davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13

indemnify the people against the costt
and expenses incurred. The action
must be tried before q jury.
The process herein briefly outlinet
Is admittedly long and expensive, but
itahas served the State satisfactorily
for years. Election contests are
made difficult to initiate and sus
tain--or, rather, are not made easy
to Initiate md sustain--because Il
must be assumed that elections nrt
honestly conducted and canvasslns
the vote is accurately done. This
assumption has been generally justi
fed. The Hearst-McClellan recount
revealed no fraud, though II devel
oped certain differences in judgmen,
as TO the intent Of voters. Justice
LAMBERT, who presided In this &C
ton, was careful to point out tina,
another judicial examination Of the
same ballots might result in further
differences In judgment. In the case
OF DELAHAETY against MCINTYRE, al.
though the recount resulted in a
change Of 1,042 votes, giving della.
iIANTY a plurality Of S26 when the
canvaseers had given McINTYRE n
plurality of $40, the jury found that
the ballots had been tempered with
subsequent to election night and even
during the progress of the trial
Judge MCINTYRE was confirmed in
his title to his Office.
II 1t were made simple and mex
pensive TO throw election returns into
the courts u grave situation of I'M
certainty in public affairs would re.
suit. Contests would multiply in
number, and no title to an office won
In a close election would be free from
attack. Occasionally injustices may
result from the operation Of the pres
ent system, but endless inconvenience
and hardship would be the fruit of
any scheme Of election which did
not treat the official canvass as final
except when extraordinary circum.
stances existed.
The discussion arising from the
narrow plurality by which Mr.. SMITH
was declared elected has been nota-
BILE In one aspect. Allegations of
fraud have been scarcely heard in It.
The questions raised haye had to do
with possible errors committed in good
faith by the election officers, rather
than with deliberate wrongdoing.
There has been no disposition on the
part of the public to question the up.
rightness OF the count.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
THE CASE FOR THE DOG.
II Nothing Else, He Is n Good Ex.
ample TO Man.

To THE EDITOR oY THE SUN-Sir: Most
OF the arguments given by american
in favor OF "a wholesale slaughter OF
mans oldest friend are easily rebuttet
" not actually disproved His real UNI
DERIVING reason. had he given It. would
have been unansworable. lie should
on because hate them"
There Is no need, OF course. for JUST.
fication OF the watchdog, the war dog
the sledge dog. the sheep dog. the blood
hound, tho killer OF vermin, the dog
of St Bernard. They speak for them
selves. 1t Is the so-called useless dog
who needs defence. Let me confess,
however. an unwillingness TO discuss
lap dogs. My remarks herein apply to
real dogs only, although some of them
could without doubt be stretched to in
.clude even the poodle. the Pom and
the Mexican hairless.
I am inclined TO think that the dogs
greatest contribution TO his master is
spiritual one. They constitute a ire
mendous humani5ing influence. Selfish
ness. self-centredness, business, are
qualities rarely found In one who owns
and loves a dog. Always there Is the
example before him OF perfect devotion,
perfect trust, unselfshness personined.
faith incarnate. Can such qualities fail
to call forth. in some degree at least,
similar qualities on the part of the mas
ter or mistress? Then, too. there Is the
unfoi'ing optimism and enthusiasm. Dis
enlargement and despair are words alb
sent from a dogs vocabulary. can
testify from experience that as a keeper
ur Of morale in the individual there are
few things that can surpass that OBJ
streperously expressed canine optimism.
And yet, forsooth. they bark. Aye.
and cats new and horses neigh and
hens cackle, player pianos rumble. street
cars Jangle. dog haters howl and some
people even snore. All. me. what a world
II is. Dog OWNER.
BROOKLYN Decenber\f2
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
Give Badges to Our DISCHARGED
Soldiers.

