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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1905)
48 THE SUNDAY OBEGOmA, PORTLAND, 'APRIL 9, 1905. Discussion of Politics in Pulpits Readable Comment on Rabbi Abbey's Arraignment of Doctor Stephen S. Wise By Dr. C Hi Chapman. Formerly President i of the University of Oregon. m AM a faithful and, for the most I part, edified, reader of Tho Ore B gonian's reports of sermons; upon one of -which in a recent issue, after much prayer, I have ventured to set Cown some comments. It Is the ser mon in which, according: to the head line, Babbi Abbey "severely arraigned" Dr. Wise. "What I have to say is based upon the report alone; I did not hear the sermon, but it is fair to assume Shat the report is correct, since no er rors 'have been pointed out by Rabbi Abbey. The reporter, as well as the Iheadllne writer, calls attention to the Intent of the minister, for he says that "Rabbi Abbey made it clearly under stood that he meant Dr. Wise" in his highly-polished and admirably gram matical strictures; and, indeed, he could have mcanf no other, for, I take it, no Portland clergyman has of 'late more conspicuously, transgressed by preaching politics than Dr. "Wise, whose "Reign of Lawlessness" and "Political Corruption" I have read. Par be it from me to say anything in behalf of such an offender, whose own armory Js not unfurnished; it is with Rabbi Abbey's reported remarks upon the province of the pulpit that I wlsn to dwell. I have read them with unspeakable profit, but also with ques tionings; and, to take my spiritual difficulties in the order they came up, Jet me cite first the one occasioned by Rabbi Abbey's quotation from the Jew ish prayer-book that "Man shall fear God as well in private as in public," which he seems to And available to support his thesis that the clergy .should not preach politics. Just how It can be so applied is rather puzzling. Does Rabbi Abbey understand his quo tation, to mean that man shall fear God In private, but not in public? Or does It mean that he shall fear him equally Jn both spheres, for the same reasons and under the identical sanctions? I assume that Rabbi Abbey holds to the latter Interpretation of this passage; and in that case will he say that, so lar as private affairs go, man needs the guidance of the pulpit about the. nature of this fear and the conduct which should result from it, while in respect to public affairs he has no such need? Is public duty so much plainer, simpler and more easily done than pri vate tfuty? This certainly seems to be the teaching of Rabbi Abbey's ser mon; and, quite as certainly, it Is teaching which strikes the lay mind "both as a novelty "and as a paradox. Shines Alone. Among the lights of the pulpits, whether in the past or the present age. Rabbi Abbey shines alone with this oblique ray. Isaiah 'preached politics; Jeremiah did the same. Luther and Cal vin, John Knox and Cranmer, Jonathan Edwards and "Wesley all preached poli tics; "Washington Gladden and Lyman Ab bott preached politics; and, If one might cite illustrious instances less remote in time and space. Dr. J. W. Brougher and Dr. Edgar P. Hill preach politics. Might it not even be said that Rabbi Abbey himself preaches politics, and not the most savory sort, b3" urging. with theological warmth, counsels of silence upon his brethren who would 'damn corruption with something more effective than faint praise? Kings and Queens have their spiritual directors, legislative bodies have their chaplains. "What admission underlies this prac tice? Is it the solo theoretic function of the holy man to hymn the virtues of his employer? Hardly; the United States Senate keeps a chaplain and I nevor heard that it had any virtues to hymn. Unique among rulers, is the American politician so supremely wise and good that he needs no spiritual ad vice, no chastening, no admonition? Is it not rather true that the almost crim inal silence of a timorous and mer cenary clergy lias ooddled him to be come the thing he Is? Why Ignoro Great Things? Either men are Immoral in politics or they are not. If they are not, then here is a very wide field of life and conduct where we have reached per fection a belief which only the most touching innocence could entertain; .and If men are Immoral In politics, then either this Immorality ought to be corrected or it ought not. If it ought not to be corrected, what is the reason? Is immorality In public life harmless to .the body politic and to the soul