davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-09
By Upton Sinclair

Mr.. Hoover, who has been a servant
to millionaires all his life, and of old
Mr.. Mellon, who is so rich that no
president could ever reject his advice.
They have put a leading Republican
politician in charge of our baseball,
and another in charge of our movies
and three more in charge of our radio.
They have got our newspapers so
firmly in hand that out of several
hundred Washington correspondents
there is not one single man to prick
the expanding bubble known as the
Strong Silent Man of the White
House"
AS to the question of which authors
shall write and which shall sell insur-
ance or dig the ground, this rests with
the publishers of our great maya
zines; and for these mighty men there
exists a little system OF breakfasts
and luncheons at the White House,
and weekend trips upon the naval
vessel which is used as a presiden-
tial yacht at public expense. These
honors are extended in regular rote,
and the mighty men go away thrilled
and inspired, knowing exactly what
must next be done to keep the country
in the right path. Don't forget that
these same publishers all come to the
Wall Street banking houses when they
need a few millions for their newest
mergers. There are no independent
magazines of big circulations left in
America--they are all "chains" now,
the Curtis chain and the Butterick
chain and the Hearst chain and the
Capper chain and the Medill-Patter-
son chain and the Crowell chain-all
of them run exactly like the depart
ment stores and shoe factory chains,
upon the same principles of stand
ardization and mass production. They
know what they are going to want a
year from now, and they order their
stories as they order their trainloads
of paper from the mills; they even
order their writer's, they will take a
young genius and make" him, exact
ly as Lasky or Paramount will turn
a manicure girl with pretty pouting
lips into world-famous "star." And
the result of all their activities you
have just heard Mencken set forth:
"There is, in fact, only the very faint
est desire among the literati that l
know to write anything other than
what they do write"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-09

gentlemen of wealth share this point
of view, and, observing Mencken's ar
dor and ability, are moved to put up
money to found magazine for him,
so that he may 'select" writer's who
defend the American saloon, and
eliminate writers who point out the
destructive effects of alcohol upon
genius. After this process of arti-
fetal selection has been going on for
a sufficient length of time, my
friend Mencken will look about him
and observe that all the leading young
writer's of America are in favor of
the return of the saloon, and he will
cite that as a powerful argument in
favor of his policy.
AS to John Barleycorn, there are
two opposing camps, and l could get
financial backing for a magazine to
| fight Mencken. But when it comes
to hereditary privilege, this is not the
case, the holders of privilege consti-
tute solid phalanx for it's defense in
every field of human life. They mean
to keep their privilege and to pass it
on to their descendants; and they are
thoroughly organized, and thoroughly
conscious. Their program, so far as
concerns literature, may be put into
one sentence-that all those writer's
who oppose privilege shall earn their
living by selling insurance or dig
cling the ground.
Ever since the Bolshevik revolution,
this program has been deliberately
willed and executed, as much so as
the latest merger of railroads or the
substituting of Fascism throughout
the world There are dozen men
commanding billion dollar resources,
who meet in Wall Street offices and
decide what American culture shall
be, and create the propaganda mach
merry to make it exactly that. The
little man whom they have chosen
/ to run these United States for them
was a classmate at college with one
of the group, so they know him
thoroughly; he has been an office boy
to the rich for thirty years, carrying
out the bidding of those special in
terests which substitute the Republican
machine of his state. Now his friend
and counsellor, member of the firm
OF J. P. Morgan and Company, travels
down to Washington and makes sug-
gestions; and he has the backing of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-09
XXI.
Artificial Selection

