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6 THE CONSTITUTION CLARK HCWELL Editor ROBY ROBINSON Business Manager Kursredat th* Atlanta FoMofTic* «• H*e«*4 ( laas slall Matter, s>*t. 11. 1X73. THE VTEKLT CONSTITUTION. onlv $; per ; .ir.n.ini Clv.bs of five, SI each; flub- of ten. ; * I each and a copy to getter-up of club. V, E WANT YOU—The Constitution wants sn | nger.t at every postoffiee In America. Agent a j . urfit f-oe and good terms. 'f you are not ; In a club, we want you to act as agent at , ur office. Write u*. CHANCE nF ADDRESS- When ordering » !• ! ■ress . f your rapet changed alwave give the > eld as woh ae the new address. Always glte , ; etoffice county ar i state. If your paper . e not received regularly, notify us and w* . will straighten the matter. 11 YOU SEND 1 S AN ORDER for new »ub ► crlbet-. please allow us a week to get the names on the list and paper started before ! -. • . write a complaint, ss we are very much ■ t w ed now. • ’ NOT EORGET to make your renewals In tin e Watch your direction -ag and see when youx subscription expire*. The next ■:> m nth wt 1 be full of interest, and you el.oulrl r.r.t >nl-s a single copy of The Con e-it ill ~n ~,n i your orders at least » week lun It not ske a w -ek In every instance. as we use the g ea -st diligence to get them on our mall ,;it list. Warnings to the South. We would be real gratified If we could beii; v< that the advice to the touth, now appearing in so many of our • x Mra ■ itbi tn contemporaries, is i wholly unselfish and meant for our ; -Hit :ai good. We refer, of course, I to :i ad-ice that we should immedi-| at ly ruarit down the price of cotton I anc .-i\ • ourseivos from future bank-1 rtijl-y cf ( pr» tut practical inc-j u ipo'y <f ti tuiii production. In tl.i- first place, we are fain to say | ■ i i • • newspapers that we do not • ;...■■' • •■■ cotton h< re in the ■ m c : ii ■ the fellows who want the ■ <>:. ;v 1 pay the pt- .-ent figures for : it w!... n: 1., the price Demand is the i Miiii oi 12 <>■; 15-cent cotton. To • dat- i'l-sp- 1 liiu taken in three n. .nib- .wi.-idi-.-ably more than 100,- "■n b.i ■ - ■'. .■:!! during the same period I la-i yea;, and will hi- obliged to mul tiply th.- imrea-'o steadily during ItinJ or ..-I many of her mills go out! Lu-un A thing so necessary to I i.. , population as southern ! rotion will bring what it is worth, | and d< niand for con- I ;■ it v. toi l that the mills can- ) buy it cot m, manufacture it I and a profit on the finished j go-.-ls i. ■ people will not; t ,i.., - ■ t-r ti' essary raise m the; pri( < . ■ goods. Perhaps those I knew what they are talk- I tis n<>t the south’s j w I t.■ mill owners in the ! ... ' . ! : . iiiibk it good policy ; . milb , let then- ma opei atives j and -niters, and finally the ; i,;t. . • i; ■ i.’ir capital and the divi- I d ; : ': :r : ’ <>■. k. why. they have ’ • to do so. The . nit •• ]_•• oph- will be only that; :n‘v a ii l-.u e no < 01 ion goods to wear | .... 1.1:ii; jute, woolen and l ings, shirt - What • !.,• could lii ti .- tn xt >’;■■, we are warned. \. : . ii wt h oming and ; 1 r- ms or better for our cot-; ~. •; : >, • < p ople on the other ! ~: ; t o: A.' 'l. pond will go down i into their f-• t’b African and West I nt an pos -i . - ..'i- and raise oodles : :on---o)10Ugh to SUp ;;>! •(. r . ■■■:■■ and so cut off our t. troraau nn.iret teetoially. If our • . niory s< rv< s us well, those Eti- peoples had dining on. civil : in which to ex ploit th: trick cf finding new cotton ; ,’ ( j ■ and making thenisi. Ives inde : ... ■. t: , .iiat riian crop. Con- ation of ' ■ ‘ 'Olton plant have not • radii ail" -once as to make i Pa dish cousins, for t p • ■ . a r.. I-.. ... .;i - • it'.’ir - w lien they ! \ papers, r.i'l2 i’ <iv-ii Vii't 11'an cotton mill ■ i a??-| alert an obccrvor . ;d,mt ,! Skeit.m Williams, of S r. oil \ir Din',: systc.n, has . - i . iii;>i ho found a ■■ .’tv o' hroad that made l i ■< . a-:. ii.-uai half yearly l ; . ; du -iug the two ' ... S- I’.'; ami Oelober. ; . • . m ; ime to believe that, j.- uporaries are in un- ' . . •. <t v i • . th. ask, as does ; Y irl; Po-t. tiiai tin people . .i.m'.i .> not '. .-cm cotton prices "a tieadv demand at mod- .- ,' ns ' And The Plniadel- ’ ;■ mini? • that ?.!5 per bale inks, uwW’y. but please have . h "friendiy Th Florida Ship Canal. .