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TITJ2 OMAHA DAILY IJEEt FRIDAY , DECJCaOJETl 24 , 18D7.
TIIE OMAHA DAILY BEE.
E. nOSKWATBIl , Bdltor.
rUtlUSHKD EVEUY MOUN1NO.
TEHMS OF sunscntpTioNt
Dilly Dee ( Without Sunday ) . On * Year 8 M
Dally Uee and Sunday , One Year W
Six Monlht. . . . . * <
T < ir Months. . . . . J w
Bumlay lite , Ono Ytnr. . . . . } 00
Haturtlay lice , Ono Year * ' w
Viti'Kl ) Dte , One Yeni- . . . . . <
OKF1CK3 :
Omaha ! The llec Uulldlng. . . . . . . . .
Boutn Omaha : Singer 111k. , Cor. N and Jlth Sta.
Council lilufrs : 10 rinrl Street ,
ClilCBgo OlIlCP ! S17 Clmmbcr of Commerce.
Xuw York ! Hoomi 13. 14 nn.l . IS Tribune llldfr
\Vaihlniiton : SU1 Fourteenth Street.
COUUUSl'ONDKNCE.
Alt communications relating to newn and edlto <
rUI matttr ehould be addressed : To the Editor.
1IUS1.NKSH LETTUHS.
All tunlneas Idlers nnd remlttancea should bo
ddrcKCd to The lice 1'ubllslilnR Company ,
Otnahiti Diaftg , checks , express nnd poitofnco
money order * to bo 11111 Jo pa ) able to tlie jjrder ot
tlia company.
ran UKI : yuiiuaniNQ COMPANY.
dTATUMKNT OK CIHCLJ ATION.
Stnic of Nrbra m DouRlax County , " . :
OeorKO It , Tzscliuck. secretary of The llee r 'i-
lUhlnft Company , Iwlnc duly swoin , saj-s that the
actual number jf full mil complete copies of Tha
Dally , Horning , Kvenlng and Sunday lice printed
durini * the month of Xoxembcr , 1S37 , wag ai ( ol *
The nifKri'trnfc carrier ilellvery clr-
ctilntlon of The Kvoiilnu lire It
dnulilc the HKKri'pratr currier delivery
circulation of the UvcitlitK Wnrld-
Itcrnld nml more than Nix lliueM
fcrcntcr tliun ( he iiKKrceiite carrier
delivery circulation of the
AVorld-IIerald lit Oinnhn and South
Omaha.
The carrier delivery circulation of
The'lOveiiliiK Hue rcnchcN 7,1)111 lionn
tide HiiliNcrllicrH that are not reached
> ) > - the Kvenlnix World-Herald and
7 , < ! 10 NithMcrllicrN that are not reached
lijr the Morning World-Herald ,
.More than f > , < ) < > < > carrier delivery
nnhNcrlhcrN to The Omaha. ICvenlnjr
lice and Thci Omaha Moriilnpr lice arc
not reached , cither hy the MornliiK
( World-Herald or the Evening AVorlil-
Ilcrald.
It KOCH wltliout mijIiiK that the nuiii-
lict of coplcH of The Evening nee or
The 3Iornliir lice Hold hy dcalcm and
jiorvulxiyN cxcccdH Iiy a very conildcr-
nlile the iiiimhcr of World-Herald
iliilllex , mnrniiiK- mid evening , Hold hy
dcalerw ami
Merry , merry Christmas bells arc
ringing.
_
China's reliance ou Russia as a friend
In , the hour of need may be sadly mis
placed.
war cloud visible In the
world as tlio year closes Is It
the Chicago wheat pit.
Merchants who have taken stock In
the exposition are no longer In doubt as
to the nrolltablciicss of their investment.
Those who appreciate the value of jt
"mention" as candidate for congress are
' getting In their work at this stage of
l-m'- ' . the game. I
Denver wants a fair la honor of the
twenty-ufch anniversary of Colorado
statehood. In three years Denver ough
to be able 'to ' got up a pretty good cxhl
bltlon.
Omnha retail merchants have no
_ ground for complaint about the unsca
eonable weather this year , and for that
matter no ground for complaint about
anything else.
Speaker Heed says he will allow no
riders on bills. If ho but partially suc
ceeds the people will have some cause
to thank him. Every measure should
etaud on Its own merits !
The man must be indved stupid who
is , not yet able to discern that the
Traiismlssisslppl Kxposltlon is to be a
great deal more than an , Omaha fair era
a ffcbniska. enterprise. It Is growing
every day.
Moro good books arc being sold this *
( year lit Omaha than for miiny holiday
* seasons ; also more flue pictures , pretty
14 trinkets and substantial
goods. A gen
uine old fashioned Christmas is a good
thing to have. .
Some of the congressmen are spend
ing the holiday vacation by making a
trip .to Cuba. They cannot gain too
ttiu h reliable Information about that
island and Hs Inhabitant * , black , white ,
yellow and mixed.
War may break out between Chlmi ,
Germany , Franco and oilier foreign
countries , but Oriental avenue at this
exposition grounds will witness tlio
peaceful commingling of all the races
under tliu Star Spangled banner.
"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox while
ho is treading tho. corn. " This Is the
Injunction of the bible. Thou shalt not
mimic the blackmailer while lie Is
trending corn Juice In tlio Fake Mill. If
you do you are assailing the liberty of
tlio "press. "
The Argentine statesmen refuse to go
Into a combine to Injure the United
States with discriminating tlutfes and
the retaliatory tariff 'measure before the
Chamber of Deputies was defeated. The
Argentine people understand very well
that the United States is too good a
neighbor to bo treated like an enemy.
