davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

notable In practically nearly every one
Of the European states which entered
the present struggle. This is not, how
ever, a phenomenon which Is peculiar
to war as such, but is to be noted at
almost any moment OF emergency. 1t
has taken time to bring the United
States to the point where party lines
thus tend to fade. and many would not
believe that such a situation had been
arrived at today. Nevertheless there
is growing number Of indications that
such is the case"
There is no doubt that republican
leaders are at sea as to issues upon
which to make the semblance of fight
against President Wilson in the ap-
preaching campaign, and the reason
for this is that the rank and file Of the
party cannot see how the country can
better itself by antagonizing the for
eign and domestic policies adopted by
President Wilson. While these leaders
know that they will be able to rally
many voters around the name "repub-
lican" they see that this slogan" will
not win success. Politics with these
leaders is fiat places" for themselves
and their coterie of followers. But
not so with the great bulk of the yot-
ers. They want good government,
careful administration of law, honesty
in public officials, industrial, agricul-
tural and commercial prosperity, pa
triotism and honor in maintaining
peace and sensible preparation for de-
tense against invasion, all of which
they are obtaining under President
Wilson. They see only breakers ahead
if the propaganda of Roosevelt is
adopted, and Roosevelt or any one sat
isfactory to him is nominated as their
party candidate at Chicago which re-
suit seems at present most likely to
happen. The critical condition Of the
times the emergencies that present
themselves as probable and the princi-
pie of Safety First all combine to
all parties that President Wilson
should be reelected. in order to keep
the ship Of state sailing on peacefully
and successfully
Most republicans will agree. we be-
lieve, with this newspaper that no rea-
son worth considering exists why pres
ent safety and prosperity should be
risked simply for the sake of giving q
few personally ambitious republicans
chance to turn things "topsy-turvy'
and jeopardize all the national benefits
that have proceeded from the wise pol
icies which have marked the admins
tration Of President Wilson. All fac
tional party lines are fading and merg
ing in the purpose of the people to re-
elect the wise and faithful and coura
geous man who is steering the ship o.
state through the stormy seas thai
have wrought disaster and debt ant
death to nearly all the other great ma
lions of the world. Safety First" ha!
taken the place of Party First" will
reasonable people of all parties all ovel
the land
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
Guntersville (Ala.) Democrat.

Guntersville (Ala.) Democrat.
In recent speech in congress Hon.
Clyde H. Tavenner of Illinois, took the
position that state of peace is con-
ducive to the welfare and happiness of
a hundred million American people,
while condition of war is immensely
profitable to the few manufacturers OF
war munitions and supplies, but that
the few with their great wealth, exer-
else more power in shaping the policy
of the government than the millions
of voters exercise with their ballots
If this be true, the money barons can
bring on war when the conditions of
war demand it. The remedy for this
menace is for the government to man
ufacture it's own munitions.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
FADING OF PARTY LINES.

The New York Journal OF Commerce,
an independent newspaper. but with
republican leanings in politics. sees
like most Independent newspapers that
the administration of President VIII
son. by It's policies, is conducting the
affairs of the national In a manner sat
isfactory to independent thinkers in the
republican party and that party lines
so far at least as that party is con-
cerned, are fading. The democrats are
practically united on President Wilson,
not on party lines SO much, perhaps as
because his policies have had a ten
dency to allay friction and disorganiz-
ing disputes.
Under the editorial heading Party
Lines Are Fading" the Journal OF
Commerce says:
"One of the striking political tenden-
cies in the United States today is the
fading Of purely party lines. Such a
development is almost universally OBJ
servable In countries at war and was
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
THE RANGE OF PRESS COMMENT

