The Frostburg spirit., December 18, 1913, Image 3

About The Frostburg spirit. (Frostburg, Md.) 1913-1915

Image provided by: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

                
( A STORY OF THEN
FREEING OF
Lawrence Perry {
Asrfhor of Misntfhgwf ü ßrincg or j ° >
15
SYNOPSIS.
Lieutenant Holton is detached from his
command in the navy at the outset of the
S-nanish-American war and assigned to
important secret service duty. While din
ing at a Washington hotel he detects a
waiter in the act of robbing a beautiful
young lady. She thanks him for his serv
ice and gives her name as Miss La Tossa,
a Cuban patriot. Later he meets her at
a ball. A secret service man warns Hol
ton that the girl is a spy. Miss La To3Sa
leaves for her home in Cuba. Holton is
ordered to follow her. They meet on the
Tampa train. Miss La Tossa tells Holton
she is a Cuban spy and expresses doubt
regarding the sincerity of the United
States. Holton is ordered to remain at
Tampa to guard the troop transports.
He saves the transports from destruction
. at the hands of dynamiters and reports
to Admiral Sampson for further duty.
Holton .is sent to General Garcia’s com
mand in the guise of a newspaper cor
respondent to investigate Cuban plots
against the American troops and to learn
the plans of the Spanish navy. He de
tects a trusted Cuban leader in the work
of fomenting trouble among the Cubans
in the interests of the Spaniards. Holton
is seized by friends of the spy and later
ordered executed as a spy. He escapes
and saves the American troops from fall
ing into a Spanish ambush. He learns
from General Garcia that the spy is Jose
Cesnola, one of the most trusted leaders.
Holton takes part in the battle at San
Juan. Disguised as a Spanish soldier he
enters Santiago, goes at night to the
home of Miss La Tossa, where he over
hears a discussion of the Spanish plans
by leading army and navy commanders.
He learns that the Spanish fleet will leave
the harbor at Santiago on July 3. Holton
escapes and arrives in sight of the Ameri
can fleet in time to see the admiral’s flag
ship sail away. After frantic signaling
he is answered by the Brooklyn. He
v urns Schley of the intentions of the
Spanish fleet and witnesses the destruc
tion and capture of the enemy’s vessels.
Holton learns that Shatter has received
a message from President McKinley de
claring that the war was instituted for
the sole purpose of freeing Cuba. He
learns that a meeting of dissatisfied Cu
bans is to be held that night to plot
against the American army. He gives
Miss La Tossa the president’s message.
He spies on the meeting and hears Ces
nola attempt to inflame the Cubans
against the Americans. Miss La Tossa
denounces Cesnola and reads McKinley’s
message. Garcia and his soldiers place
Cesnola under arrest. Later he is or
dered executed. The Spanish forces sur
render and Shafter enter s Santiago.
CHAPTER XVI.
A Frightful Revelation.
Holton’s ride back to the city was
the most forlorn he had ever taken.
In the flash of a hand he had been low
ered from the heights of ecstasy to
the depths of despair. A beautiful
dream had been lived out, and the bit
ter realities of waking had come. ■
As he sat before his tent thinking,
a man paused in front of him, holding
his broad sombrero in his hand. As
Holton glanced at him curiously his
face lighted with recognition.
“Pierre!” he cried, rising. “What
do you want?”
The Cuban nodded to him gravely.
“Can you come with me, Lieutenant
Holton? It is very important.”
Holton, without replying, accom
panied the Cuban.
The two hurried along until at
length the Cuban stopped in front of
a long, rambling, one-story building,
evidently used at one time as a bar
racks for the Spanish soldiers. He
leaned down and took off his shoes,
motioning Holton to do likewise.
Realizing that the situation was rife
with importance, the American sat
down and complied without a word.
Then, rising in his stocking feet,
Pierre took from his pocket a 'key, un
locked the door, and entered, motion
ing Holton to follow. After they were
both inside, the Cuban closed the door
and locked it, withdrawing the key
and placing it in his pocket again.
“She has not arrived yet,” remarked
Pierre. “I am happy. I feared it
would be too late.”
