Nebraska Newspapers

    THE OMAHA DAILY REE : AVEPXESDAV , JATSTATIY 12-1 , 15K)0. )
TIIE QMAIIADAILY PER
PUBLISHED EVERY MO1IN1NG.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. . .
Dally Bee ( wlthoJt Sunday ) , One Year. .JS.w
Dally Bee and Sunday , One Year 8.00
Dally , Sunday and Illustrated , Ono Yenr S.2S
Hunday and Illustrated , Ono Year 2.26
Illustrated Bee , Ono Year ! [
Uundny Bee , One Year 2.00
Saturday Bee , Ono Year 1-W
Weekly Bee , Ono Year 05
OFFICES.
Omaha : The Bco Building. . . _ .
South Omaha : City Hall Building ,
Twentr-flfth and N streets.
Council Blurts : 10 Penrl street.
Chlia. . 1610 Unity Building.
New \ork : Temple court.
Washington : 501 Koartecnth Street
CORRESPONDENCE.
Communications relating to news and edi
torial matter should be addressed : Omaha
Be * , Editorial Department.
BUSINESS LETTERS.
Business letters and remittances should
bo addressed : The IJco Publishing Com
pany , Omaha.
Omaha.REMITTANCES.
REMITTANCES.
Remit by draft , express or postal order , .
payable to The Bco Publishing Compnnj.
accepted In payment or
Only 2-ccnt stamps
checks , except on
mall accounts. Personal
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THE BEI3 PUBLI8U1NOCOMP. _ . '
STATEMKXT OF CIRCULATION.
Btnto of Nebraska , Douglas County , ss. :
George B. TzHchuck. secretary ot The Ueo
Publishing Company , being duly sworn ,
nays thnt the actual number or full and
coinplc i copies of Tlio Dally , Morning.
Kvcnls" nnd Sunday Bee. printed during
the -.r.i.i c : Doc-ember , 1K . was as fol
lows :
1 21,700 17 85 , tNB
2 BUB , < > 18 S4SHB
3 lSrv Tr IB 84,7 tO
4 8 I.IKIO JO 84/101)
D B..ODO 21 81,450
6 B7ir.i 22 Sl.iUO
7 B 1,000 23 81,080
8 Z3.-MS 24 8II , 7O
B 1M.BOO 2C 811,700
10 85i : < > o 20 Bl.aSO
11 B IIOO 37 84,800
12 81,880 23 aiuo :
33 S5,00t : S4,4UO
14 B.-inB so BIBH : >
IB 1M.-IIO 31 BB.4UO
10 84,460
Total TT'MI2fl
Less unsold and returned copies. . . . lls..i
Net total sales .7 8lfl8 , (
. 'i , < ) .
Net dally average
Subscribed and sworn before mo this 1st
day of January , A. D. 1J5wIU >
IU > jaATE
( Seal. ) Notary Public.
Knglnnd would give cousltUn-ablc just
now for Boinc ono to Bimrnntee nn
"open door" to the Tmnsvniil.
From the clmructer of the reports
from Boer sources It is evident the Kng-
llsh lilockiulo has shut off the supply
of blue pencils in the burgher camps.
A census supervisor for the Oninliu
district 1ms Dually been conllrmed , but
the appointment of enumerators will
not be made for several months , BO that
there Is still lime to get on the waiting
list.
The school board Investigating com
mittee is locating the leaks in the outgo
of the board. Another committee would
iind room for equally effective work In
locating the leaks In the income of the
board.
Senatorial orators arc getting in good
practice for the coming' national cam
paign. At the present rale there Is a
bare possibility they may be over
trained by the time the battle actur.Ily
commences.
The construction of a series of subur
ban electric railroads is the most
promising project for the people of
Omaha. The business men should take
It up and refuse to let go until the rail
roads materialise.
The municipal election comes on
March ( i , when we 1mvp no doubt the
weather man will furnish a sample of
good winter weather to keep the elec
tion olllcers busy shoveling coal into
the stoves set up In the election booths.
Colonel liryan did not llnd as large
chunks of democratic harmony in New
York an ho had been led to believe.
The silver pill is too large to pass down
this political larynx of men reared in
tlie democratic cradle of Tildeu and
Cleveland.
That seal-cleaning contract was a
: good thing from the start , lint It must
j ! have become better when the friends
1 and relatives of the superintendent of
' ' linildings and members of the school
! 'i board were given berths on the con-
i . ! tractor's pay roll.
Krom the mass of testimony before
the cnmmlttfo it Is apparent that the
Clark Investigating committee should
be able to tix dellnltely the cash value
of a Montana t < enatorship. The prlcu
Is so high , however , that ambitious poli
ticians are not likely to go to that state
with the Idea of computing.
The call for the prohibition national
convention lias been Issued. It pro
vides for enough delegates to allow
almost every one who voted for the
ticket In ( lie last presidential cam
paign to be a delegate to the conven
tion. In fact , In some states It will he
dllllcult to llnd enough prohibitionists
to make up a full delegation.
Perhaps the failure of the secretaries
of the State Hoard of Transportation
to notify the railroad companies of the
order to restore thu carload rateu on
live stock , made a couple of years ago ,
Is duo to the fact the secretaries were
overworked at that time. The demand
for passes on the part of popocratlc
otllclals and their friends was doubtless
KO great as to keep the secretaries con-
Btantly employed making out the ivqul.
billons.
