davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
THE VICE OF SELF PITY.

Denver Times-There il disease
abroad in the land more fatal to hui
man happiness than pestilence or IA.
mine. 1t is the vice of self-pity. Half
the ills that affllct individuals are en-
larged, IL not wholly created by this
vice, Homes that might be happy II
wholesome, sturdy natures lived in
them become filed with misery or are
destroyed altogether because the wife
or the husband magnitles molehills in
to mountains by that distressing evil,
self-pity.
Suppose the wife is treated badly.
The actual affront or injury Is
days into gloom waste half
so much as the fearful, morbid
brooding upon her woes.
The husband is perhaps disappoint-
ed that his wife is not all he hoped or
believed. Perhaps he has serious
grievances to meet. Let him see to It
that he meets them as rational crea-
ture in a practical way and spends no
thought or energy in doleful sympathy
for himself in his trials.
Natures that pride themselves upon
being particularly sensitive" are most
liable to this vicious tendency. They
fairly eat their heart out IL any sor-
row or disappointment enters their
lives and most Of the grief IL analysed
would consist of self-pity.
This weakness comes insidiously.
because closely connected with feel
lngs commonly held to be virtues.
righteous" indignation, grief. dis
appointment are regarded as quite
legitimate, and when self-pity enters
with them and takes possession OF the
| nature few persons are on guard
against it. The healthy soul throws
off such morbid selfishness even
though not understanding its true ma
ture, but others allow every quality of
the mind and heart to be weakened by
this subtle enemy.
There Is a nursery rhyme that has
In 1t a world of wisdom. 1t should be
scrupulously followed by all who wish
to meet life and it's perplexities with
strength and intelligence:
| For all the evils under the sun
There Is a remedy or there is none.
| If there be one, try to find it.;
| If there be none, never mind It.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
THE WORTH OF PURITY.

Golfers Weekly.-One lesson can
hardly fail to be drawn from the pre-
sent war, and it is one that will at
feet favorably all departments of the
countries in which it is taken to
heart. DISTINGUISHED attention to eff
ficiency without regard to the privi-
leges and spoils of classes and indiyi-
duals, will be increased, and when
purity is taken seriously in one de-
partment of life it will easily spread
to others. The spirit of Japan In all
departments Of her public service, has
an amusing contrast in her neghbor,
China, where grating has become so
excessive that the emperor has lately
promulgated an edict against 1t. He
states that the money raised for him
for public purposes never reaches him,
but is appropriated by the mobiles in
transit. Everybody is ordered to re-
| form, and to practice the necessary
| conditions of reform, such as frugality
and economy. Let the princes and
| ministers set aside feelings of social
friendship and cease entertaining: let
them rid themselves Of officers with
sinecures, In order that their savings
may increase" Reform China, how
ever is an idea which contributes
| little except gayety to the world China
| from the point of view Of integrity
in the public service is at one extreme,
while Japan is at the other. Our war
with Spain brought out the extent to
which the power of our opponent had
| been wasted by corruption, and when
more is known about the present COM
bat Russian jobbery is <likely to seem
a conspicuous element of weakness.
| In the war against the Beers Lord
Kitchner seemed an exception among
| Englishmen because he did not look
| upon the army as piece of public
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
ANOTHER "sTRAw" VOTE,

And still they come Though the
vote In Maine and Vermont cannot be
called STRAW" vote according to the
strict definition of the term, they new
ertheless show the lay CT the land as
1t will appear at the time of the nation
al election. Last week Vermont roll
ed up republican majority of more
than 10000, good 5000 or 5000 more
than had been predicted by the repub-
lican committees. and now returns
from Maine, where the election for
state officers was held yesterday, show
that that state was carried for the re-
publican ticket by a plurality Of more
than 10000 also. This is in excess of
the plurality given the republican
ticket in 1900 and removes any pos
sible doubt that may have existed in
timid republican minds as to the i,oliti-
cal feeling of New England this year.
Straws show the way the wind
blows, and land slides such as the re-
publicans have enjoyed in Vermont
and Maine this fall indicate that the
election of national officers will re-
suit decidedly in favor of the Roosevelt
ticket.
The vote of yesterday shows more
than 10000 velvet" That is, the dead
line there is $4,000 plurality for the re-
publican ticket. Anything less means
apathy. Anything over that amount is
velvet" The election yesterday was
decidedly "velvety," and republicans
can afford to feel confident.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
THE PEACE CONGRESS.

