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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 1896)
Ir TTTT ! mFATTA T.ATT/V ) IIITO. TTlTIllfillAV. .TATsTTTATCV * > . Ifinfi. TIIK OMAHA DAILY 'f K. nOSRWATHIl , Dlltor. 1'UIIMBIIKU EVRIIY MOH.N'INO. THU.MS OP SniKCUllTION. TJilly life ( Without fiunJuj ) . One Yar 18 * TnM lite und Sundoy , On * Yenr lj JJ Blx Month * JJ1 Three Mnntln 2 Bunrtny Jiff , One Tcnr ? H lunlny lie * , Ono Year < ' 2 Weekly Ute , One Year c orncns. Omuhn. The n > llulMn ! c , . . . . . _ . . Poulh Onrihn. PlnRr 111k. . Corner N nnrt Uln ' Council llluffi I ! I'cnrl Hired. Chlrat-ij Ome < > . 317 Chamber nf fommer NMT York. Iloomn 11. II nnt ! 11. Tribune Wnthlncton , HOT V Street. N. W. coitnnsi-oNDBNn : . All cornrminlrMloni fluUim to nw" " lorliil matter nlioiiM b a < 1 < ! rts v < 1i To tha nusiNKSS r.KTTirns. All liualnesi letters anil rrmlUnnres Jn.nlil w Jdilwetl to The lite 1'iibllihlnK Co'nP'nf ' , . ntnnlia. OrnfU. checks nnil pontoffleo enl r 10 fca mode pnynMe to the otdir nf lli < - ro-1" * ' TIIK iinu pt'nt.iPiiiNrJ STATKMHNT OF ClttCUI.ATION. Oeorite II. Tuchuck. wcrelary of Tlio ll e run. HiltltiR romrnny , l > eln f duly rwntn , fay * that tne ncdi-il number of full and complete copies of tni Unity MnrnlniT. Kvenlne nnd Sunday Wt " ' " , ' T flurlnr the month of November. IMS. wn < " < " low ! 1 . ra.scj i z . , . i .sn " I. . . . . . . . . , , , . . fcl..y1 - . . . * " - n , , R . l-t * . 1ft .Zl3 " 21. . . . . . . I'M" ' . , lo 2'1.07S 2- I"110 II I ! > 139 M 12 , ii.Hs n : : : : : : : : : : : ' : IS : " : : : : : : : : : : : ; : Q ij-nnj | ' E87.238 fjfsi ilc'luct.j'ns for unsold nnil returned copies _ _ 2 _ . Sworn t/ before tninnd Btib'crllied In my presence th.n 2.1 ilav of Dcrembcr. HO" . ( Peat. ) N. P. rniU Notary Public. rriu council dlil not pass any New Soar resolution. The council Is not a reform body. It Is to be hoped that In the commer cial directory of 3800 there will he no BUeh word us fall. I'erliaps If the city veterinarian and meat Inspector were the same person horse steaks would become us prolltii- ble its def ? tails. Hen trice courts convict defanltliifi city otllclals and sentence them to the peni tentiary. Omaha defaulters walk the streets undisturbed by the authorities charp'd with prosecuting them. Orover Cleveland may have made n New Year's resolution not to accept a third term In the white house If It Is presented to him , but If so he hns kept his resolve conlldenthilly to himself. The fact must not overlooked that thi ! county treasurer-elect was able to furnish Individual surety on a .lf.00- 000 bond. The city treasurer-elect was not so fortunate. Both men are well known. Attorney General Churchill business as a rail splitter. This was a good bcKlnnliiK and no doubt he was n Rood axeman. Some people are cruel enough to stiKgcst that he made a { Treat mistake when he left that honest occu pation. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Borrowing money Is not the best way to start the new year , cither for the Individual cillxen or for the national government. Golnj ; Into debt should be a resource used only when Income can not be made to meet necessary ex penditure. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The United States has started the new year at peace with all nations on earth. This is saying a great deal in the light of recent events affecting our International relations. It Is to be hoped as much can be said of every day of the new year. Watch meetings were In order Decem ber III , which may account for the meet ing of heavy taxpayers In the First Na tional bank. They will continue the watch meetings until the city and county governments adopt a policy of retrenchment and reform. The abolition of the lire alarm hell should be among the llrst reforms in augurated In the year 1801 ! . There never was any need of continuing to ring lire alarm bells after the volunteer lire department was supplanted with a paid tire department. Other cities have discontinued these alarms and Omaha should have Joined the procession long ago. Chicago newspapers are Inveighing against the fads which have attached themselves to the public school system there. It Is asserted that pupils are surfeited with fancy frills under the name of public instruction and leave the schools unable to spell or read 01 cipher properly. Such comment is ap plicable to the Omaha schools , as The lice has often pointed out. TCverythlng The Bee predicted1 as to the conduct of Broatch and Vandervoort ns police commissioners is being verl- flud as time goes on. The department lias under them deteriorated into a po litical machine , the sole object being the promotion of Broatch's Insane am bition for olllce. He must , however , cross several big streams before ho can reach a gubernatorial nomination. Tlie number of marriages In Omaha during 18 ! ) . " > was JKK ) , while 1.07 ! ) couples were mated In ISI. ! ) KIgures given for every month In the year prove conclu sively that the fall season Is chosen by n greater number of benedicts for forg ing the link that forever binds. We are told that "In the spring the young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. " This may 1m true , but In Omaha the greater number of contracts are sealed In the fall. Senator Nelson of Minnesota lint ; al ready made a set speech In the senate nnd that before his first month In his first session of congress was completed. Had this occurred a few years ago the whole country would have stood aghast ut the new senator's temerity In dis regarding the time-worn rules for preserving - serving senatorial dignity , It was the Into Senator Van Wyck who lirst re fused to abide by the unwritten code that relegates new inomhors of the senate to at least a year of unheard obscurity. Ho was severely criticised for his rashness , but now the same performance by Senator Nelson will icarcely elicit couiiuuut. Tllh Dl'TV Of CO.VM/JB.S.S. Under the constitution the sword am the purse have been entrusted by tli nation to congress , and that body I CNpecled to discharge Its trust nM I may In Its wisdom deem most condticlv to the public welfaie , subject only t the veto power of the president. Th llrst duty of congress Is to piovlde III nccei' < ar.v revenues to carry on the gov ernment , and so long as congress doe not shirk that duly there can be no ex ctisi1 for the president to exercise tin power of raising revenues Indirectly b.