My friend H. L. Mencken reads this
manuscript, and favors me with his
expert opinion:
"There is, in fact, only the very
faintest desire among the literati that
1 know to write anything other than
what they do write-and l probably
know even more of them than you
do"
This makes me think of CONVEX
sation which I once had with a lead
ing Republican statesman of New
York; l happened to refer to the cor
ruption of our courts, and the states
man corrected me with smile: mo,
our judges are not bought, they are
selected"
The distinction is one of manners,
and marks a stage of culture; it ap-
plies to the arts, as well as to the
judiciary, and 1 beg my friend
Mencken not to think me so crude as
to picture the writer's of my country
yearning to serve the cause of social
justice, and brutality bribed into writ
ing against it.
No, the system is more efficiently
run. The masters of the tropisms
have the shrewdest brains in the world
to help them understand the literary
temperament. They produce social
environment in which the sensitive
young writer finds hundred good
reasons for respecting the sanctity of
privilege, and thousand for looking
down upon crude and noisy malcon-
tents. And then, very gently and
deftly, the sheep are sorted from the
goats; those who acquire the leisure
class manner are lifted up to prom
inence, while those who fail in the
tests of gentility are put to selling in
surance or digging the ground.
My friend Mencken is man who
fights hard for his ideas. He has
called me "tub-thumper" and other
lively names in the course of our pub
lie battles, and he will expect to re-
ceive as good as he has given. There
fore l am going to illustrate the pro-
cess of artificial selection which goes
on among authors, by telling my ex-
periences with the editor of a certain
highbrow monthly magazine with ar
senical green covers. The editor of
this magazine happens to know me,
and being human and kindly cuss,
he is moved to ask me for contribu-
tons. I, being the same sort of cuss,
think up an idea or two, and suggest
them to my editor friend; and so
test the process of polite selection
whereby our literature is kept in
order.
| was asked to write something for
the maiden issue. All right,
answered. l would write an article
discussing the editor of the "Ameri-
can Mercury" showing how his ignor-
ance of economies made futile his
thinking about the modern world. But
this suggestion, for some reason, did
not meet with editorial favor! A
second time | was invited, and sub
mitted a sketch of Jack London,
which you may read as chapter of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-09
Standard Oil, the Courts and the Coal Miners

The Standard Oil company has been given clean bill of
health by the decision just handed down
For three investigation has been
whether the Standard Oil and its companies have been
violating the Sherman Antitrust acpased ostensby to deal
with restraint OF trade articles of interstate
The master in chancery declares that there not scn
of evidence to the accusation that Standard Oil violates
the antitrust law by restraining free articles of inter-
state commerce.
Coal miners should be unusually interested this decision
In the state of West Virginia supreme has out
hwed the United Mine Workers by ruling efforts to organize
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-09
E V &c T E D

This has been home. Our children here have played
Upon these floors and sorrow here has laid
It's hand upon Also we have known
little happiness. The winds have blown
Us good and ILL., Beneath this sagging roof
My wife has toiled, borne children held aloof
From grim despair while down in the pits
Have worked long hours where sunlight never hits,
With one bright thought to keep me on my way
The coming home again at end of day.
Now all is changed The lockout. Mine shut down.
I've been without job for months. The town
Is dead. No work. The court long since decreed
We must get out What of the bitter need
Of shelter for children. What of wind
And biting cold. The weather's most unkind
The company has said that we must CO.
And here our furniture lies in the snow
Those red upholstered pieces that we bought
In days more prosperous when we both thought
America was Free the promised place
Toward which we turned with hope upon our face
Where life held lots of fun for two such folk
Who worked and liked it, That was all Joke
The system played on us. Now here we stand
Evicted from our home-n Freedoms land!
HENRY REICH,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-09

