davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16

Mayor Gaynor is situated in moro fortunate time, and should have more understanding and less pessim. ism.
 The art of printing "preservative of all arts," is no illusion. To print. ing civilization owes it's efficiency. that quality in it which preserves the deeds of the past and, enables the child of to-day to tower on the shouI- ders of the philosophers, scientists and thinkers of the centuries. None can read without thinking. No person reads so carelessly as not to De affected in manners, morals and ideals by, what he reads, and usually for the better.
 And how richly is the world repaid by those who read to. study and by study are inspired to investigate. There is not only the improvement of the masses through their own individual enrichment. but there is the improve ment of the masses through the ac- conplishmenr of mighty thinkers and doers. who stand upon the art of printing, and there get leverage for their deeds. ts-.
 The steam engine, the railroad, the
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
MEET
 TODAY AND WILL
 CHANGE CATECHISM

During the month beginning today nearly all of the denominations hold ing to the Presbyterian system will hold national conventions. The Pres byterian Church in the United States of America, commonly called the Northern Church, begins it's general assembly today in Louisville. while the organization legally known as the Presbyterian Church in the United States, but usually called the South ern Church. also cOnvenes it's annual convention today. The Northern the Southern g membership of 2sS,1 The United Presbyterian Church of North America, the governing body in both the United States and Canada, is holding its missionary meeting to- day in Spokane, Wash, preliminary to the general assembly in Seattle next week. This body has 172, ,6S2 com municants. The general synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church is in session today in Cincinnati, and rep resents 4,000 members. The synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, with 9,336 conmuni- cants. convenes the latter part of this month at Morning Sun. Ia. The Presbyterian Church in Canada, whic;a has 2S7, ,944 communicants, will con- vene it's general assembly at Edmon- ton, Alberta, on the fifth of June. The Presbyterian Church of Mexico will hold its meeting in July. The Dutch Reformed Church in America, which has sa a membership of 117,28S, will open it's general synod in Grand
 Rapids on June 6. The Reformed (German) Church and the Welsh Presbyterian Church will not hold con yentions this year. The Alliance of Reformed Churches represents nine Presbyterian and Reformed churches in the United States. with a total
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
CALIFORNIA; PRIMARY

much more representative is such a choice than choice made by a few delegates in a convention.
 The just enfranchised women came out in large numbers, and. relative to their registration were as we'll rep resented as the men. All reports unite in showing that they voted ex- peditiously and intelligently. Some of them served as election officers, notably Mrs Mary E. Ringrove, a noted suffragist leader, who worked on the election board in San Francisco during the recent bond election, and protested against smoking in the booths, which indicates that women may make voting and counting votes a pleasanter task some day than 1t is now.
 The result in California may not improbably be conclusive in prevent ing the nomination of Taft. His re- pudiation by the voters of his party in this great Republican state is well nigh complete.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16

With these facts in mind it will be easy to appreciate the patriotic efforts of those public spirited and intelli- gent women who have started a sub- scription list to raise $20O,000 for the construction of great auditorium, 70 be fire proof, of pleasing architectu- ral appearance, large seating capac- ity, excellent ventilation and fine acoustics. .
 Not only have these ladies opened a subscription list, but they have headed it with their own names. draw ing from their own purses liberal do- nations.
 Their efforts should be assisted in every way. Financial aid should be generously given, and their mission successfully concluded at the earliest possible date..
 An auditorium such as they propose to build will be of incalculable ad- vantage to the social and mental life of Bridgeport, and of material advan- tage also, because of the inducement that will be offered to conventions and associations to assemble here for their deliberations.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16

The primary in California gave no uncertain result. Roosevelt is chos- en over Taft and Clark over wilson, by large pluralities. The repudia- ton of Taft is more complete than Rooseyelt's vote shows, for thousands of ballots were cast for Senator La- Toilette, which were even more dis tinctly in opposition to the stand pat ism of the president.
 California has 26 delegates to the Republican convention. They are instructed by the vote at large. The successful candidate gets them all. The vote was light when measured by the total registration, but extraordin- arily heavy when measured by the primary vote under the old conven- ton system.
 In the primaries it will probably ap- pear that s0O,OOO votes were cast. which is more than were ever thrown before, within the limits of a single state, to make a nomination.
 It needs no argument to show how
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
THE FARMER: MAY 16. 1912

trolley line, the telephone, the tele- graph, the automobile and the air ship all spring from the printing press.
 In Plato's day the world was a mul- titude of isolated communities, each segregated from the other, and inca pablo of common thought among them.
 But printing and books, with the things of which printing is the pa rent, have made the world an organ ism able to think as a unit, only a little less rapidly than the individual thinks.
 Almost before his words in dispar- agement of books left the lips of May or Gaynor they were hurled, as 9 Hertzian wave, to the ears of millions, and in each of millions of brains prc- duced thought of some kind. Gen orally, we, believe, the thought that Mayor Gaynor spoke without due heed to his subject.
 As books multiply thought multi plies. As thought multiplies, action multiplies. Action is merely embod- jed thought, and books are thoughts best pabulum.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
FIRST THINGS

