OMAHA DAILY I3EE : FRIDAY , DECEMBER 17 , 1807.
THE OMAHA DAILY BER
nOSKWATEH. Editor.
rUDMSHBD KVKUY MOIIN1NO.
TKIIMS or
Dally nee ( Without Sunday ) , One Your . J5 M
Dally lie * and Sunday , One Year . 8 M
BIX Month * . . . * 00
Three Montln. . . . . 00
Bundny lice , One Ycnr . , . . . ' . . . . . . . . 2 00
Knturdny lire. One Year. . , , . . > . 1 M
Weekly llec. One Year . CI
orrirns :
Omalia ! The llee Ilullillng. , . . .
Booth Omaha : Singer IJIk. , Cor. N and 21th 3t .
Council Hiurrif 10 1'enrl Street ,
Chicago Olllce : 317 Chamber of Commerce.
New York ! Itoorn * 13 , 11 ami 16 Tribune llldft
Wathlngton : M Fourteenth Bimt.
All communications relating to news nnd edito
rial matter tliould be nildrcspetl : Tu the IMltor ,
All bnMna * letters nnd remittances should bo
addlenicd to The Dee I'uLHuliInt ? Company ,
Omaha. Diufle , chocks , i-jpreo und puitolllce
itioney order * to bo made payuble \ the order o (
Inu company.
THE DEC t'UllUSUINO COMPANY.
HTATKMKNT Ol * CIRCULATION.
. , r SVtiiinkn , DoiiRlim Counts' , n.t
Qcotge II. Tmehuck. Ft-crelnry of l'li llco 1'nli *
llahlni ? I'umpnny , b lnir iluly oin , my that the
nctuni number of full nml romptcte copies of The
Dally. llotnliiB. livening nnd Sunday Ili-e jirlntol
ituilng mo inuntli of Xu\vmlicr. 1817. was as fol-
Inwit
1 2),7IB 18 21.5S.1
2 21,195 17 21.271
3 IS 21.147
4 21.007 19 21fl
5 21.177 21) Zl.nje
6 21.3.13 21 2I.)2 ) >
7 M.G2i 23 21.315
21,111 S3 22,2)3 )
9 21,050 21 21.201
JO 21,207 - , . , 21.S5J
II 21,00.1 S6 2I.OM
12 21.321 27 21,7
II 21,421 21.013
14 20,810 21 2I.49)
15 21,3:2 SO 21,313
Totnl (43,021
I.OSS uni'ild nnd roturnwl copies 10,415
Net tolnl rat GSI.C'V '
Net dnlly n\crnire 21,151
ono. n T frin'CK
Bworn to licforo me nnd vulnrrlbnl In my
pncnre thin 1st day of Heccmlicr 1S97.
( Seal. ) N. 1' . Fnir , .
Notary Tiihllc.
Till : HKl" O.Tll.VI > S.
All rnllrouil iioivHliny * nrc
itiill | | < * il with < > iii > iiKlt HCCM
In lu'cmiiinoilutievery PIIN-
weiiKer wlo iviuit * < lo mnl n
. IlinlNt lllllll llIIV-
Tin * Hoc. If yon cilllliot
Kut n HIMon n tram rrotu the
IIIMVM iiKcnt , nil-lino r < * i > < irt
Ilic fnet , HliXInir the Irnln nitil
mHmml , to tinClrunliitloii
UriuirdiHMit of Tin- liceThf
lice Is for mile on nil trains.
IXSIST OX \VI\O THU HUH.
TJrynn finds they nrrt still sliontliiR for
I nrynnlsm hi the- Oily of Moxico. Pros
perity HiMHiis not to have struck there.
The worst thing about the machine to
niako nnthrai'ltc out of plain soft coal
is that It Is so costly | tlmt only the coal
barons cnn afford to use it.
A society has been formed1 In lioston
t < J place colonies on the ( abandoned New
England farms. The colonists should
come out west and got laud that Is not
'
worn out.
Slop that blackmailer and make him
disgorge the ! ? 10 which he has extorted
under false pretenses by the most un
blushing hold-up over witnessed by any
community.
Thus .fat- the Investigation of the re
cent trouble between Indians and Colorado
rado game wardens has shown that all
agree that It was the other party that
commenced the light. ,
I As If the show op wisdom In opposing
Hawaiian annexation might Injure their
standing hi the party , the populists in
congress will offset it by advocating
recognition of the independence of
Cuba.
Tlu > appearance oil the San .lose scale
on fruit trees in various parts of Iowa
should be a warning to the horticultur
ists of Nebraska. They must not allow
the parasite to get a foothold In this
orchards of the state.
The fact that Iowa has eleven repub
lican congressmen and two republican
senators in Washington accounts in
some measure for the fact that In the
distribution of plums Iowa gets a portion
tion oftener than some other states.
The superintendent of public Instruc
tion reports ; that there was a larger en
rollment In the Nebraska schools last
year than over before , but the dally at
tendance at school decreased. This
means that discipline Is not as good as
It has bcciii In the past. School patron. )
have a duty to perform as well as the
elate , and all the school children should
KO to school.
Councilman Mercer lias expressed his
views concerning thu Inclilclency of the
Omaha police force. To those best In
formed of the situation his denunciation
will come as a true and just statement
of the demoralized condition of the po
lice department. And these conditions
will remain Just so long as pettv poiltl-
clans are permitted to have a. voice in
the control of the department.
The goody-goody .ludge Gregory and
the highly-honorable and Impartial Dr.
