THURSDAY, DECERIOER 25. 1913
PAGE 4.
PLJfTTSBIOUTH SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL.
Cbe plattsmoutb journal
Published Stml-Weekly at Plattamouth. N b r.
Entered at the Postofflee t riattsmoutli, Nebraska, as second -class mall matter.
R. A. BATES, Publisher
Subtorlptlon Prlos; S1.50 Per Year in Advanoe
THOUGHT FOR TODAY.
Just lo be good, to keep
life pure from degrading
element!, to make it con
s tantly helpful in little ways
to those who are touched by
it, to 'keep one's spirit al
ways sweet and avoid all -J
manner of petty anger and
irritability that is an idea J
J as noble as it is difficult.
g. Edward Howard Griggs. 4
k-h-:- -k-k-.
:o:
It does seem hard for our good
German neighbor to keep out of
the Pahiama exposition.
:o.
The shortage of mistletoe, it
is believed, is to be most deplor
ed in Christmas decoration an
nouncements. :o:-
The one who thinks that Gov
ernor Morehead will be a candid
ale for re-election has another
guess coming.
:o:
One battle of wine caused the
death of a Denver man the other
day. It fell from a window and
struck him on the head.
:o:
Kansas democrats are getting
in shape for the battle in that
slate next fall. And the repub
licans are lining up also.
:o:
The enactment of the cur
rency bill is a great triumph for
popular government, and sig
nalizes a new. era. in our. linancial
development.
; o ;
We hope there will not be a
kid i'n IMatlsmouth wake up
Christmas morning with an
empty stocking. It would be a
very sad Christinas greeting for
those who do.
-:o:-
W'hy uit agitate a Chautauqua
in Plalsinouth for next summer?
The winter season is the proper
time to do the work. Let the
Commercial club get busy on the
proposition the first meeting af
ter Lhe holidays.
:o:
Tom Pratt is determined to
run for congress if the repub
licans will give him a chance. He
has been a resident of Lincoln
for many years and has held sev
eral very responsible and honor
able positions, including a two-
year term as mayor of that city
:o:
The Journal takes pleasure in
wishing every reader of this paper
"A Very Merry ami Happy Christ
mas," with the hope that they
may live to enjoy many such re
membrances of the happiest sea
so'ii of the year. And may the
ever welcome "Peace on Karlh
and Good Will Toward Man
reign supreme in every household
in the land is the prayer of the
Journal.
:o
After January 1 the country
housewife can call up her favorite
grocer and older a sack of Hour
sent out by the iuail carrier on
her route, or the man of the
house can order an article up to
fifty pounds in weight and it will
be delivered by the faithful car
rier. After January 1 the weight
limit for parcels in the first and
second zone will be fifty pounds,
and the postage rate In the third,
fourth, fifth and sixth zones wil
be reduced quite materially. The
changes in the regulations have
been approved by the interstate
commerce commission and wil
go into effect .New Year Is day.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox says "no
earnest effort is ever lost." She
ought to try to stretch our income
over our expenses, and see for
herself.
. :oi
A Boston court holds that a
man's home is wnere his wife is.
A mean contemporary suggests
that according to the ruling most
men live in department stores
and bridge whist clubs. Not most,
but a few.
:o:
It was a master stroke of the
democrats in the senate when
they voted unanimously for the
curency bill. That's the way to
stand up with President Wilson
in his efforts in behalf of the
people.
:o :
It might be well for the cabinet
member that carries the key to
the powder house to stick around
Washington at least until Mex
ico becomes more quiet than it
is at present, before undertaking
any promiscuous junketing. We
might need the key in a hurry.
:o:
One-cent letter postage is to
be an extremely live issue in this
session of congress. It is one of
several big questions pertaining
to lhe postofflce department
which is to take much of the
time of congress. Others include
the taking over oT the telephone
and telegraph systems, by the
government, to which policy
oslmasler General Burleson is
understood to be committed;
modification of the parcel post
law, and changes in the existing
laws and regulations regarding
the weighing of mails.