The proposed revision of the No-
Imiska-Mlssourl boundary should Ive
an opportunity for evening up the slice
of territory on the Nebraska side of the
territory which was attached to the
state of Iowa when the boundary line
was drawn along the old cut-off at
Omaha. What the various states bor
dering on the Missouri should jlo Is to
get together on a survey that makes the
river the boundary by ceiling to cue
another the patches on each bldo which
properly belong to the state to which
it lii contiguous.
I Mi DKSilltK foil MKDIATHIX.
The statement of Dr. I.pyds. the
Transvaal representatlvi' In Hurope , as
to the attitude of his government re
garding mediation , should assure those
people in the United States who are
urging Intervention on tin- part of our
government that nothing of the kind ii
desired by the South African republic.
Dr. Leyds declared that he Is coull-
dent of the ultimate triumph of the
Boer cause nnd there can be no doubt
that this feeling Is universal among
his countrymen. He said that Presi
dent Kruger would never bar the door
to negotiations for an honorable settle
ment of the war. "but It Is not our
place especially while England is hur
rying fresh troops to South Africa
to make the lirst advances. 1'ast events
absolutely preclude such a course and
I am equally conlldent of the future. "
There Is no mistaking the meaning
of this language , which is dulto ns
authoritative as If It proceeded from
1'resldent Kruger himself. It means
that the Boers , conlldent of success ,
do not desire mediation and that if
now offered It would not be accepted.
It should be borne In mind that this
war was not suddenly conceived.
i Events for years had been leading up
! to It and the Boer government had
been long preparing for what It re
gardcd as Inevitable. It had con
structed formidable fortlllcatlous , ticeu- j
undated largo supplies of the best
arms and ammunition , provided stores
of army supplies and the burghers were
carefully drilled by foreign otlicers.
Before the Jameson raid the Transvaal
government was quietly organizing a
military establishment and the prepara
tions for possible hostilities were ac
celerated after that event , which fully
convinced the Boers that sooner or j
later they would have to light to mainj j
'tiln ' ; their Independence. Thus the j
South African republic was very well i
prepared for war when the ultlauder
agitation commenced , but all through
the negotiations with the British gov
ernment brought about by that agita
tion the work of preparation went
actively on and it has been demon
strated was about as complete and thor
ough as possible when war was de
clared.
In view of this and of the manifest
advantage which the Boers now have ,
giving them strong reason for confi
dence in ultimate triumph , It Is easy
to understand why they have no desire
for mediation. They expect greater re
sults from victory than they could
probably obtain through mediation. If
they should ask for or accent the In
tervention of the United States or any
other friendly country they would have
to make concessions and perhaps of
something they are most anxious to se
cure. They naturally under existing
conditions and with full faith in their
ability to win do not want to be placed
In a position where they might be com
pelled to forego something they par
ticularly desire to attain.
If the South African republic , having
commenced hostilities , will not make
the lirst advance for an honorable set
tlement of the war , It certainly cannot
reasonably be expected that 'Groat Brit
ain will do so. It must be obvious to
every rational person that If the British
government were now to invite media
tion such a confession of weakness
would be more disastrous to Its pres
tige and more daiTgorous to the security
of the empire than a hundred such re
verses as its forces in South Africa
have experienced.
The conclusion must therefore be that
mediation in the South African conflict
at the present juncture Is out of the
question. Neither of the belligerents
desires It and no government will risk
Incurring the resentment of either by
proposing mediation.
A L'HKCK TO null COMMRKCt ; .
An agent of the Transvaal govern
ment is reported to be purchasing a
large quantity of beef In Chicago , but
in consequence of the seizures of
American provisions by the British the
packers will not agree to deliver the
beef beyond Chicago. Were this beef
to be shipped consigned to the Trans
vaal government It Is hardly question
able that the British would have a right
to regard it as contraband and cap
ture it on tlie high seas. Such a con :
slgnment would bo prlnin facie evi
dence that It was intended for tlie mili
tary forces of Great Britain's enemy
and would undoubtedly warrant that
power in seizing It. Tills view , we
believe , Is In accord with our own gov
ernment's dellnltlon of. "conditionally
contraband" nrllde.s.
Tills circumstance , however , suggests
that a check has been given to our en
tire commerce witli South Africa ,
which before the war amount''ij to a
consldcrah'c ' sum annually and was
steadily growing , by tlie course of the
British In seizing American Hour near
Dclagoa bay , and makes pertinent the
question whether i-ur government Is
properly exerting Itself with a vl-nv to
remedying this state of affairs. Ii was
given out that the British government
had replied to the representations of
the United States In satisfactory teriiM.
It was said that It had ai'iiulesced In
the American position , Unit tlie Hour
sel/.ed would be at once relented and
that In future provisions would not lie
molested except upon unmistakable
evidence that they were destln.ul for
( irvut Britain's enemy.
