davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
JUST FOLKS
GETTING on TO CHRISTMAS.
BY Edgar A. Guc=t.

It's getting on to Christmas, and a
youngster sitting there,
Untold, has washed his hands and face
and nicely brushed his hair;
And would like my slippers now, I've
but to say the word
My slightest wish will be obeyed as
quickly as it's heard.
It's getting on TO Christmas. There's a
small boy sitting by
Who has the CLINT of Santa Claus
a-twinkling in his eye,
And when it comes to s o'clock, up
stairs he'll gayly climb
And go to bed just like a man. ad-
hitting it is time.
It's getting on to Christmas. Every
thing Is in it's place.
No toys are strewn about the hall 10
mothers deep disgrace.
And must an errand now be run, two
little feet will fly
Right willingly to any store, and never
question why.
It's getting on to Christmas. and ]
watch the roguish elf,
And chuckle as | see once more a pic
ture of myself;
1t doesn't seem so long ago wher
Christmas time made me
AS good and clean and willing and as
virtuous as he.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
OPPOSITION TO IRISH PEACE.

1t is not surprising that. despite
the unanimous adoption of the agree
ment between the representatives Of
the Irish Republic and those OF Great
Britain, resulting in the gratifying
proposal for the erection of the Irish
Free state. opposition to the consum-
nation OF the agreement should de-
velop. II has made open appearance
i'm Ireland, and also among the ardent
friends OF Ireland and her cause in
this country.
The opposition in Ireland is led by
De Valera. president OF the Irish Re
public whose empty title and paste
board crown" as head of an Irish ma =
tion falls with the Free State agree
ment. lie is opposed to the plan de-
fined by the commissioners on both
sides and will oppose it's confirmation
by the Sim Fein Parliament before
which the agreement IS 10 come this
week. for ratification or rejection.
The probabilities are, however. that
De Falera's opposition will be futile.
Mr.. Arthur Griffith and other Irish
delegates TO the conference viii pui
up a manly fight FOR ratification. and
II is conceded that they have far more
influence than De Valera and his fol-
lowers have. II is freely predicted
that the agreement will be ratified.
Among the friends of Irish freedon
in this country the division of senti-
ment is like unto that displayed IN
Ireland. The best friends of the caus,
favor ratification; it's worst friends
those who are ever certain TO iniurp
! by almost lawless radicalism, an,
cause they favor, are up in arm,
against accepting anything short o
complete autonomy and freedom 70,
Ireland. This latter class is repre-
sented by Judge Dan" Cohalan o.
New York City. The other class b,
Ex-Governor Martin Giynn Of New
York.
So it is possible that ratification o
the agreement. with a view TO givin.
to the arranged compromise a fai
trial, will be indorsed by Ireland's hes
and sincerest friends, at home and Il
this country.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
RAILROAD SAFETY GAINING.

The returns Of casualties on Ameri-
can roads, as reported TO the Inter-
state Commerce commission for the
year 1920. show that while the pas
senger mileage had increased 254 per
cent since 1898, and the average num-
Der of railway employees had risen 160
per cent. the number of railway cas-
ualties remained practically station
ery-G,sbe in 1898 compared with 6,o5s
In 192o-furnishing convincing proof
that the motto safety first" had
become something more than an empty
phrase. Never before since 1898 have
so few fatalities been recorded as in
1920. and that this record should have
been made In the face of the greatest
traffic on record makes Il the more
noteworthy. Reducing the computa-
tlon 10 the rate per mile. it appears
that the road carried 2.054.35 pas
sengers one mile to one killed; also
that the fatalities 10 employees In
crea sed less than 32 per cent. although
the number employed increased, as has
been stated. 100 per cent
As part of this achievement Is
the record Of 2g3 roads. operating near
" half the mileage of the United States
without a single passenger killed in q
train accident in 1920. There was q
considerable decrease also in fatalities
to trespa ssers and other persons, tC
he attributed in part TO the elevation
OF tracks. in part 10 the abolition OF
grade crossings. and in part to the
campaign against the common use c'
railway right OF way by pedestrians
Bogtou Herald.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
START ROAD BUILDING.

