davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01

disturber of the peace, a breaker OF
the law. We have done with him
and his ilk.
Oh, 1917, we who have paid ad
mission to your show house, beg Of
you, implore you. to put on bet
ter play than that produced by 1915.
Give us action, If you WILL and plenty
OF 1t; but let it be of the right sort.
Set us an example worthy to follow.
Teach US the better traits of human
nature. We have seen enough of the
seamy side of life. We have witnessed
orphaned children crying for their
sweethearts forlorn; sisters made
brotherless; wives deprived of their
husbands; we have had too much of
these things. We do not want such
characters. We tire of rag dolls.
We cry for better clothed puppets.
Get our your silk hat, 1917. Put on
your full dress suit. Don your silk
stockings and your patent leather
pumps and go forth on the Rialto,
swinging your cane, and whistling a
song of cheer. We want no more
aplenty.
And now, young fellow, we have
given your your tip; advice to be
done with as you will. Spurn it like
all young men before you or prove
yourself wise enough to learn by the
experiences of others, You have your
choice. You can be good or bad,
great Or small, sublime or ridiculous,
a success or a failure, just as you
WILL Your destiny is in your own keep
ing. Your character is in the making.
thing all the powers of hell cannot
divert you from your purpose. If you
set out to do otherwise you may
never redeem yourself. Your dying
days will be shaped In no small meas
ure by your early actions. Habit
Is the constructor or the destroyer Of
character. 1t is true the environ
ment is against you, and environment
plays a big part in destiny; but you
1917, with your pure soul and your
clean heart, can rise above the sham
bles and pitfalls left before you by
1915. Go your way, then, knowing
you have the sympathies of all peo-
pies and the best wishes for success.
We trust yours will be the happiest OF
all New Years.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Fixing Prices of Coal.
(Spr.inGf1Ald Ram hlican


Governor McCall's commission on
the cost of living has stopped short of
indorsing government ownership of
the anthracite coal mines Of the coun-
try, but 1t might have gone that far
without appearing very much more
radical. In dealing with the subectj
Of federal legislation the commission
must have known that for several
years the government has been trying
to separate the railroads from the coal
mining business, but without much
success, owing to the formation of
technically independent "sales COM
panies" controlled by the owners Of
the railroads and the mines. There
has been much litigation, but the en-
fore en- ent of the law bearing on this
point has thus far been obstructed by
the lawyers, the courts and constitu-
tional rights. 1t seems superauous,
therefore, for the Mccall commission
to recommend that the state legisla-
ture memorable congress for the
separation of the railroads from the
coal business by federal statutes.
There are federal statutes enough al
ready.
More advanced is the Endorsement
by the governors commission of the
proposal OIL ISQoTal T6SulaLlOu VI LIlS
prices at which hard coal may be
sold by the mining companies or their
agents. This appears to app to the
coal business the principle of govern
ment rate fixing in the railroad bust
ness. The government may fix rail-
road rates under the interstate COM
merce clause of the constitution. but
does the power to regulate interstate
commerce apply to the buying and
selling of coal in the state of Penn
sylvania? Governor McCalrs commits
sion has hit upon an interesting ex-
pedient for regulating the price OF
COAL if there be no doubt about the
constitutional basis for price fixing
of this character.
BY the time the government fixes
coal prices, however, the companies
that own the mines will recall the late
David B. Hills proposal Of down
right government ownership Of the
anthracite fields as a statesmanl1ke
measure and they will desire to exer-
else the privilege of selling out. In
the meantime, the Mccall commits
sion's suggestion about municipal coal
yards here in Massachusetts, deserves
attention and especially the considera-
ticn of the approaching constitutional
convention.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Kultur and Common Sense.
CA Letter to The Spectator.