"Mammonart." l will stake my rep
article is full of meat, as interesting
study of man of letters as the
american Mercury" has ever pub
lished. But it came back; and why?
Because the life of Jack London hap
pens to illustrate the devastating eff
fects of alcohol upon genius. And
don't think that is joke. My friend
Mencken wrote me: "This magazine
is committed to the policy of the re-
turn of the American saloon" tried
to argue with him; surely it is the
duty of a wise and tolerant editor to
give both sides hearing; if the side
of the prohibitionists is weak, what
better than to let them display their
weakness? But Mencken answered
that the question was one which did
not permit of discussion; no dis
courtesy to John Barleycorn would
be permitted to shock the sensitive
readers of the American Mercury"
One day a vagrant idea wandered
into my mind, and l wrote little
sketch of Edward Mcdowell, as l
had known him, as student at Col
umbia University. This manuscript
had no social implications-unless
you count the inability of Nicholas
Murray Butler to comprehend the
phenomenon of genius. My friend
Mencken was enraptured- most
charming thing" and so for the first
,time, and the last, / obtained admis-
sNn between the arsenical green
covers. The article made such hit
that Mencken wrote more than once,
inviting me to do a series of articles
about the interesting people had met
during my life. But how could l do
it, in the face of the prohibition
against prohibition? The most in
teresting man l had ever known was
George Sterling. had known him
for twenty-five years, and he had
been sutton for my wife's hand in
the days before our marriage, so she
also had known him intimately; be-
tween us we could tell the inner be-
ing of one of Americas greatest
poets, a most reserved and shy per-
sonality. But alas it would be an
other sermon against John Barley
corn. Mencken replied by asking me
/ to write about George without men
tioning alcohol, which is funnier than
Mencken could ever be brought to I'M
derstand- without the ghost
!: would not be circumstance" to it.
So here you see a great editor in
the process of Selecting" the writers
of America, in the interest of the
saloon. Shall I be crude, and suggest
that this editor is subsidized by the
liquor interests? l have heard this
said, and Mencken has heard it also,
and the last time Ha met he cited
it among the dishonesties of prohibit
ton controversy. I have no doubt
whatever that he told me the truth;
he belongs, not among the judges who
are bought, but among the judges who
are selected" He is of German de-
scent and continental tastes; an old
newspaper man, he has always had his
cocktails, and always means to have
them, and resents with personal fury
the Idea that anyone shall keep him
from having them. 1t happens that
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-09

he miners to call strike violated the antitrust law in
.erfered with interstate commerce.
In Pennsylvania similar decision has been handed down.
vction hunger lack of clothing and the bruae of the coal
and iron police torment the strikers who fighting their
union.
In the face of such facts these only fools agents of
bosses will call the courts impartial
Capitalist courts impartial than gun in the
hands of the Pennsylvania coal and iron police.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-09

THE Dean does not think a 1.evolu-
ton will be necessary to abolish
poverty. The big-hearted CAPITALISTS
will accomplish this worthy aim. o,...
productive capacity is developing e
fast that there will be plenty for
everybody, so what excuse can there
be for poverty? This is the way it
looks to the Dean. But drat it, if we
are not full of skepticism, since we
know that those big fellows have all
the prosperity that is good for them
just now, and that further increase
in our productive machinery would
only mean more prosperity for those
who own the machines and not for
those who make them hum. The work.
ingclass will only enjoy prosperity
when they help themselves to it--as
class. y
THE treasurer of fund to establish
a home for superannuated funda-
mentalists, having disappeared under
suspicious circumstances, was re-
moved from his office by his board Of
directors. Perhaps he is taking a rest
IN some cottage-by -the-sea after the
fashion of another go-getting evan
gelist. The treasurer's elopement
strikes at fundamentalism in very
fundamental manner. so to speak.
IT. J. O'FLAHERTY.
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31

q score Of GO. This year Howard has young, up-and coming aggre- gation, most fthc players being sophomores. Aubrey Devinc. one of Towards star pupils al Iowa. is coaching the freshman team and de yeloping several youngsters for fu- ture service. The groundwork has been laid for a series of strong teams at |. $. C. Right now the TroianS hay" an individual star in Morley Drury. d halfback. who would Vie with Bruce Caldwell. Tad's 'riplc-threat ace, for scoring achievements.
 Nothing has been done toward a Jones interSCctional game. If Yale IS ahi" 10 Suruount the Princel on chall"ne" and comes through the season with only one defeat. the 'i-1h trimming it took at the hands Of Georgia, Yale might stand out as logical east crn representative for game on the Pacific coast. r. x. C., has whipped California and tod Stanford. and if it continues through the rest of the schedule with victories, probably would he in a position 'o issu" an invitation 10 the east. Tad and Howard were both members of Ialo's football teams years ago. Tad had the edge as q player hut as coaches they both seem to be doing Splcndidly.
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31
SARAzEN LEADS IN PRO TOURNEY
Par 7t for Dallas Course Un:
 marked Target for Entries

