TITE BEE: OMAHA. MONDAY, DECEMBER 5. 1010.
Tim DMA! i a Daily hu:
FOUNDKD BT EDWARD ROSE WATER.
VICTOR RORWATER. EDITOR.
Kntered at Omaha postofflc aa Second
class matter.
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STATEMENT Or- CIRCULATION.
State of Nebraska,' Douglas County, aa.
George II. Tr.vnucK, treasurer of The
Be J'uhllahlng company, being duly
worn says tiiat tue actual number of
full an touipli-te mplva of The Dally.
Morning, Kvenlng awl Sunday H-e printed
during the muuui of November. Hit),
was aa follows
1 4380 II 43,860
I 48,400 IT ttlO
1 43,010 It 44,080
4370 If 43,700
43,030 10. 43,900
44.300 21 43,910
f 46,310 !1 43,020
4J,aiO 11 4830
M.CSO 24 4a,SdO
It 40,470 :i 48,740
11 44,040 ' 14 43,100
11 4Bao . 17 43.S80
II 44JTO0 S 4S.880
14 43.SM : 43,340
II 4X0 ' 10 42.SOO
Total laoWO
Returned voples lS,4ai
Nat Total
Daily Average
. UEO.
1,900,464
, 43,610
TZSCHUCK.
Treasurer.
Subscribed In my pressnc and a worn
to before uie tbia kOtn -day ef November,
111.. M.' V. WALKER,
(.Seal) , - 4 Notary Publlo.
abavrlbera Iravlnfc the city e-r-srstrlly-
akesld bar Tk Bee
analled ta tlieta. Ad area will be
Changed aa (( aa re Bested. -
Lobstfji's arc cheaper this winter.
That Is, those you cat.
Can you wonder that Mr. Hill feels
Ilk repudiating that interview ?
Wall, one thing, this session of con
gress can last, paly three months.
To government will have a hard
Umt pulverizing, that sugar trust lump.
What good does England's great
navy dot It cannot bo used on the
uffrageUeVw
Butchers evidently do not read the
paper. They have not yet reduced
the price of meat
Now that the first genuine snow
haa come, you may go ahead with that
Christmas shopping.
The weather man (till has a chance
to redeem himself. He has been act
ing nasty for a few days.
That magazine printing Dr. Cook's
confeaalon ought to send a de luxe
edition to the king of Denmark.
"Women are getting mannish," Bays
a Harvard professor. Well, that Is
lust how do you mean, professor?
ou might have noticed that those
San Francisco expoaitlon boomers did
not go east by way of New Orleans.
They may joke all they please about
that "Lame Pucka alley," but the lame
dncka do not see much humor In it
Kipling ia campaigning for the
lords in England. Well, Just so the
poet laureate does not get in the band
wagon.
In Germany every passenger on a
train has to pay a tax on hla ticket,
y Here he gives it to the porter or
waiter.
The Richmond Tlraea-Disptach pro
poeea a tax on every bachelor in Vir
ginia. Good. Now let Houston tax
Its red-beaded widows.
"Hang up the baby's stocking," ran
the old song. But how aptly it applies
today, for it ran be filled much
cheaper than a larger alio.
Perhaps if the Illinois Central sub
urban trains had not raised so much
smoke there would not now be such a
hot fire In its official circles.
Mrs. C. P. Huntington recently paid
t$,000 to the revenue collector on
returning from Kurope. Stlli, it prob
ably was no more than her duty.
One thing congress must remember
to do at thla short aesalou U to give
Its sanction to 8au Francisco aa the
place for the Panama exposition.
Mr. Aviator Drexel probably ia cor
rect In saying that one la as sate
10,000 feet in the air as 100. In other
words, a tutsa is as good as a mile.
Now Battling Nelson aays he ia
going to begin all over again. Most
millionaires are starting in to give
away their fortunea, instead of going
after new ones.
If all legislators were of the stripe
that Douglas county will send to Lin
coln next month. Dr. Woodrow Wll
aoa'a criticism of "our over-grown
appetite for legislation" would be even
more significant.
The British Situation.
A, things now stand It appear the
British government Is not -likely to
achieve a victory In the present elec
ttona. Premier Asqulth has not made
the substantial gains for his coalition
party, the nationalists and laborltes,
that he counted on and the House of
Lords "eenis more remote from
the
peril of abolition than It did some
weeks ago. Still the result is uncer
tain. If the Asquith ministry should
fall, It would but prolong Britain's
.... v, , -. ..,,.
reat problem, for It ta only a matter
of time until the hereditary power of
Parliament must pass. Just as did that
power from the throne. The king
remains and the lords may remain,
but the days of hereditary power are
over, or swiftly passing.
