davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The National tribune., 1906-09-13
THE MAINE ELECTION.

The Maine election took place last
Monday. and politicians are now eager
ly studying out its figures. The Repub-
licans have carried the State by between
1000 and 5000 plurality for Gov. Cobb
over Cyrus w. Davis. his Democratic
opponent. Two years ago Cobb's plu-
rality was 2e,S1s. This is the smallest
plurality the Republicans have had for
"a years. All four of the Republican
Congressman are reelected. three OF
them with greatly reduced majorities.
Amos L. Allen received 1900 plurality
where he got 5000 two years ago:
Charles E. Littlefield $50 plurality, or a
loss Of 3.400; Llewellyn Powers received
$500, loss of 5000. and Edwin C. Bur-
leigh got 5000 plurality. slight gain
over his former figures. There has been
special interest in the campaign in Rep
resentative Littlefield's district. owing to
the efforts of Samuel Gompers, Presi-
dent of the Federation of Labor, to de-
feat him. Littlefield's plurality was re-
duced about 1000, which the Labor
n,
but the truth is that LittIefield, who Is
a man of very positive character, had
antagonized a great many persons and
interests in his district. who fought him
very actively. Among these were the
Prohibitionists, who felt that LittiefieId
was not as earnest in their cause as
they wished. and they put a candidate
in the field against him. Hyde, the iron
manufacturer, was also opposed to him.
and is said to have tried to defeat him.
Littlefield's majority two years ago was
a highwater mark and reached 1883,
which was something unprecedented In
the history of Maine politics. All these
things must be taken into account in
estimating the result. The Prohibition
lists have been especially active in Maine
this year. owing to an agitation for re-
submission. They have usually run an
independent ticket in Littlefield's dis
trict. casting about 100 or 500 votes
for it.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

An interesting situation has been
brought about in Chicago by the collect
ing agents of various houses meeting
and organizing to protect themselves
against INSCRIPTIONS persons, who re-
fuse to pay their debts A system will
be devised and enforced to bring chron-
ic debtors to payment. The next step
must be for the aforesaid chronic debt
ors to organize themselves in protec-
ton against the men who make life
miserable by their incessant and un-
timely duns. This is the only way that
they can save themselves. The man
who is chronic debtor is as hopeless
as the man who is an inveterate gam
bier. He does not pay because he can
not break himself of the habit of being
in debt and of getting goods on credit
There is no use talking of reforming
him, because the main excitement of
his life is going in debt. 1t will add
much to the interest of life to watch
the process by which the collectors try
to circumvent the debtors. 1t will be
a game exceeding in interest any played
upon the diamond" and matching of
wits which will be exciting to both sides
and interesting to everybody.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

Senator John w. Daniel, of Virginia
probably voices the sentiments general
ly of the leading Democrats south OF
Mason and Dixon's line. He says that
he agrees with fully 80 per cent of
Bryan's speech. but regrets the declara-
ton of Government ownership of trunk
lines. Virginia's experience with State
ownership was so disastrous and SO
burdensome that she has only recently
emerged from her financial troubles.
and signaliZed this by the unanimous
adoption of clause of the Coastitu-
ton which forbids County or State SUBJ
scription to railroads. The trouble is
that railroads would at once become
political; it would cost the Government
more than it would cost anybody else
to run the railroads, and those en-
ployed on them would concentrate
themselves to control candidates ard
elections. There are an abundance Of
other issues for the Democratic Parry
beside this one. which is hostile to all
that Democrats have ever held or aG-
vocated.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13
MERELY SETTING THE CLOCK.

