davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-12-31
TOO LATE TO CLASSIFY

FOR RENT-unfurnish rooms. l1l7
Harris street on car line. Phone
l2i1 3l.3
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18

1t was on April |, that dav which
we all remember as the day when
"our boys" came home. Mrs.
Smith had invited number of
elderly ladies to her home in Porter
Avenue to witness the return of
the soldiers to the armory near bv.
That same morning she heard that
one of her friends, Judge Adamson.
once member of Congress. now
Judge in the Custom Court of Ap-
peals, was in Buffalo for the day.
That evening Mr.. and Mrs.
Smith and their friends, Judge
Adamson, and his wife, dined to-
gether very quietly at the Country
Club. 1t was here, in the presence
of her husband and her friends that
Mrs. Smith received the long dis
tance telephone message asking her
to be in. Albany early the next
morning. In answer to the message
she left for Albany that night. not
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
MfS. Charles Bennett Smith

the sword of Damoclcs snapped. and
Congressman Smith once more be-
came plain Mr.. Smith, his wife felt
not a pang of real regret In fact.
she was rather glad, because the
sword fell before her husband had
grown old in the service, too old to
begin in line of new endeavor.
But even then she felt not the
falntest STRINGS of desire for 4
personal career. Consequently when
she heard that her name had been
introduced as prospect to fill the
vacancy on the Civil Service Com
mission she was astounded al
though, of course, immensely graft
fed. The day on which Mrs. Smith
heard something really definite re-
garding the proposed appointment
will stand out forever in her mind
for many reasons.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
10 bs- and Pie

had modestly risen to say that he
didn't need the flyer as much as his
pals and would drop out, which re-
suited, of course, in a flyer on the
spot from some one in the audi
ence.
What is the meaning of all this,
which is going on in dozens of huts
all over the city? 1t means here in
New York what it meant behind the
firing lines, that boys from all over
the United States are coming in
touch, many of thcm for the first
time, with the best which we have
to offer them. They ure seeing new
kinds of people, getting new points
of view, which will be of value to
them all their lives; and with it
comes sense of how much the
boys first gave to us. No one can
fail to get big thrill who sits in
the little hut at Forty-sixth Street
and hears those boys singing, with
the late afternoon sunshine stream
ing in the windows as peacefully as
though there had been no war, and
the traffic of New York dividing
around the K. of G. and mingling
its roar with the boys voices.
Two K. of C. men tend to what
is perhaps the most vital corner of
the hut-the office where the boys
apply for employment. This de-
partment is in charge of the secre-
tary, Mr.. Rooney, and Mr.. Chomel,
and in their tireless efforts to get
the boys employment they have
some funny experiences.
What can I do for you?" Mr..
Rooney asked one day of boy who
seemed to be hanging around in a
vague sort of way.
us there pawnshop anywheres
near?" inquired the boy.
Fright across the street." said
Mr.. Rooney, pointing across Broad
way.
ooh" said the boy. "Well, amt
there any nearer than that?"
Another soldier presented HIM
self to Mr.. Chomel and said that he
had relatives in New York and
would like to see them.
"What are their names?" said Mr..
Chomel.
81 don't know, sir" said the SOL
der.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Come cticutS Idea: Citizenship First

necessary that competent person be
secured to develop and carry out the
plan, In February, 1918, Mrs.
Nancy M. Schoonmaker, a promi-
nent lecturer, author and suffrage
worker from New York, went to
Connecticut to take charge of the
new work, with only a knowledge
of the aims for the department and
her own intuitive sense of the way
in which they could best be carried
out to guide her.
The purpose of the Connecticut
Woman Suffrage Association as set
forth in "The Connecticut Idea"
was threefold
81. TO educate women for citi-
zenship, in advance of full en-
franchisement.
"2. To train as we'll as instruct
them Systematically by the devel-
opment Of complete department
of citizenship.
g. To develop them, in CO.
operation with the political par
ties, by self-activity in practical
issues.
''In short, to Americanize
American women"
The need for such training is en-
bodied in a further paragraph, en-
titled "Why?" which says:
Facing a world at war, the
Connecticut Woman Suffrage AS
sociation, in the spring of 1918,
formulated the following princi
pies:
"We believe that of all govern
ments a democracy stands most in
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Back to School!

