THE OMATTA DAILY Tltti TUESDAY, DECEMUnR 20, 100.1. fHiE Omaiia Daily Bee. K. ROSEWATER, EDITOR. PUBLISHED EVERT MORNING. tkrmb of SUBSCRIPTION. fHilly Bee (without Sundsy). Onu Year.. MOO IfcJly Bee and Sunday. One Year 6 00 Illustrated Bff, One Year -J" Sunday Bee, One Year J ' Paturriiiy Hee, One Veur J V? Twentieth Century Farmer. One Year.. l.W DELIVERED UY CARRIER. Pally Ree (without Sunday), per cony.... 2c Ially Ilea (without Sunday), per week... .120 Tally Bee (Including Sunday), per week..lic Sunday Bee, per copy v Evening Dm .without Sunday), per week c Evening Bee (including Sunday), Ppr week ' c ComplaWs'of 'irregularities In delivery should be addressed to City Circulation De partment OFFICES. Omaha The Bee Building. South Omaha-City Hall nulldlng, Twenty-fifth and M Streets. Council Bluffs 10 Penrl Street. Chicago l&M Unity Building. New York Park Row Building. Washington tol Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communication! relating to new and edi torial matter should te addressed: Omaha llee, Editorial Department. REMITTANCES. Remit by draft, express or postal order payable to The Bee Publishing Company, unly 2-cent atampa accepted In payment or mall account. Personal checka. except on Omaha or eastern exchange, not accepted. TUB BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. State of Nebraaka, Douglas County, ss.: Oeorgn B. Tiachuck, secretary of The Be Publishing Company, being duly sworn, says that the actual number of full and complete copies of The Dally. Morning. Evening and Sundsy Bee printed during the month of .November, iwh. was as ronows , i o,ero I 80,8-40 I SO.Ottft 4 B7.400 i 80,030 41,1 UO T ai.TSO 1 2,8K I... 80,1X0 10 MOO It XS.90O i! 2U.04O 13 4O,0BB 1 29,810 15 ...S,BO 1 29.T40 K 80,t0 IS 1,S40 19 80,2:10 K) 40.IMIS ai ...ao.oao J2 27,1 TO U 80,030 24 80,1 20 25 30.000 h! 81,1..0 V 81,020 B 80,100 29 27,023 10 30,300 TotsJ 932,35 Less unsold and returned copies.... 10,262 Net total sales 922.0T3 Net average sales 8O.T80 GEORGE B. TZSCHUCK. Subscribed In my presence and sworn to before ma this K)th day of November, A. D. (Seal.) . Notary Public Among the air castles projected for 1004 Is the new South Omaha city hall and a new Douglas county court house. The precautionary advice for chil dren and grown people to keep away from holes In the Ice Is again season able. Having come entirely on his own hook, ihero is nothing w hut ever to prevent Oencral Reyes taking his departure at his own pleasure. The Mad Mullah is said to be taming down because he has become a IIungTy Mullah. Other animals usually become madder as they grew hungrier. -t How an Illinois coal company should go Into a. receivership at this period of the year is a puzzle for which no an swer can be found In the book. . The Judges-elect of the district court will now wrestle with the reassignment of the dockets. , If all the divisions had exclusive equity Jurisdiction the prob lem would be much simplified.. Senator Allen's plea for longer Judi cial tenures will be heartily echoed by all the slttting Judges, provided it Is coupled with a condition precedent that they first have the benefit of the length- cned terms. Elaborate preparations are being made by the admirers of W. J. Bryan for a big banquet to be tendered him on his return from Europe. It is safe to pre dict that no seats will be reserved for amnestied prodigals. Anotner prize tight between the big bruisers la about to be pulled off. It cannot amount to much, however, as neither of the principals has been work ing his Jaws enough to attract very widespread attention. The Board of Fire and Police Com missioners will now have to go through a touch of the strenuous life to pass on all the protests and counter protests lodged against pending applications for licenses to sell liquor in Omaha during the year 1004. General Bates complains that the new recruits enlisting for military service are t up to the standard as compared tfith former years. The prospect of a trip to the Philippines, with expenses lald by Uncle Sam, Is not so alluring to able-bodied men as It used to be. The location of the democratic na- tlonat convention is still to be fixed, but no dazzling offers of subsidies have as yet been forthcoming, Neither the prestige of a democratic convention nor the label of a democratic platform is an asset that is readily converted into cash. Former Senator William V. Allen would like to extend the terms of elective Judges fifteen years and curtail the terms of federal Judges who now hold life tenure to the same period. For .obvious reasons that plan is not likely to go into operation for several years. It la an ill wind that blows nobody good. Whether Russia and Japan come to blows or finally adjust their differ ences by diplomacy, or arbitration, South Omaha meat packers will supply the belligerents with the stuff that makes muscle for cash or sight drafts payable In gold. Present Incumbents of offices in the state house have not yet completed the first year of their first term, or the first year of their second term, and it would seem a trifle too early for projecting candidates to the front for nomination next summer. Political slates made lo the cold month of December are liable to dissolve Into air before the hot month of July or August PMBHAHKAH MCCCPKRATITB PVWBH. The ninrTPlotis recuperative power of Nebraska is strikingly exhibited