if CSU"I OF T11E VOaK Ha To B Blamed So Much For That Which It Failed to Do, But For What It Has DonaA Comprehensive Review. btaay Mama tht Fifty-fifth congress for that which it has (ailed to do; we blame it (or what It has done. Chosen at the end of a bitter campaign fought c-n the currency issue, and In which the tariff question was quite overshadowed, niajr thought that such congress would at once take under consideration the monetary question with a view to remodelling our currency system upon the gold basis, which, in the estimation of the banking cliques who bad sup piled a goodly part of the sinews of the republican campaign, meant a general retirement of the national currency, greenbacks and treasury notes and a substitution of bank currency, (or. It was said, the banks are alone in po sition to so regulate the exchanges as to protect our gold reserves. Now it must be remembered that we were hav ing no end of trouble with our gold re serves and that the national govern ment was being put to great expense to keep our gold reserves intact and maintain gold payments. Indeed we had been propping up the gold stand ard by a series of bond Issues. Without the support of such props the gold standard would have collapsed. Such was the situation. AH this was vividly before men's minds when the Fifty-fifth congress was chosen. There was unquestionably a great attraction (or eur gold In Europe an attraction so strong that it flowed there in great quantities, causing untold anxieties to those who thought that everything would go to rack and ruin in America should gold payments be suspended. The question that welled up in many minds was how to put a stop to this attraction. The wise men In the finan cial centers answered that the banks had the power, that the government had no power to protect Its gold re serve, that the safety of the gold stand ard demanded that the issue and regu lation of our currency be handed over to the banks and the responsibility for the maintenance of the gold stand ard placed upon them. Men said that the flow of gold from our shores to Europe was due to redundancy of our currency. Said redundancy kept prices too high In America, though, indeed, or producers were inclined to think they were much too low. But too high old. So said the wise men and fur ther added that the government was powerless to make our redundant cur rency any the less so and so put down prices. Indeed, even If the government had the power to contract and expand the currency It would not know when to use it, not having Its hand on the pulse of trade and commerce. Only the banks were in position to feel such pulse, therefore only the banks were ft ted to regulate the volume of our currency and such regulation ought to be given to them. Thus argued the banking and speculative cliques. If the banks had the control over the currency and were responsible for the mainte nance of gold payments. It was said, they would have the power to put a stop to the attraction of our gold to Surope and they would have to exer cise It. For under such conditions gold would be withdrawn from their vaults and they could not afford to have their fold reserves seriously depleted, so they would have to put a stop to It. And bow? By calling In their loans, raising the rate of Interest, contracting the currency. Thus would men borrowing money be forced to realize on their property. Thus would prices be forced down, and leading foreigners to pur chase more liberally of our goods. This the banks would have to continue forc ing until the balance of trade was turned so much in our favor as to stop the flow of gold to Europe or even at-, tract gold to our shores. REPUBLICAN POSITION ON THE j CURRENCY QUESTION. Such was the theory of the pronounc ed gold men. such the ground upon which they based their contention for the retirement of our national currency nd the substitution of bank notes therefor. Moreover they contended that the republican party was in duty bound to put this plan In force, for the campaign of 1896 was fought on the currency issue, the republican party was pledged to the preservation of the gold standard and the only way to Dimly establish our currency upon the fold basts was after the above man ner. After this manner did the gold men, especially the democratic allies of the republicans, argue. They were Insistent, they reproached the republic ans with failure to carry out their pledges, they cannot forgive the Fifty fifth congress for its failure to take up this matter. But in all fairness were not these pledges rather Implied than actual, for the position of the repub lican party during the campaign of 1S8 and on the currency