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VOL. XIII.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA; JANUARY 9, 190i.
NO. 34.
WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION
Rig Hugs Get Disgusted and go Away
The Xicaraguau Canal The New Cuban
President Shows Signs of
Stubbornness
Washington, D. C, Jan. 4. Presi
dent Roosevelt's upsetting of precedent
made a very bad mess of the New
Year's reception at the White house.
IJ has been the custom hitherto for
the various official bodies beginning
with the diplomatic corps, the supremo
court, the cabinet, the senate and tha
house to arrive at the White house r.t
set hours announced beforehand.
This time the stated times were an
nounced, but when the reception was
on, each body was compelled to wait
until the preceding one had cleared the
way whether its time was up or not.
The result was that several scores
of dignified public men with the ladies
of their families left in disgust after
having been compelled to stand in the
cold outside the portico until their
patience had been exhausted.
Presid.nt Roosevelt seems to pride
himself on always having a way of his
own, but having a way of his own
brings him into unpleasant conflict
with everybody, who, under other ad
ministrations, has been led to expect a
different and more agreeable way.
The first business before congress
after the holidays is the Nicaragua
canal bill.
The state department has been ac
tively at work clearing the diplomatic
way for this measure by securing from
Nicaragua and Costa Rico an uncon
ditional right of way over the pro
posed route six miles wide.
While these two governments do not
surrender absolute sovereignty, so
many rights and privileges are given
that nothing but the shell of sovereign
ty is left them.
They will have no more to say if the
canal should be built than Turkey has
in regard to the administration of
Egypt.
. In the meanwhile an authorized
agent of the Panama canal company is
"urryirg to the United States with a
IVmaf. proposition to sell the whole
company with its rights and privil
eges for the sum of forty million dol
lars. He- is probably too late to accom
plish anything, as Rop-evelt seems
committed to the Nicar&Juan propo
sition, while McKinley was really in
favor of Panama.
An effort will be made to secure
proper consideration of the Panama
Meet, but it is doubtful if at this
la. tour it will be given the prefer
ence Ver Nicaragua.
It Ms whispered that Roosevelt
threatened to veto the Philippine tar
iff bill if it came to him in the shape
in which it came before the house.
That measure was so brutally mer
cenary and inconsiderate of the inter
ests of the Filipinos that George III.
anti-colonial tax legislation glowed
with generosity in comparison.
Consequently the senate to avoid
for the present conflict with the White
house is having a Philippine tariff
bill prepared by the committee on col
onial affairs to be offered as an amend
. ment to the house bill.
" The senate has no constitutional
ht to originate revenue legislation,
v has always got around this inhibi
tion by amending the house bills to
suit its own sweet fancy.
The senate Philippine bill will fol
low closely the recommendations of
the Philippine commission, which has
urged that 50 per cent of the Ameri
can tariff rates will be sufficient for
the island revenues.
This peculiar tariff legislation wiil
fit into the supreme court's patchwork
decision that the Philippines are a
part of the United States when it
comes to suppressing insurrections,
but not when tariff legislation is to be
considered.
Before any legislation, however, is
enacted, congress will have a chance
to learn Governor Taft's side of his
controversy with General Chaffee.
Chaffee says that Taft is promoting
insurrection by toddling the natives.
Taft says Chaffee is promoting insur
rection by the severity of his treat
ment and the outrageous conduct of
his soldiers.
The administration is looking grim
ly on while Germany threatens to col- j
lect from Venezuela several million
dollars in claims.
German contractors built several
hundred miles of railways in Venezue--la
and took advantage of the govern
ment's guarantee to make the road
cost six times what it ought to. Cas
tro refused to make, good and the
kaiser is trying to squeeze him.
There is a grave suspicion that Ger
many would like a coaling station on
the Venezuelan coast which would !r.
time develop into a fortified port from
which the inter-oceanic canal could
be menaced. This the United States
cannot permit.
Estrada Palma, the newly elected
president of Cuba, always looks as
though he were half asleep. He was
picked out as the administration can
didate for the office because it was
thought that be could be handled in
favor of annexation.