(Northern Farmer, Bismarck, N. d.
We suspect that much of this pre-
paredness" talk emanates from inter
ests which expect to reap a large
profit from huge military orders from
the government. In this regard the ac-
tivities of the so-called Navy league
are worthy of scrutiny. The recent
letter of Congressman Tavenner of Hi
nois to the president of the Navy league
in which Tavenner suggests that the
business Of manufacturing munitions
of war be taken over by the govern
ment, is Illuminating and instructive.
1t lights up the why and wherefore of
much of this preparedness" talk.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

public to the impositions that certain
members Of parliament make upon the
minister's time. 1t has developed de-
cided current of opinion in favor Of
measures to put stop to it. One prop
osition favored by the adjournment Of
of the session by the president under
the powers conferred upon him by the
constitution of 1875. On the other
hand, the socialists and republican So
cialists have proposed the nomination
of a permanent commission Of II
of the front and any military estab-
lishment or quarters behind the 'front.'
London.-(Correspondence OF The
Associated Press. 1.-THE Derbyites
are excellent material for soldiers
was the verdict of a prominent gen.
eral after an inspection of large body
of the recruits, who recently Joined
the army under the group system
named after Lord Derby.
The Associated Press correspondent
spoke to many of the men, the ma
jority of whom showed keen interestm
their training and willingly suffered
the Inconvenience of their new pro-
fession.
The groups first called up were stu
going through their period OF setting
up drill and the men were stiff ana
sore from the almost continuous Sweo-
ish exercises and route marches, whiea
they started daily before breakfast anu
carry on until dusk. II could be seen,
however, that even the short spell ..
strict military discipline and physical
training had made a wonderful ah-
ference in the bearing of the men moss
of whom had previously led sedentafy
lives in city offices and factories au'
seemed visibly to fill out under the u.
fiuence of the open air and constahs
movement.
Virtually every district OF the unitee
King was represented among inc
cruits and the various races-"eisl'
Irish. Scottish and English-were eas-
lily distinguishable.
The course of q soldiers premium
airy training, which In peace times =
spread over about twelve months !,
now condensed into four months ana
at the expiration of that period an y.
fantryman is regarded as fit TO laas
the field.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
BETTER JUDGMENT USED,

The Wall Street Journal and the
New York World have been indulging
in editorial controversy over Ambas-
sador Won Bernstorff, after this fash
ion:
IF Count Won Bernstorff had been
given his passports on the sinking Of
the Lusitania, this country need never
have fired a shot The Wall Street
Journal
1.-THE country has not had to fire .
shot as it is. What does our esteem
ed Wall street friend think it is trying
to say?"-The World.
What the Wall Street Journal
meant, end what the World knows
the Wall Street Journal meant, is that
If Count Won Bernstorff had been hand
ed his passports, the United States
would have gained it's point without
battle. True, the country has not had
to fire a shot as 1t is but the country
has not gained it's point either" Wall
Street Journal.
1t looks as though the Wall Street
Journal has not yet lucidly answered
the Worlds pertinent query, but has
merely attempted to evade by quib-
bling.
1t is true that the United States has
not yet gained it's whole point in the
Lusitania controversy, but it is diff
cult to see just what the Journal
thinks we would have achieved by
handing Won Bernstorff his passports.
AS well might we have handed his
passports to Sir Cecil Spring Rice
when England began its illegal block
ade Of neutral ports and interference
with neutral commerce. 1t is proba-
| BILE that in neither case would we have
accomplished anything, and in both
cases we would effectually and GER
tainly have put an end to the possibil-
| ity of securing full recognition of our
| contentious for international law
| The Wall Street Journal is unable
to understand that the conflict across
the water is not our quarrel. What
unpleasant contact we have had with
! Germany has been incidental as we'll
as accidental. Germany has proved
itself not unwilling to observe inter-
national law when it is firmly upheld
by neutrals and England, when the
time comes, will be forced to the same
recognition by the action of its adver-
sary and the stand Of neutrals
| Had the United States done as the
Journal suggests, broken off diplomat
ic relations with Germany, that gov
eminent would have been in a position
Immediately to have embarked upon
such a career of terrorism on the seas
as the world has never known. Ger
many, having nothing to lose and
much to gain, by such a policy would
have felt free to torpedo ships with
out warning wherever its submarines
| found them. Instead, the United States
having displayed a disposition to re-
tain friendship with Germany, that
country has placed a value on our
friendship which has persuaded 1t to
grant concessions more valuable to
neutral commerce than all our dis
pleasure or the force Of our army and
navy could have wrung from its .un-
willingness.
|
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
FALIHTAI
William Drady,M.D.
The Goose Step.

