0
THE OMAnA DAILY JlKEt WElTjSESDAY, JAUAKY 22, 1002.
The omaha Daily Bee
iE. H0SEWAT12R, EDITOR.
PUBMH1II5IJ EVERY MOIININO.
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llally lieu ana Hunday, Ono Year 8.00
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aturany lice, One Year 1.50
Twcntluth Century 'Farmer. One Year... 1.00
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Dally Ulu iwlthout Sunday), ler copy 2a
Ually Uee (Without Hummyj.pcr week '..,.12c
Dally lieo Uneiualng .Suimuy;, per week.. lie
Uuriuuy lice, per copy do
Evening lite i without Sunday), per week.lOd
Evening lieo (including Sunday), per
wcttc t 15a
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partment. OFFICES.
Omaha The Bee Building.
South Omaha City Hall Building, Twcn-ty-ilfth
and M Street.
Council Hiuira-io I'carl Street.
Chlcugo IWu Unity liullulng.
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CORRESPONDENCE.
Communications relating to news and edi
torial mailer should bo addressed: Omaha
Uo, Editorial Department.
BUSINESS LETTERS.
Business letters uml temlltancea should bo
addressed: Thu live I'uullshlng Company,
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REMITTANCES,
llemlt by draft, express or postal order,
payable to The Uee Publishing Company.
. only tf-ccnt stamps accepted in payment of
taall accounts, l'crsonai checks, except on
Omaha or eastern exchanges, not accepted.
THE DEE 1'UIlLlSlllNG COMPANY.
STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION.
Btate ot Nebraska. Douglas County, as.:
Ooorge U. Trschuck, secretary or The Ueo
Publishing Company, being duly sworn,
ays that th actual number ot full and
complete copleti of The Dally, Morning,
Evening ana Sunday lieo printed during
the month ot December, 1901, was as fol
lows: 1- ao.ioo 17 30,000
2 :io,oufi u no.uuo
8 uo.auo is uu.hno
4 :iO,U10 20 U0.440
c :io,-ir.o 21 tio,7oo
c :io,:nu 22 :io,no
7 :i0,a)O 23 30,480
8 :io,:too 24 :to,iHo
9 :io,:t:io 23 ao,4io
10 ao.-Mo 26 ao.noo
11 30.4HO 27 aO,U70
12 ao.r.oo 28 ao,nio
13i 30,-tSO 29 ao.ooo
14 ao.nao so 30,440
is ao.aoo si 30,4x0
ia ,.,ao,iuo
Total. ...i i4a,j.o
Less unsold and returned coploa.... 10.008
Net tot.al sales U:t,lS7
Net dally average ao.101
GEO. B. TZ8C11UCK.
Subscribed, In my prcsonco and sworn to
beforo mo this 31st Jay ot December. A. D.
1901. M. 11. IIUNOATE.
(Seal.) Notary Public
Now that the city assessment roll litis
been completed, the next question Is,
.What will the tax rate be?
Wo Bupsest that the Btate poultry con
vention uho Its Influenco with tho balky
hen to Induce her to return to a full time
.workday.
Prlnco Henry Is to visit St. Louis and
Milwaukee. This Roes to show that tho
prince has had a hunch as to where the
largest breweries are to bo found.
Why couldn't tho Elks let tho good
people of Omaha 1111 two baskets at once
by dividing tho proceeds of their forth
coming bcuofit fair with the auditorium
fund?
Tho prospective bride of Inventor
Marconi has asked that the engage
ment be declared off and he has con
sented. Tho Inventor s system does not
appear to bo a success In conveying lovo
flushes.
The problem of planting six county
commissioners In five places has solved
Itself by tho elimination of one of the
claimants. Perhaps the problem of
seating two police Judges on one bench
will solve Itself also.
Tho demoprats In congress are making,
a, tight on tho deficiency appropriation
bill. Dellclenclcs are democracy's long
suit and anything tho party representa
tives havo to say on that subject should
bo listened to respectfully.
'Interstate Commissioner Yeomans
denies that ho Is an aspirant for the
democratic, presidential nomination. Mr.
Xeomaus has lived in Iowa long enough
to indw'how It' feels to bo stepped on
by a big republican majority.
One French legislator has challenged
another to light a duel becauso ho took
offenso at some remark made in debate.
What would be tho result of ah Omaha
Board of Equalisation meeting held In
Paris, under tho Trench codo?
Two Kansas men aro promoting a
company to coinblno nil the creameries
In tho country, with a capitalization of
$18,000,000. if the now trust becomes
too oxactlug the public will have to fall
back on tho farmer's cow and tho old
hand churn.
Having rung off the telephone ordi
nance, the South Omaha council Is about
to wrcstlo with a new gas franchise
whose promise to reduce tho cost of
Illuminating material holds out a pros
pect for a liberal contribution to the
spring campaign.
