The- Plattsmouth - Journal
t s ?tii Seml-Weeklf it Flittsxouth, Kctriski C )
R. A. BATES, Publisher.
Entered at the Postoffice, at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, as econd-dasa
matter.
$1.5 0 PER YEAR IN AD VANCE
Put it down in your day-book:
I'lattsmouth will have a big
celebration on the Fourth of July.
:o :
Announcements for county
candidates in the Journal is $5.00
the. same to democrats and re
publicans alike.
:o:
An election is appointed for
Mexico October 1, but the real
choice will not lake place until the
ballot, counters get to work.
:o :
I,et us hope thai the man who
is to do the crowning of King
George does not make a slight
irror and put it on Jack John
son's head instead.
::
President Tafl will not spend
this summer in Minnesota, and
the small boys of that stale lose
the chance to make money finding
his lost Rolf balls.
:o: .
Governor Wilson is back at
Trenton, but has he learned how
to drive the skeeters from New
ark flats by counting the tele
graph poles of Arizona?
:o ;
A final farewell is being said
to Sarah Bernhardt Ibis week, but
as Sarah Is a free spender, we do
riot doubt she will soon be back to
the 'base of supplies.
:o;
Perhaps in a few weeks we can
all afford u parlor rug, after the
tariff on carpels has been reduced
5)0 per cent. Now none but the
rich can enojy such luxuries.
:o:
A million people gathered at
Home to see I he Victor F.m
rnanucl monument dedicated.
They were probably all qualifying
to become guides to American
tourists.
;o :
The average price of farm
labor is said lo be $25 a month
and hoard. We have moments
when that, would look attractive
if we fell sure they wouldn't give
us any prunes lo eat.
:o:-
Chief Justice White is trying to
reform the delays of the equity
courts. The trouble is that in all
other professions people gel paid
for doing things quickly, but, in
the law they gel paid for doing
things slowly.
:o:
Less is said about the seventeen-year
locust than formerly,
perhaps because now the farm
ers are scooting around in their
automobiles, instead of leaning
over the fence looking despond
ently at ruined crops.
:o:
The Providence Journal com
plains that the democratic con-
pressmen have been wearing
paper collars. Considering the
Washington climate, we are in
clined to give them credit for
wearing any collar at all.
Don C. llhoden of Murray is a
candidate for the democrat ie
nomination for sheriff, and from
the present outlook stands a good
show of being the lucky man, not
only in the primary, but in the
general election, as well.
:o :
The Nebraska Press association
has been in session in Omaha this
week, and have, been enjoying a
genuine pood time, as the me
tropolis js always ready to fur
nish to such gatherings. Of
course, we would have enjoyed the
event, no doubl, but our motlo has
always been, "Business Before
Pleasure." There seems to have
been a goodly number of other
newspaper iin-u adhering to the
same motto.
:o:
Thirty senate speeches are to
be deliered on reciprocity. The
poor stenographers will have to
stick it out, but the senators are
familiar with the location of the
ball grounds, which are aimed to
meet just such exigencies as
this.
:o:
The presidential election next
year bids fair to be a badly mixed
affair. The genuine old-fashion
ed politics, such as has usually
been dished out to the voters, are
liable to be side-tracked and one
party light as progressives and
the other as conservatives. Wil
liam Allen While of Kansas says:
"The conservative party ami its
president will try to hedge and
straddle on progressive measures,
and, of course, will go down to
defeat."
:o :
If opposition to reciprocity
makes such overwhelmingly re
publican districts as the Ninth
Iowa doubtful, what will it do lo
Ihe republican statesmen from
close districts who voted against
reciprocity in congress? Voters
in the special election in the
Ninth congressional district of,
Iowa spoke out for reciprocity.
The district gives a normal re
publican majority of from 5,000
lo 7,000. It has been represented
by Walter I. Smith, an ultra-
standpatter. The fight against
Smith by the progressives last
fall fall reduced his 'majority to
1.KO0. 1
:o:
"GIVE THE BOYS A CHANCE."
"Aye, me, how 'many peril's doth
enfold
The righteous man to make him
daily fall."
Spencer.
Paraphrasing the thought and
partly the language of the early
Knglish hard, the later F.nglish
satirist wrote:
"Aye, me, what perils do environ
The man that meddles with cold
iron."
Hut neither Spencer nor Butler
served on a ways and means com
mittee and tackled a tariff bill. II
they had I hey might consider sin
an immaterial schedule and gun
powder a classification hardly
worthy of nienl ion.
