The Plattsmouth Journal
Published Semi-Weekly
W. . I lA'I'ICS,
Entered at the Postoflice at I'lattstnuuth, Nebraska as second-class matter
r- $1.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
After the resolul ion is al n) )
it doesn't usuallv do a great deal
of hard work.
The trouble willi Ihi' man who
thinks lit' knows il all is hi un
willingness lo learn more.
The Mexicans have discovered
that il costs them just, as much
to carry on a war as it, does to
conduct a presidential campaign.
:o:
(ierniany recalls diplomat who
marry American girls. One
theory is a fear of talkativeness,
but keenness in men ami meas
ures might be an objection.
:o:
Los Angeles has voted out its
municipal newspaper as Ion ex
pensive. A long-fell want some
times disappears when the purse
is not long enough.
:o :
Six pre a I powers in a concert is
the latest phase of the ancient
eastern question. Al this rale the
federation of III" world is making
some headway.
:o :
What, about a Knurl li of .Inly
celebration? Ilae jnu thought
about it yet? Pretty near lime
you were donning your thinking
thinking rap. Kcniemhi'!- what the
early bird gels.
:o:
'I'hi! blue sky law, prescribing
conditions under which proiiud
ers of mining properties and such
uncerlnininveslmciils may oper
ate in the stale, lias passed the
legislature.
;o:
Nature has provided I he Mis
sissippi river with leu mouths. As
the big river drains more than
half the stales il would be a pood
idea to make sure that none of
the mouths are merely ormu
rnental.
Vine of ho hip iighis in Ihe
present session of the legislature
came to a close when (be house
approved the senate hill providing
Hint Omaha may si ill continue to
operate its municipal waler plan!,
to the exclusion of rival privately
owned corporations. The qucs
I ion of municipal ownership of
public utilities was involved.
.... :o;
The bill providing for a pub
licity department for the stale,
ami making an appropriation
therefore, has been defeated by
Ihe legislature. The bill had
many friends until a represent
ative of the Omaha Commercial
cluh became so active as to
arouse Ihe suspicions of Ihe
members that there were sinsler
motives back of his interest. II
is freely staled thai this one man
is responsible for Ihe defeat of
the measure.
MR. HENRY PECK AND HIS FAMILY AFFAIRS
r F 1" J Jtt ISSHfifife If f
JlfTO f awdvoo fvvw t ' nnniflmn ' io- T 3hP LL I fr
I I 1 GjOt J-
1 u
v .
at Plattsmouth, Neb.:
Tin- California assemblv has
passed the anli-alien land-lnld-ing
bill. .Now hear the Japs how 1.
:o :
The democratic newspapers of
the slale will not reap one-half
as much income from Ihe publica
tion of constitutional amend
ments net year as the republican
papers did last year. There will
probably be but four amendments,
ami I hey w ill be short ones.
;o :
The corporations made a ter
rific fight against (he passage of
Ihe timber anti-discrimination
bill. It provides that Ihe elevat
ors, line lumber yards, cream
eries, etc., may not charge differ
enl prices at different places in
order In ruin independent rival
concerns.
There is no lingering doubt that
Win id row Wilson is the presi
dent of the Cniled Stales, and
while he has been in ollice but Ut
ile over a monlh, the public has
seen enough of him to know Ihat
he is his own man, and will nnl
allow himself to be buncoed by
friend, foe or faction.
:o:
The I'niied Stales is not to
interfere with California in pre
scribing American citizenship as
necessary laud-holding in that
slale. Illinois did the same thing
long ago and without protest from
Washington or from Ureal
lirilaiii, where the aliens then
lived. The fael is Ihe Japs are
over-seusil iv e.
-:o:
Oovernor Morchead is planning
to investigate the slate inslilu
lions. Sonic serious charges have
I n preferred, and money spent
for gonds I hat have never boon
used and Ihe articles carried
away. This paper has always
contended thai Ion much of the
stale's money is squandered in
Ihese slale institutions.
:o:
In New York the papers have
alreadv commenced to discuss the
going of rich people to llieir
summer homes. They run away
from warm weather as if it were
poisonous, when as a matter of
fact people in real warm climates
live longer. Some live so Ions' in
Arizona there is a suspicion that
I hey jusl dry up and blow away.
:o:
Secretary Marlling of Otoe and
Cass counties has been the, recipi
ent of several season parses from
hague teams over Ihe country,
and among Iheni is Ihe White
So oT Chicago. This is done
simply in recognition of his serv
ices in I he interest, of Sunday base
ball in .Nebraska, and Ihe bill that
hears his name, which was adopt
ed by Ihe present legislature.
Mrs. I'ankhuist should come to
America mi a lecturing tour-and
realize something' on her advertising.
"
Congratulations poured in upon
Oovernor Mon head on account of
his veto of the lleasty sterilization
hill. Protests against the enatt
1 1 : i n I came to the desk of the
governor from every quarter of
Ihe ! nited Stales.