by comparison of Its banking facilities and Isink deposits. On March 4, 18WI, when the commercial depression that followed the crash of 1S03 and the drouth years of lH'M and 1805 "had reached the (rreat est extreme, the deioslts In Nebraska state banks aggregated 10,227,537. Four years later, on March 4, lfXK), the deposits of the state banks aggregated $2.i,S04.orl). During the third week of December, 11)03. the aggregnte deposits in Nebraska state banks amounted to a fraction over $37,000,000. The deposits in the national banks of Omaha and South Omaha In 18THJ were a fraction under $15,000,000. . The de- posits in the Omaha and South Omaha banks on November 17, 1003, aggregated $30,840,020.9(5. The aggregate deposits in all the Nebraska banks, including Omnha and South Omaha, In 1890, were in round figures $23,000,000. The total bank deposits In December, 1903, ex ceeded $120,000,000. When it is borne In mind that thou sands of mortgages aggregating mil lions of dollars have been lifted from Nebraska farms and homes since 181X1 this stupendous Increase In the tangible wealth of the state within a period of less than eight years would seem almost Incredible. When It Is further borne In mind that the bulk of this wealth has been drawn from the products of Ne braska's soil, after paying more than $300,000,000 to the railroads for trans- porting them to the world's markets, Nebraska can point with pride to an achievement unsurpassed In the annals of American progress and Justly lay claim to more than Its share of the pros perity which the whole country has been recently enjoying. GROWTH OF TAAUK WITH CANADA. The advocates of reciprocity with Can ada may find some encouragement in the figures of trade with our northern neighbor recently given out by the Bureau of Statistics1 at Washington. These show that in spite of tariff bar riers and the preference given for the last five years by the British colony to the mother country, American trade with the Dominion has been steadily growing, having more than doubled in value dur ing the last ten years. For the present year our exports to Canada will amount to $130,000,000 and our Imports from that country to $55,000,000, leaving a balance in favor of the United States of $73,OO0,COO. Referring to the statistics the Boston Transcript remarks that it must be re membered that the period covered by them has been one of unusually strained relations between the two countries, so far as mutually unfriendly legislation could affect the tension. 'If so much has been accomplished," says that paper, "In spite of a system of friction, dual in its operations, what gratifying results might have been attained bad the frlc tion been removed and our transactions been on a basis of mutual satisfaction and comparative freedom. we are now trading because we have to. Could we put our business intercourse on a basis of reciprocal Justice we should trade because we Wanted to and with mutual and greatly increased profit" It is by no means to be assumed as certain that if a reciprocity arrangement had been In operation we should have exported more to the Dominion than we have done. It Is absolutely certain, on the other hand, that we should have taken considerable more of the natural products of Canada than have been Im ported, which would have come into competition with our own natural prod ucts, as many believe to the disad vantage of American producers. It mar be admitted that it would be beneficial to both countries to have business inter course on a basis of reciprocal Justice, but Canada has not as yet proposed such a basis and Judging from some recent utterances of her leading men is not likely to whenever Canada is pre pared to consider the question of reci procity on a fair and 'equitable basis, instead of seeking an arrangement which, like that of 1854, would be one sided in its operation, it Is not to be doubted that she will receive attention. Otherwise her efforts to secure reci procity are pretty sure to prove unavail ing. THB EASTERN WAR CLOCD. Conditions in the far east have agalu taken on a more warlike aspect and while it is not to be assumed that hostilities between Russia and Japan are Inevitable, there is very strong prob- ability of it. it seems evident that a definite Issue, one way or the other. raunot he postponed much longer, for although each nation has avoided any- thing In the nature of an absolute ultl- nintuiu and both profess an earnest de- sire for the preservation of peace, the preparations steadily going ou indicate a belief that war is more than a possi bility. Much will depend upon the char acter of Russia's reply to Japan's last note, which ought to be soon fortheonj ftig. It It should not le satisfactory to I the Japanese government and should ap - pear to be Intended, as it is not unlikely will be the case, to enable Russia to gain more time for preparation and perhaps also to ierfect the diplomatic Intrigues of which she Is suspected, it is by no means Improbable that Japan will take some definite action, possibly In the form of an ultimatum. There la reluctance on both sides to be gin hostilities, because of certain distinct diplomatic disadvantages that might arise In the path of the aggressor. There Is a tr aty of alliance between Great Britain and Japan which Is understood to stipulate aid and supiort in case either party were attacked. It is pointed out