ts, and the union laborers should
ought to be ashamed of themselves for putting up arguments when the
country is so busy over the war, I couldn't help thinking that there
must be people over in Germany which is writing to the _Tageszeitung_
and the _Freie Presse_ that the German Social Democrats and Liberals
should ought to be ashamed of themselves for putting up arguments about
the Kaiser giving them popular government when Germany is so busy over
the war. In other words, it's a stand-off, Mawruss, with the exception
that the Kaiser 'ain't made no speeches so far that Germany would never
make peace with America till the millions of American women which 'ain't
got the vote has some say as to how the war should be carried on and
what the terms of peace should be."

"Do you mean to say that women not having the vote puts our government
in the same class with Germany?" Morris demanded.

"I mean to say that the proposition of German men having the vote sounds
just so foolish to the Kaiser as the proposition of American women
having the vote does to this here Eli U. Root," Abe retorted, "and while
there is only one Kaiser in Germany, Mawruss, we've got an awful lot of
Roots in America, so until Congress gives women the vote, Mawruss, the
Kaiser will continue to have an elegant come-back at President Wilson
for that proclamation of his."

"Well, I'll tell you, Abe," Morris said, "I read this here proclamation
of Mr. Wilson's when it was published in the papers, and while I admit
that it didn't leave so big an impression on me as if it would of been a
murder or a divorce case, y'understand, yet as I recollect it, Abe,
there was enough room in it, so that if the German terms of peace was
sufficiently liberal, y'understand, the German popular government
needn't got to be so awful popular but what it could get by, understand
me."

"That's my idee, too," Abe declared, "and while I ain't so keen like
this here Lord Handsdown or Landsdown, or whatever the feller's name is,
that we should jump right in and ask the Kaiser if that's the best he
could do and how long would he give us to think it over, y'understand,
yet you've got to remember that we've all had experiences with fellers
like Harris Immerglick, Mawruss, and if the Allies would go at this
thing in a business-like way, y'understand, it might be a case of going
ahead with our business, which is war, and at the same time keeping an
eye on the brokers in the transaction."