Chicago Chronicle.-It seems to be
the irony of fate that just as the In
ternational Peace society is about to
hold it's thirteenth session reports are
comin~ in of the details of the greatest
battle on record-greatest in points of
numbers engaged in 1t and greatest in
length of time it covered.
Jena, Austerlitz, Borodino and Wat
erloo We're fought in single day; the
battles about Metz in the Franco-Ger-
man war, and at Gettysburg ragged
three days; the battle of Lao Yang
was fought desperately for more than
a week. 1t is not easy to determine
with exactness the numbers engaged
in the recent battle, but after making
discount for sick and wounded it Is adj
mitted that the number is greater than
in any of the battles of the Napoleonic
era and far greater than in any battle
of the civil war.
In the face of this the international
Peace society is planning to meet In
Boston in October. Perhaps recent
events in the east, instead of discour-
aging these optimistic people, have in
spired them to more Jealous effort
With an enthusiasm that brooks no
thought of failure, they say that in the
nineteenth century there was much
less war in Christendom than in the
eighteenth, and there will be less dur
ing the twentieth than during the
nineteenth.
These agitators for peace hardly
agree with the advice which Washing
ton gave to his countrymen, that II
they desired to secure peace they must
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
CARE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Kansas City Journal.-The stupidity
and backwardness of children are Of
ten due to physical defects. The re-
moval of these handicaps is almost al
ways followed by a more cheerful and
tractable disposition and an increased
mental activity. German cities have
recognized their obligation to make a
physical examination of the children
who attend the public schools and to
take steps to cure all those who suffer
any bodily affection.
In German schools the eyes, ears
and teeth are especially the objects for
examination. The statistics regarding
the latter are particularly interesting.
1t has ben found in Germany that only
two percent of the boys and girls have
perfectly healthy sets of teeth. The
discovery was a made few years ago
and has started a national movement
to remedy the trouble. Russia Is join
ing in the movement and has already
made elaborate arrangements IN st.
Petersburg and Moscow to perform the
work In all large German towns
dental clinics have been founded, con-
sisting, as rule, of specially fitted up
rooms in one of the central schools
The method of work is very simple;
the teacher brings his class to the
dentist. who examines each mouth
quickly and marks on the card which
each child has brought with it wheth-
err treatment is necessary. If so, the
child must come again. Fully quail
fled dentists are appointed, who devote
their whole time to their duties, but
in Stuttgart the work Is done volun-
tarily by the local dentists. To give
an idea of the amount of work done ir
a year at the Darmstadt schools it is
necessary to quote the figures Of 1903
During the year, 1875 children were
examined. and 1861 teeth We're filled
while 1871 We're extracted In Strass.
burg, 1865 children We're examined
SO 9teeth We're filed and 2,912 were
extracted.
| In view of these examples In Ger
many and Russia, there Is no reason
why Kansas City should not give care
full consideration to the suggestion Of
fered by Superintendent Greenwood
and give free examination and treat
ment for eyes, ears and teeth to al
pupis in the common schools who neec
it and are willing to submit to 1t.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
DUN REATH.

Dunreath, Sept. 10.-Dcle Farris and
his granddaughter Mollie. Of near Red
Rock, were visiting friends at this
place Wednesday.
John Maplethorpie ard daughter
Cora, of this place, were in Knoxville
on business Tuesday.
Quite number of people from here
went to the show Monday, Sept at
Des Moines.
Mr.. and Mrs. Willard Jones were
Monroe callers Saturday.
Mrs. Hattie Crook and daughter
May were here Friday.
Mr.. and Mrs. ALI. Barr left Tuesday
night for the worlds fair where they
will spend a couple of weeks.
Married, Thursday, Sept. 8, James
Fisher to Miss Cora McMaster, both
of this place. The out Of town guests
were Mr.. and Mrs. Geo. Dearth, DIR.
and Mrs. c. ]. Alpin, Of Monroe. They
will live on a farm west Of this place.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15