of the guilty official himself, to say nothing of the souls of the multi tudes of young men who look on en tranced with his alluring example? Or is there something so terrible about it that the pulpit orator is frightened from opposition to adoration, and en Joins upon his colleagues this new kind of devil worship as upon the whole the safest policy, like the native of Kcw Guinea before his fetich? If, on the other hand, political immorality ought to be corrected, who so worthy and fit for the task as our professed' and professional ethical guides and lead era? Why is it that their moral judg ment. bo trustworthy, I suppose Rabbi Abbey would admit or even ' contend, in all other fields of life and conduct. abruptly fails at the boundary of this one, the most important of all? Are we to follow the ethical guidance of the clergy in little things, but not in the really great and Important ones Is that what Rabbi Abbey wishes to teach? Is it or is it not, taking a specific Instance, a sin for an official to break his oath of office? If it is a Bin, why should not the clergy de nounce it along with dancing, card- playing, theater-going, and other ad mlttedly wicked deeds? If it Is not a sin, then why is It a sin to break any oath whatever? Does Rabbi Abbey" God (I suppose he calls it a God) laugh at office-holders oaths like Zeus at lovers' vows? Immoral Teaching. Another Item of RaKI Abbey's teach lng I should pronounce. If I were a theo logian and had command of their expres sive vocabulary, damnably immoral. "One of the greatest modern ethical princi pies." he says, "is to consider the ac cased Innocent until ho is proved guilty' that is, as Rabbi Abbey's subsequent re marks show he means, until the accused le convicted In a court of law. Now there is no such ethical principle, either modern or ancient; there is in criminal procedure a legal presumption of inno cence which the prosecution must over throw or the accused goes free, even if iudge and Jury know he is guilty. The evidence which would prove his guilt might be inadmlssable under the rules or unattainable by legal process, though Its content were notorious. Under such circumstances the civil law obliges the Jury to acquit the accused; but it does not oblige anybody to think mm Innocent, or to treat him out of court as innocent much less docs thG moral law Impose such an obligation. The world Is today full of men "unwhlpt of Justice," because they are too cunning for the civil law; if the moral law obligated us to consider them innocent eo long as we cannot legally prove their guilt, however well we kgow It. society woud be in a bad way. So long as a man's guilt Is In doubt, ethics imposes suspense of 'Judgment and noth ing more; when his guilt is no longer doubtful, ethics Imposes condemnation without regard to the presumptions of the civil law. It Is Just as much a duty to condemn tho guilty as to defend the in nocent, or to suspend Judgment in cases of doubt; and when the available evi dence in a given instance has convinced a public teacher and moral leader, it Is his duty to epeak, and speak plainly; nor should he wait for the tardy and dubious action of the courts of law, where ethics Is the last thing thought of Hellogabalus was never convicted in court; neither was Marlborough of taking bribes from Prance; shall we consider them innocent? In fact, tho great majority of the cases upon which a moral guide must poes public Judgment never come into court at alL What Does He Mean by "Reliaion"7 suppose Rabbi Abbey means something by the word "religion" in his remark that "The province of the pulpit Is re ligion," for he goes on to characterise It, rather astonishingly, as a "light" that jls never "heard" and that does not talk." One is glad incidentally to cor rect a common belief that religion has shown itself in the course of history to be both a voluble and a beUJjrerant lltrht? but the question Is, What Is the aome- nung that Kabbi Abbey means by "re ligion"? Whatever it may be. it clearlv has no concern with public life and con duct, for Rabbi Abtae' insists hn "Tn preach on matters outside the domain of religion" makes the preacher a "traitor" to his God and his pulpit a "phantom," and by such "matters" he means poll tics. All that vast, Interesting, difficult and immanselv imnortnnt flnM nf linmin affairs which public life includes a field wnose ethics is most complicated and whose unsolved moral problems multiply daily that entire field Is outelde the do main of religion, and