Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1898)
1'J THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : SUNDAY , DECEMBER 25 , 1898. THE OMAIIA SUNDAY BER K. R08UWATER , Editor. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNINO. TERMS OP SUBSCRIPTION. Dally lie * ( without Humlny ) , One Ycar.8.u Dally Hco and Sunday , Onu Year 80 Blx Month * 4.0. Thrca Months 2.c ( Bunday Bee , One Year 2ft , Baturuny Hoc , One Year l.Sf Weekly llee , Olio Year. . . . . . . 65 OFFICES. Omalia : The Bee Building. South Oinahn : Hlnger Block , Corner N and Twpiity-fourlli Btrecls. Council liluffa : 10 Pearl Strtct. Chicago : titock Exchange , BIdg. New York : Temple Court. Washington : c-01 Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to news and ed'torlul mutter should Lie addressed : To the Editor. BUSINESS LETTERS. Business letters ami remittances should be addressed to The Bcc Publishing Com pany , Omnha. DruftP , checks , express and iioslolllce money orders to bo made payable to the order r.f the company. THIS BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. STATEMENT OP CIRCULATION. Statu of Nebraska , Douglas County , S3. : George B. Tzschuck , secretary of The Bee Publishing company , being duly sworn , taya that the actual number of full and complete copies of The- Dally , Morning. Evening and Sunday Bee , printed during the month of November 1833 , was as fol lows : l 'M.niR 16 SI.IK : 2 21.877 17 ai.ur. 8 IM.HHl 13 u 7i 4 iMi , : IB uiix : > _ B _ I.S < I5 20 : H. < IM : > t Un.itHS 21 srv.T : 7 z\Wf 22 tfl.USl 8 m.imi 23 an.oua 9 : io.7to : 24 iM.iKiT 10 ST.HIia 23 itl.OUl n ai.-issT 28 'ja.ti'M 12 1M , _ U 27 : : 1,85,1 13 JM.SVSS 28 14 ai.ar.a 2D 15 : MU : > O 30 Total . . .74Tin : Less unsold and returned copies. . . . 1B.8I1M Net total sales 7 l H Net dally average Si.tMl ! GEORGE H. TZSCHUCK. Sworn to before me and subscribed In my presence this 30th day of November. 1833. N. P. FEIL. Notary Public. If the penitentiary Is sulf-sustnlulng. as assorted , what 1ms become of tliu $40,000 of state money drawn from the penitentiary fund ? Now that McKliilcy lias worn the confederate button In his coat lapel , will the ex-confeds wear McKlnlcy but tons lu tbelrs ? Hardly. The Omaha postage stamps go out of print with 'this ' close of the year , but 1ho advertising Omaha derives from their Issue Is not to be shut off by stop- plug the pre.sses. Otto Mutz and his snlflllng committee are still In ollk-e and have a week more < to serve. The committee might yet visit some of the state Institutions and investigate the "unauthorized expendi tures. " J. Sterling Morton counts ns the three most distinguished dead of the year , 180S , Gladstone , Bismarck and Uayard. | But every one has a right to make a ; different selection according to his own opinion. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ General Howard Is much like the old fire horse who can be depended on to bo quiet under ordinary circumstances , but who Bcenis to renew his youth when ho hears the clatter of the gong on the fire truck. LJcutcnuut llobson Is now fairly out of the country euroute for Manila. Should tlia kissing mania be epidemic among the ( liis'vy maidens of the Philip pines he might find his American record embarrassing. | A Chicago girl has Just awakened from u live months' trance , having up to that time delled all attempts to rouse her. Had the girl lived In a wideawake town like Omaha she would not have overslept herself. I While the legislature Is about it , can It not devise some method by which our ponderous Jury system can be inado ICBS expensive and le.ss burdensome to tUo taxpayer without impairing its value aa a part of the machinery of Justice ? Is vaccination a delusion ? is a per tinent question recently propounded in these parts. For answer to this ques tion we would refer to the man with Ma right arm In a sling or the girl that limps with her left foot. In this glad Christmas time when general prosperity has rammed to the country -there should be no unfortunate unprovided with a dinner llttlng the oc casion. Ixjt those who have plenty and to spare open their hearts and their purses. Like the grip and other epidemics which have ntlllcwd Europe , Island grab bing appears to have secured a linn hold on this country. The latest point of nt'lack Is Wake island , n barren lit- tic spot about as large ns an ordinary township. "New York Is now the money market of the world" proclaims a well known Wall street banker. We suppose that before the census of 1000 New York will be moving to annex London as one of ithe boroughs of the greater municipal corporation. A divinity student at Yale , arrested for the theft of n few books from a book store , turns out to have purloined a small library of 5,000 volumes. This IB apparently one of those rare cases where the love of books has proved the ruin of the student It Ls said that the French language has proved by experiment the best adapted 'to ' telephonic communication because of the absence of rasping sounds. lint with the telephone com panies , ns In many other cases , money usually talks loudest if not most ills- ulnctly. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The franchise grubbers who thought to work n snap In the last days of Span ish rule In Cuba have suffered a rude shock. They need not be alarmed , foi they can retrieve -their defeat by Im porting n few American aldermen whc bare had experience in working eucl things expeditious ! ) ' . CHRISTMAS. Canonists reckon Christmas Inferior Lu dignity to HiiHtcr , but there Is no festi val of the Chrifltlnn year which uiori fully represents the progress and tri umph of Christianity than the feast 01 he nativity. Nor Is there any which HU ioscly touches the human heart. Christ nits brings out all the best there lt n humanity , softens the asperities and imootlw tlie rough places of life. The tvorst of men and women must feel , to some extent , the ennobling and elevat ing Influences of this day. Christmas was one of 'the- latest festi vals to find place in the calendar * nd whatever Its origin It has como into recognition by the Christian world n one of the most characteristic and Ju bilant of religious holidays. This has been the characteristic of the day from the beginning and Lothlug can take from It H.H merriment and kindliness. It is full of the spirit of "good will to men. " As Washington Irving said : "It is a time for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall the genial tlamo of charity in the heart. " Above all else Christinas Is tlie children's day the one holiday of nil the year sacred to the .uuoccucc and llght-hcurtcdncss of the young. Nothing can be more wholesome or more tender than tills human sense of the joyousncss and beauty of child hood and It must always be the most meritorious feature of Christmas ob servance. The day has become less on occasion of family reunion , at least In this country , than in an earlier gener ation , but the custom Is still widely observed and it would be well If it were more general. There la ho better time than this for the renewal and strength ening of family tics. In the Hplrlt of kindliness and good will which distinguishes the day The lice wishes its readers 'this morning a merry Christmas. TUB rnn.ii'i'iNK SITUATION. The latest advices from the Philip pines indicate that the situation Is some what grave. It appears that the In surgents arc in full control of the South ern provinces and that all business is at a standstill in the principal towns. Tha most serious , situation , however , is at Hello , the second city of the archipelago , where American troops have been or dered to proceed at once and take the city. If the Spaniards still hold the place It Is thought at Washington that they will not hesi'inte ' to surrender It to the American forces , but If it has fallen Into the hands of the Insurgents they may offer resistance. The movement by Admiral Dcwey and General Otis on Hello will doubtless de termine the disposition of the insurgents. If they resist the American advance and refuse to surrender the city It will In dicate that they propose to make resist ance in other parts of the Islands. It would seem from the situation that such is their intention. Agulnaldo and his associates are fully informed regarding the peace negotiations so far as the Phil ippines are concerned. They know that the islands have been ceded by Spain to the United States and that their ul timate occupation by this country Is assured. Yet they are carrying on mil itary operations Just ns if no cession of the islands had occurred and the United States did not contemplate their occupation. TJils course of the insurgents is dis tinctively unfriendly and constitutes a grave menace. Of course Dewey and Otls will take Hollo. Insurgent resist ance. If made , will be overcome , but such a conflict might be the signal for a general outbreak on the part of the in surgents that would possibly have de plorable consequences for the people not In sympathy with them. It may be that the motive of Agulnaldo and his followers Is chiefly thai of plunder , that they have no serious expectation of es tablishing n permanent government , but at all events their conduct is decidedly threatening. KCOXOA1W WEAKNESS OF RUSSIA. The desire of Uussla to reduce the tlnanclal burden of her military estab lishment and the fact -that the govern ment is endeavoring to borrow money , I BUggest some weakness in the oconomlc ' condl-ilon of that empire. The general Impression has been that Russia's re sources are practically inexhaustible , but while it Is true that these are en ormous they have been employed during the last few years to an extent that has apparently made it absolutely necessary to retrench. Uussla has nu Immense population , her armies are countless on paper and she presents the appearance of being the greatest military power in the world , but It Is chiefly economic re sources that determine a nation's mili tary strength , the ability of a country to keep armies lu tlie Held more than 'the ' number of men under arms. Ilus- sla's military record Ls not a brilliant one. In a century or thereabout , says a writer on the subject , she has fought four times with