Nebraska Newspapers

    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.