VALENTINE DEaiOCRAT
I. M. RICE - Editor and Propr.
MarkZarr , Foreman.
A Wcfkly Newspaper published every lljnrs-
day at Valentine , Nebras.
Subscription - § 1.50 Idr .Year.
Local Notices , 5c per linepjer issue
_ _ _ _
Entered at the I'ostolllcu at Vaienliiie , Neb. ,
for transmission through the mailsas secoud
class matter. ' * ' - ; + . . . ,
Thursday , December 22/1910.
THE DEMOCRAT is besieged for
free space continuously to advocate
this or that as beneficial to the
farmers. They want us to tell
about a corn show in Omaha , a
live stock show in Chicago and
another in Sioux .City , a Nebraska
state farmers' congress in Lincoln ,
a Christian science meeting and a
poultry show some where , the
New Orleans exposition and San
Francisco opposed to it , the hot
Springs baths , the western lands
exhibits at Omalia , the national
western stock shows of Denver
and numerous railway notices "if
you think they're of sufficient im
portance as a news item , numerous
college notices , advance sheets of
other papers or magazines and
clubbing offers , free reading mat
ter here and there , and innumer
able other things , all free. They
don't expect to pay a cent for any
of it ; think because we are run
ning a newspaper we're glad to
use some of their truck as space
fillers ; probably think we can't
tell the difference between news
and graft.
Some go so far as to send us the
plates expecting to find us short
of copy .and space fillers and by
chance they may get a few items
chucked into the paper that will
run free , and its true ; occasionally
we're caught that way' and for
lack of time chuck in some of this
plate matter , but ir ! these promot
ers paid us for space instead of
spending their money trying to
work us , they'ed "get more for
their money and we'd feel a great
deal better toward them. Eut
'we're-tryingto cut'tliem out and
run -our paper -on a profit basis.
The reason we are being besieged
is because so many editors have
been worked and what's the use of
paying if they can get their stuff
' '
run freet *
Will the brother editors please
sit up and take notice and help us
to throw off this yoke" that is ex
pected of the county newspapers
to continually advise their people
to go somewhere while the city
papers get paid . for it. W'e're
throwing these notices in .the waste
basket until they show us there is
something in it. We're not en
tirely a benevolent association for
all the grafters to work. When
we're worked it will be for our.
own peopleyandthat's our busi--
ness. j
Wh y the Farmer Should Oppose the
Rural Parcels Post.
The advocates of the rural par
cels post claim that this system of
merchandise transportation would
enable the farmerv to have small
packages of merchandise deliver
ed at his mail box quickly and
cheaply.
No one .disputes this but there
are two more sides to the question.
Here is one :
Every rural delivery carrier is
now authorized to carry merchan
dise parcels weighing over four
pounds from your farm to town or
from .town to your farm and you ,
or the town man , pay the carrier
whatever-you agree is right. The
proposed postage charge would
average much higher than what
you would pay under the present
system of local delivery. Now
there is no maximum weight lim
it , for the. carrier can take any
thing for you that he is able to
carry , but it is proposed to limit
- ' * *
the i weight to 11 pounds only.
Tbis-would greatly curtail thie delivery
livery- privileges now open to ev
ery . 'farmer . , who desires to use
them and make delivery , cost him
more than under.the. . pres.ent
method. . ; . . . . * . - , . - , ,
Here is another side ofthe
H
question the side seen by your
good friends , the home merch
ants :
Big city merchants of all kinds
would be quick to seize the rural
parcels post as a delivery outlet
through the use of local agents , to
whom parcels would be shipped in
large quantities by express or
freight for deposit in the local
pbstoffice and delivery by rural
carriers. There is absolutely no
" way in which this could be pre
vented.
The opportunity thus afforded
these mail-order houses for the de
velopment of a gigantic trust is a
most serious menace to the farm
er's welfare. Every necessary of
life could in time be monopolized
through the operation of this gov
ernment postal subsidy , taxed
against all the people and applied
for the sole benefit of the Mail-
Order Trust. Already Wall
street sees the trend of events and
"big business" has become inter
ested in fostering and financing
the parcels post agitation. Its appetite -
petite has been stimulated by the
results of the past few years ,
which have enabled one mail
order house to pay an annual divi
dend of 7yer cent on its , many
millions of capital and recently to
declare a special dividend of 331-
percent. What farmer can ever
hope to equal that record ?
The big city merchants pay no
taxes of any kind direct or in
direct in your community. They
do not help maintain your schools ,
churches , libraries , hospitals and
other public institutions. They
do not help you build and main
tain good roads. They do not give
you credit and they give you
.neither- sympathy nor help when
misfortune comes. These big city
merchants have absolutely no in
terest in you , excepting to get
hold of as many of your dollars as
they can and give as little return
therefor as possible.