1'oabody must feel very cheap when
they contemplate the attitude In which
they have been placed by joining Itohert
E. Leo Ilonlnmn In playing cat spa \v for
nn Impudent blackmailer who Is using
their lawless resolution as a club with
which to extort $10 contributions from
the- liquor dealers and druggists of
Omahii ,
Ex-Deputy Oily Treasurer Coulter Is
ono of the lucky men of earth. I'lilloso-
phers may say that there Is no such
thing as luck In the raci for success In
life , but no one can say that Coulter
could have escaped Just punishment ex
cept by a lucky chain of events renderIng -
Ing his legal prosecution technically Im.
possible. Hut the court of public opin
ion will not deal so kindly In Humming
up thu ex-dpputy'a shortcomings , in
that tribunal lu > Mauds convicted.
The scoring which Judge Koysor has
administered to the propagator of bogus
circulation allldavlts would bring the
blush of shame to thu cheeks of any
man possessed of the slightest regard
for veracity or honest dealing. Hut wo
doubt very much whether It will have
auy effect upon a man who has squaii-
dured a half million dollars In a vain
of Curt to become famous or oven no
torious by pursuing a course that leaves
nn liulellblo blot upon Ouiuhu Jour-
Vallsm ,
Mil. UAOK'S CUKKBAOr HIZ.7 *
Secretary Ongo has embodied In a. bill
his currency plan as "outlined In his an
nual report. This measure , .which was
yesterday submitted to the house com
mittee on banking and currency , pro
vides for refunding the national debt , es
tablishing a redemption fund and a divis
ion of Issue and redemption In the Treas
ury department and to modify existing
laws respecting national bnnUs. In ex
plaining the bill to the committee , Mr.
( ago snltl It was Intended to commit the
country more thoroughly to the gold
standard and remove doubts and fears
on that point , strengthen the treasury in
relation to Its demand liabilities and to
do this In such a way ps not to contract -
tract the volume of the circulation In
the hands of the people.
These arc certainly commendable ob
jects and If they could bo accomplished
by such legislation as the secretary of
the treasury proposes It Is the duty of
the republicans In congress and all the
friends of sound , moncy to support his
bill.That his plan would more thor
oughly commit the country to the gold
standard will not be denied , nor can
them bo any doubt that his proposed
treatment of the. legal tender notes
would strengthen the treasury In rela
tion to its demand liabilities , but In re
gard to contracting the circulation It is
by no means certain that this would bo
avoided byl.ahe modifications of the na
tional hanking law which the secretary
suggests. Doubtless . these proposed
changes would operate to Increase the
Issues of b'ank notes , but whether to the
extent of the proposed withdrawal of
greenbacks , to bo reissued only In ex
change for gold , cannot bo conlldently
predicted.
As wo have heretofore said of Mr.
Gage's plan , It Is conservative , and for
this reason It will not satisfy the radi
cal currency reformers , while of course
It will encounter the vigorous opposition
of all who arc hostile to the gold staud-
ird. It Is possible that , with some mod-
Ideations , the measure may secure
enough support in the house to pass that
hotly , but It Is safe to say It will have
no chance In the senate.
TIIK AR'n-KCAU'lXU HILL.
Today the house committee on inter
state and foreign commerce will give
a hearing to all parties Interested in
the proposed legislation to prohibit the
sale of cut-rate tickets by railroad
ticket brokers. ; At the extra session of
congress a bill v/as introduced making
unlawful the sale , barter or other trans
fer of any kind of railway tickets by
any person not showing certificate of
authority from the common carrier over
whoso road the transportation is sold ,
except as between properly authorized
agents of transportation companies and
as to the resale of a transferable ticket
purchased in good faith for personal
use to another , who will personally use
It In a journey.
The chairman of the house committee
on Interstate and foreign commerce has
leeelved a great many letters and peti
tions urging anti-scalping legislation.
The National Association of Merchants
and Travelers , at Its last annual meetIng -
Ing , declared In favor of such legisla
tion and more recently the Merchants'
association of New York adop'tod a reso
lution urging congress to pass the bill
introduced at the extra session. The
railroads generally also desire this
legislation and are exerting their in-
lluencc for It. On the other hand the
ticket brokers have sent to congress
largely signed petitions against the antl-
scalplng bill , they having been busy
all summer , it is said , securing the sig
nature of every person who lias entered
their olllc.es , with the result that they
make quite a formidable ! .showing. In
view of the strong interest that has
been manifested In the matter the com-
mlttee having the hill in charge very
properly decided to give the parties con
cerned a public hearing.
It is needless to say that the conten
tion of the ticket brokers Is that the
business Is entirely legitimate and that
It js of material benellt to the public.
Those who advocate the proposed legis
lation , on the other hand , declare that
there Is no public benefit in ticket scalp-
Ing and assert that the money which
the brokers make is so much diverted
from the railroads , which makes it all
the more dllliuult for the roads to give
( lie people lower rates. New York ,
Pennsylvania and some other states
have adopted antl-scalplng laws and it
Is claimed Unit experience with these
shows that ticket-scalping is of no pub
lic benellt. The advocates of .federal
legislation say that state-huvs do not
furnish an adequate remedy for the al
leged evils of the scalping business.
The worst evils of ticket scalping arc
not the cut rates at which tickets arc
sold by Irresponsible brokers , but the
wholesale'tratlle In forged railway tlcjs-
els , which are palmed off on travelers
and the loss entailed both on thu pur
chasers and railroads.
TIIK CUM AX. W AUDACirr.
