The Plattsmouth Journal
PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT
PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA.
R. A. BATES, Pcblisiiek.
cured ttlie pontofUce at Plattsmouth, N e
hr&kka. an second class matter.
$1,50 Per Year in Advance.
If the solons of Lincoln intend to
tarry out their party pledges they
had better be moving as the session
of the legislature is drawing near
a close. And if they don't carry out
their pledges, the members at fault
might as well write finis after their
political careers.
The small factory proposition
seems to meet with the approval of
those merchants In the city who
have discussed it. These factories
should receive the attention of the
Commercial Club and If possible
they should should be located now
before it Is too late. There are any
number of fine sites scattered about
this city which could be utilized for
this purpose and they could be ob
tained cheaply. Then there are
several buildings In the heart of the
city which could easily be converted
into factories. The small factory
will help a lot.
February, which is about to close,
has been an unusual month the
world over from a metrological
standplint. This portion of the
country has had no less that four
distinct blizzardH with high winds
and low temperatures. There was
not so much snow In this Immediate
vicinity as In other parts of the
state but there was still a sufficien
cy. Those blizzards have also swept
ho entire country and reached as far
south as Florida where freezing tem
peratures prevailed. The southwest
has had also more than its usual
share of bad storms. There has been
rain, wind, snow and sleet and freez
ing weather has extended to the Gulf
coast country. Cyclones have struck
at several places In Southern Texas,
Arkansas, Oklahoma and other
southwestern points. The Ohio val
ley is now In the throes of a great
flood caused by phenomena rains,
theso following the blizzards spoken
of above. On the Pacific coast great
rains have caused floods from Wash
ington to Lower California with the
attendant loss of life and property.
In Europe the month has been mark
ed by storms, floods, snow and ex
tremo cold all over the country.
Germany In particular hns suffered
from flood while snow and cold have
been particularly severe upon the
unfortunate who suffered from the
earthquake at Messina. Asia re
ports great storms and earthquakes
throughout the month. Africa has
the same story and even Australia
reports earthquakes and storms
The world weather map seems to
have been in a constant state of tur
moil and scientists have not fathom
ed the causes therefor.
Let I'm Have Light.
Gov. Hadley's reported plan for the
creation of a commission to study the
liquor traffic and the working law
and methods adopted iu other stat
:es
and countries to control and regulate
It for the guidance of the state logls
lature In devising laws on the su
Jcct, is sane and sensible. The on
round basis of legislation Is full
Knowledge of the principles, the facts
and results of experiences and ex
perlmcnts In the pnst
Thcgovernor Is right la saying that
the liquor question Is social, not po
lltlcal. Social questions are delicate
and Intricate. They require the most
Intelligent consideration and tren
ments. Efficient legislation for the
regulation of social customs and con
duct can only be framed by can
cfu
study and wise comprehension of
BO-
lal forces and tendencies.
Never was there such reckl
plunging In experimental leglslat
tlo
on the subject of liquor traffic
there Is today. Most of the expt
ments are not only futile but dlsas
trous. They Interfere with tho
vate conduct of citizens disturb con
ditlons, dlstroy property and deprl
thousands of tho means of II v
vln
without accomplishing the desl
In-
object. Extreme measures are alw
aya
futllo. Prohibition does not prohibit
and excessive regulation unllifles reg
ulative laws
There Is a chaotic Jumble of pro
posals bearing upon the liquor traf
fic before our State legislature; nor
is this condition exceptional Prac
tically every state legislature Is af
flicted with a flood of bills on the
ubject . Some of them violate fun-
amental principles of government.
Many of them disregard public policy
nd defy the lessons of experience.
Most of them Ignore human nature
nd the strongest social forces. Near
ly all are raw, crude, Impracticable.
It Is better to learn from the experi
ence of others than engage In disas
trous experiment.
The whole problem of liquor legis
lation should be divorced from the
hysteric emotionalism and evangel-
sm which now are he most conspic
uous factors In the attempt to In
fluence public opinion and legisla
tive bodies. It should be placed up
on a basis of scientific inquiry and
sober Judgment.
There Is no surer method of en
forcing public opinion and guiding
legislative action Into safe channels
than by thorough Investigation. The
work of a well-selected commission
reated not for the purpose of regu
lating the liquor traffic, but to obtain
nformation and make recommenda
tions based upon Its researches would
be Invaluable at his time. We need
light. St. Louis Post-Despatch.