Our favorite prescription for auto
intoxication, biliousness, simple ane-
mia, that tired feeling, lack of ambi-
ton, incipient obesity and cold hands
and feet-all in one person-is two
miles of oxygen every day, or in other
words, walking to and from work.
individuals engaged in sedentary &C.
equations indoors are particularly sub
ject to the group of symptoms men
toned, and nine times out of ten these
semi-invalds don't like to walk and
don't know how to walk. They really
imagine mile is a long, long way to
walk, especially when the weather is a
little too cold, too warm, too wet or
too dry.
If your work is just around the cor
ner it is somewhat difficult to cover the
miles going and coming. But here is
one way to do it without wasting time
running around in circles. Try the
goose step.
Everybody knows what the goose
step is from the pictures. 1t is man
ner Of walking with exaggerated ex-
tension Of the legs. Instead of allow
ing the leg to swing forward passively
and fexed, as in ordinary walking, you
throw 1t forward with the knee stiff
fened, SO that you really step much
higher In the air than necessary.
About 10 goose steps will set your
heart a-thumping and make you puff a
tri1e, 1t is go hard. Twenty goose
steps will make you pretty tired. Thir-
ty will just about be enough for the
first offense. Try 1t some evening
when nobody is watching Just to see
how it goes.
The goose step Is an antidote for
high stomachs." 1t calls upon the
rectus muscles of the abdomen-in fact
it calls upon lot Of muscles you have
hardly known were yours, as you will
find the day after your first experience.
Ladies' skirts, just now, fortunately,
are no bar to this exercise. They may
join the parade at any time after dark
In the more thickly populated sections.
Mems neither garments, however,
have tendency to impede the free
and untrammeled activity of the limbs
these days. Therefore we advise any
OF the more snugly dressed men-if
any OF that sort ever reads this column
to 90 gently with the exercise until
he is quite sure OF himself.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
The Daily Story
By Alan Hinsdale.

able. II any one was, to assume r..
leadership and were not anxious u !.
shot down in defense Of property 4.
longing to others. Deering was a Al.
cate little fellow, and no one thon.a.
of him In the matter Of defense fhor.s
he had Endorsed Henderson's note. =.
the machinery, and if it passed ;n,.
other hands he would be the IosAr
But In that delicate body were 49,.
courage and resource. and these IN =.
to make up a natural Leadership a.
told Henderson that he was po,,1 !.
make defense. Henderson ref,s.s
to consent to defense under The A.
cumstances, but he would not d...r.
the others. Deering offered the men .
goodly reward IL they would put then
selves under his command and ou.l,n.a
bis plan Of defense to them. Ths,
agreed to stand by him.
Deering ordered them to throw n,
the earth in circle surrounding u.
boiler that produced the power for n.
drilling. They made an embankmen,
FIVE feet high in a circle about tveut,
feet In diameter. This having been A.
complished, what wood and iron y.
tieles as were at hand were pslsd An
the parapet In such fashion as to forn
apertures here and there In lieu Of Ion.
holes. This was all the preparat,o,
that was made for defense, and whsa
it was completed the boring rscsn.
menced.
The next day half dozen men vw
seen approaching the well. Some a.
them had guns, while ithe others ven
armed with revolver Deering tad
Henderson and the men that sinn
there was only one weapon for a
tense and he could handle that hin
self, they were at liberty to retreat Il
they liked. They chose to remain, A.
serting that it might be necessary FOR
one or more Of them to take his place
When the approaching party saw ths
earthworks they stopped for confer.
ence, then advanced again, and one Of
them called out a demand for a SUI.
render. Deering replied that he was
hard Of hearing and asked them to
come nearer. At this every man lower.
ed his rife from his shoulder or drew
his revolver, and they advanced In
body. When they had reached a point
to suit Deering he directed man at
the steam cock to turn on steam, Deer
ing holding the nozzle of a hose con.
nected with the boiler. A Jet Of steam
struck the foremost man in the face.
A panic followed. Several shots wers
fired. Deering could have parboiled
every man Of them, but refrained from
doing so, pointing the steam jet aside.
The man he had hit was in a terrible
condition, and the others took him 10
and carried him of.
That was the end of the claim jump
ing. Margaret Henderson a few days
later procured the signature she had
been sent for. oil was struck In large
quantities. and all were made rich.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

