Loop City Northwestern
GEO. E. BENSCHOTER, Ed. a.td Pub.
LOUP CITY, - - NEBRASKA.
The woman who Is going out In an
tel gown had better begin to get into
t now.
It is only natural that trolley sleep
ers should be provided for our restless
population.
Theresa Vaughn, before the clouds
gathered about her, scattered much
sunshine in the world.
The concert of the powers will prob
ably not be moved to do anything un
til “Hiawatha" is played,
Servla has a new cabinet, but old
Stojan Protics is still on deck. They
can't run the thing without StoJ.
If some explorer were really to dis
cover the pole, he would put an end to
a very thriving literary industry.
Charley Ross has just been found
In Texas, but he is likely to turn up
in Maine or Montana by to-morrow.
0 __
Riches still manifest a tendency to
, take unto themselves wings, particu
larly the kind of riches that exist on
paper.
They have finally produced a play In
f4ew York that Is naughty enough to
ihock the natives, look out for broker
records.
A woman’s logic is cut so on the
bias that when she is all tired out
from shopping she goes to a dance to
rest herself.
Some one has said that the game of
football bears the same relation to
physical culture that a bull fight does
to agriculture.
Talking of a rich men’s panic, there
was one in Kansas City when a milk
wagon ran away and collided with a
coal dealer’s rig.
The dressmakers’ convention at Chi
cago pleased the women, but only add
ed a distressing financial outlook to
tho man of the house.
Those young women of the Brooklyn
Heights school who paraded In the
streots with reversed clothes must
have reversed Ideas of ladylike con
duct.
This settles the Filipinos: News has
just been received that the insurgent
are organizing football and baseball
leagues. May as well call hack the
army.
Ctr Archibald Hunter says he Is
sorry that he sneered at the navy, but
cannot alter his opinion. And Ad
miral Lambton accepts this as an
apology!
August Belmont Is to sell all his
lace horse3. Farewell to the Bcarlet,
maroon and black which have been
worn to victory so many times in the
years gone by!
We Bpend in this country $40 a year
for liquor and tobacco and 40 cents for
churches per capita. Need we won
der why there are more saloons than
places of worship?
The Germans in the fatherland are
fretted by the girl who eternally plays
the scales in the next house. They
would be glad to swap the piano pest
tor the gypsy moth.
A brass band down in Jackson,
Miss., frightened a mule to death.
From the meager reports we are at a
loss to determine whether this reflects
on the mule or the band.
Could there be a more pathetic sight
than that of Russed Sage, bowed with
the weight of years and trying to sava
money enough to pay $113 and save his
humble farm from the maw of the ta:;
collector?
There are in London more Scotch
men than in Aberdeen, more Irish than
in Dublin, more Jews than In Pales
tine, more Roman Catholics than in
Rome, and more Americans than in
Oskaioosa, Iowa.
Following the example of the chil
dren of Israel, who, by the rivers of
Babylon, hung their harps on the wil
lows and refused to sing, the choir
boys of a church in Watervllle, Me.,
have gone on strike.
The crown prince of Germany is re
ported to have wrecked a pianola
while having a high time in Munich
the other day, but he doesn’t seem to
have become infatuated with any
American heiress lately.
If Sir Thomas Lipton wants to make
nimself solid with the colored people
of Georgia, where he has just bought
large plantations for the raising of
fruits, he has but to put a brand of
Lipton watermelons on the market.
The sighing swain of San Francisco
who encountered some parental objec
tion in the shape of a large red brick
bat is doubtless convinced that the
course of true love
was not exagger
lnsomnta a physician
to pedal the feet In
respiration, the pedal
mplished from the
for heaven's
fellow going to
PARTY OBLIGATIONS
TO WHAT EXTENT ARE POLIT1
CAL PLATFORMS BINDING?
If They Are Mere Platitudes They
May Be Easily RepudUted, but If
They Are Pledges Ought They Not
to Be Faithfully Carried Out?