- niior Takateri ;>, of Florida, has . .; im i congress a. bill to ap ale JiT.'iOO for a preliminary , v; a fv-a il-'li' Polite lor a canal .. ' j lorida for the largest oeeau- ac.ing steamers. Tj.i Constitution began the agita ; for the carrying forwaru of this . ~iml project, but ii preferred that, the a siibers of congress should , p t ie ini’iativc in the matter, its now r that Senator . - i rro has Introduced a bill to be- • • n 'he proicct, we would like to see „ , .... na ‘or and representative from *l',o i/a and gulf-hoard states get be 1 -.nd t' an 1 u with ail vigor and ii *. t’.ari. from the prime necessity to , yi, of the isthmian canal, wo .., ■>. j.k of no grf’t public national outh cos' .1 state than the building of -hip canal a ross Florida. It 1,,!., iving; of enormous value ~ ir commerce, coastwise and • -coinr The cwo have already P vr. -med in these columns, but. , . P r ties that are seaports and have (li ' r o ( i stake in this matter should , mseh es at onc< and see to i. ♦pnt congress will lack no argu- ment calculated to advance the enter prise until it is an accomplished fact. President Roosevelt has been in vited to attend a banquet at Wilming ton, Del., on January 8. the purpose of whicu is to inaugurate a movement for a ship canal to connect the Dela ware and Chesapeake bays. Pennsyl vania, New Jersey, Delaware, Mary land and Virginia are represented in , j the movement. If the business men of ■ those states see wisdom and profit in ' that canal, how much more should the south Atlantic and gulf peoples get to- I gether and rest not until the Florida j ship canal is c nsummated? Our Georgia Senators. The Constitution observes that I some of the newspapers of this and I adjacent states have mistaken alto I gether the attitudes of Senator Bacon and Senator Clay toward the ponding Panama treaty. Both in these col umns and in the dispatches of our Washington representative we have from the first been careful to stale the positions of the senators from Georgia with fullness and accuracy. It is a mistake in any one to as sume from what has been said by the Georgia senators that they’ are op- ; posed to the prompt construction ol | the interoceanic canal, or that tuey will vote against the treaty to that el- I feet win Panama now pending the . senate. Neither of them has maue ' any announcement from which either ■ inference can be drawn. On the con- | trary, they are both known as warm ' and indelatigable promoters of the canal piopo; Ilion and are earnestly desirous to do whatever they can and ' ought to do, with fair understanding I ; and clear coi.-teit n< e. to bring about i the desire of the nation for that < n- I terprise. Botli senators are agreed in their j present state of mmd toward canal ■ legislation. They favor the acquiro ! ment by the government of ail tiw ! necessary rights, concessions and con j ti’ol necessary to enable the i nited i Stales to buiid, own and defend that ' great world function in commerce. : They have so recorded their votes. : But in the rapid transaction oi events . : that preceded an 1 followed the seces-t | sion of Panama, the erection of a new 1 j sovereignly over the canal territory t : and the rec ognition by the pr; si<c'iit. oi I I t);e new government on the isthmus, i I our senators and other of their col ; i leaguit, have tieiini'tl it wise' to bold ■ ; an open mind as to their future action ; toward these kaleidoscopic <><"il:. ; ! They have gone no further than to i I deciare that the circitui.siaiii es in tr.e j : case call for a fuller and more expiieit ' i teport by’ the administration ot its i actings and doings in th" ;e.em!. That they have the right to . ta b tn- t : formation as may be in the keeping of ! tile president ami 'lie d<; m m-, ot ! ; government is not to !><' denied. I ! More republicans than Senator Hoar! i recognize t.iie propriety oi the d ’mand j j end there is scarcely a do i!" that the ; ! eomiiletest report will lie made to tii i senate by the cxc< ative <i tiat’ 1 ment., : when congress reasscmbl -s in Jan- i i nary. No fault can be found witii the : ■ jointure of the Georgia senators .n ■ ; demanding a plain and elariiieu <•;> ■<’ ■ tr act upon, but when the case is. pre- i I seated and absolves this govermu nl i i from any stealthy or conspirmgpa.it in : the creation of the Paiiaman republic, i we believe not only Senators i’.acon and Clay, but a majorif -of tin demo- i cratic senators, will be Sound re.u’.y to ! accept the facts and vote accordingly. I i They are honorable am! rospotistble i senators, the peers of any in patriot ! ism jealous as any of the national ! ] ono:. and < specially devoted to the < i good repute and best interests ot their . constituents. As to the Poverty of the South. A writer in Gunter's Magazine tor December tells iiis impr< ssions o: a. trip in the south and lays jiarticulaim stress upon the fact that impressed him most —“the realization oi gt< at and far-reaching poverty ” To his mind “there is nothing in the south more abundant than energy--except ■ poverty." and “not the poverty, be it understood, of the individual alone,) i but the poverty oi the neighborhood, . tlie section, the stale, the country. All tills he applies to lite existing' status in Virginia, the Carolinas and, ' Georgia! Such writing is calculated to malic I an." intelligent man acquainted with i southern < or.ditions extremely tired in bis mental kicking department Noth- ■ ing more absurd, misrepresent alive and totally unwarranted has been printed in any American periodical oi' : our acquaintance lor many long years . Tlie poverty of the souln must be determined by comparison with oilier i sections, taking into account many ; ■ ia< tors Everybody knows that in ' ISGS, at the end of the civil war, the i south was utterly impoverished and her valuations almost wiped oft the assessment rolls. What she is worth , today lias been created by the oner- j gies of her people off and out of the ! 