question was dis tinctively a negative one. "We wfb not open the mints to free silver coinage, unless it be by Interna tional agreement which we know to be Impossible, but which harmless quali fying words we may add to please our western trends." run was tne prime pledge of the republican party. It was not to reframe our currency system by canceling the greenbacks and substitut ing national bank notes, but to keep the mints closed to free silver coinage. True, the party was ?lt!ei 10 preserve the gold standard ana tne oniy way to honestly keep this pledge, men said, was to reframe our currency system In this way for this was the way and the only way to firmly establish the gold standard. And the force of this rea soning we admit. Republicans are now coming generally to recognize it. as Secretary Gage has recognised it from the beginning, and the next congress la expected to act upon mis tneory, But this reasoning did not Impress itwif unon the leading republican mem bora of the Fifty-fifth congre or else they did not judge It politic to accept M. At any rate they did not act upon this surrency theory. Then, too. Pres ident McKlnley was most lukewarm ad indirect In pressing It. Conse aimillr the whole matter was shunned a the easiest way of getting rid of a troublesome question. Beside, trade additions have been such as to make foasfble tbo temporary banishing of tM subject. Three years of bumper Sds In America and three years of on whole deficient crops In the rest of lbs world have opened the way to a Hal expansion of our export trade and a) b tiding up of trade balances In our fever go great as not only to enable us hp aa oar current debts, but to at ' tract aoM to our shores. So of late mm ha had bo trouble with our cur f icy Bat. complains the gold A isoianr ana xinarea press, we u t & baprevldent. W are letting slip i wtanitle to pot oar house In order; i will com again to find us un--ared. The ran shine and there t need to men our leaky roof; tbo t falls, wo hare Mod of a sound hat eary at groat expense can the I r tacabei. aa4 therefor un 1 Cm moot fax AM so bar M - t f wraxa swea pouresi to OF THE LAST CONGRESS Thus In the matter of reforming our currency system the Fifty-fifth con gress showed no constructive ability er, perhaps, we should say, no inclina tion to undertake the Job. Be it here said moreover that republicans In that congress were far from agreeing at first that any reforming of our cur rency system was required or desirable. Leading republicans, and among them Mr. Dingley, had declared that the root of our currency troubles lay in defi ciency of revenues. Upon this same key had Mr. McKlnley played during the campaign, and it was en this key that one of the chief arraignments of Mr. Cleveland's administration was strung. Of the greenbacks as an end less chain drawing gold out of the treasury Mr. Cleveland had spoken. Re publicans rejoined that the treasury de ficits set the endless chain in motion, that its working depended upon treas ury deficiencies. The treasury borrows gold, said Mr. Cleveland. redeems greenbacks and at once pays out such greenbacks to again become available for presentation for redemption in gold. So is there an endless chain. There is redemption wKhout payment. But, said the republican leaders, increase revenues until the deficit In monthly receipts is made up and the chain will be broken. For then there would be nothing for which to pay out the greenbacks redeemed with gold and such grenebacks or their equivalent In some other kind of currency would He piled up In the treasury after redemp tion be withdrawn from circulation. If this had been the situation, said these republican leaders, the bond Issues that Mr. Cleveland made would have served to permanently contract the currency, cured its redundancy and stopped the demand for gold for export. And thus would one bond issue perhaps have served to do what four failed to do because of the treasury deficits. So It was argued that after all the currency question was a revenue ques tion, and so the republicans of the Fifty-fifth congress resolved to treat It. As the months have passed a dis position to treat K otherwise, treat It by direction and not Indirection, retire the greenbacks from circulation not In the haphazard way of piling them up in the treasury, a way which can give no assurance of the permaneace of their retirement, but by cancelling and destroying them, has sprung up, and this disposition has grown Into a deter mination. But we have to pick up the thread wher the Fifty-fifth congress took It up. THE SPECIAL SESSION. Almost the first act of President Mc Klnley was to call this congress in