davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25

OF elixir and has ignored many rules
of accepted hygiene. He has chewed
and smoked tobacco and drunk three
glasses of whisky a day,
But we cannot consider the O'Falion
ceutenarian's habits as exemplary.
Too many chewers, smokers aad drink
ers die young. There is no certain pre-
scription for longevity. II seems TO be
an individual matter, although even
the insurance companies recognize the
influence of heredity on length of life.
The OFallon man doubtless feels that
he has followed the proper course, al
though he at one time suffered from
paralysis and another time from can
GER We may find centenarians who
have refrained from tobacco, coffee
and intoxicants. An aged but vigorous
clergyman attributes his condition to
wearing a collar two sizes larger than
his neck But men who wore no col
lars at all have died young. There are
centenarians who are vegetarians and
there are some who eat meat three
times a day. Some sleep much and
others get along with comparatively
little sleep. There is the widest diff
ferences among them as to clothing,
diet and exercise. We might conclude
that man is immortal until his time
is come" except for the fact that many
individuals Of broken health have
grown strong by adopting and adher-
ing to regular courses of living.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
WATCHING MAINE.

The Maine state election takes place
in September, and those who take their
politics seriously are wondering how
it will go. It used to be said, as goes
Maine so goes the union" But this
has ceased to be an infallble rule But
the September elections will always be
studied for any possible bearing which
they may have on the contest in No
vember. Four years ago, in spite Of
the progressive revolt, there was no
third ticket in the field in the Septem-
Der election. The republican candidate
assumed a neutral attitude and was
elected by a bare 5000 majority. 1t
was evident that d split in the party
would deliver the state to democrats
in November Wilson carried it by 3,
600 votes over Roosevelt Two years
ago the democratic candidate for gov
ernOr won by 5000. He received $4,000
less votes than the combined republi-
progressive opposition.
Normally the democratic party in
Maine is minority party. Should it
prove so again in September. the sig
nificance of the election would be in
the size Of the republican majority. 1t
would take a big republican majority
to reassure the Hughes followers.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
The Daily Story
Court Versus Committee Law By Alan Hnsdale.

ing turned from their purpose but
several of Their members insisted on m
investigation Of Bowles having been
seen going southwark and after long
DISPUTE IL WINS determined 70 put him
I'm fail till this could be done. TIE was
therefore lodged in a cell and the COM
mittee went home 10 bed.
One would naturally suppose that
these men who considered that justice
rested on their shoulders would have
taken the pains 70 send ont in the d.
rection Bowles had been seen going 70
make inquiries for bm. But while
they made It their business 70 dispense
Justice and gloried That there were no
lawyers in the territory 10 delay them
IN doing SO, no one Of them seemed 20
consider It his business 70 hunt up
the missing man. A week after they
we're bent on hanging Arbuckle they
had so far cooled as 20 take very little
interest I'm his case.
However. Mrs. Arbuckle placed her
children I'm the care OF friend and,
without announcing her intention,
started out TO hunt for the missing
victim. She spent a good deal n time
I'm her quest without immediate re
suit. After being away from her little
ones as long as she felt II practicable
to leave them, she returned, bitterly
disappointed.
Time passed. There was no trace Of
Bowles, but the thoughts Of the vigi-
lance committee had been turned into
other channels and no movement was
made to execute Arbuckle. Six months
he remained in Jail and would proba.
bly, have remained till the crack OF
doom had not a court been organized
TO take the dispensation OF justice out
of the hands OF n self constituted COM
mittee. When this occurred the prison.
er's case was looked into. and since
there was not sufficient evidence
against him 10 warrant his trial he
was discharged.
A few days later Bowles, accom-
panied by wife, turned up, happy in
being a bridegroom. He had been
turned down by the bride, but she had
relented and given him hope. He had
gone for her, but being modest man
and fearing further disappointment
had kept the reason for his going 10
himself.
The day after Bowles' return Ar.
buckle availed himself Of the newly
established court TO bring suit for dam
ages for false imprisonment against
every one OF the committee Most OF
them had some means, and Arbuckle
turned everything he had into money
to pay his lawyers. Arbuckle won his
suit and received a round sum from
each and all who were able to pay.
Those who were not able TO pay he
kept in Jail two days for every one he
had spent there himself.
Such was the ignominious end Of the
vigilance committee and the beginning
of court law in a western city.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
COST OF THE WAR

