davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23
SPRING CLEANING

A sure sign that winter is on the
wane is furnished by the Inaugural
ton of spring cleanup" campaigns in
number Of cities throughout the
country. New York seems to have TAX
en- the lead in this important matter
and the campaign in that city is in
charge Of the Woman's Municipal
league. The league has started an ed
ucational campaign to make New
York city clean" and has had in
structions printed on cards of conven-
lent size to be hung up In kitchens for
the benefit Of the housewife and in the
Easements for the edifcation of the
janitor. Some of the recommendations
are:
"All streets should be swept before s
a. M, dust to be swept into dustpan
and put into the ash barrel. Side
walks should be washed once a week.
Please do not spit on the side
walks, elevated and subway stairs and
platforms, or on the floors Of any pub
lie places. II you expectorate. you
are subject to fine or Imprisonment,
or both. D.. We should be careful
not to throw papers, cigar ends, fruit
skins, or any dirt, into the streets.
Garbage cans must be kept COW
cred"
The members of the league are en-
gagged in a good work, but 1t is prob
able that progress in this educational
campaign, as In all others, will be
slow. The Indianapolis News, in COM
menting upon the matter, says it is al
most a hopeless task to educate the
great mass Of the people along such
lines, and refers to the failure of spit
ting ordinances in New York, Indian,
apolis and other cities. The News
continues:
IF people could only be persuaded
not to litter up the streets, not to spit
on the sidewalks, not to regard the al
leys as private dumping grounds.
cities would have less trouble in keep
ing themselves clean. What the Wom-
ans Municipal league is trying to do
Is to persuade people to think for
themselves. A person who throws rub
Dish into the street has no right to
complain when the city fails to sweep
the streets. AS the individual acts. so
acts the community. But the person
who does exercise reasonable cleanli-
ness should demand that ashes and
garbage be quickly and carefully re-
moved; that street cleaning be con
slant. and that those waste-paper re-
ceptacles which we have on certain of
our corners be emptied oftener. No
one can be expected TO deposit rub
btsh in a public rubbish can which has
been oyerfowing for weeks"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23
WRONG VIEWPOINT

The perils of the furnished room
for girls have just been Investigated
by the New York Consumers league.
The committee recommended Social
lied apartments" for girls who live
alone
The main point in the widespread
discussions Of boarding places, room
ing houses, and institutional homes
for girls has escaped some very clever
investigators. Most of the trouble
arises from a lack of understanding
between the women of the older gen
Grafton and those Of the new.
The women who keep boarding
houses and the directors of the large
institutional boarding homes have, as
a rule. a very imperfect idea of the
character and qualities Of the modern
girl in. the business world
They do not seem to realize, what
the girls know very well, that virtue
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23
Selected by Tavenner

No nation under heaven could pre-
vail against a nation that lived true
to such ideals. But let US concede
that "it is condition and not a theory
that confronts u.s." that "other ma
tons of the world rest upon the law
of force;" and that therefore we
should protect ourselves against them.
Very we'll, II you are talking merely
Of protecting ourselves from such as
these, l am with you, but | will not
concede that such a program would
mean that our coldiers would or
should ever be sent upon foreign soil,
except upon mission OF mercy. For
the moment nations army steps up
on foreign soil unlimited 1t ceases to
be an act of defense and at once be-
comes an act of aggression.
What would l do If foreign power
committed any wrong against us?
Why, after ascertaining all the facts
about the deed, I would simply notify
such nation that intercourse with it
should cease. No longer would we
protect her interests here; no longer
send diplomatic representatives to her,
nor accept such from her nor in any
manner recognize her as a civilized
nation No nation in the world could
Withstand such an action on the part
Of the United States. Dictator Huerta
of Mexico learned that fact under the
Wilson administration.
Third, whatever preparation for de-
tense that might be necessary, so far
as its physical form might be concern
ed, I would demand that it be manu-
featured wholly by the government;
and In its manufacture would use the
army and navy Of the United States.
Men who constructed the implements
of war would be more efficient in using
them; and their lives being in the
lines of useful service, their minds
would be less apt to dwell upon wars.
The Armstrong; in England and the
Krupps in Germany have shown the
world the danger of private profits in
munitions of war These institutions
have actually maintained for years
paid agents in foreign capitals to fan
international and race hatreds and
create troubles to be settled by war. 1t
is almost inconceivable that men could
be such beasts q use beasts" only
fguratively, for beasts never can be SC
vile), yet this fact regarding NUM-
ton makers has been known for years
So, rather than run such risk in
America, l would guard against it by
having the government make its own
munitions Then the incentive of pri.
vate profits In exciting wars would
disappear.
These three prime factors in 'pre.
paredness" would make America in
vincible; and 1 am for them heart ant
soul
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23