Having been elected, he shows signs
of sudden independence, will not come
to Washington for instructions, but
v ill sail directly from New York and
talks like a man of sense and discern
ment, for the upbuilding of free and
united Cuba. D. P. B.
GRAVEYARD TRANQUILITY
That Is the Sort That the Official Reperts
Show is Pervading the Island of
Porto Iilco
' Governor Hunt of Porto Rico says
in his message to the legislature that
"tranquility and contentment prevail;
Amwgrco n fhp island has ben
able.". This is cheering news.. If tho
Porto Ricans are tranquil and con
tented. their lot is indeed enviable.
The latest report of the superior
board of nealth of the island does not
fall so pleasantly on the ear as does the
message of the governor. This report,
says there has been a steady improve
ment in the health of Porto Ricans,
but that existing conditions are not
satisfactory. Anemia, i. e., starvation,
is still the chief cause of mortality.
To it are charged up 12,076 out of the
41,854 deaths during the year ending
on June 30 last. It is evident that a
large number of Porto Ricans did not
get enough nourishing food to keep
them alive. The report say3 that what
ever decrease there has been in this
alarming cause of mortality is due to
"the increased amount of foodstuffs
available in the country as a result of
American sovereignty."
This report also makes the state
ment, painful and almost inexplicable,
that in the last four years the deaths
have exceeded the births. The follow
ing table is given:
Births. Deaths.
1897 .....25,827 31,980
1S98 19,719 33,614
1899 J 23,931 38,727
1900 20,259 41,854
If that sort of tranquility continues
it will not be many years until Porto
Rico will be the most tranquil spot on
the face of the earth. Since the time
when a newspaper man who would tell
the truth has not been allowed in the
island, there is no means of knowing
the situation there except what we get
from the "official" statistics. The In
dependent has an idea that in a coun
try where the death rate is more than
double the birth rate, there ought to
be very great tranquility, and that
Governor Hunt reported the facts as
far as that is concerned. Think of it!
Twelve thousand and seventy-six peo
ple died of starvation in one year!
Anemia means without blood, but it
is only a doctor's term for starva
tion. Those people would have blood
enough if they had plenty to eat.
DON'T LIKE ROOT
Washington Residents In a Quiet Way Let
Secretary Root Know What They
Thought of His Idiotic Rep
rimand On New Years day General Miles,
soldier that he is, walked at the head
of more than one hundred uniformed
high ranked officers of the army, and
with courtly, dignified manner took
the hand of a president who,; through
his clerk,' the secretary' of war, had
grossly- ' insulted him.' Miles is every
inch a soldier, and, he never showed
the soldier's traits to greater advan
tage than, in his .call at ' the White
hOUSC'- : j.
Later in the. day calls at two house3.
gave indication , of how Washington
sentiment is . crystallizing over the
Schley, matter. General Miles' ; and
Secretary , of War Root's houses are.
within a stone's throw of each' other,
though one is around the corner.' In
front of Miles', house all through the
afternoon was a throng of carriages,
private and public. Inside the house
was a crush of citizens of all degrees
to pay homage to the lately reprimand
ed military chief. Senators, represen
tatives, high judicial dignitaries, great,
land and sea fighters with their wives,
daughters and sweethearts filled the
great parlors and wished the general
long years of fame, health and happi
ness. The general himself, grand in
station and pinked with health, stood
with quiet dignity, his left hand lean
ing on the hilt of his sheathed sword,
its toe resting on the floor. In quiet
tones he responded to the heartfelt
congratulations, no bitterness, no com
plaint, no criticism.- He proved him
self a magnificent hero this quiet New
Year's day, both at the White house
and in his own home.
Just around the corner the man
through whom the president had in
sulted Miles, Secretary of War Root,
was, with winsome wife and beautiful
women friends, also keeping open
house. The rooms were spacious and
classically furnished, handsomer by
far than the Miles mansion. But
callers were few. Carriages and vis
itors, as compared with those at the
Miles home, were in painful disparity.
Everybody noticed it, everybody men
tioned it..
The sentiment has been growing
and within forty-eight hours has
gained immense head that Dewey and
Schley and Miles, the great sailors
and the greatest American soldier
living, have been outrageously treated
by the. heads of the civil government.
