Life — February 11, 1909 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

Please Settle This Privately HE Union of American Hebrew Congregations having appointed a commit- tee to proclaim that “ from a constitutional standpoint this is not a Christian coun- try.” the Joint Diocesan Lesson Com- mittee of the Protestant Episcopal Church have promptly recorded their earnest protest against any such state- ment. Cannot the Hebrew and Episcopz! brethren settle this difference privately behind the synagogue or the Diocesan barn, instead of involving the country in a futile and possibly sanguinary wrangle over it? The Jewish brethren have worded their statement with dis- cretion, but if argument on it should become general and penetrate into the South, there are descendants of the Covenanters in the hill districts whose impulsive piety might lead to gun play. Happily, under our constitution, it is just as lawful for Jews to proclaim that this is not a Christian country as for Episcopalians to proclaim that this is not a Jewish country, but lots of things that are lawful are not expedient. Too Zealous, That Was All HE stewards of the Republic ac- cused story-writer Jim Connolly of cowardice Not a likely charge. What seems to have ailed Brother Jim was cxcess of zeal in his calling as newspaper reporter and maritime critic That 4 mere matter of the interests of sixteen hundred imperiled lives should interfere with his getting his special piece out by wireless was uncom- prehensible to him and brought him the distinction of being the only passenger who complained. Sentiment S AFARING is a ing There seems to have been no sound reason outside of sentiment why Cap- tain Sealby and Second Officer Williams should have elected to go down in cold and unwholesome water with the punc- tured Republic instead of being com- fortably removed when they sent the rest of the crew away. But after all, sentiment is one of the sentimental call- most powerful forces that work in human affairs and it would be a great mistake to disparage any action merely because it seemed to be based on senti- ment. Nearly all heroism has its basis in sentiment. It comes in wonderfully handy to influence human behavior for good in great crises. Misplacement of Censure ENATOR JEFF DAVIS, of Arkan- sas, says that sheculation in cot- ton is gambling in the flesh, in the blood and in the bones of women and children of the South, who are forced by the robbery and spoliation of these gamblers to toil {rom day. light until dark to produce the subject matter of this gambling transaction. Somehow we are not able to follow the Senator in this interesting deduc- tion, Isn't it the greedy and remorse- less mills, and the selfish human swine who wear shirts and chemises, that the women and children of the South have to toil to supply, rather than the brok- ers who bet on the price of cotton and often lose? Which Ails It? POPE DEPLORES UNBELIEF AFFLICTS SOCIETY, ME SAYS, IN AP- PROVING BEATIFICATION OF JOAN OF ARC. —Newespaper headline. HERE are two kinds of unbelie! unbelief in what is so, and un- belief in what is not so. Is the good Pope able to discern from which of these unbeliefs, society, as he sees is suffering? OMEHOW, to read “England and the English '’ in Scribner’s gives the sensation of talk with the receiver of the Third Avenue Railroad. Down on Cigarettes There is already a State law in Arkansas hibiting the giving away of cigarettes nd cigarette papers, and there is now be- fore the Legislature a bill imposing a fine on the man who has in his possession any of these accursed things. Is. it incredible that an Arkansas Legislature in labor now and then brings forth a Jeff Davis?—Lowis- ville Courier-Journal. T is not incredible. ‘either is in- credible that a good deal of anti- rum legislation done in the spirit of the bill above described will break down promptly in use and have to be done over. And, by the way, inthe present re- formatory temper of the public mind, how long will it be before the fight turns against all forms of tobacco? Can tobacco be exterminated when Dr. Wil- liams and the rest fetch their micro- scopes and scales and tell us what it does to man? Of course it’s bad for us, Nobody doubts that. Standard of Crime T is inexplicable how those pessimistic carpers, who are accustomed to hit all the minor chords with the loud pedat on, can fail to see all about them the unmistakable signs of progress and the reddening dawn of a new day in the social yeast. And especially is this true in matters pertaining to crime. There is no doubt that the general standards of crime have been immeas- urably raised of late. Nowadays a man can do almost anything and get away with it, provided he can arouse the sympathy of the special lady writers and pay the experts. Ab, brothers, who can say that all this does not make for the general up- lift? How can we hope to realize the better things of life until crime has been made perfectly safe? They Live HE good things some men did are still walking around on two feet. “1 SAY, MAMMA, CAN ANGELS FLY WHEN THEY'RE FIRST HATCHED out?”* comicbooks.com