If audacity could make a great man
and a great editor out of fi. M. Hitch
cock ho certainly would outrank any
man who has ever wielded a pen or
held down an editorial chair. Hut the
audacity of the despurado and wrccke. *
Is not the audacity which Napoleon re
ferred to as the chief element of a great
general. A masked road agent standing
on the highway and ordering wayfarers
to hold up their hands must be an-
diiclous , but his Kind of audacity does
not make of him a man truly great nor
does It prevent him from coming to grief
when he gets to his rope's end , The
insolent notice to Judge Keysor , breath
ing dellanco and challenging the court to
enforce the order that forbids the blackmailing -
mailing tactics and lawless methods by
which citizens of Omaha have i > een vic
timized Into giving up money for advor-
Using which under the law must bu
donu In another paper , Is the climax
of audacity , but It is Urn kind of audacity
that Is 'bound to bring the swashbuckler
and Impostor to grief , if the courts
can bo Insulted and dolled by a man
who conspires to pervert the law nnd
extort tribute from puoplo who by law
are subject to the police board for which
ho writes law-defying resolutions , the
courts may as well surrender to every
outlaw In quest of booty whoso depro-
duUoiis they Interfere with through due
process of law. If the audacious , no
toriety-seeking Mr. Hitchcock wants to
be a martyr to the cause of an Inviola
ble free press he must dp vise some other
plan than challenging a court to Inter
fere with- his right to levy forced con
tributions that will enable him to main
tain his paper. *
sunuttXATiox or
Ilrrn In nn nllliliivlt of circula
tion , unit out tliriniftli the United
Stntcn iniillN nn it 1iiiMliti-Hfl innu'it
Iiontitt curil , ncnl lo n Ilitnor ilrulrr
here , nnil lllcil an nil c.\lillilt to
tills nllliliivlt , n nil of ccinrjic iiiuir *
nf tlicno nllliliivlf * nrc ilcnlcd.
Thin ntiilcH ( luili "ThninnM K. llnr-
innii , iniiniiKor of tlic circulation
ot theDnlly Worlil-lti-rnlil , livliiK
llrit ilnljfmorn , on ontli Htittoni
That tliu rc rnlnr lionn Ililc circu
lation ot the Dally AVorlil-IIcrnlil
In DotiKltiN county IN IUMV nail IIIIH
ilnrliiK the piiNt month liccn inure
than 11,0(11) ( ) c nilfN | iiur day , " Thin
nllliliivlt IH NlHrncd by TluimiiH K.
Ilnrimin , inniiiiKcr circulation , ami
IK Nwnru to before anil miliM-rllicd
111 the iirc-Mciicc ofV. . It. Wilbur ,
it notary public , oil the < llli day
of December. lh)7. ! ) There IH n
Konil deal of complaint about the
rcHtrnliilnpr order of n court of
equity , hut I tbluU It wnulil he u
mercy tii the employes of that
pnper If thin court or Home
other court would restrain the
niakliiK- that kind of allldavlt.
"The regular hoiui Ilile eireiiln-
tlon of the Dally \Vorld-llerald { "
There In 11 Mtatemeiit , In. my Jimm
inent , that IVIIH made deliberately ,
with Intent to deceive the public ,
brcnii.se then ; In not a iiciiapcr
piibllHbed trlthln thin city of any
Hiieh ( IcnlKiiatlon nn the Dally
\Yorld-llcrald , a nil j on cannot ,
nor I cannot , nor any other pcr-
NOII cannot say , from that allldavlt ,
whether It means the Mnrnlim ;
Worlil-IIuralil , niieli as I IIIMV hnvei
oil my dcnlc , or vhethcr the
CvenliiK World-Herald , or both.
The alllilntlt l.s mlNlcadhiKt It does
not prove aiiylhliiur , and It wax
sent out lit connection with tills
rcNOlutlon , published at the bottom
tom , whieh the license board
passed , null ( ben down at the bottom
tom It NUJ-N , In very plain letters !
"You eaii't wet jour license ni-
ICHN you advertise In the AVoi-ld-
Ilcrnld. "
This Is verbatim what Judge Keysor
said In OIKMI court relative to the in
famous attempt to palm off a false and
fictitious circulation aflldavlt to justify
the systematic imposture under which
applicants for liquor licenses have been
solicited and bulldozed Into paying for
advertisements which , under the law ,
they are required to insert in the paper
having the largest circulation In tin.-
county. It Is a disgrace to thu profes
sion of journalism and to the city of
Omaha , that any publisher should resort
to such Infamous means to secure
patronage to which lie has no right. In
the language of Judge Keysor , It would
Indeed be a mercy to the employes of
that paper if the district court or the
higher court of public opinion would
restrain the owner of a. newspaper from
the making of allldavlts which on then
face bear the stamp of shameful false
hood and Intentional deception.
GHOH'TIl OK KXI'EXDITUIIES.
Ill the house of representatives Tues
day Mr. Dockery of Missouri stated as
an amazing fact that the ordinary ex
penses of the government , excln.iive ot
the Interest on the public debt , during
the last eight1 years exceeded those of
the preceding eight years by ? 1,0XCOO- (
000 in round numbers. Such a state
ment , if accurate , may well challenge
publiu attention , but Mr. Dockery'.s lig-
ures are too large , though when reduced
to what they should , be a great Incioaso
in expenditures is still shown.
According to ofliclal reports the. net ex
penses of the government , Including In
terest on the public dfbt , have Increased
$814,000,000 in round numbers over the
preceding ten years. In 1SSS the ordi
nary expenditures amounted to nearly
208,000,000 , or about $07,000,000 lesa
than for 1897. As everylwdy knows the
growth of expenditures has been largely
duo to the increase In the pension ac
count , but the construction of a navy
aim of coast defenses , enlarged appio-
priations for river and harbor improve
ments and other public works , the
greater demands of the postal service ,
account for a considerable portion of the
Increase. There are few who will ques
tion the wlhdom of the outlay for a navy
and coast defenses , but It does appear
that congress has been somewhat too
lavish In other directions. Mr. Dlngley
said In reference to this subject last
week In the house that ten years ago an
expenditure of i5.000,000 ! for public
works was called' ' a largo one , but la.it
year the expenditures on public works
exceeded $20,000,000 , not Including ? ii- :
000,000 for the new navy , and during the
present fiscal year they will probably
reach neaily ? : : o)00,000 ( ) outside of the
new navy. It Is In this direction that
opportunity Is presented for a material
reduction In expenditures and there Is
promise that so far1 as the house of rep
resentatives is concerned the retrench
ment will bo made.
