THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 1501.
The Omaha Daily Bee.
B. R08EWATER, EDITOR.
PUBLISHED KVKBT MORNTNO.
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THE BEE PUBLIfiHINO COMPACT.
' STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION.
State of Nebraska. Douglas County, ss :
Oiorge B. Tsschuck, secretary of I he ee
Publishing company, being duly, ?,w0
says that the sctuai number of full ana
complete copies of The Dally. Morning.
Evening and Sunday Bee printed during tbe
Month of August. 1W, was aa lonuwn
I,
2t)Jl!W
Kft.tHMI
31.BO
xo.ooo
....... 2W.BB0
........32.T80
SH.TBO
, S0,(i80
SU.610
17.
..20.S60
IS
19
20
21
22
23
24
M
n
28
it
so
11
....tttt,430
....ZW.3SO
....Bl,300
.... 20.4O0
....J,800
....28,030
... .28,040
....2O.M0
....29,130
.... 30,000
....2T.100
....20,2flO
....20,440
....29,210
10 ,020
U 20,880
It Z0.48O
U Zft.140
14 20.6 OO
It 30,830
U ttSO
Total
...0O4.0SO
Lena unsold and returned copies... T.280
Nat total sales
Daily average ....
,. ,..,BIT.Tll
; 28,020
OEOROE B. TZSCHUCK.
Subscribed In my presence and sworn to
before ma this Slat day of August, 1904.
(Seal.)
N. B. HUN&ATE. Notary Public.
Oregon -Vermont Maine pretty good
leaders for the pnwesslon.
The "Iowa idea" on the subject of
bandits will probably meet with a
'hearty response from Canada.
The Russian bear will have a hard
time trying to convince the British lion
that they should hunt. In pairs.
By coming to San Francisco the com
mander of the Lena la getting expert
opinion aa to the condition of his vessel
free of charge. . .'
Admiral Ouktomsky Is certainly be
ing discriminated against by the Rus
sian government. He should have sur
rendered and received a hero's badge.
Tbe . World-Herald has overdone its
cartoon campaign ' several times In the
past and the prospects seem good for Its
picture artist to overreach himself again
this year.
Money may talk, but Grandpa Davis
will have to get busy with his reserve
funds in a .hurry Jf bis money., is to
keep up'with the campaign tour of Sen
ator Fairbanks. .
The present democratic congressman
from the Second district bus no com
petition for renomlnatlon. ' No other
democrat wants to deprive him of the
privilege of going up against foredoomed
flefeat. , . '.
Rlnce the antls annexed the Third
ward a continuance of their political
alliance with the Civic Federation pre
sents an anomaly' that would be par
alleled only by a combination between
t.e church and the brewery.
The advance In war Insurance on
American cargoes on the raclflc coast
from one-fourth of 1 per cent to 5 per
cent. would indicate that the underwrit
ers have an idea that American neu
trality does not extend to the pocket
book; If Prof. Starr finds a branch of the
Caucasian race In the Interior of Clilua
ha will overthrow the generally accepted
Idea that the white race la dominant
wherever u exists side by aide with
colored, races. But the find is yet to be
made'
After taring bold their ears to the
ground long enough to get the responses
froni Vermont and Maine, the demo
cratic campaign managers have come to
the conclusion that It will be better for
them, to put in their efforts in some
Held more remote from New England.
What an odd coincidence that the
American warship which Is watching
the Russian transport at San Francisco
Should be the Paul Jones. Tho man in
whose honor the destroyer la" named
Was the only persou who had much to
do with the creation of the navies of
both the United States and Russia.
The local democrats who are trying
to force their party to hold a primary
election by appealing to the courts for
a writ of mandamus would do well to
recall the adage about, making a horse
drink after he baa been led to' water.
A court order for a primary election is
not exactly the same as a certlfletite of
nomination.
eHSBCSS . '
It la lucky that J. J. McCarthy, who
baa been nominated by the fusioolsts for
state senator In the Thirtieth district,
does not live in the same District aa the
J. J. McCarthy who has beep, renom
inated by the republicans for repesenta
tire In' the Third congressional district
Otherwise, , some people might thlvk a
rival bad .been developed to the populist
who Is making a record in Nebraska by
running simultaneously for three offices
en ttit atmt ticket
TtOW 1T0VLD THET RITBtSCHl
Those are pertinent and pointed ques
tions addressed to the democrats by the
president In reference to their conten
tlon that the government Is now ad
ministered extravagantly. When mak
Ing this charge the opponents of the
repuhllrsh party do not specify In what
retipects there has been extravagance.
