0 THE OMAHA DAILY 1115 Rt F1UDAY 1801) ) . Tim OMAHA DAILY BI-E. K. UOSEWATKU. Kdltor. 1'UIILISHKD KVEHY MORNING. THUMB OF SUHSCUIPT1ON. iMlly llco ( without Sunday ) , Ons Year.JG.OO l > nlly Jico nnd Sunday. One Yonr 8.W ) Blx Months J.W * -w Three Month * - Hunday Hoe , Ono Year ; -W Hnturefny Hoc. one Your. . . iS | > Weekly Ueo , One Year " - > OFFICHS. Omaha : Thn Hcu IJulldlnc. - South Omaha : City Hall building. Twenty-llfth and N Btreclfl. Council Ulults : 10 Pearl Street. ChlodKo : Htock Uxchnnge Uulldlne. NPW York : Temulc Court. Washington : 601 fourteenth Street. COUIIKBI'ONDISNCB. Communications relating to news nml editorial matter should ho addressed : tu torial Department. The Omaha Dec. BUSINESS LliTTKRS. HuslncBs letters and mlUaticM flhoultl be addressed to The IJee Publishing I oni- , chocks , express niiJ pony , Omrtha. Drafts poRtofllco money orders to be made payable STATEMENT OK C1UCULATION. State of Nebraska , Douglas County. M. : Ocorno II. TzaehucU , secretary ot Iho 'Hep ' 1'ubllnhlnn company beinir duly BJorn Iowa : 1 . SMMKI 17 . saH io 2 . . UU.SHIU 18 . . 3 . a , ui : i . aiuiao 20 2:1,710 : 22. 7 . u.7to : . 8 . UI.OBO 9 . ai. : no 23 . SIM ' a I.TIB 10. . . SKI , no 20 . . 11 . BM.TTO 27 . -M. : : : : : i : : : . . . . . . , 13 . . aa.Tio 29 " a i two so aiao i l" ' " . . . . ; . . . | . . | 31 IB . ais : 7 - . _ Total . . v' . Ietu unsold nnd returned copies. . . . i , i- - < Not total sales . 7ii ! ! " ' Net dally average . to betore me this Subscribed nnd sworn Slut day of January , 1B99. Public. ( Seal. ) H. I. ri.UMU. Notary wflt- The warning against imlHIcluns buck to plague Ing loiters tlisit may conic them Btlll huhls good. _ the so- With Lent wion m once more bravely ivnounces Jco duty girl who fi-mim and ciuuly Is nguln tliu popular lioroUie. _ The people of the United States arc not the only ones who remember thu of Spain could not Maine. The people forget It 1C they would. An overcoat thief has been caught plying his profession on the legislative lobby at Lincoln. He evidently knows the best place to get In hln work. n-om the way the czar I * rushing sol diers Into Port Arthur and 'fallen Wan the disarmament conference It Is evident ence cannot be much longer delayed. Agonclllo boldly says that General Otis Is a liar. It will be1 observed that Agonclllo Is several thousand miles dis tant from the present headquarters of General Otis. While there Is nothing In the law requiring - quiring the state auditor to be able to cast a Hioroseopo , no one should aspire who cannot establish his [ o that portion right to pose as a master of I'alm-lstry. Considering the severity and length of the recent below zero cold spell , the comparatively small amount of actual Buffering entailed by it among the Omaha poor is certainly a cause of grat ification. _ If the eighteen major generals in com mand of President /elaya's 1,000 sol diers should make a mistake and llml the rebels they are limiting there may yet be some serious destruction of am munition. _ Some bills Introduced in the legislature appear as harmless as the old hat which reposes on the sidewalk on All Fools Day. Like the hat , however , the man who kicks it Is liable to llud a brick un der cover. ' 1'ntll the Sampson-Schley controversy Is definitely settled a serious effort should be made to Induce the magazines not to ralso the Issue whether Dewey or Otis diwrvcs the credit of a victory over Aguluiildo. The crisis in the Utility-Cornell Im broglio has readied the acute stage and If somebody does not negotiate a protocol the result may be fraught with norlous consequences to somebody be- Bides the little "snide" Insurance com- panics , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The attempt of the Missouri legislature to decrease Its clerical force Is a piece of parsimony that should not bo tolerated , At last account the Missouri state sen- site of thirty-four members was strug gling along with only lilt clerks and , of course , further reduction is out of the question. The California woman who , although nn Inveterate smoker and rum drinker , died nt the ago of 101) ) , Is another warn ing of the'hideous ravages of these twin evils. A temperate life In tlds case would umincritioiiahly have Insured a _ reen old tige If not a close second to Methuselah. Nebraska City Is asking the legislature to reimburse H $5,000 for expenses ami looses Incurred in maintaining a small pox quarantine. If Nebraska City \f \ entitled to Indemnity Omaha should pul In a claim not only with the legislature , but also with Nebraska City for allow. Ing a few germs to escape through its trocha to this city , The German agrarian Ingenuity lias nl last discovered a plan to solve the nuea tlon ot a scarcity of farm labor ami m a result a big petition has gone to tin Helchsta. asking that a bill bo passer compelling nil members of the laboring class to reside continuously In the neigh boyhood where born until nt least y ycnrd of ago. Aa the Germans an generally reputed to have an excellent eharo of common sense and umlerstam something of the principles of liberty , li la to bo feared that the finish of thlH In geulous measure will bo witnessed nboul jue Umo It conies up for consideration , .votrroK TUB ; .vr/.sr ; .tT/ov. / Conceding to Governor I'oyntor only the best motives In appointing a com mission of stnlo olllccrs to Invcrttlgato Into the charges of corruption in the in- miraneo department of the auditor's of fice , it is plain that the investigation , If It IH to be made thorough , must be car ried on exclusively by the joint com mittee which the two houses of the