The War Department has issued
an order providing that officers, field
clerks, enlisted men and "other uni
formed personnel of the authorized
army" who have served six months
in the present war outside the theatre
Of cosratiOns shall wear silver chew
rons corresponding to the gold chev.
rons which distinguish those who
have been overseas. OF those who
remained on this side of the water
the order says:
Their contribution to military success
is no less than those who have had op-
portunity for service at the front
ION them devolved the creation OF
the great armies Of the nation. and their
supply with the equipment and stores
| indispensable TO military operation.
without them the troops abroad
could have accomplished nothing.
In many instances their retention on
home duty has been due TO their excep-
tional military and administrative eff
cheney.
They have been in readiness for any
service which the interests Of tho Gov
eminent required them to perform. and
have been cheerful and without thought
Of self when given duties not in accord
ance with their own desires.
THE country holds in grateful appre-
citation the fundamental service they
have rendered In the winning Of the
war"
IL has been necessary to keep par
ticularly well qualified officers and
men here in order to provide the back.
bone Of the organization which kept
men on the way to Europe. In thou.
sands Of cases the personal desires OF
these men had to be ignored. They
were more useful here than they
would have been abroad. The silver
chevrons are proper and we'll earned
marks of distinction for them.
But such chevrons are part of the
army uniform, and have no place in
civilian dress. SO far no badge has
been prescribed to identify men who
have served with the colors and sub.
sequently have returned to private
life. Such badge should be au-
thorized Mt once. and should be is
sued to men on their discharge. No
distinction should be made in award
ing it between men who crossed the
sea and men who stayed at home. Or
between officers and enlisted men.
This badge should mean only that It's
wearer did his duty In the army. and
that the Government authorized It as
evidence of the honor in which he is
held by his countrymen.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
A Curious Item In the Census Re-
port on NeKPOea.

Negro Population in the United
States" a census volume now issued.
shows that of the nearly 100000
colored persons in this country In
1910 only 4O,339 were of foreign
birth. Perhaps more curious is the
statement that OF these only 473
were born in Africa. the source of
the slave traders evil wealth. 1t is
curious because, in spite of Congress
and Of the cooperation between the
American and British navies to end
what had been designated as piracy.
slave trading between African and
American shores went on practically
to the beginning of the civil war.
STEPHEN A. DoUGLAs-to quote one
witness unbiased on at least this sub
ject--declared that 5000 slaves were
struggled into the United States in
1859. Indeed. it was In that very
year that Captain w. c. CoRRIE was
expelled from the New York Yacht
Club for using his yacht Wanderer
to bring slaves from the Congo to
Jekyl Island. Most of these poor
creatures were between the ages of
Is and IS, and would now, il alive
be between ~ and a. If the slavers
we're as active in other years of the
late sos rs they were in 1850, and
the ages of their victims were as low,
it seems strange that there is not a
more considerable number Of African
born negroes in America. 1t cannot
even be assumed that the 4T3 men,
toned in the census report were all
slaves. For all of that publication,
they may have come from Africa
since the civil war.
Perhaps there are negroes who do
not wish their sad early history
known. or who have forgotten it. Yet
here Is an instance where the census
taker might have picked up some hu-
man information If he were not ham
pered by his orders. To know that
negroes own Il total of thirty eight
acres of woodland in Adams county,
Wisconsin, may be important to some
body; but to know how many Ameri.
cans experienced all the horrors Of
slavery, beginning with the rush on
the Congo village, would be n great
deal more Interesting.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
Three Truths About the Monroe
Doctrine.

Our neighbor the New York Times
utters Il truth when it says:
Publ, opinion in this country is nc
more prepared for the abandonment OF
the Monroe Doctrine than British pub.
lie opinion Is prepared for the abandon
merit OF the British navy"
President WILSON uttered n truth
when he said:
'"The Monroe Doctrine was pro-
claimed By the United States on her
own authority. II always has been
maintained and always will be main
tanned upon her own responsibility"
The Monroe Doctrine and--to use
President WILSON'S own language
"all the differences that flow from
It" constitute the traditional policy Of
the United States of America. This
policy was described In the Senate
resolution OF April ., 1908, ratifying
the treaty for the settlement of In
ternatiOnal disputes concluded nj The
Hague on October 1S, 1907:
Nothing contained in this conven-
ton shall be so construed as to require
the United states of America to depart
from its traditional policy OF not In
truding upon. interfering with. or en-
tangling itself in the political questions
OF policy or internal administration of
any foreign state: nor shall anything
contained in the said convention be con-
strued TO imply a REIMBURSEMENT by the
United States Of it's traditional attitude
toward purely American questions"
This declaration is an inseparable
part of the treaty we made with all
the ratifying Powers. The Constitu-
ton makes our treaties part OF the
supreme law of the land.
The third truth about the Monroe
Doctrine and "all the differences that
flow from it" is that they cannot be
set aside by Executive net, and are
valid rs the expression of our Gov
ernment's policy and attitude until
the foregoing declaration is modified
or withdrawn by the legislative au-
thority which originally made it.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
20 TAMBIEN.
Colorado Campaign Oratory Recalled
by Americas Peace DELEGATION