W hat ti glorious world Ibis
Would be if some people could
only be learned lo keep their
noses out of other people's busi
ness. 5ul they learn, when it. is
loo late, to their sorrow and lo
I he injury of their friends.
The cit of IMatlsniouth is very
unfortunate in one respect. It is
possessed of two or three people
who are eternally trying to attend
to some other people's business.
Such meddlesome fellows don't
last Ions' in this town.
:o:
Postmaster General Uurleson
has issued a statement in which
he says that he dues not "recog
nize any obligation" to observe
Ihe result of postoflice primaries,
but that be will receive Ihe re
sulls of such elect inns as recom
mendations to be taken into con
si deration with Ihe usual rec.un
memlalions of such indivbluaV,
:o :
Xexl Tuesday is Arbor day, and! vvllh 'ieir allitudc. towards the
yui don't want to forget it. Xolh-, ' n""""i,; '"Iccsts t country
iiitf could be belter than to have','a" "rN,'r s''m'' ' ,,,al "''"king
this beautiful interesl in tree cul-!
lure become a fad. A tree-plant.
ing craze that would line every
Ireel and avenue with shade Ireesi
and slock every barren hillside
anil unprofitable field with the
making of good limber trees.
would al once beaulifv the land-!
scape and lay the foundation oflillv''
future weallh. Plant trees!
:o:
If every person would adopt and!
strictly practice the rule of not
saying anything derogatory to
others, only when truth and
justice positively required facts
to be loh, there would soon be an
era of good feeling and a joyous
atmosphere of peace over every
community, church, school and
family. The (ale bearer and gos
sip monger are more of a curse
to a community than the small
pox and scarlet fever. The latter
can be quarantined, but who can
corral the former? The good book
tells us where they gel Iheir start
of fire from.
:o:
The Journal is in receipt nf a
copy of Ihe Merrill (Oregon' llcc
ord, and in glancing over ifs
columns we notice the name of C
S. Sherman Hying at its masthead
as editor. Mr. Sherman served
many years as editor of the Jour
nal, ami since his removal to
Oregon he has been connected
with several papers in Ihat state
in the capacity of editor. Mr.
Sherman is a very able writer, and
like many of Ihe obi hands at the
business, it will be pretty hard
for him lo shed the harness en
tirely until the final summons to
depart from this vale of tears.
AS WILSON SAW IT IN 1909.
A -triking forecast of Ihe
course of political .events was
given bv 'resident Wilson, then
jof the Princeton nniversilv, in the
, W, ......j,..,,, llt.vi,.w f(,r ,.,
her. IHU'.i, in an article on The
Tariff Make-H.dieves." In that
same art icle President Wilson in
dicated the lines on which he be
lieved a real tariff revision should
be conducted. The article is of
particular interest jusl al Ibis
lime in connect inn with the new
tariff bill introduced with Presi
dent Wilson's approval. The
Journal prints the essential parts
of said article to show Ihat he
entertained such ideas long be
fore he became president of Ihe
i'niied Slates:
The wrong' settlement of a
great public question is no set
tlement at all. The Payne-Ald-rich
tariff bill, therefore, which
its authors would fain regard as
a settlement of the tariff question,
is no settlement al all. It is mis
cellaneously wrong in detail and
radically wrong: in principle. It
disturbs more than il settles, and
by its very failure lo settle forces
'he tariff question forward into a
new ami nmre acule stage.
II is so obviously impossible to
settle the question satisfactorily
in the way these gentlemen have
allempled lo settle it; it is so evi
dent Ihat men of Iheir mind and
"f ''''' ki,,, a last
lhal new men and new principles I
!"f il'',i,m lllusl ,"' fo,,ml- T,!,'s,
- ""1 1 ''" knmv lln' NVll
i'.:id cannot fud j. Thev "revised"
I he I ariff, indeed, bill by a niel hod
which was a grand make-believe
r to end. Thev mav
I'd I hemselves oft lie
inieiiigMicc ami integrity ot t lie I rs;,blish jilf an, js ll01.
process-, ihev have convi mI;,,,;,! development under cover of
1 . : . . i i i . ... . i
" ' IM ' 1 '"' ' oumry musi.
liow go to Ihe bolloni of the mat-I
ler and obtain vha! it wanls.
The tuelhod
bv which , arill '
bill- are cons 1 1 mi ed have now
b.Mpiiie all too familiar and throw
a siunilicanl light on Hie char
acter of the legislation involved.
Oebate in Ihe house has 'it tie
or nothing to do with it. The
process bv which such a. bill is
: iade is private, not public; be
cause Hie iv.isons which underlie
many of Ihe rales imposed are
private. What takes place in Ihe
committees and in the conference
is confident ial. It is considered
impertinent for reporters to in
quire. It is admitted to be the
business of the manufacturers
concerned, but not the business
of the public, who are to pay the
rates. The debates which the
country is invited to hear in the
open sessions of the house are
merely formal. They determine
nothing and disclose very little.-
Favors are obtained in two
ways by "inlluence," and by sup
plication of a kind for which there
is no classical or strictly parlia
mentary designation. In the
vulgar it is called "the baby act."