Why do we frame and adopt party
platforms? Are they platitudes, or
are they pledges? And If the latter,
are they to be broken or kept? These
questions would seem to be superflu
ous, and yet we appear to be on the
eve of breaking a distinct Republican
promise, for as such a plank in a po
litical platform is understood. Tho
Republican party in its half century
of existence has made few promises
that it has not kept or attempted to
keep. No matter how often Democrat
ic pledges have been broken, the Re
publican legislators and executives
have tried to keep faith with the ma
jority which elected them. Going back
to 1860, the Republican platform de
clared that “sound policy requires
such an adjustment of imports as to
encourage the development of the in
dustrial interests of the whole coun
try." Time and time again Republi
can platforms have declared for pro
tection to labor and industries, some
times in general terms, sometimes
more specifically. And the president
elected on those platforms was ex
pected to carry out or preserve their
provisions so far as lay in his power.
The same was expected of congress,
and never have the legislative and ex
ecutive power broken the platform
pldges.
For the first time in the history of
the Republican party it is proposed to
break faith with the people. In the
platform adopted in 1896 the only in
dustry singled out for specific pledge
the blissful sweetness of the Cuban
climate, one is forced to conclude that
it were better to own and cultivate a
single acre of land in Cuba than to
drag out a weary and profitless exist
ence on a hundred acres in Michigan.
If the half is true of what is bo
flamingly set forth as to the vast sums
of money to be made out of agricul
ture In Cuba, that Island has no need
of special reciprocity privileges in |he
A/saerican market. It not only does
not need them, but, from the stand
point of the American farmer, it ought
not to have them.
What Senator Hoar Said.
"Senator Hoar has now said right
out in meeting that the Dingley sched
ules ought to be revised after presi
dential election. Will the American
Economist be able to believe its ex
pansive ears?’’—Hartford Cotirant.
Senator Hoar has said nothing of
the sort. What he said, in substance,
was that the tariff should not be re
vised at all until the people have by
their votes directed congress to under
take revision. A very different thing,
is it not? Perhaps, if the Courant will
read what Senator Hoar really said, it
may be able to believe its strabismic
eyes.—American Economist.
Let Congress Bear in Mind.
The Cuban agrarians have transmit
ted to President Roosevelt their
thanks for his efforts in behalf of Cu
ban reciprocity. Well they may, for if
Congress ratifies the pending treaty
It will add several dollars to the Cu
ban planter’s profits on every ton of
sugar he sells. As that sugar all
comes to the United States market,
this extra bonus will come out of the
domestic consumer. Two years ago
we were told that the Cubans would
3tarva if Congress did not grant a
heavy reduction in duties within thir
ty days, but the fact is Cuba has been
almost entirely regenerated Industrial
OUGHT HE TO TURN THE OTHER CHEEK?
ttPirw ’
was the sugar industry, and this was
the declaration:
"The Republican party favors such
protection as will lead to the produc
tion on American soil of all the sugar
which the American people use, and
tor which they pay other countries
more than $100,000,u00 annually.”
Immediately upon the election of
McKinley and Hobart and a Republi
can congress, capitalists, having faith
in a Republican promise, invested
their money, and farmers, having the
some faith, began the cultivation of
beets. The beet sugar industry year
after year grew amazingly, first be
cause the Industry could be estab
lished with adequate protection, and
second, because protection had been
promised and it was believed it would
be cortinued so long as the Republi
can party remained in power.
Again, in 1900, the party declared
unequivocally for protection, and
again monied men and farmers of the
country, having faitn in that pledge,
renewed their energies in the devel
opment of a domestic sugar Industry.
From an output of 20,000 tons a few
years ago, an output of more than ten
times that amount has been reached,
and even though this is less than one
tenth of our consumptive capacity, it
is belioved that in a few years more,
with the knowledge and experience
gained and the impetus already giv
en, our output would reach the full
amount of what we use.