IA Letter TO Inc spectator
1 think the world does not grasp
what the Germans mean by the Kul-
tur OF which they are so proud. It
Is not art of taste. but what we call
technical education" or, If rightly
understood, "common-sense. There
is no paradox in Horace's saying,
"Rarus enim ferme sensus commits
To translate 1t Common sense is
rare is totally to miss the p11iloso-
piers meeting. "Sensus' in Latin
does not mean mental acumen or any
such thing, but touch or test by the
five senses. What Horace desired to
teach is. "People rarely examine the
things of common life," but are con-
tent with a superficial estimate of
their nature. This is just where we
have Numbered in this war, and the
Germans have got the better of us. It
has been the trend of German gem
ius land, If remember right,
Southey credits them with it) to ex-
anime things miscroscopically, to as
ure themselves of their nature before
using them. This is technical educa-
ton and the true common-sense,
the absence of which has cost us so
dearly.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Ohio's Vote.
Cleveland Leader)

During the recent, campaign if any
one had asserted that the votes to be
cast for Hughes in Ohio would ex-
ceed the total vote in 1912 for Roose-
welt and Taft combined and that VIII
son would nevertheless carry this
state by $4,000 plurality he would
have been rated q very silly specimen
OF political dreamer, not to be taken
seriously for a moment All through
the struggle for Ohio the hope Of
those who supported Hughes was that
he would come very near to COM
bining the Taft vote with the Roose-
welt vote. Their fear was that he
might fail to do so.
Yet the fact is that Hughes re-
ceived SITS more votes in Ohio than
were cast for Roosevelt and Taft TAX
en- together. In 1912 this state gave
Taft 27S.16S votes and Roosevelt 229,-
807. The total for both candidates
was 507,975. That number ex-
ceeded Wilson's vote the same year by
S3,141 It was larger than the high
est vote ever polled in Ohio up to that
time by any democratic candidate for
president.
And now 1t seems from the official
returns that the vote for Hughes in
Ohio was 541,753. 1t was q gain of
nearly $500 over the total for Taft
and Roosevelt combined yet it was
not enough by S9,40S to carry the
state. In year filled with political
surprises there were few so remark
able as this.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Justice for West Pointers.
(New York Times.)

The assignments to various COM
mands in the regular army of 241
second lieutenants were an.
nounced on Wednesday. Many OH
these new officers enter the army dl-
rectly from civil life after passing
certain examinations. Some have hhd
training in the militia. A few In
Wednesdays list were transferred
from the Marine Corps. New ap-
pointments are pending of men from
the Philippine Scouts and constailbu-
larry, from the ranks of the regular
army and the Natinal Guard. 1T is
likely that more than a thousand
new appointments will be made be-
fore next summer. The commits sions
of the mon assigned this week will
date from Nov. so.
1t is natural that there should be
some annoyance among the senior
cadets at West Point about the. posi-
bility of these newly appointed! men,
most, if not all. of whom will Ite sent
to the officers schools at Fort. Leav-
enworth or Fort Monroe for Instruc-
ton outranking them in the army.
The friends Of the cadets have been
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
The CLOSE of Death"

The Allies are indebted to American
inventive genius for d most deadly
weapon ''The Hose Of Death" and
1.-THE Belgian Rattlesnake" are the
descriptive titles bestowed by the men
in the trenches upon the Lewis ma
chine gun, the Invention of Colonel
States Army officer.
The Lewis machine gun, although
by no means perfect-the machine
gun as a weapon of war has not yet
cut its wisdom teeth-has many adj
vantages. It is light-weighs but &c n
pounds and can be carried by one
man alone easily, it can be quickly
loaded in the dark 1t is cooled by air
and needs no water, 1t fires, with
lightning-nke rapidity, from 200 to
500 shots a minute, and the recoil is
SO slight that it can be fred from the
shoulders like and ordinary rifle. It's
light weight makes it peculiarly
adapted to use on airplanes, and it was
first machine gun fired from an air
plane-at College Park, Md, in 1912,
when 1t marked the beginning of a
new era in warfare as the Army
and Navy Register put it. The fol-
1oWIlS year a prominent banker or
Antwerp CHANGED to witness a. dem
onstration of the gun fired from an
airplane in Belgium and was so i'm
pressed with it that within forty
eight hours he had acquired the Euro
pean rights to make it,
Colonel Lewis offered the rights to
the Ordnance Department of the
United States Army free of charge
as he had offered all his inventions
gratis to his country only to have it
refused repeatedly and never given
a thorough test, although such men
as General Wood and General Fun
ston championed the gun STRONGLY
Finally he became discouraged and
asked to be retired from the service
so that he might go abroad and find
market for his new invention-Reei
maid T. Townsend, in Worlds Work.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
y True National Guard Regiment.
New York WORLDLY

