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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1913)
The Plattsraouth Journal : Published Semi-Weekly IV. A. I JA'IMCHi Entered at the rostoffice at Plattsmouth, Nebraska as second-class matter - $1,50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE : Ami wlial, during t lie last few days lias become of the theory that Providence tempers the wind to the shorn lamh? rt, is all right to speak well of; i ttie dead, lull why not Have a lew kind words to say to the living while they can hear them ? :o: On Sunday evening, when the wind was blowing at the rate of forty miles an hour, the most es sential feature of the Easter hats was the hatpins. :o: The dotted line on the map, along the southern border of the United States, represents the boundary line shot full of holes by the Mexicans. ! :p: Too much attention is paid as to bow March "came, in" and how it, "goes out," and not enough to its outrageous behavior while it is here. But, thanks to the good Lord, it is about ready to depart until about this time a year hence. Evidently I he democrats in Ihe legislature have but little regard Tor plat form pledges. Tim deficit of the compensation bill is full evidence of this fact. No doubt I he democratic, party will feel the effects of their work in the next slate election. :o : Governor Morehead spent Mon day in Omaha interviewing the business men and Mayor Jiahlman as to the condition of affairs ami what was best to he done to al leviate the -suffering and to aid those who were bereft of homes. The stale, no doubt, through the legislature, win set; mat ant is forthcoming. Oovcrnor Morehead has a warm heart for those who sutler, and the legislature, no doubt, will he guided in the mat ter by his suggest ions. -:o:- The voracious appetite of Ihe "movies" for films evokes some si range hazards, Iml Ihe New York man who agreed to be shot 3,500 feel into the air in a steel rockel so thai his descent could be photographed for a lilm is, in the eyes of mere opinion, Ihe climax. I'nforluiialely, the rockel prematurely exploded and its human contents were hurled down from a height of only 25 feet, a loo short (light to make an in teresting spectacle. The attempt may succeed the next lime, for, v it may be said incidentally, Ihe man himself was uninjured. :o: Some fellows who are opposed lo the jail proposition for Ihe sole purpose, in case Ihe same is defeated, that it will rival e an other issue to come up in the future, are telling all manner of stories to carry their point. The latest canard is that Plattsmouth wants a new jail for the sole pur pose in which to keep the city prisoners. The city of Plaits- ii. . mourn pays lor every prisoner that is kepi in the old shell called a jail, and those who desire proof of this wo kindly refer to the commissioners' report or to the commissioners themselves. Hut Plattsmouth is arranging to build a Jail of their own, nnd will not ask any more favors of this kind, for which it has paid dear ly enough. But somo of tho schemers who are opposing tho jail are telling any kind of a lio that will suit their purpose. Tho taxpayers should bo truthfully in formed on the matter, and tho Iwst way to get such information is lo investigate such false re ports before deciding which way lo vole on the matter. at Plattsmouth, Neb.: I'iilllahcr Yes, we are going to have a new passenger train on the Missouri Pacific. -:o: While Nebraska was struck pretty hard by the tornado, in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Mis souri many hundreds are lost in the tlonds. In the former two slates the flood is terrific. The cities of Columbus and I)ayton in Ohio, and Indianapolis in In diana, besides thoso drowned, thousands upon thousands are made homeless. :o: Ex-Speaker Joseph O. Cannon says he expects the republicans to return to power in four years, although any coalition between the republicans and progressives is impossible. Mr. Cannon is al most as saguine as young Chair man II i lies, jvho was confident Taft would carry thirty states last November and have a total elec toral vide of 325. :o:- The income tax worked no hardship on the rich in Ihe sixties, and we can't see where it will do so now. They were paying a war debt then, and paid it without a blink. The millionaires of this day are more able to pay an in come tax than those who done it years ago, and they should be made to "pony up." They are no belter than the people of those days. Most of Ihe millionaires at this time have come from the old countries since the war and be come millionaires and they should not complain of being taxed for having the opportunity of be coming Ihe monied sharks of the laud. -:o:- An exchange remarks, and with considerable truth, loo, "that oc casionally a newspaper man breaks loose and goes forth o seek office, or an appointment, when lo, and behold, he finds men in his community who are ready to knock and write letters, de rogatory n hjs rhnrarler and ability. When traced down, il is always found thai such opposition comes from those whom the newspaper man has helped o olllee and in other was, lime and again, for lo these many years. 