Furthermore , the big city
merchants do riot help in any way
to maintain and build up the-home
market 'for your products' that en
ables you to get.jspot cash or its
i >
equivalent for' everything you
have to 'sell' " Your location near
such a town" increases- value of
your farm and makes that 'farm
easy to sell at full'value whenever
you desire.
You appreciate the fact that the
farmer trade keeps up tlie country
towns and that any system such
as the parcels post which will di
vert the farmer trade from the
country town to the big city will
ruin the country town.
If the country town .is ruined ,
the farmers' home market will be
destroyed or at least very serious
ly impaired. Property values in
the country towns would certainly
depreciate as store after store was
forced out of business and greater
burdens of taxation would be
placed upon the farmers' over
burdened 'Shoulders. Lack of
funds raised by taxation would
curtail the schools of the country
towns. Churches now so largely
supported by the home merchants
could no longer be kept supplied
with ministers , unless the farmer
members heavily increased their
contributions. Public spirit would
be destroyed , public institutions
would suffer and -public improve
ments become a'thing of the past.
The plain fact is that the inter
ests of the farmer and the home
merchant are mutual. They are
partners in the business of pro
duction and distribution in the
upbuilding and maintenance .of
the best possible home market.
And the best home market is one
that buys everything the farmer
has to sell at top market prices
and sells him everything he needs
at fair competitive prices.
Therefore , Mr. Farmer , stand
by your home merchants now as
you would expect them to stand
by you. In doing this you are
conserving your own best inter
ests.
Furnished rooms to rent by day
or week , Hot and cold wjiter
baths included. Valentine House ,
John D. Eaton , Propr * 32tf
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
( Special Correspondent )
"The Humphrey ship subsidy
bill.twhich ? provides for an annual
gift of.$5,000,000 from the treas
ury of the United 'States to mil
lionaire private ship owners , is to
be jammed through this session of
congress at the special request of
Ppesident Taft.
Shi p.subsidies are about as un
popular with the country general
ly as tariff reyision upward. Yet
the republicans appear unafraid
to place this additional class legis
lation upon the statute books.
The stand-pat republicans who
were defeated for re-election have
nothing to lose through voting for
ship subsidy. The stand-pat re
publicans who were re-elected will
vote for it to be consistent with
past performances. Besides , re
publicans voting against measures
recommended by Taft lay them
selves open'to the charge 'of trai
tor , for which ' 'hanging ts too
good for them , " and in addition
thereto may have their patronage
taken away from them.
The vote on the ship subsidy
bill will be close. Several pro
gressive republicans will refuse to
support the measure , the presi
dent's recommendation and im
plied threat notwithstanding.
The best that can be said for a
shipping subsidy is that it pro
vides for the payment of public
moneys-directly to big private in
terests on the assumption that the
maritime commerce of the United
States will increase and that the
public will then be able to get the
donations back indirectly. . But
past experiments have proven
that once the special interests ge6
hold of the people's money , the
people have their own trouble ,
getting it back , either directly or
indirectly.
Although it is not generally
known , Uncle Sam now subsidizes
a few mail steamship , , lines , Our
heayiest subsidized line is between
New York and England , Iritis ,
true , as subsidists assert , that
'trade follows -subsidies , why is it"
that exports to tfieUnited King1'
dom in the ten years between 1S97
and 1907 increased but 25 per
cent , while our exports to nine
countries to which'we have no
subsidized lines increasd from 105
to 4900 per cent ?
Our exports to the United Kingdom - _
dom and countries to which we
have no subsidized lines , increased
as follows between 1897 and 1907 : ,
* *
United Kingdom 25 per cent
Turkey 4900 per cent
Austria-Hungary 275 per cent
Egypt 200 per-cent
Germany 105 per cent
Italy 181 per cent
Canada 181 per cenl
Japan . 196 per cent
The Unpopular Appointments.
The appointment of Judge Eob-
ert W. Archbald of Pennsylvania
and Interstate Commerce Com
mission Martin A. Knapp to the
federal court of commerce is satis
factory to big interests particu
larly.
Archbald , although the presi
dent may not have known it , was
once upon a time the subject of a
scathing arraignment in a decision
of the Pennsylvania supreme court
when an enterprise floated by him
was denounced as a "fraud upon
the public" and a "disregard of
the requirements of business hon
esty. " The suit was one brought
in 1885 by Hill , Reiser & Co. , in
the Lackawana county court
against Archbald and others , do
ing business as the Amity Coal
Co. , Ltd , The suit was carried to
the state supreme court. The .de
cision against Archbald was writ
ten by the late Justice Williams.
It declared that the concern in
which Archbald was one of four
partners was an "empty shell"
and its business , conducted on a
fake capital of § 25,000 , "a fraud
upon the public. "
The nomination of Commission
er Knapp is objected to on * the
ground that Knapp has shown
himself to be strongly in favor of
railroad privileges , and is there
fore disqualified for service on a
court ( which is to pass upon rail-
road questions. .
