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A Weekly Paper Edited by THOS. E. WATSON and J. D. WATSON
VO LUNE FOUR
NUMBER FIVE
s" ummary of TLbents as They Happen
By Tom Dolan
Old-age Pensions.
Great Britain has begun the distri
bution of the first year’s grant of
Old Age pensions, under the follow
ing act, which was passed last fall af
ter much debate:
“Any person who satisfies the pen
sion authority that he, first, is a Brit
ish subject; second, is seventy years
of age; third, has not within the past
twenty years been convicted of an of
fense and sentenced to penal servitude
or imprisonment without the imposi
tion of a fine; fourth, has not received
poor relief other than medical aid, un
less under circumstances of an ex
ceptional character, during twenty
years prior to the application for a
pension; fifth, is a resident within
the pension authority; sixth, has not
an income from any source of more
than ten shillings per week, and, sev
enth, has endeavored to the best of
his ability, by his industry and by the
exercise of reasonable providence, to
make provision for himself and those
immediately dependent on him, shall
receive a certificate to that effect and
be entitled to
It is estimated this will cost the
government at least $35,000,000 per
year.
—f-
Sacrilegious.
The “beatification” of Joan of Arc
by the holy Pope of Rome, assisted
by slightly less infallible . but still
sanctified coterie, consisting of Arch
bishops of Ireland, Richard Scannal
and E. P. Allen, of Mobile, is enough
to turn sick the most case-hardened
sinner. The poor little creature, so
innocent, so young, so devoted, so
strangely led to deliver her king and
country where strong men fainted and
failed; and whose reward by the
Church which now desecrates her
memory by canonization was death by
torture, after days of cruel persecu
tion by the emissaries of the Pope,
has been ever a saint in the eyes of
all who since have read or heard her
story. Her fragrant memory is but
mocked by the solemn silliness at the
Vatican. But ’twas ever thus the way
with the gentle Church of Rome; to
kill, and then canonize.
Five States Now Consider Taxing
Bachelors; and Other Silly Leg
islation.
And now comes on the dreary streak
of times wherein the frenzied freak
makes weird the legislative halls with
bilious bills and bumptious bawls; to
oust the “Merry Widow” wide, he
hopes will get him glorified; perchance
it is the cigarette, anon it is the gay
soubrette; and down the legal bump
the-bump, he hurls the chickle-chew-
ing chump; whate’er may chance to be
your ‘ l dope, ’ ’ be sure it has no ray of
hope if the sage Solon’s eager eye
should catch you at it on the sly.
He’d make each bachelor propose to
every pretty girl he knows; and if
her no means yes, you see just what
a pickle it would be, for oftentimes
her yes means yes; would there be
trouble? Well, I guess! When four
teen claimed him for their own, his
reason would have fled its throne.
From many a fair, bucolic scene,
comes he with whiskers tinged with
green who tries to set a wry world
straight by legislation up-to-date.
Not his to add a voice to those that
cry against the people’s woes, nor his
to see the vital cause that urges need
of saner laws. No, his to ponder on
the way to add more daylight to the
day by yanking us from bed at four
to have no sleep forevermore. He’d
let no baby cry at night, nor mongrel
cur e’er bark or bite. Ah, no, this
legislator grand doth take the highly
moral stand that Nature is a thing
that may be abrogated any day that
he can get his bilious bill run through
the legislative mill. And would you
spot said frenzied freak? Then wot
the man with brains that leak!
Seeking a Sunnier Clime.
Mr. Taft has left “that dear Au
gusta,” but is still headed South.
This trip is to Panama, where he will
look at the big ditch, or, rather, the
place where the ditch is supposed
eventually to be. If he does not re
turn wiser and sadder as to the ex
penditure necessary to complete the
work, and the time it will take, it
will be most surprising. But, of
course, his reports will be as opti
mistic as possible. The Administra
tion will need that kind.
Oklahoma Perplexed.
