"The Government railways of Natal and Central South Africa are equally free from secret concessions and favoritisms of every kind." There are those who, after denying that public-ownership would abate corruption and discrimination and finding themselves proved to be in the wrong, take refuge in the silly, shallow and essentially slanderous cry that while public-ownership in various foreign lands wherever tried, whether in New Zealand or Germany, Switzerland or Belgium, England or Austria, may have resulted in lessening corruption and increasing efficiency, it would fail in this country because the American people are too corrupt to be entrusted with the ownership and operation of public utilities. This slander on the Republic should be resented by every self-respecting citizen. The circumstance that the great railway and other public-service corporations have steadily and silently gained control of political bosses and machines and by princely campaign contributions and other forms of bribery and corrupt practices have packed the government with their own attorneys and others complacent to them, only proves that the American people have one great and allimportant duty to perform: Turn the rascals out; destroy the power of the privileged few to continue to debauch government, plunder the masses and reap hundreds of millions of dollars that should go to the individuals and the State. Space forbids our further noticing this great work of Professor Parsons. Sufficient to say, however, that it is by far the most important, authoritative and comprehensive popular discussion of the rate question that has appeared, and no intelligent American should fail to read it. THE NOTES AND COMMENTS. HEAUTHOR OF "THE CIVIC EFFICIENCY OF THE EDUCATED CLASS": "The Civic Efficiency of the Educated Class" is a paper of more than ordinary interest and value to thoughtful friends of the Republic. The author is a fundamental thinker and a man of unusually broad mental vision. He graduated from Yale College in 1864 and holds the degree of Master of Arts from that Institution. Later he attended Princeton and Andover Theological Seminary, and for many years was actively engaged in ministerial labors. In 1871 he accepted the chair of English in Beloit College, which he retained until 1899. He was a contributing editor to the Century Dictionary and is an honorary member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Leaders of Civilization and Defenders of the People's Rights: THE ARENA has given during the past few months several papers devoted to the fine constructive work being carried forward by genuine leaders of civilization and defenders of the people's rights. Among these were Professor BEMIS' admirable sketch of Mayor JOHNSON of Cleveland; the very notable pen-picture of the late SAMUEL M. JONES, the Golden-Rule Mayor of Toledo, by a scholarly journalist who had long known this apostle of human advancement; and sketches by the editor of EDWIN MARKHAM, the poet of democracy, DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS, the novelist of democratic progress WILSON L. GILL, the twentieth-century educator, and Judge BEN B. LINDSEY, the high-minded and enlightened jurist whose great work is justly attracting the attention of the noblest minds in America. This month we publish an exceptionally fine paper prepared for THE ARENA by WILLIAM KITTLE, Secretary of the Board of Regents of Normal Schools of Wisconsin, on "Robert M. La Follette: A Statesman After the Order of Lincoln." The author is thoroughly acquainted with his subject and has followed Mr. LA FOLLETTE's political life with deep and critical if sympathetic interest. Like hundreds of thousands of other patriotic Americans, he has found the fearless governor-senator an intrepid, honest and loyal popular leader, such as the people are everywhere calling for in the present crisis. In this issue we also publish a pen-picture of Mayor J. N. ADAM, another highminded municipal leader. "British Egypt" and Its Author: Readers of general literature will be deeply interested in the authoritative pen-picture of the events that led up to English occupation of Egypt and the results that have followed that important event, as narrated by Mr. ERNEST CROSBY in Part I. of his discussion of "British Egypt." Mr. CROSBY was for some time judge of the Mixed Tribunal at Alexandria and when holding this official position he gained an intimate knowledge of the facts with which he deals. The subject is one that will appeal to all persons desiring accurate knowledge relating to important events of