1t is hard to tell just how a man
will act when called upon to display
nerve and resource. Sometimes one
who has been accustomed 10 rough
life, under such circumstances, will
fail, while another viii succeed.
Henderson had been a hardworking
man all his life, most OF the time on
the frontier, where IL any one trait Is
developed it Is courage. When Hen
derson was fifty he found himself In
possession OF some wild land that was
not worth a dollar an acre, and his
title to that was imperfect for the
want Of certain name on the deed.
One day somebody struck oil in the
neighborhood Of Henderson's property.
About that time Ernest Deering, a
Young recent graduate Of a mining
school. came along on his way to In
vestigate some property for parties In
the east. He stayed overnight at
Henderson's house and was about to
proceed in the morning when Hender-
son told him of his oil land. Deering
had inherited some money year be
fore, and Henderson offered him half
interest in his land II he would fur
nish a boring outfit with which to dig
for oil. Deering concluded to invest in
the enterprise, provided Henderson
would get the missing signature to his
title.
Henderson sent his daughter Marga.
ret off to hunt for the party and secure
the signature. peering attended to the
work he had come west to do and re-
turned to Henderson's. Margaret
wrote that she was on the track of
the party and expected surely to sue
coed In perfecting the title to the land.
Meanwhile Henderson had ordered the
boring outfit On credit.
One day a man rode up to where the
work was going on and claimed the
property, producing an old deed that
had been superseded by the one Hen
derson held. Henderson ordered him
off the premises. He went away,
threatening to return with a force suf-
fciently strong to drive away what he
called the Jumpers of his property. q
The force engaged was Henderson,
Deering and three hired men. They
were absolutely without arms, and If
attacked the person who proposed to
dispossess them would be well pro-
vided with weapons. And there was
no doubt that the attempt would be
made. The ownership to the property
depended on Margaret Henderson Sc
curing the missing signature. Mean
while everything depended upon hold
ing the well and especially the machin-
cry used in boring it.
Owing to the lack of arms Hender-
son saw no possibility Of holding the
property. He told Deering that if the
jumpers came down on them in suffi-
cient force and well armed he saw no
way but for them to surrender. The
hired men looked upon Henderson as
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
Sidelights on the European War

Neutrality-suspicious. of The AS
sociated Press)-General Gallieni's
great vigor and energy are being put
to a severe strain in the war office. He
begins work at 5 o'clock in the morn
ing and keeps at it all day notwith-
standing his 81 years, but, with all
his application, he finds the days work
is never finished when night comes.
To say nothing of the responsible
ity of conducting the French military
operations, he has to receive frequent
visits from a considerable number OF
the 600 deputies and 800 senator's; he
has to attend meetings of the cabinet,
participating in the deliberations OF
the French war council and OF the al
lies combined war councils; he is
summoned before the war committee OF
the chamber and war committee OF the
senate two or three times week to
give information regarding the prog
ress of the war, and has to attend SEES
sions of the chamber and senate on
every occasion when military ques-
tions are discussed, and frequently tc
reply to one or two interpretations by
members.
All that would be insufficient to ex,
haust Gallieni's energy, but he has in
addition to reply either from the
speakers stand in the chamber OF
through the Journal Officiel to al
sorts of questions posed in writing by
the members of parliament. These
questions occupy upwards from doz'
en- pages upwards every day, covering
the widest imaginable range of sub
jects The minister of war, Of course
does not personally conduct that cor
respondence, but since the reply en-
cages his responsibility as minister, HI
must in each case know that the in
formation is exact.
you force me to follow profession
that is not mine" General Gallien
said in a recent debate from the speak
er's stand of the chamber in a mo
ment of pathetic despair. The profes
sion to which he referred was that o
debater and of general intelligence,
agent for the benefit of the deputies
On a single day the minister Of wal
was Intercepted 119 times. The fol
lowing specimens give an idea of til,
range of questions:
How many buildings We're requisi
toned for usa as hospitals before Oct
/. 1915; how many have been requi
sitioned since Oct. l, 1916; how many
hotels were there among them
why are the daily reports of Off
GERS in charge of hospitals sometime,
signed by head nurses?"
III such and such a paragraph o
such and such section of such anC
such d chapter of such and such Law
war applied in such and such case
if so; why? II not. why not?'
IF it Is true that In certain capital,
the patients OF the same ward are al
lowed 10 take the air only twice
week and in squads of only six at {
time, and why?"
why in some sections of the army
do men sleep with their clothes on?'
Such cases have done more thar
anything TO call the attention of tn,
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