The lAgrcnltural department has sent
a spedal agent to Europe to "plead for
the American horse. So long as Ktirope
la ono great armed camp horses for cav
alry and artillery purposes will bo In
steady demand , and It can easily bo
shown that the best heroes for this
purpose come from the western ranges
of tlio ( United States. There ds room for
a great Improvement Jn the market for
American horses and the Agricultural
department does well to make aa ef
fort to * t cur that iuiprovcuieuC
T/JC UMIIIRTT SCOTT DOND
The supreme court decision In the Bar
rett Scott bond case cannot fall to have
a very Important bearing upon cases
that are ponding1 In the lower courts for
tlio recovery of embezzled public funds.
The decision will go far toward cstnb
Uahlng the liability of sureties of state ,
city and county treasurers , as well as
other ofllccra charged with the custody
of public moneys. While ninny peed
and worthy citizens who haveassumed
ho responsibility of guaranteeing the In-
'grlty ' of olllclals thnt have proved them-
ielves faithless must suffer losses that
nay prove almost ruinous , the courts
mist protect the people against periodic
osses that would shift upon the tax-
ayers burdens which have been volun-
arlly assumed by men of means either
s a matter of personal friendship or
rom Interested motives. The effect of
he decision cannot but prove salutary
'or the state at large. It will bar men
tvho are discredited from securing Indl-
rldunl bonds and thus force upon the
cspoctlve political parties the nomlna-
Ion of reputable men for positions of
rust. That alone Is a boon much to be
: oveted. Nebraska has had a surfeit of
public plunderers and embezzlers , and
ivhlle It so happens that a majority
these rascals were elected because
.hey were members of the party that
tad been In power for more than twenty
rears , a very considerable proportion of
he treasury looters were elected either
as democrats , populists or fuslonlsts.
No political party can truthfully claim
a monopoly of honesty nor Is dishonesty
it trait peculiar to auy one party. There
are black sheep In parties , and even In
churches , but 110 party and no church
can be Justly condemned as such be
cause It counts among Its membership
Pharisees , or rogues who serve the devil
while wearing the' livery of heaven.
It may be a sad commentary upon the
iicrversencss of humanity , but It Is never-
iheleas true that tlie way to make men
loncst Is to make dishonesty odious and
grievous , and the only way to put a
stop to olHclal delinquency Is to make
every olllccr who handles public funds
iablo Individually and through Ills sure
ties for the restitution of every penny
that belongs to the public. With that
principle engrafted lu the code and en-
brccd through Impartial , fearless courts
wo shall have no occasion for levying
extraordinary taxes to make good the
osses sustained through embezzling cus
todians of public funds.
EXPOSITION I'USTJiOK STAMPS.
The decision of Postmaster General
Gary to order a series of special Issues
of postage stamps commemorative of the
holding of the Transmlsslsslppl and In
ternational Exposition Is a matter of
highest Importance. It Is n mark or
distinction and favor at the hands of
the government which must prove of
Immense benefit to the enterprise. When
It Is borne In mind that within the 120
years of national life tlie government
has made but two such Issues of com
mcmoratlve stamps , the ! true slgnlfl
cauco of General Gary's order can bes
be appreciated. Tlie issue will be , no
merely that of a postage stamp to bo
sold at the Omaha , postolllce , but it can
and doubtless will be placed on sale a
every one of the 70,000 postolilces In the
United States. What this widespread
circulation would mean to the exposition
will be readily perceived by those who
recall the popularity of the Columbian
stamp , which did so much to attrac
public attention to the World's fair. The
Issue will bo not only valuable as a
medium of advertising the exposition o
1898 , but It gives to the project the
prestige of government recognition and
support. The stamps 'will be Issued ir
denominations of 1-ceiit , 2-cent , 5-cent
10ccnt : and ? 1 , making it possible for
the people of this country to use these
stamps on all outgoing foreign as wel
as domestic mall matter and packets
of merchandise. With the possibilities
suggested for the widespread issue o
these stamps , certainly every postmaste
In tlie tnxnsmlssisslppl region will no
fall to make requisition for them. They
will be In most active demand from til
start , not only by stamp collectors , bu
by the hundreds of thousands of peopl
of the west who
will take advantage o
this means of popularizing the Trans
mlsslsslppl Exposition throughout the
west
Tills issue of commemorative postage
stamps will do more to raise the Trans-
mlsslsslppl Exposition to the high plane
of a national and international enter
prise than any other act of the govern
ment. Postmaster General Gary has
earned the lasting gratitude of every
friend of the exposition.
UKUINU NKA sulzuHK CLAIMS ,
Tlio decision of the arbitrators In
favor of the claims for damages made
hy tlio lirltlsli government for the selz-
uro by the United States of Ciuiatllan
sealing vessels In. Bering son disposes
of n matter which ought to Imvo been
nettled long ago. The decision Is n
jompleto ( vindication of the finding of
tlie late Secretary Gresham , who sue-
ceetled In Inducing the British govern
ment to materially reduce the amount
: > f diunngu.s originally claimed and to
iigreu to accept Niibstantlally the sum
which the arbitrators have now decided
this United States ought to pay. The
difference , Vn- most of it , Is In the uc-
erued Interest.
