream book. Science Is more
learned than the witches. Facts must
be twisted and tilted to theory.
I ha rend Ur. I'reund's theories nnd
now his American disciple's drenm book.
They give ono nn object lesson In how
to make every fact tit n theory
Now- to the piint. Last night I
dreamed that Mrs A. had presented me
with twins, as they say. There they
were.
.1 have Hcirehed for every detail of
my life, I cannot llnd a wish of the
most remotn telatlon to twins. I know
I never wanted ' m
I havo two theoiles to account for
that dream. Please tnko your choice,
Perhaps n pair of chaps In Nirvana
want to telncarmite ami they tried to
urge tne Into their scheme. You would
not have spnc to spare for elucidation
of this theory to account for my dream
twins.
The common sense theory Is that I
am very fond of peach and blackberry
pie. On tho iMiiIng of August ', 191S,
thn bill of fHre nt the hotel contained
pencil and blackberry pie 1 nto both.
Now there Is tho caue of tho twill
dream. The only thing awry Is tlut
tho twins were both while.
f't..iiEM-K T. Atkinson.
Annuity I'aiik, N. J., August 7.
Impressions of Trutel In I'falt,
To the r.WTon os- The Sun Sir; While
travellers genernllj will llnd a kindly
hospitality In tho U'e-tern cities, I 1m.
limn none of them extends a moro cor
dial welcome than this platenu city with
Us broad streets, man) of them end'ng
In mountain foothills giving nn Inns-
In lick appearance ns the shinies of night
como 011
The plcturesquo "Dead Son" of
America not only delights the eye and
a dip In its waters not only invigorates
the body, but the afterglow itllmilUteu
a thltbt that would enchant even a
driver of a biewery w.ignn and make
the enemies of liquid hospitality hldo
their bends In shaino.
The flee, dallj, 1101,11 organ recitals
conducted by the .Moinions In tho Titber
naiio in tho beautiful temple grounds
nre a Joy not only fiom an artist lo
point of View but because) the nentdn
nte made to keep quiet and In their
seats miring the conceit, for twite who
liaven t any miiiineiH the locking; of thn
doors helps to toach them some.
If some of our symphony concerts In
the llast wero managed nn well It would
plrano many music lovers who go to the
concerts to henr the music.
James D, Diweli., Jr.
Salt Lake CiTtUtah, August 6.
THE ELECTRIC CHAIR.
.Should the Preeent Njstem of Eicrtt
lion lie Cliutigcd?
To the Editoii ok Tub Hon Sir; The
disgraceful scenes connected with the
cnrrylng out of the law's decree In tho
case of ft prominent criminal, the hys
teria which has prevailed In a certain
portion of tho press and of tho public,
and which has even got tho bettor of
certain publlo olllclals, havo convinced
every thinking member of the commu
nity that there Is something radlcnlly
wronu In our practice In tho case of
tho Imposition of tho death penalty for
crime.
Tho chief trouble Is that this Is not
n law loving community. A large iart
of Its population comes from countries
whero nt least to them tho law Is felt
with severity, nnd tho first Impuhe on
reaching this, free country Is u tendency
to resent nnd resist all law. Indeed
thcro Is an element of hostility to law
ful control In the making of every
American, whether icccntly nrrlved or
tho descendant of a lon lino of resi
dent forebears, nnd In ordor that the
community should appreciate the value
of order It muat too the danger and
Impropriety of disorder.
Any of the moh who nttendd tho
obsequies of the criminal referred to
must have felt later on th tinseemll
ne.ii of the whole performance and the
dinner which It threatened to the
community. Only the lowest nnd least
1of'v Initlncts of mankind were up
pealed t and only the lowest and least
lovely responded to tho appeal. It was
shocking, degrading nnd demoralizing,
nnd those who took part must hnve felt
afterward much as though they had
been on n prolonged debauch, unless
they wero too deKrnded to have felt
nny reaction from their unseemly
exultation.