If. then, the lords achieve a tempo
rary victory the king probably would
recall the former prime minister, Mr.
Balfour, leader of the opposition party
In the present struggle, to form a new
cabinet and map out a new program.
That would be the signal for this
whole fight to begin anew. For the
opposition program would mean
nothing but the vaguest way possible
to circumvent the main issue and
perpetuate, possibly In a new disguised
form, the old power at which the
popular sentiment of Great Britain Is
directed today. How long it would
be before the second struggle reached
Its crisis cannot now be determined, of
course, but no longer than the forces
as represented In the present govern
ment program could help.
We have aeen enough to convince
us, of course, that torylsm dies hard
In Britain, but it Is on its last legs un
less all signs are wrong. No nation
can long deny those rights which the
meases of Britain are now and for so
long have been demanding. The Rose
berys and the Lansdownes are not
deceiving the nationalists and the
laborltes with their promise of re
vision. It is but the thinnest veiled
plan to reconstruct and rehabilitate,
possibly In less offensive form, the old
principle of hereditary legislation. To
attempt such a thing in a nation that
year by year is pressing steadily
toward democracy la of Itself haz
ardous and but a staving off of the
Inevitable. This cannot be hidden
deeply from the very men who are
back of the tory scheme, yet they
could not be expected to yield under
the circumstances, no matter how cer
tain their ultimate defeat might ap
pear. Transportation in Europe.
The campaign of education on the
railroad qaestlon, which the railroads
themselves are so largely responsible
for, has received quite a stimulus In
Logan G. McPherson'a book on
"Transportation in Europe." -The
author, who lectures on transportation
at Johns Hopkins university, spent six
months on the continent studying con
ditions and gathering data, and he has
presented a rather exhaustive and very
interesting treatise. There Is too much
of valuable interest in the book to be
reviewed at any length here, but one
or two points might be referred to. ,
In the first place, if the book is in
tended to offer a contrast between Eu
ropean and American railroads favora
ble to the latter it meets the test with
out a doubt, for in his review of the
situation, country by country, Mr. Mc
Phernon finds the American railroad
Incomparably superior. In methods
of financing, equipment, service, rates
and operation this is true. Of course,
in Europe each nation, directly or In
directly, owns or manages the rail
roads. Taking Mr. McPherson's show
ing of conditions, this is the strongest
adverse factor in the tardy industrial
development and in the Inferior rail
road facilities. Those who remember
the situation in France a few weeks
ago during the railroad strike are
quite prepared to admit this. Even
in Belgium, where considerable prog
ress haa been attempted, prominent
and progressive business men, forming
themselves into a "superior committee
of Industry," reported the administra
tion of railroads there to be "notori
ously inefficient." The basic fault in
Prance, of course, is the pernicious ac
tivity of the bureaucracy, which seems
to use the railroads as a mere foot ball
to kick to whichever goal it pleases.
Germany, where one might look for
the best management and service, has
a most complex and antiquated system
to govern passenger traffic. The trav
eler first pays the ticket rate; second,
an extra charge for the use of an ex
press train for his baggage; third, a
ticket tax, and fourth, a fee for the
registering of baggage not carried in
hand. Thla ia on a par with the sys
tem In soma other countries of main
taining two clashes of freight service,
slow and fast, and charging accord
ingly, Instead of as in this country, "by
the character of commodity. In many
of the countries the railroads are con
ducted at such heavy expense and with
so little attention to economy and
waste as to be a severe dralu on the
national treasuries.
One cannot go into this subject of
government ownership of rr.Ilroads in
any country where it has been thor
oughly tested without, we believe,
coming to the conclusion that private
ownership, under wise governmental
regulation, is the only proper system.
The European railroads as a rule ex
act higher rates, pay lower wages and
give poorer service than' do the Amer
ican railroads, and it la only w hen we
atop to think of some of the unsatis
factory features of our own system
that we ran get an Idea of what con
ditions abroad must really be.
American railroads have done well
to enter this field of publicity and ed-
utatlon, even if in some instances they
do color theli' literature their own
way. But where thry attempt to give
the people a better Insight Into their
affairs and to get into a closer working
sympathy with them they have done
well. It Is Important that Americana
be Informed on what constitutes the
I largest single Industry in their
i country.
Redistricting the State.
One of the encouraging aigns is the
unanimity of opinion on the necessity
of redisricting the state for both con
gressional and legislative purposes.
The inequality and Injustice of the
present division Is so glaringly ap
parent that no one has the temerity
to suggest that the condition be left
unchanged.