“Too late for what? Who did you
expect to find here?” whispered Hol
ton, almost irritably.
For answer Pierre squeezed his arm
and silently pointed out into the night.
Following the man’s finger, Holton
saw the form of a woman alighting
from a pony. As his eyes strained
he recognized Miss La Tossa.
By her side was a man and, as his
face fumed toward the building, Hol
ton gasped and whispered hoarsely to
his companion:
“Give me that key!”
The Cuban’s hand tightened on his
arm like a vise.
“No—come. I am certain now the
way is clear. I feared he was below.
It is ail right Come.”
Something in the fellow’s manner
made Holton’s obedience implicit.
Without a word he followed the man.
The Cuban had lighted a candle. Fol
lowing the light, Holton could see a
long tunnel opening before him. In
the apartment itself were several elec
trical appliances-, and a push-button
was in the wall.
SEEKING TO SQUARE HIMSELF
Careless Husband Very Much “Up
Against It,” but He Is Living
in Hope.
Bayard Veiller hopes to be on speak
ing terms with Mrs. Veiller in a few
days. At the present time he is to
be found at one of the Forty-second
street country clubs, relates the New
York Telegraph.
It seems that Mrs. Veiller invited
several friends to dinner at her apart
ment one recent Monday. She gave
the invitation to her lord and master
to mail the previous Thursday. Mon
day night arrived, but not one guest
put in an appearance. When the clock
struck eight Mrs. Veiller decided to
call up the guests to learn what had
happened to them. She was amazed
to learn that not one had received an
invitation.
The truth dawned on her in a mo
ment and she began a cross-examina
tion of Mr. Veiller. He swore up and
down that he had mailed them, but un
der the third degree he broke down
and admitted he had dropped them in
Holton marveled greatly at what he
was going through, but the man he
had seen with Miss La Tossa was up
permost in his mind.
"I thought that fellow, Cesnola, was
dead,” he said tensely.
For the man with the girl was none
other than that of the omnipresent and
apparently immortal waiter of the
New Willard.
Pierra laughed without mirth.
“The man is a devil!” he replied.
“The firing party at his execution was
selected by an officer friendly to him.
They shot over his head. He pretend
ed death. Thus he escaped. General
Garcja was tricked by his own men.”
Holton nodded.
“But what is the meaning of all
these instruments?” he asked. “And
why have you brought me here?”
The man faced Holton gravely.
“This tunnel,” he answered, “leads
under the heart of Santiago. At short
distances it is packed with dynamite.
This key will release the spark that
sets it off. It is the plan that the city
and the American soldiers shall be
blown to pieces, after which, the
Cuban soldiers now gathered on the
secret trail, leading into the town, will
rush in and assume control.”
“And Miss La Tossa?” he asked
quaveringly.
“Senorita has been selected to
press the button. I have brought you
here to stop her. To save the city, to
save the Americans, to save herself,
for when that button is pressed she
dies here.” Pierre sank on his knees.
“Oh, Mr. Holton, save her! She loves
you. You love her! Save her. You
can, and you alone can.”
Holton struck the man on the shoul
der and his voice was stern.
“I will save her,” he paused. "So
help me, Pierre, I will!”
The candle was blown out and the
two waited in the darkness.
“But. why,” whispered Holton, "has
Miss La Tossa volunteered for this
work?”
“Because,” was the reply, “the per
son who presses that button will never
leave this place. It is intended that it
shall be destroyed so that no trace of
the mystery will ever be found.”
Holton’s heart grew sick. Undoubted
ly the girl, in her blind, patriotic fury,
had come forward as a martyr to give
her life for the country she loved.
At the moment there was the sound
of a lock turning and then the door
creaked. Holton and Pierre were lying
behind some wine-casks. T/he next
instant they knew the qirl was in the
apartment with them.
They heard a match strike. Evi
dently she “had lighted a lantern, for a
As His Face Turned, Holton Gasped.
soft yellow glow filled the place. And
now Holton, peering through a crack
between two casks, saw her.