Of the s75,oo0,0oO appropriated for
Federal aid in highway construction
provided in the act of November .
last. s24. 900 Is now available and
stS,75o,oOo viii be available on jan
uary !, next. according to figures fur
nishcd by Colonel Arthur Woods of
the Presidents Conference on. Unem-
ployment. These amounts arc in ad-
dition TO the s6S,500,0oo unexpended
balance from former acts giving Fed
eral aid in highway construction. n
total of s1i1,625,o ,oo0. It is expected
that the various States will match
these funds to the extent of at least
si25,oOO.Oo0. making the total Fed
eral aid road work for 1929 more than
s2SO.OoO. 600.
The Bureau of Public Roads has
figures showing that other State and
county road construction, in which
the Federal government will not par
ticipate, viii bring the grand total
to approximately $3.50, GOO, 900 Tor 1929.
This does not include street construc-
tion I'm cities.
Secretary Hoover of the Depart
mont OF Commerce has urged the gov
ernors Of the various States to let as
many contracts as possible for high
way construction. His purpose is no,
to suggest that States enter on road
building in winter weather. but he
points out that IL contracts are le;
now they will provide a basis upon
which contractors can order tool,
machinery and supplies. Winter worl,
will result from these orders. and &c
that extent unemployment will be re.
/ lievcd.
This country" says Colonel Woods
has "a sufficient width in latitude tc
make outdoor work possible in som,
part Of it all the year around. ant
there never was a time when this ad
I vantage could be used to more bene
NJ 10 the people Of the United State,
Than right now" And I'm these time,
OF industrial depression. the end O
which is not vet in sight. any practica
projects that promise remunerativ,
employment will be most welcsome.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
H0WAT'S DOWNFALL.

The trouble making propensities of
Alexander Howat have been curbed
by final order just issued by the
United Mine Workers of America ex-
pelling this fire-brand and all his
followers i'm the Kansas Miners union
from the union for refusing to obey
the order OF the international or
ganization. Between 1000 and $500
miners are cast out of the union as
the result OF this order.
Howat, although jailed in Kansas,
has been tireless in trying to make
trouble for the United Mine Workers
organization. Serving a term for vio-
lation of the orders Of the states In
dustrial court, and ousted from con
troll of the miners union in his dis
trict by the national union officers, he
persisted in his mutinous tactics.
Unfortunately the Illinois mine
workers at n recent state convention
were induced to take Howats side of
the story and pledge their membership
to make a monthly contribution of
$4,000 towards the support Of the
Kansas outlaw" strike. In so doing
they not only fiouted their own union
authorities but the despised Indus
trial court as well.
Enemies of the leadership of John
l.. Lewis among the united Mine
Workers no doubt are making all the
/ capital they can out of the matter
II would not be surprising if similar
/ outbreaks by the radical wing cropped
out in some of the eastern districts
where there was considerable senti-
ment expressed recently of going tc
the mat" with the coal operators, with.
out appealing to the higher courts
| from Judge Anderson's "check-off'
decision.
! With the choice offered between
Howat and his principles, and Lewis
/ a man of judgment and experience, 4
would seem that the mine worker:
swould not hesitate for a moment I,
back up their international executive
No organization, whether it be OF labor
or any other interest, can thrive Ions
in the United States when il lis rur
on a platform whose main plank call
for fighting the laws of the natioi
or any one Of its several states. Al
the DAYS roll on ii is become increas
ingly evident that the saner and NOR,
conservative union labor element /
gaining the ascendancy, process
which BODIES we'll for the preservation
of future contracts entered into be
Tween employers and employees. l
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12

the growth OF other Industries. and
that soon we will be obliged to inten-
sify our work 30 that the arabic land
viii yield still greater returns. and
that we shall probably have to look
to other countries for some OF our
needed supplies. in the not distant
future.
This view almost clnches the con-
clusion that there is no way by which
the farmers condition may be bet
tered, for indeed there is no definite
pointing out OF course that even
seems TO promise assistance.
AS we said before. there are methods
of putting profitable life into other
businesses that are not paying. and
this being so. why cannot wise ex-
perts be found who can and will save
farming from n continuation OF its
decline, which Is pretty accurately re-
flected in the increasing abandonment
of farms in Delaware and in almost
every State west of the Mississippi
river?
There must be remedy to save sc
important an industry and there must
be men to properly prescribe IL. Co.
operation is concededly step I'm tn,
right direction. Not only eo-opera.
tion in marketing. but In all farm &C.
tivities as well.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
A NOTABLE ANNIVERSARY.

