davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
ARDEN PROFITEERING.

Editor of Every Evening: eApropos
the doubling of taxes in the Single Tax
colony at Arden, Delaware If may in
terest you to know how this tax will
affect the people of Arden.
There is the weli-to-do class. An
increase in rent rather suits them than
not for it win compel quite few of
the original settlers-poor people.
mostly-to vacate and so. of course.
make room for the better. /. e..
vealthier element. The amount in
this double taxation is, of course. to
them a negligible affair.
Then there is the class of landlords.
Yes, landlords in Arden, the village
based on the single tax. There are
some conspicuous landlords, like the
chairman OF the present Board OF As
SCISSORS. who gets quite a respectable
i-come from his holdings. (Not that he
compares with the Duke of Norfolk,
for instance.) Or another landlord
who built a number of the readi-cut
bungalows and derives a most hand
some revenue: or the numerous keep
ers of dodgers and boarders. All of
these pass on the 1909 increase of
taxes to the other fellow
Remain. then, only the people. the
real people of Arden. And no finer
people can you find on Gods earth.
Quiet. modest, intelligent. loving their
privacy there. The vast majority of
Alden folk cannot pass on this double
rental to anybody and to pay it out
of their slender incomes lis task
and a handicap. In fact it will pay
your reporter to watch Arden next
March 25th when the new rental is
due-"Such wailing, such gnashing of
teeth"
Arden cannot afford the landlords
Single Tax and that is what Single
Tax deg-nerated into in Arden. It is
landlords paradise
NOHMAN ROSENSWEET.
Arden, Del, August IL, 1921.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
LEoENps ooNoERsrNa PLATE.

A certain man named Frank Harris.
whose greatest claim to fame is the
fact that Bernard Shaw admits ac-
quaintance with him, edits a tempern-
mental magazine In New York city
which occasionally contains one of his
own screeds with would-be Shavian
introduction intended to bedazxle the
reader. In the latest issue OF the Jour
nal is story OF Pontius PLATE. which
relates how ten years after Jesus was
crucified that the former had forgot
that he had ever ordered the Saviour
to His death. The irony in the story
is superb-but II is not new. 1t has
been retoId. doubtless, for generations.
In the introduction to his story Har-
ris says that he told it himself on the
boulevards of Paris for ten years be-
fore Haidane McFall. the critic, called
his attention TO the fact that the same
story WAS included in Anatole Frances
"L'Etui de Nacre." Harris so much
as accuses France of plagiarism. This
is a most serious charge to bring
against a man who In considered by
many to be the greatest living French
writer.
However, there is little chance that
Anatole France will even condescend
TO notice the charge hurled at him by
the man-in- motley. We believe that
France would be the FIRST to admit that
the idea came to him In legend form
Just as George Moore must know that
the story Of Jesus which he told i'm
The Brook Kerith" is an old one.
which had been handed down for ages.
perhaps. 1t is certain that Frances
story Ia hundred times more artistic
than the one which Harris presents.
Unless the latter demonstrates that
he is creative writAr of merit he
should forego the pleasure of COUP
Inns his name with that of the great.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
THE CITY,s NEED.

We stated Saturday that the City
needs the services Of = sanitary
engineer. who will make survey OF
the local situation. and prescribe the
proper method of garbage disposal
Such a man should be secured JIM
mediarely, and given fun authority to
carry his work through to q definite
conclusion. The findings OF such a
one should be followed. IL he says
build an additional garbage plant
then let us build 1t. II he recon-
mends changes in the present one.
then let us follow those recommends
tions.
Mayor Harvey may be learned In
the business of looking after his pri-
vate investments--our Councilmen
at their respective jobs may be effi-
cient: the members of the Board OF
Health no doubt are competent
physicians. But do any of these men
claim to be sanitary engineers? II
they do, they have woefully botched
the job. A blacksmith could not have
made a worse shoe, nor could lawyer
kill an appendicitis patient quicker.
These worthless failed miserabiy at the
sanitary engineering work of provid-
ing for the disposal of the city's gar
bage. Their bungling would be actual
ly ludicrous If 1t were not so tragic.
No doubt it will be advanced by the
friends of those concerned that to
hire an engineer viii reflect discredit
upon the present city administration.
Well, what of 1T? Which is more i'm
portant to you. Mr.. and Mrs. Average
Taxpayer. the health of you and your
children, or the reputation of the Re-
publican city administration. Doesn't
your health come first7 Let
us demand that this sanitary engineer
be employed at once.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15