There Is ono fact In connection with
this matter of expenditures that is
worthy of consideration. It Is , that thu
Increase has about kept puce with thu
growth of population. It appears that
for the last ten years the average of
goveinment expenditures has besn
about five and one-eighth dollars per In-
Inhabitant , of which $2 per Inhab
itant has gone to pay pensions anil r > 0
cents goes now to pay Interest on the
public debt. Thus pensions anil Interest
make up almost half thu expenditures
of the government and In neither of
these directions will there be any Inline-
dlato reduction. It Is shown by treat.-
ury figures that the expenditures per
capita for the last fiscal year were but
a few cents greater than In IhSS and
were less than' ' In six of the last ton
years.
In considering ; this matter it Is neces
sary to remember that the country Is
growing and this growth creates new
demands upon the public treasury ,
There are directions in which curtail
ment of expenditures , cannot he made
without Inpalrlng the usefulness and
olllclency of the service duo from the
government to the people. Nobody
wants economy that would hare this re
sult. Hut retrenchment In expenditures
for public w rkjjj that are not urgent ,
that can wait without Injury to any
nibllc Intcrest/i Is an Imperative duty.
There Is cvei ! t ason to believe that
congress can safely reduce appropria
tions for the rtuxt fiscal year so as to
bring them \ ( HJn the estimated re
ceipts. . ,
Kansas Is finally -waking up to the
fact that the Transmlsslsslppi Exposi
tion promises ( fi d6 more toward turning
the tide of In'vestprs and thrifty , well-
to-do homeseekers in- the direction of
the great pralrlb slates west of the Mis
souri than all .oth'pr . ' projects that have
yet been devlsvd for advertising their
resource * and possibilities. The failure
of the Kansas legislature to make an
appropriation for a Kansas exhibit at
Omaha need not bo In the way of
Kansas participating hi the enterprise.
Governor Lecdy very properly calls at
tention to the fact that although the
legislature of ISO I failed to make au
appropriation for a Kansas exhibit at
the Columbian World's fair over $ . ' 50,000
was raised by voluntary contributions
and the amount tints raised was finally
refunded by a subsequent legislature.
As ono of the great'states of thu trans-
mlsslsslppl region Kansas cannot afford
to remain Indifferent to the advantages
offered by the exposition , nor can It
afford to abstain from making a credita
ble exhibit of lt agricultural , mineral
and Industrial wealth.
The case of Theodore Dnrraut , the
California ! ! convicted of murder , Is uu-
paralleled in thu history of the Ameri
can criminal ( courts , lie has now buou
sentenced a fourth time to be hanged ,
after nearly two years of delay caused
by his attorneys taking advantage of
technicalities and exhausting all ob-
structlvci tactics. Four Independent ap
peals were taken to the supreme court
of California , twice a. stay of execution
was ordered aud twice a certificate of
probable cause was ordered , and Jn all
theie wore twenty-nine motions , orders ,
stipulations or decisions made before
the supreme court finally determined the
matter. None of these various steps
called In question the guilt of the de
fendant , and the public has long since
ceased to be interested lu the case save
as It Illustrates the possibilities of delay
under the complicated system of Amor-
lean jurisprudence. Another appeal Is
threatened , and a recent attempt at fix
ing responsibility for the crime on an
other shows that the defense has uot
yet given up all hope.
There may bo some advantages to the
system of republican government in
whieh the'cabinet qr ministry Is respon
sible to the legislative body , but the
Americans are w611 satisfied with a
cabinet that Is nijt .subject to entire
change every time the legislators change
their views. C'abjiiet ' members arc ex
ecutive ollicers. of the government and
as heads of departments they should
feel secure in their iposltioiiiJ for a fixed
term. The cabinet crises In other re
publics and . constitutional monarchies
arc not desired In'tha llnPod States.
Tiie gratifying .announcement is made
that the South Omaha stock yards will
put in force a reduced scale of charges
for the receipt and handling of stock
shipments. This action is made neces
sary by the force of competition by Kan
sas City and Slotix City , whoso yards
are in the market for the vast herds
now being fattened in Nebraska aud
upon the ranges of the northwest natu
rally tributary to Omaha. That the new
policy inaugurated by the. Omaha yards
will greatly increase the receipts goes
without saying.
Poor Old Democracy.
Washington Post.
The democratic pan'.y may ohta.'a a fair
notion of Its present coudltfcu by the an
nouncement that Tom Watson feels that lie
Is Jubtlfled In resuming ills membership In
the organization.
Humbert UNSecond Fiddler.
Globe-Dtm crat.
1110 report can 'hardly ' lie true that Italy
Is sentl''ig war ships to Haytl to demand
the ImmcdUto settlement of peiiJinn clalino.
Humbert can gahi no laurels by tailing tlio
rale of "me too" to William.
Ilnll ) Old MlNN.iui.-l.
St. t < ouls Hi-public ,
St. Iouls , no less than the state of 31g- |
snurl , must bo well . .represented at the
Omaha Transmlsslsalppl and International
Imposition. To that end. It Is hoped that thu
manufacturers and other business men of the
city will soon get together and agree upon
a plan.
SonicIIff In ( InCIIIIINC. .
Chicago News.