Holton arose silently and stole to a
position directly in front of the switch
key. When she returned she found
him there with arms folded, standing
as immobile as a statue.
She did not scream. Her lips parted
and she stood still, staring at him with
dilated eyes. So they stood for the
space of a minute. To Holton it
seemed an eternity. Then she spoke.
“You!” Her voice was deep, but ex
pressionless.
“It is I, Miss La Tossa,” responded
Holton.
“Why—why have you come here?”
a box in Jersey City, where he had
been called on business the morning
she had given him the letters to mail.
As they were all addressed “City,”
they had gone to the dead letter of
fice.
Veiller has offered a fur coat to
square himself, but Mrs. Veiller is
holding out for a pearl necklace.
Father to the Man.
John Purroy Mitchell, the fusionist
candidate for mayor of New York, is
very young, but his success as a poli
tician has given him unusual self-as
surance. Apropos of this his enemies
are tilling a story about bis boyhood.
“Mitchell, one summer” —so they
tell the tale —“decided to work during
his vacation. Accordingly he got a
job in a grocery. He was then about
eight years of age.
“After he had worked in the grocery
a week or so, his uncle, meeting the
old grocer, asked:
“ ‘Well, how are you getting along
with Johnny at the store?’
“ T seem to please him,’ said the
old grocer, with a grim smile. ‘I seem
to please him.’ ”
“I have come to save you from your
self. You are in the grip of a great
misunderstanding.”
Before Holton’s steady, compassion
ate gaze, the girl’s eyes fell. It was as
though some message from the Ameri
can’s heart had reached her. At any
rate, her voice became more gentle.
“You must leave me, Lieutenant
Holton,” she resumed. “I—I —”
She paused, realizing what it would
mean to have Holton leave her to per
form her deadly task of shattering the
city and its American occupants. This
thought caused her to reel.
Then, as though with the flashing
swiftness of lightning, she sprang to
ward the oflicer and threw one arm
around his neck, the other reaching
over and touching the electric button.
“Now, Mr. Holton,” she cried, “if
you move I shall press—”
Before she could complete her sen
tence Holton raised his shoulder ever
so slightly and her finger was thus re
moved at least an inch out of reach
of the little knob. She tried to spring
away from him, but Holton held her.
“Miss La Tossa,” he began, “I came
here because I love you—that is my
only thought. I love you. I have
loved you since I first saw you. I
have spoken to you concerning. the
Americans as ‘a man would speak to
the woman he loves, with the whole
truth in my heart. I have talked,
since I saw you this morning, with
scores of high officers, and I can tell
you that what I have already said to
you is the whole truth.
"Cuba is certainly and surely to be
left to the Cubans. England, France,
Germany, Italy—all great countries
have been officially assured by the
state department that it is to be. But
first, order must be restored here and
the wheels of government set going.
To that end General Wood is to be ap
pointed military governor, and in good
time every single American soldier
will leave this island. There is no
doubt about that. Ah, Miss La Tossa,
believe me! For, as God is my judge,
I have spoken only the truth.
“One moment,” as she essayed to
speak. “Losing you is a price too
great for me to pay—even when it in
volves saving my countrymen. No, I
cannot lose you—and live. I do not
wish to live. And so —you have not
believed me. Every look, every word
of yours tells me you regard me as a
liar. So be it.”
He moved away from the push-but
ton and folded his arms.
“You are now at perfect liberty to
press that button. I shall not inter
fere. I shall stay here and die with
' you. That is my wish. Life means
nothing now for me.”
A cry of horror broke from the girl.
She stood swaying, surveying the two
with staring eyes. Her gaze at length
fastened upon Holton, standing there,
his arms folded, his broad shoulders
heaving, his dark, handsome face
turned to her with an expression of
great tenderness.
Something in his eyes, something
magnetic, the power of his great love
for her, the intensity of his emotions
rivited her gaze to his face.
Slowly, in spite of herself, she crept
toward him, fascinated.
“Ranee! How my arms have ached
for you. How my heart has bled for
you! Ranee! Come.”
With a low cry the girl sprang to
him. In his powerful arms he caught
her. She looked up at him and kissed
her. Her hands caressed his face.
