Newspaper Page Text
Items of Interest Gathered Here and There
"The Alcoholic Temperance Mobement.”
To Editor of Collier Weekly, which is often read
by all Japanese who cafl afford it, I assure you.
Dear Sir: I am given to be told by some wise
editors, etc., that these United States is now en
joying the temperance of prohibition in many
states, and more, too. Although I can not notice
such a movement in this street, perhaps it is
slightly true. In several sections of this kingdom
vzhisky-drunking is becoming unknown by law, sa
looners is quitting that sinfulness & all bar-keeps
is retiring from that public office. In South, army
cf reform is playing ‘ 1 Marching Through Georgia”
cn water-pitchers. Is this a truthful news what I
hear? I enquire to know 7 , so I can go there, please.
By newspaper print I read this early morning
“Wave of temperance against salooners is creep
ing direction of New York.” First I greet this
with glad banzai, then I am depressed of thought.
Wave of temperate prohibition is on road to New
York, but will it arrive there? And if it should
do this, what will happen to it when got there?
In that sinful city, Rev. Chilworthy minisform me
all drunkards too shy to call at front door of sa
loons is invited to enter through fire exits which
is provided by law in case of emergency. Pro
hibitionists wishing to discourage salooners, there
must close all fire exits, which is a crime of law.
Also some saloon is runned by Hon. Rev. Bishop
Potter who say, ‘ 1 Boys will be boyish,” and so
start one. How to reform so respectable place like
this? That is problem for Japanese Boy.
And yet I am earnest to say it. Prohibition of ,
drunk is a comfortable blessing to demand, be
cause it is very difficulty for white persons to be
tame when exposed to wild beverages. Irish, Swed
ish, Italian & Jewish is most useful for calamities
by feeding them whisky. Japanese is also too pa
triotic when enjoying alcoholic, and this is dan
gerous for Pacific Fleet when it arrive around here.
No, Mr. Sir, whisky drunk must be arrested in all
state where Peruna is not already doing so.
In the great cities of America where all is*4
brought together for living over each other by
sky-scrape apartment the sell of whisky spoil the
low layers of society. Laboring classes stop being
it because of alcohol poison, and other ingredients
to be found in it. Laborer so poisoned can not
support dear wife & child because he is resting in
jail for what he done. This is especially true of
Chicago.
Tip-top layers of society also enjoy poison from
this liquor curse, but they are less pitiful because
they do not rest in jail. Salooners must not be
forsaken by wealthy persons because these can still
be respected when least respectable. But salooners
must be closed up from low layers of society which
must continue to work and keep up appearances of
great city. If not these, who would?
Whisky is divided into four kinds of bottle by
following statistick:
1. Whisky of Scottish descent to be drunk stand
ing up.
2. Whisky of Irish descent to be drunk setting
down.
3. "Whisky of American nationality to be took
in bed.
4. Whisky of patent medical origin to be took
before death.
None of these beverages must be taken without
family physician. Alcohol do most injury to eitiee.
In country districts it is less harmful because there
is more room for it.
At the Sunday school of which I am a member
ship to learn languages, etc., we there have Japa
nese Boy Temperance League which meet every
Tuesday night, for prohibition conversation. I af
tend to this meeting regularity, because free lem
onade of delightful sourness is furnished free.
Hon. Miss K. N. McGee, Christian lady of light
weight beauty, come there to teach us how to do
so. She instruct us in the song-sing melody, “Cold
Water is the Drunk for Me,” and explain about
the various mocking qualities of wine. When she
The Golden Age for February 6, 1908.
say “wine is mocker” do she mean about some
wine which is imitation of some other brand? She
does not answer to reply.
She say, “Mr. Togo, you must not drunk any
drink however mild, because this lead to stronger
and stronger, yet till gray hairs to sorry grave.”
1 ‘Do water-drunking lead to lemonade drunk
ing?” I require.
“Maybe so it might,” she utter.
“So thus, do lemonade-drunking result for soda
water thirsty?”
“Perhaps is,” she contradict.
“Then if, do soda-water collapse to ginger-ale
tonic?”
“I signify it.”
“And this then: Might Japanese Boy what is
raised by ginger-ale crave for beer-drunking from
this?”
“I am dangerous to reply,” says this Hon. Miss
McGee.
“So sorry to hear!” I terminate. “Because
weak-drunk lead to strong-drunk, strong-drunk to
powerful-drunk—and yet you say it! What for
you teach Japanese Boy ‘Cold Water is the Drunk
for me”? Water lead to lemonade, lemonade to
soda-water, soda-water to ginger-ale, ginger-ale to
beer-glass—sakes of living! What to do with this
thirsty ? ’ ’
“Togo,” she commute, “you are too foolish to
learn what of. This evening-time when lemonade
is pass around you must avoid it because too tempt
ing.”
I listen, and yet I will not do so.