Tho conclusion therefore Is rational
ami loRleal that the display of a crimi
nal's body after execution Is so frnuKht
with possibilities of danger to the
community, both physical and moral,
that It should not be permitted. The
body of h rrlmlnnt who has been exe
cuted under tho law of the State should
not be delivered to relatives or to any
private parson for Interment. The law
rhotild provide that the body should be
forfeited to the Stale and disposed of
by the State.
When the method of executing the
death penalty In this State wns first
changed from hanultiK to eluMrlclty
the law provided for n post-mortem ex
amination of the body and then unless
the body was claimed by tome relative
of tho person executed It should bo In
terred In the graveyard or cemetery at
tached to the prison, with a ull1elent
quantity of quicklime to consume It with
out delay.
A mistaken sympathy for the relatives
of the criminal thus made It pos.lblc
that his body should be delivered to his
relatives where there were relatives to
clam It. with the demoralizing results estlng to learn In greater detail Juat
which have too frequently followed. what results are to be expected from
Despite the public clamor on the ! their use In tho hands of civilized and
question whether the denth penalty It- 1 humane men. Against what poison!
self should be abolished, It la reason- n, the International body politic, other
nhly certain that the Amerlcin public I than themselves or of their own creat
Is not supersensitive on the subject of Ing. are war materials and prepara
sudden death. Hundreds are destroyed t tlons Imagined to be effective? War
annually In the streets by our public I materials deatroy what Is good nnd
nnd private conveynnces and barely a wholesome In the political body, leaving
protest is heard. Why this Indlffer- . In their wake tho poison! of economic
ence In tho case of the victim sen
tenced through negligence and hysteria
over tho criminal sentenced through
law?
The reason Is that we do not shudder
at the death penalty, but at the horrors
which surround Its execution under our
present barbarous system. Most peo
ple would agree thnt the criminal who
has committed n capital crime Is of no
further use to society, hut Is a menace
to it nnd should be dlspo-ed of so that
the menace should be remove!. Most
people are nlso nereed that the cer
tainty of ndrqtiate punishment Is some
determent to the capital crime.
Them nrc therefore two sufficient
reasons why the man or woman who
has committed a murder should be re
moved from society The vrlnie is
such a serious one and the consequences
so far reaching that It Is generally
ngrcfd that the criminal should be
dealt with differently from those who
have committed crimes or lower degree.
The mind which Is willing to commit
muroer is so nnnormai that It Is not 1
unreasonable for society to determine I
to eliminate its possessor. The net Is
so at variance with the orderly prog
ress of clv'llzed . society that oclety
Is Justified In determining not to sup
port for n lifetime one who Is willing
to do it so great n wronir. nnd for thnt
reason alone, thviigh there lire m.1115 !
others, is justlned In terminat'ng the
life of the malefactor. But that should
iui u- u,i- onucr uie insugation or a 'sweeping assertions ns he did In hla let
splrlt of vengeance or with a view of ter appearing in your paper of July
torturing or even punishing the of- 30, i reply to mine of July 24.
ill"' . , .. 1 Van der I.lmle In his work "The
The fundamental Idea Is simply the ji.mrlem Legend" proves thnt Laurence
protection of society, nnd for that rea- janson Koster or Coster's claim to
f,?n. ,.u '"T"1' "honl11 ln , be the Inventor of printing Is not
dieted with tho minimum of pain and found'd upon fact.
