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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 1912)
r 1913. THEY LAMPOON HOME CONDITIONS' AND LAUDTIfOE OF i 0 Education, Social Legislation, Politics, and Sport Alike, Decried as Inferior to Ours While Europe Is Hypnotized by German Influence, Yet Teuton Pro fessors See No Good in Their Own Landed Institutions. BT HERBERT BATEMAN. BERLIN. Oct. IS. Special Corre spondence.) Europe today seems to be proceeding under German tivnnnttsm. Tn evervthlng except mgn politics the Fatherland provides models and lays down laws. Austria, France. England ana kuv have in turn copies ner social Tgislation, and all these states, and others, are frantically borrowing her Ci'eas on education, municipal govern ment and hygiene. In short a teutonic cult prevails. "To look wise" and praise German methods," a new French comedy says, is enough to make reputations for Frenchmen and Englishmen, especially If they sauce their German dishes with the impressive words 'science.' 'organi sation,' 'expertness.' discipline' all of which are supposed to be essentially German." From a first discriminating admiration, Europe has run Into Indis criminate Teutonomanla, and now no man has the courage to Impugn the universal cult. Yet there is a reaction among Ger mans themselves. While foreigners laud .and gape with open mouth, Ger man's are In a mood of pessimistic In trospection. Not only are they criti cising the institutions they have hith erto loved best, but they seem speci ally resolved to condemn the Institu tions which foreigners most frantically copy. From the press comes book after book comparing Germany with Eng land, France and the United States, and nearly all these comparisons are to the disadvantage of Germany. Professor W. Schoelermann, of Wei mar, set the ball rolling. He Is a great art critic who spent his youth In America, and therefore has standards of comparison. In his book "Die Deutsche Not." "German -Misery," he makes fierce attack upon politics, sociology, education. art. business, diplomacy and sport as they are prac ticed by Germans. He holds up the United States as a model to his countrymen. He finds that In many matters Germany is behind England, France. Italy and even Russia. After "Die Deutsche Not" followed a whole aeries of books, by other experts who soundly and roundly condemn the Ger 01 Tuesday morning the mall coach brought In the well-substantiated rumor that Buckton had really been located again this time in the foothills beyond the Star-Y range. By noon on luesaay anu mm ucbuo fact that Buckton had been definitely cated five times in the last two I tfonths, without ever being taken In the flesh Sheriff Bull galloped out 01 Phlllipstown with a posse of seven be hind him. Phlllipstown may not be strong on population or tulture or com merce, but when It comes to sending out a Sheriffs posse in good shape at short notice, Phlllipstown Is there. Just before sunset on Thursday they came upon Buckton. Buckton was sitting, hunched into a miserable ball. Just as he had fallen when the spunky little black mare dropped dead six hours before. He was the God-forsaken wreck of a man. hardly over 30. What clothes he still owned were tattered; scantily covered bones liter ally protruded through the rents and holes. His hat was crownless; the straggling beard ot weeks gave his gaunt face much the look of the tra ditional "wild man." His thin hands were clenched over bare knees. His cheeks cracked suddenly into a smile nothing less than ghastly. "You've got me. Bull." he said. "I never thought you had wits enough for the Job, but you've got me. Go ahead with your fun. What do you want?" Pell, the phlllipstown grain and feed man, took the liberty of laughing. Bull's official dignity came back and he straightened up suddenly. 