Life — February 20, 1908 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘LiFe continued, ‘it would not have been so bad. But by this overt act you have added to a great crime a flagrant contempt of court. I hereby sentence you to thirty days on the Island.” At this moment the door was thrown violently open and a messenger from the Republican National Convention ap- proached. “Are you Judge Banister?” “Tam.” “Then, sir—in view of the wonderful sense of duty which has made you incorruptible even to the powerful mandate of love, for we have all heard the story—I am authorized to offer you the nomination for the Presidency.” Judge Banister forgot all ¢lse. Holding out his arms to Geraldine, he cried: “And now, will you be mine?” “But,” she whispered, putting her head on his shoulder, as the kodaks snapped, ‘“‘must the sentence be carried out?” And he replied, kissing her judicially, but still warmly, while the staff artists for the evening papers began their work: “Certainly, darling. No matter what happens, the law against smoking cigarettes must be obeyed. We will pass our honeymoon together on the Island.” No More Merchant of Venice? DITOR OF LIFE: Gainesville, Fla. Dear Sir—It has occurred to me that the enclosed clipping, from the Savannah Morning News, may be of interest to you in connection with your attitude on the Jewish question. Permit me to say in this connection that I heartily approve of the stand you have taken in regard to the Jews. Not that I bear any ill-will against the Jews or any other aliens, but I am unalterably opposed to putting the management of American affairs into the hands of Jews, Negroes, Japanese, Italians or any one except real Americans. And it is this sort of thing, I take it, that you are fighting. Your subscriber, J. R. Benton. The clipping is as follows: “SHYLOCK” ORDER STARTS ROW Et Paso, —In consequence of the action of School Su- perintendent G. P. Putnam in eliminating “The Merchant of Venice” from the English course in the El Paso High School at the request of Rabbi Martin Ziclonka, of the Jewish congrega- tion, the ministers’ union to-day filed a vigorous protest against what they term “sectarian interference with the schools.” A SPARKING PLUG A MEMORIAL ERECTED IN BATTERSEA, ENGLAND, BY STEPHEN COLERIDGE. THIS MONUMENT AROUSED BITTER HOSTILITY AMONG VIVISECTORS, RESULTING IN A RIOT. The Inscription. In memory of the brown terrier dog done to death ir the laboratories of University College in February, 1903, after having endured vivisection ex- tending over more than two months, and having been handed over from one vivisector to another, until death came to his release. Also in memory of the 232 dogs vivisected in the same place during the year 1902. Men and women of England, how long shall these things be? Rum RUM is a varity of things, ranging roughly from the bitters of the unco bunked to the booze of the bacchanal. If efforts to abolish rum have proved uniformly unavailing, it is perhaps because the time has not arrived when we can spare so effectual a scapegoat for carrying the sins of human weakness. Mankind fancies that if it weren’t for rum it would be middling decent, and, conceivably, this illusion is worth all that intemperance costs them. Rum, at all events, relieves the race of responsibility, and for that is entitled to consid- eration, for responsibility is what differentiates us from the beasts and gives the beasts all the best of it in the pursuit of happiness. Rum, wrongfulness and rebates have called forth so much distinguished virtue, both religious and civic, that it is difficult to say what we should ever have done without them. Ramsey Benson.