Tho coal mine operators aro prepar
ing to ask tho minors to accept a reduc
tion of wages on the strength of a claim
that owing to close competition they
havo mode no protlt during the past
.year. Hut the man who pays for and
consumes the coal Is certainly con
vlnced tlint somebody has made a
, profit
Tho chairman of tho Missouri demo
cratic commltteo recently delivered an
address In which ho stated that repub
Ucans hated tho stnto because It re
imalned steadfast to democracy. The
speaker Is mistaken. Republicans do
j not Unto tho state; they simply pity It
.Missouri Is too good a state to bo con
'tlnually going to tho bad.
Tho silver element among tho Iowa
.republicans Is mourning becauso the
.democratic caucus did not select Fred
White and "Pansy Ulossom" Butler for
i their senatorial boquets Instead of
Thayer and Seerley, as If tho two llrst
teamed had not hud enough empty honor
nominations to last ordinary uiqii a Hfo-
tlno without adding to tholr collection.
HllltOATlOS HHOV LD IttC NA TIONAbtZKD,'
The Irrigation bill prepared by tho
sub-commltteo appointed by thu congres
sional delegations from tho scml-arld
states, as outlined by our Washington
dispatches, will not meet the demands
of tho hour. Tho schemu In funda
mentally wrong and at best a mero
makeshift for Irrigation In driblets and
patches.
The proposition that the proceeds from
tho sales of the public iauds In tho
states and territories between the Mis
sourl river nnd Paclllc coast bo set
apart as a special fund for tho reclama
tion of the arid nnd scml-arld lauds Is
wrong lh prluclpjo and would prove
wrong In practice. Thero 4h no more
reason why the proceeds from public
land sales should bo devoted to the
reclamation of arid lands than to. the
reclamation of swamp lauds. Thero Is
no more reason why tho construction of
Irrigation reservoirs and Irrigation ca
nals should bo made dependent upon
the amount realized from public laud
sales than there Is for making tho im
provement of harbors on tho AtlanVlc
and Pacific seaboard dependent on the
amount of port duties collected In each
rcspectlvo harbor.
Tho country at largo Is fairly In
formed as to tho scope and advantages
of Irrigation and Is fully prepared to
meet tho rational demands upon the
national treasury for tho establishment
of a comprcheuslvo system of irriga
tion works. It Is not only imprudent,
but Improvident, to uuthorlzo Internal
public improvements without deilulto
knowledge of tho umount to be ex
pended. If congress decides upon the
establishment of uu extensive system of
Irrigation that will necessarily Involve
tho expenditure of many millions, the
amount to bo expended each year for
that purpose should be clearly set forth
In tho appropriation bills.
Congress will be Justillcd In making
liberal appropriations for tho reclama
tion of tho arid and scml-arld lands,
but no scheme for tho reclamation of
these lands deserves encouragement un
less It contemplates the nationalization
of Irrigation. , ,
First of all, congress should provide
for tho preparation of a comprehensive
plan for u national system of Irrigation
by expert hydraulic engineers on a scale
commensurate with' the vast area to bo
reclaimed. This may require a topo
graphical survey of that portion of tho
country not yet surveyed nnd mapped.
No rational plan that would embraco
within Its scope the entire region to bo
reclaimed can be presented without
first ascertaining the volume of water
that can bo drained Into tho Irrigation
cauals from tho rivers at their lowest
stago and tho area and capacity of
storage reservoirs necessary to Insure
a sutllcient amount of water for the'
land to be irrigated. With these pre
requisites kept iu view, congressional
legislation should proceed on the line
of least resistance without abandoning
the Idea of nationalization.
Tho greatest obstaclo to bo met In the
nationalization of irrigation will Jic the
conflicting state laws relative to water
rights, which make effective co-operation
between tho various state Irriga
tion systems almost Impossible. To
reconcllo these differences and bring
tho state laws Into harmony with na
tional legislation will bo tho work of
many years, and congress may as well
begin tho demolition of the fences
erected by tho various state legislatures
by which they have sought to establish
oxcluslvo water privileges for Irriga
tion companies who' seek to monopolize
tho waters of the streams that How
within their borders.
Without uniformity In the Irrigation
laws any attempt to reclaim the great
body of arid and scml-urld lauds would
provo a dismal failure.
MERELY AN OPPOSITION PARTY.
Although tho session has hardly gotten
down to real business, tho proceedings
In ench brunch of congress aro dally
adding new proof to tho demonstrated
faqt that tho democratic minority repre
sents merely an opposition party. The
debates, no matter' what tho questions
nt lssuo may be'dlscloso tho demo
cratic leaders almost invariably posing
simply as opponents to whatover legis
lative measures the republicans may be
urglug. The minority reports ren
dered from tho Important committees
on bills of unusual moment simply
present arguments designed to tell why
tho recommendations of tho majority
should not be accepted. Speaklug gen
erally, tho position of tho democrats
on all things beforo congress Is negative
rather than positive and tho tactics of
tholr floor managers obstructive rather
than corrective.
