Class _2^££gV. BookJteST COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT: BREVITY yu^ Po&uuJU. DAVIS BROADWAY PUBLISHING CO. 835 Broadway, New York COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY J. Patrick Davis MAR 10 1914 ©CLA369263 KNOWLEDGE. That there is nothing new under the sun is in- deed an eternal truth for all our worlds past, pres- ent and future knowledge may be crowned with one hundred simple and proper words. To the Editor: — = Insanity — is a prolonged departure from good old- fashioned common sense. Madness — is a hereditary and incurable disease of the nervous system. Delusions — are caused by the vapors from various diseases. Paranoia — is a word without a reality. Monomania — is a term under which eccentric per- sons belong when they do not appreciate their proper places in life until the course of human events calls for the practice of their hobbies. Mania — is caused by subnormal or abnormal grati- fication of the appetites. Paresis — is a too long neglected disease of the blood. Dementia — is the last stage of real madness. The reality of the word responsibility should ever be identified with the law of a land, the strength of mind should be judged from the strength of mem- ory in this our world's diamond age. To the Editor: — Having to wait twenty-two minutes for a train to a " Town beautiful " I was tempted in the meantme to " take in " one of those moving picture shows and in just seventeen minutes the following " af- fairs " were shown : Three foolish women running away from and returning to their " easy " husbands ; One white man killing 479 Indians to save his " loved one ; " " A village of ' old maids ' at bed time ; " " Sound and normal persons being railroaded to and held in madhouses by unsound and abnor- mal degenerates ; " " High-toned people starv- ing themselves for the sake of fashions; " Retribution of the ill-minded," and so on. I reflected " catching the limited " that some folks might well wait until they could afford the price of admission to a proper show. To the Editor: — Uncle Sam should try to buy Canada, — for this great part of America will be as logically essential to his future's contentment as will be the harmony of local and State laws in the future's one nation Cosmopolitan U. S. A. 6 To the Editor: — I wish to suggest through your newspaper that the charity dependents of the various states be transferred — and properly treated by persons natu- rally qualified to do the same — to federal reserva- tion pavilions on farms for the economical and gen- eral welfare of the country. To the Editor: — I wish to say through your newspaper that the ventilation at present in railway cars is unhealthful. In fact the temperature of the same need not vary more or less than ten degrees from sixty, and ther- mometers are necessary for this purpose in all public carriages. 8 To the Editor : — How many of us could properly identify our own money in case we should lose it? In fact, it would not in the least inconvenience even the most careful to note the numbers and dates on currency. To the Editor: — The gentlemen who are condemning dive-music, moving picture shows and vile postcards are cer- tainly doing some real " uplift " work for the gen- eral welfare of their less fortunate fellow human beings. How persons of supposed culture, grace of body and of mind could so long tolerate things originating in the minds of degenerates indeed sug- gests the need of a National board of moral Censor- ship. 10 To the Editor : — The advantages and disadvantages of municipal ownership are as a plucked or unplucked peacock- personal or general— and as an ideal condition in practice would ultimately become one of the best systems ever conceived by normal men. II To the Editor: — It seems most lamentable indeed that certain writers, cartoonists and, disappointed office seekers should be allowed to make a public display of their disrespect for the president of a country. Where is their intellect, proper taste or even common sense displayed in setting themselves up as judges of a great nation's president ? 12 To the Editor: — The periodical railroad ordinances sound like " artificial persons' " jokes, and their logical an- swers are — no seats, no fares. 13 To the Editor: — It is about time for the railroad directors to order new stations for their local lines, as the fact has long been obvious that the present excuses badly effect the interests of property owners, the public's and even their own, and that most of these stations are far behind these times. 14 To the Editor : — The boards of health and scientific investigators should inspect the stuff cooked and served as food in the " coffee houses " of these times. For were the owners of such places incorporated with dis- reputable undertakers and physicians in a sort of an " uplift movement " they could not be more enter- prising. 