The date of the Inauguration
draws on apace and soon we will be
deluged with photographs of our
worthy president aBtrlde a large,
prancing steed and similar pictures.
We say large prancing steed advis
edly as it will have to be a large
animal to prance under William 11.
The papers through the county are
commencing to take notice of the
proposed trade excursions from
Eagle to this city and they commend
tho enterprise which prompts them.
This Is natural, as It is real enter
prise, and that is always appreci
ated. The running of those excur
sions means a whole lot to the peo
ple of the county and to this city.
The building of the interurban to
Elmwood and Murdock from this city
ought to be started at once, before
Omaha gets Into the field, when It
will bo too late. If they run a line
from Papllllon to Elmwood there
will bo no reason for their construct
ing tho line to this city, as they will
handle trade which is legitimately
this city's over that line and leave
Plnttsmouth a small, circumscribed
aren to draw from. The Plnttsmnuth-
Murdock-Elmwood Interurban will
shut that line out and If the proper
parties take It up capital can be
made to see where It Is a good thing,
Thoro Is a good deal of curiosity
manifested as to Just what kind of a
show Omaha will put up next to
draw business to that city. It Is the
automobile show today and tomor
row It will bo some other kind and
everyone of them pays the merchants
of that city. There Is a lesson In
this for other tow ns and cities.
Tho state railway commission If
it wants to earn the gratitude of
the public ought to Investigate the
condition of some of the roadbeds In
this state. A careful Inspection of
some of tho bridges and ties on
Bomo of the roads here might stir
even the commission into action.
The reaction against prohibition
seems to he gulnlng strength the
country over. The movement seems
to have lost much of Its force In Mis
souii and there is small prospects of
a prohibition amendment or law be
ing adopted there. Prohibitionists
concede their defeat In Texns and
have deferred their light for some
time In the future. In Georgia a
move Is on foot to repeal their pro
hibition statute. The same thing Is
truo of Alabama. In Indiana the
legislature has repealed the county
option law and prohibition Is far
ther away than ever. This state will
remain true to tho best principle for
handling tho liquor traffic and will
regulato It as at present. On the
whole, the wave seems to bo waning
and spending Its force and there Is
small prospect for tho enactment of
radical laws along this lino In the
immediate future. The best plan for
these matters Is to regulate them by
sane and reasonable laws and Ne
braska has the best of these.
The restoration of prosperity w hich
we were so confidently promised last
fall seems to be somewhat delayed.
The Wall street markets for the past
several days have been In tremen
dous turmoil, caused by the an
nouncement of a wide cut In the
price of Bteel products, and the prob
able further announcement of a cut
In wages. This does not look as If
there were an abundance of pros
perity In the land. Added to this the
announcement is made that railways
throughout the southwest are busily
engaged In laying off crews owing to
slack work, and the announcement
In this section of reduced hours for
shop employes. The revival seems to
have halted before It got started. In
the statement which accompanied the
cut of the steel company, It Is said
that this is done to aid In restorlrtg
business by creating a market for
steel products In the railway and
building trades. The general tinder
standing was before the November
election that election of Taft meant
this, so why is a reduction in prices
necessary?
Tho project for building an Ice
and cold storage plant In this city
will very likely receive quite an Im
petus during the coming summer, as
the failure of the local ice firm to
put up sufficient Ice for the city's
needs during tho summer will be
painfully manifest. There is no good
reason why such a plant would not
pay here. This Immediate section
raises everything which Is necessary
to make a storage plant a success.
The benefits of the Ice plant go with
out saying. When the people of this
city are called upon this summer to
use Ice brought Into the city and pay
the coBt, coupled with high and ex
cessive freight charges, they will see
where the advantage of having their
own plant Is. The two together will
result In furnishing Ice to the people
at lower rates than thoy would other
wise be compelled to pay and In addi
tion the storage end of the concern
will make a market for perishable
products. Someone should take hold
of the matter now and push It ahead.
The Liquor Problem in Missouri.
(Globe Democrat editorial. Feb
ruary 13, 1909.)