legis lature have named. KVPU If the gov ernor's commission , which conslsls of throe state olllcers , .should bend all Its energies to the work. It would nec essarily bo handicapped by want of an- thorlly and the danger of the Investiga tion degenerating Into a farce would be multiplied. On the oilier hand , the legislative com- nlttee has been fully empowered to coii- luct the Investigation In a businesslike naniier , having been delegated authority by the legislature to si > nd for persons and papers and compel tlib attendance of witnesses and production of evidence , as well as to employ stenographic as sistance to reduce the testimony to writ- Ing. The committee can probe the matte te- with the same If not greater thor oughness as could a grand jury called for the purpose. The makeup of the committee , more over , Is such In Its personnel as nhould nsplre the conlldence of the public and nsure fairness to all parties concerned. J'lic legislature being republican n inn- iorlty of the Investigating committee Is laturally republican , but the ftisloulsts mve been accorded representation both by the senate and the house. The state auditor , whose olllce is muter the search- Jght , cannot , therefore , assert that the committee has been packed against him uul it is to be hoped the findings , what ever they may bo , will have the approval md signatures of all Its members. The charges already made are so ex plicit and to the point that the committee should have no dllllcnlty In getting down to work and reaching a conclusion at an early date. DKATH OF 1'HKSllJKXr FAV11K. M. Felix Fatirc , president of France , died suddenly In Paris last night. Com ing at a time when there Is a good deal of political perturbation in France and the International relations of the coun try are In a somewhat unsettled condi tion , the death of M. Fa lire may have far-reaching consequences , for while there are abler statesmen in the re- imblle than he was the late president had a faculty for dealing with political crises and managing factional conflicts superior to perhaps any of bjs con temporaries. He was essentially a pol itician and while not a man of broad learning or any very distinguished qualifications , he achieved a high nieas- lire of popularity and Influence. M. Faure was chosen president oC Franco in 1895 , succeeding Casimir I'erier , who had resigned the ofllce. lie had held a ministerial position and boon i member of the Chamber of Deputies , winning no particular distinction in either place. Ho was very successful in business that of tanner and had tmassod wealth , but probably no one hart ever thought of him as a possible chief magistrate of Franco before the resig nation of Perlcr. ftlerntort to that po sition , however , he soon showed that he was equal to the demands upon him and while there has been no little political commotion and unrest during his In cumbency , ho kept the country at peace and maintained its dignity , unless it be thought that this was somewhat im paired In the .Fashoda affair. In the Dreyfus matter M. Faurc was on the side of the army and against a revision of ilm case , doubtless prompted entirely by politieal considerations. He was n sincere friend of peace , though quite as devoted as French statesmen generally to Uie policy of maintaining the military and naval strength of France. Ills death will be sincerely mourned by his countrymen. T LA nun ix HAWAII. The committee on Immigration of the United States senate has reported a 1)111 ) to extend the anti-contract labor law and the Chinese exclusion acts to Ha waii. The necessity for this appears In the fad , as stated by the committee , that the sugar planters the person * who promoted annexation have been freely importing contract laborers since the passage by congress of the joint resolution of annexation , notwithstand ing the fact that this resolution provides for the exclusion of Chinese , declaring that "there shall be no fti'-ther immigra tion of Chinese into the Hawaiian Islands , except upon such conditions lib are now or may hereafter be allowed by the laws of the United States. " For a year or two preceding annexation there was comparatively little contract laboi Imported Into Hawaii , the promoters ot annexation there understanding that such Importation on a large scale would bo certain to prejudice their scheme. Hut as soon as annexation was an accom < pllshcd fact the planters begun rein forcing the already large body of contract - tract laborers and this Is still going on , Tlio report of the senate Immigration committee says : ' 'Since the passage of the joint resolution of annexation then has been a decided Impetus given to the Importation of contract laborers Into tlui Islands by the sugar plantation own ers. The committee Is Informed that each vessel from Asiatic countries Is in creasing the list of contract laborers and unless some restrictive measure is adopted the number must shortly be still further augmented. " Thus It IP. shown that the Hawaiian sugar planters are aetin. In palpable violation of an en tirely plain regulation of this govern ment and placing themselves in a posi tion that for years to come will glvt them the cheapest labor In the world hi producing sugar that will compete In tin American market with the home prod uct. This however was to have beun expected , for of course these planters would protect their interests and they told the American commissioners u Hawaii that the Importation of cheat labor was essential to their interestt and to the further development of the Islands. They therefore tisked that they bo allowed to continue