As yet , however , tlie Hour hits not
been released and U was reported a
lew days ago that Ambassador C'lumtn
had notified the State department that
lie had been unable to ascertain what
disposition had been made o' a portion
tion of the. Hour. It Is nlsj stated that
the reports in regard to the British
position were misleading ; that the Brit
ish answer was found by the Stat.i de
partment not only to be Inconclusive ,
but evasive and entirely unsatisfactory.
It did not positively deny tin ; position
of this government , but no concession
was made , thus leaving the matter
open to future negotiation. Whether
or no such negotiation Is In progrt'us
does not appear , but It Is to bo pro
sinned that our government Is not neg
lecting so Important a matter as llita ,
which Involves commercial intore.v , * of
the value of millions of tlollni * as well
as vital principles of great concein to
tills country.
There Is unquestionably a very gi > n-
oral feeling In thli lountry that onr
government should take a decided posi
tion In tills matter that will Insure the.
protection of our commerce against
needless and unwarranted lnt"n'erencp |
nnd which will establish a precedent
that will be of lasting force.Vo ian-
not allow ( Jreat Britain or any other
nation to Imperil our trade .it IN own
pleasure , or to lay tlnvu pr'itclpkM '
alTeetlni ; that trade as Its own con
venience or relations may dictate , our
commercial Interests are too great and
valuable to penult us to place them at
the mercy of any power under any cir
cumstances. We have confidence that
our government will protect American
Interests In South Africa , but these are
suffering from the delay in settling the
question raised by the British seizures
and this should not be unncessarlly
prolonged.
AXNKXIMI tiULTll 'U/-l/M. /
SOUTH OMAHA. Jan. 22. To the Editor
of The Dec : PIcnfo answer a few queries
from a small property holder who 13 Inter
ested In knowing when this state ot affairs
nt present existing will terminate. You
know our condition of things down hero. U
has been said time and again that uur police
nro Just as unsafe to fall In the hands of as
a burglar and many such sayings are going
the rounds ilally. Also they Bay that the
mayor pays very little attention to our citi
zens' complaints along the line of protection.
Now I would like to ask , What course
could the citizens pursue to bring about
annexation and place us on a metropolitan
basis , so that we could be protected In a
measure from this state of affairs ?
I have always been opposed to annexation
and have never until the present wanted It ,
and why I want It now Is > we have too ninny
small-bore politicians who do not own one
foot of property trying , and successfully
doing so , to Increase the burdens of the tax
payers.
I am not alone In this matter ns to an
nexation , but we know that the present
mayor and city counclltnen would not sub
mit this to the people for fear of losing their
Identity ( If they evur had any ) and cut short
the little emoluments through their do-
nothlng scbemcfi.
I ask you as a citizen , to suggest eomo
way through your paper 'hat this matter
can be brought before the people and relieve
us of this dreaded piling up of taxes by mu
nicipal mismanagement.
GEORGE F. DEAN.
Tlie taxpayers of South Omaha would
without doubt be materially benelited
by annexation.
'In ' the first place the town is on tin ;
verge of bankruptcy. Its landed and
floating debt is constantly increasluu
and its taxes will have to be raised
enormously to meet current expenses as
soon as the census figures arc oflicially
announced.
Tlie Slocumb law fixes thq liquor
license for cities of more than 10K)0 ( )
population at $1,000 per year. At this
time the license fee in South Omaha I it
§ . " 00 , while saloon keepers pay an occu
pation tax of if'JuO a year. The license
money goes to the school fund and the
occupation tax to the city treasury.
When the license fee is doubled not only
will the number of saloons decrease , but
the occupation tax will have to be abolished
ished , which means an increase of about
? 15,000 ! a year in city taxes.
In tlie next place annexation would
give South Omaha better police and lire
protection , to say nothing of other bene
fits that would accrue.
The only way to secure annexation
under the present law Is to have tlie
proposition submitted by tlie mayor and
council and ratified by a majority of the
voters of each city. A year ago Mayor
Knsor made the promise publicly that
he would not stand in the way of the
submission of an annexation proposi
tion and we apprehend ho will adhere
to his word. It therefore devolves on
the citizens of South Omaha to Induce
their city council to take the proper
steps for the enactment of the necessary
ordinance.
The only advantage Omaha would
gain by annexation would be In making
a better allowing In the forthcoming
census. If annexation cannot be ef
fected before the census Is taken Omaha
will be opposed to loading up with
South Omaha's debt and enlarging the
area served by its municipal govern
ment. Inasmuch as tlie city election In
Omaha occurs March 0 next little time
is to be lost if annexation is to be voted
at tills election.
At the pro-Boer meeting in Washing
ton Sunday one of the principal ad
dresses was delivered by Senator
Alien of Nebraska , a full report of
which was transmitted by the Associ
ated Press to all the newspapers re
ceiving its service. The account which
appeared in tlie World-Herald , however ,
showed that all reference to Senator
Allen's speech had been carefully cut
out. Evidently tlie place struck by the
sting of Ingratitude still smarts.
Sweden is tlie latest nation to ask an
extraordinary credit to prepare for
war , as If the peace conference had
done more to Induce the belief that a
great conlllct in Europe was InovltUrio
than to further tlie ends of universal ,
peace. Tins various rulers all appear to i
think that peace talk from other na
tions Is only a final ; under cover of
which to gain some advantage for n
coming conlllct.
