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About Harrison press-journal. (Harrison, Nebraska) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 1901)
Harrison Press-Journal O. A. PHIPPri, Publisher. HARRISON, NEBRASKA TJie cotton exported from the I'nit ed States during the past year amount ed to 3,330,890,448 pounds. If you wish success in life, make per severance your bosom friend, experi ence your wise counsellor, caution your elder brother and hope your guardian genius. The close of the tourist ticket season ha brought out the fact that at least 2,000 persons have taken up perma nent residence In Colorado, a3 a result of mid-summer excursions. Friends, thought absent, are still present; though In poverty they are rich; though weak yet in the enjoy ment of health; and what is still more difficult to assert, though dad they are alive. A man In Alpine, Col., Is at least willing to sell his body for money. His name is W. 8. Coburn, a prospec tor. He owns a lot of mining property that Is valuable, but his credit is ex hausted and he cannot get money to further work it. Hence he thus ad vertises In a local paper: "If I have a right to sell my body when it becomes a corpse I am in the market for any body desiring such Investment. My body will make a good skeleton." A fault In the New Zealand submar ine cable, which recently caused much trouble to find and repair, is stated to have been caused by the bite of a fish. It was almost bitten through, a broken tooth, half an inch long and apparent ly belonging to a fish of lare size, be ing found embedded in tbe strands, which rested 330 fathoms below the surface. The accident is of a very un usual nature, as large fish do not usu ally descend to such great depths. An effort will be made at the coming ession of congress to have the census office made a permanent bureau of the government. The proposal has the support of common sense. To assem ble all the experts necessary to carry on this great undertaking, as well as to train the thousands of clerks, Is too large a task to undertake "from the ground up" on each decennial year. Much statistical work, moreover, might be distributed to advantage through the decade. Before the Deputy Magistrate of AH pore (Bengal), one Shaik Ozer, of Bas- latolla, was recently charged with hav Ing brutally branded his girl wife. The girl used to run away from her hus band's house to her father's, and on the last occasion she was brought by the accused, who, after subjecting her to various tortures, branded her with a pair of red-hot tongs, and thereby dis figured her permanently. The accused was sentenced to one year's rigorous Imprisonment. A portion of a hatpin, about three Inches long, was found in the Intes tines of Alfred Phillips, a four-year-old boy of No. 733 Wythe avenue, Brook lyn, who was operated on for appendi citis. The pin was badly rusted, and evidently had been in the boy's body for some time. Tbe child had suffered from severe pains for several months but It was not until recently that an operation was decided upon. It Is feared that the boy cannot live, as the intestines were perforated several timet by the pin. The common notion that Germans are the heaviest beer drinkers is refut ed by statistics published by the Britisb Board of Trade. Last year every Ger man, on the average, drank twenty seven gallons, while the average Eng lishman drank thirty-two gallons. The consumption in the United States was less than half as much, per capita, as in Germany. With the exceptions of the Belgians, tbe British an tbe larg est beer-drinkers in the world, and the consumption has grown rapidly during the last fifteen years. A sharp change toward total abstinence would compe a recasting of budgets, for last year 36 per cent of the net revenue of Great Britain was derived from the taxation of beer, wine and spirits. Ten thousand dollars Is the price which Andrew Foy, a stonemason thinks the city of New York should pay him for three of his front teeth On the night of Sept. 17 Foy stepped off a new cement sidewalk In the vicinity of Kedzle avenue and West Taylor street, and, losing his balance, fell against an upright piece of scant ling. Three of his front teeth were driven far into tbe scantling by the force of the fall, and Foy could not re lease them. He took the scantling long and sought a dentist, but the teeth came out when tfcr dentist tried to pull the scantling off. The scant ling, with the three teetfc sticking in It, will be exhibited when the damage suit cornea to trial. From New Zealand comes an an BOUBCtment of the death of Mr. T, Bmrns, one of the leading cltlsens of Dunedln, and a direct descendant of Scotland's national poet The extreme aonU of New Zealand was colonised oar the auspices of the Free Church ef Scotland, and a grandson of tbe peat, the Rev. Peter Burns, aceompa led tfcJ Srst ship load of settlers. They hare developed Into a large and Cocrtshlag eonmuaity, and their chief Cjr, Dnaedla, la frequently referred to u Cm -agmtjarrial tapital of Maw PUBLIC OWNERSHIP. CONSOLIDATIONS OF RAILROAD POINT THE WAY. Every Nw Line Added to the Iflll Hirrinu Syndicate Brings tbe Conn try Closer to Governmental