SUCH A JOY! IHOPE IT'LL BE IN THE PAPERS CHARITY OF MR YOUN-ME 350 DAYS LATER. A PAGE FROM THE CONFESSIONS OF A HOLIDAY-CHARITY PHILANTHROPIST. Drawn by Ryan Walker expressly for THE ARENA. levies a fearful tribute in every community, and few diseases have so successfully baffled medical science in its research for specifics. Many people will therefore read with interest the strong recommendation recently made by the health-board of Washington, Warren county, New Jersey, of the following simple treatment for pneumonia, which according to a dispatch in the New York Herald is claimed to be a sure cure if used in the early stages: "Take six or ten onions, according to size, and chop fine, put in a large spider over a hot fire, then add the same quantity of rye meal and vinegar, enough to form a thick paste. Stir thoroughly, letting it simmer five or ten minutes. Then put it in a cotton bag large enough to cover the lungs and apply to chest as hot as patient can bear. In about ten minutes apply another, and thus continue by reheating the poultices, and in a few hours the patient will be out of danger." DIRECT-LEGISLATION IN CARTOON. [NOTE. We take pleasure in publishing below an article contributed by Mr. Eltweed Pomeroy, President of the National Direct-Legislation League, and embodying a number of striking cartoons by Mr. J. W. Bengough, illuminating the subject of Direct-Legislation. We take special pleasure in publishing this contribution because we hold that the overshadowing issue in the battle that is now on relates to Direct-Legislation. The supreme question is whether democracy or class-rule shall prevail; whether the people shall have the power to compel their servants to act in their interests and to repudiate the action of corrupt or bought politicians, -in a word, whether the people are to be the sovereigns and the officials their servants, or whether the officials are to become the irresponsible masters of the people and the people subjects instead of sovereigns and, as is now the case, the victims of corrupt party-bosses and controlled machines that carry out the demands of the new plutocracy or the privileged classes, reckless of the interests of the electorate. It is the old battle between democracy and despotism, between popular rule and class rule; and in this battle every political boss and every public official who takes his orders from corporate wealth or the feudalism of Wall street will fight against the people having the opportunity to rule themselves, just as the thrones and the aristocracies of the Old World have sought to further their own interests at the expense of the interests of the people. Every corrupt official, every venal servant of privileged interests, every exploiter of the people, will battle against Direct-Legislation: and all the power and influence of the gambling-hell of Wall street, all the power of the Standard Oil Company, of the Morgans, the Rogerses, the McCalls, the McCurdys, the Perkinses and the Depews will be joined with the Platts, the Odells, the Aldriches, the Lodges, the Gormans, the Elkinses, the Penroses, the McCarrens, the Murphys and the Durhams to defeat popular government. Therefore the hour has struck for the people to organize, educate and agitate, and THE ARENA will be in the van in this great battle for democracy.-THE EDITOR.] Liberator was utterly insignificant in size and circulation compared with its contemporary Who papers. Boston can recall even the names of its contemporaries now? There has been a very interesting fight going on in Toronto for a real democracy. Some of the daily papers have aided it, most have kept silent, a few have opposed. But The Canadian Single-Taxer, a little sixteen-page monthly with articles and cartoons of incisiveness and vigor, has made city officials squirm and has roused the citizens to an appreciation of the situation. The cartoons have been by Mr. J. W. Bengough and are particularly good. To illustrate the use of direct democracy by the people, a group of earnest men secured pledges from the mayor and most of the aldermen before their election, to abide by the will of the people as shown by a referendum vote; and then, mainly because they were persistent, they got a referendum on the question of exempting seven hundred dollars of house-value from taxation, and it was carried by a good majority. Let their own words and cartoons now tell the story. The April issue of the Single-Taxer said: "The people be hanged,' was practically the answer given by the City Council on Monday, March 13th, when Alderman Dr. Noble called on the aldermen to obey the popular injunction given at the polls on January 2d, last, to ask the legislature for power to apply the $700 exemption in the city of Toronto. By a vote of twelve to seven the civic legislators decided to burke the electors in their attempt to mitigate the severity of the house famine. "The question is are we or are we not going to pay any attention to the voice of the people,' said Alderman Dr. Noble. This measure was carried by a vote of 15,897, against 8,219, a majority of 7,678, and thousands were prevented from voting for it by the deputy returning officers." "Controller Ward said: "This increase in taxes would simply mean plunder, and we have a right to protect the landlords. It would ruin the commerce of the city. It would increase the taxes of the Massey-Harris Company by $1,031.34 per year, and on the Canada Life Building by $1,416.77 per year."" By such arguments to-day do the advisers of the Czar urge him on to ruin. During that month a committee had an interview with Mayor Urquhart. Here is a part of it and its accompanying cartoon: "Mr. Thompson-'Before your election as Mayor you signed a pledge that you would submit any question to the people asked for by them. You also signed a pledge that if a majority of the people voted in favor of the measure you would use all your best efforts to make it law.' "The Mayor-'I never signed any such pledge, but if I did I would break it, as I would any pledge, if after further consideration I decided it was not in the best interests of the city."" Here is the pledge he signed: "Do you believe that the will of the majority should prevail in this city, 'majority' meaning majority of those entitled to vote and who do vote? "Will you, if elected, use the power of your office to carry out the will of the majority as expressed by any referendum vote that may be taken ? "(Signed in the mayor's handwriting) 'Yes.' "THOS. URQUHART, "136 Major street, "24th Dec., 1902." Let the pupils of Walmer Road Sunday-school come and look at their worshipful superintendent. Mr. Urquhart is an able and honest city official. He told me right after his election that he was a believer in direct-legislation. This shows the effect of office-holding on a good man. It changes his view-point in a few years. He is none the less honest in other matters now than then, but his own statement might have come from the lips of Emperor William of Germany. Both are equally sincere in their belief that they know better what the people should have than the people themselves, and both are equally un-American. The May issue of the Single-Taxer had a pungent little catechism and cartoon: "Q. "What is public opinion?' "A. "Public opinion is belief or opinion held by the people at large.' "Q. "What is meant by the expression "at large ?", "A. 'It means outside of the asylum.' "Q. 'Is public opinion at large a safe guide in government?' "A. 'It is good to talk about, but not to follow.' "Q. 'Why is it unsafe to follow?' "A. "Because it is wrong. The people are ignorant, and when they vote do not know what they are doing."" During the summer the following delightful cartoon, taking its inspiration from Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream," and referring to the fall elections appeared. The people really need more houses and are actually living in tents for lack of other accommodations, and during the summer a committee of citizens waited on the city's governing body, the Board of Control. The following cartoon and extract from the Single Taxer tells the story: "Deputation-'We have come to ask if something cannot be done to provide more house accommodation in the city, and to reduce the present exorbitant rents. Some of us are living in stables, some in tents and some "A. "Not so safe as that inside said insti- of us have had resource to old street-cars.' tution.' "Q. 'What is it good for?' "Mayor and Controllers (in one breath)'Want more houses and lower rents, do you? |