15 To the Editor: — The accounts of flights through the air recall our boyish readings of Frank Reade and his airships. How far more interesting indeed would be the news that mechanics, civil engineers, meteorologists and aviators had established an international club for the purpose of effecting, as soon as may be, the actual crossing of the Earth's oceans for the general welfare of humanity. 16 To the Editor : — The great amounts of money turned over at pres- ent for snobby studies in the public schools might well be used in a thousand different ways to better advantage, for the fact is obvious that this age is calling for systematic manual, art and business edu- cations. The learned professions, of course, should ever be identified with normal ambitions and natural abilities. 17 To the Editor: — I wish to say through your newspaper, that the work of women has become as important as that of men, so they may justly demand proper compensa- tion for their own welfare. 18 To the Editor: — I wish to say through your newspaper that the president should be allowed to appoint and dis- charge national boards of institutional inspectors. For the fact is obvious that millions of dollars have been wasted and grafted through the ill-management of County, general, and State Institutions for de- pendents. The cause of such a lamentable loss of money may be traced to the doors of ill-empowered politicians. The noble stream of charity for real and worthy dependents should never be allowed to rise or fall in politics, but be ever identified among the ideal sentiments of mankind. 19 To the Editor : — Could I but have my way A corker I would be, I'd never let folks souse themselves While on this world's blue sea. [They might flirt and rag a bit And a good story tell, But when they'd try to souse themselves They surely would taste hell. 20 To the Editor: — You may be pleased to learn that Uncle Sam hands out the following amounts of money annually for the proper care of unfortunates : For 2,500 Almshouses 15,000 Various hospitals 300 Insane Asylums 1,300 Prisons 42 Retreats for deaf, dumb and blind 19,142 Institutions No of Inmates Amounts 1 00,000 — $20,000,000 Indefinite — 30,000,000 300,000 — 20,000,000 60,000 — 13,000,000 160,000 — 5,000,000 620,000 $88,000,000 Inmates Total amount The United States is certainly very considerate of this weakness of its strength and cannot at present think of using chloroform as a cure for the same. 21 To the Editor: — I wish to suggest through your newspaper that up-to-date and clean-cut schools in citizenship be es- tablished throughout the country. As the fact is obvious that most men do not know nor understand what they vote for during the primary and presi- dential elections, and this accounts for much of the dissatisfaction about affairs local and National. 22 To the Editor: — This government might at least for its own in- terest transfer all male and female tramps, willful and unwillful idlers, according to their individual temperaments, to various mental and physical occu- pations for the government in the Western States. For such an act, if properly executed, occasionally would, I am sure, very soon result in more National and real prosperity for this country. 2 3 To the Editor: — The new law regarding marriages in New Jersey is full of senseless flaws and morally dangerous, for the fact is obvious that the practice of this same law will but make common law marriages inviting, " smart," " classy," and popular instead of preserv- ing the most sacred agreement ever subject to the noble lex non script a of mankind. 24 To the Editor: — A national college of memory should be estab- lished in every State and capital of the Earth. The benefits to be derived from the various sources of study — according to the individual temperaments of prospective students in such institutions would, of course, show mentally, morally and physically in the harmony of mankind of the future. 25 To the Editor: — It is about time the lawmakers turned out some flawless work for the general welfare of humanity. I would, through your newspaper, suggest as a starter that a law be passed abolishing the present most lamentable necessity for young women — the future mothers of men — slaving the best parts of their lives away in factories, shops and offices of congested cities while they might with laws to this effect, be cultivating various kinds of farms and gar- dens for the government. 26 To the Editor: — The shelterless, dirty and useless benches in the parks might well be changed for sheltering, clean and useful seats around trees of these beautiful re- laxation and recreation places for the people. 