After. esident Rooseveit's order
merely set thXe National clock with ref
erence to orthography. That is. in 80
per cent. AT 'least. Of the words in his
list he simply recognized the progress
that has Seen made in the last century
in the way Of simplifying spelling. Our
grandfathfrs twrote "untill." ''distill."
"ingtill." "appall," etc. The useless 'l''
has beeno' dtopt by everybody from
this class of Words. and nearly every
body is dropptns one or more "rs'' in
such words asnskilful. fulfil. and so on.
At the Beginning of the last century
such words ag favor. endeavor. Savior.
mold and honor were universally spelt
with the ''u," but now nobody this side
the Atlantic does so. At the same time
music. arithmetic. rhetoric. public. etc,
were spelt with a final "k." Anybody
himself to ridicule. 1t is singular that
while they were dropping the unneces-
sary "u'' from such words as honor.
behavior, etc, they did not begin to
drop the utterly unnecessary ''o'' IN
such words as tremendous, famous. stu
pendous. There has been q general
tendency to spell such words as offense
and defense with an IS" instead of the
&C." in order to make them uniform
with their compounds. This progress
should go on and the &C" everywhere
dropt from representing the sound Of
IS" it's sole function being to represent
the sound of "ch." What reason can
there be for writing plough
"draught." "checque," drought" etc.
when the simpler forms of plow, dra:t,
check. drouth are just as good in every
way? The spelling of "sulfur" has been
for years the rule in scientific publica-
tions, and is obligatory in the Patent
Office publications. The Patent Office
also drops the useless final "e" from a
whole class Of chemical words, such rs
"oxid.'' "suIfd" "carbid,' "bromid,' -
"chlorid." "iodid" etc. Some English
papers and publishers still spell wagon
with two "g's" and write Jewellery
with similar barbarisms. which, if COM
mitted this side the Atlantic. would ex-
cite ridicule. More people to-day write
such words as prolog, program, dialog,
etiquet, cigaret etc, without the useless
final letters, and this practice is daily
becoming more extensive. The Presi-
dents order merely recognizes these
proper and desirable changes, and fixes
them firmly for Government publice-
tons. The most startling changes are
the spelling of thru" tho" "thot,
"altho." "thoro." etc, but these are SO
palpably right that they will meet with
general adoption, and it will not be
many weeks until people will wonder
why they ever, tolerated the old clumsy
way of writing these words.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13


There must3 be something more to
Addicks than has yet developed. or he
would not, rer3ain so much of dis
turbing force in Delaware politics, If
he is what Lawson and other enemies
picture hirn. the very many respectable
men in Delaware who are following him
would drop him at once like a hot oo-
tato. 1t was supposed that he WIS
done for when he lost his fortune and
the Republican Party in Delaware ca1le
together in the election of Col. Dupont
as Senator. In spite of this he came
up in the recent caucuses. when he
made a strong fight against the nomI-
nation of DR.. Hiram W. Burton as Rep
resentative. Burton was nominated.
and a State ticket made up of aati-
Addicks nominees.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

The good roads gospel in the South Is
being backed up by trenchant figures.
John Craft, of Mobile, Ala, recently
said in an address that it cost the farm
ers of the South so cents a bale for an
average haul of eight miles to market
Good roads would reduce this cost t,
16 cents n bale. Estimating the aver
age crop of the State at 100000 bales
per annum. the extra expense of getting
it to market costs the farmers $780,
100000 annually. Under the present
road conditions it costs 25 cents to haul
ton of fertilizer a mile. With proper
roads a ton of fertilizer could be hauled
mile for eight cents. With the de-
mand for good roads comes a belief
that the cheapest and best method of
roadmalling is by convicts. In Meek
lenburg County, N. c., are found the
finest roads in the South. all made by
convict labor. 1t has cost the County
an average of 25 cents a day to guard,
feed and care for the convicts while at
work. So thoroly was the guarding
done that there was not single escape
and no woman. child or property in the
County was harmed by the convicts.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

Moldy old etymologists are raising
destroying the history of the language.
Unfortunately for them, they have done
their worst in deforming our spelling
without rine or reason. and have in
hicted incalculable labor upon English
speaking people by their ignorant i'm
positions upon our photography. For
a little Latin conceived that the Eng
lish word island was derived from tha
Latin "insula," consequently for un-
numbered generations countless mil
lions of children have had to learn to
spell island that way. A larger knowl-
edge of etymology shows that the word
was derived from the German Hand"
that is. an eye of land. 1t was spelt
iland for centuries until the clumsy ETY.
mologists marred its photography This
is a specimen of the way in which our
orthography has been marred by shall
low scholiasts who knew but little Of
the science of languages and the most
of that wrong. The etymologists are
in sad way, however, because Prot.
Sheats. who is unquestionabIy the high
est authority on etymology in the Eng
disappearing world, is an enthusiastic
spelling reformer, and when he speaks
the smaller lights are badly dimmed.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