while the Missouri laws declare for
death by hanging or merely life i'm
prisonment for either crime. Phila-
delphia, with a population Of more
than q million and half and q law
which gives death in the electric chair
for first degree murder. reported rs
murders in the same period.
A comparison Of Milwaukee with
Boston shows that Milwaukee, with a
population slightly more than one-half
that OF Boston, reported "a murders
to Is for Boston. Wisconsin has no
death penalty but Imprisonment for
life for first degree murder.
The Enquirer well' says that while
threat Of gallows or electric chair may
not prevent murders coming out of in
tense hatred suddenly aroused, par
oxysms of rage or insanity, 1t may
prevent some that would otherwise be
deliberately planned and carried out.
New York had 1875 murders in 1915
and there were only Is electrocutions
during that period Hans Schmidt,
who was electrocuted Friday. paid the
penalty for a crime committed in 1918.
The Enquirer suggests that more
chair-warming in New York may do
good" and concludes:
Governors of states, judges. juries
and all dealing with murderers may
go too far under influence Of mis-
guided sentiment and sympathy. The
other day governor approved 81
paroles, five of which were Of men
in penitentiary for murder or man.
slaughter"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23

Neutrality-suspicious. Of The As
sociated Press. )-President Yuan Shi-
Kai, emperor elect, is building a great
military camp near Honan-Fu, the cap
ital of his native province Honan,
which is causing his enemies much ap-
prehension.
Charges are made that he is devel-
oping this great fortified camp as a
means of strengthening his hold upon
the monarchy and desires to have it as
a place of refuge after the fashion OF
the medieval Chinese emperors.
The great camp is three miles west
of the city of Honan-Fu, and located
near the river 1t covers two square
miles of land. Two thousand men
are at work erecting walls and build
ings in preparation for the accommo-
dation of soldiers The work has con-
tinued now for five months, but is only
about one-fifth completed.
Army officials have stated that the
new camp will shelter 10000 troops,
but newspapers out of sympathy with
the administration say the camp is to
accommodate 10000 men.
The barracks are arranged with
streets 80 feet wide between them, and
at intervals there are kitchens and
store houses. Open spaces are left in
various parts of the camp in which
groups of 500 men may drill. In addi-
ton, there is great drill ground pro-
vided for larger units.
Honan-Fu is a strategic position OF
great Importance. 1t is located on the
Lo river, in the most important pass
affording easy communication between
the east and west. 1t is connected by
rail with the line between Hankow and
Picking and projected railways will
give its connections far to the east and
west.
Consequently, Hoan-Fu will be the
natural place from which to distribute
troops into any part Of North China. 1t
is about half way between the capital
and Hankow. the commercial metropo-
lis Of Central China located on the
YangtsZe river.
Unfrfendly papers are specializing as
to whether Yuan Shi-Kai intends TO
made Honan-Fu the actual capitol OF
China. For over fifteen hundred years
the ancient city was the site of the
dragon throne, and ii is rich in tradi-
ton. Formerly Honan-Fu was called
Lohyang, and 1t was the capital OF
China under the Chow dynasty from
no b. c. 1t was from that city that
Emperor Ping TT sent a deputation to
the west to discover the great sage
who had arisen, and the deputation re-
turned bringing Buddhist books and
Buddhist priests from India.
Soothsayers regard Honan-Fu as a
location upon which heaven smiles
When the capital was first located
there by the Chow dynasty. the oracles
were consulted and pronounced the
situation ideal. They said the inheri-
lance would last for 80 generations. or
a total of 700 years. The dynasty
really lasted for 500 years. or SO gen.
lerations.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23