What "inlluence" consists of is
a very occult matter, into which
the public is not often privileged
to inquire. It is compounded of
various things, in varving propor
tions: of argument based upon the
fads of industry and commercial
interest, of promise of political
support, of campaign contribu
tions, not explicitly given upon
condition, but oflen spoken of by
way of reminder, of personal
"pressure" through the channels
of ol, friendships and new alli
ances of things too intimate to
mention though nol. I believe,
even in Ihe minds of the most
cynical and suspicious, of direct
bribes. There is seldom any ques
tion of personal rorruplion. It
is wholly a question of parly cor
ruption, so far as it is a question
of corrupt ion at all.
The ''baby act" consists in re
sorting the ways and means com
mittee of the house and the
linance committee of the senate
wilh piliful tales, hard-luck
slories, petitions for another
chance, as the hosiery makers did
it the special sessions. It is an
act unpalatable to American
pride, and yet very frequently in
dulged in with no appearance of
shame. "Foreigners make heller
goods" is the burden of its cry,
"pay smaller wages and can add
the ocean freights to their price
and still beat us in our own mar
kets." oflen seems to mean
lhal the foreigner has superior
skill, uses better machinery,
ndapls his pallerns more quickly
to changing lasles, is more prac-
He -n mics of all sorts
ai"l content wilh smaller
pmlits. And so a handful of
American gentlemen go to con
gress ami beg to be helped to
make it living and support their
operal ives.
If any particular industry has
i in en given Hs opportunity to
h, ni.-toms, and is still unable to
meet the foreign f lnefilimi
I which is the standard of its ef-
lieiencv. it is unjust to lax the
I pie ni i ne country any inriner
lo uppnrt it. Wherever the ad
vantage accorded by a tariff have
resulted in giving those who con
trol the greater part of the out
put of a particular industry the
chance, after their individual suc
cess has been achieved, to com
bine and "corner" Hie advantage,
those advantages ought to be
withdrawn; and the presumption
is Ihat every industry thus con
trolled has had the support of the
government as long as it should
have it.
Only those undertakings should
be given the protection of high
duties on imports which are
manifestly suited to the country
and as yet undeveloped or only
imperfectly developed. From all
Ihe rest protection should be
withdrawn, the object of the gov
ernment being, nol to support its
citizens in business, hut to pro
mote the full energy and develop
ment of the country.
Kxisling protection should not
be "suddenly withdrawn, hut
steadily, and upon a llxed pro
gram upon which every man of
business ran base his definite
forecasts and systematic plans.
For the rest, the object of custom
taxation should be revenue for
the government. The federal gov
ernment should depend for its
revenue chietly on taxes of this
kind, because the greater part of.
the Held of direct taxation must
be left lo the states. It must,
raise abundant, revenue, therefore,
from custom duties. l!Ut it
should chouse for taxation Ike
Ihinus which are nnl of primary
necessity to the people in their
lives or Iheir industry, things, for
:the niosl part, which I hey can do
! without suffering or aclual priva
' t ion.
! If taxes levied upon these do
not sullice, the things added
should be those which it would
i cause them the least incon
venience or suffering to dispense
with. Customs thus laid and with
such objects will be found lo
yield more, and the people will be
freer.
There is no real difficulty about
finding how and where to lay such
laves when once a just principle
has been agreed upon, if slates
men have Ihe desire lo find it.
The only I rouble is to ascertain
the facts in a very complex
economic system. Honest inquiry
will soon find them out, and
honest men will readily
enough act upon them, if they be
not only honest, but also cour
ageous, (me lovers of justice and
of their counlrv.
-:o:-
Tliere are -Mi per cent more
immigrants arriving at New York
I ban a vear ago. At the end of
lasl week. Kllis island had handl
ed since January 1 about 15.000
mote immigrants than in the
same period of ltM2. Many of
the newcomers are Italians re
leased from military duly who
have been here before. It is said
that these men are beginning to
use second-class accommodations
instead of steerage and their
previous experience in America
enables them to study the labor
market with discrimination.
"Though the Pennsylvania and
southern labor fields are clamor
ing for workmen and offering
!-:igh wage inducements, it is dif
ficult al any price to divert these
returning immigrants from their
settled destinations." The rising
immigration figures this spring
certainly do not forecast any busi
ness depression in this country
during the present year.
Peace and harmony has pre
vailed to such a great extent
among the business men of
Plattsmouth in the past few years,
and prosperity has loomed up so
wonderfully in consequence, that
it would be an outrage upon the
community to have anything oc
cur that, would mar Ihe pleasure
of such a state of affafrs. Men
who have interests at stake in
the future of the city should not
countenance any movement that
is destined to create turmoil and
discord in the genuine good feel
ing that now exists among the
peoi.de of Plattsmouth.
By Gross