The ranks of the spelling reformers
received three important accessions last
week. One of them is J. A. H Murray,
the senior editor of the great Oxford
Dictionary of the English language, and
who is as high an authority on the Ian
guage as there is in the world A Sec
ond is Prof. Joseph Wright, the editor
of the English Dialect Dictionary, an
authority on the local speech of the
English. The third is Prof. Skeat. the
editor of the English chronological Die.
tionary, and who is believed to know
more about the growth and develop
ment of the English language than any
other man alive. He is everywhere rec
ognized as undisputed authority. The
Spelling Reform movement now in
cludes all the really great authorities
on the language on both sides of the
Atlantic, and among them are the ed
itors of the three great American die
tionaries, Webster, the Century and the
Standard.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

The State of Ohio is rising in her
power and majesty for a fight to fin
ish with John D. Rockefeller and the
Standard Oil. 1t has taken a long time
to bring the State to the actual fighting
pitch. and now something is very likely
to happen. Judge Banker, of the Com
mon Pleas Court at Findlay, O., has
overruled all motions to quash the in
dictments filed against Rockefeller for
violation of the Antitrust laws and
other offenses. and therefore the case
must come to trial. At this writing we
should say that the prospect was not
pleasing for the Standard Oil. 1t will
find the courts and the proceedings in
them at this time a much more serious
matter than some years ago.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13
THE SOUTH BECOMING rnon1nrrrox.

Prohibition is making the most as
tonishing progress in the South. mainly
owing to the effect of liquor upon the
negroes and the poor whites. The rule
is for local option, and at last accounts
local option prohibited the selling OF
liquor in the States as follows:
Alabama. in so out of 60 Counties.
Arkansas. in so out of 75 Counties.
Florida. in so out of As towns.
Georgia. the whole State except fous
cities.
Louisiana. in 20 out of so Counties.
Maryland. in Is out of "a Counties.
Mississippi. in II out of I5 Counties.
Missouri. in 81 out of lis Counties. /
North Carolina, in so out of 80 Coun.
ties.
South Carolina. the whole State ex-
ccpt 10 cities where traffic is under dis
pensary system.
Texas. in 120 out of $40 Counties.
Virginia. in 55 out of 106 Counties.
Both parties in Tennessee have
strongly indorsed the temperance laws
of the State. and local option prevails
there in 20 cf the sc Counties.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

The financiers of Philadelphia have
decided that it will not do to allow the
Real Estate Trust Company to disap-
pear. and the directors have agreed to
reorganize the bank, subscribing to this
purpose 100000 of their own money.
Il is thought this will rehabilitate the
bank, as about $2,Oo0.00O can be real
lied from the securities furnished by
Segal upon which Nipple advanced S5,-
100000. 1t appears that the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
had about s16O,0O0 deposited, incIud-
ing trust funds, the current funds of
the Board of Ministerial Relief, of the
Board of Publication and of Sabbath
School work
The National tribune., 1906-09-13
THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS.

To the shallow Observers such as arc
now screaming out against spelling re-
form, an Irrigation Congress would
seem the Very essence of placidity. Ap-
parently nothing disturbing could be
connectedswith a leepily-fowing ditch
which sends its quiet waters upon the
level acres. This appearance is as de-
ceiving as appearances usually are Ir-
rigatfon rfeafis value to land, and land
has We'd with women as being one of
the greats-sourees of wars and conten-
tions in all history" The Irrigation
Congress which closed its 14th session
at Roise, Idaho, last week was no excep-
ton to this rule. Apparently it was a
gathering of benevolent scientific gen.
tlemen intent upon making two blades
of grass grow where none grew before,
but the most violent dissensons were
injected into its midst and some Storm
outbreaks occurred which were only
prevented by good management from
becoming much more violent. The rep
rescntatives from Oregon and Utah
We're in a minority, but they cherished
a strenuous belief that the Government
ought to issue two per cent bonds to an
unlimited amount to finance and carry
out "all practicable irrigation projects
in the United States.' This was pret-
ty sweeping proposition. as with the in
ducemcnt of Government aid there
would be few. towns or even
post offices in some million square
miles of the West which would
not have al irrigation scheme of
more or less merit to demand an issue
of Government bonds The Eastern
delegatcf, who represent valuable land
ed properties for which they do not
want too much competition in the West,
were decidedly opposed to the Oregon
and Utah scheme, and succeeded in
laying 1t upon the table. Senator Hey
burn, of Idaho. created a scene by his
ginning with the President and the
Director of Forestry and descending ID
the men who stole Government timber
lands. Representative Reeder, of Kan
sas, had little faith In the present rec
lamation laws, and did not believe they
would work out to success. He quoted
Speaker Cannon saying after the pas
sage of the Reclamation bill:
"Reeder, that's the biggest and slick
est steal / have seen since have been
in Congress-"
Senator Dubois said that the feeling
was so strong against it that but for tn ;
personal pressure of President Roose-
welt the bill never would have been
passed. heCongress finally approved
the honesty and ability of the Reclama-
ton Service. zaHd protested against any
further concessions to Philippine sugar
as inimicat to. the sugar production os
the United states, which was the great
hope of theI arid country. 1t would
seem that thenrrigation situation has in
its bosom fheStelements of several fights
Of The first order.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

