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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1898)
G THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : THURSDAY , DECEMBER 15 ; 1898. THE OMAHA DAILY BEE 12. HOSEWATEIt , Kdltor. PUBLISHED EVnilY MOUNINO. ' TERMS bF 8UB8C11IPTION. Dally Bee ( without Sunday ) , One Year. . $ .W Dully Bee and Sunday , Ono Year S.OO Hlx Months , 4.00 Three Months 2.00 Bundnv Bee , One Year , . , 2.W ) Baturday Bee , One Year l.W Weekly Dee , One Year 65 OFFICES. Omaha : The Bee Building. South Omaha : Singer Block , Corner N and Twenty-fourth Streets. Council Bin KB : 10 Pearl Street. Chicago : Stock Kxclmngu Bldg. New York : Toronto Court. Washington : D01 Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications rotating to news and rt.'torlnl matter should bo addressed : To i the Editor. Editor.BUSINESS BUSINESS LETTERS. Euslncm letters nnd remittances should be addressed to The Bee Publishing Com pany , Omnha. Drafts , chocks , express and postofllco money orders to bo made payanlo to the order of thp company. THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. Btato of Nebraska , Douglas County , ss. : Qcorgo B. Tzschuck , secretary of The Bee Publishing company , being duly sworn , Bays that the actual number of full ana complete copies of The Dally , Morning , Evening nnd Sunday Bee , printed during the month of November 183S , was as fol lows : i 2.-oin , is 21,4:12 : 2 21,877 17 SI.11B 8 2lHil : IS 21,07(1 4 24it : : 19 6 21,8(1. % 20 6 2B.2SB 21 25,7Ji ! : 7 2ti22 : 2 2t,281 8 . . . , : < ii 23 2.i , < ) m : 9. . : il > ,7 : 0 21 24t)27 ) 10 27,8:12 : 23 24.010 11 J,427 V 2ni2t : : 12 JI.2MJ 27 2l,8f- 13 Jl,82r. 23 211,881 14. " , HBB 29 2I.7U1 15. , 'JUO SO 21,120 Total 7-17,1:54 : 1,068 unsold and returned copies. . . . l. , U2M Net total sales . . .TUl.HOU Not dally nvcrngc 2lMi , : ! : QEOHGB B. TZSCHUCK. Sworn to before me and subscribed In my presence this 30th day of November , 1S98. N. P. FEIL , Notary Public. The trouble with the clock lu the federal building steeple Is that It Is unable to hide Its fnce behind Its hands. The farmer who etlll 1ms corn In the field , might learn a profitable- lesson by watching the lively movements of the ice man. Should the nuggesUou to furnish free beer to the army be adopted look for a rush to enlist at posts In Maine and other prohibition states. Members-elect to the legislature will find that advice Is as abundant before the session opens as will bo the com plaints after the se-sslon closes. The Omaha postage stamps will soon bo out of print , but they will always occupy a prominent position In every built postage stamp collection. The exposition exhibitor who lias not a few medals uiul diplomas to display muet Imvo failed , to see the right parties or refused to put up for re-examination and award. Chicago street cur magnates' might 1m- port a few Spanish olllclals from lia- vnim to instruct their friends In the city council on expeditious methods of awarding franchisee. The presence of a few naval vessels to back up the soldiers now lu the uriclnlty of Havana may be relied oa to have a sobering effect on turbulent spir its of the Culmn metropolis. Bt Louis is moving for an exposition In commemoration of the centennial of the Louisiana purchase. It will now be lu line for the Lincoln papers to call on the country merchants to boycott St. .Louis. The Young Woman's Christian asso ciation Midway escaped judicial injunc tions during Its brief career , though there is no tolling what might have > happened hud it continued long enough 1 , to allow the local court machinery to j , < . got In motion. ! | Why not Induce some of our wealthy I , i Ljpubllc-splrlted citizens to erect and 1 i donate an auditorium as a memorial to ' | too city after the fashion of Andrew 1 I Carncgio ? Wo feel sure the city might bo prevailed on to furnish the site } Should such an offer materialize. The Commercial club is still anxious to toke up the project for a beet sugar factory for Omaha , but the sugar ques tion Is lu abeyance pending the settle ment by congress of the annexation problem. If we are to annex free sugar there will bo no opportunity to produce 4t at home. Poor old Columbus. The women of Barcelona have boon pelting his statue ( with sticks and stones on the pretense that if ho had not discovered America their woes of these later days might Layo been uparcd. What a nice , warm reception would bo accorded the origi nal could ho but come to life again. The experience of the Japanese In Formosa is not reassuring to those who coutcmphtto the annexation of the Phil ippines. In both islands the interior Is Inhabited by savages who have never been under a nemblance of subjection , and If the cucrgctic Japanese have made any progress in that direction since they acquired Formosa it is not observable. Some of the popocratlc papers assert that should the republican legislature pass excessive appropriation bills Gov ernor Poyutcr will veto them. In the light of the estimates of what Is needed to run the state , made by popocratlc officials , this Is decidedly rich. These papers need glvo themselves no uneasi ness about the legislature exceeding the popcorn tic estimates. The king of Franco nnd 10,000 men ere said once to have drawn their ewords and put them back again. Bui that historic incident was not a clrcum etanco to the police captain who , with great bravado , proclaimed his