The Missouri Legislature Is urged
by some who, however,' honest and
earnest, are more swayed by feeling
than may bo consistent with calm
and practical statesmanship to move
n the direction of state-wide prohi
bition. This subject was consid
ered by the two leading parlies In
the opening stages of tho last cam
paign, and the decision was that
state-wldo prohibition should not bo
Included In tho platforms. lloth
candidates for governor took ground
for local option. The legislature Is
composed of members of these two
parties. They acted within party
lines and stood upon the respective
platforms. As far as formal party
action can be defined this is the sit
uation In the present executive and
legislative departments In Missouri,
and it cannot be logically changed,
nor should It bo subject to mere emo
tionalism, always proved to be a dan
snuua Rumo, ana apt to go to
longthB that compel later modifica
tions and reversals
There are many good citizens, ripe
in experience and as desirous as any
of social advancement, leading sober,
honorable, fruitful lives, and of an
aspiring, self-respecting manhood,
who hellevo that local option is al
together the best practical method of
dealing with the liquor problem.
They believe In wise regulation that
will accomplish tho best practical
results mid not disturb tho right
personal and other, that have a Just
claim to consideration. Local option
Is a form of prohibition of saloons in
dlsi riots that vote that they do not
want them. It Is backed by tho senti
ment of tho community affected. It
Is a recourse to every county in tho
slate, and many counties have acted
upon It. Some have voted on way
and some tho other, and each Is at
liberty from time to time to voto up
nn Ik. - .1... .
vii in nut'Huon again, a county
feels that U acts In accordance with
the popular will. Put thero are 114
counties in tho state Should 58 un
dertake to overrulo the other 66. not
only abolishing saloons but driving
industries out of the slate by cutting
deep Into the public revenues now in
sufficient, without in any manner in
dicating how the rights that may be
violated can be protected, or how the
property destroyed can be settled for
without infringement of constitu
tional safeguards, in which every citi
zen shares equally?
The world cannot be safely and
sanely governed by emotionalism.
There are evils to be corrected, and
social tendencies that must be regu
lated, but it must be done by cool
collected thought, not by gusts of ex
citement, passion or prejudice. No
one can pretend that where state
wide prohibition prevails the object
sought has been fully achieved. A
great deal of liquor Is consumed In
Maine, that has been under prohibi
tion law for half a century. Many in
telligent observers look to local op
tion as a working plan. Others, w ho
believe in local option, also favor
high license where saloons are per
mitted, because high license pro
motes responsibility and decorum.
But State-wide prohibition does not
appeal to their judgment. All evil
cannot be driven from the worU by
a stroke. It can bo regulated, but
not by bursts of feeling. It Is Impos
sible to 6poak of this subject without
working around frequently to the
word "practical." And emotional
Iaw ire not practic.l laws.
The urgency of starting some line
of progress which will aid In build
ing up the city of Plattsmouth is so
manifest that the person who can
and will do It and does not places
himself In the light of a drawback to
the city and deserves the severest of
condemnation. The project for build
ing an Interurban road between this
city, Elmwood and Murdock Is one
thing that every citizen Interested In
the welfare of the city should take a
hand in and push along. The run
ning of trade excursions between
Eagle and this city is an excellent
plan and The Journal is big enough
and broad enough to recognize It
and not scoff at It. Plnheads find it
quite easy to scoff at matters they
do not themselves originate and, un
fortunately, Plattsmouth has some
of this stripe, but they are getting
fewer in numbers every day and their
Influence dwindles with time. The
building of an lee plant and a cold
storage plant Is an Industry which
will receive more attention as the
year goes on and the need for the
former part of It becomes more pain
fully manifest. Tho location of the
small factory In this city Is one more
thing which demands the attention
of everyone Interested In the up
building of the city. The creation
of a summer park with the right at
tractions will afford the people
somewhere to hold their outings and
It, too, deserves every possible en
couragement. The movement for a
monster Fourth of July celebration
should be started at once so that the
great 'success of last year can be
duplicated and, If possible, 'excelled
this year. There Is no one of these
several Ideas but what is good and
would result In a big help to the city,
All that is needed to make every
one of them a success is to take hold
of them and push them along. The
Commercial club can do much, but
the merchants of the city by lending
their aslstance to the club's efforts
can do even more. The duty those
living in this city 'owe themselves is
to wake up and start the boom right.