'Washington ' ndvlccs nro to the effect that
"tho Interstate Commerce- commission is now
at work upon recommendations as to the new
legislation necessary to restore to the com
mission Its former lovvars. " We it-publish
tills Item that the public may not think the j
commission had retired and blown out thu
gas.
The I'ONtnlllri * anil 1'roNiu-rlly.
Philadelphia Ledger ,
One ot the best Indications or renewed
prosperity U the ntatemrnt of the pastolllc
department that thu 'business ' done at llfjty
of the laigcet ofllccs during November was
nearly 13 per cent moro than In the same
month last > car. Wlion times are good
both business and social correspondence uio
Iiicriased , for obvious reasons , and thus
the malls Index the country's financial con
dition.
Tlit * . 1'roiiosi'il Corn Sliotv.
Kanina City mar.
The Idea of a'Brcut Illinois corn1 exhibit
a' the Paris exposjjlon Is a good one. Illinois
'la the great corn Kate * ot tire American
union. Coin as jn , American product L Ran
to assume great propoitlons with the openIng -
Ing up of Ill.ciol9i.uo an agricultural coun
try. Corn has other worlds to conquer and
Illinois may well lead 'tho ' march. TCio
colossal Illlnolu corn jtlcture forty by sixty
fcot In dlmenalons at I'arls.loKether with
the com Mtt'ien ' , will glva millions of Cu
re-pea n pcoplo their 1lrst accurate Idea of
tlio great 'Americanfood product , how It
looks and how It tastes. Corn only needs
to bo known to bft appreciated , ani iho world
looks to the Unltejl ft ! at us for the information.
'I'mKir SIilr of Hie I'liiiiiinii Ciinal.
Now York Mall anil HxpreBS ,
The nulcldo of M. Remplcr , the Juge d'ln-
structlon charged with the Investigation e > f
the I'anama canal scandals , suggests the re
markable series of Tatalltles that have fol
lowed that 'national disgrace and humiliation ,
It drove- poor old Do Lcaaeps to his death , It
has caused a series of suicides and Its re-
niorieless disclosures of bribery and corrup
tion have ruined a battalion of reputation ! .
Such tragic sequence * ) often follow a causa
celcbre. as witness In our own country the
misfortune * that befell many actors In iho
trial and execution of bath Oultoau and
Holmes. To those not superstitious these
coincidences are robbed of all mysterious
significance by the reflection that they are
given undue prominence and abnormal em
phasis by the unuiual attentUu called to
them.
'
TIIK VHXSIOX LIST.
Proponed TurRlnHT t the 1'nlon lloll
of Honor.
rhlhdolphln Txxlgcr.
No reAl attempt has yet boon made to purge
the pension list and make It a roll of honor ,
fls It should bo , but there Is A disposition In
the nenslui offlco nnd the Department ot
the Interior to vrovont the growth of abuses ,
find this should bo heartily commended.
After tlio pension commissioner 1ms rendered
his decision an appeal may bo taken to the
secretary of the Interior. It Is consldorod by
a board organized In the pension bureau and
IVn.illy passed upon by the assistant secretory
of the Interior. There Is , ot course , no .ip-
pcal by the government , but ono whoso claim
has been rejected Uikca his chances ot having
ho pension commissioner overruled. In 1SDG
hero \ vcvo1,851 appeals and In 391 ot these
cases the action oO the commissioner was re-
erseil. Uetwecn Juno 1 and October 2 of
his yc-ir the commlsslc icr was reversed In
87 cases out ot 1,363 appeals and 2Su motlous
Iccldcd.
The commissioner estimates that 200,000
pension claims are still awaiting adjudication
and that half ot these will bo granted , adding
rom J5.000.000 to $7,000,000 to the present an-
iu.il expenditure. Foreseeing a constant In
crease lu the pension payments , duo to late
natrlisi's of pensioners , the secretary ot tlio
ntcrior recommends the passage ot an act
irovldlng that no pension shall be granted to
he widow of any soldier who shall hereafter
rmrry. This Is ontbo principle that a
woman \sho marries a soldier thirty-two
rears since peace was declared takes him
'or bettor or worse , and not having experi
enced any of tbo hardships , deprivations and
anxieties incident to the life of
he wife of a eoldlcr should not
10 put on the rolls as such. Under
existing luw n woman who marries a soldier
imisloned under the net of 1SOO is not en
titled to a pension unless slip was married to
ilm prior to the passage of the act , but there
s no limitation respecting the wlfo of a sol
dier pensioned under the general act.
Hero also the feeble effort at reform deals
only with the future. Tens of thousands of
existing pensioners have no claim to the
xmnty of the government under the principle
of this ruling , yet they arc to be eatrled on
the rolls. A purging of the lists Is needed
io make the pension list a roll of honor. No
body will begrudge liberal treatment to all
old soldiers disabled In the war for the
union nor help for the widows ot such sol
diers who , directly or Indirectly , suffered
from the war ; but there Is no reason why the
government should squander millions yearly
on undeserving soldiers or upon women wno
shared not In the sufferings and unxlotles of
the war period , but married pensioners of the
government for the sake of the annuity com
ing to them upon the deaths of their hus
bands. What Is needed Is not only strict
ruling on pending cases , but a thorough purg
ing of the pension list. The first practical
stop which congress should take to purge the
pension role of the fraudulent names which
dishonor It Is that of publishing tbo entire
list , of pensioners. Then would It readily be
known what names arc properly and what
names are improperly on It.
VVIIOOI'IXR FOIL SPOILS.
New York 'Mall and Express ( rep. ) : Those
able lepubllcan congrciumcci > who are prepar
ing to attack 'Jie civil service law protest
that they want to reform It , but they are not
slsicere. Their real purpose Is to def crm it.