The llrst seizures of Canadian sealers
by our government were made cloven
years ago , when three schooners engaged
In sealing more than thirty miles from
our coasts Iwcro seized by revenue cut
ters of the United States. The next year
seven Canadian sealers were captured ,
hut were released upon a ptotest from
the British government. The policy of
boizurewas renewed In 1SS9 , eight or
nine Urltlnh sealing vessels lu Ucring sea
having biH'ii taken In that year. This
action brought a vigorous protest from
the British government and seizures
were stopped. Four years , later the
1'arls court of arbitration
, to which was
submitted the question of the right of
Uio United States to stop pelagic sealing ,
decided against the contention of this
government , holding , tlint It could ox-
erclso no control over dealing outside the
three-mllo limit. The court also decided
that claims for damages for the twlzuro
of British vessels were Justifiable.
Subsequently uegotiatlona were hud
between the secretary of state und the
British ambassador for tlio settlement
of the claims and nn agreement wns
reached for the payment by the ITnlled
States of $42. > ,000. Congress refused to
approve the agreement and there \\vio
further negotiations < % lth like lesults.
Then provision was made for a com
mission consisting of ono representative
each of the United States and Canada ,
It being stipulated that their decision
shall be accepted by the two govern
ments as linn ! . The wliolo matter has
been most carefully gone over by the
commissioners , who have heard the
arguments of able counsel representing
tlio two governments , so. that the
decision must be accepted as fully
demonstrating the fairness of the
latins. The amount awarded will bo
'iiId ' within six months ,
ilt would have been more creditable to
he United States to have paid these
lalms promptly on the agreement made
jctween Secretary Gresluim aud tlie
British ambassador. Our government
lad secured a reduction from the
iiuount originally presented of about
one-half and in communicating to con
fess the result of the negotiations the
secretary of state showed that there
, vas Justification for the claims and thnt
the amount which the British govern
ment had agreed to iaccept was reason
able. It Is now shown that he was
right and the government would have
saved some ithousauds of dollars if the
agreement effected by Secretary
Gresham had been approved by con-
ress. I
COD/MUB POtt
Too much has been made of the few
harmless expressions credited to Sen-
atorVvillson in an Interview on the pros-
> ect of currency legislation. "I do not
: ake the despairing view concerning our
currency which the president presents , "
Mr. Allison Is reported to have said.
'Willie there are some improvements
which I should like to see made , I think
we will be able "to get along If wo do
lot get any currency legislation , and as
tlie situation presents Itself now it looks
as if'It might bo impracticable to secure
legislation on tlie lines of the { president's
recommendation. "
For this the senior Iowa senator has
been assailed as pn enemy of the ad
ministration , as one opposed to currency
reform and favorable to a do-nothing
policy in congress. His words do not
convey this notion. Ills doubt about tlie
practicability of the proposed legislation
plainly arises from his ability to fore
see the contentious of those who hold
radical views in | regard to currency
systems. He was prophetic , not threat
ening , ill' ' tlie interview quoted.
Senator Allison's long experience in
public life certainly ( qualifies him for
questioning proposed remedies for real or
alleged defects of the currency system
nnd If he does not agree ( with Secretary
Gage in the details of reform measures
or even refuses to declare off-hand that
radical .currency reform is necessary
now , tlie republicans , at least of the
middle west , may be pardoned for not
hastily condemning him. He may bo
right ; his views , whatever they may be ,
may prevail in the end.
The man of advanced views who ad <
vocates them lu season jand out gets
credit for having tlie courage of his
convictions. This credit ds often de <
served , but not oftener than credit is
due the man who keeps on the middle
ground , weighs the arguments of the
radicals pro smd con , and usually In the
end directs what shall be done. It Is
easy to be radical , and frequently very
hard to be conservative , to profess satis
faction when others do not , to express
confidence nmldst doubts , to be serene
while the storm jrages. It Is probable
Senator Allison will not be driven by
critics from the conservative position
which lie has had the courage ito main
tain all through his public career.
Shipbuilding on the Pacific coast will
bo greatly developed ( by tlie projected
construction at Seattle of a plant capa
ble of turning out the largest ships. This
enterprise Is to be fcarried out by those
well known shipbuilders , tlie Cramps ,
and it is said will involve an Investment
of § 10,000,000. Referring to it the New
York Tribune says that such a firm as
the Cramps would not Invest so large
a sum olT money aud ( enter Into competi
tion with the present San Francisco
establishment , which has a plant equip
ped to turn out tlio largest battleships ,
unless they foresaw a development of
Pacific commerce on a vast scale and
also believed that there was a good
chance to draw to the United States a
largo amount of ( foreign shipbuilding.
Nothing Is more certainly assured than
the steady growth pf Pacific commerce.
It is inevitable that the United States
will secure its share jof tlio vast Asiatic
trade , In the carrying of which Ameri
can ships ought to have a most promi
nent part.
They will have If shipbuilding for
ocean transportation shall receive
proper encouragement. As was said by
President McKlnlcy in his annual mes
sage : , " \Vo should do our full share of
the carrying trade of the world. The
government by every proper constitu
tional means should aid in making our
ships familiar visitors at uvery commer
cial port of tlio world , thus opening up
new and valuable markets to tlio surplus
products of tlie farm and the factory. "
The present congress Is expected to give
careful consideration to this .subject and
if It shall enact legislation looking to the
creation of a merchant ; marine the ship
building industry of the country will
receive a great impetus. There Is
abundant capital that would bu invested
in this industry if assured of reasonably
liberal consideration from tlio govern
ment and hiiL'h investment would con
tribute enormously to our commercial
progress. Alieady the shipbuilding in
dustry of the United States is largo , but
It can be greatly Increased. There Is no
question of greater ImiMirtance than that
of building up a merchant marine und
tlie west Is not less concerned in
tills than are other 'sections of the
country.