special session to build higher the tariff and provide for meeting the treasury deficits, and so solve the currency ques tion by cutting the endless chain. In the middle of March, 189. It met, and for four months struggled with the problem. It was the policy of th re publican leaders to bold down congress during the special session to the consid eration of this one subject. To this end the hous, after sending up a tariff bill to the senate, waited upon Its oars in inaction, perfunctorily meeting every third day only to go through the form of adjourning. This was kept up for the better part of three months until the senat had passed the bill. The senate also gave some time to the discussion of Cuban affairs, passing a resolution recognizing the Insurgents as belligerents, of which resolution, however, the house, or rather the lead ers of the house, refused to take any notice. Aside from passing the bill all the house did was to pass a few belated appropriation bills that the preceding congress had failed to act upon. THE DINGLEY TARIFF AS A PRO TECTOR OF MONOPOLY. But as to the tsrlff. For six weeks th senate committee on finance con sidered it, for six weeks it was before the senate. The .alms, at least the avowed aims, of its framers and cham pions were two. First, to Increase the revenues so as to meet expenditures, and second, to extend protection so as to better secure to American producers our home markets. But the tariff pass ed was far from what a proteolre tar iff ought to be. It was a tariff protec tive of monopoly, not aimed to encour age domestic competition. No trust was forgotten. Over the sugar sched ule the fight, perhaps, was hottest The outcome was to increase the differential duty on refined sugar, that Is the duty in excess of the duty Imposed on the raw sugar entering into the production of the refined and so Increase the pro tection extended to the Sugar Trust. And in such case Such protective duty but enables the monopoly to put up the price for its product and so lay tribute on the general public. It serves no other purpose. But the Dingley tariff Is full of such duties, so full that it may fairly be said to be a monopoly, not a protective, tariff. A protective tariff ought to conserve the Interests of consumers as well as producers. If It does not do thl It Is a failure. The theory of a true pro tective tariff is that by encouraging the development of our natural re sources and stimulating competition it will bring down and not lift prices. Fur ther, It Is calculated to secure to the producer of raw materials, of food stoffs and textiles, better prices for their products by offering them nearer markets and so cutting down the ex pense of marketing. But the Dingley tariff I not built on this theory. It is not built to encourage competition, for it extend Its protection to monopoly. And thl condition Is not accidental. Particular care was taken that It should be extended. When an amendment was offered In the senate providing for the suspension of the protectlr duty on any prtc' ict on proof that th produc tion or distribution of such product was monopolized by a trust or combine, the fact to be determined by Jifdlclal pro cedure at th Instance of'any one con rrnd before a United State court, such amendment was voted down. Thu th republican of the senate went on r.rnrd as desirous of building a monop oly tariff while affairs were so dextroue- ly managed in tn nouse inai me pre sentation of uch an amendment and the making of such straight record wa avoided. And since this tariff ha been on the statute books the forming of trust and combine ha been going on at an ever accelerating speed. "While all the In dustrie are making great progress," ay the New York Tribune, "the In dustry of stock, manufacture canity surpssses all other. Men talk of pro duction reaching a million tons of pig Iron worth $11,008,000 In a month, or the manufacture of 60.000,000 pound of wool monthly info "Iotn worth $15,000, OK) or more, but what Is this compared with the creation of tM.M0.0M of Industrial stock aad bond la two months T" For this la the record for the first two month of its. And in the whole year of MM the capital of the Industrial treats formed was hat Wtjmjm aad this was a larger creatlaa thaa th year before. Thu does th creation of trusts In crease at an ever accelerating rate and ha since the passing of the Dingley tsrlff. But to lay the forming f such trusts at th door of that tariff would pot be fair. The true foundation of the prosperity of such trusts u not tariff discrimination at the customs houses but discrimination in their fa vor in the matter of railroad rate tar iffs, and the great