1 bare lands that were lett her and > wnich. in their then condition, m i" i no better —nay, not. so good—as tiio i prairie homesteads givtn to .-enters in ' new states of the middle west. To got a comparison on something like fair terms, let us lake Georgia i ; and lowa. , Georgia had 2,216,331 population by I : the census of WOb, with -17.u31 ; of assessed property, or $2 ti per cap ! ita. lowa was admitted into the union in 1816, had in '865 about the same population as Georgia had then; in 11‘OU had 2.231,853 inhabitants, with ; $558,462,588 of assessed properly, or i 1 $251 pel' capita. i-Tom these figures ; i it would appear that low-i ha.-, nrieli- j i cd her-'.'li faster than Georgia by $!5 i per capita—but, wc call attention to i the fact tiiat lowa lias 37,36-1 pension- ; ers, drawing an average oi sl-14 per | ■ year from the United Stales treasury. making a total of $5,380,416 per an num, or more tha t $2.10 per capita. ! So that it is but fair to assume that | the pension gifts to lowa since 1865 . ' have far more than amounted to the ; ! $45 per capita of wealth that the ■ : boasts over Georgia, from whose peo- : ! pie money is annually raised ’>y the i government to lie given to lov.a. Or. take Nebraska admitted into j the uniom Marcli 1, 1867 —surety siie ! started about even, economically with I lhe Georgia of that day Now she ; had 1.06G.3'j0 population in 1900. with I I $174,439,095 of assisted jirop 'i - ' » oi ' . $.164 per capita--whicli i- ?-'2 less t I than the pro rata in Geo ia. Yet N-" | braska has 17,364 pensioners who get j THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION: ATLANTA, GA., MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1903 THE “NATIONAL HONOR” AND THE PANAMA CASE. The esteemed Boston Herald says that The Constitution advo cates the ratification of the Panama canal treaty, giving “no consid eration to'the questions of national honor and international law." Now as to this Mark Antony act of orating over the bloody mantle and the Bowie-knifed body of “the national honor!’’ The Constitution holds itself second to no citizen or press in the land in profound and patriotic devotion to the national honor. Could we be convinced by facts, leaving out all mere oracular pronouncements to that effect, that the national honor has been compromised already, or is in danger of being sacrificed hereafter, by the occurrences on tho isthmus of Panama since November 1. ultimo, The Constitution would promptly withdraw its favor for the canal treaty and urge every senator, republican and democrat, to denounce the whole affair and spurn the treaty from their chamber. However, we are not so convinced. We have neither heard nor read from any source any trustworthy evidence that this government, has in vaded any right of others, or usurped any powers to itself, in the Pan ama transactions that places the faintest stigma on the escutcheon of the national honor. There may be such evidence, in somebody’s posses sion. We do not say there is not such evidence in existence, but we do say emphatically that, if any senator has it in keeping, he is' himself culpable of imperilling the national honor by carrying it secretly in his bosom and not proclaiming it. from the housetops, that an hon orable people may know at once wherein their character is being fla grantly befouled! it is not for a moment, sufficient that gentlemen. s< nators, newspa pers should set up an accordant chorus of complaint over the hurt to “the national honor." Not in this case, for it is a specific case in which tlie national honor” must first lie identified, its duties defined and its jeopardy made plain as the sun at noonday. For in this matter we are dealing with a gn at and vital national and international interest —- a work whose every import will affect the world for untold centuries after every living citizen, senator, president and newspaper is dead be yond a reviving memory. "Honor” is a rotund and sonorous word. Use it where you will, it is a chameleon that takes color from the occasion. There is the honor of the nation, the honor of