While no one will contend that nn op
position party Is without notable
functions to perform In a popular gov
ernment llko ours, It, can not bo fully
serviceable as a part of tho political ma
chinery so long as it rests content with
that role. Constant criticism of the ad
ministration will force public olllcials
to oxerclso utmost aire v in all their
actions and watchful vlgllnneo over ap
propriations will hold lu check extrava
gance and wastefulness, and insofar as
tho opposition works to this end It
makes Itself to that extent useful. Hut
It Is always the party of construction as
distinguished from tho party of obstruc
tlou that accomplishes results, it Is
tho party that meets Issues as they
arise with tanglblo aud practical propo
sitions that furnishes tho motive power
for progress. It Is tho party that origi
nates ideas and formulates them into
legislation, correcting tho abuses that
appear null strengthening defective
parts, that builds up tho nation aud
clears tho path for Its expanding en
ergy.
That the minority iu tho present
congress has no settled polley except
that of opposition Is nothing strange.
That has been tho dilemma lu which
tho democrats havo regularly found
themselves whenever tho republicans
havo controlled congress and even when
the democrats have been In the major
ity they have fallen lamentably short
of tho demands for constructive legislation.
look our run a day op itF.auxis(
The arbitrary action of the majority
of the city council In overriding the re
monstrance of representative taxpayers
against the flagrant undervaluation of
the live franchlsed corporations cannot
fall to awaken the people to n realiza
tion of tho pernicious Iniluencc exerted
by these corporations upon the taxing
machinery of our city and county gov
ernments. The reduction of the assessment of the
Ilrldgo nnd Terminal company and of tho
Belt line railroad lu palpable violation
of the letter and spirit of the law Is
absolutely Indefensible. According to
the estimate presented by the commit
tee of the Heal Estate exchange, which
Is regnnled ns conservative, the value
of thu properties of the street railway
company, the water company, thu gas
company, the telephone company and
thu electric lighting company within the
limits of the city would aggregate
$12,500,000. Assessed at 40 per cent
of this valuation, tho same as real es
tate, theso corporations would have been
called to pay taxes upon $5,000,000, In
round figures. By continuing tho as
sessments fixed by tho Board of Review,
they will pay on $1,751,810, or only 14.5
per cent,. Instead of 40 per cent of the
truo value.
Tho East Omaha Bridge and Terminal
company represents an Investment of
more thnn $L,000,000, nnd nssumlng that
the shrinkage In the value of this prop
erty Is 50 per cent, Its present market
value could not be less than $1,000,000,
of which one-half Is taxable In this city
and county. The terminals nnd rlght-of-
wnyMn the city limits cannot bo worth
less thnn $200,(KM), which at 40 per cent
would be assessable for $80,000. At the
mileage rate accepted by the council, Its
assessed value will be less than $12,000.
Tho same rank Inequality Is perpetrated
by thu council In the assessment of tho
Bolt line, which paid for Its right-of-way
within tho city limits nt least
$250,000 per mile, but Is assessed nt
$0,000 per mile.
The pretense under which the state
mileage valuation Is adopted Is that
railroads can be taxed for city and
county purposes nt thu rate llxed by tho
State Board of Equalization. This as
sumption, however, Is contradicted by
tho provision of the law relating to mil-
road assessment, whlch applies exclu
sively to railroads that traverse more
than ono county. Neither the East
Omaha nor tho Belt line rullroads reach
beyond tho boundaries of Douglas
county, and, while they mny bo used by
other railroads, they nre not part of
them and are under the law subject to
the same method of assessment that
applies to street railroads aud wagon
bridges.
Whether tho' action of the 'council
shall bo overturned by the courts or not,
the great body of taxpaylng citizens feel
outraged aud exasperated. They will
not rest until thu wrong perpetrated Is
rectified In some way. There will be a
day of reckoning that will bring the
corporation managers to realize that the
policy they aro pursuing In the evasion
of their just share of tho public tax
burdens Is In the end more costly than
a cheerful submission to the law that
would Insure a friendly feeling toward
them by their patrons and tho com
munity nt large.
It might have been expected thnt the
heads of departments In the court house
would object strenuously to n weeding
out of the supernumeraries who are al
ways ablu to bring pressure to bear upon
their superiors. It has always been
difficult to pry men loosu from tho pub
lic crib when their services were never
needed. But tho county commissioners
should not allow themselves to bo bull
dozed or Importuned Into an abandon
ment of tho policy of retrenchment.
They need only to nink.0 a comparison
of tho present pny rolls with the pay
rolls of 11 vo and six 'years ago to bd con
vinced that they can dispense within,
good many of the men who have been
smuggled Into tho various offices during
tho last few years under all sorts of pre
tenses. Tho court houso has not been
enlnrged, neither has the jail or county
hospital; tho voluino of business trans
acted by the county officers Is no greater
and the number of Jnll Inmates and poor
farm dependents has decreased. There
Is no good reason why tho cost of county
government should bo greater now thun
It was In 1805 or 1890. v
Tho United States hns only ono ship
nt Panama, whllo tho liberals, who
threaten to bombard tho town have
three. The commander of tho Ameri
can ship has notified tho liberals that
bombardment will not bo permitted.