our moral guides must dc silent about It all, or they are traitors to .ttaDDi Abheys "God." verily thls is an amazing God. Rabbi Abbey, then nxeludes th in fluence of what he calls "religion" from pamic anairs; and, that being -so, ho must also exclude it from nrlvatA nf- falrs; since religion cannot condemn John xjoe xor stealing from Richard Roe unless it also condemns him for stMillntr rmm Richard plus all his neighbors. Mnrallv tne twe acts are alike, though the one Is private and the other public; nor can re ligion condemn John for debauchine- "Rich ard's wife unless it also condemns him fnr debauching Richard's city. Moreover, it is often the wealth and mwpt Tt-hioh John Doe acquires as a public sinner that enable blm to 'excel in nrivate lnimiirv Will Rabbi Abbey condemn the private ova ana condone the enormously greater puonc evil irom which it flows? Harrfiv? 'his religion" can say nothing about either. "Religion." then, in" Rabbi AMipvVi sense, has no concern with either nrivnto or public conduct; nor is it really dubious what he means by the wordr monns system or incantations, magic ceremonies and fetishistlc rites, which ha imniHnnq will propitiate what he calls "God"; and since tne preacnors noblest function namely, the ethical inspiration of public inc. is treason to this belncr. or non- being it follows that Rabbi Abbey's 'God" "Is somethlnr Very mueh ilk what used to be called a devil and that what ho Is teaching is nothing more or less tnan aevu worship. And, indeed, Milton wno is a great authority upon such mat ters, enumerates Mammon among the devils. Like the Vermiform Appendix. Dr. Wise's sermons, which to the lay reader seem something like a renaissance In these sordid times of the transcendent moral power and spiritual glory of He brew prophecy, may nevertheless, so far as l know, bo fitly called, in the dialect oi meoiogicai controversy, "garbage and sewage." "in his native land." said Bal four of an Irish assailant, "thief and assassin are terms of endearment." In the bewildering realm of theology "gar bage" may be an epithet expressing moral grandeur, and "sewage" may signify tho manifest oracles of the Imminent God; in tho presence of such mysteries the mere layman preserves an awed and even wor shipful silence. Rabbi Abbey vigorously characterizes that sort of pulpit which is unlike his own as a "phantom" and pronounces its occupant a "traitor"; to tho reader of his remarks a likeness inevitably cornea Into mind of what that sort of pulpit is where "religion" in his sense, and nothing else, is .preached. It Is like the vermiform appendix in the human body; an organ which. In an earlier geological epoch, be fore mankind had emerged from the simian state, had undoubtedly a certain utility, but which is now atrophied and useless, and occasionally endangers the organism of which it forms a part by in flammatlons, ulcerations and a pernicious hospitality to gangrene. Portland, Or., April 8. . PITY THE TURTLE. ANOTHER WEEK OF SENSATIONAL SELLING IN. . FURNITURE, CARPETS M STOV The response to our great bargain sale last week was flattering; this week we offer still greater bargains still mbre sensational values. Give, us a call; look over these wonderful goods and their wonderful low prices. ES 'ARPET IpAKTMENIi Great Values in CARPETS This weelq witnesses another sale of Carpets. Every standard brand, every new and up-to-date pattern and coloring found in immense stock. Body Brussels, Wiltons, Velvets, Axminsters, Tapestry Brussels, Ingrains, all found in an endless profusion. VELVET INGRAIN Yard wide, looks like velvet, wears fine; just tne thing for lodging-houses or a spare bedroom; this week at, yard 45 BRUSSELS CARPET A -good wearing grade in now and pretty patterns, yards 85 VELVET 0 ARPET High nap, pretty pat terns, excellent wearing fabric, yd. Sl.lO $2.50 down, $1.00 per week, fits up any room in the house with carpets. mi i iii i i m i ECLIPSE STEEL RANGES The best on earth. Every Range warranted 15 years $1.00 down, $1.00 per week. Body made of best cold rolled steel, polished finish. No paint to burn of but retains its polish forever. As bestos lined throughout. Why pay $45.00 or $50.00 for a range not nearly so good? A PERFECT BAKER Burns coal or wood; simply turn the grate. Absolutely the highest-grade range made. Wby pay other stores $10.00 to $15.00 more for a range that does not compare? Twenty-five styles com mencing at LAST WEEK OF OUR GREAT SLAUGHTER SALE OF TABLES If you are looking for a table bar gain, don't fail to come; 25 tables, one of a kind, at actual cost, commencing at 90.00. 