is a valuable asset not merely when
getting a husband, but when getting
and keeping a job. Most of the diff
Guilty between the girls and the ma
irons is over the rules concerning late
hours. It's safe to say that the girl
who is intelligent enough to earn her
living by day, down town." is cap
able Of taking care Of herself few
hours in the evening. There are ex-
ceptions. We are standing up for the
efficient, self-respecting girl, the aver
age girl in the business world. Any
new plan Of Specialized apartments
isn't going to help her any better than
the old way, if the homes are run by
women who have the habit of doubt
ing the general reliability of young
working women. But there's a way
out. Let girls make their own house
rules. They will hold each other to
pretty high standards. That's the way
they manage in hundreds of college
sorority houses.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23
Iy
Brady,n.D.
An lntOIerabIe Nuisance.

inspire nearly so much fear as the
execrable wretch who perpetrates a
wide-open sneeze upon the occupants
of car, theatre or room. Such ped
dler Of infection is a nuisance of the
first magnitude The time will come,
we trust, when he will be promptly
and unceremoniously grabbed by the
collar and dragged off to sanitary
cell in the nearest police station,
where he belongs. Policemen ought
to be active members of the first line
Of defense anyway.
Street cars. steam cars, public halls
and the like should add line to their
notices forbidding splitting on the
floor. They should also warn the pub
lie as follows:
"If you must sneeze or cough, do il
in your handkerchief"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23

later
Il don't know" was n.
think he will ask me to MARI ~. I
And you'll litter and spot n ~.
mot il can help #. faith, en
squints with both eyes ever . ss
three minutes. 1t is dreadfull, n, :. q
ny squint" ian-
George Fox was a young h..,.,
OF twenty-five who lived with biz =,
owed mother. He was a farmar sa
had admired and loved Miss ma. ~
meant to make her bis wife, soui,. -
no squint. s q
Three or four days after Mr. -.
er had had the talk with his d.u,s..s
as recorded above, young NJ
caught sight Of the girl piekin. ~
berries in hts field The sirb, ~
him an idea. He waited to see !, ~
would appear again next day. 81. ~ ~
and at the far end of the fIela :. wv "
down the fence and turned in Ii. !.
bull and ram and gave them A -
as they passed through the gan IA. ~.
were gentle creatures, but a, -
whack the bull emitted a bellov =. -
the ram shook his head In defiance -
by freak Of fortune both t,ns,.s
among the bushes.
The girl who had broken a. r.,.
hearts saw them approaching ana J.
er one scream started fof tres r.
she went until she was seated a, .
limb that she deemed was 4 A..
roost. and 1t was only then Inst s.
saw Mr.. Fox and called out to him 4
come to her rescue. Mr.. Fu1 cam.
along at lazy pace. as II there -,
no special reason for hurry. and whe.
he approached within thirty test i.
took seat on the fence, with his b.cs
to her and asked:
well, what's wanted,"
Il want to get down. Of course. :.
piled the girl up the tree.
II am not hindering you"
"But the bull and the ramr
"Oh, they haven't killed anybod,
lately!"
George, you won't leave me her
will you? I may fall at any MINT.
and 1t will be awful the way ah.ll
die"
"See here, girl, love you and vsN
you to be my wife," said George With
his back still to her.
Are you squirting now, George?" /
Eyes, by thunder! I am squintins
at the old bull and ram!"
Keep it up, George. dear. until you
get the critters out Of this field. This
evening you can come over and N
will decide whether to 60 to Boston
or Niagara Falls on our tour. Hurry
up, dear, for this limb Is s.crsckinr
under me and will soon break"
And George, in spite Of his funny
squint became a hero and a husband,
and they put in five days at the falls,
and Tiptonville said 1t was a good
match on both sides.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23
HOW SHOULD WE PREPARED
(By Laurie J. Quinby.)