1 "I've got a warrant here for your arrest. Buckton," he said. "In fact. 1 have four of them, but the last's the one I'm going to use. They chars you with horse-stealing and cow rustling. One of 'em's been sworn out on a complaint of smashing down a bank clerk in Klnsville and taking $300 from him in broad daylight. Here they are If y' want to read 'em." "I'lll take your word for it. Bull." he weird smile came again. "Then " The derelict hitched to a little more upright posture and faced the man. "Bull," he said. "I'm not going with t man achievements which abroad awaken the admiration of all. First of all the overthrown idols Is the social legislation which the world so precipitately copied. It has not. say critics, fulfilled the motives of Bis marck, Its founder, or the Ideals of the "professional Socialists," Professor Wagner, Professor Schmoller and com pany who Inspired Bismarck with their Ideas. Bismarck's Immediate aim was to use sick and accident insurance and old-age pensions as a bulwark against rising socialism and against threaten ing labor unionism. Bismarck's Plan Falls. Ever since he was a man of 30 Bis marck fondly believed that labor un rest could be killed by such laws. His aim has not been fulfilled. It has rather been turned to scorn. The 818, 000 Socialist voters of 1S81. on the eve of sick insurance, have Increased to 4;259.00p. The labor unions have In creased tenfold in strength and wealth. Imperial Secretary for the In terior Delbrueck lately admitted that Germany "had failed to bridge the so cial gulf created by the economic de velopments of the last generation." As an instrument of class-peace, labor In surance disappoints all. It is disappointing also, say -critics, economically. Count Posadowsky, who was largely responsible for it, prom ised that it would kill pauperism, and thus relieve, the poor law expenditure. The opposite is the case. The poor law expenditure has risen. The official journal "Relchsarbeitsblatt" publishes the painful admission that the same classes that are getting Increasing benefits from state insurance are also making increased demands upon publlo charity. It was stated that 60 per cent of cases of- demands for charity arose through sickness, accident. Infirmity and old age. For all these things the Insurance system proposed to provide and It was therefore assumed that the calls on charity would decrease by 60 per cent. Two 'jbllllon five hundred million dollars was paid out in Insur ance benefits between 1884 and 1910. Despite this enormous expenditure, the demand for charity grew. In Bavaria it grew from 140 to $50 per 100 cltl- 0t you. rra not dead sure about the law, but you know blamed well you're out of your own country and" And Just there Menken, seven-foot giant of the posse, keeper of Phillips town's most ornate, saloon and leader of the Councilmen, roared ini "You bet you ain't goln,' Buckton! You're goln' to stay right here and stay put! We've had too darned much trouble with you, anyway, these last two months, an' too much expense. You ain't worth cartin" back, an' you'd be worth less when you got there. Where's that rope. Tom " The red-headed member of the posse tossed from his saddle a good ten yards of braided leather lariat. Menken caught It and held it up silently. Buck ton, still squatted on the ground, re garded it apathetically. But Bull whirled swiftly on the sa loon man with: "What d' you think you're doing?" "That'll be all right, Dick," Menken grinned. "We talked it ever before we started, and we came ready. You're all for law in the book style, old man. and we're all awful up to date, but I reckon the day ain't gone by when hossthleves don't get what's coming to 'em In proper style. And if this cuss don't deserve hangln' ' A six-throated yell drowned his voice. It was a yell of distinct ap proval, too, and the yellers were quite as well armed as Bull and Bull, in cidentally, was no fool. He straight ened up abruptly and cried crisply: "Say! This is all nonsense! We're goln' to take Buckton back, and he's goln' to be tried right and " "Cut It out!" said the red-headed member, as he swung down and swag gered over to Buckton and regarded him contemptuously, "Git up I" The derelict clambered with 'difficulty to his feet. "Got any prayers you want to say?" Inquired the auburn-haired. "No!" The word came in an amaz ing, unexpected roar. "I said 'em long ago!" 