As tho liberal ships aro converted mer
chantmen, they aro not likely to clash
with Philadelphia. It might be n
good thlug for some othor countries
of South America If they could Induco
tho United States t,o guarantee free
transit through their dominions, but
Undo Sam has enough wards at pres
ent without accepting additional respon
sibilities. Tho organ of tho county attorney Is
much worked up over tho fact that the
two highwaymen who held up tho cash
ler of a gambling house nt tho point of
a revolver aro liable to go scot free be
causo no one has appeared In tho police
court to complain against them. Such
n state of affairs Is really deplorable.
But why don't the county attorney enter
complaint and prosecute tho men? Sup
poso they had killed everybody lu the
room and no witness remnlned to mako
complaint, would the county attorney sit
still nnd let them walk out of town?
It. Is to bo hoped that the county com
missioners will discontinue their star
chamber sessions. Theru Is no reason
why the public should not know the
position of every member of the board
on every question thnt comes before It.
The secret session may cover the tracks
of men who nre on the wrong side, but
It also does great Injustice to those who
have the courage to stand up for the
Interest of their constituents,
The contest for tho county clerkship
has developed one fact, and that Is that
a large number of Intelligent voters nre
not Intelligent enough to mnrk an Aus
tralian ballot according to tho require
ments of thu law. The man who votes
a scratched ballot always prides him
self ou his, higher Intelligence, but for
some reason he does not exhibit that
intelligence iu the exercise of his privi
lege as u sovereign voter.
With Iho announcement of tho com
ing visit of Prince Henry of Germany
come stories of renewed uctlvlty among
the anarchists, particularly at points he
Is expected to visit, ills royal highness,
however, need have no fear. Ho will
lie In less danger from anarchists lu
this country than he Is at home In Ger
many. A speaker beforu the Woman's club
apologized for his paper ou tho ground
that It was prepared for lawyers and
would havo been differently projected
hnd It been prepared for the women.
Tho question is, Is this a compliment
to the women or to tho lawyers?
Some Cnnse for Thankfulness.
Washington Post.
The American women who paint their
faces arc doubtless thankful that they aro
not under tho jurlsiltlon of tho Interior
department.
Mnrylnnd'n Ilcllcf.
Washington Star.
After Its experlenco with Senator Wel
lington, Maryland will experience a certain
relict In welcoming as his successor a man
whoso conversation la always modeled on
tho strictest lines of diplomacy.
Wlint a Chniiicr, My Countrymen.
Indianapolis News.
Tho spcctacln of congressmen present
ing a petition to tho speaker of tho houBO
praying for tho consideration of certain
measures is a beautiful one. And this Is
a representative government, tool When
Speaker Heed was called a czar no Joko was
intended.
I'nrole ot Prisoners lit loirn.
IndlanajMills Journal.
Ex-Governor .Shaw of Iowa explains that
tho actual pardons granted during his term
of oflloo wero fewer'than thoso of his prede
cessors, but ho says ho did parolo a largo
number on thp condition that it they vio
lated tho laws they woro' to bo roturnod to
the penitentiary. That Is, Governor Shaw
followed tho policy Involved In tho Indo
tcrmlnato sentence' '
One Credit Mnrk.
Minneapolis Journal.
Tho United States Steel corporation is a
trust, In popular pnrlanco. Thcrctoro little
good Is spoken of li: But fair play do
mands that It should bo said that there
nro many evidehces'ftiat this corporation le
bolng managed 'In a( spirit of fairness, Just
ness and generosity. Tho latest ovldenco
of Its liberal 'managertont' Is the offer 'to
tho engineers of lts'ske steamers of sal
aries about J300 iaoxcoss.ot what tho men
bad expected.
EnrthquakeNT1n Nicaragua.
Fhlladolpiila Record.
Tho earthquake shock experienced on
Thursday last In, southwestern Mexico Illus
trates, and exemplifies tho unstable quality
of tho territory lying along the Sierra
Madrc rango ot, mountains. And it is
through this range that tho western sec
tion of tho proposed Nicaragua canal Is to
bo cut. Thereafter the fateful cry "Trem
blers!" will mean somothtng more In tho
lathmlan region than destruction of frail
buildings and perturbation among an Igno
rant peasantry.
AVhat Are Vren' School Fort
Chicago Cjhronlcle.
Not to enable the .rich to scno) their eons
and daughters to universities.
Not to teach any language but English
nt least until every child of Chicago ot
school ago and attending a public school
shall have mastered English.
Not to teach tho dispensable until every
child In tho nchcols shall have mastered
tho Indispensable.
Tho lndlwpensables are reodlng, writing,
spelling, grammar and arithmetic.
These It. Is now a fashion to sneer at.
But ovory Intelligent man and woman
knows that theso are the foundation of all
knowledge. Vlthqut theso education Is Im
possible. As wqll" conceive a column wlthr.
out a base- as education without tho three'
IU. With the thrco ns any child may pro
ceed to tho top of success In tho United
States, success In any Hold. Without tho
three Its a. child starts out ln'llfo an "ar
rested development" whom no after oppor
tunity can avail.
TIAYEI II V 11AIL.
ItUk nt Mfe or I.lnib Exceedingly
Small.
Washington Post.
