davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Danger of Short Cuts
Let Us Return to the Vital Prin-

ctplcs OF Democracy
10 the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: No attempt by an individual,
by a class, by an organization or by
moneyed interests to defeat tho law
fully registered will of a majority
should be tolerated. This vital prin-
ciple Of our government alone distin-
guishes democracy from an autocracy.
1T must always be kept clearly before
us. 1t should be emphasized in our
schools. Aliens should be required to
respect it. Above all should it be re
spected and upheld by the defeated
minority, which may be the majority
OF tomorrow.
Most of the confusion Of thought
which has fallen upon the American
people recently may be traced to con
crete instances Of unfaithfulness to
this principle of our government,
namely, the acQuiescence Of all in the
will of the majority.
autocratic powers loaned him by the
American people for the prosecution of
the war have been abused. Far from
seeking to execute the will of the
American majority, he has aimed to
force the Sena toral majority to do
his will when unable to convince them
by argument. In the coal strike both
capital and labor disregnrded the
rights Of the majority while seeking
benefits for minorities. Then consider
the national prohibition law. The chief
objection many Americans have to this
law is feeling that it does not repre-
sent the will of the ma ority-that
the people were tricked into a false
position through the carelessness Of
those elected to represent them, worked
upon by a we'll financed professional
propaganda, 1t is not SO much q ques-
tion of the merits of the law as Of
how it came into existence.
The most recent olfensc against the
majority rule is the suspension of five
lawfully elected legislators from the
New 1 OK Assembly he Sdu-Or is II
not rather most hopeful point of the
matter is that each trespass against
American rghts-with the exception
of the mine strikes-was meant to bcnc-
fit the people in spite OF themselves!
The danger Of these short cuts, the
doing of evil in the belief that good
will result, is surely self-evdent. Let
us return to the high road before we
have lost ourselves in maze of cx-
pcdency. AS early as the year 1897
Abraham Lincoln said, 'You may burn
my body to ashes and scatter them TO
the winds Of heaven; you may drag my
soul down to the regions of darkness
and despair, to be tormented forever;
but you will never get me to support
measure which I believe to be wrong
although by doing so | may accomplish
what | believe to be right" Unless
we hold to these principles we shall
never achieve the ideals we hold in
common.
MRS. LORENA STEWART MEIGS.
Ridgcwood, n. j., Jan. 80, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03

sarabia. AS to these things our
author does not speak definitely. He
seems dimly aware that to confirm
German, Turkish and Hapsburg
paper titles is not to establish self
determination.
The surrender of German ship
ping is offensive to him. Does this
mean that after destroying millions
Of the ship tonnage of others Ger
many should have had her shipping
practically intact? Likewise the
reparation provisions are condemned
as harsh. The Frenchman had deliv-
cred to him a factory altogether
destroyed; the German should fare
better and go back to his whole fac
tory and not be called to meet a
mortgage.
Mr.. Keynes is so stirred by the
thought of Crushed" Germany that
he has little sympathy for more
crushed" Italy, France, Belgium and
Serbia. Germany is to have a few
feet extra start in the new race. AS
the war left things, Germany was
materially untouched and her debt
per capita did not equal that of
France.
Queer, isn't it, how certain self
styled liberals of Britain and Amer
ica think and write? A shining ex-
ample of such queerress is John
Maynard Keynes, young man of
mental parts who is not to be sus-
pected of being Intentionally unfair,
and who, moreover, argues strongly
and consistently when exposing the
fallacy that not by impoverishing
Germany in an exceptional way is
the world to be benefited.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Prohibition in England

The news that the American
"drys" are setting aside fund
for propaganda abroad seems to be
welcome to the unregenerate in
England. The reason is obvious
enough. AS The Neae Statesman
puts it:
"Ths whole issue is likely to be-
come very live one in this country
as soon as the Scottish local option
act comes into operation; and we
venture to predict that in the forth
coming campaign British prohibi-
tionists will find no opposition cry
harder to meet than that of Amer
lean money"
On the whole it is probable that
the British campaign will be fought
not on the scientific merits of pro-
hibition, but along the individual
liberty" line. The average British
voter has rather pronounced dis
trust of scientific experts, and he is
intolerant of interference with pri-
vate rights. For the time being he
is likely to agree with The New
Statesman's attitude of "wait and
see":
"For 1t remains to be seen how
prohibition works IN America,
whether, indeed, it will work at all
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Good Whisky for Colds