'Then " He caught deftly at the noose and grinned malevolently. "D'ye wanteY stand on a hoss or d'ye wanter be yanked up straight and. gentle manly? Hey?" "I " Buckton gulped. Bull, pistols notwithstanding, went forward with a stride. "You alll" ho thundered. "You ain't f fir J(iL mmmmmmm vNJv r:r sens; In Prussia from 180 to $65, and lh Wurtemberg from $36 to $46. In Berlin the number of citizens who had to be helped from poor funds grew 80 per cent, and the amount paid to them by 68 per cent. -Even the men and women who receive Insurance ben efits remain paupersi In some dis tricts 80 per oent of insurance pension ers also receive publlo charity. Thus insurance has failed entirely to do away with pauperism. Privy Councillor Frledenaourg de clares that there has been a general increase of the pauper spirit and of many other social 111b. In fact, insur ance, he contends, nas Drougnt oniy ill. Frledensburg was 20 years presi dent of the Insurance senate, which Is the supreme interpreting court on In surance law. He resigned his post In 1910 rather than take any further part In what he regardsas a vicious com edy. He says that insurance 1b re sponsible for red tape, litlgiousness, "pension-hysteria" and for a general depravation of the people. "For all men who do not look upon our nation as a mere Inert mass. It Is goln' t' take this man out of my hands and " The seven took to shouting again and the Sheriff all but rubbed his eyes. He had known very well that senti ment was very, very much against Buckton; yet he had most certainly be lieved that the seven representative men of Phlllipstown whom he had picked for the ride were standing for law and order. Carter, the cold-eyed one. remarked: "That man's goln' f swing,. Dick. You Just look away and forget It. It'll be over quick. Yer rope ready, Tom?" "Umum." "Then " "Say! Hold on a minute!" Bull's face was almost startled as he fumbled In an inner pocket. "Just a second. I'll submit, I suppose and I'll arrest every man Jack of you when we- get home, but " He fumbled further, and he produced a much-soiled envelope that seemed to have gone through many stages of the United States mail service, and he handed it to the wretched Buckton with: "Here, that came to town for you a month ago, when we were chasing you around Duncan's ranch. I I said I'd deliver it in person." It had been rather a grim joka at the time; it was a far grimmer one now, and Bull set his teeth and stared at Buckton and wondered if there was no earthly Una of reasoning that could be advanced to save the situation. Buckton, however, . was paying him no attention whatever. One glance at the envelope and the captive's eyes narrowed In a sudden wince. His dry tongue came out and moistened his cracked, hairy Hps. His hand shut over the envelope until the thing was crushed into a crinkled mass. And then Buckton's face grew stony. He tore the think open carefully brought forth a folded sheet of note paper, written from end to end In a fine, thin hand. His head dropped low, until the unlovely chin all but touched the ragged chest. Buckton read on and on and on, oblivious to all else In the world. At last he raised his head abruptly and. folding the sheet, replaced it carefully In the envelope. He held It forth and thrust it Into the hand of the astonished Sheriff with: "Will you do me one last favor? It ain't very much. Won't be any trouble to you." "Well, if they's anything" "Just stick that together again. Bull, with a piece of paper or something. Then mark it 'opened by mistake' and drop It In the mailbox In town. The address is on the back, and it'll get to where It came from." He paused a little and clasped his hands behind his back. In calm defiance of the coming fate. " 'Opened by mistake.' Under stand? Yes? Well, then go on, and be darned to you all!" Buckton waited, motionless. Bull seemed rather staggered as the, MS- 3 n a painful experience," he says, "that labor insurance has been the cause of general corruption and demoraliza tion." . German education, which Is also Eu rope's model, is being made the tar group crowded about him and stared curiously at the letter. "Well, I'll do that Buckton " the Sheriff began. "Aw! Let's see If " Menken laughed as he snatched the little envelope sud denly and held 11 aloft. Buckton started forward with an oath, to be stopped short by. Carter's gun. Bull, too, made a move toward the saloon man, but the latter waved the letter over his head and cried: "Well, we'll make an Investigation, Bull. Maybe this here's more evidence, or maybe " He broke off again and drew forth the sheet. As he did so Buckton shouted shrilly: "Put that back. Menkenl Put that back, I say! If you don't and I live, I'll kill you; and If I die, I'll come back from hell and haunt you every day of" "Girl In the case!" Carter observed facetiously. Menken, who owned latent dramatic tendencies, had. cocked himself Jaunt ily side-saddle on his horse. The little note-sheet was extended now, ana Menken's full - throated voice roared forth: "Listen! Here she goes: "My dear sonny boy ' " "She's sure fond of him, ain't she?" the red-haired one chuckled. Menken read on gleefully: "My dear sonny boy: "Do write and tell me what Is the matter. It Is over a month now since I have heard from you. The last letter you wrote the one with the fifty dol lars and the money-order for one hun dredcame on your birthday, and I was very, very glad to hear from you and thank you for the money. "Have you left your position in Phll lipstown and gone back to Laramie? I think maybe it Is as well, because you said the Laramie people were good to you end the position was certain, even If the pay was a little less. But you use your own Judgment, my dear little boy, because you're your father's son and father always knew what was right and did It, and you are his own boy." Mr. Menken cleared his throat; his voice had been dropping away notice ably with the last few words. Men ken looked almost furtively over the crowd for the tiniest fraction of a sec ond and the crowd looked back rather bewllderedly. Whereat Menken con tinued, less Jovially: "Everything is tho same here as it has always been. I am Just about the same, too, though Dr.' Harris said last week I looked some better, though worried. Mr. Welch was asking about you day before yesterday. He said, whenever you get ready to come back, you could have your old place in the store. -He said he couldn't pay any more than eleven dollars a week, but he said he always does that Insburg is bound to be the biggest town in Indiana within twenty years, and that whoever grows up with his store, will A r-rt: KPT ESSBSS3S2SS7 J, Xr , - . get for still fiercer attacks by native experts. Among the men who have 1fltlv rnnrtim-nfd the svstem are PrO- fielm Ostwald, the Nobel prize-winner; Wllhelm Boelsche, the scientific writ er; Professor Petzoldt and the Reich stag Deputy Mueller, of Meinlngen. A book has appeared entitled "School Tears," in which 200 famous Germans give their opinions of the national sys tem of education as they experienced it themselves, and many of them con demn the school entirely, while the ' be among the foremost citizens. It made me wish so much that you were back, Neddy. " I thought of you aU night and wondered if you wouldn't be better home. "This should reach you by Thursday. Please write as soon as you can and tell me about everything. Good night, my little son. "MOTHER." Menken had read his way to the end. Just now his eyes dropped, and, with out comment, he replaced ' the Jetter rather carefully and tapped his knee with it. Nor did the group seem Inclined to ward hilarious comment. Carter emit ted a little snort and " stopped. The red-haired one essayed a contemptuous chuckle, and It died out in rather sickly fashion. The last puff of wind had died away now, and the silence was intense. Out of It came long, whistling, wheezing breaths from the derelict big, rasp lng gasps of pure. Infuriated pain. Then: "Give that .letter back to Bull!" Menken returned it silently. "And you'll swear to send It off, Bull?" "I'll sure send It off, Buckton,' but " The Sheriff looked at the dry ground for a little while, "But " "But what does It mean?" the captive cried. "It means Just what it says! It means that my mother's back home in that little town In Indiana, waiting for the black sheep of the family to come back and. show that he isn't a black sheep! It means oh!" Buckton looked them' over almost wildly, and when he spoke the words seemed hardly addressed to the lynch ing group. "My mother brought me up with the idea that I couldn't hit anything less than the Presidency," he said. "I was the only boy, and dad died when I was little. She scrimped and scraped and kept me in school and put me through college when she and the girls dldn t have -enough to eat. She sent me to New York; and when I made a fizzle there, she got me back home and took me in her arms and told me lt'd be all right, and I'd only have to try over again, and that everybody fell down first time and did better for It. She tried to start me right in the town back home; and when I got sore on it, she was the one that raised the cash God knows how to send me out here, to try a new country and make a big hit!" His voice mounted higher and higher. "That's the kind of a mother I had, and by the Almighty, Bull, she's going to believe to the end of her days