Travel by roll Is the safest of all moth-
ods of locomotion, not excepting oven tho
primitive way. It may bo doubtod If thero
be any othor place or any amusement or
occupation in which such a degreo of per
sonal safety Is assured as the passenger
In n railway car possesses. Tho annual re
port of tho New York stato railroad com
mission for 1901, just Issued, derives spe
cial Interest from tho tragedy of the tun
nel which marked tho first month of the
now year. During 1001 tho number of pas
sengers killed on tho steam surfaco rail
roads In Now York atato was only slxtcon
for the entlro 17.R18 miles of track In oper
ation and out ot a total of about 82,000,000
paaseugors carried, but even thnt compara
tively small number was on Increaso of ex
actly 100 per cent over the record of 1900,
when there were only eight passengers
killed out of a total of about 74,000,000 car
ried. In 1901 theso Now York railroads
killed ono passenger out of every 5,119,813
carried, as against ono killed for every
9,230,764 carried in 1900. Tho avorago of
fatalities for -the pBt five years hoB been
fifteen. Tho record for the current year
begins sadly, but there la no reason to
look for a series of such calamities as that
over which tho metropolis Is being pho
nornonally worked up by yellow newspa
pcrs.
Tho report as to Injuries not fatal re
ceived by passengers whllo traveling on
New York steam surfacu railroads In 1001
shows that thero wero 375 persons so In
Jurrd, as compared with only 165 Injured
In 1900. This Increaso U not accounted
for, and It Is regarded as strange In view
of tho fact that there was an Increaso In
tho number nnd effectiveness of safety op-
pllanros. Tho New York Commercial,
speaking of the figures for 1901, says that
"when only ono pasBengor out of 6,000,000
Is killed the chances of death aro really so
remoto that most ot us can tako a seat la
a rtlway car without a thought of the risk
JtP.ved." ,
HITS OP WASHItlTON 1,11'Ml.
'tclilliRN of People mill Kventn n( llir
.ntlimnl Otiillnl.
It Is announced that tho Century will
print In the February and March numbers
nn authorltatlvo account of tho plans for
tho beautifying of Washington, as devised
by tho congressional commission, A plas
ter model of tho plans Is on exhibition In
Washington and Is very generally recom
mended. A glimpse of tho scnlo on which
tho Improvements nro projectod mny bo
hnd In theso paragraphs from the first
article In tho February number, by Mr.
Charles Moore, clerk of tho senate com
mltteo on tho district:
"Lot ono Imagine himself standing on tho
western terraco of the capltol on a summer
afternoon. At the foot of the extended
grounds great fountains toss clouds of re
freshing spray Into tho heated atmosphere.
From tho foot of tho capltol hill to and up
the monument slope, a mile and a halt dis
tant, two lines of stately elms march ma
jestically In column of fours, ono column
on each side of a carpet of grconsward 300
feet wide. Buildings of white mnrblo gleam
behind tho rows of elms; where tho streets
cross tho Mall great bands ot light lie
across the stretches of trco-shndow; car
riages nnd riders pass and repass on tho
roadway half covered by tho grateful shade,
whllo pedestrians linger under tho wldo-
spreading treca. Thus, by a simple device
of planting, tho monument Is brought Into
tho vista of tho capital.
"Or suppose that tho observer stands at
tho monument, with his goto still directed
to the setting sun. Tho spaoo about him,
as extonstvo as tho piazza facing St. rotor's,
Is flanked by elms beneath which children
play. At his feet broad stairs lead down
to. a formal garden Inclosed by wooded ter
races, and from this garden tho broad open
ing leads to a long canal, trce-bordcrcd, us
at Versailles. Nearly a mllo away, wiioro
tho axis meets tho Potomac, Is a great
rpnd-polnt surmounted by a Doric portico
commemorating tho ono man In our na
tional history who Is worthy to stand with
Washington Abraham Lincoln."
President Roosevelt delights to Indulge,
In reminiscences of what was really tho
wild and wooly went when ho wns living
on a ranch and building up his constitu
tion. Recently ho , entertained a delega
tion ot labor leaders and cabinet officials,
who took luncheon with him, with stories
of some ot his experiences. All ot them
typified tho strenuous llfo which ho wn.-i
then living nnd about which ho has writ
ten so Interestingly in tho past.
One story related to tho tragic ending of
a dance which was given on Roosevelt's
ranch. Tho music was furnished by a sln
glo fiddler, who wns thoroughly Imbued
with tho spirit of tho plains. During an
interval following n wild nnd hilarious
Boston dip which Roosevott hnd learned
whllo at Harvard tho fiddler wont outdoors
and becamo Involved In a quarrel with a
cowboy. In thoso days words wero not
wasted when altercnttons arose, nnd In less
tlmo than It takes to tell tho luckless fid
dler was stretched out dead.
"Tho most singular feature of tho Inci
dent," tho president went on to say, "was
tho gonoral manifestation ot angor becauso
there was no, ono to furnish music for tho
continuation of tho dnnco. Thero seemed
to be no sympa'thy for tho fiddler, and Inas
much ns It was impossible to get another
musician within a hundred miles, tho danco
had to break un."