This week the Los Angeles (Calif)
Times has been celebrating the for
tieth anniversary of it's somewhat ex-
traordinary, troubled gloomy. and at
last wonderfully successful career. For
Il is now one of the leading news
papers of the United States.
This papers greatest reputation was
achieved by its long. hard and sue
cessful fight for industrial freedom.
lncited to righteous protest by gross
~ unfair demands Of organized labor.
II revolted and declared for the open
shop. For years it was bitterly op-
posed, but II continued in the good
fight. even though its local contempo-
rarics, at first side by side with it.
wavered and went over to the enemy
The contest attracted the attention
OF the entire country, as the Times was
opposed by the entire fighting forces
Of the American Federation of Labor.
The climax came when. October /.
1910. its entire plant was blown up
with dynamite and twenty of its en-
ployes killed. Still this dauntless
paper continued the struggle. materi-
ally aided by the indignant public
sentiment aroused by this fiendish
outrage. II rebuilt its plant, making
II larger and better than ever. and also
instituted proceedings at law that
eventually brought toJust punishment
the criminals who were responsible
for the awful tragedy.
The fight made by this paper for
the freedom Of labor not only re.
bounded to its own benefit, but TO tn,
enormous benefit of the city of Los
Angeles, now known as the home o.
I Industrial freedom.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
STARS IN THEIR COURSES.

An ingenious astrologcr calls atten-
ton to the fact that nj the precise mo-
ment thnt the Limitation of Arma-
mcnts Conference In Washington was
officially called 10 order by Secretary
Hughes on November ~, the planet
Venus, known always for her pacific
ways. WAS eliminating at the exact
meridian OF Washington, and was APP
plying to the conjunction with Mer-
curry, generally recognized as the r,il-
ing planet for this country.
II is to be hoped that this singular
coincidence may come to the atten.
tion Of the diplomats OF shington
It may be that they can ind time, I'm
the intervals OF expert naval testi-
mony, to consider the stars I'm their
courses They win discover. not nm
friendly alignment OF the planets
but one favorable TO the SUCCESS OF
their work. Especially viii they be
certain to notice the absence Of Mar,
from any commanding position In the
skies.
II is more likely. perhaps that these
statesmen Will be reluctant to &c
stargazing. Their feet are on the earth
and they believe firmly In the old pro.
verb about the moon and sixpence
A balance of power is much NOR,
tangible thar n few twinkling plan
cts.--Portland tMeD Press-ITerald
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
HOW CRUEL ARE THE TINES.

Editor Every Evening. A few days
ago one Of the most touching incidents
OF the time was reflected On the minds
cent waif was enatched from the Jaws
OF death, suffering from want OF food.
This case was pitiful from all angles.
and represented one OF the many un-
dergoing the terrible trials OF hunger.
This distress Ia not confined locally
but nationally: II is gradually reach
Ing It's pinnacle.
The child was actually found starv-
ing to death. What horrorsl," one
could exciaim. but II is merely the
cruelty OF the times, the aftermath OF
what once was. How long will IL last 2
is the question asked by many, but
time moves on and mocka at them 40
II passss.
Even the INDECENT children Of the
city viii feel the sting of need This
Christmas, when thy will not clamoi
up 10 the police station TO receive theli
welcomed little sacks. No they will
sit silently BY half-heated fireside and
dream Of what could have been.
| This strikes at the keynote OF the
heart. and ar0uses q true feeling d
pity and conrassion in the hearts o
the people. II ia distressing. but a rem
edy win be found 10 ease the detri
mcnt that It has caused. Some mus
suffer 1t Is true. but hope alone will en-
able us TO see through the cruelty of tn.
times; hope alone win inspire us I,
aid ono another. and when this perio,
VIII have passed away, radiant liRh
OF glory, ms IL from heaven, will shin,
on all who have given 70 the poor in
nCcents In distress.
Victor j. Colombo.
Wilmington. December 10, 1921.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
WHEN PICKETING ~ LEGAL.

