Nebraska Newspapers

    -
ft KINO ; O
MIlilARV HFC IX INDIA. S -
V < ? *
OY A1AVOR \ *
M t
-Mi
fX ? " ( Continued. )
The Indian now , with a savage grasp
on Don's throjiL , } ft\flt hiljqnad , , bjui ,
ngnlnst the gunwale , and Don , nnnolb
to utter n sOitnd/iwa3' / | < 1flghtIiiK desperately -
atoly wltli hlshandfordclirllfe. , , ! '
ns through n1 tlilckj mist , htf
llo's sweet face i.nearhim . , .
with anguish' ; ' ari'd terrinc.il > 'ollpcrs )
rushing forward. A great lurch of the
vessel blotted" out the rc'st'0cUc.il 1
his antagonist's ruthless embrace , ho
felt himself whirling bacUwhhl8/Jnti ! ) ,
the bolllng'scit and'tho waters closing
over him. i
Instantly' the' ' c.aptalnV voice came
ringing out In quick command :
"Sentry , let go the lifebuoy ! Bosun'o
mate , call away the lifeboat craw ! "
Quick as .the order , It 'was ' obeydd.
The great ship was swiftly hove to.
But what agony .of heart was every
Hccond of delay to'the ' paralyzed young
bride ! ' , "t T . ;
OHlcers and mcivhad now gathered
on the scene , scanning the choppy sea
with telescopes and speaking In tensa ,
awed tones as they watghod the gal
lant cutter til raining 'nihsht ' and main
to reach those black specks which rose
so often to the surface qiily to disap
pear. Lllllc stood apart , speechless ,
almost sightless , in thdt w'lld'oudeavor
to peer through the glyom of night ,
while the remorseless tldop was lit'iip
with a spectral terror by ( , lo | lurid-
light with which the lifebuoywas
charged. Once the ship's surgeon , weut
to her side and bogged to take boo bo-
low. She only shook her head. She'
was past speaking now.
At last ! nt last ! A thrill of excite
ment passed from lip to lip. The look
out man on the Hilton-mast had de
scried the rescue of both the drowning
men alive or dead/ who could tell ? . .
Impatience to krioW the worst was
checked as thp boat ca'mo ' alongside , In
deference to : the 'young"wife ' , who
stood in their midst waiting waiting
for what ?
She followed blindly-as thqy , bore ,
Don'a prostrate form to his cabin and
laid him on his couch. The seaman
was dead. Had 'Doll , t6o , passed away
across the mystic ocean , whence the
voyager no more returns ?
In the weird lamplight that stm , un
conscious face looked Indeed ns if It
already bore the stamp of death ; and ,
.with n despair torrlbln In Its calmness.
Hho turned from doctor to steward
while they unfastened coat and vest
and laid bare the ghastly wound and
Its streaming blod.
"Tell me , " she said , "Is he dead ? "
Oh , what a whole history of pain and
pathos lay In that brief question ! '
The doctor looked the sympathy ho
felt. Ho was a blulf , stole Scotchman ,
Inured to scenes of sorrow an'd suffer
ing , but there was something in that
pathetic picture of the strong young
man struck down in his prime , and the
lovely girl wlfo In her uncomplaining
ntrcngth of endurance that touched
him Infinitely.
1 "He Is not dead , " ho answered. "Be
assured I will do everything that is
possible to save him , " he added cheer
ily , as his busy fingers sped at his
work.
She stood aside In breathless excite
ment.
"This Is a nasty wound , " ho npoko
nt last ; "but fortunately.the
tor has stanched the bleeding. It Is
after effects I am more afraid"of. . I
should like to get two trained nurses ,
who happoii to bo on'board , to under
take the case. They are very clover.
1 could thoroughly rely on them. "
For an Instance there was tense si
lence , i '
"Could you not rely on myself for
ono ? " was the answer which faltered
through her puMiod lips.
"Aro you strong enough ? " ho quo- '
rled kindly. "If it is n matter of ex
pense , I think you will find I will arrange
"
range
She Interrupted , him "with "a little
Bcsturo almost of scorn , All her' life
she had known nothing of ( ho bitter
\ ness of poverty , 'and now It scorned
llko a mockery to her to mention cx-
penso In conjunction with her love and
Don's life.