In speaking further of tho disregard for
the valuo of human llfo In tho halcyon days
of tho wostern cowboy, tho president ro
tated this llttlo story:
"A train was passing hy ons , of the
ranches In our neighborhood ono day nnd
three brakemcn wer6 standing togotbor
surveying the landscape. Two cowboys
were standing somo distance away and ono
ot them remarked: 'Now juBt watch mo
pick oft the fellow that's standing In the
middle.' He put his rifle to his shoulder,
a report followed, and tho innocent brake
man toppled over mortally wounded."
Congressman Butler of St. Louie Is hav
ing trouble with his laundryman. The
congressman, who Is ot huge, proportions,
Bays ho can bo comfortable anywhere It his
collar fits his shlrtband. Without a thor
ough agreement between thoso portions of
his apparel ho Is utterly miserable. Ho has
been miserable over slnco bo arrived In
Washington, so when his clothes went to
tho waBh IaBt weok they were accompanied
by tho following appealing note:
"To the roan, girl or Chinaman who docs
up my laundry: For the peace of mind ot
a member ot congress who comes from tho
wild wost will not you put forth your best
endeavors to mako tho Inclosed collars fit
the Inclosed shirts, as does the ono which I
havo Inclosed as a sample of good laundry
work? It was laundered In St. Louis, Mo.,
and it should be a matter of pride with you,
a resident ot the nation's capital, to do as
much for tho comfort of mankind ns do tho
laundrymon of tho llttlo town on tho, Mis-'
slsslppl. Permit mo to add that not only
my blessing, but' "substantial reward, Will
follow tho 'proper laundering of my linen.
Beseechingly yours,
"JAMES JOSEPH BUTLER. M. C."
Tho congressman sent a collar and shirt
which had been laundered In St. Louis ns a
copy for tho Washington cleaners to work
by, "I thought I would touch their hearts
If I did not arouso their cupidity," said
Mr. Butler, "but look how this collar nts
this ehlrtband," and ho craned his neck to
show how the collar had been stretched
until there was nearly an inch of unoccu
pied space between it and his shirt. "I am
going to Introduce a bill permitting con
gressmen to' frank their laundry to St.
Louis."
The most popular breakfasts which are
being given In Washington thin winter oto
those served Sunday mornings In the quaint
old houso in Lafayette square which Is oc
cupied by Senator Honno. Corned beef
hash and buckwheat cakes are the chief
dlshee offered and connoisseurs ay that
thoso are the finest dishes of tho sort they
havo over tasted. Mr. Hanna numbers
among his Sunday morning guests fellow
senators, diplomats, cabinet officers and the
upper ten of tho nation's society. As he Is
remarkably frco with his invitations tho
tablo Is always filled at his Sunday morn
ing breakfasts. Several of his guests,
"Uncle Joo" Canon ot Illinois among them,
woro so fascinated by Mr. Hanna's hash
that they did not wait for an Invitation tho
second tlmo they fait hungry for that sort
of food, but ronde tholr wny to the Hanna
homo and tho first Intimation tho senator
had of tholr corning was when the butler
announced their arrival. Mr. Hanna, how
ever, says ho hopes there always will bo
enough hash for all,
"I onco won a case with one of James
Whltcomb Riley's pooms," says Congress
man Brick of Indiana, who Is a lawyer,
"and so I Btand for him. I was defending
a roan charged with stealing silk, and it
looked so bad for him that I decided on
an appeal to the Jury. I did the best I
could with the evldenco, but I banked most
on tho fact that the defendant was a young
man with a wife and child, and It would go
hard for all ot them to havo him go to thu
penitentiary for a term ot years. My whole
argument led up to tho point where I closed
with Riley's llttlo poem, 'Back from a Two
Yoars' Scutence.' Whan I finished tho jury
was In tears, and oven tho judgo and tho
attorney for tho prosecution were affected,
The Jury took just one ballot and returned
verdict ot not euiity.'l
HRSTIjHSSKF.JIS OP TIIF. POI.KS.
Tj-rnnnlrnl Penlnrrs of Clermany's
Aanlnillnt Inn Policy.
Review of Reviews.
Tho Hermans havo been so ruthlers, and
at times no .cruel nnd tyrannical, In this
business, that thp Russian government It
self, which holds contiguous parts of what
was once Poland, has been obliged to con
voy hints to the Hermans that their nieth
oda bid fair to ireato difficulties for both
Russia nnd Austria. In other words, the
partition of Polnnd has not destroyed the
Polish racial self-cnnsclousncss, and tinder
conceivable circumstances tho Poles might
rise in nnothor struggle for Independence.