'Man's iuhumanily to man, makes countless tlmuMiruds mourn, ' but such is ihe way of this cruel world, iuhahilcd by scltlh. un thinking liumanitv." When a real taxpayer throws aside his prejudice it' he has any and voles for public improve ments thai are reallv necessarv. he displays good, sound judg ment, but when he lets his ejndices run astrav with him, and lets a few fellows inlluence him by misstatements, he is doing wrong, i hat a the wav it seems to tlu Journal. When you vote for a straight tax levy, which is all paid at one lime when you pay your regular taxes, you are not voting for a bonded indebtedness, and the fellows who are trying to influence you to vote against the jail proposition know it as well as we do. Vote for a new jail and stop the useless expense of trans ierriug Lass county prisoners to and rrom Lincoln or Omaha, where they ore kept at twice the expense they could be kept for at home, if we possessed a good, safe Jail in which to care for them The opponents of the jail don'i give you an inkling of what it has cost the taxpayers of Cass county in Lincoln and Omaha jails, but they do know it has cost away up into thousands of dollars, just the same. Vote for tho jail and stop all this useless expense HISTORY OF LETTER POSTAGE. It will probably surprise some; of our reader- to learn that it is only since HiV.l that the postage rale letters in the United States has been uniform for all dis tances. The lirst postage law, that of 1702, lixed the rales ac cording to distance, and according to the number of pieces of paper. A "single letter" wa one piece of paper. Envelopes were wholly un known. The sheet of paper was folded and I lie address written on Ihe back. For a single letter sent a distance of thirty miles or less the rat if was 0 cents. This rale was increased to 8 cents for dis tances of sixty miles or less; to to cents for too miles or less, and so on. The system was continued with unimportant changes which in creased rather than reduced post age, until the year 18 il, when part of the present system came into use. A letter which weighed less than one-half ounce was to be deemed a single letter. The poslago was made uniform at 5 cents for distances of 300 miles, and 10 cents .for all greater dis tances. In 1851 prepaid single letters were charged with 3 cents postage, and letters on which the receiver paid the postage with 5 cents for all distances under 3, 000 miles; double rates for great er distances which referred only to letters sent lo and from Cali fornia. In 1855 prepayment of postage was made compulsory and the rale was fixed at 3 cents for less than 3,000 miles. Finally in 1803 the uniform rate of 3 cents was llxed, and later this was reduced lo 2 cents, and now we are prom ised the reduction to 1 cent in the very near future. -:o: Jiatiy fanners and others ca:t reeaii the fact that when they were boys on the farm, the farmer who had two spring seats to put on his wagon for gala days was considered a fortunate and well-to-do farmer. Most fanners then had only one spring seal and Ihe children sat behind on mere toards laid across the wagon bed. I'lien came Ihe farmer who had the soring wagon, a smaller wagon Willi springs under it. I'lien Ihe lop carriage and so on. Vow i( is I lift nntomoliile Mini iiiis not only on springs tail on ushioned tires, and one aulomo. die costs about as much as thirty pring wagons used to cos. In ill this we may catch the drift of progress and also an explanation if the high cost of living. Hut we have lo have such things now. ;o:- The Journal is not inclined It be of the fussy order, but it loves lairness in an matters mat are ol interest lo Ihe general public. i ne proposition to miild a new jail for Cass county, which has been so badly needed lor lo, these many years, is a matter for the people of the county lo decide The taxpayers are the ones that are directly interested in the mai ler, and the issue should lie pre sented to them in a fair and im partial manner. This paper has never attempted to present Ihe question in any other way, and have never attempted any decep lion in the matter. When some of the papers that are opposed to the "levy" for the building of a county jail speak of "bonds" for that purpose they are deceiving the people, and they know it They are evidently aware of tho fact that the taxpayers detest a "bonded indebtedness," and this may be the reason why these papers use tho word "bond' instead of "levy." In fact they should tell Ibeir readers that it is a plain levy and the whole busi ness is to bo paid in one year at the rate of 30 cents on the $1,000 of taxable properly $3 on $10, 000 of taxable properly. Be fair gentlemen, and don't try to "beat around the bush" in the