the Children's Court states that tba
law practically doubled his work
during the fall and early winter
months, and feels that New York
committed grave error in permit
ting it to pass. '''
THE investigation tends to show
that many of the children who re.
turned to school, either voluntarily
or lnyoluntarily, have become rest.
less and dissatisfied with their school
work and are anxious to get ont into
industrial life again at the earliest
possible moment. 'N''
"ln conclusion it mast be- ad.
mltted that from the limited Wow.
point of a Back to School drive
only the drive was failure. as i
was unreasonable to expect that
children legally qualified to work,
and holding positions which paid
them abnormally high wages would
rehnquish their newly won jnde,
pendence and voluntarily return fo
school
But, though the Back TO School
drive was unsuccessful, the work
accomplished as Stay in School
df1Ye was distinctly satisfactory.
Certain recommendations nre.
sent themselves clearly as the out.
come OF this Back to School study:
(a) State or municipal saAol-
arshlps for children whose nat
ural attainments arc Of such
standard as to warrant their con-
tlnued attendance through high
school, and if necessary bevond
For those children ii years Of
age unable to meet the require
ments of the law for obtaining
employment certificates. but
whose earnings are essential at
home, child labor scholarships,
such IS are now provided by the
New York Child Labor Commit
tee, should also be provided by
the state or city to enable them
to remain in school without hard
ship to the parents until they are
fully qualified mentally aid ply
slcally 10 enter industry in safety.
(b) The number of visiting
teachers attached to public -.
schools should be greatly in
creased and they should be as
signed to individual schools and
! not, as under the present system =
of the Board of Edacation, to
group of schools.
(c) Additional continuation
schools are greatly needed.
Moreover, the requirements Of /,
four hours week attendance is
insufficient to enable the child to
obtain any real educational ad-
vantage from such continuation
schools.
I'D More attendance officers are
needed, as the principals assure
investigators that not only were
many of the children absent with
out leave when school opened,
but were away. many weeks be-
fore the attendance bureau,
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18

NHE hnlgntS OF COlum bus
yes, of course, you know,
and it's just splendid-but
what about the women?
What are they doing?
If you want to know how much
small group of women are doing
to help solve the big problem of our
returning soldiers, drop in, as I did,
at the X. of C. hut at Forty-sixth
and Broadway, any Tuesday, Thurs
day or Saturday afternoon from a
TO 6, and you will see what it means
to a COB who has just landed and
doesn't know who has cribbed his
job or what's become of his family
to have these huts to turn to, for
it isn't only the refreshments that
count and the shelter, but the sense
OF fun and comradeship which
means so much to these boys dur
ing the period of waiting that they
all must live through somehow.
This spirit of welcome is espe-
cially noticeable at the X. of c..
hut, owing to the generous and able
help which is being given there in
The form of entertainments every
other afternoon. How much the
boys appreciate it one can see from
the way they pack the hut to the
very doors-and it isn't only Marie
Dressler, Blanche Ring, Elizabeth
Murray, J. W. Donovan and dozen
others who add to the entertain
ment, for Miss Elisabeth Marbury
who is responsible for all this jol.
hty, sees to it that the boys them
selves contribute.
1t was matter of deep regret
to me to learn that | had missed a
pieeating contest which took place
last Thursday, the pies all supplied
needless to say, free of charge, like
everything else that the X. of c.
supplies. The contest was won,
learned, by Private Eddie Wood
who ate his in one minute and q
half; but there were so many other
participants that we feel sure q
good time was had by all
When ! slipped in last Tuesday
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
grade necessary for regular employ
ment certificate.

grade necessary for regular employ
ment certificate.
"On the whole, the opinions of
school principals are about evenly
divided as to the effect of the sum
mer vacation law on the truancy
problem of the city. Principals pre-
siding over schools in good residen-
tial districts, where parental control
is good and the poverty question not
pressing, are in favor of the law. In
those schools the children returned
to school promptly and were in no
way harmed by their working expe-
rience. On the other hand, princi-
pals whose schools are in poor
neighborhoods and whose children
are mostly those of foreign born
parents, where the economic press
ure is serious and the lack of pa
rental control conspicuous, are
strongly against this law and would
like to see it wiped off the statute
books. They assert that it has
caused them infinite trouble to get
their pupils back to school and that
many of them are still out.
"The chief probation officer of
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
BUFFALO. Nav 16.