to obtah labor as they had been doing under tin sanction of Hawaiian municipal legls latiou and -when informed that thh could not be permitted because re pugnant to the policy of tl'o Milled States , they simply took the mutter into their own hands ami have added thou sands of contract laborers , drawn chiefly from China , to the number that were In the Islands nt the time of an nexation. Tills labor will remain there. It Is not at all probable that any legislation which congress may now enact will dis turb or Interfere with It. Very likely there Is now an ample supply In the Is lands to meet the demands of the sugar planters for years and to keep the prlee of labor at the lowest point , so that the Idea of Hawaii offering any opportunity for American labor , as was urged by the innexatloiilsts , must be given up. WJiut the sena'e committee on Immigration proposes shall be done Is proper , because It Is consistent with American policy. A stop must be put to the Importation of contract labor Into the Hawaiian islands , whatever the consequences to the Inter ests of the sugar planters or to the de velopment of the islands , but -what has Iwen done cannot be undoneWe have innexi-d territory where the degradation of labor has reached the lowest level , where people toll under conditions far worse than ever did the negro slaves of this country. This Is , for the present at least , Irremediable. Hut let us annex no more lerrllory where such conditions exist or are possible , A1131Y llll.l , IX SKXATK. The bill for the reorganization of the army has been reported to the donate , i'lic measure provides for Increasing the regular army to 100,000 , but authorises the president , in Ids rti&crollon , lo re- luce the number of men In companies so is to limit the army lo 00,000 men. The minorlly of the senate committee on military affairs presented a proposition to make the standing army 0-,000 for a [ mriod of two years and to enlist natives of the islands in possession of the United Sinter * to the number of ! 5j,000. , The measure passed by the house and reported to the senate is understood to have the approval oC the administration ind the president and secretary of Avar are exceedingly anxious that it should become law as soon as possible , one urgent reason being their desire to relieve lievo the volunteers in Cuba nnd the Philippines. But it is very doubtful whether a bill increasing the regular army to 100,000 can pass Ihe senate of this congress. The opposition to such an increase is very strong In that body and s not Hk'jly to yield , as now Indicated. It. s possible that some sort of compromise will be effected , but the chances seem to be strongly against this. The repub licans of the senate are not unanimous in favor of the proposed increase. If the bill falls In the senate it is highly probable that a special session of the Fifly-slxth congress will be called very soon after the present congress ends. The president undoubtedly Is very desirous to avoid this , but he regards the proposed legislation as of such great Importance that if it should fall hi tills congress he would rtoublloss feel it to be an imperative duty to call the next con gress In special session without delay. DELAY IS b TJic census of 1000 is scarcely a year off. The present legislature must pro vide for the consolidation of Omaha and South Omaha if consolidation is to take place within the present decade. After liWO there will be no Incentive for Omaha to assume Ihe debts and other onerous responsibilities that would go with the union of the two cities. Oulsi.de of Ihe oilice-seckers and spoils hunters the only class of people in .South Omaha disposed to oppose consolidation is the liquor clement , which has been enjoying the advantage of a 9500 li cense fee that would have to be in creased to $1,000 on the extension of the corporate limits of Omaha. Hut thia Increase of the license fee in South Omaha is bound to come anyway with the census of 1000 , which cannot fall to disclose a population in that flourishing town bringing it within the provision of the law making ? 1OCO the minimum license fee. With this difference elimi nated consolidation would bo more to the advantage than to the disadvantage of South Omaha liquor dealers. Hy making the union take effect in 1)0J ! ) ( just previous to the census enumeration all objections and opposition to the an nexation proposition from this source could doubtless bo avoided. The question of consolidating Omaha and South Omaha is one so vital to the interests of both communities that the commercial organizations nnd public bodies of both should take it up at once. The time to act is at hand and action cannot safely bo deferred. The senate lias passed the bill to ad mit Osborno Delgnan to Ihe naval academy at Annapolis , As ho had pa.ssed the regulation age limit for ad mission a special bill was necessary , As one of the Merrlmae heroes he is en titled to some recognition and In offering him an opportunity to advance in hi * calling which places his future in hln own hands congress does better than tendering a gold medal and a vote o { thanks. A chance to rise Is the best thing uny good American boy can have and those who know the young man have every confidence In his ability and disposition to Improve the opportunity , The question whether the police boarder or the district court Judges are to consti tute the licensing body must bo deter mined authoritatively If the court denies the commission the power plainly vested by law exclusively in It to grant or refuse - fuse liquor license applications. Kllher the law has up to this Umo