matter Tell the truth. President Wilson was the lirst one to send a telegram of sym pathy ! Maor Oalilman of Oma ha, which demonstrates that his heart goes out to Ihe sulVering in Ihe great calamity. :o: The great calamity at Omaha is no doubt the greatest that ever happened lo any city in America from the storm's ravages. More lives were lost I ban at either San Francisco or the great cyclone that visited St. Louis several years ago. :o: The ministers say, "Whom (Sod hath joined together let no man put asunder." How little the courts value their admonition is seen in the report that in the United Stales during 1013 over 100,000 divorces' were granted, ind in the last forty years 3,700,- 000 adults were legally separated. :o: Champ Clark has a fatherly way of greeting new members of con gress as they drift into Washing ton to learn about their job. His manner is much like the principal of a boys' school toward the freshmen. He says h( is anxious to see all the boys get along nice- y with their work and improve their minds. Champ Clark is one of the most popular men that ever presided over the house, and all members on both sides love him for his fairness. :o: People all over the land are offering assitnnce to Ihe sufferers of Omaha. Plenty of money is being donated by those who are ible lo give, right at home, but whether they are able to con tribute enough to relieve the dis tressed is lo be seen. The lead ing men of Nebraska's metropolis ire willing enough to furnish all Ihe money thai is necessary, but an they stand the whole amount that will be needed, and do justice to themselves? That's Ihe ques tion. . :o : One of Ihe New York daily papers very Irullilully says: It ought not lo lake Ihe merchant of a small town long to ti ml out that in the parcel po.-l he has a friend iml no a foe. I.el him start an energetic advertising campaign in lis local papers and he will soon earn that he can reach a class of patrons who were never within gunshot before the parrel post means that I assume an came lo town. 1 In? rural journalism wil importance tal was never known before. Another one of Cass county's big farmers from the west side was in the city yesterday, and in talking about I he jail proposition, said that he had come to the con clusion that we needed a new jail and that he would certainly vote for il now and settle the mailer for many years to come. This gentleman is one of the largest taxpayers in the county and be lieves that every taxpayer should vote for the jail that the amount each one would have to pay is but a drop in the bucket compared to I lie building of a new court house, especially when Cass county al ready has one of the finest and most imposing structures in tho state. :o: The public in general are gradually coming to the con clusion that Wood row Wilson is at the helm, and that he is tho president. He proposes to hold fast to the principles of Ihe demo- craticparty, as emuncialed in the platform upon which he was elected, and he has tho courage to carry out his convictions. In his every move ho gives tho people to clearly understand that he has a hold on the reigns of government and proposes to give them the necessary relief they should have if there is any possible way of ac complishing his object. We prophesy that President Wilson will prove ono of the most pop ular chief executives of whom the United Slates of America ever boasted. Nebraska is getting plenty of free advertising-, if it was only of a different kind. :o: And this is spring, with hoary headed winter still lingering around the corner. :o: ft may seem pretty hard to be getting old, but it is the only way to live Ion1-'. He comforted. :o: Oivc the parcel post credit for compelling the express companies to hop down off their high horse. :o: The man who t m furnish a good receipt for dodging cyclones would do a land-office business right now. :o: A snow in March lasts about as long as a dollar's worth of sugar in a family where there is fudge making 'daughters. :,; The automobile may bo putting the nag out of business, but the women seem to be doing as much nagging as ever. :o: It sometimes happens, as in the present instance, that Kaster bonnets should have been trim med with ear-muffs. :o: The legislature done the proper thing in appropriating $100,000 to the tornado sufferers in Ne braska, and it is ready for im mediate use. :o: This ' Ihing of Mexican skirmishes so close to Ihe Ameri can border that there is danger from stray bullels is distinctly ticklish to residents on the American side, f :o: A man who keeps constantly on Ihe fence waiting to see which way lo drop, makes even the fence weary. That's about the way with some democrats until there is an office in sight. :o: Yes. Ihe jail proposition is simply a straight levy for $12,000, to be paid in one year. No bond ed indebtedness or interest to pay on bonds. It is a straight proposition, and when il is paid once, that, ends all taxation for a jail. Seel :o: Indiana has just passed a law j prohibit ing the sale of cigarettes to in i iK-rs. There has been such a law as that in Nebraska for some years, but if don't seem lo be enforced in Plallsinoul h to any great extent. Minors get I hem some way. :o: A woman named May Taylor is a candidate for mayor of Topeka, Kansas, and her slogan is "Squeeze out I lie big joint isls as well as the little bootleggers." She is a socialist, and declares that if she is elected "the golden rule and not the rule of gold" will prevail. May's ideals are high enough, but it is lo be feared she is making the common mistake of promising too much. :o: The assistant secretary of slate at Washington, when things were not running to suit him, sent in his resignation to Presi dent Wilson. Here is the presi dent's reply: 'Allow me to ac knowledge the receipt of your let ter, of yesterday, and to say that I accept your resignation as you suggest." The assistant sec retary looked on both sides of the sheet and couldn't find anything that looked like a tear stain. :o: Uncle Sam is certainly trying to force his children to be healthy if experimenting and the ex penditure of money will accom plish il, for, according to the re port of tho secretary of the treas ury, there were expended by the government in 1912, the vast sum of $10,800,08(5.23 for tho opera lion and maintenance of health bureaus. Out of that sum there were paid to doctors of the Alio pat hie School of Medicine, for salaries alone, $11,542,495, divid among 15,032 of them. THE WORKING GIRL. That the virtue of the working girl, at least in many instance, is directly dependent on whether or not she is paid a reasonable living wage for her services is tke revelation made in the exhaustive vice commission investigation in Chicago, New York City and else where. In a great majority of the cases investigated it was shown that lack of a living wag caused the lirst step in the wrong direc The revelations of these vice probes have raised a great amount of comment in various :ir Is of the country. Opposition to Ihe subject of a minimum w age for women has developed e en more strongly than ever in this connection, deploring that The womanhood of the nation be insulted by the intimation that s virtue is dependent upon the amount of money it has or earns," and feeling that "There is some thing revoltingly hideous in the theory that the pay of a girl in a store or factory is the line be tween chastity and unchastity." We can regret with them that such is the case, but facts are too convincing to deny that it w. The only thing that can be more hideous than the theory mention ed is the fact itself, and the fact seems to exist. To us it seems an impossible condition to think that a nation as civilized as this would even consider the advisability or in advisability of providing a living wage for any of its citizens who ivc full service for sinjli a wage. We provide, more or less reluct antly, perhaps, for the care of many who simply will not work, et we cannot be fully convinced that we should ' see to it by law that the women -who do work are paid a reasonable compensation for their labor, L If only 1 per cent of the money which goes into the pockets of middlemen and speculators in the necessities of life without their having in any way added value to the commodities handled or sup plied labor in any form could be turned over to the working girls of Ihe nation the wage question would be solved. Whv not aet busy ia this direction, as well as some others? :o: A big business house in Chi cago wants a young man who is willing to start at Ihe bottom and work up. Some of the require ments are that if the elevator has slopped he will not wait, but climb the stairs. They want him to know how to spell, punctuate and know the meaning of words. Not a fellow who merely looks ahead to help build up the busi ness, work overtime if necessary and become a real, active part of the gusiness not a girl, be cause if she is a good one some fellow will want to marry her. But a boy who wants to be a man in all that the term means who can be a stenographer, a clerk, a real honest, earnest boy who can make good and is willing to do so. A thousand places are now open to such boys, but only one in a thousand for a boy who is only a salary hunter. Where are all the boys who want to make good and are willing lo work to make good? The best places in the United States wait them. :o: ' Ascertaining the physical valuation of the railroads is go ing to be a big job. It is esti mated that under the bill provid ing for 6uch valuation, just en acted, it will cost tho government $6,000,000 and the railroads about the same amount. :o: Pneumonia, says a medical journal, may best be guarded against by avoiding hunger and fatigue which is a case where science and inclination meet. :o : .The taxpayers of Cass county, in voting in favor of a new jail, are voting in their own interests by saving money in so doing.