that Japan would hesitate to take the aggressive, because by such Act it would forfeit the claim to the aid of its ally. Russia would hesitate through dis like to give Japan the diplomatic ad vantage which would result from an at- tack upon her. Whether or rot any of the Kuropean powers, particularly Eng land and France, are making any ef forts to avert' war is not positively known, but undoubtedly the govern ments of those countries are deeply In terested in the situation and keeping careful watch of the course of events. In the event of war the position of the United States would of course be that of absolute neutrality, but American sym pathy is unquestionably with Japan, be cause the contention of that nation la In the interest of the civilised and com mercial world. The efforts of Japan arc directed to maintaining that policy In the far east for which the United States and other nations have contended and which there Is good reason to believe would be endangered by the extension of Russian power ther$. Commercially considered, a Kusso-Japanese war would doubtless create an Increased demand for our food stuffs, but such a conflict could not but be deplored, whatever the material ad vantages that any country might derive from it. Until Russia makes reply to the last note from Japan the news from the far east Is not likely to be particu larly Interesting, but In the meantime there will be a general feeling of anxiety and solicitude. AN OLD QOtSTIOIt REVIVED. The committee on territories of the senate has tinder consideration a bill for the protection of fur-bearing seals In Alaskan waters. The measure pro- rides for a review of the situation con cernlng the seals by representatives of the United States and Great Britain, with a view to prescribing regulations for the protection of those animals and If no agreement can be reached it authorizes the secretary of the treasury to kill all but a limited number of the male and female seals on the Trlbllof group of Islands. The revival of this matter, which has been a source of Irri tation and controversy for years, ought to lead to some definite result. Some years ago an arrangement was made with the British government looking to seal protection, but the result has not been satisfactory, for the reason that the British did not carry out their part of the agreement, and it is safe to say that no future arrangement will prove satisfactory. What is desired is to put a stop to pelagic sealing, In which there is Indis criminate slaughter of the animals, the ultimate result of which must neces sarily be their extinction. As Canadians are chiefly responsible for this the Brit ish governtnfnt is not disposed to Inter fere with them. Perhaps it Is well to have the situation again investigated, though this has been done a number of times, and that another effort be made to get an agreement for the protection of the seals, but experience does not warrant confidence that such an agree- ment would prove effective. The alter- native of killing all but a limited num ber of seals will doubtless be regarded by many as far too drastic. , TAK1XQ A HEW TACK. When the ordinance granting the privi lege of planting signboards, in the streets and alleys of Omaha to an en terprising set of promoters was laid to sleep by the council some weeks ago it was thought that the scheme had re ceived its quietus. It appears, however, that the schemers who have exhibited such paternal Interest in strangers who might lose their way in the streets of Omaha were actuated by prudential rea sons in refraining from pushing the sign board ordinance through the council and up against the mayor. Now that public attention has been distracted in other directions another effort is being made to revive the sign board scheme, not by an ordinance, but by resolution. This change of tactics Is presumably designed to avoid a mayor's veto and a possible shortage of votes in the council to pass the ordt nance over the mayor's head should he refuse to sanction it. We feel sure, how ever, that public sentiment has under gone no change with regard to the sign board nuisance any more than it his on the billboard nuisance. The people of Omaha are anxious to have the city beautified, not disfigured. Tney would rather forego the convert lence that may be derived from street corner signboards than be confronted by street corner advertisements. At any rate, the council would not be warranted in attempting to do by indirection what it would not feel justified by public sentiment In doing In the open. Senator Tlatt of New York declares that the Empire state will send a Roose velt delegation to the national repub lican convention. Governor Odell Is an outspoken champion of Roosevelt and all the big political leaders who are active in New York politics are also on record for him. The chances are that all the talk about opposition developing that would prevent the president from having the support of his own state delegation will vanish Into thin air before the dele gates come to be chosen. With all the scientific and educational 1 societies in session this week we ought to get a pretty good Idea of the progress made In various lines of scientific re search. That is the most useful func tion these conventions serve, by telling what has been done and what Is yet to be done, thus preventing duplication of labor and directing thought to untrodden