35.00 $1 Down, $1 per Week WE SELL ON EASY TERMS YOUR CREDIT IS GOOD GEVURTZ & SONS THE HOME-FURNISHERS , 173-175 First Street 219-227 Yamhill Street Solid Golden Oak Table, large shaped legs, finely finished, a snap at. .$0.00 Beautiful Pedestal Pillar Extension Table, 10 feet long, in finest quar tered oak, piano polish finish, of weathered oak wax finish, a beauty at 529.0O $1.00 Down $1.00 per Week Buys Any Table In the House Writer of "Casey at the Bat" Ernest L. Tnayer Is Author, and "Poem" Is In Seventeenth Year. Chinese Buy 250-Pound Specimen, I but Not for Soup. Honolulu Bulletin. A eelf-constituted Society for the Pre vention of Cruelty to Animals created a temporary excitement In what otherwise would have been a very quiet morning along the waterfront today. A natlvo fisherman- caught a splendid specimen of a sea turtle at Pearl Harbor and brought it to town this morning. It was one of the biggest things of lta kind ever seen in Honolulu. The Hawaiian was Imme diately surrounded by a crowd of water front habitues, lnclutilng Chinese, Japa nese and Hawaiian stevedores, deep-sea and coasting sailors, a steamship com pany's president, numerous custom-house brokers and what not besides. The na tive wanted to make his way with his turtle to some local hotel, but the Chinese entered a strong objection to tho proposed transformation of the crustacean into steaks and soup. They, then and there, formed a hul and made up the ?5 demand ed by the fisherman for the turtle, among themselves, and. acquired the animaL Sea lawyers freely offered advice to the mem bers of the hui, setting forth the pecuniary benefits which will be theirs by taking tho turtle to thb Walklki aquarium or the Kaimuki zoo, but the Chinks would have none of it. Their sympathies for a suffer ing animal had been aroused, and they were firm In their intention of giving it its liberty. They carrlef. it to the Irm gard wharf In the presence of a large crowd, and threw it la the harbor, where the turtle made a quick dive for the bot tom. It was a 250-pound animal, and Captain Larsen of the Sailors' Union and Frank Harvey shed tears of regret at the loss of ouch, a toothsome morsel. Policeman 'What makes you think this dog was stolen from a lady? Detective Because I walked down "Woodward avenue with it. and it stopped In front of all the store windows Detroit Free Press. T3IS is the time of year when the annual dispute over the author ship of "Casey at the Bat" Ik due. There is hardly a newspaper in the country that is not asked at least onco a year to reprint "Cas'ey," and also settle the question of Its author ship. The facts regarding the verses and the author recently camo into the possession of tho Baltimore News, and they are of such a cnaracter as to seem to settle forever the question as to au thorslp of the poem. The author of "Casey at the Bat" is Ernest Lu Thayer, whose home is In "Worcester, Mass., but who is now trav eling abroad, where he Bpends much of his time. He wrote the poem In 1SSS. while acting as the "Funny Man" of the San Francisco Examiner, and It appeared In his column of June 3 of that year over his nom de plume. "Phin." The News was able to get its Infor mation through a resident of Balti more, Mr. Sutton, who was a member of the class ofi 1SS5 at Harvard, and a chum of Mr. Thayer. They were both members of the same Greek letter fra ternity. Mr. Thayer was edltor-in-chlef of the Harvard Iampoon while at the university, and was the tumorous orator at the class day exercises and was an acknowledged wit. After grad uating, Mr. Thayer went "West and en gaged in newspaper work for a short time, and then returned "home. Since then he has been dividing his time between .his home and abroad, his father being a wealthy manufacturer of Worcester. The following letter from the au thor was recently received from Rome, in which he gives full information as to Its writing: "Rome, Grand Hotel du Qulrlnal. February, 1905. Since writing you the other day, othor facts about 'Casey have occurred to me which perhaps will bo of Interest to you. Except a3 originally published In the Examiner, "Casey' has never been correctly print ed barring one or two cases in which have furnished tho copy. The rea son for this I will explain. When the poem was first copied Into an Eastern paper I think by the New York Sun the clipping editor cut off the open ing stanzas and began where Casey