the sovereign, the honor of the leal knight and gentleman--and ihc “honor among thieves.” And we are glibly told by the anti-canal treaty press that we are, by advocating the ratifica tion of the Panama treaty, urging the exchange of tlie first honor men tioned for tii'' last kind quoted! We do not believe that “the national honor” is an attribute 'hat even tho United States senate, or the president, or the anti-canal press, is able to monopolize. The national honor has, indeed, truer friends and mor.' ready defenders outside those agencies than among them. It is tl.o common people who forsake all ter the national honor, who follow the flag, who fight the battles, who die, bear wounds and scars, and bring back' to the altar of Liberty “the national honor” safely supported by victory and peace. The Constitution knows that it. speaks for those common people: for the men in the cotton fields, in the factories, in tho mine.' and in all the industries to whom an isthmian canal means • xpanded markets, quick transit and a first chance in ilio gr< atest. mar i« s for southern products that tlie world can or will aflord us in all the future. We speak for those to whom "tho national honor" is mote than a conjure-word or a political counter. The attitude of The Constitution is that whicli has been democratic party policy lor over fifty years, expressed by frequent planks in suc ceeding democratic national platforms. The democratic party demanded j an isthmian canal before the republican party was born. It cannot now r< iri at from the demand or wantonly delay the opportunity for it with- ; oa: a :-;.iilt it ii .u ion absolutely inexcusable. So far a*; the pending treaty concerned, ’lhe Constitution is not in opposition to the party, or its responsible leaders, in the senate or out of ir, 15. there is no democratic policy with regard to the treaty. The senate caucus lias not. acted to that end. Because it has not. and bectiuse when it does so w- desire that action to accord with democratic sentiment where that sentiment is most, interested and worthy of all consideration, we appeal to demo cratic senators not to adopt a line of action that will disappoint the world, tin' nation ami espe< ially that loyal host, of southern d<mocrats whose interests demand the < anal and whose desirex shov.td not. be reck- | lessly overridden. Ju. t lii’K the que.-iioii is pertinent as to wha tin- :-. iional honor demiuids in tlie present case? As to Colombia, does it demand that we shall ignore the double dealing practiced upon thi.-, country by Concha. >y Herran, by Marro quin and by the Colombian congressional hold-up men, egged on. as Min ister ll< ; ran conls seed, by the transcontinental raiiwax agents at Bo gota? On July 4 last he said that, “tlie men who are working hardest to defeat the instrument are the secret agents of the United States i railway and steamship lines.” in his message to the Colombian con- | ~|. ... Jtim. 20, this year. President .Marroquin i ailed the Hay-Ilerran i maty the ju'i - t'Utalion to his government of "a dilemma,” ami said: ■ • 1 leave the full responsibility of this matter for congress.” That con- ; gre '.. faltered from June 20 to October 31. badgeting us meanwhile for | more nioncv and threatening the new Panama Canal Company of France i with the revocationof its concessions, and finally adjourned with the treatv ilium buck in our faces unratified! .'.nd 1< it not be forgotten, whin- we are going along, that th m treaty making with Colombia, was b'.'gged for by her and taken up by us to please her more than ourselves. | S'i< m-. ded the canal, tmt more than all she needed the money she could ■ gel out oi it. She had just tailed to raise a. loan of $15,090,000 in Eu- , rope. She was le ing pressed to pay her debts and defaulted interest .'.nd >••• when we responded and made her more liberal propositions | than called tor. sin- t roared our favor with shameful jockeying and final , contempt. And we are asked to stand for all that and “keep sweet!" ; Does ’ln- national honor mortgage our further submission to these ' r.'iKiileiit Colombians? Concede them tlie right to reject the treaty. Rights also represent responsibilities and when tney rejected the treaty 1 ijn-, a-.-unu'd for themselves responsibility for the eons-'qimiicos. Those , consequeuies, thoroughly advertised beforehand, happened when Pana- | ma seceded at once and set. up an independent government, which wo ' recognize as de facto, as no one dares, say we had not the right to do. In what way, then, are we debtors to let Colombia, and the trans continental Machiavellis behind her, dictate to us how our national honor i hall be handled .’ sV‘hat does the national honor, on the oilier hand, demand of us to ward Panama? If it is argued that our honor demands that we with- ; <’raw from all concern about the isthmus and the canal there and aban don the Panama republic, already i ecognized by us, by strong powers of Europe, and by South American republics also, to be beaten down, rccoupled to Colombia and savagely disciplined for exercising the divine right to ensue freedom, then moral standards, the customs of nations and the historic policy of friendly favor to all peoples seeking national, ■ republii an independence go by the board together in one broad swoop. Can tho national honor do those things and then boast itself over the wreckage of its history and its world-wide promises to humanity? We think not i The way of honor is the path of duty. Our duty as a nation seems unmistakably clear’. No proof of any dishonorable intervention or col lusion being produced in tins case, we ought to let Colombia make the most of her self-elected predicament, defend Panama from an entirely new attempt to conquer her from in dependence to servile dependence to Colombia, and by ratifying lhe Panama treaty consummate the long deferred hopes and the present almost universal desire for the marriage of tlie two great oceans by the canal. □’hen the national honor will bo larger and more lustrous than ever before in our caree/! direct from the national treasury an-I nually $2,500,416, o; $2.35 per capital tor her entire population. We make no comparison between ! Georgia and the eastern or central I states, because none is possible. They ■ saw no war, suffered no financial losses, but. on the contrary, increased their wealth abnormally by army eon- : tracts during the war and since have I added tremendous unearned incre- . meats by reason of idle favoritism of • the protective tariff. Again, if we deduct $15,000,100 as the assessed property of our 1,034,813 negroes, and then divide the remain ing $551,347,024 between our white populate i. the per capita of wealth in Georgia, is $373 plus, which is above | I the pro rata of the majority of the i ' slates in the union. We are not all Goulds, Astors and Rockefellers in the south —not by a 1 iong shot —but when it. comes to de- : : nouncing us as bring conspicuous for 1 our “pitiless poverty” more than for any other characteristic we take ■ prompt occasion to register a strong I and indignant kick! The National Conventions. Some of the republican newspapers appear to repel the suggestion that the democrats should next year make their nominations ahead of the. repub licans, and they do so with an air that I seems to assert their right to say j when and where the democracy shall shy its castor into the presidential ring. There are some good reasons urged why the democrats, now fully harmon ized and eager for a fight to the fin ish, should get before the people first, with their platform and candidates. The only drawback to that progrmme is tho fear that the republicans would neutralize the best things in the dem ocratic platform by agreeing with them and thus avoiding any issue upon them. However, tlie democratic national committee will probably do the right tiling in deciding when and where to call next year’s convention. It will rot, if later than that of the .epub lieans, be so tar behind as to destroy our chance of outsprinting them to the wire! The Postal Check Plan, The postal authorities are taking an active interest, at last, in tho de mand of the people for some system of post-check currency by which small remittances by mail can be easily and safely made. Third Assistant Post master General Madden reports that tho post-check system would: 1. Relieve the department of heavy loss and labor through improper sales of stamps. 2. Practically stop illegal traffic in stamps and take away inducements to postoffiee robberies. 3. Relieve nn rehants of loss in handling masses of postage stamps now received instead of checks or currency. 4. Tin- plan would be simple, effective and economical in operation. He proposes that the department make an experimental trial of the scheme from certain centers of the country. This actual tost, will show tho department the good and the ti oiiblesome features, so t.<;at the good ones may be retained and the imper fections cured before the system is generally inaugurated. The bill in aid of this business con venience, now before congress, pro vides that all the one, two and five dollar bills issued by tlie national treasury shall have on them blank spaces in which the name of a payer and a payee may be written. This act converts the bill into a check on the government payable to the party whose name is written on its face as tlie payee. A two-cent stamp is put on the bill ami for that price the gov ernment will cash it at any postoffiee, or through any bank, for the payee only. One desiring to send money can ; thus make his own check without go ing to the postoffiee or getting a money order from it or any other in stitution. The government issues a new bill in blank for each one re- I deemed as a personal check. This plan has had wide indorsement j by business men and Is regarded as ) altogether simple, sale and inexpen ' sivo. If the bill passes' congress it j will greatly benefit remitters of small sums in all the commercial lines of bii.