The schools of different cities have
as marked individualities as the cities
themselves. For instance: Visit
schools steadily for some weeks in
Boston, and you will carry away an
Impression of tho most conscientious
school system In the United States
and conscientious according to an old
standard which Itoston In most re
spects should have outgrown many
years ngo. Hoston Institutes a play
hour for games In the primary grade
of three of Its schools and thinks
It has made a tremendously radical
and progressive experiment; yet with
truo New England spirit thinks it has
done no more than its duty in Its
most excellent medical inspection
laws, and does not set Itself up about
It In tho least.
Take Kansas City. There the
children are Imbued with true Kan
sas hustle; are marched to stock
yards and plow factories for a prac
tical demonstration of home indus
try; and they have aroused their par
ents to a civic Interest In schools not
equaled in any city of my knowledge
excent New Or1an. There the cub-
school alliance, composed of par
ents and teachers, an organization
hose officers are among the most
ifluentlal men and women In the
city, has done a thing to make other
cities ashamed of their inactivity.
Teachers' salaries have been raised
an increased liquor license which
the same time has considerably
lessened the number of saloons; a
free lecture system has been well
started and the school fund is yearly
Increased. I think of New Orleans
one of the most Interesting school
cities I have seen in the gracefulness
ef Its school life, its enthusiasm for
school activities and the courtesy in
the school rooms.
One think3 of Springfield, Mass.,
as a city that gets down to its own
problem in the most practical fashion
of any large city. The intelligent
ay Springfield has taken care of its
thousands of illiterate foreigners;
the ungraded classes for the defl-
lent; the excellence of its night
schools theso inspire one with op
timism, not only for public schools
but social and industrial conditions
a manufacturing center. The
Housekeeper.
WHAT SHOULD THE EDITOR DO?
"Resolved, That It is against good
morals for an editor of a newspaper
to print anything that he doesn't per
sonally know to be true." The adop
tion of this resolution means that
newspapers will cease to be printed.
When a groceryman advertises "real
cod fish," how is the editor to know
whether It is cod fish or blind rob
ins? When a dry goods man adver
tises "dimity" at 4 cents a yard.
must the editor go and examine it to
see if It Is worth the price? When a
'spellbinder" barnstorms a country
school house should the editor refuse
to mention it in his paper unless he
was at the barnstorming? If a boy
and girl get married must the editor
witness the ceremony? This is a
queer world and queer people live in
It. The newspaper does the best it
can and is know n by his works. Dd
you do the best you can? T. B.
Murdock In the Eldorado Republican.
A NATIONAL LI DEL CASE.
The Indictment for libel by the
grand jury of the District of Colum
bla against the New York World and
the Indianapolis News, under the 11
bel laws which the district Inherited
over 100 years ago from eighteen
century Maryland, brings those jour
nals face to face with the same issue
of the freedom of the press which
Charles A Danna so successfully met
a dozen or fifteen years ago. Judge
Brown of the United States court
decided that Mr. Dana of the New
York Sun could not be haled to
Washington and there tried for libel
under the district libel laws; and It
is to be hoped that the World and
the News will fight extradition today
for the reasons which were expound
ed in so masterly a style by Ellhu
Root In defending Mr. Dana on the
former occasion. Springfield Re
publican. IX PROHIBITING MAINE.
Nowhere has the prohibition plan
had a fairer test than in the state of
Maine. Not only has it been illegal
to sell liquor in that state, but for
fifty years it has been unconstitu
tional. And now we have the testi
mony of Mr. Holman Day, an honor
able and reputable citizen of that
state, in an article In Apploton's
Magazine, that "any blackleg in
Maine who has money enough to buy
a keg of liquor fiery, unspeakable
poison, for he will not risk Investing
In good, and Is sure of customers If
ho hns anything that passes for liq
uor this person can run his chnnces
and set up In business. He can, and
ho does, sell to anyone who has tho
price." . It was no more possible, Mr.
Day adds, for Mrs. Partington to
sweep back the advancing tide of the
ocean lino than for Maine to keep
the tide of rum from running over
her door sill. And as to the liquor
traffic In Maine, the figures In the
offices of the Internal revenue con
firm Mr. Day's assertion.