It has been suggested that the task
will present difficulties that will be
hard to overcome. Just why this
should be so is not readily apparent.
The 'edistrletlng of the state should
be a very simple process of addition
i mid division. The counties have been
given their population rating by the
census. What remains to do is to de
termine the factor on which represent
tation shall be based, and then bo
group the counties that each will re
ceive its proper proportion. This will
necessarily result in the breaking up
of present county relations and will
overturn completely conditions that
have existed for many years. But it
must be accomplished in order that
Justice be done. The matter will come
early before the legislature, and while
It does not call for hasty action, be
cause no "emergency exists," it should
be given such consideration as will
assure the people that the work is to
be well done. Those counties that
will be called upon to relinquish pres
tige and power now enjoyed must re
alize that they are merely giving up
to other counties what rightfully be
longs to them. The redisricting of
the state should be worked without
regard to political advantage, and
solely to the end that the people be
given what is due tiem in the matter
of representation in congress and in
the general assembly.
Consultation.
The medloal fraternity has had a
monopoly on the use of that word
"consultation," but hereafter it must
share its claim with that part of the
legal profession whose business it Is
to look out for certain interests -at
legislatures. The suggestion arises in
connection with Mr. August Belmont's
examination as to the distribution of
large sums of money while the race
track measure was pending before the
New York legislature. It developca
that the Jockey club paid to its attor
ney 142,000 "at Mr. Belmont's in
stance." i But it took a vastjimount of
probing to ascertain for what service
this money was paid. What was it the
attorney did in the legislature that
was worth $42,000 to men Interested
In the defeat of anti-race track meas
ures Consultation. That is the answer.
It is so simple that one might wonder
at the stupidity of any investigating
committee that wonld pause to ask
the question. This lawyer, being a
doctor of laws, or rather of bills about
to be made into laws, knew better
than the amateur legislator what was
best for the state and what was not
and hence the consultations. But the
case of the consultation lawyer is dif
ferent from that of the doctor. The
doctor la called in by his patient,
while the lawyer comes without call
ing from that end.
But we are flattering ourselves that
the day of the consultation lawyer is
on the wane, that its sun has about set
In this country and that before long
conditions will be such that not even
the boldest and most skillful manip
ulator will venture to call any legis
lator into hla consultation corner. We
are not unsophisticated enough to be
lieve that such a day is here, but the
best people are faithful enough to
hope that it is not very far off. It
has been a hard fight, thla one against
the professional lobbyist. The evil had
Intrenched Itself so firmly that It
could not be uprooted in a year or
two, not even with the power of public
sentiment against it. It is one of the
most subtle and sinister forces In our
political life. Its blandishments have
a material side which only the strong
can resist.
Judge Norrls again raises the ban
ner of "Insurgency" and proposes to
rip things up as soon as congress con
venes Such a policy ought to be of
great help to the democrats. It will
prevent the enactment of any serious
constructive legislation by the repub
lican party and leave all matters of
Importance, except the appropriation
blljs. over to the body that will be di
rected by Champ Clark and bis co-
horta. Such a consummation la the
logical end of Insurgency.
"Would-be Senator" Sorenson lets
bis wish become parent to the thought
when he commits The Bee to the com
mission form of government. In sug
gesting that the business; affairs of
the city be submitted to the examina
tion of experts it was not Intended
to convey the Impression that such a
commission was to be a permanent
fixture. What is really required for
Omaha ia a better adjustment of the
present form of government to the
needs of the city.
Arthur Mullen's ambition to rep
resent the state before the supreme
'court In the bank guaranty law case
Is not winning him any support in
Lincoln. The personal champions of
Attorney Whedon are fairly ramping
over the action of the attorney gen
eral. Just wherein this controversy
serves the interest of the public Is not
clearly discernile.
President Taft Is learning, among
other things, that quite a number of
western lawyers are willing to assume
a place on the supreme bench. This
is in accord, not only with the fitness
of things, but with the spirit of the
west. Folks out In this section never
did believe In letting a good thing go
to waste.
From his comfortable ranch home
In balmy Texas, Mr. Bryan calls to the
democratic congressmen to remember
that he expects them to revise those
house rules and place the appoint
ment of committees In the hands of
the house, taking it away from , the
speaker. Then watch them obey their
master.
"Lafe" Young la meeting his oppo
sition a little more than half way. He
proposes to take the aenatorlal ques
tion to the voters of Iowa. Senator
Young has always been known as a
good fighter, and he Is too far along In
years to begin running away now.
Lincoln comes to the front with a
new city directory which gives the
town a population of 59,000. This Is
a very comfortable Increase since
Uncle Sam's census man made his
rounda last spring. The trouble will
be to get It into the record.