Control Trusts Doing One Good Work. Another step has been taken toward the consolidation of the railroad sys tems of the United States in the hands of a single group of capitalists. The formation of the "Northern Securities company, witn a capital or iuu,uuu, 000, for tbe purpose of holding the stock of the Northern Pacific, Great Northern and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads, clinches the arrange ment by which 47.372 miles of West ern road3. capitalized at about two billion dollars, have been brouw:.t un der one control. Practically this creates an entire monopoly west of the Mississippi, for, while a few systems remain nominally outside of the combination, almost all of them are in complete subjection to t We may say, then, that the work of monopolizing the West i3 finished. But when we glance at the list of the men who have formed this combi nation, and note that it contains the names of the Vanderbilts, the Rocke fellers, the Goulds, J. P. Morgan, James J. Hill, E. H. Harriman, Daniel S. La mont, James Stillman, D. O. Mills, Au gust Belmont, H. E. Huntington, Og- den Armour and others as well known in New York, it becomes plain that the "community of interests'' is by no means confined to the West. It would be interesting to trace the power of this great aggregation of wealth through the directorates and stock lists of the country. It seems an extremely moderate statement to say that the capitalists who have united in the Western deal control at least one-half of the railroad mileage of the United States. And it will be much easier for them to obtain the second half than it has been to get the first. They know how to go to work now, and they have the money to do It. One railroad after another will Blide gently into their grasp until any passenger anywhere who objects to traveling on their lines can take a trolley car or walk. A few year3 ago this process would have thrilled the nation with rage and terror. We observe It with perfect calmness now. It seems a long time since the Interstate Commerce act was expected to prevent "pooling arrange ments" between competing roads. We have ceased to expect anything from competition now In the railroad business any more than in gas and water. We have learned that concen tration in such matters la inevitable. and that the only question is whether the concentration shall be in the public interests or against them. Thus far the engineers -of the rail road combination have done a most useful public work. They will con tinue to do a useful public work until the last independent road is brought into the general system. If the government had undertaken to assume control of the railroads of the United States a few years ago, when every road wan running on its own hook, it would have found Itself facing an appallingly complicated task As it is, the best business brains in Amer ica are doing the work of organiza tion for it. They are smoothing out all tbe difficulties, consolidating the staffs, harmonizing the schedules and creating one vast, smoothly running machine. When they have finished, all the government will have to do will be to assume the debts of the system, is suing national bonds for stock, and give the general manager a commis sion from the president of the United States. Some of these able capitalists are working consciously towr.rds this end. The rest are doing tbe same thing un consciously. "SO PERSONAL PROPERTV." It Is the general conception of the unthinking masses that taxation does not interest them. They talk of taxa tion as does a child of its rattle box. They have as yet been unable to com prehend that the power to tax is the power to extort, and through the method now in vogue the poor, the great masses, are robbed of the fruits of their toll. Everything produced by human hands from the time human hands first laid hold of it "Is taxed," and within the price of that commodity on the market are embodied all the taxes that were levied In Its course of pro duction. "Pergonal property," if I understand the meaning of this term, relates to those things which the exclusive prop erty of a perron. If this definition be correct then there Is no such a thing as "personal property." For how could a thing belong exclusively to a person If tbe government by taxation bas a claim upon it and compels the possessor to pay a part of It In the form of personal property tax each year It is found in bis possession? That you may see the injustice of this tax I Illustrate: If you purchase 110 worth of bread the assessor does not levy tbe tax upon you, but if in stead you purchased a table the as sessor will tax you not once, but each year he finds the table la ye or pos session. This tax cannot be collected with any accuracy and breeds liars Inasmuch as everyone tries to escape It The newspapers recognising that this tax Is detested by tie people, should and will receive as hearty a support as Cleveland and Cuyahoga county, Ohio, gavu it the recent elec tion to those who bland for tax reform.