contemporaneous history. In two further papers Mr. CROSBY will deal with later happenings and their import in relation to English occupation of the land of the Pharoahs. "Direct Primaries": The American people are in the midst of the most important conflict that has been fought since the birth of the nation-a battle to rescue the Republic from as dangerous and as corrupt and subversive a power as ever attempted by stealth to destroy a free government. The priv ileged interests, controlling bosses and political machines, have in numerous instances robbed the American people of all but the form of free government, and they are to-day entrenched in power and are using that power to contest every effort of the voters to regain the government for the people. The Direct Primary, Direct-Legislation and the Right of Recall are all practical methods that would enable the people to meet the changed conditions of the present and to defeat the despotism of the criminalrich and overthrow their rule through the corrupt bosses and political mis-representatives who are the creatures of the trusts and privileged interests. Hence it is the duty-the sacred and imperative duty-of every citizen of America who loves the Republic to fight staunchly for all these great reform movements. In this issue we publish an excellent paper on "Direct Primaries" written by IRA CROSS whose recent paper on coöperative stores attracted such general and favorable notice. "The Socialist Programme": "For weal or woe," says Mr. SLADE in his admirable paper on "The Socialist Programme," "Socialism is developing apace in every country where industrialism has created a propertyless proletariat." And it is to give the general reader an intelligent conception of just what Socialism the world over means that he has prepared his paper for this issue of THE ARENA. The author has made a deep study of the subject and before preparing the paper he made a careful comparative examination of the platforms and programmes of the Socialist parties of the leading nations. This paper is remarkably clear and lucid, considering it is so condensed. "The Feminization of the High-School": Dr. WILLIAM LEE HOWARD, the famous nerve specialist and student of psychology, contributes a paper to this issue in which he protests against the mixed high-school. His views are shared by many prominent physicians and some educators, although, as we have pointed out in "The Mirror of the Present," they are in direct opposition to the views of other prominent heads of coeducational institutions educators who have for years carefully observed the actual results of the union of the sexes in university work. publish Chapter II. of the Direct-Legislation Primer The Direct-Legislation Primer: This month we prepared for The Arena Clubs by leading Directsubject of the popular Initiative in a manner which Legislation authorities of America. It presents the will make it readily understood by the general read-er, and it also notices the various chief objections that have been advanced against this fundamentally sound democratic method of preserving free government. Next month we hope to publish the third The Initiative and Referendum deal with Directand last instalment of the Direct-Legislation Primer. Legislation, and in the supplementary chapter which Representation and Direct Primaries will be noticed is yet to appear the Right of Recall, Proportional as other fundamental and practical measures for preserving free government. Our Story: In "Thin Tilly Westover" Mrs. HELEN C. BERGEN-CURTIS gives us a charming little realistic life-sketch that is strong in human interest and abounds in delicate touches. Mr. Mills' Paper: The next instalment of Mr. MILLS' magnificent history of the war of corporate wealth against the rights of man in Colorado will deal with the labor troubles in Colorado and Idaho, and it has been thought best, owing to the conditions that prevail at the present time, to hold the matter back until our July issue, in order to give the proper historical connection with the events that will be the subject of this discussion. There has been a vast amount of newspaper writing done in the interests of the Mine Owners' Association, the SmelterTrust and the great corporations of Colorado, which have long been striving to destroy the influence of organized labor in the West and to cast upon it the odium of crimes which have not, as yet, been proved, and which organized labor has resented as malicious calumny. Mr. MILLS will not only bring to the discussion the broad vision of a statesmanlike mind and