A IS x
their proposal to abolish the system
If protective tariff. then their adj
vent to power would mean domestic
misfortune and misery as widespread
and far reaching as that which we
saw ten years ago. If our
opponents came into power and at.
tempted to carry out their promises to
the Filipinos by giving them indie
pendence and withdrawing American
control from the islands, the result
would be frightful calamity to the
Filipinos themselves, and in its larger
aspect would amount to an interna-
tional crime. If continued in
power, we shall continue to carry out
the policy ION trusts) we have been
pursuing and to execute the laws as
resolutely and fearlessly in the future
as we have executed them in the past.
s. We believe in the gold stand
ard as fixed by the usage and verdict
of the business world, and in sound
monetary system as matters of princi
pie; as matters not of monetary polit-
ical eXpediency. but of permanent or
ganic policy. * No other ad-
ministration in our history, no other
government in the world, has more
consistently stood for the broadcast
spirit of brotherhood in our common
humanity, or has held a more resolute
attitude OF protest against every
wrong that outraged the civilization
of the age, at home or abroad. =
We are content to rest our case
before the American people upon the
fact that to adherence to a lofty ideal
we have added proved governmental
efficiency. Therefore our promises
may surely be trusted as regards any
issue that is now before the people:
and we may equally be trusted to deal
with any problem which may hereaf-
ter arise. The constitution
must be observed positively as we'll
as negatively. The Presidents duty is
to serve the country in accordance
with the constitution; and I should be
derelict in my duty If l used false
construction of the constitution as a
shield for weakness and timidity, or
as an excuse for governmental impo-
tence. 1t is standing or
der to every American diplomatic and
consular officer to protect every Amer
lean citizen, of whatever faith, from
unjust molestation."
President Roosevelt has opened the
campaign. The fight is now on. The
republicans have for their guidance
the letter of acceptance. No matter
what claims Judge Parker may make
in his letter, no matter what allega-
lions he may hurl at the administra.
ton his answer Is to be found in the
Presidents letter and in the condi.
ton of the country as the result of re-
publican administration of national af-
fairs.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
back up against the wall for fear of

back up against the wall for fear of
accidents from firearms.
1t will be an interesting assemblage.
her representative will do well to go
to the meeting particularly well heel
ed" If he should fail to do so he may
expect to meet the fate which over
took him at Simoneseki In 1895. On
that occasion 1t may be remembered,
the gentlemen present listened pa
tiently and politely to the Japanese
gentlemans claims, based upon the
fact that he had Just thrashed the
Chinese gentleman to FRAGILE. They
then took him by the neck and gently
but firmly boosted him into the street,
after which they sat down and divided
the Chinese gentlemans effects among
themselves.
They will do the same thing this
time unless the Japanese brother ap-
pears at the meeting with gun
sticking out of every, pocket and q
Ratchet depending from his waistband
For the German brother has Kiac
Chou, the British brother has Hong
kong, the French brother has Tonquin
and there is suspicion that the
American brother would like to have
China-blue or plain-to match his
Philippine tablecloth. And they al
want more. They will labor with the
Japanese brother to show him how
wrong it is to be greedy and how sell
abnegation is one of the noblest OF
virtues.
On the other hand, il the Russian
should win he will encounter severe rep.
rehension for his greediness in case
he should manifest a disposition tc
pick up any Japanese articles that are
lying about The other gentlemen
present will take care of those articles
thus removing temptation from the
Russian brother and teaching him how
/ wrong it is to fight.
The proceedings will be well worth
witnessing, and if, like the "Societ,
! Upon the Stanislau," the convocatiol
should wind up in general row, will
every gentleman heaving things at hi!
neighbor there will be nothing sur
prising in it.
We may, at any rate, be sure of on
thing. The Japanese brother will not
this time, be content with a seat OIL
the doorstep while the other brethren
are arranging matters on the inside
He will erect that peculiar structur
known as a rough house" If anything
of the kind be attempted.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
WITH A STRING