The receptions at the Miles and Root
mansions pointed the drift and tenor
of public thought upon the subject.
Said a senator today:
"Roosevelt lost his head when he
approved that outrageous reprimand
of Miles. He talked to him as a
brutal lord would tonguelash his
menial. I would not ourrage a boot
black as Root outraged Miles."
The. sentiment for Schley and
against the naval cabal that plotted
his disgrace is gathering force hourly.
Senators and members who a week ago
were silent now declare openly that
justice must be done the real hero of
Santiago and that his traducers must
be punished. By the time congress
meets the administration whippers-in
will hardly be able to keep their lines
unbroken.
Advocates Right Principles
Editor Independent: Please find
enclosed $1 for subscription. . I am well
pleased with your paper; it advocates
my principles to a dot. I hope your
paper will still continue . to keep up
the battle for human rights andi civil
liberty for all people and special priv
ileges to none. I want no trusts In
mine. I am a man of W. J. Bfyan's
sentiments and politics. - 1" " !
THE ARMORPLATE TRUST
A Government That Allows its Tariff Laws
to be Used to More Than Double the
Cost of Its Nary
The investigation of the armor plate
trust a few years ago developed tne
most astonishing state of scoundrelisrn
that ever disgraced a set of govern
ment officials. On account of the
trusts folding all the avenues of in
formation, the people never knew the
facts. At that time there happened to
be a democratic majority such as it
was in the house of representatives
and a committee was appointed to in
vestigate the armor trust. The evi
dence shbwed the most damnable piece
of swindling on the part of Carnegie
that was ever exposed by an investiga
tion. It came near to amounting to
high treason, for he had furnished
plugged plates for our battleships that
were no more protection than so much
sheet iron. The plates were on the
ships when some patriotic wage
workers came to Wasnington and re
vealed the facts. Carnegie was lined
some four or. five hundred thousand
dollars and the matter was hushed up.
The Bethlehem company and Carnegie
had formed a trust that long ago, and
were holding up the government to the
tune of uncounted thousands, all the
time selling the same armor to Rus
sia and other nations at half the price
they sold it to the United States. The
same armor could have been bought
in Russia and shipped back to this
country at a great profit, if it had not
been for the tariff. Attorney Gen
eral Knox was the lawyer that fought
the armor trust's battles in those days.
He is a member of Roosevelt's cabi
net now. The New York World, in
commenting on the confirmation of
Knox, says:
"It is a fact publicly notorious that
the armor plate trust has effectually
destroyed all competition in this
country aided, of course, by the
tariff between the manufacturers of
armor plate. As a result "of that suc
cessful 'conspiracy in restraint of
trade' so termed by the Sherman act
the United States government has
been, and is now being, compelled to
pay $500 per ton and upward for ar
mor plate for its warships, such as is
bought by other governments for
prices ranging from $200 to $250 per
ton.
"Two secretaries of the navy, one a
republican, the other a democrat, have
officially reported to the senate that
by this combination of armor ' plato
makers the cost of naval construction
has been increased by enormous sums,
aggregating millions of dollars. V
"Why lias Mf. Knox taken no step
to break up the armor plate trust? Is
it not clearly within the definition of
an illegal combination' given by,, the
supreme ; court" on December 4, 1899,
when, in deciding the Addystone Pipe
and Steel company's case, it said:
",!The Addystone combination was
not one which simply secured for its j
members fair and reasonable prices
for the article dealt in by them. .. .
The effect of the " combination . was to
enhance prices beyond a sum which
was reasonable. , .
. " 'And when congress has acted by
the passage of a statute like the one
under consideration (the . Sherman
anti-trust law) !does not such a con
tract clearly violate that statute? We
think it is plain that this contract of
combination effects this result.'
"There can be any honest or reason
able doubt that under this decision of
the highest federal court the armor
plate trust could be convicted of vio
lating the anti-trust law? Can there
be any doubt that it comes well with
in that other historic ruling of the
same court that- it is against 'the
substantial interests of the country
that any one commodity , should be
within the sole power and! subject to
the sole will of one powerful combina-.
tion of capital?'