apprehension. Under our pre-ent sys-j As ror Prlar Bacon being the dlt
tern the very opposite of this course cveier of gunpowder. "X. Y. Z." will
in 1.ursu-u. me victim s sent to
State prison, Is there Incarcerated in
the death house, where he l kept for
months, sometimes years, under the
distressing and depressing surroundings
which there exist, nnd finally n day Is t,mUBh nr, Kngllsh writers who
t xed for h!s execution, of which he Is , ,lnVP pleaded In favor of Schwartz,
duly Informed, nnd he must exist for a , jIflst writers nre ngreed that Schwartz
greater or less period with tho date 1 nBllted the nrst firearms, and us noth
constantly In mind, and at last on the lnK ,va known of an Inventor of gun
fatal day he Is led forth to execution powder It was perhaps considered Jus
under surroundings hideous In the ex- unable to give Schwartz the credit
trrme and put tn death by a medium of thereof"
which man hn stood In terror from x. Y says: "With tho first two
his Infancy. .No won.ler when the trm s0 hopelessly wrong It Is Idle to
gruesome details are spiead nt length . i)0r(. ,.m,r readers with an analysis
before the public bv the dally press. ' f the remainder." The two above men
that a large percentage protests ve- tlI)cJ mn arp tnr. onl. llnP, f my
"'",' ' ......... r- ,...,,c,u.iii.,ii in
stitch a cruel system.
im- lemeuy is o ;u ens,, tne norrorJ,, challenge him to name even one of
attendant upon the Inilktlon of the the ,,,,. Illlo,lt greatness
death penalty. Very few of Us fear the 1 a hc icnst doubt.
iiusiraci nie "i ueain. n nnt we rear
Is tho act of dying. The elimination of
the horror surroundlnir the ccrution
of the death sentence can be accom- 1
pllshed very easily, nnd while the vie- An Appeal for a Universal Prayer.
Xs1.!:r0enw!.io,,,,s 1 vc7. ' To THP. KntTon os- Tr. SUN-SIr- As
inent of his death sentence, his wort ! xh",r hn." bcon tt. growing desire for a
moment will be only th and the gen- , unlier.sal prayer to go forth at a given
oral public will be as Ind ffeieiit to his ""'""nit nsk ng for spiritual understand
fate us It Is to unhappy victims of the . ,""' 1u-rUo.i,, y""r KpnPr"sU-
trolley cars or tho subway express. , ' '!,,,:ll,i,l,lf B VV,'SS?K"., , .
The doing nway with the horrors I , T1!111 " X' , ' 1 nrl? ,lm')1 A,"""t
surrounding the execution of the death I ?u . f,r V f " ? I""'"!'. "ml
penalty Is not a dllllci.lt nutter. " h thM , wor'1 be",',K "nt. ,,n ,n9
know that death must come to then trenches and to all coun rles to give
Its ndveiit may be only n moment nwnv I J' V,.' ,i'mo "'i'"1
and )ct tho knowledge doe, not terrlfv nulet for five minutes wherever they
or depress us, nnd the reason Is be- may be, and meet n splrltu.il conmiun
cause tho time Is unrert Hn. This fict ,,""'n wnn nr" (lolnK ,h" Bnmn 0,1 n"
can be made the secret of the pnlnles sides.
death sentence. When the criminal i M-Tlinis and StSTKns ns- Lovr.n
sentenced the sentence should be meielv
that his life Is forfeited to the State
He should then bo sent to some placo
of detention, which may wry' well he
the nearest Stnte prison, nnd nn order
1 ....1 1... .
? " ' . " en Of
iue pi .son 111.. i iM.-uncr i,e executed
on son,., day luring a certain month of
the current year. The prisoner could
lit. llutUM titaiu 111 um (laic or not. Ill
J"H T'u"' .7,!:, VrlH:?Z S,h""1'1, 1,0
lowed tie rni.ie freedom In prbo,, ns
inn nil the rest of tho prisoners nnd
ticnted In exactly the same manner.
but should be requ red to hleep In n
toom especially designed for Ms nc
ciininiodiition. When the time come
for the execution of the sentence the
proper prison authority should nt night
nnd wiille the condemned man wns
sleeping Introduce a lethnl gas In suffi
cient quantity tn produce death. The
pr'snner'H life would then be terminated
wblln ho eiept, painlessly nnd quietly
nnd without Indicting upon him nns
moment's npprshenslnn The purpovs
of the law would have been accom
plished mercifully nnd there would be
less to exalte morbid sensitiveness uvsr
such a death than over that of some
unfortunate stricken In the itreeti.