Perhaps now that the reformers are
beginning to tell on each other the
public will get a little of the trutn n-
gardlng the alleged purity of the pres
ent state administration. 'Tlie slight
lifting of the lid has allowed sulllclent.
steam to escape to demonstrate Unit a
large amount of disinfectant would 1m
necessary In case the pool were stirred
to Its depth.
Kuslonlst politicians have evidently
got the range of the supreme court ami
are dropping shells into tlie judicial
en nip with regularity ! If the occu
pants , , ! ' the bench jodgc | a democratic
missile they get In the way of one from
the populist guns. If the present rate
of lire Is continued much longer that
clerkship may go up in smoke.
The effort of tlie railroads to o
nu excursion from Oiuahu to Lincoln ou
tlie occasion of tlie npi > nlng of Lincoln's
new auditorium should by nil mean ?
succeed. It will not only furnNh the
railroads with put-chasers of excursion
tickets , but also help to supply the .51.00,1
to l p absorbed by the great imported
musician engaged by Lincoln as the
star performer. IJucoln was so
friendly and generous In Its support of
Omaha's Oreater America exposition
that Omaha cannot do better than
reciprocate at this , the llrst opportunity.
Tlie Bee has for years been giving tlie
public eye-openers on the do-nothing
State Board of Transportation. Elev
enth hour eye-openers , for political ef
fect , on tlie eve of a presidential elec
tion may do for popocratle yellow Jour
nal sensation , but their sincerity Is open
to question.
AVuloli Hit ! Unrulier * Hint.
Chicago Hecbrd.
The DrltlHh hope > to do great things In
South Africa as soon ns reinforcements In
the shape of the duke of Marlborough and
his valets arrive.
, AVlmt I'.llulllllil l.iU'UH.
lV-ndrlihu | | ! Press.
American butter Is rapidly crowding Her
man batter from the English market. It
England could only bo Induced to take some
genuine. American corn cakes and "pone" to
go with our butter , her gastronomic liappl-
iio,3B would ho complete.
Iilmltiitlnii of lul
Cincinnati Tribune.
A preposition has been made before the
New York Har association suggesting that
nt n nmn's death all property above $10,000-
000 should go to the state for the ameliora
tion of conditions surrounding the masses.
It will not get much further than the bar
association. Dut why was the amount llxod
nt $10,000.000 ? There are millions of poi
sons living who would be very glad to agree
to let the state have all over $1,000,000 , It
they could be BO fixed as to leave even that
amount.
Crinrillnir Ttvo-nillloti MnrU.
Ni w York Mall awl 13xires.- .
The statement concerning our foreign
commerce < \vhlch hns just been issued by
the treasury bureau of statistics tnxes the
Imagination. The figures are bewildering.
Note these examples : Imports for 1S9D ,
$790,831,1)20 ; exports , $1,273-150,641 a total In
ocean commerce ot more than $2,000,000,000.
The exports were greater than those of any
former year In our history , the three next
highest years having been 1SHO , with $1,005-
837,211 ; 1897 , with $1.000.709,013 , and 1898 ,
with ? 1,255-191,358. The record must be re
vised. Wo nre no longer o billion-dollar
country , but a two-bllllon-dollar country.
Tnll COCK with ( lie Hlilc.
Springfield Republican.
The country west of the Alleghanics seems
to consider Itself entitled to both places on
the republican presidential ticket. For
every candidate brought out In the cast for
live second place , thu west produces about
two candidates. There is Governor Shaw
of Iowa , whose sound money record IB
deemed by his friends to entitle him to the
recognition. Then there is ox-Senator In-
gulls ot Kansas , who Is still out of a job.
and who IB being urged for the nomination
for that and the other reason that he has
had experience as a presiding officer In the
senate. Wisconsin presents Governor Sco-
Ileld , nnd two candidates to each of the
other western states would probably be a
moderate estimate.
Senator Hour mill Ilnrrclt.
Boston , Herald.
Senator Hoar'has taken sufficient pains
with the charge' made concerning hlJ
speech by Mr. John ilarrett to deny the
truthfulness of the' statement as regards
the circulation of his speech In the Philip
pines. We arc glad he has gone no farther.
It is hardly worthwhile for a man of his
ago and occupying h ! position to engage In
personal controversies with men of the
caliber of Quigg and Unrrett. Ono Is re
minded by It of a perhaps familiar anecdote ,
which is related of an encounter between a
big dog and a llttlo one. The big dog's
master attempted to separate the fighters ,
but the little dog's master begged him not
to do it. "Do let them light on , " said he.
"It'Will ' bo the making of my pup. "
IMPROVED CONDITION OP IAIOH.
of Kiuiilo.ver ami Kinitloye
Htcuilllj- ) no v Inn TiiKrtlicr.
Indianapolis Journal.
Ono of the most distinctive features of
modern civilization is the condition of labor ,
the bettered condition of working men and
the improved relations between employers
and employes. Much yet remains to bo done
in these respects , but a great deal has been
accomplished. The difference between pres
ent conditions and those which existed at
the beginning of the nineteenth century Is
almost beyond conception. The Journal re
cently pointed out how large a part of the
world , especially of the new world , practiced
negro slavery at the beginning of this cen
tury. Now It does not exist anywhere. Its
abolttlo ) ) has been nn immense gain for free
labor. Equally remarkable and beneficial
In its results has been the change In thu
relations between employers and employes.