In some of tho towns the state
maintains agencies where liquor Is
sold for "medicinal" purposes, and
the sale in these agencies Is so great
that one town raised half Its revenue
by the profits of the trafllo. In Lew
Iston there were 1,000 arrets for
drunkenness Su the last year, and In
that town there Is a force of officers
especially for the prevention of the
sale of liquor. The number of ar
rests for drunkenness in Lewiston,
where there is prohibition, was one
fourth of tho arrests in Baltimore,
where there are about 1,700 saloons,
and Baltimore hns twenty-two times
as many people as Lewiston. Ac
cording to these figures there is five
times as much drunkenness In Lewis
ton la proportion to Its population
as there is in Baltimore.
To Stamp Notes and Bonds.
The Johnson bill providing for the
stamping of promissory notes and
bonds by the assessor was recom
mended for passage Thursday morn
ing and was placed on general file.
The bill as it now stands does not
include all forms of credit, but the
particular forms mentioned are not
available as the basis for a suit In
equity unless they bear evidence of
having been returned to the asses
sor for taxation.
The original bill would have re
quired the taxing of all paper credits.
This would have Included even pass
books as the members understood it
and this, it was feared, would re
sult In such a large withdrawal of
deposits from banks when the time
for assessment rolled around that
some of the financial institutions of
the state would fail.
The bill is aimed at uncovering all
forms of paper wealth which are
now withheld by tax dodgers and on
which taxes are seldom paid. Lin
coln Star.
Death of Little Child.
C. R. Reeves and wife, residing
northeast of town, were called upon
to mourn the loss of their little son
Roy, 10 months old, whose death oc
curred at 5:30 o'clock last Friday
morning. The child suffered an at
tack of throat trouble which was of
three weeks duration, and though
medical skill and tender care were
given, the young life could not be
saved. The father, C. R. Reeves,
accompanied by his brother James,
departed Friday night, taking the re
mains to their former home near
Falrplay, Mo., for interment, Mrs.
Reeves being unable to make the
Journey on account of illness. Union
Ledger.
Fought to a Finish.
Vernon Am and Charles McKean
had a fistic encounter last Friday
evening on the sidewalk and In the
mud In front of the postofflce, the
result being a decided victory for
Am, who gave McKean a terrific
beating without damage to himself.
Parties who saw the starting state
that Am endeavored to avoid the
trouble, but showed his fighting abil
ity when it became necessary.
Complaint was filed before Judge
Foster charging them with fighting
and disturbing the peace. Am did
not admit that he was to blame, but
preferred to pay a fine of $3 and be
through with It, which he did, but
McKean dropped out of sight and has
not yet answered roll call in Judge
Foster's court. Union Ledger.
Moving to Town.
Chancellor Phillips Is engaged to
day in moving his household goods
and other property in from' his farm
and storing them In a vacant room
on Main street, preparatory to retir
ing from the farming business and
entering upon his old occupation of
banking. Mr. Phillips expects to re
move the goods In a short time to his
new location out in the state, but
as the first of March Is nearly here,
he must relinquish posesslon of the
farm, and for this reason he is com
pelled to store his goods. He has a
large force of men engaged In moving
the several articles and numerous
wagonloads are already stored and on
the way. The roads are not In the
best of condition for moving but it
had to be done. The entire party
formed a large dinner party at noon,
Mr. Phillips acting as host to all.
Mrs. Phillips and babies accompanied
the party to the city.
Miss Lura Kuhlman of Nebraska
City Is visiting In the city, the guest
of Miss Gretchen Donnellv.
MITII'K TO rilKIMTOH.
State of NYhruxka, Ciikh Countv, .
In Comity court :
In the matter of t tie entitle of AuKUxt
StolllniHIl, lleceaxed.
Notice In hereby jtlven thnt the
creditor of xald dercaxed will meet
the AilmlnlKtriitrlx of un Id extate, he
fore me, County J mine of Caxx Countv,
Nehraxka, Ht the Count v Court room in
i'lnttxmouth, In mild Countv, on the
Hth day of March, lt9. ami on the nth
day of September, ISMtS, at K o'clock
a. in., each day, for the purpoxe of pre
xentlmt their claim for examina
adjiixtment and allowance.
SU montlm are allowed for the rred.
Itora of xald dec-eaaed to prexent their
rlalmx, and one year for the Admtnlx
tratrlx to xettle xnld extate, from the
Hth day of Marrh, 1909.
WHnexx my hand and aeal of xnld
County Court, at I'lattxmoiith, Ne
braxka, this 8th day of February,
Allen J. rteexon.
County Judge.