defiance of the police board and his Intention to Ignore its authority to try him on pre ferred charges and then was promptly present at the hour eet for the hearing EFFECT OF 0/M.VOCD COXDtTIOXS. Whllo the currency rcforlners are urging an Mint suasion of the Fifty- sixth congress for the purpose of cur rency legislation , the fact Is noted that a decided change of opinion has taken place in regard to the most essential feature of the proposed reforni at fhe very center of the movement , as n result of the remarkable experiences of the past year with respect to the movements of gold. A year ago It was the pre dominant opinion In New York financial circles that at 'the earliest moment pos sible the government ought to take utops In the direction of retiring or paying off Its legal tender notes , but this opinion Is much less general thcro now nnd It Is said that many of the national bank ers do not agree with the plan sug- ge'sted by the Indianapolis currency commission , being Inclined to think that an agitation In favor of exclusive na tional bank franchises for the Issuing of paper currency will In the long run do more harm to the national banking sys tem than good. These bankers recognize the fact that the weight of publlc een- timcut la against giving the banks a monopoly of the paper money of the country and consequently they arc not urging such legislation. But the most noteworthy fact in the situation Is the effect which has been produced favorable to the legal tender notes through the inflow of gold. The'ro has been Imported during the past year , In transactions with other nations , over $100,000,000 In gold and wo are certain to Import a large quantity In the near future. There linn besides been a very considerable addition to our stock of gold from the production of our own country and Alaska. This Increase in the sup ply of the yellow metal Is said to bo causing some inconvenience In the mat ter of taking care of It nnd It actually has to be forced Into circulation. The New York clearing house , it is stated , would bo very glad , to exchange its go'ld for greenbacks Ifthe. . treasury could bo persuaded to do this. The situation Is such that the legal tenders arc regarded as more desirable for commercial , bank ing and customs transactions than the gold itself. Tills condition 1ms led many bankers to conclude that the legal tender notes fill a most Important and convenient place in our currency nystein and are besides more economical than the use of gold would be , since the handling of much gold itself entails expense. Thus financial men who used to regard the greenback as an element of peril now see In it uono of that quality , but In stead qualities that are of distinct advantage - vantage in banking and. commercial transactions , in fact , It is the opinion of KOLUO that if the movement of gold to this country continues It will be found In the near future that greenbacks are regarded as more desirable than gold and will be more carefully hoarded. It appears that the quite general senti ment In eastern financial circles Is favorable to the recommendation of President McKluley , that United States notes redeemed in gold shall bo kept and set apart nnd only paid out in ex change for gold a plan that would , at once preserve the greenbacks , and , avert the "endless chain" danger which is so great U terror to the currency re formers. 'It ' thus appears that the effect of new conditions the great increase in the last two years In the wealth of the country , the largo addition to the stock of gold , now amounting to more than $800,000- 000 , with the certainty of a still further Increase , and the advance of prosper ity , is to create sentiment in favor of retaining the legal tender notes as a part of the currency In quarters where hitherto these notes wore held to be a source of disturbance and danger. THE PRESIDENT IN THE SOUTH. President McKluley's trip to the south Is timely and will servo a good purpose. Having visited the west and participated lu the Initial peace Jubilee at Omaha , going thence to Chicago and subsequently to Philadelphia to partici pate iu similar celebrations , it is emi nently proper that he should attend the jubilee at Atlanta and giro to It the national character and dignity which it would not otherwise have. The people of the south will cordially appreciate the visit of the chief magis trate of the nation , as the reception ac corded him amply attests , while what ho will say to the people of that sec tion will tend to strengthen the senti ment of fraternity and loyalty which Mr. McKlnley has shown a most ear nest deslro to promote. The speech of the president to the Georgia legisla ture may bo regarded as fully reflect ing his feeling nnd It ought to make an excellent Impression upon the south ern people , particularly his declaration that the time has come "when In the spirit of fraternity wo ehonld share with you the care of the graves of the confederate soldiers. " Northern men will commend all that the president said on this occasion and southern men cannot fall to appreciate It It Is well that the nation's chief mag istrate should occasionally go away from the seat of government and min gle with the people. It tends to stim ulate the popular respect for the great offlco , while giving the Incumbent of that ofllco opportunity to obtain a fuller and more accurate knowledge of public feeling nnd sentiment than ho can get from the