Next month the British garrison at
st. Helena will be withdrawn, and this
famous rock Will be little known here
after except in history. The British
chose it for Napoleon's prison. because
it was SO far out of any chance of cap
ture or escape. 1t is 1900 miles west
of the African coast. and 1900 miles
east of the South American. AT one
time it was place of great importance
as port of call and refitting for ships,
but the Suez Canal and the fast steam
ers have changed all this, and very few
ships call there of late years.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

No one can hope to see the present
Republican predominance in the House
kept up to that figure. The present
House represents conditions that will
not be repeated for many years. The
nomination of Judge Parker for Presi-
dent took all heart ont of a large num-
ber of Democrats, and they virtually
abandoned the fight. This should not
didates, but it did all the same, and
scores of them went down who would
have been elected with more popular
Presidential candidate. This year there
is no Theodore Roosevelt candidacy 20
conjure with, and carry in Republican
candidates. The Democracy is trying
to get together for battle, and the ef-
fort will be made in every Congress
sional District. OF course, the Repub-
licans can lose a great many seats anj
still retain control of the House If
their present majority were cut in half
it would still give them more than so
majority, and If this were again cut in
half they would have % or 80 majori-
ty, which would give them all that was
necessary for needed legislation. The
Democrats therefore can gain nearly
100 seats and still be short of a ma
jority, as the total membership to-day
II 1873 Democrats and 252 Republicans.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

Lots Of unexpected trouble sometimes
comes out of campaign lies. The Iowa
railroads made a vicious fight against
the denomination of Gov. Cuinmins. and
published broadcast the charge that
Cummins had not increased the ASSESS
ments of the railroads at the same ratio
that he had those on the farms. This
was singularly unwise, for at the recent
meeting Of the Executive Council this
charge was taken up and the assess
ments of the railroads increased $4,000
600, SO that they hereafter pay about
$150.000 taxes more than they have
been doing.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

In Iowa defeated candidate Perkins
and several of his brother editors are
absolutely refusing to come into tho
Cummins camp. which they say is not
Republican headquarters, and they pre-
dict the loss of several Republican seats
in Congress. In Kentucky the Demo-
cratic Party is rent as 'twere vail by
the feud between McCreary and Beck
ham. and they say that the Democrats
will lose no less than three seats IN
Congress. 1t may be that the next Con-
gress will be made UP of Republicans
from the South. sliding in between
Democratic lines of fight. and Demo-
Gratis from the North. hopping in thru
Republican shirmish lines.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13
CONTROL NOT OWNERSHIP.