Kansas Cit-yi Star ( ind. ) : None of the op-
posers , contemners end enemies of tbo civil
service system In congress , either of the
bolder democratic or the more covert and cau
tious republican variety , appear to under-
stiMd that tJiey are running without being
sent , and that while they are representatives
of tbo people they are acting In this matter
without any popular wl.yi or warrent. There
has been nowhere uny expression of pcpular
discontent with the civil service law , or any
demand for Its repeal or even modification.
Boston Trmscript ( rep. ) : Civil service re
form liaa aurvlvcdi many attacks and will
survive many more. In the present attack
It Is noticeable that It originates in that
element of tbo Ohio republicans wh o are as
much In opposition to the president as they
dare be , nnd who 'inherit the traditions of
hostility to him which had their start in
Ohio politics. We are glad to note that in
the published list of the Grcovenor following
the name of no Massachusetts member is
found. The task of defending the merit
system and the administration on the floor
of the bouse has devolved upcn Mr. Moody
of this state , uho In point of ability \a \ a
match for many Grcavenois.
Nov.- York Herald ( hid. : Mr. Cleveland's
conirlbullctis to civil service * reform , though
not the earliest , were among the most con
siderable. I'ri.3UUiit McKlnloy In fliin re-
tcDt mcssago declared In the mo > st unflinch
ing terms his adhesion to the principle und
practice of civil service reform. Here ,
therefore , are two presldori.s la succession ,
of two opposing parties , who have given
Uicir solemn tanc-.lon ito this ruin cf admln-
ist ! ' 'tlvo ' conduct. It la Idle for Colcoel
Giosvenor or anybody else to think ho is
goir > g to reverse It or set up his personal
vlons or Intorciitcd motives against the
leader of his party and the declared will
cf 'tho t.utlcr.i , as represented by the- leaders
of bofh parties. The mutineers might pc -
slbly Kcuitle the ship ; to command It or to
change Hu course Is beyond 'them. '
Philadelphia , Press ( rep ) : The president
has acte.l In a thoroughly straightforward
manner oa this ( civil service ) question. lie
IIPS undertaken to carry out the plain pur
pose of the party platform by extending the
opcratlcn of the law , and In doing BO bo
bis established popular confidence In the In
tention of the party to carry out its > pleden
la good faith. To do otherwise would bo to
discredit the party and make Its platform
e".eclaratlori8 a mockery. In view of the posi
tion taken Ly President McKlnlcy and his
recognition of the blnd'ng force of a party
detlaratian on so Important a subject It la
difficult to see what these objecting con-
grr-amea expect to accompl'fih. They coulcl
hardly hope , even snoiila tney get a , bill
through congress to make holes In the law
that the- president would approve It. Hut
It Is far from probable that such a measure
can pass , Involv'ag , as such action does , tbo
repudiation by a majority In each houao of
the party platform. The meeting on Satur
day was encouragingly t'ir.all ' , and In that
respect significant.
PKItSO.VAIAM ) orilHUWISH.
There Is a rumor that the Hungarian Ham
has disturbed the concert of the powers.
Ambassador Hay has declined moro thai
fifty Invitations to make public bpeechcs ir
' KngU-nd.
After all , ox-Secretary Herbert seems to
have come out best In the Kentucky christen
ing episode. Ho is a bottle of whisky ahead
General Datuioy II. Maitry , the oldefit nur
vlvlng confedoiato officer In Virginia , has ap
piled to the state legislature for a pension.
A Kansas editor In announcing the arrival1
of a new baby at his homo says : "Wo would
not take $10.000 for this ono nor glvo CO
e-onts for another. "
The small boy Is now mentally discussing
thu advisability of tying vp the bottoms of
Mi kuco brccchcn and using them In lieu of
Christmas stockings.
Postmaster Thomas of Iloston Is ono of
tbo few really practical tndorsers of equality
of the SCXOH and > bcllevo that If a woman
does a man's work she should lecolvo n
man's pay.
Speaker Kcod Is still considering the In
vitation recently extended to him to attend
the banquet of the fiftieth anniversary of
Glrard college , Philadelphia , in January. If
ho can possibly do so ho will attend and
make an address.
Geoeral Miles has contradicted the stories
about ihls extravagant 'trip to Huropo and
crowding Admiral Miller out of his rooms at
the Queen's Jubilee , but It was scarcely nec
essary. If he had waited a little lunger they
would have been entirely forgotten.
An American who visited Illrmlngaliam ,
England , not long ago. found that In con
structing the street trolloyu there the rails
are made in 'Pittsburg , the cars In Phila
delphia , Iho boilers In Rrlo , the engines In
Milwaukee nnd tlio general electric fittings
lu Schcnectady.
According to a correspondent of the
Chicago llccord , President McKlnloy changed
his reception days from Wednesdays to
Thursdays at "the " request of a prominent
woman who complained that on Wednesdays
she hail to jnlss either her prayer meetings
01 * ho receptions ,
II. M. Stanley has returned to his old voca
tion , that of the special correspondent , Ho
Is going < o write albout the resources and
prospects of Ilbodcsla. Mr. Stanley Is al
ready ou the spot , ono of the guests at the
opening of the lUuluwayo railway. JUs
letters will appear 'In ' South Africa and will
afterward be re-published In a volutnw.
AMKU1OA.V aiANUIMCTlMlKS.
Their Superiority CnmnmiulH Hie
Worlrt'n Order * .
ITillaJclpliU ncord.