She drew his head down once more to
her lips.
And thus in the darkness, with po
tential death all about, love, the con
queror, triumphed.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Day of Peace.
Ten minutes, perhaps, had elapsed
when Pierre, who had thoughtfully
wandered away down the tunnel, reap
peared with a warning “Ahem!”
Holton, exalted to the seventh
heaven of happiness, glanced at
Pierre, and then striding to the Cuban,
he seized him by the arm and led him
forcibly into the tunnel again.
“Now then, Pierre,” he laughed,
“you stay here until I call, or I’ll set
you down on some of this dynamite
and press the button.”
So saying, he returned to Miss La
Tossa apd gave such an account of
himself as a young man very much in
love with a beautiful young woman
may be expected to give.
A little later they made tjieir way
out of the building. Her pony was still
standing where she had hitched it, but
Cesnola and his horse were gone. At
least, Holton assumed that Cesnola
had gone from the fact that his horse
nad departed.
As they walked to the girl’s pony,
though, Holton, with a sudden excla
mation, leaned forward. There, al
most at his feet, lay the body of a
man. The girl saw it almost at the
same instant.
“What is it?” she asked tremulous
ly.
“A man,” was the solemn reply.
Holton lighted a match and bent
over the body. Then he straightened
up as though he had been struck in
the face.
“It is Cesnola!” he whispered
breathlessly.
“Cesnola!” She bent down until her
WILTED ROSES BLOOM AGAIN
Lovers of Flowers May Enjoy Them
Much Longer if They Employ
This Process.
“Boiling water will revive flowers
that are so wilted that any one not
knowing its magic powers for resusci
tating them would throw them away as
worthless. Try it and see before you
scoff at the idea,” said the woman
who likes to try new experiments as
she was lightly scraping down the
limp stems of some roses that droop
ed dejectedly. “I’m doing this lightly,
you see, so that the hot water will
soak all through the stems.”
After she had finished the scraping
she ran the flowers into a deep pitch
er and going to the stove took from it
the steaming hot teakpttle and pour
ed the bubbling water into the pitcher
until it just covered the stems, leav
ing the roses above the surface.
“There, in a little while I shall
have fresh flowers for the dinner ta
ble.”
And her. visitor saw just what she
had prophesied —a mass of roses that
THE FROSTBURG SPIRIT, FROSTBURG, MD
face was close to the dead man, and
her hand, reaching out, came in con
tact with a knife. This she withdrew,
and, standing up, trembling, she held
it toward Holton.
“You must get rid of this!” she
cried.
“Rid of it! Why?”
“Because it is Pierre’s knife.”
In a flash Holton saw it all. Pierre,
coming out had seen the spy waiting
for the explosion. Filled with hatred
for the man who had led his beloved
Ranee into, this situation, he had
promptly paid off the score.
“Give me the knife.” Holton
wrapped the thing in his handkerchief,
and in good season contrived to place
it where it would never bq found,
which is getting a bit ahead of the
story.
In the meantime the two wended
their way toward headquarters, Hol
ton leading the horse, the girl walk
ing very close to his side. The recent
ordeal, coupled with the discovery of
the body of Cesnola, had unnerved her,
and occasionally a dry sob broke from
her lips.
Holton decided that, more than any
thing else, she needed lights, good
With a Low Cry the Girl Sprang to
Him.
cheer, and good food. So they went
to the Venus restaurant, and there,
amid all the brilliancy of its military
patrons, the blushes returned to the
girl’s cheeks and the laughter to her
lips.
After their meal Holton and the girl
set out for the La Tossa estate, the
girl on her pony and Holton on a
horse he borrowed from one of the
general’s aides.
When they reached the estate it was
nearly midnight. Ranee was delight
ed to find awaiting her a message
from her father in Havana, assuring
her that he was well, and that through
force of circumstances he would re
main in that city until the result of
the present campaign was
The girl wept over the letter as she
handed it to Holton.
“Poor, dear father!” she cried. "I
trust he is happy— a’* happy as—as
Holton crushed her to his breast.