or attempt to point out In what dlrec
tion the expenses of the government
should be reduced. In this as in most
other things they are content with gen
erallzatlon. No one will question that
a reduction in national expenditures Is
possible. We can stop making additions
to the navy, letting our sea power stand
where It Is and thereby In time falling to
the rear of nil the maritime nations. The
building up and the proper maintenance
of the navy constitutes n large item of
expenditure, yet the democratic party
will not dare to ndvocate an abandon
ment of our naval policy, because It
knows that n great majority of the peo
ple are In favor of that policy, believing
that the widespread interests of the
I'nltrd States require that we shall have
an adequate navy. Then there are the
coast defenses, which call for a consld
crable suni annually. That distinguished
democrat. Samuel J. Tllden, regarded It
as of the utmost importance that our
coasts should have strong defenses, urg'
Ing that the government could make no
wiser or more useful Investment. Would
democratic economy extend to. dis
mantling these nnd leaving the coast
cities unprotected? It is safe to say
that the party will not dare to propose
doing so. The army establishment is a
considerable expense nnd It is urged that
the regular force, now about tlO.OOO,
should be reduced. Most people do not
think the army too large for a nation
of 80.000.0(10 onl it Is not at all probable
that It would be. reduced If the demo
crats were lq power.
The largest account In the expenses of
the government Is for pensions dnd
while It Is possible to reduce this does
any one believe that the democratic
party would venture to make a reduc
tlon? There ts rural free ueilvery, a
growing source of expenditure which it
Is estimated will ultimately reach $10,
000.000 annually. Would the democrats
do away with this expense? Then there
Is the somewhat expensive irrigation
policy, for which the republican party
Is responsible. A saving could be ef
fected in this direction, yot Jt is not ot
all likely that the democratic party
would make the saving. In these and
some other respects there can (tinques
tlonably.be a cutting down of the na
tlonnl expenses, but In no single In
stance without more or less detriment to
the public Interests and welfare.
President Roosevelt In his letter of
acceptance says: "The prime reason
why the expenses of the government
have Increased In recent years is to be
found In the fact that the people, after
mature thought. hav deemed it wise
to have certain new forma of work for
the public undertaken by the public,
This necessitates such expenditures, for'
Instance, as those for rural free.dellvery
or for the Inspection of meats under
the Department of Agriculture, or for
Irrigation." What the people' want to
know Is how the democratic party pro
poses to retrench. The charge of ex
travagance without specifying where It
exists, or In what direction economy
can be practiced with a proper regard
for the efficiency of the public sen-Ice,
the Interests of the people and the wel
fare of the country. Is of no weight with
those who want evidence in support of
an allegation and n plain statement of
the remedy to be provided. Perhaps
Judjce Tarker will In his letter of ac
ceptance tell the country how his party
would reduce the national expenses If
given the opportunity to do so.
HAIR-SPLITTISO TECHNICALITIES,
In passing on the Nemaha county tax
Case, the Judge of the district court be
fore whom it was heard on original mo
tion has ruled that the order of the
State Board of Equalization increasing
the assessment of Nemaha county 5 per
cent to bring It tip to a parity with the
ratio of assessment in other counties is
void, because the section of the law un
der which the board was acting is un
constitutional. The apparently clinch
ing argument forcing this conclusion is
that if such an increase were permitted,
taxable money listed at face value
would then be assessed at more than Its
worth, thus destroying the uniformity
guaranteed by the state constitution.
The court, therefore, has been persuaded
that to prevent this possible violation of
the rule of uniformity, it is its duty to
maintain the still more flagrant lack of
unlfoimlty found by the state board to
exist as between the counties In-the re
turns of the assessor which the equal
izing board was trying to correct..
As a matter of fact, If equalization by
this method of percentage increase il
unconstitutional, it Is difficult to see how
any equalization whatever can be con
stitutional, because the same objections
would apply to the old plan of varying
the rate of levy. What is the difference
in actual results between Increasing the
levy imposed upon h particular county,
say from 5 to 6 mills, or leaving the levy
stationary at 5 mills and Increasing the
assessment figures 20 per cent? A 20
per cent Increase In the rate and a 20 per
cent Increase In the valuation would
both produce exactly the same Increase
In the proceeds of the tax, and the rela
tive distribution of the tax upon the
different Items making up the assess
ment would likewise be the same.
A careful reading of the constitution
will show that what the framers of that
document bad In mind was a tax pro
portioned according - to the relative
values of all property and franchises,
so that an aNaeasiuetit would still con
form to the demands of the constitution
if It were gauged at uniformly (M) per
cent, or 100 per cent,- or ) 50 per cent of
actual market value, The" multiplica
tion cr addition of percentages, or the
variation of the rates, does not Vitalise
the relative .inequalities arisinf' from
defective assessments, such Inequalities
being due not to the action of the equal
izing or tax levying bodies, but to the
mistakes, willful or accidental. In the
assessor'e listing of the property. What
ever rule It follows, a state board of
equalization can even up th inequali
ties onlv between the different counties
while the duty of leveling the inequali
ties between different pieces of .prop
erty or different classes of property
within the county must devolve upon
the county equalizing authorities, and
If the county authorities fall to do what
is expected of them, why should that
operate to prevent the state equalizing
board from performing Its duties?
Nothing but hair-splitting technlcall
ties can make the old system of equal
Izlng valid and the new one void.