"Spare nothing nothing that mon
ey can buy ! " she spoke breathlessly.
The doctor paused to take- her slim
wrist between his finger and thumb
and calmly count her throbbing pulse.
ID- "We'll make a compromise , " said ho
soothingly. "You shall relieve my
nurses from duty now and then ; but
you must remember his life depends
on constant care night and day.
That settled the question definitely ,
and Lllllo allowe'd herself to bo led
away to partake of a strong cup of tea
and some refreshment to fit her for the
long hours of watching which lay be
fore her , for she insisted on the nurse
not being summoned at least till morn
ing , as the doctor himself meant to
be in close attendance on his patlont
at night. In his heart ho deeply pitied
the fair young bride , who evidently
loved so deeply the stalwart bride
groom stricken down to the very gates
of death.
Yes , Lillle loved Don , even as she
line ! never Joyed , him tlllm , > w.It , ( was
not until ho lay before her thus , in the
.extremity of helplessness , till ,
and pity both forgotten , and nothing
but infinite tenderness filling her soul ,
Bhe realized'the , depth of , tlut lo.vc ,
' '
'strong as death , " which could for
give , even as Christ forgave , and rest
on the atonement of the Redeemer
alone. She watched by his pillow while
the long night dragged on , and he still
lay unconscious , motionless , almost
broal bless.
She shed no tears , but now and then
she prayed prayed as perhaps she had
novor1 prayed before. Sometimes she
put hpr fingers on his pulse to feel If
It still boat ; and so she waited , waited ,
while the doctor came In and out , ex
pecting every moment that change
which did not come , but which must
como at last.
It came when the wild night was
wanliig towards daybreak , with a
quickening of the languid pulse and
the faintest tlngo'ot color to the pallid
cheek. She stooped over him , believ
ing , with all a novice's delightful hope ,
that these signs were signs of Improve
ment ; but the color mounted to a hec
tic Hush , the pulse throbbed faster and
faster , and suddenly ho started up and
looked ut her with strange wlldnena In
his oyr.s.
"I will go ! I will go ! " he cried. "But
you will believe me ? "
She sprang up and throw her arms
about his neck , uttering Incoherent
words of love and passion ; but ho had
fallen back on his pillow , painfully
flilahcd now , and his breath came in
hot gasps.
"Sho will not kiss mo ! My darling
will not kiss mo ! Never again ! " ho
moaned. "What was It she said ? 'All
that is over now. How can I over for
get what has broken my heart ? ' "
Th6 woFds died away in a''sobbing
whlspW , and the doctor , coming back
at thkt moment , found him thus , tossIng -
Ing restlessly from sldo to side , uncon
scious still , but actively unconscious ,
with the frenzy racking his brain.
CHAPTER X.
Days , many days , went by , and still
'
Don lay In the same state. Sometimes
shivering , sometimes burning with
fiery heat , sometimes slumbering in
the deepest torpor ; often wakefully
alert with life activity of a rdlstaught
mind , wandering back to scenes and
times of which his watchers knew
nothing oven back to days of early
boyhood , when ho and Roddy had
fished together In Gadlc's silvery
stream , and never dreamed of jealousy
or severance In years to come.
By and by , as the days lengthened
Into weeks , there came lucid Intervals ,
and when ho awoke weak and well-
nigh speechless , but perfectly con
scious of hlo surroundings. And If at
thosb times Millie chanced to be his
nurse he would lie and gaze upon her
with a look of dog-llko devotion In his
great brown eyes , often even try to ut
ter some feeble words of gratitude or
contrition for her being there. Whilst
oven as he strove to speak that deadly
oblivion would return and blot out past
and present alike.
And meanwhile Lllllo watched by
him and waited upon him with a Jeal
ous steadfastness that scarce could
brook to share her vigils with his oth-
'er ' 'nurses ' they who'could minister to
the sufferer's wants perhaps more elll-
clently Uian Mllle's sel biit could ex
perience none of the young wife's 'bit
ter joy which made every little duty an
act of devotion.
f (
. For she saw his strength ebbing
hour by hour as the fever worked out
Its course. She saw his wanderings
become more frequent , those fatal tor-
pori more prolonged , anil those mo
ments of weak consciousness grow few
er and fewer , And gradually , but all
too suyely , 'the ' awful fear began to
dawn upon her that Don and she were
to be called upon to part by a decree
moro relentless than hors. Yet , oh , It
could not be that.he should die dlo
and leave hoi * thus , without knowing
she had como to realize her life was
bound up In his for time and for eter
nity ! That his sin must be her sin ,
and Its atonement hers also ns well ns
his !
