davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08

Mr.. HENRY W. COFFIN. a son Of LEVI
COFFIN, the Quaker abolitionist who was
known before the civil war az the presi-
dent Of the underground railroad has
written a letter to the indianapolis Neus
to correct some errors that appeared in
an article about LEVI COFFIN in Its
columns. According TO his son the
Quaker agitator spent $4,000, a large
sum In those days, In the abolition cause.
Three thousand slaves passed through
his hands in Indiana and Ohio to safety
in Canada. COFFIN. who was a native OF
North Carolina. never concealed his iden-
tity when he visited the South to work
against slavery. HIS son says:
"on the contrary. he hwsys proclaimed his
| principles and was always treated with extreme
courtesy and consideration. and 10 several cases
during visits 10 the far South before the war on
business he converted SlAveholders 70 abolition.
lam, who aiterward freed their slaves. No such
incident ever occurred IS STAYED In the article
that LEVI CoYF1S overneard while In a hotel In a
Sou thern State an offer Of 5000 for his capture
dead or alive. Had he ever overheard any such
remark he would have stepped forward and
quietly made known his Identity and without
the shadow Of q doubt would have presohsd his
audience q sermon on the evils Of slavery. He
was never aggressive or Offensive. but quiet and
sympa,hetic. He and my mother wore the dis.
,~inctiye Quaker rsrb 10 the day OF their death,
and on his trtps TO the South before the war In
connection with bis large business a. . merchant
nj. broad bnmmed Quaker hat straight COL.
Jared cutaway Goa, and white choker were con.
sp,cuous e,tdences Of his abolition principles"
The president OF tho underground rail-
road did not encourage his abolition
friends to tamper with slaves In bondage.
nor In the Southern States did he have any
relations with the slaves. combining his
exhortations to their masters. But n
q negro crossed the line OF a Northern
State LEVI COFFIN helped him on 70
Canada with food and money. He con-
oealed the fugitves at his homes In New
port, Ind, or Cincinnati until the coast
Was clear.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
"Thc Final Say So."

A document which contains an ex-
traordinary confession and s~elf-revela-
ton is published for the first time, we
believe, in Pedrson's Magazine for June
It Is a letter from THEODORE RoosE-
WELT to MELVILLE DAWSON Post. Mr..
POST had published a story turning on
the legal question whether Confederate
notes were or we're not counterfeit
money. Mr.. ROOSEVELT writes on
January II, 1905:
You may be amused TO know M experience
tn connection with the decision Of tho United
States Supreme Court that Confederate notes
were not counterfeit.
While KNOX was Attorney.Genera there
came before me the case of twoc criminals who had
passed these notes. The lower court held that
the notes were counterfeit, and both men were
Imprisoned. One Of the men took an appeal and
the other did not,
After some time the Superior cour' declared
that the Confederate notes were not counterfeit
and therefore the man was released.
KNOX thereupon brought around TO mo a
personal order for the release Of the other. This
I promptly refused 70 issue, and KNOX and I then
had an argument, he standing for the law and
for rude and primitive Justice.
The argument reminded me q little Of the
famous discussion between the King, Queen and
Headsman In Alice In Wonderland KNOBS
position was that as Tie act committed by the
man had been declared by the court not to be
criminal. l could not keep him in prison. Ny
rSoettio, xv.s that q q hA xraG uud0uhtAdIy n Rr0uD-
drel. and morally . criminal. I certainly could
not let him out OF prison; and that as for say
ing that ! could not keep him In, why. be ras in.
and that was all there was about 1t.
i think KNOX had the best Of the Argument as
regards the law. but I had the anal say so as 10
the facts, and the man stayed in for nearly q year
longer. was sorry l could not punish both
scoundreis. but at least ! was able 70 punish one"
The man who signed this narrative
was a President Of the United States,
sworn to execute faithfully the duties
OF his office. The confession supple
ments what THE SUN has already had
to say about Nh. RoosEvELT's oongeni-
tai incapacities and habitual contempts
in his view Of the law and his attitude
toward the courts.
How creditable to KNOX is the Incl
dent as related by the President who
overruled KNOX How disgraoeful to
the President who boasts Of having
stood for lynch law-rude and primi-
tive justice, he hippantly calls it-as
against the law which he had sworn to
execute and obey!
It'll better that he should be in Africa
shooting innocent monkeys than here
holding the scales in an ultimate tribu-
nal OF purely personal opinion.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
MARVEL.S OF n
So Great That No New Achievement
Seems Impossible.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: The
letter Of Professor Goodwin Smith In THs
SUN recently on the proposed attempt to
communicate with the planet Mars might
easily be construed as a reflection upon the
intelligence OF certain OF our men Of SCI
ence. II is true. as he says. that we at one
time believed that the earth was the centre
Of the universe around which the whole
galaxy OF heavenly bodies revolved. 1t
was also Just as generally and still more
firmly believed that a Supreme Being had
selected this planet. and this planet only.
on which to place the human race and on
which alone He chose to display the great
ness OF His wisdom and power.
This latter belief, strange to say. largely
prevails at the present day. notwithstanding
the imme progress the race has made 10
every department Of knowledge. and not.
withdrawing the discovery that our earth
Is little more than q mere point in space.
one q the smallest bodies In ths whole
unknown TO most OF them.
mean i. but his words would imply that
other worlds became known we made no
further advance In the science OF astron.
omy. As q matter Of fact, as every reader
edge OF the sidereal universe Is now so vast
It seems almost impossible that there could
be anything more TO learn. TO the lay mind
our astronomers appear to have actually
traversed in their own persons the myste;,
rious, pathways OF that awe inspiring world
and brought down to US its long hidden
secrets. They have told us the distance. the
course, the dimensions, the weight and the
very constituent elements Of suns 20
remote as 70 be forever Invisible TO the
unaided eve. 40 perfect are our instru'
ments OF observation that they show us IN
the planet Mars a body very closely resent
bling our own globe, and Il is this discovery
that suggests the possibility OF our neigh
Dor being inhabited by living organisms
similar to those of en- nth.
This supposition has some ground OF fea.
son when IL Ia remembered that man Is 4
product OF conditions. m effect Of q lone
series or causes going back into innhlitty.
and not the creation Of q supernatural na,.
i this law OF cause and effect prevails
throu ghout the physical universe, as It un.
doubleday does, then II Mars possesses con-
ditions similar TO our own, and II its history.
10 the same as that Of this globe. u must
have q race Of beings identical with man
who have probably reached q like stage OF
civilization and material progress
A consideration Of these possibilities re.
moves e,s-y. appearances Of absurditv irom
the proposed'attempt 10 70. into communi'
cation with that far OF world.
An early realization Of such a desire ~
Of course. verv improbable, but in the pres.
ence OF the marvellous achievements oi w
past he ID a bold man who darcs 10 say tha'
anything 10 Impossible.
NEW YoRK, June 7.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08