The Iowa city which last year in
augurated a pay up week" has again
observed the custom, with satisfac-
ton to creditors. A pay up week"
is obviously a commendable extension
of the cleanup week" and "go-to-
church Sunday movements. But
skeptics may wonder, such is human
nature, whether its general observ-
ance will tend to increase the length
of time bills are allowed to run.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

The Teutonic Sons of America in
Chicago lately passed some torrid res
olutions to the effect that they would
never, never vote for Wilson, Root or
Roosevelt for president of the United
States 1t begins to look as though
there might be lot of stay at-homes
next November, or a heavy increase
In the socialist vote.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

President Wilson's changing tone"
is ascribed by the London Times to
.'the bracing influence of responsible
contact with facts" He himself has
aseribed his education to contact with
liars, but no doubt the existence of
liars is fact
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01
Tolstoy's Attacks On Militarism.

In his great novel, War and
Peace" Tolstoy has one of the char
acters say the following:
What is war? What is wanted to
be successful in military work? What
are the customs of military society?
The instruments Of war are espion-
age, treason, and all that encourages
them, running the inhabitants, pillage
and theft to feed the armies. deceit
and lying-all termed military ruses.
The manners Of the military class are:
discipline, that is to say, the absence
of liberty; idleness, ignorance, cruelty.
debauchery, drunkenness; and in spite
of this it is considered superior class,
respected by all. All emperors. except
the emperor Of China, wear military
uniform, and he who has managed to
kill the greatest number of men re-
ceives the highest rewards. In the
same way, tomorrow they will rush
past, jostle one another, in their at
tempt to kill others; tens OF thou
sands of men will be killed, wounded,
and after that mass will be celebrated
to render thanks for so many having
been killed, and in addition they will
exaggerate the number, and victory
will be proclaimed in the belief that
the more killed, the greater the merit.
How can God above view and listen
to 1t all?' exclaimed Prince Andrew
in a threatening tone, gnashing his
teeth
In letter written during the Boer
war. Tolstoy said:
ITO keep the majority Of men in
submission, the minority in power
employs the military caste.
Every government needs the army,
first of all to keep its own subjects
in submission, and secondly, to safe
guard the exploitation Of their labor
but there is not only one government
there are many Of them which all rule
by violence and are ever ready to fitch
their neighbours wealth created by sub
jects already reduced to slavery. That
is why every government needs an
army not only to keep in power at
| home, but also to defend its booty
against greedy neighbors. The states
are forced to compete in increasing
their arms. The example set is con.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

Henry James, the novelist, born in
America, but who later became an
English subject, is dead. Among his
numerous books was one entitled
What Maize Knew" Perhaps if its
pages are consulted some light might
be cast upon the mysterious Chicago
pay roll scandal in which "Maizie, -
wife of Mayor Thompson, is men
toned
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

Munition workers are responsible
for a freak fad. 1t is the "gunpow-
der ring" a finger band carved from
solid powder The rings we're whitfield
with penknives by the millworkers.
Some are set with small stones and
chips-
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-01

More and more the signs portend
that the standpat wing of the grand
old party will find themselves next
June gagging on Roosevelt pie and
exclaiming bravely, But we like it,"