davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1907-12-18
THE POST OFFICE CLERKS.
New Policy for the Improvement OF Their
Condition.

To THE EDITOR or TIE SUS-Sir Tur
many years We post Office clerks have vainlv
tried to better. our conditions. Every year
has seen new hardships imposed on us Each
year our burdens have increased. Our 8p-
pcals to Washington have fallen on deaf ears
What were our demands? For what did
we ask? just simply for a chance to live
decently. to rear our families properly, TO
live like American citizens.
When our appeals became too insistent We
we're met by an executive order forbiddinR
us the right of appeal to the only men who
could relieve our condition and denying us
the right to see our COngressmen while the
Congress was in session. We bowed our
heads because we are faithful servants first
and American citizens last; and nv Tor the
Constitution, we will let our able Durists
wrangle over that. We must sink our pride
and our manhood. and accept what they deiRn
to offer.
Last wear the Post ONlce Department.
becoming fright ened at the large number Of
designations, recommended a classification
act, which Congress passed. and which is only
an instrument to juggle with as suits best Oh q
fear we have been sleeping all these years
but recently we have had an awakening and
have heard the call of the greatest organized
labor body in the country-tho American Fed
GRAFTON OF Labor. We feel the time has gone
when we should beg for our rights and unit ed
with two millions of workers we demand orr
rights AZ American wOrkmcn. a decent wage
for a decent days work
We are not bOastful. but hopeful that ms
tice will he done, and we are sure that when
our claims are backed bV organized labor
throughout the land We will get the recOgni-
tion TO which we are entitled
ALBERT b. RossDALR,
President. New York Local No 10, National
Federation of Post Oif1ce Clerks
NEW YORK. December H.
The sun., 1907-12-18

From Daily COnsuI1T ana 1Tdde Rsp0Tfa
Consul William C. Magelssen states that lt ap
pears the carriage service established between
Bagdad and AleppO, In AslatIc Turkey, previously
reported by him. IL not proving successful and
adds The matter OF establishing an automobile
service was discussed by me with the Governor
General and the suggestion made that nasmuch
as the local Government Is eXpending money for
building road In rertan rough places between the
cities or BaEdad and AIeppO II might be worth
while looking Into the feasibility OF such service.
The Governor General was enthusisstlc and stated
that he had considered the AdvisabilIty OF intro
ducing motor cars. II American builders of auto
mobiles will send catalogues and full description
of their freight and passenger machines with price
lists, may be able TO induce the gers OF the
stage service 10 make trial with American auto
mobiles. There Is no electricity obtaInabIo here
and the motive power must be petroleum gaso-
lene. Exporters should quote prices C, I. T. Beirut
and Bassora-
The sun., 1907-12-18

the state Treasury his expenses for one
visit to the State University.
These sOrdid. details take us too long
from Old ShirtsIeeves. Hear him, as
piOus as intelligent:
-GOD bless the people of the South. my homo
land. Con bless tho people Of Arkansas MIR.
President never expect 10 hold an once that shall
not be given to by the people of my native state.
l never expect TO hold an once that shall not be
given to me by their generous hands.
when | speak the 1ame OF Arkansas. sir. am
swept with food Of memories. ltchrrles me back
TO my home with my wife and my babes. II car
rIes me back to the ields and the farms and tho
shops. II carries me back TO n people as brave.
az loyal. as true and withal Intelligent as any
people who live upon GODS green earth"
This is a fitting companion piece and
seems to be an enlargement Of an earlier
and more famous passage Of the martyr
Of the common people;
81 have q little boy az home. 3 years old, GoD
bless hImi II he should get Into trouble In after
years aud get Into the penitcntiary I would kiss
the very feet Of the Governor who would give him
a pardon. would wash his feet with my tears"
We predict that even the cynical HALE
will vet be- moved by the domestic elO-
duence of the Hon. JEFF DAVIS, and that
ALDRICH himself will move that the
Senate chamber be bailed out at the end
Of JEFF'S speeches.
The sun., 1907-12-18