was built, In the summer Of 1883, its
object was to provide room for those
patrons Of the older operate theatre
downtown who felt that their social
Importance required the recognition Of
a box. One exception to the stimuli
taneous birth OF q new set and q new
opera house was found in the case Of
the Manhattan, from which Mr.. HAM
MERsTEIN has now removed most Of
his boxes. Whether there must be
stockholders and directors to impart
the social tone to an opera house, or
whether the architectural and topo-
graphical peculiarities Of the Manhattan
kept the people Of society from giving
the new house Its support, is a question
that has not been decided.
Now the New Theatre, which is to be
devoted to the production OF operate
as well as theatrical performances and
already promises to acquire Its greatest
brilliancy from the representations Of
what its directors choose to call opera
lvrique, has published its list Of box
holders who are to stand toward the new
institution in the same relation as the
holders Of the parterre boxes do toward
the Metropolitan. There seems no
3 to doubt that the list may be
regarded az constituting a new act of
society in this city. A considerable
part Of the names is new to any list
that might be supposed to represent
persons conspicuous in social affairs,
but that has been characteristic of every
such catalogue. 1t is to these new
names that New York has always been
indebted for its new opera houses, and
without them the history Of opera here
might have been very different.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
Outrases At Annapolis.

To THE EDITOR OF THE - sir: The article
on THE Brutality Of bingham" revives - ty
memory matters I strive TO forget. Down a. VIC
Naval Academy In my day they had 'tius
drlls" for yariou offences against the rule' ano
regulations, among them fot allowing a "seruo"
70 fall into disorder. Now, on extra arm !"
Annapolis, INC an extra tour At West POINT u
calculated 10 make an impression on your t'en
DRY. for Il begins promptly at r. NJ 9"
the Saturday half holiday and II goes on. NOV
merrtly, until I o'clock without a single mW,,
mission OF stop 70 the aeion Of legs, arms anu
brain, with . I,emington ride With bsyonet nseo
a. Q toy for the hands 10 play with. and 81 vac emu
OF that long, long two hours, thai bayone'"eSp'
little less Than Q ton. .
Now, 10 get "a, tho point. A. q section lesoe.
I got an extra drill. and when II was over vsines
the ciass that ] would -spotN every man JOE"
who talked. laughed or domeaned himself o,n.'
wise than On . striotH military fashion WINE ,
was section leader. which OF course woula .No
me the drill. NAVAL AcAp.A
p. SILT has lust occurred 10 me ina. ! w W.
rot . few dsmuts - wsl ~ the eaus an"i
how mAay ] hsvs iouG since iorsot'en' ~
ssvss get . sscoad extra drtn. w.
NEW YcHk. Juns & -AkyAh-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
College Drummers.