Even Theodore Roosevelt con
trived to weather the tariff and
leave it to his successor. It was
quite certain that when the demo
crats look the initiative they
would require among themselves
a compromising spirit, asking
and reasonably expecting of Ihe
public patient forbearance. With
this in mind it seems to us that
Mr. Underwood has thus far dis
played good qualities of con
structive statesmanship and
legislative leading.
The democrats have acquired in
congress merely the right to pro
pose. They simply "have the
floor" in the lower house. First,
and above all else, they needs
must show the capacity to "do"
and outlive and refute the ac
cusation of "excess." The coun
try has swallowed enough of
dogma. What the people want
is deeds.
To every intent ami purpose the
tariff is a new question. Since
18D5 I hero has been no general
discussion. After twenty years of
successful agitation, the voters,
educated to a thorough under
standing of every issue in dis
pule, the manufacturers warned
and prepared, the Wilson bill
highly protective measure, falsi
fying Ihe hope nf the people who
had made lu light was adopted
by the party as the best which,
under the existing leadership it
was ready and willing to essay.
Upon it. we went to smash. In
18'JG Ihe tariff was sent to the
rear and free silver was brought
to the front. Again we went to
mash. A generation unknowing
of Ihe old debates has arrived up
on the scene.
That the lair weather and
smooth sailing which Mr. Under
wood and his colleagues have had
since the extra session began
would not hold out forever was
to be expected, but it is both dis
concerting and regretable that
Mr. Bryan, of all other demo
crats, should cast himself into the
sea across the party bow and be
come yet once again its stormy
petrel
Mr. Bryan owes 11 to his own
fame, as well as to his fellow
democrats, to proceed warily and
go slow in the matter of censor
ship. He should be very sure
both of his footing and his judg
ment before attempting to stir the
depths and muddy stream. His
three defeats for the presidency
not only bring him in life-long
debt lo his political associates,
bill they admonish him not to b
(loo self-confldenl. It seems the
part of wisdom for a man occupy
ing his exceptional position to
rest awhile from agitation, even
from counsels, and lo let wel
enough have a chance in the ract
afler perfection.
We are beginning lo hear talk
about "the doctrine of free raw
materials." It is the chatter of
children. There can no more be
a "doctrine" on such a subject
than a "doctrine" touching "the
free coinage of silver at the ratio
of. Ill 'to 1." Having gone to de
si ruction upon the rocks raised
up by the latter, shall the slial
lows of the oilier be allowed to
impede our onward course, to
perplex and undo us?
Free raw materials, like free I
silver, is Ihe merest incident of
legislation. In undertaking to
force, Mr. Underwood, Mr.. Bryaitj
is as one who demands that, in
stead of administering the
calomel in broken doses, the doc
tor shall willy-nilly pour a hun
dred grains down Ihe patient's
throat. Mr. Bryan may be right
ami Mr. Underwood may be wrong
in diagnosing the case. But the
responsibility is with Mr. Under
wood, not with Mr. Bryan.
Free raw materials, like free
silver, is trumped up in the east
to catch Ihe manufacturers. Tak
en in connection with the cor
responding reduction in the price
of the llnished product it was all
right. But in arranging the de
tails of a tariff act still taxing Ihe
people, it pave a privileged class
everything and left Ihe class most
heavily pressed by taxation noth
ing. The Courier-Journal w ill hardly
be accused and cannot be suspect.
ed of a disposition to lower its (lag
in Ihe matter of tariff. It is the
last survivor of the old guard of
revenue reform. Heartbroken, it
saw its party fatally shipwrecked
by most incompetent navigation,
literally wrecked in port. It had
abandoned hope. Yet it has lived
lo see the question come again.
Taking counsel of the past even
of some of its own mistakes
which Mr. Bryan now would copy
it will seek in the coming bat
tle for Ihe right to achieve ralher
than to theorize and declaim
The democrat ie party has for
Ihe first lime in sixteen years en
joyed a little spell of sunshine.
We have a living chance to win
But we are not yet masters of the
situation. That wo may become
so we must hold well together and
keep a littl? to the wall. It were
indeed a fate a destiny that, al
the moment when republican pro
tectionists are splitting hairs
among themselves, democrats
pretending only to be bent upon
driving graft from the tariff ami
reducing il, as we are able, to a
revenue basis, should engage in
chatter about the Incidentals and
m
ake controversy over the con-
eyance, set as we all claim to be,
, . : I -
in a common direction ami iUi-
m , s e .
o, come away, Mr. Bryan!
va.-t there and leave the hoys a
hance to start the old carryall
of democracy in their own way,
not in your way. You have
scarcely had such good fortune
as commends you the best and
nly driver. The Courier-Journal
is your friend, not your enemy.