********
As to the war, but little remained.
The fleet of Cervera had been wiped
out, and thus shorn of sea power,
there was really little use iii resist
ance on land. So it came about that
peace was agreed upon by commis
sioners of the two countries.
It was on this day that Holton, with
a long leave of absence, and many flat
tering official papers in his luggage,
stood on the deck of a great transat
lantic liner, looking down upon the
crowd assembled on pier and bulkhead
to wave farewell and Godspeed to
friends and relatives who were hurry
ing to the continent to spend the last
brilliant days of the waning summer
away from the scenes of bloodshed
and disease.
Close by his side, with her arm
tightly locked in his, was a girl so
radiant that she attracted the atten
tion of everyone who passed the lit
tle group. She had just kissed her fa
ther good-by and he was turning to
leave the ship.
“And you, Thomas,” he said, “will
not be selfish. You will let my daugh
ter come to me on the estate fre
quently.”
“As frequently as she wishes,”
laughed Holton, “when I am doing my
two years’ sea service.”
The father laughed and waved good
by. But just before the ship sailed
they made out his figure dashing to
the end of the bulkhead.
“Father!” cried the girl, “what is
it?”
Senor La Tossa held aloft an eve
ning newspaper.
“Peace!” he cried. “Peace has been
declared.”
“She turned to Holton.
“Peace,” she smiled.
Holton pressed her arm.
“Was there ever anything but peace
—anywhere in all the world?” he
whispered.
(THE END.)
looked as though they had never
thought of wilting.
“I always try the boiling water
cure on lilted flowers before throw
ing them away. I find that very few
people know about it. You mustn’t
lay the flowers themselves in the hot
water. Just have it cover the stems.”
Rather a Slam at Father.
Baby had been displayed in his
best bib and tucker to a number of
admiring callers. The last one looked
him over and was evidently trying to
think of something nice to say. Final
ly she remarked: “Dear me, how
much he looks like his father!” “It’s
only the warm weather,” replied his
mother, somewhat testily. “The child
is usually right cheerful and hand
some.”
Born Optimist.
A friend’s little girl was out walk
ing with her grandmother. Said grand
ma: “Oh, Peggy, my feet are so tired!”
and Peggy answered: “Yes, grandma,
so are mine awfully tired. But I try
to bear it bravely, thinking what a
nice ride my stomach is having.”
Stately and Graceful Gown
'•*
§<■: vHP*
r
FROM the salon of a gifted designer
in Paris comes this stately and
graceful gown. It is worth much
study as an exposition of present
styles, without any departure from
beautiful outlining of the figure and
the best management of fashionable
fabrics with brocaded surfaces. Any
of the dark rich colors of the season
—taupe, corbleu, paprika, wood and
golden browns, sapphire blue.
The skirt is in two pieces, with the
uppermost cut away from the knees
downward in a "V” shape. It is
draped with three small plaits to give
it the fashionable slant, and posed
over an under piece that Is also
caught up a little at the front. This
under piece is not closed at the back,
and by this arrangement the skirt,
which seems to hang in so closely
about the ankles, still gives room for
easy walking.
There is no attempt at even hanging
about the bottom of skirts these days.
They are correctly draped when the
uneven-hanging caused by drapery is
allowed to speak for itself as a part
of the play: There is a bodice of bro
caded silk under a small coat of cloth
like that in the skirt. It has a grace
ful neck round, with a narrow “V”
cut out at the front. A fine net
guimpe is worn under it, which is
round at the neck. The long sleeves
of this bodice are set in at the arm
eye, but not close fitting in the upper
arm. A fine frill of point d’Esprit
PEARLS THE ONE
ORNAMENT FOR
THEJEBUTANTE
JUST why pearls and girlhood are so
associated in our minds is not yet
fully explained. But we all recognize
that pearls belong to the maid before
she may wear other jewels with any
degree of fitness. Except for pretty
■hair ornaments of ribbons and made
jj&>y
flowers there is nothing that looks
quite as “fit” on the young girl as
pearls. The ornament shown here
is made of two strands of pearl beads
strung on a fine wire. They are strung
in links, joined by large barouque
pearl beads, placed between the links.