Americanism of poor kind has
received a singing rebuke in Pitts
h'argh, where the Eighteenth regi-
mlent of the Pennsylvania National
Guard, ordered home from the Mexi-
ician border as the result of local
dlamor, has unanimously refused to
accept banquets or other public tes-
timonials. The fact that this organ
fization had no desire to be withdrawn
Ffrom duty while 1t GOULD be of SER
vice and that it resented the methods
by which its return was brought
about is as fine an expression of
Americanism as has lately been seen.
In this case the assum ption in
Pittsburgh was that the regiment was
homesick and in distress land that ac-
ton leading to it's recall would be as
gratifying to the soldiers as 1t natural
ly would be to their relatives and
friends. A newspaper campaign was
inaugurated. Public meetings were
held A committee of leading citi-
zens visited Washington. Now those
who hoped to celebrate the organiza-
TONS resumption of private life find
that the dinner is on the table but
that the guests of honor are absent.
Since much Of the criticism of the
National Guard arises from such Incl
dents as this. the example of the
Pittsburgh regiment should be me-
morable, These men are not slack
ers. They are not glad to be home
on the terms presented to them.
Their treatment in the field, they say,
was good and they would have re-
manned willingly, holidays or no hol-
idays, as long as they were needed
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01

circulating vigorous protests against
the obvious injustice of this result of
enlarging the list of army officers.
But the 1910 graduates of West Point
are all first 1ieutenants and there is
no reason Why the members of the
class Of 1911 should not be appointed
directly to that rank The superior
ity of the training of the West Point
man should not be ignored. He has,
as a matter of fact, four years OF in
tensive training. Either by executive
order, or by special law passed by
congress, West Point cadets should
be commissioned first neutenants on
their graduation as long as the pres
ent draft Of men from civil life con-
tinues, and that may be for five years.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01

lands legitimate reparation, satisfac-
tory guarantees and secure safeguards
for the future" In their own way of
putting it, the allied nations say:
fully conscious Of the gravity Of this
moment, but equally conscious of its
requirements, the Allied Governments,
closely united to one another and in
perfect sympathy with their peoples,
refuse to consider proposal which is
empty and insincere. Once again the
Allies declare that no peace Is possible
so long as they have not secured
reparation for violated rights and
liberties, the recognition Of the prin-
ciple of nationalities and of the free
existence of small states; so long as
they have not brought about q settle
ment calculated to end once and for
all forces which have constituted a
perpetual menace to the nations and
to afford the only effective guarantee
for the future security of the world"
Thus do the Allied nations hook on
militarism. If they hold to their
tenets nothing will satisfy them but a
complete crushing of the Teutonic
forces or the disarmament Of their
enemies. With this stand taken by
the nations fighting the Central
Powers there is little hope of an early
peace what though optimists may look
for better things in their reply to
President Wilson's note of inquiry of
December IS. Germany is as proud
today as she was a year ago. She
will not give in to her enemies any
more quickly than they will bow to
her proposals. And SO the matter
rests. Will there be an end to the
war in this year of the Lord, 1917?
The prospect is not rosy.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Music and Commercialism.
(Philadelphia Ledgero


The man who originated the
scheme for an American Bayreuth in
North Carolina is now bringing suit
against certain persons who. he al
leges, have been attempting to con-
vert his artistic enterprise into a
scheme for disposing of real estate
in the vicinity of Mount Mitchell, on
whose TANKS the festival was to be
held, Art often goes hungry, seeking
for bread and getting a stone; but the
true artist prefers TO endure privation
rather than give the money changers
access to the temple There have been
many great singers and players who
were keenly avaricious and would
give battle to the last cent for just
as much as could be squeezed out Of
an unhappy impresario. But most
of the first rate musical virtuosi are
not by nature mercenary. To call
the roll of great musicians before the
public-such as Melba, Paderewski
and Kreisler (and the list might be
indefinitely extended)-is to name
many who are at present turning
their huge earning power almost
wholly to the relief of those whom
war has impoverished. The North
Carolina promoter in the present in
stance would not mind it so much,
presumably, If the money to be made
from his venture poured into the
pockets of musicians. 1t takes money
to run any scheme of opera, orches-
ira or festival. But the minute the
dollar mark comes in sight the muse
is likely to take wing, believing her
ideal shattered and the poetic atmos-
phere polluted.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Dining Ont in Washington.