"Why has Mr. Knox ignored the.
petitions and the evidence submitted
to him against this armor plate com
bination, which is levying vast and
continuous tribute on the whole Amer
ican people? Why has he refused to
take one single, step to restrain, pre
vent or punish its extortionate opera
tions? Does he not clearly lack sym
pathy with' the laws which cannot be
enforced except by his direetion?
"And this being evident, did not the
republican majority of the senate, in
voting to confirm him, confess in effect
that they, too, lack sympathy with
such laws as exist for the prevention
and restraint of unjust monopolies?"
BRYAN IN MASSACHUSETTS
He Tells the People That a Party Must
Have Steadfastness in its Prineipies .
A' dispatch hidden away in the
graveyard of; one of the great dailies
was discovered the other, day. It said
that -the: democratic state committee
of Massachusetts had held a meeting
and unanimously reaffirmed the prev
ious platforms of. that state in which
public ownership and the referendum
had been advocated. That is all thai
the paper printed, but there were other
interesting things, no doubt," that
couldhave been reported. Those dem
ocrats must have., referred with exul
tation to the immense gain that had
been made under those platforms as
well as to the "capture of the city of
Boston. Mr. Bryan is now in Massa
chusetts. He spoke in Worcester at a
Jackson day banquet on the 5th, a lit
tle ahead of the birthday date, so that
he could afterwards appear at New
Haven and Boston. The reception that
he received was just as enthusiastic
as any ever given him when he was a
candidate for the presidency. Among
other things he said: '
"Among the traits - of character
f ' r- J--.., T1
helpful to his country than his stead
fastness. When he believed a thing,
he believed it. Where duty led he fol
lowed without questioning. When he
decided that anything ought to be
done, he did it, and no power could
overawe him. He did not have In his
veins a single ; drop of 'anything to
win' blood. .
"When Nicholas Biddle declared
that through the national bank he
could make and unmake congresses,
Jackson replied that that was more
power than any one man ought to have
in this country, and he then began his
war against Biddle and his bank,
which resulted in the. overthrow of
that great financier and the institu
tion which he so , autocratically con
trolled. Others , were afraid that Bid
die's influence, if antagonized, woul 1
defeat the. democratic party, but Jack
son saw in it a menace to his country
and he did not stop to consider what
effect an attack on the bank would
have on himself or on his party. He
won, and we revere his name and cele
brate his day.. , .
"Benton, in reviewing Jackson's
work, said that, as Cicero overthrew
the conspiracy of " Cataline and saved
Rome, so Jackson overthrew the bank
and saved America. We shall observe
this day in vain if e do not gather
from the life of Jackson inspiration
and encouragement for the work which
lies before us. Today the democratic
party needs" to learn from the hero of
New Orleans the lesson of steadfast
ness; it needs to learn , from him not
only that to be right Is-more impor
tant than to be successful, but that to
be right is the best way to insure suc
cess. "A party must .have principles or it
can have no claim: upon public confi
dence; and how can It commend its
principles better than by standing by
them? Who will have faith in the
creed of a party if the party stands
ready to barter away its creed In ex
change for the promise of .patronage?
A halting, vlcillating-course not, only,
fails to invite recruits, but it alienates
and drives away veterans.
"Another reason for 'steadfastness is
found in the fact that no one can teU
until the attempt is made what ob
stacles courage can overcome. The
bold and fearless triumph - where the
timid fail. The victories which live
and light us on to noble deeds are the
victories snatched from' the jaws of
defeat by intrepid ' spirits, who pre
ferred death to retreat.
"There. is-a profound philosophy as
well as a religious truth in the words:
'He that saveth his life shall lose it.
The party that has no higher purpose
than to save its own life will die be
cause it Reserves .tjb, die," but" one that
will 'die, if need be, for the sake of a
great cause will live because , it de
serves to live.
"Who; says that, we cannot afford to
measure strength with the great mon
opolies which now arrogantly assume
to control the domain of politics as
well as. the field of industry? .Not iin
til we can . gather good fruit from an
evil tree and figs from thistles can wre
expect a private monopoly to bring
forth, public blessings. The water that
has been poured into the stocks of our
great corporations has for. the most
part been drawn from the agriculturaf
regions, and the drouth that is suf'3
to follow will teach the farmer the
meaning of the trust system.