- G. J. Foyer, 8POONKK O.N SHIP HOCNTIES. Senator Spooner is reported to be as much opposed to the principle of the Hanna-Payne shipping bounty bill as ha was last winter. He would like to see something done to restore the merchant marine in the foreign trade, but "not along the lines now contem plated." Two lines are now contemplated. One of them along with the Hanna Payne bill was constructed, leads In the direction of speedy "ocean grey hounds" and passenger traffic. The other leads in the direction of freight business "under the flag," without much regard to passenger business. Tbe Hanna-Payne crowd propose to bounty In proportion to speed and leave freight to take care of itself. The other bountyists propose to bounty in proportion to freight car ried. Both these factions have much to say about the small percentage of oversea freight carried in American bottoms, implying that the chief pur pose of the bounty is to increase our oversea freight business. The Hanna Payne plan, however, would bounty corporations which are now doing a profitable business without bounties, and it would not be much of an Induce ment to the building of freighters. One plan is about as bad as the other in that it would take a great many millions of money contributed by American taxpayers and hand them over to individuals and corporations. If it is true that Senator Spooner is opposed to both these evil methods there is reason for satisfaction. He can exert a good deal of influence when he chooses, and it Is gratifying to know that he intends to use his in fluence against these bad measures if such is the case. May Prove a lloomerang. New York Evening Post: The latest shift of the "let-the-tariff-alone" fac tion In the Republican party is to sug gest that all questions of revision of duties, with all reciprocity arrange ments, be turned over to a commission, which is to report to congress in 1S02 or 1903. Even a tariff commission has its dangers for the monopolists. It will have to grant hearings and to bring out facts. The result may be to kindle, instead of to smother, pop ular agitation, and even to convert tbe commission itself, as the tariff com mission of 1882 was converted. That body was chosen as a band of trust worthy protectionists, yet was com pelled by the testimony presented to it to recommend a reduction of the tariff by an average of 20 per cent ad valorem. Pointer to .John Hay. We hear from Washington that American statesmen are busying them selves with "great world problems," to the exclusion of American problems. If this were true it would be deplor able, for we have plenty of homo prob lems which are vastly more important to us than any "world problems." But It Is not true. A glance over the list of some fifteen "world problems" dis closes the fact that most of them are petty and even contemptible as com pared with home problems which our statesmen are trying to ignore. It dis closes the fact also that the most Im portant of all the so-called world prob lems are really domestic ones in so far as we are specially concerned in them. Chicago Chronicle. Should Profit by Eiperlenre. Boston Herald: Tbe experience which France has had in the last twen ty years with shipping bounties fur nishes strong proof that successful shipping lines cannot be built up by government subsidy aiono to a point where they cau shift for themselves. Instead of arriving at a condition where they can do away with the boun ty of the government, the French ves sel owners are always asking for more, and will doubtless now get a higher rate, both for steam and sail vessels, than that paid twenty years ago. Should our own congress adopt a ship ping subsidy policy, we will doubtless have the same experience. Injnry of Evil Associations. Nashville Banner: The association with Tammany has been positively damaging to the national Democracy. It could not have btsen otherwise. The aid that ihe disreputable organization may have given the Democratic party In carrying national elections has been more than offset by the ill odor of Its name. But the fact is that the Demo crats have never carried a New York election In a national contest, except with those candidates who were antag onistic to Tammany and whom Tam many sought to defeat In the national parly conventions. The Raid on the Pension II area a. Indianapolis Journal: It appear from tbe report of tbe commissioner ol pensions that 25 per cent of the total enrollment of soldiers during the Spanish-American war have filed claims for pension. In 1872, seven years after the civil war, only C per cent of the soldiers engaged In It had asked for pensions. This unprecedented rush for pensions the commissioner attributes to the canvassing for such claims by a class of claim agents. Free Govern aseat la Daagee. Philadelphia Record: Between the criminal activity on the part of pro fessional politicians and criminal In difference upon the part of prosperous and easy-going dtlsens the vitality la being gradually aqneesed out of free fovenuowt WOULD ORGANIZE. BRYAN SEES NEED OF EDUCATION AS TO POLITICAL DUTIES. Believes That Debating Societies) Should Be Organised On Independent Lines In Order to Keacb Those Outside the told. The election is over, and while the returns are not sufficiently complete for analysis it is evident that the Dem ocratic party has not made