Come off, before your enemies
have the right lo say that with
you it is rule or ruin. Louisville
Cou rier-Journal.
:o:
Oh, for another million-dollar
rain! We could use it right now.
:o:
A millionaire pretends that the
blessings of poverty look good to
him.
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Three weeks from next Tuesday
is the Fourth of July. Prepare to
celebrate the day in Plattsmouth.
:o:
The man who claims that he
always says what he thinks is
saying something that he knows
is a lie.
:o:
"Is it hot enough for you?"
Now you can make a man "sweat"
for asking such a question at the
present time.
:o: .
The University of Minnesota
cashier, was robbed of $13,000,
probably by students looking for
help to pay their spring clothing
bill.
:o:
The supreme court adjourned
until fall, with only one-third of
its cases disposed of. We know
what would happen if the print
er's devil did that.
-:o:
We had been getting discour
aged about the progress of the
world, but the annual mighty up
lift from the graduation exercises
is only a fortnight away.
:o:
Trinity church in New York has
$13,700,000 worth of property
Oosh, what a lot of cake sales the
Ladies' Aid society must have in
order to keep it all in repair.
:o:
The down-trodden and imperil
ed western fanners would like to
know who is hiring all Ihe high
priced lobbyists in their behalf to
work against Ihe reciprocity bill
:o:
Senator Cummins of Iowa has
declared himself for Taft. Is the
Iowa senator jealous of La Fol
ic! Ie, and is he going to support
Tart for spite. Don't it look that
way?
:o:
After congress investigates the
purchase nf Tennessee coal and
iron a little longer they will
probably get possession of such
inside facts as are familiar lo the
office boy.
:o:-
Fnterprises are just finding out
that Plattsmouth is a good loca
tion for all kinds of manufactur
ing establishments. Wo have
every facility that any other city
has, and why not a good location?
:o:
Mexico's seal represents an
eagle, meaning the government,
exterminating a serpent, typifying
rebellion. " This emblem, it may
be added, is considerably shot to
pieces.
:o:
The government paid $2,450 for
a portrait of ex-Secretary Day,
but il remains to bo seen
whether it looks any more like
him than an enlarged photograph
costing $10.
:o:
It has cost the steel trust
$200,000 to answer the govern -
ment's demands for informal ion,
while if they had declined lo
answer they would perhaps have
been stuck only $10 and costs for
contempt.
:o:
"What has become of the inter-
urban railroad project?" asks a
friend at our elbow. We don't
know. Nothing has been said or
done lately. Maybe the project
ors are waiting for the erection of
the Platte river bridge.
:o:
Colonel Cioethals says gamb
ling is demoralizing the canal
employes. If those fellows want
to bring any money home to
God's country, they should stay
at home evenings and read black
covered government reports.
:o:
Charles P. Taft was presented
to King George the other day.
Some people supposed they talked
about international law and
ariht ration, but more likely
Charley asked him if his wife had
tried the new tireless cooker.
:o:
A fellow has been arrested at
Juarez for trying to blow up
Francisco Madero with a bomb.
Mr. Madero may soon wish he
had remained at home hoeing the
potatoes daytimes and watering
the gerainums in the evening.
:o:
Judge Gary of the steel trust
would be willing for the govern
ment to fix prices. No doubt An
drew Carnegie is all worn out
getting towns lo carry off his
surplus in the shape of libraries
:o:
The army officers' prejudice
against Jews and the naval offi
cers prejudice against young
women who earn their own living
causes plain citizens to wonder
what kind of a military establish
ment they're putting up $250,-
000,000 a year for.
:o:
"There is no truth," said Mr
Roosevelt, "in the report that
have agreed to support any man
for president in 1912." Mr
Roosevelt evidently believes there
is going to be trouble enough in
the 1912 . campaign without
plunging into it pell-mell at thi
early day.
-:o:-
Some people seem to think that
ability'' don't count when it coine"
to the governorship of Nebraska
They evidently think they are just
the one to fill the bill. Most anv
ordinary man knows that there
been but one man really fit who
has been proposed as a democratic!
candidate for governor next year,
and his name is John H. Moore
head of Richardson county.