TE MAI fir. ELECTION.
It used to be said that as Maine goes
so goes the union. The republicans of
that state did better In Monday's eleo
tlon than was expected. A few days
before the election the chairman of the
republican state committee estimated a
plurality of from 10,000 to 18,000. It la
about 30,000, which is a falling off from
the vote of four years ago, but is larger
than that of 1002. It had been reported
that the republicans were somewhat
apathetic, which caused an apprehension
that the democrats would make consid
erable gains, but the returns show that
however little attention the voters may
have given the political orators they did
not to any great extent neglect their duty
on election day. The republican congm.
slonal representatives were elected by
about the usual majority in the several
districts and the legislature will undoubt
edly re-elect Senator Hale, whose pres
ent term will expire next March.
It Is perfectly plain that In Maine, as
in Vermont, there Is no popular reac
tion toward the democratic national
ticket The democratic speakers who
were sent into Maine labored hard to
create an anti-Roosevelt sentiment, but
without avail. The result is quite ns
strong an indorsement of the admin
istration and of the principles and poli
cies of the republican ' party ns that
given by Vermont nnd undoubtedly will
have as good an effect upon the country.
JERSEY DEMOCRACY SPLIT.
There Is a split in the New Jersey
democracy which makes that state cer
tain for the republican national ticket
In November. There wa a bolt from
the state convention, held last Satur
day, and the bolters nominated a ticket
and adopted a platform which vigor
ously denounces Judge Parker, Hill,
Belmont, Wall street and those New
Jersey leaders who are supporting the
St. Louis leaders, while eulogizing Bryan
and everything he represents. The nom
inee of the bolters for governor declared
that there Is not a man behind Parker
who is not connected with the trusts
nnd advised voting for Roosevelt if
necessary to defeat the democratic can
didate for president.
It is proposed by this element to make
a vigorous campaign and If," is hot to be
doubted' that it will be able to mate
rially weaken the democracy of that
state, which canuot afford to lose any
votes. New Jersey has been placed by
he democrats In the doubtful list, with
the chances of its being carried by their
party, but this bolt presents an unex
pected situation which warrants the
confident prediction that the state will
choose republican electors In November.
Four years ago McKinley's plurality. In
New Jersey was 50,800. It would be
difficult for the democrats tQ overcome
this If the party was united and with a
split they can have no hope of doing so.
The bolt there may also have an effect
upon democrats in Connecticut and New
York who do not like the political asso
ciates and advisers of Judge Parker. At
all events it Is certainly an Interesting
incident in current politics.
The proposed construction of a tem
porary Are engine house - to cost up
wards of $2,000, throwing the obligation
over on to next year's levyi is decidedly
questionable. The city ought, if neces
sary, to be able to rent quarters suit
able for housing the Are apparatus at a
much smaller figure. With two new fire
engine houses available, however, the
ompanles might be redistributed tem
porarily while the Tweuty-fourth street
building Is undergoing repairs without
requiring any additional quarters. The
Are department seems to have run over
the appropriation more than any other
branch of municipal government, not
withstanding the fact that the limit was
raised by the last charter amendments,
ntl It seems pretty near time to have
the Are department garment cut to At
the cloth.
Mike Harrington makes a plea for a
political gospel "which preaches tho
plain truth without exaggeration." And
without taking his pen from the paper
he goes oil to declare that the present
fusion candidate . for ' governor is "thu
most uncompromising friend of just tax
ation, of reform legislation and of popu
lar government that has ever been nom
inated for this great office by any po
litlcai party since Nebraska was ad
mitted into the union." This is either
a quick repentance or a vicious reAec
tlon on some of the other great roeq
who have aspired to the office of gov
ernor In Nebraska in years gone by.
The truant officer la usually the most
unpopular bogey man that haunts the
school children's dreams, but the sug
gestion of Truant Officer Parker that
circus parades in Omaha be so regulated
as to give the school children a chance
to witness each great free street pa
geant . Is calculated to transform that
personage from the character of bogey
man ta that of good angel.
This talk of two-dollar wheat in pros
pect does not hitch well with the asser
tions of the Inseparable parity of silver
and, wheat so freely nude by lfl-to 1
free coinage champions In the metnora-
blc campaign of 180ft. It will be remem
he red that the pnbllc was gssnred at
that time that wheat would never go
back to the dollar mark until the white
metal should hare been restored to full
coinage value br government edict. Is
it any wonder these prepbets are dis
credited?
Seven more lives lost In another New
York tenement Are. Some day a prose
cutor will come to each of our Amer
lean cities who will place the blame
for unsafe buildings where it belongs,
and then humsii life will not be held
cheaper than compliance with the build
Ing ordinances. .
Should Chirrs become involved in the
present war as the ally of Japan a num
ber of Russian statesmen would be will
ing to maintain that it Is a "power"
within the meaning of the Franco-Rus
sian treaty, although they would never
admit it under any other contingency.
The foailiif Jewel.
