davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
whose public tires of them before o

whose public tires of them before q
single term is ended.
There is no doubt that the majority
Of men who voted for primary laws
thought they were voting for an inn
proyement. They thought they were
putting the power of government
more securely in the hands Of the
people. But thorough trial has
proved that the theory was not prac-
ticable. The primary has driven out
of official life many men who would
make excellent public servants and
has put in their places many who are
distinguished only by their inef-
ficieney.
This condition probably will contin-
ne as long as the. primary law re-
mains an institution. It's operation is
not SO damaging in small commun-
ity as in a large one, because personal
acquaintance helps to remedy It's
greatest evil in the smaller body OF
voters. In the state of Iowa, for in
stance, the primary system has been
instrumental in reducing the standard
of Official efficiency to an alarming ex-
tent.
This is not an argument against the
Newton mans suggestion for mora
forum to effect elections. Neither is
it written with the expectation OF
seeing the primary law repealed at
an early date in the future. Our aim
is to urge every voter to exercise his
right of suffrage conscientiously and
to make it his duty before voting in
future elections to inform himself re.
garding the qualifications OF every
candidate n he would base his every
vote on personal knowledge of each
aspirant's fitness the greatest injury
which the primary law has brought
about would be negatived. In time the
theory would become workable In
practice, for efficient men would be
attracted to a primary campaign il
they were assured of an intelligent
vote. In the end, the fault is not with
the primary law itself, but with the
voters who first made it possible then
rendered it injurious by negecting the
duties it imposes on them.
II American citizenship were the
sole qualification for once, as the
Newton man declares, there would be
no need for elections. To follow his
metaphor, if every water carrier were
able to give the maximum amount OF
effective service to the work OF
auenching flames there would be no
need for picking and choosing. 1t Is
exactly such an erroneous method
of reasoning that is reflected in many
Off cial positions throughout the coun-
try today. Truly, if thoughtless. I'M
informed voting is to be the rule,
little Improvement is to be antici'
pated.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
Children > Evening Story

come to the barn hate II the A1ha>
noon to SEQ him whip tho golden blKd
and pun out his tailfeatheEs.
There's going to be some fm"
said Jasper Jay "Aoho0 oEA t.
miss it"
SO, as the afternoon vsnsd, a.
feathered folk began to gakher in To
orchard. Jolly Robin V1s tharo. NJ
his VITO, and old Mr. Grow. Rzsky
Wren, Bobbae Bobofink, Miss KITTY
Catbird, and good many others -
wen. There was good deal Of noise.
for everyone was ch0tsfhg. And
Jasper Jay made almost rs great =
din IS all his friends Together. He
boosted in loud voice tk ho WIS
going to give the golden bird tf.
rible beating. And he WIS 20 p1e16ed
With himself that some a hig com
panioB whispered to one anaA0 int
it might Be good thing II the golden
bird ExNe Jasper sound vh4pp9nG
At hist Jasper Jay calsed out INT
he was resdy. And then he seHtsA
for Fxrmer Green's barn, vifle a.
eager crew fnliowed close behind I'm.
They all sl1ghted ON the ridge q de
barn. And like Jasper 1Ey, 10y ut
there for . short time and starA 1t
the golden bird, who sffnzered Hke
IRE in the s1anttng rays OF do ~.
ting sun.
Jolly Rnbtn and Bonnie BamSuA
low bad seen him before; 50 tU
weren't surprised. But an Tho 9t4Ra
Ex1sd 1t him In amasemeat
Now, to J.sp~ Jay tho Ee1dBo ~
booked onoEnous. He was peEesA
high up on rod which ruse a4o~e
the roof. And he seemed very RuuA
and dABdainful. In fact, be padd n
atteoaon at an to the curious 1sEk
that watched him.
Fur little while nobody sxfd Z
word. And Jasper Jay was tho mt
to speak.
~Nddesticks!" be cried. 'Thls Il
nothing bat a barnyard fowl. HIS .
roos3es-thcs what he isl
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
oTTrDwA sEM1wEEKIY COURIER TUESDAY, DECEMBER