-ancss. The Isle of Pines. We have waited patiently to hear some announcement by the adminis tration of tlie political, or any other reasons It may have for giving up the Isle of Pines to Cuba. The latter country has no right or title to it. of j any color. The island was expressly I ii'sen cd from the territory recognized : as Cuban in the treaty of Paris. Its ■ iiituro status was to be settled by ■ treaty, it. is true, imt not because of ■ any proprietary right, to it inhering in ■ the new nation of Cuba, but because time was needed to determine the past status of the island under Span ish dominion and what might oe the future interest of the United States in : owning and controlling it. I The island is now owned more I largely by Americans than by any l other proprietors of its lands, mine-, i and quarries. The progressive inhab . uaius arc largely Americans who have , gone there ami made homes they ! hoped would be permanent and main ! taiib d under American jurisdiction. ! In doing all this settlement and de- ■ •,< lopni' iit work tlicy were <-ib‘ouraged ! by the advice of many political ami : oi l I'.'i'.il persons who. doubtless, were I 1 ones! in saying and believing that ; the island would not finally be deliv ! ered over as a free gift to the | Cubans. I it seems a plain case of unexpected un-Americanism that Minister Squiers ; har, exercised himself to further bonus tlie Cu ■ : h i" at ’ i.;■ this country and many worthy citi zens by negotiating a jug-handled trc.ity giving the Cubans both the handle and the jug. The Isle of Pines has many points of value to this country, especially if wo are to build the isthmian canal and cur merchant ships are to tie ever coming and going in the Caribbean 1 s£ a ’ _ An Unworthy / ssault. Tlie full text of an editorial in The New Vock Times of Thursday morn ing is at hand and discloses a spirit in that normally sane and equitable journal that we are amazed to see It is the boast of The Times ’bat ii deals only with what is “lit to i-rint, lut it has sadly fallen from grace when it deals with the attitude el tiie southern people toward the Panama (anal in the way that it does in the editorial mentioned. Certainly the charge that oar peo ple’s desire for the canal in the pres ent opportunity is a manifestation “of the old slavery spirit” is not a judg ment fit to be printed in a just and fair-minded newspaper. The Times ( light, to bo wise enough to know that the opposition it holds against the pending Panama treaty cannot be made the universal standard of right eousness for north and south, east and west, in this emergency. That newsjiajicr lias convinced itself ’hat to deal with tlie authorities de facto in Panama and take over the rights to tlie canal from their hands would be an act of dishonor. Fhe limes is en titled to its opinion. ’ But. the people of the south have an equal right to their opinion, upon the same promises, and if it differs from that of The Tinies that fact does not warrant the latter in berating us and in trying to oast, upon us a revived oitiiu.ii on account of the slavery issue of tlie past century. It. is up to The Times to tell us what is the spirit tiiat. causes the senators from New England, from Ohio and the whole republican con geries of states to favor the present, .anal proposition? Are they also showing “the old slavery spirit” and grabbing al material loot while losing the sense of moral and national , shame? , “Songs of the Soil” By FRANK L. STANTON The Day After Christmas. It’s the day after Christmas. An’ paw is in bed, With hot bricks at his feet An’ cracked ice at his head. An’ he’s groanin’ so lour] That he’ll wake up the dead.— Oh, lie don’t like the day after Christmas! Had a battle last night With a signpost an’ gate; Fell over the hall-rack, ; An’ tripped on the grate; | An’ that’s jest the reason He’s lyin’ in state,—- ( * Oh, he don’t like the day after Christmas. Maw says he’s a heathen, Beyond all the law— The wickedest heathen The wort’ ever saw! An’ he’s mixed up with her An’ the mother-in-law.— t Oh. he don’t like the day after Christmas. .