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,