. "Must we abandon the self-evident
truth that governments derive their
just powers from the consent of the
governed? Must we accept imperial
ism as an accomplished fact and poiu
in the shout for blood and conquest?
Our republic rests upon solid rock and
while its principles are revered it can
not be overthrown from within or
from without, but if all parties" joined
together to erect an empire upon Am
erican soil they would build upon the
sand and the edifice could not endure.
It is a law divine in its origin, irre
sistible in its force, and eternal in its
duration that wrongdoing ultimately
destroys the wrongdoer and no na
tion or ' combination of nations is
strong enough to evade or resist .-e-tributive
justice.
"Sut suppose what no one should
assume and what no one can prove
that steadfas tadherence to democratic
principles would result in repeated
defeat, is there any reason why we
should abandon those principles and
adopt others, or have none at all?
Those who prefer prison fare or a
servile subject's lot to the dangers of
the battlefield may condemn the Boers
for continuing what some describe as a
hopeless struggle for independence, but
those who can measure the mighty in
fluence of great deeds know that the
sturdy. Dutchmen of South Africa have
already conferred upon the world a
benefit that cannot be measured by
money.' Their vakn has brought
greater security to all the republic?
of th.e earth; the bodies of their dead
have built a bulwark behind which
the friends of liberty will fight for
centuries. ,
'So the democratic party; whether
in power or out of power,tis serving
mankind when it stands , steadfastly
for constitutional government and in
sists Jthat that ; government shall be
admiistered according to Jeffersonian
maxim, 'equal rights to all, and special
privileges to none." s-
For Humanity
Nebraska Independent: , In answer
to your circular letter of December 28,
will say that after receiving the first
sample copy of your paper I liked it
so well that I at once ordered same
for one year from the Commoner on
its $1.35 clubbing rate, and if same has
not been reported to you it Is cer
tainly an oversight of one of Mr.
Bryan's clerical force. I will write the
Commoner today. Am commending
the ' Independent to our , people here
because, as I believe, you, as well as
the-Commoner, are fighting for hu-
STRAIGHT POPULISM
That is What Is Taught by the Springfield
Republican on the Money Question
These Days -
Perhaps the populist position on
the money question wa3 never more
clearly stated in a short article than
in the following editorial of the
Springfield Republican. The writer
seems to have started out to criticize
the action of John P. Jones, but he
winds -up with a statement of the
money question which will be accept
ed by every populist in the land. The
Independent is under obligation to
Mr. Gus J. Axelsori of Chicago for
calling the attention of the editor to
it. The" article Is a3 follows:
In returning to the republican party
Senator John P. Jones of Nevada
makes a statement. He left the party
solely because of its attitude on the
money question, and he returns to it
now not because that attitude has
been changed or is right, but because
he is with the party on other ques
tions and the present enlarged out
put of gold has temporarily sunk the
issue of bimetalism. The world's gold
production, he says, is now greater
than the combined product of gold and
silver when he' carried his fight for
the restoration of free silver coinage
to the. extent of leaving the party.
This production, he believes, will con
tinue to increase for some time to
come, and as long as such is the case
bimetalism as -a political issue must
remain in. the republican party. But
ere long the limit of gold development
will inevitably be reached, and "then
the whole world will experience an
other dreadful period of hard times,
which are always due primarily to
scarcity of money."
Geologists were not wanting some
time ago to express the opinion that
the world , has or had already about
reached the limit in gold production,
and that a great monetary crisis from
contraction would- soon threaten the
gold standard nations. ; Now we find
men of that scientific persuasion who
see practically no limit to the expan
sion of gold production. Prof.-N. S.