any con siderable gains since 1900, writes W. J. Bryan in the Commoner. In an other column the returns, so far as they are in, have been discussed and tume of the difficulties encountered have been enumerated. It is plain that there must be a large amount of educational work done if the country is to be saved from the evil results that must necessarily follow the con tinued support of Republican policies. How can thiK work be done? The large dailies cannot be relied upon, be cause they are too intimately connect ed with the men and the corporations enriched by Republican policies. It cannot be done entirely through the Democratic and Populist weeklies, for they do not, as a rule, reach the peo ple who most need enlightenment A debating society should be organized in each country precinct and in each village. Let it be non-partisan in Its membership and educational in its pur pose. Meetings should be held once a month, or, if possible, once in two weeks, for the discussion of public questions. Let the motto of the society be: "Country first, party afterwards." To avoid any wrangle about the of ficers It would be well to select the president from the party having the largest vote in the precinct, and the vice president from the leading minor ity party. If three other officers, re cording secretary, corresponding secre tary and treasurer, are selected, all parties can be given a fair representa tion in the management of the society and the arrangement of programs. The officers of the society, if they consti tute a committee on program, should arrange, besides other features, for a discussion of some live question at each meeting the leaders to open the debate and the other members of the society to have an opportunity to speak briefly when the leaders are through. No one should be afraid of having his party Injured by a full and fair presentation of all public questions. The person who objects to the discus sion of public questions confesses the weakness of his own cause or bringi an indictment against the intelligence and patriotism of the people. The hope of the nation lies, first, in the study of public questions, and, next, lc a baliot cast according to the dic tates of conscience and Judgment. ELECTIONS OF 1901. While It is Impossible at this time to measure and weigh the local Influences which may have affected the general result, says W. J. Bryan's Commoner, enough la known to justify the con clusion that the two leading political parties show practically the same strength that they did a year ago. If the Republican policies which have been developing during the last twelve months have aroused any protest among the people, that protest has been off-set by the Influence exerted by the assassination of the President. The Republicans everywhere con fessed their reliance upon this Influ ence when they devoted so much time to appeals to the personal regard felt for McKinley, the man. It Is not un natural that the Republicans should have been spurred to greater activity by tbe President's death, neither Is It ft ran go that It caused some apathy on the other side. There was another general cause which the Republican position, name ly, tbe ability of the Republicans to get out their vote. The off-year elec tions always show a falling off in the voting population as compared with Presidential and congressional elec tions, and the party that Is best or ganized and most successful In getting Its voters to the polls has an advan tage. Take, for Instance, the election In Nebraska this year. The total vote will probably fall fifty thousand below the vote of last year. If there is a loss In the Republican vole of twenty thou sand, and a loss In tbe fusion vote of thirty thotmand, the Republican candi date can have ten thousand majority more than his ticket had last year, and yet have twenty thousand votes less than his party polled last year. SEVERE O IIOr.TEHti. Sometimes the gold Democrats who bolted the ticket In 1S9G complain be cause the regular Democrats Insist that those who deserted the party five years ago should, on coming bark, give some assurance of their purpose to support the ticket hereafter. While the conditions imposed have never been unreasonable or severe, they have aroused violent criticism In some quar ters. It may not be out of place, there fore, to quote what the St Paul Globe says about local bolters. In a recent issue It condemns some St. Paul al dermen who deserted their party In the election of a county commissioner, Tbe following Is sn extract from tbe Olobe's editorial: "It Is as tbe Olobe predicted It would be: A Democratic county com missioner has been elected by tbe votes of the Democratic aldermen assisted by one Republican, and Democratic traitors are Ignored snd spat upon, as they long since should have been. Treason to the party has not been found profitable in practice among St Paul Democrats. It will be found no more In the future. Hunt and Bantz have a severe reckoning before them; and we apprehend that tbe mass of St Paul Democrats will find as little us for them In the future as the Demo cratic aldermen found for them In the election of County Commissioner Kelly. "The way of the