fields. They afford a sort of annual in veutory1 of educational and scientific achievement. Since the adoption of the Howell am nesty resolutions by the Omaha Jack sonlans the harmony in the democratic camp is thicker than New Orleans molasses in midwinter. "There is light In the window," exclaims Mr. Metcock ''and while the lamp holds out to burn the vilest sinner may return." With such demonstrations of spontaneous for giveness we feel sure that repentant deserters from the Bryanlte democ- racy, like Ir. oeorge l. Miner, iirao thy J. Mahoney, Henry W. Yates, Judge W. D. McIIugh. J. M. Woolworth and John A. McShane, will feel highly hon ored by being permitted to occupy the seats reserved at tho Jacksonlan ban queting board for reinstated prodigals. The Hetdao Cometh. Chicago News. Qt what enjoyment you can out of the holidays before some gloomy person rises to point out the ominous circumstance that the first day of the new year falls on Friday. Haloa for the Prodigals. St. Louis Qlobe Democrst. Nebraska democrats have decided that It was not treason to vote against Colonel Bryan In 1896 and 1900. In another year the antl-Bryanltes will be wearing badges of honor. Wreckage as . Aromrnt, Washington Poet. The railroad companies are presenting forcible arguments In support of the em ployes' contention that all paaaenger cars should be constructed as strongly as Pull man sleepers. Toning Ip the System, Chicago Tribune. The United States senate, according to the expense account, used 10,000 quinine pills last year.' Probably the senators fur nished the other Ingredient In the pre scription themselves. Strong Eaoogh to Owe It. . Washington Post. They have It figured out now that Charley Schwab owes the shipbuilding trust $18,000, 000. Mis physician reports that he has so far recovered his health that he feels per fectly able to keep owing It. ' Takes Money to Fight. Boston Transcript. Fortunately it coats money to be looking for trouble, elm Japan and Russia would have been at each other's throats long ago, Desirable as It Is that disturbers of the peace shall be arrested and tried at The Hague for disorderly conduct. It Is still more desirable that would-be disturbers shall be mulcted In advance on the bourses. Secretary Root's Campaign Manager, Philadelphia Record (dem.). Democrats may well regard with ap prehension the efforts to Induce Secre tary Root to take charge of the Roose velt campaign next year. Mr. Root Is a man of great force and resource. There Is probably not his superior In the . game of politics In the country. He has 1 brain power that would make his general hip something hard to contest against. Seeking (he Sinews of War. Springfield Republican. In the event of war Japan will expect London to take its loans, while Russia will rely upon Paris. Such Is the expectation In the financial world. But monetary Lon don Is In a poor position to help anybody Just now, and Paris has so much money employed there that the floating of a Rus sian loan In France must result In a gold movement from London across the channel. Thus In case of a Russian-Japanese scram ble for war funds, Wail street, which has been drawing heavily on the British gold supply, may be forced aside. JUSTICE FOR AMERICANS. Harsh Treatment of Railway El v ployes In Mexico Relaxed. Kansas City Star. As a result of repeated protests against the arrest and confinement without trial of many American railway employes In Mex lco, better conditions now prevail In that country. This subject has been much agi tated for the past two years. The abuses aimed at were numerous and grievous. Lit tie discrimination had been made In the arrest of train crews following railroad ac cidents, regardless of the culpability of the crews themselves. In many instances the prisoners were confined in unsanitary Jails for as long as two years without trial. As many of the trains In Mexico are operated by American crews this state of affairs fur nlshed a legitimate bpsls of protest from the State department at Washington. Sec retary Hay has not only secured a better practice In these cases of alleged crlmina negligence and has greatly reduced the number of pending actions, but because of his efforts the Mexioan Department of Jus tice has Issued a circular letter to the minor courts advising agalnts arrest ex cept on reasonable evidence and In favor of release on bond whenever possible and the earliest possible hearings In all cases. It has always seemed that only a strong representation of this case to the Mexican government was necessary to remedy the evil. The relations between the United (states ana tne neighboring republic are such that there should be no obstacles in the way of a reasonable demand made bg one on the other. It will be necessary, of course, for the United States repreaenta lives In Mexico to keep alert for future In fractions of the common laws of Justice In these cases, for most of the abuses have Iain at the doors of Judges In remote dls trlcts, some of whonf have been governed by venal motives and will need watching for a time. CUT OFF THE LAUD GRABBERS. Remedial Legislation Blocked by the Consjreaalonal Lobby. New Tork Mail and Express. There Is In Washington, and particularly before congress, a sad amount of pulling and hauling on all questions connected with the.publio lands. Official "graft" In thl field la a trifling matter compared with the