THE XMAHA DAILY BEE : FRIDAV , APRIL 8 , 1808.
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE.
E. IIOSRWATEII , KJItor.
KVIUY MOIININU.
TKI1M8 Of HfHSCIllI'TlON't
Dally lice ( Without HunJny ) , One Year . t 0
Dally Urn uml Huniln ) ' , Uno Year . S 0
Blx Mo nt Us . . . 40
Thrvv Month ! . . . 20
Kumlfty Ma , Ono Year . , , . , , . . . 20
HatiifUny lief. ( I no Your. . . . . . . . , . , t , 1 1
Weekly Ic ! , One Yonr . . . . . C
Ol'MCKSl
Omaha ! Tlio ! eo IIultillnR.
Hoiitli On-nhat Slntrr lllk. , Cor. N nnd 21th Sts
Council Illuffal 19 1'carl Htrrct.
Ch'caro Oinrr ! 05 Chamber ot Commerce.
New Yorl : : Temple Court.
Washington : Ml 1'oiirtcrnth Blrcet.
COrmnsi'ONUKNCK.
Alt communication ! relating to news and ecllto
rial matter houl.l IKS adtlreiMdl To the KJltor
I1USINRKH LKTXnnS.
All butlni > letters nnJ remittances thould b <
liiWrosieU to The lice PubllnhlnR Company
Umahn. Drnftfl , check * , express and poetoltlci
money orders to bo mode payable to the order o
Hit company.
THU lien runuamNo COMPANY.
_
STATEMENT OF C1 lic'ltf < ATlb :
Btalo of Ncbrmkn. IXMijlart county , us !
Oeorue H. Tz cliuel ( , recieVry of The lice Tub.
lulling comp.iny , beln * duty sworn , g.iyn th.it tn <
nttunl number of full r.itd complete copies of Tl ,
Dally , Mornlnir , Kvoilnjj nml f-undny llw prlnlcj
during the montli of March , 1S3S. was ns followe :
Net tntnl rnl s 1,51,001
Net dally average S2,3'S
OKOUOi : II. T/.SC11UCK.
Bv/orn In before me nnd mitmcrlbnl In my pres
ence thin 1st day of April , 1SSS. N. I' . KI2IU
< Scal. ) Notiiry 1'ubllc.
Uliode Island Is small , but It IB keep
ins on tlii ! right side of tlio political
fence.
This should 1)c a busy week for the
milliners us wall ns for tliu dltiloniiifc
oiul nilmlrata.
It looks as If It Is Governor Holeomli
who Is afraid of the charges of malfeas
ance prufcmAl ! against his pet police
commission appointees.
If there Is anything else thp railroads
want from the bous ; state railway re u-
lators who draw ! f < ; ,000 a year from the
taxpayers for dohiK nothing they should
not hesitate to ask for It.
Senator Allen has offered himself tc
the hprvlcc of Nebraska in any capacity
Oovernor Ilolcomb may assign him
"Why not impress the senator in tlio roll
of governor's substitute ?
Topeka , Kan. , drew n prize in tlio ills ,
trllmtlon of names for the now licet
Topeka is not only a more euphonious
name than Diogenes hut it shlno.s with
out the light of a rush lantern.
The Transinlsslssippl Exposition and
Its accompanying conventions will coir
stltuto the blggoh't event pf the year and
ought to have the best excursion rates
made by the passenger associations.
Ono advantage still possessed by tin
. United States should not bo overlooked
It has not yet Incurred the obllgatlor
l y annexation of protecting Ilawai
.with u fleet constantly stationed there.
It was to be expected that tlio brewert
would make objections to tlio proposed
doubling of the tax on beer , as suggested
lny Secretary Gage , In case a largo smr
of money Is inn-dod by the government
Now let the beer consumers bo heard
from.
According to the organ of tlio bogus
reform police board Governor Ilolcomb
to save his Impeachables , 'is going to rut
nwny from his duty to investigate tut
charges preferred before him 1\y deny
Ing the jurisdiction of the supreme couri
to compel him to do BO by mandamus.
And now , according to the Jackal press
nothing but a ten-million-dollar Wai
utreet corruption fund Is keeping the na
tlon from Indulging in the luxury of war
The author of "Tho Seven Great Finan
clal Conspiracies" must have broker
loose and been Impressed into the service
of the yellow liars.
The railroad managers object to the
proposed farcical hearing on the Tibbies
rate case because it will needlessly con
aumo tlio time of their paid attorneys
The wasted time of tlio !
? < ,000-a-yeai
donothlng Htato railroad commissioners
docs not count. They got their inonej
out of the state treasury.
General Low Wallace has said publlclj
tfiat although he thinks war with Spali :
almost inevitable the people numt ills
abuse their minds that it would last onlj
n few days or a few weeks. Ho mlghi
have added dint the damaging effects ol
tlio .shortest possible war are sure to bi
felt for long years after its close.
The bicycle has practically oompletoi
the coiupiftst of the world and -wheel.-
are to bo seen on every continent undoi
till conditions and in intlnite variety
But the Germans , next to the Americans
lead in the manufacture of the sllen
steeds. It Is learned from otllelal sta
tlstlcs that 00,000 workmen were em
ployed hi ISiX ! In bicycle factories li
Get many and this * did not include thosi
tmgagod In making separate parts of bi
cycles. The advent of the bicycle was
not the signal for the emancipation o
the horse , as some persons had predicted
but It made work for thousands o :
ekllled workmen.