These relations nro not yet what they ought
to be and doubtless will bo at some good
tlmo in the future , but ihcro has been a
great change In recent years and the move
ment Is widening and progressing. In
Europe It takes the form of what arc called
welfare or palronal Institutions , and In this
country of co-operative and profit-sharing
concerns. These all have the same object
In view , namely , bringing employers and
employes closer together , bringing about
Identity of Interest and promoting the com
mon welfare of both. A recent compilation
of statistics on the subject shows that there
nro now 120 profit-sharing firms In France ,
forty in Germany , ninety-five In Orcat IJrlt-
uln and twenty In the United States. This
enumeration only Includes distinctly profit-
sharing establishments and not only cooperative
erative concerns. Besides these thcro
are a great many manufacturing establish
ments jn the United States whose proprie
tors have gone to great expensfi to promotn
In many ways. In many cases this plan In
volves the erection for the use of employes
of club houses , lunch rooms , hath houses ,
bowling alloys , gymnasiums , reading rooms ,
etc , A number of railroads have adopted
plans by which all their employes may be
come stockholders and several leading banks
have adopted accident insurance and life
pension systems for the benefit of their em
ployes. Six American railroads now have
relief departments for the benefit of their
r-mployoa. Several of the largest manufac
turing entabllelimcntB In the United States
have set examples of liberality to workmen
which smaller establishments nro gradually
adopting and which la every Instance are re
ported as having the > best results In the pro
motion of good feeling and good work. The
superintendent of ono large ctttablUhmcnt
says : "Tho money value of such nbatrflc-
tlons as peace , harmony , good will , sobriety ,
thrift and contentment cannot be expressed
In dollars , but U nevertheless real. " It IN
aid that one-seventh of the railroad em
ployes In the United States are now comprehended -
prohendod In Insurance departments eatali-
llbhed and encouraged by the railway com
panies. In thcso and other like respects
no employers in the world are us liberal ay
American employers and In no other coun
try are workmen asel \ treated. It gnguld
be the aim and effort of ull employers an I
employes to establish and promote a condi
tion so favorable to the Interest ! ot both.
ICtllOKS { IV ( It It AVVIt.
The most noticeable nnd regrettable feature
i ot American oroupntlon of Manila Is the
prominence of American e .ilooii8. Prior to
the fnll of the city In August , 1S9S , there
were about a dozen places In which liquor
was sold , nnd thcso were held In check by
the repressive arm of Spain. Within three
I monHis after American occupation thirty
I American salnnns wore started , and the
I number at the present time In near fifty.
They represent all classes of booze dispen
saries. They occupy conspicuous locations
nnd nro said by correspondents to be , next to
the army , the principal evidence of Ameri
can civilization In Manila. A like romli *
j tlnti of affairs obtains In Havana. A cor
respondent of the Chicago Record , writing
of the prominence of the saloon at the
! capital of Culm , says : "Law-abiding Ameri
cans , who realize that their example Is far-
reaching among a people whom our gov
ernment Is trying to teach the principles
of good conduct and correct self-govern
ment , regret to sco the encroachment upon
the better part of Havana's residence nnd
business district of American barrooms. This
Is not necessarily n question of mornU or
religion , but of governmental economics. A
few nights ago there was an 'opening' ot
one of thcv places on the Prndo. Pnsslni ;
It late at night 1 noticed that It was crowded
with American prospectors and residents in
a more or less glorious stnfc of hllnrlous-
! ness , many of them well beyond pelf-control ,
' while the walks outside were crowded with
! observing Cubans of the middle nnd lower
classes , whoso remnrks about the 'mnlo
Americano' were not to our credit. A
drunken American Is always a bad Amer
ican , a half-drunken American Is a half-
bad American. While Cuba la nn Amer
ica u en nip , might It not bo welt for the
government at least to limit the number
of such places that It licenses nnd thus
avoid In good part the frictions nnd an
noyances between our people nnd the na
tives growing out of habits of blhulousness ? "
Isldor Martinez , a Cuban lesldent of Phil
adelphia , hns just returned from Hnvann ,
and glvi his Impressions of It to the Press.
"Havana , " he says , "Is today an entirely
different city from what It was when 1 was
n young man. The llrst thing that would
Impress the visitor would be the gcticrnl
cleanliness of the streets. This la one of
j the many American reforms. Every day
three or four hundred men clean the streets
with broom nnd wntcr , nnd I toll the truth
when 1 say that Havana's streets are cleaner
than are streets hi Philadelphia. The Cu
bans like the American 'wnys nnd are fast
growing accustomed to the chango. They
see that they are being benelited , and they
arc anxious to do what they can to even
better their present conditions. In the way
of education the change of government has
accomplished much. There are now n large
number of public schools , with competent
teachers. "
The facility with which John Barrett , ex-
minister to Slam , breaks Into print on the
Philippine question Is n source of surprise
to most people. When he is ripe for a
fresh deliverance ho arranges all the usual
theatrical features and confides In mcm-
| bers of the press an Inkling of a sensation -
; tion about to drop. As Barrett was a newspaper -
' paper correspondent at Washington at the
tlmo he was appointed minister to Slam ho
became thoroughly acquainted with the rrpei
j and his knowledge thereof proves effective
; In keeping bis name in print. A story
told In Washington illustrates his regard
for the " 1" in current news : Barrett was
Invited to a Dartmouth college dinner and
was called on for a speech. That was just
\ what IIP wanted. He would rnther speak
tbnn eat and besides ho holds in high es
teem the ability of John Barrett as nn or
ator. So be began to relate the prominent
part ho took in the Orient during and after
the war with Spain.