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: The
personnel of the American delegation
to the Versailles peace conference and
the remark Of Senator johnson about
there being but one God and Mahomet
is his prophet" have reminded me Of a
bit OF ancient history.
About twenty-five years ago, during
an election campaign in Las Animas
county. Colorado. there were two cam
dtdates. Feliciano Vigil and Billy FL
more. running on tho Democratic ticket
for county commissioner. Las Animas
county Is In the southern part Of the
State across the Now Mexico line. There
were four or five precincts In which the
population was wholly M2Xican-by the
way, they were almost solidly Demo-
cratic too, Campaign orators II they
could not speak to the voters In those
precincts in their own language did so
through the medium Of an Interpreter.
Billy Gilmore was no Demosthenes.
but he could dance the varsoviana with
the best OF the Mexicans. and in other
ways he was popular with the scnorltas
and senoras. who that year had the
right 10 vote. Political meetings stnated
early, After the speechmsking the night
was given over to the bale.
The Democratic specchmailing was
shortened by n peculiar COR bination OF
facts that might find ill., dun ,lcntion In
Versailles when President Wilson gets
up to explain his fourteen points, should
his codelegates echo his remarks. as did
Billy Gilmore the speech Of Candidate
Vigil. which was something like this:
Ladies' and gentlemen. fellow ci,i-
zens and voters: ! am very glad 10 he
here and meet so many OF YOU" (Blly
Elmore: "Yo tambien.") Il have lived
in this county twenty-five years" only
Elmore: "Yo tamblen.")
II am a wool grower. sheep raiser,
like YOU" tBilly Emore: "Yo tam
bien.D Il have been nominated by the
Democratic nartv for county commSs-
s!oner." Chilly lAE1ore "Yo tamblen.D
81 hope to be elected and will promise
you to be. n good otficial" Billy Ell
more "Yo tamblen.")
In addition TO being no orator Billy
was no l!ngu!st, but he knew that "Yo
tamhien" meant ''Me too" w. Il. S.
New York. December ~.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
TRADE BRIEFS.

\ world cane sugar crop 1889 ton,
less and beet sugar crop l6l II. tom
less than the 1918 Weld are looked for
In laisla nv Wllett n Gray ~ New York.
who have lust made public their pre.lml-
naTy new season ngut.s.
Tho month NJ Septemhor. according to
= report Issued ry the Department o.
Agriculture aud T, chulcal Instruction for
ireland, proved continuously wet an,l
broken As result saving Of Ia. cora
crops has been seriously lu,erfcreu with.
and much damage has been caused both
to grain and straw.
The felt mills Of the Cn!ted states. an
NJ which have been operating 70 100 me-
cent. capacity on Government work ex.
clusve.y. have been released from the OBJ.
legation az submitting 10 the Felt section
OF the Wa Industries BOARD any further
applications for permits to produce and
sell their merchandise.
a oognsc dIstllcry H. Chue Is IN the
market FOR bottles Labels. supplies and
improved machinery. About half a milf.
Ton bottles ar" used annually: they mr.. Of
light green glnss and contain about Que
liter.
The manufacture OF white arsenic OF a
commercial scale Was 5rouGh, 10 a. sue.
eessful stage In Rhooesia early this year.
An iron works has just been founded at
Uisor, Norway, with an authorized capital
81 $l,ooo,o0o. II is proposed TO make steel
and to roll angles and bars--i6. 900 10
1000 tons year.
The representative OF nrm in South
Africa, who IL at present In the United
States desires 10 purchase complete starch
making machinery and equipment with a
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
When Did the President Make Up
His Mind About the Railroads?