To show how moderate is the Su-
preme Court diclsion of yesterday In
drawing line between legal and H.
legal picketing It Is necessary only to
compare It with decisions by certain
State courts. Chief Justice Taft's pro-
nouncemcnt 1s an Interpretation Of
the twentieth section of the Clayton
act. He holds that strikers have n
right to place pickets so that they may
accost workers In an inofrensive way
and offer to communicate information
with view to persuading the workers
to joipthe strike. But the pickets have
no right To persist in Offering such In
formation after II IL refused: no right
to follow the worker against bis will
importunc him. collect n crowd, or
otherwise obstruct his freedom of ac-
ton or threaten him. There may be
peaceful picketing, but not militant
piclteting. and each case must be
Judged on it's own merits. In the par-
tioular case before the Supreme Court
Chief Justice Taft rules that on,
picket at each point of egreas or In
gress of the industrial establishment
| affected was sufficient; bet that rul,
has no application in other disputes.
| In contrast with this decision up
holding all picketing which Is not In.
timldatory. we have had several de.
cislons like that recently handed dowr
| by Justice Van Siclen of the State Su.
preme Court In Brooklyn. At an In.
junction hearing he declared thai
there can be no lawful picketing, be,
cause if Il Is lawful picketing IL car
loo of no use to the union" That Is, h,
denied what Chief Justice Taft af
| firms, that there can be legitimat,
persuasion. Courts In California an,
Idaho have also ruled against picket
ing. The Supreme Court of Oregon
year ago decided that strikers had nj,
right To station pickets when th'
questions or union recognition alon'
was involved; and that when labo
condition and wages were involved. II
no case should more than one pickle
be placed Mt each entrance or exit
However i'm most States the right o
peaceful picketing has been fully con
firmed. Organized labor has no rea
sons To regret the decision against In
ltimidatory picketing. The preceden
established by the Supreme Court
decision should he Of value to labor 4
legalizing a principle while guardin
against its abuse.--New York Evenin
Post.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12

found itself without legal authority
to take effective action. so It had to
be content with adopting resolutions
stcrnly repudiating him and disclaim-
ing all responsibility for his doings
The Wilmington Conference OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church was more
fortunate as 1t was able to not only
check the marital performances OF
minister OF that denomination whose
work had become notorious, but to
render It impossible for him to con-
tinue his delectable avocation.
1t is encouraging. however, to note
these evidences of the indignation in
cited In church official circles by the
manner In which the seriousness and
| solcmnity of marriage Is flouted by
the occurrences at Marylands famous
"Gretna Green" But the churches can
do nothing towards entirely suppress
ing the scandal as long az the mar
riage laws of Maryland remain In their
present liberal condition.
! Wilmington, for many years shared
Elkton's unsavory notoriety as n
wholesale marrying mart. with "mar-
rying parsons" working overtime for
the sake of the money that could be
secured, but the Delaware I.egisIa-
ture put a stop To the scandal by
making the Delaware law more strict
1t is now clearly the duty OF the Mary.
land Legislature. which will assemble
In regular session next month, To In
augurate n similar reform in that
State. The prospect IL doubtful, how
ever. as there is selfish interest in
a continuation OF the present status
many people of Elkton seeming &c
rest content under the reproachfu
notoriety their town has attracted
as long as there is opportunity foi
financial profit in present conditions.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
POOR MIR. LANDRU.

The French have peculiar ideas OF
Justice When man commits MUIR
der they believe In putting him to
death. For some strange reason they
do not coddle him, send him flowers
i'm iail and do everything possible to
save his life. so that he can go forth
and commit more murders. They are
sadly behind enlightened America in
this respect.
Here Is the base Of poor Monsieur
Landru. lie killed ,only ten women
and a boy. Doubtless they weren't
worth much. and anyway there were
only eleven OF them. and yet "A heart
Jess French jury. after brief delibera-
tion--think of It.. they had not the
heart 20 take time to it--found poor
Landru guilty and have ordered his
head cut OF. And this shameful thing
is to be permitted TO go on without n
protest from the people of the United
States.
II is too bad that poor dear I.andru
could not have been tried IN the state
OF Illinois-say Chicago, Would any
such ind.gnity have been permitted
Not on your life, The poor. dear
gentleman would have rSpcsed In n
cell fun OF orchids. rare flowers and
fruits. Porfumed notes from thou
sands OF beautiful. sympathetic
American women would have tighten.
ed his hours OF idleness. High -pricet
lawyers would have procured his re.
lease on bail and everything possible
done TO delay the orderly process ol
the courts. In the cpd a jury would
nave disagreed. or a. the best hav,
given him a few yeats in prison, and
everything would haze been serene
is it not too bad that the benightet
French and English ard Germans anc
Italians still cling 80 parsistently tc
the idea that murderers ought TO b,
hanged or bcheadcd Peoria Dl.
star.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
THE EVENING SMILE.
BLESSINGS OF OBSCURITY.