Who shall gauge the bitterness of
those pleadings which burst from her
aching heart through those long vigils !
of waltjng ? For 'it ' was known to her
God alone. There came a night nt last
as they neared the white cliffs of Eng
land , that after continuous hours o
fitful slumber Don opened his eyes anij
fixed them upon her face. It was ap"j
preaching the hour -when she usually
relinquished her post to the nurse , and
she was kneeling by his side In silent
prayer , her cheek resting upon his pil
low , her locked hands leaning gently
on his breast.
A strange reluctance to leave hlih
had fallen upon her , and moro thai !
once she had passionately pressed her
lips to the short , silky brown curls
about his temples ,
"Lillle , " he spoke wistfully. . ' .
It was barely above n whisper , but
she hoard It with a great bound of bar
boating heart , for she know this was
ical consclbuanefrht'last ? " * * ' - *
"Lillle , " ho repeated faintly , so
faintly that she had 'Aif'S0'0 ' ' ! 0 to
his lips to catch the words,1 "where are
we now ? "
"We are very nearly home. In a few
lipurs wo shall be in the Solent. "
She was astonished that ho mani
fested no surprlBo. It was as If his
active brain had been speeding on
ward with the ship's throbbing en
gines ; as If ho , too , while his fragile
barque drifted towards the unknown
shore , had been dimly conscious of the
great pen of time and space.
"Lillle , " ho spoke again , with la
bored difficulty , "when we reach
Southampton will you wire to Roddy
and Dl to come to mo ? "
Hot tears welled up Into her eyes
mill roll upon the wasted hand ho
strove to lift and lay on hers.
"Wo will go over to the Islp of
Wight to thorn. Wouldn't that bo bet
tor , Don ? "
"If you will not mind the trouble. "
ho said , with all the trustful depend
ence of a little child. And then sud
denly , with fluttering breath , he spoke
again , no faintly nho could scarcely
hear. "I dreamt just now you kissed
me. * Lillle , would you promise not to
leave till the end ? "
She broke down then , and Hung her
self upon his breast.
" ! Don't understand
"Oh , Donl Dpn you
stand ? I will never leave you never ,
never ! " she cried.
Ills fingers closed upon hers with n
feeble pressure and a look almost of
rapture swept his face. Then , atlll
holding her hand , ho fell asleep.
( To bo continued. )
RICH IN MEMORIES.
The Long-Neglected Hiirrliun Munition
Flntl * n Now Owner.
The long-neglected Harrison man
sion at North Bend , 0. , has been pur
chased recently by Mrs. 0. II. Hall of
Cincinnati , fdr the sum of ? 15,000 , and
Is to bo preserved In commemoration
of the Illustrious men who have been
sheltered within Its walls. It was built
in 1811 by Gen. William Henry Harri
son , who presented It to his bride.
There he dwelt until he went to the
White House , and where his nine chil
dren and his Illustrious grandson ,
Benjamin Harrison , were born. At
the time the house was built Harri
son was governor of the Northwestren
Terrltoy , and as the conqueror of Te-
cumsoli was a national hero. Those
wore exciting days , times of great per
sonal danger , and no conveniences ,
and the Harrison mansion , simple as
it was , was regarded then as aristo
cratic and stately. The hospitality of
its halls was famous. Not a day pass
ed that It did not afford entertainment
for many guests. It Is said that on
occasions no less than sixty guests sat
down together at the long mahogany
tables In the great sun-lit dining hall.