"Charlie" Pool has the slender sat
isfaction of knowing that the figures
on- the machines have not been
changed since election. It Is worth
what it cost to know that this source
of democratic clamor is now stopped.
The civic reform fever la so high
in St. Paul that a justice of the peace
fined himself $20. A man's conscience
will sometimes get the better of him.
August Belmont, so they say, is to
have a chance to "recite the facts" In
that race track legislation case. At
least a chance to state his side of It.
If you haven't done it yet, set about
it at once. The -shops are waiting
and Santa Claus will feel all the better
If you do it early.
Making Life Worth While.
New York Tribune.
Iron bars do not a prison make, not
when there are lace curtains to hang over
the bars. That -ie . the aentlment of the
"cattle kings" aent to Jail In Omaha
(Hastings) for fencing government lands.
rianatBa- a Chance of View.
New York World.
A prominent railroad president is about
to retire to realize an old ambition to be a
farmer. It will be Interesting to have hla
profeeetonal epimwv bS the advisability of
raising rates on ,farar produce to meet the'
higher railroad coet of living.
Soaaria Ilke a Horn Sonar.
Denver Republican.
The declaration -of the emperor of Ger
many in favor of prohibition sounds' a lit
tle bit like the seal of the American re
former who would enforce such a law for
the benefit of the poor worklngman, know
ing very well that he will still be able to
get at hla club all he wants himself.
Talk Veraee Work,
Pprltiafleld Republican.
Speaker Cannon is still referring to the
coming congress seualon aa a billion-dollar
one. President Taft, however, Is evidently
determined that It shall not quite reach
up to this now familiar record. The de
partment estimates have been reduced at
his command, and still he demands further
reductions. The chief executive cannot be
engaged In a greater or better work at
this time. '
Steel Interests Able ta Sit I'p.
Philadelphia Record.
The steel Interests will now draw a deep
breath of relief and satisfaction. For weeks
they have been waiting for big railway
companies to put In their orders for rails.
First the delay, was attributed to the
pendency of the election. Then It was
uncertainty regarding the action of the
Interstate Commerce commission In the
matter of rate advance. At last the Penn
sylvania railroad has acted. It has placed
orders for 150,000 tons of rails, a larger
amount than has been bought In any year
since 1906.
Lots of the Viae
Rprlogfleld Republican.
Love of the flag is part of the deepest
conaoiouanesa of men who served la the
civil war. There was a striking instance
of this In Albany the other day ;-har.
Adjutant General Verbeck permitted one of
the glass caaes of battle flags on the sea
ond floor of the capltol to be opened so
that an old soldier might touch the colors
under which he fought. He bad been a
member of the Nineteenth New Tork
volunteers, and the flag he dealred to place
his hand on waa stained with the blood of
the color-bearer, who, when he fell, waa
carried to the rear by the vlaitor, Comrade
QurUr of Bcnohajie county.
A THOUGHT KOIl MR. PAHK.
Farmer Omaha llailroad M aa Talks
Without Thtnklaaj. ,
Chicaao Tribune.
When a distinguished attorney ventures
the assertion that tl.000.000 a day could
be saved In railroad operation and when
railroad men take up that statement for
publlo discussion In Interviews and speeches
there are opened ui many opportunities
for yetting awkwardly if not erroneously
at what the varloua disputants are trying
to Kay.
With thla qualifying preface we turn
briefly to the yet briefer comment credited
to W. L. Park, vice president of the Illinois
Central. Mr. Park geta within quotation
marks thua:
"BrandelsT Why! he's a Joke. He
doesn't know what he ia talking about.
Has a fool."
That, of course, does not annihilate
Brandeia. One does not dispose of Bran
dels with a feint and two punches. The
statement doaa not even fall within the
number of convincing replies which might
be made to the attorney. It and Mr. Park
would not need consideration if It were
not for the fact that he ia vice president of
the Illinois Central.
That road, w believe, la In court with
the complaint that frauds involving ap
proximately 1I,0U0.(M have been worked on
It in four yeara. Mr. Brandeia probably
would not make much of thla fact. He
would look at it aa incidental rather than
rasual, but It should make Mr. Park, rumi
native rather than declamatory.
Washington Life
ome Interesting Fhaaee
and Conditions Observed
at the nation's Capital.