which Secretary Baker assumes re-
spOnsibility, and the changing OF ma
chinery in the factories resulted In a
slowing up of production which In
turn has resulted in the use of old
rifles and even wooden guns by many
soldiers in training.
1t is apparent that Secretary Baker
and officers in his ordnance depart
ment were among the very last per.
sons in America to realize that the
country was at war. 1t is apparent
that they failed to take proper advan-
tage Of their knowledge that for
months before the declaration war
was inevitable. 1t is apparent that
even after the declaration was made
they spent more valuable weeks fuss.
ing with specifications, experts opln-
ions and minor revisions which at best
exchange an untried weapon for one
which has stood the test of actual
warfare and is standing that test
today
Even if the production Of weapons
had not been delayed there would be
reason for questioning the wisdom OF
changes which will result in the
equipptng of American troops with
weapons which had not had actual war
tests. Certzinly it does not seem the
part Of wisdom to ignore the expert
ences of the allies when there is an
opportunity to profit by them.
The condition obviously is one
which calls loudly for change in the
war department The grtevous errors
which have been made cannot be
remedied, perhaps, but there should
be no opportunity given those who
are responsible for them to follow
them with others.
Secretary Bakers statement con-
tains the declaration that he Is re
sponsihle for all the work done By tfe
war department" The public would
be interested in knowing who Is re-
spondble for all the work which the
war department has failed to do.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
CITY OFFICIAL
RESIGNS TO ENLIST

Chnlicothe, Mo-, Dec. l5.-Joen g..
Jefries resigned this week - dey
collector to take effect December -.
soon after which he wM enter The
service Of the country in he navy. he
has enlisted in this branch q The 81.
vice and will report the lztter part a
December TO ST. Louis, from where he
win be sent to the Great Lakes train
ing station.
The city council accepted his -
nation and by rising vote, extended
its thanks to Mr.. Jefries for the ca
pable manner IN which he has 0ahs-
acted the city-s business during hts
inc1mbency. As further manifesto
ton the clerk was instructed to pr
chase a service flag for the city haH.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
CARS DAMAGED
IN COLLISION

Oskalousa, Dec. 15.-Anthony Rns-
en<3ahl and r. Ross Anderson Who re
side east Of town collided in their
automobiles at the Market and Sec
ond avenue corner Wednesday at 4:50
D. N. Anderson was going east and
Rosendahl south and both were
travelling rather fast and did not see
each other approaching. In the col
lision Anderson's car was pushed over
the curbing breaking both rear
wheels and the fender and the mont
spring Of Rosendahrs car was broken
and bent and the tires damaged.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
rrE eERMAN ATTITUDE.

Cermany's opportunity to regain a
little OF the worlds respect seems to
have been tossed away in the Russian
peace NEGOTIATIONS as it has been dis
csrded In the treatment of the civil
fans Of Belgium, France and Poland
in all the months that have elapsed
since the first mad rush into foreign
territory Witnessed excesses which
shocked all Christendom.
Germany enters the negotiations
With Russia as q victor. Russian ter
ritory has been invaded; Russia's
government has been upset: Russian
invaders have been driven from Teu-
tonic strongholds; German troops and
German ships have defeated Russians
whenever they have met in recent
months.
Controlling the semblance OF gov
eminent which just now is uppermost
d Russia, Germany could exercise
clemency and propose peace terms
which would bear the surface appear
ance, at least, of indicating a victor's
disposition to be liberal. Even though
secret arrangements might be made
with the o-German bolsheyiki lead
ers. the two forces could be made to
appear before the rest of the world
in q light highly favorable to Ger
many.
But the lust for power, the desire
for expansion and oppression. are SO
firmly established as part OF the Ger
man nature that this thought ap-
parently has not occurred to the
kaiser nor to his tools who are repre-
senting the German army and gov
eminent in the peace negotiations.
No more eloquent warning could be
issued to the nations which are fight
ing than is supplied by this attitude
ON the part of the Teutons. 1t says in
the plainest language that II The
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
TOO MANY COOKS.

Railroad executives told President
Wilson yesterday that conflicting pri.
ority orders and demands for service
from various war boards, depart
ments, bureaus and commissions have
brought on much of the confusion in
which the lines find themselves.
They asked for general trafic
manager to have the supreme voice in
the matter of shipments, and joined
in the statement that they would not
need xhe proposed billion-dollar loan
or the suspension of the laws against
trusts and combinations if the federal
government would relieve them OF
the worries which that governments
various activities have brought upon
them. /.
While it is by no means certain
that their view is correct, neither Is
lit assured that the federal seizure OF
all the railroads and their manage
|ment by presidential appointee would
solve the problems. Whether the rail-
roads can obtain money for the neces-
sary additions to motive power and
rolling stock without borrowing it
from the government is a question.
Yesterdays, stock market gyrations
did not give particular strength to the
belief that they can, but those de-
clipes, to be sure, were caused more
by the news that the president had
determined on seizure than by a
pure business judgment of the value
Of railroad stocks and securities.
II the government had supreme
war council there would be an oppor-
tunity to test the theory of the rail.
road executives without venturinE
blindly into the reI1m of paternalism
on the enormous. scale proposed by
the advocates of federal control and
operation. Public ownership in
America has not been such a pro-
nounced success, on the whole. that
its principles can be adopted in this
crisis with any assurance OF entire
success.
This il but one of the problems
which argue together and loudly for
the creation of real war council
|of three men, selected without regard
to their party Affiliations or their po-
ltical aspirations, but purely on the
basis of usefulness to the public.
The unwieldy organization which is
called a war council now and which
contains, among it's eleven members,
some presidential candidates whose
activities are more or less marked,
is not the sort of body the average
American would conceive Of should
he imagine himself possessed of the
power to pick and choose from all
the thousands of big and capable men
in the country. This so-called council
is made of in part OF the self-same
men whose conflicting orders have
helped to bring about car shortage
which in turn is responsible in large
measure for very serious coal short
age and for other ills which are less
marked but only little less serious.
It is to be hoped that the president
will find time from his other multi.
tudinous and arduous duties to give
early attention to this. subject, which
ranks among the very important ones
before the busy war administration.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
on omlrTING ELECTIONS.