The rapid expansion of the trade In Amor-
can manufactures , and the consequent nnx-
ely in other manufacturing countries which
ire fullng the effect ot a comparatively now
but powerful competition , Just now Invests
w'th unusual Interest this line of American
udtistry. The capacity of American mills
n many lines has for a number of years
ieon In excess * t homo requirements ; slnco
1S93 a largely and steadily Increasing part
of their surplus lias liecn tllsposeiV of to advantage -
vantage to foreign consumers. 'May ' we not
entortoln the Hope that our manufacturers
will In the future bo able to hold on to Iho
: tistomcrs they have secured abroad , and ,
better still , enlarge their foreign sales on n
irolltablo basis ?
It was long thought that the high cost ot
abor In the United States made U Impossible
'
'or our mill owners to seriously compete
with the mill products of dJngland. Franco
iml Germany , where lower wages wcto imld ;
> ut new Inventions methods and conditions
uivo within recent years wrought wonderful
ihangcs In manufacturing. Labor Is a much
ess Important Horn In the cost of mill prod
ucts thnn It was twenty years ago ; modern
machines have mndo sweeping reductions in
ho number of operatives required , and In
many Instances have entirely supplanted
skilled labor ; the mechanical cost of steam
power alone has been reduced GO per cent ,
nnd the coat of fuel nearly as much ; a plant
that cost $100,000 to build and equip fifteen
or twenty years ago may now bo duplicated
wlthjnndcrn appliances for halt the money ,
and with an equal working force the modern
plant will turn out twlco as much product
as the old ono produced ; Interest on 'bor- '
roved capital is less than formerly , and Im
proved methods and facilities have greatly
reduced the cost of selling nnd marketing
all klnJs of goods.
All of these things favor the American
manufacturer and enable htm to enter mar
kets that were wholly tnacccslhlo to him In
former years. AVhen account Is also taken
of the acknowledged superiority of many ot
our mechanical appliances , of our methods ,
of our working people , and of our cheap In
ternal transportation , which Is cheaper than
tl'.it of auy other country. It Is not strange
that the products of our mills should be mak
ing their way In igiowing quantities Into the
markets of other countries. The future is
likely to broaden rather than to nairow the
opportunities of our mill owners , and we
are of the opinion that they may safely
count on n still greater expansion of their
foreign trade.
WAXTKI ) V IIAXICIU'PTCY I < .V\V.
Deniniut for n Menxiire JitHt Alike to
UK-blur nniC Creilltor.
I'hllndflplila Tlmos.
Every congress during the last ten yearn
has had a majority of both branches favorable
to the enactment of a general bankrupt law
and each succeeding congress exhibited moro
Interest In the passage of such a bill that
any of Us predecessors , but as yet uo bank
rupt law has been enacted.
There Is omo prejudice against a bank
rupt law arising from the single fact tha
hitherto such laws have been passed only
In times of general indebtedness and severe ,
business paralys's , and they were enactci
wholly In the Interest of debtors. All sucl
laws have been greatly abused and reactlor
of public sentiment Invariably dcmandet
their repeal. As yet this government has
never passed a bankrupt law that was In
tended for the mutual interest of debtor am
creditor.
Today a bankrupt law Is not specially
needed for debtors. On the contrary , It Is
qulto as much needed for creditors as It Is
for the debtor class , and It Is a propitious
tlmo to Inaugurate a well-digested , compre
hensive and thoroughly equitable law regu
lating the estates of bankrupts.
The conflicting provisions of the various
states for the collection of debts , and the
serious obstacles which often Interpose to
prevent the enforcement of claims of foreign
creditors against the resident debtors , greatly
hinder trade between the different states , and
only by a uniform bankrupt law can creditors
and debtors generally be put on a thoroughly
fair and just footing. Such a law is needed In
the int'ercsts of business and trade and cc-n-
gress should carefully consider the question
and enact such a statute bcforo the close of
tbo present session ,
M13IH IKSM > XS TO M3AUV.
Me-vleo us n Si-bool for AninU-lirH In
Pint I'Miumelerlnn : .
il'hllailclphln Times ( ilem. )
William J. Qlryan is now on a visit to
Mexico , and we hope that bo will make very
careful inquiry Into the conditions of the
most prosperous of nil Iho free sliver na
tions of the world. ( Mexico has the largest
circulation of money per capita of any free
silver country , and It is not one-fifth the
circulation per capita of money In the United
States.
When it Is .remembered that a dollar In
Mexico Is worth less than half a dollar here
and that the entire amount of money In
clidilation there Is only a fraction over $1
per head , While It Is $23 per head in the
United States.jiiid when it Is consIJoroa1 , a'so ,
that 'Mexico is In all respects the most ad
vanced and prosperous cf the free silver
rations , there Is no place whoreMr. . Uryan can
r.'tudy the money questlen from a practical
standpoint with more profit. In point of
fact the circulation of money in 'Mexico , so
far as producing qualities are Involved , Is
less than one-tenth the circulation of money
in the United States.
One ot Mr. Brian's first lessons In Mexi
can finances was had at the San Atlono
bank , where bo exchanged $300 In American
n'one-y and recolvoi ! ' therefor $1,090 In Mexi
can money. If ho had given 500 American
legal tender dollars , ns ho could have done
In exchange for the $1,090 of Mexican money
and received .Mexican sliver dollars In re
turn , ho would have had more than double
the nmount tn silver nt Its Intrinsic value ,
and yet ho coulcl purchtso less thnn h lf
what could , bo bought by the same number
ot American dollars containing less of the
> roclou9 mctnl ,
When gold and silver were at a parity e i
.ho Imls of 16 to 1 Mexico provided ( or
ho free- coinage of silver and gold , nnd
Iho principal gold piece was Just equal to
$1G In silver Since Iheo sliver has gradu
ally declined until long ago gold entirely
disappeared from circulation , and It U u ed
now only to make purchases and to jxty
loans In furvlgn countries where silver will
not bo received. The result Is that gold
Is entirely clImlrMted as a circulating me
dium and the people are plodding alitig In
poverty with little more than $4 per eipUa
ot money , and that worth less than KO cents
on the dollar. Kor all practical purpose *
Mexico ha llttlo moro than $2 per head ot
money , compared with $23 per heat In the
United States.