The system of guaranteeing bank
deposits that went through with a
flourish so recently, has already prov
en in practical experience not to meet
the situation satisfactorily. Amend
ments are now under consideration to
increase the power of the state bank
commissioner so that he may limit the
number of banks in any one town; to
specify the minimum amount of capi
tal permissible to a bank and another
to authorize the issuance of 6 per cent
certificates in order to pay victims of
insolvent banks if at any time the
guarantee fund growing out of the
general assessments on all the banks
should cease to suffice. What a queer
conglomeration of legislation all this
amounts to! First, all banks must be
assessed in order to pay the deposi
tors who are injured by a failing in
stitution. And then, should that be
inadequate, the state banking commis-
Atlanta, Ga., Thursday, February 4, 1909
sion is to provide money another way.
This other way can only come through
a general taxation method which will
make the man too poor to have a bank
account step in and protect the man
who was able to have one, but un
fortunate enough to lose it. Since
the owner of a bank account gener
ally owns a good business, or prop
erty, or enjoys a profitable profession
in addition thereto and the laborer
who is taxed may not have anything
but his little sticks of household fur
niture, the method of Oklahoma is es
sentially vicious.
Remember the Maine ? ’ ’
Os course we all remember it, and
how a lot of jingoes rushed down to
Cuba, or enlisted and got themselves
filled full of embalmed beef. Long
will that Spanish-American “war”
linger in the recollections, to cause the
blush of mortification to overspread
the countenance of sober second
thought. When the cry went up that
the Maine had been blown up by the
Spaniards in Santiago Harbor, what
a rage there was. And how few voices
there were raised in counsel against
the passion for revenge. Some point
ed out always that it must have been
an accident, or, if blown up at all,
it was a clever ruse on the part of the
Cubans themselves to bring about just
such intervention as they had so long
prayed and were equally denied. The
cause of justice and mercy fell on Un
cle Sam’s unheeding ears until his
slumbering senses were aroused by an
assumed injury done his own men and
property. Later —about two years af
ter that 'Spanish-American “war” it
was whispered that examination had
proved that the ship had been blown
up from the inside! But the fact was
not broad-casted. It was hushed.
Now, the old hulk lies cluttering up
the harbor, needing to be moved, and
there isn’t nerve enough left, appar
ently, to order it done. The revela
tions are still feared.
“Mister” Harriman in Atlanta.
“Mister” Harriman dropped into
Georgia’s Gate City the other day and
was received by the same bunch of
snobs who are always ready to hover
around the man of money. “Mister”
Harriman says that if Georgia is good,
he will spend $10,000,000 of the money
he steals from us and other people in
fixing up his own property. Noble
man! No wonder he was gazed at in
awe and gratitude. And no wonder
such people as Harriman continued to
hold the public in deserved contempt
when they will truckle to him. It is
not the province of the average citi
zen to be prosecuting attorney and to
put malefactors in jail for violation
% ■
w.
Uojeii/wkOM.
of law. But it is at least reserved to
let them flock by themselves, instead
of turning out in full dress to honor
them and take them around in car
riages. To say that the homage show
ed the “railroad magnate” indicated
lack of self-respect on the part of
those who paid their devoirs to him is
putting it mildly.
Rainey Ready with Facts.
The dignified, yet severe arraign
ment by Congressman Rainey of the
Panama deal and his firm reiteration
of the charges of fraud more than
keep pace with the attempt on the
part of “John Doe” to sue the news
papers for libel. The papers but
printed what had been publicly charg
ed, anyhow, in the halls of the Sen
ate, and it is to be hoped that there are
left some men with courage enough to
face the clique of corruptionists even
at this late day.
t
New Faces in the Senate.
Let us see; after March fourth,
there will be Root, from New York,
replacing Tom Platt; Hughes from
Colorado, in stead of Sen. Teller;
Cummins, in place of Allison, deceas
ed; Shively, of Indiana, who beat Jno.
Worth Kern at the game; Chamber
lain, after a hard fight in Oregon;
Burton, who succeeds Foraker, dis
graced, and who won over “brother
Charles” Taft; Fletcher of Florida;
Bradley, of Kentucky; Bristow, from
Kansas; Jones, of Washington; Craw
ford, of South Dakota; Johnson, North
Dakota, and Smith, replacing Gary,
of South Carolina. Quite a lot of new
ones in the Senate.
Baby Ruler Dead.
It is reported that little Pu Yi, the
infant emperor of China, is dead of
small pox.
Price Five Cents