On Monday afternoon. December ..
President WH.soN said to the Senate
and House assembled ut the Capitol
to hear his Farewell Address:
THE question which causes me the
greatest concern Is the question Of the
policy TO be adopted toward the rail-
roads. ! frankly turn to you for coun-
sci upon il, / have no confident judg-
ment OF my own. do no; sec how any
thoughtful man can have who knows
anything OF the complcxity of the prob
lem. It is a problem which must he
studied, studied Immediately and studied
without bias or prejudice. Nothing can
be gained by becoming partlsans OF any
particular plan Of settlement"
That was on Monday. On Tuesday
night nj midnight the President. after
llisposlng Of the accumulated routine
business of his office, took train fot
lloboken. On Wednesday morning
little after 10 O'Clock he went to sea
on the George Washington, beginning
the voyage that Is expected to end
to-day at Brcst. Frequent reports by
wireless have represented him as
huSlly engaged in the preparation nf
the addresses he intends to make
while abroad, and in conferences. in
the cabin specially provided for that
purpose on the George Washington.
with his fellow commissioners. lie
can scarcely have had much time left
to study the complex problem con-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13

corning which he announced, few
hours before his departure, that he
had formed no confident Judgment Of
his own.
Yet the Director General of Rail-
! roads under the present war arrange.
ment announced yesterday morning,
forty-elght hours before the Presi-
dents arrival at Brest, a definite plan,
particular plan, for the. treatment
Of the question about which the Pres.
ident said on December that he had
no confident judgment Of his own.
Nothing could be more particular,
nothing could be more definite, than
the recommendation Of Mt. McADoo
that the period Of Government con-
troll Of the railroads shall be extended
during FIVE years Of peace. And OF
this plan Director General McApoo
remarks:
The President has given me permits
sion TO say that this conclusion accords
with his own view Of the matter"
The chronology of "this conclusion"
Is what interests us at the present
moment. Only nine days after Pres!.
dent WILSON declared that he had
no confident judgment Of his own
upon the subject, thus provoking n
hearty IL good natured laugh in the
Congress to which he frankly"
turned for counsel, Mr.. McADoo in
forms that same Congress that he
has permission to say that the Presi-
dent is in favor OF at least 1--WE years
Of governmental control, not on ac-
count Of war emergency. but wholly
of experimentation and possible prep
aration Of public opinion for mo-
mentous enterprise of paternalism
and of vast extension Of Executive
responsibility and power.
When did the President arrive at
the confident judgment which was
lacking in his intellectuals forty.elght
hours before he sailed2
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
OPEN THE SPEEDWAY?
The Admission Of Motor Cars Is ID
10 the Legislature.

To THE EDITOR OF THE Su&--Sir: In
denying the application for an injunc-
ton that would open the Speedway TO
automobiles Justice Cohalan said that
III the public is Inconvenience or seri-
ously prejudIced by the continuance Of
the usc OF the driveway for its present
purposes, the statute should be repealci
by the Legislature"
There Is every indication that the fight
to open the Speedway for the use Of
automobiiists viii be renewed when the
recently elected Senator's and Assembly.
men from Harlem and WASHINGTON
Heights 20 TO Albany. It Is understood
that they will work to put through a
bill 20 open the driveway for general
use. Senator Bowling, who succeeded in
having the Senate pass bill giving the
Park Commissioner the power to turn
the Speedway into public parkway last
March, which bill the Rules Committee
Of the Assembly failed TO report out, will
probably father a new measure.
Speedway figures show that In one
week OF 1917. except Sunday, there wcrc
$50 horse drawn vehicles. m average
u - n day. going and coming. and Is
euuestrians, An average Of three q day
Including Sunday. there were 900 veh'-
cles, an average OF % day. and %
equestrianS, an average Of four n day.
Yet the Speedway has cost the city about
$4,000 900
Sentiment in Harlem, on the Heights
and in Inwood IL In favor OF opening tho
Speedway TO general traffic In Its pres
ent state il serves no other puroose Than
that OF an exercising ground for trottiug
horses and a place on which 10 hold
Sunday brushes n the attendance at
the brushes last summer can be used as
criterion. then the horse Is losing its
popularity. w.
New Yong DCcen.hr- 10
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
A Heavy Tax Proposed for the Use.
less Dog.