The scenes are all ml fur tue beeln
nlna; of the last act of the e -omi n .
l'n of the elxty-flrM cimgrem. Both
chambers of senate anil hoiwe of rcpre
aentatlves have received their annual
dilating and varnishing and everytMna; ia
ae spick and span as an Industrious
Iutch cleanser could rroduce. The thor
oughness of the cleanalna; Job is indicated
by the fact that the busts of the "im
mortals" lining the aenale chum be- aa
aolemnly as a plate rack in dining
room were taken from their per.-lns and
given an animated hath. The 7,mmor"
tals" of the senate are the carved Images
of vice presidents past and present. In
the heap around the bath were imna-ee
of the living Levi P. Morton, Adlnt Stev
enson, Charles Warren Fairbanks rnd
Colonel Roosevelt. Theae with the effi
gies of predeceeaora were scoured and
polished, replaced In their niches, whence
they look down on the assembled states
men with countenances of unvarying Im
partiality. In the office buildings .f the
respective houses no great change haa
taken place, but the luxurious elegance
of the scions' quarters haa been Increased
by the artistic touch of a purse which
knows na bottom.
An Incident which shows how uncon
scious President Taft Is of tils own alio
and bulk occurred In front of the White
House the other day. As the president
was Retting into his automobile on the
morning of Thartkagtvlng day to attend
the pan-American mass Congressman W.
W. Cocks of Long Island stepped to the
curbing alongside af the machine and
lmde, the president good morning.
"Why, aood mornlna, congressman,"
said Mr. Taft, with a smile.
He waa standing upright in the machine
by thla time, adjusting the lap robe. "Oh,
Congressman, you know Mrs. Taft, don't
you?" said the president, as he turned
half way around.
"Why, yea, of course, I know her." Mr.
Cock a said, hesitatingly, as he looked
about him to the right and left, without
being able to catch ao much as a glimpse
of the flrat lady of the land.
Just then Captain Butt, the president's
military aid, who saw the situation, took
the somewhat astonished Mr. Cocks by
the arm and piloted him around the
northweat corner of the president to a
point from which one could see Mrs.
Taft, who was already seated In the auto.
Realising only then why ' the Long
Island congressman had not at once
greeted his wife the president smiled
and remarked: "This Is really the first
time I have ever been known to stand In
Mrs. Tafts way."
The secretary of the Wholesale Grocer's
association announce that the executive
committee of that body has decided to of
fer help In passing at the coming session
of congress a bill requiring the branding
on food products of the exact net weight
or measure. There Is no doubt that the
public at large, following the lead Of the
commissioners of agriculture of many
states and the . repeated declarations of
Dr. Wiley of the United States de
partment of agriculture, feel that they are
entitled to know the weight and measure
of the food products which they buy.
Borne legislators have even gone so far
as to assert that the passage of a weight
or measure branding statute would add
some points of Interest to the question In
which the entire country Is Interested the
high cost of living.
The secretary of the association, in com
menting upon the subject, said that reports
from varloua sections of the country Indl
cated that consumers were not aatlsf led
with th weight and measure branding
clause of the nalonal food law, which pro
vldes that If the weight or measure be
stated upon th package It shall be the
true net weight or measure, but that rep
resentative ef th association In th vaii
oua state found that there waa a strong
public demand for a national weight and
meaaure branding law that would require
that the net weights, measure er count
ahould be branded on food products.
A good story about the elections down
in Arkansas ha drifted Into Washington.
The Arkansas election lawa are strict and
framed with a view to securing to the
oolored voter th full rights of cltlsen
shlp. Th law prescribaa, for example,
that upon th arrival at th polling place
of a colored voter, who professes himaelf
unable to mark his ballot without assist
ance, he I to be accompanied into the
booth by on of th attendant Judges.
This judge has been sworn to mark th
ballots in accordance with th wishes ex
pressed by th Illiterate voter.
Upon th arrival of on of the colored
voters at the polling place th following
dialogue ensues:
"Good morning. Judge. Guess I wants
a tlttl help to mark my ballot."
"All tight, Jo. I suppos you're still
a rock-ribbed republican?"
"Iteed I la, Judge.."
"Well, then, I suppos it Is your deal re
to eliminate each on of th following
republican candidates," and th judge
reads th names of th republican noml
tieea. "Sure, dat's right. Judge. I wanta to
ilmlnate every on."
And th Judge marks th ballots In ex
act accordance with voter' direction. All
of which Indicate that It will still be some
time before th solid south loess its solidity.
When a small army of archltecta and
artisans finishes th work now in progress
on th United States Treasury building,
the beautiful old structure will show th
first material changes sine lStj. Archi
tecturally It still will represent a pagan
temple, representing, many folk say, the
American people' worship of money. But
the visitors to the nation's capital who
have not seen the treasury in forty years
will find many changes for efficiency and
economy.