\ bortowlng under pretext of maintaining the gold reserve. The resolution Introduced In tin United States senate by Senator Slier 111:111 : , the salient point of which Is ilia the $100.000,000 of gold coin or hullloi shall be paid out only In the redemp tlon of United States notes and treasurj notes , "and such notes will when re deemed be reissued only In exchange for gold coin or bullion , " should receive prompt and favorable consideration a the hands of congress. The endless chain nnanclerlng by which bonds arc exchanged for gold and gold for green nnil iln greenbacks tmld out to meet the current expenses of the govern incut , only to bu used again for drain Ing the treasury of more gold , should be at once and forever discontinued The original object , and the only ob Ject , of the gold reserve was to Instm the redemption of legal tenders um thus keep this paper on n parity will gold. So long as the gold reserve was used for this purpose only it proved ample for maintaining specie payments Kven with nearly ifiiUO.OOO.UOO of over valued silver in circulation the paritj of all our different kinds of money re mained undisturbed. It was only when the attempt was made to uo the gold reserve to meet the delicti in the rev enues that the endless chain system which necessitates successive bond Is sues began to Jeopardise the mainte nance of the specie basis for our na tional currency. Unless an end Is put to the unlimited Issue of bonds by the president and his .secretary of the treasury the national debt will again mount into the billions and the national credit will be corre spondingly lowered. In fact It has al ready been lowered and impaired by itm-nlclons Dolicv. Thiee years ago a i2',4 per cent United States coin bond would have been snapped up at par in the * European money centers. Today a II per cent bond cannot be marketed except at a discount , and the current Interest rate is about IJVi per cent. The true policy and the rational pol icy to pursue is to place the govern ment In position to meet current ex penses with the assured revenues of the treasury , leaving a slight surplus for the restoration of the gold reserve and any possible emergencies. Tills means an Increase of federal taxation in some form. The nation cannot for ever go on creating more debt in time of peace. However views may differ as to the policy of paying oil' the entire war debt , the overwhelming sentiment of the country calls a halt on increasing the bonded debt to meet the ordinary expenses of government. The passage of Senator Sherman's resolution by the senate should be followed by the amend ment of the law of 187 , " , under which recent bond Issues have been made , so that in any event no move bonds shall be issued by the treasury while con gress Is In session without special au thority from the national legislature fix ing the amount and defining the char- icter of the bonds. Whenever the exi gency for a national loan shall arise 10 congress will dare wlthiiold authority from the president and treasury to pro tect the national credit and avert finan cial disaster. THAT lllCYCLK TAX. Councilman Kment's plan to raise revenue by a license tax on bicycles las been rejected by the council. Why t was rejected passes comprehension. I'ho city has as much right to Iltvnse ilcycles as it-has express wagons. Many ilcyeles are to be had for hire , just as ire hacks and carriages. Few If any ) f them are listed for taxation. There ire probably fi.OOO bicycles in use in ) malia , and a license tax of Jl per minim would yield .f..OOO. Such a ax would not bo a hardship , and yel I would yield enough to pay the sal- irles of seven teachers in the public schools * . It looks as Jf the proposition was re- ected by the council simply because the noney would go into the school fund nstead of Into the city funds and vould be spent by the school board In stead of by the council. lOvldcntly the council has overlooked the fact that he same people support the schools of Omaha that support the city govern- nent and the money raised by license ax would bo so much subtracted from he money raised by the school levy. Vt any rate it is surprising that a imposition in the Interest of the little ed school house should be uncere- nonlously shelved by men who claim to make Its protection their mission on earth. earth.'S 'S I'OKT liAUHUATK. The death of Alfred Tennyson left the position of poet laureate of Kngland vacant and there lias been much specu lation since as to who would bo ap pointed to the position. The question lias been settled by the appointment of Mr. Alfred Austin , a poet of the third s. , who by comparison \vllli Ids suc cessor will hardly bo regarded by the world at largo as a pout at all. The position of poet laureate of Knghind is one thy distinction of which Is rather dependent upon the man than upon the title. A number of Inferior poets have held the title and With a few excep tions It has never been held by any great poet. The historical succession , passing over the legendary period from Chaucer down , begins with Ben Jensen , who would have been the most brilliant man of his most brilliant period If ho had not had Shakc.spcaro as a contem porary , and In the varied opportunltloH of a court poet was moro successful that the other probably would have been. In the list of men who have figured as poet laureates , a position which car ries with It little emolument , several have been of very Inferior character , so that Mr , Alfred Aubtlu will uot fall to find congenial company. .Such laure ates as Tate , Howe , t'olley , Clhher , NVhlteheatl , .Morton and 1'ye need not make Mr. Austin doubt his ability to answer the retinlrementa of n position which from generation to generation are growing less exacting. The new