Des Moines Capital.-Tom Tag
CART, the resourceful manager of
Judge Parker's campaign places
his own Interpretation on things
without waiting for the aid or con-
sent of any other individual. Tom has
it all figured out for himself as to just
what "irrevocably established" means.
AS used by Judge Parker in his fam
Gus convention telegram 1t means diff
ferent things for different portions OF
the country. For example: Tom had
a pamphlet prepared for especial use
as a campaign document in Vermont
This pamphlet contained arguments to
show that "irrevocably established
means that the gold standard Is here
to stay and that there is not the re-
hottest possibility of change. Tom
gave orders that this particular pamph-
let be confined to the Green Noun
tain state and that the surplus be re-
turned to headquarters, or at least
withdrawn from circulation. When a
reporter Intercepted Taggart con-
corning the matter, and asked him
pointedly If the pamphlets had been
suppressed the campaign manager
said: Nothing has been suppressed
We intended this piece of campaign
it has been sent up there. 1t was
never intended to be sent anywhere
else.'
The logical inference from this in
teresting episode is that different sec
tons of the country will be treated tc
the kind of literary medicine which
the doctors regard as best for their
particular cases. Stated in another
way the voters of Nebraska and Colo
RADIO will be supplied with pamphlets
making it clear to their understanding
that "irrevocably established" does not
necessarily mean Interchangeable ir-
reversible - -unalterable, but that II
is term which can be stretched wher
the exigencies of democratic interpre-
tation require it to fit any old kind OF
a case.
And still there were certain superb
cial students of character who inclin-
ed to the view that Tom Taggart was
not qualified for the important func-
ton Of democratic campaign man
| ager.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
A GENERALS WAR LOGIC.

Chicago Record Herald General
Sickles builds up an argument as fol-
lows:
No death is more glorious than
death for ones country.
In the providence of God war was
ordained, and the human race will AL
ways fight for what 1t loves.
This nation was founded through
war.
In the day we are unwilling to fight
for our liberties we shall surely lose
the respect Of the world.
We have had wars since the world
began.
Therefore we shall always have
wars.
The reasoning of the general which
leads to this disheartenng conclusion
appears to be divided into the religious
and the profane. Taking the profane
first, 1t is not an irresistible PROPOSE
ton that because it is glorious to die
for ones country and because this ma
ton was founded through war, and
because we have had wars since the
world began, we must continue to
have wars for evermore. And as 1t is
possible that we may not be called up
on to fight for our liberties, 1t Is not
clear that our willingness SO to dc
should be demonstrated by running
is it clear that because the human race
will always fight for what it loves ii
must fight when what it loves Is not In
danger just to keep its hand in. The
general merely delivers himself of a
few sentiments for the relief Of his
martial spirit and for the confusion of
logic.
He is equally unsatisfactory in his
appeal to the providence of God. Many
ho rhar nrpcticaS have haan cIffpra6
in the providence of God that have not
been fixed eternally on the race, and
for an ordination one may turn from
the generals decree to the vision of
another prophet who stands higher
with professors of religion:
And he shall judge among the ma
tons, and shall rebuke many people;
and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks; nation shall not lift ur
sword against nation neither shall
thev learn war any more
Later came the glad tidings Of the
Prince of Peace, which should not be
forgotten by the Christian who is
backing his argument with divine au-
thority.
But, of course, the general will not
! be converted. He will go on mistakine
his CALCULATIONS for argument, and he
will be aided in putting off the day OF
peace by others who are much more
obviously bound to the doctrine OF
peace than he. No one, we suppose
undertakes the difficulties that are thus
placed in the way of peaceful human
| progress.
| Nevertheless Nathan Strauss chair.
man of the auxiliary committee of the
| Hebrew Union Veteran association
came nearer voicing the aspirations o.
| humanity than the general. who con.
tradicted him, when he referred to e
time when war will be reckoned a sur
| vival of barbarism." And nothing |:
more certain than that the intelligence
of mankind and the finest moral feel
ings should lead the way from the car.
mage of war to the goal of peace.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
WHEN THE FUN WILL BEGIN.

