Conservative.
tempted Arbor Days hero for several
years ( i. e. iu this village ) , aud out of
this effort I am sauguine that before
long the custom may take root and
spread over our land. It was very en
couraging to me ( feeling as I did , that I
was almost , if not entirely , alone in
actively advocating the custom ) that
someone of influence Chairman of the
Middlesex county council bad visited
the states , and had returned so im
pressed with the utility and advantage
of Arbor celebrations , that he persuaded
a society , of which he was chairman , to
advertise a competition with 10 and 5
prizes. As my heart was in the subject ,
I competed successfully , aud the move
ment seems likely to prosper. I know
that it has your sympathy. The 'Bird'
Day is a more recent development of the
idea , and has been adopted by the So
ciety for Bird Protection , who gave the
prizes I mention. I am , dear sir , with
much respect , Truly yours ,
E. D. TILL.
The Priory , Eynsford , Kent.
April 0 , 1902. "
Chattanooga en
SOMEWHAT joyed the proud dis
HASTY. tinction of having
! ' been the only city
iu the world to celebrate the birth -
day of the Peerless , but a lot of en
vious editors in other cities have
, beeiimeau euougli to hint that it is
unusual for a city to commemorate an
event of this sort , until after the re
cipient of such honors has been dead
fully ten years. Figuring thus ,
Chattanooga should have waited at
least four years.
If there is just
ICONOCLASM. grounds for the sus
picion that the Pres-
iueiit has seen fit to interest himself
in the affairs of the commonwealth of
Nebraska to the extent of upholding
the pardon of the penitent Bartley ,
and the claim that only publications
whose editors hold federal office up
hold the governor's action is not un
founded , then either the President
must be sadly out of line , or the edi
tors are petulant and disposed to un-
reasonaole criticism of the governor ,
so lately their idol.
' ' O LQUUOX , who would wish to rule
This changeling qrowd ? " * * * *
Iu the original couplet the words
"this common fool" complete the
second line , but The Conservative
considers them a trifle stronger than
this discussion justifies.
If the extinguish
LUMINIFEROUS ment of the Goddess
LIBERTY : of Liberty's torch
indicated the wane
of freedom iu America , what does the
reillumiuatiou of the silent guar
dian's lamp presage ?
No doubt governing their actions
by the luminosity of the statue , hun
dreds of cities , towns and hamlets
have already announced their inten
tion of celebrating the Jb' ourth of
July , this year ; which removes the
last prophecy of a well-known sooth
sayer from the doubtful column , and
places it with the remainder of his
predictions in the safely disproved
column.
There can be no successful denial
of the ability and willingness of this
incarnation of horoscopy to accur
ately predict future events exactly
as they do not transpire.
Six very funny
COSTLY AMUSE- Princeton students
MENT. jocularly painted
their class number
upon the fronts of fine residences aud
upon the Trenton monument , for
which a judge facetiously fined them
$300 each , aud a sheriff mirthfully
led the way to the dungeon keep , and
only turned back when six hysteri
cally laughing fathers produced the
sums required to keep their boys out
of the place where humorous young
men belong. This generous apprecia
tion of the joke upon all sides is said
to have convinced the jesters that no
more buffoonery will be necessary
upon their part , as the town of
Princeton is still laughing , and will
continue to do so , so long as this
sextette of artistically inclined
youngsters remain in Hie community.
In olden days vic-
WHY ? torious generals re
turning from a cam
paign or foray brought with them a
sullen , dejected horde of prisoners to
be divided among the more influen
tial of the vijtors , whose shares were
allotted according to their rank , each
officer drawing his proportionate
share of the poor creatures to sell
them into slavery or put them to the
torture as he saw fit.
A somewhat milder revivification
of this disgraceful system is to be
found iu the practice of distributing
naval prize money. It is blood money
aud degrades the sailor-soldier to the
level of a paid executioner.
Having been clothed , rationed ,
schooled and salaried by the govern
ment for years previous to his few
weeks of active service , a naval offi
cer should ask no reward for his
services other than the consciousness
of duty well performed , and such
promotion as his conduct and bearing
deserve. No matter what rank he
may hold , it is supposed that his ad
vancement has kept-pace with his in
creasing efficiency as a commander ,
and his salary has likewise been
raised with each promotion. He
owes something to his country , and
should expect no other reward than
the soldier's greatest prize the grati
tude of his countrymen. I
The recent unfortunate controversy ! "
between two high officers of the navy
was fomented by the distribution of
the prize money , which neither had
earned , any more than had the i
humblest sailor who had stood to his
gnu and done his whole duty. This
fact alone should bo sufficient to call
for the discontinuance of a system
which rewards a patriot upon the sea
with a princely sum of money , while
another patriot upon land fights as
valiantly , and a great deal more
frequently , with no expectation of a
pecuniary reward , nor has he ever
asked one.
In the Columbus
HOWARD ( Neb. ) Telegram ,
CONFESSES. Edgar Howard , in
an editorial not
unlike an open letter to Senator
Allen , freely confesses the sins of
populism , and the faithlessness of the
reform officials. The article is
pungent and voluminous , and .the
author takes no pains to call a spade
by any other title , as may be seen hv
perusing the following :
' ' The democratic and populist par
ties were elevated to power in Ne
braska by the votes of sick and dis
gusted republicans men who be
lieved that our promises of reform in
state affairs meant something. And
we did make some maenificent prom
ises. We told the people that if they
would give us control of the state we
would place the state board of trans
portation in the hands of men who
would give ready ear to the com-
plaiuts of shippers. How did we
keep that promise ? We kept it by
permitting the Union Pacific railroad
company to name one secretary , the
Burlington one , and the Elkhorn an
other. No one kuows the truth of
this charge better than Mr. Allen.
We promised the people that if they
would drive the Bartleys aud the
Moores out of the state house .we
would see to it that railroad assess
ments should be raised. How did we
fulfill the promise ? By fawning at
the feet of the railroad managers ,
aud , taking into consideration the in
creased value of railroad property ,
making an assessment actually lower
than Tom Bentou and his gang ever
had the nerve to make. We promised
that our fusion * state auditor would
make the foreign insurance companies
toe the mark. How did wo keep that
pledge ? Lot the letters of Palm to
Cornell make answer. We promised
that our legislature would enact laws
to curb the rapacious .corporations all
along the line. How did we keep
that pledge ? Let the disgraceful
record of the fusion legislatures ,
their truckling to corporations ,
their utter failure to resist the
blandishments of the railroad , tele
phone and stockyards political agents
stand for reply. ' ' t