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: | was very glad TO read Mr.
Stanwood l.. Henderson's letter in to-
days Tribune. In my opinion, he is en-
trely correct, and the judgment he up
holds IS what I believe Only Yesterday
afternoon l saw patient in consulta-
ton VINO, with very threatening
broncho- pneumonia, the outcome of in
lluenza, Will owe his life, if preserved
to frequently repeated doses of qood
whisky This whisky was obtainable
only through the great generosity and
kindness of the attending physician, who
urgently appealed TO him 10 help his
critically i'll patient This help was ac
corded from the small private stock OF
the donor, which he was keeping for
possible illness in his own family The
moral OF this story is obvious, except to
the willfully blind.e
BEVERLEY ROBINSON. MD.
. New York, Jan. 81. 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Safeguarding Tenant Leases

Among the many bills introduced
at Albany to protect tenants against
rent profteering Is one which strikes
at a marked defect in the ordinary
New York City lease. Tenants who
sign leases here are encouraged by
real estate agents and owners to
believe that they have made an oc-
cupancy contract for fixed term.
But on the face of the agreement
they haven't.
There is an election clause, pur-
porting to give the landlord the
right to dispossess an undesirable
tenant. 1t is entirely proper that
the landlord should retain the power
to reject a leaseholder who becomes
Objectionable in the sense that he
annoys other tenants or violates rea-
sonable restrictions in the use of his
apartment.
But, according to the form of lease
used by nrany renting agencies, the
landlord apparently reserves the
right to terminate the lease when
ever he deems the tenant undesirable
or Objectionable, and assumes no
obligation to establish the facts in
the case
Such lease is an imposition on
the tenant. 1t destroys the term
contract, so far as he is concerned;
while giving him no counter right
to terminate it if he deems the land
lords conduct undesirable or objec-
tionable. In the eyes of profteer-
ing landlord, eager to advance rents
in spite of prior agreements, the
tenant may become highly "undc-
sirable" simply because he holds a
lease for definite term. 1t may
seem judicious to the owner to dis
possess him in order to introduce a
new tenant who is willing to pay a
higher rental.
Such contingencies may not have
been foreseen when the present form
of lease was drawn up. But conges-
tion, speculation in apartment houses
and the craze for quick returns have
brought in new ideas and a new code
OF ethics.
Senator Lockwood has therefore
offered sound precautionary meas
ure. 1t amends the code of civil
procedure with regard to summary
proceedings in dispossession under
the undesirable or Objectionable
tenant clause by providing that the
landlord must establish undesirable
ity to- the satisfaction of court.
The explanation must be reasonable.
Possibly the lax wording of the
present clause would not be con-
strued literally by any liberal
minded judge. For If the landlords
discretion is absolute lease offered
in good faith to a tenant ought to
show that fact beyond dispute. 1t
Is wiser to amend the law and take
no chances.
And the Legislature should 90
further-do what it can to prescribe
standard habitation lease.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Babies, Peace and War

III is SAD but accurate CON-
mentary on the state of human
nature that nobody seems able to
accept the extraordinary "war baby
case of the hour as quite possible.
Every one seems unquestionably sin
cere in the proceeding. The motives
of the aggrieved but forgiving wife
appear to be Of the highest. So far
as outsiders can penetrate to the
heart of a peculiarly intimate and
tragic concern, every one partici-
pating is seeking to retrieve. the
very most of good and happiness
and right out Of bad situation,
and especially to give fair start in
life to the wholly innocent member
of the group-the child. Yet pop
ular applause is hesitating. Amaze
ment and incredulity are the first
public reactions.
There is, it may be cordially
agreed, no good in peoples engag-
ing to be better than they can be-as
practical matter, day by day, year
in and year out. 1t is a sound in
stinct that makes one doubt whether
go much candid forgiveness is prac-
ticable, will work, in short, in this
world of much meanness and jeal-
ousy and fallible goodness. Yet we
are inclined to stand against the
popular suspicion and welcome Mrs.
Spiker as rather courageous
pioneer, not so hopelessly ahead Of
her time as might be thought.
The truth is, we submit, that
general opinion has really shifted
more upon this whole problem than
most Of us realize. This typically
American family of Baltimore did
not up and do this extraordinary
thing out of clear sky. The ind-
vidual courage to 60 forward is ex-
traordinary; but the preparation Of
the public mind has been constant
and steady Not the Ellen Keys
and the other radical thinkers, but
the war and its consequences, are re-
sponsible. Propaganda has precious
little influence upon the stream Of
human life; events do far more; they
can shift whole channels in a few
months.
Society is still long way from
a solution of the difficult problem
involved in the birth Of children
without legal fathers. 1t is right
that progress should be slow in
reform touching so vitality the family.
But at least frank realization of
the facts and discussion of the
possibilities seem to be at hand, and
the future may hold much. 1t is
almost the whole battle to realize
that we have only been pretending
to care for the problem and that
to shut it away in founding asylums
is merely to shut our eyes to facts
and evade an obvious moral re-
sponsibility. If the Spiker family is
making real contribution to the
public awakening upon this subject
it will be doing much.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Superhuous Patching