Chir&jr? Record-Herald.
Throw away your anthracite srarfplns
and buy m-heat Jcemel pins Instead if you
hava the price,
Worth the Extra Charge.
Chicago Post.
There may have been excess postage on
President Roosevelt's letter of acceptance,
but Chairman Cannon of the notification
committee thinks the .contents JustllleJ
paying the extra charge.
Will Johnny Throw FHf
Chicago Chronicle.
U will be Interesting to observe whether
J. Bu'l will have frothlngs at the mouth
and conniption now that British mer
chantmen are being stopped and searchel
by Japanese instead of Russian war ships.
Keeping a ties Traek.
Washington Post.
There have been no striking of uncharted
rocks by American warships recently.
This Is said to be due to Secretary Morton's
order that if the tracks were not kept clear
he would fire every section hand on the
Job.
Improving Industrial Conditions. ,
Baltimore American.
One of the best indications that the elec
tion of Theodore Roosevelt to succeed him
self Is a foregone conclusion is the fact that
industrial conditions arc . improving the
country over. This would not be the case
If there were any real danger of a change
In administration in the near future.
Decline In Trnst Promotion.
Springfield Republican.
Incorporations for $1,000,000 or more of
capital In the eastern states aggregated
$32,960,000 during August, compared with
$77,950,000 in the month last year and $241,
879,550 two years ago. This measures the
decline In the trust promotion erase en
forced by distrust engendered by past ex
cesses. A l.ncnbrlons Ontloolc.
Springfield (Moss.) Republican (Ind.).
It la, perhaps, a question whether demo.
cratlc prospects will now Improve, having
reached their lowest point, or whether the
election In November will mark the general
smashup of the democratic party. Such
speeches as that of Henry Watterson at the
banquet to the democratic editors In New
York City, In which he exceeded all bounds
of propriety in, characterising the president,
do not afford much, encouragement to those
wuu uuu . nuprp. Anal .ne democracy xnis
year would be able' to deserve and win the
Confidence of the-'peofple. 11
i '
THE (TTEW.JPESIOS ORDER.
Falsity of ( barges Coming; from Dm
orraiic sources.
Philadelphia Press.
The democrats newspapers and orators
have .nothing to,, say at this tlma about
the ruling of the, pension commissioner In
stltutlng an old-age rating for pensioners.
though they were in a great frensy about
the matter a few months ago. Their dis
covery that the pension commissioner un
der President Cleveland set the precedent
for auch action had some effect, though
the falsity of their predictions as to the
expense has - had a greater Influence In
keeping them quiet. '
It was asserted by democrats in congress
that the ruling would add at least $12,000,000
to the payments for pensions. Congress
appropriated $1,800,000 additional to meet
paynents under the new rating In the last
fiscal year, but 'only $90,000 of that sum
was expended. The order was in offset
three and a half months of the last fiscal
year. The saving In examinations and In
other ways nearly covers the expense.
It is clear that' the order Is not going to
add greatly to the- pension expenditures.
The democrats always discover somothir.g
to denounce in pension legislation. No or.s
denies that a man of 02 years of ags is
partially disabled. Officers In many cases
are retired, from the army and navy at
that age, and all are retired at 64. The
pension laws have been fairly and well ad
ministered under both the present and pre
ceding commissioner. Whatever com
plaints have been made arose . from the
laws themselves and not from their admin
istration. PEDGRAL CROP REPORT,
Shortage in One Cereal Made t'n by
' Abundance la Others.
Philadelphia Record.
The government crop report Is very en
couraging for all Important crops except
spring wheat. The shrinkage in tha
average condition of that cereal during
August was 21.8' per cent, but even this
marked decline was not so great as some
of the crop kil'ers and speculators had
predicted It would be. Nevertheless the
figures Indicates very disappointing results
to the wheat producer of the northwait,
and Instead of a bumper crop, aa was fort
shadowed early ,in the season, tha yield
will be a thjrd less than It might hava
been but for the devastation wrought by
the black rust. Applying the condition of
M.2 to tha season's acreage, tha yield of
spring wheat will be 06,119,214 bushes,
which, with the 833,400.000 bushels of winter
wheat officially estimated a month ago,
will make the output of the two varieties
639,919,214 bushels, against 437,822,000 bushels
In 1908 and a maximum yield of 748,400,000
bushels In 1001. The season's reduced out
put of wheat will necessarily curtail ex
ports and tend to maintain a complrstlve'.y
high level oi values, but It will be much
more than sufficient to supply all domeitla
requirements without trenching upon ths
moderate reserves carried over from ths
season.
The report shows a deterioration of only
M per cent In the condition of corn, which
at M l compares with a ten year average
of T8.1 The corn area is 91,950,000 acres,
and the September condition foreshadows
a yield Of !,48D.T2S,960 bushels, which was
only slightly exceeded from a larger
acreage In 1903 after ths serious crop
fsl'urs of ths previous yenr. Tha promise
of an abundance of corn, oat and minor
cereals, with good hay, potato snd other
food and feeding rropa, and tbe practical
assurance of a cotton yield nearly S.OOO,00)
bales larger than that of last year,, afford
abunosnt ground for business hopefulness
In the fact el partial fallurs of the wheat
erop. i
OOSSIf ABOIT THB WAR.