been misread by everybody who has served on the po- llco commission since Its establishment twelve years ago or the attempt of the courts to utitirp this power/through the use. of mandamus and Injunction l.s en tirely unwarranted and will bo so hehl by the court of last resort. The mob that surrounded the bouse of a woman at Hethlehem , 1ml , , sus pected of killing her husband , and fired It , fully believing that she and her chil dren were in It nt the time , is another one of those painful and deplorable miuil festallous of lawlessness which Is n Khame , a disgrace and a lasting repivmeli not only to the community where It oc curs , but to the whole country. In this Instance Ihe only evidence uas clrcum slantinl and far from conclusive , but that has nothing to do with the case. If the woman mid confessed the crime , If Instead of one man she had killed a hundred cold-bloodedly , there Is a law lo pnntah nnd Its enforcement would have subserved the ends of Justice with out this mob taking mailers in Us own hands. Hut even the attempt to take Iho woman's life on suspicion pales and fades into Insignificance compared to the methods employed. Whatever might have been the guilt of the mother It could not attai'lt to three little children , aifd by firing the house so as to prevent escape nnd then leaving the mob made a willful attempt to murder them In the most horrible manner. The thought of the whole disgraceful transaction Is sickening and disgusting and If the local authorities will not do It the governor of Indiana should spare no effort and ex pense to hunt down the dangerous out laws who tried to perpetrate this crime. Prince Leopold of Delglum , who some times does some very queer tilings , has just Issued a tremendous royal decree concerning the horrors of the San Jose scale. The decree prohibits the Im portation of fresh fruits and plants from the United States unless accompanied by most formal ami convincing proofs that they are absolutely scaleless. Poor Leopold ! Hetwccn sitting up one part of the night with the benevolent plan to assimilate the non-assimilative Oon- goans and the other part of it with the San .lose scale the pleasure of wearing the big crown of a Hltle kingdom Is truly not what It might be. The fast trains will now come off until the railroads want to work another free advertising racket. And the railroad managers persist in saying their fast trains do not pay , when they know very well that the free newspaper ad vertising worked through them could not have been bought at regular rates for several times the entire outlay for Iho new train service. Now that the city tax levy lias been Ir revocably fixed and It is known the greatest economy will be imperative dur ing the coming year , the heads of the various departments should remember that there are twelve months in the year. Otherwise there will be the usual com plaint that absolutely necessary work cannot be done because all the money is gone. mid Tnxcx. Sprlnelleld Republican. As surely as present policies are persisted In , more federal taxes must bo Imposed. We cannot blink that fact. More borrowing would only put over for a day nnd not avert the necessity that confronts "expansion. " Kqual lo the Home firoAvn. Minneapolis Times. Asulnaldo has claimed In a speech that his forces killed 2,300 Americans In the recent fighting at Manila. When the Filipinos reach the election stage of political develop ment , what a magnificent campaign liar Agulmaldo will be. Horxc of Another Color. Buffalo Express. "As might bo expected , " runs a Manila dispatch , "there has been some looting in the outskirts , but ft has not been general and has been done in direct violation of orders. " This doca'hot refer to the Filipino troops , but to the Americans. Ono of the in cidents which made the Filipinos our foes was the fear of General Merritt that the Filipinos would loot If he allowed them to share any of the glory of capturing Manila. Anu-rli-n'M Third Atliulrnl. Chicago Chronicle. There have been but two admirals in the United States navy. The ofllce was created in 1SG3 and was first held by David Farragut ; on his death In 1870 David D. Porter was appointed as his successor. On Porter's death the ofllco was abolished. Dewey will bo the third American admiral and the most gracious part of the bill for his benefit Is that ho will not bo retired for age like other army and naval officers. At hla death the olllce will again ccaeo to exist. ( < > r a Chicago Chronicle. Along with the white man's burden the marquis of Salisbury manifests an un- inlstakablo Intention to take up tlio territory on the east African coast now claimed by Franco under a lease from Italy. Indeed , his lordship evi dently considers the French a "sullen , silent people , " who are to bo crowded Into a cor ner and kept there. The Fashoda Incident has been followed by the Newfoundland fish eries business , the Soudan college difficulty , and the Red sea coaling station dispute , and In each case Franco has "knuckled under. " The "pin pricks , " however , continue , though It Is not Franco but Great Britain which is doing the pricking. It is Impossible to cs- capo the conclusion that4 England means to fasten a quarrel on the French republic , though what object Is to bo attained passes comprehension. It may bo sot down as cer tain , however , that the quarrel will arise If the provocation bo continued long enough. No nation ever went hunting for trouble without getting It. Franco will not forever submit to having her nose pulled. There will bo war If Salisbury seeks It , and ho apparently docs seek it. WUSTISH.V