The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-06-16

they. There is something to be said in favor OF
teaching clog and buck and wing dancing to the pub
lie school pupils, however. In the first place, 1t is
as sensible as some other things already taught in
the schools. The average business or professional
man will lind it quite as useful basketry, to which
intellectual pursuit it is said that much time is
devoted Some advanced pedagogues set great store
by basketry. 1.-THE of this argument be ques
toned it can be said that the clog is positively bene
fical insomuch as it makes those practicng it
footed. It is worth good deal to to be sure
footed on lodge nights and other similar occasions.
Give dancing trial by all means
A NOTABLE contribution to the literature of the
age is the essay personal Christianity" by En-
peror William, written for the edfcation of two of
his sons translated into English with the express
permission of his majesty and published in
cent issue of the Philadelphia Saturday E0euug Post
It's influence the Engish-speaking will prob
ably be as far reaching and enrolling upon the
German. AS for the young princes for whom the
ESSAY was written-after having read their parents
words of benign WISDOM cannot help feeling that
if they fail to develop into great and good it is
only because they predestined to be lost The
necessity for becoming personalities is impressed
them? The German emperor is always interesting;
when he breaches Christianity he is doubly inter
esting because the subject is one upon which he is
we'll qualified to speak. His is strong Christian
personality manifested by imprisonlng all his sub
Jecs that speak dlsrespectfully Of the army, by
couraging dueling and other such elevating pas
times and by instructing his troops to show quar-
ter to conquered foes. Being such model Christian
such militant Christian himself, all that he may
say on the subject will benefit others.
AS whole, the finest body of men in the United
States-possibly the finest in the world-are the rail
road employees. Their work demands good men,
They must be physically sound, because strong
backs quick hands, sure eyes and steady
in constant demand; mentally sound, because
mon sense and good judgment required morally
sound, because great temptation and enormous
sponsibility are theirs. Belonging to democracy
in which those in power have for the most part risen
from subordinate positions, they self confident
and self-reliant. They are temperate and industr-
ous and tho many Of them the road the great
er part of the time still the majority married.
have families and own their own homes. In short
they are the sort Of men of whom orators speak
the backbone of the nation" respecting themselves
and commanding the respect of others.
| The ''soulless' corporations the men that draw
the dividends and direct the policy of the railroads
are largely responsible for the character of their
ployees Here is one instance where the love Of
money is the root of good. AS William E. johnson,
writing in the current Chautauquan,~ points out,
wrecks are often avoidable expenses; they fire.
Quently the result of someone's carelessness. For
years eight wrecks out of ten occurring through the
negligence Of tram dspatchers, engineers. switch
men or station agents occurred because the men on
whom rested the responsibility for the safety of the
trains had been drinking. Corporations may be
"soulless" but where expenses are concerned they
are as sensitive delicately made barometer. So
they ruled that employee who drank while on
duty should be discharged Later the rule was mod
flied so that drinking to at any time suf-
fcient grounds for dismissal The rule of the Amer
lean Railway Association as it reads today is: "The
use OF intoxicants by employees while on duty is
prohibited. Their habitual use or the frequenting
of places where they are solo, is sufficient for
dismissal Many of the trunk lines have stricken
the word "habtuar from the foregoing rule, there
by enforcing total abstinence and have also proh1b
tied gambling among their employees.
| Some would object to be subjected to such
paternalism the foregoing regulation indicates but
evidently railway employees do not find it irksome.
The rules of corporation effective only SO long