Close observers here at the capitol -
itol declare there is nothing sur
prising about the appointments.
The two nominees are.of . the
same temperament as the men
who are most frequently received
at the White House , to-wtt : Aid-
rich , Hale , Stephenson , Guggen
heim , Fenrose. From the first ,
the president's advisers have been
men whose views were not the
the views of the great mass of the
American people. Republicans
like LaFollette who have called at
the White House to counsel with
the president have been kept
waiting in the ante room so long
that they have left the executive
mansion in disgust.
Since the president has relied up
on the suggestions and advice of
men unpopular with the people ,
and has rejected the advice and
counsel of republicans popular
with the people , the president
should not be surprised that his
administration is failing to please
the people.
Progressives Disappointed.
When President Taft was con
sidering who he would appoint to
the supreme bench he gave the
progressive republicans a list of
men and asked them to investigate
their records and declare what
their attitude would be if he should
nominate them. This the pro
gressives did , reporting in favor
of some and against others. Im
agine their surprise when the
president announced his selections
aid it was found that neither of
the two men appointed were in
cluded in any list which had been
submitted to them.
Ballinger Should Resign.
Are the services of Richard A.
Ballinger as secretary of the in
terior deparment worth the price
the Taft administration is paying
in keeping him in that office ? This
is a question that many replibli-
cans are considering. Despite the
"vindication" of Mr. Ballinger by
a partisan majority of the con
gressional investigating commit
tee , the fact remains that the evi-
f
dence discredited him'as a public
servant. Even the republicans
feel that he has lost the confidence
of the people and that his resigna
tion would lift a load from the
Taft administration.
test
'a ' Sbakeo by Bias !
in Grand Genlra ! Sialion.
HUMORED iH HOSPITALS.
Property Damaged to EilTiw Jf Two
Million Collars Founciaticns Are
Jsrred and Walls Shaken Out of
Plurnfc Due to Broken Pipe.
t
- (
"
New York , Dec. 20. The heart of
Manhattan island v/as shaken by a
terrific explosion of , iliumlnat.ng gas
in the auxiliary power" house of the
Grand Central station. Ten persons ,
two of them women , were killed , 125
were injured and property was dam
aged to the Extentof $2,000,000.
Four workmen who are missing arcr
believed to have perished , and of 125
injured , ninety-eight were removed to
hospitals. Of.-those eight may die.
An .investigation by the police is un
der way.
The dead : Nickolo Galucci , Patrick
Jordan , E. B. Livermore , C. McMar-
row. Edith Offner , Mary B. Pope ,
Charles Roberts , John Ryaa , Frank
Gtagg and Luther Johnson.
The injured include laborers and
other employees of the railroad , pe
destrians , bystanders and others In
the vicinity of the accident.
Trolley Car Thrown From Track.
A passing surface car , carrying sev
en passengers , was lifted from the
tracks and hurled on an automobile
running alongside. Four of the seven
passengers were killed outright , but
the chauffeur of the motor car was
only cut and bruised.
* . Of the nearly 100 in hospitals , the
following are most seriously injured :
Michael Ryan , fractured skull ; "Vetta
Abrahamson , fractured skull ; Theresa
Lotta , fractured skull ; John Smith , in
juries to the head ; Francis Kelly , po
liceman , burned and bruised ; John
Cunningham , burned.
For some hours it was believed dy
namite alone could have wrought such
instantaneous and demolish.ing havoc ,
hut Fire Chief Croker said he was
convinced the whole explosion was"
due to-a mixture of..air and. illuminat
ing gas , used in lighting railroad cars ,
touched off by an electric spark. The
gas h fl afc'ctanufotfefi i& q * ' Utfdliary i
Take Notice !
When you are in town for Xmas
shopping be sure to stop at
Store * " .
Daylight - % f
& 9
first and look over their splendid
line of Holiday Goods. Their prices
are cheaper than any place intown. .
T RE ION
i
We cut prices on Winter Goods in
order to make room for our spring
line. Big line of Xmas Candies
and Uuts. Don't fail to stop at
& Co.
i
i
LANDBILLIA
pa
&m
SSftm Cigars and
Soft Drinks
G. STETTER - PROP.
Good Meals $1.00 Per Day
u ION HOTEL
Valentine , Nebr.
Warm Beds . , Clean Booms
power House' from a broken pipe ,
snapped off by a runaway passenger
car.
Fcnndatonswere jarred , walls
shaken out of plumb , windows blown
in Jjy the thousands , ceilings came
crushing down -on the heads of those
beneath , and the pavements were lit
tered with pulverized .class.