transgressor 1 hard, and transgressors these men have been of all the rules and observ ances in political life which all true party men and good citizens will hold themselves bound by. The Globe will gladly aid their return to the obscur ity from which they should never hav emerged." The Globe is murh more severe in denouncing Democratic aldermen whe refuse to support their party in a local fight than the silver Democrats are in condemning papers, which, like the Globe, deserted the Presidential ticket In a national contest. CHARGES PAST BELIEF. An almost incredible story comes from Mexico about the behavior of out delegates to the Pan-American Confer enc?. President Roosevelt should lose no time in looking it up in the interest of our national honor. An American who has been watching the proceedings writes from the Mexican capital: "Ordinarily it would be considered a distinguished honor to be asked to lead in to supper the wife of the President. But when this honor was offered to the chairman of the United States dc egatlon he simply replied that he was tired and was going home, leaving tbe first lady of Mexico speechless with as tonishment, and the President unable to find words In which to express him self." The same critic adds: "Agiiin, on the occasion of the re ceptlon given at the department of for elgn affairs, all the ladies of the United States party were present but only one was In evening dross, the others being in various street costumes, shirt waists and tailor gowns. This was the most elaborate function Mexico can give, The inevitable comment Is already beard among the members of the best Mexican society who thronged the rooms of the foreign department on that occasion that the American ladles either think the Mexicans do not know or do not care, or else they do not know themselves. "Either horn of the dilemma is awk ward." It Is conceivable that the ladles of the American party might mistake the nature of a Mexican function and go in inanpronriate costumes, but that the head of the delegation should of for a gross and deliberate Insult to the wife of the President of the sister re public is unthinkable. A boor capable of such conduct could never have lived through a season in Washington with out being found out. But it would be well to have the facts In connection with all these matters authoritatively stated. Congress should Investigate. BROOKE'S BLUNDER. Major General John R. Brooke, United States Army, made a speech Saturday evening at a dinner given by a British society to celebrate King Ed ward's birthday. That was his right But he forgot that he was an official representative of the government of the United States when he said: "England bas never conquered any country but for that country's good This, we hope, will bo said of America in future ages. The Anglo-Saxon race seems destined to bear Republican In stltutions throughout the whole world. Lord Kitchener has Immense difficul ties in his way, but the flag of Eng land will In time proclaim freedom to all lands of South Africa. Otis, Mer rltt. MacArthur and Chaffee have been doing a similar duty In the Philippines, the same duty to God and country." It Is a ghastly mockery to speak of the attempted destruction of two re publics as an extension of Republican institutions. It is an insult to com pare Kitchener's work of havoc In South Africa with Chaffee's work of pacification In the Philippines. But even If General Brooke's remarks were not open to criticism on these points, the fact would remain that the South African Republft and the Orange Free State are friendly powers, in whose war with Great Britain our govern ment Is neutral. It is as scandalous an impropriety for an officer of that gov ernment to express his gratification over the attempt of their enemies to conquer them as It would be to com mend an attempt of Germany to con quer France. Chicago American. THE LAW'S REFECT ON SILVER. The New York Mail and Express is still harping away on the old and ex ploded argument that the value of sil ver bullion In the dollar can be meas ured by the value of silver bullion that has no opportunity for coinage. The fallacy of the argument lies In the fact that H overlook the Increased value of silver created by an Increased de mand for It The free coinage law, by giving silver access to the mint, would create a demand for It, and this fact, recognized by all who think, Is entire ly disregarded by most of the advo cates of the gold standard. It was thought that the Sherman act of 1890, although it provided for the purchase of sliver Instead of Its free coinage, would create a demand for all tbe sur plus silver, and under the stimulus of this demand sliver rose to 1.20 an ounce, Secretary of Agriculture Rusk, In bis, annual report, pointed with pride to this Increased value which tbe Sherman law had caused, and de clared that agricultural products rose with silver. The Mall and Express, however, does not require facts. Its theory looks better when facts are cent out of sight. Commoner. WHAT A LEADING AGRICULTURIST SAYS OF WESTERN CANADA. rrof. Thomas Shaw or versify Gives an t'nblased Opinion. In a letter to "The Farmer," St. Paul, dated