laureate is not a great poet , lie l.s a clever man , with the poetical Instinct , who has done some good work In a literary way which entitles him to lespcetfnl consideration , lint the gup between Tennyson and Austin Is a very wide one and the literary world will feel that In the elevation of the third ehws linglisli poet to the distinguished place occupied by some of Ills prede cessors that position has suffered a deterioration. Swinburne Is unquestion ably Kngland'tt greatest living poet , but he Is too liberal to be honored with the position of Inurcate. Till : C/7'l / * Tll At the very threshold of the new year Omaha Is confronted with a serloim financial problem. The condition of the clly treasury will domain ! at the hands of the anthoittlcs Immediate at tention and serious consideration. The dcllclenclc.s in the municipal revenues have become a matter of grave con cern. Unpaid and interest-bearing war rants are outstanding drawn against a half dozen different funds , and within the next ninety dnys there will be hardly a fund that will not show a balance on the wrong side of the ledger. Until now tlio taxpayers of Omaha have been for the most part fairly prompt in meeting the demands of the lax collector upon them.Ve have now. however , icached a stage that makes the payment of taxes even for the heaviest property owners very difficult. if not absolutely impossible. The col lection of taxes by the forced sale of pioperty can not be depended upon to replenish the depleted treasury. That fact has already been demonstrated by the refusal of tax title brokers to Invest In any but the choicest of city proper ties. The treasury defalcation has only made a bad mutter worse. The pros pects of recovering the embexzled noneys without tedious litigation are tot very bright. Meantime , the credit of the city of Omaha must be maintained and the iccessary machinery of government mist be kept running. The question Is , How shall wo tide over the period of shortage and what means shall be de vised to meet the emergencyV The men who have the largest interests in Omaha's welfare must put their heads together and agree upon some plan of ellef. o/uv LYXCJnxu in : suwnnssKnt There Is a widespread sentiment imong all civilized people against sum- nary capital punishment by mobs of lersons charged with crime. Lynch aw administered by vigilance comiuit- ees may have served a salutary purpose n mining camps and frontier settle- nentrt In the absence of regularly or ganized courts. Mob violence , however , s abhorrent and utterly indefensible in my community where law olllcors nnd aw courts are within reach for the im- mrthtl administration of justice. lint it is passing strange that it should > e deemed necessary or expedient fern n en and women in high station in Great Urltain to organize an anti-lynching committee with a view to obtaining re- itible Information on the subject of mob outrages in America and to give xpruhsion of public opinion In condemnation of such outrages. This anti-lynching committee , with ho duke of Ariryll at Its bend , has ust issued a report , in which it is claimed that the exposure and denuncia- ion by the press of Great Itritnin and other Kuronean countries , as well as > y the press of India , Australia and Vfricti , have greatly diminished the ynchlng mania In the United States. I Is further pointed out on the authoiily of Mrs. Ida 15. Wclls-lJarnett "that Vmeriean efforts for the suppression of ho evil increase or relax largely in pro- ) ortlou to tlio degree of publicity given o tlio nmtlur. " WhMe the Itlglit Honorable Duke of Srgyll and his associates may take redlt to themselves for the univer- ally eNpreshed desire to suppress lynch- II g It is doubtful whether anything hat bus been said on this subject by Iu > press of Murope , Asia or Africa has itid the remotest effect in repressing he outbursts of popular frenzy that nlmlnatu in lynching. All that the Jrltlsh committee and the foreign press lave done or could do in this direction vould have been accomplished without heir intervention in America by local gltation and the action of the Ameri- an authorities. The fact Is that lynching Is very much ko lightning , it hlrlkes Middenlywliure t Is least expected and seldom strikes wlco In the siinie spot. They are more rcmtcnt In the south than in the north , ccause southern people are more emo- ional and the provoking conditions are tore abundant. It Is equally fallacious o assume , as does Mrs. Welis-IJarnctt , nit increased publicity causes propor- lonatu decrease of tlio crime. In no lace in llio world Is wider publicity Ivcn to tlie commission of crime than u America. Kvory murder Is chronicled > y telegraph within a few hours of its Iscovery in every part of tlie land , rtcn with too much horrible detail , ml vet the number of murders has not icon appreciably diminished , ThcHiimo s true In a greater degree of mob out- > reaks and mob murder. Hnch reports ommand the highest price in the Vmeriean newspaper market and every ttenipt to suppress them proves futile. Oven In communities where public sen- mi-lit Is Intensely opposed to lynch law , pontaneous outbreaks Imvo occurred to vengo the commission of some das- ardly ontrngo that rouses men to the ilghest pitch of Innate savagery. The most effective barriers to lynch- ngH are fearless and unflinching law llcors , who aio known to bo determined o uphold tlio law at all hazards and rotcct the lives of prisoners and per sons threatened with mob violence , hetlier they are black or white , high r low. To elect mieh ofllcers and sus- aln them in the discharge of duty re- ulres u powerful and healthy public entlmont In favor of law and order , 'o this cjid the enemies of uiob rule nnil l.vticMhti ? should lii'iul their ener gies nnd rect their work. Tronsury oflirlals Imvo discovered counterfeit $ 'J hills In circulation In the city. They Are fo nearly perfect tlmt exports IlilfVit dllllcnlt to dulcet lliem. There nro fii o n few counterfeit $10 hills , poorly [ executed , in circulation In the city. rfy'JUioso bills were shoved by parties now under arrest , who operated with a aiiiof eleven counterfeiters , all of whom li''tv'e been apprehended by the treasury off6lals. ] Publicity is the quickest in'en'ns of stopping the circula tion of bogus money. It Is the duty of every person coining into possession of countcife.it money of any kliul to report the fact to the government de tectives. If this had been done promptly In recent instances the men who brought the stuff to the city would now all be behind the bars. There Is greater activity In local labor circles along lines of moral advance ment than lias been noticeable hereto fore. During seat-mis of business de- pivM.slon craftsmen have time for social Intercourse and they nro Improving the opportunities presented. Local leaders are evincing lively Interest In various projects now being earnestly discussed by our citizens , which , If constim- ma'ed , will afford employment for evpi'y Idle mechanic and laboring man In the city and bring more wage-workers here. These enterprises , of course , can not materialize before the opening of spring , but the kindly attitude of or ganized labor toward them will no doubt hasten the completion of plans already under way. When Governor llolcomb refused to call the state appointing board together to select the Omaha police commission ers last August , on the ground that liu questioned Its constitutionality , he was assailed with epistolary abuse from the other two liiembeis of the board. Now it Is these two members of the appointing board who have refused to convene to execute tlie law. They have- no excuse to offer in the way of scruples as to the legality of the enactment , but are simply sparring for wind. They ought to have their old letters to tlie governor copied and readdressed to themselves. Watch the democrats who were so loud in denouncing thu republican na tional conimittije for giving considera tion to linunoial propositions in con nection with the location of the national convention applaud the open sale of their own tleinocratle convention to the highest bidder among tlie cities that arc competing -'for It. Tlie proceeds of locating tlio convention can be a very comfortable su'm ' which no national or ganization InvilU refuse to accept with out extraordinary reasons , ami least of all tha democratic national committee. Tlie State r ? ( > ard of Transportation has a new ; case presented to It In a complaint itgliiilst the IClkhorn hay rate. This Is an .fmportant case , but It should nubiluw'porinlttod'.tD InterfercimWifh n.n early clcclsloji In the Oinaha depot pro- . . . ' ( 'dings. The rule of doing one thing .it a time and carrying It through to completion would admonish the Hoard to leave the hearing of the hay rate case until after the pending depot ctse : shall have been definitely disposed of. lion. .T. Sterling Morton is down on the program of the Nebraska State His torical society for an address at Its meeting at Lincoln January ! " > . This means , of course , that Secretary Mor ton , in spite of the draft upon his time as a member of tlio cabinet , has been tiblo to compile material for another interesting chapter on the early history of Nebraska. Wo are reminded by the session of the Modern Language association in Chicago that volapuk , the universal hm- gnage promised not many years ago , is yet to be invented. Tlie only lan guage that all nations on earth under stand Is the language that is mute. tin . oobDemocrnt. : . When the republicans see that a thing needs to bo done for the fiooJ of tin country , and they have the power to do It , there Is no time waited In profitless discussion or parliamentary foolishness. IIlMtor.V Hl'IlClllN IlMflf. C.llcaKO Chronicle. It will ba made out presently by Anglo- maniacs that the greatest crlmo In history \vaj the separation of the thirteen original American colonies from Great Britain and tha establishment of the great republic of this continent. This was th2 talk of the lories something over 100 years ago. It It amazing to llnd It the tallt ot sons pf the revolution. The niiiKtli- International Code. Globe-Democrat , History records that once , In an Asiatic war , Portugal captured the tooth of a sacred monkey from Slain , and refused to return It until n rans&m of RGOO.OOO waa paid. Some of the governments of Europe have been In so many transactions of this kind under the sacred shadow nf what they call International law that they think that elastic code Justifies everything fronitpotlt larceny to a massacre. n'tj for n CourlciJournal , Ono trouble following a manifestation of the United StateeV determination to maintain the Monrco doctrine Is the bellicose effect on the * republics 1 of South America. Ever since the message of the president little Venezuela has butn pirouetting around like a bantam ro < mer "spllln1 for a fight. " All the dispatcher fnom that quarter Indicate that Venc/uela"/li ) now anxious to fight any body or anytldm ? ) ' and If she does not cool down It may ( ho Ulmt Undo Sam will have to spank her , < as' xveli as thrash John Dull. . 'J'lioi JrrlKiiliou Knlr. Hiux-Clt > - Journal. There ls to btan Irrigation fair held at North PlatteiN bI , game time this year , and the promoters ore making preparations for a grand evcnta 'Tl/ey / are Interesting business men and farmer * all over the western part ot tlTa ctate , and It Is thought that Colonel Cody will take a hand and add to the at tractions , In that case the fair may attract national attention , and at any rate It cannot ba other than beneficial to the Interests of tho'state , Western Nebraska has the Irri gation fever very badly , but It la all for the best. Senator Allcn'M AVnr Ili-coril. Coni'rc lonal Itecord , Mr. Allen Mr. President , I believe that I am the only aenator on this side of the chamber who served as a private soldier In the union army during the war , and carried a musket during the entire time. My ex- pcrlenco was ) with the grandest soldier the world has ever swn , In my judgment the late George II. Thomas. It I have any prejudices coming to me from youth or from early association , those prejudices would be against the passage