representatives of the people at the national capital. The closer the relations of the president with the people the better executive he is likely to be. COSFIDENCE. Financial confidence Is stronger now than at any other time in the last ten years and men familiar with existing conditions and who are engaged In ex tensive financial and business enter prises unqualifiedly express the opin ion that the country is entering upon an era of great prosperity. The wealth of the United Stated , already enormous , Is rapidly Increasing. There is a better domestic market for homo products now than at any previous stage of our history nud the country Is being steadily enriched by the returns from a surplus production of both manufactures and foodstuffs which is coming to be more easily and moro profitably marketed abroad. Our productive power goes on Increasing , with the result that new channels of tradu are being opened and American wealth Is being augmented from new commercial intercourse with distant peoples. And while these Im portant markets are likely to grow , making good customers for us lu all parts of the earth , wo ourselves need not depend on any foreign nation fern n supply of necessary articles. One of the foremost financiers lu the country recently uxpressed the opinion that the future 13 assured ; that no setback - back can bo other than temporary nnd of little moment. All signs , ho said , are of encouragement The financial sky Is unclouded and nothing serious really remains to obstruct our .onward march. With everything so healthy and promising In the world of finance and commerce the most gratifying prog ress Is certain to bo made In the near future. All Indications are pointing to coming widespread prosperity. This undoubtedly reflects the feeling thai pervades financial circles , the effect of which must bo to Induce capital to largo Investment iu productive enter prises nnd to the further development of the country's resources. There Is every reason to expect such a move' ment early In the coming year , greatly Increasing the demand for labor nnd through that the consumption of the products of labor. Certainly so far a.f. the financial and commercial conditions are concerned there seems no ground for anything but the most optimistic anticipations. SCHOOL Whllo discussing proposed amend' mtnts to the school laws that will cna ble the school board to reduce the In terest on outstanding warrants , It maybe bo pertinent to discuss the limitation of floating debt and the conditions under which Interest-bearing warrants are t < be Issued In anticipation of revenue. As the law now stands , there Is nc authority for Issuing warrants ngalns any revenue not actually at-sured by tax levy. Even that authority Is limited to 00 per cent of the estimated proceeds of the levy. Nowhere does the statute permit or countenance the issue ol school warrants redeemable from funds to be derived from other sources thai taxation. Although the constitution sets apart for the use of the public school all money paid for flues or licenses ami the pro rata of the state apportionment of the temporary school fund , nejthei constitution nor statute authorizes the Issue of warrants on estimates of the probable Income , to bo derived from these sources. The fact Is that no ac curate estimate of such revenue Is pos slble. No one can foretell how many flues will be Imposed by the tourts 01 what proportion of the flues will be col lectlble. No one can foretell how ninnj liquor dealers , peddlers , hucksters , etc. , will take out licenses for a future period or what Income can be depended on from license fees. Yet in violation of law and in the absence of all au thority our school boards have regu larly Issued warrants bearing 7 per cent interest over and above the tax levy In anticipation of other- future revenue. ' This policy has been fraught 'wltli ' 'serious consequences. . So long aswar routs nro' ' Issued without limit , cither to bridge over deficits or to moot cur rent expenses , , the temptation to ex travagance and wastefulness cannot bt overcome. It means a constantly In creasing floating debt nnd periodic bond Issues to take up outstanding warrants The excuse for refunding bonds Is the saving on interest , but tlfo wiping out of one batch of warrants Is speedily fol lowed by the Issue of another. What la needed at the hands of the legislature Is a positive prohibition of the Issue of warrants unless there IE money In the treasury to pay them era a tax levy made to meet thorn. The overissue.of warrants should Involve penalties both as against members ol the school board and their sureties the same as-is contained in the city chartoi against members of the council and their bondsmen. It goes without saying that If the various school boards had lived up tt the letter and spirit of the law there would bo no outstanding warrant in dcbteduess nnd the question of the In terest rate for school warrants wouli be without importance. The decision ot the case of the Na tional Mutual Building and Loan asso ciation against Keeny , recently passed upon by the supreme court , will bo ol Interest to hundreds of people In Ne braska who have been victimized by the sharp practices of foreign building and loan associations which have operated in Nebraska , It is In effect that any payment in excess of the principal and 10 per tfent Interest is usurious. These institutions nro properly held to be or ganized for gain