NVEN in this day of compara-
~ tive enlightenment, when "a
-A0 woman in politics" is men
toned there arises a picture
of a tall, spare (not to say SKINNY
maiden lady, with hair drawn back
into a scrubby little knot, emphasiz-
ing the lines of a bony face, with
tightly compressed lips and piercing
eyes behind tortoise shell glasses.
tailored waists, with stiff, high COL
lars, and, of course, big, fiat hceled
shoes.
But It's all wrong, especially when
the particular woman referred to
is Mrs. Charles Bennett Smith, re-
Gently appointed member of the
New York State Civil Service Com
mission. Mrs. Smith is a big, moth
erly looking woman, with a pink and
white complexion and soft gray hair
She has a charming smile and
most delightful way of talking, to
which she adds woman's crowning
glory-a musical speaking voice.
Civil Service Commissioner,
Sounds like a big job, and it is a
big job, with vast opportunities.
Furthermore, Mrs. Smith is the ONLY
woman this side of the Rocky Noun
tains to hold such position.
II realize" said Mrs. Smith in an
interview given yesterday after
noon, "that making good isn't just
personal matter with me, but in me
women all over the country stand on
trial, and | owe it to the sex 20
make good One thing | am par
ticularly anxious to accomplish, and
that is to abolish all existing dis
elimination against women in the
civil service department. | want
to open many doors to women, ask
ing not for special favors, desirous
only of equal opportunities.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
)ONNECTICUT hasn't yet
got woman suffrage, but it
has an idea-at least, so af-

A y
got woman suffrage, but it
has an idea-at least, so af-
firms the Connecticut Wom-
an Suffrage Association in a pam
phlet entitled THE Connecticut
Idea" which it has just issued. And
its contention seems to be justified,
if one may judge by the results of
the citizenship work which the asso-
citation has done in the avowedly
rock-ribbed, conservative State of
Connecticut.
The Connecticut Woman Suffrage
Association claims the distinction of
being the first state in the Union to
undertake in so deliberate and COM
prehensive a manner the education
Of its women in the meaning and
methods of citizenship before they
are given the franchise. Other
states, after winning the vote, have
carried on such work, and some un-
enfranchised states are now taking
similar steps, but Connecticut has
developed an entire department of
citizenship and employs a salaried
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18

the knowledge had to be cleaned by
hand, as it were, from old docu-
ments, histories, newspaper clip
pings and verbal reports from "old
Settlers" many of which were more
amusing than illuminating.
The material thus collected was
first issued in set of six pamphlets
for use in the classes which Mrs.
Schoonmaker had been able to work
up during the time her research
work was going on. During the last
few months such great demand for
the subject matter of her lectures
has been expressed that she has
somewhat elaborated the material of
the pamphlets, and recently pub
lished it under the title "The Actual
Government of Connecticut" The
book already is being placed as a
text and reference book in high
schools, colleges, clubs and libraries.
The classes were first arranged
through the cooperation of the suf-
frage leagues in the state. They
were conducted in towns near to
each other, and the lecturer made
the tour once a week for six weeks.
Each lecture took up a definite
branch of government. The opening
one dealt with "Town and Country
Government From there, Mrs.
Schoonmaker took up in logical Sc
quence Borough and City Govern
nent, i" estate and National Govern
ment," "Political Parties and Elec-
tions' and "New Problems That
Await Us"
The two lectures which have
aroused most interest and comment
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18

Miss Marbury was offering a prize
Of IS to the boy who would come
up and do hornpipe, and whether
or not 1t was the three young lady
judges that scared the boys | do
not know, but they all jumped up
End did with the greatest enthu-
siasm everything except hornpipe j:
30 the fearful question before the
audience was, Should the hornpipe
money be given to the contortion-
'st, Or the clog-danccr, or the bary-
tone, or the monologist?
Who says there isn't talent in tho
army? The contortionist got the
prize, but not before the barytone
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
She Began
With Suffrage