America. none OF the absentee SenA-
tors and Congresamen wcrs In the
United States army during wartime.
A few national representatives were In
uniform. but they did not belong TO
the sick wing. There were times on
the western front when men. actually
dying from wounds in their vitals.
continued to carry on" until they
toppled over. Now what would = Sem
ator or Congressman, who lets slight
cold keep him from voting on an Inn
portant question, have done on the
battle lineg Thank God the army OF
the United States was composed OF
stcrner stun than IL found in the pres
ent Congress- Of the United States.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
------.-----------
COMING COAL CRISIS.

IL is more than likely that within
the next sixty or ninety days Con-
gress viii come 10 a very thorough 70.
alization that u must 40 something
effective and perhaps drastic 20 re-
lieve the coal situation. II has per
nitted months 70 pass without action
Of any kind and a coal famine de-
veIops during late fall or early winter
the country with Qualification win hid
Congress responsible.
Practically every important man IA
the coal Industry predicts that The do
nestle users Of bituminous or "soffa
coal VIII go INFO November this year
with empty coal bins, not because they
win not attempt 70 hil them before
that time at the high prices asked but
for the reason that they win not b
able to buy coal at any price. Coal
production has been very low during
the last several months for the reason
that the public has not been buying
and there have been several valid
reasons fNx. this lack Of derna nd Many
who would have bought coal even At
tho prevailing high prices have been
unable TO do 30 because the retail
dealers have been unable or unwilling
to extend credit. Moreover there has
been general expectation on the part
OF the public that the govern ment
would do something 10 lower freight.
rates and to break up the practices
among the operators and jonbers
which were set out in detail in the in
cietments against the West Virginia
operators This expectation has rot
been realized and win not be realized
before coal again becomes one of the
greatest of necessities with the coming
OF cold. weather.
Congress trifed with the coal -stns-
ton az a time when vigorous action
or its part would have brought relief
-ne Calder bills calculated to regu-
late the coal industry and the much
miider Freylinghuysen bills were sue
cessfuliy blocked in Congress by the
powerful coal lobby and consequently
me country Is now rapidly approach
ing the coal burning season with the
price Of coa. still exorbitant and a coal
famine well within the bounds OF
probability.
When that crisis comes Congress
must accept the responsibility. IL
nay be that only such a crixis and
the fixing OF the responsibility upon
Congress viii arouse the national
legislature TO the point OF providing
drastic legislation 70 regulate the coal
rstry.-Bloomington CIlil Panta-
graph.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
OPPOSES CARRIAGE WRAPPING.

Editor of Every Evening: I am with
you on the garbage proposition. If
an ordinance is passed, requiring the
wrapping and draining of garbage,
three things are going TO happen in
Wilmington:
/. The Health Department will have
to be augmented by several hundred
sanitary inspectors, whose business
will be that of smelling each package
of garbage placed out for collection.
and the aseertaining of the percentage
of wet stuff in each can. This, of
course, would strengthen Mayor Har-
vey's political machine. but we, the
tax payers who actually live i'm Della
ware. and not in Pennsylvania. would
have 10 pay increased taxes 50 that
those inspectors salaries would be
paid.
2. Each family will have TO buy a
press to press the water out of the
garbage. / am told that certain mer-
chants have already begun To stock
their stores with these presses.
presume that we will be in for an orgy.
of profiteering, for if Council makes
us drain garbage. then those presses
we must have. | wonder--but III let
that go unsaid. you understand,
wOnder--2
3. The plumbers of Wilmington will
reap harvest. unstopping the pipes
which become ciogged with wet gar
bage / wonder how fuany of our
plumbers are loyal members of what
you so aptly termed 'tthe gentry of
$40 King street ~ Can il be that
-
loyal Christians. so there can be no
you understand what | mean. Mr..
Reader. No. Council is honest. thank
God
Keep up the work. Mr.. Editor. God
knows what would happen to this
town If the newspapers did not keep
the politicians honest,
Old Time Header of Every Evening.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
lust FOLKS
MHOoPING C0uaH
By Edgar A. Guest.