27 To the Editor: — I wish to say through your excellent news- paper that something should be done with that cer- tain class of business people who persist in using the names and photo-cuts of Lincoln and Washing- ton on clothes, watches, tobacco, pipes, writing ma- terials, breakfast foods, books and so on, for sale. Such persons should be taught enough proper taste and business sense to hold the names of Washing- ton and Lincoln as the most sacred of any in this nation. 28 To the Editor: — The new law regarding automobile drivers in New York is certainly good enough, if properly en- forced, to be adopted by all the States. In fact the time has arrived to bring wild drivers of all kinds back to where they normally belong in life for the general security of the public. 29 To the Editor: — I wish to suggest through your newspaper that all dogs excepting pet bow-wows, receive a per petual vacation from well-protected villages, towns and cities, and be sent to where they originally be- long in life — the ill-protected country parts of nations. 30 To the Editor : — I wish to say through your newspaper that the physical and mental culturists who are trying to have general laws passed in harmony with their own ideas need to be shown that the human race has well existed, with and without such up to dateness, millions of years and is better off now than it ever has been. 3i To the Editor: — I wish to say through your newspaper that too much noise is heard nowadays from agitators and disappointed office-seekers who have had little to recommend them beyond their own past mugwump- ing weather-cocking, burlesque heroism, idleness, and big words under the term, " National Progres- sive Party." The fact is obvious that the reality of the word reform has become hypocrisy. May real heroes arise when circumstances call them, but may there ever be normal men controlling official affairs in times of peace ! 32 To the Editor: — I wish to suggest through your newspaper that something be done with the hoodlums, " up-to-date guys," and "classy ginks," who jog through the streets at all hours whistling and yelling out the " latest " dive tunes of the day. 33 To the Editor: — I wish that some reflective reader of your news- paper would inform me whence most professional people of these times get their ethics and manners. Are the same natural or acquired? That university degrees are freely granted to those who have not even acquired ethics is as much a pity as is the fact that the people nowadays do not properly appreciate culture's foundation, good old-fashioned manners! In fact ethics and manners have become " humbly vulgar," and it is certainly about time for us to class them as exalted and correct for there can be dis- played about a human being nothing else so beau- tiful. 34 To the Editor : — The periodical complaints in newspapers about the street car service in this world's greatest city are most amusingly absurd for persons who have been more than a thousand miles away from Herald Square know that New York is the model and leader in street car public service as it is easily in every- thing else. In fact it is a pity that the street railway directors of all Towns and Cities in the Union do not with special inducements, hire experienced rail- way men from Manhattan Isle for the proper regu- lation and management of their street railways. The " Public be pleased " should indeed be ever the desk motto of logical and normal gentlemen even outside of our world's metropolis. 35 To the Editor: — I wish to say through your newspaper that most of the " popular " songs published nowadays are most indecent and should, therefore, for the sake of moral harmony in folks be condemned. 36 To the Editor: — I wish to suggest through your newspaper that the individuals who are so wrapped up in them- selves as to be constantly adjusting their clothes, nails, hair, shoe strings, etc., in public be laughed out of themselves for the sake of common sense. 37 To the Editor: — I wish to suggest through your newspaper that the old gaps in the coypright law be filled by clauses requiring all applicants for registration to appear before notaries and sign statements properly cover- ing, the main outlines of their compositions for pub- lication, and that copies of such affidavits be sent to and filed by the librarians of Congress until these gentlemen receive the printed and published matter for full copyright. All publications should be legally stamped and numbered for the protection of authors and pub- lishers. 