The United States Bureau of Mines was established by an act of Congress approved two years ago today. It's gent investigation of the methods of mining, especially in relation to the best adapted to prevent accidents, ' and much has already been accom- plished by the bureau in this direc- ton.
 The first anarchist uprising in Amer ica was suppressed on this date In 1771, when the Regulators of North Carolina, 1,5OO in number, were de- feated in pitched battle with a thou sand militia. The Regulators, com plaining of oppression and persecution. rose in arms for the purpose of ''abol- ishing all courts and government" and establishing. what present day anar- chists would call a free society Three hundred of the Regulators were killed in the battle and six of their leaders were later hanged.
 Norman J. Coleman, the first Amer ican Secretary of Agriculture to be a member of the Presidents cabinet, was born eighty-five years ago to- day
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
Eastern Enginemen's
 Wage Controversy
Reprinted from the Railway Age
 Gazette" of May & 1912l

Reprinted from the Railway Age
 Gazette" of May 8. 191.2)
 The eastern roads and their engine men having agreed to arbitrate their differences, the only step preliminary to arbitration that remains to be ta- ken is the selection of the personnel of the board. A review of certain de- velopments in this controversy is now timely. The eastern railways not long ago sought leave from the Interstate Commerce Commission to advance thefr freight rates. Their chief argu- ment was that their operating expen- ses had increased and still were in creasing, mainly owing to increases made and being made in wages. The commission replied in part that before 1t could permit rates to be advanced on account of increases in operating expenses, including wages, the roads must establish to it's satisfaction that these increases in operating expenses, including wages, were reasonable. Nat urally, when the question of another raise in wages was presented to the eastern railway arrangements, they de- sired to have the question of it's req soma ableness determined by the same body which had said that it would de- termine the reasonableness of changes in their rates largely according to it's findings as to the reasonableness of their wages.
 But the law does not deal with tine
 wages of interstate railway employees
 as it does with the rates Of interstate railways, out of which those same wa
 ges must be paid. It creates com
 mission and says the roads must sub-
 init their. rates to arbitration by this
 commission. It does not designate ar
 bitrators to whom employees must submit questions of wages; it does not require them to submit these questions to arbitration at all. And when the eastern railways proposed that the en- gineers' wage question be arbltrated by the same body that determined the rates railways may charge, the engin- eers declined the proposition. This could mean only one of two things. viz, that either CD the employees did not consider the body the government had created to wisely and impart1ally determine what rates the railways might charge as wise enough and inn partial enough to determine fairly what wages the employees ought to receive, or @, the employees did not want to submit their case to a body that was wise enough and impartial enough to determine fairly the wages
 they ought to be paid: On the for. mer theory, the employees did not think the commission would give them a square deal; and on the latter the ory they did not want square deal. They are welcome to impale them
 selves on either horn of this dilemma they please. We fancy the truth is that their attitude was like that of the
 Irishman to whom the judge before whom he was arraigned said: "Don' worry, Pat. I'll see that you get jus tice." To which Pat replied, Faith, your honor. that's just what I don't want
 The action of the commission in de- clining to serve in voluntary arbi-
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
GETS sos, ,OOO FOR KIND ACT Lawyer Marlow, Who Gave Pullman
 Berth to Now Haven Woman, Receives Legacy

New Haven, May 16-Ernest W. Marlow, the New York lawyer. by giving up his sleeping car berth to an elderly woman, thus saving her from being compelled to pass the night in a common passenger coach, inner it's for his kindness 9 legacy of ex- actly s9S,i00.72.
 It was Mrs. Helen Amelia Marsh of this, city whom MT. Marlowa made comfortable and who, in turn made him her heir when she died, a. year ago. Yesterday the Probate Court here ordered the sum named turned over to him.
 The meeting of Mrs. Marsh and MT Marlow took place several years ago on a train running from New YorA City to the South, Mrs. Marsh had expected to find sleeping car accom- modations, but the train was crowded and not a berth could be found for her.
 Young MT. Marlow, who occupied a seat near her, placed his berth at hel disposal and now reaps his reward. ,
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16

