Newspaper Page Text
PAGE EIGHT
Emma L. Lester, which appeared in the
Voice, some time ago.
Miss Emma says—•
The embroidery mission is located in a mission
compound where there is a day school, an ele
mentary boarding school, a kindergarten, a nor
mal training school, and a home for missionaries.
In a large, well-ventilated, and well-lighted
workroom the women sit on wooden stools, facing
each other, two or more working together at the
same embroidery frame. Sometimes four or six
work on a large piece; rarely does a woman work
alone. A hundred and fifty women are employed,
of whom thirty board in the school. Their ages
vary from sixteen to sixty years, the average be
ing thirty. The faculty consists of three Ameri
can missionaries, who fill the positions of princi
pal, business secretary, and Bible teacher; three
native Bible teachers, three assistants, three
native designers, and a native bookkeeper.
The economic condition of the workers is a
most interesting study. The average wage is
$.1.75 per month, which is" far more than thd
Chinese merchants pay for similar work. Upon
this sum the worker feeds herself and family and
never ceases to be thankful for the opportunity
to earn so much. About one-third of the women
are widows, one-third betrothed, and one-third
deserted.
Social relations between the sexes in China are
impossible, save in the married relation. Women
relatives meet occasionally at wedding feasts,
funerals, and heathen festivals. The women and
girls can hardly be said to have any real home
life, and the embroidery mission is, therefore, a
very attractive place to them. Very few on enter
ing are able to read. The task of learning is
laborious, but they take keen delight in it.
Will you just rest your mind on that pic
ture. drawn by the misionary, herself ?
She states that the mission is a compound,
made up of a day school, an elementary
boarding school, a kindergarten, a normal
training school, and a home for the mis
sionaries.
(Give us a picture of these buildings,
Voice!)
The faculty consists of thirteen salaried
officials, none of whom seems to be a preach
er of the Gospel!
“Business secretary,*' “three native design
ers,” to design patterns in embroidery; and
a “native book-keeper.”
Regular business shop, and literary acad
emy !
Chinese women hired to embroider, at
one dollar and seventy-five cents a month!
On this •sum, she feeds herself, and family,
and never ceases to be thankful!
If they were to raise her wages to two
dojlars a. month, a sudden rush of blood to
the head might carry her off!
Miss Emma Lester gets her SSO a month,
a house rent free, a yearly vacation, and all
her (ravelling expenses paid.
The other American missionaries there,
get the same pay and perquisites.
When (hey marry, every increase in the
family, swells the pay-roll by SIOO a year
for each kid.
And (ho heathen, whose souls these self
denying missionaries went out there to save,
work for the missionaries at the sum of $1.75
a month!
Now, if a Chinese woman can support her
self and family, and “never cease to be
thankful for the opportunity to earn so
much ” why is it that Miss Emma, and all
other lady missionaries are not thankful un
less they get SSO a month, an elegant rent
free mansion, and a yearly three months’
sojourn at the mountain retreat?
Q
Life and Speeches of Thos. E. Watson will
encourage every ambitious young man who
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Jeffersonian Publishing Company, Thomson,
Ga.
New Edition of “Napoleon,” by Thos. E.
Watson. Just off the press. One volume,
$1.50. Handsomely bound, profusely illus
trated. This book is regarded as standard by
the French readers and scholars. The Jeffer
sonian Publishing Co., Thomson, Ga.
THE JEFFERSONIAN
Mr. Bryan and the Desk.
VL7HEN it was first stated in the daily
papers that Mr. Bryan, after his sud
den resignation, went into the State Depart
ment, and took away the desk which had
been in continuous use by Secretaries of
State ever since the days of President Lin
coln, the country was slow to believe it.
There i$ a United States statute which
makes it a felony for any one to sell prop
erty belonging to the Government, except
ing, of course, where such property is sold
by authority of law.
It is stated that William 11. Seward used
the desk which Bryan took.
If so, the Emancipation Proclamation was
probably written upon it. The historic value
of the desk on that account alone, is very -
great, and will become greater and greater,
as generations go by.
The Government is the proper custodian
and owner of a desk around which associa
tions of that kind are clinging— but Bryan,
has got it.
It was certainly upon this desk that Sec
retary Blaine prepared the first treaties
which brought about closer relations with
the Americas south of us. and those treaties,
whether beneficial to us or not, are now
bearing the most important results.
It was upon this desk that Secretary Olney
prepared the State papers which saved Vene
zuela from the warlike aggressions of Great
Britain.
Secretary John Hay, seated at this desk,
wrote the papers which notified Germany,
and Great Britain that they could not gob
ble China, and divide her commerce between
themselves: the door of trade must be kept
open for all the world.
Likewise, it was on this desk that the pa
pers were drawn which unfettered us from
the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, dissolved the
Panama partnership, and left us free to
build the great Canal for ourselves.