All the terrible strain on tho prison
attendants nnd oltlclnls would be elimi
nated, tho other Inmates of the prison
under sontenco of death would be
spared the paroxysms of terror nnd de
spair which accompany nn execution nt
present, and tbo morbid portion of the
public, which Is Injuriously excited by
nn execution nt present, would have
nothliiK to Injuriously cxclto them. Tho
fact of death could be dulv attested n!
might bo necessary and tho ordinary
life of the prison staff and employees
would surfer no greater strain thnn nt
present over tho death ot nn Inmate In
the Infirmary. W. W. Nll.lts.
New YonK, August C.
THE COMMON USE OF SLANG.
X Rebuke by Ihe Secretary of the
Editorial Improvement Society.
To the Kditoh op Tub Svu .Sir: 1
have nlway.s considered Tub Sun a real
genteel Tinper nnd havo read It dally for
more thnn thirty years to Improvo my
mind. You cannot Imagine how dread
fully shocked 1 wn.s recently when I cuniu
across tho word "gosh" In nn editorial
article ou must have written.
I havo nhvaya had nn Insuperable
aversion to slang and hnve tried to Im
prest upon the minds of my pupils that
only very common people Indulge 'n
such language.
And while I am on the subject of
editorials let me ask If you are capable
of writing editorials on anything? I
tun not making this inriulry out of morbid
curiosity, but because I am secretary
of on I'dltorlnl Improvement Society,
and we propose to try nnd Improve the
literature of newspapers In gensral.
That is, we hope to give editors some
thing real pleasant to -write about In
ttead of allowing them to collect nil the
blood curdling topics of the day for the
minds of the young to peruse.
If you will believe me, I felt posi
tively 111 after rending Tits: SON that
mornlrn:, nnd then to come across that
slanii word "gosh" wns the last straw,
as It were. Maot RsTTOf.
Linden, N. J., August 10.
Preparedness.
To the Kditoh or Tits SUN Sir;
Apropos of a recent official nppeal urg
ing the apothecaries of Germany to
Kather medicinal plants to be laid aside
u substitutes for Important drug!
against a day of Impending scarcity,
THE St'N reads a moral lesson on tho
absorbing question of preparedness. "One
may as reasonably anticipate Illness,"
quoth The sun, "from the storing up
of poisonous drugs for Its treatment ns
to Insist that tho gathering of muni
tions of war and the training of our
citizens for the prevention of possible
war will hasten war's coming,"
tinint nu a basis In reason for draw
ing a parallel between poisonous drugs
nnrl iv.ir m.if .Hul It u'aiiM 1,u Itilar.
waste and militarism. Poisonous
drugs, Intelligently used, destroy for
eign poisons In the human body, leav
ing the system clear for the unham
pered operations of health. Illnesi,
being due to non-human agents, steals
upon men like a thief In the night and
surprises their best vigilance. It comes
In spite of foresight nnd preparation.
War Is undertaken by the agency of
men, Is therefore within their control,
nnd can come only because it Is looked
forward to nnd prepared for.
Hut even If we accepted Tin Su.N'
parallel between preparation for Illness
and preparation for war, nnd were In
clined to believe that no more connec
tion existed between the act of prep
aration and the thing prepared for In
the one case than In the other. In what
way Is the nrgument substantiated by
the shining example of Germany, from
, which the moral Is purported to be
'drawn? What re.ider of the American
' press to-day believes that war stole
1 upon Germany unanticipated, like an
Illness, like the Scriptural thief, or that
her marvellous preparedness has proved
an undivided blessing?
Paul n. Schumm.
New York, August 9,
The (irent Herman Inventors.