The refusal of .lunge 1'owoll to over
rule tlio verdict of 'the Jury in the Hart
ley bond case is to bo deplored for man ;
reasons. In the llrst place the verdic
of the jury was a travesty on justlci
and an outrage upon the 'taxpayers o
Nebraska. The tlrst Impression In thi
community was that the Jury had beei
llxed or tampered with and that Impres
tsiou titill prevails. In the next place , 1
Is doubtful whether the state will b
able to recover ou the bond If the ordl
nary course ot supreme court procedur
Is followed In this case. Several of th
bondsmen have already made themselvo
judgment proof by placing their prof
crty out of the reach of the law otUcon
and if two or three years more elaps
before the verdict is sot abide there wll
l > o little or nothing to levy ou lu cose o
for tlio
APPEAL UF T/1B AilDAKHADHttS.
The call upon the president of tin
Kuropcnn ambassadors , who In the tiaiin
of their governments expressed the hopi
that further negotiations would lend tc
the tnalntonaticc of pence and afford
guarantees for the rc-cstabllshment 01
order In Cubn , was an Impressive dlplo
malic Incident. These representative !
of six European powers whichnro , or
friendly relations with both the'United
States and Spain voiced the earnest desire
sire of their respective governments and
certainly the American people will nol
fall to appreciate the motive and eplrll
of the appeal to their "feelings of lur
inanity and moderation. " They will
acqulcscs fully In the admirable response
of President MeKlnlpy , In which lie snitl
the government shared the hope ex *
pressed by the ambassadors "and for its
part Is confident that equal appreciation
will be shown for Us own earnest and
unselilsli endeavors to fulfill a duty to
humanity by ending a situation the ! : !
definite prolongation of which has be
come insufferable. " This utterance ol
the president is most significant nnd will
[ nit an end to doubt as to his purpose to
terminate at once thestruggle in Cuba ,
It is easy to Infer from It the spirit of
the message ho will send to congress II
Spain does not necc'ilo to the proposals
of this government.
The representations of the ambnssn-
dors will , it Is to be presumed , bo tbc
only effort mnde on the part of Ktiroponn
governments to exert an influence upon
the course of the United Stntcs. There
Is nothing in the attitude of those gov
ernments , ns Indicated by their repre
sentatives , to which the American people
ple can Justly take any objection. It is
declared to be purely disinterested and
will bo so regained. The attempt to
form n concert of European- powers with
a vlow to mediation is not likely to be
renewed and it now scorns safe to say
that the United States may proceed to
ficttlo Its dllffcrcnces with Spain In Its
own way , without any further threats
of Intervention or interference from Eu
ropean powers.
StbVBHlTK
From cast to weal , from north to south ,
the returns from the municipal elections are
full of cheer for the blmetalllsts. The silver
question Is not dead. U la a living , grow
ing question. World-Herald.
The average free sllverlto is by nature
endowed with a very fertile imagination ,
Every event at home or abroad , whothoi
It Is a . .rouHi , a flood , a conflagration evan
an earthquake , is full of promise for the
cause of 10 to 1 coinage regardless ol
any other nation on earth. It Is per
fectly natural , therefore , for the politi
cal trance medium which tells the
past and reads the future to see visions
of glorious gains and triumphs for the
ellver delusion In the returns of the
spring town elections.
How anybody with a thimbleful ot
lirnlns can see anything favorable cither
to gold or sliver In those elections passq *
comprehension. Those municipal elec
tions have had no more to do with na
tional politics than lias the spring housecleaning -
cleaning campaign. In nearly every in
stance ! the Issue was personal and local.
Income towns the fight was over license
or no-license. In otliois it was n llglil
between the supporters and opponents
of municipal ownership and the taxation
of public franchises. In some towns
the cry was "Turn the rascals out , "
while in others there was practically no
contest whatever.
Hut the silver fakirs and political
soothsayers pretend to sec In the results ;
encouragement to a cause which was-
not thought of In a single town election
out of the hundreds that wore held ,
They think they can fool the people Into
believing that the figures show substan
tial progress for silver flatlsm , when the
truth Is the silver question was care
fully avoided as a boomerang oven by
the silver enthusiasts.
OUR 1NTKBKHTH IN TllK FAlt EAST.
With the pressure of the Cuban crisis
upon It , it was not to bo expected thai
the administration would give attention
to any other foreign problem , yet It is
stated that the conference on Wednes
day of Ambassador Hay with Mr. Balfour -
four , acting secretary of state for for
eign affairs , was In part with reference
to tlio situation in China. It is there
fore to be inferred that our government
is not altogether unmindful of what is
taki'ng place In the far cast or of Ameri
can Interests in that quarter of the
world.
So far as appears the commercial In
terests of the United States In the fat
east ate not now Jeopardized. The ac
quisition , through lease , of Chinese ter
ritory by Itussla lias been accomplished
upon conditions which , If faithfully ad
hered to , will put no obstacle In the way
of American trade. On the contrary ,
according to the Itusslan view , It will
open to the commerce of the world n
populous region- hitherto closed to it ,
Hut assuming that Hussla will act in
good faith as to this particular territory ,
it Is by no means certain that her de
signs and those of other European pow
ers in regard to China are fully co-mpre
bended in what has been attained. In
ills statement to the Ilottae of Commons
a few days ago respecting the eastern
situation Mr. Italfour significantly said
that "relative to tlio security of tin
future it could not bo denied that the
indications were that China might col
lapse fliitl with further decay fragments
might be ( snapped up by various pow
ets. " It Is not to bo doubted that this
is the view of European .statesmen gen
erally and It foreshadows a vigorous
race between the powers of Europe foi
tlio acquisition of Chinese territory. Sc
far as the i > ninose are concerned thej
aie poworlo.-M unaided to prevent the nc
compilshment of such designs. England
and Japan , perhaps , for the saki
of keeping the empire open to trade
and thwarting tlio aggrandizing schemes
of other powers , would render China as
hlstance , but tluus far they have no
shown any deposition In this directior
and Urltlsh diplomacy lias not proved :
match for that of Unsji , although Mr
Italfour tried to make it appear tl a
Great Ilrltaln ha'd secured advnntagix
quite equal to those obtained by Russia
Japan is profoundly Interested In tin
question of Europeanizing China , bu
tdio does not appear to bi > dolnjj or con
templating anything to avert u
United States , wltuiul dep.irtiu ;
from the policy U hns nhrnya obtorved
can have nothing to do with any poiltl
cal complications arising out of tin
eastern question , but this givcrumoni
may properly concetti itself with tin
matter of commercial policy. Ainerlcai
trade with China Is no.v cmuldcrahk
and steadily growing. Under favurabli
conditions there Is every reason to bo'
llcvo that In the not remote future out
commerce with that emplie will attain
largo proportions. This country Is ati
dKidvantage , because the creditors ol
China arc Europeans , nnd these will have
a commanding Influence in directing
Chinese trade , but if tiicre Is no change
In the commercial policy of the empire
nnd the United Stntcs remain ; ! on tin :
same footing with other nations In the
ports of China , the energy nnd enter
prise of our people will win a fair share
of Its commerce. It is to preserve this
condition that the Influence of the Unit > ' .l
States may properly bo exerted In con
nection with the eastern question.