advances to the bat. Later on De wolf Hopper began to recite the complete poem as If was given to him by Mr. Archibald Gunther, who saw it in the Examiner. Some one who heard Hop per's recitation wrote out the first fivo stanzas from memory an'd a very bad memory he must have nad tacked them to tho mutilated version as It was printed in the Sun and many of its exchanges, and then publlsned a com bination which has been printed up and down the land as Casey at tho Bat. I think that If the matter were of any Importance the easiest way to estab llsh the authorship would be to let the different claimants furnish a copy which might be compared with the poem as It was first printed In the Ex aminer. T may say, in conclusion, though aome of the mutilated reprints of 'Casey' have my name on the title-page. I have never authorized tnem. l have left the poem to its fate except that once I had a few copies printed for circulation among my friends, and only recently, when I was charged with falsely claiming the poem, has it eeemed to me my duty to say some thing of my connection with It. Final ly, while a certain 'Will Valentine may have written a baseball poem in a Sioux City paper before 1SS8, It could not have been Casey at the Bat, and If anyone is anxious enough to search the files of that paper this fact will become patent. With apologies for troubling you, very truly yours, "ERNEST L. THAYER.' Tho Original Poem. The original "Casey at the Bat" is as follows: "OASKY AT THE BAT." ' (A Ballad of the Republic Sung In the Tear 1SS8.) The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mud vllle nine that day; The eeore stood 4 to 2 with but one inning more to play. And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same. A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the same. A straggling few got up to so in deep' de spair; the rest - Clung to that hope which springs eternal Jn the human breast; - They thought It only Casey could but get a whack at that They'd put up even money now with Casey It the hat. But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake. And the former was a lulu and the latter wan r cake: So upon that stricken multitude grim melan choly sat. For there seemed but little chance o Casey's getting to the bat. But Flyrtn Jet drive single, to the wonder ment of all. And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball; And when the dust had lifted, and they saw what had occurred. There was Johnnie safe at second and Flynn a-hugglng third. Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell; It rumbled through the valley, It rattled in the dell: It knocked upon the mountain, and recoiled upon the flat For Casey, mighty Casey. was advancing to the bat. There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped Into his place; There was pride In Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face; And when, responding to the cheers, he ligntly coned bis hat. No stranger In the crowd could doubt 'twas &ey ac ut oat. Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on bis shirt. Then, while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip. Defiance gleamed In Casey's eye, a sneer cunea cascys lip. And now the leather covered sphere came hurtling through the air. But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed. They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain. And they know that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again. The sneer Is gone from Casey's Up, his teelh are clinched In hate; He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate. And .now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets It go. And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow. Oh J somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band Is playing somewhere, and some where hearts are light. And somewhere rnen are laughing, and some where children shout; But there Is"1 no Joy In Mudvllle mighty Casey has struck out. WANTED HIS OWN WHISKEY JOSEPH. SIACK. of Grenada, Miss., whose witty sayings and bright stor ies are the talk of all Mississippi and half of Tennessee, Is one of the few really original men who are averse to seeing their names connected with their stories in print, says the Memphis Com mercial Appeal. But Mr. Slack's genius has. In a manner, made his stories public property, and they are so good that, with the best Intentions of respecting his Idiosyncrasy In this particular, all writ ters, whether familiar with his desires or not, are