Professor FREcH, director of the Earth
quake Observatory at Breslau. has COM
piled two charts giving a good idea OF all
phases of our present knowledge Of earth
quake phenomena that can be represented
on a map. A feature OF one chart, for
example, is the chief geological formations
Of the world, while the other chart shows
the distribution OF earthquakes in the Ave
year period IsO9-I9O3.
The association OF these facts gives ap-
parently conclusive evidence Of the truth
of the theory now widely held, that the
great earthquakes are invariably caused by
breakages in rock formations resulting in
sudden uplifts OF downthrows Of parts OF
the earth's crust. and that these world
shaking shocks originate only among rocks
of the younger formations-that 10, not
older than the tertiary.
There are earthquakes due TO volcanic
or other causes. but their effect is local.
On the other hand. the jar communicated
TO the surrounding rocks by great dis
turbances completely encircles the globe,
and seismographs showed that the tremors
resulting from the unusually severe shocks
in Assam. two years ago, passed twice
around the earth.
In the five year period mentioned the
chart shows the distribution OF SS7 earth
quakes. and every one OF sufficient violence
to be recorded on the seismographs around
the world, occurred among the younger
geological formations. The next Ave year
period will end in 1908. and the chart OF IL
will show q far larger number Of shocks
than the charts which Professor FREcH has
just published. -
The sun., 1907-12-18
An Earlier Great Refusal.

TO THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir: u may
be well at this juncture. in view OF the re-
cent proclamation from the White House.
to call attention TO an episode OF 1868. The
Democratic national convention that year.
held in Tammany Hall in this city. chose as
its chairman HoratiO Seymour
After futile efforts to select a candidate
the name Of the presiding officer was sprung
upon the convention as the nominee for the
Presidency. In the midst of the pandemo-
mum which followed Mr., Seymour was
finally allowed TO make the announcement:
Your candidate | cannot be-" What fol-
lowed is a matter Of history. Are we to wit
ness at Chicago In 1908 a repetition Of the
Tammany Hall episode Of 1868 with Theodore
Roosevelt as the central figure? I'M
NEW YORK. December 49,
The sun., 1907-12-18
The EntaIltles Ga,nmIssIan

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN--.Sir. 1t is
unfortunate for the public and for welfare of
business that two gubernatorial candidates,
Chairman William X. Wilcox and William NJ.
WINS as counsel should be sheltered under
the roof OF the Public Service Commission.
Evidently both men are seeking to make
political capital through the process OF muck
raking"
Some time ago it was stated in the news
papers that the Investigations in which
William VI. WINS is acting az counsel had
temporarily stopped so that MIR. Ivinss ac-
cOuntants could continue their work OF delv-
ing into the books of a certain corporation. OF
course the purpose of all this is transparent
even to the most casual observer OF things
political. The cue TO that which is TO come,
unless Governor Hughes stops the perform
ance. was given in the manner and methods
OF Ivins in the public hearings. during one
section OF which WINS Acknowledged that
he was aboring to make good newspaper
articles"
Would IL not be well for the Public Service
Commissioners to devote their time and
energy to any one of the numerous things
they are supposedly investigating? Never
was a committee so smOthered with "unfin-
shed business" as is the commission of which
Mr.. Wilcox is chairman While nothing has
as yet been accomplished. he~Public Service
Commission has announced that other mat
ters than those which they now have at hand
are to be taken up and that at the next session
OF the Legislature. according to the news
papers. the telephone and telegraph compa-
MES may be placed under the control Of the
commission,
1t would be well IL Mr. Wilcox cut down
his schedule somewhat and was made to
realize that muck rakng" was not one Of
the purposes fOD which his commission was
brought into existence. o. u. WEssoN.
NEW YORK December n.
The sun., 1907-12-18

The failure Of the Hague Conference to
restrict armaments has affected the Jap
anese Cabinet and President ROOSEVELT
differently. On the day the American
battleship feet sailed for the Pacific -fOr
a HrOlic or a fight" it was announced from
Toxic that the Cabinet had decided to re-
duce expenditures on the army aud navy
by $50 900 900 annually for six years Presi-
dent ROOSEVELT had previously urged a
large increase in expenditures for the next
fiscal year. 1t may be supposed that the
Japanese decision was a coincidence. Ger
tainly it could not be regarded as an answer
to the practice cruise"
The sun., 1907-12-18
Tho Building Code.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir: The proposed
new building code Is cooked up for the benefit of
the insurance people. We venture 10 say that the
insurance member was the strongest on the
commission which drew up the new code. and he
did his work nObly. Think Of the Joy he brought
90 the hearts OF his friends In the sprinkler com
panles with that clause allowing a % 70 50 per cent
Increase In floor area " sprlnklers usedi
Aside from the proposed and above mentioned
Laws for the Protection of Insurance Companies .
the code contains several clauses which MI long
felt wants. Among these arc the i2 inch curtain
wall requirement and the revision Of safe bearing
loads for foundations. The clauses relating 10 the
proposed discretionary powers Of the Superinten-
dent and establishment OF prccedents Is Of rather
questionable quality. 7. w. RooGRs
NEW YORK, December n
The sun., 1907-12-18
Piag Mat In Kansas.
From the Kansas Cftv !sear.