It Is said that the bride was not con
tent unless her cook served three
kinds of meat on the festive board at
times when cattle were scarce , when
settlements were hundreds of miles
apart. But wild duck and the fish In
the rivers were plentiful , and no
group of strangers or guests ever pass
ed the gate In their day's Journey who
were not begged to remain and share
the prodigal generosity of their host
and hostess. In those days the estate ,
now sadly dwindled to seven acres ,
was composed of COO acres. From
Gon. Harrison the estate passed to his
son , John Scott Harrison , n gentle ,
amiable man , with no financial abil
ity. Ho lived there until his death In
1S78 , his property gradually diminish
ing until at his death he was actu
ally a dependent. Benjamin Harrison
was born there and it was his homo
until his marriage , when ho moved to
Indianapolis. For years the old
house has been vacant. The gardens
have been overrun with wild , Insolent
weeds , the fields deserted , the great
rooms and halls lonely and dead. Not
even the ghost of former laughter and
hospitality baa echoed for years along
Its spiral staircases. The spider , piti
ful tenant , has swung his tent ropes
from rafter to ratter. The lofty heads
of the old oaks sigh among their lofty
crests ut the saddened picture.
MAGIC OF FIGURES.
Trick In blniplo Subtraction That AVID
Tu//.Io Kierjr Unr.
You can never tell what figures will
do. Of course they arc truthful , If
properly handled , but some of them
are capable of the most bewildering
antics. Heie Is a method by which
figures may be made to tell secrets In
i way that will astonish those who
arc not Informed about how to do the
'fisurlng. " Ask some person to put
down unknown to you a number com
posed of three figures ( say 7G2) ) . Tell
him to transpose the figures ( making
2G7) ) and to subtract the lesser from
the greater. Then ask him to tell you
the first figure of the result , and you
can tell him the entire number. For
Instance , your first number In the
present nxamplo Is 7G2 , which trans
posed makes 2G7. Subtract 2G7 from
702 and you have 495. The only ilg-
uro that you are told is 4 , the first
of the result. All you have to do Is
to subtract 1 from 9 , which will give
you 5 , the last figure , and the central
figure Is always ! ) . So your number
will bo 495. This Is true in all cases
where only three llgurcs are used In
making up a number. The central
figure will always bo 9 when the trans
posed number Is subtracted from the
original number , and the two end
figures when added together will make
9. So , knowing cither the first or last
figure of the result , you can give the
entire number.
Htory of Hnptil Urowtli.
Some time ago an loin man contract
ed to make a plat of the town. Since
then there have boon fifteen additions
to the city , and the new ones are com
ing In so rapidly that ho hasn't boon
able to figure when ho will finish his
task. The growth of a gas town Is
llko unto thatof , u sunflower when thq
sign is right.
TlfflilGGEEQUESTIOJT
/rt t > tt\t l * t. ( , * \ f li jhf
T
GRAVE ISSUE INVOLVEDNTHE ! ,
PUERTO RICAN PROBLEM.
It'Vl Vflintlier Our Nnwly Acqufreil I'm-
noii | < Mi Are or Arc Not Alroiuijr In-
ft r'iil ' , Turin'iif ' llio 'itopubllc 'KepiiM
iihb Are Ulght. ' 1
irfa ; " - > _ , _
. . . ' .
,
f ri .1 i.1 ; d !
"Keep the real issue In sight , and lot
thfe nj-esltlcnt niul the party bo judged
by-llmt , " la the wlHo conclusion of a
very' ' liblo article In the Seattle Post-
Intemgoncer on the Puerto Hlcun ques
tion. * Obviously this excellent editorial
treatment of n rnuch discussed subject
Is-thu. product of some knowledge and
Koin § thinking. Unfortunately the
serge { cannot bo said of a vast volume
of nuttter that has found Its way Into
print ! relative to the Puerto Ulcau
loplc.l No. Writer has stated the Issue
more [ clearly or more Intelligently than
It jIs ( stated by the I'ost-Intelllgenccr
thus : j
Vlt j Is not a question whether wo
ought to Impose a duty of 25 per cent
or.toilo of 15 per cent or none at all
uppji I commerce between that Island
and the United States. It la whether
thjia , j government has constitutional
po.wpr to levy such a tax under any
circumstances ; whether Puerto Hlco' '
Is'fbVrltory to be governed as all other
territory added has been , by the dis
position of congress , or whether its
people , acquired by the treaty of Paris ,
constitutional rights within the United
States that compel recognition by us
and , leave us no choice but to acknowl
edge the new possessions as an Integral
part of the nation under the constitu
tion ; and finally to admit them ae
states. "
Rightly the Post-Intelligencer In
sists ( that the contest Is not waged on
the question whether Puerto Rlcan
trade ! should bo free or untaxed. The
opposition to the pending bill Is based
upon no such consideration. It cares
nothing about the question either of
tariff or revenue. Engineered by clev
er free-trade and anti-imperialist
strategists , the movement , Intended
solely to "put the administration in a
hole , " has secured the adhesion of a
considerable number of Republicans
who seem to be unable to discover the
use that is being made of them. They
are apparently blind to the fact , so
clearly pointed out by the Post-Intelli
gencer , that
"Tho constitutional question' Is the
ical bone of contention. The Republic
an party cannot abandon Its 'position '
upon "that without reversing all our
precedents and destroying the practi
cal possibility of building up a mighty
commerce In the far cast by exchang
ing for the open door In the Philip
pines the open door In the vnst portion
of Asia under European control.