According to the Bache Review the
European war is costing the belliger-
ent nations over Sos, 100000 a day.
The daily expenditures of Great Brit
ain are $30,00O,0 900, of Germany $22,-
900, 900, of France SIS, 500 900, of Rus
STA $4,000 900, of Austria S12, 900 900,
of Italy $8000,000, of Turkey, Servia
and Belgium 81 800, 900 each. Great
Britain has the greatest financial bur
den of any Of the nations at war. The
income of Great Britain for 1916 is
estimated at S12 500, 600, 900 At 500
900 a day the war is costing Great
Britain almost $11.0G0, 900 900 a year,
which approaches the total yearlysin-
come of the British people Such an
expenditure for war purposes is a ire
mendous burden, but it is being borne
in a way that admits of no question of
failure TO sustain it
The war came upon Great Britain
without warning and the nation was
unprepared for such a catastrophe.
At the outbreak of the war London
was the financial center of the world
with delicate machinery of the high
est degree of efficiency working effec-
lively. After two years of war finan-
Cial experts are convinced that the
"edifce OF credit in London stands
firm and that the delicate banking ma
Chinery works smoothly" Great Brit
ain has maintained her export trade
to an extent far beyond any hope or
expectation and this has acted to
steady the fabric of trade and finance
and to keep London still the worlds
financial clearing house. For the
maintenance of the exchange one step
after another has been taken succeSs-
fully-the latest being the mobiliza-
ton of American securities
Financial authorities declare that
Great Britain has vast resources yet
untouched. For instance, after the
American securities owned by Great
Britain have been used that nation
has available more than SIS, 900 900 900
OF other foreign stocks and immense
quantities Of British securities of the
highest class. The London Statist
calls attention to the fact that the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25

capital of the British railways
amounts to more than $1,000 900, 000
one-third of which consists of debent-
ure stocks, the value of which is sec
ond to none in the world. If necessary
almost $4,000, 900 900 could be raised
from the sale of these debenture
stocks alone, which would provide the
exchange needed to meet the adverse
trade balance for the greater part of
another year.
The Statist says that the allies may
not need as many munitions from the
United States in the coming year as
they have purchased in the past u
months. The munitions factories of
Great Britain are becoming more and
more expert and it is probable that
the time will soon come when there
Will be marked falling off in this
trade with the United States
Great Britain's national debt before
the war was $3.443 900 900. At the
present time it is $11, 500 ,0000 900. One
years income, if appropriated entire,
would pay off the present national
debt, but any such appropriation
would be impossible. Great Britain,
however, is levying very heavy taxes
on this income in order, as far as pos
sible, TO pay as she goes. The bal
ance goes to swell the national debt,
the increase in which is held largely
by England's own people. After the
war the settlement will be mainly an
internal matter, with no prospects of
bankruptcy. The same is true of the
other belligerents, although in a lesser
degree as to methods of keeping down
the debt by heavy taxation.
Germany has realized from the start
that Great Britain was the power she
must defeat If success was to come to
German arms, and it is becoming more
and more evident to everyone that
this is the case. Great Britain's part
IN the war thus far may not have been
as spectacular as that of some of the
other nations, but il has been at least
as important as any and there are
multiplying evidences that Great Brit
ain will have it's share of spectacular
accomplishments before the war is
ended.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
A LEADER WHO LEADS.

New York World. Mr. Hughes, in a
speech to his campaign committee
Thursday, laid particular emphasis up
on the necessity of obtaining republic
can control Of congress. Should Mr.
Hughes be elected president and have
a republican congress. what would he
do with it? And wherein would the
public benefit or the interest of good
government be served?
Mr.. Hughes was governor of New
York for three years nine months and
six days. During that period he had
four successive republican legislatures.
AS a net result of his attempt to make
the republican party an instrument of
progressive government, the state was
turned over to Tammany hall.
Mr.. Hughes went into office with the
highest aims and ambitions. We have
always believed that he worked 10 the
best of his ability TO keep faith with
the people of New York. But he could
do nothing with his party organization
which controlled the senate and as
sembly He lacked leadership, and
most of his effort during two admin
istrations was wasted in futile quarrels
with the party bosses. They were
stronger than he, and in the end il was
he who gave up the fight and retired
New York had to wait for Martin II
Glynn. a democratic governor. 10 give
the state the election reforms that Mr.
Hughes had vainly tried to give.
Mr.. Hughes is again the candidate
of a reactiOnary party which is using
him as bait TO trap independent voters.
The control of his party in the nation
is in the same kind of hands in which
it rested when Mr. Hughes was gov
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
NO GUARANTEE.

inent bacteriologist, who was best
known popularity because of his the
CRY that human life could be easily ex-
tended TO $50 years by destroying the
poisonous indols and phenols in the
colon through treating them with lac
tic acid, died two months after his fist
birthday. although he had tried his ex-
periments on himself Dr. Charles E
Brown Sequard. whose really valuab BILE
contributions to science were Obscured
by his elixir OF life hobby riding. lived
to be IT. The other day a man
at OFaIlon, I'll, celebrated his
Doth birthday anniversary. He never
made a specially Of a sour milk
diet, never had hypodermic injection
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
ARE TAXED NOW.