There is reason, suppose for every
thing which comes
Why youngsters fall from apple trees
and babies suck their thumbs;
And though / can't explain il all,
when trouble comes know
That since by Providence Ills willed
1t must be wiser so.
But knowing this. / still insist we'd
all be better off
II little children could escape the
dreaded whooping cough.
i never see a rsd-faeed child in spasms
violent
But what I wonder why TO babies
such suffering Is sent.
Though mumps and measles. chicken
pox and scarlet fever, too.
Beset th@ lives Of those l love- still
can see them through;
But terror Sc ms to chill my blood the
minute that | hear
That awful sign that someone's child
with whooping cough is near.
grow pale as death
When | behold boy or girl in an
guish fight for breath.
They tell me not TO be alarmed, but
I'm not made of steel,
And every touch of agony the young
ster has, ] feel;
And could | run this world of ours,
the first thing I'd cut off
From all the things which have to be,
would be the whooping cough.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
DRIFT OF NEGRO POPULATION.

II should not be supposed that there
will be any great shift Of the nsero
race from the South TO the North and
West. despite the very great increases
OF negroes In those two sections OF
the country In the last censuy decade.
The. increase in the South was less
than per cent. while In the North
II was 41.3 and In the West Sol per
cent. II Is worth while always 10
consider rates OF increase, but totals
should not be forgotten.
The total number Of negroes In the
North when the last census wa s
taken was less than 300 900 and IN
the West less than 10000 The total
In the South was nearly 100000. In
the just preceding decade the increase
In the North was only 1871 per cent,
so II is necessary TO seek for the res-
son for the marked increase in the
iast 10 years. the reason, Of course,
is the migration that occurred during
the war under the urge OF high wages
In the North and the beautiful word
pictures painted by Northern labor
agents to the negroes Of the south
Savannah News.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
-----------------------~~~--~
PROsPERITY's PROMISE.

II il just one victory after another
for the great cause Of Republican
tariff prosperity against an un-Amer-
ican and depressing volume OF foreign
trade and entanglements.
The game batch of news which
records the acceptance by the Senate
Finance Committee OF the principle
OF an American valuation Of imports
for assessment Of sd vaiorem customs
taxes also makes record Of the July
foreign trade returns which show
continued heavy declines for imports
and accordingly for exports also. Mea-
sured against the shorter month of
June. the july imports fell OF some
81 7.0o0, 900, while exports declined
some si4.0o0.o00. Compared, however
with the month last year, July Inn
ports are down 81 per cent and sz-
ports are down 55 per cent--more
than one-han In either case.
II such gioriousiy stiuulative re-
suits to American trade prosperity
are possible in the green tree Of
emergency tariff legislation, what are
they likely 10 be in the ripe fruit Of
the Fordney Permanent Tariff bill,
which boosts the tariff rates all
around and then piles protection upon
protection through this device Of valu-
ing imports on the basis Of American
market prices moving up under the
leverage Of higher tariff rates2
Az matters are now going. little
foreign trade promises to be left 70
the United States within a year or
two from now. But with this Perna-
nent Tariff bin in operation our
foreign trade may be wiped out al
together in less time. and how much
better that will be for the country
New York World.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15


trAtiou was not all that It should b.,
the fact remains that Republican ad-
mtnistration OF the islanda has never
been what Il should BE-. either. The
Fflipinos have received rather a raw
deal from both political parties. II the
truth~must out. Now comes Mr.. Hard
ing and delays any movement toward
their Independence for the next four
years at least. What sayeth the good
bishop to that--he who believes 50
strenuously In their right to liberty !?
The good bishop sayeth nothing. Hard
ing. you must remember. is . Republic
can. Perhaps our good bishop also is.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
HECKLING AND LOBBYING.