A OAPAIILB MIA'tSlKR.
The services rendere ! : ! by tlio. American
minister at Madrid , General Stewart L.
Woodford , are receiving merited com
mendation , lie has performed his deli
cate and difficult duties with signal
ability nnd shown a capacity for the
work of diplomacy , of which lie had no
practical knowledge when ho entered
upon that work , of n very high order.
When General Woodford was nominated
for tlio post of minister to Spain there
was some doubt as to his qualifications
among those who understand the tlllll-
cnltles of the position. To send a man
untrained In diplomacy to such n mis
sion appeared to many to be a grave
mistake , whatever his ability In other
directions.
General Woodford , however , has shown
that the president made no mistake in
his selection. His conduct throughout
has boon marked by excellent judgment
and discretion and ho has met the adroit
diplomatists of Spain with a skill that
has loft nothing to bo desired. At no
point in the prolonged negotiations be
tween this government and Spain has
Minister Woodford been placed at a dis
advantage nnd he has had to deal with
some of the slirow'dest ' men in Europe.
It Is needless to say that he enjoys the
highest confidence of the administration
and in tlio history of tlio Spanish-Ameri
can controversy , however It shall eventu
ate , the- name of General Woodford will
occupy a place of honorable distinction.
AN A31KIHVAN SUUAll JiRKT.
The report of the chemist of tlio Agri
cultural department , Included in the re
port of Secretary Wilson just sent to
congress , contains an Item of ospeclal
Interest to those who have been working
for tha development of the beet sugar
Industry In this country. Prof. Wiley
tells of tlio success of efforts to produce
a new variety , of sugar beets especially
adapted to the American soli and climate
and of a superior quality. Experiments
with high graMe seed from beets grown
under especially favorable conditions
have boon carried on through several
seasons , until a variety of sugar boot
has been secured that weighs about
thirty' ounces ou the average , with 10
per cent sugar. Thlss new variety Is to
be called the American Elite. While
the experiments have not yet been
concluded , it Is believed they will
finally produce an American boot that
will weigh at least a third more than the
standard sugar boot of Europe without
losing anything In amount or quality of
saccharine.
There wore last year nine beet sugar
factories engaged in working up the
product of American farms , aggregating
41,272 acres. This year , according to
reports to the Agricultural department ,
there will bo eight additional factories
in operation , tlio now factories compris
ing four in California and one each in
Utah , Oregon , Michigan and New York.
The acreage of sugar boots planted this
year will bo at least double what It was
last year. Thus far American farmers
have not been able to secure as large a
yield per aero of beets nor as good qual
ity as tlio European farmers , but the
success of the Agricultural department
In developing a now variety of sugar
boot especially adaptable to our soli
gives promise that the American stand
ard will soon be as hlgii if not higher
than the foreign standard.
What is being done by tlio Agricul
tural department experiments for the
beet sugar industry can.be done for
other American agricultural industries ,
and doubtless will be' done when the
policy that now prevails in the depart
ment Is fully carried into execution.
In the present Parliament of the Do
minion of Canada there are 104 members
from the districts cast of the- Ottawa
river and 109 from the western districts ,
and It Is believed that with the great
development of the western provinces
this dominance'of the west over the cast
will bo made still more marked in tlio
next decade. In the first Parliament
after the union there were ninety-nine
members from the east and eighty-two
ftom the wtist. The Canadians Interested
in Manitoba , British Columbia and other
western provinces arc confident that be
fore the end of the century there will
bo at least 800,000 people In that part of
Canada between the gieat lakes and the
Pacific ocean. If the Klondike gold
fields maintain their attractive power
settlement will be extended far north
ward along the trails to the headwaters
of the Mackenzie and Yukon and thiM
the Canadian star of empire moves stead
ily westward as lias the American star.
i
Willie the street railway company IH
extending its South Tenth street line it
ought to make a whole job by building
it up to Hivervlew park. Illvervlew nnd
Ilanscom parks , and possibly later
Koiintzo park , are sure to be the popular
parks of Omaha nnd should be icadily
accot-slblo at nil times by adequate street
railway facilities. The rich may ride In
chaises , but the poor have to patronize
tlio yellow cars or walk.
In Virginia a modified form of the
parole convict tystem Is being tried
The last legislature passeM a bill allow
Ing the governor to grant conditlona !
pardons to convicts who have .served a
least half their terms and have con
ducted themselves lu. accordance will
prison rules. In thin way the prisoners
nro Induccil'tAchave with decorum In
the hope of securing the favor of the
pardoning power nnd the parole system
gives the governor authority over ex-
convicts siifllclent to mnko sure of their
reformation. In no brancli of pcnnl re
form Is there more experimenting In
progress nnd such opportunity for im
provement ns in that of fixing terms of
punishment. The'tendency Is to provide
for treating different kinds of criminals
In dirforoiitrtfriys. Which is tlio best
way , however , Isj yet to bo demonstrated.