Turkey , whose mill- tucy power was decidedly in the de scendant a hundred years ago and which has been steadily decaying since Mohemot. All conquered Egypt and Syria and would have dethroned the sultan if Kuropc had not come to his support. iHsIa did little to distinguish herself during the Napoleonic wars and In fighting Poles and Hungarians the weight of numbers was enormously on her side. In the Crimean war she had several nations opposed < to her , but slu > had simply to defend her own sol ] against Invaders very far distant from their own bases. An Inquiry Into the economic condi tions of Kussla discloses the fact thai the import and export trade per head of 'the population of that country [ t very much below that of the four othei leading commercial nations G real Hrltnln , France , Germany and the United States. Even In the productior of grain Uussla is second after a verj long Interval to the UuHcd States. Th ( bushels of grain produced per head ol population lu live nations It ns fol lows : United States , 42 ; Uussla , 1 France , 11) ) ; Germany > CO ; United King dom , S. In the value of manufacturct products Uussla ; is far behind the coun tries named and she Ls even farthci behind in the value of mineral produc lion per head of population. Invrctl.a lions Into the wealth of Russia nnd its distribution , published by ithe govern ment , Indicate that only about I ! 17,000 families out of an aggregate population in European and Asiatic Uuisla , ol l.'JO.OOO.OOO , have nu Income of over $000 a year ; that over Oi ) per cent of the population arc constantly In a state ol abject poverty and pauperism in their various degrees. The average income jf a peasant family la $00 to $ " " > a year , out of which the government collects by direct taxation from ? 25 to ? 33. When these conditions are understood 'the ' explanation of the czar's desire to reduce armament and to tnako provi sion by international agreement for preserving peace Is obvious. Russia could not sustain war against a forml- table power , such ns Great Britain , for any great length , of time. None the less the purpose of the czar is benell- rent and would benefit all nations tvUh burdensome military establish ments. NEBRASKA DAIRY IXTBRESTH. The meeting of tic State Dairymen's association Just closed has again brought to the attention of the public the almost phenomenal growth of this Industry in Nebraska. Not many years ago the butter shipped out of the state was small in quantity and poor In qual ity. The early Nebraska farmer had little conception of the earning capacity of the cow , which In the eastern states has been designated "The great mom- gage lifter. " Uccent years have seen a wonderful change , tlie few struggling creameries spreading the leaven until It has permeated the entire state and Nebraska creamery products rank up to and In many cases ahead of those of the older states. The early Nebraska farmer who ns a rule disdained such small enterprises as butter-making Is learning the lesson which the success ful manufacturer has learned that to make the business a success nothing which can be turned to profitable ac count must be wasted directly or ( through neglect With farming , ns In many lines of manufacturing , the bye- products constitute the principal profit of the business. It is the realizing sense of this which has produced the awakening in the dairy business. Among the factors contributing to the result Hie drouth season of 1804 must not be overlooked. Wholesale dealers and men whose business kept them In touch wUh conditions throughout the state could not but observe the differ ence between communities where well- patronized creameries were in operation and those without them. This was particularly noticeable In the newer portions tions where the farmers possessed no reserve resources to draw upon. Since that time the rise of the creamery has been rapid and soon at the present rate of progress not a community in Ne braska will be beyond the reach of one. When the dairy Industry Urst gained a foothold In Iowa , particularly the north eastern portion , that naturally rich sec tion was deeply involved in debt. To day the dairy has paid the mortgages and there Is not a more prosperous farm ing community anywhere than north eastern Iowa. Nebraska possesses all the natural advantages to make a rich dairy state rich grasses , cheap food for , cattle , cheap land , pure water and pure air in abundance. There is no reason why any section of the coumry should make better butter and cheese , neither is there a section which can produce them at less cost than Nebraska. With a world-wide market in these days of scientific refrigeration distance cuts small llgtire , while greater transporta tion charges should be more than off set by the cheaper production. REGULATING RAILROAD TOLLS. When the embattled farmers banded ' together under the name of grangers raised the black flag against the cor porations in control of the public high ways popular sentiment was wrought up to such a high pitch that nearly every legislature In the northwest enacted granger laws. These laws applied