Washington is our great national
school of >slfining out" With all the
Developments of American civilization,
"dining-ou has still-let us be
honest-for the greater part of the
native-boril a character at once semi
scored and terrifying. The magazine
advertisements give glimpses of our
easier, more genuinely characteristic
circles, where the arrival of guests Is
signalized by the decanning or some
beans and the opening Of a bottle OF
Ohio champagne. And ladies may ar
rive in Washington with the concep-
ton, so prevalent in the most popular
books, ard plays that a butterfly Of
fashion is mainly occupied with bridge
parties and afternoon teas. But at the
capital they soon wake to the fact that
even -ladies' lunch,' however pref
tily the table and the salad may be
decorated. gets them nowhere; and
that only formal, concerted, night
feeding is socially valuable.
In Washington, however, as every
where in America, man lags behind In
all social activities The burden of
eating and overeating, always falls
heavily on a comparatively small band
of dining males You take In the
same Istdy pretty often. Apropos Of
this, there is a story of a weary young
Washingtonian who proposed mar
riage ia this impassioned phrase: You
see, dear if we are married they'll
have TO stop putting US next each
other at dinner"
It us needless to insist upon the
value, in such a society, of aliens,
who Neat out easily. Indeed, 1t can
scarcity be wondered at II second,
third, and fourth secretaries Of the
emha ssies come to believe that the
services expected of them are wholly
gastr onomic. There was a. prepos-
teroLls story at the time when Wash
ingto,n's chief club burned that, in its
very smoking ruins, young diplomats
were seen by the f1remen hurriedly
counting their boiled shirts to make
SURE that they could still dine out
isoli Rhodes in f,uzyb,s,b 2f1fY212 fl
every night that week!-Harrison
Rhodes in Harper's Magazine
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
or With the Old; On With the Ne

OFF With the Old; On With the New.
the new
sorrow;
I'm weary of such as the past held
to view
And 1 long for the kiss of tomorrow.
The Old Year has gone. Let it speed
on it's way!
Nor shall it return to torment me.
I'm through with it's wiles and it's
snares from today
For the New Year is here to
content me.
Then on with the new love and off
with the old
Away with the yesteryear doing
And fill to the brim the new chalice
of gold
And pour out the dregs Of old brewing.
There's never heartache or tear to
be shed
Ger the visions that dreams bring
to ponder;
But there's ever a sigh for the hopes
that are dead
And are buried way back in the
yonder.
Then here's to the new love, the young
love, and true
That carries no semblance of sorrow.
I pledge it my troth DER the bosom
of you,
My old love, and drink to the
morrow.
WY LADD.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Pages Of Red and Black
neH Story of old City

Washington, D.. c., Jan. when
Roumania's COVE rnment fed from
Bucharest to Jass sly, it was the nth
European capitol to be removed from
it's regular seat land it makes one of
quartette still s'way-that Of France
having been NOV ed back TO Paris after
the retreat of the Teutons from the
Marine. In bulletin issued today,
the National Geographic Society says
of JaSsy:
''Jassy, to Which the Roumanian
government was moved when the Cen
trail powers Threatened Bucharest,
lies in the extrem me eastern section Of
Northern Mol6havia, just a few miles
inside the border from the Pruth,
which forms the boundary between
Russia and Ro nmania.
Though ha;tdly a fourth as large
as Bucharest, lit has always prided it
self on having been the capitol Of
ancient Moldarsia, and has worn the
airs of metropolitan city, and kept
apace of the fashions Of Western Eu-
rope in general and of Paris in par
ticular, as weh as Bucharest
THE population Of Jassy is about
$4,000, one-th ird of whom are Jews.
Many Of the old-line boyar families,
with lineages going back long centur-
les, retain tn seir homes in the city,
homes which were the center of off,
cial life and gaiety until the princi-
palities of NIoldavia and Wallachia
united and tn e capital was removed to
Bucharest in 1851. These old homes
are stately, for they were built by rich
landowners whose principal occupa-
ton was that of enjoying the luxuries
that a. retinme of retainers as long as
a kings list could earn for them.
Il classy has a rich ecclesiastical his
tory, and it's religious buildings today
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01