Itlprlit nuil Jtixtlco.
Xcw Yorto Tribune.
"Thrlco Is ho armed that hath his quarrel
just. " The United States will bo so armed
If the lact resort becomes Imperative.
"Crime. "
Globe-Democrat.
According to the sllveclto theories Bessemer
must have committed a great crltno when
ho Invented a process ttat reduced the prlco
ot steel from $300 a ton to $20. Steel at
the old ratio would beat the epecutatlon ot
the great silver ring.
Tno Much of ni Fiction.
New York ! Tribune.
Let uo bo done once and forever with the
stale fiction ot Spain's honor being Involved
In tdo preaervatUn of Its territorial Integrity.
It has been ealil Its public men still eay
It cannot relinquish Cuba without compromis
ing Its honor. Was ltnvhonor , then , com
promised when It relinquished Mexico ? And
Guatemala ? And ten or a dozen colonies In
South America ? And when It re-ceded
Louisiana to Franco ? And when It ransomed
Cuba by giving up Florida ? And when , after
regaining Florida , It once moro and finally
relinquished It for cash under fear of military
compulsion ?
Il * imcf < l by Kuroiie.
Cleveland Leader.
Americans must feel some disappointment
since their country has long been famous
for Its quickness and eklll In adopting me
chanical and scientific discoveries for busi
ness purposw , when they realize that Euro
pean cities arc far surpassing any ot ours
In the use of horseless vehicles. Until wo
bavo better roads and better street pave
ments wo must submit to the humiliation of
being distanced by Germany , Franco and
England In cnc of the most Interesting ami
Important phases of modern progress. It Is
ono of the penalties we pay for makeshift
highways oad for Uio folly which permits
the use upon them ot destructively narrow
tires.
ItctlroMl Army Oflleorfi.
PhllnJelphln Times.
A good deal of misinformation Is goln ?
about regarding retired otllcera being ordered
o-i duty. The revised statutes dispose of
this. Ono section provides that "retired
offlccrs of the army may be assigned to duty
at the Soldiers' homo and a retired officer
shall ix > t be1 assignable to any other duty. "
It has been hold , however , that ho may hold
offlco In an executive department , and
subsequent acts permit a retired officer to
accept an ofllce to which he may bo elected
or appointed , and to be employed on works
of river and hnrbor Improvement. Retired
officers of the army or navy may nlso be
detailed to educational Institutions , but
"officers retlrerd from active service shall be
withdrawn from command and from the line
of promotion. " It la , therefore , not at all
likely that retired-officers of either branch
of tlio service , unless In exceptional In
stances , will bo'cajled upon for duty In the
event of war. JOito ot these exceptions may
be In the ca'se"ot lieutenant Gorjoral
Schofleld , who Is very likely to be recalled
to active servleq as commander of the army ,
"
giving Major < j6"neral Miles comamnd of the
forces In the fijad. )
JIATTLI3 ( KOA TUB
of tinKtriiKwlc - for C online r-
American Trade , April 1.
On all sides jve nuet with evidence of the
Increasing pnp'ulatlty" American manu
factured goods In foreign markets. This In
terest , is nia-alfcated In many different ways ,
and In Europe especially , whore the consum
ing capacity la naturally greater than any
where else In the world , the appreciation of
our pioJucts Is encouragingly cordial. The
replies which arc received at the general
offices of this association to Inquiries lately
distributed broadcast In many different parts
of the world as to the demand for the classes
of goods that wo produce and the willingness
to deal with us tell only one story. There
Is everywhere a deslro to make connections
with American manufacturers If they can
bo made advantageously. More wo caanot
expect , but if our products are equal to or
perhaps better than those which are now re
ceived from other makers , If they are as
cheap or perhaps a little cheaper delivered
at the consumer's door , then we are Justified
In expecting that the trade -will gradually
flnd Its way To us. There are , ol course ,
other factors , but they all revolve about
these two points quality and price. In the
matter of quality It Is understood that the
takers are to be- the judges rather than the
makers. They have their own tastes , and It
Is In the main our duty to study , to accept
and not to questlo-a or to make spirited at
tempts to change and to reform. If the lat
ter la our policy it Is doubtful Indeed whether
wo shall succeed. In the matter of prlco It
Involves the question of freightage , the de
livery of the goods at the place of consump
tion under terms which , when added to the
factory price , will compare not unfavorably
with the prices of goods from the mills of
other countries. Thus wo are face to face
with the shipping problem which must en
gage our attention uoceasingly.
There are Incidental considerations , and It
would bo a. mistake to look upon them as In
any eenso unimportant. It Is understood ,
ot course , that the goods must be packed
so that they will reach their destination
safely. No ono wants broken goods. They
must bo sold , other thl-ngs being equal , ac
cording to the conditions prevailing among
the purchasers as to credits and the like. .
When wo hive met all these requirements
and are ready to aelt abroad , as we are con
fident that we are today , at least In some
measure , and as wo mean to be' to an in
creasing extent In the future , but oae great
task remains , that of ibrlnglng our manufac
tures to the attention of the world , the prob
lem with which we are confronted now.
In advancing \ to that point when wo are
prepared to export , the National Association
of Manufacturers ) has been a leading force
and Jts work haa only yet .begun. . The cam
paign for internal waitcrwa > fl , over which
raw materials may be transported cheaply ts
the factory and finished products may bo
conveyed to the seaboard ; the movement for
a strong , active , mercantile marine with
lines of communication to all the principal
markets ; the propaganda for reciprocal trade
treaties , for tariff privileges and In general
for al ! measure * hlch will facilitate our
Jomcat'c and foreign trade are claiming and
. } rocelylnc the atteutlou of thin associa
te" . V ,
licro'lo still ' .raore to bo done , however.