Shaler of Harvard contributes an arti
cle to the International Monthly of
November which presents reasons for
believing that a, .time of almost un
limited gold production is upon us,
threatening a great debasement of the
dollar of account in the gold standard
countries. We need quote no more
than a closing paragraph to bring out
the basis of Professor Shaler's rather
startling opinion: ; s
In reviewing with some brief addi
tions, the foregrJing account of the
probable future of the goid supply, we
see that 'we' are evidently at, the be
ginning of : ari s increase due to, .an. ad
vance in mechanical -and chemical in-J
ventions, which, , in , terms of , labor,
has greatly ' cheapened the cost of its :
production. These innoyations havy
vastly extended the arsas from which
the metal may be profitably won. j At
the same time, the opening of 'the
world to the enterprise of miners. and
capitalists' ? has served? to bring ' into:
the field of production -.many extensive
regions which a -generation ago were
inaccessible. Moreover, , the . lowering
of, the rate" of .interst on .money, has
had its effect in directing attention to
investments of this nature.. The result
of, this combination cannot fail to lead
to a very great increase in the supply
of this measure of values.
As production increases and the gold
dollar cheapens, prices of commodities
and labor, of course, rise and the costs
of mining increase. This will serve as
a partial brake against any unduly
accelerated production; and the ex
tension of the monetary use of gold tc
the silver countries, and to the taking
up of outstanding silver money in gold
using countries, would further assist
in staying the fall or depreciation of
the standard dollar. But t Professor
Shaler anticipates that the movement
in gold production will probably be so
strong that these resources could not
be safely trusted to arrest it, and the
financial systems" of the great civil
ized nations would be subjected to the
most revolutionary effects. ."All debts
would be! as effectively scaled down
as though a despot had, for his profit,
debased the coinage of the civilized
world."
But there has -been already, during
the past three or four years, from
this cause," a great scaling down of
debts, a great - depreciation of the
dollar reflected in a rise of some 35
per cent in the prices of commodities l
and yet never has a change been so
welcomed by the business and all the
other interests, which in 1896 most
strongly stood for a. stable and hon
est dollar. Thus it Is hardly to be
supposed " that Professor Shaler's
startling predictions will spread much
terror in that direction.
We must regard his anticipations as
possible, but not probable. There are
no indications that gold is to be dis
covered in greater profusion than from,
time . to time heretofore, and meantime-the
great and continued ' expan
sion of business and commerce and
population provide a monetary demand
upon ' which any probable increase In
the gold supply will fall wittu pretty
steadily diminishing effect. Never
theless, the fact must be faced that;
either one of the precious , metals af
fords a very uncertain, unreliable and
unstable money basis; and the' same
is true to a less degTee of the con
current or alternative use i of botlv
under the bimetalic plan. Ultimately
civilized society will get away from
what Is . a good deal of a barbarism
the employment of something most
useful and valuable in the arts for
the service merely of a medium of ex
change.
TalrD Tnn I nnrr i:
unv ivw bung
LU1I& i
Editor Independent: It woald take
too long for me to write h0 I " like
your naner. If I had a printiftfe press
recalls to my memory an old populist
paper that I highly prized,, the Farm
ers' Voice. I was so animated -at
your convenient coin carrier as an
aid in prosecuting the good work that
I herewith enclose a ten cent piece in
the little pouch to aid you in it.
v-M.,C. MINTON.
Bloomington, Tenn.
The Farmers' Voice was frozen out
and bought up by the plutocrats at the
time they captured most of 'the agri
cultural papers. They tried the game
on the Independent,' but it didn't work.
Ed. Ind.)
ADVANCED DEMOCRACY
How it Has Brought the People of New
Zealand From Porerty to Unsurpassed
Riches in Ten Years .
Since New Zealand achieved its in
ternational reputation as an exponent
of advanced democracy, a succession of
reports, has had wide circulation to the
effect that the colony was suffering fi
nancial embarrassment by reason of
its social 1 and economic experiments.
These reports have been denied by
vaiious friends of New Zealand, but
ha- 3 continued to gain currency until
they have now received the attention
of her prime minister in his annual
address to the rolonial parliament.
Premier Sed don's address has been
summarized by Mr. Henry D. Lloyd
in a remarkable letter to the New York
Evening Pest of December 7. His
statement is briefly as follows: Dur
imr the ten years since the radical par
ty came into power the population of
the country has increased 19 per cent,
the exports 40 per cent, and the bank
deposits 60 per cent. The wealth of
the country per family has increased
from 85,700 to $7,400 a figure exceed
ed nowhere in the world. The in
crease in the colony's debt is ; large
($54,000,000, or, $300 per family), but
the V three-quarters of it Invested in
railroads,.: land settlements, advances
to settlers,, etc., riot only pays interest
on the bonds issued therefor, but
yields a profit of $300,000 a year to help
pay the interest . on ; the remainder.