"Why an election" The Des Moines
Register asks, commenting. on letter
from O. p. Myers of Newton, which
is published with the Registers ed!-
torial.- Mr.. Myers suggests that dur
ing the war elections and political
campaigns be dispensed with, and
The Register adds the suggestion
that the English system be adopted.
of holding elections only when there
is something of vital interest to vote
upon.
Our present oficials are Ameri.
cans and that qualities them sur
ficiently." says Mr. Myers letter.
.sWhy fight among ourselves now!
What great need or purpose will such
elections conserve? Anything that
tends to delay, weaken or defeat our
great national purpose, to make the
world safe for democracy ought not
to be. Why fight over water carriers
when the house is on fire."
All of which is fine logic, with a
single weak st)ot. II the present
officiaIs in local, state and congress
sional posts were Of the highest cal
ibre it would be hard to find a flaw in
the line of reasoning followed by the
Des Moines paper and its correspond
ent. If the public conscience had
been exercised in the nomination and
election of all the officials who have
taken once in recent years as il
should have been had the idea OF ex
tended service been In the voters
mind. there would be little desire fol
an election now,
The difficulty about continuing al
present officials indefinitely goes back
to the days when elections were de
natured and many voters lost Interest
in their right of suffrage with the in
PRODUCTION OF the primary system
This so-called reform has reduced thu
standard of Official efficiency all ovel
America. 1t has reduced the proper
ton OF intelligent voting and in
creased the proportion of mediocrit,
/ in once. 1t has produced a condition
which gives Official position to mel
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
rhE DIVIDING LINE.

..The man who is against Americas
Red Cross is against humanity; where
do you stand?'
This was the text of an advertise
ment appearing in The Courier yester-
day as a part Of the Wapeilo county
Red Cross campaign for members and
maintenance. 1t speaks volumes OF
truth and serves as basis for deal
of serious thought.
The man who is against the Red
Cross truly is against humanity Hs
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18

It could be remedied by the voluntary
resignation OF cabinet officials whose
inefiiciency is demonstrated. This
would give the president an opportun'
ity to surround himself with strong
men.
Some ugly facts may be brought
out in the investigation which is
under way. They need not discourage
the most timid citizen. Every nation
at war must face just such facts. The
danger lies in not bringing them to
light or in not closing the door
against their repetition.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
THE WARS BY-pRoDUcr.

1t is encouraging and inspiring to
see on every hand in America today,
the unmistakable marks Of wonder:
full Advancement in the moral and
spiritual fibre of the nation and its
people. As realization Of the wars
seriousness spreads over the country
the people are being drawn rapidly
into a closer fellowship than could
have been achieved in a century by
any amount Of philosophical propa-
ganda.
When the war ends in victory for
America, as it must, our fighting men
will come home to different Amer
lea than the one they are leaving az
they go to the front They viii find
a greater people, broader human
sympathy, a more intense feeling OF
patriotism and OF what is summed up
somewhat trftely in the phrase,
"brotheriy love-"
Ours has been nation of money
makers. To some extent the criticisms
of our materialism which have been
made by the older races in Europe
have been justified. We have achieved
wonderful progress as nation and az
a people. We have assumed place
of world importance in few genera
lions. But progress has been at the
expense of some of the finer emotions
which the sacrifices and the heart
aches of the war will arouse in the
American nature.
The period Of the war will be a
period of remarkable Christening in
America. Not only will it separate
the patriots from the slackers, but it
will weld those patriots into a human
brotherhood whose ties will take lit
tie account of material things. The
|aristocracy of money and social posi-
ton will give way to the aristocracy
of patriotism and humanity.
That is one of the things for which
we are fighting. 1t is not one of the
things for which we went to war, for
we imagined when we took up Ger.
many's challenge that ours was a ma
ton Of pure democracy. We have
found that we were divided by in.
visible lines and that these have been
wiped out in the national emergency
The aristocracy Of the American
army disappeared overnight. The
absolute fairness with which the
officers training schools were con-
Quoted has established democracy
within the army so firmly that there
never can be doubt as to the morale
of Americas fighting forces or OF any
of their uncounted units.
Back at home, the non-com batants
are undergoing just as complete a
change, only a little more slowly. The
by-product of our war for world
democracy will be realization among
ourselves Of the real democracy which
we thought we had achieved long ago
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
PREVALENCE OF
DIPHTHER1A