:o :
In one sense Christmas is a
sort of game which tlie grown
ups play with as much zest as the
children. Santa Claus is not the
only deception. Everybody pre
tends to enjoy buying presents
and to be delighted with those
received from others. Yet these
little white lies are amiable and
are forgiven, let us be sure, be
cause of the spirit behind them
Besides, it is just such innocent
pretending that makes social life
possible and that keeps the heart
young.
:o:
While we are for sanitation,
ventilation, eugenics and all that,
an old timer dies every few weeks
who sets us to wondering ii
there isn't a lot of rot aboul
these modern precautions. There
are exceptions to all rules, but a
lot of people live to be four-score
years or more who went to old
fashioned schools, who wouldn't
have known an individual drink
ing cup if they had met one in
the road and who got along with
a midwife, when their children
were born. " How do you ex
plain it?
:o:
The egg boycott has produced
its results. M. E. Pennington, a
woman expert in the egg depart
ment of the national board of
agriculture, declares that frozen
and dried eggs will solve the
question of the high price of this
commodity. There is just as
much nutrition in the frozen and
dry products, she says, as in
fresh eggs. Eggs that are kept
in cold storage for more than ten
months are not wholesome food.
The Chinese discovered this im
portant fact years ago. They bury
their eggs, and they don't pretend
to use an egg until it has been
under ground three or. four
months. The older and blacker
lhe egg, the better, and yet they
manage to get . nutrition out of
them. !
RIGHTS OF PEDESTRIANS.
The automobile has become a
necessity. The number in use
may be -expected to increase and
likewise the number of accidents
will increase until the rights of
automobilists and other users of
highways arc more closely defined
than they are at present. Before
the days of motor vehicles the
law gave pedestrians right of way
at street crossings. This law has
not been changed, but conditions
having changed the automobilist
thinks, even if he does not dare
say so, that the law should be
changed and motor cars be given
the right of way. lie reasons that
it is easier for the pedestrian to
step back or hasten forward out
of his way than it is for him lo
bring his heavy and rapidly mov
ing car lo a standstill whenever
there is a pedestrian on the
crossing, lie reasons, aiso, uwi
in approaching a crossing he
cannot know if a pedestrian will
step out in front of him too late
for him to stop unless his car is
traveling at what he regards as
aridiculously low speed. Motar
cars, he reasons, are used to save
lime, and if they are to slop at
every crossing, they would cease
to be time-savers. Thus reason
ing, the average driver of a
motor vehicle does not give pedes-
trains right of way, and feels that
he is clearly within his rights
when he travels at a pace which
will give observant pedestrians a
fair chance to get out of his way.
The pedestrian, on the other
hand, slings to his right under
the law and swells with indigna
tion when regard for life and
limb -compels him lo surrender
both his right and his dignity by
a leap for life. The automobilist
fakes the right of way because he
can and because lie tiiinKs nc
hould have it, and the pedestrian
yields because he must.
If the pedestrian is to have
precedency over motor vehicles,
is he has heretofore had over
horse-drawn vehicles, the law
must come to his aid, for he can
not contend against a swiftly
moving automobile. If changes
in traffic brought about by the
automobile justify a change of
lhe law, if under modern condi
tions the motorist is entitled lp
right of way, then the law should
be changed so as to confer that
right under proper regulation. At
present the motorist goes ahead
expecting the pedestrian lo gel
out of the way, and the pedestrian
goes ahead expecting the motorist
to stop. The result is an in
creasing number of accidents ana
a growing prejudice against auto
mobilists. :o:
Hound out a Merry Christmas
by joining the Good Fellow club.
:o:
A burglar broke into the home
of a citizen of Omaha the other
night, stoic three eggs, boiled
hem on a gasoline stove and ale
them. If caught he will no doubt
'ie sent to the slate prison for
life.
:o:
When Governor Morehead
steps down and out of the ex
ecutive office he will do. so feeling
that he has been in truth gov
?rnor of Nebraska. He has never
oeen guilty or letting any ring or
clique run him.
:o:
There arc some people who are
so radical on the temperance
question that they would hang a
saloon man if I hey had the
power. Such people will never
get the power they are not
human beings, much less Chris
tians.