of the bill , but I have none. To Indulge In a little ancient history , I re- membir distinctly that on the 9th ot April , 1865 , when Lfo surrendered nt AppomMtor , the branch of the army In which I served hud the honor ot amaultlng the fortifications of Fort Dlnkoly , Ala. , of which my honorable friend , the senator from Missouri ( Mr. Cock- roll ) , was In command. My distinct recol lection hi that we captured the honorable seiHtor and his entire command. There arc on this side of the chamber flvo or six gen tlemen who were In command of confederate troops tthosJ forces , I remember , were con fronted by the- branch of thd army In which 1 served. The Trniiiiil li l | > | il i\ituilllnit. : Dem or Newi. Omaha has already taken steps to organlz ? the Traninl. ° ! lt-slppl and International expo sition of 1S9S , When U assumes a proper stage , nnd the time comes for Colorado to act. .1 unanimous nnd generous support should be given to the enterprise on the part ot every citizen of Colorado. The prominence of this rtatc In the transmlwourl country should be made tx > evident In Its display nt this prospectlvo exposition that Its posi tion as ths Kmplrc state of the Hocky moun tains nonld never be called In question. The whelp west " 111 watch the progress ot the enterprlie with genuine Interest. i'Hisiin.vriAi. ASi'iitAvrs. Indianapolis News : McKlnley has engaged forty-five rooms In St. Louis , the Indica tion. ) bHng that he has secured a lead for the nomination by nbout fifteen rooms. Dos Molncs Leader : If Oovernor Morton Is really .1 presidential candidate , ho keeps wonderfully ntilot about It. This quietness 13 tne surest Kinu of an indication mat nc is n candidate. Chicago Tribune : 11. Harrison , csq. , ot Indianapolis Is cbservfd to U ? succe > U'fully ' maintaining a conciliatory attitude toward everybody at this Juncture. Nevertheless , WJ still believe he Is not a candidate. Chicago Times-Herald : Colonel Morrison's numo was mentioned several times In con- grcjj the other day , and several corrsspond- cnts ore tnirprlxcd that "It awakened no en thusiasm. " They seem to have forgotten that congress Is not St. Lonto. Cincinnati Commercial : Senator Alllscn ot Iowa Is really nnd truly a presidential can didate. NV man was ever elected president who only shaved his upper lip , an 1 recogniz ing , this , the Iowa statesman haa permitted his moustache to grow. He now resembles a composite picture of Grant and Harrison. TIII : iiAi.Ti.noiir. iioititon. Detroit Free Press : Panic Is a contagion , but a few men with cool hea-ls and plenty ot nerve could have prevented that horror In a IJaltlmoro theater. In a dangerous crisis th ? average crowd Is almost sure to do the wrong thing , but a strong check promptly applied can rentier them amenable to reason. Time- and again thlD has been demonstrated under circumstances far moro threatening than thot'j which led to the Baltimore tragedy. Chicago I'ost : There \\as not the least danger. Not a soul would have been In jured had the audience remained seated. From beginning to end the catastrophe was dm to sheer stupidity. A woman saw a gas Jel flare up. She screamed "nro. A urutni , cowardly , Ignoiant mob did the rest. The only extenuating circumstances are the fact that the theater Itself has long been con sidered unsafe oven by Its patrons , because of Insufficient exits and the fact that the overcrowded audlonc ? was made up of people whose habits and training are not calculated to beget the self-possession noded In mo menta of danger. Philadelphia Inquirer : The theater In which the panic occurred Is one around which many traditions linger. In It Jenny Llnd charmed thousands with her marvelous voice ; Koan , Macready , Edwin Forrest and ths elder Dooth played there ; the. national democratic convention met there In 1SCO , the union national convention In 1SC4 , which rcuomlnated Abraham Lincoln for president and nominated Andrew Johnson for vlco pres ident , assembled within Its walls , and the beauty and fashion of what .was . once the aristocratic portion of Baltimore ui''d to gather there in the dance. Its doors should now be closed forsver. Washington. Star : An auditorium holding several hundred people contains when occu pied the .elements of a panic. It will not do to depend upon the Intervention of cooler minds to stay a crowd of panic-stricken pee ple. The only rule of safety lo to provide the most complete means of exit known to architecture , and , as In all problems that deal directly with the preservation of human llfs , the- only solution permissible Is that which exhauirts every possibility and spares no expense. It may be that an official Inspec tion of local auditoriums of all kinds , In spired by the sad affair In Baltimore , might rciHilt In wholesome revelations and reme dies , : .MOMIOI2 I Chicago Chronicle : While England Is notified that It will not bs permitted to. . cap ture territory down In Venezuela to which It has no rightful claim , the same remark ap plies to Alaska. Chicago Times-Herald : While the entente cordlalo between this country and Great Britain Is somewhat disturbed over the Vene- zulean question It Is necessary to chain down the eacleg at Lincoln park to keep them from doing the lions violence. Globe-Democrat : If Salisbury's bluff on the Monroe doctrine had worked the English ships would probably be thlckanlng around Cuba In view of the threatened success of the Insurgents. The president' ? , promptness has discouraged a deal between England and Spain. New York Electricity : On the subject to which the Monroe doctrlno applies , what us ? has any American for any International law ? No such law has any bearing upon the pres ent controversy. The Monroe doctrine l& our law. In cnfoicement of that law the United States stand supreme , defiant , unconquerable. Dortolt Fros I'ress : Some of the fiercest attacka upon the American policy are being made by Mr. Actor's paper in London. The bitterness of a renegade Is proverbial , and then there Is the fiery Spanish ancestry to consider In this instance. Spain U. not feelIng - Ing kindly toward