"When I was in the cabin of that mag
nificent vessel , the Olympia , " began Bar
rett , "whore I had been called to consult
with that bravo man , George Dewey , In
order that wo might protect together the
Interests of our common country , the
greatest republic which rno world has ever
known , Dewey placed his hand upon my
ehouldcr and solemnly said to me "
"Who stole Widow Perkins' squash pie ? "
The voice was the voice of an old class
mate of Barrett's. It broke upon the speech
with the force of an exploding shell. In
stantly all the Dartmouth men solemnly
answered :
"John Barrett ! "
The ex-minister to Slam grew red and
embarrassed , floundered through a few more
sentences and sat down.
IS TOMMY ATKINS OllN-SHYf
Trnilltinup.l Vnlur Soiiifivhnt Tnr-
lllNhcil Iiy Itcc-eiit ICvciilN.
Now York World.
The undaunted courage of the British
soldier on the battlefield has been celebrated
In song and story until It has become one
of the fixed traditions of English literature.
It Is a tradition which we In thU country
would not willingly abandon , and yet the
cold facts of the Magerafonteln engagement
ns furnished by the London correspondents
create a painful Impression of a possible
error.
The jingo London Mall says that after
the first volley from the hidden trenches
"they turned and ran , literally colliding and
climbing over ono another in their con
fusion. " The correspondent of the fan
atically Tory ( llobe , presumably Earl do la
Wnrr , twys : "It Is useless to disguise the
fact that a large percentage of our troopo
are beginning to lose heart In this cam
paign. Can you Tilamo them ? "
What was the "dreadful slaughter" that
made the flower of the British army , the
famed "Black Watch" and the Gordons and
the Seaforths , "turn and run" nnd "lose
heart ? " Out of the -1,000 loss than 100 were
, killed , less than 400 were wounded. And ,
no matter how fleetly the British may have
run , all could not have been uliot In the
first volley.
ThcBo facts and others of the same Im
port In the accounts of other battles flight
or surrender following insignificant losses
1 raise the question , "Has Tommy Atkins
j bebn mowing down savages so long that
| when he faces real resistance ho becomes
gun-shy ? ' "
iinun AM ) Tmtii , : .
Schools for the training of JournnlKtfi
Imvo not been In operntlon In this country
for B sviiuclfnt length of lime to ncrurntely
monsuro the effect In elevating the pro
fession. There nre , however , tome slight
evidences of the high character of their
work , , nnd Ohio furnishes the latest nnd
most notable example. ThlH particular new
journalist hides the light of his genius hi
the columns of the Warsaw Clipper , but It
occasionally breaks over provincial bounds
and sheds KB warming beams on the coun
try beyond.
A Into Issue of the Clipper contnlns a mas
terly description of a fire that Is both thril
ling and Instructive. "At the midnight hour
of January 12 , " he write ? , "when the In
habitants ot Brink Haven were wrnpcd In
natures fond embraces of sleep , the wild
, wired cry of KIKE ! ! KIUK ! ! FIHKM rnug
out In thundering tonea upon the midnight
frosty nlr calling In no unmistakable voice
to the unconscious sleepers to flee for their
lives , hundreds of people rushed from their
slumboix , only to be confronted by the de
vouring flumes which were shooting their
llrery tongues In every conceivable manner ,
consuming everything that they came In
contact with nnd for a time It seemed that
the village was doomed to dlstrucMon , re-
gnrdlcss of the heroic efforts of daring hu
manity , men , women and children rushed
forth scarcely half clad to save their llvrs ,
men taking their lives In their hands went
forth with all their energy to rescue the
unconscious sleepers from the llry ordea
that wn raging with unabated fury fron
building to building , fond mothers rushliif ,
frantlcly hither nnd thither lightly chid
seeking the xnfcty ot their loved ones , who
so far as they knew were perishing In
the llrey elements. Thus In their endeavors
to save preclotia lives the consuming mon
ster was doing Itfl destructive work , bullrt-
Inga crushing to earth one after another
'
only added fuel to the mighty flames as thny
i went sweeping skyward with unabated de
struction. All that could be done was done
cheerfully , and many dangers were en
countered by falling timbers. The flro orig
inated In the hotel at the head nf the mnln
stairway on the first landing , the bulln'ng '
lies hi smouldering ruins , nearly all the
contents of the holtcl were destroyed , onU
about $25 worth were saved. The building
and contents were Insured for $3,000. The
( homo of Mrs. Day was entirely consumed ,
contents nearly nil saved ; no Insurance. The
large , line livery barn lies In ashes and
charod ruins , contents nearly nil saved , no
llvce reported as lost. "
"High living and right-thinking people"
may criticise the Warsaw sample of hot
stuff and stamp It as the florid frenzy of an
amateur. Not nt all. Veterans who rank
as models occasionally Indulge their fancies
In like work. There Is M. DC Blowitz , the
crack English correspondent at Paris. In a
recent letter ho said : "I quote this he-
1 cause the Llbcrto Is one of those ainphlb *
'
lous journals thnt , waiting to see which way
the wind blows , sometimes unexpectedly
turn the scale. "
IICNt lOtTorl * of Fourlifnlv ! Anirr-
Icimn dourly OulrlnNntMl.