:o:
Let us try to imagine what a
scene lhe world would present if
all men the earth around could
have and enjoy one perfect
Christmas one day in which the
Christmas spirit should manifest
itself in every human heart in all
its happiest, truest, largest
meaning. What a fore-taste of
the millenium such a day would
be.
The happiest man in the Unit
ed Slates today is President Wil
son. :o:
While the Navajo Indians dan
ced all night, the tango was bar
red. :o:
Come with Christinas advertis
ing and let the early shoppers
know what you have.
:o:
Secretary Daniels delines a
progressive as a man who has
started and can't slop.
:o:
Saturday was a great day for
the Christmas shopper, and our
merchants all did well.
:o:
There are plenty of Christinas
hints in today's Journal, and they
are as good as they are strong.
:o:
Al this season of the year a
cruel man has difficulty convinc
ing his wife that building fires is
a household duly.
: :o:
There are so many generals in
Mexico that Huerta may not miss
the seven that have quit and
hiked to the border.
:o:
Argentine neef lias begun to
arrive in American markets, but
ome time will elapse before the
retail butchers get the news.
:o :
People who feel that President
Wilson is handling the Mexican
ituation admirably are those of
us who want to stay out of the
muss.
:o:
We see by the papers that
anonymous philanthropy is
greatly increasing." Sure. . (Jive
it away early and avoid the in
come lax.
:o : "
Shop every day from now on.
If your money has given out take
part of the things back and ex
change them. Nothing pleases a
dealer so much as doing this,
especially during the busy sea
son.
:o:
The mints of the country are
working overtime coining money
for Christmas, and it will be
needed without a doubt. In most
cases the old money is getting
woefully short with us.
:o:
Aeenrdimr lo Secretary of
Agriculture Houston, less than
40 per cent of the farm land of
the United Slates is under
cultivation. He also declares that
less than 12 per, cent of it is
properly worked. Apparently,
the field for agricultural develop
ment is practically unlimited.
Two things are required to bring
about this development money
and competent men. A little more
liberality in the extension of
farm credits and additional
facilities for securing capital to
work lhe idle land, will solve the
money question. The human
factor offers a more serious prob
lem. Congress is preparing a
scheme by which it is going to
be made easier for the farmer to
get money with wliich to conduct
his business and improve his
plant. In the meantime, the
educational forces will do well to
get busy with the allied subject
of farm labor. They have been
backward in this respect and, in
consequence, the scales of human
activity are poorly balanced.
There is an . overplus of first
class talant in the professions
too many lawyers and doctors and
the like. Husbandry needs that
talent, and its demand for high-
grade ability is going to grow
with lhe increased investments
in farming.
:o:
Money in the east seems to be
plentiful. Eastern capitalists
want to loan money on real estate
in Nebraska. We know plenty of
farmers in Cass county who do
not need any eastern money
There was a lime when they
jumped at a chance lo secure a
loan on their farms but not any
more, thank you! -
WALL STREET'S CALAMITY.
Champ Clark, speaker of the
house of representatives, left his
desk the other day and took the
floor of the house long enough to
rebuke the republicans who seem
desperately bent on creating a
business depression in this coun
try by decrying and misrepre
senting existing conditions. This
he did, as he usually does such
service lo his country, in a most
signal and striking manner, says
the Lincoln Star.
Speaker Clark's rebuke may
not deter Mr. Mann, the repub
lican leader, and his associates in
the calamity choir, from preach
ing their assertions that the
country is going to the dogs, but
his utterances will challenge the
attention of the country to what
I hey are doing and why they are
doing it. He disclosed that if it
were within the power of these
prophets of evil lo create a de
pression, they would not hesitale
lo do it for purely partisan rea
sons. This is the season of the year
when there is always some
casual industrial depression, and
in many over-wrought localities
there is a scarcity of work. But
the only existing real and unusual
depression is in the immediate
vicinity of Wall si reel. The
stock exchanges have been hit
hard. Gambling in slocks has
been robed of its charm and lhe
brokers are having a hard time
of it to keep their heads above
water.