Until very short time ago
Mrs. Smith was known to the pub
lie only as Congressman Smiths
wife" and with that classification
she was happy to help her husband
with details at Washington, enter
tanning no personal ambitions. AS
far back as twenty years ago, how
ever, Mrs. Smith was active in suf-
frage and always lent n helping
hand in the forwarding of the great
movement for women's votes.
Sooner or later she knew her hus-
band would not be returned to Con
gress--it happens to every Repre-
sentative sooner or later; even Joe
Cannon did not prove immune-and
last fall when the thread which held
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18

been invaluable in instilling an ide.
OF the necessity for the vote as
means of accomplishing the reforms
tc whose need women have hoo.
awakened.
The efforts of the association
have been spent thus far in "Amer-
icanizing" American women befor.
extending the work to fore;c,.
women.
The demand for citizenship lect.
ures has so increased that Mrs
Schoonmaker is no longer able to
fill all her engagements and is now
training several assistants to taxa.
over the actual teaching in ordo,
that she may give her own time ia
further upbuilding of the depart.
ment.
e
On the first of May Mrs. scboon-
maker began a three-weeks' lecture
tour through Wisconsin, Minnesota
and Missouri, to explain the Con.
necticut idea to various women,s
organizations.
Judging from popular results.
then, the Connecticut idea has de,
veloped from an embryonic posi-
blllty to successful actuality.
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Truth and
Political Parties

During last winter the scope of
the citizenship department widened
to include classes at normal and
preparatory schools, colleges, clubs
and associations of all sorts. In all
the classes care has been taken that
the course should be straight in
struction in citizenship, free from
suffrage propaganda.
AS matter of fact, the Connecti-
cut women believe the work has
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18

swamped as it was with the tru-
ent problem, was able TO secure
their return to school.
(e) In one hundred cases the
investigator could obtain no IN
formation from the school as 70
the whereabouts of the child:
This points clearly to the need OF
an annual revision in the school
census-the best known means
of discovering '.lost children.
(f) A wider extension of vo-
cational guidance work. If the
principle of the Stay in Schooi
drive is to become of permanent
value to school children they must
have chance early in their
school life-through expert coun-
sel-not only to learn the con-
crete advantages of education, but
the lines of industrial and com
mercial opportunities opening be-
fore them if they pursue thef
educational advantages to me
furthest possible extent.
Respectfully submitted,
JEANNE MINOR.
n. Y. Child Labor Conn l., -
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18

are probably those on political
Parties and Elections and New
Problems That Await U.s." Reviews
of her book have characterized her
treatment Of political parties as
rather bold" perhaps because she
has pointed out that the principles
which the parties have professed
have not been adhered to. AS an
example, she points out that the
Republican party, when out of
power, stands for states rights, and
that the Democratic party in power
supports Federal control,
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18

important to begin our political
and civic education and activity
now, before the vote is won. This,
we believe, will serve a double
purpose:
= 81. 1t will give proof of our
ability and will allay the fears of
those conservatives who honestly
believe that women are too igno-
rant for political activity.
"2. 1t will, by placing accurate
information in the hands of
women, prepare them to take, i'm
mediately after the vote is grant
ed, an intelligent part in their
government"
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Is Commissioners Of
Examinations