The band extends across the top of
the head and terminates a little below
the top of the ears at each side. It is
fastened to place with hair pins.
At the left side there are three loops
of the pearls strung on wire and two
hanging ends and a knot formed of
pearl beads strung on heavy thread
and set less close together than in
the band, so that they fall easily.
The coiffure is very simple—even
for a young girl. As in all the pres
ent designs, the ears are covered. The
front hair is curled and fluffed about
the face. The back hair is braided in
loose strands and pinned flat to the
bead.
This hair dress is appropriate for
• gives a perfect finish to the sleeves.
I Providing the long shoulder, the
i small coat blouses over the belt line
at the sides and back. It has a long
i narrow basque sloping away over the
[ hips and falling almost to the knees.
: It is finished with a very wide and
heavy fringe and is wonderfully effec
tive.
! Similar coats slope away to a pane)
at the back, finished at the ends with
: a broad band of fur or plush. This
, finish has proved more popular than
i the fringe.
A hat with some width of brim is
. fitting with a gown of so much char
i acter, and that is what was chosen.
; It has the small, soft crown, which al
, most effaces itself, and the simple
, trimming which characterizes thq sea
son. Two short full ostrich heads or
1 a fancy ostrich ornament are curled
over the brim in models of this kind,
and the brim usually shows an inden
tation at one side.
The front of the under bodice is ar.
ranged to fall out over the waist line
. and is a novelty in arrangement that
is noteworthy. Altogether this is an
ichievement in designing so good that
it will outlive less beautiful models
and look well for two seasons or
more. The life of pretty gowns, most
of them costing considerable time and
some money, should not be so brief
that the time spent in making them is
not worth while.
JULIA BOTTOMLEY.
brown haired or blond girls, but is not
so pretty for the girl with very dark
hair or for her who has the splendid
“Titian” locks. Although very dark
hair, and what is called red hair, are
so unlike, the same styles of coiffure
are suited to them both. They must
, do the-hair in soft masses, insist upon
its being glossy and refuse to con
sider fluffiness or anything approach
ing frizzes.
But no matter what the hue of her
hair or eyes or skin- —the maid may
wear pearls. They look well and more
than that on youthful heads of any
color.
ABOUT THE HOLBEIN FIGURE
Women Must Accept the Unrestricted
Natural Lines of the Body in
New Clothes.
In connection with the discussion
of the so-called corsetless figure, jt
may be noted that the lines of tb.e
natural, supple figure are more notice
able in the evening gowns than in the
street togs. Women may refuse to
adopt the Holbein figure for the
street, but they will be forced to
accept it in effect in the majority of
the new e.vening frocks. The coutu
riers have been advising the boneless
tricot corsets for the evening for sev
eral seasons, but this winter they
have taken a more advanced step—
they have forced them on their cus
tomers by designing frocks that give
the effect of a lightly corseted figure.
There are many ways of leading
woman in the way one would wish
her to go, and few are unknown to
the wily French couturier.
Chenille Flowers.
Chenille flowers are used for corsage
bonquets now. They are made ol
strings of chenille, in heavy, soft
quality, looped into petals, and mount
ed on green chenille stems, stiffened
with wire. Brilliant but at the same
time soft shades of red and blue and
violet and green and yellow are used.
These little flowers have a charm all
their own, and are especially effective
worn on the dull, gloomy days for
which November is famous.
Money may represent power, but
the less money a man has the sooner
a doctor will cure him.
WORRY 010 FUTURE
Trade Conditions of Country Dis
turb Democrats.
Result of the New Tariff, So Far, by
No Means Satisfactory—Leaders
Would Prevent Union of Re
publican Factions.
It is plain that the Democrats in
authority at Washington, frt>m the
president down, are disturbed by the
slowing down of traffic in many lines.