The reason why I make disagreeable argument
'4ibout the temperance is not because I do not be
lieve it is good for all human races. 0 no! It
is most best blessing for those communities which
desire to be cleanly and modern plumbing. But
why should this hon. lady be so Christian in the
way she say it? Can only Christians be pro
hibition? What about heathens like I am-so
who do not care about wine-sip & beer-gulp? Must
they accompany this quietness of thirst with song
using about cold water? Answer is, No! Many
heathens is very abstemperous of stomach. Many
Christians is not. Many Christians, when become
filled up with alcohol feel obliged to make crimes
including boastful talk which lead to murder of
something. Will driving out of salooners in busi
ness do good for those bad persons? I hope to be.
To enquire about what will happen to salooners
when drove out I go to Hon. Strunsky, Irish gen
tleman who conduct saloon.
“Honorable sir,” I magnify, “if the legal laws
of this San Francisco become prohibition, so sorry
for you! What would you do with this saloon to
make profitable wealth from it?”
“That is easy to reply,” say Hon. Strunsky. “I
would turn it into a drug store.”
I am shuddering when I think of that deceptive
man. —From “Letters of a Japanese Schoolboy” in
Collier’s Weekly.
'Renaming the Indians.
Dr. Charles Eastman, himself a full-blooded
Sioux, whose Indian name is Ohiyesa, has nearly
completed the odd and interesting task confided to
him by the United States government of renaming
thirty thousand Indians.
The passing of the old manner of life among
his people, the abolition of tribal customs, and
especially the allotment of land, have made family
names, hitherto unknown, a necessity, that deeds
may be given, records made, and property held,
sold, or inherited without baffling legal difficulties.
Doctor Eastman has, whenever they were not im
possibly long or grotesque, translated or adapted
Indian names —grouping relatives under the name
of the head of the family. At first, although some
of the results are immediately pleasing, others are
not; the combination of newly adopted Christian
names with newly translated Indian names has a
touch of the grotesque. Yet the fault lies rather
with the ear that hears than with the tongue that
pronounces, and time will soon remove the sense
of queerness, as indeed, it has already removed it
in the case of one such name not of Doctor East
man’s choosing, with which the public has become
familiar—that of the famous Indian runner, Tom
Longboat.
When they have become familiar, Albert Black
tomahawk, James Brownsinew, Alfred Greyeagle,
Albert Bulldown, Ezekiel Brownthunder, Reuben
Anotherday and Abraham Alwayshere—these are
fair samples of the new names —will doubtless slip
no less easily from our tongues. And, after all,
they are not so different as they seem.
Mr. Brownsinew, surely, need not feel shy at ap
pearing in a directory where also figure a White
head, a Lightfoot, an Armstrong, or a Longfellow;
names derived from bodily qualities are plentiful
enough. Mr. Greyeagle and Mr. Bulldown will soon
find themselves in company with an Oxfall, White
heart and Gaybird, not to mention the plain Hogg,
the sly Fox, the meek Lamb and the lordly Lyon;
and Mr. Brownthunder may fairly claim that he is
more impressive than any of his fellows in the same
class, such as Summerday, Moonlight, or Merry
weather.
Reuben Anotherday will not need to look far
before he comes upon Mr. Morrow; and if Abraham
Alwayshere can not find a Yankee parallel, he
does not need to. Could there be a name more
suggestive of push, readiness and the modern spir
it? It is the Indian for “Johnny-on-the-spot.”
As for Albert Blacktomahawk, his wild and war
like surname may provoke a few jests at his ex
pense; but so, several centuries ago, did that of
William Shakespeare, who managed to live them
down. —Youth’s Companion.
*. *
The Unemployed.
The problem of the unemployed is giving concern
to the police and charity authorities of great cen
ters. So far as local demonstrations have no ori
gin in the organized movements of socialism and fc
anarchy these demonstrations are not portentous;
but where, as in Berlin and Chicago, new social
theories are promoted by aggressive organization
the cry of the man without work and food warns
the conservative classes that there are people who
will not be content with temporary relief, but are
waiting and working for a great and revolutionary
change in the production and distribution of wealth.
The socialistic party in Germany is a great political
factor, and so when it makes a concentrated pro
test against the existing order the act is significant
cf the current of history. In the streets of Ber
lin thousands of unemployed have felt the iron
hand of the police, and in the imperial parliament
over the matter of the extension of manhood suf
frage there have been demonstrations of hate and
derision. Three years ago in January, St. Peters
bury saw bloody times, and there is a natural re
currence of the mind to events which mark the
thought and aspiration of the least favored in the
struggle for existence. Chicago saw recently a
small demonstration of the unemployed which the
police treated roughly and the conservative papers
of the local press with intentional humor. Chi
cago has had the experience of no other American
city, in that, having been once too tolerant of ex
hibitions of anarchy it suffered an assault upon
its police by the most desperate and malignant rep
resentatives of this school of reform, and became
the scene of the so-called Haymarket riot or mas
sacre. Ever since Chicago has dreaded the red flag,
and so the other day summarily suppressed a dem
onstration which, perhaps, might better have been
left to accomplish its alleged purpose under the
passive but resolute surveillance of the law. The
parade, a small one, was conducted without police
permit, and was dispersed with violence and the
arrest of its leader. It was the desire of this man
to present a petition at the city hall. His parade
did not receive the support of the socialists, and
his grand talk of an overwhelming demonstration
ended in a fiasco. —The Standard.
3