not merely to public carriers but also to grain elevators , warehouses and other concerns engvged in a quasi-public busi- ncsi. j The oon-lltutionallty of these drastic lawa was called In question , but they were sustained not merely by the state courts , which are always more or less swayed by public opinion , but by the federal courts , which are presumed to be Indifferent to if not absolutely above | all popular sentiment or clamor. The affirmation of the Illinois warehouse law became the basis for railway regulation In nearly every western and southern state and the right of tlie various leg islatures to prohibit discrimination and extortion by railways and other public carriers was engrafted upon the consti tutions of Kansas , Nebraska and nearly every state west of the Mississippi. It became not only the privilege of legis latures but their sworn duty to enact laws regulating railroads and to estab lish maximum freight and passenger 4 raitcs by legislative act. Bo long as the exoFclso of this power was confined to the regulation of pas senger rates no resistance was offered 1 by the railroads. On the contrary they ' promptly conformed to the law by re- duclng their passenger fares to the maxImum - Imum fixed by .the legislature. It has been auotlier ( thing , however , with regulation of freight rates , either through state commissions or by di rect legislation. In Iowa , where freight rate schedules have been established by railroad commission in spite of corporate pressure , the courts have been fre quently invoked to prevent their enforces - ruent In Nebraska the exercise of the power has been leslstcd from the out set When the legislature of 1803 passed u maximum rate law 30 per cent \hlgbei \ than the average rate fixed by the Iowa state commission it was hung up In the federal courts and after five years ol suspense pronounced by the United s States supreme court defective lu sev eral particular * . While the court did not expressly re verse its Illinois warehouse decision 01 even pretend to deny the right of tlu state to restrict public carriers in levy ing tolls for the transportation of com modules , it declared unreasonable anj rate < timt did not enable the public car rler to earn reasonable Interest upon Its Investment The showing made In the Nebraska case being based upon earnings in a drouth year naturally gave Dtroug support to the contention that 30 per cent above Iowa rates would still be uuremuuerative In Nebraska. The same contention made In the North Dakota maximum rate case has Just been decided against the state by the federal circuit court , which docs not deny the right of 'the legislature to fix ( the- rates , but asserts that from the evidence produced by the railroads the lowering of freight rates In North Dakota is not justifiable because the re duction would prevent the roads from paying cost of operating nnd interest iilon ) UK ; investment Whether tlie court has taken Into con sideration the fictitious capitalization of the * Northern Pacific or its earnings on through tratllc does not appear from the text of 'the ' new decision. There Is , however , a sufficient ground to arrest popular attention to the uselessncss of passing maximum rate laws under ex isting conditions and court rulings. It will always be easy for the railroad attorneys to rfead and prove that their companies would be seriously crippled by rate reduction , although jthelr man agers do not scruple to cripple them by cut-throat rates to down a competitor. If the courts would hold as they should that any rnte'voluuturlly established by n railroad company must be taken as rea sonable because they are not presumed voluntarily to do business at a loss they would establish a basis for reasonable maximum rates and the railroad mana gers would be compelled to desist from ruinous rate cutting on penalty of being obliged to make the cut rate permanent 'through ' legislative enactment UMF1T FOR SELF-dOVEltA'SIENT. Admiral Sampson is of 'tho opinion Unit the Cubans are not now capable of self-government and that the United States may find it necessary to maintain military control for at least u year and possibly for two or three years. Gen eral ShnPter has nlso expressed the opinion that the people of Cuba could not bo left at present to govern them selves , at the same time Implying a doubt whether they will ever be litted for that poli-tical condition. A good deal of Importance attaches to the judgment of these olilcers , par ticularly to that of Sampson , who has had superior opportunity for studying the Cubans and presumably has availed himself of It to die fullest extent. If his Judgment Is well-founded the gov ernment of the United Startes lias a large nnd perhaps a very dltilcult task In Cuba , but it Is to be borao In mind that under existing conditions it is hardly possible to form a strictly cor rect estimate of the character of the Cuban people and their fitness for self- government There has been very nearly a state of anarchy In much of the island and particularly In Havana , where the hatred between Cubans and Spaniards has found free and violent