It saves the overworked and under
paid editors of the local Fakery n great
deal of time aud labor to have the law
yers hvlio have taken the contract to
reinstate a man in the mayor's otllce
who was not voted for at the last elec
tion supply blood-curdling editorials
against Mayor Moorca and double-
ihottcd protests ngnjust a settlement of
o claims In cmitriversy between the
L-oiinty and Moorps These bombastic
ebullitions mlghtrfuavo more or less effect
i the midst of a cjty campaign , but In
tues of piping pjiocc , nnd especially dur-
ig Christmas waek ; they fall as harm-
cs-s as skyrocket' slU'ks on a Fourth of
uly night. 1r :
The pollen couimlsslon persists In
titling off the ca'sbs of protest on ae-
otmt of Illegal 'advertising when by
Ijjlits It should hare given precedence
o these protest } } ! ' * ' While the present
lommlssloii has lijid'no experience with
tills class of ca&ty Hs members are In-
elllRout enough1 to "understand that an
ippcnl from Its ( hidings to the district
urt will prevent the Issue of a licensee
o any applicant. Inasmuch ns It takes
on days to two weeks to secure n de
cision In the district court , the Im
portance of prompt action on the part
of the police jroinnitsslon Is essential ,
Innlfestly the policy of procrastination
which tlio controlling majority of the
board Is pursuing must result.In . the
closing of a large number of resorts
during the period of several weeks 1m-
nedlately after New Years. The re
sponsibility for this elate of affairs will
rest where It Justly belongs with the
men who have arbitrarily nnd lawlessly
attempted to force tlie liquor dealers
and druggists to contribute $10 each to
he support of their.organ.
At a recent meeting of stock breeders
n Iowa a number of Important resohv
tlons iwero passed , one favoring tlie let
ing of all printing , county and state ,
to 'the ' lowest public bidder , another
favoring the deposit at interest of all
public money , another asking that tlie
powers of the State Agricultural society
be enlarged , another favoring uniting
Into one organization or board the
.lalry , veterinary , farmers' Institute anil
weather service branches of the state
business. Some of these Ideas are ex-1
cellent nnd worthy of consideration by
legislators in Iowa and elsewhere , and
they all show that the stock breeders
are men who think ns well as road.
It Is Just possible that the residents ot
the Pacific coast cities , San- Francisco ,
Portland , Seattle and Tacoma , will be
disappointed in tlie number of gold seek
ers who iwill pass through these ports
next year on the way to the gold fields
of tlie far north. They are putting
their estimates high and making prep
arations to profit as largely as possible
by the travel. But the great many who
talk of going to AJaska will not do jnore
than talk and niany. others who start
for the gold fields'of ' the north will
be charmed by,7th'e western fields aud
tarry by the wayside.
One South Dakota Judge broke away' '
from ills assoclat'cSihnd. decided that the
anti-peddler lawj o'f'the state Isiucon -
stltutlonal because. , it interferes with
free commerce between tlie states. Other
courts of the siA\etf \ however , have sus
tained the law/r md until the supreme
court of the -state' ' does some guessing
the peddlers jwi'lf not ; know what to do.
Secretary Gage's * reply io Mr. Gom-
pcrs is In the right snlrit Abuse will
not avail against argument in support
of the right principle. That currency
system is best for the laboring men of
the country that Is best for all the pee
ple. Tlie effort to array class against
class Jn dealing with the currency , is to
be deprecated.
The Nebraska Dairy association ought
to become one of the strongest and most
influential of tha societies of agricultur
ists of the state. Tlie dairy business is
growing in tlie state and it deserves tlie
attention of every thoughtful farmer.
The butter cow Is as valuable on the
farm as the beef steer.
Reform Meimeed Iiy Frleiidft.
Indlanapolla News.
Genuine currency reform has as much to
fear from the Indifference ot Its friends as It
baa from the opposition of Its enemies.
; \ . Political Problem.
Indianapolis News.
Mr. Grosvenor'a mathematical ah'llty ' has
( been employed In an endeavor to fit an odlco
to every five hundred hungry partisans , and
the result ho has arrived at Is that he needs
more ofllcee.
Never Htruined IIIx MiiNcle.
Detroit Free 1'roso.
The general land office clerk , who was
charged with throwing 5,000,000 acres ot
government land to the Northern Pacific ,
denies the powerful charge. Says lie- never
handled a shovelful of dirt In hla life.
AVliy tlie > World IM Guy.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
Emperor William Deea not flatter himself
that he alone Is responsible for .the hilarity
of nations. The United States beg to'lnforrn
him that there 1 one congreEslonal district
In this country In which Jerry Simpson and
Mary Yellin' Lease are both running for
congress.
jfnrit tfini T Tint ABltin I oTIT
, , Globe-Democrat.
Even the democrats appear to ho pleasei
at the determination of the republican mem
bers of the ways and means committee to op-
po o all projects for a change In tlie tariff
net In this congress. The democratic pspers
are beginning see tlio probability that be
fore the end of the fiscal year next Juno the
revenues will bo , steadily meeting tlio ox
pendltures. A dwp't ' which Is likely to cm
In three or four Jejuna at tlio outsldo cai
bo endured. '
AVIint Heminru , of ( lie lloltle.
cpucagu ItecorJ.