want what they want when they want it." that they are not willing to submit the question whether what they want is what they ought to want to the same body that determines wheth- CT the railways are entitled to have what they want; and that, therefore, the time has come for the national government to take steps to insure entitled to have. For the public in- terest is very directly and deeply con- cerned. The wages paid by the rail- ways of the United States constitute almost 63 per cent. of their operating expenses. On what wages they pay very largely depends what rates they must receive. And the public oavs the rates. Since, in the long run, the public has to pay the piper, it has right to call the tune. And for it's own protection it must, and in due time will, assert, and exercise that right
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
WILL INVESTIGATE
 MElLEN RAILROADS
VEN AND BOSTON & MAINE WILL BE PROBED.
COMMERCE BOARD TO ACT
Inquiry Into Rates and Methods By + Federal Commission May Cover
 Months.

Washington, May 16-A comprehen- slVe inquiry into rates, methods and practices of New England railroads will be conducted shortly by the inter state commerce commission. This will be in compliance with an order which the commisson has just is- sued. It is the understanding here that the inquiry will be extensive and will cover a wide range of topics.
 While the formal order mentions rates as one of the topics of in- quiry, it is understood that this will the. commission is to investigate the methods and practices in the opera tions of the New York, New Haven & Hartford and Boston 6 Maine sys- tems
 The details have not been disclosed plates an investigation by one or more members of the commission sitting in New England.
 The sessions begin before very long and probably will extend over several weeks or probably several months. It given by the railroads will be care fully scrutinized. Nothing seems to be obtainable here regarding the ori- gin of this investigation. Word Is simply given that the commissioners themselves have long been familiar England. It is well known that Com- missioners Prouty, Franklin K. Lane, c. c. McChord and others have from time to time conducted various rail- road inquiries in that section.
 The demurrage cases which have been the subject Of exhaustive study in New England are said to have no connection with the proposed inves- tigation.
 The interstate commerce law as amended two years ago gives the commission authority to institute in- quiries of it's own accord. The ac- tion taken in connection with the New Haven and Boston & Maine roads is a bit out of the ordinary, although not altogether exceptionabIe.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16

tration proceeding, when one of the parties had indicated it's services would not be acceptable cannot be criticised. The whole situation dem onstrates more clearly than any other that ever has developed the need for the adoption of some scheme of ar bitratiOn which will be, in effect, if not in a. technical legal sense, com pulsory, and which will lead to fair, thorough-going and scientific investi- gations and determinations of wage controversies between railways and their employees. An agreement has now been reached to submit the con- troversy to arbitration by a board composed of one representative of the englnemen, one representative of the railways and five other persons to be chosen by these two or by the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, the chief justice of the Com merce Court and the labor commis- sloner of the United States. acting to- gether. The railways indisposition to submit the matter to a board organiz- ed under the Erdman act and com posed of one representative chosen by the employees, one by the roads and one by these two or by the ex-off1cio mediators under the Erdman act, Messrs. Knapp and Neill, is not sur prlslng. The railways have had ex- perience with arbitrations under the Erdman act, and know they almost invariably result in compromises in Volv1ng advances in wages and based on no principle whatever. A settle ment of the question by such a board as that provided for in the agree ment between the railways and the enginemen will be much preferable to a makeshift arbitration under the Erd- man act. But there will be other similar controversies, and there ought to be some means for settling them all according to fair and consistent tied according to consistent princi- ples, there Is need for permanent
 board of arbitration. That they may be settled justly, there is need that this board shall be created by aid represent the public through the na- tional government, and that it's find ings shall be binding on the Interstate Commerce Commission in rate cases. The workmen's compensation bill pre- pared by the federal commission on Employers Liability and Workmen's Compensation, which is now before Congress, provides that payments made by the railways under it's re- Quirements shall be accepted by the Interstate Commerce Commission in determining the reasonableness of rates, as reasonable operating expen- ses. Wage settlements should like wise be made by federal court of ar- bitration whose findings should be sim ilarly binding on the Interstate Com merce Commission.
 The head of the Brotherhood of Lo- comotive Engineers announced some time ago that the enginemen intended, if they did not get the increases they demand. "to teach the public les son." The implication of this most fndiscreet remark was that by tying up the transportation system of the east the enginemen would starve the railways and the public into subnis- sion. If the public is not more stu pid than we think-that remark of Mr. Stones and the subsequent develop ments have already taught it a lesson. That lesson is that the labor leaders. like a certain comic opera character,
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
WOMAN AND THE BALLOT