To the KniToit os- The Sun sir: "X.
'7 ' niit-li, ,11 tin a UHIa mrr& aitrA
of his ground lefore he makes such
n,i that the Kncvc onsndla rtrltnnnlca
says: "Herthold Schwartz was gener
ally considered to be the Inventor of
gunpowder, nnd only In Kngland has
1, u,''. ot'im ,'., ' ....v,-,,.
inng list nliout whose achievements
I there might be any possible question.
L. nuitKF
August 9.
Sot-TH OtUNfllt, N J
tiss:s IN Tin: Tiiknciieh.
Paiiis, .luly 18.
Ileliiluin's Tate and Her National .r,
To this ItaiTon or Tun Pes Sir: In
not ,he xery Irony o( fate that th. on,,,.
; , m, r liHKlum' national uir anouM
.., ,. ,, ,.ru7 r,.,01
trnlre, ccmjcrant In uftreux prnjeta,"
.. ..,.,
.... this arbitrary deed, "thl , h.Vfui
1 of tyranny?"
Who would be.
t'nllke the rtaiiKhtera of Ztnn, no aonu
Is required of tlie poor Helsluna; on the.
contrary Hiey nre forbidden lo King tho
Holms of their oun I. m. I. a mri.ngs land
to them now. Amsinnv II CiswiN.
PATcnnovE, I I., AiiBiut 7.
1'nlntlne Moral.
Hhe didn't ralss her doush to be s bis.
cult,
She didn't want tn have It eaten up:
So she made It ery tough and they quickly
got nnoucli,
And left It when they all sat down to
sup,
MrU W.
DAVENPORT SEES
HOPE FOR MOOSE
Not, in 1016, Except by a Mini
do, but Certainly Four
Years Lntr.
WEST LEADS MOVEMENT
Former State Senator Frederlrk Mor
gan Davenport contributes to the cur
rent lasue of the pulfook his closing
article In tho eerlea on "The March of
PollUcal Liberalism." To that not in
considerable portion of the Inhabitants
of tha United States who have suppeecl
that "the heart of democracy and liber
alism In this country" was palpitating
nmld the loajst tree.s of Sagamore ltrfl
It will occasion some surprise to loam
that It Is really In the West, where the
professor haa lately been trailing prog
ress and reaction.
The result of his peregrinations Is nn
admonition to the late adherents of so
cial Justice to get back Into tho Itepub
llcan party with the Idea, of rattling be
fore the assembled lvcsts whnt Is left of
tbe rrogreailve party's skeleton until the
reactionaries aro soared out of their
boots and give the dear peopte what they
want. Including offices.
"In the separate States," says Sena
tor Davenport, "the great majority of
the 4,000,000 who voted for Koceve1t
will probably enroll In the primaries of
the old parties, most of these with the
Republican, although a considerable per
centage will undoubtedly go Into tbe
Democratic ranks. And In this roturn
to the two party order, the majority
American mind being what'lt Is, there Is
much practical wisdom. The greater
portion of the Progressives nre opimr
tunlst radicals. The Idea that there Is
any moral reproach In political oppor
tunism Is an Illusion of small minds.
Lincoln and every other practical nnd
tfllclent national leader that we have
had havo been of the opportunist type.
Kxcept by a miracle no third pirty
movement will have any chance of suc
cess In 1916."
"A Two Party Conntry."
In another section of his article Sen
utor Davenjort makes seme further ob
servations on the character of the Amer
ican political mind and the futility of
third parties. He nays:
"The permanence nnd dominance of
third parties seem foreign to the political
genius of the American people. This Is
a two party country."
