The Goodland republic., 1907-01-11

y y y
Are You YOu2
Are you a trailer, or are you troll
ley?
Are you tagged to a leader through
wisdom and folly?
Are you Somebody Else OF You?
Do you vote by the symbol and sWal-
low IL straight
Do you pray by the book. do you pay
by the rate2
Do you tie your cravat by the calen-
dar's date7
Do you follow a cue?
Are you a writer, or that which is
wOrded?
Are you a shepherd. or one Of the
herded?
Which are you-a What or a Who
1t sounds Wen o call yourself zone Of
the flock,
But a sheep is 8 sheep after all. At
the block
You're nothing but mutton. or posi-
bly, stock
Would you flavor a stew?
Are you a being and loss Of your soul
Or are you a mummy to carry e
scrou7
Are you Somebody Else. or You?
When you finally pass to the heavenly
wicket,
Where Peter the Scrutinous stands at
his picket,
Are you going to give him a blank for
a ticket?
Do you think it viii do?
From Edmund Vance Cooks I'm
pertinent Poems"
To my mind this little poem con-
tains more sense than nonsense Its
little preachment may arrest the at
tentiOn Of the class Of welI-meaning
good intentioned people who lack the
dignity and power that might be theirs
IL they only had the courage Of their
convictions.
There is q class which Josiah Al
lens wife calls ''woolen aprons" that
is almost helpless. The story is OF an
old lady at a church fair who said to
a friend, 81 don't like wooden aprons,
do you?"
why, yes, do" replied her friend.
$50 do L" calmly murmured the old
lady.
If there is anything more provok-
ing than the "me too" variety Of peo-
pie it is the "chip on the shoulder va
riety." These latter are the ignorant,
uneducated folks who are always
ready to condemn any who DO not ac-
cept the same standards and ideals as
themselves, forgetting that they, per
haps, have arrived at these same
standards, by the help OF some broad
minded man or woman who did not
despise them because they were on
lower levels.
What is she driving at?'' I think I
hear some OF you saying.
Just this my friends; believe the
standard Of morals in this town Of
Goodland could be elevated several
nOtches If the well-meaning, good in
tentiOned class Of people, above allud-
ed to, would decide to be Who's in
stead Of Whats"
For instance, I believe there are
people enough here who do not ap-
prove Of Sunday theaters, and who, II
they would only make their influence
felt, could persuade the managers Of
the halls that it was not only an un-
popular thing, but q very poor policy
| financially to allow them
Suppose the various churches, the
| ladies aid societies, the clubs and
twenty or more ladies societies OF vari-
Gus kinds, should pass resolutions that
! they would not patronize any plays
unless the Sunday plays were "cut
| out" Suppose they should DO the
| same thing about Sunday base ball
/ when the season opens again. Do you
/ think it would make no difference
So confident am that it would that
I should like very much to see it tried.
Suppose that all the people who
would really like to see the towd
| cleaned up OF joints and drinking
i places were to unite in a determine
i ton to Gust the officials who are fail
| ing OF keep them out, do you think II
\ would make no difference IN other
! towns. I don't mean that all the good
| moral people in any town have come
Il out boldly on. the right side liz
sorry - have u cdut.t that tner's are
| towards among them in every place
/ But when you are looking for towards
| you'll find them in droves among the
jOint-keepers and their patrons, and
no wonder; they are so defenceiess
! The weapons and ammunition-reli-
giOn, moral sentiment, 1aw-are all in
the hands OF their enemies
L am not among those who would
put all the responsibility OF the worlds
wickedness on woman's shoulders, and
| say "the standards are what TEomer
make them" yet I have not lived
more years than like TO acknowledge
and used my powers Of observation tC
some purpose I hope, without realiz-
i ing that there is a large element OF
| truth in this saying. do believe tha,
| il the good moral women Of Good.
land-and this would mean nearly al
/ who live here-would unite for the
above purposes and other needed re
forms, and then mag the men til
| they did their part, we would sooE
have a different town; one that wee
all be proud Of.
You don't believe IN nagging7"
do I know q lot OF GoodlanC
men who would be a great deal more
use In the world II some good woman
would nag them till they did thsIl
duty by the boys Of this town II ths
ladies need a precedent, here It IS from
the Topeka State Journal OF last Sat,
urday:
"A movement in behalf OF civic
purity and an earnest protest agains
the corrupt conditions in municipa,
Affairs now existing in Topeka vii
be the first step OF the Federation Of
WOmen's clubs under the direction OF
Ms ". A McCaster, the new presi-
/ dent
NO meeting OF the federation IL
years has been attended by as much
1 enthusiasm as the adjourned meeting