II we may compare the things Of this
world with the things Of the learned
world a university president Of these
days has to be a good drummer and
publicity agent DR.. JACOB GOULD
ScHURMAN OF Cornell finds DR.. WOOD
ROW WILSON deploring, smanythought-
full educationists do, the comparative
neglect OF study in the universities and
the devotion Of too many of the students
to athletics, amusements and &c on.
DR.. WILSON comically OF tragically
described his powerful and honorable
post as that Of a 'ringmaster.' DR..
ScHURMAN from the green seclusion OF
Ithaca sends forth a voice Of protest
with a delicious incidental piece Of ad-
vertising 1on the side
In the colder universities there are
drawbacks which don't exist at the
younger and better, such as Cornell and
the Western State universities, SO pros
porous and still so rising. These, it
seems, we're created to be peoples uni
versities.' What other kind OF a uni
versity is there? Here is one of the
amusing characteristics of the colleges,
old and young. 'No snobbism here"
say the men Of the younger institutions,
pointing an accusing finger at the old
ones. "No snobbism at old Jones!' cry
the old Jonesites, pointing an accusing
finger at old Smith, a supposed nurse Of
a~ristocracy. Here we have the demo-
cratic spirit. the true Jones spirit"
The truth is that every college is
democratic; and the bigger, the more
national and cosmopolitan it is, the
more democratic it is. The clustered
little patrician college community, in
bred and self-satisied, such as was
possible to some extent in Columbia
and Princeton, Yale and Harvard up to
a generation or 30 ago-we should have
to 20 far TO find it now. Wealth is n posi-
tive disqualification in a college student.
He may hide it modestly. 1t may be
forgiven him for his skill, his strength,
his manliness and his good
Blood" that is, descent, from gradu-
hteS, COuutS cNCi WhClC, nOt lOT llSelI
but because agreeable characteristics
may have been transmitted. At the
same time some nobody's son from the
woolliest West may caper of triumph
antly with all the social and class prizes
and honors. Distinction is personal
even when It may seem to be imputed
from ancestors. Collectively as against
the non-college world and all other
colleges the college commonwealth is
absurdly vain and innooently snobbish.
and yet in itself it is a democracy ruled
by the fttest. except that no vulgar
worship is paid TO mere intellectual tai
| emit, said to be highly regarded by the
outside barbarians.
Cornell is celebrated thus ~!nscnuoasIy
by DR.. ScHURMAN:
Finally. there Is another difference between
the older New England and New Jersey univer.
stiles and Cornell and the state universities, They
arc venerable institu tions, and consequently en-
Joy the prestige OF are. They possess q social
attrsctiveness which secprss..or them the sons
OF parents who desire for their children mot
20 much intellectual training and the acquisition
OF knowledge a. the sdventitious social .dvsn.
ssges which come from hsvtns pursued these
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
Tho Cost Of Reform Again.