that I did make that hit!" Bull was squinting at him. The rag ged, whiskered wreck leaned forward and his glittering eyes grew more In tense. "I came on here and I didn't make good," he said. "I tried everything and I hit nothing. Then I got a chance to steal a horse and sell him, and I did majority are critical and onry a hand ful are laudatory. Reichstag Deputy Mueller of Meinlngen, gives the gen eral view, "we learn nothing for life, and only learn for the school. The school makes out of us philologists and not future citizens with modern thought and sentiment." This view agrees with the pamphlet "Good Schools or No Schools," in which Dr. Kalnocky says: "The .American school trains citizens and men; the German school trains subjects and bureaucrats." The lack of moral and physical training in Germany is se verely condemned. Professor Ostwald ascribes to it the present wave of child suicide. The able educationalist. Pro fessor Petzoldt, of Spandau, complains that there is no character forming or body forming. Only the brain is taught. "If it were physically possible, the scholars might as well cut off their heads, put them on the school desks and send the rest of their bodies home." German elementary education Is judged bad when compared with Amer ican. The "Volksschule" is hampered by bad pay of teachers and by the low standard o the teachers' own instruc tion. The teachers are trained for their work in special seminaries, but they get no general culture. "Their moral influence," says Dr. Rocher, of Cologne, "is far inferior to the moral influence of American or English teachers." One reason for the failure of the German teacher Is that he or she is scandalously overworked. In Prussia the average teacher has to Instruct 63 pupils, and there are country schools where the average is 120. or even 150 pupils per teacher. Prussia has 18,000 elementary schools which have no teachers. They borrow the teachers of other schools. Secretary Tews, of the Goethe Society, reports that "two mil lion children go on half rations and over a million sit in overcrowded rooms." Tews In particular puts Ger man education as lower than American. and I sent back the money and told mother I was in a good Job. After that I saw & chance at rustling part of a herd, and I cleaned It up quick and sent the money home. And after that " " He stopped again and licked his lips. "I guess that's all," he said, huskily. "But I want to tell you this. My moth er's sick. She'll never get well. She may liV6 a year or five years. But she mustn't ever know how or where or why I shuffled off, and she's got to die believing that her only son was the only real article that ever lived. D'ye understand? I've been keeping up the Impression by stealing, and, if It's made her any happier, I'm glad of It! I'm a bad egg: and if I had it to do over again, maybe I'd be a better one, but " He tore open the neck of his ragged shirt and bared his neck to the grisly noose. Not a man of them moved. "You'll see that that's mailed. Bull?" "I certainly will, but " "And mark it 'opened by mistake, and don't sign your name. Mother misrht come and " He choked for an instant; then: "Here! Come on and get it over with, will you? Have some mercy on a man! Still there was no perceptible move ment. The red-headed membej: avoided looking at the lariat. Instead ne turned and walked away a few paces and executed, in private, his trick of rolling a cigarette with one motion of one hand. When the cigarerce was lighted, he studied the landscape east ward. Bull looked at the ground and chewed hard at his mustache. Carter dropped bis gun into its ornate hoi ster and examined the trees. The oth rs cursed their Hps and spat or smoked or coughed, as pleased them None of them looked at tho prisoner save Menken. Menken, however, slid down from his horse after some two minutes and walked very slowly toward Buckton. He contemplated the noose, and finally lifted it and cast it away from tne neck. "What 'd ye do if you got back home; Go to work in the store?" Buckton gasped. "Ye would, eh?" Menken scratched his head and smiled in a way (that Menken very seldom smiled. Menken, in fact, was thinking of the mother he had last seen in Darmstadt, Hesse, some 40 years back. "S'posin' we hadn't found you s'posin' the cayuse hadn't petered?" he said. "You might 'a' got to Watertank 10, over the ridge there, eh?" "Yes." "Might 'a' stopped