Immediately afterward her name
was sent to the Senate to be ratified
and as a result Oh April 8 she be-
came the official holder of position
held by woman for the first timo
IN the history of the commission.
MIS-. Smith S coworkers are Colonel
William Gorham Rice, Of Albany.
who is chairman, and Judge Clark,
of New York City.
There has been a new division
OF the work, and to Mrs. Smith has
fallen the branch which is unof-
tlclally known as the Commission of
Examinations. This entails the OBJ
tanning of information necessary to
make the applicant for certain
KIND Of position most effective.
1t does away with the slightest dan
ger Of unfairness. Along with this
special branch of the work there
goes, OF course, the regular work
designed for the commission. This
includes the all-important work of
providing the material for civil ser
vice positions. Mrs. Smith is sue
cessor to Willard D. McKinistry, of
/ " e~VSi W W II, WIZ resigned.
When Mrs. Smith met Governor
Smith in Albany on April 2, in
reference to the appointment, she
told him that to her all this was
very new and that she was entirely
inexperienced in the workings Of
the system.
To this the Governor made only
one answer:
"We're not worrying about that
Mrs. Smith. There is only one is.
sue of real Importance, and that is
that you bear in mind | am anxious
to bring the civil service in this
state to the point of the highest
,efficiency.'
To that point Mrs. Smith is
STRIVING. bending all her efforts to
the work, in which she says the
commission is being backed bv the
state. The officials find that the
greatest burden of their work
comes from efforts on the part of
many persons to place competitive
offices in the exempt classes. In
some cases-especially those where
the job entails much confidential
work-this is really advisable, but
on the whole it is deemed wiser to
keep all positions in the competitive
class based on the merit system.
Woman's ambition, like Juliet's
love, is boundless as the sea-and
as deep. An organization formed
of New York women members of
the civil service is agitating to
present to President Wilson the ad-
Instability of appointing a woman on
the United States Civil Service
Commission, but, as Mrs. Smith
said:
The President has his hands
quite full at present, and it's a
little early to push that move
ment."
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Where do they live?"

Where do they live?"
i don't know, sir" said the lone
iy one, shifting to the other foot.
But these are the least of the
problems. At the overseas head.
quarters of the X. of C. they have
found positions for $4,000 boys.
10 carry on their work the
knights of Columbus themselves
contributed $1,000,000 before thew
made any appeal to the public for
funds.
Every one Of these huts for the
soldiers is silent appeal to every
woman who passes to do her share
and to do it now.s
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
No Good Textbook
On Government

The first step necessary, there
fore, under such a plan, was to give
specific information to the women
as to the prescribed processes by
which laws are made and carried out
and required changes are brought
about.
When attempting to obtain such
data for the subject matter of her
lectures, Mrs. Schoonmaker discov-
cred that no adequate textbook on
the government of Connecticut had
ever been published.
Consequently, she set about COL
lecting, arranging, sitting and veri-
flying the needed material. The proc
ess of unifying and making coher-
ent the scattered facts which she
was able to collect was a long and
tedious one, for the general statutes
were found to be full of errors. and
New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
NHE New York City Back-to-
School Drive Committee, or
l. ganized in November, 1918,
under the Children'S Yea1,

Il ganized in November, 1918
under the Children's Year
Committee, has just made its final
report to Dr.. S. Josephine Baker
head of the Bureau of Child Hygiene
of the City Health Board and chair
man of the New York branch of the
Children's Year Committee 1t
undertook as its special task an in
vestigation of the causes which led
1000 children to procure vacation
employment certificates last summer,
under the new law permitting chill
dren of fourteen to apply for such
certificates, whatever their school
grades.
A part of it's report follows:
MY dear DR.. Baker: The ex-
piraton Of the children's year this
month, 1919, has brought to close
the work of the back to school drive
committee.
Zone hundred thousand dodgers
were distributed, bringing home to
parents in the simplest terms the
dangers of industry to children and
the advantages not only to the child
but to the nation Of giving to these
children the maximum of education.
Another line of attack has been ad-
dressing parents meetings, teachers
conferences and children's assem-
blies in the schools in every bor-
ough except Richmond.
''Tho most detailed plan Of action,
however, has been the investigation
of group of children who secured
vacation permits in Manhattan in
the summer of 1913 and whose vaca-
ton permits had not been returned
TO the Board of HEALTH as required
by law.
"a bout one thousand blanks were
distributed for investigation among
the various agencies associated with
the back to school drive Some eight
hundred cases out Of the one thou
sand distributed were investigated,
and in most cases the investigation
covered both the home and school
life of the child.
"The ages of the children ranged
from fourteen to sixteen years, as
the qualifications for vacation per
mits arc the same as those for en-
ployment certificates, except that
the question of school grade is
waived in the former Yet the
tabulation of these eight hundred
cases show only ninety-fve out of
eight hundred below the sixth
grade, figures which do not bear
out the arguments of people who
urged the passage of the law, be-
cause summer occupation would af-
ford physical and mental outlet for
children big enough to go to work
but not able to reach the sixth