Evening star., 1899-07-19
THE AMATEUR REFORMER
Catches a Tartar when He Attempts
to ExpOund His Views.

From the Chicago Tribune.
ITS a darned shame, the way these
trusts are taking the country remarked
the suburban passenger with the receiins
chin opening out another page of the pa
per he was reading and addressing himself
to the tail and timber passenger sitting
next to him.
''Er-yes." replied the other. who was
also reading paper. Quite So"
Something has got to be DONE" pursued
the first speaker, pushing his hat back and
becoming more earnest, "or the whole
country will go to destruction
"Er-likely-"
There's the sugar trust, and the steel
trust. and the glass trust, and the coal
trust. and the"
Yes. you're right" said the tall. angular
man. ,aguely, and trying to resume his
reading.
And it beats me that our public men
can't see how things are going 1t looks
like they didn't care
LAS if they didn't care" interrupted the
other. folding his paper with attempt
at resignation and preparing to listen.
Yes. as If they didn't care. 1 was talk
ing the other day with a friend of mine
about this thing"
(which thng?"
The trusts"
''Oh. yes. The trusts. These things. YeS?'
And I says
''YOu said"
81 said. the people won't have tt"
II hat is. / presume the people won't
have the trusts. They won't have them.
Yes?"
Il says"
You said"
'I said The people won't have them.
That's all there is to itr
IAN there is of il. Yes?'
He says-he said-'What would you do?
said. I'D put the hooks into EN-! I'd !"
"ITto the people2"
NO. no, Into the trusts"
~ see. What hoOks?"
Don't Y understand? I'd enforce the
laws against them
What laws?''
..The-anti-trgst ..Tl laws, blame it"
You don't seem to take much interest in
this Perhaps you think the right thing for
4 man TO do is to simply sit down
.'Ey no means. Simply to sit down.
Isn't that what l said?-to sit down and
let the trusts have their own way. I don't.
] propose to have
''You purpose to have
ITO have my say about i'll know peo-
pie
Persons"
"Maybe, sir. from your standpoint"
Point of view?''
Haven't you anything better to do than
to pick me up my STYLE
Il protest, sir 1t is your lack of style
81 express myself in language as good as
the average. mister. / know that much
"CoHoquial. and not in correct taste
'Ihus much. or so much or as much as
tIHt 1 he "or0 'lndt Is not an adVerb
Hence is can't qualify an adjective. man
who will say that much would not hesi-
tate. under sufficient provocation, to talk
about his speciality pronounce gums
.sooms, or ask somebody on whose corns
he had stepped to excuse him He would
say, If sick. that he was poorly and
Il think you're the biggest darned crank
OF any / ever
Wrong again. Biggest darned crank of
all. See the distinction?''
.! supposed I was talking to a man that
had some opinions about things"
You are, sir. and one OF my opinions is
that IL Is the height of tncivility to elk to
draw man into conversation when il is
evident he is interested in something else
You mean We'll. my friend, but you need to
learn the lesson that-Madam, will you
have this seat?'
But the other man jumped up first and
moved a few feet down the aisle, where he
stood and looked savagely at him, and
compressed his lips together, and INDUCED
in wild longings to kill him, until the train
rolled into the station down town.