Despite the onerous efforts Of the or
gans, tho discussion Of the increased
expense Of State government during
the past year will not down. On the
contrary, there is now to be heard on
various GdeA the pessimistio prediction
that q return to a direct tax is inevitable.
Two such opposing authorities as the
Hon e. A. MERRITT, Jr., and the Hon.
DANIEL d. FnIsBIR, respectively ma
jortty and minority leaders in the Az
semhly, have recently given the weight
Of their judgment to this conclusion.
We commend to our readers the admit
rably clear and impressively significant
statement Of the latter in reviewing the
financial follies Of the past year. The
fact that a Democratic Assemblyman
should take the trouble to make such a
statement suggests the shrewd suspi-
cion on his part that we are to return to
an old fashioned order Of politics when
the tax rate and not the moral issue Is
to decide State campaigns.
One of the most interesting phases Of
the statement made by Mr.. FRIsBIE is
his analysis Of the items cut out OF the
appropriations by Governor HUGHES.
The Governor has been widely praised
for reducing by A,4ss, $3.50 the State
budget as passed by the Legislature.
On this subject MIR. FRlsBIE says:
Seeing the CONSERVATION with which ,h. ire.
nendous increase was greeted by the people.
The Governor lays about him with bis veto axe.
Topping of over four millions. In doing so. how.
ever, be cut out 90 Item Of 81 ooo. 900 for c~onstruc.
ton OF the new educational building and $4,000
for the new Capitol power houee and seS. oo for
tue new training school for boys, the erection OF
both OF which the State is committed to. hav.
Ing Already purchased both sites. These items,
which must be provided for carly In the next
SESSION Of the Legislature. total sa.oe7, 900. The
Governor IL simply postponinS the day OF settle.
nsnt and 10 actually making a reduction OF but
little more than half the amount given out a.
saved
Apparently there has been a wide
Misunderstanding Of the real situation
Of the State finances, a misunderstood.
ing based entirely, we are bound to say,
upon the facts and figures furnished
from the Executive Chamber. We have
already pointed out that the increase In
the State budget wal actually t,6Ss,6 (?
aud not the paltry $4,000 the Gov
srnor announced after his remarkable
sinking fund operations, and now Mr..
FHIsB1E points out with unmistakable
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
BACK TO
studies In Slang by . Returned New
Yorker,

O., ~
,oa To 1. q E .So : .s OF Tas s So %n-ossx, Ss s;'.y
an absence 10 the faraw.y Of about three
years. ! came py way OF Iansoa .hrousn
AlbAny to New York city had been away
from here before and knew what TO expect
j., i he ~ lin. .s 2, new slang n,. and &, got ,',At o.
nv - NJ.
and weehswken. It sounded good to me.
-soused," by far the best Of all, | heard
up on broadway: "soused' is richer By a
linked" though linked" appears to be the
result of apother's design. Il had him we'll
.inked.b INV tbis time and cot What I wanted
~ VIE '"e "'u y """' ""n'eu
10 To- sn return to the return, however. Every.
body was "~scrapping" over the origin OF
-as :. Soms vent hack as far az niclans
20 some VEN oaoh Do iar ss aiskens,
nut most ioiks seemed 70 De satisned with
George Washington, DR." 1 Was 90 late
l Th arUm hsos f1uto DC sno"h'
iheS MsTsh hers wnon ! ,ei'; r,,.-,,,,
is, he has since become a f%riend-had been
out the night before with a chop s,ley expe-
dictionary force among the members Of
which there were -koils.-
Ny friend had looked good" to one Of
ner Siamoha ring LOT PIN 20 axe care o.
tSr nsr; ne Was =, SSelFh1ns up re draw
upon him. ,Thereupop he sighed and said:
\ guess ~ give i back. l think It's q
-cIus ssked NJ nm ss; 4 as su ToukIdh cal a man a z
one or n IOuE nn&neT.-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
The Despot's Prosress.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN -Sir. Readers Of
TIE SUN must have Eel, like forming . v~igilante
committee 10 handle Magistrate Cornell, who
sent those innocent young men 10 B~lackwell's
Island for nve days just because they had in-
duleed themselves In . little amusement In the
trains OF the subway.
Whence comes the power Of Judge Cornell,
Commissioner Bingham. Mayor Mcclellan, that
they disregard the rights Of the "peepui" In this
outrageous manner
Lc, Us stand UP for our rights. What are sub
way trains for anyway II not for the use OF the
"peepul"t Are we 10 sit down and quietly per-
mi. these innocent young men 10 have q stigma
pu, upon their names without ono volcS OF pro.
testf PrTlB MOST.
NEW YORK. June I.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
THE SINKING FUND JUGGLERY.
Statement Of the Hon.. Daniel ID. Frisble
on This subject.
From the Albany Arous.

From the Albany Argus.
The budget as 1t passed the Legislature
was u, l47, sos. 50 in excess OF last year. As
cut by the Governor II is still 81. 65s. 622 90 In
excess OF last year.
1he provision made for sinking funds for
the Adjustment OF the State bonded in
debtedness Is 81. i9i. 600 less thar last year.
A special law was passed with the approval
OF the Governor. and In fact by his special
recommendation. permitting this change:
and the Governor seems disposed to con-
graduate the State on a four million dollar
saving. The money. however. has not been
saved, but has all been used for ordinary
running expenses. as will be seen by a glance
at the figures for the budget, II there had
been an actual reduction instead Of an
actual increase In expenditures one might
see the force OF the Governors reasoning:
but as 1t is we are simply using ~. o0O. 900
a year which formerly went to pay the
bonded debt to meet increased running
expenses.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
Groussing. grousHng. g%roussing,
Always bally well g%rousslng:
Groussing In che morning
And erouesin9 all the DAY.
ny Any Name.

