The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-02-17
Round About
New YoRk

Edison, who mas done more 10 TeHO'
lutionize this old world than any 9th.
er living man, Is today celebrating hts
sixty.fourth birthday. II Is highly
probable that the electrical wizard
will observe the day by giving out
another interview of the series which
are now appearing various popular
periodicals and newspapers. Until re.
Gently Mr.. Edison has always been
too busy to submit to extended inter-
views, although there has never been
a time that he did not receive report
ers with the greatest cordially.
IL may be stated that Mr.. Edison
does no profit financially from the in
terviews on various topics which he
has recently given out. In this respect
he differs from many men OF less
prominence. Following Mr. Edison's
statement denying the doctrine OF i'm
mortality, reports called on various
distinguished clergymen to secure an
expression of their views on the mat
ter. Although the basic principles of
their faith had been assailed-since
Christianity without personal immor.
tality would cease to be Christianity
some of these ministers refused to
defend their faith unless paid good
round sum. The money was paid, and
waiting world was informed that
MIR. Edison never having studied the
dead languages, metaphysics or theol-
ogy, couldn't POSSIBLY know anything
about Immortality.
Aside fro.l his guess as to the here.
after, Mr.. Ed IONS most important re
cent statement, as reported by Allan
l.. Benson in the Cosmopolitan, is to
the effect that it is now only mat.
ter of time-possibly of a very short
time-when method of manufacture
ing gold will be discovered. When
that day comes, declares the wizard,
the financial systems of the whole
world will be upset, and gold may
be left out at night as safely as iron
is now left out at night"
Mr.. Edison also predicts that with.
in the coming century poverty will be
abolished, owing to the impending dis.
covery of cheaper and cheaper meth
DDS of manufacture which will enable
the world to be clothed and fed at a
far less labor cost than at present.
Moreover, he declares that dynastieS
and thrones will soon tremble and fall,
and that great economic and indus
trial change is due in this country
within ten years. All of these tremen-
dous changes, he believes, will be eff
Ifected by workingmen.
All of which sounds very visionary,
not to say socialistiC and utopian--but
the prophet is a man who has had a
habit of seeing to it that his predic-
tons were fulfilled. At Ga, Mr.. Edison
is still yong man, and he may live
to see the day-or so he thinks
when the workingmen will refuse
Longer to support armies and navies
for their own destruction, and govern,
Aments will be forced to make the
Wague tribunal the realization Of an,
other Edisonian dream-a Supreme
Court Of the World"
When President Taft ordered the
release from Jail of Fred D. Warren
the Kansas socialist editor who had
been convicted of using the mails in
manner that did violence to the sta
tutes made and provided, he played 8
game of shrewd politics. The great
socialist demonstrations, which, at the
call of Eugene V. Debs, were to bt
held in New York and other cite:
throughout the country tomorrow, Lin
coins birthday, will probably be car
ried out, but the enthusiasm of thu
"revolutionists" has been effectuall.
dampened. Socialism is a religion
more than an economic theory, t.
most of its adherents, and religion
thrives on persecution and martyr
dom. The president has unfeelingl
taken away the socialist martyr. an
tomorrow's "revolt" against the court
of the land has had the ginger take
out of it. However, let not Mr.. Tai
think that his caustic remarks hav
effectually squelched the lighting ed
tor of socialism. Bismark tried to pu
down the German social democrats b
putting them in Jail, but this metho
proved an utter failure. Presider
Taft's plan showed much more wi!
uOiu, Out IL is DOulu W De lueutCllN'
The way to sQuelch q socialist ha
not yet been found.
\ novel ceremony will be witneSse
tomorrow evening when Mr.. and Mr.
Norris Jacobs will celebrate the
golden wedding by being Marie
again. Rabbi Krauskopff will officiat
and the aged Mr.. Jacobs will plac
another gold band on the finger {
his matrimonial partner of half ce
fury. Eight children, fifteen gran
children and one great-grandchild wi
he present at the affair. The age
pair are of the same age-72years-
and came to this country from He
land more than quarter of a centul
ago. Mr.. Jacobs has retired from pa
ticipation in the commission bushes
he founded in Harlem market, whiC
is now carried on by his sons, b
both he and his wife retain all the
faculties.
A brief will be presented next wet
in the case brought against viii
Vernon Cole, Fifth avenue christi;
science healer who is charged wi