Joseph Mcdonald, in a letter to the
editor of the New York World. calls
attention to the fact that most families
with incomes that range from 81, 500 to
$4,000 already pay more than their
share Of the taxes levied. There is
very little difference between the tar
if paid by the rich man and that paid
by the poor man. Tariff taxes, if they
are TO yield any considerable revenue,
must be levied on articles of general
consumption. 1t is, for example, the
poor people who contribute the greater
portion of the revenue derived as re-
suit of a tax on sugar. MIR. McDOn-
aid in his letter to the World says:
THE poor man has to pay the same
tariff taxes as his rich neighbOr, in
proportion to his consumption of pro-
teCted articles. The men whose in
comes range from 81 900 to 81, 500 per
year are not rent-collectors but rent
payers, so if their income is taxed in
addition to the tax which is included
in the rent paid to the landlord, they
are paying an unjust proprtiOn OF the
expenses of government The income
tax exemption of $4,000 and under is
a fair exemption, because the great
majority of people who have more than
that pay no taxes at all, except the
tariff taxes on what they consume and
the taxes upon the homes which they
actually occupy and own
All of which is self evident. It is
manifest that the poor man is not rent
collector. He pays rent and because
he pays rent he pays taxes. The rich
man pays taxes upon the home in
which he lives, but assesses the taxes
against the tenants in his other prop
critics. To lower the income tax ex-
emption is to increase the tax burden
borne by a class that is already con-
tributing more than its share.-Johns-
town (Pa-) Democrat
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
WHEN AUTHORS STRIKE.

As a publisher. George Haven Put
nam strongly disapproves the plan to
unionize the authors 1T is unwor-
thy of persons who should be the
intellectual leaders of the community"
In any differences with publishers,
theatrical managers and others, he
protests. they propose to strengthen
their position by afiliation with the
American Federation of Labor, and if
need be, to seek TO enforce their de-
mands by strikes and violence.
1t is an appalling prospect that is
presented by this radical disagreement
between Mr.. Putnam and the Authors
League committee If the publishers
rally round him and the authors en-
list under Mr. Gompers' standard, the
day may be near when the structural
iron workers will be called out and
all work on skyscrapers be stopped
because the amateur military experts
who produce books on preparedness
have been denied an eight-hour day
and double pay for overtime. 1t may
come to the pass where the happy au-
thors Of the six best sellers of the sea
son will be seen doing picket duty for
the freight handlers on the water
front, and gangs of east side gunner
will be sent 10 shoot up the maya
zine editor who prints a short story by
q literary ''scdb' With poets throw
ing brickbats through the publishers
plate glass windows and the state mi
litia with fixed bayonets charging an
angry mob Of war novelists, New York
Will be treated to scenes of disorder
that should supply the rising genera
ton Of authors with local color for
the rest Of their lives. Yet arbitration
is still possible
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25

One night John Arbuckle. while
peacefully sleeping in his home. sur.
rounded by his family-a wife and sew
eral little children-was awakened by
a loud rap at his door. Going down.
stairs, he opened the door and by the
light of n full moon saw a dozen men,
each man covering him with a re-
volver.
whats become of your clerk, Tom
BowlesT' asked the spokesman.
IL don't know. He left me without a
word as to where he was going or
why"
THAT story won't go down with us.
You were heard the day before he dis
appeared to accuse him OF robbing
you"
81 did not accuse him OF any such
thing. He was my bookkeeper, sales
man and general utility man. He bad
so much 10 do that he got the books
into a middle. l was yexed and told
him that he might as well have robbed
me. AS | said the two last words Cy
Jenkins came into the store and heard
them and saw me looking angrily at
Tom. Afterward I apologized to Tom,
end he seemed perfectly satisfied. The
next day he disappeared"
VERY plausible" replied the spokes.
man. How do you account for blood
on a towel found In Bowles' room?'
There's nothing in that Bowles
was cutting some meat for customer
and the knife struck his finger. He
went to his room to stanch the blood
John Arbuckle, your explanations
are mighty thin. You were heard ac-
cusing Tom BowIes Of having robbed
you. The next day he disappeared
without word Of information as to
where he was going. If you was In
the eastern country where such cases
as yourn drag along for months. you'd
probably get a lawyer who would
prove that you never saw Bowles. In
this country we take things as they
are: there amt no lawyers to throw
dust in our eyes. Come along"
By this time Mrs. Arbuckle and the
children had come downstairs and
despite their clinging to the husband
and father he was hurried away.
'1'Il make you men pay for this" he
said. Every one of you"
You'll have to come back from
kingdom come to do it." was the cold
reply.
They took their prisoner to a tree
and were about to hang him when a
man rode by and asked what was the
charge against him. When told he
said that about the time indicated he
had met Bowles early one morning
walking on a road leading southwark.
The informant couldn't remember the
date, but he judged 1t was about a
month before.
The committee had started in to
hang a murderer and did not relish be-
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
WILSON THE PATRIOT.