And yet the president and senate
have taken the first steps toward nulli
fying the protection given to our sugar
Industry in accordance with promises
of 1896, as embodied in the Dingley
law and reasserted In the platform of
1900. It remains now for the house of
representatives to complete the break
ing of the pledge, or, by refusing to
confirm the action of the president and
senate to enable us to keep our pledge
to our sugar industry and our honor
as a party.
Overdoing Things.
It is at least a curious coincidence
that Michigan, the home of the sugar
beet, phould selected as a field for
exploiting the fascinations and allure
ments of Cuba as an agricultural para
dise. A company has been organized
in Detroit to boom things. Its pros
pectus and printed matter give out a
high temperature. Reading the "hot
stuff’ about the phenomenal fertility
and productiveness vf Cuban soil and
ly, and her sugar crop this year bids
fair to be one of the largest in ber his
tory. Let Congress bear in mind the
interests of domestic producers of
sugar, tobacco, cigars, early fruits,
vegetables, etc., in considering the
pending treaty.—American Agricultur
ist.
The Farmer Is Satisfied.
The slight falling off in exports
seems to be giving considerable com
fort to the free traders, as they wel
come anything that will serve as an
argument against the Dingley law.
They do not note that the failing off
1*3 in agricultural products, while our
exports of manufactures are increas
ing. High prices naturally have the
tendency to check exports and in
crease imports, and exports of agri
cultural products will always fluctuat*
But it is no argument against protec
tion, when our farmers can market at
home more nearly all they produce
and at profitable prices. The table of
the prosperous American is loaded
three tlme3 a day, and full stomachs,
full dinner pails and full lunch bas
kets are full testimony to the efficacy
of protection.
When to Revise the Tariff.
The fact is that the tariff will be i*
vised when the people at the polls de
mand it, and not before.—New York
Times
Right, for once. That is precisely
when, and only when, the tarift will be
or should be revised. When the peo
ple, being tired of prosperity, or for
any other reason satisfactory to them
selves, want the tariff revised, reduced
or removed, they will say so, and it
will be done. But until that time
comes, until the people have said so,
the proper thing to do is to let the tar
iff alone.
Helpless Without a Tariff.
Here is a little lecture on protective
tariAa, from the Birmingham (Eng.)
Post: “America attracts our skilled
workmen by the larger wages that are
poalcle under protection and gets, year
by year, a larger helping of the limit
ed supply of potter’s clay; and so a
onco prosperous industry is approach
ing starvation point. Having no tar
iff, we are helpless to check these pro
ceedings.” Higher wages and the de
velopment of home industries cause
no complaint in the United States.—
St. Louis Glob •‘-Democrat
IN COLONIAL SYTLL
PLANS FOR NEAT AND COMFORT
ABLE HOME.
Only One Story in Height, but Econ
omical Arrangement of Space Gives
Effect of Roominess—Large Attic an
Attractive Feature.
Finished suitably can be put up for
$1,500. While the dimensions are re
stricted, there is such an economical
utilization of the interior spaces that
the effect of roominess is attained.
The style 1b Colonial, one story, with
a gambrel roof. The roof and sides
are shingled, those on the roof being
left to weather finish, and those in the
gables and on tho sides being stained
a dark brown.
The front door opens into a large
hall, which may bo used as a reception
room. At one end of the room is a
window seat, and under the stairs
there is a well-lighted coat closet or
lavatory. There is an eight-inch base
at the floor and a wood cornice at the
ceiling. The stairs are Colonial in de
sign, with turned newel post and bal
usters. The one large living room has
many advantages over the two small
ones that are usually found In a house
of this size. The kitchen and pantry
open from the end of the room that is
used as a dining room. The other end
has a fireplace with a mantel of Colo
nial design, a built-in bookcase and a
comfoi table window seat. At the side
of the room next to the veranda there
are two windows extending to the floor
which open to the veranda; This room
has a paneled wainscot about four feet
six inches high and a wood cornice at
ihe ceiling.'