without the element ol mutuality which entitles them to spe cial privileges enjoyed by associations organized under the statutes of Ne braska. Foreign building nnd loan as sociations are now so regulate * ! as to protect Investors so that this declsior will afford relief to those who unfortu nately borrowed under the cutthroal plan which the earlier occupants of the field operated without Interfering wltt the business of legitimate organizations either domestic or foreign. It Is announced by men close to the president that In case Secretary Bliss resigns the position will bo given to western man. Most business whlcl : comes before the secretary of the In terior relates to western matters and II has always been maintained that the office should bo filled by a man per sonally familiar with the conditions am needs of this great section of the conn try. The great trausmlssovri countrj has always had scant recognition ir cabinet construction and its pcopli would certainly rejoice should the prediction diction prove true. From the debate over the NIcaragui canal bill it develops that there an several people lu this country who know a good thing when they see It. The struggle of various syndicates to- induce the government to'furnish the money t ( dig a canal for them promises to be In terestlng. When private Individual ! furnish money to put an enterprise or Its feet they generally Insist on reaping the profits of thp Investment. It Is not apparent why the United States should furnish the capital to line the pockets of speculators. Physicians arc Just as subject to make mistakes ns other people. The physi cians who have been treating smallpox casua hero and elsewhere under diag nosis as other diseases can do better by coming out nnd facing the situation rather than by persisting In professing superior knowledge. In the Interval It may be Interesting1 to note that It re mained for the city health department of Omaha to disclose the true nature of the disease , trace Its origin and In augurate the proper measures to stamp It out Faith In Omaha has wrought wonders In the past and faith in Omaha will work greater wonders In time to come. At no time has there been greater rea son for an abiding faith in Omaha's future ou the part of the people who reside here or have property Interests here than at present , when Omaha la moro favorably known abroad than ever. Let everyone keep a firm grip on faith. Hot New * from Mnilrld. Indianapolis News. One of the Madrid papers the Imparclal , we believe Informed Its readers In oil seriousness , some tlmo ago , that President McKlnley was a naturalized Chinaman , havIng - Ing been born at Canton ! ItlKht Kind of Kxiiiiimloil. Globe-Democrat. Exports of manufactures for every month this year have broken all previous records At the present rate of Increase the forelgr demand for American manufactured article ! will soon reach $1.000,000 a day. Tovrerlntr 1'Mmnre In Ocrninu HUtory , NtW ! York Commercial. Over 300,000 copies of the Blsmwck me moirs have been ordered In advanto In Ger many , a fact whlph suggestively attests thai In the Teutonic Imagination the colossal outlines of Us chief historic figure hkvo nol become dim. Not only so , but It may bt questioned whether the popular estimate ol him Is lowered by the survival of prejudices and opinions fiercely antagonistic to Bis marck during his life. Doublr ndntlon of .Senators. Baltimore American. The proof of the position that Unltef States senators should not be appointed or commissions- given In the Instance of Senator - tor Gray , one of the ablest men of the sen ate. He Is not in favor of the new policy , he says , but he will vote for the treaty In the senate because his name will bo signed to It as one of the peace commlssloneis That double relation Is evidently not a healthy condition for the best politics. SupitrmnliiK a Oooil Thlnsr. Springfield Republican. The Hawaiian commissioners made haste particularly to close up the postal savings banks of the Islands , In their submitted scheme of government. It seems to have been regarded as a dangerous Innovation. Shall Porto Illco , then , be admitted to United States sovereignty with Its public telegraph and telephone service ? The very thought of such a thing is enough to sus pend the next quarterly dividends of the Western Union and Bell monopolies. Pension New. YorknTrlbune , In ordering the dlsbajnient of a lot of pen sion lawyers , andrfortjj dlng them to prac- tlco before his department the secretary ol , the Interior meets' . & < s"Sij6ws' of the public at large and performs an act of delayed justice. The fate of tno preliminary squad thus dropped overboard assur'cdly ' awaltfl others of t'ne-lr ' kind bf equally flagitious practices , and there Is no doubt 'anywhere tlat ; as applied 'to their deso-vlngV nobody qualified to render Judgment HI pronounce It a misfit. ' ' _ _ Autl-K.