Viscount Grey's letter has made
debate over the exact wording of
tho treaty reservations matter Of
little consequence. II. Great Britain,
France and Italy are willing to ac-
cept the reservations now attached
to the treaty why should there be
any more hair-splitting discussions
ss to the advisability of modifying
them?
The only substantial argument
made in favor of modification was
that the Senate ratifcations "nulli-
fed" the treaty, in the sense that
they could not be accepted by the
other signatory governments. The
United States asks for an adhesion
on the part of only three major
powers. If that adhesion Is obtain
able as things stand why waste time
over revisions which no longer have
any clear political purpose?
Viscount Grey has said that Great
Britain sees nothing to object to in
the reservation to Article X. He
has swept the ground completely
from under the feet of President
Wilson, ex-President Taft and the
League to Enforce Peace. If Mr..
Taft and the League to Enforce
Peace had had as clear vision of
essentials as Viscount Grey now dis
closes the treaty would have been
ratified long ago. Their confused
counsel undoubtedly encouraged
President Wilson to adopt the arbi-
trary and illogical view that the
reservation to Article X "cut the
heart out of the covenant"
Mr.. Taft's proposed substitute for
the Senate reservation to Article X
is clumsy and involved. 1t is par
ticularIy defective in that it seems
to resurrect the metaphysical dis
tinction between legal and moral
obligations arising under Article X.
IL tIIC - illCCNi CCctCCS dC(CRtS OJliSd-
tons it wants them to be at once
legal and moral. There should be
10 twilight zone" There is no use
debating the academic question
whether the obligations we take on
are to be of one quality or another.
The reservation to Article X really
deals only with the manner in which
obligations are to be taken on. Once
we assume them they become both
legal and moral, binding in all
senses and to be lived up to with
out equivocation.
The Lodge-Lenroot reservation Is
more explicit than Mr.. Taft's and is
less subject to vexing counter in
terpretations. Moreover, it is already
embodied in the treaty, which gives
it vast advantage over any alter
native wording.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
The Coming 7ower
On Barbers

The barber held the mirror up behind
So / might see the way looked in
back
And approve and praise the wonder
of his art
Yet-as | have observed a hundred
tines-
Suppose I should not like what he
had done,
Suppose | said, "Well, that's q rotten
haircut"
Would it improve the appearance Of
my neck?
And as the barber held the mirror
I thought how like to Consciousness
was that,
To Consciousness, and Life, and the
Universe.
The mirror is held up for us to look
And if we like 1t not, what can we
do?
Nothing at all. We cannot even say,
ooh, well, next time III get another
barber"
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03

The private manufacture of drink
able alcoholic liquor is so simple,
and, once it is widely adopted, so
impossible to suppress. that we con-
fcss We are skeptcal about the whole
subject"
The chances are that even should
an embargo on the public sales Of
liquor be enacted no Parliament
would dare to pass legislation to
suppress private manufacture for
home use.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
As Prices Were IN 1880
10 the Editor of The Tribune.