The woodwork of the reception hall
and living room Is painted ivory white
and the floors are soft green. The
Vails and ceiling of the reception hall
tire left a rough sand finish and kal
somined a gold color. The walls of
the living room are covered with
icream colored cartridge paper. The
pantry contains dressers, closets, sink,
ice chest, etc. The kitchen is fitted
up in the usual way. with range, sink,
kettle closet, etc. It is a; ranged in
such a manner that the alcove con
taining the sink and the range may be
screened off and the remaining space
used as a small dining room. The
stairs leading from the kitchen to the
second landing or the main stairs are
especially convenient, making it pos
sible for those working in the kitchen
to get to the attic without passing
through the hall. The stairway to tho
cellar opens out of this room. There
is a wainscot of matched and beaded
boards about five feet high around tho
room. The wall above the wainscot
is covered with a washable paper.
The second story has three weJl
ilghted and well-ventilatod bedrooms,
with an ample amount of closet space
for each, a linen closet and a bathroom
which also has a large closet. The
bathroom ha? a wainscot five feet high
of cement martted off and enameled to
represent tiles
There is a stairway leading from the
second story hall to the attic. The
attic has provisions for a large room,
which may be finished at a slight cost,
and a'so a large space lor storage.
The cellar will have provisions for
laundry, coal bins, vegetable closet
( aud furnace.—L. S Beardsley in New
York Herald.
To Keep Roof From Leaking.
In building, the shingles should be
dipped In paint before being laid, for
In painting a roof after the shingles
WO laid the paint forms a ridge at the'
butts of shingles and causes them to'
decay underneath. It would cost very
little more to put on a new roof, when
It begins to leak, than to go to the,
expense of putting on a tar and gravel’
roof over the old shingles, and then
you would not have as good a job
unless the root is very flat.
i --
I To clean lamp tops boil a few min
utes in soda and water. Then the
.light will burn steady.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
LESSON VI., NOV. 8—DAVID’S
GRIEF OVER ABSALOM.
Golden Text—“A Foolish Son Is a
Grief to Hia Father”—Prov. 17:25—
Sowing to the Wind and Reaping
the Whirlwind.
1. The Story of David's Flight from
Jerusalem.— In our last lesson we left
Absalom with his army marching from
Hebron toward Jerusalem to take
possession of his father's throne. As
soon as David learned of this he pro
posed and prepared to tieo from
Jerusalem and leave the city and the
kingdom to his son.
Why David Fled. This action seems
very strange. "But. politically con
sidered, David's action was the wisest
that could be taken. For (1) so sud
den was the outbreak that the city
was not in a condition to stand a
siege; and the popular excitement had
so seriously affected the citizens that
David scarcely kuew whom to trust.”
—Tuck. He might be betrayed if lie
remained. (2) Ho would not fight
against his own loved son. (3) David's
kind nature induced him to spare
Jerusalem the horrors of a siege and
the risk of being taken by assault.
(4) He probably judged, too, and
rightly, that delay would be unfavor
able to Absalom's plans, an opinion
which Ahithophel held, too (2 Sain.
17:1, 2), and riushai (2 Sam. 17:7-13).
2. The Procession. “It was appar
ently early on the morning of the day
after he had received tho news of the
rebellion that the king left the city of
Jerusalem. The body guard of Philis
tines moved at the head; then fol
lowed the great mass of the regular
taoldiery; next came the high officers
.of the court; and last, immediately
(before the king himself, the six hun
dred warriors, his ancient companions,
with their wives and children.”—
Stanley. The sad procession moved
'from one of the eastern gates down
into the ravine of the brook Kidron.
crossed the stream, and rested by an
olive tree at the branching of the
roads that passed over Mt. Olivet.
Here they were joined by another pro
cession consisting of the high priest
and the Levites, bringing the ark of
the covenant.
3. The Ark Returned to Jerusalem.
The ark of the covenant was the cen
ter of religious worship and the sym
bol of the presence of God. It was
felt that where the king was there
was the place for the symbols of re
ligion; and, possibly, the high priest
felt as the sons of Eli had felt almost
a century before, that God's presence
and power would go with the ark,
and thus be David’s defense and
source of guidance. But David or
dered them to return with the ark to
Jerusalem and place it again in its
home on Mt. Zion, (1) chiefly because
that was the place for it, and David
would not disorganize the whole re
ligious system of the nation for any
private advantage; he was not super
stitious and would not use the sacred
ark as a charm. God was with him,
wherever the ark might be; (2) it
would he well to have the priests, his
trusted friends, in the city.
