Page:American Boy's Life of William McKinley.djvu/272

230 days' rations could be carried in a pill box in one's pocket; one man was sure he could end the war by "buying up" all the Spanish state officials, and he wished McKinley to appropriate $100,000,000 for that purpose; another man wanted to sell the government a lot of mirrors.

"This is a sure thing," said the mirror man. "The best thing ever offered to any army, sir."

"But what in the world do you expect the army to do with your mirrors?" questioned the President.

"It is very simple, sir. Every soldier will be given a mirror, and the general in command will be ordered not to fight unless the sun is shining brightly. Then, when the enemy advances, our soldiers can throw the reflection of the sunlight directly into their eyes, thus blinding them, and the rest will be very easy."

It is needless to say that the President declined the suggestion, as he declined the others previously mentioned. The mirror man went off feeling highly indignant, and afterward said he felt sure our country would be defeated, owing to its lack of progressiveness!