The double stone staircase leading up
to th colonnade on the Fifteenth street
aid ha been torn away. Architects said
It spoiled the beauty of that side of the
building.
The thirty granlt monoliths, each of
which cost IS.WO and weigh thirty tons,
row stand in an unbroken row. They
are said to be the finest examples of their
kind of th stonecutters' are. It required
ten men working sixty dfya to produoe
each of them, and a solid train of thirty
flat cars brought them to Washington
from th quarries In Maaaachuaetts.
Th appearance of th front of th
treasury has been marred, th artist say,
by the commercial aspect, which the
scores ef trucks and wagons backed up
to th curb gave to It. Ho a private
driveway has been built into th court.
When It la finished the big three-horse
truck which brings up lta rich cargo of
cu. rency every day to the vault from
tbe bureau of printing and engraving will
carry Its precious load praotloaliy into the
building, instead of depositing It on the
sldawalka Kxpress wagons, which carry
off hundreds of valuable packages, wUI do
the same.
rutin o rmsio hoi.i,.
What tbe Carelessness of Congress
Mas rrASaeri.
Indianapolis News.
William Payard Hale's discussion of th
pensions question, which Is now running in
the World's Work, ought to be publicly
resd. No summary of the articles ran do
them Justice. They reveal a condition that
must ehock the moral condition of the
country. Mr. Hale shows that pensions
are being paid to deserters and cowards:
to men whose military records were made
by congress by means of bills "correcting"
these records; that In some esses one
man In drawing as many as fotir pensions
In violation of the law. that pensions have
been paid to men Impersonating others
ho were entitled to them; that pensions
have for years been paid to dead men
whose name were used by others. The
influence of politics and pension agents Is
shown. The carelessness and cowardice of
congress are exposed, making a disgrace
ful showing.
Not alone are the people robbed right
and left, but the honest and deserving
veterans as well. Their Interests are sac
rificed to those of the worthless creatures
who are drawing money which might be
otherwise used to Increase the pensions of
the deserving. It seems to us that the
Grand Army of the Republic, the Loyal
Legion and the other soldier organisations
ought to demand an investigation of this
monstrous business, to demand a purging
of the pension roll. We have had pension
commissioners who honestly tried to do
their duty. But th forces of gtaft were
too strong for them. Great as the evil Is,
It Is not so grent that Jt cannot be
rightly dealt with.
One suggestion seems to us to have some
value. There are now some twenty thou
sand soldiers of the Fpsnlsh war on th
pension rolls. That fact seems to prove
that we are to go through the same expe
rience with these men as with the civil
war soldier. Hut why should this be
necessary? Why can w not stop where
we are and resolve that we will In the
future Investigate all such cases carefully
and carefully define the pension status?
The Spanish war lasted only three months
and It waa fought almost exclusively by
regular troops. Few volunteers saw any
action at all. Of course some of them suf
fered In the camps, and no doubt some
were seriously Incapacitated by disease, for
th camps wer a scandal. But of the
surviving soldiers of the Spanish war there
are, we should say, few who are not
abundantly able to take care of them
selves. And yet thousands of these men
are now drawing pensions from the gov
ernment and others are no doubt trying to
break into the treasury. As we remember
It, there were not more than twenty or
twenty-flv thousand soldiers in Cuba I
and Porto Rico. Borne volunteers served
and served well in "the Philippines. All
who are fairly deserving cf pensions
should have them. But It Is time to end
the pension riot.
IOWA FEELS HI HT,
- laewlag Hits state Pride In
Tender Spot.
Des Moines Capital.
The official facts from the census bu
reau state that there has been an Increase
of population In th United States as a
whole of 20 per cent between th census
of 1900 and that of 110. The greatest
gain was In the state of New York. That
state added nearly J.000.000 of people. The
terrltorlea of Arlsona and New Mexico
mads th greatest percentage of gain.
Of all the states and territories of the
union, th state of Iowa alone shows a
loss. Iowa's loss l T.083.
In all th other agricultural state there
were gain. .
States 'Wherein th laws ar not sup
posed to be aa good aa In Iowa report
gains.
Verily there I work to do In Iowa.
Verily w must give attention to good
roads and to th 1,000 school house scat
tered over the prairies that are almost
mpty.
Had It not bean for th growth of Dee
Moines. Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Sioux
City, Fort Dodge and som ot tbe other
cities of th elate, Iowa'a loss of popula
tion would have been much greater and
our humiliation much keener. '
We need a new awakening In thla state
of the Iowa spirit W need more Iowa
enthusiasm. W need It on th farms.