The brokers arc bearing all the
burdens of the depression in
Wall street. It nas been com
puted that Santa Claus will dis
tribute in that street anil there
abouts just after the arrival of
the New Year earned interest aud
dividends in financial, in
dustrial and other enterprises,
including the railroads, $248,-
025, 43 4. This will exceed the
similar distribution of last Jan
uary by something less than
$3,000,000.
The vexing thing for the
calamity howlers is the fact that
I lie distribution the coming year
will exceed that of the current
year. The fad does not forecast
a calamity period in any way. On
the contrary it is perversely in
ilacalive of reasonable progress
and prosperity, and must prove a
stumbling block in the way of
those who will seek lo attribute
the temporary ills of commerce
and industry to the lower custom
house taxation so repugnant to
the slandpat element.
It is conceded thai business is
wretchedly discouraging in
brokers' offices where gambling
in farm crop prospects and se
curities of the big corporations
has been so feverishly carried on
for general ions, but the figures
disclose that legitimate enter
prises have perversely continued
(o show increased profits.
:o:
The recent death of Phoebe
Couzins recalls an incident in
her career here in Nebraska
twenly-live or lliirly years ago,
when she was an ardent women's
suffragist. We refer to a joint
debate between herself and Gil
bert M. Hitchcock, now United
Stales senator, who luid but re
cently returned from college and
set up in Omaha for lhe practice
of law. The debate occurred al
Blair, Neb. Miss Couzins was
quite an orator, and il is related
that young Hitchcock held her
level in the discussion in that
early dale of her career.
:o:
Only eight more days till we
write 1914, and swear off at the
same time.
So many fires hae been start
ed by candles on Christmas frees
that in many slates laws have
been passed against this form of
illumination. In those states
where the practice slill prevails
a hose or buckets of water should
be kept handy to put out any
blaze that may start.
The house stands pat cn any
changes in the currency bill.
; :o:
No one need go bacfc lo the
farm in order lo worry about the
weather.
:o :
Bank-made panics are now a
thing of the past, since the pas
sage of the currency bill.
: :o:
New York national banks have
decided to accept the. currency
bill with good grace. They are
wise in their conclusions to be
graceful.
:o:
Villa, the rebel general, shoots
his soldiers who try their hand at
looting rich Mexicans. That's
one way of preventing disorder
and looting.
:o:
The bureau of agriculture at
Washington has sent out a warn
ing against the consumption of
raw or uncooked pork products,
which is said to cause trichinosis.
:o :
Evidently Nebraska contributes
her share toward the expense of
maintaining the general govern
ment. Ross Hammond, internal
revenue collector for this district,
collected the sum of $2,097,
0 49.7G. Some money!
:o :
We do hope the passage of the
currency lull -will stop some of
the calamity howlers. It will
probably shut up some of them,
but there are some who are al
ways wilh us, no mailers how
prosperous the country.
:o:
Warden Fenton's administra
tion is a great credit to the peo
ple of Nebraska, and demon
strates to a dead moral certainty
that Governor Morehead made
no mistake in his appointment.
Visitors who have gone to the
penitentiary on numerous oc
casions say that institution was
never in as fine shape as it is al
the present time.
. :o:
More trouble. Women of his
tory are not given fair play, in
fact virtually are ignored in the
histories used in schools today.
The college of women's equal
suffrage hath said it. And they
are right about it. This country
of ours has been so busy regulat
ing human nature Ihat careless,
indifferent, unpatriotic folks have
been permitted to edit the his
tories as a sort of side line. But
a nice new law will fix all fhat.
Pass the petition for signatures.
:o:
The Christian Science Monitor
tells us that down in Missouri
there is a complaint in journal
istic circles because the editor
nowadays is forgotten in the dis
tribution of wedding cake. It
was better in "those davs." All
the editor had to do was to sit up
all night, selecting quid at ions of
poetry, and writing a column ar
ticle congratulating lhe groom on
winning "one of lhe country's
fairest flowers," and tin- bride on
her selection of" a "prominent
citizen and worthy partner to ac
company her through life's
eventful journey." And then be
gave a list f the presents; "Mr.
and Mrs. Sam Hen, sterling silver
pin tray; Miss Liza Hardzig. im
ported loolh brush; Pearson
Smudge, hand-carved rolling pin.
etc." And then the editor spent
half a day geltine the wedding
bells article in type, for all of
which he received a slice of the
wedding cake, brought to him bj
the bride's lillle brother, who
often ale. all Hi? "whitening" off
before he found the printing
ollice. But I hen those were happy
days, when we got more wood on
subscriptions than we knew what
to do with, and no one ever
thought of killing a hog without
brincing the editor a lot of back
bones anl sparcribs, enough to
last for several days. They may
not have had so much ready
money in those das, but the
"high cost of living" wa not
thought of then, and the editor's
family alwav had plenty to eat.
that was one thing certain.