They do not find satisfactory assur
ance anywhere that the country will
be able to readjust its affairs to the
new conditions created by Democratic
legislation without suffering serious
losses and passing through a period
of wide and deep distrust of Demo
cratic policies and Democratic leader
ship—a distrust more active and for
midable than the ordinary state of pub
lic sentiment which has never, since
1892, given the Democratic party a ma
jority of the popular vote in a national
election.
It is evident that there can be no
retracing of the steps which have been
taken. The party’s pledges must be
kept and its program carried out. Any
other course would tempt ridicule and
Invite defeat. The only hope the
Democratic leaders have lies in the
chance that after uncertainty gives
place to positive knowledge of the
governmental conditions which affect
business there will be improvement in
trade and productive industry will be
more satisfactory.
It is this situation which makes all
Democratic politicians anxious to pre
vent, if possible, the union of the Re
publicans and the Progressives. They
realize that such bringing together of
their natural opponents would destroy
all hope that the Democratic party will
be able to retain its hold upon the
country after putting some of its fore
most doctrines to the proof of expe
rience.
Trust Legislation.
The trust problem, like currency re
form, will no doubt be made the sub
ject of profound investigation and
study preliminary to entering upon a
far-reaching legislative program.
The lower house of congress has
been most active in trust inquiries, but
since campaign material was the real
object of Inquiry, rather than to estab
lish a basis for legislation, and since
the case made out was merely prima
facie, the reported desire of President
Wilson to institute a scientific investi
gation of the facts on which to base
his judgment ought not to be displeas
ing to house Democrats.
Has not the unwisdom of haphazard
methods of procedure been duly im
pressed on the leadership by the glar
ing defects of the income tax law?
Still more conspicuous as an exam
ple of unpreparedness to act on funda
mental propositions is the currency
bill as it emerged from the house. And
even now, after its crudities have been
brought to light by reason of the more
searching inquiry in the senate, some
members of the finance committee feel
that not all of the obscurities have
been detected and eliminated.
Put Economy In Background.
The party of ringing declarations
and unbroken pledges, as embodied in
the Baltimore platform, in which the
party then in power was denounced
for a “profligate waste of money wrung
from the people by oppressive taxa
tion, through the lavish appropriations
of recent Republican congresses,” now
bravely shows that it has the cour
age of its changed convictions as re
gards “simplicity and economy” by
asking congress ftny many millions
more to carry on the government than
Republican congresses voted. In fact
a "billion-dollar” maximum last year.
They acknowledged the corn, but with
a latticework of explanations. They
had preached drastic ecomonies until
self-convinced they could put their
theories into practice if given the
chance.
All the Facts Not Given.
“Notwithstanding the standpat pre
dictions of a tremendous rush of for
eign-made goods immediately follow
ing the lowering of the tariff barriers,
it appears that during October the im
portations at New York fell off more
than $38,000,000, or from $109,000,008
to $71,000,000. This does not look like
swamping the United States with Eu
ropean products,” says the Philadel
phia Record. But this says nothing of
the foreign goods imported and held
in bond until the new law went into
effect, which stated in the news
papers to amount to over $100,000,000.
Not Chosen by the Voters.
A vast army of Democrats are going
into state and local offices as the bene
ficiaries of minority victories. They
are to get their places because the op
position to their party is so divided
that 40 per cent., or less, of the whole
number of voters were able to carry
many states, counties and similar civil
divisions in the election.
Democrats on a New Tack.
Some of the Democrats who for
merly denounced as “robbery” the use
of the taxing power for anything but
raising revenue for the necessary ex
penses of government, now advocate
its use as “a club” to make franchised
corporations behave.
Usual Democratic Program.
The first year of Democracy in
power at Washington will be charac
terized by the passage of many radi
cal laws; the rest of the term will be
spent in apologizing for them.
No Trick at All for T. R.
A ’possum was found in New Jer
sey which had swallowed a Roosevelt
button with the colonel’s picture and
aja appedl to vote for him. From a
’possum to a Bull Moose is a wide
range in the animal creation, but such
a stretch is nothing to the grasp of
the original Progressive.
Democratic Policy.
Our Democratic friends are keenly
alive to the fact' that the only way to
hold their party in the ascendency is
to keep the opposing forces divided.
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