efforts of members of congress to block legislation which might unfavorably affect the Interests of some of their Influential constituents. As a rule eastern senators and members have known very little about the questions affected and the Interests In volved in matters connected with the land laws, and hav been pretty nearly blind to some of the schemes which have been worked under their eyes. As a result of this Indifference It Is now well known that hundreds of thousands of acres of land, which should have gone to actual settlers who would have occupied and worked them permanently and In good faith, have been dlvert-d to the estates of monopolists. This fact being the case It Is a matter of satisfaction that a western man who la sincere opponent of all this land grabbln has been made chairman of the Irrigation committee of the senate. We refer to Sen ator Bard of California. All the land grab' tiers are now at work to prevent the repeal of the desert land act. the timber and stone act and the commutation clause of th homestead act, or else to transfer the worst phases of their peculating operation to the Irrigation legislation, which Is likely to be adopted. It Is' a matter of satlsfac tlon that Senator Bard Is now In a position where he can exerclss a small and partial veto at least on these projects. Any opposition which develops In either house to the repeal of the existing legtsla tlon Just referred to may safely be attrl buted to the Influence of the live stock companies and the land-acquiring syndl cates. Senators and representatives from the east must be fully aware of the fact by this time and should maks up their minds that they have let these Influences have free reign In congress long enough. It will be dangerous to oppose the Interest and right of the whole paopis in what remains of the publto do. .aln. ARMY GOSSIP 171 WASHIftflTO. oto anal Comment Gleaned from the Army and Navy Register. It looks as If the senate would confirm the nomination of General Leonard Wood to be a brigadier general; at least, that Is the recommendation to be made from the military committee on January 4.' When publicity attaches to the testimony, given behind closed doors In this case, it will be found that Its character Is quite different from that described In the press accounts of the secret sessions, and this will explain why the committee entertains no doubt on the subject. The literary disclosures of the week In the Wood case appear else where and show. In one oase, the splendid fight Mr. Root has been making for Gen eral Wood and. In the other, that that officer long ago and promptly asked for departmental action on the charges made In the New Tork Bun and originating, Gen eral Wood indicates, with Lieutenant Kuncle. That nothing was done shows the Indifference of the authorities at Wash ington In the matter and how lightly they regarded' the criticisms. The statute of limitations would Interfere with the work of court-martial In this case, but It would not operate to the disadvantage of a court of inquiry, which may be brought on re quest of in officer or without such desire by order of the president. Whatever has been said by Lieutenant Runcle in the com mittee sessions Is "privileged" in a legal sense and relieves him of any prosecution for criticism of a brother officer. There are some things about the Wood case that disturb that officer's friends, and Is no wonder. They say he left here with no warning of all the trouble which has since developed against his cause; that his departure for the Philippines was a signal for the first shot; that he knew only Imperfectly of what had been brought against him, and this when he had reached Cairo; that he had no chance to defend himself save through his friends here. ma wnuis proceeain is retrnrded am a cowardly attack. With these elements In the situation the fortunes of General Wood have appealed strongly to the president and Mr. Root, along with other friends of the officer, and they do not propose to see him done up. ut what of Runcle? How fares that disturber of administrative eauanlmltv? mere Is much said and written of Gen eral Wood's culpability ' in this and that way, but how about the faithful friend of the good old Havana palace days. He seems to have emerged from ail this rumpus with out a scratch, so far. He has testified to collusion .with Wood as against General Brooke, and announces that he lent himself to Borne sort of a scheme which he believes discreditable to his former friend. If there Is anything wrong with Wood It comes pretty near getting Runcle Into tho same muddle. It lis a pity we cannot have court-martial, or at least a court of In uuiry, 10 get at the bottom of the thins: ana nnd out who Is who. Perhaps General wood is all that his enemies say he I; which Is hardly possible of any man out of Jail but In any event let's have an end to this trumpeting of Runcle as a hero He hasn't done anything to brag about, no matter now one looks on the whole de plot-able Incident xteurements under operation of law among army officers will occur during the year ihh as follows: Lieutenant General S. B. M. Toung. Jan nary 9. Lieutenant Colonel Charles J. Allen, corps or engineers, January 31. Major William W. Gilbert, pay depart ment, March I. Colonel Timothy E. Wilcox, medical de partment, April 28. Brigadier General J. P. Sanger, May 4. Brigadier General William A. Kobbe, May 10. Colonel Alfred Mordecal, ordnance depart ment, June 30. Brigadier General Peter C. Hnlns, July 6. Brigadier General A. E. Bates, paymaster general, July 15. Lieutenant Colonel II. S. Kllbourne, med ical department, August 14. Major Jerome A. Watrous, pay depart ment, September 6. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Leary, Jr., ar tillery corps, September 15. Colonel John R. McGlnness, ordnance de partment, September 17. Colonel Harry L. Haskell, Third infantry, September 34. Lieutenant Colonel Famdel L, Woodward, Seventh cavalry, October 28. Colonel Jacob Kline, Twenty-first In fantry, November 6. Colonel John J. O'Connell, Thirtieth In fantry, December 16. The campaign of the captains Is on. No less than forty officers of this grade and that of major In the army have filed appll cation for appointment as brigadier general In the army In anticipation of the vacancy which will occur In a few weeks on the retirement of Lieutenant General Young, Secretary Root does not look with favor upon such applications and Is said to have expressed himself to one of tha candidates as regretting an Incident which: would cer Inly operate against his standing T 1th the administration. This sign of disapproval la a healthy one. It comes somewhat be latedly, but Is no less refreshing on that account. While about five of the captains and majors might properly regard them selves as entitled to some sort of reward for services rendered. It does not in any case amount to such favor as to jump from an army captaincy to a brigadier generalcy. The first number of the new quarterly to be published by the military Information division of the War department will ap pear about' January 20. Captain Charles T. Menoher of the artillery corps Is In charge of this work. In this connection It Is Interesting to know that the German government has decided to Issue a quar terly publication from Its Information bu reau. Wherefore Let Ts Rejoice. Philadelphia Record. OU having advanced or been advanced In price very much lately, Mr. Rockefellc finds himself able to give a little less than i2flnnof to the University of Chicago for a Christmas present. The people who con sume kerosene have an equitable right to demand that their names be carved upon the walls of the university as Its benefac tors; but, of course, there would not be room for them. -Nevertheless there ought to be some monumental record on the In. stltutlon of the fact that Mr. Rockefeller is merely the agent employed In aqueexlng money out of the public for the endowment at the Chicago establishment. Regenerator of Mexlro. ' New York Tribune. What greater Mexican than Porflrlo Pla was ever known before or sinco the era of Cortes and the Spanish conquest? He brought order out of confusion, and has been so far sighted, strong souled, force ful and wise a president of the republic below the Rio Grande that bis successive administrations have steadily enhanced the welfare of the states whose destinies ha rulded. The revenues of Mexico for Its latest fiscal year were more than fl. 000,000 In excess of Its expenditures. And yet that country, within comparatively re cent memory, appeared to be hopelessly and Irretrievably bankrupt. TKP I RAILROAD CONTROL, eresalty for KflTeetlva and Compre hensive Tablle Supervision. Springfield (Mail) Republican. It la conceded by tho Interstate commerce commission. In Its annual report now pub lished, that the Kllilns amendment to the law Is likely to prove very effective for the nd In view namely, compelling the rail roads to adhere to their published rates and tariffs without discrimination or varia tion. The law Is still to be subjected to an adequate test. Railroads have been having all the business they can take care of and accordingly the force of competition Is little felt and rates are better main tained at present than they have ever been before. The test will come when competi tive traffic falls off and sharp contest en sues for a volume of business not large enough to go around. But It Is believed that the amendment of the last congress session will greatly strengthen the arm of the government under such conditions In enforcing the equality-of-treatment provis ions of the statute. Bo far, then, very good. Xlut the. law con tinues to remain weak In another Impor tant particular. It Is made more .effective against discriminating practices; but the commission remains practically powerless under the law to prevent extortionate prac tices. The roads must adhere more closely to published and equal rates; but they are as free as they ever have been to make the published rates unreasonable and unjust. And to protect the public from unreason ably high rates was one of the primary purposes of the statute of 1W. What Is now needed Is power for the commission, not merely to adjudgo a rate unreasonably high, but to compel the of fending railroad to make the reduction which the government of the United States through the commission considers to be reasonably demanded. Is this Intolera ble degree of power to place In the hands of the commission? The railroads will all say so, and will resist to the utmost any strengthening of the law and commission In this particular. But their position Is un tenable. It amounts to a denial of the right or propriety of government to regu late their charges. They pretend to object simply to giving any such