GREAT AMERICAN HER.
The great American hen has
always been a great bird. Never
theless the is growing fat.
Twenty enrs aco she required
assistance from the hens of th
world to meet fbe American de
mand for her products. Today
she not only supplies almost th
entire American market, but is a
big factor in supplying the world.
Big dealers and storage ' linn
who are denouncing lhe bojo it
on eggs and explain the hiIi
prices of eges say lhe Ameri
can hen has gone out of business
to a large extent. While there
may be a temporary slump in
production, which is more Ihtn
Offset by lhe egg in cold soiae
boucht when the hen were
busiest, the facts do not justify
the exhorbitant prices demanded
on this account. Figures just
published by the department i.f
commerce show that during th-'
fiscal vear 1913 the United States
exported over 2.ooo,0oo de?i
egg, against l,roo.ooo doen ten
years ago and 133, nun doen
twenty years ago. The 111 13 ex
ports included jo, ioo, :;. doen
of whole epgs, alued at i.3'.,f.
053, and of V7,h3 i worth of w-lk
and canned eggs, making a total
of a billion eggs exported during
the vear. The great AnnTi'Mn
hen still receives a little a-si.f
ance from lhe out-jde, but e..m-
paratively little. We imported
duriir-r the fi-cal year 1913. v.h.-I"
eggs. I,. !. ilzeu; '..
2.7,437 pound, and dried -zs.
20.2H4 pound. The import of
1H92 were 4,000,1100 d(.en egg.
:o:
The treat majority of the j -
pie are jut a happy a Presi
dent Wil-on over the pa--ae of
the currency bill.
:o:
A New Yorker who h i I quar
reled with hi- wife agreed ( ! I
her lake all the household g I
except his mother-io-Iaw pic
ture. Now, what do you think of
that? '
:o:
Christmas not brum more thn
ten rods off, and rapidly coming
in ihi direction, it i incumbent
on everybody to get a hu-tle
and attend to bis h"!idiy .hop
ping without further delay.
:o:
A We glow older, let U '
more thankful that the circle ,.f
our Christina association and
of the lesson that they bring ex
pands! Let Us Welcome every
one then and summon thm !
take their place by tin Christ
ina hearth.
.o .-
A mild nofe of rcnt ha- l-e.-n
sounded by the Lincoln bankers
because the b;uk cuarantee feat
ure was cut out of the eunerry
bill. We believe if such a feat
ure wa good in state law. it
would aNo result in good in a ra
tional law.
:o:
Senator Hitchcock Vofed f'T
the currency bt!I. Tin paper
has been -ali.tied all abuig th
he would when it came to .
show-down. Senator Jlitclioc
is one of the ablest men im !'
upper lion-., ami no one man It.i
more friend in the stale.
:o:
Senator Root decline- positive
ly a nominal ion for the pr.-.i-dency,
and declares thai he woo'd
!Hl accept it if elected. on
count of hi age. I.bhn. if th"
fae Were kllown. fee till! Ii"
could not be elected if ii-.uiii.a'e !.
and don't propose to t ike a
chance-.
:o:-
The fellow who la!k . ti";
about the pio.p.-ri!y of Hi'
country bein-- at a low ebb ar--the
i me who cause so much i.e
eaine u mop i; the people. n
such blow-hard wmit, g. ! -'.
attend to Ihejr own b'iine a " '
let oilier d' tip s.i'ne th'f
would be po discontent. Half
the trouble in the rmirlrv i' !
way brought about b th"9
"who blow to make thejr r.e
bor happy."