Keatares of the Campaign for
premary In Mnnehnrla.
a
'In Collier's for Pertemner in. Frederick
Palmer, the war correspondent, writing ot
the second attack cn Motlenllng. comperes
the mWhodsof the burly Russians with the
sglle little yellow men and says: A jap(v
nese general knows that sny force, how
ever small, will stay where It Is placed
stay, alive or dead. One company Is
much like another as peas In a pod. N
special units; no rough rldrsvno King'
Own: no stiffening of weak regiments wit
regiments of volunteers or regulars. There
Is an approximate level of courage an
skill. A commander may choose the unl'
at hand as a mechanic takes down any on
of a number of equally tempered too!
from a rsck. If you want a Horstlus
the bridge, tske the nearest first sergeant,
"The Russians came to the attack with
splendid confidence s childish, mob-like
confidence. All the way across the Si
berian steppes rn thrlr troop trains they
had been begetting this. 'When they set
us big burly fellows the leather-skinned
Makakl (dwarfs) will run fast enough
They will find that we are no colonists and
reserves we are the Little Father's chosen:
But the Makakl know a mark .when ther
see one; and they like to Are at a column
In close order.
'The habit of the Russian makes him
take to the highway and to level places.
Such Is his plainsman's Instinct thnt he
will tramp under fire over even ground
rather than advance tinder cover over the
rough. When tire rakes the even ground
for a while he will march back bravely
and slowly back-rather than try the other
way. They must still be Infatuated by the
heresy that the sheer 'look' of them will
frighten the Japanese."
Referring to the spirit of the soldiers,
Mr. Palmer recites this significant Incident
Speaking of certain prisoners captured by
the Japanese he enys: "One Russian who
had been found prostrate had been exam
mea in vain for any wound. Tet It was
with difficulty that he was got to walking,
Apparently he had been scared stiff by
his baptism of fire. When another un
wounded man was asked how he happened
to be taken prisoner hs replied: 'I wanted
to be. When a contemptuous comment
was translated to him he said: 'I have
no Interest In this war. I eon't propose to
be sacrificed.' Coming from Moscow, he
may have read Tolstoi.
In one knapsack was a Jewish
text. I wondered if the owner of the text
thinking of Klshlneff, took nny particular
interest in Russian success In Manchuria
Among the Pile of spoil at brigade head'
quarters, now so familiar a sight with this
army, were three drums. Jewish texts and
drums! A polyglot army of enforced toy
alty against a homogeneous people with ft
oommon breath of patriotism! Drums in
the advance line of a morning attack, at
period when next to the art of not being
seen Is that of not being heard!"
Near the camp of the correspondents."
says a letter In Leslie's Weekly. "I watched
the pioneer company of Japanese erect a
bridge some 250 yards long and seven feet
above tho water at the center. There was
no apparent hurry or bustle, no shouting of
orders, no wrangling, no noise. The bat
talion worked like a silent, well oiled ma,
chine, and it took Just four days from the
time the men entered the sacred pine forest
of deceased Chinese ancestors and began
to fell the trees until the last plank was
laid, the guard rails placed and the bridge
ready for traffic. The largest timber used
wss about eight Inches In diameter. Axes
played a very little part and broad, one-
man Chinese saws and a linked or sec
tlonal folding cross-cut saw took their
places. The two-man folding saw is par
ticularly interesting, consisting, as It does,
of six-Inch lengths of thin spring steel,
half an Inch wide, linked or Aexlbly riveted
end on end. The saw teeth are the same
sis and set as In ths ordinary cross-cut
saw. By girdling a tree with this caw
and grasping a handle in each hand, one
man can actually cut down a tree, but
usually It is used by two men. In one day
all the piles, cross timbers and brace ties
were cut in this forest."
We speak of "Ilttl Japan," but the Lon
don Spectator points out that the nation la
by no means small. Its total area, with
out counting Formosa. Is by 27.000 square
miles greater than that of tha British
Isles, and aa large a portion of it is fertile
and thickly populated. The population.
again. Is 44,000,000, or 8,000,000 greater than
Oreat Britain, C.000,000 greater than France
and almost equsl to that of Austria-Hun-
') as regaras soiaiers, japan nas a
conscription, and the conscription obviously
works. Within the last six months the
country has sent out six armies, each nearly
equal to either of the forces that contended
at Waterloo. We must begin to change
our Ideas about Japan. Russia is.
"The custom of the Sen Nln Rikl Is one
that has risen In Japan during the pres
ent war," aays Leslie's Monthly. "Ever
since the wsr began at all limes of the
day and even rVght, small groups of
women can be seen gathering In the
streets; ons or more of the women will
have a piece of cotton cloth with 1.009
marks, or dots stamped upon it. 'Sen'
is ths Japanese word for 1.000. 'Nln' is
the word for human being either man or
woman. 'Rlkl' la. In ths Japanese lan
guage, strength. In the combination the
words mean 'tha strength of 1,000 people.