6. Stones and Curses Hurled at
David on the March. ‘‘At Bahurim,
at the head of the pass toward
Jericho, where Phaitiel. the husband
of Michal, had been turned back, a
fresh humiliation awaited the king.
Snimei, the son of Gera, a Benjaraite
and a member of the house of Saul,
suddenly made his appearance on the
crest of the hills lining the road.
Along the ridge he ran, throwing
stones as if for the adulterer’s pun
ishment, or when he came to a patch I
of dust on the dry hillside, taking it
up, and scattering it over the royal
party below, with the elaborate curses
of which only eastern partizans are
fully masters—curses which David
never forgot, and of which, according
to the Jewish tradition, every letter
was significant. David’s friends wished
to kill the vile man, but the king
would not allow it. The curser seemed
to be voicing the verdict of David’s
own conscience.
7. The Encampment by the Jordan.
David and his company, weary with
the march and the exciting scenes,
camped toward night In the plain of
the Jordan, not far from the fords of
Jericho, and awaited news from the
capital. As soon as Ahithophel had.
given his counsel a messenger war.
dispatched to David telling him what
might take place. That same night
he broke camp and crossed the Jor
dan, out of immediate danger.
8. The Now Capital. With his com
pany, David proceeded to the fortified
town, Mahauaim. near the Jabbok
(see "Place”), which he made his tem
porary capital. Here an army of
Israelites was assembled and organ
ised, and three neighboring chiefs
sent in provisions. David and his
people began to recover from their
panic.
II. The Decisive Battle.—After
David left Jerusalem, Absalom and
his army took possession of the city
and the palace that same day.
1. The Council of War. A council
of war was called. Ahithophel, the
wise, advised an immediate attack.
Ills advice was "a masterpiece alike
of sagacity and wickedness.” This
man had been David’s close and trust
ed friend and counselor, so wise that
his advice was "as if a man inquired |
of the oracle of God” (2 Sam. 16:23). |
He had a grievance since he was the j
zrgndfather of Bathsheba (as Inferred i
from 2 Sam. 11:3 compared with 2 '
Sam. 23:34); and he saw the weak
ness of David’s position at the time,
and the strength of Absalom against
the other heirs. Heaving out divine
Providence, Absalom seemed sure of
success, and Ahtthophel chose the
stronger side. But David had another
counselor, Hnab&i the Archite, a elate
on the southern borders of Ephraim,
six miles west of Bethel. He met
David, offered his services, and wa*
sent to Jerusa'em to defeat the politi
cal wisdom of Ahithophel, by pretend
ing to be on Absalom’s side. He de
feated Ahithophel’s wise counsel by
proposing a foolish plan which ap
pealed to Absalom’s vanity by a flat
tering picture of himself at the head
of an immense army, like a world
conqueror, and all the nation, a3 it
were, singing “Hail to the Chief,” as
they did to his father when he re
turned from his victory over Goliath.
Ahithophel felt so certain that Absa
lom’s cause was now lost, and all his
hopes w’ere ruined, that, like Judas,
he went out and committed suicide.
2. The Brief Reign of Absalom.
This delay enabled Absalom to reign
three months in Jerusalem while he
was assembling his army.
3. The Battle Array. The armie3
assembled In the forest of Ephraim.
“The nature of the country gave ev
ery advantage to David's little band
of trained warriors."
The army of David was divided
into three divisions under three able
generals. “Gideon had divided his
handful into three, that ho might make
a simultaneous impression on three
different parts of the Mklianite host,
and thus contribute the better to the
defeat of the whole. So David divided
his army into throe, that, meeting
Absalom's at three different points, he
might prevent a concentration of tne
enemy that would have swallowed up
his whole force.”—Blaikie.