T TUTFE ttB FtWW8UJ Civ SFnT.
George W. Martin. tho secretary OF the Kansas
State Historical Society. tells the following story
OF the irst plug" hats in Junction City: -It was
in the 1870 when John A. Anderson ,vaa Master
and was leading pillar OF a church I'm Junrtlop
city. Charles r. Carver. who then conducted a
famous gents furnishing house came into the land
once one day and said that a number OF the bo, =
wanted plug hats He could not afford 20 send
Tor them unless he had orders for eighteen. I in
sisted ! would not wear such a thing but he badg
cred until he got an order from me and from Aader
SON. The hats came and were delivered SATURDAY
afternoon. beautiful Sabbath day followed and
Anderson and myself ventured to church wearing
plug hats Then we found the other sixteen be
ionged 70 gamblers, and they marched into church,
single nle down the west aisle carrying thos. n.,.
most gracefully. and flled all the available front
seats. They knocked Anderson silly for that ser
vice. and II was sad blow TO the plug hat IN June.
tIon" " 'N'A~
The sun., 1907-12-18

All of Chairman WooDRUFF's positions
relating TO Governor HUGHES and the
Presidency are correct and must remain so.
though their number be added TO by both
morning and evening editions Chairman
Woodruff seeks only the truth which.
jewel that il is, he finds manysided. Facts
are what ne is after: they are at once his
guidance. his sustenance. his bete ROiTe. If.
as Washington confides TO him, TAFT is a
fact, he seeks TAFT. If New York says that
the fact is HUGHES. shall TIM turn aside?
Beautiful as Picti-SinO, he further resembles
her in that his taste exact for faultless fact
amounts to a disease.
The sun., 1907-12-18
An independent Republican View OF .GOV-
ermOr HluwheN
sPRNoFIELD. Mass.. December ~.


FrOm The TRdidRI DOIis Views.
The New York Governor has not turned
hand to get the Presidential nomination, and
vet people not only in New York but through
out the country are talking Of him as at least
a possibility. His fame has travelled even TO
the Pacific Coast. and men everywhere that
believe In good government have the greatest
respect for him and the utmost confidence In
him. He has won prominence by simply
doing his duty from day to day. giving New
York the best government u has had since
Grover Cleveland was Governor. II IL of
course said that neither Governor Hughes
nor any other man can hope to win the great
prize unless he goes after" IL. That may be
Perhaps the politicians are right. But II Is
a fact that the people rather admire n man who
simply allows his services to speak for him
The sun., 1907-12-18
FOOTBALL BY INJUNCTION.
To Columbia students: Invoke the law to
Remove Tyranny's Iron Heel.

To THE EDITOR OF THE sun Sir: Have tho
students of Columbia ever thought Of resort =
ing to an injunction as a means of restraining
the faculty from interfering with their foot .
ball playing? | do not believe. on strict prin-
cipes Of equity, that any-college faculty has
the right to stop its students from playing
football
4 college faculty has unquestiOned right to
hold its students to strict conformity with
scholastic requirements and recognized stand
ards Of correct conduct. Further than that
the faculty cannot properly go. As long as
students conform to these rules and regula-
tions 1t is none OF the faculty's business
whether its students play football or not .
This is the policy honored In German uni
versities. whose faculties concern themselves
only with matters OF student conduct bearing
directly on their studies
hold the action OF the Columbia faculty in
forbiddinR its students to play football Is =
direct infraction Of their rights as American
citizens. AZ all events. 10 It not worth while
to test the matter in the courts bv asking
for an Injunction restraining the faculty from
interfering with the studentsp
ROBERT J. JEssUP.
The sun., 1907-12-18
BREAD.
The Praise Of DUrum and an Opportunity
for the Thane Of SklbO.