temptation to their forming at the present time Is that In the present state of the stock markets it offers a way for the disposal of in dustrial plants at more than value. For be It understood that the creation of trusts with an aggregate capital of $1, 100.000.000 In two months doe not mean that property of such value has been turned over to such trusts, much k-ss thatsny such sum of money has been paid into the trust treasuries. It prob ably means that properties of perhaps half such value have been handed over to the trusts, that in exchange therefor the original holders have received e curities, two dollars of securities for one dollar' worth of property, and If they can sell such securities, and the market In its present speculative fever offers the opportunity, they have old their property for double value. Such, then, u e tne great stimulants to the creation ot trusts and they have nothing to do with the Dingley tariff. But if the tariff had been amended so that the forming of trusts would be followed by a removal of all tariff pro tection from the products thereof such tariff would have constituted a hin drance to their forming. But It was as a monopoly tariff that it was built and s a monopoly tariff it has not failed. MAKING WAR. When congress met in regular session In December, 1897, war was anticipated by few. Th president and the repub lican leaders in congress were opposed to the taking of any effective steps toward securing the Independence or Cuba. And though sympathy for Cur bans was strong on the republican side of the house, as well as on the demo cratic, there was no Indication of any breaking away from party lines on the part of the republicans. As the days passed and the horrors being perpe trated In Cuba were spread before the American people with greater accuracy and detail the demand that congress take some action to put a stop to what amounted to a diabolical plan lor ex terminating the people of Cuba gather ed force. Still, the president held back. He seemed to harbor ome plan by which, with the full consent and ap proval of Spain, we might Intervene In Cuba, put a stop to the hostilities, dis arm the insurgents, put down the re bellion and set up some sort of an au tonomist government under Spanish sovereignty. Then came the blowing up of the Maine. The American people maintained much self-control, there was no Indiscriminate demand for the wreaking of vengeance, if w should go to war It would be on higher ground than that, be for th liberation of a people, be for the upllftment of down trodden humanity. But the disaster to the Maine turned all eyes upon Cuba, It turned a searchlight upon conditions there, and with the full knowledge of such conditions came the insistent de mand that Spain should be obliged to surrender a sovereignty she had so abused. Thus did the sinking of the Maine make war inevitable: let. us hope made Cuba free that over the graves of the heroes of the Maine may be reared an imperishable monument, more Imperishable than sculptured granite: 'They died that Cuba might be free." Then congref s voted a de fense fund of fifty millions. But still the president held back, hoped that something short of Cuban independence might suffice. But congress knew noth ing short of this would suffice, the whole country demanded this and noth ing lees. And under this pressure party lines held no longer, congress broke away from the president, it refused to follow him In any equivocal course. He asked for authority to intervene in Cuba, us the forces of the United States to pacify the island and estab lsh a stable government. Did this in dicate an Intent of the president to strike a middle course, to lay out the form of an autonomous government, of an agreement for the suspension of hostilities and then. If need be. use the forces of the United States to require Spanish and Cubans to accept such government? Congress was In no hu mor to blindly follow the president. If the president would not declare explic itly what he meant, what he proposed to do. It would declare what the coun try proposed he should do. And so congress explicitly declared that the United States should Intervene in Cuba to put an end to Spanish rule and make Cuba a free and independent state. HOW THE PROBLEM OR RAISING WAR FUNDS WAS SOLVED. Everyone knew the passing of such resolution meant war. It was meant to mean war, and was promptly ac cepted as such. But congress duly fol lowed it with a formal declaration. War thus precipitated, congress lost no time In authorizing the president to enlist an army under provisions of acts pre viously passed, to build the military machine to carry out the will of