Che Conservative. 11
LAUGHING ALLIE.
Blithe , light-hearted , laughing Allie ,
From lior window high ,
Looking down in idle fancy ,
Saw mo passing by.
Swift a rosebud aimed in mischief
Fell before my feet ;
Then I saw her far above me
Like a vision Hweet.
Bunding from her vine-framed window
Over blossomn bright ;
Fairest flower of all I thought her
In the morning light.
And I lingered while she gaily
Tossed me merry words ,
And her voice to mi- was sweeter
Than the song of birds.
So I listened while she told me ,
In a gleeful way ,
How her heart with joy was singing ,
Singing all the day
Tust because the world wah lovely
And the skies bo blue ;
In her axuro eyes reflected
Flashed her joy anew.
Ah ! this maiden , HO bewitching ,
Smiling fiom above ,
How her laughter would bo ringing
If I spake of love !
Well I knew that just as brightly ,
On that summer day ,
She would smile upon another
Were I far away.
Like an Undine , glad and fearless ,
From beneath the wave ,
Ere her mortal heart witli sorrow
Made her spirit grave ,
Like a winbomc elfland fairy ,
Strayed to sober earth ,
Seemed this happy , joyous maiden
With her child-like mirth.
So I left her , laughing Allie ,
Where the roses red
Twined and fell like garlands drooping
Near the pretty head.
But my heart yet holds the vision
Of that face of glee ;
Still I see that sunny maiden
Looking down at me.
MAUY FKKNCH Moicrox.
IN PJNFBAT1IK1I8.
. breed of chick
ens , especially the youthful males , when
in pinfeathers are exceedingly awkward
in a fight , and very useless generally.
But the callow statesmen who , in men
tal piufeathers , and without the plumes
of experience , strut about the halls of
legislation and propose bills for acts to
regulate the motions of the stars and
suns and moons of all the universe of
commerce is more awkward in his adol
escent egotism than the Shanghai cock
erel in his first attempts at crowing.
Recent assaults have been made by
gosling statute schemers upon insurance
companies. The capital hazarded in fire
insurance is an especial object of the
wrath of some sucking statesmen. They
propose to tax such companies four per
cent on their gross premiums in Ne
braska if they are of foreign organiza
tion. They propose that the "pauper"
cash of England and other ignorant
European countries shall not be permit
ted to come into the United States and
compete with our own companies foi
the privilege of paying losses on burned
property. The vealy statesman thus
proposes protection to the home industry
of paying our own fire losses. The pau
per policies and ignorant agents of for
eigners are not to bo allowed to compote
with our infant insurance companies.
The taxes on the gross premiums of
; ho latter therefore are made lighter.
But the buyers of policies those who
pay for the chance of being indemnified ,
in case of a loss by fire are not consid
ered by these bleating and snuffling
statesmen. The fact that the buyer of
indemnity against loss by fire must , as a
matter of course , pay an enhanced price
for that indemnity , if the proposed laws
pass and come into vigor , is forgotten or
lost sight of by these callow solous.
Whatever new tax burdens are placed
upon insurance companies will bo trans
ferred by those companies to their policy
purchasers. The laws proposed if en
acted will only add to the rates of insur
ance in Nebraska against loss by fire.
The duty of legislators is not to antag
onize and drive out capital from the
state. Laws which give to each cit
izen , business or vocation in reputable
and gainful pursuits the broadest free
dom , within the limits of the public
good , are the best for "tho general wel
fare. " The sooner the infant phenom
ena of Nebraska politics and law-making
are cured of the desire to tax , without
regard to results , all corporate capital
and to regulate the earnings of certain
forms of capital without regard to the
rights of ownership , the better it will be
for this commonwealth. The sooner
they cease putting up the price of insur
ance in this state the better for those
who have the most risks and pay the
most premiums. Every time a new tax
is imposed the premiums are raised.
Piufeathered statesmen are an expensive
experiment in Nebraska. Their political
necks should bo wrung off.
Officials of western railroads antici
pate almost as great a movement to
California this year as in 1897. The
occasion is the annual meeting of the
National educational association at Los
Angeles in July. Rates have not yet
been fixed but they will probably be
somewhere in the neighborhood of one
fare for the round trip. In other words ,
the cost of a round trip ticket to Los
Angeles from Nebraska will be about
$52.00.
EMIJALMEI ) UKKr AS A WEAPON.
To the Editor of The Evening Post :
Sir : As I am only a woman , and con
sequently have no influence with the
administration , I write to ask you in the
name of mercy to advise them in your
most valuable journal , instead of allow
ing the Filipinos to slaughter the flower
of the country , to send several shiploads
of our spoiled poisoned beef and distri
bute it gratis to that people. It would
be a far cheaper way of killing them off ,
and thereby the lives of our own dear
countrymen would be saved , and fewer
homes be desolated.
LOUISA JAY BKUEN.
New York , February 6.
Let it bo remembered
WKATJIKIt
bered that the
I ) AT A.
mercury in the
thermometers throughout the United
States slumped to the lowest degrees of
degradation during the flr t ten clays of
February , 1899 , and that whole days
passed with a maximum of four below
at Nebraska City , , and a maximum of
six below at Chicago. In the latter city
on February 9 , 1899 , the weather bureau
gave the following literature of temper
ature , as the historic truth of heat and
cold on that day in Chicago :
And in addition to the above refriger
ated knowledge THE CONSERVATIVE fur
nishes the subjoined table for preser
vation and use by those interested in
the changes the heights and depths of
temperature :
COLDEST PK1UODS ON Itt ( Olll ) UN C'HICAOO
in different
Record-breaking temperature
ferent parts of the country compared
with Wednesday ( the 8th ) morning's
temperatures :
iinr.ow xiuo.
Fob. 0 ,
1800.
Omaha .Jan. ' 8-1 22 24
Moorhead Jan. ' 87 48 84
Bismarck Feb. ' 87 48 82
Duluth Jan. ' 85-51 82
Lacrosse Jan. ' 78-48 82
Des MoinuH Jan. ' 81-80 21
Springfield , 111 Jan. ' 84-22 IX )
Milwaukee Jan. ' 75-25
Dubuque Jan. ' 87-82 20
St. Louis Jan. ' 84-22 10
Williston Jan. ' 88 40 28
Cairo , 111 Jan. ' 84 10 10
North Platte Jan. ' 88-85 12
Miles City Jan. ' 02-45 12
Denver Jan. ' 75 20 10
Concordia Jan. ' 88-25 14
Detroit Feb. ' 75 20 12
Havio Feb. ' 87 55 10
Helena Feb. ' 08-41
"What does it cost to operate a dining
car , " echoed Mr. L. N. Hopkins , com
missary of the Burlington railroad to an
Omaha newspaper man. "Well , that's
a hard question to answer. But hero
are two items that will give you an idea.
The flowers that ornament the tables in
our dining cars cost over $5,000 n year
and the menu cards mean on annual ex
pense of $2,000 more. Quite a lot of
money for 'little things , ' isn't it ? "