the great country that she discovered. Minneapolis Times : England's .swagger . was conspicuously absent when Kussla in 1870 toro up the. . treaty of Paris of 185G , dictated by England , and moved her fleet to the Black Hsa. If UuDsla had been a weak nation Ilk * Venezuela or Nicaragua British vengeance Wi > uld have been swift and relentless. John Bull can swallow an affront meekly enough wnen no nas 10. Cincinnati Commercial : A little boy once nskc-d his father If It was wrong to say "cof ferdam. " Ho mas assured that It was not , and was asked In return why he propounded such a question , when he replied that thu old cow had got choked on an applu , and ho thought she would cough-her-dam head off. Johnny Bull might get chokoil If ho at tempts to twallow that Venezuelan apple. St. Louly Republic : But are wo to conclude that what England has dene with us wo are Incapable of doing with England ? The burning and sacking of our national capital by the troops of Gcn-ernl HOES early In thU century Is still unavenged. Not until wo pitch camp In London will that deep insult bn wiped out. The only questlono are thoa. of tranufer and terminal facilities. Glvo us the necessary transportp and ocan convey and wo can land 1,000,000 men on English Bhcroi within six months , Onca there the results would not be such as to justify a new edition of Macauley'u heroic \etO3 describing the ruin of the Spanish armada. I'nllcil HIM nun In tin ; AVronur Crowd , VICTOH , Colo. , Jan. 1. Just what caused the shooting at the Union theater. In which u { least two and probably three lives were Kicilliced , la not known. It appears that Hurt ForgUEon. a. deputy sheriff , went Into the theater and threatened to uhoot out the lights. George ; Smith , the proprietor , was called , nnd Immediately thu snooting bfgan. Smith was shot dead , as was Tom PiiBcoe , u patron nf the theater , while Ferguson wus fatally wounded , William Macthlnney , who was A'lctor'a first city marshal , and Charlie Watson received flesh wounds. ChiirlfNton SliiiUcn \ > y n < luii ! > . CHAIIL.ESTON , Mo. , Jan. 1. This place was again visited by an earthquake yester day. The vibrations began at 9:35 : a. in. , lasted about thirty seconds , and wore con- Hldcrably stronger than the one felt Frl < day. It was ft-It at Slkeeton , IJIrd's I'olnt and several other uurroundln ? towns. At Cairo , III. , the earthquake lasted about eight seconds , and bceineil to pats from east lo west. Oroolieil Work In Nlriilwlil Creulc. ASHLAND , Ky. , Jan. 1. Charles Jones and Lon Jrwln were fatally shot and Thomas Wolfe Blabbed In a general light at the Straight Creek lulnes hu > t nlghu AIIOUT vi.M/.ni\ : . ' ( Aiipnrr | l Dlpldiiinllc Some of the most picturesque And loqiia clous parrots nnd lively cockatoo ? come Iron Venezuela. The length of Venezuela from cast to wes Is 009 miles , and from north to south 77 mlUs. There are fourecn varieties of monkeys It Venezuela and no cuckoos. The name Vene zuela means Little Venice. Thers are 200,000,000 acres of forest land In the republic of Venezuela. Uoscwood , sut Inood , mahogany and white and black cbonj arc found. The area ot Venezuela Is 0.12,000 square nillcp , larger than that of any country In Europe except Russia , and larger than tha of any state In the United States. The area of Texas Is 2GG.OOO square miles. The coffee crop of Venezuela amounts to JIG.000,000 a year In value. The average crop Is Crt.OOO tons of coffee. Two-thirds o this product Is exported , mostly to England Ma rncal bo Is one of the centers ot trade Maracalba coffee Is known everywhere. The distance from New York to La Qunyra ths port of Caracas. Is 2,200 miles. In addi tion to coffee , gold nnd fine woods , Vene zuela exports hides , cocoa and cattle. The dlstincs from La fluayra to London Is ncarlj H.OOO miles. Oil tlio north shore of Venezuela , cr rather lo the north of Hint republic , aiv eevcrn' ' Islands of greater fame than large area , par ticularly the Island of Curacoa , a Dutch pos session ; the Island of Trinidad , a British pos- Mission ; the Iciand ot Tortuga , and the Brit ish Isle of St. George. The army of Venezuela , en a peace footing consists of 1,000 horsemen , 1,000 Infantr ) and 1,000 artillerymen , cxcluolvo of the loc.a mllltla nnd Inegular troops. By the law ol Venezuela all citizens between the ages ol IS and 45 ( both Inclusive ) are liable to serv ice In the national mllltla , The debt of Venezuela at the time of the last computation was $22,000,000 , or about ono-flfth of the present debt of New York City. The debt of Venezuela was $11 per capita. In the United States the per capita debt lo $14 , In England $ S7 , and In France The mineral products of Venezuela , In addi tion to gold which English speculators arc seeking by summary annexation of Venezuela territory to the Brltluh possessions , nro Iron , zinc , quicksilver , lead , tin and antimony. There are also extensive products ot salt , alum , lime , sulphur and asphaltum. The population of Venezuela by the last con-jus was 2,550,000. This is moro than Denmark's and less than Switzerland's. It Is about the Mine as that of Massachusetts. The last official estimate of the population of Massachusetts , made on January 1 , 1S94 , waa 2,472,000. By the federal census of five years ago the population of Massachusetts was 2,238,000. The average gold product of Venezuela In a year Is $1,000,000. The standard of value In the republic of Venezuela Is the bolivar , so called after Simon Hollvnr , and the value of It la the same as a French franc 19.3 cents. Venezuela does not prouuce sliver. Much of the foreign debt isi held in England. The exports of Venezuela exceed the Imports by $3,000,000 a year. Venezuela first made declaration of Its Independence In 1810. The present republic was formed In 1830 , In the same year that Belgium became an Independent monarchy. The rival political parties In Venezuela are the unionists nnd the federalists. The former favor a centralized government ; the latter are for home rule. Both are opposed to for eign Invasion , encroachment , or confiscation. Venezuela