-vpniiMlon I" Dniclnnd. London Truth. A craze , like a fever , grows and growa until It has attained UB climax. Then It gradually dwindles out. There ore signs that the tide has turned In our Jingo craze , The newspapers still bang the war drum and curse all those . .who dare to protest against the Infatuation. Our "statesmen" still fancy that they can secure popularity by augmenting our armaments and bj swagger. But the tstlll , small voice ol common sense" Is beginning to make Itsell heard. Perpetual crises abroad , and the starvation of all schemes for social better ment at homo , are exercising their Influence , There Is an uneasy fecillng that we are rendering ourselves ridiculous by celebrat ing a victory over a crew of savages armed with spears and 'boomerangs , as though Waterloo had been eclipsed. People a beginning to ask what empires In tropical I Africa are worth now that -we have got them. As It was -with the Hooley companies -and , oher ( such undertakings , so it will be with the Jingo craze. The "boom" will soon be out of If and wo shall wonder how we a business , practical nation can ever have allowed ourselves to be fooled by news papers In search of sensation , and by "statesmen" who are to politics what Mr , Hooley was to commercial enterprise. HAWAII AND POSTAfc BANKS. Flmt Open Move to lllocU Their En- tablUIuueiit In tlie United State * . Chicago Record. There has been la operation In ttoe Ha- Italian islands slnco 1886 a postal savings bank system. The deposits at the present tlmo amount to something over $1,000,000 , MlUch IB about $10 per capita of the popula tion. Among the bills presented to congress by the president's Hawaiian commission la ono abolishing the postal savings bank sys tem In the Islands and providing for clos ing up the affairs of the Institution by mak ing repayment of deposits as soon as prac ticable. The postal savings bank Is a civilizing In stitution of great value to peisons In a back ward stage of development , as are many ol the residents of Hawaii. In depriving those persons of an institution for encouraging frugality , thrift and Industry , therefore , the United States Is taking from the Hawallans a civilizing agency that It should seek to encourage rather than to destroy. If thla nation Is going Into the business of annexing alien peoples In tao name of humanity , and for the benefit of the annexed , It Is making a poor beginning by taking from them even such civilizing agencies as they now pos- In fairness it roust not be supposed that the Hawaiian commission recommended to congress the abolition of the Hawaiian postal savings bank system because It la opposed to postal savings banks on principle , Doubtless It was actuated by motives of ad ministrative expediency. If the United States postal system la to bo extended to the Hawaiian Islands the requirements of uniformity would seem to make necessary the abolition ot features of the Hawaiian postal system not In harmony with our own system. What congress ought to do Is ID pass a bill establishing the postal bank sys tem In connection with the postofllce depart ment of the whole United States. Then all territory within the Jurisdiction of the United States , Hawaii Included , would bave the benefit of his civilizing Institution , which should prove of great value In pre paring for self-government residents oJ Islands recently brought under control ol the United States. Tll PDACH TUB AT Y. Indianapolis Journal ! The American peace commissioners may have not made much nolto In Paris , but they Imvo nindo material changes In the map of the norld. DuffaTo Exprcw : Happy Is Spain , for she has shaken off some of her heaviest burdens ! Well may Americans pray for wladom In dealing with their new and great responsi bilities ! Courier-Journal : Although the country In not yet technically at pence , It la actually so , nd all citizens hope that no further hostlrl- tlfs will follow In consequence of the acqul- iltlon of now territory. There will bo tome difficulty , of course , III settling the status of the people who Inhabit these Islands , but experience reads us to believe that we shall find a peaceful nay out of It , Minneapolis Journal : The signing of the treaty of peace means a new Impetus * of the national life along the ringing grooves of triumphant progress. The national Ameri can spirit cannot bo retrograded. It la not Its nature to bo so. It will not shrink from the responsibilities of a world-power , and , certainly , being a world-power does not mean that the nation must bo a vain brag gart , going about challenging others to knock a chip off his shoulder. Philadelphia Record : The signature of the treaty of peace between Spain and the United States at Paris last week gave occa sion for an undignified exhibition of the souvenir hunting mania on the part of the friends of the American commissioners. A lively contest for the privilege of obtaining the pens with which the document should be signed had been on between the souvenir fiends for seine ttmo previous to the final consummation of the work ot the commis sion , and the American delegates had been provided with handsome and expensive pens , purchased for the express purpose of be coming relics. The Incident was ridiculous and mortifying mortifying because of the complacency with which the American com missioners permitted themselves to become the prey of the would-be-owners of "historic treasures , " and ridiculous because the sou venir hunters Imagined that any possible value could attach to made-to-order relics. Philadelphia Times : The fly In the oint ment In the Paris treaty case will bo the Philippines and the payment of $20,000,000 for their possession. Under former condi tions It would have been better for oui government to pay 120,000,000 to escape the possession of the Philippine Islands , but under the new conditions precipitated bj our war with Spain , the Philippines ore worth moro than ten times $20,000,000 to us oven on a commercial basis , for they could