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Tarkington, Booth, 1869-1946

"Ramsey Milholland"

His
suspension from the Lumen was for a year, and so cruel a punishment it
proved for this born debater that he noisily declared he would found
a debating society himself, and had a poster printed and distributed
announcing the first meeting of "The Free Speech and Masses' Rights
Council." Several town loafers attended the meeting, but the only
person connected with the university who came was an oriental student,
a Chinese youth of almost intrusive amiability. Linski made a fiery
address, the townsmen loudly appluading his advocacy of an embargo
on munitions and the distribution of everybody's "property," but the
Chinaman, accustomed to see students so madly in earnest only when
they were burlesquing, took the whole affair to be intended humour, and
tittered politely without cessation--except at such times as he thought
it proper to appear quite wrung with laughter. Then he would rock
himself, clasp his mouth with both hands and splutter through his
fingers. Linski accused him of being in the pay of "capital."
Next day the orator was unable to show himself upon the campus without
causing demonstrations; whenever he was seen a file of quickly gathering
students marched behind him chanting repeatedly and deafeningly in
chorus: "Down with Wall Street! Hoch der Kaiser! Who loves Linski? Who,
who, who? Hoo Lun! Who loves Linski? Who, who, who? Hoo Lun!"
Linski was disgusted, resigned from the university, and disappeared.


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