The bottle of ftfrty-flve-ycar-old
- - - whisk )
which Major liirrnck Q. Thomas gave to
MUs Illchardeon.Jf .03lngton ? , Ky , , to send
to tha secretary' to baptize the battleshli
Kentucky lius beea totally consumed. It waa
a perquisite of.tlicjast administration , and
waa partaken of by President Clevetand
Secretary Olney , Hoke- Smith , J. Sterling
Morton , Attorney General Harmon , Post
master General JVJIson and the falthfu
Thurber , whose consecration to the interest
of hla chief and 'whose- ' devotion to duly re
quired him to consume forty-flve-yoar-ol (
whisky and aU , , < ] ther beverages that were
used and appreciated by the president. See
retary CarMale end' ' Secretary Lament wer
not guilty. . '
Uie Klondike .
New York Trllnine ,
The relief which 'congress has voted tli
Klondike sufferers will have a merry tlmo 1
getting to them across the wintry passes , au
In Its race with famlno there Is too mucl
reason to apprehend that the latter will get 1
ahead , finding no Impediment In the Ic
wastes llko the almost Insurmountable one
which the former must encounter. Congress
has done Its duty wltti commendable prompt
tudot nn ; ! It iiov remains /or the varlou
agencies of provision and transportation t
get the relief through to those for whom 1
la Intended without an hour's unnecessary do
lay. There Is every assurance that this wl
bo done , though the dlfllcuUten Intervenlni
be as great aa any relief expedition on rccon
has had to encounter. ,
TUB WII12AT IH1.VI
Daltlmoro American : The whole thing 14
solely ami simply Rambling on a nionu-
menul scale , and the brill I int. business men
with tholr millions nro merely cool Ram
blers with theU Btthca. It might bo a Rood
lesson for some people If the young on *
would beat out the Ramc , for ho would prob.
ably bo caught later on ; but the whole ex
hibition n < hls nothing to the > buslnwa moral *
Ity of the country , and nothing to Its wealth.
Chicago 1'osts Joseph's Original Wheat
Deal1 Genesis xll : 48. Andho gathered up
nil the food of the sovcn jcaru , which wcro
In the land of Egypt , and laid up the fee > l
In tlio cities ; the 'food of the- field , which
was round about every city , laid he up In
the same. 49. And Joseph gathered corn
( wheat ) as the * and of the sen , very much ,
until he left numbering : for It was wlthojt
numtcr. C7. And all countries came Into
Egypt to Jcacph for to ibuy corn ( wheat ) ;
because that the famlnoas so sere In nil
lands.
St. Louis Republic : The wliolo civilized
world Is watching- with feverish Interest the
outcome of the struggle between "young"
Joe Loiter .ndi the veteran 1'hll Armour for
the mastery of the Chicago wheat market.
Tlio Interest Is world-wldo , because upon the
result of the combat depends the price of a
large part of the food supply for the next
year. That a crisis Is neir In the battle that
has been raging between two audacious and
resourceful speculators for a month Is gen
erally understood among persons who study
the speculative markets. A tew days ago It
eeemcd Inevitable that Lelter , "tho young <
ster , " must glvo way to the. powerful and
seasoned Armour ; but the young mam Is now
supported by his father's millions , and there
Is no likelihood of an Immediate surrender ,
or of a truce.
THE ASSASSINATION" OK UUIZ.
New York Tribune : The best news that
could' possibly come from the Cuban Insur
gents , for their own good , would bo an ex
planatlon of the death of Joaquln Ruiz that
would satisfy the moral sense of the world
According to all Information now available on
the subject , his death was one of the foulcs
crimes that cruelty ever conceived or sav
agery executed. If the facts are as stated
there Is ati Indelible stain upon the ( lag of
"Cuba Libre. "
Baltimore American : If the- officer went
under a flag of truce he was safeguarded by
the law of nations. If he wont without a
flag , but In uniform , lie was by the same law
of nations entitled at the worst to the treat
ment of a prisoner of war. In either event
his life should have been eafe. To place an
i lirnassablo barrier between their followers
nd all accommodation of a quarrel Is no new
evlco with leaders of Insurrections , but the
uban chiefs In adopting It have weakened
iclr cause before the world , which wlr
icnceforth believe that atrocity Is a game ol
hlch both sides play In that wretched Island
Chicago Post : Nothing in the dork Us !
' Inhumanities attributed to tly > remorseless
feyler equals the report of the execution ol
oloncl Uulz , who was the bearer of peacr
roposals to Mio Insurgents under the brll
ant Cuban guerrilla , Colonel Aranguren
ccordlng to the first dispatches , Uulz
xecuted by Arangurcn's orders. It was nex
noounced tha.t the execution of Ruiz was lu
i\to \ of Arangurenrs protests , that It was a
lolatlon of civilized usages and of his ple
or the peace commissioner's safety. Am :
ow comes the more startling report tin
rangurcn himself has fallen a victim to tin
emorseless rage of his soldiers , commandec
Alexander Rodrlquez. because he dared ti
) lead for the life o an emissary of Spain
earing propo&als of peace.
New York Commercial Advertiser : Re
) orta as to the execution of Ltoutenan
luiz and Colonel Aranguren by the Cubar
nsurgents are so conflicting- that furthe
ows must be awaited before exact opinion
: an be formed. If these reports prove to
> o true , however , they will not advance the
auso of Cuba llbre. Lieutenant Ruiz did
ot enter the Insurgent lines clandestinely
r as a spy. Ho went to offer terms of peaci
ind made no concealment of his purpose. I
s no answer to say that Lieutenant Rut ;
ook his fate In his own hands. Ho doubt-
ess refused ito believe that the rebel lead
> rs were totally dead to humane and civil
zed feelings. Colonel Aranguren's offensi
ppears to have been a willingness to listen
tovhat Lieutenant Ruiz had to say.