"Each of these 1,000 dots or marks in
the cloth Is to Indicate the place where
stitch or knot is to be made by a
woman, who, while making this knot.
gives her best thought, wish or prayer
for the esfety and protection of the sol
dier who will wear this piece of cotton
cloth ss an 'obi' or belt while flghtlna-
for his country. Tha prayers of 1,000
women for one man are believed to pro
tect him from all dangers and to give him
strength to overcome and conquer the
enemies of his beloved Japan."
A correspondent of the Outlook relates
a conversation with a Russian prisoner:
'What regiment did you belong to and
where were you taken prisoner?" I asked.
1 bolonsred to a reaiment of Siberian
rifles and we were originally stationed at
Port Arthur, but soon after the beginning
of the war we were sent to the Yalu, and
I waa captured at Kullenchlng."
"How ' do the Japanese treat you?" I
Inquired. "Tbfiy seem to me to be a very
good sort of people, and I'm sorry you
Russians are fighting them."
"Thty treat us very well." he said, "and
I've' nothing to complain of at all. I didn't
corns to fight them because I bore them
any ill will, but I was a soldier, and when
the gossudar (the csar) ordered me to
fight I had to fight. As you say, they
seem to be very good people, and I wish
them all prosperity."
This sentiment seemed to have the ap
proval of the rest of the men, who num
bered seventy-flvs or 100, and the feeling
thus xpresstd Is probably that of s ma
jority of the common soldiers of the Rus
slsn army. They have some reason for
hating the Turks, but they regard tha
Japanese either with Indifference or with
the kindly Interest that ths Russian peas
Slit takes In all "good people." They
fight them, not because they hats them,
but because the gossudar has so ordered.
. His Crown on fttrnlnbt.
Chlcsgo Tribune.
Japan's recent heavy orders for Ameri
can armor plate far new battleships show
that ths Mikadc has not allowsd the ex
citement of the wsr with Russia to muddle
his' Judgment,
PRRSIDET ROOSBTBLT9 lETTER.
t AnsrlentUna Statement.
Kansas City Times (Ind.).
It Is a ststement of a conscientious, con
fident public servant.
A Wine of Tests.
Cleveland Ieader (rep ).
Mr. Roosevelt's letter will prove through
out this csmpslgn a mine of texts sad a
very storehouse of suggestion.
Thnrenghly American.
ft. Louis Qlohe-Democmt (rep.).
Like everything else of President Roose
velt's administration his letter accepting
the nomination Is a luminous, honest, thor
oughly American utterance.
Tlsjrorons In Tone.
Chicago Record-Herald (Ind.).
Every reader of the president's letter of
acceptance must be stmck by Its vigorous
tone. In Its reply to criticism it suggests
offense rather than defense.
Better Than Platform.
Kansas City Star (Ind ).
The letter Is better than the Chicago plat
form for the reason that it Is free from su
perfluities. It enforces the author's positive
convictions and makes it clear that Presi
dent Roosevelt means to stand or fall by
his record.
Masterful nnd Skillful.
Minneapolis Journal (rep.).
The republicans have reason to be proud
of a candidate who can frame such a
masterly defense of republican principles
and performances, and who can so skill
fully discover the weak spot In the armor
of the opposition.
A Challenge Foes.
Chlcsgo News (Ind.).
"For emperor, Theodore Roosevelt; for
president. Alton B. Psrker," Is the cry of
the partisans who have elected to mske
the president the Issue and to represtnt
him ss a veritable man on horseback,
It Is clesr thst this line of attack has
stung the president, for his letter Is a
challenge to his foes to come on.
An Illnmlnatlnsi Document.
Chlcsgo Post (rep.).
Taken In Its entirety the president's letter
Is one of the most Illuminating documents
presented to the American public In many
a year. Its frankness, deflnlteness, satis
fylng completeness, vlpor and dignity are
in most refreshing contrast to anvthlna
that has been said or written by the demo
cratic candidate or any democratic leader
since the holding of the national con
ventlons.
ROME FAMOl'S RETREATS.
Konropatkln'e Retirement Cmpare4
with Ulu Moves In Civil Wnr.
Washington Post.
In the light of the more recent revela
tions that have reached us from Manchu
ria without official editing, our military
experts now believe that Kouropatkln
fought the last dsy's battle of Llao Yang
against odds of ten to one, and that his
withdraws) was a masterpiece of strategy.
It now seems evident that the bulk of his
army waa well upon the way to Mukden
before he showed a. sign of yielding and
that the Japanese were held for at least
twenty-four hours by the Russian rear
guard. In support of this hypothesis they
point to the fact that Kouropatkln left be
hind him no spoils of war; that every
Important bit of army property had been
removed; that the Japanese, after their
heroic .efforts, marched into a dlsmsntled
stronghold which had been swept clean of
all material of consequence.