It has been tearfully contended, with deep signs. and much inward grooming and lamentation, that if un- iversal suffrage was enacted, poor long-suffering women would be herd ed like patient sheep, forced to leave their screaming children, and be of fered as living sacrifices upon the al- tar of the ballot box.
 The antis have painted most lu- gubrious and melancholy picture of a deserted hearth; hubby driven to drink to drown his sorrows and crown of sorrows-desertion.
 The factory slave. whom the anti suffragist blithsomely permits to toll amid the screaming, whirring machin- cry a day-full of weary hours. the bent and withered washerwoman whose labor is requited after the fnunificent manner of our civilization, and their sisters of the loom, spindle, shop, and inadequate home are entire Iy too delicate to be dragged to the polls and forced to undergo the nerve-racking, muscle-paralyzing task of marking a cross upon great bal .ot:
 They'll take good care that wom- ans labor is frightened.
 None of these arduous efforts, such as being required to carry home equal pay for doing a mans work, or stag ger along under the burden of mar ket basket filled to repletion, because her vote knocked the tariff and trust
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16

props from under the false and in fated values of food and clothes pro- ducts.
 Heaven forbid that they should so far forget what was due to custom, that "custom doth make towards of us all."
 In this connection are three little epigrams from a brilliant woman lec- turer-Gertrude Breslau Hunt She said, in commenting upon certain ar guments which were advanced against suffrage:
 "Remember that your brain is no more developed by the thoughts your husband thinks than your body is nourished by the food your husband eats."
 1T would rather be woman with out vote and yet know HOW to vote, than to be man who HAS vote and hasn't sense enough to use it.''
 eff woman with property needs the ballot, woman who has nothing but her labor power, needs two bal lots"
 Isn't this logical and self-evident?
 You ladies who don't want and don't need the ballot, all hail! Con- gratulations. and many happy returns of the day! But please don't stand in the way of those who may not be so fortunately situated. Permit wo- men with votes to help remove the plaster cast from the brains of stu pidly-sodden humanity.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
RATES, WAGES AND MERGERS

es ARE a substantial element in rail- road rates, and the public DOES pay the rates.
 Nevertheless we believe that the public would never rebel at an in- crease in railroad rates made solely to raise wages, and in no greater de- gree than necessary to meet the wage increase.
 The trouble with the railroads is
 not the wages they pay, to enginemen. It is the dividends and interest they
 pay on securities they never should
 have. issued.
 The point is we'll illustrated in ev-
 cry financial statement made by the
 New Haven company.
 Which paid in wages and salaries
 in 1911, s25.2eo. 900.
 And in Interest and Dividends, $22.-
 S57.OO0. n
 The public is more interested in the
 second of those items than in the first.
 The public is willing to pay good wa ges to the s3,000 employees of the New Haven system. including the of ficers. from the president down. They
 render service.
 But the public is much less willing
 to pay millions to stockholders and
 bond holders by way of profits uEon, inflated securities.
 II.
 ue for its money. In the other case
 the public gets for it's money merely a lie about railroad capitalization, with an undermanned road. unnecessary wrecks and much inconvenience. So long as railroads are privately operated there must be a fair return upon the honest money honestly and actually invested in the railroad bus mess. The public Goes not begrudge payment of profits upon such capital ization. It does begrudge payment upon falsehood, imitation and. water. Now in the report which the New Haven railroad makes to the Railroad Commissioners, it is not asserted that the interest and dividend payments are upon securities represented by physical property of the railroad. The report tells how these securf- ties came into being, securities. which draw almost as much for their ser vices as all the men on the New Ha- ven system, from MT. Mellen to the last section hand. The report says: The whole capital stock (of the New Haven Railroad) results from the merger on May 31, 1907, of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Company with the Con- solidated Railway Company THAT MERGER DRAWS NEARLY AS MUCH PAY. AS ALL THE OFFI- GERS AND ALL THE MEN Ed. PLOYED ON TEE ROAD. The merger and the capitalization growing therefrom is pretty com
 mon thing in these United States. If the railroads now feel impelled eo take part of the usufruct of their mergers to make life little easier for their. workers they may do it m
 the reasonable certainty that the pub- | lie will not complain.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
THOUGHT MAKES ACTION

before the event. He had the natur- al dread of the educated conservative picture in his mind of universal pub- lie education. did not even forsee the art of printing and had no vision that the youth of the races would be taught to think through all their ear- ly years by virtue of Guttenberg's art and the printing of books.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-16
BOOKS MAKE THOUGHT

Plato feared much reading would stop mankind from thinking. Mayor Gsynor quoted Plato, the other even- ing at a dinner of booksellers, and ex- pressed views not dissimiliar to Pla- to's own. ''The great multiplication of books" Mayor Gaynor said, 'has caused many people to read. but has it caused them to think !"
 - . excuse for Plato. He was