It Is not half so likely that anything of
this sort will happen, however, as that the
Polish subjects of tho three adjacent em
pires will be treated with much more def
erence In the future than In tho past. The
Poles now number about 16,000,000 people,
of whom perhaps 3,000,000 aro In eastern
rrussln, chiefly In the province of Toscn:
4,000,000 In northeastern Austria, chiefly
In the province of Hallcln, nnd about
8,000.000 In the extreme western part of
Russln. The former kingdom of Tolnnd
occupied n region nlmost ns large as
France, extending from tho Baltic sea nl
most or quite to the Black sea. The Aus
trlans havo practically ceased all attempt
to Interfere with tho Poles of Galtcln, who
aro comparatively contonted In their chief
towns of Cracow and lumber, and whose
representatives appear In tho Rclchsrath at
Vienna ns n distinct Polish group. Tho
whole tendency In the Austro-Hungnrlan
empire Is In tho direction of the revival of
old nationalities. Tho Hungarians, of
course, long ago won their complete eman
cipation from the Austrian Germans, and
tho Bohemians aro steadily gaining ground
In their assertion of their right to uso tholr
own languago and maintain their own iden
tity ns n rnce. These struggles by other
races have naturally counted In favor of
tho Austrian Poles. Tho Russian Poles,
whose capital Is nt Warsaw, are not so
favornbly sltunted as tholr brethren across
tho Attstrlnn lino; but inasmuch as the
Poles, llko the Russians, nre of Slavonlo
stock, they seem to live more comfortably
under Russian than under German rulo, es
pecially since the Russians do not antag
onize their use of the Polish language. Tho
Prussian government, on tho other hand,
has been extremely relentless in its attempt
to Germanize the province of Posen, nnd
the Poles of that Province have had the
active sympathy and encouragemont of their
compatrlotg across tho Russian and Aus
trian frontiers. The press of eastern Eu
rope has teemed with this engrossing topic,
and the Polish Immigrants in this country
nre following it eagerly.
I'KHSO.N'AI, NOTKS.
Rlchnrd Croker pays a pcrsonnl tax of
only $587. What a lot of fun and cxclto
mcnt ho has had for his money.
Frnnk Mulock of Berlin, Wis., has of
fered tho Milwaukee, commltteo who will
erect a monument to Kosciusko tho granlto
base for tho statue, which he will quarry
from his farm.
Judge Morris of Ohio recently held
that thero Is a distinction between nn
habitual drinker nnd on habitual drunkard
nnd refused n dlvoroo to a wlfo who had
alleged habitual drunkenness on tho part
of nor husband.
Secretary Hay's funeral oration on Wil
liam McKlnloy will bo delivered beforo tho
senate and houso ot representatives at
Washington on February 27 twenty years
to a day after Secretary Blalno's previous
oration in memory of Garfield.
Bishop Potter's suggestion that prlvato
art galleries should bo thrown open to the
public nt rogulor and frequent Intervals Is
not generally well thought of by tho col
lectors of such treasures, although among
tho tow who approve of It is George J.
Gould, who has ono of the most important
collections In tho country.
Whllo busily engaged In the transaction
of city business n day or two ago Mayor
Collins, tho now chief magistrate of Bos
ton, was notified that Mrs. Hetty Green
wished to sco him on private business. Tho
mayor scut word that his office hours woro
entirely given up to city nffalrs and he
could not see Mrs. Green. "Tho richest
woman In America" was angry, but had to
submit.
The engravers of tho Bureau of Engrav
ing and Printing have completed a vignette
of President Roosovolt, which will be used
as tho official plcturo of tho president.
After his death it may bo used on govern
ment money or securities, but not until
then. This vignette was mado frota what
was decided to be tho best photograph of
the president after every photograph ho
had hod taken In the last ten years had
been examined.
Stuart Robson spoko In happy vein be
foro tho curtain nt the Hyperion theater,
Now Haven, a few evenings ago. Ho said:
"Just forty-threo years ago, the first tlmo
I appeared beforo a Now Haven audlcnco,
I was arrested by tho sheriff of this city
because, I didn't have money enough to
pay my theatrical llqcise, which was 120.
It wns a 15 houso. In thoso days Yale
university discriminated in favor of tho
circus, which only had to pay a llconso
of $5.
It is said In Ohio that Governor Georgo
IC. Nash has now realized the ardent dream
of his life In having for the second tlmo
been chosen ns chief executive of tho state.
At his recent second Inauguration he sold:
"For tho future I have but ono ambition,
tho most sacred of my life. It in to show
my appreciation of tho people wbe havo bo
highly honored me by being their faithful
servant during tho noxt two yoars. Upon
this foundation must rest whatover ot tamo
lives after me."
Here, Tak
This!
Make him take it. His night cough has
kept you awake long enough. He wouldn't
be so stubborn about it if he knew how quickly
Ayer's Cherry Pectoral would cure a cough,
even the coughs of bronchitis, croup, asthma
and la grippe. When he's cured he will thank
you for insisting upon having your own way
Your own doctor will uphold you in this.
Try him and see.
"Ayer's Cherry Pectoral cured my daughter of a very bad cough aftw
we had tried about everything eUa without relief."
E. B. Davis, Providence, R- L
lie, Mc. II M.
Hl'PACKMKNT OP THIS IIOtlSH.
Srnnle MonopoHir the Honor n n
Delltiernllre lloil)-.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican.