When Representative Garner sc-
cused President Harding virtually of
lobbying with Congress he wasn't ex-
act1y heckling the President. But
then neither was the President lob
bying. As a member OF the House
Mr.. Garner had the constitutional
right 10 criticize the President. But
he overlooked or ignored the fact
that the President also has consti-
tutional rights. among them being
that of consulting with the law-en-
acting arm Of the government in the
Interest of what ne eonceives to be
the welfare Of the people. II the
President has been spending his in
rluence properly in the interest of
private and unworthy ends. the
people knew Nothing OF II and Mr..
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
BISHOP BRENT's CRITICISMS.

Bishop Charles II. Brent of the Epis-
copal Diocese of Western New York.
speaking at the Institute of Politics
being held at Williamstown, Mass.
criticised severely the manner in which
the Wilson administration governed
the Philippine Islands. Now the good
bishop. than whom there is no more
popular man among gatherings of pub
Leans and sinners. is iikeable chap,
and one Who would DO credit to Can
terbury Itself. But there are times
when his own churchmen feel that
be should stick closer to his ecclesi-
astical last. This Is one Of those pres
ent times.
Granting that the Wilson admins
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15

Editor Every Evening. Your views
are correct on the garbage matter. The
citizens, who are being taxed to pay
Tor garbage plant, should not be
forced to do portion of the garbage
reducing themselves. The citizens
should not be forced 10 pay for the
incompetency of the political party
in power.
You are likewise correct regarding
the need of survey, to be made By
n sanitary engineer. Let us hire an
engineer to do this work properly. In
the depths of my heart l pity the poor
bungling politicians who are trying
but who are 20 woefully incompetent
Sir, have the honor to remain.
Independent Voter
August IA, 1921.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
ABSENT CONGRESS MEMBERS.

A few days ago the wire carried the
following report from the Capitol to
the newspapers of the country:
"A bin to stop absenteeism In Con-
gress was introduced in the House to-
day by Representative Kissel of New
York. who woul6 pay members on the
basis of their attendance and declare a
seat vacant in case of consecutive abb
sence for thirty days.
THE bill proposes TO double the pay
of a member. making it $4,000, but
only in case of continuous presence.
1t further proposes that member
shall have $500 deducted from his pay
for each day he is absent during a
forty-day session, $3.50 a day of abb
sence in a 100-day session. and SIS a
day in a 2o0-day session. He is TO be
classed as absent if he fails to answer
a roll call each day
OF course this bill viii be buried
in some committee, and viii never see
the light of day again. But the time is
coming when the nation will be forced
to demand that its paid representa-
tives attend to their business--which
is the business of carrying on the
legislative branch of the government
or else resign from office.
Many of our Senators are men of
great affairs who are SO busy look
ing after their private interests that
they have little time in which to
either study the problems Of govern
ment. or TO vote upon them intelli-
gently. 1t has become fad with the
very rich in the last decade to secure
a seat in what is internationally known
as "the rich mems club" As a conse-
quence the work devolves upon the
shoulders of a few earnest members
who really are statesmen. The situa-
ton is almost the same in the lower
house. There sheer laziness and oc-
casionally something rather akin to
cowardice makes itself felt, just as il
does in the Senate, when matters which
interest the country come up for de-
bate and vote. 1t is the custom, when
a matter like prohibition. or some
phase of capital and labor occupies
the Congress, for certain members
to flee before the voting begins. They
prefer not to go on record as favoring
either side of the question. They pre-
fer to wait until public sentiment in
their respective sections f the country
has turned one way or the other. Then
they go home and tell their constitu-
ents, Il would have voted against
demon rum IL had not had a deaths
cold that day
Sickness, of course. is the greatest
excuse which is rendered by any of
the frequent. absentees, To judge by
the manner in which they claim Ill
ness, one would imagine that Congress
Is sanitarium. Very luckily for the
welfare OF the United States. Of
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
RIPPLING RHYMES.
By Walt Mason.
GAS AND BOOZE.