Il have no interest in the political
party except as an instrument of
achievement"
This significant declaration, made by
the president of the United States be
fore the National Association of Pres
idential Postmasters in Washington
Thursday night. is in gratifying con-
trast to the frantic exhortations of his
political foes who are trying to rally
the forces OF privilege in an effort TO
win victory merely for the spOi1s Of
office.
In what startling yet pleasing con-
trast does this declaration of Woodrow
Wilson compare with the get togeth-
er" republican party appeals made by
Smoot. Barnes, Penrose and Crane
No less glorious in their inspiration
to all Overwhelming people in this
nation are these other quotations from
President Wilson's Thursday night ad-
dress. He said:
How can any man sleep at night
whose conscience is not clear as TO the
purposes for which he uses public
office, l cannot see"
L cannot imagine haw a man can be
interested in a party that hasn't aspir-
atiOns and a program to be worked
out"
There's only one way of holding
the confidence of the American public,
and that is by deserving it,
Let us prove to the people that we
understand what they want and are
reader to do it than anybody else they
can find"
Well do these words compare with
the utterances of Washington, Jeffer-
son and Lincoln.
The inspiration of those great pres
idents in creating. developing and pre-
serving our government is the identi-
cal inspiration which Woodrow Will
son has today in serving the people by
organizing" as he expresses it. this
government for the service of the
country
A political party as Woodrow Will
son sees it, is to be valued not for vic
tories it may win, but for. the service
it may render through the power Of
victory.
1t is because Woodrow Wilson IS
such a patriot that he has struggled
to preserve peace.
Free from demagogy. devoted to
principle, patriotic in purpose, work
ing constantly for humanity, as bril-
liant in achievement for peace and
prosperity as he is in expressing the
fundamental principles of government
for the people, Woodrow Wilson
stands today the greatest leader Of his
time.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
UNCONSCIOUS MTLITARISTs.

CFrom the Saturday Evening Post.)
The navy bill as it passed the house
appropriated 270,000,0 900, which is con-
siderably more, to the best of our
knowledge, than any other nation ever
appropriated for a navy in time of
peace-20 per cent more, for instance,
than Great Britain appropriated in the
fiscal year 1913-1914.
Yet this provision for sea defense,
we read, is miserably Inadequate.
Whether the appropriation was judici-
ously directed is immaterial for pres
ent purposes, because if it had provid-
ed more battleships and fewer cruis-
ers it would still have painfully dis
appointed those who have become in
fected from Europe with exactly the
same truculent, suspicious, invidious
patriotism that caused the great war
They want a far bigger navy and con-
sCriptiOn. Most of them, no doubt, are
honest in saying they do not want
Notwithstanding too excited to per-
ceive the obvious fact that huge navy
and CONSUMPTION are militarism.
You can readily see how it works
The extreme propaganda for prepar-
edness consists in shouting TO Uncle
Sam that he is being insulted and
browbeaten and is going to get licked;
Germany is about to lombard New
York; Japan is ready to land in Cali
fornia; he will be slapped in the face,
have his goods stolen and his throat
cut. 1t consists in fine, in intoxicating
raw-sore spirit of truculent suspic-
ion of his neighbors. Get that thor
oughly incuIcated and war follows as
matter of course.
Take your peaceably inclined man;
tell him day by day that his neighbors
are circulating insults and threats;
that they are going to thrash him and
sack his house. When you have net
tied him to the point where he goes
out looking for insults he will be quite
sure to find one.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-25
NICKELs NOW WORTH SIX CENTS?

titles. The nickel in the coin is worth
$.02125758; the copper S.03697S93.
The law fOrbids mutilatiOn of Ameri-
can money, but officials of the United
States treasury say it doesn't apply to
nickels. They can be melted and
smelted at will.
Here is the big chance: There are
about S55, ,587 nickels in circula-
ton; their purchasing value is $42,-
$50, 429.35, but at present prices for
copper and nickel they are worth $751;
300, 515.22.
Despite this disparity of values,
mint officials say there is no danger
of an effort to denickelize the nickel.