THOOl'S. Conrntto unit Dnxh DlNuliiycd In llu- HnttlvM A run ml Manila. New York Herald. In the Intensely Interesting details of the week's fighting about Manila cabled to the Herald 'by ' one of the fighters , who waa "badly " wounded , there Is one strong underly ing note which dominates the wliolo story that Is , the absolute courage and dash of our western troops. These were amateur soldiers just a lot of prairie boys full of adventure nnd bored with their monotonous life at home. The writer had earned his spurs In the Turco- Orcclan war for nn English paper , but is an amateur In American Journalism. Watch how graphically the words describe the wild western ease with which the Wash- Ingtou , Nebraska , Idaho , Montana , Wyo ming , Dakota and Utah regiments overcame difficulties : "The Nebraska men made their way over the bridge , crouching in pairs , amid the hleslug and pattering of bullets. " "Tho Colorado volunteers rushed block houses Nos , 4 and G and the village beyond. " "The Washington troops swam the estuary under fire. " "Tho Wyoming troops waded the stream and marched Into the open under heavy fire as If on parade. " "Up the hill the artillery and infantry scrambled , digging -with their hands and feet. Nothing could stand bcforo them. It was magnificent ! " And so It was ! These first details of fightIng - Ing In the troplca by our raw western boys go further toward establishing the vast fighting power of our blessed country the reaorvo force to bo drawn from any and every section of the nation than the grand est essay on war ever written by the great est general of all the foreign powers on earth. nr.r. MMSS. According to Judge rharles K. Smith of Custer City , S. I ) . , now In Omaha , the South Carolina dispensary system that wni ndopteil as an amendment to the constitu tion nt the last election , Is not a popular measure nnd will never bo enforced. The Judge says that the people simply over looked It , In the excitement of other Issues , nnd that It became n law surreptitiously as It were. The matter , however , presents an anomaly that perhaps no other state has over had. It appears that the simple proposition ns to whether the otnto shoulder or should not have n dispensary syatem was voted on and , while the amendment was adopted , the legislature elected nt the same time la overwhelmingly against the measure and will refuse to prescribe any penalty for the violation of the law. Of course , ft Is supposed to bo the duty of a legislature to enact such measures as may ho necessary to carry out the objects of a constitutional amendment , but If that body takes n contrary vlow as to what Hi duty In the premises Is , thcro la no power lo compel It to think or act differently and In this case that attllmlo will , apparently , render the dispensary system n nullity In South Dakota unless some future legisla ture shall decide to carry out Its provisions. Those pessimists who bewail the fact that Nebraska has no recognized poet to embalm Its beauties In verso should now revise their Judgment , for a bard has appeared on the scene and ho Is no less a personage thnn Killtor Lecdom ot the Osmond Republican. It Is true his first production Is rather lacking In that originality said to character ize the 'bard ' who Is born and not made , but at the saroo tlmo It contains n dcgrco of pathos that promises better things in the future. Hero It Is : How di > ar lo our heart Is cash on subscrip tion When the generous subscriber presents It to vlow , nut the man who don't pay wo refrain from description For perhaps , gentle reader , that man may bo you. According to the strict proprieties , of course , the 'business ' element in this poem would prevent It from taking rank with the highest classics , but It must not bo forgot ten that oven Shakespeare < lld not neglect the business -side ot his poetry nnd the duty to follow that policy Is Just ns In cumbent on the editor as It la on the poet. Uut however that -may 'bo those who want a poet laureate for Nebraska will do well to keep an eye on the bud-ding genius of Editor Leedom. The editor of the CulbertBon Era evi dently has little sympathy for the calamity howler and In descanting on his ephero of uselcssness says : We have under our table a Nebraska ex change with a column of queries accusing the "money lender" of belns guilty of all kinds of meanness In the answers th2re < o. The paper Is popoeratic , of course , an-1 the chances tire sixteen to ono that the "money Jender1' holds a mortgage on that fallow's printing plant. This Is rather severe , 1 > ut hem-ever the truth may be , It Is an Indisputable fact that it Is Iho nerc-do-iwell and the man who has his own folly to blame for hla misfortunes who is always most severe In criticisms of fate and the Injustice of man. The Wayne Republican has Just com pleted its first year nnd shows every indica tion of prosperity. The reason is not far to seek. It Is an excellent local paper , newsy , enterprising and Identified with the Interests of Its town and county. It docs not complain of a lack of patronage because It Is worthy of it and gets It. If other pa pers which complain of Injustice would fol low the example of Editor Cunningham and give their towns papers with all of the local news the cause of these complaints would bo apt to disappear In short order. Some enterprising Yankee has invented a shirt that Is said to ibo all the rage with a certain class Just now In Now York and it may not > bo amiss for the convivial Nebraskan - braskan while hunting for the diversion of a little game of draw In Gotham to keep his eyes open for it. It consists of a false cuff and sleeve that has attached to it a fine metallic clamp which catches a cord and Is drawn with a cord across the body to the other hand , where the card needed In an emergency Is deposited without danger of detection. The Shirt sells for ? 