38 To the Editor: — I wish to say through your newspaper that the National census officials should be ordered to send copies of citizens' histories and careers to every public library in the Union. As the city directories at present are more useless than useful when it is necessary to find out for business and social pur- poses who, where, and what citizens are in life. 39 To the Editor : — Too much care cannot be exercised in appointing superintendents and supervisors to general, County, and State Institutions as the periodical " affairs " arising in such Retreats may generally be traced to the fact that incompetent nurses in these places are not properly reported and discharged so as to make room for persons who are naturally qualified to take proper care of the really sick, helpless, and aged in life. 40 To the Editor: — I wish to say through your newspaper that the great National conservators and their friends should be careful enough not to get lost, as Americans can- not afford to be without such examples of heroism, personal harmony and common sense in life. 4i To the Editor : — I wish to say through your newspaper that there are too many persons nowadays believing that all drugs and stimulants should be easily obtainable without a physican's prescription at every corner drug shop. Now, this assumption is most lamen- table and too often dangerous, as all human beings are even chemically different, and consequently re- quire, during their periods of sickness and weak- ness, drugs, stimulants, and treatments differing ac- cording, therefore, all persons should be guided when necessary by the prescriptions from their family physician in life. 42 To the Editor: — The note from " T. A. " in Saturday's issue of your newspaper brings up an interesting subject. In fact, real and normal Americans should be cosmo- politan in name, language and in actions. 43 To the Editor: — The best human germs that appeared in our little world may be numbered from the ten tiny ringers of a child's hands thusly: Moses Socrates . Alexander Diogenes Christ Alfred . Angelo . Washington Taine . , (Reserved) Master of Religion " Logic a a a War Simplicity Manhood Statesmanship Art Liberty Literature Philosophy Life invisible and visible to the intellects of human beings exists as spheres of germs ever radiating from their own various pressures through definite spaces of the Universe. 44 To the Editor: — I herewith suggest to the honorable lawmakers of this country that the presidents of the National colleges of learning be empowered to do the appoint- ing of examiners, who are qualified to identify all applicants for governmental appointments — as shall have been trained systematically and by degrees, ac- cording to their individual temperaments, when applying and reporting for any government duty as may be specified by such examiners under the term — Citizens Service. 45 BROADWAY PUBLISHING CO'S NEWEST BOOKS All Bound in Silk Cloth and Gilt. Many Illustrated Fiction The Eyes at the Window (beautifully bound, with embossed jacket) — Olivia Smith Cornelius. . . .$i .50 Next-Night Stories — C. J. Messer 1 .25 Arthur St. Clair of Old Fort Recovery— S. A. D. Whipple 1 . 50 Barnegat Yarns — F. A. Lucas 1 . 00 Jean Carroll, with six illustrations — John H. Case 1 . 50 As a Soldier Would — Abner Pickering 1 . 50 The Nut-Cracker, and Other Human Ape Fables — C. E. Blanchard, M.D 1 .00 Moon-Madness, and Other Fantasies — Aimee Crocker Gouraud (5th ed.) 1 .00 Sadie, or Happy at Last — May Shepherd 1 . 50 Tweed, a Story of the Old South — S. M. Swales . . 1 . 50 The White Rose of the Miami— Mrs. E. W. Ammerman „■ 1 . 50 The Centaurians — Biagi 1 . 50 The Reconstruction of Elinore Wood — Florenz S. Merrow 1 . 50 A Nest of Vipers — Morgan D. Jones 1 .50 Religious Works The Disintegrating Church — Frederick William Atkinson 1 . 00 Evolution of Belief — J. W. Gordon 1 . 50 Down Hill and Up Hill — Rev. J. G. 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Rosenberg 50 The Little Sufferers (dealing with the Abuses of the Children's Societies) — G. Martin 1 . 50 Eureka, a Prose Poem — S. H. Newberry 1 .00 Rust (a play in four acts) — Algernon Tassin (of Columbia University) 1 . 00 Poems by Charles Guinness 1 . 00 Prohibition and Anti-Prohibition — Rommel, Ziegler & Herz 1 . 00 Gay Gods and Merry Mortals — Verse by Robert J. Shores 1 .00 The Rubaiyat of the College Student — Ned Naf e . 50 The Deluge of England, and Other Poems- — James Francis Thierry 1 .00 The Dragon's Teeth — a Philosophical and Eco- nomic Work — T. M. Sample 1 . 00 Achsah, the Sister of Jairus — Mabel Cronise Jones. . 1 .00 The Marriage Bargain Counter — Daisy Deane . . 1 . 50 Building a New_ Empire — Nathaniel M. Ayers. . 1.50 Marriage and Divorce — Jeanette Laurance 1 .00 The Clothespin Brigade — Clara L. Smiley 75 "Forget It"— Ida Von Claussen 1 .50 The Last Word: a Philosophical Essay — James and Mary Baldwin 1 .00 Travel Eight Lands in Eight Weeks (illustrated by 90 drawings) — Marcia P. Snyder 1 .25 Eliza and Etheldreda in Mexico — Patty Guthrie (illustrated) 1 . 25 The attention of clergymen is directed to our Religious List, one of the largest of any house in America. Write for free copy of our magazine, BOOK CHAT. BROADWAY PUBLISHING CO., 835 BROADWAY, N. Y. Branch Offices: ATLANTA BALTIMORE INDIANAPOLIS NORFOLK WASHINGTON DES MOINES, IOWA