Washington Post : If It Is true , as now
corns probable , that Colonel Joachln Ruiz.
3eneral Dlanco's aide-de-camp , has been
) Ut to death by the Insurgents in the iron *
ner and for the reason reported In our dls
mtches , we think the incident will go fa
oward moderating the sympathy among ra
ional and humane persons , at least which
has been lavished BO abundantly upon ; the
ebel cause. It matters little whethe
Colonel Ruiz fell by the machete or wai
tanged or was shot to death. These an
nly degrees of brutal savagery. The mere
act "that a human being , engaged in
> eaceful , nqt to say friendly undertaking ,
has been seized and put to death In any
hapo by these he sought jto benefit or a.
east enlighten , constitutes an atrocity too
ildeous for words.
p-no iioxo
AVIint the IMilIimthroiilc AiitlirncKc
Duroiix lAre 'Dojiipr for Dear I'coiilc.
ClilcaKO 1'oat.
If there lies been ruinous competition and
'demoralization" in the anthracite coal dls
rlbuting Industry , it Is quite certain tha
consumers have not felt the effect of thli.
condition to any perceptible degree. It Is
rue that It has been Impossible to securi
and enforce an agreement among the leading
oal roads as to rates. The presidents would
meet , enter solemnly into a "gentleman's
igreement" and break it soon after leaving
ho conference. But the price of coal tha
las lately prevailed afforded the best possl
bio proof that the people derived llttlo ben
eflt from the disturbances of prices.
Now It Is reported that the old method I
o bo abandoned and that the coal roads wll
n placed on a stable basis by al system ol
community of Interests. A company Is to b
organized , of which the leading coal road
are to bo members , to take over all the coa !
mined by the several producing corporations ,
The company will not merely handle the out
put , but buy it outright. The responsibility
of the mining ( corporation will end the mo-
nont the , coal leaves uio mlna and the rail
roads will maintain a great distributing con
cern dealing direct with the , consumers.
The scheme is a gigantic one , but if the
Inanclerlng and organization problems can
t > o solved , a saving ot from 25 to 30 cents
on every ton of coal can bo effected , which
will in call an addition of about $15,000,000 to
the profits of the coal-carrying roads. Not
only will excessive competition bo eliminated
by allotting to each road a fixed proportion
of tonnage , but the profits of the middlemen
will bo saved. There Is nothing Illegal or
objectionable in the proposed scheme , hut
the consumers' attitude toward It will bo do.
termlned solely by the effect on prices. If
they shall bo permitted to share In the ben
efits of the economics realized , they will re
gard the Combination with friendly senti
ments , but If the firm control of the anthra-
ultmcoal output shall load to an advance * oi
prices , thol combination will be treated as a
trust hostile to consumers' Interests. Mcnn-
whtlo wo must not forget that the coal roads
projecting this deal are under suspicion and
that proceedings against them under the anti
trust law are pending In .Now York courts.
Tlit * Ili'i-t Sunrnr llooiu.
Chicago Tribune ,
The beet sugar boom continues to Increase ,
As a result of successful experiments to man
ufacture facet sugar In Virginia It is given
out from Richmond that a stock company
with $1,000,000 capital 1ms recently been or
ganized 1n that city for the purpose of do-
% uloplng the facet sugar industry. Comment
ing upon Uija the Atlanta Constitution says :
"Tills is a now departure not only for Vir
ginia tout alaoTOr 'tlio ' south. Up to this tlino
capital lias lacked the necessary courage to
espouse the beet sugar Industry , and the
Richmond enterprise 1s the first venture of
its kind iwliloh the south has undertaken ;
but since the eoll and climate of this sec
tion are thoroughly adapted to the growth
of sugar facets , there is no reason why other
southern states should not emulate Virgin
la'a example , "
Gulil In IIU Socle.
lloston Transcript.
It looks as if Uncle Sam would find loti
of gold In his stocking Christmas morning ,
at least $160,000,000 In cold cola contributed
by the treasury as a reserve , not to speak
of bullion. Nor la this the only gold a
Undo So in'a command , for the old gentle
man can count upon about $740,000,000 of the
precious coinage , reckoning what Is In the
treasury and the Lanka. Ho never bad BO
much before In all bis life.
A R1U5AT Jt'OOn 00X15.
Tribute to Uio 1.1 Co Work of n .Itirlnt
nnil roiiKreMiimin.
nufrato Kxprcnu.
rhfirtcs Daniels wns one ot the lions of
tuflalo. His career appealed to the tmaglnA-
lon of the town. When ho appeared ou the
itrcets ho was pointed out to strangers as
, hv man who hud studied law while working
it the shoemaker's bench , keeping one ojo on
hla book and the other on his lap stone ; who
led the local bar until ho was made a Judge ;
as the jihlgo who had been longest In point
of service ; as theJud o whose decisions were
never questioned , who on the bench know
neither friend nor too , but only the law ; as
the man \\hoso business was the law and
whoso recreation wns the law , who tried
cases in term time and read law for amuse
ment In vacations ; as the cltb.cn whom
everybody know and respected , but no one
was familiar-with ; as the plainest , simplest ,
most unassuming man In Buffalo , and prob
ably the only man In the town who did not
renlUp the greatness ot Charles Daniels ; as
the hardy veteran who scorned luxuries and
never wore an overcoat.