:o: .
The congressional committee
that has started an investigation
of the United States Steel corpora
tion is uncovering "sensations"
which have been matters of public
knowledge for ten years. The
fact that Carnegie received for
his Pittsburg plants $100,000,000
more than he was willing to take a
few months before the trust was
organized, received widespread
publication at the time.
-:o:
If the farmers are not in favor
of better roads, we can't see why
the townspeople should fume so
much about them! But, general
ly speaking, the enterprising
farmer does care and is putting in
all his spare time in seeing that
they are kept in order near bis
farm. It is those farmers who
fail to do their duty in this re
spect that nre afraid they will do
someone else some good. That's
all there is to some farmers' pre
judices to good roads.
-:o:-
Now is the time to cut Mexico
up into small republics while the
factions aro warring with one an
other. Dick Ferris (and nearly
everybody in this section who
knows anything about theatricals
knows or has heard of Dick Fer-
ris) has set himself up as dictat-
or, and is going to detach Lower
California from Mexico and set up
a government of his own. We are
a little bit afraid that Richard is
biting off more than he ran chew,
which be will find out when mat
ters become more settled in the
land of strife.
FARMING AS AN ENTERPRISE.
The farm products" in the Unit
1 states last year amounted to
$8,026,000,000. Farming is the
most important line of activity on
the earth. No other occupation
offers so many opportunities for
individual enterprise. And yet
with a commerce running up into
the billions every year, this, the
greatest business In the country,
is not a business at all it is a
personal occupation. The want
of direct competition, the absence
of fighting for position, has kept
farming largely an activity of
muscle.
The' rivalry in business that
forces men to find ways of get
ting results with the head as well
as the hands; the rivalry, that in- '
duces men to keep books, to plan,
to organize, to go out and in
stitute a microscopic search lor
truth; to be open to conviction
and to act on conviction that
rivalry unfortunately was denied
the agricultural side of human
effort.
What would happen if farming
were made a business proposi
tion? Let's see.
A business man named B. F.
Harris decided to run a farm as
he would operate a store. Details ,
of his experience are given in the
Breeders' Gazet te. In 1905 he '
bought 320 acres in Champaign
county, Illinois. He applied busi
ness methods and business enter-
t , ni . n llin ,nifiVi, "nit T T ,i onnnl nuin ,11,
1 ' r- . . I ' " ' J
where it was needed, but adopted
no frills. He made an intelligent
study of the requirements of the
farm, and combined elements de
signed to return high dividends.
; Last year his receipts were
$13,154.96. His clean profits
(ibove expense was $0,500.70.
Kept books? Sure. No, he did
not follow the plow himself. ' He
hired a superintendent. He di
rected his farm business partly
over the telephone from his house
in town, lie expects to increase
his returns more than $3,000 this
year.
The farm has good buildings,
ivcry one of, them planned to
serve well defined needs. Every
acre under cultivation is tile
drained at a cost of $1,200 for
200 acres. Best grade woven wire
fences sub-divide the entire place.
Hogs, cattle and sheep made the
money for the farm last year. No
scrubs were tolerated. The live
stock was raised for market pur
poses. It brought no fancy breed
er's prices. , Nearly all the crops
are fed on the place. Indeed, last
year Harris spent for feed more
than five times what he got for
crops sold. The live slock leaves
much manlire in the fields. All
other manure is hauled to the
fields before it loses any of its
fertilizing value. More than 300
loads a year are spread on the
soil. That is not all. Last year
more than 150 tons- of ground
rock phosphate, bought at $8 a
ton, were used on the soil.
There are five fields on the
farm. Crops on every one of
them are rotated. Harris knows
today what will be grown in each
field seven years hence. The land
is getting richer, is making more
nioney every year.
Now, nobody" would think that
Harris, a business man, had a
license to go out and teach any
thing lo the farmers. Still, this
farm, before he took it, was much
like the other farms. It paid fair
ly well; the owner drifted along
and made a comfortable thing out
of it. In time the farm would
have gone down in usefulness; it
probably was slowly doing that
when Harris bought it. But now
it is a splendid business proposi
tion, conducted on well defined
lines; and it is growing as any
healthy institution should grow.
That is real farming the
farming of the future. Kansas
City Star.
:o:-
Mr niul Mpq T,.l, 1.".,.
'-. ."-mi iiii mill
daughters, Beena and Marie, were
passengers to the metropolis on
the morning train today, where
they witnesed the auto races.