Newspaper Page Text
12
(Continued from Page 9.)
In the z\pril number of “Watson’s Jeffer
sonian Magazine,” will be a write-up of Hon.
William J. Bryan, prepared especially for that
magazine by Hon. Thos. H. Tibbles. The ar
ticle will be illustrated by photos never be
fore used. It will be worth your while to be
on the look-out for the April number.
R
The great advantage which the Farmers’
Union has over certain other industrial organ
izations is that its high officials are not office
seekers and have never been.
It is sufficient to these devoted men to keep
faith with the farmers and to make the Union
a power for good throughout the country.
Personally I am not acquainted with all
of these officials, but I know the Na
tional President, the Georgia President and
several others of the higher officers, and 'ft
more devoted lot of men I never knew.
The Farmers’ Union is organized on sound
principles, and its purposes are nobly benefi
cent. How any farmer can afford to remain
outside of it, I can not understand.
Unless, indeed, he is afraid that the Union
might drag him into politics and cause him to
lose those five packages of garden seeds!
R
Under our precious Protective System,
which gives Special Privileges to almost ev
ery other class at the expense of the agricul
tural class, the home of every farmer in the
land is taxed $45 per year by the National
Government.
By organizing and co-operating the farmer
could put an end to this annual robbery.
But organization and the work of coopera
tion costs something.
Therefore the Farmers’ Union will have to
charge each farmer’s home about one dollar
per year dues.
“Too much!” cries Brother Skinflint. “Can’t
afford it!” exclaims Uncle Beeswax. So they
snuggle down contentedly tinder a burden of
$45 per year—knowing that it will grow hea
vier every year—rather than join the Union
and fight for a square deal.
Some men are built just that way. They
can’t help it.
And that’s one explanation of how things
have gotten into such bad shape. We have
too many slack wads: too many easy-going
good-for-nothings who would lie down and be
run over rather than to stand up like men and
fight.
R R R
Editorial Notes.
Uy J. D. 'Watson. *
On Feb. 25, the Associated Press sent out
the following from Chicago:
“The Tribune today says:
“ ‘One of the largest, if not the largest,
thefts from the United States treasury has
been unearthed in Chicago. Somewhere be
tween $175,000 and $200,000 was stolen from
the local sub-treasury last week.
“ ‘Chief Wilkie, of the United States secret
service, has been keeping informed by tele
phone and telegraph of every development,
and, according to telegraphic advices, he will
leave Washington today to take personal
charge of the investigation.’ ”
THE WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN.
What a fuss to make about so small a sum!
Why not charge a little interest on the peo
ple’s money which the National Banks use
free of charge and let the poor devil go with
his paltry little $175,000 or $200,000? It would
be replaced quickly, with a big enough sur
plus left to pay the increase of Con
gressmen and Senators, or to help pay off
those in Washington who are digging the
canal across the Isthmus of Panama.
R
Chief Engineer Stevens, of the Panama
Canal Commission, has followed the example
of Chairman Shonts and quit his job. Fol
lowing this announcement comes one to the
effect that all bids for building the canal have
been rejected. Explanations are offered for
such action, but it is safe to say that there
is something wrong somewhere. The tender
ing of so many resignations, and the rejection
of all bids, makes it look like something was
going on which the Administration wanted to
keep hidden. : 1
R
The New York Herald states that Secretary
Shaw will become the head of the Carnegie
Trust Company when he retires from the Cab
inet. He certainly ought to be with a Trust
as he is much better fitted for a place of that
kind than for Secretary of the Treasury.
R
"Reports from France state that James H.
Hyde, former owner of the Equitable Life In
surance Co., has purchased a string of race
horses and will make Paris his home. No one
seems to be shedding tears over this report.
If Hyde would persuade some of his former
associates to follow his example, we could af
ford to reward him handsomely.
R R R
Holv the Volunteers Fight Fire.
Did you ever see a new fire department in
a flourishing little city of about 2,000 inhabi
tants fight fire?
Well, if you haven’t you have missed half of
your life. The sight beats Barnum and Bai
ley's show a city block.
To begin with it is a volunteer company and
each member is a gallant hero who has enlist
ed in the service to save his town from ashes.
He also saves himself from street taxes for
his gallantry.
To begin at the first, your town issues
bonds for water works at a cost of several
thousand dollars. This of course you vote for,
which means an increase in your taxes. It
makes no difference if you live half a mile
from the nearest place where the water mains
are likely to extend. No, it is all right with
you, for you must have water works at any
cost
The water works are completed. The next
thing is the most important thing, and that
is organizing the fire department.
A call for patriots is sounded. They re
spond gallantly. An organization is perfected
and officers elected. Perhaps one or two of
the officers may be too short-winded to run
more than a few yards, but that makes no dif
ference. The boys are willing to do their du
ty and after all they are the ones on whom
the great responsibility of saving life and
property rests. They arc the heroes and to
them we must give the credit.
Many days are spent in learning how to sc*. J
tie the dust on the streets (just after a ha ■
rain when water supply is plentiful). Th ■
obey instructions to the letter and make
showing that their best girls are proud of, I
is evidenced by the smiles that greet them . I
they take the places of horses and pull I U]
reel back to its home a quarter of a mile fr
where it will be most likely needed whe.
fire breaks out. '
At last there is a fire! “Fire! Fire!” y 1
hear some one cry and you see the her y
come. Some forget there is a department a» J
go straight for the blaze, others run the ■
selves out of breath trying to get to the r
house as quickly as possible. Be that as
may, they all get there after awhile. C Ji
If some foolish citizen' has grabbed up
bucket of water and extinguished the bl; i
without stopping to think that there is a | |
department for that purpose, he had best t; J
to the woods, for the boys have their depc
ment for the purpose of pouring water on
in houses that are supposed to be on fire :
they are going to do it in spite of fire ancTTi
water.
If in digging up a block or two of streel
trying to locate a plug instead of going b:
fifty feet and attaching to one that is th
feet out of the ground they cause a little
lay, do not worry, for the water is soon
come. And it is coming as it did when N<
built the ark. That water is there to put
fire and the water is going to get there, fire
no fire.
Stand back, everybody, out of the wa
And if everybody is wise they will stand ba
out of the way. j
Pop, pop, pop, and then the water comes ’
Some of the heroes have entered the bui
ing before the water gets there but they 1
not get out before the water gets in. HenU
building, and everything else in , the imm
diate neighborhood soon resemble ducked rat j
but they are heroes, and it is their dutv to g
wet, as well as to appear at every fire. T1
getting wet shows that they were there an
they do not have to pay a fine for not appea
ing at the fire. The chief who knows som
thing about fighting*fire may as well let tl
boys have their way for he can not “cuss
them all at once, and even if he could, h
could not be within ear-shot of all.
This is a typical country fire departmeij ,
and it’s worth much to go to see. If yc
have never seen it, move to some town abot
this size and watch for the happening. If ye
have the blues it is a sure cure.
After the fire is out, or rather after tl
building has been flooded, our heroes hoc
themselves on the reel and go back to hea,
quarters with the bell ringing. (They hai
forgotten to set it so it will ring when the
start to the fire so great has been their hur
and it is now that our heroes get the real ere
it due them for their heroism.)
They may be wet and bedraggled, one m;
have snagged the scat of his pants, anothi
torn his shirt, another gotten his face smuti
but these are only the badges of honor, ;
is attested by the smiles of the fair maiden
who greet these wounded heroes.
J. D. WATSON.