100 nnd Is said to bo cheap at that to those who care more for money than the method of getting it. The business men of Hastings are agitat ing the question of establishing a commer cial club or board of trade as a means of securing factories r.md other enterprises for the town. Experience has proved two tilings In this regard. The ease with which a board of trade may be organized in a town and the difficulty experienced in getting It to work to a practical purpose. Its useful ness in securing new industries Is too ap parent to need comment , and the already hustling and enterprising town of Hastings can add very materially to Its importance and prosperity In this way , but to do so they must quit "agitating , " form the organization and when they get It go to work along prac tical lines and keep everlastingly at It until they secure everything In sight. AVI3STUHN Sli I'CIIPC CoinmlNKloiHT 11Ill's Mln < nkvii Iiitiriirrtnlloii. Chicago Post , The address of Whltelaw Hold , late peace commissioner of the United States , at the Marquette club banquet bristled with inter- eating statements which fairly challenge comment. It was intended to bo highly com plimentary to the patriotism and penetra tion and hopeful spirit of the great west , which Mr. Reid could not help comparing with the narrow and obstructive attitude of important elements In the cast. Hut n care ful perusal of the address discloses the fact that In ono vital respect Mr. llokl misinter preted the western sentiment. * * The west has not reproached the commission for "bringing homo more property than some people wanted , " but not because It either expected or desired that the war should result In 'giving ' us any "property. " The west appreciated the necessity of compelling Spain to surrender the Philippines , and it does not criticise the commissioners for doIng - Ing their duty. Hut It tines not advocate holding all that mere force has given us ; it Joes not treat the question of Philippine annexation as a commercial one. It would not have the government "wait till" it "has examined" the far eastern archipelago and "found that It has no use for It. " Use and profitableness are not the controlling con siderations at all. Justice and tha pledge of this government to the world are. The war waa not undertaken for purposes of ter ritorial aggrandizement , and the congress and pcoplo which proclaimed the right ot Cuta to self-government will not deny the same right to the Philippines. Mr. Hold does not want Cuba , Porto Illco or the Philippines to become parts of "tho United States. " Ho says that "we want no Porto HlcacB or Cubans to bo sending en- ators and representatives to Washington to help govern the American union , any more than wo want Kanakas or Tagalos or Vlsayas or Malays. " Ho repudiates the "crazy ex tension" of the doctrine ot government by consent to these dependencies and would treat them as mere "property" of the United States. The west cordially Indorses the negative part of hlu proposition , but it Is not ready to subscribe to the positive part. The west believes in giving the Philippines precisely the same status as has been ac corded to Cuba. It believes that wo are bound to estubll.ti an orderly and stable government there and protect the islands from foreign aggression. Hut It does not advocate annexation or colonization for the cake of gain. I COMMTION 01' TIIU ril.ll'INOS. Until on ( UtirMlnii of Thrlr Cn- imcltj for f > lfiot eminent. There Is an abundance of reliable Ameri can testimony available confirming the con tention of opponents of Imperialism that the natives of the Philippine Islands are nt least the equals of the Cubans In their ca pacity for self-government , ami should re ceive like treatment. No lew nn authority thnn Admiral Dowcy BO stated In a dispatch to Secretary Long last June. "These people ( the Filipinos ) , " sa > s the admiral , "nro superior and more ititelllgcnt nnd better capacitated to govern themselvno than the Indians of Cuba , nnd 1 am familiar vilth the character of both races. " Admiral Dewey's conclusions nro sup ported by another eminent authority. Prof. Dcnn C. Worcester of Ann Arbor University , ttho lived on the Islands several years , and whose writings concerning them nre the best obtainable source of Information. Prof. Worcester Is a member ot the Philippine commission recently appointed by the presi dent. Prof. Worcester was asked by n friend nt Cornell for an expression of his opinion ns to the capacity ot the Filipinos for self-government. From his reply , which has been published , dated Ann Arbor , Mich. , December 10 , wo quote the following : "To make a statement ns to future pos sibilities Is merely to express nn opinion , and so fur as I can sec the only basis for such nn opinion Is to be found In the character of the civilized native and In the actual showing which ho has mndu under the adverse environment which has thus far surrounded him. "Tho Filipino has developed many ad- mlrablo traits. Ho Is.peaceable nnd cheer ful ; his self-restraint Is remarkable ; his family Is well ordered ; In some Instances , nt any rate , ho shows executive ability of no mean order when called upon to attend to the administration of local affairs In the more Important towns , "It Is my own belief that no Intra-troplcnl people offers brighter hope for the future than do