W need it In the shop. We need It In
the schools. W need It everywhere. We
fancy that our people have been giving
too muoh attention to politic and not
nough attention to th natural develop
ment of th state's resources,
Iowa farm ar rich enough to divide
up. There haa been a loss In the number
Of the farms by consolidations. This I
an unhappy fact. W want no farm mon
opolies. We want no bfg land holders.
We want young farmers, farmers of energy
and ambition, to make th soil yield what
it ought to yield.
Let every Iowa man read the official
census reports and at once make up hla
mind to begin th fight for Iowa, for Iowa
interest.
List to This Scoffer.
Houston (Tex.) Post.
A beautiful Nebraska girl eloped with a
Mexican cowboy in th republic to th
south. No doubt she was driven to this
desperate act out of a feeling of sham
because her horns state defeated eld Jim
Dahlman for governor.
Our Birthday Book.
Pc timber S, 110.
Martin Van Buren, eighth president of
th United States), wu born December S.
178C at Kinderhook, N. T.. and died ther
in 1S82. He was mad president by Andrew
Jackson, who picked him a hi successor,
and th chief vnt of hi administration
waa th terrible pnl of 1107.
General Oeorgw A. Custer. Indian
fighter, we bom December S, 1U0, In Har-
mini. O. H served with credit In
th oivll war and loot Ms life In a skirmish
with th Indiana In th Big Horn mountains
In 17,
Lymau K. Cooler, civil engineer and pro
fessor of engineering In the University of
Michigan, I S. He waa born in Nw Tork
.r,A sea on of th expert called In by
the water board In th Omaha waterworks
appraisement,
ttanrv M. Hovt. formerly solicitor gen
eral of, th United State and now counsel
for th Department or mate, is w years oia
today. He wa born In W!lkebarT, Pa.,
and used to practice law In Philadelphia.
Charles E. Magoon. formerly governor
of Ohio, wa born Defwmber 6, Idol, In Mln-
.. u naoii ubii law cartner of C.
O. Whedon's at Lincoln and wa at one
tlm more or lees prominent in Nebraska
politic.
irthn V rnad. canttallst and banker, who
died laat month, was born December J.
142. H waa a native of Ireland and a
plonr of Omaha. H mad hi money Id
th land and cattl business.
Rom Miller, hotel man, Is Just to. H
tarn tn HL Louis and started In the
hotel buatnee at Fremont In 1SM1. going
right ahead until now na owns nair a
don hotels, including the Rome, running
them himself.
n.i Rnlton. suDeiintetident HtatiJn C.
Omaha poetofflce, wss born December t.
UTS, at Montexuma, Ia. He came to Omaha
In 1 est and went into the puatal service
in law).
rEOFLE TALKED ABOUT.
The protected Bsltlnmre conference cf
leading democrats hss petered (ut, Mns
to the fer that the tinlnvitrd mlsht throw
a biick. A frawt Is substituted as more
conducive to peace
Mrs. George HrsJIev. who resides neai
Oreystone, Conn., rods Into Watervllle in th
snow recently on a bicycle and pedaled
home again with a load cf groceries. Mis
Bradley is (M years old. f!ie asid she hac
never heard of lr. Osier.
Cannon, the speaker, and Champ Clark
the apeaker-to be, propoee walking t:
Broadway, New York, arm-in-arm. whlcr
goea to shorn- that Clark doesn't regard
Cannon as such a bugaboo a do om
folks In Cannon's own rarty.
Mrs. Fred II. Austin was appointed traf
flc chief In the office of a telegraph com
pany at Mobile. Ala. This I the first wo
mnn In the south to occupy such a position
Tho appointee is a sister of Rube. Wad
dell, the well known base ball player, and
was formerly manager of a branch office
The North Adams (Mass.) mayoralty con
test, to be decided next month, will be f
rsce of six-footers. Charles L. Frank, r
publican; Karl D. Getman, democrat, and
Ir. Wallace E. Brown, defeated for th
republican nomination, who proposes to run
as an Independent, range from six feet ont
Inch to six feet three Inches in height.
When Mrs. Sarah Brown, age Vti, ei
Bird I-fikc, recently secured a license and
boarded a train for the north Woods all
started on a Journey thnt will add to hei
long record as a nlmrod, the being th
oldest woman hunter In th state.. Mrs
Brown is a crack shot, a number of deet
heads and stuffed hides adorning her home
in Bird Lake.
Because he waa afraid a former "mas
ter." to whom he had been apprenticed
to learn farming, but from whom h ran
away to go to war, would lay claim, ta his
person and fore him , to serve . out hla
period of service, 1 'an lei ,. Sheldon, a vet
eran of th civil war, threw away, his dis
charge psiw rs and assumed the nam of
George Hmlth recently In JSelvlder. N. J.
