Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-03-24

semipeace, which is also semiwar. ItI
seems to me- absolutely certain that we
shall be in the not remnte future forced
into warlike attitude by Spain, forced
for the purpose of extricating both the
house aud the ruling ministry
from desperate dilemma. In that view
/ think it is we'll to remember the ad-
vice of Shakespeare:
beware
OF entrance to q quarrel; but, being In,
Bear t that tn opposer mny beware OF thee.
Remembering 1t shall vote for this
bill /, for one, Mr.. Speaker, am not GO
ing to stand here urging the recognition
of Cuban belligerency, urging the reoog-
milton of Cuban independence, and when
the time comes when through that sort Of
action relations have been strained and
war has become possible, if not probable,
refuse to give my voice TO prepare this
government In the best way possible
for war If it should come"
A Scholar In Politics.
Occasionally somebody makes fling
at '.the scholar in politics" as though
there is something in scholarship that
deprives man Of courage, industry,
honesty, patriotism and common sense
the qualities most essential to pub
lie servant As often as the insinuation
Is made some scholar In politics"
demonstrates his fitness for congression-
al life. En- passant will say that there
are more SCHOLARS in politics" than
most people realize. Somebody with
turn for mathematics has figured it out
that of the Missouri delegation in house
and senate "a per cent are college bred
men, which is also said to be greater
percentage than is found in the delega-
tion of any other state--a fact largely
to the credit of Missouri.
Nobody whose opinion is worthy Of
attention will claim that all scholars
are fit for public life, for semi-idiot
with phenomenal memory might come
to possess wonderful scholarship; but !
maintain that, other things being equal,
scholarship makes man Of more service
to his people. II not, why do We spend
millions annually for education? Derid-
ing a man as "a doctrinaire" does not
make him fool or o crank, sure as you
live.
Among the SCHOLARS in politics" in
congress who are gradually forging to
the front as practical business members
as well as forceful debaters is Willard
d. Vandiver, new Missouri member.
He never held any office until in 1896,
when, from large field, he was nomi-
mated and elected to congress. He was
for many years professor and president
Of q Missouri normal college.
He looks like o scholar. In manner
Of speaking as well as in his personal
appearance he resembles Hon. William
L. Wilson, for ten years q member OF
congress, once chairman Of the ways
and means committee, afterward post
master general, and now president Of
Washington and Lee university. only
the Missourian Is taller and more sinewy
than the West Virginian.
In recognition Of his scholarship
Speaker Reed assigned Vandiver to the
committee ON education.
Naturally he takes great interest in
educational matters. He participated in
the debate on the Loud bill. helping lay
it out In death. He said, in part:
"By the admission Of these little
booklets, mot trashy novels. as the gen.
tleman would have you believe, sent to
the achnnfso Of this country. the children
OF America have been enabled for the
last eight or ten years to receive at
cheap rates the best literature Of ancient
and modern times. They have put into
their hands the works of Milton, Burke,
Macaulay and the best poets OF America
and England.
"But by this bill you deprive them
Of that privilege, you discriminate
against the best works OF literature and
allow the cheap, trashy novels to come
in simply because they are new You
have admitted by the rulings Of the
postoffice department the best literature
Of the country to come to these chill
dren. and now you propose to strike 1t
down in order to save little more OF
the Dingley deficit. raise my voice in
behalf of this educational movement,
and when I do SO the gentleman tries to
cover up the question by declaring it to
be for the admission Of trashy litera-
ture. Your bill admits to the pound rate
Of postage the silliest twaddle Of yellow
journalism and the trash Of the latest
and vilest penny page novelist simply
because 1t is new. But you have ruled
out the greatest works Of Macaulay,
Milton and Burke, the best writings.
the brightest gems Of Dan Chaucer, the
morning star of song, whose sweet breath
preluded those melodious bursts which
filed the spacious times Of great Eliza
beth with sounds that echo still ="
That strikes me as a piece of first rate
English and contains as much practical
wisdom as could be packed into such
small space. Vandiver is once more
demonstrating the utilitarian character
Of "the scholar In politics
Republican Kilkenny Cats.
The other day on a street car met Q
Republican boss with whom I am 40
quainted, for he lives in my section Of
the country. He dropped wearily into
his seat az man utterly exhausted.
inquired sympathetically. Colonel,
what is the matter?" "Oh. -" he
fairly screamed, "you Democrats have
NO mercy on a fellow. Pm working
like horse, paying my own board.
got hold Of the end Of live wire. and
I am going to drop it and go to Cali
fornia. Nearly every time / get Re
publican nominated for an Office some
other Republican files afiidavits againsi
him charging all the crimes forbidden
in the decalogue, and, --- them, I'm
going to cut the quarrelsome and greedy
gang and leave them to shift for them
selvesi'' And then with several othel
expressions not found in any "polits
letter writer he left the car and wen
to the interior department in search oi
pie" But he expressed the utter dis
gust which is disintegrating the Re
publican party.
Azu.ASI