If wo are ready to export our goods we
mint let other.4' kiow ) It. In 'the work of
publUhlng abroad our strength as an Indus-
trill nation and' ' our readiness to oupply the
world's demands , t-hero Is a closely related
field \\hlch inu > t"'bo occupied. No other
method seems kto highly > to commend Itself
as a sj-atem of sample warehouses In for
eign centers ofttrade , the first of these Jn
a ocrlea having ! bean opened a few days ago
at Caracas under the auspices of thUi organ
ization. Publicity , Is the need ot the hour.
By word and by sample the world muat bo
Informed In regard to what American manu
facturers produce , i The aajDclatlon has en
gaged In this lajda.ble ) work. It feels certain
that It will bo .accorded the liberal support
of 'tho ' general public as well as ot Its menv
berahlp In Its 1-ibore , which have for tholr
end the economic development of the whole
country and the material .advancement of the
entire American nation. Standing upon such
high ground as this the association can af
ford to make Its appeal to the manufacturers
of the United States In the confident belief
that they will pledge and accord It their
assistance steadfastly. U 1s a great and
broad movement which Is destined to Hwcep
American manufactured goods Into every
valuable market. Wherever the association
> turn < 3 abroad It finds consumers and con
sumers' agents who sympathize with and who
appreciate Its efforts to carry the American
commercial name Into new ground , and
today. In this era of national prosperity , U
ahould bo generously given the support at
homo which will enable It to utilize all Its
injuWnery in carrying us up to the goal
we all desire to reacts.
MRX OP THIS HOtlR.
CnpJnln Snmiiinn , Cnmmnnilrr of ttu
Fleet ot Key Wenl.
The retirement of Admiral Sloard fron
command ot the fleet assembled at Key Wcai
brings to the front a commander who ro >
celved a baptism of fire In the civil war
Captain William T. Sanipscti Is n native 01
Wayne county , Now York , Just past hit
G3th year. He entered the naval acadctn ]
In 1S57 and graduated flrst In his class Ir
1861 , at the time when the government wa <
grappling with the taxk of equipping a navj
to cope with the rebellion. At the opontn ;
of hostilities ho was not old enough to nt <
tnlei a command , but before the close of h ! <
flrst year In active eervlco his pluck am'
gallantry an master of the frigate I'otomai
won his promotion to the rank of net-wit
lieutenant. While holding this commission
he nerved on the practice chip John Adams
on the IMtapeco , of the South Atlantic block ,
ndlng squadron , and on the steam frlgaU
Colorado , flagship of the European squadrcci
On January 16 , 1S65 , Lieutenant Sampson
being executive officer of the Ironclad V&
tapflco , was ordered by the admiral of tht
fleet to enter Charleston harbor , before whlct
the union ehlpa were doing blockodo duty
and remove or destroy all eubrrarlno mlnei
and torpedoes with which the city was pro
tected from invasion. The task was a moai
dangerous cne , as for many days the cncm )
had given all their time nnd labor to etockliif
the water with explosives In order to repe
advance.
The little Ironclad had only entered the
harbor when bullets from the rifles of to <
sharpshooters rained upon U. Lieutenant
Sampson , standing en the bridge , In the
most exposed position , eaw his men fall
before the fire , with which they -were well
In range. The situation was a test ol
bravery from which the youtig officer dk
not flinch , as he stood a target for many
hundred marksmen. Ordering his men be
low he kept tils place. Prpi ently there wat
an omlnoua cessation of firing and silence
for a few moments , during which time the
Patapsco moved deliberately forward In hei
quest. Then came a mighty explosion ai
the boat was lifted Into the air by a terrific
force from beneath. Surrounded by hurling
massea of water nnd sheets of flame othw
explosions quickly followed , after which the
shattered Ironclad settled down beneath the
waves.
The young ofBcer was rescued about a
hundred feet from the sunken wreck , where
ho had been blown. Twenty-five of his
crow were being saved at the eame tlmo ,
but seventy men met their death In the
sunken Ironclad.
Captain Sampson was promoted1 to lieutenant -
tenant commander In 1S66 whllo on the
Colorado. Ho was at the naval academy
from 1888 to 1871 and on the Congress In
1872-73. Having been made commander In
1S74 he was assigned to the Alert and from
early in 1S76 to the end of 1878 ho wao
again at the naval academy. During the
la.'t ' twenty years he haa held various ro-
Hpormlhie positions , ttio last being captain
of the battleship Iowa , which ho relin
quished to take command of the fleet at
Key West.
Captain Sampson Is an ordnance expert ol
the first order , having made executive work
nnd the study of naval science the aLMorb-
ing objects of his career. HIa knowledge
of modern armor and armament has been
laboriously acquired , la extensive , thorough
aiid of great service to his country , equally
with his profound comprehension of the
use and comparative value ot explosives ,
which kao\\ledge represents years of hard
study and dangerous experiment. In hand
ling big guns he Is In his clement. Last
September , whllo captain of the Iowa , oft
the Virginia capes , during target practice ,
Captain Sampson appeared to be the only
peroon on board who thoroughly enjoyed
the performance , which ia not relished by
meat naval people , and to the peaceable
laymen , with his cotton-stuffed ears. Is
something tl.at docs not happen moro than
once In his cxperlenco If lie can help It.
The fleet In charge of Captain Sampson
comprises the most powerful ships of the
navy. First and foremost are the ulster
bUticichlps. Iowa and Indiana. The Iowa
mounts four 12-Inch guos la turrets , eight
8-inch rifles , six 4-lnch rifles , twenty sU-
poundeN. four ens-pounders and four Gat-
lings. The Indiana's armament Is slightly
larger , Its turret guas being 13 Incheu.