Moline. Dec, l5-Dlptheria Is In
the epidemic stage In MonM1 st d
mesent time and the number a 00es
Is increasing at an alarming r3se, &C
cording to the health officer. Lsvn
Lindbaade. In one household four 81
the children are suffcng With tha
disease. There are Other coo0
cases Of disease In the CITY VYond
fever prevailing. There is one CO.
of smallpox. nov.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
FlppLINo AMID FLAMES.

The Nebraska farm hand who
learned war had been declared only
when he had been arrested as draft
eyader must surrender his unenviable
fame in favor of Secretary Baker,
head OF the war department and mem
Der of the council Of national defense,
the supreme war council and the de-
partment of public information.
The lack of machine gun equipment
for the American army and the useful
ness of the weapons which we're avail
able created a furry of scandal when
the troops we're on duty along the
Mexican border. That was about a
year before war was declared on Ger
many.
In his statement published yester-
day, Secretary Baker not only accept.
ed responsibility for the present lack
of machine guns and the fact that
none of the newly adopted Browning
model can be available until April,
1918. but he called attention to the
| fact that two months before war was
declared he had appointed an experts
board to investigate the machine gun
situation.
1t has developed in the senate COM
mittee's hearing that the Browning
gun, which was selected. presumably.
by the secretary, was chosen without
field test in comparison with other
guns that had been used effectively
! for two years in actual warfare. Sec.
rotary Bakers statement says he
never has seen the Browning gun.
! It was shown also that the selection
txnl 10
| place until June Of the present year.
two months after the declaration OF
war, in spite of the fact that when
war was declared the army had prac'
tically no machine guns and the
echoes of the Mexican border revela-
lions still were ringing in the ears OF
government officials.
| Congress appropriated $12,0O0,OOO
specifically for machine guns. August
20, 1916, but it was ten months later
when decision was reached by the
war secretary as to the sort OF gun
the army should use.
Today the American army in Europe
is equipped with French guns and
French ammunition, made in France
Next spring, according to present
plans. the new Browning gun, with
ammunition to match, will be sup
piled: the guns to which the Ameri
cans are accustomed will be discarded
and they will be forced to depend on
a weapon which has not been tested
but which is a new invention.
The belief has been widespread thai
America was to profit by the expert
ence of the allied countries and ar
mics. But instead of adopting weap
ons which have proved their effective
mess Secretary Baker has chosen te
send over a new one at time wher
any change in equipment, even II
the new gun is As good as the old ant
Tested one, must Of necessity cause
lconfusion among the American troops
and may cut down their efficiency.
The type of rifle manufactured il
America and England for the British
troops and used with splendid effec
by them could have been manufac
tured with sufficient rapidity il
America to have equipped our army
according to General Crozier's test
mony. But certain changes wer'
made by the ordnance department, To-
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
MAaRYs VISIT SON.

Abba. Dec. 15.-Mr. and Mrs. J. c.
Mabry left this week for Jacksonville.
Florida, where they will spend Christ
mas with their son, Hamilton. who is
in the wireless department. Hamil
ton will hsve only three days Off at
Christmas and viii enjoy visiting with
his pArents-
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
DINNER STORIES

.Wat n the name Of that handsome
prisoner" asked tho impsesstonaose
young woman
mo. z3oe, mtss,s replied the guard.
sHow funny, but Of course that IS
not his real name.
ooh, no. miss; that's just his pen
name"
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18

kaiser finally should vanquish the
other armies as he has the Russians
his terms Of peace could be written
in four words: mo quarter; absolute
surrender
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
WOMAN FALLS ON ICE
AND BREAKS ARM

Abba, Dec. 15.-Mrs. Barclay Bran
tingham Of south Abba fell ON the ice
in front Of the National bank Thus
day morning and broke her arm.