con gress and In appropriating money for its support. This done, congress turn ed its attention to the problem of rais ing money to meet the expenditures It authorized. And then congress could no longer work in harmony. Repub licans were bent on raising the needed funds by selling bonds and by raising and imposing taxes of the kind that rest more heavily upon the poor than the rich. Democrats, on the other hand, opposed the issue of bonds, they favor ed an issue or greenbacks, me coinage of the seigniorage on the silver tn the treasury and the Imposition of such taxes as would fall on men In propor tion to their means rather than their needs. Thu they brought forward a proposition to tax the gross receipts of corporation, which would have been a crude, an indirect income tax. The republican finally had their way. Bonds to the amount of $400,000,00 and certificates of Indebtedness without any specific limit, but never an amount in excess of $100,000,000 to be outstanding at any one time, were authorized. Un der the authority to Issue bonds $200, 000,000 were sold, and the waring hav ing ceased the power to Issue the re maining $200,000,000 has by the term of th authorizing act and by that cessa tion lapsed. The power to Issue cer tificate of Indebtedness and which amounted to authority to anticipate the collection of revenues to an amount of $100,000,000, waa not availed of, but un der th term of th war act doe not lauae, I contlnuou. Aside from this congress" provided for the raising by additional taxation of about tlW.OOO.OOO a year. To raise thl the beer taxes were doubled, th tobacco taxes In creased by 60 per cent, a tax placed on proprietary articles of all kinds, patent medicines, eta, aad a custom duty of 10 cent a pound pat upoa tea. These tajtes, which are largely per capita taxes, being taxea on gen eral consumption, aggregate about three-fourth of tne war taxea Tb balaaes of tbo war taxes, stamp tax oa deeds aad stocks aad sundry daa aad aa taaeriiance tax aro as a Juster kind, falling apoa men la ac cordance with their means. TUB COOT OP IMPERIAL! Vht. Such Is th record of the Fifty-fifth congress, mad during it first two ses sions. The record it mad In Its last and third, th ratification of th peace treaty, the making of provisions (or an increase o( the army to 109.000 men. the passage of the navy personnel bill, the passing of the different appropri ation bills, to say nothing of the record of it negative results, o( Its failures, is too recent to need recalling. It re mains but to make further note of one part of the record of this somewhat remarkable but mediocre congres re markable In having inaugurated, quite innocently It may be, a new departure in national policy leading ua on to what we fear will be costly, not remunera tive, fields, and from which withdrawal, after we awaken from our day dreams to a realization of the sad reality, as In time we must, a realization that we have been extending our dominion, building an empire In pursuit of a false god. will be most difficult. And these costly fields that before our enamoured eyes appear to glisten with gold, with opportunities of profit it is their cost that we desire to make further note. Before the war JilO.OOO.OOO covered our total annual expenditures in our na tional capacKy expenditures of the postal service inclusive. Now we have to prepare for making expenditures of 1700,000,000. This Is the first cost of our new fields that to our eyes, en amoured of conquest, seem to glisten with gold, but that we cannot occupy save at the cost of national degrada tion. Every bit of wealth we may wring from an enslaved people, from a people to whom we say ye are not fit to govern yourselves, ye know not how to labor so as to produce most wealth and therefore It Is our duty to teach ye bow to labor and our right to tak the added fruits of your toll, will be wealth bought at the cost of liberty. And such wealth, wealth accumulated by despoiling alien peoples, wealth cen tered in a few hands and tending to create a governing oligarchy, w can not afford to gain. But R is of the national expenditure Incurred In taking these distant field that we would make note. The Fifty fifth congress at Its second session, that i. it AMt riiiar Npwsinn. annronrlated $493,000,000. This money was appropri ated lor use aunng tne prewruv ,.. Xfunh waa rmr ifir'A 1 1 V aDOrODri- ated to meet expense during the first half or tne year oniy, anu mutu i proprlated was not used. But with th expiration of such period iich unex pended appropriations became una vailable. Before the moneys thereun j . .n ts rnuii4 h used they UCI aivjin-", -- had to be appropriated anew. So, tno congress at us second mvvv ttiii nnn mm it la not likely that the total actual expenditure (or th present fiscal year win exceeu !,. 