Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-09

die rifle as skillfully as they do q
pool cue, there'd be no need for an
army reserve.
La Crosse Tribune: A good baseball
pitcher gets more of salary than is
awarded the secretary of state. But,
then, there isn't much of a chance for
pitcher to take up the chautauqua
as side-line.
Springfield, ILL.,, Register: Taken
all around" says Harvard professor,
"the average American is manner
less" This will be news to "the av-
erage American and he doubtless will
deny the truth of the statement.
Burlington Hawk-Eye: In a period
wheL farmers, manufacturers, railway
men, merchants and the various pro-
LESSONS have schools of instruc-
ton it is not SO unreasonable, after
all there should be schools for legis-
lators, instructing senators and repre-.
sentatives in parliamentary law and
the drafting of bills that will stand
scrutiny in the courts.
Davenport Times: If the admins
tration wishes to put the flag back on
an enlarged merchant marine it might
consistently change some Of the navi-
cation laws and new feet would
spring up as if by magic. So long as
it costs much more to operate Ameri-
can than foreign ships so long will
American ships be handicapped, ex-
cept, possibly, during the war.
Clinton Herald: Three st. Louis
men wanted to get rich faster than
they could by earning honest money
and saving part of It, So they organ
lied a chain OF stores, bought goods
for one of them, transferred the mer-
chandise to another in the chain, and
let the first store go into bankruptcy.
The scheme worked splendidly
They got rich. They also got into the
penitentiary.
Burlington Gazette: Citizens OF
Menlo, want the state to put price
on the heads of rats. They have
memoralized the legislature to pass a
bill providing for bounty on the rod
ents and thus open way for boys. old
men and cripples to make some easy
money. There is little question but
what If the determination OF rats was
made financially attractive there
would be q general cleaning out OF the
rodents in this state. Whether the
treasury could stand the strain is an
other matter, but it would be worth
much money to have the pests ex-
cllded.
Burlington Hawk-Eye: The provis-
ion in bill now before the Iowa leg1s-
lature that prohibits boy under four
teen from work as a news vender or
boot black is a bad one. The compul-
sorry education law provides for his
proper schooling and no reasonable
person can find any objection what
soever in his employment out Of school
hours as either bootblack or newsboy.
Either Job Is most respectable labor,
and it il safe to say that the youth
employed in such capacity is at least
as safeguarded from temptation as IS
his more idle companions. Satan and
idle hands continue to be the same
harmful combination as in days OF old.
New York Times: There must be
limits to the democratic appetite for
spoils. II there are. they should be
placed somewhere around the soldiers
homes. To remove General John T.
Richards, superintedent of the sold
iers' home at Togus, Me-, and Colonel
Barger, superintendent of the soldiers
home at Danville, ILL.,, so az to make
places for democratic party workers
is an example of the spoils system at
Its worst-one which might even give
pause to Mr.. Bryan and incite the pres
ident to an interest in some of the
things that are done under cover OF
his name.
General Richards and Colonel Bar
ger are both old soldiers with fine
records; they have been efficient and
skillful in the positions they hold, and
they have the attachment and warm
regard OF the veterans In whose In
terest they labor. There is no OK
cuse for this raid on the soldiers
homes except that the democratic
army is hungry and thirsty, that the
civil service law prevents general
onslaught on the positions under the
government, and that the spoilsmen
who seem to have the administrations
ear are desperate.
Mr.. Wilson surely must know the
character Of the assault that Is being
made upon the merit system. At what
times does he intend to assert himself
and nut an end to 1t?