the americanization of edward bok-第65章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　in　New　York　could　not　secure　five　speaking　dates　for　its　single　lecturer　during　a　session；　it　was　now　put　to　it　to　find　open　dates　for　over　ten　speakers。　Mothers'　clubs；　women's　clubs；　and　organizations　of　all　kinds　clamored　for　authoritative　talks；　here　and　there　a　much…veiled　article　apologetically　crept　into　print；　and　occasionally　a　progressive　school　board　or　educational　institution　experimented　with　a　talk　or　two。

The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　published　a　full…page　editorial　declaring　that　seventy　of　every　one　hundred　special　surgical　operations　on　women　were　directly　or　indirectly　the　result　of　one　cause；　that　sixty　of　every　one　hundred　new…born　blinded　babies　were　blinded　soon　after　birth　from　this　same　cause；　and　that　every　man　knew　what　this　cause　was！

Letters　from　men　now　began　to　pour　in　by　the　hundreds。　With　an　oath　on　nearly　every　line；　they　told　him　that　their　wives；　daughters；　sisters；　or　mothers　had　demanded　to　know　this　cause；　and　that　they　had　to　tell　them。　Bok　answered　these　heated　men　and　told　them　that　was　exactly　why　the　Journal　had　published　the　editorial；　and　that　in　the　next　issue　there　would　be　another　for　those　women　who　might　have　missed　his　first。　He　insisted　that　the　time　had　come　when　women　should　learn　the　truth；　and　that；　so　far　as　it　lay　in　his　power；　he　intended　to　see　that　they　did　know。

The　tide　of　public　opinion　at　last　turned　toward　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　and　its　campaign。　Women　began　to　realize　that　it　had　a　case；　that　it　was　working　for　their　best　interests　and　for　those　of　their　children；　and　they　decided　that　the　question　might　as　well　be　faced。　Bok　now　felt　that　his　part　in　the　work　was　done。　He　had　started　something　well　on　its　way；　the　common　sense　of　the　public　must　do　the　rest。　He　had　taken　the　question　of　natural　life；　and　stripped　it　of　its　false　mystery　in　the　minds　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of　young　people；　had　started　their　inquiring　minds；　had　shown　parents　the　way；　had　made　a　forbidden　topic　a　debatable　subject；　discussed　in　open　gatherings；　by　the　press；　an　increasing　number　of　books；　and　in　schools　and　colleges。　He　dropped　the　subject；　only　to　take　up　one　that　was　more　or　less　akin　to　it。

That　was　the　public　drinking…cup。　Here　was　a　distinct　menace　that　actual　examples　and　figures　showed　was　spreading　the　most　loathsome　diseases　among　innocent　children。　In　1908；　he　opened　up　the　subject　by　ruthlessly　publishing　photographs　that　were　unpleasantly　but　tremendously　convincing。　He　had　now　secured　the　confidence　of　his　vast　public；　who　listened　attentively　to　him　when　he　spoke　on　an　unpleasant　topic；　and　having　learned　from　experience　that　he　would　simply　keep　on　until　he　got　results；　his　readers　decided　that　this　time　they　would　act　quickly。　So　quick　a　result　was　hardly　ever　achieved　in　any　campaign。　Within　six　months　legislation　all　over　the　country　was　introduced　or　enacted　prohibiting　the　common　drinking…cup　in　any　public　gathering…place；　park；　store；　or　theatre；　and　substituting　the　individual　paper　cup。　Almost　over　night；　the　germ…laden　common　drinking…cup；　which　had　so　widely　spread　disease；　disappeared；　and　in　a　number　of　States；　the　common　towel；　upon　Bok's　insistence；　met　the　same　fate。　Within　a　year；　one　of　the　worst　menaces　to　American　life　had　been　wiped　out　by　public　sentiment。

Bok　was　now　done　with　health　measures　for　a　while；　and　determined　to　see　what　he　could　do　with　two　or　three　civic　questions　that　he　felt　needed　attention。



XXXI。　Adventures　in　Civics

The　electric　power　companies　at　Niagara　Falls　were　beginning　to　draw　so　much　water　from　above　the　great　Horseshoe　Falls　as　to　bring　into　speculation　the　question　of　how　soon　America's　greatest　scenic　asset　would　be　a　coal…pile　with　a　thin　trickle　of　water　crawling　down　its　vast　cliffs。　Already　companies　had　been　given　legal　permission　to　utilize　one…quarter　of　the　whole　flow；　and　additional　companies　were　asking　for　further　grants。　Permission　for　forty　per　cent　of　the　whole　volume　of　water　had　been　granted。　J。　Horace　McFarland；　as　President　of　the　American　Civic　Association；　called　Bok's　attention　to　the　matter；　and　urged　him　to　agitate　it　through　his　magazine　so　that　restrictive　legislation　might　be　secured。