Nevertheless he regents nny Idea that
the organizers of the Progressive party,
who knew In 1912 almost ns much nbout
the history of third parties in t'.ils coun
try as they do now, deliberately set out
to manufacture gold bricks for distribu
tion at a iKilltlcal carnival. While the
stakes are being pulled and the tents
folded he Issues a warning that the per
formance under .the big top must be up to
expectations or the managers will have
opposition to face again. Senator Daven
port says:
"The Progressive party accomplished
two purposes: it palsied the power of
the corrupt bipartisan machines and
extended the range of freedom within
party organizations. Let not the tem
porary recrudescence In some parts of
the country of the old arrogance be
neath the shadow of the world war and
the world depression cloud our Judgment
about that. Bourboulsm Is badly hurt.
The young lieutenants of the old order,
who will soon sucoeed the political bar
ons who nre going or gone, will conduct
party organizations with better Ideals
than their elders. Of Itself this Is a
great gain.
"And the other purpose which the
Progressive party acoompllsilied was the
holding of a vision of national power
and freedom and welfare, it only for
an hour, before the eyes of a hundred
millions of people. The platform of the
party was a vision. No country over
could accomplish a programme llko that
In one campaign."
Movement Halts In West.
Senator Davenport says that while he
has not blinked the fact that there Is
In the West a halt In the march ot polit
ical liberalism he believes It Is merely
a halt for breathing purposes.
"Hut In the West," he continues, "the
march of political" liberalism will soon
be renewed. Perhaps not In 1916. Cer
tainly with redoubled vigor In 1920.
And no man can predict what the West
will do, even In 1916. The Progressive
party now exists there, ns elsewhere In
the country, mainly as a skeleton or
ganisation with the threat of harm.
The army 'had to be created and mobil
ized In 1912. Now It needs only to be
mobilized."
He thinks the movement for national
liberalism Is no longer merely the ex
pression of those who aio without
proierty, hence without resiionslbillty.
He gives warning that the West Is not
without the property Interest, that It Is
na.turally Republican, hut that It is f r
country and for liberalism before It Is
for the Republican party, and that U tho
Republican convention next year violates,
by candidate or platform, this spirit of
liberalism Its outlook for success Is
1 dubious. He even concedes that Presi
dent Wilson might get n majority of
the votes that went to Col, lloosevolt
ln 1912. Ho concludes:
"The heart of ilemocracy nnd liberal
ism In this country now la in the West,
In population with a property stake In
the land, a strong and vital citizenship
of growing montnl balance, of rugg,l
health and Integrity and love of
country."
MASS FOR MRS. THACKAEA.
American In llcrltn Attend Me
morial Service. i
Special Cable I'etialc'i to Tnr. Si s
Hkkun, Au, 10 A solemn rcsiuiem !
masa was ce'ebnitol this morning at
the I'liur-sil of St. 1Udwig In nieinon
of Mrs. KIt.Mt.or Kbernuui Thaek.ua, j
wife of tho American toi,Hiil-4 leneeal :it I
1'nrl.s. TiK' service was attended by
Mrs. James W itson Gerard, wif of the
American Atnba-isjdor ; Counsellor and
Mrs, J. C. Crow of tho embissy. ("apt
W 11. (Vitsnirdi, the naval attache, and
Mrs. G hern rill ojid Connul-iienernl and 1
Mrs. Jos'.-pn t; uy, as well n thn
executlvo committee of tho American
Women's Club.
Consul-General nnd Mrs. Tha karri
lived In Perlm for eight years up to
1!13 nnd ohe wns very highly regarded
She wiih the daughter of Gen. W. T
Sherman.
WAR'S "BLACK BOOK" BY JEWS.
Will Trll of KurTerlnu of lli-lirt-sss
In Countries In Conflict.
Tho Pluck Hook Is to bo the pent
addition to the war's literature. It w.ll
describe the nufferitiKs of tho .lews in
practically all of the countries now nt
war.
Ths Jewish Conttrejus Orgiinlnntlon
Committee, 32!) IJam Uroadwny. wj
compile the lllnck lbvik from reports
of reptesentatlves In Huron-
The committee Intends to call 11 confer
ence of all Jewish organizations m
America In nn effort to recuse Justice for
jews in an countries and .1 safe home
lor cnose wno settle in ralUn,
AL SMITH BURIES
SHRIEVALTY HOPES
Murphy's Hclurn Plus Foloy'i
Siren Tongue Mights
Budding liooin.