exhibition. This is not an unexpected state of affairs ; it is rather , under the j circumstances , entirely natural. There Is no trouble In understanding how dlf- flcuit It is , In the circumstances , for tlio Cubans to curb their resentment toward Spanish soldiers. But when these soldiers shall have left the island nnd the American army is In occupation the Cubans may show that they are not Incapable of orderly conduct and obedi ence to law. They are showing this at Santiago , where the excellent adminis tration of the American commander has W.OU 'the ' approval of the better class of the people. The administration of affairs in other provinces will be equally good nnd can hardly fall to make the sumo good impression upon tlie people. The Cubans , It is to be remembered , have known nothing but misgovern- rneut. They have been subjected to ov'ery sort of oppression , they have never been Justly treated by the Span- lards nnd they have known ithat Span ish officials were dishonest and corrupt , making the Cubans the special victims of their venality. AJ1 this is to be changed. The people of Cuba are to become acquainted with good government They will see nn honest 1 and efficient administration of the pub lic service , justice impartially admin istered and a betterment of conditions generally. Perhaps there are some of the people upon whom this change will not have "the " desired effect There are the vicious and tlie uutractable among the Cubans us there are in this coun try nnd elsewhere. But It seems hardly possible that a majority of the people of Cuba will fail to appreciate the bet ter government that the United States will give them , even under military authority. We do not assume that tills would necessarily prove their fitness for self-government , but It would be favor able to the presumption that preparing itheiii to govern themselves may not be so difficult n task as is Implied In Ad miral Sampson's remarks. Unquestionably the wealthiest nnd most Influential people in Cuba want annexation , but that is a matter to which the government of the United Stales cannot honorably give any con- slderoitlou now , If It ever can. As PresIdent - , Ident McKlnley has declared , with the concurrence of a large majority of the American people , the pledge that Cuba shall have an independent government must bo faithfully kept John Bull Is anxious to have the Nicaragua canal built without a doubt. Ho Is also willing to lot Brother Jona than build It , ns is evidenced by tlie unanimous sentiment in England in favor of the abrogation of the Clayton- Bulwer treaty through fear It might htnnd In the way of complete American ownership. Our friends over the water are not slow , however , nnd when It Is built , if It ever is , they will probably be found , ns In the case of the Suez ditch , holding a largo interest which some one else has paid for. If it Is really the opinion of the Ger man ambassador that 'the United States will make n great fuss about little things but will yield gracefully to n bold front , Germany might acquire some valuable Information along thlt- line from tlio people who inhabit the southwest corner of Europe. The truth IB the Germans know they cannot afford to provoke nn economic war with the United States for this Is all any differ ences can amount to as they Fell far more in tills country than they buy and ithe purchases of the United Btutvs in Germany are largely of a closa for which there la no other profitable or certain market. The German ambas sador has been talking simply for home consumption. The Cubans In Havana have cabled the president thanking him for the food scut to relieve distress In the Island. The Cuban * have alway * been profuse In their thank * , tat the vpportunlty U coming ( or thtm to fire a practical demonstration of their grartitudo. In the interregnum between the passing of Spanish sovereignty and the organ ization of government by the United States they can preserve order or usher in a reign of anarchy , us they will. If good order prevails the Cubans will be raised many points in the estimation of the people of 'this ' country- The War Investigating commission. keeps right on threshing over the same' ' old straw just as if the people were allen on the tiptoe to learn whether beer was sold to the soldiers or some bad odor might not have been discovered in camp. As a matter of fact everybody has long ago become thoroughly convinced thai the hubbub about camp horrors and War department abuses was chiefly gross ex aggerations piled up for political pur poses solely. No one would be unreasonable enough -to suppose the Standard Oil company burned any of Its books and papers for tlie purpose of preventing them from being brought Into court Of course they were old and useless documents. Has not that philanthropic monopoly always been ready to take the public into its confidence to show just how It has been able to cheapen the poor man's light by throttling competi tion ? That was a neat compliment paid As sistant Postmaster General Heath by the American Federation of Labor in t passing a resolution of thanks for his