New Year may there be
Iunshine and Eladness for

New Year may there be
unshine and gladness for
ers. May the news that
korded in these columns
Ind abroad be written so
no stab or hurt to the
hose our friends. May
Eays an absence Of sor-
Bpair from the homes
chronicler of worldly
|s. In the inevitable. IT
lh or desolation visited to
the course OF the next
h, may they be met by
and minds reconciled to
SO that the greater joys
hal will never be crushed.
the uncertainty of life
Ing the fitful fever may
death at any moment,
New Year will spare us
hight live and see a bet
brotherly love permeate
inverse, and more par
community in which we
|A1ine. not shadow: health,
wealth. not poverty;
failure: life, and lots of
the blessings the Herald
III the Inhabitants of New
ax the New Year. And
ke harbinger of even bet
scome.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Black Ruins Awful Path.
(New York World.)

In this holiday, time of cheer. when
Wall Street is giving bonuses to clerks
who work overtime counting money
taken from the lambs, and trades
men get such good prices that house,
wives find it hard to pay their bills.
how sad is the duty of recounting the
plight Of the Wells Fargo Express
company, ruined by parcel-post COM
petition
Before socialistic theories so won
upon an ignorant congress as to
wreak havoc upon a benevolent mon
opoly, the Wells Fargo WAS q paying
proposition. For fifteen years it had
steadily given its owners ten per cent.
dividends when, in December, 3a0a,
with no thought of the time Of trial
ahead. it "cut a melon by increas-
ing its stock from $s.OO0.000 to $24,-
100000, on which the grateful
public was expected to provide prof
it's, and by giving eech shareholder
$500 per share in cash, 5000 Tor new
shares and 800 to spend.
How different the case now---how
different and how melancholy! III the
seven years since the stock was In
creased the company. aithoughft has
absorbed tho business OF the defuncr
United States concern, has been able
to accumulate only sS,a13,974 OF UNI
divided profits, from which special
dividend of 33.33 per cent, or SIS. ooos-7
900, has just been voted In .Adutt1on
to a regular dividend of ger cent.
Think on the contrast! A melon
of only 1888 a share, instead OF
$500. as in 1909; only $24,667,oo0 Of
Investment Sc curities in the TIL;
paltry million Of undivided incoue
left for new accretions, and no adol-
ton whatever to the stock upon when
future profits are to be figured! isE9
a flash OF lightning on the black rum
awful path is the New Year report et
this harried COZ operation. HeaVe,,
fend us all from harm In the dafA
days that are to come!
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
DIR. EHot's Busy Life.
fKansas City Starr

Ex-President Eliot of HaJvalu
wrote a striking article for the Atio'
tic in the campaign urging the
election of President Wilson, use
striking an article for the "orie.
Work advocating universal nlll'f
training. and another article for go
General education board on Chgsss
Needed in American Secondary - :,
cation" In the local option ~.
Boston he has been a mem per1 "a
dry committee. DIR. Eliot wssosSs,I
wears old next March. MosT "A
half that age aren't as aYHE 80
open minded and hospitabis8
ideas. ks
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01

1t was rather unkind Of Prof. Rob-
inson of Princeton Ito say that Louis
XXI robbed the henroosts of the people
of France. Aside from the fact the
Professor might meet the same pun
fshment doled out to the Tacoma
man sent to Jail for ibelling George
Washington, there is danger of hurt
ing "Louie's" name in New Orleans.
They do not think much Of chicken
thief in the South.
New Britain herald., 1917-01-01

time which they evidently believe
has not yet expired.
No matter what our militarists
may say, the weak spots in the Ma
tiona1 Guard system are not so much
in the Guard itself as in the people at
home who constitute themselves it's
guardians and pamperers. While
that spirit prevails, how much bet
ter off shall we be with national regi-
ments drawn from specific districts?