Imports from the United States in a year about $4,100,000 worth of goods , chiefly manufactured articles. From Great Britain It Imports $3,800,000 , from Germany $2,100,000. from France $2,000,000 , and from Spain $300,000. This Is the country from which Venezuela Imports most , and this Is the country to which Venezuela exports most. Venezuela's exports to the United States average $12,000,000 , to Franco $7,000,000 , to England $2,100,000 , and to Germany and Spain $600,000 each. Caracas , the capital and chief city of Vene zuela , has a population of 70,000 , or less than that of Fall HIver. It Is built on an elevation of 3,000 feet above the sea level. It way founded In 1567. Caracas Is an Indian name ; the name of the Indians ot ths neigh borhood which the Spanish pioneers affixed lo the original title of the new town , Santi ago do Leon. In 1S12 , the year of the latest American > war with Great Britain , an eartli- quaks In Caracas burled 12,000 persons In the ruins of a part of the city. The date of this , earthquake was March 26. The salary of the American minister to Venezuela Is $7,500. The rank of Vcne- zcuela's representative , at Washington Is that of envoy extraordinary and minister pleni potentiary. Although Venezuela Imu been for many years a republic , Its official representa tives are. profound believers In a conven tional observance of official etiquette. A con siderable number of diplomatic disputes have taken place between the Venezuela State de partment and the representatives of various foreign governments over details of routine ami usage. The summer scas'on In Venezuela lasts from November to April. The winter season lasts from April to November. The climate of ! . n * nn.n a norf nf tlio pnlintrv Is tllG flnCSt of South America , the most equable and the most salubrious , outsldo of Peru. The women of Venezuela are ot the Spanish type , and are celebrated for their beauty. The lan guage of the country Is Spanish ; no language is sweeter. About 45,000,000 persons alto gether speak Spanish as their native lan guage , a majority of them living In South and Central America. There are more , than 200 lakes within the boundaries of Venezuela , one of the largest b'lng l.COO feet above the level of the sea. The Orinoco river , the largest In Venezuela , Is 1.1GO miles long. It Is five times as long as the Hudson river , but less than one-third the length of the Amazon , and less than one- half the length of th5 Mississippi. The roads of Venezuela arcInferior. . Communication Is difficult. The government , however , has cx- pc-nded largo sums of money for the Im provement of the approaches to some of the laiger towns. There are twenty t'tates ' In Venezuela , the official division being based on the constitution of the United States. There is also a federal district , corresponding to the District ot Columbia , and there are several outlying territories. Venezuela Is In the extreme northern part of South America , directly facing the Car ibbean se-a. To the west of It Is the republic of Colombia , to the south Is Brazil , to the met nrn tlm territorial nossesslons of three European governments combined under the geographical name of Guiana. The furthort away from Venc'/uela Is French Guiana , a territory of 46,000 square miles and 25,000 population , the chief city of which IB Cayenne - onno , whence comes the popper , and to which French criminals convicted nf serious of fences arc transported. Next nearest to Venezuela , but not touching It at any point , Is Dutch Guiana , a territory of almost ex actly the same size as. the French colony , but having a population twlco as largo. Para maribo Is the chief town. Next , and adjacent to Venezuela , Is British Guiana , the t-lzo of which Is In dispute. _ 'I'll a I HiiNNlaii I , nun. I'lilLiilelphla Ileruid , Hurala has been BO porxh'tent a borrower In the money markets of Europe that thi story concerning her offer to loan $100,000.000 In gold to llio United States , without Inter est , seems abiurdly Incredible. It IB true that a largo amount of the precious metal Is locked up In the "war chest" of the c/ar , but It la Imposii'blo ' to bellevo that the Russian government would bo willing to dissipate this Immense treasure- , which has been so pain fully gathered for uw In n special emorg ncy. The ways of Husslan diplomacy , however , are past finding out. i-- II rxlcl < ! ! < In ( 'itniiila , C'lilcuc' ) Tribune. Canada's objection to bacomlag a part of u& Is doubtless duo to observation of cltlznia of the United States who now llvo north ot the St. Lawrence . But Canada should rolled that no American would go to Canada If the other Americans would let him stay here , run YKiii'.s nnrono. TV Of SlllIKlf ( III * rcnltirc * or ISt- . Chlc B3 Till > unp. It will I * of Intefwt to Kl.ance briefly at what the jcar 1SJ5 has broitfihl lo this world In the \\ay of misfortune , especially ns com pared with Its predecessor. 1S94. Fortunately 1S95 ha * not been ui prolific In disasters as 1S9I. The record of losses of llto by ship wreck , for Instance , aggre gate only -1,250 , a compared \\llh 6S81 In 1S91. The railroads of this country Imvo killed 3COO persons , ag compared with 3.C4S In 1894. In the general record ot fatallllcs , such as tlios by drowning , flro , mines , ex j plosions , cyclones , lightning , etc. , both at homo and abroad , the aggregate Is 2.1,091 , ns compared wllh 25,719 In 1S > OI. The loss by Urea In the United States for 1895 waa $131r.7S.20C. as compared with $115,590- S42 In 1S9I. The low of life by epidemics has fallen off nearly one-half , the total be ing 79,161 , as compared with 179,910 In ISO I. the most ot thl ? loss having been oc casional by the chulera In Kiuwla. Japan , China ami India , On llio other hand the los ? of lite In battle has been nearly twlco that of 1S94 , Using U.7.9SC. as compared with 82,070. TlitIncroa.'o \a \ mainly ac counted for by the falallltrs In ( ho closing weeks of the war between Japan .and China , the uprising of tlio Cuban patriots , the numerous revolutions In South America , anil the horrlblo atrocities