When Mr. Uryan shall have etudlcd this
le-ssoa with care ho may profitably Inqulro
whether It would bo wise lo change th
present financial policy of the United States
ajul destroy Its credit with all the civilized
nations of the world , to turn It backward
to the financial policy of Mexico. Iho best
ot all the free flllver countries , eliminate alt
our hundreds ot millions of gold In circula
tion and reduce the- purchasing power of
the remaining circulating medium to Hv 3
than one-half Its present value' . If Mr Uryan
can find anything In Mexico to enable him
to excuse bis cheap money free silver-
repudiation policy , wo shall bo glad to hear
from him when ho rcturrfl.
.HIST KOU KUV.
IndlnimpollH Jounml : "How vastly easier
It Is , " bitterly exclaimed the mini who bad
walked bark from WnnhliiKtou , "to get
worked before tlection tbun It Is to get
work nftcrl"
Uoston Transcript : Kdltb Do you think
It wrong to nay Marti ? ' "
Herlhii l'cilmp < not ; but when one * Is
vexed. Instead of siiylng "dnrn. " 1 think
It moro ladylike simply to knit OIIC'H brow ,
Detroit Journal : "To n woman , " re
marked I'ho ' observer of men and tilings ,
"the avetugo self-made man wuu'i' tn a
white pearl button sowed on blank trous
ers. "
I'nck : Urooks What do you mean by
'snylntr you will never bo ublo to pay back
tluit $ "i you borrowed from me ?
CboIIy Nose-adds I wanted to relieve your
mind , 1 can sec It IM tioublln.c you.
Chicago Tribune : Urooks T would llko to
have Hawaii annexed , but It looks as If It
would liavw to bo done by a no\t rungre s.
lllvrrn 1 condole with Dole , but I don't
believe In trying to 'con' Dole- . Will you go
away somewhere now and sit down ?
Philadelphia North American : Bon Tons
The new neighbors nro very tellnod and
esthetic.
"Are they ? "
"Yes ; they don't borrow anything but our
silver and sheet music. "
Chicago Ntws : "Mis. Jlults Is the most
courageous woman 1 know. "
"Why ? "
"She goes over and uses Dr. lllank's telephone -
phone to call ii ] ) anot'.iur doctor. "
Washington Star : "How are you getting
alonjr with your plans for polar explora
tion ? "
"First-rate. "
"Completed your arrangements for the
trip ? "
"Xo. nut I have my lecture written. "
IndlanapoV < t Journal : "My proa' grand
father on my mother's side wns ono of the
signers ot the Declaration of Indeperd ncc , "
remarked Miss Dolly Cumro\ .
"Yes. " added her mother , "and that was
tit a time when It really meant sonu-thlng
for a man to Cinvo n signed article pub
lished. "
Brooklyn Life : Old Gentleman ( dlrtitliiR
Indignant , letter ) "Sir : My stoncxsrai er ,
being1 n. lady , cannot take down xvhut I
think of you. I. being u gentleman , cannot
think It ; but you , being- neither , can easily
guess my thoughts. "
Tl MU'S 1'AHTIAMTY.
Denver Post.
I vividly recall the day long , long ago ,
Paulino. ,
When I was thirty years of age , and you
were sweet sixteen ,
An airy , merry , laughing sprite , a match
less little bud
Just bloomlnir In the lovely bo\cr of tender
womanhood.
I yet ree-all tbo grateful smile whli'h o'er
your young face Foread
Wiien I congratulated you , my hand ui > on
your bead , ,
And wished you many glad returns of that
irlad natal day ,
And breathed the lir-pn Unit all your life
might bo aa sunny ( May ,
Again In after years I gazed into your eyes
of blue
When I wns Hearing thirty-six , and you
were twenty-two ,
A lovely woman rlpo with grace , a happy
reigning queen-
All , many a heart you told me that yau d
cast away , Paulnc. !
I tnltteiU you about your years , and laugh
ingly you said
You'd Krown older ns the wheels of tlmo
bad omvaid sped.
And yet -within your pretty eyes , ns on
n printed page ,
I read the lines of clinging fear you felt of
coming age.
Anil now again wo meet. Pauline , my bead
! bald and gray ,
Tim lires of youth no longer light my cyea
with merry play1.
And yet your checkn are all aglow with
youthful , peachy llu.sh
I am not uido enough to hint you do It
with a bru.sX
Within youn eye * are traces of the jl incci
soft and bright
Which oiu-o I told you poomed to mo aa
sunbeams In tholr lliKbt ;
Ah , Father Tlmu ban bum more harsh with
me , do ir girl , than you
I now am nearly sixty-tight , you yet art
twenty-two !
Every subscriber to the
Sunday Bee of Dec. 19th
as well as every purchaser , will be presented with
a fine half tone engraving of the Grand Court of
the Transmississippi Exposition , showing
THE ENTIRE LAGOON ,
As well as all the principal buildings now being
built around the lagoon. .
The engraving is printed on fine plate paper
size 17x23 inches , and js a fine work of art.
A limited number of extra copies 3f this edi
tion will be printed and sold for 5 cents per copy
Those who desire te secure a number of these pa
pers to send to friends out of the city will do well
to leave your orders early.
A special price will be made on orders of 25
copies or more.
THE BEE PUBLISHING CO. ,
OMAHA , NK1J ,