Chicago Chronicle.-The most inter-
esting part of the Russo--Japanese
war will come when the war is over
to use Hibernicism. 1t will come
when all the dead have been buried
all the wounded have died or recover
ed and all the acute evidences of wal
have vanished.
1t will come, that is to say, when
the diplomatic representatives of the
great powers assemble around a table
in back room and prepare to appor-
ton the spoils Of victory-to them
selves.
Every gentleman present will, meta
phorically speaking, have a butcher
knife in his bootleg and six-shooter
in his trousers pocket. Every gentle
man will regard every other gentleman
with open suspicion and every gentle
man will insist upon sitting with his
If Japan shall win the war now raging
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15

the laws of humanity not permissible
in time of war.
And yet, the Japanese are called
non-Christians. But Is this not grow
Ing to be an out of date classification
Late writer's says the little island ma
ton, since the abolition of feudalism
years ago, has been fast to pick up
western enterprise and with it Chris,
tianity. The Christian missionaries
In the mfkado's realm are many and
their work is reported as very success.
full. Perhaps victory for Japan in the
present war means more than trade
advantages and expansion. 1t may
result in Christianizing the entire ma.
ton,
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
A DEAD MEMORY.

several Iowa papers have quoted a
paragraph which recently appeared In
the Arlington News, expressing the
opinion that "whiskey has Just as much
hell in it. whether sold in Bishop Pot
ter's Christian saloon or in stormy
Jordan's Road to He'll in Ottumwa, !"
This paragraph has gone the rounds OF
the Iowa press and no doubt many peo-
pie have read it and think that Ottum-
wa is still the town it was twenty
Years ago, when it gained reputation
for wickedness that has been with it
increasingly from that time
Perhaps the Arlington editor has not
been in Ottumwa for a good many
years, and maybe when he was here.
the sign to which he refers was still in
evidence at the old Jordan saloon. But
II reports are to be believed, 1t was
visible only from the inside and in or
der to see it. the editor must have en-
tered the place. If he got out without
being robbed or drugged it certainly
would indicate that he did not find Of
tumwa's then famous resort so disrep-
utable as to give the city name that
should stay with it through a genera
ton.
It will perhaps surprise some OF the
rural publishers to learn that people
who have lived in Ottumwa for many
years never heard of the Road to
He'll" sign and to those who have set
Ottumwa down as one of the wicked
cities in the state. it would no doubt
be interesting to know that there real
ly are churches. schoolhouses missions
Young Mems Christian association
and Young Women's Christian asso
citation. In fact, Ottumwa is not such
bad place after all, and there are
other places of entertainment and re-
freshment, even in addition to the
saloons.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-15
ONE IOWA GIRL.

Omaha World Herald.-In the ORR
entail march for enlightenment and
progress. after centuries of sleep, the
Empress An, dowager of China, pro-
poses to set tie pace. 1t is announced
that she has secured the services of
an American girl as governess for her
nephews, who may some day be the
hope" of the celestial empire. In
making a choice of governess this
shrewd woman employed the judg-
ment of several of her ministers to
foreign countries. A dispatch to the
eNw York Times says that she gave
this important commission to her
consul generals at Paris, Berlin, Lon
don and Washington. Out of the elect
recommended by these four she chose
Miss Mary Reynolds, of Sibley, Iowa
as the young woman who would give
the right tilt to the intellect of the
three nephews of the mighty Empress
An.
Miss Reynolds is college graduate
and comes from a educational in
stitution, which fact commits the do
wager on at least one important edu-
cational question. She is said to be a
gifted writer and a very bright young
woman. Iowa has claimed many po-
litical honors in the past and has the
reputation of furnishing more cabinet
members and more officials of promi-
nence and influence than any other
state in a given time. Likewise ii
justly boasts of its corn and it's beau
tiful women, its multitudinous cities
and it's coal mines. But it remained
for the empress dowager of China tc
give the browning glory to the Hawk
eye state in selecting an Iowa Cir
among all the girls of the world fol-
the position of mental guide for the
trinity of royal nephews.