Old campaigners are reminded of Peau
regard's svaouatton of Corinth, Miss.. In
the spring o 1862. It was some time after
the bloody .battle of Shlloh, to be sure,
but as much a part of It as Kouropatkln's
retrograde movement upon Mukden Is a.
part of the tremendous Affair of Llao
Yang. Beauregard was strongly Intrenched
at Corinth, and Halleck and Grant were
slowly enveloping him In a grim cordon
he could not hope to break with foroe
he did not dare meet. The union com
manders were drawing nearer and nearer
every day by meajis of slgsag trenches,
and the big guns from the boats were
shelling the confederate position with
steadily Increasing fury. But Beauregard
had been quietly shipping the sick, the
wounded, the wsgons, the animals and
nearly stll the men fit for service ship
ping them south to a position some eighty
miles distant until, on the last evening,
when the union troops were ready for
he assault, the confederate camp fires
represented only a strong rear guard In
light marching order. It was about 10
o'clock that , night when, with ths big
shells bursting all about them, a few
thousand "gray backs" tiled from many
directions Into the hard, smooth, sandy
road, and six or seven hours later the
federals swarmed over ths breastworks,
only to find a beggsrly debris of battered
canteens and frowsy horaa blankets and
the like, with Beauregard's army out of
danger and ths rear guard trotting south
ward twenty miles away! '
Kouropatkln's retirement wss achieved
nder infinitely greater difficulties, but It
seems to have been equally successful,
from a military point of view. History,
we think, will classify It ss one of the
famous retreats in war.
PERSONAL NOTES,
A grandson of Alexander Hamilton
resides In Elk Neck, Md., keeping a country
store and acting as postmsster. He Is 74
years old and always speaks of the first
ccretary of the treasury as "grandpa,"
It ts said that although Emperor Wfl
Ham has written several songs, he Is un
kble to sing them. His voice Is particularly
harsh, so much so that an effort on his
part to sing would sound like the tearing
f calico.
Major Ronald Ross, the well known
'English authority on the mosquito theory
of malaria, has sailed for thla country.
He will visit St. Louis, where he will
lecture before the sclentlflo congress, and
111 then go to Panama as the guest of
the cnnal commissioners.
The battleship Connecticut Is to be
christened with champagne, after a'l a.
christening against which there are still
arrayed two opposing opinions, the one
held by people who regard such action as
Inimical to the cause of temperance, ths
other by those who believe It to be a
shame to waste ths wine.
An ambitious English scientist, Chsrles
A. Tarsons, hss suggestsd an experiment
which he believes would add materially to
the world's stock of scientific knowledge.
He proposes that provision be mads for
boring a hole twe've miles In ths earth,
thua enabling scientists tQ get a clearer
conception than they have had before as
to tha condition In the earth's Interior.
This Is an age when men of short stature
seem to predominate In high places. The
Oerman emperor Is not so tall by I Inches
as his uncle, King Edwsrd, who is also
superior In height to the rssr. M. Louhet
and the mikado are extremely short and
tha victorious Jspsnese look like pygmies
alongside American soldiers. M Combes,
the French minister, wbo hss become
famous by his war against the religious
orders, hss t Ml head, strongly marked
features, s'oplng shoulders and a bant
back. Delcasse Is almost a dwarf.
Another "eswsd off" specimen is Bsrthelot,
the Illustrious chsmUt, who Is to prsilde
at (he congress of Fret Thinkers in Rome
next Qctobsr. ,
COTROk Or THB RAILROADS,
Small ew York Coterie.
Cleveland riatn Ieeler.
The recent purchase of what Is prae
ticalljr a controlling Interest in the Sea
board Air Una railway hy a syndicate of
Wall Street bankers draws sttervilnn to the
extent te which the controlling Interests of
the large systems of the country is being
lodged In the Wsll street hanking Interests.
The Seaboard Air Line was hunt invst
exclusively by southern cspltsl fntll a
very recent date more than a msjnrity of
the stock wss owned south of the Mason
and Dixon line. With this lest pure hase
every rsllroad line of Importance in the
south is now held by comparatively small
coterie of New York capitalists. Although,
the control centers In Wall street. It Is as
serted, however, that the new Interests do
not own majority of the shares.
It wss not many years ago that New
England was the Investment renter and
many of the large systems were controlled
ther. During the last few years that
section has .gradually lost Its holdings to
Wsll street. At present the New York,
New Haven Hartford Is probably the
only large railroad system controlled la
New England.
,AII the first transcontinental lines origi
nated in old Puritsn territory. The Vnlon
Pacific was built by the Ameses, ths shovel
makers of North Esston; the Northern Pa
cific orlglnsted with the Cheneys end Blll
Ingses of Vermont and New Hampshire;
the Atchison wss built by the Nickersons
and their associates In Boston; the Burling
ton by the Forbeses, Thsyers and Brookes
of Boston.