for the Thane Of SklbO.
To THE EDITOR or The SuN-Sir: Why
cannot Andrew Carnegie be induced to offer
a yearly prize of say 5000 to. we'll, $50 0O0
for the best loaf OF bread made during the
year? Let il be open TO baker and house
wife for the bakers IL statistics are true, don't
bake all the loaves. The little woman in the
kitchen who shortens her bread with elbow
grease bakes a. per cent. and the bakers
but 10 per cent. of the lOaves consumed in
this country.
In Scotland 95 per cent of the loaves are
bakery made. rs per cent in France and ~
per cent. in England. There are reasons
for all this that only an extended article
would elucidate. There is room for a better
a much better loaf of bread than we are
getting from the baker and from our own
Kitchens to-day.
The greatest bread authority in England
gives the food value of a loaf OF bread in q
flesh making. muscle building sense as :
per cent. This means that the -four from
which that bread was made contained hut
10 per cent. of muscle value gluten
We grew IN this country this year 90 ono ON
bushels of durum wheat, that when ground
into durlim flour contains from is to Is per
cent. of muscle building material gluten
We are not taking advantage OF the gifts that
mother nature gives VS.. for YOU cannot nnd
of durum bread. We therefore need an an
nual prize for the best loaf OF bread and ir
anv one can point out more useful prize let
him stand up. Will Mr. Carnegie please take
notice? CHARLES CkIsTADoRo
POINT Iona. Cal, December o.
The sun., 1907-12-18

Last Friday THE SUN gave credit to the
Pail Mall 0GEette for the Right Hon. JAMES
BRYCE's discussion Of the part which great
men have played in history. We have
learned since then that although this not
able article did appear in the London paper
as stated. it was written by the Ambassador
expressly for the Youths Com pGniOn of
Boston. and was originally published on
October 81 in the admirable columns of that
worthy companion of intelligent youth, or,
indeed. Of intelligence any age whatever.
The sun., 1907-12-18
the Wan ON the Barrel Head.

To THE EDITOR or THE SUN-Sr: Yes.
sir. said The Man on the Barrel Head. ~
lighted the matches in the haymOw and
started the fire that burned up the oats for
the horses and the meal for the cows The
rats we're uninjured and are still doing busi-
ness at the old stand in the corn crib hut il
was a bully fire and | am proud Of il. And.
dye mind. | have plenty more matches and
fifteen months more to play with them in the
haymOws"
And The Man on the Barrel Head smiled
cOmplacently. BOANERGEs BABEBONEs
NEW YORK. December H.
The sun., 1907-12-18
The Anti-Japancse Agitation in Brit
iSh COlum bia.

The London Times has published a
letter from a correspondent on the
Pacific Coast which throws an entirely
new light on the cause of the widespread
and intense opposition now evinced in
British Columbia to the inflow of Jap
anese workmen. Hitherto it has been
taken for granted that the anti-JaDanese
agitation in that quarter was strictly
analogous to that which has long been
directed against Chinese labor. 1t ap-
pears however, that the two movements
are sharply distinguished in an impOr-
tant particular.
Investigations made on the spot by
the correspondent of the Times show
that up to the time Of the attack on
japanese workmen in Vancouver the
japanese question and the Chinese
question were indistinguishable The
employers of labor favored the immi-
grafton of AsiaticS, whether Chinese,
Japanese or Hindus, because the supply
Of white labor was inadequate. On the
.1ther hand, the Labor UniOnists, melted
by Canadian and American professional
agitators, demanded the exclusion of all
OrientaIs. The middle classes, for their
part, took but little interest in the mat
ter, and certainly showed no more preju-
dice against the japanese than against
any other Asiatics.
Under the circumstances it might have
been expected that the unprOvOked at
tack on Japanese workmen in Van
couver by Labor Unionists would have
provoked an outburst Of sympathy for
the assailed on the part Of disinterested
and unprcjudiced people, How are We
20 explain the fact that just the reverse
occurred: The truth 10 that all the white
The sun., 1907-12-18
whittier a woman suRrrsEist.