"Wo believe that those who have
differed honestly from the party's poli
cy In this particular will agree with It
when they come to see what is in
volved ; and how cunningly the ndVo-
cates of retirement from the Philip
pines have sought to make that neces
sary by a pretended light over the
Puerto Rlcan tariff. "
If only the army of dissenters from
the policy of the Republican adminis
tration and the Republican party
could once grasp the Idea that a much
bigger and more pretentious question
than that of 25 per cent , 15 per cent , o'1
no tariff at all Is Involved In the Puer
to Rlcan proposition , It would mighti
ly help to clear up the situation.
MUST STAND BY PROTECTION.
AVunteil , a Kinging Declurnllon In I'u-
\nr of the American 1'ollcy ,
A danger signal which may well be
heeded by thoughtful Republicans , In
contemplating the approaching presi
dential campaign , Is the unfaithfulness
of many Republicans to the protective
principle. There are many Republican
papers and not a few prominent men
who seem to seize every opportunity
to discredit the policy which has car
ried the party to victory In the past
and which lifted the country out of the
slough of despond of business depres
sion as the result of the Republican
triumphs of 1894 and 189G.
"Speak well of the bridge that car
ries you safe over , " saith the old ad-
ngo ; but the Republicans to whom
wo refer , while , as a rule , supporting
the tariff plunk of the Republican plat
form In national elections , do and say
everything In their power between
times to undermine protection to
American Industries.
How eagerly , for Instance , they beize
upon the complaints against the trusts
to demand the abolition of the turltf
upon trust manufactured goods over
looking the fact that there are trusts
in free trade England as well as In
the United States. And then In the
Puerto Rlcan discussion they have
given unlimited aid and comfort to the
political enemy demanding the defeat
of the policy recommended by the vast
majority of the Republican members
of congress.
If the Republican party deserves well
of the country as a business party it
is largely because of its consistent rec
ord upon the tariff. In showing a di
vision of sentiment now upon that is
sue it is playing Into the hands of the
Democrats. If the Republican party
Is to cease to be a consistent protec
tionist party It will lose Its hold upon
the clement which has heretofore giv
en It Its chief strength.
It Is time to draw the lines. The
next Republican national 'convention '
must make u clear' and ringing dec
laration upon the subject of protection
to American Industry , and those who
cannot indorse the prllnclplo should
cease to bo active in the party's affairs.
For every vote lost by such n dealarai
tlon wo believe two would bo gained
from-'men. whoso experience of the
benefits of protection durlnc the past
three or four years has-convinced them
tjhat It is the only policy upon which
Illu general prosperity of this country
can be malntulnqdrIInneapolls ! Trl-
'bilne. ' > ! -
; M A DIRECT RESULT.
(
Why Wnffoi Ilnvo Increased Ho Ilnor-
innimly In tlio , Uriltod Stutci.
in. In the current-news of the day occur
, twu announcements of more than
ordinary significance. In a dispatch
from Charleston , S. C. , of March 25 , we
are told that
"The York cotton mills of Yorkvllle ,
this state , yesterday announced that
they would on next pay day chip 3 pr-r
cent from the annual dividend itnd''a'dd
It to the wages of operatives. ' The
wages of some of the employes had
recently been Increased . 33 per cent.