the Philippine natives , and If trouble arises In our dealings with them I bellovo there Is far more likelihood that It will io the result of our own maladminis tration than that It will come from In herent and objectionable peculiarities of their character. " Edwin Wlldmau , vice consul nt Manila , In n letter to Leslie's Weekly , says of the na tives : "The Filipino is artistic nnd his clothing Is clean two tremendous strides toward civilization. The men do clever work In wooJ. silver nnd brass. Their old war knives are highly embellished. Their pottery Is often picturesque , nnd the cloth ing of the women , made of the indigenous fiber that abounds throughout the Islands , Is picturesque , nnd has a jaunty , attractive style , which their straight forms and ex posed shoulders carry oft well. The llbsr Is often woven ns finely ns silk , nnd some of the drawn work of the Filipino lace makers Is most exquisite and expensive. I have seen single -handkerchiefs - which could not ibo purchased under $300. The Filipinos love jewelry , and some of the crude set tings contain magnificent pearls , found along the shores of the Islands. The women , ns a class , arc attractive many are really pretty. While eschewing shoes , gloves nnd liats , they often wear dresses of the finest texture , 'beautifully ' embroid ered , and made with a flowing train. Doth sexes love music , and the Filipino music Is not the wild -banging - of tom-toms and the beating of cymbals and drums ; nor Is It the squeak of the two-stringed violin nnd the pounding of sticks attune , as with the Chinese and Japanese ; 'but ' it has melody aiid air , for the Tagal plays all the Instru ments ot the European , n'nd outplays him on many. Agulnaldo's band of sixty pieces Is ono ot the finest on the Island. "The native is In evidence everywhere. He Is your servant , your day laborer , your blacksmith , carpenter , farmer , stone cutter , cook and , In fact , represents to the Philip pines what tlio coolie class does to China , the negro to the south ; only , as you study his character and take note of his works In artistic , intellectual , commercial and musical lines , you are compelled to admit that possibilities exist In his make-up that do not in other native races. It Is con tinually dinned Into your cars that the Filipino Is hopelessly lazy. I am willing to admit that he Is lazy , but not hopelessly. This Is a climate of lazy conditions. " "My prejudices In favor ot the Filipinos , " writes Chaplain McKInnon of the First Cali fornia volunteers , "wero when I came here about as strong as any man's could be , but now I have come to the conclusion that the Spaniards treated them about right. In this opinion I am not alone , as I think there are but few officers in the army who think otherwise. I have been all over the country and find no poverty nnywhcro. For Indians , I think them remarkably well Instructed. The ono who cannot rend nnd write Is an exception. There nro public schools sup ported by the government all over the coun try. " The American , the first dally paper pub lished in the English language at Manila , found It Impossible to secure a sufficient force of typesetters understanding the English language and had to fall back on the natives , who did not understand the lingo. The result of the experiment Illus trates the remarkable nptltude of the na tives. "Tho experiment was made , " says the American , "and with success from the very beginning. And now all the composi tion In this paper Is set up by natives. They are very quick to learn and when they once understand n thing they never forgot it. Most of the compositors arc learning English by constantly having English copy before them , nnd , although not ono of them could speak n word of our language when they commenced setting typo on the American , they now understand whatever wo have oc casion to say to them in the performance of their work. With the proper school system once Introduced , frequent Intercourse with Americans and Europeans and the eradica tion of the superHtltlon which Is so promi nent a factor In them , they will advance In education very rapidly. " l'I3HSO.VAI. AM ) OTIIUHWISB. A milk trust Is talked of In Milwaukee. What , Milwaukee forsaking Milwaukee ? Perish the thought. It is proposed In Denver to establish a public park In that city as a memorial to the late Jlev. Myron W. Heed. J. Eads How , a young millionaire of St. Louis , Is leading a life of voluntary poverty In that city , trying by example to better the condition of the laboring classes. People of the west who Imagined they monopolized the ( blizzard belt have to read blizzard operations down east to realize how far they ore from the real blizzard belt. J. Frank Whcaton , a member of the pres ent legislature In Minnesota , Is the first colored man who ever sat In that body. He was elected by a constituency of 9,000 voters ers , only fifty of whom are colored men. The National Druggist conveys a tlmery warning when It delares that chemically pure water is "a dangerous protoplasmic poison. " The royal road to safety Is to deus us Chicago does boll It and apply externally. General Otis , the commander of our forces in the Philippines , U said to bo a man of laconic speech , who rarely utters more than ono short sentence at a time , but who man ages to make that sentence epigrammatic and full of meaning. Grave diggers In a Wlsconiln town threaten to strike for more pay. They find It hard work to pick a hole In the frozen ground and insist that ll.fiO a day is about right. At last accounts prospective occupants ot 2iC's evinced no disposition to kick at the raise. N OP nniuisroiiu. r.