Dallas. Tex. Oct. 31 GP)-The par .l for the 6,il1 yard Cellar Crest tountry club course here !oolncd to- day aS virtually. unmarked target for 60 odd links stars in tho first round of medal play in the national professional golf associations cham pionShip tournament.
 on the basis of practice scores, eastern players had the edge in to- days round, in which all but g. en- nantS will be eliminated.
 Johnny Farrell pressed Sarazcn closely with G9. Jim Foulis. lIinsdaIc. III. Al Espinosa. Chicago and Mort Du,ra. Tacoma. had 70's to back their names in the list Of iayorties
 Walter Hagen, defending cham plon, failed to report his score after battling q wind yesterday that even caused putts to roll of line. Harry Cooper Of Los Angeles, who played with Sarazcn and Farrell was the only one 10 show q card totalng T.
 After testing the newly added traps, heightened holes and other hazards provided especially for tho championship play, the majority viewed the fast Bermuda grass greens aS the key to victory.
 Sarazen described the course as beautifully scietiiic." while Hagen decided on plenty Of practice, be- for" he defends his title.
 Sarazen gave an exhibition of con forming to the theoretical figures fixed for the course when he ex- ceod"d par on only one hole yestor- day.
 Others who had little difficulty in solving th" more difficult holas were: Joe Turncsa. New York: John Golden. raterSou \. J.: Tom my Armour, Washington. n. e. and Bobby Crulckshank of Purchase, N. Y.
 Jock Hruchi~on and Bob McDon- ald. Chicago quaiificrS. will not com pete.
 The 0ualitiers were assigned to for tojav's play. They will play S holes this morning and IS this afternoon.
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31
PLAY TO TIE

The Swedish American A. (. and Celtic soccer teams battled to q 3-3 tie in Manchester yesterday after noon at Nebo field. The Celtic startcd' fast and scored two goals in the first lj minutes of play but the SWedcs came back and after some fine combination placed the ball in the opponents goal. During the first minutes Of the second half. the Gel tics scored their third goal and were ih loading 3-i. Stung by this lead, the SWedes started 10 press hard and within ten minutes placed two more balls past the Celtic goalic. thereby lNlng the score. Then the fight started in real earnest but neither team could do any damage and the game ended in a draw. The last l5 minutes was a display Of rough and hard playing which caused several hot arguments. Martin from Man chester refereed the game.
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31
SENATOR NoRBECK FOR
 COY. FRANK L0WDEN
south Dakota Leader to Back Illinois Choice for rrC>itCnry-ScCS
 "Chamr of WinninG."

WatcrtoWu, $. D., Oct. "1.- P- nited states Senator Peter \orhcck of south Dakota announced today he would support former Governor Frank O. LoWdcn of Illinois for the 1928 republican presidential nomina- ton.
 "Economir ju;tice for the north west will be the jor issue in the coming presidential campaign v Senator Norbeck said. 'The states af- fcctcd must make a common cause, and support a candidate for presi- dent who is friendly to our Eara- mount need. But this is not suffi cient. We must give our support 10 some candidate who has a chance of Winring.
 "Thc logic Of the situation points to former Governor l.owden. Among the leaders now generally considered as candidates for president, he has dcNolopod into the foremost cham pion Of the cause of agricultural equality l am for him, He is strong in this and other northwestern states.
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31
PAINTERS DEFEATED
Hcrlin Eleven Goes Down Before Highly Superior Team in Hard Fought Game.

The Berlin Panthers, III one of the hardest fought gamcs of the season. went down 10 defeat ycstar- day before the strong West End football team by the score Of ls to IL At the end o( tn" first half inc score was 6 10 Q. the Bristol squad pushing over q touchdown in the '"Sl few minutes Of tnc second quar- ''r The Partners. although out .lshed To pounds to the man, put ID stlh battle, giving ground lrHd2ingly. Tbe Panthers pulled pulled several forward passes sue c'SSGully, but lost ground on penal ties. The West Ends received three penalties. agsresating 45 yards in he first quarter.
 Macdonald for the Partners star r"i in running back punts and in lis broken field running. I.aviero and Olson for the West Ends star rcd tearing off several good runs l'rudhOn at center for the Panthers was a huiWark on the defense. re- peatcdly throwing back the West End play, In the third quarter the West Ends opened mp an overhead game and scored two touChdoWns on forward pass play, The panthers seemed unable to cope with this style or play, but in the final quar- ter had rcsaincd their aggressive ness. holding lh" West Finds score less in this period. and at he Whis- 'lo were marching down the field towards their oWn goal
 The experienced West End squad, although winning their game did not have an easy time with the ranthcrs, who. although d new or gGnization this year, showed that lhey arc q determined dshIing devon.
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31
JONES TEAMS MAY
 MEET CONTEST
Eastern Football Fans Watching Work Of Southern California