The armies met, and David’s army
under Joab gained a decisive victory.
III. The Death of Absalom.—“Amid
this scattered tight Absalom was sep
arated from his men, and as he fled
from a party of the enemy, the mule
on which he rode carried him beneath
the low branches of a spreading tere
binth and left him hanging by the
head, probabiv in a forked bough. The
first soldier who came up spared his
life because of the king's command,
and went to tell Joab. The unscrupul
ous chief hurried to the spot, and
thrust three javelins into Absalom’s
heart. There was probably a true
regard for the king and kingdom in
this act of Joah. He knew that Absa
lom could r.oi with safety be suffered
to live, and that it would be diffi
cult to rid the ntatc of so fout a mem
ber at any other time than jiow, when
a ju t right to slay him had been
earned in open battle.”—Kitto. Absa
lom’s body was cast into a great pit.
and a great heap of stones were cast
upon him, either in detestation of his
memory, or ns a monument to dis
tinguish the place.
IV. How the News Was Brought to
David.—Vs. 24-32. Two famous run
ners brought the news to David—the
Cushite, and A’llmaaz, the son of the
high priest. Joab would not permit
Ahimaar. to go at first, because he did
not wish the son of David's friend 10
bear the sad news. He therefore sent
a well-known runner, “the Cushite,”
that is, “the Ethiopian,” who would
think he was carrying good news of
the victory to David. But after he had
obtained a good start, Joab permitted
Ahimaaz also to go.
24. “David sat between the two
gates.” The inner and outer gates.
25. "If he be alone, there is tid
ings,” for if he were a fugitive after
defeat, there would be others with
him.
28. “Ahlmaaz . . . said . . .
All is well.” He spoke the truth, but
not nil the truth. It was well that
Absalom was defeated, and that he
was dead; well for the kingdom, and
well for David. Ahlmaaz would state
the good news first in order to break
the shock of the other news about
Absalom.
2'J. “Is the young man Absalom
safe?” David’B heart turned toward
his wayward son In Infinite love. “A
great tumult, but 1 knew not what it
was.” This was a falsehood (v. 20),
but it was altered to soften the sad
news.
31. “Cucl.V (the Cushite) “came.”
He was not so delicate in his an
nouncement of the news.
32. “The enemies of my lord,” etc.
“The Ethiopian slave then comes, tells
the same news, hears the same ques
tion; and, with no touch of reverence
for the father’s sorrow, nakedly blurts
out. as if he were the bearer of good
news, that which filled up the measure
of David’s woe.”—E. H. Plumptre.
V. David’s Lament for Absalom.—
V. 33. “Went up to the chamber.”
To be alone iu his sorrow. ‘‘And wept.
O my son Absalom!” “There Is not
In the whole of the Old Testament a
passage of deeper pathos than this.”—
Cook. “Would God I had diod for
thee.” “So Moses (Ex. 32:32), and
so St. Haul (Horn. 9:3). would have
sacrificed themselves, had it been pos
sible, to save others. His wish to die
In Absalom’s stead was no mere ex
travagance of grief. David knew his
own peace was made with God; he
could die at any time. If Absalom
were spared In life, ho might yet re
pent. But -ueh an exchange could not
be.”—Hanna.
VI. Lessons for To-day. Absalom’s
Hand. Absalom from out. the far-off
past Is still pointing our modern
youth to certain great ltosoim his ca
reer teaches us; (1) The way cf trans
gressors Is hard. (2) The nuccesa of
the wicked Is short., and then he is
like chaff which the wind blowsth
away. (3) Sin is sometimes attrac
tive at first, but at last it biteth like
a serpent and stingetb like an adder.
(i> The way to true success I3 not
through disobedienco to parents. (5)
No failure Is so terrible as the failure
of u life; no ruin like the ruin cf a
soul. (G) The des.vu.of vne wickel la,
lighted by no ray of hope. (7) They
that sow the wind shall reap the
whirlwind.