bo disposed of for more than that amount ; but our government has been compelled by the Inexorable logical events to accept higher and broader duties which have closely Interwoven us with the great civil ized governments of the world , and we must keep step with the new destiny that baa been given us. A1IMV New York Times : General Miles' bill Is In part discredited by Us author's evident purpose to multiply offices of high rank and pay. But that Is comparatively a small1 mat ter. The fact which ought to secure the prompt condemnation of both bills , as they stand , Is that no precautions : whatever are taken to enforce the appointment of the new officers by merit. Apparently , it is to go merely by favor. That Is to say , the choice of t\vo thousand-odd officers Is to bo a mere pleco of "patronage. " Springfield ( Mass. ) Republican : The chief point of superiority which the Miles bill pos sesses Is Its provision for dctalHng officers of the line to serve certain periods In the vari ous staff departments. The Hull bill la stu pidly bad in effecting not even that reforni In the present Inefficient staff. It the larger regiments of the Hull bill could be combined with the better staff arrangements ot the Miles bill In short , it the two measures could be welded together with the. best points of each the new and larger army would certainly be some Improvement upon the old one , despite the failure to reach the best standards ot organization. Kansas City Star : General Miles , In de fense of his proposal to revive thef titles ot general and lieutenant general , reminded the house committee on mlltary affairs that , under the present system , Generals Meade , Hancock and Thomas had gene to their graves without suitable recognition. This statement may not be contradicted and it will be admitted that the biographies ot thoao great American soldiers would have been properly rounded out had they gene down to history aa something more than major generals of the United States army. However , the opposition to the restoration of these titles exists , not so much because there Is any wish to Interfere with the ade quate recognition ot General Miles and Gen eral ! Merrltt as because of a Jealous regard for the extreme dignity nnd luster of thewe ranks. Congress and the nation Jealously guard the character of the honor conferred upon such mighty American heroes as Wash ington , Scott , Grant , Sherman and Sheridan. It will bo well nigh impossible to revive and confer these ranks. PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE. Senator Galllnger calculates that the pen sions on account of the latest war will amount to between $15,000,000 and $20,000- 000 In the very .near future. Galllnger is at the head ot the pensions committee and is an expert on the subject. On November 6 , the fifth anniversary of the death ot Tschalkowsky , the Russian com poser , a monument to him was unveiled In the foyer of the conservatory of St. Peters burg. It Is a full length marble figure of the master , larger than life size. The czar of Russia is rather proud of his tenor voice , which la good and well trained , and recently at a musical party he said his enemies might say many harsh and unkind things of him , but "I defy them to say I cannot sing as weir as the best of them. " Joseph Letter has gone Into compressed air , having obtained control for foreign coun tries of the Hoadley-Knlght patents. Thcro Is probably too much of the raw material for him to attempt a corner of the compressed product , so the Item Is somewhat lacking in general Interest. Judge John M. Smith , who assumed the circuit bench at Portland , Ind. , recently , was at ono time a section hand on the Panhandle road. Whllo working at any kind of manual labor he could obtain be studied law , and be fore being elected circuit Judge had a lucra tive practice at the Jay county bar. An Irishman who stands high in the favor of the czar of Russia bears the Rusalanlzed name of General O'Brutecheff , which IB a corruption ot that of O'Uryan. He Is the chief ot the general staff of the Russian army and one ot the trusted advisers ot the czar , who has loaded him with honors and decorations. Dr. G. C. Spltzka , the alienist , declares his disbelief in the existence of any disease like kleptomania , which causes women to Indulge in the form of theft known as shoplifting , which Just now appears to bo epidemic In New York. Ho does admit , however , that the tempting displays ot the shop * appeal strongly to women of weak mtndi , and that ono in one hundred shoplifters may be In sane. icnois ov THH WAII. The government Is running up against several hard propositions since expansion be- carao a national fixture. Ono of thcso Is the difficulty of securing telegraph operators for the signal corps tor work in Cuba and Porto Rico. Operators who Joined the corps during thp war did eo with assurance ot reemployment ment by the telegraph company. These offers are about to bo withdrawn. Recently nn effort was made In Washington to get recruits , but when the prospective signal men learned that they would bo obliged to enlist , pay $17 a month , they gave the re- milling officer a Calgary stare and softly whistled , "I Don't Love You Any Moro. " The Internal troubles of the Seventy-first New York volunteers nro likely to receive an official airing , and the sooner the better. Ever slnco the regiment returned from Santiago there have been muttcrlngs of