the trained methods of one accustomed to impartially weighing evidence, but will also treat it in a spirit that shall harmonize with the principles of free government and the rights of man, rather than from the view-point of one who appeals to class prejudices in the interests of privileged wealth. This paper will be a very notable contribution to this distinctly great series. INDEX. Abolition of Passes by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Adam, J. N., A Municipal Leader of the New Time, Adams, G. Cooke, State-Owned Savings-Banks, 590, Aggressions in the National Government, The On- American Federation Declares for Political Action, American Literature, What Our Universities are American Sculptors, The Society of, 207. Arena Club of Denver, The First, 76. Books of the Day, 103, 221, 326, 444, 554. Boss-Rule, The Redemption of Ohio from, 60. Brandt, Albert, Criminal Wealth versus Common Bribery by Franks and Passes: The Lion in the Path Arena Club Movement, The: Its Purpose and Pos- Canada, The Movement for Church Union in, 325; sibilities, 194. Armstrong Report, The, 417. Art and Life, 289, 615. Art Pictures, Educational, 294. Art Spirit of Japan, The Principles of the Decora- At the Tomb of Walt. Whitman, 278. Austria's Throne, The Tramp of Democracy Heard Autocratic and Bureaucratic Aggressions in the Awakening, Labor's, Some Foreign Influences that Baker, Robert, Human Liberty or Human Greed? Bemis, Edward W., His View on the Present Cler- Benson, Allan L., A Socialist's Reply to John Moody, 164. Bergen-Curtis, Helen C., The Romance of Thin Berlin, The City of, Votes to Build and Operate a Bigotry and Intolerance, An Astounding Recent Coöperation in, 648. Carman, Albert R., Incurable! 409. Cartoon, Direct-Legislation in, 92. Cartoonists, Politics, The People and the Trusts as Cartoons, Some Notable Recent, 421. Church Union, The Movement for, in Canada, 325: Church Unity, The Most Significant Recent Step 66 City the Hope of Democracy, The,” 544. Civic Advance Movement in Colorado: The First Civic Efficiency of the Educated Class, The, 561. Civic Righteousness and Sound Morality, The Bat- Class Government, The Initiative a Democratic Class Rule, Concrete Illustrations of the Spoliation Cleveland Clergy, Mayor Johnson and the, 430. 650. College and Church, The Pressure of Privilege on, 302. College Cooperative Stores in America, 379. Colorado Senator and the Standard Oil Magnates, Comments, Notes and, 112, 223, 335, 447, 559, 664. men, 298. Conservative Cabinet, The Master-Spirit of the, 315. Constitutional Government in Hungary, The Over- Cooley, Rev. Harris R., on Conditions in Cleveland, Coöperation, 537; At Home and Abroad, 647; in Coöperative Experiment, A Successful, 315. Cooperative Stores in America, 647; College, 379. ress, 537. Corporations and the Dominant Parties, The Prev- Corrupt Municipal Rule and Corporate Domina- Corrupt Rule of Boss Cox, The Uncovering of the, 632. Cross, Ira, College Coöperative Stores in America, Curzon, Lord, The Unpopularity of, in India, 543. Dangerous Class, Our Most, 297, 303. David Graham Phillips: A Twentieth-Century David Graham Phillips, The Menace of Plutocracy, Debt of New Zealand, The, 437. Decision Against the Tobacco and Paper-Trusts, Decision in Favor of the Citizens in the Chicago Democracy, Edwin Markham: The Poet-Prophet Democracy's Call to the Statesmanship of To-day, Democratic Ideals in Germany, The Growth of, 648. Democratic Simplicity, Installation of the President Democratic Spirit of England, Reactionary Legis- Direct-Legislation, An American Municipality for Direct Primaries, 587. Disarmament, England's New Premier's Noble Discrimination, Railroad, 132. District-Attorney Jerome, Mr. Amory's Indictment Divorce and Remarriage, 392. t Downfall of the Balfour Cabinet, The, 208. Edinburgh, Municipal Lighting in, 320. Educational Art Pictures, 294. Elwell, Mrs. F. Edwin, The Principles of the Deco- England, Reactionary Legislation that Aroused the England's Magnificent Postal-Service Record, 212. English Cooperative Wholesale Society, The Enor- English Heroine Among the Boers, An, 88. Enriching the Metropolis by Utilizing Its Waste Ether Forcing Rhubarb, Interesting Results of, 90. Extension of Old-Age Pensions, 214. Fallieres, M., The Election of, a Triumph for Pro- Federal Regulation of Railroad Rates, 346. 84. Feminization of the High School, The, 593. Fish, Stuyvesant, Economy, 264; the Man Who Re- Fiske, Mrs., on the Ethics of the Drama, 183. Flower, B. O., J. Campbell Cory: Cartoonist, 48; 75; Increased Cost of Living, 76; Civic Advance |