000. And (or use In the next fiscal year k.i. niimai of 4ta last session appro priated $673,000,000. But some of the ap propriations made win noi umi w ....... k nn1if nro that will be ln- mcl ... - curred under authority given by thl congress. To meet sucn excess ui ex penditures deficiency appropriation bills will have to be passed by the next congress. Of course some of the appro priations made will not be all used, but that our total national expenditure for the fiscal year beginning July 1 next will foot up to $700,000,000 appear to be certain. Such may be considered the cost of our government if we rest con tent with the present extension of our colonial empire. And i( we reach out further, take a slice of China to help England take another piece and gener ally strut around with a chip on our i a- iHviiinv trmihlp. Reeklnsr the nnuuiuct " chances to despoil weaker peoples and entering into rivalry witn sironBer ples for that poor privilege, a privilege that many empires have (ought for and won, but In so doing sown the seeds of their own decay, dug their own graves, our expenditures will grow far beyond $700,000,000 a year grow far faster than our wealth. The Amer ican. THE ERA OF TRUSTS. Troy Standard: So many trusts have been formed under the laws of New Jersey that it Is really surprising In view of Its facilities that that state has as yet no mosquito net trust. St. Louis Republic: When the plow man homeward wends his weary way these evenings It may Intensify that tired feeling to realize that the weight of his burden Is about to be increased by the formation of a $60,000,OK plow trust. Detroit Free Press: By one swift move of the Tobacco trust there are 260 of Detroit's working people thrown out of employment. Let any good-hearted citizen start a factory for the pur-nose of giving these same people like ork and he would be financially crushed for his philanthropic effort. Trusts are more rapidly approaching absolutism In the Industrial field than ever before, yet equal rights to all Is a cardinal principle In our scheme of government. Cleveland Plain Dealer: The forma tion pf these great Industrial combina tions Is, therefore, not a matter which concerns only those engaged In the business, or the Investing public, nor i- t a mer nupailnn rf nrlce and wage. it concerns every person In the United States, for It threatens to Involve the honesty and security of our political institutions. The question of trusts and combines, no matter what name these combinations may take to evade the law, will Inevitably become at no dis tant day the overshadowing political issue, upon which a new alignment of parties may perhaps be made. Bryan In the South. Birmingham, Ala. (Special) William J, Bryan spent one day In Birmingham and was given an enthusiastic reception by all of the citizen. Not only th citizens of Birmingham alone, but many from neighboring cities and towns cam to hear the great leader talk on the cur ren Issue of the day. "What the Lord's supper I to th Christian, so a Jefferson banquet I t the democrat Just a a good Christian would revolt at having the sacrament administered by an Infidel, so a good democrat object to a JefTeronlan ban quet presided over by Perry Belmont." wa the epigrammatlcal way In which Mr. Bryan referred to the much-talked-of banquet which Mr. Belmont and his follower are to give In New York next month. Mr. Bryan waa taken In a special train all over the Birmingham district and h njoyed greatly being shown Its won derful Industrial development A pub lic reception was given him In ths Mor ris hotel. At th auditorium h ad dressed an audience of over 4,000 peo ple. He spoke for exactly three hoars and was given marked attention. An official call has been Issued by the officers of the United Mine Work ers of America, calling upon the mem bership to observe as a holiday April 1 la commemoration of tbo stirM-bow dar by holding publlo meetings aad otherwise ainoastratmg tnstr atlas of thta, their jpesvtaaa HOUSEHOLD HINTS. To glaae pastry, brush over with yolk of egg Just before putting in the oven. To destroy moss on tree, paint with whitewash made of quicklime and wood eshea To mske a good fish sauce, take ome plain, thick, melted butter and add a teaspoonful of mushroom ketchup with the same quantity of pickled walnut, chopped finely. Ring set with valuable stone should always be taken off when washing the hands, for the constant soaping dis color the gems, and also In many case loosens Mem from their setting. To keep a kettle clean put