♦* * • Brother Dickey on the Day After. Mr.’n born er woman stan’s* In great need er sermons eu soda water de day atter Chris’mus. I wuz made a present er two hats Chris’mus, but, please God, dey ain t a one er dem dat fits me terday! I wish de ice rnan had made me a present era ton er cracked Ice ter put roun’ my po'. sufferin’ head! Uli’s mighty strange dat all de good things er dis work is got claws in dey hindfoots! We never third', w’en we dancin’, dat we got ter pay de fiddler, en dat, atter all, we didn’t know how ter dance! « * ft » * The Swearin’ Day. Chris’mus come, En gone his way, En I gittin’ ready Fer de sweatin’ day! En he fin’ me sad, En he leave me grum. Kaze I ain’t got nuttin’ Fer ter swear off furn' But de time is a-comln’, En I makes my way Wid a sorrerful soul, Fer de swearin’ day! ij: :t * <• * No Alternative. "You gwine swear oft! New Year s. Brer Williams?” * [ reckon so. I too po* ter buy licker, ph my fr’en’s too mean ter keep m<* - i lt: " ~... Hands All ’Round! Han’s all roun’ For the year that's new. An’ Joy to whirl Io the dance with you! T.ove no dream, An’ friendship true— Han’s all ’roun’. believers: The Feeling’s of Br’er Williams. ■'Brer Williams, how you feel dis m.-nvnin’ ?’’ “Br’er Dickey. I’m mighty low!” j “Didn’t 1 tell you not ter look on de ; wine w’en it wuz red?” i 'I didn't look on It,” replied Brother Williams, “But I raised de devil wid de : corn licker w’en it wuz white!” To the New *ear. Up to the brave light lead — To truth, and kindly deed; i Bind thou the wounds that bleed— Friend to a world in need! So shalt tliy coming be Blest of the bond and free; Hailed of the sea and sod- A messenijer ot God’. ** * • The Forsaken Toys. De Chris’mus day done gone away, En de presents th'owed aside! De li'l tin sogers hez los' dey heads. i En de dolls is all cross-eyed! En de HT drum done beat ter death, En we know des who ter blame! De lonesome elephant los’ his trunk, En de hobby-hoss is lame! ■ : De painted duck look mighty low, En de monkey rests in peace; !En do lamb whose ikece wuz white ez snow, Is (01’ fer de want er fleece! En de Chlny tea. set, scattered roun’. Look lonesome ez kin’ be . W’en de silver bell fer supper soun', En de dolls don’t come ter tea! ; But -bless de hearts er de chl’lun, all! I Et it’s gone—de Chrds’mus day— Dej still makes music in de hall, In de same ole wlnnln’ way! ■ En de toys kin go—though dey loved 'em SO, Whar de snow fall white ez foam. But de sweetes’ toys is de gals en, boys in de sunshine sweet of Home! Asked to express his idea of human I misery, Brother Dickey said: “De rent ; due, en no inan, ter move you; de gro- I ceries out, en yo' appetite at de same j ole stand; fifteen po’ relations ter spend | de holidays wid you, en a preacher to i telj you dat you gwine ter heli, es you don’t mend yo’ ways!” A Summer Citizen. De Chris'mus come and de Chris’mus go, En he lef my soul ter sigh, En dey’s no mo’ holiday for me ’Dwell de J'o’th er nex' July! D< n I'll be whar de blacksnake run. A-sleepin’ in de sun; Wid a waterrnilyun At my head. Wid green striped sides En a heart er red! Go long, Mister Chris’mus—go yo’ ways You come too high—too high! 1 11 set my stakes for de summer days En de Eo'tli er nex’ July! Den I'll bo whar de blacksnake run. A-sleepin’ in de sun, Wid a waterrnilyun, At head en feet. Wid green striped sides En a heart uat's sweet! Love and Turkey. "To think of it," said the disheartened poet. “Six love songs fo r one Christmas turkey!” “Yes. dear.” replied his wife, "but you forget that the critics said they were verv light, while the turkey weighed 22 pounds!" Mister New Year. Hi! Mister New Year, Coinin’ up de slope, En I wish you’d gimme license, En 1 wish you’d gimme rop,-. But—come tor think erbout it, Dat word is out er place: Dor’s too much rope already. Fer de suffr'in’ cullud race! Lucky Brother Williams. "Br’er Williams don’t need no 00-. l winter time." 1 “flow come?” I u "’ c «• -«■». Plunkett's Leiter Wjr predicted more than a ir.ontj ago that nearly all the young marriageable people would be married by Christmas. Our signs failed this time, for w - ha-.,-, a note from some marri.->g- g. i that informs us that tl. ntv . c no ways near getting mam i . girls say tlr t. boys, in their ■■ i, n, ... . i growing too effimiim ’’ to <-.,<> i . In other wont 1 , the !>'■' - ha\ b the modest, er- i’ ir- s ' 1 , to be. and girls have <o to . !-'■>!•;■; upon ns the i"roa;. 1 .; d ■ tn: Ito supply those arti<-' o; lion, ! forts and n-'cesi-it’"s thai m. ~'c . urally brings about. After reciting thusly, th< ales ask what arc girl.- t<- do. fully convin ed that sour know love them, bai. tney the courage to let It ne k;.o -..i, .nd | they say, hero are thrci g ■ ; ■and willing to comply w;t;: I a, ;1 - Roosevelts admonition text c.<; < thing because of the eth,c ; in <i . ; . tors. Then th-y (’•',' t-, • •• ~ asking; “Must the girls pro)-o " That’s the question th- > blunt'y p;l t to us. and it ha been ; parent sincerity and by three of a , ,-t. ly girls as ,'’ou evei 1 d Me and Brown both W'-r ■ wi m.