Next comes the armored cruiser New York ,
with twenty-five gura , rang'ng from one-
pounders , to four 10-lnh rifles. The Purl-
tan and Terror , crack coast defense moni
tors , carrying eighteen guns each , nnd the
Mlantonomah , now outfitting at League Is
land. These must bear the brunt of ttU
contwt In that vicinity , If the contest comes ,
and that U will acquit Itself In a creditable
manner Is not to bo doubted. To thow
what may bo done It Is only necessary to
Instance the marksmanship of the gunners
nt the battleship Indiana. During gun
practice last Saturday , two shots from the
huge 13-inch guns were put through the
same hole In ono target. These open sea
targets are squares of canvas placed on
rafts and are tossed about by the waves ,
rendering them exceeding difficult to hit.
Besides the leaders enumerated , there ore
Iho unarmored steel cruisers Marblehead ,
Detroit , Nashville and Montgomery , and a
fleet of eeven first-class torpedo boats
Cushlng , Dupcnt , Porter , Castlno , Erlcrs'wi ,
Foote and Wlnalow. The armament of each
of the ; four cruisers consists of nine 5-inch ,
rapid fire guns , six six-pounders , two ono-
poundera and two gatllng * ? . Tlio torpedo
boats are equipped with three one-poundere ,
rapid fire , and three elghteea-lnch Whitehead -
head torpedo tubes.
The total number of guns carried by the
ships here mined is 268. When It Is re
membered Hhat a war ship can hurl In
fifteen minutes nearly 100,000 pounda of
steel projectiles against an enemy and a
first class cruiser a like amount , the- aver
age landsman may obtain an Idea of the
destructive power controlled by the com
mander of the Key West aquadron.
I'EUSOXAL , AND OTHERWISE.
Winter seems to have forgotten something
ind come back for It.
It la eald that Speaker Reed's partiality
: o school teachers who visit the capltol Is
luo to the fact that ho once taught a class
in a Portland school.
One of the now freaks receiving undeserved
idvertlslng Is the "odorless onion. " It must
jo about as satisfactory na unspoken worda ,
mthought thoughts and unklssed kisses.
John Grattan of London , a descendant at
: he great orator , who la now In Washington ,
lays that If 'France ' is the traditional friend
> f the United States that most people believe
iho lica taken a poor way to show It.
V woman physician , who Is the wife of a
ihyslclan in Indianapolis , thinks that souls
ind bodlra should bo administered to Jointly ,
ind has united preaching with her practice.
5ho makes housc-to-houso missionary can-
rasscs.
Walter Oilman Page , the emloent 'Boston
irtlst , has Just completed a largo historical
minting representing the Boston massacre.
: t IB one of the largest canvasen Mr. Page
las over attempted , and will be put ou exhi
bition at an early date- .
Harry L. Freeman , a negro of Cleveland ,
las composed several operaa of considerable
nerlt , as well as other music. At the prea-
; nt ho Is engaged upon four operaa , all
Inked together In story and music. Freeman
ivill go /Europe / shortly to attend the big
: onservatorles.
That train over the Siberian line com
posed of "four splendid cars built at Mos
cow , an open salocu dining car , bathroom ,
Ibrary , telephones , electric llght'.ig , rcfrlg-
? ratom , ventilating apparatus , piano , chcas ,
ind means for gymnastic exercise , " evidently
a not designed for the conveyance of polit
ical prisoners to Siberia.
While Senator Proctor la dignified and cold
In bearing ho la , by no meaca , too frigid for
i little fun. Itecwtly Senator Vest made an
Impassioned speech In which he quoted some
good poetry , remarking that It had 'been set
to raualc. "Sing It ! " Interjected the Vermonter -
monter , and after that the effect of the
Mlssourlan's effort was spoiled.
Having been bothered a good deal
by hay thieves a Coddtrvgton county ,
South Dakota , farmer lay In wait for
them ono night. Ono ot his neighbors
came along and loaded a wagon
with the watcher's hay and atarted to drive
away. The owner of the hay crept up be
hind the wagon and fired the bay In several
places. The thief had Just ttmo to get off
the load and cut his horses loose to escape
the flames. The hay and the wagon were de
stroyed.
FOOO Ftm OAI.M RKFI.KCTIOX.
Cleveland Plain Dealer ( dm. ) : So far
with the exception of an Individual brcafc
hero and thsro on either side , there have
been In this crlala "no democrato , no repub
licans , no popullslB , but all patriots , " and we
hope that If the emergency continued thte
will continue to be the c-nso and that we
rtiall oil "move In * olld phalanx" In sup
port of the government.
Indianapolis News ( Ind. ) : The boyn of 'Cl
Indeed fought the civil war , but the boys ol
' 91 are giving of their substance to pay tht
ccfit. Lot us feel with gravity the true mean
ing of war. There Is nothing In It to be
drfilrcd. and It Is never to bo accepted , ex
cept as a last report , to accomplish right
eous purposes attainable In no other way ,
It Is not to bo entered on with a light heart ,
but soberly , under a strenuous scnco ot
duty a solemn conviction that the highest
damands of right nnd patriotism require the
sacrifice.
Detroit Free Press ( detn , ) : According tc
the ratlmato placed upon all advocates ol
peace by thwe untried Inkwell warriors , the
mcst loyal and valorous Amci leans who cvot
walked the earth would come under this
taunt of "peace- < it-nny-prlce" men. The dis
tinguished and unreplylng dead are beyond
the calumnies of these war-shrieking news
papers , but It they were still In the flrah
they would pay as llttlo attention na out
living heroes do to craven and cowardly as-
saulto from such sources. In the light ol
yellow Journalism characterization of con-
sonatlvo clttzene , let us eoe who are classi
fied as "peace-at-ony-prlco" men.