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In "The Catshll Recorder Of
January 23, 1920, is the following item:
FORTY YEARS AGO
items from The Recorder Jan 2s. 1855
1u'keys Sre l5c. pound. chicksns
isc' butter sec, eggs csc. a dozen. and
po'a 'oes 'oe. bushel in the CA'skHl
market
As an authentic record of the start
.lhg advance in prices quoted in the
ralr Price Column of The Tribune for
'he current year 1920 thought the aboss
would interest your readers.
REV. ROBERT WEEKS,
A reader of The Tribune for over
forty years.
New York, Jan. %, 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03

you didn't tell half the things I,
man who wears a cclluloid collar would
wear and do" writes Ambrose Glutz.
"Permt me to add a few features.
His buttoned half shoes would have
those knobby toes which give the foot
& deformed appearance; he would
wear a ring on his third finger con-
tanning a handsome garnet; probably
his trousers would be of the stylish
pegtop cut; his hat one of those furry
monstrosities jauntily turned up on
one side and, pf course, his hair
would be cut round or square in back
with his neck neatly shaven." Yes,
and whom he goes to the Commercial
House, Watertown, Wis, he would
smile and say: "Well, what's good to-
day, sster?'
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Alice Of Newark
E Thn Trihllnn

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Thomas Dunn English lived in
Newark. N. j., on State Street, right
near the D., l.. & W. R. r. station
State Street is one block long | walk
past the house every day. Noting
the absorbing discussion in your col
umns rel lative to the peculiar personal
habits and conduct Of . certain young
lady when under stress of unusual
emotion took it upon myself to can
vass State Street from end TO end, in
order to find out whether Mr.. English
made the lady blush or whether he
made her weep. The whole thirfg looks
tishy to me, for l have been unable to
find anybody on State Street who ever
heard Of Sweet Alice. The oIdesg in
habitant said that if there had been
such person he'd surely remember.
Hes quite sure it's all moonshinc. Be
side, he's quite sure that this here Mr.
English wouldn't have gone and done
anything to make lady blush, nor
weep, neither. The man had a good
reputation in the ncig ighborhood, he tells
me, and besides the Second Precinct
ponce station is just around the corner.
and il there had been any goings on
there'd have been trouble right away.
II he hears anything about this Sweet
Ance he's going to let me know. l
thought I'd report to you that I've
started an investigation. SO far I'm
dead sure of one thing. Verify Il
prophet is n.w.h.si.h.o.c.
TRlLBY DU MAURIER.
New York Feb. [, 1920
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
The Versatile Newsnaner

70 the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: Paper keeps heat in. Three or
1our large newspapers, spread between
the coverings of bed. will give as much
warmth as an extra blanket. In these
times OF cold weather and high prices
this is secret worth knowing.
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL
Dorchester, Mass, Jan. 81. 1920.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03

their records. So far not enough
has come out to establish guilt
clearly. But II there is yet evidence
that establishes guilt, the Assembly,
men should not only be excluded, but
proceeded against as criminal an
archists.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Convention at Mineral, Ind. 4?

Sir: Permit me TO point out the great
strength of the subjoined Minera ticket
All the candidates are men of mettle. or
we may say. Of concrete achievement
The man for the Treasury is Glass where
shall we find a filter? And Mr. Ashe al
ready named the Wood ticket, is practi-
cally sure of his portfolio. If it should
DE deemed that Steele and Stone would be
stronger than Stone and Steele. | shall not
fail to heed my country's call
THE 81 .AI'E.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
The "Flu"ent Contrib

VIVA, shall l do to pass away the time?
10 make the tedious hours to 20 their wav
AS II on wings9 To make night follow dav
with least of boredom? Shall I read NJ
crime,
Or of adventure In some far off climer
10 picture puzzles till my mind is grav
" listen to the eternal Victor play.
VI cry my hand at some fond foolish rhyme ?
All. that find of all by far the heat
1t does not heat the brow or fret the p,;r,
but soothes the senses, gives certain zes+
"A sense of triumph--conquests left heh;ra
AS onward still I go in foolish quest
Yet what diversion like it can you find?
r. S. B.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Newspaper PLAYS and newsnanar ec

Newspaper plays and newspaper flc-
ton seldom are popular, the reason ad-
vanced being that the public isn't in
terested in such things. Well, here's
the newest newspaper wheeze: The
night The Herald was sold to Mr.. Nun
sey member of the staff who had
joined it in 1886 said: when I took
the job | was afraid it wouldn't be
permanent"
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03