TO THE EpIToE OF THE SUN-Sir! The
dog problem has always been OF inter-
est to me. 1t seems TO me that the
thousands of non-cssential women fos-
tcring non-essential dogs in New York
CITY could make profitable use CT their
time and the money expended on these
dogs by taking up Red Cross WORK. and
purchasing warm garments for needy
children. OF course we all realize that
this type of woman is usually the type
that spends her time "tea-ing" with
young dancing men in the afternoon.
and possibly It would be difficult prov
lem 20 cure her OF her disease OF use
icssness. suggest that heavy dog
tax he imposed on all owners OF use
less dogs. This might have n tendency
TO ohliterI:e the disease and aid hui
mainly. IRENE NJ. HARTLEY.
NEW YORK. December IL.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
Fourteen Students to One Point,

OF ali European sovereisns none is
more punctillous than the King of
Spain:
MADRID, Dec. liking ALFONSO
has appointed fourteen eminent jurists
to study SPANS relationship with the
proposed League o: Nations"
In some lands n ruler might con
slider enc mind, perhaps his own.
capable to pass upon not merely one
point Of the Fourteen Points but all
the Fourteen.
It is indeed an act OF old fashioned
Spanish courtesy for this young mon.
arch TO call fourteen wise men 20 put
their Intellectuals at work upon one
point Of the Fourteen.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
u. S. SEEKS TO END
CHILE-PERU FRACAS
Note Offers to SoIUe Problem,
for Nations.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 12-Acting Sec
rotary Polk made public to-day the
text OF the note handed by the United
States Ambassador recently 10 the
Presidents OF Chile and Peru. urging
that the two South American nations
owe II TO the rest of the world to
compose their differences and inform
ing them that the United States
stands ready to tender alone or in
conjunction with other countries Of
this hemisphere ell possible assist
ance" to bring about an equitable So
luton.
The President OF the United
States" says the note. desires 10 in
form your EXcellency that the various
incidents leading up to the severance
of consular relations between the re-
publics of Chile and Peru have been
viewed by the Government OF the
United States with the gravest appre.
hension.
ANY agitation tending to lessen
the prospect for permanent peace
throughout the world. particularly Oh
the eve OF the converting Of the peace
conference In Paris in which II Is con-
hdentiy expected that steps will he
taken to provide for an era Of last
ing peace among all peoples would
be disastrous, and those persons who
had caused this condition would he
charged with grave responsibility be-
FORE the world for their actions.
That a satisfactory and peaceful
solution OF the matter in dispute he.
tween the two countries may I've ar
rived at there can he no doubt. and
the Government of the United states
stands ready to tender alone ~ in
conjunction with the other countries
Of this hemisphere all possible a..
sistance to brig about an equitable
solution az the matter"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13

We are thankful for the passing Of the
family bird cage Remember when We all
owned two or three and kept them hlled
with red birds. brown thrushss and other
sonssters We SHARED In nearby forests
And how they used to wear all the feath-
ers on their breasts beating against tho
wires In their desire for liberty" This
ro'e was suggested by n beautiful rod
bird who hoppei on our window sill and
gave friendly pork or two by way Of
greeting, L. T. because sc have learned
to know and appreciate cur wi'd feathered
friends that We treat them l!kc God in
tended We should.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-13
Governor Smiths Certificate OF
Election.

As ALFRED F. SMITH was elected
Governor of New York on the face
OF the returns, he Will receive his
certificate Of election in the ordinary
routine of administration, without
delays or complications resulting from
the preliminary scrutiny of the bal
lots cast on November , which was
asked for by Governor WHITMAN.
This Is the effect Of the decisions Of
the Court Of Appeals unfolding JUS
tice PHnRIS's ruling refusing the ap-
plicatlOn TO inspect the ballots cast
In New York county, and Diminishing
the application for immediate exami.
nation Of the void and protested bal.
lots cast in Richmond county.
After the certificate of election has
issued, the Attorney General. on his
own information, or upon complaint
"f n private person. may begin an
action nj law against "A person who
uSllrps, intrudes into, or unlnwfully
holds or exercises, within the State,
Il franchise or a public Office" ,(Code
of Clvll Procedure, Section l94s).
The action must be brought In the
name Of the people Of the State; and
when ii is brought on the relation or
information Of Il person having in.
terest In the queStnn--thai IS, when
the Acknowledgement does not bring
II on his own lnformatlon--the com
plant must allege and the title of
the action must show II Is brought
on the relation Of that person. In
such case the Acknowledgement. az a
condition to bringing the action, must
require the relator to give security to