Surely, here was a historic desk, and the
Government meant to keep it.
But Mr. Bryan—modest, unselfish soul!
determined to have that piece of furniture
for his own house— and he took it!
How is his act defended?
Read the following:
To the Editor of The New York Times:
While I am not in sympathy with Mr. Bryan’s
actions during his late occupancy of office of Sec
retary of State, yet I wanted to know what the
law is in regard to the question of his removing
the desk that he used while in office. I wrote
Mr. Bryan regarding the same and “their” reply
is hereto attached. J. M. OURSLER.
Council Bluffs, lowa, Aug. 16, 1915.
Mr. J. M. Ourslcr, Council Bluffs, Iowa:
Dear Sir—Your recent favor reached this office
while Mr. Bryan is absent. Inclosed find copy of
an editorial that will appear in the August issue
of The Commoner, which I believe covers the case
in which you are interested. It is unfortunate
that some American newspapers will not make
any effort to learn the facts before publishing
statements that are so absurd and untrue.
Regretting Mr. Bryan could not make personal
reply, we are,
Very truly yours, THE COMMONER,
By J. R. Farris, Supt.
(Inclosure. Proof of an editorial to appear in
The Commoner.)
The Commoner editorial, written by
Bryan, is—
Desk and Chairs.
Those who are interested enough to make in
quiry will find that it is customary for officials
to purchase from the Government pieces of fur
niture for which they have formed an attachment.
Each Cabinet member, for instance, takes the
chair which he has used at the President’s council
table, paying therefor the cost of a new one. Mr.
Bryan takes his, depositing for it $65. He also
buys his desk chair for SSO and a desk for $250 —
the cost of new furniture of the same character.
The desk is the one used by him in signing the
peace treaties. . Is it strange that he is fond of it?
“Is it strange that he is fond of it?”
No, indeed, it isn’t strange to anyone who
knows that Bryan offered to buy from Japan
some of her historic relics.
It has been the custom for United*
States e officials to strip their offices of the
furniture on leaving office.
To take away a chair upon which one has
sat in the Cabinet, and replace it with a new
one, is silly enough—but even that act of
self-worship has never extended beyond the
White House. •
Taft may have carried away his chair, be
cause it was made to order, and no one else
could use it; but I never heard that Cleve
land, or Harrison, or Roosevelt dismantled
the Mansion when their terms expired.
I know that Senators ami Representatives
did not take awav their desks, and chairs in
the 90s; and if they do it now, they’re
mighty sly about it.
The fact that no other Secretary of State
ever rifled the office of the desk, is proved
by the fact that the same desk was there
when Bryan came in, that had been there
ever since the days of Abraham Lincoln.
It was there for Bryan to take, AND HE
TOOK IT.
Nobody had any legal right to sell it to
him, to barter it to him, or to give it to him.
He himself bartered the old desk to him
self for a new one.
The transaction looks ugly! It is law
less, and it sets the worst of precedents.
If Mr. Bryan can use his office to swap
Government property to himself, for' other
property that he buys, others can do it—
"and they will.
Who passed upon the comparative value
of the two desks?
Who can give to the new desk the historic
value of the old one?
The next news we know, resigning cavalry
officers will be swapping horses with the
Government; and, in exchange for a first
class critter, the Government will get “a
genuine Mexican plug.”
The Navy Admiral, on retiring, will take
his flag-ship, and replace it with a new 7
one.
The Army officer, on resigning, will take
the flag he followed in battle, and in barter
will give the Government a new 7 piece of
bunting.
Possibly the keeper of the United States
Capitol buildings and grounds -will, on quit
ting, take away that half-naked statue of
George Washington, and replace it with a
new 7 bronze, dressed all the way up.
When Champ Clark ceases to be Speaker,
w 7 ill he tear out the marble rostrum, and put
in a new 7 one?
Let us hope he will be content with the
gavel, which was presented to him by ardent
admirers.
. “Zs it strange that he is fond of it?”
Surely not. But then, you see, the Gov
ernment is fond of it, too.
And it belongs to the Government, not
to Mr. Bryan.
If W. J. B. had any sense of humor, he
wmuld not talk of those Peace Treaties, at
this particular time.
Peace treaties ain’t quoted above par, at
present.
Every nation that signed those amicable
compacts w 7 ent to fighting one another like
wild cats, and if w 7 e don’t get mixed in the
melee, before long, it will be on account of
Professor Wilson's excessive fondness for
writing Sunday school lessons for the
Kaiser.
A bright, apt, and most receptive Sunday
school pupil, is the Kaiser; and our Prince
ton Professor is ravenously fond of cor
responding with him, and teaching him how
to behave.
Tbe Jeffersonian, SI.OO per year; in Clubs
of Ten, 50 cents.