It Is rare to find so eminent a professional
man enjoying such celebrity among laymen.
Hut Judge Daniels had personal traits which
endeared him to the plain people , ot whose
number ho never ceased to be one. Ho wns
severe on criminals , but one of the class was
never heard to revile the Judge. Bverybody
believed In his honesty , his justness and his
knowledge. Ho was consulted > by every ono
In difficulties who could find heart to break
In on his work or his studies , and ho drew
absolutely no distinctions between men. . The
man who Is said "not to have an enemy In
the world" Is usually a colorless person , who
has donn nothing to deserve either friends or
foes. Judge Daniels was positive enough , but
his character disarmed criticism ot his mo
tives. Ho wns regarded morcas nn Imper
sonal force working for truth and righteous
ness than as a man with mortal faults and
frailties.
Judge Daniels' life was a happy ono to all
outward seeming. His disposition recalled
the description given of old Sir Thoaiii
'Browne ' , the author of "Rellglo Sledlcl. " he
seemed to know neither joy nor sorrow , to be
neither grave nor gay , to bo neither depressed -
pressed nor exalted by anything that the day
might bring. .His habitual cast of mind ap
peared to be that ot deep content , UIo had
found hi- place In the world and was filling It
to the top of his bent. To have one's work
one's pleasure must < bc the Ideal happiness.
Charles Daniels' was the typical Ameri
can career with the unresting acid all-em
bracing ambition left out. The usual self-
made man goes on "from high to higher. "
Ho la never satisfied. If ho 'Is a lawyer Jie
regards , the law merely as a stepping U > note
to a judgeshlp , and that as a ladder by which
to mount into a ihlgher court , or Icrto a
governorship cr the presidency. Judge Dan
iels was content with any position that gave
him an opportunity to Interpret the law.
Ho had no personal ambition beyond that.
Ho ran for the court of appeals > Ui a hope
less year because his party ordered him to
do so. After an midlt'crlmlnatlng statute re
tired him from the bench at the age. of 70 ,
when ho waa but In the prime of his powers ,
he went to congress , for which he had no
taste or vocation , because his party found
him a safe compromise candidate. Though
ho took no Interest In politics , he believed
in party regularity , because it was an or
derly thing , with precedent to sustain It.
He was greater than the typical American
because he .had this
eclf-mado man disin
terestedness of character and slnglsness of
purpose. Ilia career was almost unique for
this country , where the professional men
shift so easily from ono official position to
another. i
1'KUSOX.VI. AM > OTIIRKWISE.
When one goes shopping nowadays he sees
an awful lot of things that ho would rather
keep for himself than glvo to his friends.
Jonathan Ross , chief judge ot the supreme
court of Vermont , had served upon the
supreme court bench twenty-seven years De
cember 1.
Senator Dovoo has been asked by ono of
his Kentucky constituents for copies of all
documents ever Issued by the United States
government.
It Is reported that Speaker Reed will at
tempt at this scsilon to have his plan car-
rlod out of reducing the hall of the house
to about one-third its present size and sub
stituting benches for the desks.
A pasteboard box full of celluloid combs
got ' "next" to the steamplpes In a Now
York elevated car , and the result was an
explosion which wrecked the car , Injured
two men and caused three women to faint.
J. P. Wlllard , who has been living In
Berlin and is now on his -way to Bokhara and
Asiatic Russia to Study the habits of
criminals , Is a nephew of the prominent tem
perance advocate , Miss Frances 'E. Wlllard.
Now that cold weather is here again the
ttypewrlter girl is trying her old trick of
heating waler by attaching a small rubber
tube to the escape valve of the radiator , put
ting the free end of it into a pitcher of cold
water and turning on the steam.
In his address before the Phi Delta Phi
Law club ot New York the oilier evening ,
Judge PolJlnon of Philadelphia expressed
the belief that there are only four great
cross-examiners in New York now , and ho
designated Joseph H. Choate , E. C. James ,
John E. Parsons and Frederic R. Coudert as
comprising the quartet.
Property valuations for taxation In Now
York state have 1 > cen enormously increased
the past year , and the consequence is that
the legislature this winter < wlll bo able to
keep up , or increase , state expenses aud at
the same time point to a reduction in the
state tax rate , which is now 2.C9 mills on
each dollar of valuation. The state's total
valuation last year was $1,50G,985G94 ; itwill
now reach nearly $5,000,000,000.
The editor of an Ohio weekly makes the
following confession : "The papers are mak
ing a great ado about a Sandusky , O. , man
who has shrunk ten inches the Cast thlrty-
flve years. Wo do not 'think that Is a wonder
ful thing. Wo remember when , about eighteen
years ago , old Sam Hawley caught us kissing
his daughter good night at the gate after
escorting her homo from singing school , wo
shrank clear out of sight in less than ten
seconds. "
C1UUSTMAS CHAFF.
Hrooklyn Ufo "Tho HdRtrton children
hfiv n Rood tlmo Chrlstmna , "
"It whnt way ? "
"Well , their father Is n doctor , nnd their
mother lets thorn out everything tht\y
\vniit ,
Detroit Journnl : "You nllua colebrntog
Chrlstmna , doesn' you ? " Inquired Miss Ml-
nml Hrown.
"Ynslndeed , " replied Mr. Krnstua IMnkpy
"I ncbbpr misses. l'n done
bought tv\o 4-11-
At sllpa n'rcndy dls year "
ClPVflniul t'lnln Denier : The Sweet Yoiinc
TlilngHiivp you nny Idea whnt you wlfl
wt In your airlstmns Btocklns , Mr.