- p, ngree at once that If the ; r '- : . of this day ami generation loi . -... ( at that stage of modern cut; ,j progress where three such pi : . : as these were drrven tY> th- n. •■< re mote contemplation of such i ,• tion, why then it was proper to “cal! time” and stop the world. But tho world is not going to stop, and our opinions wou! 1 not <<> question stripped of doubt, so w went to work to weigh the proper lon ■ i to do the very best, that we could . good of the girls, all tl. ■ tin th .; them for the flattery of ask!;, ; u the matter at all. at all. From "A” to “Z,” and from c"e:'; ag-’nable standpoint, wc haw. ;nr . i a 1 twisted this <!’.:■ lion. < ..’ to ’’ again to the starling point as n;i.-' wilder d W< The only thing that we grew i: a larger disgust for a culture and - :,>■ I gress that even suggests the c--.’.(•:;. ’.o tion of such a ; sweet young 1.-.di■’•:> fore Ito ; . sity of “proposing” tlmmsc■!•.•• •’ 1 ,i .. - ing the cowardly boys to eke o i ■< I enable existence in ho.vid old ; hood. I But. as often ns we were d’s I 1 and grew angry over the con •;:■ just aS often we would soft- :i u.. - .■> ccmplinient of being ask' d about ~.. 1 I “tried, tried” again, til! Blow;; :. ; I have sense enough to hang ■ and I was not far behind him. At : ;my old friend proposed that u > ■fall back on ignorance and submit ' Iwe were entirely unequal : > ti -■ <- i sion, was the best thing for us to do, ■and upon this we agreed, and then v a I rest. i In all of my copartnership work v. .i ‘Brown I was never so df.-appoi- ■ i I him before as I have been L-. ti ■- ; ;ter. I took it that he was autlimir. ; courting and on “proposing.” Ii - : : boasted to me time and again et ■ experience on this line. I b.<v ■ I I him say time after time that he ‘ I posed” to three hundred and s: -: - ■ girls In ono year down in Dike, and iu ■ received 316 “noes.” He felt a ; disfisrured bv all these “noes.” re ’ i would rather bo disfigured. I would i be pummelled into a howling mm: !tv, than to croon around afraid t 1 the girls to have me. Brown gloats over the fact that. •!■» word "no” has disappeared in < ; tion with these “proposals.” ft nly hard to get him to scree t’ t . ,1s any pood in slanc wh- ~ • h-y whomever ut:ered. but t-‘ . ■ ’ “no” grew so harsh to him found 1 girl fool enough to that be appro vs tho mo 1, > p iicrmti' c or refusing tho-o ■ Fie has been a student on the ■■ .- of doing these things now. b his disgust of that little "r “ wit! take his word for it— '.>! wav they do now. “Mary, will yo-t have nu : : "Not upon your tintj’. e,” sr . "Flopse. Mary?” “Couldn’t fix you.” r.-ys -he. Brown thinks thio «amn!» !' ; improvement over that “c.onf- ' as he calls It. i But with nil nf Brown's exm >.■; . thrown • • nrettv girls who start", 1 ■ ’ . But for their benefit wo v. ■' eamnlo of how the thi r v ■ ■ncorcling to tho opinions orri-. 1 the contemplation of gio’s TBre Is about a samnle, as w , ured It: ; “Say, Toni, will you have nv ' ’ You bet your socks.” sa-’« !■: i “Right, away. Toni- tonigh '" I “Have you the price of th" ■ says he. "You bet,” says she. anil tlie : arranged, the marriac..- ~>■■ .--.v:- ' I perhaps it will be me: 1 , i before they enter suit for Tho truth is. that I am not to 1 Jrown in decidi 1 these girls have given us. Y ; old as me would be a j>v ‘ pass upon such a propos:::oi: “culture” of the o'den tine too thoroughly Instilled U ' too precious to have to was that they were sweet eu ' sought for. not seeking. The girls that blush-d and !" : wore the most precious ti i" - earth to the boys ot olden It the estimate of such mod,. -tv 1 i to call if affectation, womanl: j ami so on. By ths tinu' a girl ; high to a dz<-k now, she 5 ) skirts and pulling them roni ■ shape of herself very much : I >l’s horse’’ up on his hind legs, i one of them must have a ):■>< k they so like to exploit their ti: Ity that it is a small v. me - ask them If th< y h tv license.” | Just at the passing of Clir. tr time to bo. sorry, but I irul? ■- If any good girl with -wnse , ' make a wife has fail- d ; . -. ■ i the liaj-py occasion, but I am’: sorry for ‘ , decay of a manhood that ever ! suggest the contemplation of ■■• ' tion as “Must Girl; Uroy ■ J SARGE PI '■ Washing in the Ori" ’ (From The Chicago New.- ■ Tlie Japanese rip their gai r.i” •• for every washing. nd clothes by spreading them < "■“ board an-1 leaning this un 1 bouse to dry. ’Lhe sun ;io t? Out of the elotlFs, "id m; have quite a lusti r. " ■ ; , does her washing out <r. .-■ !! ; tub Is not rnpta, than 6 in - Lhe hardest work, j v.,;. ■ ,".'■ ! -he world are th Kor-'ans. ’i", wash about a dozei dresses ; husbands, and tD.-y ...u e n ■■nt. ■he washing is u.-ualiy dow w.iter and often In runni ’ : str ■ clothes are pounded wi:b j;, i : I thsy shine l.ke a shirt front t: -h 1 a laundry.