The man who drives a motor
car must be alert and vide
awake or he may harvest wound
and scar, and every kind Of pain
and ache. Whatever faculties
are his he should keep busy on
the Job. for reckless drivers
round him whiz. a never ceas-
ing. deadly mob. Most drivers
now are sober lads. because
they can't be otherwise; the Old
Red Juice that cheersa our dads
a man can't purchase " he tries
On. men are sober when they
tread upon the gas. and let her
go, and yet the daily list of
dead. by autos slain. fills me
with woe. If men could get a
slug OF booze at every hamlet
on the way, the poor old coroner
would lose the little sleep he
gets today. / would not dare
TO drive my car along the busy
public street. IL every village
had a bar where speeding ma
AA~hA~ AAtA = H. AAttCAs ANCAA = t-saFe~ ~
taking forty drops, in maudiin
haste they'd journey thence. and
kill brace Of traffic cops, and
knock my tumbril through a
fence. There's peril now in
every mile. there's death wher-
ever crossroads are. and trem-
bling. I forget 70 smile. when I
am riding in my car. How would
it be if jingled jays went crash
ing through the helpless crowds
on, death would govern an the
ways. and there would De boom
in shroutis. Wed Ne forever in
sweat least We be killed by
drunken hicks; I'm glad that
booze Is hard 10 get. Tor booze
and gasoline won't mix.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15

virtuous, be religious---be good.
Nothing else will give you any
comfort when you come to lie
here.
Scott's Dying Words.
1t is rather the fashion to poke fun
Mt the literary genius OF the father of
the historical novel, who was born
$50 years ago today. Our younger
critics. who worship at the papier-
mache shrine OF the young revoites
who have muddied the waters recently,
declare that his books are too pedani
tic from the standpoint of morals. too
inaccurate for the historical man.
and too long for the frenzied finan-
ciers who make Mr.. Hearst's fortune
by reading the sex stuff which his
Cosmopolitan profrers each month.
II is true that Sir Walter Scott oc-
casionally taught a moral. He him.
self was the first to say that his novels
were not based on fact, but on border
legend. remembered from his boyhood
And no one would care TO deny that
his approach. as it were. IS bit
laborious. But we must remember
that in his day there was no such
thing as motion picture weekly to
show us Loeb Lcmond: so Scott de-
scribed his scenes as carefully as an
etcher would place the lights and
shadows on metal.
But with all hts fauits-and even
he was not pe-fect-Scott knew
"the way of man with mafd.- and
much more about human nature. As
Andrew Lang once pointed out to q
harsh critic. the underlying psy-
chology OF every scene which Scott
wrote is fundamentally sound. His
characters may speak in what TO some
is stilted language. but the motives
which prompt those words are true.
Those wonderful novels in the
waverley series are read little today.
True. several of them are required
reading OF college entrance applicants.
In certain sections of the South. and
in a few places in the North they are
yet ireside companions; but TO the
average family which left the sabots
behind three generations ago Scott is
merely an author whom one purchases
by the yard from the clever young in
terror decorator.
Yet now and then one meets some
person who admits without shame that
he finds the waverley novels the most
delightful reading. One Chief Justice
of the United States there was who
read The Bride of Lammermoor" and
The Heart Of Midlothian" once yearly
because OF the Fefndrkd pictures Vi
chivRiry which they contained 1t
goes without saying that he was one
of the most l1nightly gentlemen who
ever sat on the Supreme Bench.
While English-speaking peoples have
given fun tribute to Scott's ability, ii
remained for Baizac in his introduc-
tion to the Coincide Humane" to pay
the highest tribute Of all. The reader
frequently finds in Balzac's novels
references to Scott and his works
references which on occasion amount
20 hero worship. The Frenchman had
the genius to recognize the master.
The pupil may have outstripped his
chosen treceptor from a technical
point. but the man of Anglo-Saxon
ideals will always prefer the gentle
chronicier of chivalry. who lived a
greater life than he ever recorded on
paper
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-15
WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY
Views Of the Resdsrs Of Every Evsains

the crooks under the Democratic ban i
p1r. Give IN = non-pnrtisan adminis-
fration OF our city's affairs. Give us
a city mAnaxers--that IL what VIZ need.
Angry TAXPAYER