Tho leaders of the majority party In tho
United States houso of representatives ap
pear In the curious attitude of persons bent
upon tho destruction of their own Im
portance nnd thnt. of the whole body of rep
rcsontntlvrs ns factors In national legisla
tion. Aloluto power over tho presenta
tion, discurston and amendment of meas
ures hns been given to tho speaker of a
committee on rules nnd this coterie of less
than half n dozen men entirely dominates
all proceedings. It decides what shall be
considered and for how long and by whom,
and the precise course of any measure, Is
determined In advance. Deliberation under
this method of procedure, of course, be
comes out of tho question and discussion
sinks to tho level of mere mechanical ut
terance In so far ns effect upon tho house
Is concerned. Accordingly even discussion
Is discouraged, and tho most Important
measures nro now ,regulnrly whipped
through the hottto within two nnd three
days of tlmo.
They might ns well be limited In passngo
to two or three minutes. Tho practical re
sults nro tho snmo. The difference Is only
ono of nppenrances. Tho Nicaragua cannl
bill, committing, tho government to nn en
terprise of great moment, wns given thrco
days for consideration. The Philippine
tariff bill, involving principles and policies
of government of tho first magnitude, was
railroaded through in as brief a time.
Deliberation left tho houso entirely in both
cases, nnd debnto was reduced to a farce.
New developments Bines' the framing of
the bills for passngo aro practically ex
cluded from consideration, and referred to
tho senate, nlong with tho wholo subject
matter, for such consideration as thoy deserve.
This dclibcrato sclf-effaeomcnt of n great
legislative body la probably without n par
nllel In history. It Is tho senato now which
deliberates and legislates, nnd tho country
recognizes tho fact, aa tho houso concedes
It. A petition now being circulated for sig
natures, Is addressed not to congress, ns It
ordinarily might be, but to tho senate.
This Is tho real law-making body nt Wash
ington. It Is tho only part of the legisla
tive power which debates and deliberates,
nnd by vlrtuo of this fnct docs It bocomo
the ono branch of congress which now regu
larly determines tho course nnd character
of our legislation. The senato will de
cide tho route of tho Isthmian canal. The
sennto will dccldo whether full tariff or no
tariff ehall prevail against Philippine Im
ports. The house, by Us own deliberate
action, Is making Itself a cipher In national
legislation. For all practical purposes,
as It Is now going, it might as well be ad
journed for an Indefinite period.
LIGHT A2VI lilVUIiV.
Cleveland Plain Denier: "I found the les
on tho pond dreadfully slippery yestcrduy."
"What did you do?1
"I went away back nnd suddenly sat
down." ,
Philadelphia Press: "That young widow
Is always so pleasant. Thoro's nothing
llko having a hnppy disposition."
"No, but there's hucIi a tiling as carry
ing a hnppy disposition too far."
"Think so?"
"Yes; for Instance, when one laughs nt
ono's husbnnd'n funeral."
Somcrvlllo Journal: Every visitor to
Washington must bo Impressed with tho
appropriateness of tho location rtf tho Chi
neso minister's realdcnco on Q street.
Chicago Post: "I'll mnteli you," nald
the sporty girl, "to bco whether I shall
accent you or not."
"Alas." replied tho foxy suitor, "you'ro
more- than n match for me." 1
Thus, by his compliment, ho ,von,ihcr .
Philadelphia Press: Klosc Sco linre!
When nro you going to puy me back thnt
dollar you borrowed?
Grnphtor Why, man, I earned that dol
lar. I hnd to work hn hour nt least be
foro I got It out of you.
Atlnnta Constitution: "Haven't made n
dollar this year," sold the Georgia man,
"but I've struck it rich at last!"
"You havo?"
"Yes; I'm going to enter tho race for
office, nnd get tho other candidates to pay
mo a dollar npleco to drop outl"
Baltimore American: I "In your story of
this wedding," criticised tho city editor,
"you say 'the brldo led to the altar.' You
should havo written that sho 'was led to
the altnr.' "
"Is that so?" retorted the new reporter,
conscious of being on Hrtn ground. "It
happens that I know that bride. Sho l
38 years old. and It is a cinch that she led
all tho way."
Washington Star: "Thero!" said Mrs.
Cumrox, "I miens wo havo nt last eclipsed
tho Van Flams as entertainers. We aro
going to havo It put In the papers that our
recent entertainment cOBt $40,000."
"But tho Van Flams claim theirs cost
JG0.O00."
"Yes. But nn affidavit will go with our
figures."
PAIR WAn.MIVG.
Somcrvlll Journal. ' . "
I would not teach a girl to skate,
It Is a chilly tnsk.
So, girls, unless you'd be refused,
I warn you, do not ask.'
I do not llko on freezing days .
To kneel down on the Tco,
And fumhlo 'round to buckle straps
I do not think it's nice.
And when at Inst the skates are on,
I think It In no fun
To hold tho girl up all tho time,
Although she weighs a ton.
I hnto to gulda her awkward steps,
And have her 'cling to me.
As If I woro her only frlond.
In helplesa gauchcrlo.
And when at times I havn to put
My arm nroiind her waist,
To keep hor standing on hor feet,
I feel It Is misplaced.
Oh, no, this teaching1 girls to skate.
Is n dJntnstoful task.
So, girls, unless you'd bo refused,
I warn you not to askt
J. C. AVRR CO., Uwell, Mass,
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