a clean oyster shell or a large marble inside. These attract all particles of earth and stone with which the water Is Impreg nated, and thus save the inside of the kettle from becoming coated with them. A delicious orange drink Is made as follows: Slice three oranges and a lemon Into a Jug with two ounces of sugar candy. Pour over this a quart of boiling water; stir at intervals till cold. This will make an excellent drink for your children at a small cost To keep the baby's little crocheted or knitted bootees on bis restless feet fasten them with small safety pin to hi stockings. These in turn being fastened in the same way to the napkin, and thl to the band, keeps all in place. If you find your salt In th salt bag as hard as the proverbial "nether mill stone," don't attempt to pulverize It with the hammer or potato masher, but, lifting the bag a foot or two from the table, drop It down solidly several times, turning It from side to side until the contents are again reduced to crys tals. To perfectly cook pork chops put In the pan a tablespoon(ul of lard, and when hot lay In the chops and then keep them turning constantly; reduce the heat as soon a they are browned on each aide, and cook lowly until thoroughly done. Do not alt tnem until Just before serving. Onion boiled In milk and eaten In th form of a soup are an excellent remedy for a cold If taken Juat before retiring, while onion poultice are Invaluable In all case of Internal Inflammation, as well as In attack of sore throat, bron chitis and pneumonia. Lover of whipped cream and they are many will rejoice In the statement that this delicious froth I more easily digested than 1 plain cream. So let there be whipped cream for the straw berries and the chocolate and the pud dings. Whipped cream will cover, sometimes, a multitude of sin. Straw berries which are small and In appear ance somewhat inferior, can be served advantageously in a large bowl with an abundance of sweetened whipped cream upon them. When the hards axe very dirty It is netter to rub them thoroughly with cold cream before washing them. Then wash In warm water, using pure soap and a nail brush, rinse In cool water and dry thoroughly on a soft towel. Two-thirds of all women dry the hands very Imperfectly, and then wonder why the skin 1 rough. A few drop of a good hand lotion should be rubbed all over the hands and allowed to dry' In after they have been In water for some time, a so many housekeepers' hands must be so often, and always at night. The hands should not be exposed to cold air (or some time after they have been washed. FEMININE PERSONALS. An International Congress of wo men 1 to be held In London In June. Boston ha a school for the training of nursemaids. Applicants must be be tween IS and SO years of age and muat agree to wear a uniform. Mme. Nevada, the prima donna, who was a Miss Wlxora of Nevada, and 1 now Mrs. Palmer, I a god-daughter of Mr. Mackay. Mr. Rudyard Kipling, who was Miss Carolyn Balestler and a sister of Wol cott Balestler, was born In Rochester, N. Y., where ber family lived many year before moving to Brattleboro, Vt An American girl. Miss Burdlett by name, hopes to make a good thing out of the coming Pari exposition. She has bought the Pompellan house built about forty years ago by Prince Jerome Napoleon. The house Is on the Cours la Reine, and Miss Burdlett proposes to transform It Into tea and refreshment rooms for weary sightseer. Lavlnla Dempsey, the rich New York woman who Incurred some ridicule at the time she wa crowned "queen of the Holland Dames," has written a play called "Neutral Ground," and at her own expense will produce It at a Broad way theater. She will personally su perintend rehealsal and presentations, and the proceeds, If any, will go to charity. Miss Christine Bradley, daughter odf the governor of Kentucky, who christ ened the battleship Kentucky, and who I still In her teen, I studying law un der her father' direction and hope when hi term expire to become hi law partner. The governor Is tired of politics, and when be goes out of office, In less than a year, will leave Kentucky and open aa office In New York, Cincin nati or Los Angelea The Mothers' Congress expects boom In Its membership owing to ths exjerlence of Mr. Dubois of South Da kato. Last year Mrs. Dubois attend ed th ooagrsae, bat sh was than an married. While la Washington she met Bsaator Dubois and a romance be- whiah ended la a wedding. 