To TIE EDITOR OF Il SuH-Sfr: May the
writer be permitted TO oher . suggestion TO the
perplered young grandmother and thus help her
70 solve . seeming dinhcultyt Ny deceased wife
became a grandmother ~ a.. The nearest 70
pronouncing the name grandmother or grand.
ma BY ,he nrst grandchild when be commenced
70 pra,te was mamie" and a. the others came
along hey all called her "Nsnnie.- In fact, We
all called her Mamie" were she alive 70.
day Il would Sun be Mamie" here and " Mamie
there. Mamie" wasa blessed name and the
name ofs blessed woman.
She Wa never % happy - when they were all
gathered around her table, whore she could look
Into their bright faces And listen 70 their animated
prstte,
Indeed they would run away from homo 70
come 70 "NAnnis's house" Around 70 NAnnic's
house" seemed . sacred p,soA and when sickness
or trouble came Mamie" wss quick 70 70. and by
tender Industries Of love and Kindness soften the
blow. Though the busy hands and willing feet
are long since sun. we all revero the name Of
Mamie
Teach your grandchildren 70 cali you Mamie,
my desr young grandmother, and may they be .
blessing 70 you. ].
SOUTH NonwAix. Juns6.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
The Way the Democrats shout.

Not from the Caldwell poetry plant
at Charlotte but from the Rockingham
Post, an establishment never suspected
Of anything Chattertonisn and sophis-
ticated, comes a song which is an honor
to North Carolina and a helpful common
tary upon its politics:
It's strange how things have changed.
Especially In the South,
Looks like they've been resrTanged.
Tho way the Democrats shout,
Six months ago they were for BRYAN.
And Republican, shoush.lns TAFT.
But now the way things arc ewine.
'Twould make Q 'possum laugh
The marriage Of -gwine' to Bryan
is rare and exquisite choral consonancy
even in Tar Heel poetry, but to our
mind the strong assonance Of South
and shout is even fuller Of knowledge
OF the ancient songs and promise Of the
new. But listen to the possum's laugh:
Democrats shake each Others hand.
And you ought 70 hear them laugh,
As loyal a. any in the land.
To His majesty, BILLIE TArT.
Republicans they march around.
AZ II they'd lost their grasp,
And fret, and fume. and frown
And curse. old big Sill TAFT.
What wrought this change on his honort
Listen. and you hear them quote,
That he appointed Mr.. coSSoH,
Judge of the Federal Court.
Republicans say that he admitted.
In appointing . Democrat. Judge.
That they had no matsrta, lifted
OF which to make . Judge"
Strong, simple. plain; there is a dis
tinctness in this mans style that re-
minds US OF the blows Of an axe and
makes the metaphor in the second line
Of the 'fnal stanza almost surprisingly
happy:
Nov to His E1oeilency. Mr.. ". H, TAFT.
Though Democrsts We still stand.
Homage to you in every craft,
As long a. you are for the man.
AZ !cns - you remain thus true.
And faithful at the heive,
We Democrats will stand BY you.
Anyway. till nineteen and twelve"
They can't stand by him too long or
too loyalty, but We wish they would be
faithful enough to the helve to cut out
His Excellency, which fits the Hon.
EBEN SUMNER DRAPER, Governor of
Massachusetts,, perfectly and consti-
%tutionally, but cannot be worn by Mr..
TAFT.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
SETH 10 n NOT COMO TO VOTE ron A
THIEY. GAMBLER OR DIvgKEEPER. WHO
ARE You ooISo TO VOTE ROM,

have always supposed that q purely
fictitious personage like John Bull. Uncle
Sam, !" &C.. was intended-a personihcation
Of the Pretensiors OF Reform and Conjec-
ture.
think I once heard that an Indian sachem
had something to do with some municipal
campaign in this city. Could there be any
connection between Seth 10" and 10 the
poor Indian? HisToRICUs.
NEW YoRK, June 7.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-08
Unlucky Day for Mich Dicds.

FTUW w HtHHd F1ff0Td,
Nlsh Diedc had . bad luck last Saturday while
he want 70 hitch Q pulverizer on and hitched two
horses on and wanted 70 tlo the Others on them
while he had tied ono on and wanted TO tie the
other on that side turned over 10 the hind aide
and came under the pulveiser and cut his hind
legs I'LL In tho bones 90 the animal had 10 been
killed ~ soon - possible Willis the others cut
tesmselves barely.