Old Clrouch Uunno. niicunmtlsm , I
reckon.
VlttsbutK Chronicle : "Whnt shall I glvo
you for n Christmas prcsantT" Mr Snaggi *
nuked Iil8 wife. I
"Oh , Btvo mo something' expansive , " Rlie
replied carelessly
Very well ; I'll KVO ! you a bushel ot
Detroit Free Press : Willie Wlllles-
Wlmt do you think of S.uitn cimis ?
Tommy Taddles-He's a good tiling , Push
nun alone.
, } 'VPl ! , : "tjp you Illtu being under the
k' tenderly , just nfter the
thlrtv-nhith
Sbo looked : ntd his eye ? nnd sighed. "AH
I hnve to say , " t\w \ murmured , "Is that my
last dying- wish will bo to have some of
It plnnicii on my grave. " Then they re
sumed. i
Washington Slur : "Christinas come ? but
once n y nr , " * nltl Uncle Ebon , "but d.it
ortciiter put limitations on do peace an'
good will Do folks dut make dent Is right
here nil do time. "
Cluyolatul Plain Dealer : "Aro you golns
10 4K7'.V ' ° 5'our husb.ind cls.ira this Christ-
"I don't know. "
" 1 wish you wouldn't. He gives thorn
nway In the club , amli my luisLuml got one
last year and almost dlpd. "
"That's stt\inge. 1 paid $ i for a hundred
of them ,
me MGIIT Mii.'oiu :
Ily Clement C. Moore (134) ( ) .
'Twas the night before Christmas , when all
through the house
Isot n crtaturo was stirring- , not oven a
mouse ;
Trte ? WCr ° hl"1K bj' Ul ° clllmnoy
In hopes tint 'St. Nicholas soon would bo
there ;
The children wcro nestled all snusr In their
Ul'US ,
Whllo visions of sugar plums danced In
their heads ;
And mamma In her 'kerchief nnd I In
my cap ,
Had Just settled our brains for a long
winters imp :
When out on tlie lawn there arose such a
clutter ,
I spranw out ot bed to see what was tha
matter. i
Away to the window I flew lllco a
flash ,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the
sash.
The moon , on the breast ot the new-fallen
snow ,
Gave Une luster of midday to objects
below ;
When , what to my wondering eyes should
appear
But 11 miniature sleigh and eight tiny
reindeer ,
With a llttlo , old driver , so lively and
quick ,
I knew In a moment It must bo St. Nick.
Moro -rapid than eagles his coursers they
came ,
And he whistled nnd shouted and called
them by name :
"Now , DahTiur ! now , Dancer ! now , Prunccr
und Vixen !
On , Comet ! on , Cupid ! on , Donder and
Hlltz ° n !
To the top of the porch ! to the top of
the wall !
Now , dash-away , dash-away , dash-away
nil ! "
t
As dry leaves that before the wild hurri
cane fly ,
When they meet .wltih nn obstacle , mount
to the sky ;
So up to the housetop the coursers they
Hew
With the sleigh full of toys and St.
Nicholas , too.
And then in. a twinkling , I heard on thereof
roof
The prancing- and hawingof each little
hoof-
As I drew in my head and was turning
around ,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with
a bound. , ,
He was dressed all In fur , from his head to
his foot ,
And hla clothes were nil tainlshed with
ashes and soot ;
A bundle of toys ho liad flung on his
back ,
And he looked like a peddler just opening
hl p-ick.
Ills eyes , how they twinkled ! his dimples ,
ihow merry !
Ills cheeks were like roses , his nose llko
a cherry.
His droll Jlttlo mouth was drawn up llko
a bowT
And the beard of- his chin was as whlto
as the snow.
The stump of a pipe ho held tight In fliis
teeth ,
And the smoke It encircled his head Ilka a
wreath :
Ho had a broad face and a round llttlo
belly
That shook , when lie laughed , llko a
bowl full of Jelly.
Ho was chubby and plump , a right Jolly
old elf ,
And I laughed , when I saw him , In spile
of myself ;
A wink of ihls eye and a twist of hla
head
Soon gave mo to know I had nothing-
dread.
He spoke not a word , but went stralBht to
his woilc.
And filled all the stockings ; then turned ,
with a Jerk ,
And laying his linger aside of his
nose ,
And giving a nod , up the chimney ho
rose ;
Ho sprang to CiIs sleigh , to his team gave a
whistle.
And away they all flew lllco the down of a
thistle.
But I heard him exclaim , 'ere ho drovB
out of slelit ,
"Hapcy Christmas to all , and to all a
good night. "
FOR 1898
CLUB WOMEN AND CLUB WORK
UY
MARGARET HAMILTON WELCH
is a weekly department telling about the club
women who are banded together for better govern
ment , better morals , and better laws in the land.
The House Healthful Town Improvement
By Mn. / / / ! / . rLUNKKTT ny SALOME G. 110 WELL
A series telling how to Showing what women are
render wholesome the doing in beautifying sub tii
city and the country house urban towns , and how n
how to avoid water-born they succeed in raising the
diseases , how to get and health-rate to a higher
keep pure air in living- standard by securing clean
rooms. streets , etc.
to Cents a Copy ; $4 oo a Year.
In combination with HAKIT.K'S MAGAZINE ,
fj oo Year ; $ j 50 Six Month * .
HARPER & BROTHERS , Publishers , Nevtf York and London