I demonstrated friendliness to organized , labor. Mr. Heath has learned through his newspaper experience that fair treatment for labor is the best policy and by applying this principle to the , work of the Postofflco department the best results are assured. It Is all very nice to propose that CO- 000 volunteers shall be incorporated Into the reorganized army. But how many of the national guards who have had' ' experience in camp life In Porto Illco , Manila or Cuba will volunteer for two years' exposure to malaria , yellow fever nnd all the other climatic ills of the tropics ? " Wan He a Winner ? Cleveland Plain Dealer. Out In Omaha a judge has decided that poker Is not a gambling game. Perhaps the worthy Daniel has been sitting out a night or two with a brace of tenderfoot novices. The I'nce for Ne * Year. Cincinnati Tribune. Nlnoty-elght la a record-breaking year. If ' 89 and 1900 keep up the good work the century will pass out with the United States at the head of all the nations on the face of the earth. DliconntliiK nn Brooklyn Eagle. All things do not come to him who waits , for by the time they come the time das i generally come for him to go and the lat ter time never waits. While the bonnet is trimmed the face grows older. of UlR War * . Philadelphia Ledger. The full lifetime of a generation has now passed since the close of the civil war , yet this year's pension bill carries $4,000,000 more them last year's ! Surely this country does not want any more big wars for an other generation , at least. Jat Woman' * Lack * New York Herald. On the heel * of the announcement by Mayor Van Wyck that he intend * to apt - point women aa membeis of the borough j school boards come * news that a western railroad will dfscbargo nearly an I IB women employ * * on January 1 , because their ro- < ratio. would tatettm * Hn the oomptny'a yit ra ol pramottoa * , which halts at th Idea of WMUO tor neral auperlntonient or general manner. This Is Just woman' * luck. She no sooner takes a step forward than some horrid man tries to drag her tuck two. Maklntr CltUttitB nf Oriental * . New York World. Ex-Attorney General Miller raises a very Interesting question. Ho points out that only last March the supreme court decided that any child born within United SUtea territory even though both parents be Chinese U ) an American citizen and cannot bo excluded from his rights aa sucli. Judge Miller suggests that if we make United States territory out of the Philippines , by any form of annexation , we shall make American citizens of everybody born there. The outlook for an influx of "cheap labor" after annexation seems Interesting , to say tbo least- No Time for DUarmament. Detroit Free Press. Time was when the new world would have been thrilled by such a Macedonian cry ; but don't count on us now , Nicholas ! Im perial Columbia bids you avaunt and quit her sight. Your bones are marrowlesa , your blood Is anaemic , your battle songs have dwindled Into gentle arias ! Uncle Sam has no time or temper ( or peace demonstra tions or conventions. He U too busy countIng - Ing square miles of conquered territory. He Is too much absorbed In contemplating the trophies the American eagle has de posited at his feet to listen to the leace prayer of the bear. Fnniouit llnnquet of 1780. Savannah Letter to Chicago Record. In 17S9 George Washington was tendered a banquet at Savannah and there was a quaint flat ot toasts : "Prosperity to the Citizens of Savannah and Its Vicinity , " by the prefildent. "The Fair of America. " "The Vlco President ol the United States. " "The Memorable Era of Independence. " " ' . " "The Count d'EsUlng. "Tbo Memory of General Greene. " "Tho Arts and Science. " "The Memory of Thos Drave Men Who F ll Before the Line * of Savannah on the 9Ui ot Octobtr. 1719. " "Tbo Frirods to Free and Equal Govern ment Throughout the Globe. " "All Foreign I'owtrs In Friendship with the United States. " "May Religion and Philosophy Afways Tri umph Over Superstltutlon and Prc-judlcea In America. " "Tho Present Dexterous Corpa of Artil lery. " ( The president' * toast. ) After the president retired : "The preil- dent of the United SECl'LAIl SHOTS AT TUB PVMMT. Minneapolis Journal : The Congregational ministers of St. Louis ( insert that tlio prov > alrnco of the footpad and thus on the streets Is the rcasou of the sm < l attendance nt 1 the evening services. The fcotpad would probably be mean enough to lay It to tbo sermon. K nsoa City Star : No better reply could have been fashioned than that ot the State department to the Vatlclan with regard to Roman Catholic * In the lately Spanish In lands : "They will have the some religious freedom as the Roman Catholics In the United States. " Indknapolls Journal : The pastor ot a ohurch la Pennsylvania , baying left his church because ho fars that some of < ho angry brethren wilt take his life , other ministers ouggMt the holding of revival meetings In the hope of bringing about better ' ter conditions. It seems as If this were a field for missionary effort. J. Sterling Morton's Conservative : An out-and-out sinner , who makes no pre tense of piety , docs more good and lens evil by his example , acts and dally conduct than the professed Christian who joins a church merely to perfect his hypocrisy , and every day , In the rustle and rush of busi ness knocks off , here and there , some of his religious veneering and exposes solid , raw sin. Religion suffers more from Its false followers than from bold Infidels like Inger- soll. Now York Tribune : It Is said that the anti-high hat regulation in the Methodist church ot Muncle , Ind. , has practically failed lu operation , although It had the sanction of the official board of the church. For a short time nearly every woman In the con gregation removed her headgear , but by ile- grees the women rebelled , until now , roiuo six months after the adoption of the regula tion , less than one-half of tJo women bare their heads when the services begin. The rebels are in earnest , too , In tholr position and are not moved by pulpit appeals nor by repeated reprint announcements of the text of the regulation. They do not quote scripture In support of their attltuJe , as they might , but condemn the restriction as a curtailment of personal liberty. PERSONAL AXD OTIIUIIWISK. Merry Christmas. The same to you. The eminent slummer , Hall Calne , admits that his trip to this country was beneficial to his health ; also , to his purse. The toys that bind Iho people at this seas.on of the year represent an outlay of $16,000,000. The United States has something like 2,000 Islands , enough to throw a few at tlie birds without spoiling the collection. The Philadelphia Record prints a poem by the poet laureate of England , In which thla thrilling line occurs : "O 3-roora , taoi 7880 , 7S90J. " This Is strictly Austin- Ian and right to the point. A Massachusetts Solomon decides that when husband and wife separate , tlio wed ding preseats belong to the brldo. That judge Is entitled to a slice ot every wed ding cake fabricated In the state. A story comes from South Dakota with out an affidavit , to the effect that a farmer there dropped dead on hearing that he waa heir to a $10,000 life Insurance policy car ried by his brother. Had the money been tendered him , there would be Bomo proba bility In the story. Notwithstanding the cares and perplexi ties of public life , Henry Watterson finds time to utter an Indignant protest agalnut the "four-ace story of the Impossible poker game , " now going the rounds , /he star-eyed goddess Insists on preserving the national game from sacrilegious pens. During his rambles in the west Frederic Remington dropped Into a cabin and be came Interested In a portrait hanging on the wall. "That's My Husband , " * ald the woman In reply to a question. "But It Is hung with fatal effect , " urged the artist "So was my husband , " snapped the woman While this country Is undertaking to re construct the habits and customs ot several brands and colors of citizens In prospect , the homo element Is not wholly overlooked. Twenty policemen are on duty in a New- York courtroom excluding women from lis tening to the salacious details of a trial now In progress. It Is one of tlie cases In which closed doors and disinfectants are essential. PIPING TIMES IN MANILA. Etching ; * of Life in Uncle Sam' * Ori ental SlctroptillH. The most striking news feature of the Manila American Soldier of November 0 and 12 , copies of which just blew In to In crease our Christmas ohoer , Is a page an nouncement of the health-giving qualities ot a certain brand of American beer. So berly and solemnly It Is proclaimed that tropical microbes cannot live for a minute lu the amber fluid , and that lie who par takes of It freely la proot against the In sidious wile * of Manila's angel promoter. Pos lbly this wonderful fluid la a specific for th * grip. Mod * tr prarent * the makers from saying eo near home. The Nebraska boys appear io enjoy life In Manila. Some of them were rehearsing for a minstrel show , to be pulled off Novem her 23. Others are absorbed In the doings of a literary and debating society. These mental exertions wore sandwiched with bast ball games , In one of which the umpire wai accused of treason to his regiment. The Soldier says the "boys were paid on Monday and the way they celebrated was a caution to the natives. " In rooting among the archives of the Spaniards , American officials discovered documentary evidence of the manner In which the Spaniards looted their own gov ernment and the Islands. Property valued at $00,000,000 was stolen at various times , but no trace of the proceeds could be found. Further revalatlons are expected , Inasmuch as several prominent Spaniards arc undei arrest suspected of having had their palms In the platter. "Pies , Pies ! Pies , such 'as your mother used to moke ! ' " Is the touching announce ment of one advertiser. If ho doesn't bc- conw ; the Rockafellor of Luzon then the pa triotism of the soldiers must be revised. > The soldier gives an Interesting account of the sentiments of officers and men on the question of mustering out. It says the privates are generally in favor of leaving tba service , whllo the officers are anxious to stay