Indianapolis News.
In his "American Notes" Hudynrd Kip
ling tells of an entertainment given him by
a club in San Francisco , where he heard
oratory with the roundest of o's and de
voured a dinner , the memory of which will
descend with him into the hungry grave.
What followed he thus describes :
"There were about forty speeches deliv
ered ; and not one of thorn was average or
ordinary , u was 'my first introduction to
the American Eagle , screaming for all it was
worth. The lieutenant's heroism served ns
n peg from which those silver-tongued ones ,
turned themselves loose nnd kicked. They
ransacked the clouds of sunset , the thunder
bolts of henven , the deeps of hell , nnd the
splendors of the resurrection , for tropes and
metaphors , and hurled the result at the head
of the guest of the evening. Never blnce
the morning stars sang together for joy , I
learned , had nn amazed creation witnessed
such superhuman bravery as that displayed
by the American navy In the Samoa cyclone.
Till earth rotted In the phosphorescent Btor-
and-stripe dome of a decayed universe that
godlike gallantry would not bo forgotten. I
grieve thnt I cnn not give the cxnct words.
My attempt nt reproducing their spirit Is
pale and Inadequate. I sat bewildered on
a coruscating Niagara of blntherumsklte.
It wns magnificent It was stupendous ; nnd
I was conscious of a wicked desire to hide ,
my faeo in a napkin and grin. "
It Is not often that a better travesty on
"hlatherumsklte , " ns Mr. Kipling calls It ,
Is given than this. Undoubtedly wo do In
dulge In It greatly. But what should be
| said of the following ? It Is part of the de
scription of the. battle of Maegersfonteln ,
sent by the correspondent of the London
Dally News , telling of the burial of Oen-
cral Wauchope.
"Out Hwcllcd the plpca to the strains ot
the 'Flowers of the Forest , ' now ringing
proud and high , until the soldiers' heads
went hack In haughty defiance and fiyw
|
flashed through tears like sunlight on steel ;
j now singing to a moaning wail like a woman
1 mourning her first born , until the- proud
[ heads dropped forwnrd and rested on heav
ing chests and tears rolled down the wan nnd
scarred fnccs , and the choking sobs broke
through the soleirn rhythm of the march of
! death. * Then once again the pipers
| pealed out. 'Lochnber No More' cut
i through the Htlllnces like a cry of pain until
ono could almost hear the widow In her
I highland home moaning for the soldier uho
I would welcome back no more. Then , as
I If tpuched by the muglc of one thought ,
the soldiers turned their tear-damp eyes
from the still form In the shallow grave
toward the heights whcrn Cronje , the lion
of Africa , and Ills soldiers stood. Then
ovary cheek Hushed crimson , nnd the
strong Jawa cot like steel , and the veins
on the hands that clasp the rlllu bundles
swelled almost to bursting with t'rfcrvor
nf the grip , and thnt look from those ullent ,
j armol mc-n spoke more eloquently than
' ever spoke the tongues of oratoru. For on
' each frowning face the spirit of vengeance
The Absolutely Pure
Made from Grape
Cream of Tartar.
Baking powders made from alum and other
harsh caustic acids are lower in price , but
inferior in work and injurious to the stomach ,
. .
ROYAL BAKINQ rOWDEH CO. , NEW YORK.
I f > nt , nod rnoh sparkling eye nskcd silently
1 for blood. "
It wolild Imltxxl nred n Kipling to travesty
Hint ! U In Itsplf to nenr a travesty thni
the most of tm could do nothing but Initiate
It. Shall wo not bo allowed to say thnt
bonstfulnrss nnd bounce nro not all
chnrncterlRtlc of Americans ? Am not the
1 elder KngllBh , they of llio land of repose ,
{ quite as emotional , nnd qtiltn nn oblivious
to the superlative expression thereof , when
It is of their own emotions , ns we Ameri
cans ? Verily , the- kinship nppenr.s at many
points.
: \mv I'Nx.siox IIAID.
StrctiiiiuiN KiHli-nvorn of ( 'ilium Wnr
SnlilliTN to ( lot ( ill tin * Hull * .
KiinsiiH City Stnr.
Admitting that Hie climate of Cuba In the
rainy Benson IR more deadly tlmn shrapnel ,
419 applicants for pensions out of n RliiRle
regiment that fought nt San Juan without
i losing a man Is n formidable starter for
| the now raid which la bchlR organized on
the United Stntcs treasury. If this Is nn
nvcrngo snmplo ot the disposition of the
soldiers who tool : pntt In the Spnnloh wnr.
llio pension frauds growing out of the ro-
bctlion will nppcnr almost Infllgnincnnt by
comparison , though no credit Is duo to thr
spurious pensloneis of the civil wnr bcrauso
they ht ve boon exceeded In rapacity by fomc
of the soldiers In tlie Cubnu campaign.