Ne" York. Oct. S1 Eastern football fans, loudly acclaimins Tad Jones eleven at Yale, following the decisive victory over the highly touted Dartmouth aggregation. to- day were pouring over the progress made to date by a team coached by lis brother. Howard Jones. al the University Of Southern California.
 What 4 treat, some of them thought. would be post season contest between Tad's IaL warriors and brother Towards fast travrlirc rrojanS. In 1922 Howard brought his University Of Iowa eleven 10 New Haven and beat Tad's Yale team by
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31
MICKEY WALKER
 VS. MIKE M'T|GUE
liddleWsi6ht King Aspi1es to
 Light Heavy Throne

Chicago. Oct. 31 Mickey Walker, once weltcrwoight cham p.on. now middlewcight king. ana "Srlrant for the light heavyweight title, finished training today for his ten round invasion Of the 175 pound ranks against Mike McTigue tomor- TOW night at the coliseum.
 It will be their second meeting. They mixed for 12 rounds in 1925. Walker conceding fifteen pounds. with the decision in dispute. This tiac McTigrle will have only about ii ( pounds the better in weight as Walker has filled out so much that he finds if difficult 10 make the 1f0- pound limit Of his championship class.
 Benny Ross of Buffalo will meet EoleauX Sngurro Of Havana in the i.V round semi windup
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31
CHICAGO BEARS
 LEAD PRO LEAGUE
Dayton Falls Before Attack Of
 DriSCoII and SteTnaIlan

rIicagU, Oct. 3l G'pJ An al most invjucihlc line and TWO Of the best hnckfirld m,u in thc pro-fout ball business continue 10 keep the Chicago Bears at rh" top of the Na- fioua Professional football leaeH".
 In sundays game h"re the Bears GrfratrI Dayton, ll-G. before q crowd of N.nu" for Il cir fifth ,,rlight win of the S.;!son. To Win, ,h" Bears staged ;t comeback in the fourth quarter. after third period tumble had allowed Heianich Of Dayton 10 run io yards for Il touch- down.
 As usual Paddy DriscolI, who has been playing football for something like , years and Joe Stcrnanam his haclificld companion were inc stars. In addition 10 scoring one tourhdoyn Driscoll kicked the extra points,
 In the other pro game her" e1 Grangn's New York Yankees d'i'"t- ed the Chicago Cardinals. 7-G.
 Grange vas on the Sil"hn"S. as a result of an lnlllr"d leg, h'l |'.h'i two weeks ago. Fifteen thousand fans saw the game.
 The Yankee touchdown cam" on a Cardinal pass which Fry inter ccpteI and ran 60 yards to the goat line. Tryon of colgaae fame. kicked the goal for the winning point. The Cardinals scored their six points on pass which Moran sna2ged out or he air and carried across.
 The Cardinals easily outplay"d the Nanks, scoring fl first downs to their opponents tive, but the in- lerccpted pass took the victory away.
 Other pro grid ecorrs of the day Were:
 Providence IA: Frankfort O.
 Cleveland, 2l: Duluth Q.
 New York Giants 16: Poll>liiI' H.
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31

West Finds ..,...,o [ l2 "-l9
 ouchdoWnS--E Ryan CD, Olsen: point after touchdown. Olsen; ref cree, Mona han. umpire, bilum; iinosman. Carpenter: tim, tour F. minute periods.
 SuiStituIiUnS - ranth"rs: TrcNc- then for Pagan; Payne for Holmes. West Ends: Peterson for Ryan; Ro- lon for I1oriilo; Hronzy for O'Neil.
New Britain herald., 1927-10-31

1T Now Britain could get started m the first half and play as well "S 1t does in the second half Of it's -ames. the results in the scoring col Hlnn would be entirely different. New HM'ain went on the defensive yes '"rday in the first half and Cavr NrWton an opportunity 10 gct away for q run.