Washington Star ( rep. ) : The defamatory
gossip , alleging weakness and vacillation In
the president's vlewa concerning the Cuban
problem , hsjs never gained credence with
any respectable traction of the American people
ple It la true that he has exhausted every
possible means consistent with national self-
reaped to obtain a peaceful settlement of the
controversy and the republic thoroughly en
dorses and approves his labors ! n that direc
tion and the wise and Christian policy upoti
whkh they were based. But whether peace
or war was to result the people exprcsacd
their confidence In the firmness and wisdom
of the executive.
Springfield ( Mass. ) Republican ( Ind. ) : If
out ot present seething conditions In Wash
ington President McKlnley Is able to so
shape the near future that , without the
sacrlSco of cur sailors and soldiers , without
hostile encounter on sea or land or the death
cJ Americana by yellow fever , wo can put
a stop to wholesale starvation and murder
In Cuba the United States will have won an
unparalleled triumph among the nations of
the earth. But If , on the other hand , his
policy phall precipitate war , with all that war
Involves , the Imperishable glory of .our . action
will remain.
General H. V. Doynton In Now York Sun :
It Is curious Hint many congressmen who are
now most prominent In urging haste have
belonged to that largo company who for
years have made It Impossible to appropriate
the needed sums to push coast defenses with
vigor , and who have always opposed liberal
expenditures for war ships and docks. They
belong to the t'chool which hns held that big
guns and modern carriages and emplacements
could be produced by the Ingenuity of this
remarkable Yankee nation with the same
rapidity that ordinary castings and country
wagons < \ro turned out by qur mechanics.
The present situation has been a startling
lesson to this sort of statesmen. Until the
president suggested It , It docs not seem to
have occurred to many that it would bo
prudent at least to defer the Inauguration of
hostilities till aomo of the millions wo have
Just Invested In fillips , guns , ammunition ,
and other materials of war are known to be
well on their way to. New York. It docs not
require much military knowledge to see that
In this matter there wll bo a vast difference
between declaring war early In the coming
wcel : Instead of early last week. The same
Is true in regard to the defenses at a number
of points which.the close of the week find
secure , but which a short tlmo since were
In disorder , because the various elements of
the defenses , although ou the ground , were
not y < H assembled. „ „
TTK.NCU1IA.V HISTORY.
A Time When Spain Sought to Sell
Its PoMxr-ixloiiN.
I'htlndclphla Press.
The Spanish government Is making great
pretensions as to Its purpose to > hold on to
Cuba and la rejecting with apparent ncorn
every proposal that looks to the EUO of the
Island. It might be Inferred from this that
Spain had never entertained any proposition
that would alienate Cuba. History , how
ever , speaks otherwise.
About elxty years ago , when Maria Chris
tiana of Naples was queen regent of Spain ,
she offered to sell not only 'Cuba ' , but Porto
Hlco and the Philippine U'landa ' also to Louis
Philippe , who then sat on the throne of
Franco. Senor Campu/ano was the Spanish
diplomat delegated to 'conduct the negoti
ations for the rale , whllo a Spanish banker
residing In Paris by the name of Aguado waste
to look after the financial part. The price
agreed upon was 30,000,000 Spanish'reals for
Cuba and 10,000,000 reals for Porto Hlco and
the Philippines. This would have been equal
to a to'.al of about $2,000,000 at the present
time , a sum which looks ridiculously umall
when the value of these Islands is con
sidered.
The -bargain wastmado on this basts , how
ever , and the papers relating to Cuba were
signed , notwithstanding some controversy
over the manner and method of paying the
money. Hut when the negotiations reached
Porto Rico and the Philippines Louis
Philippe began to 'haggle about the price.
Ho could not forget that he was a trades
man before ho was a king , and his pro-
penalty to "beat down" asserted Itself. He
claimed that 10,000,000 reals was too much
for Porto Rico and/ / the Philippines and In
sisted that 7,000,000 reals jtvaa an ample sum
to pay for them. This amount he declared
was all ho would pay for the Islands , and
eald that If It waa not acceptable ' "tho con
tract must bo thrown Into the fire. " The
Spanish diplomat angered by what ho con
sidered royal meanness , suiting his actlora to
Louis Philippe's words , seized both the Cu
ban and Porto 'Itlco-Phlllpplne ' contracts and
threw them Into the flro , and ended the
negotiations.
'What the subsequent fate of Cuba might
have been had this bargain been carried
out It Is useless to conjecture. But the
tiansactlon fihows that the value Spain set
upon Cuba was once only nominal and that
the claim that the "Ever Faithful Isle" will
never bo surrendered la of recent growth.
voice ov TinIIOMK. .
Lot ! < Snlrll flnlilc < li > Nnllon In
Ilir1'rcncnt CrUt * .
BprtnRtleM ( Mnm. ) llrpubllcnn ,
It would be well If every congressman
who has n true homo of his own could be
for a few hours In Its atmosphere. Would
thnt he might (111 ( himself with the mutual
affection , the parental devotion , the purity
and Innocence , which makes earth's nraroit
approach to heaven , So might lie freshly
realize the true valuM of life. So might
ho go back to face the Issues before
with a clearer , deeper BCIMO of the end
to which government should work.
In "Unclo Tom's Cabin" there Is n seen *
where a senator comes home to a cozy flro *
sldo In Ohio , and In answer to the ques
tions of his bright llttto wlfo tells her In
statesmanlike phraao that under high con
stitutional considerations ho has voted for
a law for the return ot fugitive slaves to
their musters. An hour later his wlfo call *
him to the kitchen whrro crouches a trem
bling slave mother , holding to her breast
the 'boy with whom she h fleeing , and hs
risked the desperate passage of the Ico-
covcred river. The senator hears the story
ho turns away to the window , and well ,
ho Is presently driving through the night
and the storm the carriage that bears tha
fugitives to a safe refuge.