These were not included in the In-
cicase yesterday. President Asho sayj ;
" 'We cannot help forese'e that there
must be aa end of the.present boqm
some day , and If wo over get back to
the depression of a few years ago , Just
as we voluntarily increase wagesnjw
wo will be compelled to reduce them
then. ' " - > i
On the same date the followlngst'ate
incut Is made In a telegram from
Philadelphia :
"In accordance with their notice
posted shortly after Jan. 1 , 1900 , prom
ising an advance to their employes , to
take effect-April 1 , 1900 , the Berwlnd-
Whlte Coal Mining company today
notified all their miners of a general
average advance of 20 per cent. The
miners are now placed upon a basis of
GO cents per gross ton , and all day la
bor increased accordingly. This ad
vance will make the wages paid the
highest during the past thirty years ,
and In some Instances the highest that
have ever existed by nearly ? per cent. "
This Is what Is aimed at In the sys
tem of protection to American labor
and Industry namely , that those who
work for wages shall be the gainers
through the profits accruing to their
employers. As a direct result of the
great prosperity which has come to
the country since the election of Will-
lam McKinley , and the consequent ro-
lustatement of the thoroughly Ameri
can policy of first taking good care of
Americans and of regarding the for
tunes of foreigners as a secondary con
sideration , wages and employment
have Increased enormously In the
United States , and the general rate of
wages is in nearly all lines of Indus
try the highest ever known.
THE RISING TIDE.
* g ? . .AfJill
aSfckssUL
= * - s-s = > > -
I * s in " / v r-s f _ , "v/ / )
- a ftftTsSw
" T 'M' $ - - - $ '
- ig JfLC &f > - . .
" & ? * * & -
-
A Tutuoui I'ollcy.
That something is needed for the re
habilitation of our merchant marine
has been evident for a long time , and
grows more alarmingly evident as our
needs of commercial expansion be
come more pressing. In 1S73-4 our
merchant marine , though ridiculously
small , represented a little more than
11 per cent of the steam tonnage of the
seas ; last year It represented a very
lUtle more than 4 per cent. In the
same space of time the steam tonnage
of Germany has risen from about 4
per cent to more than 8 per cent.
Within the last century the steam ton
nage of Europe has Increased in these
proportions : Norway , 1,110 per cent ;
Germany , C93 ; Italy. 395 ; Great Brit
ain , 311 ; France , 200 ; Spain , 275 ;
Russia , 430 ; Holland , 399. The in
crease of the steam tonnage of the
United States In the same period has
been but (15 ( per cent , though our in
crease of exports and Imports has been
phenomenal. The United States now
pays more money for the transit of
goods across the seas than any other
nation , Great Britain nlono cxcepted ,
and Is pressing hard upon that coun
try in the race for commercial su
premacy. But we alone , of all trading
countries , have been negligent of the
obvious economy of paying our own
countrymen for the s.hlpnicnt of our
qwn goods. The fatuous policy should
be reversed at once , and the bill under
contemplation provides for Its re
versal. Chicago Inter Ocean.
The Fully of It.
We can understand an American tar
iff , but neither we nor our lawmakers
can predict the effect of the intricate
bystpm of Individual treaties which , ! i
ratified , would be a reversion to the
commercial methods of the middle
ages. The American policy has hither
to been tha enactment of.plain and
uniform laws for the American people
to which all doing business with us
must conform. We have prosperei
under this system and It is utter folly
Jo' depart from It. San Francisco
QUronlcle.
Olio of the i ; cntluM.
' The manufacturing jewelers .of the
United States are strongly for protec
tion. This Is amply proved by tholr
protests against any lowering of pro
tective rates on their goods. t Jn.agt (
among .nine-tenths of all , practlca
Americans /protection' Ms c'onslderet
one of the essdntl'als ofObuslness proa
parity.
THE is RIG < IT.
Catmnnii'SoniiB View of the Tr'no In-
warilnon oCrtho Tiiorto Itlnitn Mailer ,
The men who have ritahedwildly
nto criticism of thti administration
and the Republican party because of
he Puerto Rican tariff bill , Including
ome Republicans who spoke before
ho facts were all wlthlit their luuuyl-
edge , are commended to the expression
of opinion by President McKinley It
Is ldenlcfil-wlth--the edl6rlalVl&w'ot {
the question takenby he Pos Intelll-
(
gcnccr , and Is nusolutcly-'unassallable
In principle and In fact.