Sylvester Babbitt of Knfleld N. who
Is (13 years old, husked 407 bushels of eorn
this fall. Hiram Young, 90 years old, ot
West Lebanon, ha been slating the I'art
mouth college, roof, SO feet from the
ground. Joseph II. Ilodgdon uf Dover,
drives about the streets of that city alone
Stephen J. Roberts of Claremont, t yean
old, Is making his annual visit- to New
Tork City, unaccompanied.
MK.AtK OK root, I'OUBinaifi.
Need of Law to Prevent Price Plains
Combinations. v
Cincinnati Enqulrar.
Notwithstanding th announcement ol
lower price In a number of the artlclai
which enter Into household cost Of llvlnl
there Is a deep-seated ptrbllc sentiment
that a combine or combines ar preventing
the free action of the laws of supply snd
demand in food supplies. The people ol
the United States should not have the
prices of their foot1 supplies, of any line er
of any character, fixed by any combination
of middlemen, or by any trade associations
or through the united action of packers,
wholesalers or retailers.
Those who manipulate for profit by
creating a temnorary scarcity, whether by
storage or other .methods of withholding
supplies from th market ot th people
ar Injuring th nation and Inimical to tin
Interests of our population.
Th lawa against such method should b
promptly and persistently enforced against
all offenders of this class until the people
of every city, county and atate ar frae
from the excessive exactions of such Shy
locks. Th producer and the consumer
should be free to deal directly aa far as
It Is possible to do so; but where there
needs to be a middleman, aa there must be
tn cases, such middlemen should not be
allowed to checkv to halt or to withhold
the natural flow of food supplies to those
who desire to purchase for consumption.
There have been many evidences uf
manipulation yes, pf ability to arbitrarily
raise and to depress the prioes of the
articles of food that ar required In nearly
very horn in th United States. That !
a power that should not be lodged In the
hands of either one or of any other num.
ber of persons, and the laws of th United
States ahould b most aotlv against any
or all persons who ar engaged In such
operations. 1
Prosperity can only be maintained tn this
or In any other country by keeping food
product fr from th varlciou demands
of middleman who would Impoverish the
consumer through their excessive exac
tions, their greed for undue profit proving
too heavy a toll from the daily or weekly
earning of th masses of our citlsen..
LAUGHING OAS.
"Was that Interview published aa coming
directly from you authentic T" '
"I haven't decided yet," replied Senator
Sorghum. "1 am waiting to see what ef
fect it haa on my constituent." Washing
ton Star.
"And do you tak your meals out?" asM
th village probe, who is garnering In
formation frort the former resident who Is
home from th city lor a few day.
"Not until I have eaten them," wearily
respond th unwilling victim. Judge.
"Do you think It' posslhle for a man lu
live all his life without telling a Her'
"Hardly. Most every man falls In love
one time or another." Cleveland Leader.
New Reporter Th auto turned terrapin
and
City Editor You mean turned turtle
New Reporter Wall, It waa a plgo-prlced
machine. Judge.
"Give me a ticket to Reno, Nev."
"Single?"
"If 1 waa single I wouldn't be sol"
ther." Boston Transcript.
"That young medical graduate say he
la golug to make a psolaity of automo
bile practice." .
"What doe he mn?"
Treatment of motor nerves." Baltimore
American.
Flub Who originated th Idea that the
longest way 'round ws th shortest way
home?
Dub Rome taxlcab driver. I suppose.
Town Topics.
"My husband say your husband bad a
full iiand yesterday evening."
"I don't think so," replied young Mr.
Torklns. "He came home quit empty-handed."-Chicago
Hecord-Herald.
"Jack told Maud he'd never give her up."
"Didn't that cause her lo relent?"
"No; she thought that so determined and
obstinate a man would make a hard hue
band to handle Detroit Fro press.
He had Juat tried a new mak of safety
raxor having already failed with half
do&en different kinds.
"Wail, how did you Ilk It?" asked
cheery friend.
The shaver turned to him a sad,
visage.
"It took everything off my face,"
remarked, "exrpt th hair."
Next! New York Time.
THE WIND.
hit
ad
hf
I whisper In th fia-est re,
Gently ss a roving sprit.
Or stir with a rousii.g breos,
Th calm of a quiet night.
My breath I hot upon th land,
Or cold a Ice or snow;
Ever a th changing sand.
Mood bid tn com and go.
To ma, alike, are night and day,
Either on ittnd or ,
t ncheoked, 1 force my any,
Where aiy delrs msv be
Omaha. KuBfcKT DCS".