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.