in Walklns" Falls and got a shave and a decent suit of clothes, if you'd had the price? . Buckton's eyes brightened queerlr. "Yes." "Anyway, If you had the price and a horse ana 24 nours leeway, mere ain't a Sheriff could get you." said Grave complaints are made that the German school neglects to teach pa triotism. Paul Rohrbach, the traveler, here writes severely. He says that their teaching of patriotism consists in wagging flags, and In lauding "Kai ser Wilhelm der Grosse" and Bismarck. Tho school does nothing to teach them their duties In the future. The Comen ius Society, which spreads the Ideas of the great humanist, says that the Ger man scholar's ignorance of law, politics and economy is shameful. The sever est critic Is Professor Adolf Harnack, the theologian, who complained to a congress of philologists of "the bot tomless ighorance of German youths on what concerns the constitution and the public law." . Municipal Affairs Criticised. Municipal administration is another domain in which Germany has hypno tized Europe, but in which she Is high ly displeased with herself. In partlcu. lar, German town-planning la con. demned. Ex-Colonial Secretary Dern burg, the Reichstag Deputy Suedekum, the statistician Kuozynski and Burger melster Domlnicus. are Just now preaching against German town-planning, and extolling In comparison what they call "Anglo-American town plan ning." They have printed a pamphlet with a picture of a street in Homewood, Brooklyn, side by side with a Berlin street, as an example of how to build and how not to build cities. The re formers point out that Germans, with all their planning, failed to provide for the future. They condensed their cit ies unhealthily on small areas, quite forgetting that better communications would allow the dispersal of the popu lation. At the same time, the Ameri cans, English and Belgians were dis persing their cities by building low, gardened houses In the style suitable for the quiok communications of the future. Menken pensively. "Ain't any doubt about that. Say!" The group turned suddenly. Men ken was fingering a handful of money, and a $20 gold piece seemed to ha separated Itself. "It's a funny coincidence, bellowed Mr. Menken, "but it Just occurred to me that every blamed one o' you fel lers owes me $10. I'm short Just about now. Pay up!" He didn't wait for them to come to him. He went to them. That was one of the secrets of Menken's moderate wealth. He went, to Bull, and Bull handed him two $5 coins. He passed Carter and Carter scowled and parted with a gold eagle. He made for the red-headed gentleman, who was prepared and shot a yellow piece at him. In the course of two minutes Men ken was back at Buckton's side and whispering as he proffered the collec tion: "You know the trail over the ridge, but you don't know Bull's mind. Beat it!" "But" - "Shut up!" Menken walked away to his own horse. He loosened the short tether and twisted it around the pommel swiftly. He headed the animal toward Buckton and slapped it sharply. The little beast started on a quick lope. She did not stop, moreover; for as she passed Buckton, Buckton swung into the saddle and drove In what re mained of his lonely pur. And Bull turned suddenly with: "Menken, you blasted idiot " Menken took him firmly by the shoulder and faced him eastward. "Say!" he bellowed. "Did you ever, ( In all your eternal days, see such a swell reflection of the sunset as a man gets over on those hills? Look! Keep on looking!" And somewhere behind them, sharp little hoofs clicked rapidly, methodic ally, as a mare hit the stony trail over the ridge to Walklns' Falls. (Copyright, The Frank A. Munsey Co.) Extinction of Horsefly. Few people seem to realize that the English sparrow has been responsible for the great reduction of the numbers of bottle-files, the castrophllus equl, or horse-fly. Forty years ago when the sparrows were not as plentiful as they are today these flies were so numerous that they were a great torment to horses and cattle, and often caused great discomfort to human beings. The entire life history of this fly is identi fied with the horse. The larvae are developed in such a way that the spar rows' particular virtues as a scavenger lead him to discover them and use thera for food. As a result of this the horse fly, though not entirely done away with. Is not one-quarter as prevalent as it formerly was. Christian Herald,