in , because "they draw more pay tnan they did as citizens and are willing to keep on drawing It" "Without dlnparaKement to the volunteer officers , " says the Soldier , "It Is only fair to say that the onllsUil volun teers ohould have the government's first thought and best care. They , at least , were actuated by no sordid motive lu offering their servlww and their lives for the dn- fenso of their country. They held country above- homo and society and buelness , and offered -their lives as a guarantee of their good faith. The officers may have been Just aa patriotic doubtless they were , as a rule. Out neither in danger , 1n privation or In the rigor and hardships of discipline , did tney make such MCrlQcra ai th - enlisted man. And their pay averaged about ten time * aa much. " Conllj- Mule , Louisville Courier-Journal. Spain has learned a great deal since she sarcastically heralded to the world that all the damage we did at Matanzas was to kill a mule. She knows now that one good army mule was worth more than the entire Span. Uh fleet. DOMHSTIC IM.nASANTHIKS. Indianapolis Journal : She You were cciu-n HUH to dentil tne day wo ncrc mar * lie Only half , unfortunately , Chicago Pout : "Hut you might learn to love me. " hn urged. She shook her henil. "You've no Idea , " silt fnld , "what a poor student I am. " Cleveland Plain Dealer : "Sit down , George. Was tmpa In ? " "Yes , lie was hi. 1 don't care to sit down , thank you. " Chicago llecord : "Edgar u-ns nfrnld ho would faint when heiislieJ para lor my hand. " "IJId he ? " "No ; pai > a fainted. " Detroit Froj Press : "Do you suppose Pa til's engagement Is n love match ? Her charms are rather passe , you know. " "My ilenr girl , money never grows old. " Chicago Trlbuno : "Tho bookkeeper , " paid tlio typuwrlt r girl , "came near propotJiiK to nip yesterday afternoon. " " \Vlmt did he siiy ? " "Ho asked mo to hold out my finger. I did BO iiiul ho blew u ring of smoke on It. " Judge : "Here | g a rase , of a man who Btolo a kiss from a woman nnd lia-j now been iljclarcd Insnne. " "You never B. , \\eil any xymptoma of In sanity , " she relumed i-.uh.or regretfully , Chicago Post : "Aro you going to glvo mu n C'hrlstmu" pie ent7" he naked. "Hon'l yui think. " shu returned coyly , "that It would bo rutlAir bold mill forward fui . . .o to oucr It to you before you askeil Urooklyn Llfo : "Dorothy. I saw n beauti ful gown In n shop window today. " "What was It , Julius ? " "Well It was that zlg-zaggy kind ol cloth and It had those , braided things aerosa the front nnd down the back , nnd some awful stylish pointed things on thu fiklrt I wlah you would get one Just Ilk * The Yulr I , nr. Chicago News. BringIn the merry yule log , And while Its sparkles lly We'll have gay cheer ami Jolly mirth , As In the years gone. by. We'll Blng and nip with gladness , Lot Joy Hood every soul , Although the merry yule log bo A whacking hod of coal. MI4UHY CIIHISTMA.S. New York Sun. V ! Hall , everybody , All hall I Snow and rain , too , If you want them : Likewise any other kind of Elemental eccentricity. Or meteorological mix-up , With irray skies And nasty raw atmosphere. But what's the odds ? This Isi ChrlstmaH And everything goes nt Christmas. Of course , you haven't got all you want , And you never will have ; But you've got enough to have a Morri' Christmas On. No matter how poor nnd miserable you are , Maybe you think you haven't , and This very mlnuto Yon are sagging down In the middle. And wishing you were under the ground Instead of on top of If But man , dear , ns loiur ns you're on top , Even If It Isn't anything more than th ground , You oughtn't to lose your courage. Brace UD ! Don't you know It's Chrlslmas ? Possibly , you haven't got anything1 In the world. Well , what If you haven't ? There are others. Kind one of them nnd glvo him 1mlf of yours. That's religion , And will make yon feel more like living , Santa Clans can't be everywhere at once , And If ho doesn't get to you this year Maybe he will Some other year. Anyway , you i-an hope that ho will , And hope doesn't cost anything. Whatever you do don't be blue at Christmas. Betler sland around In the cold and get red. red.If you don't have a turkey for Christmas Think what a comfort U Is to some poor Turkey That nver did a thine to you In Its llf . What If other people do have things that You don't have ? Hero's to you for a MERRY CHRISTMAS ! ! A Merry Christmas To all and a personal greeting to those who happen to read this part of the page. We wish you prosper ity , good luck , a long life and a merry one , and we also wish to interest you sufficiently to get you to pay us a visit all that we want is a chance to convince you , if you don't already know the merits of our clothing. Just now , of course , the holiday offerings of neck wear , gloves , suspenders , handkerchiefs , umbrel las , hosiery , etc , , are more in evidence , and will be for another week then we will talk to you of clothing. We are open tomorrow until noon after that we are going to enjoy the con tents of our stocking. We hope Santa Glaus remembers you as abun dantly as he did us.