practiced upon tho. . helpless Armenians by the unspcnlublo Turks , for which no Indemnity has yet boon made , owing to the sclfiphncss and jr.alousle , ! of the European treaty pjwers. THO DincKtfli rc.itiiro ot llio yonr Is tno nlnrtnliiR Incrc.isc of pulcliUs mul murders nn Incrciso out of all proportion to the nat- tirnl liicrrati ? of population. In ISO I there wcro1,912 rcportctl cases cf inilcklo In the United Stntes ; In 1S9. them wt-ro 5,769 , an Increase of SI" . Vor llio la'l l n ycara eul- cldcs have Increased at an avcrago rate of nearly 1,000 n year. Murder Is Increasing at a still more rapid and nhnuliiR rate. In ISfll them \vero 9.SOO murders icporteil and 10,500 In 1S95 , an Increase ot 700. It Is nn umimi.il coincidence tliat the snmo number of criminals \\na Imtigud In 1S95 and 1S94 , 132 In each year. The lynching , on the other hand , show n tiratlfyhiK decrease , ther having bsen 171 In 1S93 , as compired with 1M ! In 1S)4. ! ) It ROCS without snyltiR that the Kroat majority of vlctlma ot JudRO Lynch \\cro ncgrres In the southern states , and It U nn additional dlsKrace to that section thai there \\oro sewral women among thorn. Hut under the Influences of n healthier condi tion of piihllc sentiment and the1 reprcsslvi action of sveral of tlio southern governor ! anil legislatures there Is umiuestlonahly a determination - termination In many pirls of the south to sol the wlic'elsi of justice In better running ordot and to minimize the dreadful evils of mob vlo. eice. : Kmbe//.lcments and violations of flnaii * clal trusts may be clatuc * ! In this general category of crime. It Is most gratifying to observe , however , that this form of ras cality Is diminishing , the st-allngs of 1S95 lntf ICH than half of thorn of ISO I. The cord for lhii ! ! sho\\H a loss from thl' source ol $10,423,203 , as compared with $25,234,712 In Turning from this black record of human weakness nnd dishonesty It Is gratifying .o contemplate the results of hunun gen erosity and philanthropy. The generous men nnd women of the United States , cither by jequsst or by gift outright , have given to college. ! In 1S95 llio largo sum of $12- 379.820 ; to charities , $5,74C,670 ; to churches , > 2OS9lfiO ; to nuiacunu and art gallsrles , ! 1,72I,500 : to libraries , $532,433 , and to othci nstltutlons , $ C-171.97G a total of $28,934,519 , au compared with $19,967,110 In 1S94. Till ! s the way a good deed shlnco In this naughty 1 > OIXTI3II TUIFM3S. Philadelphia Hecord : Mrs. WIgwag-1 hoped you liktxl the cigars I gave you , dear. And. by the way , 1 had them charged. Wigwag What with ? Detroit Free Press : "How do you suppose the now woman will use her latch key ? " "Precisely ns the old man did. Sit on the btcps and wait till the house comet round. " Chlcag-o Tribune : "I couldn't nffonl a loy of that kind , " said tlie bleyollHt on his way to woik , wheeling contentedly past the high-stepping hor.se. "It costs too much to Keep it. And , besides , It's too slow for a Iran of business. " Philadelphia ncroid : Koli-I wouldn't Ilko to be in your phou.i ! " Hslle No ! they'd pinch you frightfully , wouldn't they ? Detroit Tribune : "Why did I assume the shape of si serpent when 1 tempted I0ve ? " repealed the Prince of Kvll. "Oh , I wished to be very smo not to put my foot In It. " Saying : which he lit u. fiesh cigar. Chicago Post : "Poor follow ! " she said sympathi'tlc.illy. " ' " "WImt's tht > matter ? ho asked. "The pnor man was disappointed In love , " she . " " replied. "Of course. he re- turneii. " "It never does como un to expecta tions. Imllnnnpolta Journal : "I hear that the o'lly ' man ' who had any maiked success at Ullllps' poker party was HIlllpH hlmse'.f. " " "Yos. and we haven't llpured out to a certainty whether It was his SUCCCSB or the cards that hud the marks. " Cincinnati Knqiilrer : "Hollo. Jnclc ! " said the man In this railroad station , flapping the back of the man walking ahead of him. "I guess jou have read your hand wrong , " said the man , who turned out to be n strun- ger. "I ain't no Jack. My mime's King , " Chicago Tribune : "It doesn't alwavs fol low , my boy , " said Undo Allen Sparks , "that because people nro not saying any thing they nr < " necessarily niwfng wood. Look nt the Sphinx. It hasn't snld a word for .1,000 years , and nil It has to show for It Is a pllo of cheap sand. " Harper's Har.ar : "Tho prisoner hroko In your honor and ate tip three plea my wife had cooki'd and then stulo IIvo roples of my book of poems , " began the complainant. "Then , " said the Judge , "this Is not n case for my court. A lunacy coininlsslou must take It up. " HANDY WITIl" HIS PHN. ICnnsna City Journal. "Monroo ? ah , yes , " wild .Smllhkliu , "Ono nf our nblost men ! Few writers of Ilila country More handy with the pen. Decides hl ruinous 'doctrlno' That holds the world nt bay , Hn wrote some mighty spicy I3lmo novels In his day , " 1,0VIS'S KVIUI3.VUIS. New York Hun. Oh ! How we love you , Don't ' wo , though ? You can bet That this Innermost depths of our voluml- IHJIH gizzards Palpitate for tbue , A met Iky. PlenMj turn awny your heads whllo wo Pat you on the back And place a few fortresses nnd Huch sig nificant murk' ) of our affection aiuiinJ your borduru , Rlmply to show you That we lovn you llko fiam Hill. Our dfnr American cousins , 'I led by blood , We , love you always , Hilt the best When you accept our Idea of your rJuhtl nnd Ihosti of other nations And don't Inteifeio with us In any way whatever. Wo loved you ut the time of the , Itevolutlnn ; Only you were wilful nnd disobedient , And didn't know what was ( jood lor us. Then , by permitting ( slavery , you gave of- foil so to our high Idcuu of National morality. Ami wo Jumped In and tried our best To do you up , For your onn good , Hut the Minnie , sweet , Biigar-coatcd hlan- dlshmnnU wo constantly keep In HtocM uml dlfwemlnuto without stint , And the prlnler'H Ink we dally waste In showing why yuu should not lick UH , No matter ulmt wo do , Prove that Our love la u howling tuccesu , Highest of all in Leavening Power. Latest U. S. Gov't Report ' ' 1 *