The system of plundering the government
In the nnmo of patriotism has been In ex
istence for thirty yrnr. < or more , and It linn
been so successful in Its operations as to
Invite the oncomngcmunt nnd co-operntlon
of thousands of votcrnns who hnvo no claim
whatever to pemilous nud who would nol
have thought of unking for thrtn until thrj
discovered how easy it was to obtnln them.
The expense which this form of mcmll-
caacy hns Imposed upon the nation Is colos-
snl. It far exceeds any other Item of cost
In the government. It bus become bunion-
some to the taxpayers ami , what Is far erse
than thnt , It him reduced the once honorable
duty of service. In the nrmy to u sordid ,
mercenary bnsln.
The outlay for pensions has not dimin
ished with the rapid decimation of the vot-
ornns of the civil war , nnd now n new In-
stnllmont of claimants , has iipcircd | : to aug
ment the draft on the public funds. It Is
now moio Imperative than over that the gov
ernment fchnll adopt for Its own protection
the Iron-clad policy of limiting lt ' pensions
to soldiers who can produce undoubted proof
of disability Inclined in the service , nnd thnt
oil claims not sustained hy such evidence
shnll bo Biimmnrlly rejected.
i.icii'i' AMI : : IM < : UT.
Ko.oHl : il'oto Couwll Itluffs !
'W'hero is that , raw ?
I > aw Tluro are fomo council bluffs In the
city hall , my son.
WaslilmsUm Stnr : "Dp ro-.il bit ; folks , "
paid L'nolo lObc.ii . , "doosn" mil on ns inm-h
airs as some 'or do common ono . When u
man really Im1 > Fonicthln * he'w ( jlnnorly so
Imsy ImiiKin' i > n to It tint he hasn' tlmo to
tihow oft much. "
lioston Tranarrlp't ' : HetMc llcally. Tom.
do you believe Sand'crson ' knows all ho pro-
icrocs to know ?
Harry Of course not. That would bo Im-
pot-slbl'o.
Detroit Free Press : "She's very mascu
line. Isn't she ? "
"Oh , 1 don't kiK > w. She Is ar.il she Isn't. "
" \Viliy. you usitl to consider her extremely
ninnnlsih.
"Truo , but ono day I a.skod her why she
was so nnd she Dimply mid : 'IJecnusc. ' "
Cleveland Plain Dealer : " 1 don't believe
Dho IlrMlfh oan ever conquer Oam Paul. "
"Why not ? "
"Ho wo.ir.Ills whiskers too initrh like
Ur.clo Sam. "
Cleveland Plain Dealer : "Pa , why do
folks call the owl the bird of wisdom ? "
"Because he's got cense enough not to
come out nnd fly around until all the boy * *
about your flzo arc in bed. "
'Detiolt ' Journal : "GoorRo Washington , the
ii ro. had to dlo. like any ordinary mn ! "
"Thou you bellevo tCio story about jils
UK'tors ' huvlirsr killed him ? "
Indianapolis Journal : "Do' you bollovo
thai Koolal ostracism will wipe out trusts ? "
"Pooh , no ; If a man belongs to a trust
lo's ( jot money to buy his own caku and
L'C cream. "
THU TAXI'AYHH.
Washington Shir.
Oh , the man who pavs the taxes he's ICifl
( > aor forgot ten elf
Whoso biography must linger on oblivion's
dusty shelf.
.There are pomp anvl rc'lcbnaUon ' , there aic
poetry iiml'soUK1 ,
Hut the man , who pays the tuxts lingers out
amoni ? the throng.
Nobody nbks about him and notoody prlnils
Ills iiiuno ;
lo never RetB a blust when people sauna
the trumii of fame. i
There's Bllttor and' ' there's glory plaudits I
echoing1 far and near-
Hut the man wJio ipays Uie taxes never gets
a single cliccr.
There's a 'big ' resounding whistle on tlie en
gine when It tollt *
None think ntxo-ut the water ns It bubbles ,
ami l ollB
There is buzz and tlioro Is bustle nnd the
tx.'oplfl love to caze
As the prodigy goes onward In Its unre-
slstcU ways.
Wo quite forget , wlillo watcihlivB all the
beauty of the nohemc ,
hoit wmowJiero oiiti of j lglit Is pent < > ho
inlg'hty force of st'eiim.
nut , lii.splto this lack of splendor , 'tis
agreed by men of wit
Prh < at If the steam were wanting' the ma
chinery would quit.
KOmnll men"
men whose breast
measure is 34 or 35 or large
soys , whose measure is the
same , can find some splendid
values here in business suits
that are worth considering.
Quite a number of these 34
and 35 sizes on hand , in heavy
weight mixed Scotch cheviots
that have been leaders all sea
son at $12,50.
But now that the sizes arc re
duced to 34 and 35 w < i make
this special offer to close them
all out
These suits are on second
floor in our youths' department.
Take elevator.
Exclusive and Reliable Clothiers