0 of this year's delegates mother bring their ters to future meetings aad form ' Into a Junior branch of ths Mr. Archibald little), aa KagUah wo man, who lived tn wester China for eleven years, says there Is a growing sentiment sgalnst the practice of crip pling the women's feet While she was there they held drawing room meetings to discus the subject and about M0 of the best families In Chun King and 1.600 families In the adjoining district agreed to discourage the custom. Mn are responsible for tbe practice, for the first question they ask In regard to a possible fiancee 1 about the size of her foot The late Empress of Austria did Tery many things which appeal to th un conventlonallty of American women more than they did to the formalist by whom she was surrounded. At the first state dinner after her marriage sh horrified the court women by taking off her gloves. One of them remonstrated because It was a deviation from th rules. But the empress promptly set tled that objection by saying that th deviation should henceforth be the rule. The court women had another blow when the empress Insisted on wearing a pair of boots a month or more. The rules had required an empress to wear her shoes only once. "Jut think," said an American girl, "of bf Ing always In a state of breaking In a new pair of shoes! No wonder the poor woman re belled." VALUE OF EGGS. Epgs can be used as a substitute for paste or mucilage to seal a letter or a Jar of Jelly. The white of an egg will allay ths smart of a burn If bound upon It Im mediately, excluding the air. Half a dozen eggs given immediately after an emetic will render corroslvo sublimate harmless. The white of an egg beaten and swal lowed will dislodge a fish bone from the throat When a mlstard plaster 1 mixed with the white of an egg. Instead ot water, no blister will folllow Its appli cation. The shell of the eggs should be saved at this season for Easter decoration. . In testing eggs remember that a good egg will lnk and a bad egg will swim; If It I difficult to remember which I which. Jut stop to think that a fresh egg lnk because of tbe water in Its own composition. Another test of a thoroughly fresh egg 1 the distinctness with whfch th yolk may be seen when th egg la held up to the light. COOKING IN CUBA. Frying pan and coffee pot are th only kitchen cooking utensils known to native Cuban housewives. Roasts are unknown; even stews are rare. Soup la aa uncommon as In a New England farmhouse. This Is the more strange, ss most Southern European mak great use of sou pa. Cuba is a hot place, which may ac count for the fact that no native will eat fat meat, though It Is commonly fried In lard. The common vegetable are yams, okra, rice and bananas. FEATHERS IN MEN'S HATS. If you chance to see a small feather showing from the bow o( the ribbon band around a man's hat these days It does not necessarily (ollow that the wearer halls from the country. This Is the up-to-date fad among hat manufacturers, and they say that the Idea 1 going with a swing. Young, middle-aged and old men appear to fa vor the feather, and many of the rep resentative producers are using th feather In order that their names will become Identified with the exterior of hat, and thus the feather will servs as an advertisement. LEMON ICE. Put three pint of water Into a sauce pan with one quart of cutloaf sugar and let H simmer over a slow fir until It Is reduced to a generous quart of syrup. When cold, add the strained Juice of five lemons and the whites of (our egg beaten to a stiff froth. If ths syrup seems very thick a little water may be added. Stir tbe Ingredients well together and pour Into freezer to be treated like Ice cream. FRILLS OF FASHION. Shirt waist pin In gold and silver. studded with seml-preclou atone, aro shown. Shell combs, the edges of which aro set with colored stones of different kinds, are popular. Wide-striped silks covered with polka dot are made up In shirt waists, and so are large plaids. Light silk and thin French materials of silk crepe or some fleecy material. are found In hat trimmings. An exquisitely wrought brooch In ths shape of dragon fly has Its wings studded with brilliant and emerald. An opal serves for th back. Polka dots are everywhere on oar parasol, In the millinery and scat tered over the new dress good. In all colors and sizes, woven In or embroider ed, as the case may be. In dplent bustles are worn with tbo newest spring costume and toileta. In cases of extreme slendemess they seem Imperative, whan the dominating heath-skirt models ars adopted. Picturesque hats of chip aad lsghora re to be worn. la btg bats there aro strings and the hat Itself It boat dowa Into all sorts of shapes, so they are most becoming to tbo wearer. Many of tbo now sflk shirt watabj aro made la the true Oarlbalil atyta with no yoke at tbo bask, a tow at tbo bolt and tucks fonaJaf yoke oa attbsr ata af tba gas amtt ka