JUSTICE WH.TE IS INSTALLED
Heed of Supreme Court Takes
Oath of Office.
Washington , Dec. 20. Edv/ard Dou g-
lass White , for sixteen years an asso
ciate justice of the supreme court of
the United .Statesbecame , the ninth
chief justice of the nation. The s.im- ' |
pie public ' ceremonies of installation
were held.in the presence of the behch
and /.distinguished gathering that
fille l the little court room.
The oath of allegiance was admin
istered by Associate Justice Harlan
just before the court took..its place
en the bench.
For the first time .in history an as
sociate justice had ( been appointed to
the chief justiceship , and for the first
time a president and a senate of one
r.olitic-al party had honored a member
of a rrv-al party by placing him at the
Lead of the highest court In the land.
Because of the overwhelming mod- ,
estyof Chief Justice 'White , officials
of the court were uncertain as to the
exact details of the ceremony of the
gay until they had actually occurred.
In a general way , the broad customs
ttter.dJng the induction into ofiice of
the head of the court were followed.
NEW RATE FOR UPPER BERTHS
Schedule Announced Is Eighty Per
Cent of Charge for Lower Berth.
Washington , Dec. 20. Tentative ap
proval of the interstate commerce
commission has been gjven to the
fixed charge for upper berths in Pull
man cars at 80 per-cent of the charge
now paid for lower berths. The new
charge is to become effective through
out the United States on or after
Jan. 20 , 1911.
Nebraska City , Neb. , Dec. 20.
There is a lively fight on here over
the appointment of postmastership.
The race is between Frank McCart
ney , the present postmaster ; F. E.
Helvsy , an ex-postmaster , and John
W.-Sisinbart , former cashier of the
Otoe 'County. National bank and ex-
president of the Nebraska City. Com
mercial club.
* .
* THE MARKETS
<
>
Chicago , Dec. 20. Something of a
scare about dry weather in the south
west was one of the chief causes , tor
day in advancing the price of wheat.
The market closed firm , with a net . . '
gain ofi@ / c. tg % c. Corn at the finish - .
ish was % @ ' /jC to y4c higher than last
night , oats were unchanged to4@c
up and provisions had risen 10@12'/
to 22'X > c. Closing prices :
Wheat Dec. , 91c ; May , 9G9Gi4.
Corn Dec. , 45Ic ; May , 47 % < g > 471y.c. {
Oats Dec. , Sl c ; May , 24c.
Perk Jan. , $19.62 ; May , $18.37i/ .
Lard Jan. , $10'.57May ! ; , $10.17'A
Ribs Dec. , $10.45 ; May , ? 9.75. , -
Chicago Cash Prices No. 2 hard
wheat , 9496c ; No. 2 cirri , 46v4@ /I /
47i c ; No. 2 oats ,
South Omaha Live Stock.
South Omaha , Dec. 20. Cattle Re-
xaipts , 4,700 ; strong ; beef steers , *
54.55(5)0.00 ( ) ; cows and heifers , $3.lO < g >
5.00 ; stockers and feeders , $4.35@
5.25 ; calves , $4.00@8.001 Hogs Re
ceipts , 0,944 ; lOc lower ; light = and "
medium weights sold at $7.45 < 3 > 7.60 ,
with top at $7.65 ; heavy , $7.35@7.45 ;
rough , $7.25 and under. Sheep Re
ceipts , 4,000 ; 10@15c higher ; wooled -
Iambs sold as high as $ G.OO ; fall
clipped touched ? 5.90 , heavy yearlings
up to $ 4.70 ; fed ewes and wethers ,
4.00.
Chicago Live.Stock.
Chicago , -Dec. 20. Cattle Receipts.
8000 ; steady ; beeves , $4.55@7.25 ;
western steers , $410jg5.90 ; stackers
and feeders , $3.40@5.SO ; cows ana
he.ifers , $2.40@G.i5 ; calves , $7.25 < g >
P.25. Hess Receipts. 23,000 ; steady ;
light , $7.35@7.70 ; mixed , $7.40 < 7.75 ; .
heavy , 57.35(5:7.75 ( : ; rough , ? 7.35@7 45" ;
pigs , $6.90 ( 7.15 ; bulk , $7.5o@7.7a
Sheep Receipts , 2,000 ; strong ; na-
tives , $2.50@4.30 westerns , $2.65 ?
430 : ypRrllngs , $4.40@5.75 ; lambs-
| 4.25@5.cO. *
Mrs. Jemima Hobson Dead.
Lyons , Neb. , Dec. 20. A telegram
received here says that Mrs. Jemima
D. Hobson died at Enid , Okla. , ninety- ,
one years of age. She was a pioneet
well and favorably known in th , states
of Indiana , Missouri , Iowa , Nebraska , ;
Colorado and California. . . . . : . ' ; . " '