I am glad to see President Wilson
discard Garrison's army ideas. Those
ideas would inevitably lead to forced
military service. The retiring secre
tary Of war himself not only admitted
but asserted this fact.
Enforced military service would
mean the death of democracy. These
two antagonistic ideas never did and
never will exist side by side. Then one
Of them must go down.
Military law knows no democracy.
Democracy cannot countenance mill
tary rule. One is the rule of force.
The other is the rule of reason freely
expressed at the ballot box.
l believe 1t to be an inevitable rule
that nations as we'll as individuals al
ways get exactly that for which they
prepare. Prepare for war and you will
get it, whether you are man or ma
| ton of men.
| Yet, l will approve within certain
limitations, preparations for defense.
| First, the best defense of any ma
ton is justice. Following true to the
ideals of justice, any nation will be in
vincible. If nation is just, every citi-
zen will be a patriot, ready at all times
to lay down his life for his country.
Military rule is very poor substitute
for justice. Russia is learning that
fact today.
Second, believe that the economic
welfare Of the least and humblest citi-
zen should be the first concern of the
state. States primarily exist for the
purpose of maintaining homes, for the
home is the foundation of the future.
never prove proper substitutes for the
home. My conception of what consti-
tutes economic welfare Of the citizen
is not of the paternalistic brand. I do
for the government to do for the citi-
zen what he ought to do for himself
For, as said by Spencer. ito protect
men from the effects Of their own
folly Is to fill the world with FOOLS
Pain Is natures lesson to teach men
the consequences Of error. Protect
men from such consequences, and you
defeat the purpose of nature; and men
do not learn. Economic justice mere
ly means that the government should
not commit such acts as will add tc
the natural consequences Of ones OWE
folly. Justice is merely the absence Of
injustice. Let government not enact
such laws as deny to its citizens theil
. fundamental rights, especially theil
God-given rights to the use of the
earth. Then the citizen can be de
pended upon to live true to his man
hood as free man.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23

What is nuisance" in the SAM
tary sense? A statute definition is as
follows:
Anything deemed detrimental to
life or health found to exist within
the municipality shall be a nuisance
within the meaning of this act"
Clearly this would cover the public
sneezer with shame and confusion.
A sneeze is a personal thing. 1t is q
protective function without which the
body would suffer from many infec-
tious conditions, normally avoided by
the act Of sneezing. A sneeze not only
forcibly elects droplets containing in
fictitious organisms, but 1t has a re-
markable effect upon the circulation
and nutrition of the lining of the nose,
tending to fortify the mucous men,
brane against microbic invasions-or,
If you will have it so, taking cold"
When you sneeze you do it for the
good of your health. No one has
right to interfere with your sneezing.
But you have no more right to sneeze
openly in public than you have to spit
in your neighbours face. That doesn't
sound exactly elegant, but neither does
the open-face sneeze. In fact, we are
personally convinced that open-face
sneezing is far more dangerous thing
for the bystander than is expectora-
ton, because the sneeze sprays the air
with minute floating droplets of mu-
cous or moisture in which are sus-
pended live bacteria, and bystanders
can scarcely avoid inhaling some Of
the spray, whereas sputum on the
floor or ground soon dries-must dry
before 1t can be blown about in the
air, and even viruient disease germs
can scarcely Withstand this drying
process, as practical experience has
shown
The indefensible habit of expectora-
ton, and the unpleasant thought of
using a roller towel or a common
drinking cup or a public toilet do not
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23
Sidelights on the European War

! Peking.-(Correspondence OF The
Associated Press. )-President Yuan
Shi-kai, the emperor ELECT, has ISSUED
an order that the members Of the IN
perial clan of the Yuan family now llv.
ing within the Forbidden City are 70
move outside the palace grounds. THIS
order, of course, does not apply to DIS
immediate family.
The Yuan clan is large one and mas
has been we'll looked after by the pres
ident. However, it would be quite u
violation of all precedents for MIN 70
permit relatives other than his imme0-
late family to live within the Imperial
grounds. With his accession 10 tne
throne, the emperor must draw :
sharp distinction between himself ana
his clansmen, as now they become ns
subjects.
In China there has been much cra-
icism of the influence which RELATIVES
have had on the emperors. Even no.
appeals are directed to Yuan sli-AA
that he shall influence the drawing w
of the new constitution in such way
as to make it impossible for the wv
men of imperial families to have w
due influence upon the emperor
Neutrality-suspicious. OF Inv
Associated Press)-It is NOT gen.
ally known, but Germany has Nv
inconsiderable pearl industry, ana y
the last 100 years many THOUSANDS =
the gems have been finished up OUT
the waters of the various German "
ers.
Bavaria has been the most proea.
tive portion of the empire. A to9ai ]
155,SS0 pearls; it is estimated ~, Wv
found there between 1914 ana i'ss
and the annual aggregate has 0ap
decreased as the waters OF basaS.
rivers have been spoiled D! 'sa@
industrial projects. i.
The most productive river nss
ways been the Elster IN 'aA 90
which for centuries has been rea's1 !.
one family by the state. Inc sea. !.
year-out average has shown thal IN u
three to four pearls can De op''. "a
from every 100 mussels fisnea ny, :,
that one out OF every is pearls
special value, h.e,
About 500 pearls of value have ~
taken from the Elster by tue a.
in question in the last decade inc ~ ~.
mer of 1915 being the most proaas
tive, with Al good examples.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23