ft storm , which culminated in a public letter signed by two line officers , charging Colonel Town and Major Whittle with cowardice at the battle of San Juan. Thcso accusing officers give the first candid explanation ot the circumstance which provoked the Im putation of fright to the regiment as n whole. The facts related by them are In substance as follows : The regiment , with the Sixth and Sixteenth United States In fantry , formed an assaulting column , ' which was to go up the hill from the fork In the rend Just beyond the creek. The Sixth was the attacking line , the Sixteenth the sup port and the Seventy-first the reserve. AH were on hand at the designated place at an early hour , but the fluid and staff officers ot the Seventy-first were not to bo scon , and It Is now said they were two miles In the rear. At the appointed tlmo the Sixth started up the hill , then the Sixteenth started off at Its proper Interval. The flro of the Spaniards now reached the place where the Seventy-first was waiting and they had to Ho down. So they were situated , waitIng - Ing for orders to advance , when the brigade which was to attack on their left came ovut the cruek. Two white regiments passed them , asking what was the matter , and then came the Twenty-fourth ( negro ) regiment. These men said to the men of the Seventy- first that if they had no officers to lead them they could go along with the Twenty- fourth. AH these remarks aroused the men of the Seventy-first to the position in which they had been placed , and , without a major or a colonel , or any direct orders to ad vance , they went up the hill by companies. A new version of Dewey's historic halt for breakfast on May morning is given In Harpcr'8 Weekly. It la stated by that au thority that the "real cause for drawing off was that the Olympla had only fifteen pro jectiles left for her big guns , and that aa scon as the fleet got around the point a now apportionment of ammunition was made , and then the fight went on. It Is also stated that when the fight was over there were only thirty big-gun projectiles left. With these , and no more to fall back on , Admiral Dewey sat down and waited , the German admiral , kind man , keeping him company , from May 1 until Juno 28 , when the Baltimore arrived with ammunition. " A correspondent of Harper's Weekly , speaking from experience , declares that a swell dinner In a Puertorlqueno homo Is a trying gastronomic ceremony. Tbo menu Is made up of astonishing viands , and the dishes seem to follow no conventional se quence in their procession to the table. Soup Is as apt to bo the second or third dish , aa the first. Roast beef and beefsteak are served at most unheard-ot moments. The disastrous effect of a meat diet In tropical climes has been dwelt upon by medical ex perts , yet at ono dinner no less than eight meat dishes were , served combinations of bacon , of ham , of _ kidney , ot beef , and of chicken. The following Is the menu ot a dinner given to > two Americans by a rich sugar planter : Juried 'eggs and two fried corn- cakes. Vegetable soup filled with garlic. "Gondlnga" ( a hash made ot chopped kid neys and liver , seasoned with garlic and split olives ) . Larded beef , cooked Julceless and'hard , flavored with garlic and oil. Beef steak , onions , and garlic , fried in oil , and served in overdone fragments. Potatoes , sweetand , Irish. Rice and scrambled eggs. Guava Jelly iu rectangular blocks. Cocoanut - nut and brown sugar. American apples and cream cheese. Coffee and cigars. Cham pagne. IMPERIALISM COMICS HIGH. to Conduct the Nation' * llunliirm. Detroit Free Press. Secretary Gage has sent to congress his estimates of the cost of conducting the na tional government for the fiscal year , end ing June 30 , 1900. The grand total Is the snug sum of $393,048,378 , or about $1,623,000 a day for the whole year. A comparison of this total with that of the previous fiscal year shows an Increase of over $130,000.000. The war with Spain , however , has caused the estimated expen ditures for 1899 to fall $346,000,000 short of the actual appropriations for this fiscal period , the estimated expenditure * having been , la round numbers , but $462,000,000 , and the actual amount expended $803,000,000. Most of this extraordinary outlay wa * of course upon the army and navy. But It Is evident from a comparison of the military and naval itemi In Mr. Gage's estimates for 1900 with those of 1899 that an extraordinary expenditure upon our army and navy in tlw current fiscal year is to become an ordinary expenditure hereafter. A year ago the secretary told congress that $24,620,043 would be enough for the army , and $29,929,539 for the navy. He now esti mates that the former establishment will require $145,119,431 In 1900 and the latter $39,114.652. An an imperial power we roust not be surprised at this remarkable increase in the cost of conducting the nation's business. Our military and naval establishments , es pecially the former , must bo on a much larger scale from thla time forth , even when they are on a peace footing. Pos sibly , even with the six-fold Increase in the figures for the military establishment , the secretary's estimates will fall short of the reality. Possibly the expense to the Ameri can people of maintaining a military es tablishment In the Philippines will bo even greater than Is now being provided for. Bui whatever It may cost us to pacify and hold in subjection our