power to the commission. In reality the objection Is to any aaumptlon and exercise of this power by the government; for If a commission, especially chosen and devoting Its whole time to the consideration of the question, is unfit to exercise the power, what branch or body of the national authority can be fitted? We must go on with this problem, then. without giving too much consideration to railroad objections. The government has put Its hand to the plow and Is not now to be turned back. Prevention of overcharges Is about as Important a part of the ac cepted plan of public regulation as preven tion of discriminating chnrges. .Let the railroads be recognized by law as monopo lies and allowed to consolidate as much as they please, and thon let them be brought under effective and comprehensive public control. PRESIDENTIAL OUTLOOK. Llne-rp of the States for the Battle of 10O4. Leslie's Weekly. If the elections for congress and for state officers In 1W2 and the state election In 1903 afford a reliable Index of the relative strength of the parties for 1904 and the corresponding contests In all cases since the close of the civil, war were a trust worthy barometer of this sort the sure republican and sure democratic states next year, with those which are In doubt, the electoral vote of each being given, may be outlined thus, 239 votes being necessary for a choice: Sure republican states California 10 New Hampshire.... 4 New Jersey 12 North Dakota 4 Ohio 23 Oregon 4 Pennsylvania 84 Rhode Island 4 South Dakota 4 T'tah .1 t Vermont 4 Washington ( West Virginia 1 Wisconsin 13 Wyoming 8 Total 272 Colorado B Connecticut 7 Idaho 8 Illinois 27 Indiana IS Iowa is Kansas 10 Mnlne 6 Massachusetts lb Michigan 14 Minnesota " Montana 3 Nebraska 3 Sure democratic states: Alabama 11 Missouri 18 Arkansas North Carolina U South Carolina Tennessee 12 Texas 18 Virginia 12 Total 151 Nevada 3 New York 39 Florida f Georgia 13 Kentucky u Iulslana 9 Mississippi 10 Doubtful states: PrlHware 3 Maryland 8 Total 53 To recapitulate, the republicans seem to be sure of 272 electoral votes, which Is thirty-three more than Is necessary to elect.v The probability Is that tney win have v every electoral vote, Including Ne vada's, the sliver issue being out of the way. In the doubtful list except Mary land's eight, which are likely to go to tne democratic candidate. Thus the repub licans will have 317 electoral votes, as compared with 159 for the democrats. PERSONAL NOTES. The queen of Holland has Just appointed an Englishman, Rev. Klrsopp Lake of Lin coln college, Oxford, a theological pro fessor at the famous Dutch university of Leyden. President Roosevelt has sent Miss Sarah C. Provost, the principal of the Cove Neck school at Oyster Bay. a check sufficiently large to give every pupil a handsome Christmas present. Sir Gilbert Parker, the author, has achieved a prominent place In the House of Commons In a short time. A good deal of 'this Is due to the unusual magnetism of his personality, which always attracts people, Arthur Chamberlain of Birmingham, Eng land, a nephew of Joseph Chamberlain, has been touring Canada, partly on business and partly on pleasure. He bears a strong resemblance to Joseph, and looks ana tarns like a sharp, shrewd man of business. The salary of the president of the Amer lean Base Ball league Is $10,000. The Amal gamated Association of Paragrapbers should see that this' meager stipend Is not boosted again. We must restrict salary competition to men In the Schwab class. George Watson of Rochester, N. Y., In a suit for divorce, alleges that his wife hit him on the head with "The Life of Thomas Jefferson." "To what base uses, my countrymen!" Come to think of It, a certain English monarch regarded T. J. as a dangerous knocker. Major William II. Garland has Just died at the National Soldiers' home at Johnson City. Tenn. He had shaken hands with every president of the United States except Washington. He was on the naval cadet detail that welcomed Lafayette on his sec ond vLsit to America In 1824. Sir John Bee. the premier of New South Wals, has added a new phrase to the po litical vocabulary. Urged to bring pressure to bear jipon the commonwealth govern ment In a certain cause, he replied with a worried and Irritated air that he might Just as well "sneese against thunder." Prof. Frederick Starr of the University of Chicago, who has been engaged by the St. Louis fair to go to the Orient and bring bark with him for the fair a group of the peculiar people of northern Japan known as the "hairy. Alnos." hopes to per. suade a number of these picturesque peo ple to come to St. Louis. THE GUILELESS SCHWAB. Tale of Innocence Rivaling; the Simple Annals of the Poor." Philadelphia Inquirer. At last Mr. Schwab baa had his say, and a most Innocent and Injured person he ap pears to be, according to his own showing. If there were any wicked men In the Ship building trust he was not one of them. He has acted all through In a highly enlight ened manner and Is grieved at the accusa tions against him by those who were a few months ago his business associates and per sonal friends. Mr. Schwab bought the Pethlehem works and offered to turn them over to the Steel trust without a dollar's profit, and th wonder Is that the offer was not accepted. True, the price seemed extravagant, but nt the time the Steel trust was not pinching pennies. So Schwab sold the works to