Says John NJ. Glenn in the Manu-
facturers' News Of current issue: No
body has any idea that the 100000
railroad employees are asking for an
eight-hour day They wouldn't know
what to do with it. They would be a
disconnected lot if they got it." We
are not assuming to pass judgment on
the question at issue between the
railroads and their employees, but if
the above paragraph from the Manu-
facturers' News is typical of the ut
terances of the employers, We doubt
very much whether public sentiment
will be inclined in their direction.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23
Uncle Abner,

A Teller who buys So necktie when
he has got full beard amt got no
call to complain of hard times.
There are so many ways of getting
to heaven nowadays that there is sure
going to be an awful collision if they
all try to run into the terminal station
at the same time.
No man is so much of failure in
life that he doesn't think he is quail
fed to write in and tell the editor how
to run the paper.
There is only one thing that you get
so regular in country huttell as roast
beel and brown gravy, and that is
roast pork and apple sass.
1t seems to be human nature to be
mighty fond of eggs when they are
90 cents dozen and to git mighty sick
OF 'em when they are Is cents a dozen
ROY X. MOULTON.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23
The Daily Story
Almost a Love Story - BY M. Quad.

One day when little Miss May
Fletcher was only four years old a
neighbor of the family brought over
a boy of about the same age. The
two children had been playing togeth-
er half an hour or so when the mother
of the boy called out:
Susan Fletcher, see there, will you?
Your girl is trying to f1irt with my
boyr
That was the beginning Of Miss Mays
career. By the time she was ten or
twelve years old and going to school
she was breaking the hearts Of the boy
pupils. She was handsome girl, and
she had cute, coy ways about her
When she was approaching her TWEEN
tieth year her solemn faced father sol
EMMY asked Of her:
MAY, do you know that this whole
town Of Tiptonville is talking about
you?"
mo, father" was the reply. what
are they saying about me?'
THAT you are a confirmed flirt and
a coquette."
"Why, father, how you shock mew
Don't pretend such innocence,
chided the father. lets go over your
case a little. When Parson Brown
came here, an unmarried man, two
years ago, be seemed to take quite a
shine to you"
Eyes, father"
81 have an idea that he asked you
to be his wife"
"He did, father, but how was it
We were coming home from prayer
meeting when he said that he loved me
and wanted me to become his darling
wife. Just as I got my mouth open
to say yes big hog, chased by little
dog, came running up on the Sidewalk
behind US. The hog struck Parsor
Brown in the legs, and he went sprawl
ing. 1 Uttered, giggled, 1 snickered
How could help it? Mr. Brown went
off in huff and in six months was
married to Amanda Jones'"
"But there was Charles Renfew,
continued the father, with a smile
around his mouth.
Eyes, l remember him, but it was
not my fault that he quit coming here
was expecting to be Mrs. Renfew
some day, but he had not proposed yet
He came one night, and just as be
started in to propose he gave an awful
sneeze, and the false plate in bis
mouth, which 1 never suspected was
there, few out and under the table
and the cat scrambled for it. Father
l had to smoker or blow right out OF
the window! Poor Charles dove under
the table for his plate. gave me one
awful look and went through the from
door"
There was a silence for two minutes
and then the father asked:
But what about George Fox, who
has been coming here quite often Of