The events of the next few weeks in
Germany must be watched with eX-
treme care, because the plebiscites
which are now to take place will have
a tremendous bearing upon both the
economic and political rehabilitati ton
of the nations. If the votes go against
the Germans the results will be dis
astrous for the nation and may lead
to ruin. AS consequence it may be
expected that the Germans Will use
every possible means to carry the polls.
OF all the several regions in which
the inhabitants will now decide their
future allegiance the most important
is the Upper Silesian district, whose
population in large majority is un-
mistakably Polish. SO pronounced is
the Slav majority. in fact, that the
Paris conference at first assigned the
region to Poland outright and substi-
tuted plebiscite only az conccs-
sion to persuade the Germans to sign
the Treaty Of Versailles
Historically the district has not be-
longed TO Poland for many centuries.
1t was a part of the Silesian province
stolen from Maria Theresa by Frederick
the Great in the middle of the eigh-
teenth century, and this theft precipi-
tated number Of bloody vars but de-
spite the effort of Austria, aided at one
moment by Russia and France, to re-
gain this territory, it remained Prus-
SIAN
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03

"Erskine DaIe-PioneerD starts sus-
piciousIy in the January Scribner's.
Brooklyn Standard Union.
A detective story, obviously.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03

Even the ground hog didn't like the
looks Of the world.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Another Connecticut Rlu. 1.,,
From The Hartford Pc

lFFom The Hartford Postl
4 nne OF 81 and costs was imposed upon
Max Maislen for keeping his sidewalks clean
of ice and snow.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Associated Press L. exclusively entitled to the
ase for republication Of all dispatches credited
10 1t or not otherwise credited In this paper, and
also tho local news OF spont tanecus origin published
herein.
All rights Of republication Of All other mattes
herein afeo are reserved.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
The Trouble With Bolsheyi.u,

fFro,a The Boston Heraldp
boishevism would work better \
Bolshsvists would.
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03

Even careful driver couldn't help
thinking Sunday that if the blood
hounds had used somebody's anti-skid
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Silesian Coat

1t contains the richest coal mines
left to Germany and has seen one Of
the most rapid industrial expansions
IN all Europe in recent decades. If
Germany loses it she will be hopelessly
crippled as to coal, while for Poland it
Will mean an assured industrial future
BY contrast it will mean, if it passes
to Poland, further accentuation of
the agc-long fcud between the two
races. Forecast of the outcome is idle.
but there is a settled conviction in all
Allied capitals, and in Washington as
we'll, that if the vote is cast and fairly
counted, and Allied troops are to super
wise both the voting and the counting.
lhe Poles will win.
Less important, but interesting. will
be the results in the several plebisc,te
areas between the old Russian frontier
and the Baltic, including the region of
Allenstein, where Hindenburg won Tan
nenberg, and the district OF the Mazu.
rian Lakes, which saw second great
German victory in the present war
" VIC ot0c tiio HlOSt lUlpOTCanC dis
trict is that on the right bank of the
Vlstua, including the city Of Marien-
werder and crossed by the main War
saw-Danzig railway. If the Poles get
1T they will widen their Corridor" to
the sea, gain possession of both banks
OF the Vistula and control the shortest
and best line between their capital ard
their single port. In the Mazurian
Lake district much more territory is
affected and the population is more
clearly Polish, but the Poles are sep
arated from their brethren in the rest
OF Poland by a religious difference.
SINCE they are Protestants, while the
majority of Poles are Roman Catholics
II Poland should win all the elections
East Prussia would become mere
helpless fragment. If she should lose
them all her exit on the sea would be
precarious in the extreme.
Territory To Be host
Before the plebiscites and as re-
suit Of the ratification of the Treaty
OF Versailles the Poles, who occupied
the Prussian province of Posen as
result Of the armistice, are now ad
Vanclng and taking control Of almost
al OF West Prussia, including Thorn
ana Bromberg, and thus establishing
'he'r connection with the sea and with
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Ending Our Troubles

fFrons The Detroit JournaD
trouble can be drowned in wood
alcohol without the use Of q milestone
New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
The Theory of the Leisure Class

Sir: We do not Aattcr ourselves that
we know the Latin mind, but we feel
certain that if Dante had lived 700
years later end had spent Sunday ir
New York he would have reserved
that part of his immortal opus where
he'll is frozen over for the owners of
those particularly dnky and fashion
able cars which expose the chauffcurs
to the full blast of the four below
zero zephyr while the owner is feed
ing his goldfish in the crystal cornu-
copia Of the electrically heated back
room. II " L.