- To THH EDITOR OF THE SUH-7Sir, Among those
who have reason to remember whittier with gratl-
tude on his centennial are the advocates of equal
rights for women, He was a lifelong friend of
equal suffrage and up 10 the time Of his death was
an Ofiicer In the Massachusetts, Woman Suffrage
Association. Reminding our country OF the work
that vet needs 20 be done along the line Of civil
service reform and w0man's ballot. he wrote:
Alone 20 such as fitly bear
Thy civic hon0rs bid them fall
And call thy daughters forth, to share
The rights and duties pledged 10 an"
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL.
Maaa DeCeuher
The sun., 1907-12-18
The Misguided Friends Of MIR. jenkins,

Charity compels the hope that Pastor
GREENE and the members of the Sumner
Avenue Baptist Church did not realize the
full meaning of what they were doing
when they adopted on Sunday last
certain extravagant resolutions regard
ing the case of JOHN G. JENKINS, Sr.,
now under indictment in Kings County
for certain alleged abusive acts as Presi-
dent Of the Williamsburg Trust Com
pany. The entire proceeding as an
explicit, public and gratuitOus inter-
ference with the adjudication Of case
pending must strike any one who retains
his sanity as monstrOusly improper.
There is one section Of the resolutions,
however, so outrageOusly insulting to
the courts upon which we all rely for
justice and protection that it would be
incredible as the utteranCe OF religious
congregation were it not that the pub
lie has become Injured of late to having
its tribunals denounced as untrust-
worthy and their judgments Routed when
they failed to fall in with preconceived
ideas. The paragraph reads:
-IpssoIvsd. TSst come what VIII. whether he be
visdlcased or not by the courts Of the state. we
win never believe thaS Jcns @. JENKINS ever inten-
The sun., 1907-12-18

To rHR EDITOR OF THE SUN-7sir: Talk about
the shortage OF Ofiicers and men In the srmyl We
have Lieutenant OF cavalry here In charge OF
hotels and messes drawing a salary Of so.OOO year
In addition TO his army pay, and what he doesn't
know about q hotel would nD a book. He has as
assistants two men who gained their knowledge OF
hotel business over a typewTltlng machine.
II the President would put some ono Of ability in
charge We might be able 70 get something 20 cat
for the Lord knows We pay enough for II. On. for
little old New York once morei NEW YORKER
ANcoN Canal Zone Dccembefa
The sun., 1907-12-18

When FAITHFUL was on trial in the town
Of Vanity the magistrate abused and in
suited him before conviction. The world
moves. Nowadays magistrates reserve
their abuse and insults for sentence day.
when prisoners are more helpless and de-
fenceless than they are previous to their
conviction. In n future and better day
magistrates may see the prOpriety Of re-
training from any expressions Of personal
feeling toward those they are about TO SEN
tence and be content to restrict themselves
within the limits OF their legal duty.
The sun., 1907-12-18

ilonnly. wllfuIy or mailclously used such means
ss has been charged for his own benent or to de-
fraud or deceive any man. woman child Of any
sum OF money. much or little"
This is nothing IL not anarchy. Let
the courts do their worst, proclaim these
church members, presumably pillars Of
society; their conclusions mean nothing
to us. We set up our own anteCedent
notion Of the case about to be tried
against the courts conclusions reached
after painstaking inquiry into the facts.
If the court differs from us, so much the
worse for it. We refuse utterly to bow
to its authority"
Perhaps Mr.. JENKINS is as innocent
as his friends proclaim him. At this
stage Of the proceeding no man has a
right to dOgmatize to the contrary. But
in one respect ne is almost an object Of
pity. II is hardly conceivable that in
a community retaining some ideas OF
law and order the action Of this church
will fail to arouse indignation and an
tagOnism. The resolutions Of defiance
to the courts passed apparently for the
purpose of aTOusing public sentiment in
his behalf are certain to have exactly
the contrary effect. They will above all
embitter the not incOnsiderable number
of citizens who seem to think they have
a grievance against him. Before the
last is heard of this most misguided
performance he may often have occa-
sion to cry out in tribulation Of spirit,
Save me from my friendsl'
The sun., 1907-12-18

The Board Of Aldermen this afternoon lnden-
nitely postponed the order 70 change the name
Of North Square to SciglanO Square. All the
patriotic societies are rejoicing over the vote
Despatch rom Boston.
Faneuil Hall. the Old South Meeting
House and the Common are safe for the
time being, but eternal vigilance is the
price of preserving the historic names OF
the old familiar places
The sun., 1907-12-18

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir The auo-
tatiOn "TwiXt the devil and the deep sea is
applicable to the Democratic party. but at
present should be changed to ""fwixt Blather-
skite Bryan and Oblivion: for IL Bryan fails
to get the nomination at Denver next July
he will defeat the man who does get IL, Just
the same as ne knitted Judge Parker in 1904
And that ends IL.
As for Yellow Dog in the Msnger Hearst -
Pfsughl CIV
NEW YORK December n