TAMMANY HALT, AN ki:$
Charles P. Murphy nppi.it' 1 ' T,.-.
many Hall yesterday from ' ', r,i
CJround retreat. It w.ih bis fir ' ,
his desk ln several weeks D.-tr r., ,.
ers flocked In to hall hint, t . ,
their pentup hopes nnd trnul ,. ,1 , 1 i,
watch his lips for fonm 1.11 ' ,
them In the nppronchlng pr ini
After months of quiet Tammany p. .If 1
bubbled.
When Mr. Murpbv' nt kn--h nrh el
his panama over bin coir In cured ff.
tiin-s and walked awav the -o-i -.en
passed around that Alfred 1: ,sn in
former Speaker nnd recnlly 111 norltr
leader of the Assembly, b.-ui iilundorM
bis hope of running for Sheriff this f.v:
This news was rather tnntnrztng, for It
was not t evented who will be the can
didate Instead of Mr. Smith Possibly
the choice will fall on Senator Christy
Sullivan, who want to prove that h'.s
defeat by Sheriff Shea four years at)
was a fluke.
According to the story that cme f-m
Fourteenth street It was Thomis V
T'oley, lender In the Sf-ond Asemh',y
district, wherein Mr Smith l.c. who
persauded the ev-Kpiakrr 'hat bv
billing his time he could do much h'tt'r
than run for Sheriff Ills Tom Kolty,
havlnc been Sheriff himself, knrws ,v.
ernl thlncs nbout the Job. Aoord.ni; '0
an unofficial but apparent .vuntt
version the conversation between Mr,
Poley nnd Mr. Sm.th ran about ,u fol
lows :
Poles i Xlron Oratory.
"Al," said the ex-Sher'tT. "I km'
that the Sheriff's office Iwks c 1 'i
the salarv and fees imount ' . fnn-.
thing like $1S.i,000 In the two sears
term Hut n Sheriff has to d ft I. tta
so much of this money am n-ir h s '.i-n-lhed
district followeis that fieren Vt,
Wt. When 1 not throUKh I h.iJ only
tfin'i In the bank.
"If you lived In a district is' ere vuj
we-en't brought up and where e npa ,.
tlvely few person- knew ou and 'n
pnrtuned you for their share of the p. It
Incs you mlsht be able to nue -ne-thing.
Now you live In the Se ,r 1 ,p.
trlet. where you were bo'n. If you stuy
there nnd nre elected Sheriff )oi 1 h a
poor man when jou ro out of off e. fur
)ou haven't irot a marble heart If vo-j
j want to move to some other part of tht
1 county go ahead and be Shir'.ff
"Listen nifiln, Al. If you are elected
Sheriff the orKanl7atlnn will fed th.it
It hns cancelled Its debt to you fnr fiir
services at Albany. At th" end of inur
term you'll be ex-Sheriff Smith, with a
living to make nrter po". bly neit r
$20,000 or $25, 000 a year for tbe two
years If you scrimp "
"Tom," said Mr. Smith so pro. edl
the affecting narrative "I pha'n't do It.
I was born nnd went to school In tla
old Second district, and the onl mil pi
degree I've got Is from the Pulton K h
, Market " All my friends are there an ' f
I I have to get out In order to be Sherd!
1 u riuner not run. r-o count me o.t.
Tom."
So runs the sentimental cbrotc i- If
one Is sceptical, let him rememl 1 t) at
Itohert P. Wngner, minority leader 0!
in iiriij run' in iwu 1T HO
Supreme Court this full, and that Ua
guardians of Tammany Hall h .e rftfn
said that they could not poss bly fpara
both Al Smith and Hob Wngner fron
Albany. It has been urged upon Mr.