Spt. 1st, 1901, 1'ror. io5 Shaw of the Minnesota State Univer sity bas the following to nay, after having made a trip through Western Canada: The capabilities nf the Immense- area known as Western Canada are but little understood on this side of the line. Our people are apt to look upon it as a region of frost and snow, a country In which but a small portion of the land relatively will ever be till able, because of the rigors of the cli mate. True, the climate is cold In win ter, but Western Canada bas, neverthe less, just that sort of climate whlcn makes It tbe most reliable wheat pro ducing country in all the continent An Immense Area. Western Canada is not only an Im mense area, nut me samo uckhiiuuu will apply to those portions of th tountry that are capable of being suc cessfully tilled cr grazed. Nearly all of the prairie Province of Manitoba can be brought under cultivation, al though probably not one-third of It surface has been laid open by the plow. Assinlboia to the west is a gruln and stock country. Saskatchewan to me-, north of Assinlboia has high adapta-. tion for the same. This also may be said of Alberta to the west. Here lies what may be termed a grain-growing and stock producing empire, the re- sources of which have been but little drawn upon comparatively, viewed from tbe standpoint of the agricultur-, alist. When It Is called to mind that even in the Peace River country In Athabasca, and several hundreds of miles north of the Canadian boundary, wheat was grown which won a pre mium at the World's Fair in 1803, the capabilities of this country In wheat production 1th m up more brightly than even the brilliant northern lights or the land that lies toward the pole. Adapted to Stork and Grain Production. The rsglon under consideration Is, however, mainly adapted to growing grain and grazing stock. Much of it is adapted to growing both grain and stock, but certain areas, especially to wards the mountains, are only adapted to ranching, except where irrigation will yet be Introduced. This, of course, can be done successfully along the many streams that flow down from the Rockies and water the eountry towards the east and north. The adaptation of the country for wheat production is of a high character. The cool nights that usually characterize the ripening season are eminently favorable to the filling of the grain, and to the secur ing of a plump berry, and consequently large yields. The crop this year Is a magnificent one. In Manitoba and the territories it should certainly give an average of more than 20 bushels per acre. But should the yield be not more than 20 bushels, tbe crop will be a most handsome one, owing to the large area sown to wheat. Many farmers only grow grain. But those who do succeed as well In growing oats and barley as In growing wheat, hence these foods for stock should always be abundant. Some grow cattle mainly, and others combine tbe two. The last named, of course. Is doubtless the saf est of the three during a long course of years, that Is to say, where much farming Is practicable. Quality of the l ive Stork. It was a p'easurable surprise to note the high quality of the stock. The average of quality In cattle la higher than the average of cattle in our state, unless In the dairy classes. This opinion is not reached rashly or with out ample opportunity for Investiga tion. I spent three long days In the show ring at Winnipeg making tbe awards In the ben( classes. I question If any of our states, single handed, could make such a showing In cattle. It was my privilege to make the awards at several shows and at all of their fairs were evidences that much attention Is given to the Improvement of the stock. I noted carefully the character of the herds that grazed along the railroad and everywhere the high average of the quality of the stock was In evidence. Reasons for Quality In Slock. The quality of the grass Is good. Many of the settlers came from On tario and had been schooled as to the value of good stock before going west. The railroads end tb government have taken a deep Interest In making It less difficult and costly to the farm ers to secure good males. Those who are anxious of changing their residence should bear in mind that the lands In Western Canada are many of them free and others reason ably cheap. Information will gladly be given by any agent of the Canadian government, whoso advertisement appears else where. Rub a liuie butter on the fingers and on me -nife when seeding raisins to avoid the stickiness. Clothes Oet Kick And cannot be Ironed Into shape again without the Introduction of a starch with medicinal properties. Defi ance starch contains the solution that brings all washable goods back to health or newness. It makes any wash able arc tide of apparel look like new. Any grocer will sell you a 16-oz. pack age for 10 cents. Use It once and you will never buy any other. Made by Magnetic Starch Co., Omaha, Neb. A wise man enjoys the little he has while the fool Is looking for more. MORE EI.EXUII.K AND LA ST I NO, won't shake out or blow out; by uslnf Iieflanre starch you obtain better results than possible with any other brand and one-third nor far mdii money.