Even the remaining debt is indirectly
profitable, as nearly all: of it was In
curred for new roads, bridges, and
public buildings, and for the purchase
of native lands. There is no; war debt
whatever -to., depress industry.! The
gains of the decade have been excep
tionally marked i during the : past live
years of international-prosperity, and
most maiked of all during the year
rst ended, -During thia year the gov
ernment reduced railroad rates 6 2-3
per cent in. pursuance of its policy to
reduce, these, rates whenever 'the re-,
duction could, be inacte' arid- the roads
still net the government enough to pay
the Interest on their b6nds.irTristead of
causing a., deficit,, this cut in rates was
f ollowed; by, sucli. an increase in traffic
as to yield the government more' than
ever before: Further reductions were
made - in. its' .customs duties, postal
rates etc., but v ail! these , cohabined;- in
stead .of causing the loss of 350,000
(which would ihavev'tesulted' had, not
business , Increased),, caused or were
followed by an. increase in the govern
ment -revenues, amounting ;to: 1,660,
000. " The widely circulated report that
the . premier': had confessed that the
colonyi was approaching financial em
barrassment had nothing" back of it,
it seems, - except his statement to a
delegation that new bonds could not
now be issued for . new undertakings
except at a higher rate of interest, be
cause (and this, of course, was omit
ted from the tory reports) the rates of
interest in the London- money market
had been advanced by the loans to car
ry on the Boer war. Outlook. :
Two Pardons v .
On the first day of January Governor
Savage issued an unconditional pardon
to the defaulting state treasurer of Ne
braska.,: Op, the following day the gov
ernor of .South Dakota issued an un
conditional pardon to a defaulting
county auditor of South Dakota.
The state treasurer of Nebraska wis
convicted of deliberately appropriating
to his own use a state warrant amount-,
ing to over, $180,000,. while his actual
defalcation would exceed $750,000, with
the interest computed to the end of
last year. The defaulting auditor of
South Dakota was convicted for mu
tilating public records to cover a short
age of less than $5,000. ,
The , Nebraska governor commuted
the sentence, of the state treasury
wrecker from twenty years to three
and one-half years. - ; The South Da
kota governor commuted the sentence
of the defaulting' county auditor from
five years to two and one-fourth years.
The exercise of executive clemency
to the South Dakota defaulter was pre
ceded by the ; restitution by himself
and his bondsmen of every dollar that
he had embezzled. ' The ' executive
clemency extended to the Nebraska
embezzler ' was exercised without the
repayment of a single dollar by the
embezzler. himself, who is reputed to
have in , his possession thousands , of
dollars ot the surplus from his-lawless
depredations, while the bondsmen who
agreed to make good the loss incurred
by the state have hown no disposi
tion to reimburse the state ; for its
enormous loss. - ' " i- ;
In the exercise of executive clem
ency the governor of Nebraska pre
tends to have acted upon" a petition
signed by the beneficiaries and side
partners of the embezzler and a sym
pathetic class of people who Bign ; pe
titions indiscriminately, while the
South Dakota governor ; acted upon
the recommendation of the state board
of .pardons.; . i
The contrast between the South Da
kota pardon and the Nebraska pardo a
is' so striking that it scarcely I Justifies
INSULT MILES AND DEWEY
Teddys Conduct Criticised by Every Clen
tleman in Washington Public Krcep
tlona Chinese Exclusion
, Isthmian Canal
Washington, D. C, Jan. 4. (Special
Correspondence.) This was essential
ly a "society" week in Washington.
Congress has been adjourned for over
two weeks and there has really beea
very " few of the eastern congressmen
in the city most of them having gone,
to their homes to spend the holidays.!
On New Year's Day, the president held
his annual New Year's reception
and it was attended as very few have
ever been attended before. Every one
was,- of course, very anxious to se
the president and curiosity was the es
sential element in drawing the crowd.