\iliillim : AinhltloiK ProJcrU tot Oriental Trnilr , Dot roll Free Pr cs. Lord Ueresford. the champion of nn "open door" policy for the Orient , comes to tha United States at an opportune moment for ( he exploitation of his ambitious piojcct. The wonderful expansion of our commercial Interests Is giving Impetus to every project that promlJcs to open up new markets for American products , whHo the growth ot friendliness between ( Jreat MrltMn and our selves paves the way for a kindly reception In our chambers of commerce nf any proposi tion concerning trade that the distinguished KuKll-ihtnan Oral res to make. It Is the drcnm of this practical statesman to see ( Jreat Hrllnln nnd the United States , llrrmnny and Japan united In the support of a free trade poflry for China. If left to themselves Russia nnd Frnnre nnd Oermany are certain to extend their spheres of exclu sive Infliienco In China , to the great detri ment of Americans and English Interest * . Hence It Is the fnr-roachlng scheme of Lord llcresford to forestall such a policy by enlist ing the active co-operation of the three com mercial countries that favor open trade , and to Induce the Hermans , who have more or less of a community of Interests with these three , to share In the movement. So far as It Is possible for the Unlte-J Stntcs to encourage llercsford's proposition without being Involved In mllllarlMm , there seems llttfe question that Vt should bo done. U'o have covenanted with Spain to main tain nn open door In the Philippines , nnd we are now more than ever before concerned In seeing the rich markets of China thrown open to all the nations ot the world on equal conditions. The only kind of expansion which should have charms for us Is the con quest ot the world's markets , In u free and open competition. l > ( l.Vri3l > UKMAlllvS. Chicago Herord : "What did little Jim do with the quarter he got for having his tooth pulled ? " "He spent It nil on comic valentines to send the dentist. " Indianapolis Journal : "My ancestors cams over in the -Mayflower , " Huhl the ley yountj woman. "Indeed ? " responded her equally frigid friend. "None of my people have ever , to my knowledge , traveled otherwise ) than II rat-class. " Detroit Journal : "How did you manage to pnx * such crude coins ? " they asked him. "Oh , people want money HO b.ull" replied the counterfeiter , acutt-Iy , If not grammat ically. Chicago News : "When my typewriter girl wont awny. what do you think ! "Well what ? " "Sh ? left a note for the new clrl tclllnc her I wan mighty shaky on the use of 'shall1 nnd 'will. ' " Philadelphia North American : "Of course , I am against Filipino annexation , " paid th foxy senator. "Hut why ? " "Why , man alive , they've got 200 dialects , nnd how It ) a statesman ever going to bd able to talk business with such u mob ? " Chicago Tribune : "Hello , pard ! " ex- clnlmecl thn plumber. "Cold , uln't It ? " "Sir ! " said the physician. "Cotno , doc , " rejoined the plumber. "Don't let's feel to proud to speak to each other. I nolle ? that you and 1 are always busiest nt ' \ the same time , and while you're at work upstairsI'm generally prncticln' In the basement. " Washington SUr : "Aw pay , now ! How can the mere Inheritance of a thousand dollars lars bo enough to render him independent for life ? " "It Is enough to pay the expenses ot his divorce suit. Now , can you see ? " A Common Ilnrileii. Indianapolis Journal : "Take up the white man's burden " And the noble savage strode To the nearest bar that came in sight. ' And got him there a load. OM3 DAY IX Til 13 TIU3XCHES. Atlantic Monthly. Wo lay nmong the rille pits , above our low heads streaming- Bullets , like sleet , with now nnd then , near by. the vicious screaming Of shells that made us hold our breath , till each had burst and blasted Its ghastly circle , hid In smoke here , there and while It lasted , That murderous fume nnd fusillade , our hearts were In our throats ; For hell let loose- about us raged , and In thopo muddy moats The rain that fell was Bhot and shell , the splash it made was red , And all about the long redoubt waa gar risoned with dead. Upon my right a veteran In rasping whis pers swore ; Upon my left an Irish lad breathed Av Marys o'er. And 1 ? Well , well , I won't aver my lips no murmur made ; A prrty-er , long- , silent , half forgot , stirred them ; but something stayed The pact-oil words ; I locked my lips. "No , no , ah , no ! " I thought ; "Not so I'll pray , let come what may ! " I held my heart and lips And , nerved afresh , I gripped my rifle stock when something- clips Smartly my tcmplo ( that long- lock con ceals the bullet's mark ) . And , sharply stlnglnc , with cars loud ringing , I dropped into the dark. * * * * When I awoke the sultry smoke was gone , nnd o'er me. Faint as a cloud against the air , a. sweet face tenderly , A mother-woman's face , was bonding , In the evening beam That touched her good gray hair to gold with eyes that made mo seem. 'Mid nil the fever's burning , wholly safe sinro they were there. Well-oddly , ulr In that dim peace , I let my lips breathe prayer. is the Time. At this season of the year there is not much'to be said about clothing except to call attention to the prices at which we are selling the remainder of the winter goods. We are not looking for profit so much as for room for spring goods , We don't want to pack up and store any of this season's stock. It is yours at about cost now. But don't let yourself forget that this is all new stock and made for this season. Our guarantee goes with every garment of it. \