Doesn't il make you discontented
TO read about movie stars getting
$4,000 a week?'
Sometimes it does" said the citi-
zen whose income is $4,000 a year.
but. on the other hand, it is a lot
of satisfaction for me to know that
| don't have to tell an inquisiive pub
lie what l eat. what / wear, how |
amuse myself in my leisure moments
ard the exact state of my affections
from day to y."-Birmingham Age
Herald.
North-"Why is your wife so jealous
of your stenographer?" West-"My
wife used to be my stenographer."--
Judge.
Uptown--"Wow. -Four dollars a pot
tie for orange juice, Don't the cafe
people know the war is over?" Down
town--"Oh, yes. But they're charging
next-wartime prices right now
American Legion Weekly.
New Cook-"What do say, ma'am
Dinner is served or Dinner is
readyT" Mistress-''Well, if ii is any
thing like it was yesterday, it would
be simpler to say Dinner is spoiled."-
Karikaturen, Christianla.
Although the short skirt is attractiv
or shocking,
depending on whether worn neatly
or sloppily),
1t proves that in filling a lady's sill
stocking
The gent known as s. TIA Clau.
has no monopoly
-Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-12
THE GARMENT-WoRKERs STRIKE
BIZ Frederic J. uaskIn

the firm for whom he worky pay tho
price In order TO get the work ia
slack time. however. the firm squeezes
the contractor down 10 the very low
est price possible because hundreds q
contractors are competing for work
then. Having contracted 10 do tho
work for a very low price. the con-
tractor squcezes down the wages Of his
employees, or. az II u known IN ths
trade, 'sweots' his profits out of the
wages Of the workers.
! Thus. II waa not until 1919. after
nine yesrs Of struggle, marked by sew
eral victories and defeats. that the
New York garment workers finally
succeeded in securing the Same system
Of industrial arbitfation that vas IN
vogue in the other DaTkets. A. this
time there was tremendous shorags
Of labor, because Of the war. and tho
garment industry wag enjoying uu-
precedenied prosperity. The manufdct-
urers were willing 20 pay enormous
wages in order to get help. and tho
garnp ni makers union was often put
in the embarrassing. position Of keep-
II < wages down. In some cases 80 acf-
uaily forced union members 80 return
t0 jobs paying s. and $40 n week lfss
than other employers had offerrd
them.
The manufactures, on tho other
hand met the workers hair way.
through the arbitration board, ~
granting their ueuauds that tho piece
work. system. long tho chief hone e
; contention. be abolished IN favor 81 a
straight weekly wage. This concession.
as well as q shortening Of the 81
. hour week. was mad IN an agreencnt
. which was to last until 1922.
Last spring however. the manufar'-
urers began to show signs that thcv
{ regretted their bargain. Tho puhH1
q had ceased its extra vag NJ buying ~
{ clothes and IL seemed probable that Z
, would continue 20 exercise thrift in
that direction. Prices would have %
I 20 down. Production costs would havs
] to go dowd FIRST. They remembered
. the good old days when workers wers
. paid by the piece. and kept work. q,
> franticslly on that piece until 50 wa :
{ do @.
T But the Arbitration BOARD. togethe-
with the Impartial Chairman. refusei I
4 e. countenance return 10 piecewcrl.
Z Instead. Il suggested that committee
{ be appointed 20 study tho matter a
! productivity, which would make -
o report on November !. 1921 The man
q ufacfurers' representatives agreed. But
% several days before November tha
. m nufacturers themselves formed 4
- national organization In Atlantic CtV
4 which decided TO install piecework and
- longer hours without regard % the
r committees report and without FUR
= ther consultation.
"a Thus. st appears that industrial sr-
q bitr8tion can be used az a cloak "a
n protect employers in time of a laboi
s shortage and conternptuouslv dis.
Carded as soon as the shortage ID
over.