U Is often the unseen force that tells
most. As his countrymen watch their prral-
j dent , carrying his load ot responsibility
with such steady strength , such noble aim ,
their personal sjmp.ithy goes with him at
| every hour. They do not forget that when
he layti asldo hla pen and turns from his
councilors , there awaits him the rest and
solace of his homo. They think with tender
reverence of the companion who from
her Invalid couch has shared his triumphs
and his trials. It may well be that the
spirit which has shaped his course , the
humanity and love of peace blcnlkig with
firm rwolve , Is the Inspiration of a woman' *
heart as well as a man's.
The wlao Qoctho's wlsost word , tha
cronnlng word ot Faust , Is : "The woman-
soul leadcth us upward and on. " It Is
the emergency ! of the feminine element Into
equal control with the masculine that
marks the best advatico of mankind.
America Is beyond any other the land of !
woman's Influence. Let the spirit ot the
home guide the spirit of the nation In tha
present crisis. Then wo ehall not concern
ouiselvcs about glory , nor will the lust ot
excitement nor the remnant fc man of the
lighting animal hurry us Into needless con
flict. Wo shall remember for what we
went Into this business , and for what wo
are going to stay In It not to multiply
murders , but to stop them , not to dcsolato
homes but to restore them. And If ,
resolutely pursuing this aim , wo are driven
at last and Inevitably to war , wo shall
wagp that fight none the ICES manfully be
cause whether by peace or war we are
seeking the highest ends. "The truest ar
the teadcrcst , the loving are the daring. "
MIIl.TllKlil , , MUTTKUIX(3S.
Chicago News : Olios I just heard that
Hawkins refoired to me as n perfect Idiot.
Smiles Oh , don't mliul whnt Hawkins b.iysj
he always exaggerates more or less.
Brooklyn Life : "My wife cnst some breacV
on the waters once , " remarked the youtiK
man , reluctantly. "Did It over return ? "
naked fnu other. "No , " was U'le reply. "It
sank. "
Cincinnati Enquirer ; He Have you heard
of this IIPW euro for nervous prostration ? .
The patient Is not allowed to tall : . She /
I'd just na soon die from prostration as ex-
asncratlon.
Puck : Uncle Aimer They say the En
glish Is wlllln' to help us Ik-It brain.
Unclp HIiam Do they mean to say wa
can't lleVa Spain wlt.iout help ? Ily guml
WP ou Yit to make "em apologize for the
insult !
Chicago Tt Unmet "My mother says your
dad don't p.iy his wash bills. "
"Hpw does your mother know ho
doesn't ? "
"She's his washerwoman. "
"Say , If It wasn't for brlncln * a lady Into
trouble I'd lick you till you couldn't stand
up ! "
Boston Transcript : Edltft Mrs. Jlauvs
appjnrs to be a regular Iconoclast. Bertha
Yes ? Kdlt'ii You know she used to say
that her husband was the Idol ot her heart.
Ucrtha I know. Eillth Well , by ner ex
travagance that idol Is dead broku.
Detroit Free Press : "Tho small town
wYiere you live is very healthy. Isn't It ? "
"No , It isn't FO healthy ; but it Is so hard
to make a dollar there Mat nobody can
afford to be sick. "
Chicago Tribune : Teacher ( of juvenll *
class ) In the wntence , "It Is greatly to his
credit. " what is the meaning of the word
"credit ? "
Member of the Class It's something
you'-vo got to have when you want 'o buy
a pound of butter ot the store.
Somervllle Journal : Now Acquaintance
( admiringly ) She Is a peach , though , Isn't
she ?
Rejected Admirer ( dejectedly ) Yes , shs
has a stony heart.
Washington Star : "We've got ttio shlpi
and the men and the patriotism to back
em. " said Mr. Cumrox , warmly.
"But , " protested the young man who Is
studying- International law , "wo can't go
to war without a casus belli. "
"Well , ain't this country rich enough to
get one ? "
JA11KriillKI.VS , 1MTHIOT.
Detroit Free Press ,
If It bo fight , then let tier got
I am a patriot
W > io has llvf married daughters , an'
Sum sons-in-law a lot.
They're very brave , nn' tackle to
The grub that I provide ;
I think the farm would git along
If tlicy wuz on the tide.
Mlranrih. hangs upon my neck ,
An' sez : "Pa , Joe Is thin ; "
Almlra collars mo an * sobs :
"Jim couldn't stand the < lln. "
Then Susan grips mo by the neck
An' Highs : "Kd has n wheeze ; "
Whllo Isahelly Badly pouts :
"Pa , Llgo Is too olc , please. "
It's wonderful the ailments that
My sons-in-law ftavo got
Them chops who alters called mo "pa , "
An' "you're n patriot. "
They're tfnort o' stature , short o' toesv
Too fat , or else too thin ;
They can t bo passed , an * so they smile
They can't bo mustered In.
Yes , I'm a blessed patriot
With Bons-ln-law fur sale.
Tlio bugle call It jars 'cm sum.
An * blood , It tarns 'cm pale.
I'm rlpo fur war or anything
If they will only KO
An' light fur grub nn' freedom while
I git. a lectio sYiow.
the
Lilies.
How they grow and how you can get a beautiful one for
nothing. Every year it has been our practice to give away thesa
exqusite plants , and while they are very scarce and expensive this
year , we have purchased several hundred and will adhere to our
regular custom. With every suit purchased in our children's
department , Saturday , April 9 , we will GIVE FREE , A BEAUTIfUL
EASTER LILY. Our assortwent tor the little ones is larger and
more complete than ever. Our styles and' prices can't help but
please. Call and see the flowers and also our new department
even if you dent want to buy. All are welcome. Take elevator
to second floor.