Smith that If be will go back to the As
sembly this winter he might go tn th
Senate next year and he In a pox t on to
run for President of Manhattan llcriugh
In 1917. Klectlon'to the Itorough I'reil
dency Is said to be his real iimb'tirn
J room 1 11 it Christy olllnn.
The present Senator from Mr S-ni'h't
dlnrlct Is Christy Sullivan. If be rurs
for Sheriff this year the Held 'I
clear for Mr. Smith to go to H e Senate
(next year Hence the stispir ..r that
, Mr. Murphy Is willing to hae Senator
Sullivan try for the Sheriff's job Tlier
are nny number or Tammans c en who
tire willing to be our Shrlev.- ilep ie ti-
I gloomy picture pnlnted by Mr Pftev 'n
I his henrt to heart talk with Mj- .-m th
in fact, the Iden or Al Smith or ni
body ele turning down the ehnn be
caui-tf the Sheriff always has tn da '!
with Ills parishioners nimi-ed inc-t "!
the politicians who beaid the P
yesterday. Frankly, tliey didn't t el ei
that was' the real reason for Mr S-i 'hi
abstention, it was generally b. it vl
that Mr. Murphy and his coun-cl! ' r. nl
other work for Mr Smith nnd .v hr
man ror Sheriff who better titled tl-e de
mands or this year's polltb s
I No final word ns to the PW"' At
I torneyshlp was obtained from Mr
Murphy by the district leader It was
I snld he bud nnt mailt) up his if ! m1"'
1 to tlo There Is a good .bar ' "Ml
' Tammany may decide to Ind. re r ,r,it
I Attorney Perkins, to whom i'ie Kf-
publicans lire committed If t' ' mo-
ernts make their own tight tw ..'"I'
dntes who hiue plenty of s ippct tire
Thomas W Cburcbltl, preside.. t -f "i
Hoard of Kdtirntlnn, nnd Judge FdwaM
Swann of General Sesntbns
WARD FOR ACCIDENT CASES.
.Voriieuliiii lloapltnl to k Indus-Ii-IhI
CoiM-cmia to t on I rl linte.
Hecau.i of the tneic.tse '
and em. rgency cises m i' e
section "f Hns.ikl.Mi the 1 . 1
ngeiHO! the Norwegian 11-'.-: i .
.i ei lie n i d l'.n ty -m- h '
ranted ' tsl.ibl.sli a
these c im ,s in ns new $!
w h'.-h is he i" g; ctms-tr.
the w ii d w ill be 5 1 " .
tu liinge of a special s-.it:
nnd sutgeons
ll.-cause the wiril w
pr'nclpally to tbe Ind i
thu neighborhood, the
ganimg ,i fur.l to w n
will he asked to itu it
"CMir nmbulniu'is i
Until H.Onu calls a e ir. ;
which -nitre f-oin one
centre ..rarb," tb '
appeal.
FIRE LOSSES FALL 0 .
Ill, HOT (iltllons of -e. ''
Help III Ivci-iilna Them I
The number of nr.-s vi
tbe second qinrter rf 1 '
lower by 2H7 thin t:.e . '
1 corresp. .tiding t'Tce sin" ' ' '
lu-i-onllng tn I'bief K'.' , .i
I'omtnlssioner di'us'. 'I' ' ' """J
de Teased f33 1.3 Ju There ' -
I tins In the second quarter.
lii-is of Sl.SM.Ifil Twelve .' ' '1
I wee .in vcsel 111 tbe lui:-
' lin'.ig t.'O quar'er ?l tM . ' -
, rt-cei' . 1 of will ih .119 we
i 'b. r ICttiltn f,i"!"ir" '
17.422 225 gallons of wii'e
In extinguishment, of w'
..i
.
Iwere silt water On June 1
4.9 6 i raea la tbe uniformed fvrc.
eie