new colonies the people will have to foot the bill. If Imperialism comes high wo can console ourselves with the reflection that we have become ono of the "world powers" along with England and Germany and Russia. To a policy of expansion in product and price both no ono objects , and this Is today visibly in progress with , as yet , no check in the expansion of exports. December a year ago passed all records with merchandise exports of $125,053,961 , of which $3 In $5 , or $73.047,998 , were surplus. New York exports are slightly larger than last year for De cember , as far as reported , and Imports are no greater. For this month the aggregate and the balance may exceed fast year. The current exports certainly do. Cotton ex ports for the first week in December were Makes the food more delicious and wholesome . . > , t YOUK. 72,89 ! ) bales grfntcr than n year Ago. Wheat exports from both coasts for the same week are 000,000 bushels greater , nnd corn exports aie buy,000 bushrli more. The ttmo Changs la taking place all along the lino. Uoforo In boom > ears , In 1690-1882 , la 1690-1802 , and still moro earlier , when pros * parity came imports mounted and the bal ance of trade was wiped out. Tb.li De cember Imports do not rUc , and Instead gold Imports seem certain ou a great scale. Dank loans increased In Now York last week $4- 61,900 , but deposits rose still more , $7- 262,200 , and "lawful money" $3,747,500. Such nil Increase marks both Urge pay ments from the Interior and the expansion of business in New York , Itself duo to a buoyant and advancing itock market. This has risen with steady , unvarying advance ilnco election and heavy foreign sales due to the Gorman stringency make no altera tion In the appreciation of all securities , particularly those of the cheaper grades. Thin remarkable combination of an un precedented trade at home- , largo exports , small ImportB , gold arrivals nnd a pro digious bank expansion at low rates have had no pir.illel In our commercial history. Its effect creates such prosperity ai the land has never seen. POLISHED TO A POINT. Somcrvllle Journal : A boy Brows tip Btralghter If ho Is bent over hi mother's knee Judiciously every now nnd then. Chicago Tribune : Caller Ah , Horace , how do you do ? Whore Is your father ? Yountr Son ( of literary celebrityHo' In the library , pullln * oft u sonnet. IndlannpoltR Journal : "The young1 mnn who buys his sweetheart 'usjful presents. ' " p.ild the Cornfed 1'hllosopher , "Is making a mistake us far as the Klrl In Involved , but It makes him solid with the old folks.1 Detroit Free Press : "How does It happen , Jane , " mapped < ho anury mis tress , "that I saw you feeding that police man pumpkin pie In the kitchen last oven- Inu ? " "I furffot ter plug the keyhole , mum. " Boston Transcript : Mrs. Io Count of Chicago ( calling on Mrs. Stlmlcton of Uos- ton ) I suppose , of course , you have a telo- plione lu your house ? Mrs. S. Oh , my duar Mrs. lye Count , \vo use direct thought-transference ; we Imvo a speaking tube. Chicago Tribune : "I see you've got your lightning' rod up for ofllco again , " said the friend of the candidate. "The lightning rod , " replied the candi date , who was n matter-of-fact Bert of t.y man , "Is ono of the exploded humbugs of . the past. What I'm trylnji to do Is to get my trolley poles up for the office. " Washington Star : "You say , " remarked the pedestrian , "that you have vainly wlnhed for work. " _ "Many a time , " answered Meandering "What Is your favorite occupation ? " "It all depends on where I happen to be. In Oregon It's plckln' bananas and In Flori da it's shovclln' snow. " I Chicago Post : "They say ho la weak * minded. " \ \ ell , " returned the one who knew him , replying to this Imputation , "I will admit that he Is something of a fool , but we have not entirely abandoned hope. He never has entered himself In a six-day race and ho never has tried to see how many centuries ho could ride In a year or a month or even a week. " CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. , y Somervllle Journal. a Hunting for a Christmas present For each blooming friend you know la a tusk tnat'B far from pleasant When your funds are running low. It Is hard to make selections That with Joy all hearts will thrill When you've got to make twelve sections Of a lone ten-dollar bill. People's wants are eo extensive i ; , ' That they 1111 you with despair. ' 1 { ] ' They all hope for gifts expensive , \ They don't know how 111 they'll farel 1 If you have a lot of money , U Buying presents la great sport , But It's anything but funny . . . , . When your bank account la short. ' " " * Through the crowded stores you huitls. Almost of all hope bereft , ' HH'ti ed bv the-ceaseless bustlerfl , Pricing things and getting loft. . t- Chrlstmastlde may bo a season ' "i--fV Of traditional good will , i < ! < < ; But It'a hard to buy twelve presonti With a lone ten-dollar bill I ' Practical Holiday Gifts They are here the kind that please and satisfy the kind that guarantee physical comfort and tickle the fancies of fashionable minds. They are here in bewildering profusion. Everything handsome , stylish and , useful that pertains to men's and boys' attire The next ten days will be bristling , vigor ous days at our store and it seems to us that the proper time to pre pare is NOW. See Our Show Windows. 1 Then come in and make your selections. Don't wait to be jos tled about in the crowd.