Mr. McKinley prefers , ns the Post-
ntelllgencer prefers , entire free trade
> etweon the United States and Puerto
llco. Fie has not changed his mlr
on this subject nor have we. Wo .
lot regard the difference between
trade with our new possession
luty of 15 per cent of the rates ,
> y the DIngley act ns vital ej j
It will make no great dlffc
"
lor to the Puerto Rlcans ,
t will put money Into thtl
iiul none Int6 ours. Iut fro
twcen , us } & the' ideal fconditil
.The party In the hoiso }
Tom this position by the
he other side , re-enforced by a few1
ts own extremists. By the speeches ol
these men another Issue than expedl- '
cncy was introduced. It was contended
by them that Puerto Rico must hayo
absolute free trade , not In fairness ,
but as a legal right. It was held to be
the due of those people under the con
stitution ; and acquiescence In this
doctrine would have bound us for all
: lme to come with reference to the
Philippines as well as to Puerto Rico.
It was Impossible to ratify this the
ory. Yet the course of the debate and
the attitude of the press were such that
there was only n choice left between
two extremes. Either we must Impose
some trifling duty , or we must an
nounce that all territory acquired came
within all of the provisions of the con
stitution as applied to the states o
this union , reverse the policy * and
precedents of a century , and tie our ,
hands In the Important work that wo
have to do In the far east. This is the
argument which constrains President
McKinley , as it has constrained us , to
agree to the Imposition of a slight tax
to vindicate a general principle rather
than to hold free trade with Puerto
Rico at the price of conceding the new
false and fatal theory of the constitu
tion which the Democratic party. have
bound up with it.
It is still possible that the senate
may find a way out of this choice be
tween evils. It would seem practicable
to amend the house bill by abolishing
the duty , If there were incorporated
in it a clause denying in the strongest
terms any constitutional compulsion ,
and asserting the unimpaired right of
congress to legislate at Its will on all
matters relating to new terrltoy. Or ,
if this Is not done , a decision of the
Supreme court will settle the question
presently , and the Puerto Rlcan tariff
may be repealed without danger. As
matters stand today , however , the
president Is right and he Is consistent.
We suggest that those Republican
newspapers in the state of Washing
ton that have complained of his course
and the policy of the party before all
the facts were clearly stated should
study the subject anew In the light of
his utterances and of the explanations
that have appeared In our columns.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
I'nult-FJndcr nnil Growler.
The Democrats are giving them
selves n great deal of unnecessary un
easiness over the alleged Republican
differences as to a tariff for Puerto
Rico. The Republican party thinks
for itself , and usually to some purpose
and with the result of settling fairly
and satisfactorily the great questions
with which It has to deal. When It
gets through with Puerto Rico the
people of that Island will have no
reason to complain. The Democratic'
party , which never yet enacted a pleco
of constructive legislation , is occupy
ing the usual position of fault finder
and growler In general , with not a
practical Idea to suggest. Troy ( N. Y. )
Times.
Hoirllnc llryanlto Froo-Tnulers.
In 1890 Bryanltes yowled and
screeched that prices were too low ,
and that If Bryan were elected higher
prices would most surely prevail. But
if McKinley were elected the prices of
everything would fall and business
and the nation would be ruined.
Yet now that prices are higher , but
mostly because higher wages prevail
and everybody can have work , the
Bryanltes are howling like wolves
about high prices.
Nothing on earth can over satisfy
Bryanlte free traders except low prices
of foielgn goods for genteel idlers ,
with one or two million wage earners
looking in vain for jobs while our cod
fish aristocracy can buy things awful
cheap , and everything will be as nice
as can be , don'tcher know ?
Ho DuoUed ,
While speaking in New York the
other night Mr. Bryan said : "A dollar
that rises In purchasing power Is just
as dishonest.a.8 . the dojlarthat falls in
purchasing power. } Ve "want a stable-
dollar. " A gruff voice In the back of
the Kill asked : "Well , how do. you
think you're going to get ltK.Mr. .
Bryan failed to answer. _ He ducked.
His gas bag was punctured. The ad
mission that the silver dollar falls In
purchasing power was fatal to Bryan's
argument , Benton (111. ( ) Republican.
ti
Senator I'ettlgrew Axlinuicd.
Senator Pettlgrew declares , that he 13
ashamed that ho was born in New Eng
land. Providence News.
Aml'Ne ' v England , by the wayof
'reciprocity , Is thoroughly- ashamed
that Pett'.grow ' was born at alL