sure, sooner or later, to dis please him by chronicling something of his origination. Mr. Slack has friends in Kentucky. He visited them recently and, of course, the decanter was on the side board. "It was Kentucky whisky In the do canter," said Mr. Slack to his friends In Grenada. "You never saw any of this brand unless you have friends in Ken tucky. They don't allow a drop of It to go outside of the state unless it is Inside of the man. Any other way of taking thl3 whisky from Kentucky brings on a lynching. Some of It was In me Consolidation of Rural' Schools An Object Lesson' of Interest to Every Section of Oregon. NEtf-BERG, Or., April 7. (Special Cor respondence of The Sunday Oregon Ian.) Consolidation of a rural school with a city school, and the transportation of pupils from the country to the city has been undertaken with great success at this place. Pupils of the rural school who formerly received four or five months' instruction each year in an un graded school now receive nine "months' Instruction in a graded school. Instead of walking through the mud and wet to a small country school, the children ride In a hack to the city school. In the accompanying picture is shown the hackload of children ready to depart for their homes at the close of the day's work In school. In the group are the three members of the Newberg School Board, the principal of the school and one of the leading patrons. Those standing are, read ing from left to right: J. C. Colcord, pres ident of the Bank of Newberg, director; J. W. Forsyth, of the Spaulding Logging Company, chairman of Board of Direc tors; C. J. Edwards, proprietor of the elec tric light works, director; Rollln W. Kirk, principal, and W. H. Hubbard, patron. Concerning the success of the experiment In the transportation of pupils at the New berg school. County Superintendent I. R. Alderman says: "To give every boy and girl an equal chance In life Is the Ideal of educators and philanthropists. Our town and city schools show the result of the thought, and the enerrv that has been spent on educa tional problems. The average country school Is very much the same as It was 50 years ago. "What wa need is not so much to im- Mrs. William Hubbard walked Into New berg, and were so well pleased with th school that they would not return to th country school, although the tuition In town was high. When the proposition came up to organize a new district In tb locality Mr. Hubbard said: I will not send my children to the little school if you build It right In front of my house. 'If the Newberg school Is so good for th? children of Mr. Hubbard, why Is It not jusl as good for the children of the rest oi us?' thought Mr. Towler, Mr. Bidgood and Mr. Strait. "The county and state superintendents met witht the people at the home of Miss Jennie Miller, who haw charge of the George Sears estate, to talk over the mat ter. This meeting was very Interesting. Some Seemed to think that this was a new-fangled method of making the coun try administer to the wants of the town. It was shown that to transport the pupils and to pay their part of the expense of th town school would not cost more, month for month, than would the little school in the neighborhood, but that it would cost more to send them for nine months than It would to support a little school at home for four or five months and that tho extra expense would have to be raised by taxa tlon. Miss Miller, the heaviest taxpayer stood for the best school possible for he" neighbors' children, and thus won the day When in tho fulfillment of time the ange! makes up the roll of honor he will. I think, placo Miss Miller's name on the list and well tdwards the front. At a meeting held in town the people of Newberg, who seem to bo working un der the motto, "Newberg and vicinity must be made the best placo in tho world for a home,' took up the matter and appro priated money to start a wagon to haul the children back and forth. Whero seven or eight walked to school, now 14 ride to and fro, and have as good school advan tages as any children In the state. New berg Is justly proud of her schools. Their new modern 16-room building will bo an expression of their belief in education. The people that opposed the plan ar beginning to see the advantages of it They will see them more and more as their children grow Into thinking, upright young men and women under the benign influence of this good school." SCABETG THE EATS. BEADING FROM XX3TT TO RIGHT DIRECTORS. J. C! COLCORD, J. W. FORSYTH (CHAIRMAN), KOLL1X W. KIRK. TILTS CI FAL ; W. II. HUBBARD. C. J. . EDWARDS j And Casey stood a-watchlng it in haughty grandeur there. Close by the sturdy batsman the baTT un heeded sped; "That ain't my style." said Casey. "Strike one!" tho umpire sold. From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar, ' Like the beating of the storm waves on a stern and distant shore. "Kill him! KUl the umpire!" shouted some one on the stand; And It's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand. With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage, shone; He stilled the rising tumult; he hade the game go on; He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew; But Casey still Ignored it, and -the umpire said: "Strike two." "Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands., and tho echo answered" "Fraad!" the night I got here. I dreamed of heaven when I went to sleep, as was natural and proper, having Indulged in that mellifluous and precious liquor. St. Peter was show ing me around and everything and everybody up there were just as fancy and imagination depict the happiness and serenity of the place. But one man was chained to a stump. 'Twas a gold stump, all right, and the chains were gold. too. Still, he was chained. "'St. Peter.' said I, 'ain't this heaven?' " 'It certainly Is,' replied the good saint. " 'Then tell mo. St. Peter, why ain't that man free? Why Is he chained to that golden stump?' " 'Oh, that Idiot,' answered St. Pes ter; "why. he comes from Kentucky. We have to chain him to keep him from going back there after that pri vate brand of whisky.' " , prove our best schools as It Is to make the poorest as good as the best. This rannot be done with oui- average country school. The many classes each day allow lnsufflcient time for the full development of the subjects. The great range of the work from the primary to the higher classes' does not permit the teacher to specialize. The small number In each class does not bring In the principle of competi tion, and the consequent enthusiasm that goes with numbers. Consolidation can alone remedy many of the Ills that afflict the rural school. Twenty-six states have tried the plan, and in all of them the Idea Is spreading as rapidly as did the self binder replace the self-rake. "The people west of Newberg were on the outer edge of four districts. Those that 'attended school had to walk from two to four miles. The little ones did not go. and tho older ones went more or less spasmodically. The children of Mr., and Ingenious Device of Maine Woman in Clearing Them From Path. Kennebr Journal. An Augusta hotel is ntoro or loss in fested with rats, and naturally the ratu have a love for the department where tha food Is prepared. The help is largelr feminine, and while none of them has any fellow feeling for the rodents, then Is one who stands in mortal fear of them She. with the others, occupies rooms on the floor above, and one of the hardesr. hours of the day is when she gets up the morning and makes her way to tha kitchen. She had rather meet old NIcic himself than a rat, and she always feela that she ia liable, on going downstair1, to meet ono on every stop. Therefore, In order to prevent anything of the kind, she has provided a meant: of averting it tha- Is simple yet effective. On her trunk, within reach of the bed. she keeps ten or twelve tin lard pail co- ers and when In the morning she has donned bor raiment she carefully optrs the door of her room, and taking a corr lets It go down the stairs. The rattle c: the tin on tho stairs gives her courage and with the other covers1 In her hani she starts down the stairs. When she has descended two or three stairs she lets g i another cover and makes' another ail vance. This goes on until she has reaclu-A the foot of the stairs, when, after oper lng the kitchen door vers" carefully, fr throws tho remaining covers across tv floor or up against the range. By this time she has convinced T4ers 1 that not a rat Is left In the kttchn, an., with a sigh of relief she begins hr day a work. Help! "Here!" exclaimed Grouch, as he glanced in alarm at the morning paper s headlines. "Here's a pretty kettle i peaches!" "What is it?" asked Slouch. tA correspondent says 'Czar urged t act.' Now if there's anything that's pre eminent among tho elements contributing to its present-day rottenness of tho stag. It is forcing celebrities out that can't act. I hope the Czar won't listen to a word Frohman says to him." Baltimore Amer ican. .