the shipbuilding people at about four times the cost In securities, and worked a little Joker by which he couldn't lose. If there was to be trouble Schwab was secure. Trouble came and at present the only serene man In the whole outfit Is Schwab, who can get his works back If there Is a lawsuit, and who offers to take them back without. In the short and simple annals of thieves falling out as disclosed In the shipbuilding litigation we have a beautiful example of how "grand finance" Is carried on. We have no reason to believe that tha methods of operation were very different In some of the big schemes which went through safely and are now In more or less troubled waters. The virtuous Schwab emerges from the controversy exculpated from all blame by himself and certainly he ought to know. Unfortunately for him, the end of the chapter Is not yet reached. For aught we know, Mr. Schwab will be able to maintain his position In the eyes of the law, but we wish distinctly to call at tention to the fact that he Is no longer being held up to the country by Sunday school teachers and other moralists ns a shining example of what young men may accomplish by honesty and energy. That bubble Is burst, but, all the same, Schwab has his millions and objects to being de prived of any of them by any means what ever. FLASHES OF FUN. Her PStthee WViv tin Reale. tha Mnrlr at the toy counter didn't pass a bad $1 bill on you. This Is perfectly good. Tearful Llttlo Girl How can it be good. pnpa? It smells like an old pipes Phila delphia Press. -4 The Owner See here! That trunk never did you any harm, did it? The porter Any harmT or course not! Th. Own, H7 I V, or. Ann' tr.n. i m 1 1 ...... V ' . , . I 1 I , V,,, t u V V ..w . B.W . . It did! Brooklyn Life. "You say that Mr. Cumrox's daughters no longer have the slightest trouble about getting money from him?" "No trouble whatever." "How do they manage It?" "They are having him tench them lo play bridge whist." 'Washington Star. Father I wonder what's the matter with 'ellv this mornlnff. RhA acts llks one nna. sessed. Mother She probably Is. I noticed a new ring on her finger when she came down Mother Tommy, what's the matter with your llttlo brother? Tommy He's cryrng because I'm eating my cake and won't give him any. Mother is nts own cake nnisnear Tommy Yes'm. and he cried while I was eating that, too. New Yorker. Seating himself at his writing table Thomas Jefferson rapidly dashed off a let ter aceopung memersnip in a New xorg protective tariff -'-c!ety. "That's no worse." he said, reeling the letter with a wafer and proceeding to direct It. "than It is ror Bill Mryan to tour Europe In a plug hat." Chicago Tribune. Miss Beemer Who la your favorite poet. Mr. Weaver7 Weaver (who Is addicted to versiryingl Really, don't you know, I think It might appear egotistical for me to answer that question frankly. Boston Transcript. Fret not o'er lost Illusions Nor grow cynical and sad; For there was never a cloud But silver lining bad. What though the doll bo sawdust stuffed? It matters not a bit Just take the sawdust gladly and Make breakfast food of It. Washington Post. THB BKEAJUNQ PLOW. Nixon Waterman In Bucoeos, I am the plow that turns the sod That has lain for a thousand years: Where the prairie's wlnd-toesed flowors nod And the wolf her wild cub rears; I come, and in my wake, like rain. is scattered uie gc-tuon stma, I change the leagues of lonely plain To fruitful gardens and fields of grao"! For men ana weir nungry wwu, I greet the earth In Its rosy more, lam first to sUr tho soli, I bring the glory of wheat and com For the crowning of those who toil I am civilization's seal and sign, Yea, 1 am the mighty pen That writes the and with a pledge divine, A promise to pay with bread and wine 1." . , .I,., awu t if honest mplL I am the end of things that were, An1 the hlrth of thlnsra to be. My coming makes the earth to stir With a new and strange decree After Its slumbers, deep and long, I waken the drowsy sod. And sow my furrow with lifts of song To glad the heart of the mlshly throng Slow reeling ine way io uuu. . , A thousand summers the prairie rose Has gladdeiied the hermit bee, A thousand winters the drifting snows Before me curls the wavering smoke LIT tne inoiail r.inimit-r...B mitt, Behind me rise was It Ood who spoke? At the toll-enchanted hammer's stroke, The town ana me gimerinB spire. I give tho soil to the one who does, For the Joy of him and his, I rouse the slumbering world that was To the aillgent worm inai is; Oh, Beer with vision that looks away A thousand long yers rrom now, The marvelous nation your eyes survey Was born of tho purpose that here, today, Is guiding the breaking plow: EIGHT REASONS why Scott's Emulsion is an ideal food-medicine. 1. It is partly pre-digested and therefore passes quickly into the blood. 2. It imposes no tax upon the stomach or other digest ive organs. 3. It does not cause fermentation such as usually results from ordinary food when the stomach is weak. 4. Its action is mild and even, insuring the greatest nourishment with the least effort. 5. Its quality is always uniform. 6. It feeds and strengthens the bones, blood, nerves and tissues. 7. It is one of the greatest flesh producers known to medical science. 8. It is palatable and agreeable to the taste and easily taken. We'll stad yea s santpls free spaa rsooesC COTT aOWNK, 40 rearl Mnet, M. T. r l