Only those who want to be deceived
will confuse the difference between
Government ownership and control.
The Government, State or National, has
always had the right to control COM
mon carriers, and this has never been
disputed. When the only means of
travel were turnpikes and stage coaches
the State exercised the undisputed
power of prescribing the fare on the
stage coaches. how they should carry
passengers. their responsibilities to the
passengers, and so on. The States went
farther than this. They prescribed and
yet prescribe the toll for ferriage
across streams, they regulated the tav-
erns along the roads. making schedules
of prices for meals, drinks, horse feed,
lodging, etc. The change in the meth
cd of travelling from stage coaches to
railway trains does not initiate in the
least against this power of the State.
least Within the States the State Gov
ernfnents have the most absolute con-
troll over the rates charged by the rail-
roads and the accommodations furnish
ed by them. In interstate commerce
the General Government has the same
rights as the States have within their
own borders. All this power of regula-
ton is diametrically opposed to owner
ship. The State never assumed to own
the roads and to run stage coaches upon
them, nor did it assume to own the
taverns and furnish food and lodging to
guests. 1t simply prescribed the way in
which those who held out to serve the
public should render that service. The
same distinction exists in all its abso-
luteness between the Government own
ership of railroads and the exercise of
| its power to control their service to the
public. Any legislation in the direction
of regulation and control is natural. nor
NAL and in accordance with our laws
and practices from time whereof the
memory of man runneth not to the
contrary. Ownership of railroads is. on
the other hand, revolutionary, imperial
istic, socialistic and utterly intolerablc
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

Good work has been properly recog
nized by the reappointment of Col. w.
L. Curry as Commissioner of Soldiers
Claims for the State of Ohio. Col. Cur
ry has thoroughly familfarized himself
with the duties of his position, and be-
ing animated by a sincere desire to
serve his comrades, has been of signal
benefit to them in that position. Thus
it will be of much help TO them to have
reappointed a man SO familiar with the
duties of his position.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

The foreign meat trade does not
seem to have been hurt as badly as OK
pected. Beef products to the value Gf
s3,156,687 We're exported from The
United States during June, 1906, against
s5,190,620 during the same month in
1895. Exports of canned and cured
cent. Fresh beef and tallow show 4
gain of about 16 per cent. The JLly
reports will probably tell a different
tale
The National tribune., 1906-09-13

Men have some rights after all. They
ty women, and the egis of the Constitu-
ton will be invoked. If necessary, to
protect them from the mercilcss despot-
ism of beauty. a Georgia Judge has
rendered a decision which will be hail
cd as a relief by young men from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. Miss Hinckley
a very pretty girl of Columbus. Ga, had
Henry Stubbs arrested for criminal as
sault. Stubbs is not n promising name,
we will admit. and it is hoped that
Hcnry's physical appearance is not in
harmony with his name; but that is
aliunde. The evidence at the trial
showed that Miss Hinckley thought
enough of Stubbs to go with him to
some entertainment and on the way
back he asked her for kiss. She says
that she declined, and then, to quote
the exact words of the fair witness.
He hugged me and kissed so it nearly
took my breath away" She thought he
ought to be sent to the pcnitentiary.
The Judge summoned all his gravity,
which was necessary for 50 important
4 case, and. taking in the fair form Of
the complainant and recalling the DAYS
when he was young himself, he said
with calm judiciality. II don't think it
was crime. 1t may have been rude,
but it is not the sort in this country
for which we lynch. You are very pref
ty, Katie. and Henry seems to have
been unable to withstand temptation"
The young men of Georgia now breathe
freer.
The National tribune., 1906-09-13
REAL sIMpLIFICArIos OF SPELLING.

The Presidents order falls miles
short of the recommendations formally
adopted in 1SS6-20 years ago-by the
American Pathological Association and
the Pathological Society of England,
composed of the ripest scholars on both
sides of the Atlantic. These recon-
mendations were:
e-Drop silent when 'fonetically''
useless and use err instead of re; singl
for single. liv, hav. eatn, raind, theater
ea-Drop from such words as
feather. leather; deth DEATH. helth.
Substitute for having the
sound of u; abuv for above. tung for
tongue.
ou-Drop from ou in trouble
CtrubD, rough (ruD, etc, and use or
for our in honor.
u and ue-Drop silent u after g be-
fore and in nativ English words and
drop final ue, gard (guard), CESS
(guess). catalog.
Double consonants ar to be simpli-
fed when ''fonetically" useless: Batl
(battle), writn (written); but not in the
word hall.
the affects a preceding sound: Lookt,
kist, pusht. chafed.
gh, ph-Change gh and phi to when
so sounded: Enuf (enough), Iaf
Qaugh), fonetic.
s-Change to when so sounded:
AbuZe. advertiZe.
drop in tch. each (catch). pich
(pitch).
These are all practical. logical and
are in the direction in which the Amer
lean, Australian and Canadian peo-
Piles are travelling. The Presidents or
der merely recognizes the distance they
have already travelled, and takes anoth-
er step in the same direction.