He first of all received the diplomatic
corps. Each member and attache oZ
the foreign legations in Washington
together with their wives and suit s
called, as is the custom, to pay their
respects to the nation's executive, it
was really a brilliant sight each of
the foreigners wearing the full Insig
nia of his rank and title, covered over
with the gold lace, wearing their
medals, and having their swords buck
led at their side; each of them wearing
their emblems of royalty, took thc?r
place in the diplomatic line according
to the rank of their nation and senior
ity of the service, and shook hands
with the president, wishing him all
the compliments of the New Year. The
procession was headed for the first
time in the history by a woman. Mrs.
Pauncefote, the wife of the British
ambassador In Washington.
Following the diplomatic reception,
which lasted one hour, came the army
and navy calls. . All of the military
and naval officera stationed in Wash
ington are required by their "official
etiquette" to call and pay their re
spects each New Year's Day to the
president. The line was headed by
Lieutenant General , Nelson A Miles.
Every one wanted to see how the pres
ident would receive General, Miles af
ter the curt rebuke of a few days be
fore, and it turned out just as was ex
pected. The president's hand was Just
touched by Miles, and with all the
formality that he could, muster, he
wished Roosevelt the season's greet
ings' and departed. Following the
army line came the navy officers,
headed by Admiral George Dewey. He
was but slightly noticed by Roosevelt.
The slight to these two great com
manders of their respective branches
of the service is full of significance,
when it is compared with the warm
greetings given by the president to
many of the minor officers. Each offi
cer was clad in the uniform of his
rank, as this is required at all such
functions.: ,
i Following , the army and navy re
ception, the large crowd that lined for
blocks entered the White house In sin
gle file. These were the curious, who
simply wanted to get a view at the interior-
of the White house and inci
dentally to see the receiving line. It
surged in the main door until 3 o'clock
and during that time the turnstiles
showed that eight thousand one hun
dred shook hands with the president.
On Friday evening the eldest
daughter of the president. Miss Alic?
Roosevelt, was formally introduced
into society. It was called a small
affair on the invitations sent out by
Mr. and Mrs. . Roosevelt but then
were over seven hundred Invitations
sent out to the official and personal
friends of the president's family. It
was truly one of the most brilliant af
fairs of the season and was appro
priately described by-the papers the
following morning as the most beauti
ful reception held at the White haus
since the formal introduction of Mi.ss
Nellie Grant when her father ( wa3
president some twenty-five years ago.
I might say that Miss Rooseveltf has
been asked through the American em
bassador at Berlin, as a personal re
quest from the kaiser, that she chris
ten his new yacht now being built
in this country. This launching . win
take place some time during the month
of June, and Miss Roosevelt has ac
cepted the honor at the German em
peror's, request and will christen the
boat. .
There were many other receptions
held in Washington during the week.
among them to be especially notr-d
were those held by General and Mrs.
Mile3 and by Mrs. John Hay, the wife
of the secretary of state.
But . more things were done during
the week by the officials than to at
tend to the "pink teas" and "drawing
room receptions' of the various. per
sons about town.- There still continue
to be the buzz of comment concerning
the Miles rebuke. It is really surpris
ing how much comment this seeming
little-incident has occasioned. The con
demnation :ha3 not only been amor."
those on the outside, but among th
officials and organs as well. The inci
dent has been seasoned by the inter
view of Captain Mahan one far mor
searching thanthat of Miles and yet
there has been no censures hurried m
him. I send you a clipping from tb 1
Army and Navy Register, an official
organ of the allied department. It
adds strongly to Its previous critlct-r:i
of President Roosevelt for his action
in the Miles episode. It says:
"It is-a great - pity the complct -?
story 'of General Miles' visit to tlw
White house previous to the episode
cannot be told. The anger of th,
president on that occasion and th.-
language which he employed to th"
commanding general of the Unitel
States army has never been accurately
reported. . Mr. Roosevelt approached
General Miles in a manner which.
without exaggeration, may be de
scribed as savage. It was a poor com
pensation for -the publicity of a per
sonal reprimand that the prrsiden.
before General Miles left the room, as
sumed a less domineering attitud-.
The president offended the amenities