Bok　went　to　Washington；　conferred　with　President　Roosevelt；　and　found　him　cognizant　of　the　matter　in　all　its　aspects。

〃I　can　do　nothing；〃　said　the　President；　〃unless　there　is　an　awakened　public　sentiment　that　compels　action。　Give　me　that；　and　I'll　either　put　the　subject　in　my　next　message　to　Congress　or　send　a　special　message。　I'm　from　Missouri　on　this　point；〃　continued　the　President。　〃Show　me　that　the　American　people　want　their　Falls　preserved；　and　I'll　do　the　rest。　But　I've　got　to　be　shown。〃　Bok　assured　the　President　he　could　demonstrate　this　to　him。

The　next　number　of　his　magazine　presented　a　graphic　picture　of　the　Horseshoe　Falls　as　they　were　and　the　same　Falls　as　they　would　be　if　more　water　was　allowed　to　be　taken　for　power：　a　barren　coal…pile　with　a　tiny　rivulet　of　water　trickling　down　its　sides。　The　editorial　asked　whether　the　American　women　were　going　to　allow　this？　If　not；　each；　if　an　American；　should　write　to　the　President；　and；　if　a　Canadian；　to　Earl　Grey；　then　Governor…General　of　Canada。　Very　soon　after　the　magazine　had　reached　its　subscribers'　hands；　the　letters　began　to　reach　the　White　House；　not　by　dozens；　as　the　President's　secretary　wrote　to　Bok；　but　by　the　hundreds　and　then　by　the　thousands。　〃Is　there　any　way　to　turn　this　spigot　off？〃　telegraphed　the　President's　secretary。　〃We　are　really　being　inundated。〃

Bok　went　to　Washington　and　was　shown　the　huge　pile　of　letters。

〃All　right；〃　said　the　President。　〃That's　all　I　want。　You've　proved　it　to　me　that　there　is　a　public　sentiment。〃

The　clerks　at　Rideau　Hall；　at　Ottawa；　did　not　know　what　had　happened　one　morning　when　the　mail　quadrupled　in　size　and　thousands　of　protests　came　to　Earl　Grey。　He　wired　the　President；　the　President　exchanged　views　with　the　governor…general；　and　the　great　international　campaign　to　save　Niagara　Falls　had　begun。　The　American　Civic　Association　and　scores　of　other　civic　and　patriotic　bodies　had　joined　in　the　clamor。

The　attorney…general　and　the　secretary　of　state　were　instructed　by　the　President　to　look　into　the　legal　and　diplomatic　aspects　of　the　question；　and　in　his　next　message　to　Congress　President　Roosevelt　uttered　a　clarion　call　to　that　body　to　restrict　the　power…grabbing　companies。

The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　urged　its　readers　to　write　to　their　congressmen　and　they　did　by　the　thousands。　Every　congressman　and　senator　was　overwhelmed。　As　one　senator　said：　〃I　have　never　seen　such　an　avalanche。　But　thanks　to　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　I　have　received　these　hundreds　of　letters　from　my　constituents；　they　have　told　me　what　they　want　done；　and　they　are　mostly　from　those　of　my　people　whose　wishes　I　am　bound　to　respect。〃

The　power　companies；　of　course；　promptly　sent　their　attorneys　and　lobbyists　to　Washington；　but　the　public　sentiment　aroused　was　too　strong　to　be　disregarded；　and　on　June　29；　1906；　the　President　signed　the　Burton　Bill　restricting　the　use　of　the　water　of　Niagara　Falls。

The　matter　was　then　referred　to　the　secretary　of　war；　William　Howard　Taft；　to　grant　the　use　of　such　volume　of　water　as　would　preserve　the　beauty　of　the　Falls。　McFarland　and　Bok　wanted　to　be　sure　that　Secretary　Taft　felt　the　support　of　public　opinion；　for　his　policy　was　to　be　conservative；　and　tremendous　pressure　was　being　brought　upon　him　from　every　side　to　permit　a　more　liberal　use　of　water。　Bok　turned　to　his　readers　and　asked　them　to　write　to　Secretary　Taft　and　assure　him　of　the　support　of　the　American　women　in　his　attitude　of　conservatism。

The　flood　of　letters　that　descended　upon　the　secretary　almost　taxed　even　his　genial　nature；　and　when　Mr。　McFarland；　as　the　editorial　representative　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　arose　to　speak　at　the　public　hearing　in　Washington；　the　secretary　said：　〃I　can　assure　you　that　you　don't　have　to　say　very　much。　Your　case　has　already　been　pleaded　for　you　by；　I　should　say　at　the　most　conservative　estimate；　at　least　one　hundred　thousand　women。　Why；　I　have　had　letters　from　even　my　wife　and　my　mother。〃

Secretary　Taft　adhered　to　his　conservative　policy；　Sir　Wilfred　Laurier；