These lines have all found their way te
New York hands. The Union Pacific is a,
Harriman rood. The Northern Paclfle and
Burlington are Hill roads. The Atchison,
Topeka & Santa. Fe is peculiar, in that no
single faction has a dominating Interest In
the company. Its stock la for the greater
part lodged in New York.
The builder of the Southern Pacific and
the Central Pacific was Collls P. Hunting
ton, a Connecticut boy. Only ths Orsat
Northern and the Canadian Pacific, of all
the transcontinental lines, crossed the con
tinent without . financial assistance from
Nsw England. That community, however,
furnished the brains and capital for the
construction of the Michigan Central. In
addition to the Union Pacific, the Southern
and Central Pacific are now owned by the
Harriman Interests, and tha Michigan Cen
tral is a Vanderbllt road, although rumor
persistently says the control of the Van
derbllt system has passed Into the hands
of the Standard Oil Interests.
In the opinion of the great railroad au
thorities, not a decade will elspse before
the control of the railways of the United
States will have centered In five or at most
seven cliques or Interests. These are vari
ously dominated. Some say Hill, Harri
man, Gould, the Rockefeller and the Penn
sylvania, will substantially own the rail
road systems. Others select the five men
tioned and Include the Kuhn-Loeb combina
tion and the Moorea. In the minds of the
students of railroad affairs, however, but
one end is considered the gradual ellmtna- 5
tion of the Individual stockholder and the
small capitalist and the ascendency of the
quintet or sextet who control the money
of the country. '
WHITTLED TO A FOIST.
"Do you really have beer at your house f
"Yes."
"I didn't know you went in for that an re
of thing."
I (inn t. I nave ta so out for It." mill
delphla Ledger.
Lawson A msn should alwsvs seek the
company of his superiors.
Dawson I suppose so. But Isn't thst
going to be a bad thing for them? Somer.
vllie Journal.
"How does it feel to bs knocked eutr"
they asked him.
"We 1." said the defeated nusillst "If re
git a third of the gate money, and the
fight ain't long. It don't feel so durned
bad." Chicago Tribune.
'Just before I went awav " mmlA thm re.
turned traveler, '"your Uncle Rlchley was
taken seriously III. I hops It turned out all
right."
"L! yes, or course, replied the nephew.
'Didn't you notice what a swell black suit
this is?" Philadelphia Catholic Standard.
"Never saw anybody so contrary as Marls
Green."
What has she done now?"
I saw her get off the street car this
morning facing the front."
was tnere any inns contrary aooui
that?"
Sure. They were backlns the car at ths
time." Cleveland Plain Dealer.
SIowlv the fact filtered Into Rln Van
Winkle's mind that he hsd been sleeping
in the open air twenty years.
tlon of the Weber and Fields dialect, as he
looked at his ragged clothes snd ths ruins
of his once trusty gun. "I don'd appesr.
anee dot vay, but dot's de best layout
nopoddy effer had, py grociousness!" Chi
cago Tribune.
DEMOCRACY VERIVI OPTIMISM.
Chicago Inter Ocean-
I wouldn't be an optimist
And see prosperity;
I'd rather be a democrat,
And howl calamity.
The people I would try to fool
With silver that is "fres "
Just anything to catch the votes-
That s party policy.
I would oppose "expansion,"
, And everything that's right;
And I'd haul the o'.d flag down
Before I'd have a fight.
I love the black Filllpino;
His cause, j Know, is juat;
' But the black man here at home
I'd humble in the dust.
I'd flght the Pansma canal.
And rail tha president too;
I'd Just contrary everything
The nation ought to do.
When the campaign comes aroun&
I'd talk to every neighbor
About the "awful pries of food
And forget the price of labor.
No. T wouldn't be an optimist
In this land of the free;
To bs a sour old democrat
Is good snough for me.
OverworkOling Us
fn tbe Cirest Struggle for Wealth and
Position We Are Becoming Weaker
Than Our Forefathers. .
Br the cares of business and social
life we use up or waste away the most
vital elements of the human body be
fore we realize our weak and run
down condition. It aelsea on us so
quietly at first that little or no at
tention la paid to the symptoms,
which commence with a queer, bewil
dering sensation In the bead, later tbe
power to concentrate the thoughts, so
necessary to brain workers, Is lost
Following tbts will come deficient
sight or blurrad vision, muscular
weakness nd a dull pain Id tbe small
f the back. There Is a tendency to
tire easily) the digestion becomes Im
paired: the temper irritable; spirits
depressed, ending in complete lack of
confidence and a general feeling of
disgust at our own weakness. When
tho blood and nerve forces have been
wasted by disease, overwork, worry,
brain-tire, big living, dissipation or
anther bad habits, Dr, Chase's Blood
and Nerve Food rebuilds the system
by replaotng the same substances
that have been lost Price BO cents,
said see naaranteee hy Mvers-VU
Ion Dtif Cn. Omaha Ren
r?1